The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw (5 page)

Emma stared back before turning towards the laptop and flicking through the pictures of the view. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

'Do you believe me now, Sis? I mean, I know you said that you believed me before but do you, like, really believe me now?'

Emma said nothing, she just nodded and swallowed. She knew that Lana would normally have been filled with sheer terror at the mere thought of climbing to the top of Carlton Point, and yet there she was. A photo she'd taken herself with her arm outstretched, standing, smiling at the highest point on Andilyse Island. It was clear that she was alone. And she looked ecstatic.

As they continued to flick through the images, they eventually came to the tattoo.

There was no doubt about it, it was beautiful. The words looked like they'd been there forever, there was no scarring, no redness and the pain had almost entirely gone. The words just seemed to hug the curvature of her lower back.

Above the short phrase was a symbol that looked like an eye with wings. Although they both thought it was vaguely familiar, neither could identify it.

'Let's look up the words,' Lana said, breathlessly, as Emma typed them into Google.

'Oh look,' exclaimed Lana, 'It's 30 Seconds to Mars. Provehito in Altum is their motto! Oh, do you think I have some connection to the rock band? I just love Jared Leto,' she swooned.

Emma merely laughed and continued searching until she found what she was looking for. A literal translation. Provehito in Altum was Latin for 'Launch Forward Into The Deep'.

'Oh... okay... but what does it mean?' asked Lana with a deep yawn.

'I honestly don't know. But don't worry. We'll find out.'

Later that night, Emma listened to the gentle sounds of her sister's breath as she slept. Occasionally the sound would quicken and Lana would thrash around below her duvet before calming down again peacefully. Emma, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. She thought about Lana's strange moving tattoo as well as Carlton Point but that wasn't what was keeping her awake. It was the boy on the beach and Mr Grimshaw. Both had died right in front of her. Why had they both called out to her? And who was Emelia? And, although she hadn't seen him herself, who was the stranger poking around Mr Grimshaw's house?

CHAPTER EIGHT

Darkness was all around her. The silence punctuated only by the sounds of an owl in the distance. Lana shivered while her eyes adjusted to the blackness surrounding her. Standing deathly still, she listened. Sticking out her neck slightly, she could just about hear the gentle rock of the shore not too far away. It sounded familiar. It sounded like the bottom of the garden.

She turned and just made out the back of the house, but it wasn't the same somehow. The rose garden that her mother had spent so many hours tending to, wasn't there. Instead, a massive expanse of ivy covered the whitewashed walls. Only two pairs of wellies, instead of six, stood under the lean-to next to the door.

Underneath her feet, Lana's toes squelched in the mud, where there should have been a lovely lawned area.
Why am I not wearing any shoes?
she thought before she suddenly realised she was also wearing pyjamas.
What's going on? Oh, it's just a dream
, she smiled as she walked down the garden towards the cliff edge.

Glancing down across the dim moon-lit shore below, she gasped at the sight of a small hot air balloon drifting towards her. It wasn't like the ones she'd seen on TV, this one was much smaller, almost like a miniature one but the balloon part was beautiful. As it came closer and closer, she could make out the intense blues, reds and golden colours that intertwined within the intricate pattern of the fabric.

Lana stepped backwards as she watched it gracefully land halfway between the cliff edge and the house. Skipping across to get a closer look, a slight gurgle sound came from the little basket beneath it.

As she approached silently, she peered down, gasping at the sight of a tiny baby with dark skin and a flash of dark hair. It giggled at her, kicking its arms and legs out playfully.

Leaning in, Lana noticed something on the pretty blanket that the baby was wrapped in, it was a symbol. An eye with wings...

CHAPTER NINE

Lana woke with a start. A strange feeling bubbled up from her toes to her stomach as she remembered yesterday. A faint groan lingered on her lips as she felt across to her lower back, the dream all but forgotten.

As Emma was snoring, she decided not to bother her for a while. Instead, she grabbed her favourite pink and black fluffy nightgown and crept out of their room, gently closing the door behind her before quietly walking down the stairs, careful to avoid the creaky step that always woke her sister.

As she ambled down the hallway, she peered into the living room and smiled at Greg and Lucy who were glued to the TV, sitting on the floor watching silly cartoons. Of course, Greg would deny it if you ever mentioned it to his friends. But Sunday was the only day they were allowed to watch morning television and so they could always be found there.

Listening to the sound of her mum's voice, Lana walked into the kitchen just as Audrey was saying goodbye to someone on the phone.

'Morning, Love,' she said as she leaned over and kissed Lana on her forehead. 'Are you feeling better?'

Before she could reply, the kettle boiled, making an awful gurgling sound before it switched itself off. Picking it up, Audrey filled the old teapot and replaced the lid. 'Do you want a drink? I've got some green tea if you're still suffering with your period.'

Lana smiled, remembering the lie her sister had told the night before. 'No, I'm actually feeling much better thanks. I'll just have a cup of normal tea, please.'

'Is Emma still in bed?'

Lana nodded.

'That's unusual. She's always up before you. I hope she's not coming down with something,' she sighed as she gave the teapot a bit of a shake before pouring the tea into two mugs.

'I think it's more to do with old Mr Grimshaw, Mum, and that boy dying. She was pretty upset about it.'

Smiling sadly, Audrey nodded, 'Of course, yes. Poor thing. Dealing with death quite often, I forget how stressful it can be.'

'Have you heard anything yet?'

Her mum looked across the table quizzically.

'The boy?' said Lana.

'No, nothing. The police are looking into it, but so far he's been unclaimed. They've sent photos to the mainland and they're doing some facial recognition thing on the computer this morning. They're hoping someone might recognise him.'

