GHOSTMAN 2: DIVIDED DESTINY - Part 1

PROLOGUE – PIECES

I had had such a good time yesterday with my children, they were growing up fast now, too fast. Peter was sixteen and Paula had just turned fourteen. Our Youngest child Jack was eight now, it seemed to have gone so fast. Mega, my wife treated Peter and Paula as her own from the day we had got together, Jack had been made from the two of us. It was around ten years now that I had caught my ex-wife with my ex work partner together in bed at the laboratory, I had wanted to kill my ex-wife Helen for that but I had walked out of the lab and to my surprise Mega had been in my car waiting for me and it had gone from there. As we had driven away from the laboratory it had exploded and Helen and my ex work partner Dr Sango had died that day, in some ways it had made me happy, in other ways sad as Peter and Paula never got to really know their Mother.

I was sat down on the sofa, the television was on but nothing good was on as usual, there were a number of toy figures on top of it, a dragon, a spider and a castle among others, we had bought them for Jacks seventh birthday, he had grabbed them at the toy shop with a sparkle in his eyes. Peter and Paula were upstairs in their rooms, they were doing some revision as they both had exams coming up, I had to push them as they both were lazy when it came to school-work and showed little interest despite my lectures on how important their school-work was. Mega was upstairs in Jacks room watching a DVD with him, it was getting close to Jacks bedtime, he always wanted to stay up late with Peter and Paula but they didn’t want their little brother 'bugging' them all the time.

I took a mouthful from my cup of Yorkshire tea when Paula shouted, “Dad, can I go stay at Suzanne’s house tonight!” She was always staying there, “You have your revision to do.” I shouted back. “Were going to revise together dad, please dad.” Paula had a knack of getting her own way, “Okay but take your mobile with you and be back by dinnertime tomorrow.” I shouted back as Paula whizzed down the stairs and out of the door, she knew I would let her all the time, I sighed. I again took a mouthful of my Yorkshire tea and picked up the remote control and began flicking through the hundred or so channels which all appeared to contain utter rubbish so I turned the television off.

I stood up and headed towards the kitchen to make myself another cup of tea. The house was big but not too big, Mega and I had bought it around a month after we had got together, we had both fallen in love with it as soon as we had seen it. I suddenly felt a pain in my head, I had been suffering from headaches for a few months now, I had seen the doctor and he had prescribed me pain killers and told me it was stress, I didn’t believe that. I sat down at one of the kitchen tables chairs, pain wrenched through my skull, I put my hands on my head in agony. A flash of some kind of vision, I saw myself kill my ex-wife and myself with a long sharp knife, blood squirted around the laboratory floor, my head hurt so much I cried out in pain. Another vision, a man that looked just like me smiling and laughing, I saw two of me dancing, the headaches eased for a moment. “Darling, darling” I heard Mega's voice, I felt a touch on my shoulder. “Bastard head hurts” were the words I quietly got out before another mass of pain executed itself on my head. More visions, I saw another man who looked like me, he looked bigger with huge muscles, his face red and he swung a huge glittering axe, it was aimed at Mega, my wife. Alpha jumped in the way, the axe tearing through her skin, she hit the floor and blood pooled onto the ground. It was Alpha, Mega's best friend I saw, dead, “Shall I call an ambulance darling, this isn't right” I heard my wife again, “No ill be fine in a minute or two” I grumbled out. Another load of pain, another vision, it was Mega and me, we ran and jumped down, down, I felt myself falling, I could see a shiny red and silver spike below, it came closer and closer, then the headaches stopped and all went black.

