Chapter One

 

 

She kissed him goodbye, knowing he wouldn't remember her tomorrow.

 

Hayley never believed in the spirits and all things supernatural until she visited Mia Cromwell who happened to be an expert in contacting the other side.

Sam Williams her husband for over twenty years had died suddenly in his sleep shaking Hayley to the core.

It had taken her a year to return to slight normality but one of her friends had suggested contacting a medium.

She had scoffed at the idea at first often hearing how such things could be rigged. 

Finally caving in and agreeing to meet the woman Hayley looked up her number and agreed to make an appointment.

 Now finding herself standing outside Mia's apartment she knocks on the door with anticipation.

The person who opens the door looks younger than she expected.

  "Are you Mia Cromwell?" she asks realising that it's a foolish question.

   "Hi Hayley come on in, my psychic team are here ready to help"

Aware that she had never given this woman any details about the reason for her visit she enters the room.

It looks like any other normal apartment room in the neighbourhood but there was a chill in the air.

 "Allow me to introduce you to our team, this is Don Wilbur my right hand man. Sitting next to him is Stewart Dobson and our two experts are Jennifer Drummond and Zach Eldridge. We are all here to help you with your grief and hopefully by the time you leave you will be able to continue with your life"

Hayley was surprised to see the group but just wanted to put her mind at rest.

 "Thank you because for the last year I have been going through hell"

She decided not to explain to them in detail why she was there at first but test their capabilities because if they were truly what they claimed to be then they would pick up on her loss.

 "Please take a seat next to me" Zach insisted.

Cautiously sitting down she tentatively crossed her arms as a self defence mechanism.

  "When I phoned you I wasn't expecting a full scale investigation team!" She said to Mia.

The woman gave a wan smile "My friends are only here to help and put your mind at rest"

Still feeling doubtful Hayley returned the smile as she could always leave if it was too intense. She had heard about secret societies who met up at night before and would usually go out out of her way to avoid them.

 "So what can we do for you?" Stewart asked bluntly.

  "I only contacted Mia and didn't expect an audience" Hayley kind of nervously joked.

  "You already have an audience Hayley it's just that at the moment you can't see them"

She was about to respond with one of her sarcastic comments but decided not to respond.

  "I am here because I am at my wits end, for the past year I have been without the love of my life"

She deliberately continued to keep her explanation vague as she was still unsure about these strange group of people.

  "Who recommended you to us?" Mia asked.

  "One of my friends who had heard about your work"

Mia seemed to warm at hearing this.

  "Try not too be afraid as you will see your husband again tonight"

   "How do you know that it's my husband?" Hayley was being drawn in.

  "Because he is stood next to you by this table"

Tentatively looking around she couldn't see anything.

  "If that is so then what is his name?" She asked.

  "Sam Williams" Zach replied.

The room began to spin as Hayley tried to control her emotions, could this be some sort of strange trickery and she had accidentally given away a clue on the phone? Stress can play many tricks on the mind and this might have happened to her but she decided to continue with the conversation.

  "I don't know how you managed to do that but yes that was his name"

She deliberately used the past tense aware that her husband was gone.

Mia wandered over to a cabinet and lifted out a Ouija board and a glass.

  "Can I ask if you have ever taken part in a séance before?'

Hayley could feel her guard going up as she didn't usually dabble in the occult and was a little afraid of the consequences.

  "No I can't say that I have"

  "Would you be willing to take part in one now?" Zach asked.

If her mind wasn't in such turmoil she she would have run straight out of the room but something was holding her back.

  "I suppose so" she whispered.

  "Please don't be afraid as we have done this sort of thing many times before. Think of it as a way of putting your mind at peace" Jennifer stressed.

Placing the board on the table she put the glass in the middle.

Switching on a corner lamp For added atmosphere Mia instructed them to hold hands.

  "Sam Williams if you are there kindly let your presence be felt"

Hayley tried not to laugh as she still felt silly joining in with this tomfoolery.

The room temperature dropped so much that she could see her breath in the air. Watching the glass on the lettered board slowly move she began to think that possibly it was an elaborate hoax. The lamp began to flicker and for a second she could see the outline of a man.

  "Is that you Sam?" Hayley asked.

The glass moved to YES and she nearly fell backwards.

Focusing on the form at the table she could now see his features.

  "It really is you" she gasped.

Instinct kicked in and she held out her hand to try and feel his face, it seemed to clutch at air but she could see him smiling back.

  "I have missed you" she cried.

Kissing him goodbye even though it was just the vaguest of forms. The outline of his face turned towards her and for a fleeting moment they were together once more. She was aware however that this 

might be the last time they ever met and he wouldn't remember her tomorrow.

  "Do you miss me Sam?" she asked.

His ghostly figure waved and disappeared out of the room.

  "Can you make him come back?" she asked Mia feeling sad.

  "I'm afraid not as we have no control over the spirits but all that I can tell you is at least you got the chance to say goodbye"

Hayley found her words comforting and now felt at peace with herself. She was going to miss Sam for the rest of her life. 

Hayley Williams had changed her opinion on Mia and her group of psychics deciding to join in regular ghost hunts in the hope that maybe one of them might lead to another sighting of her beloved husband but it never did yet it still felt good trying to help others in the way she had been helped.