Resurrection - Episode 1 (Lost Souls) Read online

  Lost Souls

  “Resurrection”

  Episode 1

  Laurel O’Donnell

  Copyright © 2011 by Laurel O’Donnell

  www.laurel-odonnell.com

  Published by ODONNELL BOOKS

  ISBN# 978-0-9848895-1-8

  www.odonnell-books.com

  Please note: This is the first episode in the Lost Souls series by Laurel O’Donnell. The second episode is Lost Souls: Imperfection, the third episode is Lost Souls: Deception and the fourth episode is Lost Souls: Altercation -- all available right now on Amazon. And please keep an eye out for more Lost Souls episodes in the future!

  Cover design by Hot Damn Designs!

  www.hotdamndesigns.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems – except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews – without permission in writing from its author, Laurel O’Donnell.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Prologue

  It had been two years since the fight began. Two damned long years.

  Christian Thompson couldn’t believe it. He looked down at his little girl, the sparkling joy in his life. She skipped beside him, her golden ponytail bouncing behind her. He held her tiny hand in his as they walked down the sidewalk. Tall buildings lined each side of the city street, their glass and steel coverings glistening and twinkling at them. Warm sunshine beamed down on them from the bright sun high above.

  Everything had worked out. It had been so worth it. Aurora was beautiful. And safe. Safe from that malicious ex-wife of his. Who could have known that woman would have turned so ugly and dark? When he met Diana she wasn’t so vindictive, or so petty, or so cruel. But she had changed. Or maybe she hadn’t really changed, but had finally revealed the truth about herself, the part of her personality she hid from him before they were married and had a child together. Either way, the only good thing to come out of their relationship was Aurora.

  Aurora licked at her chocolate ice cream cone. It was her favorite flavor. The chocolate dripped over her fingers.

  Diana would never let her have chocolate, mostly for the sole reason it was Aurora’s favorite.

  Aurora stopped and held out the cone to him. “Do you want some?”

  Christian smiled down at her. “No thank you, precious.” He had given up everything, the house, the car, everything. And had finally won full custody of Aurora. He had gotten what he wanted. Aurora was safe. “It’s all yours. We’re celebrating today.”

  “What are we celebrating?” she asked, blinking blue eyes at him.

  So much! “Our new home.” The two-bedroom apartment was not nearly as big as the house, but there was plenty of room for them. And it was two blocks from a perfect daycare, and only seven blocks from his office. True, it was still near his old house, but at least it could be their own little sanctuary.

  Suddenly, Aurora’s cherubic face darkened and she looked down at her ice cream cone, her lower lip protruding in a pout.

  Christian’s heart twisted and he knelt before her. “What is it, pumpkin? What’s wrong?”

  “When do I have to go back to Mommy’s?”

  Christian had meant to talk to her about that, but the right time never seemed to present itself. He stood up and guided her over to a wooden bench beneath a large oak tree. He picked her up and set her on his knee so he could see her face. “Lots of things have changed for us.”

  She looked down at the cone. “Like the chocolate ice cream?”

  Christian smiled. “Yes. And like our new home.” He licked his lips. “And like Mommy.”

  “Mommy’s changed?” Aurora asked with obvious hope in her voice, her little tongue lapping at the ice cream.

  “No. Mommy won’t change.” He had practiced this moment in front of a mirror a dozen times. And now, the right words escaped him. “You don’t have to go back to Mommy’s if you don’t want to.”

  She took another lick of the ice cream. “Ever?”

  “Not if you don’t want to.”

  Aurora seemed to consider this in her young mind.

  Christian wondered if he had phrased it right. “She will come over and see you, but your home is with me now.”

  Her large eyes brightened. “Really?”

  Christian nodded.

  “In our new home?”

  Another nod.

  Aurora let out a small holler of joy and threw her messy hands around his neck.

  Christian squeezed her tightly. Tears came to his eyes as he realized he had been worried she wouldn’t want to stay with him. He had been concerned that no matter how cruel Diana had been to her, Aurora would still want to be with her mother instead of him.

  Aurora planted wet, sticky kisses on his cheek and across his lips. She stopped and looked into his eyes. “I get to keep my toys?”

  Christian nodded. “All of them.” He stood up, once again taking her hand into his. “Do you want to go to the park?”

  Aurora nodded and they began to walk down the street.

  It was going to be a good day. A good life, Christian knew. Everything had finally turned out perfect. They stopped at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn. Birds chirped and the warm sunshine bathed their shoulders.

  Christian glanced down at Aurora. She hopped from foot to foot as she licked the ice cream cone. He smiled. She never seemed to be able to stand still. That was one thing that drove Diana crazy, but Christian loved Aurora’s energy.

  The stoplight turned green. The cars started to move.

  Aurora looked up at Christian. “I love you, Daddy.” She lifted the ice cream cone to him.

  Christian smiled and opened his mouth to reply.

  A loud squeal filled the air and Christian instinctively lifted his gaze over her head to glance at the intersection just beyond.

