Knock Knock - Who's There?

'God they're really pushing the boat out this year,' said Debbie, who was sitting lazily on the couch with one arm resting behind her head, while the other was half raised as she idly flicked through channels on the TV.

'Hmm?' said Jasmine, somewhat distracted as she returned from the front door to sit next to her friend.

'Well have you seen what's on tonight? Halloween, followed by, Halloween 2, which is followed by, now wait for it, Halloween 3! Could they not at least try and make an effort?'

Jasmine's eyes flicked upwards slightly, seemingly concentrating on the television as Debbie continued to skip through the channels. Though she wasn't so much as looking at the TV, but looking through it; her mind elsewhere as the brightly lit box schizophrenically jumped from a well spoken newsreader, announcing the day's headlines, to a certain popular 'Friend' pondering if someone could, "BE any more gay".

'This has always baffled me,' Jasmine said as placed the bowl of treats she'd been holding, onto the coffee table.

'What has?' Debbie replied, confused.

'Trick-or-treating. I mean, you go on and on at kids to not accept sweets from strangers, yet once a year, people seem to think it's perfectly okay to let their kids march around from house to house, asking strangers for treats! How backwards is that!?'

Debbie had stopped channel hopping, at Jasmine's tirade, yet was still pointing the remote at the TV as she listened to Jasmine rant away, her eyebrows slowly rising as the girl went on.

'Ookaay,' was all she said in response. Deliberately elongating the vowels.

'What?' Jasmine asked.

'Well I don't really think it's a problem here, is it? Everybody knows everybody. You okay?'

'I'm fine.' she repeated, becoming more flustered. 'I still think it's stupid.'

Debbie just smirked.

'Don't laugh at me Debs.' Jasmine said as she adjusted herself, so she was now sitting with her knees tucked up close to her, as though protecting herself.

'I wasn't..'

'Yes you were.' Jasmine snapped back.

The Dingle turned the TV off and tossed the remote aside as she sat to face her friend. It was going to be another one of those nights.

'Jas...'

'I'm fine,' Jasmine interrupted, trying unsuccessfully to force a more jovial air to her voice.

Debbie reached out towards Jasmine's hand and hooked her pinkie finger around her friend's.

'Jas, talk to me.' she said softly.

She felt Jasmine squeeze her finger in return before the girl slowly turned to look at her.

The room was only dimly lit, just how they liked it on their quiet evenings in together, though Debbie could still make out the extra glints in her friend's eyes. She was on the verge of tears, again. A not uncommon occurrence these days.

'Come 'ere' she said, tugging on Jasmine's hand, and the girl did so willingly, shifting herself so she could be held and comforted as she let herself cry; like she had so often over the past months. Though it felt longer than that – much longer.

'Shh, it's okay. I've got ya.' Debbie whispered into the girl's hair, trying to soothe her friend with her words.

And that's how they would sit. Debbie's arms encompassing Jasmine's sobbing frame until the tears subsided.

'Deb?'

'Hmm?'

'Do you remember this time last year?'

She couldn't really recall much before December, truth be told, but she knew October had been the start of it; when he had wormed his way into Jasmine's life, and in between them. Debbie's jaw clenched slightly, thinking back to a couple of particularly heated arguments.

'Today was that bloody drugs raid.' Jasmine continued.

The non-existent drugs raid. Now Debbie remembered. Both girls' thoughts instantly flew back to that day.

'I'm sorry for going on at you last night.'

'Don't worry about it.'

'It's just, I find it hard to believe that you'd even think about going out with someone like Shane.'

'I'm really pleased you're looking out for me Debs, but I can handle it.'

'I know. I know you can, but why him?'

'You tried to warn me. So many times. I was too pig-headed to listen, too blind to see what was happening.'

The ghost of a smile crossed Debbie's face.


'I told you, all i'm after is a story. Nothing else, right? Now stop worrying.'

'How can I?'

'In more ways than one,' she muttered, trying to lighten the mood as she thought back to the, not-so-subtle comment, in her eyes, that she had made that day; as she had started to struggle continuing to hide her feelings.

The memories of intense jealousy she had started to feel at the thought of her friend, the girl she had always loved, with him, flooded her senses once again.

'Hey, c'mon, we shouldn't be thinking about him. It's over. It's done with, and he's gone. Jas, you're safe, he can't hurt you any more, okay?'

