by Nicole Smith
“Let’s get you settled,” he quickly said as he opened the car door and reached for my bag. I silently followed him up to the apartment. He unlocked the door and I walked in behind him. I couldn’t handle this. I turned toward Carlos and placed my arms around him. He held me close and kissed my forehead.
“Please tell me why Hayden isn’t here. Please tell me why he didn’t come to get me. Please tell me why he isn’t answering his phone or calling me,” I could feel the tears pouring down my cheeks but I didn’t care anymore. Carlos nodded as he put down my things. He reached for my hand as he led me to the couch.
“Natalie, I need you to take a deep breath and be the seeker I trained you to be. You can’t worry about Hayden now, he is working. You should know that the activity in the city has increased dramatically since you were taken from us and we believe Stella and Beth are to blame,” he paused, waiting for me to compose myself.
“How is that possible?” I whispered.
“With the help of a group of seekers Clive sent over we have discovered that a number of these new ghosts have an interesting power. They are capable of conjuring up curses. They have learned how to use these curses to send the living and the living dead into realms similar to the one you were in. It seems this curse doesn’t work on just any one though. It has to be someone that is sensitive to their powers, someone that can sense them almost as much as you can. Since it worked so well on you, they have tried it on other seekers, unfortunately with success. It has turned into a war between us and them. Stella has been rumored to be teaching this technique to other ghosts in her following. She needs to be stopped so that is what we have been doing, in between one of us always being at the hospital to take care of you, we have been fighting this battle. I didn’t want to leave for Argentina last week but I had to oversee a large delivery for Clive.
We were thrilled when Clive found Louisa, a fellow seeker to watch over you. She has been protecting you since we transferred you from the hospital downtown, which we couldn’t keep you safe in,” he paused again, stood and walked to the kitchen.
I thought about Louisa. That would explain why I never felt any ghosts in my room or down the hall. She must have put her defenses up. It’s her ward, just like Hayden is able to keep this apartment protected.
Carlos returned with some snacks and water for me. I ate a little then sat back, waiting for him to continue. I really needed to know that Hayden is safe and will be arriving home any time now, but something told me this was not to be.
“Natalie, Hayden has taken this a step too far,” he said as he leaned over and held my hands in his again. I stared at him, knowing this is the part I needed to hear but didn’t want too.
“He has decided to travel into Stella’s other realm. He consciously went into it. He needed to find out how she managed to do this to the living in order to stop her. You know Hayden, he always has to go too far,” he said as though I should know this about him. I always saw Hayden as completely in control, never careless.
“I don’t understand Carlos, what do you mean he always goes too far?” I asked regardless of the real questions I should be asking right now, like where he left his body and who is taking care of him? Carlos looked up at me, looking nervous.
“Natalie, didn’t you know that Hayden had been ordered to capture Adam and to leave you alone. It should have been a simple job for him to accomplish, but because he knew you in the past and he believes the two of you have spent other lifetimes together, he couldn’t leave you alone. He convinced Clive that you could be tamed. He convinced him that you could be a Seeker even though you were so unstable. Hayden refused to capture Adam, which would have saved us a lot of anguish, as you know. I’m sorry Natalie, but it’s the truth. Hayden wasn’t in good standing when he brought you to Argentina to meet us. He is disobeying orders again by trying to satisfy his own curiosity about the realm you were in and how you got there. Clive just wants them captured,” Carlos seemed frustrated as he released my hands and sat back. I knew about Hayden hunting Adam but the idea of us together in another life sounded unreal.
“Don’t worry about Hayden. His body is protected in a hospital in a secret location. He didn’t want anyone to try and stop him so unfortunately I can’t tell you where he is. We just have to wait,” Carlos said as he tried to hide his anger. He stood, pacing back and forth in front of me. I wasn’t sure how to feel anymore.
“No one knows where his body is? Why did he wait until I woke up to do this? Why didn’t he tell me this was his plan yesterday?” I have so many questions. I began to feel frustrated and angry with Hayden myself.
“No one knows Natalie, at least no one I know. He left a message with Clive shortly before he left explaining he is well taken care of and to have me sent here to take care of you until he returned. I believe you waking up gave him the courage to go ahead with his plan. I’m sorry Natalie, I’ll stay for as long as I can but I may have to leave I’m afraid, for Clive,” he said, as he reached his arms out to me and held me close to him.
“Thank you Carlos, I appreciate your support, I really do,” I said pulling away.
“If you don’t mind though, I’m feeling kind of tired. I think I’m going to have a nap. I’ll see you in a bit,” I said as I turned and quickly walked to the bedroom. I shut the door and threw myself on my bed. I began to punch the pillow. Why did you leave me? Why aren’t you here with me, like you said you always would be?
When I woke up I glanced over at the clock and sat up quickly. I hadn’t expected to sleep so long. A sudden urge to go to the high school to try and find Beth overcame me. I needed to know why she did this to me. I stood beside the bed wishing Hayden would come walking through the bed room door but I knew he wasn’t going to. I looked up at the picture of the woman again, hung at the end of the bed.
