Angelina had always been afraid of the night. As soon as she turned out her night light, closing her eyes, she became aware of things moving around in the darkness of her room. For as long as she could remember she had had scary nightmares, where strange happenings and strange people visited her. Her parents had thought that she was making these things up, always trying ways to stay away from going to school. They took her to see numerous doctors, and had tried all sorts of diets for her, thinking that these symptoms were all in her mind.
When Angelina was 14 years old, she awoke one morning after having had a really bad dream, her mother then decided that she would have one last go and called in a psychic. After doing some research in trying to find someone who knew the field of psychic phenomenon, she found one who seemed to fit what Angelina needed. Eva Gilbear came well recommended, also she had recently had a book published on how to detect some of the early signs in someone possessing the ability of psychic phenomenon. Eva wanted very few details about Angelina, preferring to find out first hand from the person concerned. She set about and questioned Angelina in depth and for quite a length of time. Once she had finished with her questions, she then asked the parents to come in.
“After speaking to Angelina and finding out all that I can here, I would now like to book a date and time for me to come to your home. I always find that when a person is in their own environment, then things will come out, which never would in a clinical atmosphere. I would also like to spend the night there as well, because obviously that is when these happenings occur.” The doctor smiled pleasantly, she gave nothing away, but sat there patiently waiting for their response.
“Well as far as I am concerned any time would not be a bother to us. We would like to get this cleared up and hopefully Angelina can start to live a normal life,” said Madeleine her mother.
“Right then let me check my diary. How about this Friday, say about 5.30 in the afternoon and then I can set everything up for the night.” With this settled they said their good-byes until they were to meet again.
After they had reached home, Madeleine said, “you seem very quiet Angelina. Does this visit worry you badly.”
“No mother, it doesn’t. It’s just that I seem to get the oddest feelings when I have to talk about these visitations to strangers. It is as though there is a barrier going down, trying to shut out memories or images. Perhaps it is my imagination, like everyone thinks. I am probably the oddball, the black sheep of the family that no one likes to talk about. Someone who should be kept locked up in the attic.” Angelina seemed to be really down at heart. This was the first time that she had expressed her views about the people who she had seen over the years, the doctors and specialists.
“Do you still want to go ahead with the appointment for Friday. It’s still not too late to back out. You know that both your father and I will always be at your side and any decisions you make, will be OK with us.”
Her mother was starting to look quite worried. It was the first time that Angelina had been affected this way. “No mother, I’ll see what this one can do. It can’t be any worse that what I have experienced so far.”
So Friday night came round and punctually at 5.30 Eva Gilbear arrived. She unloaded all her cameras and ultra sound equipment. After setting this up she said, “please carry on as though all this wasn’t here. Although you will pass in front of the cameras, this will only be set off by any entity that is not solid or warm. It act’s the opposite to an infrared on an alarm system.”
Angelina got ready for bed. Following her movements was Eva, she had placed a couple of lights in the bedroom. So after Angelina had settled into bed, Eva asked, “how are you feeling. Are your thoughts mainly on what may happen tonight? Do you think that any of this will affect how you sleep tonight?”
Angelina propped herself up on her pillows and said, “do you ever track anything down, you know, find something that is there, that no one else can see or feel. The way things are at the moment, only I know that something is there. I can see, hear and feel them. It is as though I am being invaded in my mind, battering at me. When I wake I feel as though I have been running for miles, without having got anywhere. Does any of this make sense to you?”
“Some of what you are saying I have heard before from others that I have met. The camera does pick up signs sometimes, things that look like fog swirling around. This is then sent off for further investigation. Most times it is nothing, but there are times when we do find a spectre. This then causes great excitement for us. I remember once that we found a young girl, like you, who had been named after her great great great grandmother. It was she who was visiting and giving nightmares to this youngster. After some time we found out why. The spelling of the name was wrong and being of an old established family, spanning several generations, she wasn’t going to stay quiet and let this go unnoticed. The family changed the name and had it registered and as soon as this was done, everything went back to normal. No one has heard anything or seen anything from that day. I hope that what I have just told, you will bear in mind. Something like this can be sorted out eventually. Now try to sleep. I am used to sitting very still, so you shouldn’t be disturbed by me.”
