‘Get in the car!’ Lee shouted through the open door, trying to avoid the hail of stones.
Neil tried to run, but his legs felt like rubber bands. As if in slow motion, he forced his legs to move, one in front of the other, towards his car. He watched his hands open the car door and got inside. He slammed his door shut, the stones bouncing on the roof of his car. Forcing the key into the ignition, his whole body trembled with fear. Clack… clack… clack! A handful of stones narrowly missed Neil’s head and hit the inside dashboard. A bolt of horror ripped through him. The stones came from inside the car.
‘Ahhh, fucking hell!’ his voice a strangled scream, Neil raised his hands to protect his head. He fought for breath as the air got thinner. There was nowhere to turn. Not even his car was safe. Lee began to drive away. Pulling the key from the ignition, Neil pushed open the car door and stumbled out.
Lee slammed on his brakes as Neil jumped in front of the hood of his car. ‘Bloody Hell Neil, I nearly ran you over. Are you all right?’
Neil bent over, hyperventilating as he tried to get his words out. ‘I… the… car… hit… in… side’ came out in a whimper. Neil stooped over clutching his sides. His heart pounded in his chest, and tears filled his eyes as he blinked them away.
Lee jumped out of his car and supported Neil as he walked up the road to catch his breath.
Neil sucked in air, trying to steady his breathing. He pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket with shaking hands and pressed the speed dial for his mother’s number.
Valerie answered on the first ring. ‘Neil, are you all right?’ All she could hear in response was Neil’s sobs as he broke down, the accumulation of events hitting him hard.
Lee took the phone from Neil and gently explained, ‘Valerie, I’m not sure, but I think something happened in the car. Neil’s in a very bad way.’
‘Can you drive him over to us? He’s in no fit state to drive.’ Valerie’s voice was peppered with concern.
Lee agreed and escorted Neil to the car.
There was to be no respite for Neil that night. His mobile phone rang constantly to reveal the same distorted noises, ‘Ahuuuuhhhhhh,’ groaned the tormentor. It shook him to the core.
‘Don’t answer them,’ Valerie said, angry with her son’s persecutor. No sooner had she spoken the words than her own phone rang out. ‘How is this? It says it’s coming from your phone.’ Neil’s phone was alight as it sat on the arm of the chair. The display stated it was making a call to his mother.
‘I’ve had enough of these games,’ Neil said. Grabbing the phone, he turned it off. ‘I’m taking the batteries out, so they won’t ring.’
Valerie nodded her head in agreement as Neil removed the batteries and slumped down on the sofa, exhausted. They sat together in the stillness, the ticking of the Grandfather clock echoing in the hall.
Neil looked out the window at the moon, full and heavy, reflecting against the sea. His world had become a different place. He realised his whole life was an illusion, as fragmented as the broken reflection on the rippled waters.
An hour passed and Valerie sat up in her chair, satisfied at least for now, her son was safe. She yawned, took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. ‘I’m going to bed. You should try to get some sleep.’
Neil made up the sofa bed and lay down, painfully aware of the empty space beside him. Drained from the horrors of the day, he wished he could have his old life back, the one he took for granted. He closed his eyes and sank into his pillow. The brrring brrring of the telephone seeped through the haze of sleep. Confused, he got out of bed and picked up the home phone, still ringing in his hand. He looked at the display. It flashed up Neil. He stared in disbelief. Neil dropped the phone like a hot coal as he realised what was happening.
Valerie walked out of her room, pulling on her dressing gown. She glanced at the batteries, still on the coffee table where Neil left them. ‘How is this possible?’ she said, picking up the phone. Unanswered, the phone fell into silence, and the lit display fell blank.
Coldness ran through Neil and he shivered involuntarily.
Valerie made tea, and they stayed up until the early hours of the morning, when they went back to bed.
