“Hi,” she said, nervously, as she approached him.
“What do you want?” he said, without looking up.
“I came to find you. To apologise.” She swallowed, not sure exactly what to say. “Can I sit down?”
“If you must.”
“Tom, I’m really, really sorry about what I said to you earlier. I never meant to imply that you would ever deliberately hurt anyone, I know you wouldn’t. I just wanted to ask you about what Susie had said, but it came out all wrong.”
She waited for him to say something, but when he remained silent, she continued shakily.
“I’m so confused about you, Tom, I thought that maybe you would finally tell me what had happened, but when you didn’t, I got frustrated and I guess I just lashed out. I never meant to accuse you of ....you know....murder....” She hesitated, as she racked her brain for something to say that wouldn’t do any more harm. She was only too well aware of her ability to say the wrong thing, and that was the last thing she wanted to do right now.
Desperate to make him believe her, she continued. “You are the most decent, kind and honest person I’ve ever met. You’re also the most important person in my life, and it’s killing me that you’re so cross with me.”
“That’s not possible,” he said, finally breaking his silence.
“What?”
Tom finally looked up at her, and the faintest hint of a smile was twitching on his lips.
“It can’t be killing you, because you’re already dead!” He smiled at her, the last shadows on his face disappearing as his anger melted away. “Did you mean it when you said that I’m the most important person in your life?”
Jemma’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded. Tears of relief that he was talking to her again, and tears of joy at the overwhelming love she felt for him.
“Yes, I meant it. Tom.... I love you!” There, she’d said it. She hardly dared look at him as she waited for his response. Tom reached out for her hand and gently entwined his fingers through hers. She finally plucked up the courage to look up into his eyes and saw the intense emotion shining through them. He didn’t need to say anything for her to know, but nonetheless, she was ecstatic when he replied, “I love you too.”
*****
Alice opened her eyes, and smiled up at the dark grey sky above her. She had thought Jack had gone mad when he had suggested a picnic on Hampstead Heath in December, just weeks before Christmas.
“Jack, it’s freezing outside.” She had shivered just thinking about it. “No-one has picnics in December.”
“Oh come on,” he had laughed. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“Adventure? I left it next to the bloody central heating boiler,” she grumbled.
But Jack, of course, had been right. He had packed a thick waterproof blanket, along with a flask of hot soup, hot baked potatoes wrapped in foil to keep them warm, and salt and vinegar Pringles. They had put on layers of jumpers under their winter coats, and Jack had even brought a fleecy blanket to cover their legs. It had been the best picnic she had ever had. They had snuggled up on the blanket, the fleece protecting them from the chilly breeze, and talked quietly whilst sipping their cups of steaming hot tomato soup.
As the light started fading, and the flask emptied, Alice had lain down next to Jack, savouring the warmth of his body under the fleece. She was amazed at the intensity of love she felt for him, he just had to look at her with those big brown eyes and her stomach flipped. He made her feel as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world, and she was in no doubt that he would do anything for her, as she would for him. It had felt so right when he had leaned over and kissed her, gently at first, then more urgently as she felt herself responding with a passion she didn’t know she had. She was a little embarrassed at first when his hand had slipped under both of her chunky jumpers, after all, they were out in a public place, but when his fingers traced the contours of her breasts, before sliding gently down to the button of her jeans, she forgot all about any modesty. Alice had never experienced such intense pleasure as his hand continued down, gently caressing the delicate skin between her legs. She clung to him, desperately wanting him to make love to her, completely forgetting where she was. It was only afterwards that she felt the cool air brushing against her skin, which felt deliciously sensuous next to the heat of their bodies under the blanket.
“I can’t believe we just did that,” she giggled, “on Hampstead Heath of all places.”
Jack propped himself up on his elbows, and smiled as he looked down at her, his eyes radiant and full of love. “We can do it again if you like,” he murmured, playfully stroking her cheek.
Tempting though it was, Alice was becoming aware of her surroundings again, and the thought that some dog walker might stumble across them was enough to stop her pulling him down to her again. No, they would wait until they got home, and then she would show him how much she loved him, when they were in the warmth and privacy of the bedroom.
“Why don’t we head back?” she whispered, softly into his ear, “I believe we have some unfinished business to take care of.”
As they walked hand in hand back through the Heath, now in complete darkness, Alice felt happier than she had ever felt before. She was in love with the most perfect man in the world. He was gorgeous, sexy and sensitive, and he even shared her interest in the paranormal. Her only regret was not being able to share her good fortune with Jemma. It seemed ironic that losing Jemma had ultimately led to her and Jack becoming closer. And yet, sometimes it felt like Jemma was still around. Occasionally, she would catch the scent of her perfume, or think that she could hear her voice, and she had often felt her presence in both Jack’s house and their flat. She hoped that she could continue to develop her psychic gift so that maybe one day she could say goodbye to her friend properly. This reminded her that the psychic meeting was the following day, and she found herself looking forward to seeing the other members, who had all been so friendly and welcoming when she had first joined.
“By the way,” Jack’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Do you remember Maggie from the ghost hunting group?”