Angelina laid her head down. Soon after she was fast asleep. Eva kept watched, she made many notes on her pad. At a little after 11.30pm she heard the parents making their way to bed. Madeleine popped her head around the doorway and whispered, “is everything OK. Do you need anything?”
Eva shook her head, smiled and waved them goodnight. She didn’t want Angelina to be disturbed. Sometimes the parents could be the trouble when trying to investigate. Lots of patience was needed for this kind of job and dedication. She had plenty of both. At the age of 40 she felt that her days of hitting the night-clubs was way behind her. The thought of a singles bar gave her the creeps. Surely some of those who visited such a place had to be complete nerds. No, for her relaxation she enjoyed to snuggle down with a good book. One of her favourite authors was Stephen King, a nice horror story. As she thought of him, her mind focused on the film of The Shining, she smiled, some might think that she could be the nerd.
As the hours ticked by, she was almost coming to the conclusion that if anything happened at all tonight, it would be a fluke. One of her thoughts was that it could be more of the imagination of the parents, as opposed to it being Angelina’s. Just as she was going to slip out and use the bathroom, Angelina suddenly sat bolt right up in her bed. Her eyes stared straight ahead and the rooms’ temperature dropped drastically. The hair on the back of Eva’s neck seemed to stand on end and a shiver ran through her. The cameras and recording equipment tripped into action. With only the moonlight shining through the closed curtains, Eva could make out wisps of something which looked like mist, rising up just behind Angelina’s head. She crept forwards to the side of the bed and ran her hand down to where the pillows lay. It was like a block of ice. She then touched Angelina’s forehead, it was red hot, she must be running a temperature, Eva thought as she took her hand away.
It was as she was making her way back to the chair that she turned and looked at Angelina. Her lips were moving rapidly. No sound seemed to be coming from her, but there was a noise coming from the doorway. As she glanced over that way, there was a bright flash and she had to close her eyes against it. When she opened them again, all was back to normal. The bedrooms’ temperature was just right, Angelina was once again lying down and sleeping peacefully and a quiet was felt in the room again. Did she just dream the last few moments or had it really happened. She felt quite excited. Hurry up morning was what she thought. She wrote everything down which had happened over the last few moments into her notebook.
She must have dozed, because the next moment she heard the faint sound of an alarm clock going off in the next bedroom. She stretched and then let herself out of the bedroom quietly and went to the bathroom. After washing and changing into fresh cloths, Eva was then ready to pack everything up and get back to the office, where should could start to have the film and recordings analysed.
Over breakfast with the family, she told them of the activities that had taken place during the night. Angelina looked relieved that something had happened. Where as her parents had shocked expressions on their faces. “Do you mean that there is a ghost or some sort of possession taking place?” asked Madeleine. The father Gareth, seemed to be taking this the worse, he sat twitching and picking at his finger nails.
“I doubt that it is a possession. It could be the passing of someone, their spirit form, which Angelina must have some sort of link with. I should be able to tell you more, once I have got all this back to the office and get it linked up to the computer, it should take no time at all. As soon as I have some thing to tell you, I will phone you.” Looking at Angelina she said, “ are you OK, is there anything you want to ask me before I go?”
Angelina looked better than of late and answered, “I’m alright. I am just glad that you have found something which you can try to identify. Just ring as soon as you can please.”
Eva rang ahead to the office and told them to get everything set up, “I hopefully have sounds and pictures, which should keep us busy for several hours.”
Back in the office, Eva ploughed through the photographs which she had taken, there were dozens of them. Scanning and re scanning them, they finally brought into focus a faint outline of a person. It would take several more hours and more takes of the photo, to really enhance this to get a definite picture.