Eventually Neil was rewarded with sleep, but peace eluded him. His dreams brought forward unpleasant images as all his fears took centre stage.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Frustration
My heart sank when Neil unburdened himself to me over the telephone the next day. I wrapped the phone cord around my fingers, trying to take it in. Banging noises interrupted his sentences as he explained he was briefly at home, feeding the dogs. I grappled with the prospect of the entity’s return. A sharp tinny noise rattled in the background ‘What was that?’ I asked.
‘Bloody hell, it’s come through the ceiling,’ Neil said, his voice pitched up a notch.
I gripped the phone anxiously. ‘What is it?’
‘I just looked up – and an empty coke can came through the ceiling and nearly hit me on the head. Lee is here with me, he’s seen it too.’
Wishing I were home, the limits of my imagination was tested once more. How could solid matter pass through solid matter? Neil was convinced, and I heard the empty can fall. ‘This is crazy Neil, I’m going to get an earlier flight and come home today.’
‘No, don’t worry about me. I’m going back to my Mum’s. I’ll be fine.’ Neil’s voice drifted off as he spoke, sounding like a beaten man.
I did not like the way it was affecting him. He was spending more and more time at home since his security work dried up, and the latest paranormal activity was sure to send him into a downward spiral. I tried to comfort him as best I could. ‘Neil you’re going to have to get outside help. Go back to the church and tell them you want an exorcism.’
‘I don’t know, I’ve heard exorcisms can make it worse. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.’
I bit the skin around my fingernails. It was a new habit, borne out of frustration. I was used to dealing with problems face on. ‘No Neil, we have to take positive action and face the consequences. Surely it can’t be worse than what’s happening already?’
‘What’s that doing there?’ Neil said, changing the subject.
‘What’s going on?’ I asked. My stomach churned as my helplessness grew.
‘It’s the crucifix, you know, the wooden one?’
‘What about it,’ I said, recalling the lengths I went to buy it as it originated from Bethlehem.
‘Well one minute it was on the wall in the kitchen, and now – it’s lying on the sofa.’
The message was not lost on me. It was no coincidence that we were just discussing speaking to the church. Was this a sinister message from the entity to proclaim it was up for the challenge? My advice was stern and concise. ‘Neil. Get out of the house right now and go and see the priests’
‘OK, I’m going. I’ll speak to you later.’
I decided to confide in my mother Bridie. My mother was short in stature and fiercely independent. Like me, she refused to accept the grey hairs Mother Nature tried to enforce upon her, and made regular trips to the hairdressers to keep herself looking young. Her twin sister Winifred lived in a granny flat next door. Winifred was a veritable powerhouse of prayer. She attended church every day and despite being in their seventies, both Winifred and my mother went out most days, busying themselves visiting family and friends. My mum listened intently as I spoke. I knew it was hard for her living so far away since I moved to England. Although amazed by what was happening, she supported me fully. She knew I was not the type of person to make things up or exaggerate, and I felt the tension ease from my neck and shoulders as she accepted my account without question.
That night I lay in bed taking still breaths, listening intently for every noise. The sounds of the countryside filtered through the blackness and I missed the comforting glow of the streetlights outside. My imagination took over as darkness encompassed me, growing new wo
rries and fears. I sank into the bed and turned over, grabbing the heavy quilt as I moved. The soft mattress bounced gently with my movement, and I relaxed into the comfort. My sleep was disturbed by a creaking noise in the hall. Blindly, I reached out in the dark and opened the door beside the bed. Light filtered through the crack to reveal a thick shadowy figure standing in the dark. My heart missed a beat. I flicked on my bedroom light for a better look. A sense of relief flooded over me. ‘Daddy?’ I whispered.
He looked at me briefly, expressionless, and then walked into the kitchen without turning on the light. My father was sleepwalking, and didn’t appear to hear me. Shortly afterwards his footsteps echoed in the hall as he shuffled back to his room. It sparked off thoughts of home and the familiar feeling of dread washed over me. I bit my lip, determined not to cry. It had been a mistake leaving Neil. I should have stayed with him. The blame and regret left me unable to sleep until dawn.
