Where the Shadows are Heavy (Bastille)

CHAPTER 11

His phone illuminated the small storage closet. It highlighted the higher points of his face, and darkened the shadows. The dips and high rises more extreme. Everything in the tiny space seemed to leer around him, closing in. The feeling of being trapped wasn't irrational though, as currently he was trying very hard not to be found, and had no current plan of escape.

Beside him were Will and Kyle. Both ghosts half merged in with the rays of paper and files.

Dan set his phone down on the floor. The torch from it emitted a blue glow.

He brought the envelope before him and turned it until the already open side was facing him. Carefully he slid out the papers. All the while the ghosts watched him. It was chilly and quiet, almost eerie, like time had stopped. It wasn't the early afternoon, where he was right now, time didn't exist. Dan felt disconnected.

Placing the now empty envelope beside him, he turned the small stack of papers over in his hands.

On the first page, there was a picture of a person and information about them, from their appearance, to their habits. The picture was presumably a passport photo, and underneath it were others, taken from a distance when the subject wasn't aware. Some grainy, some sharp, but all unnervingly creepy.

He turned the page only to give a sudden intake of breath.

He recognised the face staring back at him. The short brown hair, the beard, the familiar tattoos. Dan didn't usually forget a face, but it was especially hard to not remember, when the person in question was sat opposite him.

Just like the previous page, there were facts and statistics, small details about his life. There were more photos than there had been of the last person, and this time, Will's passport photo had a big red stamp through it with words in print letter. Deceased.  

Silently he picked up the page and turned it to show his two friends. Though they'd probably already had a good view at the page, both leaned in.

Will's face was near unreadable, but his eyes were expressive and sad as he nodded. Dan bit his lip.

"Will." Kyle said quietly. He rested a hand hesitantly on Will's knee as he reached towards to next page with the other. Sliding it around the pair looked at it.

From where he sat, Dan couldn't see the page, but the glum expression written on Will's face told him it wasn't good. However, it wasn't as bad as it could be, seeing as there was an absence of a red stamp on the page. He had to try and see the positives after all. The whole situation was glum, but it could be worse. Not for Will, he was dead, but Dan was alive, and he would like to stay that way.

Dan craned his neck and Kyle pushed the paper back to him. His friend was flickering faintly. He'd spent lots of energy knocking over the boxes even though Will had helped. It took less of a toll on the newer ghost, but still Kyle was using his physicality as he passed Dan the page.

He looked into Anna's face, her perfect passport photo. Not a hair out of place. His breathing faltered and he swallowed.

"Should I call her?"

Will scrunched his face as he thought for a moment. "Yes, now."

So Dan dialled, looking from the file to his phone, copying the number written under Anna's name.

Anna didn't pick up.

He tried again, and still it went to voicemail.

Gritting his teeth, he put his phone down and flicked through the rest of the papers. His finger stopped about halfway through when he saw Chris's face. Like Anna there was no stamp over his picture yet, but unlike Anna, Chris was in police custody, he was safe. Or safer.