Second Chance (7 page)

A group of young men walked out of a nearby pub, howling with laughter, preparing for a night out together. A middle-aged couple walked towards him, hand in hand, speaking in hushed tones as they looked lovingly into each other’s eyes.
 

They all went about their own business without a care in the world, enjoying life, never truly appreciating how soon it could be stripped from them. He had never stopped to look at his own life, never been thankful for what he had, and now it was over. He wished he could do it all again.
 

James carried on walking, fighting back the sadness he felt. Stepping onto the road, he turned left and walked towards a large bridge ahead. He had crossed this same bridge a number of times when he was alive, crossing to get to the train station that lay just beyond the town walls.
 

He stopped in the middle, turning to stare out over the river. The last rays of the sun danced across the water’s surface, shimmering brightly like a thousand sparkling diamonds. The view would have been breathtaking if he still needed to breathe, another thing he had never stopped to appreciate.

Below, one of the river tour boats passed by, the red and white colors standing out against the deep water. Small bulbs flickered to life as the lamps were lit, the passengers observing the buildings as the boat sailed along the river.
 

James turned away, leaning against the railing of the bridge and facing the other side. He was lost in thought, torn in two by his emotions. He knew he couldn’t waste another minute, that he needed to apologize to Hannah, but he didn’t even know where to start.

Before he could come clean to her about how he felt, he needed to be honest with himself. He needed to admit what he was really feeling.

“Have you lost your mummy too?” a child’s voice asked.

James looked down to where the voice had come from and saw a small boy who looked to be no older than five.

The boy stared up at him through his big, brown eyes, his fine blond hair disheveled and out of place. He looked tiny, his clothes too big for him.

“You can see me?” James asked, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.

The little boy nodded eagerly, smiling up at James. “Yep, should I not be able to?” the boy asked.

James didn’t reply immediately. As he looked at the boy, he noticed something odd about him, something unnatural. It was the way the child held himself, the way he spoke, as though he were far older than he appeared.

“How can you see me?” James asked finally. “Who are you?”

“You are filled with so many questions,” the boy replied. “I could answer them all if I wished, but I shall start with the easiest. I am like you, one whose death did not fit the plan, and because of that, we are left behind.”

“My death didn’t fit the plan?” James asked curiously. “I wasn’t meant to die that day?”

The child shook his head. “No, it wasn’t your time, but it was hers, and you interrupted that. You broke their plan.”

The words hit James like a fist. It had been Hannah’s time. Suddenly, he recalled the old woman’s words, that he was safe, but they were still coming. They weren’t coming for him at all.

“It’s not me they are coming for, is it?” he asked, terrified by the answer.

“Of course not,” the boy replied, his tone one of amusement. “They have no business with you. You broke their plan, and they intend to fix it. They will be coming soon.”

“Who are they?” James asked, panic seeping in. “How can I stop them?”

The boy looked at him, his smile disappearing from his face. “It’s too late,” he whispered. “They are already here.”

Before James could ask another question, the boy vanished, disappearing into thin air, leaving James alone with his fear. They were here already, coming to take Hannah away from him. He had been stupid to leave her alone.

Chapter Sixteen

~Hannah~

Hannah left her flat behind, leaving in search of James. She didn’t even know where to begin looking for him, but she knew she had to find him.

After their argument, she had felt awful for pushing James to open up to her. She had been so desperate to know if he felt the same way that she had acted out of character. She knew he was hurting, that he was confused, but she had still pressed him.

She knew the real reason was because of her own fear. Secretly, she had admitted to herself that their days together were numbered, that the clock was quickly counting down. James had died. His final days would soon be over, and before that happened, she had to speak to him, to let him know how she felt about him.
 

Hannah stepped out onto the street, quickly walking in the direction of the town center. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, a storm raging within her. Her heart was thundering in her chest, her heels clacking loudly against the cobbled street.
 

Every moment since her accident had been like some surreal dream, none of it truly making sense. The only thing she was sure about now was that she loved James. She loved everything about him. She felt foolish admitting that, as she had only known him for a handful of days after all, but it was the truth.

If she had the power to turn back the clock and switch places with him, she would have without a second thought. He was kind and caring, with more to give to the world than he knew. She could see that his mistake in the past had left him scarred, afraid to truly embrace the world, but deep down, she knew he had so much to offer, so much that she had taken away.

Her carelessness had led to his death. If she had been more cautious, none of this would have happened, but then, they never would have met.
 

She had only walked a few minutes from her flat when she saw a young boy walking towards her, his expression one of fear. She stopped, kneeling so that she could see the boy’s face more clearly.

“Are you ok?” she asked.

The boy shook his head, tears spilling from his eyes. Her heart broke for him. He was clearly lost, looking for his parents.

“Where are your parents?” she asked, hoping to find out more information. “When did you last see them?”

The boy stopped shaking his head, standing frozen in place as he looked up at her. He began to shudder, peering from side to side, before looking back up at her.

“They are coming,” he whispered, his words turning Hannah’s blood to ice in her veins.

She looked up to where the boy now pointed and saw three men walking towards her, their faces drowned out by shadows. They moved quickly, their limbs blurring unnaturally, as they stalked towards her.
 

She looked down to where the boy had stood only seconds before, but he was gone, vanishing without another word. It was then she realized they had finally arrived, the ones that James had been warned about.
 

“I won’t let you have him!” she screamed.

The trio stopped dead in their track, frozen in place. Hannah watched them, unsure what they were waiting for.

“It is not he who we come for,” one of the men hissed. “It is your soul we have come to collect.”

