Beyond Death (The Afterlife Series Book 1)

by Deb McEwan

  Tash carried on the conversation. ‘I’m really sorry but I have to go. Can you come round at 6 pm?’ She quickly finished the call and put her keys and mobile in her pocket and opened the flat’s front door. With the door open so that she could exit quickly if she needed to, Tash walked stealthily to the kitchen and grabbed the long black-handled knife from the drawer.

  ‘Hello. Anybody there?’ She called.

  ‘She means business,’ said Claire to Ron and they watched as she checked every room, moving more confidently now that she held the sharp knife.

  ‘She must sense something,’ said Ron and Claire agreed.

  ‘Weird,’ muttered Tash when she’d checked all the rooms. She shook herself and gave a little laugh as she looked at the knife in her hand, feeling a bit silly for thinking someone was there. She closed the front door and after unpacking the shopping she spent the next few hours cleaning the flat from top to bottom. Claire wondered what was going on. Tash thought of housework as an extreme sport and would do anything to avoid it.

  There was a knock on the door and it soon became clear to the spirits that Tash was interviewing potential new flatmates. This would be interesting.

  ‘Hi, Elaine?’ Asked Tash and the short bespectacled woman dressed in brown trousers, cream blouse, tartan coat, and wearing flat shoes (that Tash wouldn’t be seen dead in) nodded her head. They shook hands and she invited her into the flat.

  ‘Can I take your coat?’

  ‘Ooh, it’s a bit chilly.’ Said Elaine as she buttoned up her coat, looked around the hallway and shivered. ‘Purple’s a lovely colour but you could do with a lighter colour here. Makes small spaces look bigger you know.’

  ‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ said Tash, trying not to let her first impressions cloud her judgement.

  Claire was watching in amusement as the prim and proper Elaine criticized every room they entered. It was the most fun she’d had since she’d died. That was until they entered her old room. Elaine ran her forefinger over the dressing table then rubbed it with her thumb. She smiled condescendingly.

  ‘Not sure about the green walls and it’s clean on the surface but if I moved in it would need a proper deep clean first.’

  ‘Well, thanks for coming,’ said Tash looking at her watch. ‘I’m sorry it doesn’t suit but never mind. Nothing ventured, eh?’

  ‘But I didn’t say it doesn’t suit,’ said Elaine. ‘I’m still thinking about it.’

  ‘Trust me. You don’t need to think any further,’ said Tash as she chivvied Elaine out of the flat.

  ‘Cheerio.’ And she closed the door on the bemused woman. ‘Give me strength,’ she muttered, looking up at the ceiling, then turning her head toward the kitchen and walking quietly to the door to look inside. She didn’t know what she expected to see but felt as if someone was there. Seeing nobody she shook herself then hurried to the lounge and switched on the iPod. She couldn’t get rid of the feeling that she was being watched. It was probably because Claire was on her mind due to the search for a new flatmate, thought Tash, trying to think logically. She vowed to get a grip and waited for the next potential flatmate to arrive.

  Claire had mixed feelings. The next one, Fran, seemed a lovely girl and was getting on well with Tash. She was normal, friendly with a sense of humour and looked as if she would be good fun. Claire knew that Tash would offer Fran the room and she was surprised to feel the first stirrings of jealousy. She was also surprised to discover that although she hadn’t forgiven her, she missed Tash and the times they’d shared - both good and bad. Sensing Claire’s mood change, Ron decided it was time for a distraction.

  ‘Come on. We’re leaving,’ he said and before Claire had time to think about it, they were gone. She hadn’t been ready to leave but it appeared she didn’t have a choice.

  ‘How did you do that?’

  ‘Gabriella gave me a few tips that she didn’t share with you. She knows how wilful you can be at times so it’s a bit of a safety net.’

  Having only visited Tash, she’d been putting off visits to Jay and her family for a while, knowing how painful they would be. But now she felt ready to make a start.

  ‘I want to see Jay. Are you coming with me, Ron?’

