The Necromancer's Secret, page 10
She went back into the kitchen to finish cooking.
‘You didn’t answer my question,’ I said to Fadil.
‘What question?’
‘About why you’re here.’
He sighed. ‘I enjoyed leaving the house the other day. Until…you know.’
I patted his shoulder. ‘It’s a weird situation. No one has a guidebook on how to navigate this.’
‘No, I know. But it’s just frustrating. I’m going stir crazy!’ He waved his arms in the air so wildly I had to duck out of the way so that he didn’t hit me. ‘There’s so much to learn and do and I want to embrace that, but I also don’t want too many people to see me in case someone locks me up so that they can study me like a science experiment.’
‘Yeah, I get it,’ I said. I still felt guilty about what’d happened at the bakery. It wasn’t completely my fault, but I’d encouraged him to come with me. And it’d backfired because the baker had been a total arse. ‘I wish I had a solution, but I don’t.’
He scratched Tilly’s neck. ‘That’s OK. I don’t think anyone does.’
*
After dinner, Mum and I went to visit Mrs Brightman. According to her and her husband, there wasn’t much of an update. She was cooped up in the corner of a ward, surrounded by other geriatrics who looked comatose. A TV played Emmerdale at our end of the room, but nobody was paying attention to it.
‘One of the nurses keeps coming to talk to her,’ Mr Brightman told us while his wife had a drink of water. ‘She asks her to tell her stories.’
Mum and I smiled. The ward was so depressing, it was reassuring to have a nurse who was looking after her. The last thing Mrs Brightman needed – or would want – was to lose her faculties or get depressed because she was lonely in a ward with very limited visiting times. They claimed it was to allow the patients to rest, but, given the almost ghostly looks I’d seen on patients as they walked around, I was pretty sure it was destroying them mentally. Loneliness was an epidemic, especially in people Mrs Brightman’s age. So why weren’t they doing more to give them the stimulation and connection they needed?
I was glad Mrs Brightman had Mum and me. It gave her something to do and something to look forwards to, just like going to church did. I wasn’t religious, but I knew that she found reassurance and community by going there, and that’s what mattered.
‘A couple of people from the church visited me this afternoon,’ she said.
‘That’s good. How were they?’ said Mum.
‘Well, Martin appears to have moved on with a young blonde.’
Mum tensed. Martin was the man from the church Mrs Brightman had tried to set her up with while Josh and Maggie were in comas. It hadn’t ended well.
It was never going to when Mum clearly wanted to be with Ben, but what did I know? I was just a teenager.
‘As long as he’s happy,’ said Mum. I looked over at her and tried not to laugh. She avoided my gaze.
‘He seems it,’ said Mrs Brightman. ‘Such a shame. The two of you would’ve made a lovely couple.’
‘Oh I think Mum will be fine,’ I said to her.
Mum widened her eyes at me in warning.
‘What do you mean?’
Mum shook her head. ‘She’s just referring to how well I’ve managed on my own.’
I sighed. Tell her, I mimed.
No, Mum mimed back.
‘How’s that other young man? Ben, is it?’ said Mrs Brightman.
I suppressed a laugh. If Mum thought she’d been hiding how she felt about Ben from me – or that something was going on between them – she was doing a poor job of it. Did I want to see them all over each other? No. But I liked Ben and I had no issue with the two of them being together. He was good for her. Better than Dan had been. Maybe even better than my dad.
‘Yeah, he’s good. Doing well,’ said Mum.
What a weird reply.
‘You should go out with him. He seems like a fine young man.’
Now I was laughing. Mr Brightman watched me, a curious expression on his face. Mum gave me daggers.
‘What’s so funny?’ said Mrs Brightman.
‘Ask Mum,’ I said in between laughs.
‘Edie—’
‘Mum, stop being silly. I know the two of you have been “hanging out”,’ I said, miming air quotes.
‘But—’
‘How? Subtlety isn’t your thing. And I don’t care. I just want you to be happy.’ I reached over and squeezed her knee.