Helen and Rick walked hand in hand, a human women and an elf. Together they looked so in love. They approached a door, a very small door at the end of a long walk through the beautiful passageways with fantastic archways and finely painted pictures that were in the great castle. Rick, the elf banged on the small door three times, An ethereal voice smoothly rang out the words, “What is the password.” Helen and Rick, looked at each other and together they replied, “Love and joy.”, they both laughed hand in hand, the tiny door swung open and they walked through the door ducking. Helen had her pink velvet dress on and wore a red shiny cloak, her blonde hair was long and swung from side to side as she moved, she had her glittery high heel shoes on, she looked like a princess. Rick looked like a typical elf today, all dressed in green leather with a red pointy hat, his hair was black and short, he looked truly happy. They entered a small room, it was littered with toys of all kinds from dolls to blocks of all colours. The walls were painted like a rainbow and looked so beautiful, the ceiling was a very light pink colour which went from lighter to darker from the back of the room to the front. Pretty lights were on the walls, some in small alcoves, some on the ceiling, they danced and sparkled all colours, glimmering patterns shone from every corner, this room was so fun, gorgeous, elegant and beautiful. “My queen where for art thou?” Helen asked in a deliberate joking voice, there were no reply. “She must be out love.” said rick, “She's asked us to come at this time, she has never been late before.” “Maybe she didn't hear us, My queen where for art thou?” rick copied what Helen had said, they both laughed. No Queen appeared. Helen moved further into the room and towards the open door to the right, her footsteps echoed on the tiled flooring. Helen peaked her head around the doorway as rick began to follow her. “Its a bed my Ricky.” Helen said with a smile on her face. “The Queens bed love?” Rick questioned. “Yes its the queens bed, far too big for her.” Helen walked into the Queens bedroom, Rick followed. The room was painted pink, all of it, the walls were filled with pretty fantasy paintings by non other than Ghostman. The actually bed was a king size bed, the quilts were made of the finest materiel, and all yellow and light pink. “We shouldn’t be in here love, I mean its the Queens bedroom.”, Rick complained. “Oh I am sure she wont mind my Ricky,” she giggled and leapt onto the bed to the look of horror on Rick's face. “love I don't think...” Helen cut him off, “Darling come here before I come and get you.” Rick took a look over his shoulder towards the exit to the room, before he could turn his head back, Helen had hold of him and flung him onto the bed and leapt on top of him, she looked into this deep blue eyes and kissed him slowly. Helen stopped and giggled as she ran her hands all over his body, before kissing him once more, her left hand heading down his trousers. Suddenly a noise from the doorway, “Guards off with their heads!!!” the queen shouted as loud as she could. Helen leapt off Rick and stood with her mouth wide open, Rick jumped up and stood beside her, “We’ve had it now love.” he whispered to Helen.

Alpha was in Mega'a secret laboratory looking at a number of graphs on the screen of the main console. The laboratory was now no secret and was a fully functioning science and development laboratory and now even had a manufacturing department. Alpha had taken over the laboratory when Mega and David had decided to open their own together not long after they had been married. At first Alpha had been so jealous of them as she loved Mega and always would. Mega and David were so happy together and had even had a child together, their child was Jack, he was so cute and around eight years old now. “Alpha, the time is nine twenty pm.” Evie's voice rang out with a time update. Evie was the security computer installed by Mega around fifteen years ago but had become almost a best friend to Alpha. When Alpha had taken over the laboratory she had updated Evie with the latest and best updates which had made her more secure, more human-like, more powerful and certainly more girly. “Thank you Evie, can you remind me of the time an hour from now please.” said Alpha clearly. “Yes Alpha, time update confirmed.” Alpha, with her long blonde hair, tight jeans and t-shirt and her black boots on moved the swivel chair she was sat on back a foot then stood up and walked towards a white table. The laboratory was brightly lit now and the walls were white and the flooring was all tiled grey and purple. Alpha bent down under the table and pulled out a cardboard box, it was sealed with sticky tape, she lifted the box onto the table and pulled out of her jeans left pocket a small knife. Alpha cut the tape off and opened the flaps of the box and pulled out a small cube and placed it a foot away from the box. Next she pulled out a small red stick, it looked slightly like a wand. Alpha had designed and created a very credible puzzle and it was selling really well and brought a fair bit of income to the laboratory, she had enjoyed investing in creative research and it had paid off. Alpha flicked a small switch on the wand stick and Holographic images appeared in the air, they were of all shapes, but mostly the same size. Alpha pressed a small red button on the wand and the images flew to the surface of the table. Using the wand stick she touched one of the images and it stuck to it, she moved it in the air and pushed a button and the image stayed in mid air. One by one she repeated the process and after ten minutes a picture began to form in mid air. The picture looked like a dragons head. Alpha pushed another button on the wand stick and the dragons head picture suddenly changed into a three dimensional dragons head, a holographic three dimensional dragons head but with blank spaces in some places. The images on the table changed, there were more of them now. Alpha picked several images and transferred them to the dragons head, bit by bit the three dimensional picture took shape. Alpha continued with the puzzle for a while, she was enjoying it. “Alpha, the time is ten twenty four.” Evies voice rang out. “That time already, best I get moving, Evie can you get the car ready for me please.” “Yes Alpha, car will be ready in ten minutes, confirmed.”

