by Ho, Jo
It was Michael!
He knew what had happened and was now using it against her!
Chapter 18
One minute Marley had been inside that black veil looking at the ghost, Daniel, with the mortal plain in sight behind him, as if she were seeing both through a thin piece of material.
The next, both were gone, replaced by a new dimension.
She was still in the same house, at least, it seemed to be the same, though it was different in many ways. Where the current house was decorated in a simplistic design, this house was full of clutter. Every inch of wall space was covered by framed photographs, certificates, and metal signage. The edges of her vision flickered black and white, the only hint she received that what she was seeing wasn’t real.
She had asked and he had answered.
Daniel was showing her what she needed to know.
Marley moved toward a wall now, inspecting the sea of signs. From pub signs to street signs, to hand-painted depictions of women, there seemed nothing that linked them other than they were part of an extensive collection. As she continued searching the wall for a clue as to what she was supposed to find here, her eyes alighted on a picture of Daniel.
It was the same picture they had used in the article she had read earlier.
A sound from next door caught her attention, the sound of angry, raised voices. At least, that’s what she initially assumed, but on further listening she realized only one of the voices was shouting — a man. Of the other person, she couldn’t hear a thing.
Moving to the window, she stared out at the neighbor’s house, at their window which this house overlooked, as a couple appeared in the window. They were both dressed in light, summer clothes: he in a shirt and she, in a pretty white dress but which now had a crimson stain over it as if someone had thrown a glass of wine at her. The man screamed at his wife as she sobbed quietly, trying to calm him down. Marley couldn’t understand what they were saying, then again, she didn’t really need to. Their body language told a very clear story.
More surprising than the scene unfolding before her, however, was how she felt inside. Looking at the woman, there was what could only be described as a deep longing, but that longing turned into fury when her gaze shifted to her husband.
As she continued watching, wondering if she was supposed to act, the scene before her changed. The man stood at the window with his wife again though this time, he wore a wool sweater and she, a thick cardigan. Again, he screamed at his wife as she simply stood there taking his anger as if this was something she regularly experienced, which, Marley was beginning to suspect, it was. Again, she felt that yearning in her chest when she looked at the woman. More than anything in the world, she wished she could comfort the woman, take all her hurt away.
The scene changed again, but this time, the couple were out in their front yard. He was shovelling snow to make a path when she arrived home with a bag of groceries. But something about what she had bought displeased him as he yelled at her, hitting the groceries out of her arms. Fruit and bread spilled onto the glistening snow.
Over and over, the scene changed as frequently as the weather, as Marley saw the man screaming at his wife. She never argued back, never seemed to do anything to deserve his vitriol. With every appearance of the woman, the yearning inside Marley grew, until it almost overwhelmed her.
Finally, she realized with a start that the feeling in her chest was unrequited love.
It was the hopeless love that Daniel must have been feeling for his neighbor’s wife, but which he could do nothing about except to watch her be abused by him, day after day.
She felt herself moving to the neighbor’s house carrying a bowl of tomatoes, though Marley knew she was still seeing and feeling this event from Daniel’s point-of-view. It was as is she was living inside Daniel’s body.
She knocked on the door, offering the bowl up to the woman whose name was Sarah. Sarah quietly accepted the gift, all while Marley eyes ran over her body, checking for bruises or wounds, but as always, she was covered up. There was never any proof of what Daniel suspected.
Watching the story unfold, Marley felt breathless from the cruel torture they both had to endure.
The scene changed again. Now Marley sat in Daniel’s lazy-boy chair in his bathrobe and pajama’s when there came pounding on the front door.
It was Sarah, and she was frightened for her life having just endured her most terrifying fight with Alfred.
Marley welcomed her inside as she sobbed in her arms. Though Alfred had taken off somewhere, Sarah didn’t feel safe going home alone, could she stay there, just for the one night?
Marley felt herself agreeing. She tried to persuade Sarah to call the police but she was exhausted. She was overwhelmed. She just wanted to sleep. Could they go in the morning? Unable to say no to her, Marley agreed.
That night, Jane slept in Daniel’s bed while Marley took the couch downstairs. All night, Marley could feel herself wanting to declare her — Daniel’s love — for Sarah, but now wasn’t the time. This situation had to be resolved first.
Marley woke in the middle of night as the front door burst open, kicked down by a drunken Alfred. Turns out, he hadn’t gone far. Having seen Sarah go into Daniel’s house, he had jumped to conclusions. Marley rose up, ready to defend Sarah when Alfred flew at her, throwing her to the floor. Unaccustomed to fighting, Marley hit the floor awkwardly, cracking something in her side. In agony, she could do nothing but watch as Alfred ran up the stairs and fought with his wife. A violent crash sounded, followed by Sarah’s scream. Then all was quiet.
Marley knew from the silence that followed, Sarah was dead.
The scene changed quickly as the pain that had debilitated her suddenly subsided.
