Chasing Mary - Chapter One

Outside the old building was dark. Night had descended quickly, shrouding everything with long shadows. The urban landscape was bathed in the dull hues from a bright crescent moon, and a nearby street light made a humble effort to illuminate the area outside the ancient stable block with its amber glow. Passing car headlights swept across the courtyard, picking out various disused objects and holding them in brightness for a brief moment before condemning them back into the shadows. But, when Rob and Allison crossed the threshold and turned off the fluorescent lights, instantly, the mysterious darkness of the winter night transformed to blackness so dense, it seemed to take on a presence that weighed down on them with a physical force.

Allison stood in the blackness. Rob couldn't see her, only the memory of the room, before the lights were turned off and the door closed when they entered, remained as a fading image to help orient him in the impenetrable blackness.

"Tell me again, why we do this?" Rob asked. His voice showed clear signs of uneasiness.
"You ask that every time we do an investigation. If it bothers you, go and wait outside."
For a split second the offer tempted him. In almost twelve years as a paranormal investigator, Rob had accompanied Allison to locations that at first glance appeared interesting, even mysterious and vaguely frightening at times. However, here at the Lions Head Hotel, every room seemed to harbor some kind of deep, nasty secret from its centuries old past. A secret so offensive that someone or some thing would go to any lengths to keep it concealed.

In Rob's mind, there was a nagging suspicion that whoever or whatever was the guardian of this dastardly secret was about to exercise the right to strike the fear of God into those foolish enough to get too inquisitive.

"Did you here that?"
Although Allison's question had been asked in low and subdued tones, it was enough to prickle the hair on her companion's neck and send a shiver of apprehension down his spine.
"No. What was it?"
"I'm not sure."
"Is there anyone in this room?" Allison called out. "Someone who would like to communicate with us?"

The silence prevailed. Even the sound of the passing traffic outside seemed to be swallowed up by the blackness that engulfed them.
"We are not here to hurt you. We mean you no harm," she continued.
The fact that Allison was calling out was enough to convince Rob that she was sensing the presence of something. Just as before, on so many occasions, the atmosphere was beginning to change. A noticeable chill filled the air. Although gradual at first the coldness soon became uncomfortable, bordering on unbearable.

"There's someone here, Rob."
Instinctively Rob checked the temperature with the laser thermometer; he habitually carried in his pocket. A small red laser dot pierced the blackness and rested on the wall at the far end of the building. Animated in an erratic dance, the red dot not only sensed the plummeting temperature but highlighted Rob's nervousness as he held the gadget in his shaky grip.

"Two point three," he announced, reading from the dimly light display.
"It's freezing around me. I can feel something close to me."
Guided by her voice, Rob scanned the beam the length of the room until it came to inches away from where he judged Allison to be standing.
"Is there anyone here with us?" she called out again.
"One point eight!" Rob confirmed the reading.
"Give us a sign. Let us know you wish to communicate. We mean you no harm."
"One point three!"
"Tell us your name, Sir!"

The fact that Allison had sensed a male presence didn't surprise Rob. He had witnessed her ability to connect many times. Although he never understood how she did it, he never for one minute doubted it. The temperature gauge fell another two points.
"Move something, Sir. Let us know you are here with us."
Nothing moved. Not a sound emerged from the dense blackness.
"Give us a sign." Allison's voice took on a sense of urgency as she called out again.
"We can help you, Sir. Are you trapped here? Let us help you."

"One point...." Before Rob could finish his updated announcement of the increasing iciness, a metallic clatter echoed from the far wall. "What the hell!"
"Thank you, Sir." Allison called, with astonishing calmness. "Thank you, Sir. If that was you, please make another sound, move something again if you wish to communicate with us."
This time no response was forthcoming.

"The temperature is going back up. Nine point eight." Rob said. A sense of relief washed over him, dulled only by the frustration that the episode had ended, without confirmation, just like it always had on every investigation before.

"He's gone!"
Sensing Allison's disappoint, Rob took the first tentative steps in what he hoped was the direction of the door. Each step slower than the one before, as he tried to clear the confusion from his head and remember the obstacles they had encountered on the way in, with the aide of the electric lights.
"Aghhhhh! What the.........!" Rob's agonizing scream was followed by a deafening crash of wood and glass making devastating contact with the contact floor.

"What's wrong? Are you all right?"
Allison's panicked calls remained unanswered.
"Rob? Are you all right? Answer me, for God's sake!"
Still painful silence prevailed.
"Rob? Answer me!"
"It's ok love. I'm fine." Rob finally replied, his voice broken by his attempt to hide the pain he was obviously feeling from the fall.

"What's wrong? You idiot! Why didn't you use your flash light?"
"I forgot to bring it. Just a minute... Mind your eyes while I turn the light on."
After three or four blinding and annoying flickers the three fluorescent tubes hanging from the ceiling settled into luminance, instantly dispelling the blackness and flooding the area with brilliant, white light.

"My God! Rob! What happened?" Allison's gaze fell on the upturned wooden table and scattering of broken, empty beer bottles on the floor. Eventually, after her eyes adjusted to the harsh light she saw Rob, leaning against the wall by the doorway. Instantly instilled with panic when she saw his ashen face, and obvious agony that burned in his eyes, she rushed towards him.
"Oh Rob, love. What happened?"
"Something hit me!"
"Something like what?"
"I don't know. Something hit me like a hammer in my back. It sent me flying over the damn table."

"Let's call it a night in here. Whatever was in here has obviously gone now."
Another thing that Rob had learned over the years was that Allison's word was final, and any attempt to change her mind would fall on deaf ears. Even if he wanted to, he was in too much pain to even consider such a fool hardy endeavor.

