Rhys

Rhys

He ran. His pulse raced out of control. His heart pounded a continual thud, thud, thud. His ears still rang. The sound of smashing glasses and a shattering window had ripped his nerves to shreds. Stray shards of glass had embedded in the side of his face and down his neck. In the distance church bells rang and the sound of sobbing carried on the wind.

The wooden beams that held the old ceiling in place vibrated as Kit's rock music bounced off it and back down again. She stirred a pot on the gas oven while she sang along to her favourite Evanescence track. Kit was ignorant to the tiny droplets of rain that hard started to beat down against the tiles outside.

A lit candle on the dining table fluttered in an invisible breeze. A small drop of wax ran down the length of its red and blue formation, behind Kit's back the flame fluttered once again. The blob of wax landed on the base of the silver candlestick and cooled with a sizzle, Kit turned towards the table. She walked over to the square top and double-checked that every knife and fork was in its rightful place. Humming under her breath she picked up a knife and looked at her reflection. She dropped it. Kit looked over her shoulder, with a large intake of breath she let out a long sigh of relief. She picked up the knife once again. Looking at her reflection this time, she saw only her brown hair and green eyes. Placing the knife back down in its rightful place on the table, Kit looked up and saw the smoking wick of a now unlit candle.

Kit opened a drawer close to the kitchen window and took out a box of matches. She re-lit the candle and watched it burn. The flame stood up straight as if held in place by an invisible force. Kit turned to put the matches back in the drawer. The stew gave a slow gurgle as bubbles rose through the mixture. With a start, Kit turned. She drew in a breath as she calmed herself. She reached across to turn the hob down, then stopped. Once again, the candle was out. Looking around her, Kit searched for an open window, nothing. Reaching out to the candle she pulled back as a circle of cold air wrapped itself around her hand.

"Kit?"

She stepped back, her heart leaping into her mouth. Looking up she stared at the stranger in the kitchen doorway.

"Miss Kit Gardner?"

In the doorway between the kitchen and the hall stood a tall man, his hair receding like the water that fell from his damp overcoat.

"My name is detective Kane."

"You gave me quite a fright there. I didn't hear you knock or come in."


"I'm not surprised," detective Kane pointed to the stereo, "Do you mind?"

Kit stood back and watched him walk over to the stereo and turn the thumping melodies down to a background whisper.

"I have been asked to visit by my superiors at work. They were concerned by the state of a Mr David Noor. The gentleman in question was very agitated last night, in a sense of high shock."

Kit sat down at the dining table, her brow furrowed in worry.

"He stayed over last night he's, well he was, my boyfriend."

As detective Kane sat opposite her the lights flickered slightly.

"Mr Noor said he was attacked by a mirror. This is a very strange incident. As you may appreciate, we don't get many reports of assaults by inanimate objects."

Kit avoided the detective's gaze, choosing instead to stare at her reflection in the table knife.

"Miss Gardner, is there any light you can shed on the incident?"

Detective Kane looked down at the cutlery on the table and up again at Kit's vacant expression.

"There is a presence here I can't explain. David had often remarked about cold spots and eerie feelings. I'd never thought anything of it. Until last night," Kit spoke into the distance.

"What happened last night?"

Detective Kane's gravely voice sent a chill through Kit's bones. The stew bubbled again and she stood up and rushed over to turn the heat fully off. She stirred the pot slowly.

"Miss Gardner, what happened?"

"We had a few friends over, it was a kind of early Halloween party," Kit stirred the stew lazily.

"So there were more witnesses?"

"No, they had left before anything major happened."

"Anything major?" Kane choked in surprise.

Kit could feel detective Kane's stern look burning into her.

"I would appreciate it if you told me the whole story regarding last night."

"It all started when we were watching this medium…"

"You had a medium in here last night?" Kane interrupted.

"He was on TV," Kit continued, "We were watching Haunted Live. You know that three day event from Salisbury Plain."

"Of course, I thought I hadn't felt the presence of one in this atmosphere."

Kit looked at Kane, she thought carefully about whether to continue. Something about this man didn't feel right to her.

"Come on, Kit, any little thing could help," he said sternly.

"Well. It started round about ten…"

Sitting down at a large table a gaggle of guests, all adorned with costumes, watched intently as the spiritualist medium entered a trance. All eyes were fixed on the TV.

"He is so damn good."

A large figured brunette sat with her legs crossed. A large black witches hat on her head.

"Not to mention very sexy," Kit added.

"Oy," David replied feeling upstaged by the grey haired spiritualist.

"Don't worry, darling. He's not a patch on you," Kit kissed David on the cheek.

The whole table giggled and awed together as David turned a shade of red with embarrassment. Suddenly a glass fell from the table. It smashed on the wooden floor spreading fragments everywhere. The group went silent.

"What the…"

"It's all right. I'll get a broom."

Kit stood up. David grabbed hold of her hand. He pointed towards one of the candles in the centre of the table. It was flickering wildly.

"It's just a breeze," Kit reassured them.

"So why aren't the other candles moving?" the brunette asked.

The room went silent. A loud scream came from the TV and as a group they all jumped with shock.

"Ok, all calm down now. We're scaring ourselves to death," Kit said.

Kit stood up and left the room in search of a dustpan and brush. The rest of the guests turned their attentions back to the events on the television....

Detective Kane stopped making notes in his tatty, leather bound notebook.

"What happened next, Miss Gardner?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Everything continued as normal," Kit said spooning some stew into a bowl, "Would you like some?"

"No thanks, I can't eat," Kit shot him a questioning glance, "I'm on duty."

"I see," she replied.

