Chapter Five – Darkness Falls

Edward

I tried to remain calm so as not to alert Katherine. "Are you sure?" I whispered.

"Yes," Bella said, her eyes widening, frightened. "He's coming closer."

"Is he dangerous?"

"I d-don't know. He's darker and surrounded by darkness. He c-can't t-talk either, Edward," she stuttered in between gasps – classic signs of anxiety.

I leaned my forehead against hers, my hands still cupping her face. "It's all right, Bella," I whispered. "Is Hayley still out here?"

She looked around us quickly. "No."

"I need you to go inside," I said, handing her my house key. "Stay inside."

She shook her head. "Come with me," she pleaded, taking a hold of my hand.

"Not until they're gone," I said. I pressed my lips on top of her head, and the scent of cherry blossoms invaded my nose. Once I stepped back, Bella turned and went to my door. With minimal effort, she made it inside, closing the door quickly. For some reason the front porch light flickered. Was it the spirit?

The whole time I'd been speaking with Bella, Katherine had been going on and on about hiring investigators, lawyers, and calling the police to lock up the fraud. "Oh, I bet the media would love to hear about some floozy physic communicating –"

I turned to look at her, ready to put an end to her ranting. "Don't even bother with the police, Katherine," I said almost smugly.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Her father is the chief of police."

Katherine paled, and the rosiness of her cheeks and nose disappeared instantly. "Well, I –"

"Leave," I spat, advancing on her. "You're not welcome here." I made sure to emphasize the statement so that the spirit would get the hint too.

I had no idea how to deal with the new information. The man accused of taking my daughter from me was dead, leaving even more questions unanswered. Why had he taken my daughter? Why was he dead? What had happened to him? Why was he haunting Katherine? And why did Bella fear him?

I walked backward toward my front entrance, my eyes on Katherine. "Remember, you're not wanted here."

"You haven't heard the last of me, Edward!" Katherine said, shaking her fist at me. She turned on her heel and stomped to her car.

That was when I saw it.

What I had previously thought was a shadow cast by the porch lights and bushes was actually a black mass. It was over six feet tall and had no defined edge to it. It moved almost like a sentient fog. It was floating at the end of my driveway when it suddenly came closer. The porch light flickered several times, and the mass retreated. It moved in an almost snake-like pattern, toward Katherine's car just as she drove away.

Normally, I'd be ecstatic with this kind of experience, but not at the price of my daughter's spirit. I walked inside my house and noticed that Bella was not on the first floor. I walked up the stairs to the first door on the left – Hayley's room.

There curled up on the small multi-colored round rug was Bella, with one of Hayley's dolls. My temper flared with the thought of someone else touching her things, but I stomped it down when I noticed what she was doing. She sat with her legs crossed in front of her as she seemingly stroked something sitting on her lap, while she hummed my daughter's lullaby. She was oblivious to my watching and listening.

"You have such lovely hair, Hayley," Bella murmured. "I know you're tired… Soon, I hope… I know you do, sweet pea."

She spoke to Hayley as if she were still alive. I couldn't hear what Hayley was saying and it didn't matter, because Bella was there to give her something I couldn't. All that mattered was that they were safe.

"Bella," I whispered, alerting her to my presence.

"Oh," she gasped, her shoulders moving up in surprise. "Edward."

"Daddy," Hayley said hoarsely. Her voice sounded so different from before.

"Hayley," Bella started, "I need you to give me and your dad some privacy. It's important that I talk to him."

"Okay," a distant whisper said.

Bella stood up, placing the doll back onto Hayley's dresser. She walked out into the hallway. "I'll explain, but not in front of her."

I nodded and led her to my bedroom, closing the door behind me. Bella started to pace, which put me on guard. Something was wrong.

"He looked like Hayley did when I first saw her, only darker. He couldn't talk because water kept coming out. His eyes…God, they were so dark. I sensed his anger radiating from him. Edward, but it wasn't toward Hayley, you or me. It was all focused on that vile woman," she said. She stopped her pacing abruptly to sit on my bed.

"I saw something just now. It was like a dark fog. What does that mean?" I asked as I sat down beside her.

"I'm not surprised you've seen him in some form. You're deeply connected to your daughter, just as he is." She must have detected the fear in my features and eyes at her statement; just the thought that something like that entity shared a connection with Hayley scared me to death. "She's fine, Edward." I nodded and encouraged her to continue.

"I've seen ghosts like him before," she said slowly. "Most of the time they're vengeful." She wrung her hands nervously and bit her lip. I placed my hand over one of hers. It looked so small in my large hand. I delicately intertwined our fingers, rubbing soothing patterns over her knuckles. She took a few deep breaths, allowing herself to relax.

"Do you remember the ghost I mentioned on Potomac Ave?" she asked. I nodded. "She was killed in an accident while arguing with her boyfriend. He had been driving. She blames him for her death, and she's angry that he walked away. There had been a lot of accidents there because of her."

"So, these types of ghosts seek revenge by hurting others –"

"Or," Bella said, cutting me off, "the person they think is responsible."

I sat, trying to comprehend what she was telling me. "So, you think that Garrett's spirit is haunting Katherine because she had something to do with his death?" Bella nodded. "Fuck, how do we prove that?"

"I'm not sure, but he couldn't come any closer."

"Why?"

"Because the closer he got to the house, to Hayley, the more energy he took from her."

"What?" I felt confused by this information, and I feared for Hayley.

Bella leaned her head on my shoulder as she continued to explain. "Vengeful spirits take a lot more energy to manifest," she said softly. "Edward, he stopped when he realized what was happening to Hayley."

