Running Shoes (The Shades of Northwood) (34 page)

And then he
faded.

He vanished
quickly, just like before when it had seemed like something was
tearing him away from this world. Only this didn’t feel quite the
same – not like he was being taken away, more like he was being
taken back. Somehow, on some level so high Katie couldn’t even see
it, she knew that was right.

She stood there
for a few long minutes after the bad man had disappeared, positive
he would come back. She realised she still had his precious badge
in her hand and put it in her pocket, bending over and putting her
hands on her knees to draw in some shuddering breaths whilst
willing her legs to hold her up. The rain was battering her poor
body now, every inch of her being was crying out for rest, a mile
of bandage and enough painkiller to down a horse. There was no time
to worry about that now though. “Jack!”

He was still
lying facedown on the ground, his face turned ever so slightly to
one side. Falling to the ground halfway over, Katie dragged herself
to that side and smoothed his short sandy hair away from his face,
not managing to shift the locks the rain had plastered to his face,
her fingers too clumsy to pick them away. The thrown phone lay on
the ground – too far away to reach without doing that impossible
moving thing again – and she knew she should use it to call for the
ambulance. If it still worked. As mobile phones weren’t generally
waterproof beyond a quick splash in a puddle or accidental ride in
the washing machine, it was a long shot.

“No, Jack, you
can’t do this to me.”

Blood was
soaking his t-shirt, so dark it was almost black. It wasn’t pumping
out of him in dramatic, heart-stopping bursts. It wasn’t even
leaking out of him now. It was just smothering his back, thick and
gloopy. What did that mean? That he didn’t have enough blood left
for it to ooze? “It’s okay. You’re safe now.” She repeated it over
and over again but it made no difference. His chest didn’t start to
rise and falll as her words willed him to breathe again. He didn’t
roll over, give a weak smile and murmur her name, whatever the
silver screen said. He was dad, she knew it in her heart but she
had the stubborn disbelief of anyone caught in that first wave of
grief. Katie put her hands on his back, not caring about the blood
being splashed up her arms by the rain. By this time, Katie hardly
felt the storm pounding her and making her rock on tired knees. She
had filled a bad man with dark power and things had turned out
okay. Perhaps the same could be done for Jack. She dug down deep
and tried to grab hold of anything she had left and force it into
Jack. Only thee was absolutely nothing left. She tried and she
tried and then she cried and she cried as nothing worked.

“Dina, help
me!” she yelled. There was no answer. Dina was not there.

Wait.

…
a way. You
must find a way. There is always a way. You must find a way. There
is always…

She fell into a
deep, dreamless sleep, slumped over her cowboy and listened to
those words. The last few days had been a total screw up. And now
someone was dead – maybe two people - that she cared about were
dead. It was all her fault.
If you can hear me Jack, please know
that I tried.

And then there
was nothing but two still bodies on a muddy patch of waste ground
in the fading storm of their lives.

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

“I think she
just moved.”

“A 24 hour
sleep. Must be some kind of record.”

“Shut it, Ad.
You just wish you could get away with it.”

“Well, I have
been chained to a bed for a weekend before but I don’t think it
counts.”

“I don’t want
to know this.”

“Well, I do
‘cos it wasn’t with me!”

“I don’t think
there
was
a girl with him. He just likes his own company
that much.”

“Jaye! Come on,
downstairs with me. It’s Marmite time.”

“Fuck off.
That’s, like, cruel and unusual punishment.”

“It’s alright,
sweetie. He’ll be cleaning up the puke.”

Katie heard all
of this conversation before daring to blink her eyes against the
hard artificial light. She awoke with a smile at the corners of her
mouth. “This isn’t my room.” The light bulb was bare, the walls
were lemon yellow, there was a poster of some swimmer climbing out
of a pool – there were letters by her head by his head but they
could have been anything – staring at her, and the windows were
intact.

“I know. We put
you in Jaye’s room and then took turns watching over you. Even Leo
lasted a whole half hour.”

“Never knew he
cared.”

“He thought I
wouldn’t tear him a new one if he helped out.” Katie frowned her
question and Adam continued. “He put a red shirt in with my
whites.”

“I already
asked to see the damage. Pink boxers… very manly.” Lainy shot a
lightning look at Jaye but there was only good humour in it, no
malice. Good, there was enough evil in the world without these two
starting a bitch fight. “Relax, I do the washing too.”

“Sweetie, how
are you feeling?” Lainy put a cool hand on Katie’s forehead. It
didn’t feel quite right. Lainy. Elaine. Surname Pierce before
taking Adam’s family name of Thomas a few years ago. Everything
came flooding back. “Hey, don’t cry. What’s all this for?”

