humour. That brief moment of inward reflection had passed. “Come and see me from time to time, and remember your training for when the time comes. I’ll be seeing you later”. He gave a casual salute before turning away and walking off through the mud towards the South Stand at the far side of the field.
Connor had visited Neil Blake a handful of times since they escaped from the Afterlife. He enjoyed learning about the Officer’s life in the Military Police. But after coming face to face with that creature last night he needed to discuss Laura’s safety with his friend. He gently pushed the doorway open, feeling the pale light flood out to illuminate him before he visualised himself floating through the door to materialise on the edge of the try-line at the Twickenham stadium.
He found himself standing beneath the tall ‘H’ shaped goal on the North stand. It was a dryer day today than it had been last time he was here. The sun was shining between the thin cirrus clouds as they drifted across the sky like wispy trails of candyfloss. There was no match or training taking place and the only living person here was a young-looking grounds man in blue overalls and a grey baseball cap listening to music on a red and black pair of large over-sized headphones. His head was bobbing up and down in time to his music as he trundled down the left side of the pitch repainting the white lines. He wouldn’t be able to see or hear Connor or Captain Blake because neither of them was really there in any physical sense; just two ghosts finding each other to reminisce about the lives they had left behind.
“Good to see you again, True” greeted the Captain gruffly from a pale blue seat in the stand behind him. As Connor turned to face him the officer asked, “What’s going on?” his army background had left him with little time for small-talk.
“I had an encounter with something from the other world last night and it’s time I talked to Laura, about everything” Connor began, only now realising that this was the first time he had spoken about the incident.
The Captain rounded on Connor, his deep brown eyes boring into Connor’s as if he could see into the back of his head where all his secrets were being laid bare under that penetrating gaze.
“Firstly, tell me what happened” Captain Blake asked and Connor told him about the Demon appearing in his bedroom and how he fought and eventually killed it.
“You’re first kill” commented the other with with interest and maybe a little pride. “Injuries?”
“No, nothing major, just a few scratches” Connor advised.
The Royal Military Policeman interrogated Connor with more questions, making him go over the event again and again until he had covered everything in minute detail several times, asking the same questions in different ways to get a thorough understanding of what had happened.
“Then, congratulations” the Captain nodded in apparent satisfaction.
Connor paused. “. When Abiku comes, I know what to do but …” he shook his head. “I can’t help thinking it may not be enough. This plan is very simple and I’m worried about something happening to Laura?”
“Listen to me” Captain Blake stared hard at Connor, his authoritative military tone hardening his words. Connor suspected he wasn’t used to working with civilians or having his orders questioned and he felt the steel irritation in his voice as he explained, “In a combat situation the best plans can turn to crap in the blink of an eye. War is chaotic. Men can shit themselves, panic, become causalities. You could have the best plan in the world to face Abiku but when she comes it may as well be written on toilet paper. The most effective plans are the simplest plans. You’ve got your skills and you know how to use them. Just remember what I’ve said and you’ll be fine. Do you understand?”
“Yes” said Connor, dutifully. He sighed before continuing: “Last night got me thinking”. He looked the Captain in the eye and felt the iron will and unbreakable courage behind them and wished he had just a fraction of that conviction.” I’m going to tell Laura about Abiku”.
“You do need to tell her. But she may want to leave you and I know how much you like her, True so this is an eventuality that you need to be ready for”
“I know” Connor sighed. “Have you ever gone to see your wife and girls, since you came back?”
The hard stone-faced expression cracked for a briefest of seconds before the Captain regained his composure. “No” he said emphatically. “Jane would have moved on. She may be with someone else now. The girls, Christie and Abigail will be much older and they don’t know I even exist. No, I want to remember them as they were, as they remember me” he explained. “I’ve not been great at relationships with women so when you tell Laura I do not have much in the way of useful advice except to be honest and to be prepared for the worst”.