"Why would he do that?" I asked. Bella shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, seemingly just as confused. A few errant strands of her hair fell over her nose and cheeks. With my free hand, I placed them behind her ear.

"I don't know," she said before she yawned. She looked at me, her eyes warm and inviting. I cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"Bella, you're exhausted," I said. "Why don't you sleep in here?" I was nervous to sleep in Hayley's room alone, knowing what I knew now. I couldn't ask Bella to –

"Can't," she huffed with a pout. "Hayley made me promise to sleep in her room with you."

I laughed at little, grateful, and pulled Bella by the hand, leading her to my drawers. "Okay, then why don't you change –" I took a blue long-sleeved shirt and pair of grey sweats from the drawer "– into that, while I go lock up downstairs?"

"Okay," Bella said warmly. She took the clothes gratefully, and I showed her where the en suite bathroom was. I stood outside of my bedroom door and sighed. The emotions that had been wreaking havoc on my mind and heart threatened to spill over the minute I stepped out of the room.

The closer I was to her, the more at peace I felt. The further away from her smile, touch or her presence I was, the more I felt the small fissure in my sanity turn to a crack.

What was I going to do after she helped with Hayley and left?

Bella was a beautiful woman, so it was safe to say she had to have someone special in her life. Then I remembered what Alice had said when she had shown me some of Bella's work.

"Her father is a cop," she said softly. "She's the only child. She lost her mother at a young age. I'm the only friend she has."

"Why?" I asked, holding the framed depiction of a dilapidated house surrounded by lush forest.

"Her best friend was killed in an accident recently," she said and winced.

"Oh," I said. "Did you see?"

She nodded. "The first time I met her, I knew she was extraordinary."

"Hmm," I mused. "She does have a unique talent." I picked up a black and white photograph of fog rolling over a hill. No matter what medium she used, there was a sense of mystery behind each piece.

"You have no idea," Alice said dryly.

Alice had been trying to tell me all along. Bella was different and she was indeed extraordinary.

I stopped at Hayley's bedroom, but I couldn't get myself to enter. I went downstairs, making sure all the locks were in place. I noticed my front porch lights were still on, but flickering. I was wondering if the lights bulbs were going out when I noticed a dark figure across the street. I couldn't see who or what it was, but suddenly it got closer. It was the dark mass from earlier – Garrett Richardson. It hovered near my front lawn, still on the sidewalk.

"Edward," Bella said, her voice shaken. "Turn off the light."

I did what she asked and watched the mass dart back across the street. Bella sighed behind me, looking out the window. "What does it want?" I asked.

"I'm not reading anything but guilt and confusion."

"Will he come into the house?" I asked nervously.

"I don't think so," she whispered. "I think he's afraid of me." Her fingers brushed against mine, and I quickly enveloped her hand in mine. I gave her a small squeeze and led her upstairs.

She sat on Hayley's bed, and I looked around the room nervously. "She's not here, Edward," she said, beckoning me with her hand.

"Why?" I asked, climbing into bed with her.

"I think she's just tired. I'm not sure."

"Will she be okay?" I pulled the blankets around us and we shifted to face each other.

"Yes, for now," she replied.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Bella nodded and tried to stifle a yawn. She was tired, but my curiosity was killing me. So many questions swirled in my head.

"Earlier, when you were sitting on the floor –"

"Hayley asked for me to hum a lullaby. She said she missed hearing you play."

Her fingers tenderly stroked my cheek, and I couldn't help but sigh from her touch as I closed my eyes. "Can you actually feel her?" I whispered.

"Not like I can feel you or another person."

My eyes slowly opened, her eyes filled with concern. They held an overwhelming sense of comfort, but longing, too. She longed for companionship. That much was obvious. Alice was her only friend, and they couldn't even comfort each other because of Alice's gift. I could see how Bella's gift would make making new friends hard.

"The area she takes form in is colder, and the air is thicker," Bella said, struggling for words. "When I stroke her cheek I feel this little shock of energy." I looked at her, concerned that it pained her. "It doesn't hurt. It feels nice."

My forehead rested against hers, our noses barely touching, as her hand ran through my hair. We both started to hum Hayley's lullaby when I felt something vibrate against my stomach.

"Sorry," Bella said, pulling away. "While you were downstairs I talked with my father on the latest development on the case."

She pulled out her cell phone from the pants pocket of the sweats she was wearing. I had just realized that she was wearing my clothes, which were much too big for her. I chuckled when I saw that she had folded the hem several times.

"Hey, Dad," she answered. I propped myself up on my elbow, watching her. "It's late. Why are you still at the station?"

She paused and gave me a small smile. "Okay," she said, her brow furrowing after a few seconds. "The body was found one year ago during the drought." She was repeating the information for my benefit. "He was tagged as a John Doe since there were no usable fingerprints to identify him."

Garrett.

"What makes you think that it's Garrett Richardson's body? Okay, that does make sense. How long will the dental records take so we can know for sure?"

"The area will have to be checked for another body? Yes, I'll see what information I can get." She grabbed my hand, squeezing it hard. "Good night, Dad." She closed her phone and turned back to face me. "There was a body that was found a while back by some hikers near a trail by Bear Creek."

"His car was found near South Platte Park. Why would his body be way over there? And why does your father thinks it's Garrett?"

"I don't know for sure why his body was found there, but I know it's his," Bella said confidently.

"Why?"

"Well, as soon as my father associated the body with Garrett Richardson, all his thoughts became clear. He's still nearby."

"And?" I urged.

"All is not what it seems."