The Protector of Memories (The Veil of Death Book 1) (12 page)

“Faith, as soon as I have numbed the pain caused from the emotions that weigh the heaviness I will join you by your side.”

Faith squeezed her sister’s hand. “Be quick.” she said and walked up the steps and into the library.

∞

Sam was feeling foolish at the way she had spoken to Faith;
as if she hadn’t known what was going on
?

“Come Sam.” Hope said and linking her arm into Sam’s they walked toward the pub.

Hope ordered a bottle of wine, poured them each a glass and went off to the toilets to wash her face and hands.

Sam stared absentmindedly at the toilet’s wooden door. She ate a packet of cheese and onion crisps and focussed on the sound of the crunch that each crisp made. She was struggling to believe Faith and Hope.

Sam had read that book and well... to claim it to be their
life story?
But there was the issue with the words disappearing? Vanishing ink… a trick? But then the words had actually risen off of the page and into Faith’s head. If the story is true then so too is the existence of immortal beings.

With this thought in her mind, she instinctively looked up toward the ceiling but remembering the story she realised that they were not up there anymore.
Hang on?
Mount Olympus doesn’t exist
? 
Zeus and Eurn_

Sam watched as Hope sat down opposite;
nothing adds up
. She now felt the pangs of doubt;
this sort of thing is exciting in films. But this isn’t a film. This is my life.

But now she felt guilty for not believing Hope.

Then frustration, anger and humiliation flooded into her and she felt overwhelmed by all that she was feeling.

Sam thought about what Hope had said in the cab;
‘you have not walked away’
. But that is what she wanted to do right now. She gulped down her wine, pushed her fingers through her hair and decided to talk about what her friends had done. “I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I’m so sorry for what my friends did to you. They blamed you…” she paused and added, “They blame you because Nigel got arrested so they lied to get you arrested.”

Hope smiled at Sam. “You have nothing to be sorry for Sam. Truth showed her Self and she will continue to do so. My main concern at this moment in time…” she kissed Sam’s hand, “… has to be focussed upon my sister, Faith.”

She stood up and made her way over to the bar and when she got there, she said to the man, “It saddens me to know the flavour that Dionysus created to try and stop the party is the very medicine that numbs our inner-turmoil.”

The man shrugged, but liked the way the woman spoke.

Matching her floweriness, he asked. “Will that be the grape of the red or the white?”

“The red if you please.” Hope replied and laughed gently with the man as he replenished her hip-flask.

When he handed it back to her she asked him, “You knew of whom I speak of?”

“Of course I know the God of Wine. I don’t just work here you know. I do own the place.” He held out the palm of his hand and added. “That’ll be twenty quid to you for the purchase of Dionysus’s finest, your refill and…” he nodded over toward the short dumpy woman standing over by the main entrance, “the cheese and onion crisps.”

Hope handed over a note of blue from the roll of money she had kept back and watched the vast amount of energies that weighed the heaviness within this man’s auras. “If you were to shake off your defensiveness you would be amazed at how much brighter your inner world would be. Alas I cannot_”

“You wanting anything else?” The man interrupted her.

“No.” Hope said and turned away from him.

She made her way toward Sam and within those few footsteps she was mortified at what she saw.

Whilst Hope had been trying to lighten all that weighed the heaviest in mortal beings, she had failed to see the inner turmoil that Sam was in.

It was not until they had reached the entrance of the library that Hope spoke to Sam. “Sam,” she said and put her hand onto her arm.

Sam turned and looked up at Hope. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong.” Hope replied and brushed her finger along the length of Sam’s face, tilted her chin upward and kissed her gently on the lips. She then whispered, “So there is no doubt within your mind how it is that I feel about you.” And putting her finger against Sam’s lips, she quickly added. “I am sorry for not kissing you before now. I am sorry for not telling you how I feel. I should have told you the moment I met you.” Hope pulled Sam closer and kissed her again… gently, slowly… passionately. A couple of moments later, she pulled away and said breathlessly. “That is how I feel about you.”

