Stand by Me

by S. D. Robertson

  Mike recoiled as an ear-splitting, high-pitched screech sounded, like electric guitar feedback right inside his skull. Then there was a blinding white flash.

  CHAPTER 39

  ‘Well, forgive me for stating the obvious, Elliot, but you’re back.’

  ‘I am.’

  The room was the same bright, box-like blank space as before: cream walls, no windows, white metal door.

  Again they were sitting opposite each other at the table.

  Elliot wondered if it was the same room, before recalling what he’d been told last time about people perceiving it differently. So it wasn’t a room at all, right? He guessed that meant it was some sort of an illusion.

  He’d originally imagined it being somewhere near Sydney. Now he knew better. Such concrete terms could never apply here.

  The man called Will, in his funeral-style black suit and tie, was watching him closely. Was he actually a man, though?

  ‘So how did it go?’ Will asked, his northern English accent sounding far softer to Elliot’s ears following his trip home. He looked around the same age as him, maybe a little younger. He’d initially thought older, due to the grey hair and matching stubble. But Will’s pin-sharp blue eyes and youthful complexion told another story.

  ‘Okay, I guess. How do you think it went?’

  ‘Very well. You should be proud of yourself. I see you put to good use several of the, er, abilities you were granted.’

  ‘Hmm. I didn’t do it for myself. I did it for Lisa.’

  ‘Well, you carried yourself admirably and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. They’re calling you a natural.’

  ‘A natural what? And who are they?’

  ‘That’s a conversation for later. I’ve already said too much.’

  ‘Whatever. Listen, I thought there would be time to say goodbye. What must Lisa think of me, leaving without explanation?’

  The last thing Elliot remembered of his visit was sitting by the stream with Mike. He’d sensed that relieving Lisa’s husband of his burden would be costly to himself in terms of time remaining. It was the same to a lesser degree on every occasion that Elliot had used one of his special skills. Each instance had appeared to tap away at whatever power was allowing him to be there, speeding up the countdown, as indicated by those awful pain attacks he’d experienced. Will confirmed this, reminding him of his initial guidance to use his gifts wisely and sparingly because everything had a cost. However, Elliot had expected at least another chance to talk to Lisa.

  Will picked his tablet up off the desk, keeping the screen facing away from Elliot. He frowned, tapped something into it, frowned again, swiped, tapped some more and then nodded.

  ‘There will be an opportunity for you to make contact one more time, if you’d like that. However, I’m afraid you’ll only be able to speak to one of them and it won’t be for long.’

  ‘Really? How does that work?’

  ‘You decide who and then—’

  ‘Lisa. Definitely.’

  ‘No problem. I can arrange that.’ He moved to stand up.

  ‘Can I ask you a question first?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘How are things going with my, er … body?’

  ‘Right. The doctors in Sydney have met with your mother and stepfather to discuss turning off the life support machine. They’re still weighing it up. It’s a horrendous decision to have to make, obviously, but having heard the overwhelming evidence that there’s no longer any brain function, I think it’s only a matter of time.’

  ‘I see.’ Elliot had known this was coming. They’d discussed it in detail last time. But that didn’t make it any easier to hear. It broke his heart to think of the torture his mum must be going through, seeing his battered, lifeless body lying on the hospital bed; having to make this terrible decision. He wished from the bottom of his heart that he could be there for her. It felt so cruel that he’d been taken away so abruptly, without any warning and at such a young age, especially after the heartache she’d already experienced when his father died in that motorbike accident so many years earlier. Thank goodness she had Ian.

  ‘How’s Mum doing?’

  Will pursed his lips, creating dimples in his ruddy cheeks. ‘She’s in bits. Ian too, although he’s doing his best to hold things together. They’re both heartbroken.’ His voice seemed to falter as he added: ‘It’s incredibly hard for any parent to have to let a child go.’

  ‘I don’t suppose there’s any chance of me, er, seeing her, is there?’

