Love In The Wrong Dimension (Romantic Ghost Story)

by Darbyshire, Anette

  “What do you mean by uncomfortable?”

  “I'm not sure to be honest, but something's not right. I can feel a really strong presence and it's making me feel quite odd. I can't describe it.”

  “It's interesting you say that, because I've felt something too. Normally the presence here feels quite calm, but this afternoon, it's distinctly unsettled. Something's changed. Look, seeing that we both have similar feelings, why don't you stay after everyone's gone and we'll try to work out what's happening?”

  Alice felt a warm glow wrap itself around her like a giant hug. Jack wanted her to stay after everyone else had left. Wow!

  “Sure. Okay, if that's alright,” replied Alice, trying to sound more casual than she felt.

  As Jack went into the kitchen to check that everyone had what they needed, Alice wondered how Jemma was getting on at college. She was tempted to send her a quick text, but Jack had asked everyone to turn their mobiles off before they started, and she couldn't be bothered to dig it out of her bag now. And anyway, by the time she'd switched it on, it would be time to switch it off again. No, she'd wait until they'd finished, and then give Jemma a call. She couldn't wait to tell her all about the meeting, and Jack. She decided that tonight they'd snuggle up on the sofa, with a take-away and a bottle of wine, and tell each other every single detail of their day. What a perfect end to a great day!

  An hour and a half later, the meeting was over and the last of the group had left. Alice and Jack were chatting leisurely while clearing away in the kitchen, when Jack suddenly stopped, turned around and looked behind him.

  “What's wrong?”

  “I don’t know, I just felt like I was being watched. I suppose I should be used to it by now. How about you? Do you still have the same feeling you had before?”

  Alice nodded “It's really strong, and I swear that something or someone touched me before.”

  As she finished drying a mug, she glanced, absent-mindedly, out of the window. How strange. There was a young boy standing outside in the garden, looking in and staring at her.

  “Jack! Who's that?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

  “Where?”

  “Outside. The young boy. Does he live here?”

  She turned back to the window, but the boy had gone. Oh well, she shrugged, probably some neighbour's kid.

  “Nevermind, he's gone now. Is it alright if I make some more coffee?”

  Jack grinned, “Yes, that'd be great, thanks.”

  Armed with their coffees, Alice and Jack went back into the living room and talked about their spiritual experiences. It felt so right, sitting next to him on the sofa and listening to him talk about his house, the group and the resident ghosts.

  “Jack?” Alice looked at him seriously. “Something did touch my neck earlier, honestly. It was very deliberate and I'm in no doubt that it was specifically intended for me. Don't ask me why, but I just have this really strong feeling that something's not right.”

  “There's no doubting your psychic skills,” he grinned. “But what about me? I'm the one who's got to sleep here on my own tonight.”

  Was that a hint? Was he making a pass at her? She glanced up at him, but, once again, his face was completely deadpan. Damn!

  Just then, Alice felt something touch her gently on her leg. “Aahh,” she screamed and jumped up in fright.

  Jack laughed, as he picked up a very fluffy white cat. “Sorry about that. This is Casper. Where have you been all day, Puss?”

  Casper looked disdainfully at Alice, before jumping down from Jack’s arms with a grunt.

  “I guess that's my cue to leave,” smiled Alice, getting up from the sofa.

  “Oh, don't take any notice of Casper, he just wanted to check you out.”

  “It's not Casper – he's lovely. I really do have to go though. If the spooks get too much before our next meeting, let me know and I'll come over and chase them away for you,” she flirted, as she switched her phone on. She wanted to send Jemma a quick text before she left to see if she fancied some wine and a takeaway tonight.

  “I might just take you up on that. What's wrong?”

  “I'm not sure. I've got about ten missed calls and four messages.” Alice dialled her voicemail to listen to the messages. When she'd finished listening, she looked at her phone with a worried frown.

  “What?”