“Thank you… ” said Connor. He wanted to say something about Neil Blake’s family but knew that Captain would not appreciate it. Instead he said. “I want to get this over with so I’ll see you later”.
“Remember” called the Captain as Connor opened his door to return to his body. “Exemplo ducemus – by example, shall we lead. Show her your relationship is worth fighting for and how much you want to be with her. Remember you are fighting the demon for Laura now”.
“Thank you” said Connor again floating back into his own body before opening his eyes and waking up in his jeep. He had only been gone for five minutes, less than a power nap but he still felt just as energised.
Let’s get this over with, he sighed to himself and revved up the engine of his jeep.
Laura’s monstrous black Kawasaki ZX-6R bike stood parked on the road just outside his house and the sight of it filled Connor with tantalising delight and he couldn’t help grinning to himself knowing she was in his house waiting for him. He really was the luckiest man alive. Then he noticed Alicia’s blue BMW parked on the other side of the driveway and his grin evaporated, consumed by a sudden dread in the pit of his stomach. The two vehicles were parked almost symbolically at opposite sides of his house. The way they were parked, booth facing in opposite directions felt portentous; like a bad omen and he swallowed hard before rolling up the driveway.
As Connor opened the front door and stepped into the hallway he felt the tension steaming out of the living room like smoke from a blazing inferno. Alicia and Laura had never spent time together, in the past. He crept down the hallway and as he went to open the living room door he half expected to feel a blast of super-hot air explode outwards from behind the door.
“Hey” he called cheerfully. No one could ever accuse him of being a pessimist. “I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be here. Have you had a drink yet?” He waded through the swampy atmosphere where the fragile silence creaked and groaned like floorboards in an old house.
Laura was still dressed in her heavy biker leathers and was perched on the edge of the sofa. She usually changed out of them when she arrived so either she had only just got here or, more worryingly, some terrible news had hit her and she wasn’t planning on staying long. His fears were confirmed as she looked at him with a mixture of accusation and worry both vying for supremacy on her usually cheery aquiline face. Her soft gentle features; high cheek bones and full lips were creased with agitation and her hand was absentmindedly fiddling with her shiny brown hair. She looked so vulnerable and Connor felt an overwhelming urge to scoop her up in his arms.
Alicia elegantly rose from the single throne-like swivel chair that dominated the room with her usual cool air of superiority and confidence. This afternoon she was sporting a stylish pair of designer jeans and another new designer jacket on top. Her sharp eyes were hidden beneath a flaying canopy of glitzy eye lashes and looked as if she had just stepped off the catwalk. She strutted towards the kitchen with a defiant look. As she brushed past him her hand fell onto his shoulder and she said in a loud whisper that was intended more for Laura than Connor, “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me Bro”.
Connor waited until she left, chewing his bottom lip as he tried not to imagine what Alicia had been telling Laura before he arri
ved. Laura looked up at him and he noticed the imploring look in her deep brown eyes and the glistening sheen told him she was on the edge of tears.
“What have you got to tell me?” Laura asked pointedly so it sounded like an accusation. Connor braced himself. He had been planning to share his premonition and the realities of the afterlife with her in his own way, when they were alone. But Alicia must have had other plans and had forced this situation on him, making it all the more difficult to explain his situation to Laura.
Trying to force a reassuring smile he went to sit next to Laura but when he went to put his arm around her she tensed and shuffled away slightly. Connor brought his arm back to his side feeling a terrible sense of isolation and guilt as his resolve began to crumble like a muddy riverbank eroding into the fast flowing stream.
“It’s nothing” he began, trying to find the right words and failing miserably.
Show her your relationship is worth fighting for, man.
“Well, it’s not nothing but…” he fought down a sudden urge to deny whatever it was Alicia had told her, but that would not be right.
“I have a gift” he began again turning to face her and trying to look as casual as he possible.
“What gift?”
“It’s a talent; a power. I’m psychic, if you prefer”.