Both girls went quiet as they thought about how close their lives had come to completely falling apart. But here they were, almost a year later, and his body was still undiscovered, and currently under a blanket of thick ice, thanks to all the early snow that came and went last week.

They'd been given a second chance. A chance to try and put it all behind them and make a life together. It hadn't been easy. Jasmine often fell apart, wracked with guilt, but Debbie had always been there to pick up the pieces. To hold her when she woke up screaming from nightmares, to comfort her as she sobbed on nights like tonight, and to gently nudge her into moving forward with her life again, and after a while, they had gotten back to what resembled a relatively normal routine. But once again, Debbie noticed, these episodes were starting to happen more often.

That time of year was rearing its ugly battered head again.

'I'm sorry,' Jasmine whispered, drawing Debbie from her thoughts.

'Soft sod,' Debbie replied, placing a gentle kiss on the girl's forehead before smiling warmly at her. 'Hey, what do you say to me going and getting us a bottle of wine, hmm? We can order a takeaway and have a nice cosy night in.' Each of her last few words were punctuated by a delicate kiss.

With a sniffle, Jasmine smiled back up at her as she nodded.

'Sounds like a plan.'

Debbie grinned, pleased that Jasmine wasn't willing to let her low mood completely engulf her, and was up for trying to focus on having a pleasant evening together.

'Right then,' the young Dingle said, as she got up and grabbed some money off the side. 'I'll be as quick as I can okay?' she continued, unable to resist giving Jasmine a short, yet extremely sweet kiss before leaving.

Jasmine reached for the remote, and turned the TV on again; scrolling through until settling on a channel where another 'Friend' was insisting that they were on a break!

There was a knock at the front door, and Jasmine sighed at the thought of having to get up out of her cosy spot on the couch. Reluctantly, she eventually got to her feet, picking up the treat bowl as went, and made her way towards the door.

Fully expecting the cheeky pre-adolescent cry of 'Trick-or-Treat!' she was surprised to find nobody there. Her surprise turned to confusion, and soon, irritation, at the fact she had left her warm seat for nothing. With a huff, she closed the door and made her way back to the couch and settled herself down again, trying to get warm as she quickly got sucked back into the show, even chuckling as she watched.

Knock. Knock.

'For God's sake,' she muttered angrily, though her quiet uttering was laced with frustration. Her patience frayed all too easily these days. She contemplated ignoring it. Obviously somebody was having a laugh at her expense, and she was not in the mood to be toyed with.

Knock. Knock.

Still she didn't budge. They'll go away in a minute, she thought, and listened carefully, trying to make out any retreating footsteps of pranksters. But she heard nothing, and after a few moments, she started to relax again and nestled deeper into her seat.

Knock. Knock.

'Right,' she said, purposefully rising to her feet as she marched back towards the door, and yanking it open. 'Think that's funny d'ya?' she spat. The last of her words dying on her lips

But no-one was there.

Jasmine stepped out and looked around the street. No-one. She walked down the path and up to the gate, checking behind the wall, nothing. Not one person in sight. Just an empty frosty street.

A distinct feeling of unease starting to creep its way down her spine. Closing her eyes, she shook her head.

Just some silly kids, that's all, she told herself.
They just ran off this time.
Out of sight.
Debs'll be back soon.

She slowly backed into the house. Her keen eyes watched on for any signs of movement as her hand reached for the door and slowly closed it, until it clicked shut.

Knock. Knock.

Jasmine screamed, throwing herself back against the wall away from the door.

No. No. That's not possible, she thought.

She had only just shut the door. There was no-one there.

Fuck.

She was shaking now. But this had to be a joke, a sick practical joke.

She should be able to see someone's silhouette, but there was no shadow, no movement. Nothing.

Jasmine's heart start to hammer against her chest as she failed to think of any logical reasoning for it. She took a deep breath, and clenched her jaw, as she started to brace herself for what she was about to do.

Tentatively, she reached out, and placed her hand on the door handle, jumping slightly when the knocking sound came again, causing a burst of adrenalin to surge through her body. She gripped the handle tighter and opened the door with such force, it slammed against the wall as her eyes manically searched the front of the house and along the street.

Seeing absolutely nothing, had never filled Jasmine with such immense fear.