  “The messages are from Jemma's college, asking me to call them urgently. Apparently, she had put me down as her next of kin. Oh Jack, something's wrong.”

  As Alice dialled the number the college had left for her, she had a deep feeling of misgiving. The tiny knot of concern she had felt in her stomach a minute ago, was growing into a harder, tighter ball of fear.

  Jack watched as Alice was put through to the Principal of the college, and saw her face turn white, before she passed out in front of him.

  Chapter 4

  “Alice. Alice. Wake up….” Slowly Alice became aware of the distant, but persistent voice calling her name. She opened her eyes and looked up into Jack’s concerned face, his image becoming blurred as tears welled in her eyes. She tried to sit up, but she was shaking so much that she nearly passed out again. It had to be some mistake. The woman on the phone had said that Jemma was dead, but she couldn’t be.

  “I only saw her this morning,” she gasped, as great wracking sobs took over her body.

  “Who? Alice, what’s happened?”

  “It’s Jemma. Jemma’s dead. Oh my god!” Alice lost all sense of time and place as her grief overwhelmed her. She clung to Jack, desperate for him to tell her that the college had just called back and said they had made a mistake, that Jemma wasn’t dead. She’d just banged her head a bit, but now she’s fine. But of course, he didn’t. He just held her while she cried like she’d never cried before.

  It was a couple of hours before she finally regained her composure, stood up and calmly thanked Jack for looking after her. As if in a trance, she picked up her coat, ready to leave.

  “Where do you think you're going?” asked a bemused Jack.

  “Home. I've burdened you enough already. Thanks again.” She was on autopilot and her voice was monotone and flat.

  “Are you going to stay with your parents?”

  “No, they're away right now. I'm going home, to our flat. My flat.”

  Jack was incredulous. “No way! You're not going anywhere. You can stay here with me, you shouldn't be on your own right now.”

  “Oh, Jack, that's really sweet of you, but I'm not exactly good company right now and ….” Alice's voice tailed off as she ran out of things to say. She was drained and didn't have any strength left to argue.

  So Jack showed her to the spare room, jumped in his car, and drove to her flat to pick up some clothes and toiletries, came back and made her some beans on toast. He left her alone when she needed to cry, and listened patiently when she had wanted to talk about Jemma and her memories of their friendship.

  “How are you feeling?” asked Jack a few days later, as he brought a cup of tea to her room.

  “Okay.” She answered, her voice sounding small. She was sitting by a small dressing table in Jack's spare bedroom, putting the final touches to her make-up. It was a peaceful room, small and uncluttered with cream walls and pale blue curtains. The only furniture was a single bed, a small wardrobe and a dressing table and stool. It was all she needed.

  Jack's kindness had touched her deeply. She had known him such a short time, and yet, he had let her stay with him, here, in his house, in this safe, calm room. She somehow felt closer to Jemma in this house, she wasn't sure why, but it was a comfort to her.

  But, today was the day she had been dreading. How was she going to face everyone, to smile through her grief whilst burying her best friend?

  “We need to make a move,” Jack came over and gently put a hand on her shoulder. “It'll take a couple of hours to get down to Kent, and we need to allow for traffic.”

  “Okay,” Alice nodded at Jack an
d got up from the stool. “Thank you, Jack,” she whispered, “I don't think I could've faced today if it hadn't been for you.”

  Jack smiled at her and squeezed her hand. “Come on, let's go.”

  They didn't talk much during the journey to Stenhurst, a pretty little village in the heart of Kent. Jemma's aunt, Tess, had wanted to bury her there, close to the town where Jemma had grown up and near to her mother's grave. Tess had offered to organise everything, which had been such a relief. She dreaded to think what kind of funeral Jemma would have had, if she'd been left to organise it.

  “Will your parents be there?” asked Jack, glancing across at Alice.

  “Yes, they really like Jemma,” she swallowed. “I mean, liked.”