The next day my mother brought me out to catch up with family. It was lovely seeing my cousins again, and Alice enjoyed playing with their children, who were a couple of years younger than her. She followed them into their bedroom, keen to explore. I sat around the broad kitchen table with my aunt Nancy and cousin Sylvia, confiding my problems. They were fully supportive and came to the joint conclusion we had to return to the Catholic Church. They seemed the only ones equipped to deal with it.
The next morning my mother threw me an amused smile as she hung up the phone. ‘Caroline, how much does Alice know about what has happened in the house?’
‘Very little, we try to keep as much as we can from her. Why?’
‘Well it looks like she knows something. Your cousin Sylvia was on the phone. Apparently, her daughter didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. Alice has been telling her ghost stories.’ My mother chuckled at the news.
Putting my head in my hands, I cringed with embarrassment. ‘Oh dear, I will have to speak with Alice.’ I apologised to my cousin, who took it in good spirits. However, I could not afford any repetitions.
The next day I was all set to return home. As I hugged my mother and Winifred goodbye, I knew they would busy themselves saying countless prayers for us. After an uneventful flight, the plane touched down in Stansted airport. I recovered my luggage while ensuring Alice was still in tow. I walked through to the arrivals lounge, excited at the prospect of seeing Neil after our time apart. I searched for his face through the bustling crowds of people.
‘Daddy,’ Alice shouted, rushing forward to give him a hug.
The sight that greeted me left me shocked. Neil looked like he had aged ten years in my short time away. A guilty pang hit me. His nerves must have been shot to pieces. With his pale haggard face and dark shadows under his eyes, he looked like he hadn’t slept in the whole time I was gone. I masked my shocked expression with a smile as he wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he breathed the words into my hair, in no hurry to let go.
Alice chatted excitedly with Sarah, who had come along with Neil for the drive. Sarah was wearing a cute red beanie hat, which framed her long dark hair.
A look of concern flickered across her face and I sensed she wanted to tell me something. I flashed her a look that meant it could wait until we were in private.
Neil was quiet on the journey home, and I noticed he was blinking excessively. ‘Are you OK hun?’ I asked, ‘it’s just that you seem to be blinking an awful lot.’
‘Yeah I know, I can’t help it,’ Neil responded quietly.
I had never seen him so low, and it broke my heart. I gazed out the window at the blurred traffic whizzing past. Resentment cut through me. The entity had been waiting for me to leave all along in order to take advantage of Neil when he was at his most vulnerable. I tightened my hands into fists. I hated it. I hated the thing that was forcing us out of our home. Why Neil? What has he done to deserve this? Just how far will this thing go? I swallowed through the tightness in my throat. I would not get upset. I vowed to myself I would find a way of protecting our family.
We drove straight to Clacton. Neil had not slept in the house since the occurrences resumed. I was relieved I would not have to face sleeping in our bedroom that night.
David rushed towards me in excitement, planting kisses on my face as I bent down to hug him. He busied himself searching my luggage for his present. He had no idea what had been going on in the house, and at just four years of age could not be expected to understand why he could not return home. He missed his room, which housed far too many toys and games. He also missed being able to jump around, as my in-laws were in the top flat in a building that housed mainly retired residents who liked their peace and quiet. He asked for the hundredth time why we could not go home, and I explained we had to get the cleaners in as there were bugs in the house. Not an ideal story, but it bought me some time. I hoped he would not share that particular gem of information with his friends.
Later that night I settled the children and the youngest quickly fell asleep. I flicked the hall light on and switched off their bedroom light, opening the door to allow the crack of light to flood through. Sarah sat up in her sleeping bag, waiting to speak to me. I crouched down beside her and put my hand on hers.
‘You OK hun?’ I whispered.
‘I’m OK, but I think things have been very bad for Neil.’ Sarah frowned, twiddling with her hair.
I nodded. Neil’s reluctance to talk about what happened spoke volumes.
‘And the phone call… it was horrible. I can’t get that noise out of my head.’
