The Ghostly Past

Chapter 25

Neither Oliver nor Clara had cars at Grey Gardens. She'd caught a lift from Margaret, and Oliver had travelled with James. Oliver had a car at his place, but they'd both had far too much to drink to even consider getting behind the wheel of a car.

"Just how are we leaving?" Clara asked as she hurried in Oliver's wake past the guests outside towards the long drive off the estate. "The buses aren't running. There's no taxi company in this village, just old Ron and he'll be swamped with requests tonight."

"We'll walk it." Oliver said grimly. "It's not too cold and I've walked to Pickering before from here. It took an hour or so."

"Oliver, I'm in heels." Clara pointed out, tottering along.

"We can't stop." Oliver said frantically as the sounds of the party and the lights began to fade away with each step. "If we go near our homes, someone will see. You know what it's like. You can't move without someone telling someone else."

Clara winced inwardly at the thought of the blisters she was going to have by the morning. "Alright. We go on."

Oliver's frightened face softened a little as he glanced at her. "There's a night bus in Pickering. We'll catch it to the big station and be long gone before dawn. If your feet hurt too much, I'll give you a piggy back." The spectre of his old grin appeared for a moment.

She rummaged in her clutch bag, pulling out the torch Ryan had given her. "This is dangerous." She murmured as Oliver produced one too.

"Because of ghosts?"He asked, anger in his voice.

"Exactly."

They wouldn't want Oliver to leave, she was convinced. If he ran from the village, he would stall the cycle, and the ghosts, growing more restless with every day that passed, would remain.

"We just have to get out the village." Oliver remarked. "Then no more curse, no more ghosts, nothing."

"Actually..." Clara wanted to point out that Max had told her the spirits followed those cursed.

The streetlights were flickering, fading in and out randomly ahead of them, like camera flashes, dazzling their eyes. The temperature seemed to be plummeting as they reached the main village. Clara in her dress was shuddering with cold, her teeth chattering.

Oliver gave her a concerned look, "Here." He shrugged off his jacket, slinging it around her shoulders. It was far too big, but she slipped her arms into the sleeves regardless for warmth.

"Thanks." He put his arm around her as they hurried through silent streets, the lights off in most of the houses.

Two men appeared in a street to the right, their forms wispy and colourless. Clara gasped in fright and Oliver whirled, his eyes widening right before the beam of his torch swept over them. In a moment, they had vanished.

"That was..." he was at a loss for words. "Wasn't it?"

"Ghosts?" Clara laughed breathlessly. "I'm afraid so."

Oliver swore profusely. "So it's true."

"Yes." Clara said wearily.

A woman in torn jeans and dyed hair emerged from the alley before them. Clara and Oliver raised their torches simultaneously, fending her off in synchronised motion. Her heart was beating faster now, adrenaline thrumming in her veins, her breath catching. She could see her breath floating like a cloud before her.

It had been so warm an hour ago. Wordlessly, they continued walking, though their fear was rising sharply.

Her phone was vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out. The battery light was flashing and so was a missed call from Jess. She listened to the voicemail as they hurried. "Clara where are you? No one's seen you. We're looking for Oliver, are you guys together or something?"