  As they left London behind and drove through the pretty Kent countryside, Alice's mind started drifting back in time, to when they had been children. Her mum and Jemma's mum knew each other through a sports club. They used to meet every Thursday morning to play tennis while the girls were at school. One day, during the school holidays, the mums brought their ten year old daughters along while they played.

  The first time Alice met Jemma, she had been a little intimidated by the tall, confident girl. She had the longest, wildest hair she had ever seen, the dark auburn waves making her look exotic and exciting, but her eyes looked a bit like one of her teddy bear's eyes, big, soft and brown.

  “Hello,” she had said, with a slightly crooked grin, “do you like princesses, fairies and pink stuff?”

  “Er no, not really,” Alice had said, cautiously.

  “Oh, thank god for that. I hate all that soppy girly stuff. Do you like sport and music?”

  Alice had been delighted, “I love sport, especially swimming. And music. Do you like...boys?”

  “Yuk, no way!”

  And that had been the start of their friendship. They weren't best friends at first, that came later, but they had lots of fun when they saw each other, and were delighted when they both ended up at the same secondary school.

  “Shall we go to Tess's house first, or straight to the church?” Jack's voice brought her back to the present.

  “Erm, I told Tess that we'd see her at the church. I couldn't bear to have to go in one of those black cars behind the hearse. They look so depressing.”

  “Okay, well, this is Stenhurst and we're early. Let’s find a parking space and pop into that pub over there for a drink. You look like you could do with one!”

  The village was quiet for a Thursday afternoon, and they had no trouble finding a parking space. As they walked silently towards the welcoming pub, Alice looked around her and remembered coming here with Jemma to visit Tess, back in the summer. It was such a pretty village, with its cute cottages and immaculate gardens. There was a lovely little duck pond, and if you stood at a certain spot, you had the most incredible views across miles of rolling countryside. A couple of oast houses stood proudly in the distance, leaving you in no doubt that you were in the heart of Kent.

  Jemma's mum, Rosie, and her sister Tess, had grown up in this village, and so when Rosie had died, Tess had arranged for her to be buried there, alongside their parents. Shortly after Jemma had moved to London, Tess left Tunbridge Wells and moved back to the village and was still there.

  Once seated comfortably in the pub, Alice watched Jack as he ordered their drinks at the bar. He had been amazing since Jemma died and now that they were here, in the cosy, warm pub in Stenhurst, he was by her side as she was about to face the biggest challenge of her life. As he came back towards her with the drinks, he gave her a warm smile.

  “Jack? You've been so kind, but I've imposed on you long enough. I'm going to stay with my parents for a few days before deciding what to do about my flat. Is it okay if I stay tonight, and then leave tomorrow?”

  “Of course it is. You can stay for as long as you like, you know that, don't you?”

  Alice took his hand in both of hers, and smiled. “Yes, I know, and I really appreciate it. These last few days have been the worst of my life, but you've helped me through them and I'll always be grateful to you. But I need to move on. You do understand, don't you?”

  “Of course. I admire your strength, but remember, I'm not far away and you can always come round whenever you want. And anyway, I need you to keep those ghosts in check!”

  They finished their drinks and Alice stood up, brushed her coat down, stuck her chin out and said, “Right, let's do this!”

  As they walked towards the church, they could see the hearse had already arrived and was parked outside the gates. Alice hesitated before continuing. This was not going to be easy.

  Alice had never been inside the church before, and as she stepped through the thick, wooden doorway, she stopped for a moment and looked around. There was a huge stained glass window behind the alter, gloriously throwing coloured light toward the congregation, with several smaller windows along the sides sneaking extra light in. From the very high vaulted ceiling, hung two enormous brass chandeliers, and candles were lit at the end of each ornately carved pew. It smelled like a church ought to smell, a mixture of musty old wood, incense, candles and fresh flowers. It was both beautiful and comforting and Alice was glad that Jemma would be laid to rest there.