Police arrived, taking Alfred away. In the weeks that followed, he was eventually convicted and jailed for killing his wife, but that wasn’t enough. Not only had he lost Sarah, but Marley could feel Daniel’s guilt weighing down on him, heavy as stone. He believed that her death was his doing, that he could have helped Sarah so many times before. He had left things too late and this was the devastating result.
She could do nothing but watch as she swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills and the world faded to black.
But as Marley already knew, that wasn’t the end of his story.
With unresolved issues, Daniel came back as a spirit, hoping he would see Sarah in the past life, where he could finally tell her how he had loved her. But, unlike him, Sarah wasn’t a ghost. Trapped in the house where she died, Marley could feel Daniel reliving those moments over and over again. When the new owners moved in, they unconsciously picked up on his unhappiness and began to argue, sending Daniel spiraling until he took out all of his pain on the new owners.
Abruptly, Daniel released his hold on her and Marley was jerked back to the present.
Reeling, Marley turned to Christian who had been waiting there anxiously for her return.
“What happened?! Are you OK?” he asked, concern flashing from his eyes.
Quickly, she explained everything that had happened.
“You can end his agony in a way I would never have been able to do had this been my case,” Christian said quietly… and with something akin to awe.
Marley nodded, having already made up her mind to try.
Overhearing them, Daniel, who now hovered close by, stared at them both, wide-eyed. “Can you really help me?” he asked, his earlier hostility having vanished.
In answer, Marley went back into the black veil, confident she could find Sarah. Holding an image of her in her mind, she called out to her.
A hazy shape appeared before them in a ball of white light as Sarah’s outline began to form. When she finally stepped forward, Marley could see her as clearly as if she were Christian.
Sarah’s eyes were wide, her mouth spread into a delighted smile. Seeing her, tears ran down Daniel’s face as he bounded toward her, engulfing her in his arms. The two held each other as if they w
ould never let go.
In that moment, it was clear that they had both felt the same way about each other. No words even needed to be spoken. Taking Sarah’s hand, Daniel turned to Marley and Christian, happiness turning his eyes bright with gratitude. Nodding his thanks to them, he and Sarah stepped into the white light together.
Moments later, they were both gone.
* * *
It took a while to explain all to Chris and Gloria, but when Marley finished her tale, the relief that poured out of them was palpable. Thrilled that they wouldn’t have to move homes, they couldn’t wait to thank her.
“You shouldn’t have any more problems with ghosts now,” Marley reassured them.
Gloria looked so relieved, tears filled her eyes. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“Yes, if there’s anything we can ever do to help you back, you only have to let us know,” Chris replied.
“Can you just promise not to tell anyone what I did here? I don’t want my life to become a circus with camera crews following me around. I want to be able to continue helping others like you, but I can only do that if no one knows,” Marley asked as they escorted her to the front door. While she meant every word, Marley was actually more concerned that their fight against Michael would be hindered should the public know about them. They had to keep their powers secret to have any chance of beating him.
“Of course,” Chris agreed.
“We won’t breathe a word to anyone,” Gloria nodded.
Chris opened the door as Marley stepped outside. The news crews were still around, though not in as great a number as before. Hopefully, they would soon disappear altogether. Turning, she gave them both a smile.
“Take care of each other,” Marley said.
“Oh, we will,” Chris responded. “If this has taught me anything, it’s that we should never take another person — or our lives for that matter — for granted as at any point, it can be taken away from us.”
Marley nodded, descending the few stairs on the porch.
And as Chris’s parting words went through her mind, she found herself sneaking a sidelong glance at Christian.
Chapter 19
The urgent message requesting that they meet had come from Eve.
Having rushed back to the dorm, Marley sat with Tyler and Cassie now, as they waited for Eve who was outside parking the car. Having finished another punishing shift at work, Tyler was looking the worst for wear. There was a coffee stain on her shirt which was also missing a button, though luckily, it was nowhere indecent or Marley would have said something. Hair crisscrossed haphazardly over her usually neat middle parting and not in that hipster I-actually-spent-hours-to-make-it-look-this-messy-way. Her hands were jittery and her eyes kept moving around the room as if trying to keep up with her racing thoughts.
All in all, Marley was beginning to seriously worry about her new friend.
By comparison, Cassie almost glowed. Marley had noticed that her skin was clearing up rapidly, and whatever new makeup regime she had going on was really working for her as she looked better than ever, which reflected in the way she carried herself. Marley was glad to see that Cassie stood taller now, her shoulders weren’t hunched forward like they used to be. Even with their difficulties, Marley was pleased for her. Maybe, with this newfound confidence, Cassie wouldn’t get into any more trouble.
One could hope
Meanwhile, Christian paced back and forth, burning a hole in the carpet. Apparently, he wasn’t a fan of surprises, and in the time since they had arrived back, his imagination had run riot, to the point where Marley had had to calm him down.
The door opened suddenly as Eve walked in…
“Thank God!” Christian exclaimed right as Si followed Eve into the room causing a vein to throb on his forehead that Marley noticed with some amusement.
Eve was so ready for business, that she hadn’t even knocked, drawing a look of consternation from her brother. He smiled apologetically at them all.