Sam’s body felt as if it were on fire and by god she’s heard people saying; ‘the first kiss casts all those doubts away; is this the one? Does the heart and Soul join with another… is love forever? But she’d never believed it to be true… not until now.

“You okay?” Hope asked.

“Am I okay?” Sam laughed. “Apart from my body being on fire and discovering that the love of my life feels the same way as I do. Yep I’m okay.”

Hope laughed gently. “If you could see our life-forces right now it is truly a sight to be seen. It is as if I gaze upon a firework of colours and energies – threads woven together. You, Sam, a part of the Earth and me, a part of the Universe are fused together; ‘Soul mates’. Oh to think that I who have the sight of the auras missed the fact that I should have spoken to you… shown you_”

Sam pulled Hope gently toward her and kissed her.

When they eventually released their embrace, Sam said. “My head told me to walk away. My heart told me to stay.”

“Thank the stars,” Hope whispered, “that you know when to listen to one and not the other.”

Brushing her fingertips along Sam’s mouth, she added. “Come we must join my sister.”

Faith, Hope and Sam were in the library’s café eating a round of sandwiches.

Sam was still lost in the memory of being kissed by Hope. She touched her mouth and smiled.
Our first kiss
, she then began to fantasise about their first touch… first caress but then desire swept throughout her entire body and she could feel her face heating up. Putting her hands to her face to try and hide the blushes that betrayed what she was thinking, she coughed and turned her thoughts on what Hope had said;
life-forces fused together – Soul mates.
She looked at Hope and realised that there were so many things she wanted to know about this beautiful, gentle and kind hearted woman. So many conversations… shared moments, experiences.

Her heart soared with excitement while her stomach felt the butterflies of trepidation… expectations. She put her hands over her stomach to try and calm the vast amount of emotions that she was feeling. “Strueth,” she mumbled as she felt them wash over her like a tidal wave.

Hope leant her body into Sam.

Sam glanced at Hope and again her body felt as if it were on fire, her head spun and her hearing dulled due to the rush of adrenaline that coursed through her mind and body. Taking some deep breaths, she pushed her fingers through her short spiky hair, twiddled with the ends of the strands and again focussed on what Linda was saying.

“… A reporter from ‘The London Local’ – Alan Bowling has just telephoned. He intends to sit in on the medium session today. Afterwards he would like to interview you…” Linda paused to look at Faith. “He asked if he could interview you about the allegations that Charity has made against you and Hope.”

Linda placed her digital tablet in the middle of the table and continued to explain. “Mr Herringbone made a statement about Charity’s injuries but what caught the media’s attention is Charity’s disclosure about the two of you.”

She pressed ‘play’ and they listened to Mr Herringbone’s voice.

When the broadcast finished, Linda pressed ‘pause’ and stepped away from the table.

Minutes of silence lived and died.

Sam frowned and looked between Hope and Faith. “Extorting money…” she hesitated before adding, “threatened to kill her. Why is Charity saying such things?”

“Our sister mocks us,” Faith said sadly. “Charity has adapted to this world, whilst Hope and I have not. She mocks us and in doing so she has sealed our fate.”

Hope stared at the stilled image of Mr Herringbone’s face; frozen and distorted. “We cannot dispute these claims looking as we do…” she paused and thought to the reasoning to why Charity behaves the way she does. “Abandonment and betrayal,” Hope said and then thought to the book. “Faith… when you read the book etched by our mother it is to feel the presence of all immortals within her echoes. Charity needs to read it. She will then realise we have not been abandoned. These energies that she imprisons her Self within will surely evaporate.”

Faith frowned in disagreement. “Charity is beyond saving.”

“How can you say that?” Hope exclaimed. “She needs to see the path she treads upon before it is too late_.”

“No Hope,” Faith interjected. “If Charity reads that book, so will the empty ghosts who reside within her mind. That is why I say what I say.”

“Yes…” Hope whispered.

“Could this day get any worse?” Sam asked more to herself than anybody else.