  ‘Of course.’ He answered.

  *****

  Ken’s skin was crawling and he was still terrified as he opened his eyes to view his new surroundings. It was very dark and some images rushed past him while others appeared in front of him. The hands that had brought him to his present destination started to grow bodies and they were all grotesque. He heard someone or something clear its throat and Ken felt a thick liquid hit him, where one of his ankles used to be. He bent down to wipe it away and a deep commanding voice shouted.

  ‘Leave it.’

  Ken had no intention of arguing and the clearing throat noise became unbearable. He couldn’t stand it and started to move.

  ‘Stand still.’ Commanded the voice in barely more than a whisper and Ken stood while the thick viscous liquid multiplied around him and the last thing he remembered was being in a sea of the disgusting stuff, trying to keep his head above it. How can I drown if I’m already dead? was his final thought.

  Some time later Ken wished that he had drowned in the mass of phlegm. Standing alone in a dark room, the voices terrified him. Yet again he couldn’t see who was speaking and wondered what would happen next.

  It was quiet and Ken decided to move. He shouted in pain as he was prodded and hit by a bolt of electricity. He wondered if this was how animals felt and remained ramrod still for what seemed like an interminable period.

  Eventually, someone or thing decided to speak. ‘Return to Earth and attack your ex lover.’ Commanded the same voice that had spoken earlier.

  Ken uttered the first thought that popped into his head. ‘Why?’ He received a further shock for his curiosity and screamed.

  ‘Okay, okay. Which one? Val?’

  No response.

  ‘All right. I’ll do it.’ Anything to get out of this place thought Ken and they weren’t to know if he didn’t follow through.

  ‘He’s failed,’ said the voice and Ken was confused. He’d told them he’d do anything, why wouldn’t they let him go? It took him a while to work out that they could read his thoughts and then he knew he had no chance.

  ‘He’s no good to us here and he’s boring me. Make him do something to entertain me.’ A different voice this time filled with evil and finality and he shuddered when he heard it. There was no hope and Ken was very frightened.

  It took him a while to realize that he had been returned to Earth. So many things were wrong that he didn’t know where to start. His view of the scenery around him was from floor level and he couldn’t see properly. His body wasn’t right either and he felt a growing sense of panic. He didn’t have much time to think as he saw two big feet approach and his automatic reaction was to take flight.

  Ken landed on a piece of bread. He laid some of his own faeces onto the buttered bread, added liquid and proceeded to mash the contents together. Satisfied that his food was ready, he started eating and was ashamed to admit that he quite enjoyed it. He sensed a movement out of the corner of his eye and quickly flew from the plate and missed being squatted by a nano-second.

  ‘Damn.’ Said the owner of the squatter. Ken flew onto the window and for reasons beyond his comprehension flew up and down the glass for a good few minutes. He disappeared once more when he saw the squatter approach and suddenly felt cold. He looked at his new surroundings, which appeared to be some sort of outhouse. Although choked that he had come back as a fly, he had no desire to return to the terrifying place he’d been taken since death and his survival instincts kicked in. He felt shattered and knew that if he didn’t rest shortly he would drop, so he made his way to a corner of the room. Ken thought he’d be safely hidden and approached the area in haste. By the time his mind had registered that he was about to land on a silvery web, he was going too fast to change direction. Plop. He
landed and was instantly stuck. Despite his best efforts he couldn’t move at all and he didn’t know how long has passed when he felt a slight tremor in the web. The tremor changed to a vibration and he looked at the massive arachnid in terror. The spider either couldn’t hear or ignored his pleading and quickly and efficiently wrapped Ken up in her strong silk. She gave her beautiful handiwork a satisfied look and disappeared to the other side of the web, where Ken noticed another wrapped parcel. He watched in horror as the spider unwrapped her other victim and hungrily devoured it. Had he had room to move he would have started shaking, but he was swathed too tightly, like an Egyptian Mummy. She came for him much later when he was barely conscious, and took him to levels of indescribable and unimaginable pain.