  A black car swerved sharply around a silver BMW. Its running daylights zeroed in on Aurora’s back as it headed straight for them.

  Christian grabbed Aurora and flung her out of the way as hard as he could. Intense white lights filled his vision. He put up his hands. Somewhere in the distance, a horn sounded.

  Blackness.

  Silence.

  Then someone was screaming. Slowly, Christian opened his eyes. The streetlight was horizontal. Cars zoomed past vertically. The world was tilted on its side. The stoplight in the background turned red.

  An ice cream cone lay on the sidewalk upside down, tiny chocolate rivers streaming out from beneath it in all directions.

  “Daddy! Daddy!” Aurora ran up to him, her blue eyes wide and fearful.

  He pushed himself upright. “I’m okay.”

  Tears bloomed in her eyes and she began to cry. She wasn’t looking at him. Christian frowned. Had someone been hurt? “I’m right here, princess. It’s okay.” He followed her stare…

  … to find his body laying on the hood of the black car. His eyes were open, staring with a glassy expression. Blood trickled from his parted lips.

  Christian stared down at himself on the hood of the black car, shocked. Immobile.

  Aurora screamed.

  Christian reacted immediately, stepping away from his body, away from the black car, moving toward her, his arms extended, instinctively wanting to shelter his daughter from the grisly sight.

  Someone else rushed towards Aurora, heading straight for them. Christian startled, expecting the impact, but there was no collision o
f their bodies. The woman brushed straight through him. As if he wasn’t even there. His world spun for a long moment, and he had to close his eyes to fight off the incomprehension threatening his sanity. Slowly, he felt himself settle, and the disorientation faded. He opened his eyes and looked down. His body was whole. He skimmed his arms and the slick warmth of his flesh met his exploration. He touched his face and felt skin. A nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach was the only remnant of what had just happened. What the hell? He turned to see the woman pulling Aurora away from the accident. His motionless body lay just beyond.

  Only now could Christian see how bad it really was. The car had struck him at the waist, slamming him back into the brick wall of one of the buildings. His body was pinned between the black car and the red bricks.

  No one could have survived something like that. No one.

  Unnerved, he involuntarily backed away from the car, from the body… from his own body pinned and smashed by the car. Was he dead? Was this some sort of out of body experience?

  Through a haze of disbelief, Christian heard the world responding. Someone asked if anyone else was hurt. A car door slammed. Someone said the ambulance was on its way. And through it all, Aurora cried for him.

  He hurried to Aurora’s side. “I’m here!” he called.

  She didn’t see him; she didn’t hear him. She didn’t respond to his call. No one did.

  The traffic lights changed from red to green to yellow and back to red. And still, Aurora cried. She resisted the woman, trying to see over the dark haired woman’s shoulder.

  This couldn’t be happening. It was the beginning of his new life. He just got custody of his daughter!

  Suddenly, something pulled at his core. Something tugged at his soul. He gasped at the strange new sensation enveloping him and turned in a slow circle, searching for the source of what was beckoning him. There was nothing close to him, no one else nearby except for the crowd around the scene of the accident. Again, the pulling sensation swept over him. He closed his eyes and allowed the sensation to guide him. When he was facing the direction he felt the pull coming from, he opened his eyes.

  Across the street, a woman stared at him with large patient eyes. She was looking right at him. She was beautiful, with golden blonde hair cascading over her shoulders in perfectly shaped waves. Her white summer dress was much too light for the spring day. A blinding white light seemed to shine from behind her. An inviting grin curved her lips and her warm smile beckoned to him. Instinctively, he knew what she wanted. He knew she was there to take him from this world.

  Christian didn’t even hesitate. He would never leave his daughter. Not now. He turned his back on the angelic apparition. Aurora needed him and he had no intention of leaving her.

  One

  It was a very odd feeling to have attended your own funeral, but that was exactly what Christian had done. It was agony watching all of his ex-wife’s family and friends surround Aurora with love and comfort. She continuously asked for him. She didn’t understand. And Diana didn’t take the time to help her understand. She had just tugged relentlessly on Aurora’s arm, dragging the child along behind her, constantly shushing her with harsh impatience.

  Christian stayed with Aurora wherever she went. He had tried to touch her, but his hand moved through her arm every time, and eventually he gave up. Her confusion tore at his heart. He had told her she would be living with him. Living.

  That had been two days ago. Now, he stared out the window in what used to be their family house in Aurora’s room as she played with her dolls.

  What was he going to do? How could he stop Diana from hurting Aurora? She had already spanked her viciously and smacked her on the head twice. He couldn’t prevent the blows. He couldn’t touch anything. He couldn’t speak to them. Every time he tried to touch something or someone, his hand passed through. He stared at his useless fingers. He wasn’t whole. He was a ghost, stuck in some middle place, not alive and not completely dead. Was this hell? Watching, but never able to be a part of what was happening?