"I'll get a brush and shovel from the landlord and then we'll head off home."
"I'm not letting you go back in there alone!" Rob objected,
"Don't be stupid. You go in the bar area. I'll just tidy up and then I'll come through to you. There's nothing in there to scare me, believe me."

Resorting to his well practiced knack of cunning and stubbornness, Rob persuaded Allison to go and obtain the necessary equipment to clean up the broken glass, from Nigel the landlord, after which he stepped gingerly back into the stable.
Even though the ancient interior looked less menacing under the luminance provided by the fluorescent tubes, he still couldn't shake of the uncomfortable nervousness that had only minutes before ravaged him with such devastating effect.

"Come and get me now I'm ready for you!" he called out into the unoccupied surroundings. Albeit, tinged with a healthy undertone of sensible caution.
Bending slowly and stiffly. Still hurting from his previous encounter her began to retrieve the broken shards of glass.

"I see... not to keen now I'm ready and waiting for you, are you?" Comforted by the bright light and lack of shadows Rob seemed to find his usual air of confidence. All the previous encounters he had survived before that night had taught him one valuable lesson. Don't show any sign of fear. Fear is a weakness that will undoubtedly be played on by whatever unseen forces he so foolishly chased on such occasions.

"Come on! Show yourself. Or are you too much of a coward?
Without realizing what had set off as reassuring confidence was gradually turning into fool- hardy provocation, an occupation that seldom produced friendly consequences.
"Just as I thought." Rob laughed mockingly. "One punch and you've used up all your energy, haven't you? You're pathetic, do you know that?

After clearing the floor and feeling the satisfying tingle of satisfaction from venting his pent-up frustration into the apparently empty space around him, Rob made for the door, once again.

When the open door was no more than a few short steps away, Rob was sent hurtling forward by a solid blast of air hitting him squarely on the shoulder blades. This being accompanied by a hoarse, devilish voice; "GET OUT!" it barked. As he cleared the threshold in a single unsteady leap, the terrifying voice concluded with a spine-tingling burst of demonic laughter.

The feel of the cool night breeze, teasing his pale cheeks was instantly welcoming, somehow assuring him he was at last free from harms way. For a moment he stood in silence, appreciating the sense of freedom. Lowering his tall frame to a stooping position and resting his hands on his knees, Rob attempted to fill his lungs with refreshing night air.
"What's up mate? Are you all right?" came the landlords' voice, from a few yards away. "You look like you've seen a ghost.

"I think I have!" Rob confirmed, though Nigel's response of almost mocking laughter seemed to suggest that he didn't for one minute take his confession seriously. At least not until Rob straightened to a standing position and his white face was clearly visible in the light from the nearby street light.

"Bloody hell, mate!" Nigel was clearly shocked by the sight before him. "You really do look like you've just seen a ghost. Allison said you'd had a slight accident, but I didn't expect to find you like this."
"I'll get over it. Just give me a minute."
"Allison also mentioned you'd done something to your back?"
"Yeah, something gave me a fair whack in the kidneys. I'm just a bit sore now; it'll simmer down in a few minutes. I've had worse. Trust me."

Nigel watched Rob awkwardly trying to lift his shirt and struggle to painfully twist round to inspect the offending area in the small of his back
"Here, let me help you!" Nigel took a firm grip of Rob's shirt and hoisted upwards to his shoulder, revealing Rob's back to the fresh cool breeze, of what was gradually turning to a frosty night. "Geez mate!" the shocked landlord gasped.

"What?"
"What did you do in there, Rob?" Did you fall onto something?"
"No, something hit me in the back, like I said. Why what's up?"
"I'd get Allison to take a look at that, if I were you mate. You've got one hell of a mark there!"
Once again, Rob made a painful attempt to twist round and inspect the wound himself, sadly to no avail; the more he twisted the worse became the agony, eventually concluding that a thorough examination would involve the clever use of a well positioned mirror.
So involved had Rob and Nigel become in the impromptu examination, neither of them had noticed Allison crossing the courtyard behind them. She announced her approach with a loud exclamation of horror on seeing the state of her wounded companion's lower back;

"My God, Rob! Is that where it hit you?"
"Don't worry love. I'll be fine. I've had worse."
"Wow! That's not good is it?" She gently traced her fingers over an eight inch diameter bruise that was now starting to manifest. At first her touch was cool and soothing, which Rob instantly appreciated, when the initial soreness began to fade away.
Much to his dismay, any relief was to be short-lived. "Look at the scratch marks in the middle," she indicated to the area for Nigel's benefit with a well-aimed and heavy-handed prod of her index finger.

"Geez, mate! Whatever got you in there wasn't messing about!"
"Turn round!."
"What for? What's wrong?"
"Just turn round to the light. I need to get this on camera." Allison ordered her voice suddenly devoid of any concern for her partner's well-being. "This is brilliant evidence."
"Glad I could be of some help,"
When the brilliant evidence had been duly recorded for posterity, and a brief debriefing was concluded, the decision to wind down the nights investigation was made.

"Have you got the EMF machine?" Allison asked as they turned to leave.
"No, it's in the stable. I'll go back and get it. I left it on the window ledge."
Sensing Rob's hesitance to enter the stable again, Nigel quickly turned and ran back for the vital piece of equipment. Even he was aware of the importance that any evidence it contained would be to Allison.

Steering the Shogun from the parking lot and out onto the open road, Rob glanced at the rear view mirror, feeling a welcome glow of ease wash over him as the distance between him and stable grew greater, until the haunting, illuminated image of the Lion's Head Hotel diminished and disappeared, leaving only his sore back as a painful reminder of his first eventful visit there.