Hannah felt terror grip her heart as the men began their march once again. Standing up quickly, she turned and began to run back towards the safety of her flat, unnatural silence following close behind her. She listened for their footsteps, but there were none. They didn’t make a sound as they followed.

The door to her apartments was just ahead, the welcoming lamplight glowing in the shadows. The light flickered, the bulb erupting, showering sparks as a form materialized before her door.

The man grew from the shadows, lunging for her, narrowly missing as Hannah dodged to the side. She screamed, turning back the way she had come, only to find it blocked by the remaining two men. They stood like statues in the street, barring her escape, cold and emotionless eyes fixed on her.

Each of the men were shrouded in shadows, their dark clothing morphing with their bodies. Their faces seemed to change, flickering from one expression, and transforming into another, within the blink of an eye.
 

The temperature began to dip as she felt the third man approach her from behind. She couldn’t hear him, but she knew he was there, his darkness weighing heavily upon her.
 

She wanted to scream, to run, but she was frozen, her own terror gluing her to the spot. There was no escaping these men. They were unnatural, born of darkness, come to take her away.

As cold hands wrapped around her throat, all Hannah could feel was regret—regret for not admitting to James how she felt earlier. Now, as the cold consumed her, she knew she would never see his face again.

Chapter Seventeen

~James~

James tore back along the street, racing towards Hannah’s flat. He could feel something evil in the area, something horrid and vile. He didn’t know what it was, but he knew Hannah needed him.
 

He passed back the way he came, ignoring those around him. Nothing mattered now, only Hannah.
 

The boy had been terrified as he had warned James. He had seen that same fear in the eyes of the old woman as she stared at something invisible in her house. He should have known then that something was wrong; he should have picked up on it earlier.

Memories assailed him from the night Claire died. Those same thoughts he had then came flooding back to him. He had known better, his instincts screaming out to him that she was in danger, but he had still let her die. Now he was in the same situation, ignoring his senses, and Hannah was in danger because of that.

He had cursed himself then, swearing that he would never let anyone come to harm because of his foolishness, but here he was again, faced with a similar disaster. All that mattered now was that he reached Hannah; he had to protect her from whatever was coming.

A scream pierced the air somewhere in the direction of Hannah’s flat. He knew from the terror in her voice that he was already too late—they had already found her.
 

Clearing his mind, he concentrated on seeing his destination in his mind
’
s eye. He had never really focused on taking advantage of being a ghost, but now seemed like the perfect time to try.
 

Seconds later, he materialized in the street in front of Hannah’s flat, finding it empty. Broken glass lay shattered in front of the door to her apartments, the lamp smashed by something.

Looking around, he scanned the shadows, searching for a clue. He knew she had to be nearby, that she couldn’t have gone far.
 

A muffled cry caught his attention. His head snapped up in the direction of the noise, his eyes fixing on a small alley across the street.
 

Without a second thought, he raced towards it, entering the dark path, his eyes adjusting slowly to the gloom, shadows seeping in around him.
 

Ahead, he could make out the forms of three men, one holding Hannah tight against him. They were all obscured by the shadows, darkness hiding their faces as they turned to look at him. Glowing, yellow eyes peered out from the man who held Hannah, a small, silver blade clutched in his hand, pressing against Hannah’s throat.

“Leave us now,” the man hissed, his voice commanding.

James watched cautiously as two of the men broke away from the struggle, slinking towards him like jackals. They were hunched low, creeping slowly, their dead eyes fixed on him.

“Let her go,” James ordered, fighting back the fear he felt rising within him.

The man with the knife began to laugh, his voice thundering through the alley, his laughter echoing off the walls around them.
 

“You are in no place to give orders here, spirit,” the man called out. “We are here to fix what you broke—repair the pattern.”

James shook his head, taking a step towards them. The two men approaching him stopped, freezing into place as he drew closer.

Their forms seemed to blur, becoming one with the darkness, and then reappearing a moment later.
 

“I can’t let you do that,” he said, his voice more confident than he felt. “Now, let her go.”

“You realize that when we take her life, you will both be able to crossover and find peace?” the man asked. “If you fight us, we will be forced to destroy you. To die here is to lose your soul. You will be wiped from existence, sentenced to an eternity in the void.”

Shuddering, he still took another step towards the men. He no longer cared about himself; all he cared about was Hannah. He had saved her once before, and he would save her again—no matter the risk to his soul.

“I won’t let you hurt her,” James yelled, charging at the men before his courage could fade.

His legs carried him forward, but he was not fast enough. The two men who were creeping towards him sprung, like shadows come alive. They latched onto him, their strength incredible, taking him captive within moments, their icy fingers digging into his arms, restraining him.

James struggled against them, but it was no use. They were too strong, dragging him towards the man who held Hannah, forcing him to his knees.

He looked up into the man’s burning eyes and felt his courage melt away. Those eyes shone like a furnace, evil and malevolent. The darkness split, revealing rows of sharp, white teeth that formed a cruel smile.

Without any warning, the man lashed out with his dagger, plunging the blade into Hannah’s stomach. The girl cried out against the shadow’s hand, her body going limp as her strength fled from her.
 

James watched helplessly as the monster released Hannah from his grip, allowing the girl to collapse to the ground. He fought to get free, to go to her aid, but it was no use. He was trapped.
 

“You were a fool to defy me,” the man growled, taking a step towards James.

His eyes were fixed on the bloody blade gripped tight in the shadowy hand. He had been too late, too weak. Hannah lay bleeding to death on the floor, and his own life would soon be over. Once again, he had failed, letting the woman he loved die.