Florence And The Spirits: Chapter Five

Slowly Katie moved forward towards the audience, her movement seemed effortless, as if she were apparently suspended an inch or so above the carpeted floor. Only the faint rustling of the thin white muslin gown she wore could be heard.

Those seated nearest to her path edged away with uncomfortable apprehension. The dull amber glow still surrounded her form, its iridescence washing onto those who gazed on in disbelief.

"I sense a great fear in this," she said, her words soft and gentle, almost soothing to the ear. "You need not fear me. I mean you no harm."

"Are you a ghost from the past?" asked an elderly lady, rather nervously.

Katie firstly replied with a smile, her smile was not a mocking one, but one issued to instil comfort and calmness in the enquirer.

"No, Lady Canarven, I am not a ghost from the past. I am a living spirit, surviving for all eternity in a realm where the light of wisdom and universal love shine bright on all who dwell in peace there."

"You know my name!" gasped the inquisitive lady.

"I know all your names," Katie replied. "I know what motives for each and every one of you to attend this séance here tonight."

The spirit continued to move further into the audience as she continued to speak. Sometime she addressed everyone in general terms; in others she offered willing answers to their specific questions, almost before they were asked of her.

The further forward she progressed; the dull glow around her seemed to dim a little.

"I regret that my stay among you tonight must be brief. I have not yet amassed the energy to sustain my form before you," she warned, the growing weakness beginning to show in her fading voice, yet still she continued to move forward, away from the entranced Florence who still lay motionless behind the flimsy curtain.

"It is with a heavy heart that I come here tonight. One among you is harbouring the will to harm dear Florence."

A sudden gasp of horror filled the room, as each sitter eyed their neighbour with a suspicious gaze.

"Who is this person? We shall eject them from the proceedings at once. Cried an angry gentleman, one who had been a frequent attendee of many previous séances.

By now Katie had reached the mid point of the audience seating, and well within reach of Baulterman, who had seated himself conveniently by the aisle of wooden seat for ease of executing his devilish plan. Before she announce his name and disclose his malicious intent, Baulterman shot from his chair and rushed towards the spirit with such speed and determination that those around him were knocked aside, leaving him a clear path towards his helpless victim.

In his hand he grasped a small glass phial, containing an opaque liquid, which he launched with merciless accuracy at Katie.

The foul nature of the substance was horrifically obvious when it splashed about poor Katie’s face and upper body. Instantly the delicate fabric of her gown discolored then dissolved, issuing acrid, choking smoke into the air of the room, causing the shocked audience to cough uncontrollably while their eyes burned and watered as the offensive clouds reached their faces.

The dulling glow around Katie’s tortured form dissipated instantly, leaving only the subdued gas light to illuminate the horrors that were unfolding.

Screams from men, women and the agonized spirit filled the room. Those unaffected by the foul air watched in disbelieving horror, as Katie continued to scream as her body appeared to melt away, in the same way a wax figure would melt if exposed to a naked flame.

The few men, who had the strength and resilience to fight off the effects of the vicious and impromptu attack, wrestled Baulterman to the floor and restrained him paying scant regard to gentleness or conduct befitting their status.

Only those occupying the very front seats bore witness to the disabled form of Katie dragging herself behind the curtain, eventually closing them to conceal her final departure.

In a desperate and panicked attempt to restore some degree of calmness, father rushed from one gas lamp to the next to fill the room with welcome light.

The color drained from his wrinkled face as the mayhem in the room became apparent. Men of great standing in military circles, and well used to witnessing the gore and bloodlust of many wars, struggled to hide the level of their horror, as they tried with little success to comfort their distraught wives.

Chairs were strewn and shattered throughout the room and in the center a group of three men still struggled to pin Baulterman to the floor.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" father called, trying to offer shallow words of comfort, but his words fell on deaf ears. Again, he repeated his efforts, to the same result.

Mother had turned her attention, quite uncharacteristically to her daughter’s welfare.

Once Baulterman had been forcibly removed from the house and discarded unceremoniously on the cobbles of the street, the distraught audience began to leave.

When all but family members remained, Florence was carried by the joint efforts of her father and brother to her room and placed on her bed, still in a state of merciful unconsciousness.

Florence remained unconscious for the following three days and nights. As a consequence of Baulterman’s vicious attack Katie had departed prematurely and by doing so was unable to return the vital life energy she had drained temporarily from Florence so that she could manifest in human form. With so much energy drained from her in one séance Florence was left gravely weak and vulnerable to all manner of earthly ailments.

Even when consciousness returned she struggled to fight off the previous illnesses that had plagued her childhood so cruelly. Mother watched helplessly and racked by guilt as her daughter teetered precariously on the edge of mortality. Father too watched on helplessly, though in truth his sense of guilt was a lesser consideration, the lack of séances was having an ever-increasing ill effect on his purse.

News of the acid attack on Florence soon spread. The popular newspapers carried it as their front-page headlines. Not one press report showed the slightest concern for the young mediums welfare, they cared only to highlight the fact that her absence from the public spot light was obvious confirmation that she had been masquerading as the spirit, ‘Katie’ and was now too scared by the acid to show her face in public, let alone hold further séances.

Mrs. Docherty reveled unashamedly in the success brought about by her devilish plot. All those who had deserted her and turned their attention towards the attractive young eastend medium, returned in their droves, each redeeming their lapse in loyalty with over generous donations and expensive gifts to ease their guilt. With in weeks the designer of the plot and the man charged with its callous execution prepared for their forthcoming lavish wedding. Both parties seemed assured of a secure and prosperous future.