Stepping back inside she slumped against the wall and started to sob. She couldn't believe that she had wanted someone to be there, waiting. Waiting to do what? She didn't care. To leap out at her? Attack her, maybe. That at least would go towards explaining things. That would make sense. A real, physical, person that she could see and touch. She'd be a victim, but she wouldn't be potentially going mad from strange, inexplicable knockings.

But there hadn't been someone waiting. There was no explanation for what was happening. She had opened the door a split second after the door knocked. No-one could have hidden themselves out of sight that quickly. It simply was not possible.

Jasmine's crying had stopped, but the fear had firmly taken hold of her. She reached out with her foot and teased the door shut again, and slowly got to her feet, giving the door an extra shove, just to make sure it was shut firmly.

She quietly returned to the living room, shutting the second door behind her, before returning to her place on the couch, grabbing a cushion and clasping it against her, hugging it tightly as she once again, pulled her knees towards her, protectively.

Debs will be home soon, she repeated to herself, trying her best to put the earlier incident out of her mind; focusing on Debbie. She had been her rock over the past several months. She really had no idea what she would have done without her, and truly believed that she would never be able to adequately show her just how grateful she was, for everything. Debbie had managed to prove to her every single day, just how much she loved Jasmine, without even trying, so Jasmine thought, and sometimes with the most seemingly insignificant of actions, to any outsider. But Jasmine always picked up on it. She knew Debbie would do absolutely anything for her, she'd already proved that, when that whole mess threatened to tear their lives apart

She just hoped to God, that Debbie knows how she feels in return. That she knows it goes both ways and knows that she is everything to her, like she is everything to the Dingle.

Knock knock knock.

'No. Not again.' said Jasmine, as her heart started to race again, and she hugged the cushion that bit tighter. 'Leave me alone.'

Knock. Knock.

'Please.'

But the knocking only became louder and more insistent. It wasn't going to stop. Still clutching the cushion to her, she returned to her feet and made her way back over to the door. Still no shadow. She went to open the door, but it wouldn't open. Panic set in again.

It's locked me in.

Her eyes frantically examined the door. She held her breath, when a thought came to her. Reaching out she turned the knob of the Yale lock, and the door opened.

Relief mixed with confusion, filled her.

'What you lock the door for?'

Jasmine shrieked, when Debbie stepped out from the side and spoke.

'Jesus, what are ya doing jumping out at me like that?!' Jasmine shouted.

'What are you on about? I was seein' if you were coming to let me in, that's all. What's wrong?'

When the initial shock left her, Jasmine tossed the cushion to the side and grabbed Debbie in a furious hug.

'God, you're shaking. What's going on.'

'The door,'

'What about it? Why'd you knock it off the latch?'

Jasmine pulled back slightly, looking straight at Debbie.

'I didn't.'

Debbie really started to get concerned. How could she have gotten into this state in the short time she'd gone?

'C'mon. You must have done. Doors don't lock themselves do they? Hmm?' she said with a smile. Trying her best to lighten the mood. 'Hey, have you had any more trick-or-treaters?'

'No, not exactly.'

'Not exactly? Who then?'

'No-one.'

'Well where'd those foot prints come from?'

'What?'

Jasmine's heart missed a beat again. Looking around, she saw the footprints. Wet, and ever so slightly muddy, footprints. Her heart start to hammer away again against her chest. Had she missed them the last time? She couldn't remember if she bothered looking at the ground, she was too focused on trying to see a person running away.

Grabbing Debbie's hand she quickly dragged her inside, and slammed the door shut behind them.

'Seriously, Jas. What's going on?' There was a wild look in the girl's eyes that was starting to scare her.

Jasmine took hold of the Dingle's hand again and walked them over to the couch, taking the bottle from Debbie's hand and placing it on the table, she grasped them both, caressing them with her thumbs.

'Debbie. Someone's been knocking on our door.'

'Who?'

'I don't know. I never see them.'

Debbie sighed, 'Kids, it'll be some joker winding you up, Jas.'

'No. That's what I thought, at first. But...Debs, it knocked while I was stood there. No-one was there.'

'Well then, he was just stood to the side, and reached around, Jas.'

'No!' Jasmine interrupted, her voice becoming more desperate. 'As soon as it knocked I opened the door. No-one could have hid themselves away, that quickly.'

Her eyes were pleading with Debbie to believe her. But the cynical Dingle, wouldn't have it.

'Jas. It would've been someone. Maybe they threw stones at the door, so they'd be further away. Or even had something long to tap on the door with. There will be an explanation for it.'

