The Ghostly Past

Chapter 29

She'd been in the hospital just over 24 hours. She'd needed a blood transfusion and stitches in her leg. They said she had a mild concussion and had been suffering from hypothermia.

But Clara was alive.

She'd stared silently at the wall when the doctors had come to talk to her. The police hadn't. She assumed Leo's family had paid them off. So far, she had been alone. She hadn't contacted her parents. It's not like they would have come.

She still felt feverish and shivery when Harriet came to visit. Her friend breezed into the room, backpack swinging on her arm. She plonked down a handful of magazines, a box of chocolate and packets of sweets.

"Better than fruit." Harriet declared, taking a seat. "How are you feeling?"

Clara shrugged. "Tired, a little out of it. I'm alive."

"I couldn't believe it when they told me. Leo and the others. They said you and Oliver had ended up in the forest and..." Her voice trailed off. "God, Clara, I'm so sorry."

"You've nothing to be sorry about."

"I should have stopped the two of you from leaving. I should have done something, I knew you were both drunk, I knew it was a bad idea." Harriet looked wretched. "Now he's dead, and you're a mess."

"It's not your fault." Clara said heavily. She felt numb. Since waking up alone, except for the medical staff, she'd been quiet.

That night would weigh heavily on her soul for the rest of her life, she knew that. Moments kept appearing in her mind, making her shake and shudder. She and Oliver fleeing. The ghosts, those feelings of terror and despair. He'd pulled her up when they caught her. Falling...over the side. The agony of dragging herself back to his body.

He hadn't deserved that. She kept imagining his final moments, there among the dark trees. She hoped he had been so caught up in visions of the past that he hadn't even noticed his own passing.

"You don't have to explain any of it to me." Harriet said softly. "You just need to rest, and get better, alright? We need you back at school, Miss Fitzroy."

She'd smiled at that, a smile that didn't touch her eyes. "Shouldn't you be there?" Clara asked.

"Warren told me I could come." Harriet answered. "I didn't find out you were here until last night when I ran into James. He was a mess, drunk and staggering about. I think it's hit him hard."

"I can't talk about it." Clara whispered. "Not yet."

"That's alright." Harriet said with worried eyes, "You just rest."

Another memory flashed before her. She recalled seeing them all there, standing and crying while she and Oliver were loaded into ambulances: James and Ryan, Jess and Leo, Max, even Kim. She'd been so angry with them in that moment, that after keeping secrets and then throwing all of the dreadful news at Oliver at once, they had the gall to cry over his body. To some degree it was their fault, what had happened to Oliver. He still hadn't fully believed the danger of the ghosts because to him it was just a horror story his friends had cooked up. He was still reeling from the idea that he was cursed to fully appreciate the danger.

Clara felt guilty too. If only she could have stopped him. She would never forgive herself for his death, she knew that.

Jess came the following day, arriving with an armful of fake roses, hesitating on the threshold. "Hey, Clara." She greeted her. Clara said nothing. "I know you don't want to see me, or any of us. You probably hate us."

"Why are you here?" Clara said into the silence.

"To see if you're alright. None of the men dare. But I had to." Tears filled her eyes. "No one wanted to hurt Oliver. He was one of us. Our sixth soul, and a friend."

"Sixth soul?" Clara said aloud.

"I know that you know everything." Jess gave her a long look, "About the curse and about us."

"Why do you think that?" Clara still wouldn't look at her.

"Kim told me that Max told you. It's not like I mind. I was always against keeping it a secret from you after you started getting involved with us. It's not like many people do. As soon as we realised who we were, most of our old friends abandoned us. We're like pariahs." Jess said bitterly. "Kim's a weird exception."

"You all hurt her too. Just by being near her, she's hurting, because she'll lose you." Clara said, her voice flat.

"I know." Jess's voice rose, "But we don't have a choice, Clara! What can we do but keep on living?" Tears were running down her face.

"I didn't want him to die. I tried to get him to turn back." Clara said, her voice haunted. "He wouldn't listen. He was so scared, Jess. So terrified by whatever you all told him that he was willing to risk both of our lives if it meant escaping. And I couldn't leave him. I was scared too."

"By what?" Jess said, finally sitting down.

Clara thought about it. "You all just accept it. I don't accept that you're all meant to die. You should fight it, you should do whatever it takes to survive!" Her voice rose angrily. "At least Oliver didn't succumb to fate. He fought it all the way to the end."

"And died anyway." Jess was crying, her voice hard.

"I'd rather at least die trying." She replied stubbornly. There was a pause. "What does this mean for you guys anyway?"

"I don't know." Jess shook her head. "Everything's gone wrong Clara. And you...you're our friend too. Max was dying inwardly, hunting for you. They want to be there for you."

"I don't want them to be." Clara shuddered. "I can't...not after everything. I need some space." Her eyes drifted away.

"I can't make you want to be friends with us." Jess said heavily. "And I don't blame you. But think what it's like for us. Do you know what my life has been like? From the moment the dreams started, I knew. I knew who I was, I knew what my fate was. I was already feeling drawn to Leo and this just cemented it."

"True love." Clara's voice was sarcastic.

"I wish." Jess's eyes were haunted too. "I'm falling out of love with him, and I can't stop it. Fate cast me in the role of the harlot. I'm supposed to fall for a friend and destroy lives in doing so. I don't want to, I'm trying not to, but it will happen. It always does. Everyone I know hates me because of it. I get 'slut' written on my house, my car vandalised."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Some of the others have it worse. But I wanted you to understand."

"I just need some space from it all." Clara said again. "And time to grieve."