“Yes, of course,” smiled Alice.
“She’s coming to the meeting tomorrow. Apparently she has something she wants to show you.”
“Ooh, that sounds interesting. I’m glad she’s coming, I liked her.”
“She liked you too. She said that you have a natural gift and that she can help you develop it. Are you going to tell her about the boy?”
“Yes, I think if anyone will know why he’s following me, she will.” Just thinking about the ghostly child made her uneasy again, and she gripped harder on to Jack’s hand as they neared a small pond near the edge of the heath. They stopped for a minute to look at the lights from the houses opposite reflecting on the smooth surface of the water. Suddenly though, the peaceful atmosphere seemed to change, the shadows from the trees becoming darker, the air heavy and silent. A grey mist was creeping slowly across the pond, looking dark and menacing. It seemed to be reaching out to her, its cold, bony fingers beckoning her to come closer.
“Jack! Come on, let’s get out of here.” Alice snapped out of the spell, and hurriedly pulled Jack towards the distant lit road.
“What’s up?”
“Didn’t you see it? The mist?”
“Alice, it was just mist. I think talking about the boy has spooked you a bit. I don’t sense anything out of the ordinary here.”
A few minutes later though, as they were walking up Pond Street, Alice stopped and abruptly turned around, convinced she was going to see the boy following them. But there was no one there. She must be imagining it, she thought as she shivered. Jack put his arm around her, and pulled her closer to him.
“Come on,” he said, gently, let’s get you home.”
Back in the warm, cosy kitchen at Jack’s house, Alice reflected on what had happened by the pond. Jack was right, it really had just been mist. Her imagination was beginni
ng to play tricks on her. Had she also imagined the boy in her kitchen? And on the tube? She was beginning to doubt what was real and what wasn’t.
She went over to the kettle and flicked the switch on. A nice mug of hot chocolate was just what they needed, she thought, and then they would go upstairs to bed, to finish off what they’d started on the heath. She smiled as she turned towards the sink to wash out a mug, but then something outside the window caught her attention. With a scream, she dropped the mug into the sink, as the pale, eerie face of the ghost-boy stared back at her through the glass.
Chapter 11
“What’s wrong?” Jack rushed into the kitchen as soon as he heard Alice’s scream and found her cowering on the floor by the sink.
“He’s there, Jack. Look, he’s there. Outside. Look, he’s watching me.” The fear in her voice was palpable.
“Alice, there’s no-one there. Look for yourself.” Jack calmly put his arms around her and gently helped her back on to her feet.
“But he was there. He was definitely there, Jack. Why’s he doing this?” Alice could feel herself becoming hysterical, but she couldn’t stop herself. Shaking violently, she pointed to the window. “Look!” she cried. But as she returned her gaze to the window, she saw for herself that there was no-one outside. All she could see was her and Jack’s reflection against the dark background.
“Alice, there really is no-one there. Do you want me to go out and check?”
“Oh yes, would you?” She watched as Jack unlocked the back door and a new fear gripped her as he pulled it open. “Jack, be careful.” Although she knew that a closed door wasn’t going to stop the boy if he really wanted to come in, she felt a lot more vulnerable with it wide open.
After a minute or so, Jack came back in, shaking his head. “I’ve checked everywhere, Alice. There’s no-one there.”
“He was definitely there. You do believe me, don’t you?”
“Of course.” Jack led her gently into the living room and sat her down on the sofa. “I’m going to make that hot chocolate and then you’d better get some sleep.” Before he left the room, he gave her a reassuring smile, but there was something in his eyes that hadn’t been there before – doubt. He was beginning to doubt her, she realised with dismay. He obviously knew she wasn’t making it up on purpose, but could he be starting to think that it was all in her mind? After all, no-one else but her had ever seen the boy. Maybe that was it. Maybe the strain of the last few months had affected her more than she realised and she really was going mad and imagining it all.
“Here. Drink this.” Jack handed her a cup of steaming hot chocolate and sat down next to her. “Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I was so sure I saw him, but now I don’t know what to think. I’m beginning to doubt what’s real and what isn’t.”
Jack squeezed her arm and kissed her head gently. “You’ve had a lot to deal with lately. Try not to dwell on it.”
Alice wanted to stay downstairs with Jack while he finished clearing away the last few dishes in the kitchen. She watched him silently as he gazed out of the window while he worked, and she saw his reflection staring back, his expression grim and eyes still showing the hint of doubt she had seen earlier.
The following morning, she woke up in Jack’s arms and snuggled closer to him. She rested her head on his chest, listening contentedly to his steady breathing, savouring the warmth of his body, last night’s fright pushed firmly to the back of her mind. She reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from his eyes, her heart contracting, almost painfully, with love for him. She must have drifted off to sleep again, because the next thing she knew, something cold and wet was nudging her cheek and rattling so loudly that it sounded like someone had brought an old diesel engine into the bed. She opened her eyes to find Casper staring at her with wide eyes, purring loudly, and Jack sitting next to him, showered and in his bathrobe, and holding a cup of tea out to her. He looked gorgeous as tiny droplets of water dripped from his roughly towelled hair.
