ANGRY SPIRIT Part 3 Chapter 8

From the relatively safe distance of the hilltop, Nathan sat in silence as the funeral procession filed by along the lane below. His heart ached with grief, though his mind was filled with hatred and a searing earning for revenge.
Occasionally his attention fell on the devilish figure leading the procession. Although the distance obscured his evil features, Nathan knew who he was. His close encounter in the village street, and Max’s frantic warning to Miranda, not to look into his eyes, together with the portrait back at Lepton Hall, that looked down on all who passed by it with an eerie, captivating stare, was confirmation enough of Joshua Edwards identity and, the inevitable fate of anyone unfortunate enough to become ensnared in his evil gaze.
When the monotone beat of the funeral drum faded into the distance, the air gradually filled with the natural sounds associated with such a rural setting. The birds twitted and tweeted in the leafy canopy of the woods behind them. The children’s playful laughter once again reverberated up the grassy hillside, and the dogs resumed their communal barking down in the village.
It appeared that whatever oppressive influence Joshua Edwards had had on the village was now gone and normality had returned.
"It’s time to move on, Nathan," Max said, his voice projected a strange sense of understanding and compassion.
"Where to next?" Nathan replied. "Move on to where? To witness my Grandfather’s passing? So we can stand by and watch Edwards take him too? What’s the damn point? We can’t do anything to help him can we?"
"No. Nathan we can’t help your Grandfather. What you’re seeing as already happened, we can’t change that. But, you are being shown these events for a reason…"
"Reason? What reason? So I can stand by helplessly and do nothing while that thing; Edward’s takes my family one by one?"

"I can’t answer that, Nathan. There are some things that are not explainable and beyond our control. All we can do is harm ourselves with as much knowledge as we can and play out whatever role fate, or some superior force as mapped out for us. We’re no more and no less than foot soldiers in the eternal war between good and evil."
Miranda, who had remained conspicuously silent until now, came forward and took her two companions’ hands in hers. Her words were soft, yet strangely firm and encouraging;
"Look to the sky, Nathan. Allow your will to take us to our next destination."
"I thought Max was the great leader we were all meant to follow. Why is everyone suddenly turning to me to lead us into the next round of craziness and turmoil?" His response was quick and instinctive, the desperate confusion manifesting in a sudden out burst of emotions that he had little chance or inclination to subdue. With each out burst the rage within him lessened and conscious thoughts seem to evaporate until a gradual sense of ease took him to that blissful place where he had no influence or control of events. Once again he was elevated to that now familiar state of being where nothing had significance, only the overwhelming yearning to reach whatever destination lay ahead and they could emerge into the next stage of their astral journey.
With the village left behind and all thoughts of Edmund Harrison fading into distant memories Nathan allowed the exhilaration of his flight between mysterious realms of existence to engulf him.

In the passing of an undeterminable span of time the three of them began their gradual decent to a new awareness.
This time when Nathan felt the reassuring firmness of the ground beneath his feet, he felt no fear, no anxious prangs of foreboding, only a confident curiosity filled his being.
The sights that surrounded them held no menace. They caused no alarm. Nathan noted at once with relief how much more familiar they seemed, than those previously.
People all around hurried about their daily business. Dashing between cars, buses and lorries of varying size and livery as they passed from one side of the street to the other. There were no colourfully festooned cottages lining the street, but much more substantial buildings with massive façades reaching ever skyward. Shops, offices and imposing blocks of high rise flats replaced the rural peacefulness of before.
The fashion of the traffic and the people’s clothes indicated a period, all three agreed, to be obviously 1940’s, and the location inner London.
"Are you sure no one can see us?" Miranda called, above the noise of the traffic and milling crowds.
"I think we would know by now if they could," Max replied, his smile adequately hiding the unintended sarcasm in his voice.
"My Granddad moved to London, during the Blitz in 1940. He and Grandma joined the volunteer ambulance. He tried to join the army but he was rejected because of a leg defect he was born with." Nathan began narrating his Grandfather’s life with obvious glee. The family had talked much more about old Jim Harrison and some of his infamous exploits.
He had been a character sure enough, known for his gambling in some of the seedier clubs around Soho. During his younger years, affectionately known as ‘Jimbo’ to his close circle of friends, had built up a reputation as an entrepreneur. Many in the family believed that it was this career choice and the shady deals he regularly participated in on the Black Market that led to his mysterious down fall.
"Mysterious downfall?" Miranda interrupted.
"That’s one of the dark areas, I’m afraid." Nathan admitted, somewhat hesitantly. "He rented a small semi in the East End, where he stored furniture he’d, acquired from bombed houses and sold it on to those who needed to replace their furniture at the right price."