“I remember
everything. I know things I can’t know about. I’ve seen things.”
She leant in to the woman’s hand, relishing the heatless, sweatless
feel on her burning, clammy face. “Even you. I know about you
too.”

“What about
me?”

“I know you’re
a ghost. You died in a car crash at age 24. There’s a memorial
bench to you at the medical centre. Your dad was driving you,
stopped at the pub for a drink. You would have stopped him only you
were asleep. Never saw him veer over to the wrong side of the road,
never had chance to scream before the C-Max smashed into you. I
know you felt guilty for a long time that you got brought back and
he didn’t. But it was his time, not yours.” Katie flopped back on
the pillows, out of breath and tired once more.

“Sweetie, I
thing you have a fever. You’re talking rubbish. Jaye, get me water
and paracetamol. Last night, you were all messed up and now…”

“I’m fine
now.”

“Did a good job
on yourself, kid.”

She looked up
at Adam through droopy eyes and thought she slurred out “I don’t do
anything by halves.” She dragged her eyes open one last time,
trying to coax her aching brain into forming coherent questions. It
was hard going but there was so much she needed to find out before
she could sleep again and start healing. “Why am I here?” Lainy and
Adam looked at each other for a long time before they answered. It
was too long for it to be anything good but she had to know. “Why
am I at home?” Katie clarified, realising that they might have
thought she was enquiring about the room again. Them thinking she
had lost her memory was all she needed. Actually, a good dose of
amnesia might be good about now.

“Your parents
called. They said they can’t wait to see you race tomorrow. You’re
still going to run?”

“Oh, crap. I
forgot about that.”

“Katie, we need
to tell you-“

“Jack!” she
cried.

“He’s fine.
It’s-“ Lainy shifted a few inches to grab the box of
painkillers.

Adam caught her
arm and led her out of the room. “I don’t think she needs them any
more.” He passed Jack on the way out and low fived him. “She needs
time and TLC. Give it to her, man.”

Jack looked
fine. Not a single scab or drop of dried blood. No scars that
hadn’t been there before. He had changed from the black jeans and
beige shirt Katie remembered him dying in and into a plain white
t-shirt with blue jeans, work boots and a blue jean jacket. This
outfit suited him better. “How? How can you be here?”

“I was healing
when you got to me. I was on the edge but then you started fighting
and it was a shock to him. He never got chance to finish me off.”
He noticed her furrowed brow. “Too crude?” After dying this death
for so many lifetimes, the expression no longer had such a sharp
edge.

“I saw you die
Jack. I watched you bleed away your last drop, scream away your
last breath. I had to watch that and now you come here and tell me
everything’s-“
OK
.

“That’s because
it is okay.”

“No. No. No,
it’s not. Something happened to Dina. She’s dead, Jack.”

“I went to the
hospital earlier. The tests said no brain activity but she’s still
on life support. Lainy said these tests, they ain’t
idiot-proof.”

“She’s gone. I
saw Dina’s ghost walk into the shadows.”

Straight away
he began to fade, panic setting up camp on that beautiful face,
sea-green eyes wild with worry. Something had spooked him but Katie
couldn’t think fast enough to ask him what it was. She felt the
brush of his lips on her cheek and turned her face into the kiss.
But he was gone before their lips could meet. Katie allowed herself
a moment of sadness and then fell back into sleep. This time she
dreamed of candy floss trees and strawberry pyramids. Nothing
sinister, just her body resting and fixing itself while her
unconscious drifted to some far away happy place.

“Give ’em hell,
honey!”

Katie waved to
her father from the start line. The half of the town that wasn’t’
running in the race had turned out to watch and were chucking loose
change into buckets on street corners for the parent and toddler
group.

“Such a
healthy, trusting place,” Mom had cooed first thing that morning.
“What a lovely town to live in.”

“Yeah, it’s
great.” Katie made herself smile way the tiredness inside. The week
had been exhausting but a day of undisturbed sleep yesterday had
cured most of her aches and pains; a six o’clock wake up at the
weekend was just too much. Things would shake out once that old
adrenaline started flowing. “My friends are all lovely and the
academy – I haven’t been in yet, classes start Monday – but it
looks so nice.”

“I’m so glad
you’re happy, Katie. You are happy, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Mom. I’m
happier than I’ve been in ages.” And, surprisingly, that wasn’t a
lie. Even being so close to death all the time didn’t seem so bad.
I think I needed the fresh start.”

“You will come
back home won’t you? Dan wanted to come but she has that sicky bug
going round but she’d love to see you when she’s well.”

“I’ll call her
soon,” she said, dodging the first question.
And tell her she
can have my room.
“Oh, there’s Marcie. We’re running
together.”

“But-“

An official
looking man blew a whistle and Katie lost herself in the ranks.
Some-one shouted out, “I’ll see you at the finish line!”