Mrs Brightman sat up in interest. She inhaled through her teeth, clearly regretting the movement, but still with a glimmer of excitement on her face. We reached out to her, but she brushed us off. ‘Did something happen between the two of you?’
’It’s still early days,’ said Mum.
‘Well, that’s wonderful. We should celebrate!’
‘Celebrate? What is there to celebrate?’ said Mum.
‘You found a sensible young man. Of course we should celebrate! Edie, go into my bag and take out my purse. See what you can find from the shop. Non-alcoholic, of course.’
‘Of course,’ I said. Her bag was inside the cabinet beside her bed, so I took it out and grabbed her purse. ‘Any preference?’
‘Nothing too sugary.’
That ruled out Coke and Irn Bru, then. Frazzle.
Mum shook her head, but chose to succumb to the madness. Mr Brightman was chuckling away to himself.
*
‘Are you really all right with it? With Ben and me?’ Mum asked as we drove home.
We’d ended up celebrating with lemonade, bourbon biscuits, and salt and vinegar crisps, since the shop hadn’t exactly had a great selection. It had been fun to hang out with them both, even if it wasn’t the best location. I hadn’t seen Mum or Mrs Brightman laugh that much since…ever.
Mr Brightman had watched on, a look of longing on his face. It must’ve been hard for him, to be so close to his wife, but still so far away. I wished there was something we could’ve done to include him, but a hospital was the last place to be talking about ghosts.
Not that Mrs Brightman would ever believe us wherever we were when we mentioned it to her. There was a reason we didn’t talk about ghostly stuff with her.
I shifted in my seat to face Mum. ‘Yes. That’s why I said it. I could see it was going to happen ages ago. You and Ben just needed to catch up.’
Mum blushed. It was impossible for her to hide – she turned almost as red as the freshly fallen leaves that lined the sides of the road. ‘Oh. Well. Yes. We’re taking things slowly. We didn’t want to rub it in your face with everything that’s happened.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘While I appreciate you avoiding public displays of affection, I just want you to be happy.’
Mum smiled. ‘Thanks. That means a lot.’
‘That’s all I care about. That’s why I didn’t like Dan. He didn’t make you happy. Not in the way Dad or Ben do.’
Dumb Dan brought out the closed-off side of Mum. His cynicism and shields were the opposite of Dad’s optimism and openness. Marrying Dumb Dan hadn’t done her any good. It had just caused years of frustration for her and me. I was glad we were rid of him.
She nodded. ‘You’re right. I didn’t see it at the time, but I do now. I’m sorry I put you through that.’
‘It’s OK. Just don’t do it again,’ I said with a laugh.
15
Edie
‘I did something stupid,’ said Fadil as I walked into Ben’s house carrying coffee. I didn’t have any afternoon lessons, and was still avoiding all the reminders of Josh at home and college, so hanging out with a guy Josh had never met felt like a safe bet. And he was always happy for conversation.
Fadil took the takeaway cup from me and inhaled the smell. It was one of his favourites. I was pretty sure, if he actually went anywhere other than between our house and Ben’s, he’d become quite the coffee snob. As it was, he was stuck with our town’s limited options.
‘What did you do?’ I said, sitting on the sofa.
‘I went outside.’
‘What?’ I knew he’d been going stir crazy, but I didn’t think he’d actually go out. ‘Who with?’
‘No one.’
‘You didn’t ask Ben to join you for moral support?’
He sank onto the sofa beside me. ‘I should’ve done.’
‘That sounds ominous.’
He slouched, lowering his head and staring into his coffee. He hadn’t even had a sip yet, which was unusual for him. ‘I was all wrapped up – hat, scarf, gloves, giant coat – but I barely left the street. As soon as I stepped out of the house, it felt like everyone I walked past was staring at me. Like the street was closing in on me. Which is a stupid thing to think when you’re outside. I kept imagining the look the baker had given me, and suddenly everyone around me was looking at me like that, too. My chest was so tight I could barely breathe. I ran home and collapsed on to the floor. Well done me.’
