Page 63 of Ever After

Now there’s a question that’s guaranteed to strike a high level of fear in your brain. “Remember what?” I ask cautiously.

His eyes are very intent on me now, the tears forgotten. “What’s the last thing you recall?”

“Erm—” Concentrating is difficult because of the dull, throbbing ache in my head. “Coming back from a run and running a bath.” I rub my forehead as if I can scrub away the pain. “Did I hit my head or something?”

His gaze sharpens. “Why?”

“Because I’ve got a really bad headache.” I look around. “Why are we out here in the middle of a rainstorm?”

“Good question.” He scrambles to his feet and puts out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go back to the cottage.”

I look up at him. “And you’ll tell me what’s happened?”

He nods and then pulls me to my feet. I immediately wince.

“What is it?” he snaps. “What’s the matter, Levi? Tell me.” His tone of voice is more suited to the aftermath of a natural disaster, and I stare open-mouthed at him.

“Nothing. My body just hurts like I’m coming down with the flu. You alright, babe?”

“Fine. Absolutely fine. Fine,” he emphasises. He nods and then does it again as if the first time wasn’t convincing enough. News flash—it wasn’t. More worry stirs, but I allow him to lead me back up to the cottage.

By the time we’re through the door, we’re soaked and the wind is howling like a banshee. The sound of the door shutting is welcome, leaving the outside where it belongs. The silence is almost startling after the noise of the storm.

Blue looks at me and tuts. “Let’s go and get cleaned up and get into some dry clothes.”

“Not a bath. I don’t want a bath.” The words are loud and panicked, and I freeze. What the fuck? I love a bath. “What happened?” I say slowly.

Blue cups my face. “You’re okay,” he says firmly. “And that’s the most important thing you need to know right now.”

A little of my tension eases. “You’d tell me if I wasn’t?”

He nods and more of the knot unravels. “Babe, I’d be actively working to make it better. You’re fine no—” He presses his lips together.

I narrow my eyes. “You were going to say now.”

“What? No, I wasn’t.”

“Yes, you were.”

“Come along. Shower time.”

The smell of pipe smoke suddenly fills the room, and the rocking chair starts to rock, slowly at first and then a little faster, and a vague impression in the seat solidifies and becomes Branok. He’s wearing his usual outfit along with a hooded cape.

He puffs away on his pipe, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. “Ah, Levi. I am glad to see that you have recovered from your possession.”

After a beat of silence, I exclaim, “Possession? What the fuck?”

“Well, that’s spiffing,” Blue says crossly. “Just fucking splendid, Branok. Shall I tell you some state secrets, and you can go and blab those too?”

Branok lowers his pipe. “It cannot come as news to Levi that he has been possessed by a wicked entity.”

“I need to sit down,” I say, matching action to words and falling onto the sofa. My mind is reeling. I was possessed? How? When? The last thing I remember is jogging along the seafront.

Blue throws his hands in the air. “Well, apparently it can come as news, Branok. You massive fuckwit.”

Branok frowns. “What is this word? Fuckwit?”

“Look in the ghost dictionary,” Blue snaps. “It has your face next to the definition.”