Linda was wondering about the book they were talking about and glancing between the two sisters she wished she could be of more use to them. Sighing aloud she explained that that was not the only video being played on all social sites. “Alan Bowling sent me this link as well.” She pressed ‘play’ and they watched the video clipping that showed Faith’s face rapidly ageing. It had been altered to be played in slow motion while the female singer, Lana Del Rey sang; ‘will you still love me when I’m not young and beautiful.”

Linda pressed, ‘stop’ and sat down next to Faith.

Sam looked at Faith’s face. “I didn’t realise that that had happened to you as well.”

“As well?” Linda repeated.

Faith said. “Hope aged yesterday as did I. Charity also aged… rapidly - but she has a lot more to lose than we do.”

Linda took a deep breath, looked between Hope, Faith and Sam.

She eventually settled her gaze onto Faith and said. “Faith, at the moment, your ageing is seen as a gimmick. The wizardry of technology but what is going to happen when you still look older… weeks from now?”

“It is a good thing.” Faith said.

“What is?” Linda asked and frowned.

“That the media is to be present this day.”

“Yes.” Hope added, “Thank the stars for the continued creation of scribes.”

Linda stared between Faith and Hope;
have they not heard what I have just said?
She looked at the shoddy, blood-stained patch that was covering Hope’s eye.
The press are going to have a field day with you,
she thought but said instead. “You look worse than your sister.”

“Which one?” Hope asked.

“Pardon?” Linda asked.

Sam interjected with. “Faith? Charity?”

“Oh for goodness sake!” Linda exclaimed and stood up. “I feel as if I am a spinning-top.” She placed her hands together. “We need to stay focussed.”

“I see the emotion of fear within you.” Hope said and asked. “What is it that you fear Linda?”

“The media. I fear the media…” she sighed, put the palms of her hands together. “The way I see it is that Charity’s lies will be believed over your truths.”

Faith nodded. “Yes. I understand.”

“Okay…” Linda said. “I cannot stop Alan Bowling from entering the library but I can at least shield you from him, if the situation turns somewhat nasty. I would feel a lot more comfortable if I could act as a mediator between you and them… them of course being the media.”

Faith glanced over toward Linda’s owl perched upon her left shoulder. “Then that is what you must do.” She said.

Linda let out a breath of air. “Okay,” she whispered in relief, collected the tablet off of the table and made her way back toward the counter. “People will be arriving any moment now. It might be better if you all waited inside the conference room.”

Hope laughed gently and watched the owl swooping and soaring about the library. “Have you not told her who she once was…” she stammered, corrected herself and added. “I mean have you not told her who she is?”

Faith shook her head ‘no’. “Not as yet. Come. Let us do as Linda suggests_.”

“Excuse me Faith?” A woman interrupted. “I need to talk with you.”

Faith looked up at the woman in her late fifties; petite build with short grey hair and silver-framed glasses. Her face was lined with the expression of pain, sorrow and guilt. “I know you,” and holding out her hand added. “I know you to be the mother of a ghost called David.”

“Yes. My name is Dawn.” Dawn said nervously and repeated her name. “I’m Dawn Woodhouse.”

Faith motioned for her to sit down and when she had, Faith explained. “David… your son, stands beside you. He’s telling me that I need to know what it is that Phillip, your husband, is doing to you.”

Dawn stared across at Faith and burst into tears.

Sam grabbed some serviettes from the table and put them into Dawn’s hands. She had realised who this woman was and began to silently plead.
Oh god Faith what are you doing?
Please be genuine. Please. Please. Please
.

“Phillip did this to me last night.” Dawn said in a whisper and pulling down her scarf she revealed the finger marks around her neck. “And he did these to me this morning.” She pulled up the sleeves of her jumper and revealed fresh cigarette burns among the scars of her old ones…” Dawn took a deep breath and shared. “My husband was a highly decorated police officer. So many people admired and respected him…” she paused. “I am a survivor of domestic violence but the world sees me as the woman who killed their hero. I still get spat at in the street and told that ‘I should have been left to rot in hell’.”

“But the man was a monster,” Sam whispered. “I read what he had done to you and your son… David.”

Dawn nodded and said, “I’m judged as the woman who ‘found it easier to kill her husband than to leave him’.”