I scowled as my eyes met hers. ‘What phone call?’
‘When we were waiting for you at the airport, Neil’s phone kept ringing. He left it with me while he went to have a cigarette, in case you rang. I knew I shouldn’t… but I answered it.’ Sarah looked at me remorsefully. ‘I was curious, and wanted to hear it.’
The thought of Sarah taking the call made me feel very uncomfortable. ‘What did you hear?’ I whispered, not wanting to disturb the others.
‘It was really weird, this rubbing, scratching noise. It freaked me out.’
‘Sarah promise me one thing,’ I said sternly, ‘You must never answer the phone again if you don’t recognise the caller.’
Sarah looked as if she had already learned her lesson. ‘Don’t worry I won’t. Anyway I’m fine, I just wanted to let you know.’ She settled down in her sleeping bag and yawned. ‘Goodnight mum, I’m glad you’re back.’
I smoothed over her hair and tucked a loose tendril behind her ear. Leaning over, I kissed her on the forehead. ‘Goodnight sweetheart, see you in the morning.’ I walked out to the living room to find the sofa bed already made up. Neil’s parents had gone to bed. I quickly changed and slid between the sheets.
Neil stood at the light switch and asked, ‘Will I turn it off? Do you want a light on?’
I looked out the window at the clouds blotting out the moon. ‘Leave on the kitchen light,’ I whispered.
Neil walked into the small fitted kitchen, which adjoined the living room where we were sleeping. He flicked the light on and turned off the living room light. Looking bushed, he climbed into bed and kissed me goodnight. I closed my eyes and snaked my arm around his waist, grateful that everything seemed normal in the flat. Apart from the initial incidents nothing more had occurred there. It felt like a refuge. I knew we were fortunate to have somewhere to stay. It would have felt awful to be a victim all alone with nowhere to go. The sounds of the sea lapping the shore filtered through the open bay windows as I drifted off to sleep.
The next day we visited our house. We had some serious decisions to make. Twirling my cross and chain around my neck, we discussed our plans.
‘What about selling the car?’ Neil asked.
‘What’s the car got to do with anything?’ I said.
‘Don’t you remember? Some really strange stuff happened before Christmas. I wonder if it has anything to do with what’s going on.’
‘
I can’t remember, what strange stuff?’
‘I knew you weren’t listening to me before.’ Neil said, ‘I was at the pub with Chris and Lee one night before Christmas, and offered to drive them home. We’d driven a short distance up the road when some loud thumps came from the boot of the car. Chris and Lee shouted at me to stop the car as we thought maybe some drunk had climbed inside by accident.’ Neil gave a short laugh as he recalled the incident. ‘It sounded like someone hammering from inside the boot with their fists. I pulled over, and we all got out. I sprang open the boot and jumped back, but there was nothing there. We drove up the road, and it began again.’
‘Couldn’t it have been some fault with the car?’
‘It wasn’t that sort of noise. You could feel the vibrations through the back seat. Anyway, it happened again a few nights later. That was the last time we heard it.’
It opened up all sorts of possibilities. I knew only too well that cars were used in the commission of crimes. I wondered if our car had been subject to a particularly nasty one. I was not allowed to carry out any checks in my place of work, so there was no way of knowing. Since the stone-throwing incident the car had not been driving well, often losing power at inconvenient times. Neil took it into the garage many times, and no fault could be found. ‘OK,’ I said, ‘we’ll trade in the car for a newer one. You never know, it might help.’
‘We need to talk about the dogs too. It’s not fair leaving them home alone so long,’ Neil said.
‘Leave it with me for now, I’m trying to find someone to take them in.’ I knew Neil hated going back to the house during the day, but I was not ready to give them up just yet. ‘What about the priests? Want to give them a call?’ I said, swiftly changing the subject.
‘I’ve tried. The Catholic Church is in no hurry to help us,’ Neil said, staring at the floor.
‘OK, then we can speak to the Free Church, see if they will help.’
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