Debbie knew her ideas were starting to sound a little far-fetched, but she had to try and get Jasmine to calm down, and to get these ideas out of her head. It had to be somebody trying to spook her. The alternative, that Jasmine was trying to suggest was just something Debbie was not willing to accept.

'Jasmine,' she continued, cupping Jasmine's face. 'It's Halloween. Someone is playing a prank. Albeit a pretty clever one. But a prank all the same. Nothing has happened while I've been back, has it?'

Jasmine half heartedly, shook her head.

'No. Well then. That's because the little shits have seen me come home, and know I'll knock their lights out if I catch 'em.' she added with a smile. And despite herself, Jasmine chuckled at Debbie's hard nut act, and allowed herself to relax. Debbie had to be right, she thought, deciding that her emotional state must've made her mind run away with itself. That had to be it.

Otherwise, what was the alternative?

Jasmine leaned in, giving Debbie a tender kiss, which the Dingle, gladly reciprocated.

'Mmm, what was that for?' Debbie asked, with a big grin on her face.

'Because I felt like it,' Jasmine replied, a playful lilt to her voice.

'Wanna know what I feel like?'

Knock. Knock.

Jasmine's grip on Debbie instantly tightened, and the Dingle's heart sank when she saw the look of fear take over the girl's face again. She took Jasmine's hand in hers and gently lay a kiss on her knuckles.

'I'll go, you stay 'ere.' Debbie said, as she stood and paced to the door, opening it mid-knock.

'Trick-or-Treat!!'

Though Debbie would never admit it on her part, relief immediately passed over both girls.

'Hiya love, we're just taking lil' Sarah and Samson around for some treats. Hope you don't mind us knocking on,' said Lisa, as she stood there along with Zak and Sam.

'No, don't be silly. Hey Granddad, Hi Sam.' Debbie replied, as she squatted down to the children's eye-level. 'Hey Sarah, don't you look scary in your little witches cozzie eh?'

Jasmine quickly got to her feet, on hearing the voices, bringing the bowl of sweets with her.

'Happy Halloween!' she cheered, when she poked her head around the corner, greeting Debbie's family before kneeling next to Debbie. 'Who wants some treats then hmm?'

'Me me me!' came the eager replies of the creepily costumed children, as they jumped up and down with excitement.

Debbie watched the scene with delight as Jasmine placed treats in both of their bags, Sarah seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself, and seemed so happy. Part of her wished it was her taking Sarah around trick-or-treating. Her and Jasmine, despite her little rant earlier, she chuckled to herself. She saw how Jasmine was with Sarah, so natural with her and her daughter had really seemed to really take to her in recent months. They could be the perfect little family. She knew it.

But she also knew, until Jasmine can put the whole Shane business behind her properly, it wouldn't be fair on her or Sarah. So she'd have to be content with sitting on the sidelines, and making the most of the little moments she got with her, as and when they occurred. Sarah seemed happy enough as she is. Debbie had given her up, so who was she to disrupt things for her again, she thought to herself.

'Don't you go eating all those sweets at once, okay?' Debbie said to Sarah, as she tickled her cheek.

'Okay Debbiee,' Sarah replied, smiling happily.

Debbie got to her feet again, and smiled warmly at the Dingles.

'Thanks for bringing her round,' she said quietly.

Lisa could see the hint of sadness behind her eyes. 'Any time, love. You know that. Debbie love, you know you only have to give the word and....'

'I know,' Debbie said, interrupting her. 'It's not the right time.'

Lisa and Zak looked to each other, in resignation.

'Right well, you best get going, before it gets late eh?' Debbie continued.

'Okay, say bye bye, kids,' Zak said before Lisa could get a word in.

'Byeee!'
'Bye Debbie! Bye Dasmine!'

Both girls waved as they started to walk away.

'Hey Sam!' Debbie shouted. Throwing a chocolate bar to him as he turned around. 'Don't eat it all at once.' she added with a wink.

'Very funny Debs,' he retorted, albeit with his typical goofy grin. 'Cya Debbie.'

Both girls stood and watched them walk away, before Jasmine turned to look at Debbie. Who was still watching her daughter skipping off in the distance. She softly kissed her cheek, before closing the door and taking her by the hand, leading her back inside.

