Chapter Three.
As he settled into the old farmhouse he was conscious of others within the room where he was now sitting, but they were unseen and there was nothing malevolent about them. “Forgive my intrusion please, but I also need temporary refuge as my home has become victim to attack and this evil appears to be fighting back”, said Winston. He saw the rocking chair start moving by itself and heard children laughing, and occasionally he could swear he heard a dog as the sound of its metal choker made a recognisable noise as it walked passed him.
He breathed in deeply and sensed a peace about the room, upon opening his laptop he inserted the first of the memory sticks and started loading the contents into his files. After having loaded all three memory sticks he saved the file upon his own backup system, and from there opened the documents. He was amazed at the clean methodical way the files had been stacked and cross referenced, it took only two hours and some minutes to fully acquaint himself with Liza’s method of storage and cross referencing, and after that Winston started with the last entries and worked backwards.
It was strange looking into the work that someone had dedicated so much of her time into creating, and for a time it was like looking at the puzzle through Liza’s eyes. Only now as he was making notes he was implementing his own will and opinions upon that in which he was reading, and not only cross referencing it with Liza and Jenny’s work, but that of his own experience and the knowledge he now held.
Within days he had tracked the large bulk of the sightings to a small area, his home, yes there were additional sightings outside of that selected area, but they were few in number in comparison to the large bulk of sighting found and witnessed mid-way along Poundbury Hill. It was then he remembered the night he had been awoken by the sound of a child laughing and he arose to see his son playing ball in his rear garden.
The second night the same thing had happened only the ball had fallen in the long grass area away from the manicured lawn, and had been left there. He awoke in the morning to find the very ball his son had been playing with. So he raised his head and thought back into time, he could see himself picking up the ball, the area was overgrown and he had deliberately left it undisturbed so wildlife could grow. It was then he realised in all the time he owned this property he had only ever once walked the full boundary when he first acquired the land.
There had been an old house burned to the ground and he had his employees remove the rubble and obtained planning permission, so he had started the rebuild of his home only it was located some one acre to the side of where the original home had been. Once the ground had been cleared, his staff had tended the land and lain turf forming the boundaries of his manicured lawn. Beyond that now lay the burnt remains of an old barn which owls used and batts, and from there it was trees, and vastly overgrown land, and with brambles etc. which he had deliberately left for wild life.
Something in his mind told him this area was off limits and he began to wonder if his son, Liza and Jenny were trying to draw his attention to this area. He reached over and activated his mobile phone, so he could talk with his employee’s supervisor who oversaw the building work. As the phone was answered he heard Carrels voice, “Carrel its Winston, can you get a team together and have my rear garden cleared, I want the brambles cut right back and removed and all overgrown grass removed, leave the trees untouched,” he said.
Carrel responded with her normal enthusiasm and promised the work would be started upon that afternoon. As Winston placed his phone away he felt what his mind told him was a hand upon his shoulder, only to his eyes there was nothing there, yet his brain was telling him otherwise as he could still feel the presence there and even the fingers as they gently moved. He reached up and imagined holding the hand and as he did he closed his eyes and tried relaxing, it was then he heard not so much with his ears but his heart. “Winston it will be soon over, but first it will get worst and very much so, so be strong and know we are trying to help you.”
He could feel his whole emotional response shudder and tears freely flowed as he openly sobbed for those who had died, his wife and son included. He wanted to think about death, and what it meant, or about what in creation could hold such evil as to prevent these souls from moving onwards, it was then within the room something started materialising, and there before him stood his wife, his son, Liza, Jenny and about twelve children, and one dog, which appeared to have a ball in its mouth.
No words were spoken only he knew they were there to encourage him, as Liz his wife separated from the group she took three steps forward and raised an arm, gently stroking her husband’s face, she smiled and then with the rest of the group she faded until Winston could no longer see them, but he knew now for a certainty he was no longer alone, and that in his heart he knew regardless of what came against him, he was doing the right thing.
Chris the curate from St. Michael’s church had set his mind into resolving this issue, it had caused him days and days of emotional as well as mental pain in having seen this evil presence, and the children been led away by Jenny and Liza. He had prayed and then read the scriptures, reinforcing his already strong faith, and had talked the matter over with Alan his friend and Priest in charge.
Alan was supportive as he himself had felt this evil, and he even wondered for what reason it would occasionally return to the grave yard, so he gave Chris his blessing and jointly they prayed not only for themselves, but for the trapped souls and their family’s protection and that of the children in their parish. It was Winston who brought the stage that much closer, he had phone Alan, and seeking spiritual guidance and Alan explained that Chris was actually working upon this very case and offered to unite them together. “Alan my curate is actually working on this very issue and spoke with me less than an hour ago,” explained Alan in response to Winston’s questions, “I will pass on the request and pray you can both work together and resolve this disturbing situation.”
Winston had thanked him and knew now he had actual humans to also assist him as well as a small following of ghosts. He shook his head and grinned thinking others would declare him mentally unstable if he openly said such a thing. Yet he had one important factor on his side, his faith, as he had seen his wife and son, Jenny and Liza and the other children, he knew they were there and assisting him, but more important to him was his own personal faith and resolve to hold together and stay strong, his wife and son needed him, so did the others, and he had in addition the financial means to bring in any amount of extra help if required.