  *****

  Jay was sleeping on the sofa, music blaring from the speakers and an empty bottle by his side. Claire was confused. She thought it was a Wednesday but it must have been the weekend and Jay must really be suffering to be so out of it. She’d been dead for almost 4 months now and he shouldn’t be in this state.

  ‘Jay? Jay?’ She couldn’t help herself but he didn’t stir.

  He was walking down a country lane and the sun was shining. He looked to the woman standing next to him and smiled. It was Claire. She was back and she hadn’t died. Jay woke up and the stark reality hit him. His head was pounding. He needed the bathroom and Claire was still dead. He relieved himself and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Two painkillers later he still didn’t feel human. If only the tablets could take away the pain that had become a constant companion since he’d viewed her broken body. He looked at the bottle and Claire watched him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. She looked at Ron and he could see her distress. They reached an understanding without saying anything to each other. Concentrating hard their efforts paid off.

  Jay opened the bottle. Before he could empty the tablets into his hand the bottle flew from him and landed on the floor. He went to pick it up and it moved. His confused brain told him that the bottle shouldn’t be moving unaided but he was still drunk and focused on trying to retrieve the tablets. He attempted to pick up the bottle a further three times before giving up.

  ‘What the fuck,’ he said before returning to the living room and lying down to sleep. He hoped he’d have another lovely dream about Claire. Even in his drunken stupor it had felt so real.

  Jay’s hope was in vain though she did come to him again in his sleep. He was sitting on a bench in the park not far from his home. Claire walked towards him and he smiled. She reached him and sat down next to him. He could see she wasn’t happy but didn’t know why. She slapped his face.

  ‘You two-timing bastard.’

  That was all she said before she stood up and walked away. Jay woke sobbing his heart out. That had been an awful nightmare and he went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face hoping it would bring him round. He took a step back in shock when he saw the red mark on his face. He studied it intently, sobering up instantly. The handprint was clear and there was no way it could be anything else. Then his hung-over brain recalled the tablet bottle moving of its own volition and realization dawned. He knew for a fact that Claire had been there to stop him killing himself even though she knew he’d slept with Tash. He’d let her down. He also knew that she wouldn’t want him to waste his life. From now on he’d stop wallowing in self-pity and make the most of his life. That was the least he could do for her. He made himself a strong black coffee and took a pen and notepad out of the drawer. For the first time in ages he noticed the build-up of dust on all the surfaces, the dishes stacked in the sink and the unpleasant smell in his flat. Clean up was the first thing he wrote on the list and he walked to the kitchen and filled the sink with hot water. Dishes first followed by everything else. Claire wouldn’t want him living like this.

  ‘So, your ex-fiancé is suicidal and you think that visiting him in a dream, calling him a two-timing bastard and slapping him is the way ahead?’ said Ron when they were back at Cherussola.

  Claire was exhausted and keen to end the conversation.

  ‘I didn’t know that he’d see me. I thought about it to make myself feel better and it just sort of happened.’ She yawned. She had no idea how she’d made herself appear in Jay’s dream but now she knew she could do it she was determined that it wouldn’t be a one-off.

  ‘And anyway, it’s made him pull himself together and I’m not so worried about him now.’ Claire couldn’t say anything else. She struggled to remain with Ron but lost the fight. She drifted, trying to claw her way back to no avail. Then oblivion took her.

  Ron watched as Claire slowly disappeared. He was relieved that Jay was feeling better but knew there’d be a time when he’d have to rein in Claire’s impulsiveness. He wasn’t looking forward to that day. Now that she’d gone he could relax without having to concern himself with what Claire would get up to while interfering in the lives of her family and friends.

  *****

  Chapter 4

  Four months had passed since Claire’s funeral and Graham arrived home from work for the weekend. Marion was still cold and distant and Graham had reached a decision. He was going to come clean about his Monday to Friday life and the result of working away for so many years. He knew she’d be shocked but since Claire’s death, he’d wondered about the purpose of life and was fed-up with the deceit. It was the least Marion deserved.