Laura remained unimpressed, her expression impassive as she waited for him to continue his confession. If Alicia had ruined things for him and Laura he swore he would never speak to her again. He couldn’t feel angry at his sister yet though. First he had to get this conversation over with and hope that Laura would understand him.
“I can see things” he tried again. “I can see into the future and see into the afterlife” he paused, letting it sink in. Laura still said nothing so Connor continued. “My grandparents; the ones on my Mum’s side from Nigeria, believed that when we die our soul goes to another place. Creatures; demons live in this other world and they hunt the souls of the dead. Thanks to my psychic doorway I have seen this world and the demons and I know it all exists.
“One such demon has been hunting male members of my family down through the generations and it will come for me at some point. I had a premonition a few months ago where I was asleep in bed and the demon came for me”.
Laura sighed impatiently and shifted her position. She wasn’t buying this and she would get up and walk out of the lounge and possibly his life at any moment.
“This was before we met but in the dream I saw myself and I saw you as well. You were lying next to me in bed. That’s why Alicia has been so… so like Alicia! She thinks if we’re not together then the premonition won’t happen but it will. The demon will come anyway”.
At that moment Alicia came back into the living room carrying Laura’s bright pink helmet with the Mini Mouse design on the back. Connor gasped, unable to believe Alicia’s audacity as she handed Laura her helmet as an unspoken queue for her to leave. Connor tried to say something but he no words would come. Alicia sat down on the other side of Connor and put her arm around him in mock comfort. He knew Alicia could be a little spikey at times but never so conniving as this. Whatever her motivation, she had crossed a line.
You’ve got to fight Abiku if you want to be with Laura
But it wasn’t just Abiku he had to fight if he wanted to keep Laura. He realised he was being forced to make the impossible choice between his girlfriend and his sister. Connor shook Alicia’s hand away as if she had some awful disease and stood up sharply.
Laura followed suit, her leathers squeaking as they rubbed together. She would be heading for the door next and it would be over. Even at the thought of it a churning sensation rolled in his stomach. He felt himself shake his head as he took a step towards his girlfriend. She looked at him sympathetically and stepped forwards to give him a hug. Her leathers squeaked again as she pulled him close and Connor knew this was a goodbye hug. Then the agonizing moment came when she pushed him away again. Her eyes glistened with tears and Connor reached for her hands and held them tight; praying she would not pull away from him. Everything felt unreal, as if he were dreaming again. Laura was the most beautiful person he had ever met, both on the inside and outside. Racking his brains he couldn’t think of any words that would undo this. Laura looked at him then looked down at the floor again, unable to meet his gaze. Connor realised he wasn’t breathing. He had to say something, he had to stop this. He was drowning in desperation.
“Laura…” he began but he didn’t get chance to finish the sentence. Laura looked over at Alicia who returned her gaze coolly, waiting for her to leave.
This was his fault. He should have told her about it as soon as they met.
“I know” Laura said softly. She turned her head back to Connor who held onto her hands firmly as to not let her go. His world had gone from a relatively peaceful and predictable place to a fragile sheet of ice where the wrong step would crack the solid floor and leave him plunging into cold icy waters below.
“It’s OK, Alicia” Laura said again a little louder this time. “I know. I know all about the other world and the demon, what’s her name, Abiku? I’ve known about it for ages. For a moment there from the way you were talking I thought Connor was going to say he’d found someone else!”
Connor realised his mouth was wide open as he stared at Laura. That was the last thing he expected her to say and his relief flowed through him with a dizzying lift draining his fears and firing his heart.
“You talk in your sleep, Honey” she said by way of explanation and tenderly cupped his cheek in her hand. It felt warm and smelled of vanilla.
“Oh, well I’m glad you understand” said Alicia after a rare pause to collect her thoughts. “But don’t you see where I’m coming from. If you two are together the premonition will come true but if you’re not together it may not do. Or it will at least not happen that way, don’t you see? ”
“I’m ready for when Abiku comes. Or as ready as I can be” Connor quickly tried to explain but it sounded so lame to his ears.