“Hi girls, sorry for barging in. Eve seems to have forgotten her manners today,” he said pointedly though without bite.
Tyler immediately sat up straighter in her chair, fussing with her shirt as if she had only that moment cared about her appearance. Marley wasn’t the only one to notice her reaction, however, as her actions also drew a look from Eve, though Marley could not read her expression, much of it hidden under her make-up as it was.
“Hi,” Tyler said to Si, trying to look normal though there was a slight pink tinge to her cheeks that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
“Hey Tyler,” Si replied. “How are you doing?”
“Oh, you know. It’s all work, work, work,” she answered lamely, wishing immediately that she had said something more interesting, or at least, something that didn’t make her sound as if she wasn’t interested in carrying on a conversation with him, especially when that was so far from the truth.
Although she had only met him a few short times, there was something about his easy smile and manner that she liked. She also liked how close he and Eve were, something which she obviously had with Ally.
“I hope not, after all, tomorrow is your birthday, right? You should relax, enjoy yourself,” Si answered, flashing another of those sweet smiles of his. Tyler went to correct him when she saw Eve nodding her head wildly behind him. Confused, yet taking her cue, Tyler nodded.
“Right. Except for tomorrow, when it’s my birthday,” she said as Eve let out a silent, relieved breath.
“Well, whatever you do, I hope you’ll be having a good time,” Si replied. “I’ve gotta head to work so I’ll leave you all to it.” He turned to Eve, leaning forward so that only she could see the sudden seriousness in his eyes. “Do you need me to come and pick you up after my shift? It’ll be late.”
“No, I’ll bunk in Tyler’s room,” she said, knowing that it would be fine without even asking her — particularly after she would be done telling them what she had discovered.
“I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast then. I’ll call in the morning to arrange,” he said, giving her a quick hug. Spinning around, he waved at the other girls then left.
“Good! I thought he’d never go,” came Christian’s impatient voice. Marley didn’t bother to repeat him. Eve watched until he disappeared around the corner before shutting the door.
“What was all that about?” Tyler asked immediately, wondering what stories Eve had been spinning to her brother — and why.
“I needed an alibi for something, so I might have embellished on the truth. Anyway, it doesn’t matter, what matters is what I found out,” Eve replied a little breathlessly as she took a seat by the table with them.
“I went to Juju’s today,” she said to surprised gasps from the others.
“Why?” Marley asked.
“I don’t think she likes us very much,” Cassie finished for her.
“She was fine,” Eve continued, needing to move on. “Thing is, I found out that Michael isn’t just going after the Seals… he’s also coming after us.”
“What, were you attacked again?” Marley asked quickly.
“No, not directly. He’s doing it in a more subtle way. Let me just ask you this: is there anything strange happening to you? Anything new or weird that you haven’t mentioned before?”
She stared at each of them, waiting for their answers. Marley was the first to speak up. “I went with Christian to investigate a haunting today. Turns out it was real, and the spirit just needed some help. It was very moving actually. He refused to leave this plain until his relationship issues were resolved.”
Cassie looked a little horrified by the confession. “You just went with Christian? But he can’t help you if something happens?”
“Hello, I’m standing right here!” Christian glowered, though of course, only Marley could see him.
“I was fine, and Christian was a huge help,” she said drawing a look of gratitude from him.
“But when did this happen? I thought you were in class?” Tyler asked.
“They were canceled. I can explain all after,” Marley said, eager to hear the rest of the story from Eve.
“Well, I just worked at the store. And nothing happened,” Tyler added quickly, unable to admit the truth. It wasn’t like what she had done made any kind of difference to anyone other than herself and Ally, what was the point in bringing it up?
“I sort of had something new happen today,” Cassie spoke up quietly, her cheeks flushing red. She squirmed under all their attention. “I kind of hung out all day with this guy from school…”
Barely had the words left her mouth than four faces stared at her, incredulous.
“Have you not learned anything?” Christian began as Eve spoke at the same time.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea…”
But Cassie held up her hand, begging them for a moment to explain. “I know what you’re all thinking — and you have every right to — but this time it’s different. I already know him. Plus, I’m not going into this with blinders on. He actually didn’t behave so great today, so I’m just going to wait to see if anything, happens. I’ve learned my lesson, trust me. Whatever happens, I’m taking it slow.”
Tyler blinked at her, not even bothering to hide her surprise at Cassie’s new, mature and smarter attitude.
“As long as you’re going into it with your eyes open…” Eve finally said.
“And as yourself,” Marley interjected pointedly.
“Yeah. Just be careful,” Tyler warned.
Cassie turned to Marley, her hands clasped in her lap. Marley’s opinion was the one she wanted the most. Despite the gnawing unease she could feel in her stomach, she forced herself to smile.
“I’m with Tyler,” she finally said. At her response, Cassie’s shoulders suddenly relaxed.
“Why are you asking this anyway? What does it have to do with Michael?” Tyler asked Eve.
“I just need you all to watch out. Michael knows things about me that he shouldn’t, and he is using them against me.”