  She heard the key in the door and sighed, the corners of her mouth turning downwards. Marion should have been glad to see her husband but nothing had made her happy since Claire’s death and, if she was totally honest with herself, she hadn’t been happy in their marriage for years. The twins had settled back into their work routine now and although they were still devastated about their sister, at least they’d stopped smoking and were being sensible again. This was in part due to Fiona and Marion was grateful to her.

  ‘Marion, are you in?’ His voice shook her out of her reverie and Marion turned to face the door. She stood up straight and folded her arms. He was in for a shock of his own this weekend, and he would get exactly what he deserved. Sweet FA!

  Graham looked at his wife and realized this wasn’t going to be easy.

  Marion was in combative mode and didn’t plan on taking any prisoners. He was going to pay, and pay dearly, for ruining the best years of her life.

  ‘We need to talk.’ Said in unison and Graham noted that Marion’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. He was surprised that she hadn’t asked how his week had been. She usually did though without even pretending to listen to the answer.

  ‘I’ll go first.’ Said Marion indicating that Graham should take a seat as if he were a guest and not in his own home.

  ‘I have something to say.’ Replied Graham, hands on hips and standing his ground. He knew it was childish but didn’t wish to be usurped by his wife.

  Marion carried on as if he’d said nothing. ‘I’ve been to see a solicitor,’ that shut him up, she thought. ‘And I want a divorce.’

  Shocked into silence, Graham looked at his wife open mouthed and wide eyed.

  ‘But...’

  ‘I know all about Carol and your other life and I want you to leave my house. Do you hear me? MY HOUSE!’

  Graham’s head was spinning. Two minutes ago he would have laughed had anyone said that Marion would leave him. He’d wanted to leave for years but somehow just hadn’t got around to it. And how did she know about Carol and what about Mel? Did she know about her as well? It was as if she’d read his mind and Marion’s voice ended any further speculation.

  ‘I also know that you still have a daughter and I don’t. I hope your fancy piece has got an income as I’m taking what’s rightly mine. Because of what you’ve done to me, Graham, I intend to fight you for every single item we own and the more miserable and unhappy that makes you, the happier I’ll be.’

  Marion smiled that smile again and took in a lungful of air.

  ‘Now get out of my house. My solicitor will be
in touch. I never want to speak to you again.’

  Graham’s mind was reeling. ‘Let me explain, Marion...’

  Marion balled her hand into a fist and banged it onto the table making him wince.

  ‘Get out. Now!’

  Graham had never seen his wife so livid, yet in control. It scared him, but not enough to make him move. Not until objects started flying through the air toward him.

  He just managed to dodge the Lladro lady which hit the glass-topped side table with incredible force, shattering both the glass and the ornament itself.

  Christ, what was she doing? thought Graham. He knew she loved that ornament.

  Next came the small carriage clock that the firm had presented to him after 25 years with them. That was a direct hit to his left elbow and Graham yelled in protest. He made it through the door as a third object hit causing damage to the door he was sure, but he didn’t stop to check.

  Marion slapped her hands together once she’d heard the front door slam and looked around the room. Her home usually looked like a show house but now the lounge looked like the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Instead of feeling concerned Marion smiled to herself. That had felt good and for the first time since Claire’s death she hadn’t thought about her daughter for a few minutes. The intense pain returned with thoughts of Claire. Marion sat on her settee, put her head in her hands, and sobbed.

  *****

  Graham put his weekend bag back into the car and drove as if being chased by the devil. He stopped at the first service station on the motorway and ordered a coffee to drink in the car. Trying to collect his thoughts, what had happened with Marion seemed like a dream. Now that his marriage was actually over Graham wasn’t sure how he felt. He knew he needed somewhere to stay and called Carol.

  Carol saw his name display on the mobile and ran up the stairs to take the call.