First Soul

Chapter Eight

The screams finally died from Deyna and Lester's lips, but they continued to echo around the large, cavernous space surrounding them. Something groaned, I wasn't sure if it was the wall or Lester. I soon got my answer when the wall gave an almighty crack. Before I could ask what was happening, a faint glow pushed back part of the darkness, revealing Lester slumped on the floor, his body like a sagging, empty cloud. The wall had finally released him.

Lester's light, I didn't have another word for it, was dimmed so much that it was difficult to see. Black spots were starting to creep into my vision. Pretty soon we were going to be surrounded by the darkness again and where would we be? My ears were still ringing from the last screaming episode.

I knelt down beside Lester, my head coming up with a big fat blank on how to help a ghost. I kept my hands firmly by my sides not wishing to feel the ice on my skin. "Lester, are you okay?"

Surprisingly, I felt sorry for the ghost.

Lester was panting as the small light within his body pulsed and decreased in size. "I need help."

Deyna was already dropping to her knees, her hands flapping aimlessly around Lester's body. "What can I do?" she whispered.

"No, it has to be Stephen who helps me."

"Why?" I backed away, horrified.

Why did it have to be me? Anyone could help Lester, and Deyna was willing. Lester finally looked at me expectantly. I gasped and stumbled away further.

Lester's eyes, the soulless black sockets, had changed.

I now found myself staring into eyes the colour of avocados tinged with flecks of gold. They weren't brown like I'd imagined. Was it my imagination or did Lester suddenly appear more living human than ghost? His transparency was disappearing.

"Stephen, it has to be you," Lester pleaded, "I need your help but you have to be willing."

"Why only me?"

Lester pulled in a deep breath, "I..." Lester's light flickered.

"Help him, Stephen!" Deyna shouted, pushing me closer to Lester.

I had two options, complete darkness or the icy touch. "What do I have to do?" I said, biting the bullet.

"You simply have to want to touch me."

I had to do the one thing I didn't want to do.

Brilliant.

"I know that it hurts to touch me—"

"So why ask me?" I snapped and then instantly saw, and felt, the pain from the ghost. I wasn't imagining it. I felt the emotion that was expressed on Lester's face. I'd be damned if I was going to apologise for my outburst. I was entitled to it.

"Because you surviving this journey depends entirely on me," Lester sighed.

"Why?" Whilst Lester was backed into a corner, I felt the urge to extract some answers. It was bad of me. I knew. But this was the only way Lester would talk. I could feel the angry heat pulsing from Deyna but even she couldn't deny her curiosity.

I watched Lester struggle with which truth, or lie, he was going to tell us next. The man just never gave an inch.

"It is only I who knows the way."

"I have the map."

"No... you don't."

In a shaking hand, Lester lifted up the map.

"How the hell did you get that?" I stormed, patting my pockets in disbelief.

"I had to make sure you would help me, it's leverage. I will give you it back. I just need your help."