Carlos said that Hayden believed we have known each other in a different life. I wondered about that as I looked at this woman. She seemed older than me and she appeared so confident. She looked strong and determined. Maybe in another five years or so I’ll be just as strong. Hayden’s been alive for a long time. If he knew me in my previous life then the woman in the picture must have died in order to have reincarnated in to me again. My head began to swirl with the idea that he has loved me twice, in two different life times. How is that possible? If she was as strong as she looked, if I am just as strong now, how did I die then?
After traveling to another realm this idea didn’t seem quite so strange to me anymore. It kind of explained why I loved Hayden instantly the first time I met him, years ago, as a young girl. It also explained why I felt drawn to him even when I thought there wouldn’t be anyone else for me except Adam. Hayden held an intense power over me. I sighed as I stood and walked out of the room.
“Carlos?” I called as I walked into the kitchen. I guess he isn’t here. I opened the fridge and foraged for dinner. The thought of going to the school crossed my mind again. I knew Carlos and Hayden would both be angered by this, but I needed to see her. I wanted to talk to Beth, alone without Stella. I have to know why she put such a horrible curse on me and if she knew how I could bring Hayden back. I changed quickly and as I put on my shoes to leave Carlos opened the front door, followed by Clive. My heart sunk, I immediately began thinking the worst.
“We’ve found his body Natalie, we’ll take you to him,” Clive said as he held out his arms to me.
“It’s so good to see you up, you’ve been missed my darling,” he whispered as he held me close. I tried to smile as I held onto him.
We drove to a side of town I have never been to before. I felt so disappointed that Hayden would have trusted his body here. It seemed careless, not like him at all.
“How did you find him?” I asked as I looked out the window.
“One of our trusted seekers searched for a ghost in this area when he came upon this place. He felt all the spirits on the first floor and decided to explore a little. That’s when he saw Hayden lying on a bed in one of the r
ooms. He called me and here we are now,” Clive sighed. I could tell he felt disappointed with Hayden too. I realized Carlos must have been right when he said this wasn’t the first time Hayden upset Clive.
Carlos stopped in front of an old hospital. It didn’t look like much government funding has been sent this way, unfortunately. Surprisingly it still functioned as a normal hospital. We walked to the elevator and went up to the third floor. I hated the fact that I’m in a hospital so soon after being released from one.
“Why have you done this Hayden?” I whispered as I walked quickly. Clive smiled and reached for my hand. He held it as the doors opened and we walked down the barely lit hall to his room. I began to shake. I felt scared to see him all of a sudden. Clive pulled me along. Carlos opened the door and I walked in slowly behind him.
I let go of Clive’s hand and stood over the bed looking down at the motionless body lying in front of me. I could feel tears pouring from my eyes. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop them so I didn’t try. All the anger I have been feeling since I left the hospital disappeared, replaced now by absolute sorrow and despair. I placed my hands on his shoulders and rested my head on his chest. I listened for his heartbeat. I smiled when I finally heard it. I kissed his neck, his cheeks then his mouth.
“Oh Hayden, please come back to me,” I whispered into his ear. I brushed his long hair from his face and knew there’s no way I’m going to leave this room until he wakes. I looked up at Clive who stood staring solemnly out the window.
“Do you have any idea how he is?” I asked him.
“Hayden hired a fellow seeker here, as his doctor. He informed me that he has done all he can. His heart is still beating Natalie. They are doing the same for him as was done for you. We can only hope he won’t be lost to us for as long as you were,” he said quietly. I leaned over Hayden again. I needed to feel his breath, however faint blow onto my face.
“It’s so strange that just a week ago we were watching Hayden doing the exact same thing to you,” Carlos said as he left the room. I sat beside the bed and held his hands in mine. I wished so much he would just sit up and hold me. I wondered if this is how Hayden felt when I slept. I looked back to Clive.
“When Carlos returns I think we should inform you of what’s been going on for the last seven months,” he looked over at me and smiled quickly, then looked out the window again. I began to wonder if he’s watching someone or waiting for someone out the window.
“He is safe here, right Clive? When we first entered the hospital I saw a lot of ghosts but since we reached this floor they seem to have vanished, it’s protected right?” I asked him.
“Yes, Natalie. The doctor made sure of that before Hayden went out,” he informed me. I nodded, feeling a little more at ease.
Carlos returned with coffee and cafeteria food. I noticed the brief exchange between the two of them as Carlos handed him a snack. I’m interested in what they have to tell me. I released my grip on Hayden and sat back in a chair beside the bed. I slowly sipped my coffee as I waited for one them to start.
“I guess I’ll start at the beginning,” Clive sighed as he sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the bed. I nodded as I ate the sandwich Carlos handed to me, feeling shocked by my unending hunger. I haven’t felt satisfied since I woke over a week ago.
“Carlos and Hayden found you lying on the ground in the woods outside of the city. They kept you there for a few days because we were worried you wouldn’t be able to find your body if we moved you, but as the days went by I realized we had no choice but to move you to a hospital. We couldn’t feed you or give you enough water to keep you alive. So I made a few calls to some seekers and we were lucky enough to get you in under Louisa’s protection after a short stay at an unprotected hospital. Of course we were worried about possible body snatchers,” Clive explained.