“Wow, I have never had anything like this before, especially after only one night of surveillance. It seems remarkable.” Eva’s face was lit up in amazement at her good fortune in getting this case. “Right then, let’s now make a start on the recordings, see what that can tell us.”
They all worked until early evening. They had sent out earlier for sandwiches and drinks and the empty packages lay about in heaps, like small garbage dumping grounds. It was as she looked around at the tired faces she said, “lets call it a draw for tonight. I think we could all do with some air and to have some shut eye. See you all in the morning.”
Back at Angelina’s house, her parents were just getting ready to go out for a meal. Angelina had been ready for ages, she could never understand why it always took her mother so long to get dressed. Several dresses had already been discarded from the wardrobe, with her saying, too old, too short, not the right colour. She could never be satisfied. The wardrobe fitted right across one wall of the bedroom and consisted of three full sized robes and one with several drawers for all her lingerie. She also had a walk in cupboard which had all her shoes lining the walls, set out in the various colours.
As for her father, his only wardrobe was a small space in the box room, which he had made into a dressing room and small study for himself. He also had been ready for some time. Since Eva had left that morning, he had seemed very quiet and whenever Angelina had spoken to him, he seemed to shrink and mutter any responses to her. Strange she thought, but there again nothing so far in her life had been very ordinary.
Finally her mother arrived downstairs and after collecting their coats they set off in her father's car. Why they couldn’t have had a meal at home and watched some TV, which they did on most Saturdays, was beyond Angelinas’ thinking. Never mind, if it made her mother happy, then enough was said.
“Why don’t you try the house speciality tonight?” said her mother. They had eaten at this restaurant before and the food was always very good.
“Actually mother, I don’t feel that hungry. Perhaps I will have the soup and a salad. If I do find that I could eat something else, then I can always gorge myself on the chocolate cake with fresh cream.”
After her father had placed the orders, the waiter arrived with their drinks. It being a weekend, Angelina was allowed to have a small glass of wine, after these had been set out her father spoke for the first time. “The last twenty four hours have been quite upsetting for me. You know that I am not normally affected by anything, but this has been so strange and it isn’t over yet.” Patting Angelina’s hand he continued, “I know this has been happening to you and you should be the one who is acting like a quivering heap of jelly, but my mind just wants to block this out. It says, you are not part of this and if you look the other way, it will all disappear. But it won’t, will it? So for your sake I have to wait, like you, for the results and for whatever will happen next.”
“Daddy, it’s OK, I do understand. I am sorry that you have both had to go through with this. But I am glad that now that there is some evidence, that I haven’t been hallucinating all this time and that someone is now going to try and sort this out.” She kissed her father’s cheek and gave her mother’s hand a gently squeeze. She knew that they both loved her and that they would always protect her.
The evening passed quickly and soon it was time to return home. As soon as they got home Angelina said “I am going straight up to bed. It has been quite a day one way or another and no doubt the next few days will be full of surprises. Goodnight mum, goodnight dad. Thank you both for being here for me.” She kissed them both and went upstairs, but her tread on the stairs seemed very weary. There was a look behind her eyes which seemed full of gloom as well.
Angelina had been right, the next few days brought many calls from Eva and her team of experts. They made an appointment to come round on the following evening, they said that they had photos and had made a clear tape of coherent words. They would then want to know if any of the material that they had compiled made any sense to Angelina.
Eva arrived promptly, like she always did for appointments. After the customary cups of tea had been handed round, she opened up her briefcase and passed around the photographs which they had been able to enhance to a clear picture. She then turned the tape recorder on and played the tape to them. As they were all looking at the photos, Eva kept a close eye on the faces and expressions which were slowly taking form on Angelina and her mother’s faces. Surprise and shock was written across their faces and could be seen quite clearly.
Eva asked in a quiet tone, “do you know this person?”
It was Madeleine who spoke, “Why yes. This is my Aunt Agatha. But how on earth could you have taken her photograph. She lives down at Great Yarmouth and we rarely see her. She became quite eccentric when she reached seventy, nearly two years ago, so she won’t have any visitors near her. Her main contact is the couple who have the local shop cum post office.”