Everybody remained quiet.

Faith stared at the ghost called David standing beside his mum and listened as he explained what he had witnessed. “The empty ghosts have been led out of the Void of Emptiness. They are drinking the memories of ghosts. But I have yet to find out how my father is able to take possession of my mum. You tell me that your sister, Charity, has empty ghosts within her?”

Faith nodded. “But they cause her no injury.”

“If all empty ghosts are able to do what my father can do then people are in danger. I need to relay a warning within your session today. What I have witnessed affects the existence of us all.”

Faith turned and looked at Dawn. “Did you hear what your son has just spoken of?”

“No. I only hear the voice of my husband,” Dawn explained as she tapped the side of her head, “He is inside me. It started last night. Yesterday you asked me if I could hear the ghost. I couldn’t then but I can now.”

“Yes,” Faith said. “That was just before I became severed from my Unity of Three… my sisters, Hope and Charity. The moment my skin aged.”

Dawn continued to stare at Faith’s face and asked if she could touch it.

Faith nodded a ‘yes’.

Dawn hesitantly reached out and touched Faith’s face.

She stroked her forehead, cheeks, nose and chin and felt not the substance of make-up, concealment or mask that her brother, Trevor insisted would be the reason as to why Faith’s face looked the way it did. “I don’t understand what is happening,” Dawn said. “But you know that I am possessed. Last night my husband kept choking me and just as I was about to pass out, he released his grip and then began all over again. He thought it to be a game…” Dawn coughed and flinched at the burning pain that seared its way into her throat. She whispered to Faith, “I have tried to tell my brother but he doesn’t believe me. He insists that I am harming myself. I’m afraid that I haven’t much time left.”

“Your son” Faith explained, “has asked that I relay a message within this gathering. There is a species called the ‘empty ghost’ and they are bleeding dry the life-force of all the ghosts who favour the human form. Your husband is an empty ghost and this means that they have discovered a way to journey out of the Void of Emptiness and into the living.”

Hope looked over at Faith and said quietly, “Hera is an empty ghost. It is written in ‘The Claiming of the Children’.”

The ghost called David’s image flickered, “Hera is of your race of beings?”

“Yes,” answered Faith. “She is an immortal who commands the electrical energy of Jealousy. But if she exists now as an empty ghost then Hera would indeed take advantage of those who reside within the Void.”

The ghost called David flickered out of sight without saying another word.

Faith frowned at his absence and after a couple of seconds said. “Come. We need to get into the conference room.”

She instructed them to sit in the front row. “It would make me more comfortable if you all sat together at the front.”

“What can I do?” asked Dawn.

“When your son has relayed his message I will ask that you join me by my side. You must warn people what is happening to you. I know not as yet how it will help but it is a start at least.”

Dawn nodded nervously but remained quiet.

“Hope.” Faith said as she walked toward the table that she usually stood beside. “Will you join me by my side when Dawn does? It would help if you could read people’s auras… gain an understanding of their emotions.”

“They disbelieve in the sights of the aura more than they do their own ghosts.” Hope said but quickly added. “I will do as you ask Faith.”

Faith drank some water before adding. “Now we wait.”

∞

When the conference room had reached its fullest capacity, Linda instructed the two security guards to stop anybody else from entering the room.

She secured the doors, made her way toward Faith on the podium and stood beside her.

A slight crackling noise sounded out.

A woman’s voice, a regular at Faith’s sessions, sitting toward the front of the room said. “That’s the sign the ghosts are here.”

Chairs began to creak; people shifted their weight and leant forward.

Hope took Sam’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You have no need to be nervous…” she paused when she caught the scent of Sam’s perfume, “… you smell wonderful.”

Sam blushed.

Faith said to a woman in the fourth row, “A ghost in the image of a man, mid 40s, curly black hair, glasses of a tortoise shell frame and eyes of brown stands beside you. His name is called James and he is saying; ‘you should buy that dress. It would look beautiful on you.”

A few people said, “Ah,” followed by the sound of giggling – then the sounds of “sshhhing.”