Henry Neville- The Geist Therapist

13. The Thames Spectre: Chapter Six

Deliverence from Evil

As the light faded into slight, silvery rays, the spectre stood alone, staring at Henry. He appeared injured, if that was possible for a ghost. He was clutching his side as if in some kind of pain.

Henry searched frantically around him, "Luca? Where is Luca?"

For a second the spectre was just as surprised as he was then that grin reappeared, the grin that Henry was starting to loathe, "It appears I have won, Doctor."

"It can't be, how can she just vanish from existence?" A tear formed in Henry's eye. Even though he had only just met the woman, he felt Luca played a critical role in the late ghostly activities and yet still had a larger role to play out. She could not be gone already, could she?

"She was not what you thought she was, Doctor," the spectre hissed in a near comforting way. "People like her and me, we don't belong here."

"How are you both even comparible?"

"You'll see, Doctor. There is a far greater darkness than me waiting to come here," he approached Henry slowly. Henry held up his staff ready. "Do it," the ghoul dared bluntly. "I'm tired of this nonsense. This world has truly grown beyond what I could ever understand, it is time I departed. The witch opened my eyes to that."

Henry pointed his rod towards the spectre, he immediately lowered it again, sighing he asked, "What's your name?"

"Excuse me?" The spectre looked into his eyes.

"I've been chasing you around the Thames for the last 48 hours. Please tell me your name? You can call me Henry."

"Henry was my king. I was known as Thomas, Thomas Banks," the spectre responded.

Henry smiled, "Henry VIII?"

"Yes," replied Thomas the spectre.

"Well, Thomas Banks. It has been very good meeting you. You come from a very different period in time, I'm sure your London was beautiful. Now, where do we go from here?" Henry kept his rod down, he no longer had any desire to zap Thomas out of existence.

"I am ready to return to the forever beyond and everything that entails."

Henry tried to raise the rod again but his body resisted, "I'm sorry, Thomas. I cannot."

"Then let me help," Thomas began to glow faintly. His body started to evaporate slowly until there was very little left. "Goodbye, Doctor Henry," he said before vanishing completely.

Henry did not reply, he was shocked at what had just transpired before him. He was not expecting the spectre to just give up. What had Luca done to him? A thought that would play on his mind until it could one day be answered. He had to discover who Luca was and where she was now.

After realising it could be sometime before any police or anyone would return to Hammersmith Bridge Road Henry figured it was time to leave. With only one reasonable destination to head for he made his way back towards the Thames. Several hours had now passed since he left his five companions in the dark, dirty chamber, he had to get back to them.

He hoped to find a carriage to take him the distance but Hammersmith had become a pun intended, ghost town. Many of the streets on his return journey were deserted or the locals were in deep hiding due to the commotion. Either way he was not able to find a willing driver to take him until he walked as far as Normand Park. From there it was a fairly short distance back to the embankment to meet Polly and the others.