Eva then asked, “is this the voice of your aunt’s?”
Madeleine listened carefully and said, “I think it is, but you must realise that I haven’t spoken to her for a long time. The voice seems strange though, as though it is in the air, like the noise of wind whistling through the trees. It doesn’t seem as though it is being spoken, but mimed. Does that make any sense to you?”
Angelina responded quickly to what her mother has just said. “I know what you mean mum. It was like the play we did at school, the voice was taped and then the person acting the part mimed and the voice came from behind the stage. We did this when the part that was being played was for a person who had just died. The teachers said that they had read this in a report and that this was what it would have sounded like. You don’t think that this is some kind of visitation that I keep getting do you?”
“Well that does seem to be top of the list. Now you could be a link between here, the living and the next stage that a person who is dying or just died, goes onto. Like the astral planes that you may have heard about.” Turning to Madeleine she asked, “ Could you telephone someone about your aunt, to make sure that everything is OK. Because this could then clear up some of the thoughts, which must be being thought of by all of us present.”
Madeleine went straight to the telephone and dialled her aunts house. After numerous rings, she hung up and checked her directory. She then tried her aunts local shop, it was answered promptly and after the initial how are you, she asked about her aunt Agatha. “I know that this may sound odd but do you know if my aunt is OK or not. I have tried her house but there is no reply.”
The shopkeeper said, “I am sorry to have to tell you this, but your aunt passed away early hours of Saturday morning. The police here should have been in touch with you by now. We heard the ambulance sirens on Friday night and went over to see what was happening. My wife, Freda, decided to go to the hospital with her. She had had a serious heart attack, how she had managed to ring for the ambulance remains a mystery, as she was found unconscious in the hallway near to the front door which was open. I will give you the local police stations’ telephone number and someone there should be able to give you more information. Once again please accept our sincere condolences.”
Madeleine thanked him and said that she would be in touch with the funeral arrangements, once everything was sorted out. She told this to her family and all were stunned with the revelations. Eva asked if any of them could remember if the occurrence of the dreams tied up with any deaths that they knew of. All shook their heads, but remained quiet with pensive looks on their faces. Obviously they all trying to tie up any dates. Eva said that she would leave them alone for the time being.
It was Angelina who first said that when grandma had died, wasn’t that one of the nights that she had had her dream. “I don’t think I like the thought of this. When someone dies am I always going to have to go through this horrible spectacle of ghostly shapes and voices. I will definitely get myself a name, some already call me creepy Lina.”
“Oh Angelina don’t say such things. They might be able to stop you have these sightings or whatever they want to call it. It may be just a phase and will stop when you reach a certain age.” Her mother wept.
“Mother I am 14 years old. How much longer do you think that I can take having these dreams. Sometimes neither you or dad know that I have had this experience. I can tell you now that I don’t always have to be asleep. I have seen spectres during my studies at school. When this happens I just freeze. Most times I get away with it, but some other times, the teachers have seen me gazing into space and once I finally come round I have to suffer whatever punishment that they think fit, mostly detention. But it is the embarrassment of having been caught that hurts the most, as well as the taunting that follows.”
With these new revelations there was a silence which followed. They then thought that it might be a good idea it they were to turn in for the night. They had all gone through a lot in the last few hours.
Over the next couple of weeks there was so much to be sorted out, that there was little time to think of Angelina's situation. But once that they were all settled back into their usual routines, it was at Angelina's request that Eva was to be contacted again, then they could see what could be done.
Eva arrived at the house that evening and was shocked by the way Angelina looked. She seemed to have aged over the last couple of weeks. Her eyes had dark shadows underneath and her skin looked mottled like that of an old person. “What on earth has been going on here. Have things taken a turn for the worse and if so please tell me the whole truth.”
