everything on. And it’s not to justify what I did next. I just want someone to understand why. I forced my way to the front and I made everyone wait behind the fire. The poor visibility prevented them from seeing what would be behind this flickering veil.
I stepped forth, tentatively of course. I was unsure if what I would see would be a premonition of my research or simply another camper that I had not seen before. My hands and skin felt tense and I still remember my ankles being tickled as I shuffled forward in the long grass.
I took out my torch and I shone it forward now. I don’t know why I had not turned it on sooner. Perhaps it was from being wrapped up in the moment that had caused me to lose my common sense, but now I felt awake and alive. My hair stood on end and my heart felt like a heavyweight boxing champion was trying to punch his way out through my chest, or that I was a pregnant lady going into labour. I can’t explain to you the sense of panic I felt, nor can I describe my jubilation or elation. I can’t describe the feeling in parallel to any experience I have ever had when my torchlight connected with the tent peg. My wrist twisted to direct the light and I followed it up the string to this- thing.
I want to call it a tent. My entire being wants to call it a tent but it was so large, no one person could have brought it there unseen. We had stood at this very spot merely hours prior and there was no signs that such a structure was here. Could it have been brought in under the guise of the fog? Perhaps, but for them to have travelled the same distance we did in that weather unsighted? Believable, but our radar was fully functional- it’s how we avoided colliding with say, a reef. I also doubt that such a structure was man made since if they did travel here from a different location and docked on shore, they would have had to climb up onto the island through the fog on a very soft rock face. There are experienced climbers who wouldn’t dare such stupidity, let alone a number of climbers who would have been willing to carry up parts of this ‘tent’. Whatever had brought this thing here, I was not prepared to investigate with anything other than my eyes. My nose would refuse to smell and my hands refused to touch this… apparition from something otherworldly.
I quickly scanned for an opening to the tent and I, indeed found an opening in the shape of a triangle, sucking in the air from around me. I did not dare venture any closer and despite being a seasoned paranormal investigator, I could not decree or declare that any of my research leading up to this point could indeed be, something of this world.
My pessimism of the supernatural up until now may have been fuelled by a lack of bad luck and on that day, on that rock, in that fog; I was not willing to change that.
That is why I retired from paranormal investigating
The Interview
Rachael Groves may have come to London looking like a tourist. Even locals do as their eyes get caught following the lines of the buildings whilst they wonder the streets.
London was to be a fresh start for Miss Groves as she had spent much of the last decade up north living in what was essentially a self contained village. Everything you needed was there and because everything was there, you had no need to leave.
London however, offered Groves the opportunity to do more things with her life. Things like bowling and going out for drinks with friends were now opportunities she never had before. It allowed her the chance to move out into her own place, away from any roommates and really stabilise her income from something other than assembly line work. But first, she had to attend an interview.
The position was for a personal assistant or receptionist position at a blanket manufactures headquarters near the city centre. The advertisement online actually said “either/or” but Miss Groves wasn’t the most proficient of readers. She was however, excellent at man management and organising, so she felt best suited to both positions.
Such a premise actually put Rachel into a stronger position than the ordinary interviewee. For example, if the interviewer asked her which position she wanted and upon her answer they said “the one you’re looking for has been filled, sorry- go away.” She could ultimately avoid this altogether with “Whichever needs filling the fastest, that’s position I’ll take.”
Of course, these are just things that you think about when you’re on your way to the interview but would probably never do and miss Groves was no different in this pre-job interview ritual.
In fact, Rachel wasn’t even sure if this was the pre-job interview ritual anymore. It had been a while since she had a proper, national insurance number type of job. Where she was before, jobs were assigned to the residents so the village could keep running. Of course there were jobs outside but people who didn’t live there usually took them. In fact, this short journey on the bus gave Rachel a chance to think about all the differences and similarities from that of her previous location.
Firstly, transportation was one of the biggest differences, since everything she needed was walking distance. Her Job, the local shop and her friends were all within a five-minute walk from one another. Yes, Peterborough was close but in all honesty, if nobody was going into town, why won’t you follow suit? The second major distance was the weather. London in the spring may not be the mot beautiful city in the world, nor is it the hottest. But Peterborough is a long way away from the equator, so hot flushes are usually only one or two days a year with grey clouds overhead taking up most of the weather forecasts.
In fact, she continued to list the differences well after the bus had reached her stop. She had even exited the bus and even reached the doors of the company’s headquarters where she would take a moment from her thoughts to introduce herself to the secretary. This would have been easier if the secretary had not been hidden behind a large and somewhat protective barrier of a wooden desk. It took Rachel a while to get her head around the fact that the secretary position was advertised, even though there was someone in the position already. That fact was soon made clear as to why the position would be vacant- the existing secretary was heavily pregnant, evident by her bulging stomach and somewhat laboured breath. It seemed she would be due any day now and had delayed her maternity leave till the last minute, granting her as much time with her new born baby as possible when it arrived.
It would be a short wait for Rachel Groves in the lobby. This was good as it gave her time to flick through her CV and speakers points that she rehearsed in preparation for today. She also seemed alone at vying for the position. Perhaps she would be part of a power struggle with a receptionist who doesn’t want to leave?
That thought was soon cast aside as she peered over to her left from the comfort of her small red backed chair, across the sea of wooden laminate flooring and made contact with the solid, commanding and firm looking desk.
From her current position being seated in the lobby, everything else seemed far larger than it actually was.
The desk for instance couldn’t have been any higher than the top of her stomach, but seated where she was it seemed to be at head height, making eye contact with the receptionist almost impossible.
She didn’t have time to meander within her thoughts about this otherwise rather unspectacular building or décor, as another lady, Miss Claire arrived from the elevator that was centred at the back of the room.
“Miss Groves, is it?” She enquired with an outstretched arm and open hand. It was clear Miss Claire was reaching for a handshake.
Initially, such a formality caught Rachel off guard. For the last ten years at least, she had become accustomed to people barking orders or asking questions rather than using any sort of universally accepted formality such as hand shaking or creating small talk with a pregnant lady you have just met. As such, she was somewhat nervous and her hand was sweaty, but it didn’t stop her from quickly adjusting her suit jacket by pulling at the hem before accepting and reciprocating the offer with a firm handshake.
So far, so good.
“Please, take a seat.” Offered Miss Claire as she pointed at the seat before taking a seat behind yet another wooden desk which sat just in front of the window. It meant that Rachel would be sitting
in the direct line of the sun.
This may have been a situation unsalable to those unworthy of the secretary or personal assistant position, but Rachel was worthy and easily navigated this issue by nudging the seat with her thigh to the right before sitting down in front of the desk.
“So, tell me, how did you find your way here?” It was the first time Rachel was able to notice that the lady behind the desk was somewhat uninteresting. Her voice was very average and her hair could have made her a doppelganger for any other late thirties, early forties female manager anywhere within a mile radius from here.
“It was a fair bit simpler than I had anticipated. A bus straight here.” Smiled Rachel as she fixed her skirt by crossing her right leg over her left thigh.
“Excellent. So I’ve taken a look at your CV and it’s been pretty, underwhelming. Why would you want to work here? It’s certainly nothing like the small time jobs you took up like waitressing or working the fryer at a fast food restaurant.”
It was harsh, especially coming from someone who had previously worked as a street cleaner only last year. Yes, its amazing what you can find