I Am Never Alone Read online

  I Am

  Never

  Alone

  I Am

  Never

  Alone

  JAMIE CAMPBELL

  Copyright © 2015 Jamie Campbell

  Smashwords Edition

  Jamie Campbell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.

  Spirits lurk around every corner

  But nobody ever did warn her

  The Spirit Talker needs to be brave

  If not, he’ll send her to her grave.

  Chapter One

  “I need you all to remain calm,” I said, my voice raised as high as I dared to go.

  They weren’t listening to me.

  They never did.

  “I understand your situation is… not ideal. But I can only help you if you help me. We need to do this together.”

  The faces and voices of the dead were threatening to overwhelm me. Hundreds of them gathered around, not even trying to contain their grief over the situation.

  The spirits were trapped, unable to cross over into whatever came after death. Some called it Heaven, other people called it the hereafter. Wherever they were supposed to go, they weren’t going there any time soon.

  “Please, just let me speak. You have to listen to me if I am going to help you.”

  The noise rose higher, drowning out my lone voice among the hundreds of theirs. It had been over two weeks since I had discovered their problem and I was no closer to working out a solution.

  All I knew was that something was keeping the dead walking the earth. Something had killed all the adults in the world over a year ago, meaning they had been trapped ever since. Whatever damage the Event had caused was not likely to fix itself.

  “Just take a step back. Everyone.”

  It wasn’t so much the amount of spirit bodies around me but their constant nagging. They were upset, understandably so. Unfortunately, I was the only one who could see them which somehow meant it was up to me to help them.

  All the voices though…

  It was too much.

  Way too much.

  My hands flew to my ears and covered them. Their words swirled around me like a tornado, bashing at all my senses to let them in. If my skin could have absorbed the words, they would have wormed their way in that way.

  “Come on, everyone. You’re hurting her,” Oliver said to the crowd, taking a protective stance in front of me.

  Oliver.

  Instantly, I felt better as he took control. His voice bounced off the buildings, reverberating through all the spirits until they actually started listening to him.

  He was one of them. One of the dead.

  He was also the one I loved.

  I went to place my hand on his arm, to tell him I was okay, but I stopped myself. There was no point, my hand would only go through his spirit body. I didn’t know how many times I had to remind myself of that each day – even now after two weeks.

  “Oliver, I’m okay,” I said. He turned back and pierced me with his green eyes. There was an equal amount of concern and pride reflected back at me.

  The voices didn’t get any better but I took a few deep breaths and continued on anyway. I wanted this over and done with. I craved some peace and quiet. Even if only for a few minutes.

  “You have to believe I’m going to help you,” I started again. “I know you are being prevented from crossing over. I will do everything I can to fix that. But you need to give me some space. When you overwhelm me, I can’t breathe. I need you to trust in me and let me do what I need to.”

  It had been Oliver’s idea to address as many spirits as I could while they were in a group. They kept crowding me, trying to get their messages of despair to my ears. I knew them already, I didn’t need to keep hearing them.

  Believe me, I knew.

  Despair and hopelessness dwelled everywhere in the city – both amongst the dead and the living. The oldest person on the planet was only nineteen now, kids were raising the kids left over after the Event.

  Everyone was parentless.

  I shivered and pulled my coat closer around me while I chose my next words carefully. Winter was in full force in the city and it was beating on us relentlessly.

  “I am begging for some time. That’s all. Oliver and I are going to figure this thing out,” I finished. I silently pleaded with them for my words to reach through and wrap around their memory. I couldn’t keep being inundated by them. It was slowly sending me into a deep well of insanity.

  A well so deep I would never be able to return.

  “Talking to all your friends, I see.”

  The voice startled me. It wasn’t from the dead, but one of the living. I gasped for a moment, until I remembered he couldn’t see the spirits. He thought I was addressing a wide open expanse of nothing and talking to myself.

  I spun around to face Jet. His hands were buried in his pockets, his jacket collar pulled up high to cover his neck and keep the cold wind out.

  Stepping down from the milk crate I used as a stage, I joined him on the ground, the spirits momentarily losing interest in me. “What are you doing here?”

  I hadn’t seen Jet for two weeks. On purpose. I was exerting a great deal of energy avoiding him. It was his gang member that had tried to kill me and I was still suffering the nightmares from the incident.

  There was a reason I needed to avoid Jet and nothing had changed.

  “Who were you talking to?” Jet asked. It didn’t escape my attention that he had avoided my question. He was good at that. I made a mental note to make sure he didn’t get away with it.

  “None of your business,” I replied, not even trying to hide my contempt. “Now answer my question.”

  Jet laughed. “You haven’t lost your fire, I see. That’s good. I like my women feisty.”