“You can’t prepare for it, Connor. There’s nothing you can do” Alicia interjected.
“But there is” Connor said hastily. “In the other world people fight the demons. I’ve been there. When I was in that coma I went out into the other world. I met a man who trained me to fight them. They use sharpened scales from demons as weapons and I’ve got one upstairs I can show you. I even used it last night to kill a demon that appeared in my room”.
“What happened?” asked Laura as her hand covered her mouth and she gripped his arm. Alicia demanded to know the details as well. Connor told them both everything that had happened. Both women were silent for a moment but Alicia was the first to speak and continued emphasising her point. “Don’t you see, Laura? It’s dangerous here. You shouldn’t be with him”.
“It’s dangerous and he’s all alone with this” she said in a firm voice that Connor had not heard before. “I’ve heard him crying out in his sleep about demons and monsters and I’ve seen how he is when he wakes up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. No one should go through that alone. To be honest I really don’t care if you agree with me or not. You’ve made it clear you don’t like me but there is nothing you can do to stop me from being with Connor. I love him and whatever is coming I’m going to make sure he’s not alone”.
“That’s not what I’ve been saying” Alicia protested but some of the fire had seemed to have gone out of her voice but Laura continued before she could say anymore. “Now then, I’m sorry if I sounded a little rude just then, Alicia. But Connor and I do have a lovely evening planned together” Laura made a point of putting her helmet down on the sofa and walking over to the lounge door to hold it open. “You didn’t bring your coat did you?” she asked Alicia pointedly.
“Come on Alicia, we’ll talk about this later” Connor heard himself say in a quiet faraway voice.
As his sister strutted from the living room Connor shadowed her out. She ste
pped out onto the driveway and stopped, turning back shaking her head. “Big mistake” she hissed testily before turning away and storming towards her BMW with her high heels clacking over the tarmac.
Connor closed the door and almost drifted back into the living room, still feeling a little confused as to what had just happened. As he returned to the living room Laura pounced on him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately on the lips. The taste of her cherry lip gloss mingled with the smell or leather from her jacket.
“I’ve not see that side of you before” Connor grinned like an idiot holding her tightly so she could not even think about leaving him.
“I hope I didn’t offend her” Laura said bashfully. “I just felt so annoyed with the way she’s been treating us”.
“Don’t worry” Connor reassured her. “Alicia will be fine”. They kissed again, longer this time.
“So, tell me about this lovely evening we’ve got planned?” Connor asked playfully.
“Well…” Laura giggled and reached into the front pocket of her biker jacket and produced two DVD’s. “Brother Bear or The Frog Princess?”
Up until he had met Laura, Connor reflected, he had been very close to Alicia and they had either seen each other or spoken on the phone several times a week but now that had all changed. Weeks went by with hardly a word shared between them and the last time he had really seen her was just after their sister Mya’s birthday. Connor had waited until after the family gathering to tell everyone that Laura was going to be moving in with him.
The water tank in her dilapidated flat had died a spectacular death and flooded the entire building. Even if the flat hadn’t been entirely uninhabitable before, now there was no doubt. Most of the family had been pleased for him and very excited by the news. Connor and Laura had discussed at length the risks of Abiku but Laura had assured Connor again and again that this was what she wanted. Alicia had been less vocal on the subject than Connor had expected and for the first time in as long as he could remember Alicia kept her opinions to herself. Or at least didn’t inflect them upon him. But since then she hadn’t spoken to him properly for the last two months, which told of the growing divide between them. He knew he would have to try to patch things up with her before long; otherwise he may never get chance to.
Living with Laura though, felt like living in a magical kingdom where nothing could worry them as long as they had each other. Connor had never imagined it was possible to wake up next to someone and feel so utterly excited