"A guy came into the station going on about being attacked by ghosts. He was so wound up that we had to give him sedation and put him in a cell. Does that sound like someone who saw nothing?" Kane continued.

Kit tried to walk away but Kane grabbed her by the wrist. She tried to pull free but his grip was tight, his hands were cold. She could see the determination in his eyes. Thunder growled outside as the rain fell like rocks against the slate roof.

"Ok. It was about two in the morning. All the guests had gone home…"

"That was a good night," David said entering the dining room.

"Apart from everyone getting spooked at the candle," Kit replied.

Kit watched as David picked up the empty glasses from the table, he placed them on a silver tray. He reached out to an upside down tumbler in the centre of the table, it moved. Kit stood still and watched with curiosity as David leaned forward, just about being able to put his finger on the top of it. It moved again.

"Stop messing around, David."

"I'm not moving it. It moved on its own," David answered.

Lifting his finger from the glass, the tumbler leaped from the table and smashed against a wall.

"David!" Kit shouted out.

"It wasn't me," he replied in shock.

Kit walked over to the wall where the glass had smashed. She noticed her reflection in a mirror on the wall. David looked puzzled in the background, scratching hi stubble. She bent down and picked up some of the large fragments. Standing up again she took a sharp intake of breath, as in the mirror there was now a third person. Standing next to David was a broad figure his head shaven and scarred, his facial features were distorted and bleak. Kit turned to see nothing in the room but David.

"What's wrong, Kit? You've gone very pale," David asked

Kit couldn't speak, her tongue numb with fear.

"Look out!"

Kit tuned just as David got the last word out. She ducked in time before the mirror forced its self from the wall. It flew across the room. David lifted his arm to cover his face. The full force of the glass broke upon impact. Kit screamed. From within the ether a growl of anger erupted, Kit was stunned. She couldn't move as every muscle in her body froze. She could only watch as David covered his ears in attempt to drown out the shouts of anger and hatred. A large gust of icy wind blew through the room, circling in the centre like a tornado. It wrapped itself around David, lifting ornaments with its energy. In an instant it had lifted David's panic stricken form like a rag doll and flung him through the window. The glass shattered around him as he fell onto the grass below. Kit screamed again louder and longer than before...

"Is that everything?" Detective Kane asked.

"When David left, everything seemed to quieten down. It was at least ten minutes before I could move again. But nothing more happened. It was as quiet as…"

"A grave," Kane finished off.

"Yes."

"It sounds to me like the ghost of Rhys Marshall. Do you know that name?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Be afraid, miss Gardner. He came home one day, this home, to find his wife was having an affair. He killed her lover and disappeared. My entire force went looking for him. He was never found. It appears his spirit has returned to the scene of the crime."

"A murderer?" Kit looked at the detective with a look of disbelief.

"Yes, miss Gardener," he confirmed.

"Do you not find it strange that I am still here, despite what happened last night?"

Kit looked deeper into detective Kane expecting to see a look of intrigue in his eyes. Instead, they looked tired and empty. Her heart felt like a lump in the middle of her chest. She looked over the dishevelled detective trying to figure out what kind of man he was.

"I'm still here because I don't feel scared. I don't feel as though he means me any harm. I don't think I'm in any danger."

"That's great. Hold on to that thought," Kane dismissed her matter of factly.

"Is there anything else I can help you with detective?" Kit asked icily.

"Yes, Miss Gardener. Could you please show me the dining room?"

Kit opened the door to the dining room and walked in, she could feel detective Kane hovering over her shoulder. The room was exactly as Kit had described it. Broken pieces of mirror lay in the middle of the room, some still containing dry spots of blood, where it has smashed against David.

"You should think about having that window fixed," detective Kane pointed to the hole now covered by damp cardboard.

"I've not moved anything," Kit said ignoring him.

Kit stood to the side and let the detective enter the room. She felt a cold rush of air pass her before he stepped out. She shivered as detective Kane walked towards the middle of the room.

"Rhys!" Detective Kane called out.

Kit breathed in as she watched detective Kane who was stood in the middle of the room looking around him as he waited for a reply. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the remaining ornaments move on the display cabinet.

"Ah, there you are" Kane spoke to an empty space.

Kit watched in disbelief as the detective continued a conversation with thin air. She stepped back slowly, ready to close the door if Kane's behaviour became more erratic. She jumped back as he grabbed at thin air. Kit gasped as out of nowhere an arm started to materialise. The more Kane struggled the more Kit could see the figure he was struggling with. She realised with horror that it was the man from the mirror.

"After all these years, you've finally found me, Mr Kane," a gruff voice said.

"Come peacefully, Rhys, save us all a job," Kane replied.

Kit could say nothing as she was gripped by fear. She latched on to the doorframe and pulled herself closer to it to prevent her from falling backwards. Her eyes widened as detective Kane pinned the large frame of Rhys Marshall to the floor.

"Ok, Mr Kane. I give up. Take me in," Rhys said resigned.

The two of them stood up.

"Rhys. It has been forty years of searching. We're getting to old for this," Kane said putting cuffs on his prisoner.

Kit watched as the two men faced each other. A look of respect passed between them.

"What's going on?" she asked shakily.

The two men looked at Kit.

"Many thanks for your help, Miss Gardener. You shouldn't have any more trouble from him. Its been a long time searching but now we can rest. I've brought him to justice. Come on Rhys. Time to go."

The two men took two steps forward and faded away as they approached Kit stood in the doorway. She blinked in surprise. The room was empty. Despite the chilling wind outside, the whole room now felt warmer.

"Detective Kane?" Kit called out.

The only reply she received was a gust of wind against the cardboard window and the chimes of a clock striking midnight.