  Will sighed, running a hand through his windswept hair. ‘I’m so sorry, Elliot. I wish there was, believe me, but there isn’t. I did explain this last time we spoke. I’m afraid seeing your mother isn’t even an option I can offer you instead of speaking to Lisa. The only reason that’s possible is because you’ve already spent time with her.’

  Elliot nodded in silence, feeling his eyes start to well up. He was picturing his grief-ridden mum breaking down at his funeral and the image scorched itself into his mind’s eye. If only he could have had the chance to tell her and Ian how much he loved them both; how he appreciated all they’d done for him in his life. But it wasn’t meant to be.

  He gulped. ‘So what happens to me after the machine is turned off?’

  ‘Once your body dies, your soul is free to move on. A guide will lead you across to the other side.’

  Elliot sat up in his chair. ‘A guide? Someone other than you? I thought—’

  ‘Please, there’s nothing to be concerned about. My task is to help you through this transitional period, while your body remains alive.’

  ‘But why can’t you be my guide?’

  ‘We all have our roles to play. It’s above my pay grade, if you like. You’ll be in safe hands, though. I’ve pulled a couple of strings and arranged …’ He lowered his voice. ‘I’m probably not supposed to tell you this. Honestly, I’ve not been here long enough to know; I’m still learning the ropes. I’ll say it anyway. She was my guide when I passed over. Her name’s Lizzie. She’s lovely and far more experienced than I am.’

  ‘So you were human once? When did you die?’

  ‘September twenty sixteen.’

  ‘Really? That’s not long ago. And now you’re an angel?’

  Will smiled. ‘Me? Far from it. We’re on the same team, but they’re considerably higher up the pecking order. I’m not even allowed in the field.’

  ‘What about this Lizzie, then? Is she one?’

  Will shook his head. ‘No, only a special few get selected to become angels. It’s a huge honour, as you’ll soon—’ His tablet bleeped. ‘Sorry, I need to arrange that final meeting with Lisa.’

  ‘Could I just ask you a couple of things first?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘What happens after I’ve gone? Once Lisa and the others find out the truth about my visit, how will they make sense of it?’

  ‘Don’t worry. Their memories will slowly fade until they no longer recall you being here. The same goes for anyone you’ve had dealings with in these last few days. Take the staff at your hotel, for instance. They’ve already forgotten you. But it’ll be a more gradual process with Lisa and the family. That doesn’t mean the good you’ve done will be any less effective. They just won’t remember your involvement. It’s a simple protection mechanism to keep everyone sane. Does that answer your question?’

  Elliot nodded. ‘There is something else that’s been bothering me about my trip. I don’t suppose it’s important, but it would be nice if you could clear it up.’

  ‘Go on. I’ll do my best.’

  ‘Who’s Sandie?’

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘That strange woman I met in Manchester. The one who had Ben’s wallet. After she grabbed hold of my hand in the car, it was like she knew the truth about me being there. I was afraid she was about to spill the beans in front of Ben and Chloe.’

  ‘Oh, you mean Cassandra.’

  ‘Yes, right. She said that was her actual name. Is she
one of your, um, team or – I don’t know – something else?’

  Will shook his head, pursing his lips. ‘She’s just a normal person, apart from the fact that she has a natural psychic ability. She inherited it from her mother, who was quite a well-known fortune teller in her day, apparently.’

  Elliot raised an eyebrow. ‘Seriously? That stuff’s real?’

  ‘Well, there are a great deal more charlatans out there than genuine psychics, mediums, or whatever you want to call them. But yes, some of them are real, for sure. Like you, most people these days don’t believe they have any genuine ability, which tends to make things easier for us. We do keep them on our radar, though. I looked her up when you ran into her. As far as I know, it was just a coincidence that your paths crossed.’

  ‘I see. Fair enough.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll get on and sort out that meeting then, shall I? Back soon. Don’t be alarmed if someone else comes to talk to you in the meantime.’

  ‘This Lizzie, you mean?’

