The Ghost Writer

Here is the next chapter of the Ghost Writer. Hope you enjoy it.

Happy Reading! :)


Chapter Three

From the blinding white light a large figure of a man emerged. He was tall with the lightest blonde hair I had ever seen touching his shoulders in waves. It had to be real, there was no way I had ever seen such a stunning blonde colour come out of a bottle and believe me I have searched high and low for such a mystical colour. I stared at him wide eyed unable to take my eyes from his beautiful pale features. He was so tall . . . what the hell was it with me being surrounded by tall men??? Maybe it was because I was only 5"3 and I thought everyone was tall???

The light began to diminish behind the figure revealing large grey white wings stretched out, so wide and long that they almost touched both sides of the long room. My jaw nearly hit the floor. Was he really what I thought he was? An Angel? The others didn't seem as surprised as me. Nathan appeared relieved but Marcus was fuming with anger. I felt his grip on me tighten making me struggle.

The Angelic man walked towards us and as he did the large wings began to fold in behind him and disappear into his back. The whole scene before me was unreal and once again I began to question if I was dreaming. He was wearing a beige suit with a white shirt and tie. He moved his shoulders as the wings disappeared and grimaced.

'I will never get used to appearing in these modern suits,' he announced in a soft but firm melodic voice that seemed to bounce on the air. 'They are so restrictive but I must say, quite smart,' he smiled readjusting his tie.

Marcus spoke first.

'You shouldn't be here . . .'

'It is not for you to say where I should and should not be,' he answered sternly. 'Let her go.'

'No, I won't. It's my right to . . .'

The Angel's vivid aquamarine eyes blazed hot.

'I will give you one more chance to obey, Marcus. Take your men and leave. You will get your chance to face Nathan but not at this time. You are premature in your haste to win your battle. Patience is necessary.'

'You heard him, Marcus let her go or so help me . . .' Nathan struggled with the two men once more.

Marcus vehemently shook his head and began dragging me to the wall again, determined to have his way.

Nathan shouted to the Angel.

'Michael . . . I can't do this alone.'

The Angel turned to him and smiled.

'At last you are willing to accept my assistance, soldier.'

The Angel gave a sigh and turned back to my pathetic struggling, squealing form as Marcus dragged me to the blue light pulsing from the wall.

'I am relieved you have asked, Nathan. I cannot assist anyone who does not ask for my help.'

With one quick movement, the Angel raised a pale elegant hand and waved it firmly through the air. The two men next to Nathan backed away with a cry, their bodies shimmering and shrinking until all that remained of them were two small scarlet lights. They danced around the room at dazzling speed and then raced across the bed past Marcus and myself to disappear into the wall lit with blue light.

I had seen lights like that before many a time. I had thought it was something to do with my eyes. They were more than often blue lights but sometimes I saw red, black, green and white ones hovering over me at night, brightly illuminating the darkness. Now I began to wonder if they were actually people hovering over me. I once heard a medium talking about spirit lights. Is that what they were? Were Nathan, Marcus, those men, spirits?

Now free of obstacles in his way, Nathan ran towards the bed and jumped up on it to wrestle Marcus away from me but the Angel was to act once more. The colour of his eyes intensified as he stared deeply at Marcus. The man shook his head.

'No, no you can't do this to me, you know it is my right to . . .'

'Hush, go back to where you came from. You will be patient.'

Marcus's body began to shrink and shift into different colours and then he became a small green light with a ball of orange not dissimilar to the shape of a flame burning within its centre. I felt myself falling backwards towards the bed but Nathan wound his arm around my middle and pulled me up into his arms.

My heart was beating like an express train as he held me tight against his chest. There was nothing ethereal about Nathan's form. He was a comforting wall of solid muscle. I snuggled against him still wondering how he could be so real to me. Slowly my shaking began to recede as he smoothed his fingers gently through my hair, making me lament the obvious bed hair I had from getting up so abruptly in the night. I could feel it sticking up all over the place. Oh man! I must have looked awful. Still I didn't want to move. I closed my eyes for a moment and took in Nathan's wonderful scent of fresh pine. He always smelt of the outdoors, of crisp snowy mornings and crackling warm camp fires.

As though in fury the light raced around the room and across the ceiling darting behind curtains until the Angel voiced his annoyance.