Max listened, straining to hear what was being said above the clatter of the traffic. He didn’t seem impressed, and made no attempt to hide the fact.
"Doesn’t sound all that mysterious to me. Selling reclaimed furniture was a common practice back then."
"Let him finish, Max!"
"Apparently Old Jimbo got a phone call from an East End landlord who was looking to buy enough furniture for three houses he owned on the outskirts." Nathan paused; he seemed distracted by something at the end of a nearby alleyway.
"What is it, Nathan?" Miranda asked, noticing the sudden look of concern on his face.
"It’s probably nothing… I thought I saw… No… Forget it… It’s probably just a weird coincidence."
Also aware of Nathan’s concerned expression, Max followed the direction of his companions gaze. "I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss anything in this realm, mate. In this world, weird is normal, as for coincidence … well, that just doesn’t exist!"
"Maybe my imagination then?"
"I doubt that too. We’ve been brought here for some reason. If you think you saw something, I think we should follow your instincts. It may well lead to the explanation for why we’re here. So, what did you see?"
"I’ve only seen a few, old photos of him, but I’m sure it was Jimbo that just walked down that alleyway over there. He was with two other men, one of them in an army uniform."
"Then let’s go and take a look. Just follow your instincts Nathan". Max’s confidence was clearly higher than both his companions who watched him head out across the road towards the alley, paying no attention to the heavy stream of traffic that filed passed in a seemingly endless procession.
"Max! Lookout!" Miranda screamed in raging panic as double-decker bus, bore down on the unsuspecting astral pedestrian.
"Nathan’s panicked reaction harmonized with Miranda’s in a deafening crescendo of horrified warning; their ear piercing cries fell on deaf ears. No one noticed, the milling crowd continued on, oblivious. Max turned quickly to face Miranda and Nathan, yet his face showed no surprise, not even a faint trace of fear or concern.
Miranda clamped her eyes tightly shut and buried her head into Nathan’s chest, stifling her screams. Nathan also shocked with equal horror. Closed his eyes, to cut out the inevitable carnage that would come from Max’s stupid neglect.
Slowly turning, with their heart beats pounding. Both horrified witnesses prepared for what devastation awaited them.
Horror quickly turned to seething anger when their gaze fell on Max on the opposite side of the busy street, totally unharmed, and obviously irritated by the lack of response his two companions had made to join him.
"Come on! What are you two waiting for? A written invitation."
"But… How did you…?"
"Come on! Hurry up you two!" Max repeated. "When are you going to realize that nothing in this world is solid…? It can’t hurt you! Just get over here!
Max’s reassurances did little to inspire the confidence or motivation for Miranda and Nathan to take the first steps towards joining him.
After first closing his eyes and taking Miranda’s hand firmly in his, he stepped out into the road and maintained a hurried and determined passage to the other side. Only then did he hesitantly open his eyes, with some relief, noting the thankfully, complete and unharmed state of his being.
"Can we get on with it, now? If you two have finished messing about?" Max snapped with increasing irritation.

From their new location, the alley way looked much more menacing. Its total width was no more than the double garage doors that formed its farthest limit. The flanking buildings were tall and cast heavy shadows around the three dismally painted doors on its left-hand side.
"I don’t like this!" Miranda announced hesitantly.
Although deep down inside, Nathan couldn’t help agreeing with his mediumistic friend, he felt convinced that voicing his concerns would only add to tension that they were both enduring. Max on the other seemed to be hardened to the environment. He had been resident in this strange, astral world considerably longer than they had and was clearly more attuned to the constant sudden events that manifested when they were least expected.
As a result of this, Nathan and Miranda raised no objection when he elected himself, leader of the group.
Noting that the three doors to their left were all closed and secured by large padlocks on the outside, it seemed obvious that ‘Jimbo’ and his companions must have made a quick retreat through the double doors at the far end of the alley way.
Before they had covered half the distance of the dim, litter strew alley, one of the double doors began to open slowly. Nathan stopped in his tracks. He felt fear suddenly envelope him, as he desperately searched for some form of concealment.
"Don’t worry!" Max exclaimed, almost laughing at Nathan’s anxious state. "No one can see, or hear us, remember!"
For a brief moment, Max’s explanation calmed the situation, until a dog, although not menacing in size, but terrifying in its wild and angry appearance squeezed its way through the narrow gap between open door and its surrounding frame.
"This is not right!" Miranda yelled, on this occasion making no attempt to subdue the sudden panic that engulfed her.
Only Max held firm his station, showing no sign of fear as the dog lowered its head and pulled back its drool-soaked lips to bear a set of white razor-like teeth before charging with obvious angry intent directly towards them.
"It can see us!" Nathan yelled.
With long bounding strides, the angry beast sped onward.
"I said this wasn’t right! Now what do we do?" Miranda screamed, her panic-glazed eyes pleaded, as she stared at Max.
Nathan waited for the inevitable agonizing consequence of the dog’s final leap. The sight of its snarling jaws, and razor claws heading straight towards his throat were the last things he saw before clamping his eyes firmly shut.
He screamed out instinctively, a basic response, to dull the pain, and sickening sound of tearing flesh. He screamed again, when the image of his severed veins and arteries emitting their sticky, warm content onto the ground, and spraying the surrounding walls with its brilliant redness!
Alas, the devastation he awaited never materialized. When he mustered the courage and opened his eyes, the mad beast was making a rapid and confused exit from the alley way. Its pathetic howls and whimpers echoing around the confined area between the alley walls were the only evidence of its previous presence.
"What…! How did..?" Nathan inspected his throat with a trembling hand. His head still throbbed with the fear of what he might discover.
"Calm down!" Max advised with infuriating matter-of-factness. "Like I said before. No-one or anything can see us."
"Then how come that damn thing went to tear out my throat?"
"It only sensed your presence, it couldn’t see you. That dog was more scared and confused than you were, believe me!"
"That I doubt very much!" Nathan mumbled in embarrassing reply.
"If my feelings are right … The real trouble starts when we get on the other side of those doors." Max’s face remained a mask of stone-like emotional void, as he continued.
"There is ONE person in this crazy world that is capable of seeing us and, if my suspicions are right, he’s in there with your granddad.
"Joshua Edwards?" Miranda finally enquired, her voice torn by the horror of what lay ahead if Max was right.