by Unknown
“We are all here, breaking our necks to save yours! If you could stop being such a spoiled brat for five minutes, you would realise that and do as you’re told!” he snapped.
I stamped on his foot and dodged to his left. He grabbed me by the waist as I tried to pass him and wrestled me down to the bed, falling heavily on top of me and pinning me beneath him. If I wasn’t so steaming mad, I might have enjoyed the experience.
His face was inches from me as we panted with exertion. His pupils dilated, and then his lips found mine. But I refused to allow myself to be drawn into it again and turned my head sharply.
“I’m not your type Daniel, remember?” I ground out, still not looking at him.
He froze. “You heard that?” he asked, softly.
I said nothing, and a moment later, he disappeared. I pulled myself into a ball as my chin quivered. I wanted badly to cry but didn’t know if it was the frustrations of the day or the frustrations of the moment. Maybe I was just plain frustrated. Either way, I gave in and sobs wracked my body.
I must have cried myself to sleep. I woke up in darkness to the sound of the doorbell. I heard it open and then Selina’s voice echoed up the stairs. Shit, we were supposed to be going to Daniel’s tonight.
After a moment, Agnes came into the room. “Are you awake?” she whispered.
“Yes, I’m coming down,” I told her without moving, not wanting to show my face. She retreated and closed the door behind her.
I listened to her footsteps going back down the stairs. What on earth was wrong with me? Crying like a baby? And over what? So he wasn’t interested, big deal. There were plenty of other fish in the sea. I had my date with Samuel to look forward to and he was a real catch. For one thing, he actually liked me. That was one big plus.
I got up and went to the bathroom to wash the evidence of my whinge-fest from my face. I felt a little better for having gotten whatever it was out of my system, however I really wasn’t looking forward to seeing Daniel again so soon after the event. I huffed at myself in the mirror then turned and made my way down to the kitchen where Selina was getting makeup tips from Natalia.
“Finished feeling sorry for yourself?” Natalia asked me, arching her eyebrow as she screwed the top back on a mascara. I blushed as I set about putting fresh food out for Cat.
“Look, I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean to take my problems out on you.”
Natalia looked at me suspiciously, then grinned. “You just need to get laid, that’s all. I get like that myself sometimes.”
I turned my back on her as my face flushed red and emptied the tin of fish into the bowl and placed it on the floor.
Cat must be out, because usually, he would have been there the minute he heard the cupboard door open.
“Are you ok?” Selina asked. “Natalia told me about the attack. You must have been terrified.” she got up from the chair and wrapped me in her arms.
I hugged her tight then smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Agnes stood in the doorway, hands on her ample hips. “If you two have finished making out, let’s go! Selina, you’re driving. Lauren’s car still isn’t back from the garage.”
We grabbed our things and trooped outside to the car. I so was not looking forward to having to face Daniel. I caught Natalia’s eye and she winked at me, smiling some secret smile. I turned my head away and watched the back of Agnes’ head. Selina kept her eyes fixed on the road as we sat in strained silence, driving off into the sunset.
We arrived at Daniel’s house a little after nine. Dusk was just settling in, turning the sky a pretty purple colour. Agnes was first at the door and walked right through it before stepping promptly back out, muttering to herself and ringing the bell.
Daniel opened it wearing a tight fitting t-shirt and dark jeans, his brown hair curling up and still slightly damp. He’d obviously just come out of the shower. He stepped aside to allow us entry, and I didn’t meet his eyes as I walked past him into the living room.
It felt strange coming back here for the first time since he’d kidnapped me. Was that only a week ago? I turned around to realise there was only Selina, Natalia and I in the room, Agnes having sneaked off to the kitchen with Daniel. We all removed our coats and then took seats as we waited for them to return.
We were there to meet the other fourteen women who were hung with Matthew Bulmer, and I must admit, a part of me was intrigued. Another part of me was scared shitless. Selina, on the other hand, looked quite excited at the prospect.