  ‘No, it’s too soon for that.’ He winked and looked upwards. ‘Think big. You’re on the radar of some important folks here.’

  CHAPTER 40

  NOW

  Friday, 27 July 2018

  Lisa was worried about El. No one had seen him since Wednesday. This was all she could think about as she emptied the dishwasher that evening, the others busy elsewhere in the house.

  Mike had been the last of them to spend time with him, on Wednesday afternoon, but he’d returned alone.

  ‘I think he’s gone back to his hotel,’ he’d said at the time, although he hadn’t seemed entirely sure. Mike had reeked of booze, admitting yet another trip to the pub, but strangely he hadn’t behaved drunk at all.

  ‘So where did the two of you go?’

  ‘For a walk around the village. Elliot showed me where he used to live and where the two of you first met. What he said was quite illuminating: particularly the bit about you pulling him out of a house fire. I can’t believe you never mentioned that before.’

  Lisa wondered what else Elliot had told her husband that day, because there was definitely something different about him since then. He was behaving like a man who’d had the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders. She hadn’t seen him smile so much in years and he was being kind and affectionate to her, like he used to. They’d had sex for the first time in ages last night and it had been fantastic. She’d actually had to bite down on the quilt to stop herself from screaming the house down. Yesterday he’d spent hours on his laptop working on the screenplay he’d been talking about forever. Then he’d mentioned the possibility of finding private tuition work via a website he’d come across.

  This was incredible. She’d given up on Mike returning to teaching in any form, so hearing him utter these words was a huge corner turned. It had even made her forget about him disappearing to the pub again on Wednesday. She hadn’t dared to make too big a deal of the turnaround, for fear of jinxing things, so she’d not asked Mike any probing questions. However, she was desperate to speak to Elliot to find out more. And if it was something he’d said or done, of course she wanted to thank him.

  Then there was everything that had been going on with the kids.

  Ben had come out, for a start. He’d admitted to her that he was gay. He’d not gone into much detail about his mysterious visitor, and she hadn’t wanted to push. But as she understood it, this nasty little man – Henry – knew Ben’s secret and had threatened to tell people. Ben had claimed not to be overly concerned by this. Dismissing it as a bluff, he’d said that he could share worse things about Henry with the world. (Lisa didn’t even want to think what these might be.) However, Ben had decided it was time to tell his family now.

  Afterwards, she embraced her son and held him tight. She told him how much she loved him and thanked him for trusting her enough to tell her. This brought them both to tears – happy ones, at least – followed by more hugs, kisses and kind words.

  ‘Are you surprised, Mum?’ he asked. ‘Or disappointed?’

  ‘Of course I’m not disappointed. Why would I be?’

  ‘I don’t know, because of weddings and children and stuff.’

  ‘Oh, darling. Being gay doesn’t preclude any of those things any more.’ She ruffled his hair like she used to when he was little. ‘You’re a silly sausage. As for being surprised, not entirely. Your father and I have discussed it a few times as a possibility.’

  Ben’s eyes popped out. ‘Really? I thought no one had a clue. Do you think my friends at school might know too? I’m not sure I want to tell them yet.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that, love. One thing at a time. I’m your mother, don’t forget. I carried you in my womb. Just because I guessed, it doesn’t mean anyone else would. Your dad didn’t see it straight away. It was only after I said something.’

  Ben screwed his face up into a knot. ‘I’m worried about telling Dad. Do you think he’ll be okay with it?’

  ‘He’ll be absolutely fine. I promise. We both love you unconditionally, Ben. And don’t worry about Chloe either. You might not realise it, but she worships you. She’ll accept it in a flash.’

  And they both were fine about it, of course, when he told them over dinner on Wednesday evening. Seeing her son’s hands shake and hearing him choke up when he made the announcement brought tears to Lisa’s eyes. But it was fantastic to see the look of relief on his face afterwards.