'How do you think he got here, Mum, if he's not a local?'

Audrey took a sip of tea. 'He might have been on a boat that got caught in the storm. That's the most likeliest explanation.'

'Mummmm... Greg won't let me watch Tracy Beakeeeeerrrr,' yelled Lucy as a kerfuffle ensued from the living room.

Audrey rolled her eyes and stood up, 'Why don't you take a cup of tea to Emma? I'm sure that will have woken her up,' she smiled as she went to sort the kids out.

'Morning, trouble,' Lana smiled as she opened the bedroom door to find Emma sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

'Trouble? That's your name, not mine.'

Lana laughed, 'I suppose you're right. Here, I brought you some tea,' she said handing it over before plonking herself down on her own bed.

'What time is it?' asked Emma.

'Just gone ten. It's not like you to sleep in?'

'I didn't get to sleep until really late. I just couldn't stop thinking about, you know, yesterday.'

Lana smiled before standing up and taking off her dressing gown. She lifted up her pyjama top, turning to look at her back in the mirror. The tattoo was still there.

A brief knock on the door made her almost jump out of her clothes and she pulled the top down just in time as Audrey opened the door and peered round.

'Morning, Love. Are you all right? You slept late this morning.'

'I'm okay, Mum,' she replied as she leaned forward to let her kiss her on the forehead.

'Now that you're both awake, I've got something to tell you.'

The girls looked across at each other expectantly.

'I was waiting for confirmation about accommodation before I broached the subject but I've just spoken to one of your Dad's old friends and it's all confirmed...'

'What is, Mum... what's confirmed?' asked Lana impatiently.

'Wait, I'm getting to that,' she smiled, before carrying on, 'Your work experience. Your Dad and I thought it would be good for you both to go...' she paused for effect, '... to London,' she said, almost squealing.

Lana jumped up with a smile so wide, that it almost reached the outer corners of her eyes.

'Holy.... sh.....sugar,' she exclaimed with a brief glance in Audrey's direction, 'I thought I was just going to work in the gallery with Lady Denton. How did you do it? Where are we going to stay? Where are we going to work? When are we going?' she said with barely a breath in between.

It was then that Audrey and Lana realised that Emma was very quiet.

'Emma? Whatever's the matter? I thought you'd be over the moon?'

Swallowing hard, Emma looked across at them both and burst into tears.

Lana watched as her mother rushed to her side, 'Emma Jane, why on earth are you crying?'

Placing her thumb nail onto her lips, Emma was about to bite when Lana almost dived on top of her sister.

'Ahem... oh no you don't. It took me ages to get you to agree to having that nail art, you're not going to bite it all off now. It took hours to do,' she said, smiling and trying to make light of the situation.

Emma hesitated and put her hands down by her side.

'What is it?' her Mum asked again.

'It's just... it's just... how are we going to get there?'

Lana and Audrey both realised the problem at exactly the same time. They sighed together, their shoulders drooping.

'No, Emma. I've had enough of this. You can't let your fear of the water stop you from experiencing something so... so... awesome. You have to get over it already.'

Emma dropped her head to one side and scowled at Lana, her mouth forming a sharp pout, 'And this is coming from the girl who would never go anywhere near the bottom of the garden because of the cliff edge or Carlton Point until... until...'

Lana's eyes grew wide and she tried to shake her head without her Mum seeing.

'What are you talking about? Until when? Until what?'

Lana managed a meagre chuckle before swallowing hard.

'I... I... went up to Carlton Point yesterday, on my own,' she managed to utter.

'Oh, but that's... well that's... I don't know what to say, Lana. That's just incredible. Well done,' she said as she leaned forward and hugged her daughter tightly.

Emma's head bowed before she shook it. 'But that's not the same. Lana's fear was never quite as bad as mine.'

'Nonsense Emma Jane,' said Audrey, 'You two were always as bad as each other. You both have, had, have, oh whatever, such an... an... irrational... fear...'

'Exactly, Mum. Irrational fears. And if I can get over mine, then surely Emma can get over hers and I won't let a silly thing like fear of the sea stop me from going to London,' she said as she stood up with her hands on her hips. 'Come on, Em. It's London. It's only a few hours by boat. You'll be completely safe. I'll be with you. Look...' she said as she approached her sister's bed, crouched down and took Emma's hand, 'I'm sorry for being so pushy but this is such an amazing opportunity, Sis. Let's do it together. Please?' she asked.

Looking from her sister to her mother, there was nothing she could do. She had to do it. Not just for Lana but for herself. If Lana could get over her own fear, then she would try her hardest to do the same.

'Okay, I'll do it,' she whispered as Lana jumped up and cartwheeled onto her bed.

Audrey shook her head and laughed out loud.

'Scott is going to be so jealous,' giggled Lana.

CHAPTER TEN

Emma, Lana and Scott stood at one side of the newly dug grave, waiting patiently while Father Hawkins said a few words as Mr Grimshaw was laid to rest. Quite a few people had turned up to the funeral, even though nobody had really known him that well. He had no family. An only child, his parents had passed on many years before, and he had never married and he appeared to have no close friends. Both Audrey and Patrick were busy working, so the girls decided to attend the funeral on their behalf. After all, it was the least they could do considering he had died right in front of them.

'Why are we here?' whispered Scott, as Emma stepped forward to drop a couple of large daisies onto the earth as the hole in the ground was slowly covered.

'Shhh,' said Lana as she frowned at him, 'We were there when he died, Scott. We're just paying our respects,' she said sensibly.

Scott looked at her as if she'd gone mad. 'We didn't even know the old man.'