“I’ve never met a real, live ghost before!” she said as she bounced in her chair.
“What do you think Agnes is?” replied Natalia, glancing at Selina through heavy lashes.
“Oh! Of course! I didn’t think of that! So how come she’s so… you know… solid?”
Just then, Agnes came back in to the living room carrying a tray of drinks which she plopped down on to the coffee table. She looked at Selina and nodded.
“I’m all-powerful, Selina. I can do whatever I bloody well like,” she answered. “Now drink up ladies, you’re going to need it. Fourteen spirits is a lot to meet in one go; are you sure you’re up to this?” she asked, looking at me.
“If I can handle you, I can handle anything,” I remarked as I reached for a glass of dark amber liquid, and before I could change my mind, knocked it back in one. I wasn’t worried in the slightest about meeting the women; it was having to face Daniel that was making my stomach twist. The liquid burned my throat on its way to my stomach and I fought the urge to cough.
Selina and Natalia were both reaching for a glass, when all around us, ghostly women started to materialise. Feeling at a disadvantage from our chairs; we all stood and looked at them.
Agnes, who seemed to be taking on the role of officiator, looked around her and over her shoulder. “Everyone here? Good. Let’s get this bloody show on the road.” She stood up and ushered the ladies into a group.
The room felt a little claustrophobic with so many people in it. I reached for another glass of whatever it was and knocked that back. In for a penny!
As I looked across at the women, I realised they were not what I had expected. For one, they were all wearing modern clothing, not the bland shift dresses I had thought all women from the 1600’s would wear. One lady who looked to be in her forties was sporting a pink tracksuit, and another was wearing what looked to be biker leathers with a skull and cross bow on the back. The second surprise was the age range; the youngest looking to be in her twenties and the oldest, perhaps, eighties.
“Right, stop gabbling, will you? Margaret, that means you too! Now, let’s get the introductions done,” Agnes said. She pulled forward a lady with short, brown hair and robust figure. The ghost smiled at me shyly. “This is Elizabeth Dobson, she was a baker as you can probably tell” Agnes said, holding her glasses as she took in Elizabeth’s portly form. Before I had a chance to respond, Agnes pulled another woman forward, dark haired, with a mean looking face. “And this is Jane Copeland. We won’t go in to what she used to do. Amazes me, you didn’t go the other way, but hey ho, I’m not on door duty so what would I know?”
This was the lady in the biker’s jacket and she just scowled at Agnes and then at me.
“This is Margaret Brown; boy did she put on a show!” Agnes said, smiling. I looked at the dark haired woman she indicated. Agnes regaled us all with the tale of Margaret’s body being pulled down from the gallows as blood spurted from her mouth, covering the crowd of merry onlookers. I grimaced in distaste.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Lauren.” said Margaret, appraising me. “A bit on the thin side, but I imagine being chased down by those worthless giblets will do that to you!”
Agnes proceeded to call out the names of all of the women who each waved or nodded in turn, some looking serious and dour, others excited and cheerful. Finally, Agnes pulled a short, grey haired lady to the front who looked particularly frail.
“This is Jane Hunter, Daniel’s
ancestor,” said Agnes with a flourish. “I’m sure you two have things you want to discuss!” She pushed Jane towards me and grinned. Obviously up to her match-making tricks again, I let it slide, not wanting to upset the woman beside me by telling her straight she was wasting her time.
As the introductions came to an end, the ladies chattered amongst themselves and mingled with Selina and Natalia. I heard Selina asking one of the ladies what it was like in Heaven, and I smiled. There was a chill in the air, and I looked down to see Jane standing timidly before me.
“Sorry for giving you a fright the other night,” she apologised, looking up at me then back down at her feet. “I just didn’t want you climbing out of the window and putting yourself in danger.”
“Will you sit with me?” I asked her, more worried about her frailty than anything.