  I started walking. It didn’t matter where I was going as long as it was away from him. He reminded me of everything that had happened in the factory and there was no way I wanted to stumble down that memory lane.

  The smoke. The fire. The rope holding me.

  It was the stuff nightmares thrived on.

  “Wait, Everly.” Jet lightly touched my arm, trying to stop my escape. I glanced back, only to check that Oliver was still there. He was talking to some spirits yet still keeping an eye on me, making sure I was okay.

  Like he always did.

  I sighed, my gaze locking with Jet’s. “What do you want? Seriously, Jet. Because I have nothing to say to you.”

  “I know you’ve been avoiding me.”

  “Congratulations. Goodbye.”

  He gripped my arm a little tighter. It took all my self control not to yank it out of his grasp. Another few seconds and I might. “Where are you staying?”

  “Like I’d tell you.”

  “I know it’s not the house on the hill. Where are you staying?”

  I had only moved out of my sanctuary on the hill because I was afraid he would try to find me there again. I couldn’t risk him sharing that information with the rest of his people. I might not be lucky enough to survive my next encounter with the wild and vicious group.

  “Why does it matter?” I asked. He wasn’t the only one good at avoiding answering the questions he didn’t want to. “Why can’t you just leave me alone
?”

  A slow smile spread across his lips, quirking them upwards. “Because you intrigue me, princess. You know that.” He waited while I cringed, earning himself his intended response. His voice then grew serious again. “I need to know you’re safe. Come back to the underground with me.”

  There was no way that was going to happen. Besides the fact the mole people that lived in the underground tunnels beneath the city wanted to kill me, I couldn’t live down there. Oliver couldn’t go underground, no spirits could. I wasn’t going to live without him.

  Not yet.

  That day would come soon enough.

  “I will never go back to the underground,” I said through gritted teeth.

  As if sensing my sheer determination, Jet changed tactics. “Fine. If not the underground, let me find you someplace else. I know of somewhere that will be safe for you. I can take you there, you won’t be hassled.”

  Jet’s idea of what was safe and my idea were normally at complete opposites. He controlled half the city, nobody dared mess with him. He didn’t know what it was like to be so vulnerable in a city filled with kids desperate enough to do anything.

  But I did need somewhere to stay. For the last two weeks I had bunkered down in a different place each night. Some of the abandoned and ruined buildings I had tried were safer than others. All let in the chill winter air, some even the snow, too.

  My eyes flicked over to Oliver, standing close enough to overhear our conversation. He gave me a slight nod, his eyes telling me what I should do.

  I didn’t trust my own judgment much, but I did trust Oliver. He wouldn’t do anything that would bring me harm. Not when he loved me as much as I did him.

  “Everly? Please?” Jet prompted. “Let me help you.”

  The twisting in my stomach told me I was going to regret my decision. “Fine. But if I see any of your gang, I am going to hit you where it really hurts and run. Next time, I’ll make sure you never find me again.”

  I wasn’t joking.

  I would leave the city if I had to.

  Jet laughed again, amusement making his dark eyes sparkle like polished onyx. “I don’t doubt you for a second, princess. Now let’s get out of this cold.”

  As we walked away, the spirits parted to let us through. Each of them had an opinion.

  “She’s going with that boy.”

  “Where’s she going?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I thought she was going to help us.”

  “She said she would.”

  “But will she? We’ve been here for over twelve months. I can’t take it anymore.”

  “Neither can I.”

  “The pain hurts so badly.”

  “I’ve never felt anything like it before.”

  “Me either.”

  “She said she needed time. We have to give her some.”

  “She’s had all this time already.”

  “But she didn’t know then. It was Oliver who told her.”

  “He should have told her sooner.”

  “Yes, I agree. He should have.”

  I ignored them all, feeling a pang of jealously that Jet couldn’t hear them. Being oblivious would have been freeing. To walk on this earth alive and not have to deal with the dead would have been a sweet relief.

  But that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Not until I helped release them from whatever was keeping them on earth. Even if I did manage to find a safe place, I wouldn’t be able to be complacent.

  My number one priority had to be to release the spirits. Even if that meant I would also lose Oliver. He had promised me he would only go when I was ready, but I feared that moment every single day.

  Jet led me through the desolate city streets. Nobody dared approach him, his face was well known amongst the survivors still left. I wasn’t sure exactly how he had earned his reputation but everyone knew to stay away from him.

  I should have heeded that warning too. But it seemed I wasn’t smart enough.

  “Where are we going?” I asked. The streets were starting to lose all familiarity as we travelled through winding roads and past buildings that had seen better days.

  All I knew was that we were headed away from the shelter that had become familiar to me over the last few weeks. It was one of the only places left in the city to serve food. And even that was running out now.

  “Have you heard of the bay district?” Jet replied. Again, answering another question with a question. Talking to him was painful.