I patted his knee. ‘It’s not stupid. It sounds like you had a panic attack.’
‘What?’
‘A panic attack. It’s where you get overwhelmed by what’s going on around you. The symptoms are slightly different for everyone, but the racing heart, walls closing in, breathing issues…they’re all signs.’
Fadil sighed. ‘Mental health wasn’t really a thing in my time. We usually blamed demons or something.’
‘This is your time now, you know.’
We still didn’t know who’d woken him up – or why – but I believed it was important he took the opportunity to live his life as much as he could. He had a second chance. Most people never got that.
We knew there was a risk of him attracting attention with his sunken features, washed-out skin tone, dry skin, tiny frame, and five-foot height. It was impossible to deny that he looked like an Egyptian mummy walking, even if he wasn’t technically one.
But what damage was him staying indoors doing to his psyche? That worried me just as much as someone shipping him off to examine him like a science experiment.
He gazed at me from the corner of his eye. ‘Is it? I don’t feel like I fit in.’
‘Of course you do! You’ve acclimatised better than some people I know who grew up in this time.’
He sat up a little straighter. ‘Really?’
I nodded. ‘You’re totally allowed to feel overwhelmed by anything and everything. I’m surprised more doesn’t overwhelm you, but you’ve always approached everything with a healthy curiosity. What happened to you sucks, but it wasn’t your fault. And now you have a second chance around people who are understanding about what happened to you. You got lucky.’
‘Yeah, you’re right.’ He put his coffee on the table and hugged me, almost spilling mine when he caught me off guard. He put my coffee on the table so that we could hug properly. ‘Thanks Edie.’
‘Any time.’
*
After watching a documentary with Fadil, I went to Costa to get another coffee. It was turning into my comfort spot. It wasn’t like I spent my pocket money on anything else.
And it was a small way for me to betray Josh, since he worked for a coffee shop in the city centre which I used to frequent to spend time with him.
I ordered a hot chocolate, then sat in a corner with my notebook and settled in. I wasn’t writing anything in particular, but it was helping to clear my thoughts and that was what counted.
It was the middle of the afternoon, so it was pretty quiet. Most people who came in wanted to grab a coffee then head home; no one really stayed for long. Which meant it was quiet enough for me to get my thoughts on to paper. Attempt to, anyway. There was so much going on it was hard to work out where to start.
The door opened. I looked up. Dominic walked in, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his well-fitted jeans. He lifted his head in greeting to me, then walked over without ordering anything.
Sometimes, living in a small town bothered me. Other times, it definitely had its benefits.
‘How’s your friend?’ he asked, sitting in the chair opposite me.
I slammed my notebook shut so that he couldn’t see what I’d written. Not that it mentioned him, but I was still embarrassed to have anyone read it. ‘Not great. We’re really worried about her.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ he said. ‘Is there anything I can do?’
‘Wish there was, but thanks for the offer.’
‘Of course.’
While I wanted to visit Mrs Brightman, it wasn’t visiting time yet. Plus she needed as much rest as she could get.
‘I’ve got something that might cheer you up, if you’re up for it,’ said Dominic with a cheeky smirk.
‘You do? What is it?’
*
He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, and since our travel passes would take us anywhere along the tram or bus routes, he didn’t need to say anything when we bought the tickets, either. So I succumbed to the mystery, figuring that wherever he took me would still be more normal than most other things that had happened in my life lately.
The bus dropped us off in a part of Nottingham I didn’t know. Curious, I followed Dominic around a few corners. When we rounded the final one, it became clear where we were going: gokarting.
I’d never been gokarting before, but I’d always wanted to go.
He gestured to the sign. ‘What do you think? Are you up for it?’
I was already walking inside before he’d finished his question.
Dominic jogged to catch up with me. ‘Someone’s eager.’
