She really missed her best friend today,as he had skipped the classes.These days Tom appeared to be more and more distant from everything happening around him.Often she wondered if he was even listening to half of what she was talking.She sighed,promising her self that she will try calling him again after she got out from the shower.Sara was taking her shower when she heard the phone ringing but the warm shower felt so good after the long day she has had that, she didn't bother to answer it. If it was urgent,they would call her back,she thought smugly.But now after hearing her best friend's voice filled with desperation,she felt guilty for not picking up the phone.She wondered what he was doing in that place,even in the day light the place was scary and she could only imagine what it would look like at this time.She shuddered,thinking about his friend alone in that place.She tried calling him but the phone was switched off,so she sat staring at the clock,waiting for him to call her back.
Tom stepped into dark passage,the light from the kerosene lamp served to illuminated only a short stretch in front of him.His heart was hammering wildly against the rib cage,so to calm himself,he kept on chanting the biblical phrase,
BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE AFRAID OR TERRIFIED BECAUSE OF THEM, FOR THE LORD,YOUR GOD GOES WITH YOU; HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.
He continued along the tunnel,only pausing to check its sides for doors or passages.Then suddenly he came upon a dead end,he shined the lamp along it to see if there was any projections but it seemed to be just a solid wall.Putting the lamp on the floor,he put his ears on the wall,he thought he heard a groan and listening more closely he realized that there was indeed some noise coming from the other side.He tapped the wall softly and it resonated as if it were hollow.He thought that there might be some one trapped in the narrow space inside the wall.Taking the lamp up he surveyed the place for anything to break it down.But he didn't find any thing,just then he heard footsteps coming towards him from the entrance.He braced himself for who ever it was and was soon rejoiced,when he found that it was the police,coming to find him.
With their help he was able to tear down the false wall but he blanched at the sight that awaited,it was his dad beaten and battered,unconscious.They lost no time in taking him up to the hospital,he informed his mom who soon came to join him in the hospital.The doctors informed them that,his dad was going to be fine and that he was just suffering from the trauma caused by the near death experience.The police officers instructed Tom to call them as soon as his dad regained consciousness.While waiting in the hospital with his mom,he called Sara to thank her and let her know that he was fine.When she started questioning him,he quickly ended the phone promising her that he will explain everything in person.
The next day the police officers came to take his dad's statement,but his dad couldn't provide them with any particulars as he was struck down with a blow to his head after he had gotten off work.It seemed that he didn't see his assailant's face.The police further questioned him if he had any enemies or whether he suspected anyone,to all these questions dad answered on the negative.The police were at a dead end regarding his dad's attack and for their part,Tom and his mom were simply happy to get him back that, they didn't care about anything else.
Soon dad was shifted back to their house and Tom went back to school and life was returning to a semblance of normality.Sara caught up with him at the end of the classes and he told her about all that had transpired,trying his best to leave out the scary details.Sara was disappointed that she couldn't see the book,but quickly got over it.She asked him if he suspected MrsCalvin but he answered her evasively not wanting her to get involved in something that might turn out to be an extremely dangerous .
He made his way to the police station under the cover of inquiring about their progress.Actually he just wanted to find out more about Mrs Calvin.But he was disappointed on both accounts as the police assured him that no one by that name resided in the town.So he decided to head back home and do some research on the journal that he had read.Back at his house he switched on the computer,he opened his back pack to grab a notebook and there it was the journal that he had thought was gone for good.Against his better judgement,he opened the book and skipped to the last entry, which seemed to have been made recently, the previous week to be exact.When he read it, he lost all his composure,
15th April,2020
I finally found him,the only person who can see me.I know he doesn't know it yet but he's going to help me.
Tom knew without a doubt that the person who was being referred to was himself.If this isn't a prank,which he was sure it was not,then it means that some one was still there, trapped in the astral plane, looking for a way out.God he had to see Mr Reeds! Tom quickly made his way to James's house without further delay.When he rang the bell,it was James who answered the door.He was pleasantly surprised when Tom asked to meet his father.James told him to wait there as his father had gone out on an errand,they made small talk about this and that,when Tom let it slip that he had talked to his father a few days past.James told him that it was impossible, as his father had just got back yesterday from a trip abroad.Tom felt as if James was trying to prank him but seeing the earnestness on his face, he realized that James was telling the truth.
Mr Reeds appeared came back just then and Tom stood up to greet him.Tom started to follow Mr Reeds into his study,when James interrupted him,asking him where he was going.When he told James that he was going to talk to his father,James looked at him queerly,telling him again that his father was outside.
"But didn't you see him come in right now.There standing dressed in a pale blue shirt and black pants" Tom asked him with consternation,pointing towards Mr Reeds .
"Cut it out dude!This isn't funny anymore.What are you trying to achieve from this?Do you want to get on my nerves so you can boast about it to your friends in the class?" James said suddenly angry and somewhat unsettled.
Tom swallowed,he asked James to come with him to the other room and reluctantly he agreed.Tom made his way over to Mr Reeds's study and was relieved to see him sitting there.He pointed to the chair and turned back to James.
"There now.What do you say?" He asked crossing his arms smugly.
"What do you mean? There is no one here."James said exasperated.
"You mean you cannot see the man sitting in that chair?" Tom questioned with a sinking heart.
To prove his point James walked over to the very same chair and sat down.Tom watched as if in a trance as Mr Reeds seemed to pass through James as he moved over to sit in another chair.Tom stood there frozen as James went over to answer the door,he heard him greet his father,the original Mr Reeds.What is the meaning of all of this?Whom should he trust?How can he know who is real person from the impostor?He looked at the mystery man who was still present in the room,but he just gazed back at him with an impenetrable look.
YOU ARE READING
The Presage
ÜbernatürlichesHe stared at the shiny surface of her weapon before falling to his knees. "You don't have to do this." Tears flowed down her eyes as she forced out a heavy breath,aiming the gun at his head. "if only that was true."