'Let's take the wine upstairs, yeh?' Jasmine said, following it with another kiss before resting her forehead against Debbie's. The Dingle simply nodded and pulled Jasmine in tightly for a hug.

'Love you, Jas,' she whispered. Bringing a big smile to Jasmine's face, as they rubbed noses. 'Right then, go get your yummy self upstairs, and i'll bring up the wine and glasses.' Debbie said brightly, as she cheekily gave Jasmine a playful slap on the bottom, causing Jasmine to giggle at her.

'Don't be long,' Jasmine said as she ascended the stairs, before entering the bathroom to freshen up. Turning the tap, she let the water run over her hands as thoughts of the girl downstairs trickled through her head. Her smile still in place as she splashed water over her face, and idly reached for a towel. As she dried her face, she immediately felt something was wrong. The towel felt wrong in her hands, she didn't feel the usually soft fluffy fabric, but something thinner and smooth.

Slowly she pulled her hands away from her face, and all the colour drained from her face, when she recognised what it was. In her hands was a torn piece of fabric, black fabric with a white leaf pattern all over it.

No. We burnt this.

'No no no,' she sobbed, as her hands started to shake.

Throwing it to the ground, she ran out the bathroom as Debbie was making her own way up the stairs.

'Woah, easy Jas. What's wrong?'

Jasmine just pulled Debbie into a fierce hug, not wanted to let go.

When she wouldn't speak, Debbie just slowly walked them towards their bedroom, as she tried to calm her back down again. Dropping the bottle and glasses onto the bed, she wrapped her arms round Jasmine properly, stroking her hair as she made soothing noises.

'Shhh. It's okay, i've got ya.'

'My dress,' she sobbed, 'In the bathroom.'

Debbie looked Jasmine in the face, as confusion filled her own. She gently brushed away the stray tears, before kissing her gently.

'Okay, I'll go look'

Entering the bathroom, she looked around and her eyes fell to the discarded item that lay on the floor, taking a deep breath, she picked it up and returned to the bedroom. Jasmine was putting the bottle and glasses on to the bedside table when Debbie returned. Jasmine turned and her eyes dropped to the damp towel in Debbie's hands.

'No. Debs, no! I'm telling you it was my dress. A torn piece of my dress, that we burned!'

Debbie's eyes looked from Jasmine's face, to the towel and back to the girl's face again.

'Don't look at me like that. I'm not going mad!'

'I never said you were, Jas'

'You didn't have to, but that's what you think, isn't it?'

'No. I don't know what to think Jasmine. You tell me you saw a piece of your dress, but there was nothing but this in there.'

Tossing the towel into the wash basket, she walks over to the bed, and sits on the edge, resting her elbows on her thighs and holding her head in her hands.

Jasmine sat next to Debbie, placing her arm around the Dingle, resting her head against her shoulder.

'Shall we just cuddle up for the night?'

A few hours later, the girls were snuggled up together in bed, with Debbie spooning Jasmine, almost protectively, with her arm, wrapped around her and holding her against her own body. Jasmine's eyes shot open. Something woke her, but she wasn't sure what it was. Lying still, she couldn't hear anything, other than the familiar shallow breathing of her sleeping girlfriend.

Deciding she wanted to see Debbie's face, she carefully wriggled around, but stopped in her tracks as her eyes caught sight of something in the doorway.

She gave Debbie a nudge. 'Debs.'

'Mmph,' came the response.

So she nudged her again. 'Debs!'

'Wha?' Debbie replied sleepily, as she rubbed her eyes. But Jasmine didn't reply. 'Jas, will you tell me what's...' Debbie stopped mid sentence, as her eyes joined Jasmine's as they fixed upon the doorway. 'What the f...'

The door was now wide open and in the entrance, there stood one of their dining chairs.

'Now do you believe me?' Jasmine asked, as she turned to look at Debbie's pale face. 'It's him you know.'

'What? Who?' Debbie asked, totally lost.

'Shane.'

'Jasmine. We're not talking about him.'

'Debbie, think about it. The chair; the wet, muddy footprints that appeared out of nowhere. It's him. He's getting back at me for what I did.'

'No Jasmine. He's gone. He's dead. This...this, I don't know what this is, but it's not him. That's not possible. Do you know what you're suggesting? Ghosts, Jas. Bloody ghosts!'

'Well how else can you explain a chair finding its way upstairs all by itself!? Well?'

'I don't know,' Debbie muttered quietly.