'I said be gone,' he ordered. He gave another wave of his hand and I felt a breeze fill the room. It knocked the small light sideways across the room towards the blue wall and into it.

This Angel certainly didn't take any prisoners. but then I recognised his name. Michael, wasn't that the name of the Angel who threw Satan out of heaven?

Michael addressed Nathan.

'Please take her from here and start your mission. I won't be able to hold him back for long. This karma you both hold must be faced and dealt with.'
Nathan nodded and kissed the top of my head. He began leading me off the bed and lifted me down. Both the Angel and Nathan ignored my frantic questions about where we were going.

'I will take her now. The sooner this is over the better. Then she will be safe,' Nathan told Michael holding my hand tight.

Perhaps he was afraid I was going to make a break for it. Not bloody likely. I wanted to know what was going on.

'Good luck, both of you,' Michael called after us.

I looked back at him just in time to see the Angel smile and then walk into a huge ball of white light and disappear. Nathan pulled me on when I stopped and stared. As we rushed down the stairs he picked my coat up off the banister and instructed me to put it on. He still wouldn't tell me where we were going despite all of my annoyed protestations.

We moved outside into the cold night air. It was so quiet and so very dark. I didn't like it. I automatically hurried to my car but Nathan had other ideas. He shook his head and pointed to his black horse tethered to one of the trees outside of my house.

'You've got to be kidding?' I whispered crossly. 'I've told you before I am not good on horses. Why can't we be like normal people and take the car?' I groaned.

'You can't take a car. They don't know what cars are where we are going. It will look very out of place,' he informed me with slight impatience.'

'What are you talking about? This is all too weird, ghosts and . . . What do you mean they don't know what cars are where we are going?' I gave a nervous laugh. 'Anyone would think we were going back in time?'
Nathan grinned.

'Very perceptive,' he announced moving towards my body as I backed away from him shaking my head in disbelief.

'Oh no. I don't want to go back in time. I'm not up for this . . . Who am I? Marty McFly?'

'I'm sorry, there is no other choice. I have to take you, my love. I wish I didn't,' he said softly catching my arm to gather me into his arms again.
I began to feel afraid.

'You have to face your past and learn from it. You and I must face Marcus and what he did to you, to us so we can be together again in the future,' he urged passionately.

'But I don't understand any of this . . .'

'I know you don't but you will very shortly.'

Before I could utter another word, Nathan had slipped his arms up under my legs and lifted me up on to the horse. He quickly mounted the animal behind me and held me tight against him. A large white light suddenly appeared in front of us.

I gripped Nathan's coat tightly in an effort to hang on as he guided the horse into a trot then gallop and headed straight for the light. I closed my eyes tight and buried my head against his chest knowing that there was no way out.

'Hang on. This will be a bumpy ride,' Nathan urged.

The moment we moved into the light I felt myself thrown away from the horse. I could see nothing but light all around me yet I felt as though I were travelling forwards at speed. I couldn't see Nathan or the horse and I feared that I would be lost in this light forever. Then my surroundings suddenly turned black and I was falling fast. I gave a squeal as my body heavily hit ground and I blacked out.

When I came to Nathan was standing over me holding out his hand. He was dressed very differently, oddly. He wore a fancy light blue and white uniform, high riding boots and a small jacket of the same appearance that was worn over his right shoulder. I sat up on my elbows and stared at his dashing uniform with starry eyes instantly forgetting my predicament.

'Where are we?' I asked taking the offer of his hand to help me up and glancing at the snow that had cushioned my landing. 'Or should I say, when are we?' I questioned further, viewing the clearing in the forest in which we stood.

He smiled, clearly flattered by my appraisal of his clothes.

'France, 1804. The first day and lifetime we met,' he grinned.

'You look rather handsome,' I smiled with a blush.

'I was a French Hussar in Napoleon's Grand Army. You don't look too bad yourself.'

I looked down at my clothes and shrieked. I was in full early eighteenth century dress. I looked as though I had just walked out a Jane Austen novel.

'Though I do feel you will catch your death of cold if we don't get you out of the snow.'

'Are you going to tell me what this is all about?' I demanded starting to shiver like crazy.

Nathan swept his arms around me and rubbed my own trying to generate warmth.
'Yes I am. It's time you knew everything. It won't be easy to listen to.' He started to walk me towards his horse a small distance away. 'Let me explain.'

'I'm all ears,' I told him.