Jane let me guide her to the sofa and I sat at an angle, facing her. “So you’re Daniel’s ancestor?” I asked her. Her eyes twinkled at me and she smiled.
“Oh yes, my son Nathan went on to have quite a large family,” she said, proudly. “Daniel’s a fine man, as handsome as all the Hunter men, strong and a good heart, you know?” She suddenly realised she was gushing and stopped, a faint blush tinging her cheeks. It was then I realised that Daniel hadn’t come back into the room with Agnes. I wondered if this was because he couldn’t face me any more than I could him.
I was desperate for a change of conversation now, and I squirmed every time she mentioned Daniel’s name.
“How old was your son when you died?” I asked her gently.
“I was in my eighties when it happened.” she told me. “My Nathan was all but old himself. He had five kids, and by the time I popped my clogs, there were nineteen grandkids and seven great-grandkids running about the place. It was common to have big families in those days!”
She sighed wistfully, and patted my leg. “Children are a blessing Lauren. You shouldn’t wait too long to start a family of your own.”
I laughed. “I’m hardly on the shelf Jane, I’m only twenty five!”
“Exactly!” she said, getting up from her seat.
I caught Agnes looking over at us with a strange expression on her face, but before I could find out what was vexing her, Kathryn dropped herself in the slot vacated by Jane. I remembered her from the night of my abduction as the young girl who had wanted to come in to the living room and been sent away with a flea in her ear by Agnes.
“You must be finding this really strange,” she said, looking at me.
“Just a tad,” I replied. “I can’t understand why you’re all here!”
“We’re here to help you to face the challenge.” She looked at me with a question in her eyes.
“You mean the three witch finders?” I asked.
“Yes. We come each time the challenge is presented, as we’re the only ones allowed to assist you.”
“What do you mean, each time?” I asked, an ominous chill making its way up my back.
She looked at me in confusion. “Don’t you know? This happens to every generation, and obviously with you being the last in line, it’s even more important that you beat them, particularly after what happened to your parents!”
I jumped up from the seat just as Agnes came rushing over. “Lauren, we need to talk.”
She dragged me out of the room in shock, pulling me into the kitchen before I rounded on her.
“What did she mean, Agnes? What happened to my mum and dad?”
“Sit down Lauren, I’ll tell you everything.” She pushed me into a chair and took the one next to me, still holding on to my arm. “Your parents didn’t die in a car accident, love. They were murdered by Kincaid and his men.”
I was frozen in place, shocked to the core. I hadn’t even realised I was crying until the tears had ran the length of my face.
“Their car was run off the road, but it was Kincaid who caused it. He materialised in front of the car when your dad was driving. As he swerved to avoid him, they crashed through the barrier on the bridge.”
“Were you there?” I asked her. She cast her eyes down.
“Yes, I was there, but I was powerless to stop it. It all happened so fast,” she said sadly.
“Did they suffer?”
“No sweetheart. As I said, it was over very, very quickly and they had each other. I know this is an over-used phrase, but they really are in a better place.”
“Why can’t they come to see me now, the way you can?”
Agnes took of her glasses and polished them on her cardigan. “I don’t know, Lauren. All I know is that this entire situation is our fault. Matthew’s and mine. We brought this on all of your heads. I can’t leave a single soul to face those monsters alone. I won’t do it. I guess you could say this is my penance to pay.”
I leaned across and pulled her to me for a hug. “You fell in love, Agnes. That’s not a crime. Maybe it was with the wrong person but the heart wants who it wants. No one should judge you for that.”
“That’s as may be but I can’t take the risk of it happening again; that’s why I called in help.”
“The fourteen women?” I asked.
She looked up at me. “No, sweet cheeks. I called in Daniel. He’s powerful, but as a direct descendant of Jane’s, his powers can help you. Anyone outside of family wouldn’t be able to; it’s part of the terms of the contract.”
“So you lied to me when you said this was all because I was last in line?” I asked, determined to get to the bottom of it all.