'What?'

'I don't know, okay?' she repeated louder, getting out of bed. 'I don't know!'

Walking over to the doorway, she tentatively nudged the chair with her foot. Relieved that it moved naturally enough she released a deep sigh and picked the chair up and took it back downstairs. After she'd returned it to its place neatly under the table, she double checked the doors and windows. No-one had broken in, and there was no-one here.

When she made her way back to the bedroom, she found Jasmine getting dressed.

'What are you doing?'

'Debs I can't stay here.'

'Oh and where are you going to go at three in the morning?'

'Debs! I can't stay here!'

'Okay okay, shh, calm down, I'm sorry.'

'Do you still think it's someone taking the piss?'

Debbie looked Jasmine in the eye, as she ran the events through her mind. The doors had been locked.

'Maybe it was one of us.'

'What?' Jasmine laughed, not believing what she was hearing.

'You think I'm making this all up, doing this on purpose?'

Debbie closed her eyes, realising Jasmine had taken her comment the wrong way. 'I never said that. People can do things when they're asleep. It's been known, where people can do the most weird, and relatively complicated things while they're still asleep. That's a possibility isn't it? Hmm?'

'That doesn't explain the other stuff.'

'Okay, but still, Jas, where would we go? Cos there's no way I'm not going to not come with you.' she smiled. 'C'mon, there's only a few hours until morning. And then everything will be over.

'How can you know that?'

'It's Halloween night. Nothing has happened until today. So why should it continue, come morning? If you genuinely believe it's some unknown ...thing, rather than someone playing funny buggers, then all we need to do is get through the next few hours and it'll be over.'

Debbie didn't know how she was managing to sound so certain, but she was determined to not let Jasmine know how scared she was. Whichever possibility you went with was a scary thought. If it was someone some how playing tricks, then that would mean someone knows what they'd done. And if it wasn't, well. She wasn't prepared to entertain that thought. She had to stay calm, she had to keep it together for Jasmine's sake.

'Please Jas, let's just try and go back to sleep?' she asked, pulling Jasmine into her arms. 'You're safe with me.'

'Okay,' Jasmine whispered.

Another couple of hours passed when Jasmine made her way back downstairs, as Debbie slept on. She walked to the kitchen, she grabs a pint glass and turns on the tap, letting the water run until it got cold enough. A slight gasp escapes her when she feels a presence behind her, breath against her skin and softest of touches brush against her hair.

Gripping the glass tighter in her hands, she spins round as she raises the glass up into the air an as soon as she registers that no-one is there again, she's grabbed from behind, the glass fell from her fingers and smashed on the floor. She could still see nothing, yet there was the unmistakeable feeling of arms wrapped around her, one around her waist and one clamped over her mouth, preventing her from screaming out. She would never forget that feeling. Not after that night.

Just as it had happened that evening in December, she felt herself being dragged from the kitchen area and over to the couch, where she was thrown down, before feeling a heavy weight on top of her, keeping her pinned down. Before she could think about crying out for Debbie, when she had been momentarily released, an invisible hand clamped itself over her mouth again. As much as she tried to claw at her face to fight the grip the entity had over her mouth, there was nothing there to pry away.

She felt another hand softly stroke her hair, just as he had done on that night.

'Now, it'll be a pity, not to say goodbye properly.'

Jasmine froze. Had she really heard that voice? Or was it in her head? She didn't know any more. But suddenly she found herself back there, in Shane's apartment, pinned to his couch with his venomous face hovering over hers, until he forcefully leant in trying to kiss her.

–

Debbie started to stir. Her body having realised that the warmth of her friend had gone as she rolled over and reached over to Jasmine's side of the bed as she tried to seek her out. When her hand fell on nothing but an empty space, Debbie's sleepy haze started to lift, and then from downstairs came the sound of breaking glass. She bolted upright, and her heart leapt when she realised Jasmine wasn't with her and called out her name as she flew out of bed and downstairs.

Seeing Jasmine on the couch, brought all the dark memories she'd been trying to keep locked away, flooding back, and she started to feel sick. She never wanted to see the girl she loved in that position again. It killed her to witness it the first time around. She was even somehow back in the same clothes she was wearing that night.

Rushing over, she could see Jasmine's eyes were closed tightly shut and that there were pressure marks of something holding Jasmine's face. Then out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jasmine's skirt start to rise up of it's own accord and she started to panic.