  As she looked around, she spotted her parents, sitting in the second row talking to Tess. The church was by no means full, in fact, there were fewer people than she had expected. On the one hand, she felt disappointed that the church wasn't full, but on the other hand, it was a relief that she wouldn't have to make small talk with too many people. She recognised some of them, distant family and old schoolfriends, but there were some unfamiliar faces there as well. Alice idly wondered who they were, before her eyes settled on a strangely familiar face. The boy was watching her intensely, but made no attempt to talk to her. He was young and very pale, almost ethereal. Where had she seen him before? She couldn't remember. The next time she looked round for him though, he had gone.

  Jack took her hand and led her to the front pew. She looked back at her mum, who gave her a loving smile. “Are you okay?” she mouthed at her daughter.

  Alice nodded and turned back to face the coffin. Tears filled her eyes as she imagined her friend lying in the wooden box, alone and lifeless.

  “Oh, Jem,” she whispered, “I miss you so much. What am I going to do without you?” As she closed her eyes, she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but when she looked round, there was no-one there.

  *****

  “Yes!” Jemma punched the air when Alice had reacted to her touching her shoulder. She had tried several times to repeat her success since last week, but it was a lot harder than she'd originally thought. This was the first time she had done it since, and she was so glad that she had been successful at such a poignant moment.

  “That's my Aunt Tess,” Jemma said to Tom, pointing to a smart looking lady in her sixties, “and those people over there are from my college. I can't believe they came, they only knew me for half a day.”

  Jemma was finding it very surreal to be at her own funeral. Although she was touched by the genuine grief of some of her friends and family, she couldn't help thinking how funny it would be, if she could suddenly jump out of the coffin, shouting “Ha ha, only joking!”

  Trouble is, no-one would find it funny. Except, maybe, Alice. She looked at Alice's pale and drawn face - on second thoughts, maybe not.

  She stole a glance at Tom, who was listening to the Vicar introduce himself. She was glad that he had come with her today. Apart from offering her moral support, he had also helped her to travel, ghost style, as Susie liked to say.

  When she had walked to Jack's house the day she had died, she hadn't realised that there were other ways she could move around. Tom had shown her how to travel instantaneously from one place to another. You just needed to concentrate and think very hard about where you wanted to go and, hey presto, you were there! The first time she tried it, she had felt like a Starfleet officer transporting herself back onto her
Starship. It had been an exhilarating experience, and she and Susie had had lots of fun practicing.

  Tom had been good to her since she'd arrived, and had helped her get more used to the reality of being a ghost. He had asked her lots of questions about her life, and she had gladly told him and Susie all about herself. They'd made her feel welcome, and she was grateful, the thought of going through all that on her own was unbearable.

  When she'd asked Tom about himself though, he had become oddly elusive and always managed to change the subject. In the week or so since they'd met, she still didn't really know anything about him.

  Susie, on the other hand, had been only too happy to talk about herself. Jemma learned that she and Tom were not related, but that he had taken the young girl under his wing when he had arrived the day he died. Tom had found her wondering aimlessly along the Finchley Road at Swiss Cottage, which was where she had died. Susie said that she had died just a couple of months earlier than Tom, in an accident, and that the reason she was trapped in this dimension was because it had not been her time to die. She was a great girl. Cheerful, funny and bright. Jemma had wanted her to come along today, but she had declined, saying that funerals depressed her.

  While the Vicar continued to talk, Tom gave Jemma a nudge, “Hey, are you alright?”

  “I'm fine. I think. I'm just wondering what they're going to say about me.”

  Jemma suddenly wasn't so sure that she wanted to hear what people were going to say about her.

  “Jemma was reckless, lazy and pretty stupid for getting herself killed in such an ordinary and unexciting accident. She had no job, no money and no boyfriend. In fact, Jemima Haley was a total loser!” Is that really what people would say, she thought, worriedly. Surely Alice would say something nice about her? Suddenly she didn't want to be there anymore, she couldn't bear hearing her friends say bad things about her.