“Hello sleepyhead,” he said, as she snuggled deeper under the duvet. “Feeling better?”
“Hmm. What time is it?” she croaked.
“Eleven thirty.”
“Really? The last time I looked it was seven o’clock, and you were snoring your head off.”
“I don’t snore,” he protested, as he playfully ruffled her hair.
“You so do,” she laughed, and took a sip of her tea before putting the cup down carefully on the bedside table. “Come here.”
“Hey, not in front of the cat,” chuckled Jack, gently nudging Casper off the bed. Casper stuck his nose haughtily in the air, and stalked out of the bedroom, leaving Alice and Jack alone.
An hour later they were both sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying freshly brewed coffee, and hot toast spread with butter and jam.
“Mmm, I could have spent all day in bed,” Alice smiled, her body still tingling with the pleasure Jack had just given her.
“That would have been interesting,” grinned Jack, “seeing that we’ve got eight people turning up for a meeting in just over an hour.”
“Oh yes. Do you think they’ll guess? About us I mean?”
Jack shrugged, “Nah, why would they? You were here last time, as far as they’re concerned, nothing’s changed. Do you want to tell them?”
“Do you?”
“If you do. Look, I really don’t mind what people think, but if you want to tell them, it’s fine by me.”
“Let’s play it by ear then,” she said, clearing the breakfast dishes away.
Later, as Jack opened the front door to the first of the guests, Alice strolled into the living room, now set up to accommodate the meeting. She glanced at the chairs arranged in a circle, before looking up at the spare armchair in the corner of the room, wondering if she should pull it into the circle too. She shivered, feeling the cold, hostile vibes that emanated from the dark corner. Jack never used the chair, Casper wouldn’t even go anywhere near that part of the room, and the one time she had sat on it, she had felt so uneasy that she had never gone near it again. No, the chair would stay where it was, she decided. She wondered who the spirit residing in the corner might be, and why it was haunting this house. The house had been relatively quiet during the last couple of weeks, with only a few bumps now and then, but the presence of the spirits, whoever they might be, was always there.
When the group were comfortably seated in the living room with their cups of tea and biscuits, Jack started the meeting. Alice noticed, with disappointment, that Maggie wasn’t there. But just as she was hoping that she hadn’t changed her mind about coming, the doorbell rang and Alice nodded to Jack that she would get it.
“Hello, love, am I late?” beamed Maggie, as Alice pulled open the door.
“Hi Maggie, don’t worry, they’ve only just started. Would you like a tea before you go in?”
“Ooh, yes please.” She studied Alice for a minute. “My god girl, who put that sparkle in your eyes?”
Alice felt herself blush as she turned around to get the milk from the fridge.
“Sparkle?” she asked, innocently.
“Honey, you’ve got the look of someone in love. I’d know that look anywhere, and if I’m not mistaken, that glow in your cheeks wasn’t there the last time I saw you either. So, who’s the lucky man?”
As Alice turned back to Maggie and handed her the tea, she was grinning from ear to ear.
“Well, now that you mention it...”
“I knew it!” chuckled Maggie. “So do I know him?”
“Maybe.”
“It’s Jack, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes,” Alice grinned.
“Good on you, girl. I’m very pleased for you. Now, before we go in and join the meeting, I need to show you something. Do you remember when we were doing EVPs at the Marling Hotel?”
“Yes, that’s when you tried to catch voices on a voice recorder, right?”
“Right. Well, while we
were in the room at the top, I left a recorder running in the adjacent room, and when I was going over all the footage afterwards, I came across something I think you should hear.”
“Really?” Alice was intrigued as she watched Maggie rummage through her enormous bag, her bangles rattling as loudly as ever.
“Ah, here we are. Now, listen to this,” she said, and pressed play on the small device she held in her hand.
Alice wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but she certainly hadn’t been expecting to hear Jemma’s voice, distant and tinny, but definitely Jemma’s voice, saying “Alice? It’s me....”
“Oh my god,” screamed Alice. “Oh my god, it’s Jemma. Maggie, that’s Jemma’s voice.” She was breathless with excitement as she realised the implications of hearing Jemma’s voice on the recorder.
“Yes, I thought so. It seems she wants to talk to you.”
“What’s all the noise about?” frowned Jack as he opened the door to the living room and stuck his head out. As soon as he saw Alice’s face though, he rushed into the kitchen and threw his arms protectively around her. “Are you alright? Have you seen the boy again?”
“What boy?” asked Maggie.
“I’ll tell you later,” said Alice. “Will you play the recording to Jack please?” Apart from the fact that she wanted Jack to hear the recording for himself, she was desperate to hear Jemma’s voice again.
“Alice? It’s me.... Alice? It’s me.... Alice? It’s me....” Alice kept pressing the repeat button, needing to hear the recording over and over again.
“I have to talk to her, Jack. I don’t know how, but I have to talk to her.”
*****
“Oh my god!” screamed Jemma in joy. “She heard me. She bloody heard me. Oh my god, I don’t believe it, Alice actually heard me!”
Love In The Wrong Dimension (Romantic Ghost Story) Page 11