It was Angelina who answered. In a weary tone she started to tell about the latest occurrences. “Last week was the latest and the most astonishing, as well as being the scariest of all the visitations that I have had. I was just taking a bath before getting ready to go to bed. I was leaning back relaxing in the hot scented water, when I first felt a chill on the top of my head. I opened my eyes to see a cloud like formation, coming down on me from the ceiling. It looked like the reverse of a cyclone. The tip of it hit the water and suddenly I was entombed in a block of ice. The only thing that I could move was my eyes and lips. I cried out for help and when my parents finally broke down the bathroom door, all they could see in front of them was a freezing wall of mist. They managed to walk through this to reach me in the bath tub. I was by this time barely conscious, but whispered to them that I had seen my own death as the water turned to ice. Then I passed out. They called the emergency services and when they arrived all that remained of the block of ice was small cubes, like you have served in your drinks. Funny that, I have never really liked ice in my drinks. They bundled me into a thermal blanket and rushed me to the emergency room at the hospital. After all the various tests carried out, they were none the wiser as to why something like this could have happened. They did find out though that I had suffered a massive heart attack, along with severe frost bite with being in the water. Lying in the hospital bed I had plenty of time to think and to do some reading. I read with great interest in a magazine, on trials in America of electric probes being attached to parts of the brain. This stimulus blocks off some of your memory, letting the patient carry on with day to day running of his or her life. There can sometimes be setbacks with this though. The patient could be left with very little memory and has to learn everything again. Others could be left brain damaged. I would be willing to go through this to stop these happenings. Would you be able to arrange this?”
Eva had remained silent through all this and was amazed at the way Angelina was handling the situation. Surely for any other young girl of her age, this ordeal would be too much. But she was taking this very calmly, too calmly in fact. “I would have to make a few phone calls to find out about this. Obviously this is something that needs to be thought about fully, before any undertakings are taken.”
“I don’t care anymore. All I want is a normal life. So far all I can remember is nightmares, ghouls, ghosts, spooks or whatever you want to call them. I want it to stop.”
Eva said that she would do her best and said good-bye for the time being.
No one spoke for the rest of the evening. The day to day running of their individual lives carried on as usual over the next week. Eventually the phone rang and it was Eva, she had managed to track down the doctor who was carrying out these tests. She had put Angelina's case to him and he was willing to
travel down to see them. Eva had made arrangements for rooms to be prepared at the Harrington Clinic. Angelina was to be there in two days time and after preliminary tests to check to see if she would be able to stand the procedure, the operation would be carried out. Her parents had given their permission, even though it was under pressure from Angelina. She had said that it was either the operation or she would take her own life. If there was the remotest chance of being successful, then she was willing to take it.
Although Angelina was very scared about what she was about to go through, she put on a brave face. All the tests were carried out without any signs of complications. The doctor then said that he was ready for the final commitment, that was if she was still ready to carry on. She nodded slowly and managed a weak smile.
During the final procedure she would remain conscious. Part of her head had already been shaved. Her head was then held still in a vice like looking piece of equipment. A cool gel was applied to the shaven area and with steady hand the doctor place the drill against her skull. Once the hole had been bored, a minute optic thread was passed down the tube and placed against the nerve in the brain. Just as this touched, a flash of bright blue light appeared at the side of Angelina. The temperature in the theatre dropped to freezing. Slowly the bright blue light started to take form. The image that appeared amazed them all. It was like looking at a mirror image of Angelina. A voice spoke, but it seemed to come from all around the room, not just in one place. “I have tried for so very long to come and see you all. Hello mum, hello dad, but most of all, hello my big twin sister. I have grown up knowing all of you, without any of you knowing that I existed at all. For as far as you were concerned, I had died at birth. Although you grieved for me, you put all your extra love Angelina's way. Now that she trying to get rid of the suffering which she has gone through during her life, she is also going to do away with herself. You must stop this now before it is too late. In time she will be able to forgive you. I have also had the chance to see you and now I will be able to rest and to carry on my way to the far off world where I should have been since my death.”