I laughed. ‘I’ve always wanted to go but Mum isn’t really one for anything even remotely dangerous or fun. And, uh, it’s not like I have that many friends.’
He patted me on the back. ‘That makes two of us.’
It felt like I’d finally found someone who understood me in Dominic. He was a loner too; perfectly happy in his own company unless he found the right people. The only other person I’d met who was like that was Mum, and sometimes I wondered if she was just pretending to convince herself she didn’t mind the fact that she was a loner. Making friends hadn’t exactly been her forte since her ghost-hunting abilities had been outed as a teenager and her whole school had judged her for it. She’d been afraid of letting people in ever since, although she had had a few supportive people around her, like Maggie and Manju. Well, until recently she’d had Maggie, anyway.
Josh had been gokarting before, but we’d never been together. He said it was better with a group of people, so it was pointless for just us two to go. And since I didn’t get on with his other friends, that meant I couldn’t go with him.
Dominic didn’t seem to care it was just the two of us. We paid, picked out balaclavas – Dominic chose black while I went for an obnoxious green – then we watched a tutorial video which explained how the karts worked and some of the basic rules and requirements.
Luckily I was wearing chunky shoes, as they advised against wearing heels or open-toed shoes. Not that they were sensible shoes to do anything in if you liked to keep your feet intact.
We left the training room and went outside to the track. It was surrounded by lush, evergreen trees, which were in harsh contrast to the dead grass around it. Ah, you had to love the autumn.
Karts zoomed across the track, so fast it was hard to watch them for long without feeling nauseous. Mum’s driving obviously hadn’t prepared me for anything beyond two miles per hour.
‘Have you been gokarting before?’ I asked Dominic as we watched the other karts finish up.
‘Couple of times. Might’ve won,’ he said with a smirk.
‘Now you’re just bragging,’ I said.
He chuckled. ‘What’s wrong with celebrating what you’re good at?’
‘Is that what you were doing?’
‘Are you saying you’re not impressed?’
I smirked. ‘While good driving skills are useful, there are other skills that are more beneficial.’
Dominic met my gaze, sending shivers through my whole body. ‘And what are they?’
‘All right! Everybody, let’s line up next to a kart,’ said one of the guys in charge. And there went the flirting. Darn it.
The guy, who seemed to be in charge, was wearing a red helmet, and, once we’d all picked a car, handed out helmets to each of us. Of course mine was too big, so they had to swap it out for a smaller one. Dominic chuckled as he watched me argue with the straps, but I got there in the end. I just hoped I wouldn’t be too small to get in to the bloody car as well.
I wasn’t, but I had to adjust it so that I could reach the pedals. The designer really hadn’t considered women wanting to try gokarting. It seemed they’d created the kart around the default male height and weight. Sigh.
The guy who’d helped me with my helmet double checked our seatbelts, then ran over the controls again. I’d had a couple of driving lessons, so I knew what each pedal was for, but I was a long way from passing my test.
The car juddered as I drove it towards the starting line. Yeah, not a good sign. But I was just getting used to it. I’m sure it would all be fine once I got going.
We pulled up at the starting line. Dominic was beside me, while everyone else lined up behind us. There were eight of us in total, although I didn’t know who the others were.
I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, eager to get started.
All the sounds around me were muffled by the helmet and balaclava. It gave a weird feeling, like I was in a cave or something. The lights above us beeped, signalling it was time to move.
And we were off.
I put my foot down, zooming down the straight. Dominic took first place almost right away, maintaining speed as he went around the first corner. All right, he was better at it than me. But it’d been exactly the adrenaline rush I’d needed. It was nice to drive without ghosts everywhere, too. I could actually concentrate on where I was going and what I was doing instead of feeling bad for driving through someone.
By the end of the first lap, I was at the back and at risk of being lapped by Dominic. But I didn’t care. It was my first time driving something like that and I just wanted to enjoy what I was doing without getting competitive.