Reaching out she called to Jasmine, and brushed her skirt back down. She ran her hand over Jasmine's mouth, half expecting to feel a hand there but felt nothing but the softness of Jasmine's lips. Debbie gently shook her to try and get her to snap out of the fear induced trance like state she was in.

Suddenly whatever it was, relinquished it's hold on the girl and now free, Jasmine suddenly started to scream and swing her arms still desperately trying to fend off her attacker. One blow caught Debbie in the face, completely unprepared for the sudden onslaught. Slightly dazed, Debbie now had to struggle against Jasmine to try and control her frenzied fists, which she didn't realise only exacerbated the situation, despite constantly talking to her, trying to calm her down. All Jasmine could see was Shane still trying to pin her down.

Finally realising that she was now straddling Jasmine herself, and in the same position that he had been, Debbie jumped up. Her physical presence was keeping Jasmine linked to that night. She tried shouting her name again, but it wasn't working. She had to find a way to bring her round.

Quickly running over to the kitchen, cursing loudly as she cut her foot on some broken glass, she grabbed a pan and filled it with water, before hobbling back over to Jasmine as fast as she could.

She tried calling Jasmine's name one last time, before throwing the cold water into the girls face.

Jasmine went still and her eyes opened and locked on Debbie's.

Though they seemed to look right through her, not recognising her, which started to unnerve the young Dingle.

'Jas?' she said softly, placing the pan on the table as she knelt down in front of Jasmine, whose eyes followed her every move. 'Jas, can you hear me?'

Debbie slowly reached out and took Jasmine's hand in her own, stroking it with her thumb. But still no response from her friend.

'Jas, please say something,' Debbie continued. Her voice now cracking with emotion. She was so utterly lost, not knowing what to do, or how to help her. She felt like she'd let her down. 'Please, Jas. I don't know what I'd do without you.' And she rest her head in Jasmine's lap as she cried. The occasional whispers of I love you, escaping in between sobs.

When she felt a hand brush through her hair, she cried harder as she looked up to meet Jasmine's eyes. Warm eyes now, that instantly twinkled at the sight of Debbie's face. The relief that surged through her was indescribable, Jasmine was back in her pyjamas, and was half smiling down at her, when she reached up and captured Jasmine's lips in a powerful kiss.

'I'm sorry, Jas. I should've believed you. I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Let me look at ya' her voice was shaky and full of concern as her eyes and hands softly traced Jasmine's skin, looking for any sort of physical marks.

'I'm okay, he's gone now.'

'How do you know?' Debbie asked, as she moved to sit next to Jasmine and pulling her in for a cuddle.

'I don't feel scared any more. I actually feel really good, and positive about my future. About our future, together. For the first time since it happened, Debs, I can picture us as a family.'

'What?' Debbie said in surprise.

'I saw your face today, I know that's what you want.'

'And is it what you want?'

'I want nothing more than for you to get your daughter back and for us all to be a family together.'

Debbie's smile grew and she gave Jasmine a long tender kiss.

'You have no idea how much I love you, Jas.'

'Yes I do. About this much less than I love you.' Jasmine replied holding her thumb and forefinger an inch apart.

'Oh is that so?' Debbie asked playfully.

'Mmmhm.' Jasmine replied with a smile, before both girls giggled. 'Erm, Debbie, why am I all wet?'

Later the next day, Jasmine went to work as normal, much to Debbie's dismay. She had desperately tried to get her to throw a sickie so they could spend some "quality" time together, especially after the events of the previous night. But after succumbing to Debbie's charms, making her an hour late, Jasmine insisted on going in and getting on with things as normal.

A couple of hours into her shift, Scarlett came rushing into the pub clearly distressed.

Jasmine watched on as she collected some glasses.

'Hey, calm down. What's up love?' Diane asked as the girl got her breath back.

'It's Victoria.' she gasped, as Jasmine returned to the bar, several glasses in hand.

'What about her?' Diane replied.

'She was on the ice, on the Lake up at Home Farm,' Scarlett continued.

Jasmine froze.

'She fell in.'

In a matter of seconds, terror gripped hold of Jasmine once again and all that could be heard were gasps of shock from Diane and other people listening to Scarlett's news, and then in what seemed like slow motion to Jasmine, the sound of glasses shattered one by one against the floor, shattering her hope and plans of a family, with it.

The End.