  “The bay district, as in the docks?” It was once populated by fishermen until the old factories were converted into warehouse apartments for the trendy hipsters. At least, it used to be populated by them anyway. Now, it wouldn’t surprise me if even half of those buildings still remained.

  I caught Oliver’s eye as he walked just behind us. He had the same recollections of the place.

  “Yeah, the docks. There’s a safe place there. You won’t be hassled by anyone,” Jet said.

  I couldn’t stop the chuckle. “You’re the one doing the hassling. Does that mean you’re going to leave me alone there?”

  He shrugged. “Wouldn’t want you to get lonely. Besides, you are going to look forward to my visits.”

  “Oh, really? Why’s that?”

  “Because I’m going to be the one bringing you food,” Jet replied happily. I got the feeling he liked having that kind of control over me. He wanted to be the one I relied on, then he could keep me in the palm of his hand.

  I now knew how he had so many followers. He was a master manipulator.

  The vow was made right then and there that I would not fall victim to his poison. He would not be able to manipulate me, no way. I would sooner die.

  My mouth clamped shut so I wouldn’t reply. We continued our walk in silence until we stopped in front of a building. It was higher than those surrounding it, about fifteen floors if I had to guess. The fact it was still standing was testament to the sparse population in the area.

  “Welcome home,” Jet said, sweeping his arms open to the building. He pulled the heavy wooden door wide, gesturing for me to enter.

  I took one last look at Oliver before I crossed the threshold. The entire time I prayed I was making the right decision and not placing my trust in the wrong person.

  Chapter Two

  We climbed the stairs to the fourth floor where Jet took out a key to open the door. As soon as he did, he held it up for me to take. I snatched it away, not being foolish enough to believe it was the only copy.

  I stepped into the room, noticing Oliver already there. I guessed there were some advantages to being a ghost – no need to take the stairs. He had already done a sweep of the place. “It’s safe here, we’re alone.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “You’re welcome,” Jet said.

  “I wasn’t talking to you.”

  He made a point of looking around, searching for whomever else could possibly be there. Then he stopped, chuckling to himself. “Right, I forgot, you see dead people. How many are here with us right now? If I had to guess, I’d say lots.”

  “Nobody you know,” I replied. Oliver was my secret, I would not betray him to Jet.

  He had the sense to remain quiet while I had a quick look around. The apartment was actually in pretty good condition considering what I was used to. It was only half completed, with no carpeting and electrical wires hanging out of the walls forever waiting for their sockets.

  The bathroom was finished, as was the kitchen. No doors hung between the rooms and the walls were still the gray of the plasterboard. The floors and windows were solid, though, making it ten degrees warmer than outside.

  “Does it meet your standards, princess?” Jet asked. He leaned casually against the breakfast bar joining the kitchen with the living room. His body was rigid, despite his attempts to be aloof.

  “It’s fine, thank you.”

  “You might want to check the cupboard.” He nodded toward the largest door
in the kitchen cabinets. I had to scoot around him to get there, close enough to feel the warmth emanating from his body.

  What did they say? Hot hands, cold heart?

  Pulling the cupboard door open, it was full of canned food, some clothes, and a blanket. I was so happy to see the supplies I could have done something really stupid like hugged Jet. I set my expression back to blank before he could see.

  I had to remind myself he was only doing all this out of guilt. He might have been the one to save my life but he was also the one who had put me into the deadly position to begin with. This apartment and everything else was just a way of making himself feel better.

  “Where did you get all these?” I asked. I hadn’t seen that much food in months, possibly more than a year. It made my mouth water just seeing the food.

  Don’t get me started on the blanket and fresh clothes.

  Jet shrugged like it was no big deal. “Around. It should keep you going for a while. Don’t give it away. Not to anyone, okay? I got it for you.”

  He must have known I was already thinking of the children barely more than babies that could use the food. I was already divvying it up in my mind and counting the number of kids it could feed.

  “I’m serious,” Jet said, pushing off the counter to block the exit from the kitchen. “Don’t. Give. It. Away. Promise me.”

  I made a habit out of not making promises I had no intention of keeping. My lips pressed together to make sure I didn’t break that habit.

  It wasn’t good enough for Jet. “Promise me. I’m not leaving until you do.”

  His eyes, already the darkest brown imaginable, managed to get even darker. A storm could have raged around him and I got the feeling he wouldn’t move an inch. His resolve was even steelier than his stance.

  “Make the promise,” Oliver interjected. “You should keep it all for yourself. If anyone finds out you have food, they’ll come for you.”

  Jet had gone to a lot of trouble for me, finding this place and stocking it for me. Despite what I thought about the guy himself, he didn’t deserve to have his generosity thrown back in his face. And Oliver was right, once again.