The Ninth Life

Chapter one

‘I have been talking to people for a long, long time.

  Usually I am giving them advice, or pointing out the error of their ways and I love doing that.

  Sometimes I try to make them less lonely as there are so many lonely people out there, but they generally fall into two groups… those who take no notice of me and those who do not hear no matter how hard I try.

  Sometimes it can be fun, but more often, it is as frustrating as hell…when you can clearly see a problem and the solution, only for your words to be ignored.

  Not all the people I have talked to over the years were ordinary, some were quite important, destined for greatness and most of them have listened to me. Many have thought me some kind of divine messenger or the beginnings of madness, but I am just a voice in their head.

  Nothing special or important, just an ordinary voice.’

   One

  She heard the teasing voice in her head and chose to ignore him, wondering again if she was going insane. Why was he still pestering her after all these years, why couldn't he just leave her alone?

  Logically, she knew he must want something from her, for he wouldn't still be annoying her after all this time. Thinking about him always made her feel a little bit special, but knew that couldn't be. She spent her life leaping from one disaster to the next, done far too many wrong things ever to be special.

  So why was he still around, didn't he have anything better to do?

  None of it ever made any sense, so she filed it away in her mind as some sort of deviance she must have been born with, like colour blindness.

  Friday had been a busy day like any other and Kate was tired and ready for bed, ready to forget the day and switch her brain off, but the heartburn that plagued her all day seemed to have another agenda.

  Pushing the unruly mop of curly hair away from her face, she studied the canvas in front of her, trying to decide if the painting was good enough; or if she was wasting her time trying to be creative when she felt like crap.  It had most of the elements her customers loved so they should like it. A stunning waterfall was the focal point of the picture with ethereal greens and blues in every shade imaginable captured in the white froth of the spraying water. The image seemed to shimmer and move the more you looked at it.

  She knew the place well, it was in Cornwall and she had been there many times. It was a truly magical place, for you could climb up the rocks and get really close to the falling water. Close enough to get soaked she thought, smiling at the memory. She knew she would have to go there again before she was any older, and soon.

  There was something about water; it seemed to communicate directly with Kate’s soul. She loved nothing more than being near, or in it at every opportunity. Even a simple boat ride would be so much more special if she ended up soaked to the skin.  She didn't tend to analyse it too much though, water had the power to make her feel good and this transferred to anyone who loved her paintings and that was all she really cared about.

  Deciding to call it a night, she took a last look at the canvas, reasonably pleased with what she had accomplished. The wet paint glistened like moonlight on the water and she wished as always the effect would remain when the paint was dry.

  She looked closer. There seemed to be something hiding in the splashing water. What was it?