“If you don’t defeat them, the curse will end and they will be free,” she said. “That wasn’t a lie. I didn’t want to land it on you about your parents straightaway. I wanted to break it to you gently, but that gob shite in there couldn’t hold her own water.” She pressed her mouth in a thin line.
“So, if I do defeat them, and then have kids of my own, are they going to be challenged as well?” I asked.
She looked me in the eye. “Yes.”
My heart broke into a million pieces. I couldn’t bring children into the world knowing that this would be hanging over them.
I cleared my throat and struggled to keep my eyes dry. “Is there anything else you haven’t told me Agnes?”
She looked at me, pained. “Sweet cheeks, anything I kept from you was for your own protection.”
“I need an answer, Agnes,” I said softly, not swayed.
“Well… there is just one thing,” she said, looking at me. “You met us only a week ago, but actually, I’ve been in your life on and off since the day you were born. I’ve stayed with you since your parents passed.”
“And Daniel?” I asked, looking at her incredulously.
“He’s also been here since your parents passed, protecting you.”
So it hadn’t been a slip of the tongue when he’d said seven years. Oh my God! Had he seen everything I’d ever done? All the failed first dates, all the spiteful little moments? Every mistake I’d ever made? Oh shit! Had he seen me masturbate? My one and only botched sexual encounter with Wayne? My face paled and I stood up.
“No, no, Lauren! He hasn’t invaded your privacy, he’s not a pervert!” Agnes read my mind. “And your sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of!”
Of all the shit that I’d faced, all the weirdness, this was one step too far.
I ran from the room, racing down the hall and pulling open the door, before running out into the moonlight and down the garden path. A long country road wound along before me and I kept running, trying to outpace my fevered thoughts. I ran until my lungs were fit to burst and my legs burned with exertion, then I ran some more. When I couldn’t keep going any longer, I sank to my knees in the cold, damp soil and listened to my own heavy breathing, my heart pounding in my ears.
I smelled his scent before I knew he was there. Almonds. His hands came around me and he cradled me in his arms as I cried against his chest. After a moment, I pushed him angrily away from me.
“All this time, Daniel?” I stared at him. �
�I bet you had a right laugh at stupid little Lauren and her antics! Exactly how much of my privacy did you invade?” I sobbed.
He looked at me, pained. “I wanted to tell you Lauren, but Agnes was worried you wouldn’t understand. I swear to you, I saw nothing that you should feel ashamed of, and I swear, I’ve given you all the space and privacy I could without compromising your safety.”
“So what did you see?” I demanded angrily. “What, exactly, did you see?”
He stood slowly in front of me. “Not here. It’s not safe. Come back with me to the house.”
“No, now! I want to know!”
He sighed and pulled a hand through his curls, looking around us. Then he came to a decision and knelt back down in the soil beside me. He tried to take hold of my hands and I pulled out of his grasp. The pained expression returned to his face as he started speaking softly.
“I saw a young girl in pain, crying over the loss of her parents. I saw that same girl acting out and pushing people away from her. You wouldn’t let anyone get close, would you? I watched you sleep and knew when your nightmares claimed you. I saw your friendship with Selina blossom, the only person you’ve really let see the real you. I’ve seen you recovering from your loss and then feeling guilty for it. I’ve seen you study and graduate. I’ve seen you drunk out of your mind and puking in bushes.”
He paused a moment, before continuing deliberately.
“But I haven’t seen you naked, or bathing, or doing anything any other normal woman would do to satisfy their urges. I haven’t been on your dates with you or watched you have sex. You have my word.”
He looked at me, waiting to see if I believed him.
And I did, primarily because I hadn’t had sex yet, and he wouldn’t know that unless he’d been there. Let’s face it, who would believe a woman could be a virgin at twenty-five.
After a silent moment of consideration, a suspicion formed in my mind.
“Who did come on my dates?” I asked, my eyes as cold as steel as I waited for his answer.
“Agnes.”