  Again, he lifted his gaze to the street, watching the world go by. There had to be something he could do. This was the first day Diana and Aurora had been alone in the house since he had… died. It felt odd just to think the word. He certainly didn’t feel dead. Just very, very lost. His gaze scanned the people moving along the sidewalk, until he came to a woman standing across the street near the alley between the coffee shop and the boutique. Her dark hair was pulled back from her face into a ponytail; a black leather bodice covered her torso and leather pants curved around her hips and legs. She was small and thin in stature, but even from this distance he could tell she had the beauty of a model. He couldn’t stop looking at her. There was something about her… He had never seen her before, of that he was certain. He would have remembered a beauty like her. The black leather she wore accentuated every one of her curves. And damn, she had such succulent curves. He felt a stirring he hadn’t felt in a long time. He might be dead, but that part of his anatomy could still function. What kind of weird existence was he trapped in? Sighing to himself, he turned away from the window. He could fantasize about some hot woman all he wanted, but he could never touch her. Not now. Hell, not even when he was alive. She was way out of his league.

  Aurora sat on the floor, playing. His daughter took one doll and walked it across the bed, her little hands clutching the legs. Her blond hair was knotted and uncombed. She was much too busy to be disturbed with hygiene when her dolls demanded her attention. Diana was in her room getting dressed for work. Soon, she would drop Aurora off at the day care on the corner. At least Aurora was safe there. Christian liked the owner and the teacher. Mrs. Johnson was a warm woman full of energy.

  “All right, Rory,” Diana called opening the door. “It’s time for –” She froze at seeing Aurora on her knees beside the bed.

  Christian straightened in dread. He knew that furious look.

  Diana’s eyes widened. She lurched into the room, seizing Aurora’s wrist. Her doll fell to the floor. “I told you to get dressed!” She shook her hard. “Now we’re going to be late.”

  “Mommy,” Aurora whimpered.

  Christian stepped forward. “Get your hands off of her.”

  Diana grabbed a handful of Aurora’s golden locks. “And look at your hair! I told you to comb it.”

  Aurora cried out.

  “You make me sick!”

  Christian rushed to Aurora’s side just as Diana shoved her back. He put up his hands to catch her, but his daughter moved right through him, slamming against the wall. She hit the wall hard and began to cry.

  Furious, Christian whirled on Diana. He stood between her and Aurora. He had never felt more useless and powerless in his life.

  Diana’s brown eyes were wide with anger, her fists knotted into tight fists, her lips tight and thin. She drew her hand back, catapulting the comb at the child. “Get dressed now!”

  Christian batted the comb aside, knocking it away from Aurora.

  Diana watched the path of the comb as it was deflected from its trajectory and landed against the wall. She stared for a long moment.

  As did Christian. He had hit it. He had physically moved the comb.

  Diana shook her head and whirled to the door, storming out.

  Christian stood, astonished.

  Aurora’s sobbing drew his attention. “Daddy,” she cried.

  He moved to her side and squatted before her. “I’m here, Aurora,” he whispered and reached out to her knotted hair. He moved his hand down the messy locks, but they passed through his hand. He desperately tried again to touch her hair, to comfort her. His hand only touched emptiness. Whatever ability he had used to move the comb was gone. “I won’t let her hurt you. I’ll find a way to stop her.”

  “Daddy,” the small child cried.

  Christian sank to his knees. And dipped his head, listening to his daughter’s soft sobs.

  ~~~

  Christian had spent the
day at the day care center with Aurora. Diana hadn’t combed her hair; she had taken Aurora and dropped her off with Mrs. Johnson without a word. Mrs. Johnson had combed Aurora’s hair and spoke to her in quiet, soothing tones. He liked Mrs. Johnson more and more. At night, Aurora had been the last one at the day care center. When Diana finally came to pick her up, the moon had risen high in the sky.

  They walked home silently. She didn’t even ask Aurora what she had done that day. Christian fumed in useless silence.

  Christian waited with Aurora at the door to the house as Diana dug in her purse for her keys. This late at night, the streets were dark and empty of people. Sighing with Diana’s ineptitude, he glanced around. Across the street near the alley, a pale woman in white tattered clothing stared at him. Tingles raced across his neck. This was not the same woman he had seen right after his deadly accident, nor was she the black-haired beauty he had seen earlier. Who was she? The streetlight above the woman sizzled and snapped, flickering before finally going out. Christian could still see her clearly, like she was glowing. There was something ominous and sinister about this woman. He stepped instinctively before Aurora, as if he could protect her from this threat.

  Diana pulled the keys from her purse and stuck them into the door lock.

  The white woman tilted her head to the side and her entire body wavered. Suddenly, without taking a step, she appeared in the middle of the street.

  Christian’s eyes widened.

  The pale ghost woman flickered again and then stood directly before him. An angry scowl wrinkled her forehead; her black eyes locked on him.

  Diana turned the handle and opened the door, stepping into the house, holding the door as Aurora walked inside.

  Christian stepped back, but the pale woman reached out to him, shoving her hand into his chest. An electrical charge surged through him, stiffening every muscle, every fiber in his body, with bolts of agony. Christian couldn’t move, paralyzed by the spearing shocks soaring through him.