  Mike jumped up and gave him a hug, told him he loved him and reiterated how proud he was to be his father. He also reassured Ben that he wasn’t ‘one of those old-fashioned dads’ who’d have any kind of issue with it. Chloe was surprised, having no clue beforehand, but it clearly didn’t bother her in the slightest. She was soon berating him for not telling her sooner and asking if he had a boyfriend.

  Meanwhile, Chloe had her own issues to deal with. She’d now told the rest of the family what had been going on with Holly. That nasty piece of work had been secretly sending her malicious messages from a pay-as-you-go phone, as well as badmouthing her to whoever would listen. It was over some boy Holly liked. She’d asked him out, only for him to tell her that he preferred Chloe: an innocent party in the whole thing.

  Rather than taking the rejection on the chin and moving on – maybe even talking to her supposed best friend about it – Holly had turned on her. She’d convinced herself that Chloe had engineered the whole thing, despite the lack of any evidence, so had set out to make her life miserable in return.

  Recounting her confrontation with Holly to Lisa, Chloe had said: ‘She invited me into her bedroom like normal, as if nothing was wrong. She even asked me, pretending to be a friend who cared, if I’d received any more nasty messages. So I came out with it: I told her I knew she was the one who was sending them.

  ‘She denied it, but I was ready for that. I had the pay-as-you-go number programmed into my phone, which Elliot had suggested. I called it there and then. Luckily, the phone was turned on. It rang from a drawer in her bedside table, and she was suddenly apologising, trying to explain; saying that she was in love with Kyle and hadn’t been able to stop herself.

  ‘But I’d heard enough by then. I told her we were done and to stay out of my life for good. Then I walked out of there. I still can’t believe she did that to me. I hate her, Mum.’

  Lisa, following El’s earlier advice, had resisted the temptation to say that she’d never liked or trusted Holly. Instead she’d focused on Saima, suggesting that Chloe should concentrate on rebuilding that friendship.

  The last few days had seen some major developments for everyone in the family except Lisa – and Elliot appeared to have played a key role in every one of them. Even Ben had let it slip that Elliot knew about him being gay before she did. Goodness knows when, but El appeared to have talked it through with him, encouraging him to tell his family the truth.

  It was weird, because although she was thankful for what El had done, she also felt a bit left out. How come he’d spent so much o
ne-on-one time with them during his visit and yet, apart from the daytrip to their old schools, not with her? She was the one he’d come to visit, wasn’t she? So why did he seem more interested in the others? And where the hell was he now?

  When he hadn’t come back with Mike on Wednesday, Lisa hadn’t been concerned. She’d assumed he was tired and, as Mike suggested, had returned to his hotel. She hadn’t even given it too much thought when he’d not shown up yesterday, assuming he was catching up on some of the business he was supposed to be here for. But now, having heard nothing for more than forty-eight hours, she found it strange.

  After finishing up in the kitchen, Lisa walked through to the lounge, where Mike was busy typing on his laptop although it was nearly 9.30 p.m.

  ‘I’m worried about El,’ she said. ‘Do you think something might have happened to him?’

  Mike looked up from his screen and rubbed his eyes. ‘Um, I don’t know, love. Why do you say that?’

  ‘It’s strange not to have heard from him in more than two days. Are you sure he didn’t say anything when you last saw him? He didn’t mention that he was going anywhere on business?’

  ‘Sorry, no. Why don’t you give him a call?’

  ‘I don’t have his number.’

  ‘Oh. Does he have a mobile, actually? I can’t recall ever seeing him with one.’

  ‘He must have an Australian mobile, but he never gave me the number. He always just turned up here.’

  She decided to ask the kids, who were in their bedrooms, but neither had his number. Ben said El had mentioned leaving his mobile in the hotel safe, which gave Lisa the idea of calling him there.

  ‘Hello,’ she said to the bored-sounding girl on reception at The Grange, who answered after a couple of rings. ‘Please could you put me through to Elliot Turner’s room?’

  ‘Is he a guest here?’ the receptionist asked in a monotone voice.