Angelina’s image wavered before disappearing in a whoosh through the ceiling. The temperature in the room went back to normal immediately. The doctor quickly took out the probe at the parents request and soon Angelina was in a bed in the recovery room.
This was something that no one had experienced before. No one even knew what to say. All that remained was for Angelina to come round, as she has fainted as the apparition had disappeared.
Once back at her own house Angelina refused to talk about what had happened. Life started to get back to normal. As normal as could be expected anyway. It was just before her fifteenth birthday that she asked her parents, “why did you never tell me that I had had a twin sister. That knowledge may have been of use to me, with all the suffering that I have been through. Perhaps if I had known, then she may have spoken to me. I don’t think that I will ever forget this, or either of you for keeping this back from me.”
From time to time Angelina was visited by her sister, but now that she knew what it was, she was able to deal with the situation. She never told anyone about these visits. As the years went by, she took up a post in a private psychology clinic. There she felt comfortable with the patients, as many of them were going through similar situations like she had experienced. With her first hand knowledge of how they were feeling, she was able to help them along their way and to show them that all could end well.
Angelina's other main contact was Eva. Eva would visit her at her small flat and would set up her recording equipment. On many occasions there would be something recorded and back to the lab the tests would go. “Since the first time that I met you, I knew that you were special. Although you may not think that way. And now that you are in a similar field as mine, these recordings are a great help to us all. There is a seminar coming up at a hotel, locally, and I was wondering if you would be willing to help me out.” Eva enquired with a raised eyebrow.
“How on earth will I be able to help you. Don’t look at me that way Eva. I can now see what sort of help you want. Sending me into a trance again, is that it:” Angelina replied.
“It is all in the aid of research you know. And to help your fellow man.” Eva could talk her way round anything.
“Well OK then. But you must promise me that you will not tell my parents. They don't agree with me and they think it is a waste of time.” On the assurance of Eva, Angelina agreed.
On the night of the seminar, Angelina was as usual very quiet, like she always was when she was about to be discussed and as she termed it, used as a guinea pig. Eva introduced her as a friend, not giving out her real name. After settling Angelina down, she put her into a deep sleep. As in the past, she was soon under and Eva started with her questions. Soon the area about them started to go very cold, this was all being monitored and the audience could see on the screens in front of them the changes which were taking place. There were gasps of amazement which went around the room. Eva spoke quietly and put her questions over very carefully and slowly. The spectre which could now be clearly seen, was of an elderly lady, but the replies which she got back, came over in a strong tone, with no evidence of uncertainty. The spectre said that all around her were people who were in terrible pain, their screams were echoing up and down the road. Also that there was an intense heat rising from the fire, which was creeping steadily across their path.
All of a sudden the doors to the meeting hall were flung open. They were all told that the hotel was being evacuated due to a serious accident, just out on the main road. Eva switched all her equipment off and slowly brought Angelina back. After making sure that she was alright, they followed the staff members out through the emergency exit. Once outside they could see that there were many people dashing one way or another. Pandemonium was rife, as opposite the hotel was a primary school. The children had been in the playground just as the crash happened. Parts of two of the vehicles involved had been catapulted into the playground and a couple of the children had also been injured. Angelina staggered backwards and was caught by one of the staff.
“I’m OK, really. I just overbalanced and with just coming out of the trance, well the sight of what is out here, it just hit me.” Angelina smiled weakly at the concerned faces looking at her.
Once Angelina and Eva managed to get away from the scene and back to the safety of the office, Angelina could then let herself really go. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her sobs racked her whole body. “I do not ever want this sort of thing to happen to me again. I can still feel the pain and the fear which was running riot out there. My skin feels as though it has been burnt off. The agony of those poor people.” With saying this a fresh wave of tears took her over again.
Angelina dozed for a short while, then waking and feeling slightly better she said goodnight to everyone and made her way home. The early evening was quite warm and she decided that she would walk the short way to her flat. This gave her some time in which to try and clear all the thoughts which were running havoc through her mind. She let herself in and after popping a meal into the microwave and making