“Of course, body snatchers, wait, you mean actual ‘body snatchers’? I gasped at the thought. I hadn’t even considered that a possibility.
“To a ghost that can travel between both realms, the idea of seeing a lost spirit in the same realm as them and realizing that they still had a body to return to would be irresistible to some, I’m sure they would have tried. The same is true now for Hayden. Luckily he took precautions in finding Tyler. He actually lives here in the hospital. He protects him night and day. Louisa could only protect you when she stayed at the hospital, so between the three of us we took turns when she wasn’t there,” Clive stopped and drank his coffee. He looked up at Carlos to continue.
“Once you were settled in at the hospital there wasn’t anything we could do but wait. I must admit it had been very frustrating, we felt useless, as I’m sure you’re feeling the same way now. Well we became rather antsy, just sitting and waiting. You know Hayden. He can’t handle not being in control of a situation. So he asked me to stay with you and to call him if anything changed. He told me he needed to find Luke. He wanted him to try and reach you again. He also needed to know if he knew anything more about Beth and Stella.
He called me a few times from different places before he eventually teamed up with Luke. The idea of Stella putting some type of curse on you slowly began spreading amongst the others. The idea that she could do such a thing to a living person obviously intrigued them. So Beth and Stella were hiding out, they were afraid of being attacked by the others. They were convinced there would be others like them wanting to know how they did it. I’m not sure if they really knew at the time how they did it exactly,” Carlos took a bite of his sandwich and glanced over at me. I thought back to my time asleep.
“I did see Luke in my other realm. As far as how Stella managed to do this me, well I have been told that she pushed me so close to death that I somehow escaped to that realm to hide from her,” I told them. Clive placed a hand on my shoulder and sat beside me.
“Hayden would not rest. He visited you daily, sometimes in the middle of the night or early in the morning, but he always checked in on you. He stayed long enough to give you a sponge bath, brush your hair and exercise your legs. On the days he didn’t make it Carlos or I would do all those things for you, except the sponge bath,” he said as he winked at me and looked away.
“As I said, in the first few months he spent most of his time with you at the hospital, but as he grew more involved with Beth and Stella he wasn’t able to make it as much. When Louisa protected you, Carlos would join him,” he said as he gestured for him to continue again.
“We were hoping to somehow end your torment and bring you back to us. Stella and Beth became very interesting to Hayden though. While they knew what happened to you and that the others wanted to find them, they were still experimenting with the other realm and the newly dead. They were becoming the leaders of the dead. They decided who would stay and who would continue on to the next realm. It didn’t work on the spirits that have been here for ages but it did work on the young ones, the newly dead I mean. Stella began to learn old world spells and curses. Exorcism’s of the dead is what she called it and it began to work. Those that they decided to expel would be separated from their light immediately, their bodies vanished and their light flew up in to the air and swirled around as though caught in a breeze then it would fly away,” Carlos explained.
“It is very interesting to us for obvious reasons,” Clive continued.
“Not that we are worried about a lack of light, many people die every day and although a small percentage, a number of them as you know do not move on like they should. What I really wanted to know is why they were doing this? What purpose did it serve for them? Is it just a power trip? Did they want the others to be afraid of them?” Clive paused. He stood and looked back at me.
“We didn’t know at the time how long you were going to be, well how long it would be until you woke,” he seemed nervous as he continued. I tried to be patient as I listened to him, hoping he would get to the part where Hayden decided that this was a good idea, I glanced at him quickly then looked away.
“Hayden began to get closer to Beth and Stella. They were beginning to trust him. Stella allowed him to follow her. She accepted him into her gatherings, which made her followers very nervous. I wasn’t permitted in these meetings but I escorted Hayden a few times to the edge of town. I watched as he walked toward her. Stella stood unearthly still on the edge of the woods as she waited for him to be within arms-reach of her then she would, with surprising speed grab him and run. This continued for days. I decided to finally confront him about this odd relationship he has started with her but he became very defensive. He just kept saying he is going to stop the exorcisms and find a way to wake you up.
So I let it be, I let it go. I went back to work for Clive. I made a few trips to Central America. I always came to see you when I could though Natalie. After a number of months of this I finally confronted him again. I told him he has to stop. He needs to put an end to Beth and Stella immediately. It is past their time, they have to go. Clive told him this as well. That’s when Hayden started to weaken, he lost weight, he stopped shaving and his hair grew unruly, which as you know is not Hayden’s style. I tried to explain to him that he would be of no use to you if he became sick. We were surprised and confused by his rapid loss of strength. The seekers have always been strong and healthy. It wasn’t until a few weeks after this confrontation that I became aware of what he was actually doing. This isn’t the first time he’s travelled between the realms. He began searching for the realm you were in,” he stopped talking and sat in front of me, searching my eyes for some kind of response.
I thought about the time I believed I awoke, back in the apartment. It couldn’t have been him there though. He didn’t talk to me like I still existed in the darkness. I sighed, wishing he would have found me there. Maybe there were times I couldn’t remember. When I woke up it didn’t seemed like I went under for very long, certainly not seven months, maybe seven days at most.