Alpha suddenly remembered the old laptop, she was going to turn it on and have a look what was on the hard disk, she had found it last week in storage along with the rest of the stuff from when the lab had its update and new look engineered. Alpha moved from the table and walked to the side room which was full of stuff she was going examine and try to make use for, she found the laptop and decided she would take it home with her.

Ghostman was sat on top of a hill that overlooked a beautiful mountain-range. He was sat on a grey smooth rock that was shaped perfectly as to act as a seat, in front of him was an easel and on a small wooden stand were his paints, they were of many beautiful colours from the deepest of reds to the brightest of yellows. He looked at peace, the wind was blowing a slight breeze which made his dark hair wave to the left side of his face. He was facing a blank piece of paper. “Must it be now that my mind goes blank?” Ghostman said to himself as he looked on towards the elegant mountains. “I come all the way up here to fail to paint, to have my work ruined because I just cant paint anything, why?” He carried on mumbling to himself for some time before he strolled off down the hillside in the direction of the mountains, he left his easel and paints where they were. He wore black jeans and a bright red t-shirt and carried a small sword at his side. Below at the foot of the hill ran a small stream, it was a light clear blue and the bottom of the stream was clearly visible. “I drew and drew and drew for my good friend and brother Otherme, I drew his life back to him, I drew him another chance in the world of the living, I drew pictures for his wedding day, I drew for my Otherme and I drew for the Queen and now I can not draw anything for anyone.” He continued down the hill not looking happy, “I have tried so hard to draw but I lift the brush and nothing happens, I can not even put the brush on to the paper, I can not paint no more.” He made it to the stream and jumped into it with a big splash. He drank from the stream, deep as though he had not drank for weeks. He managed to swim down the stream for a while despite the stream been shallow, his sword occasionally hitting the banks and the bottom of the stream. Why Ghostman had decided to swim fully clothed in the stream was a mystery, only he knew why he had done this. After he had finished his swimming he climbed up the bank and headed back towards his easel and his paints, it took him a while as he was dripping wet now and having to make the trip up the hill this time instead of down.

Ghostman sat on the rock once more, his sword clattering the edge of it as he sat, it make a dull clang as it hit. “I wish Otherme was here, he would know what to do.” he grumbled. He picked up his brush once more and picked the colour blue, a bright almost green blue. He moved the brush towards the easel, towards the paper that was fixed to it. The brush touched this time, a blob of blue appeared on the paper, a small smile crossed his face. Slowly he drew the letter 'O' and then faster he succeeded to write a 'T', 'H' and a 'E'. Ghostman was grinning now, he continued and some moments later he completed his task to write the name 'OTHERME' on the paper, “Otherme” he said as he finished the last letter. “My Otherme.”

I was a clone of that David, also named Otherme, they called me clone three. The doctor that created clones of David, that created me was a Dr Sango who was now dead and in a cell in some Ghostworld, and was been tortured for the rest of his ghost-life. David had been dead also but this other clone, who they called Ghostman had somehow returned David to the real world, returned him to life. The cloning procedures that were done to me, something had gone wrong with them and that had killed me and plunged me into a ghostworld where I had been given a commission to kill David, Ghostman and Dr Sango for good so they would be gone and dead completely in the ghostworld and the real world. I was also tasked with destroying their ghostworld. I had failed in these tasks. Now Dr Sango was still in the cell in some ghostworld been tortured, Ghostman was also there but had made his ghost-life there and David, well he was having a real life in a real world, I hated them all, I hated David. I had paid the price for failing and was given an eternity in this shit painful place, in this dark ghostworld where the bad, the ugly and the fucking wankers were sent. I was in another kind of hell, I could never die no matter what I did, I tried so hard to die but you live and die and live again forever here, for fucking ever.

I had searched and searched this dark, gritty, fucked-up world, I had searched everywhere but this place all looked the same. Dark, black skies that turned red, blood that poured from those skies, buildings that exploded without notice, evil creatures that would chew you up, spit you out, kill you then let you live again, only for them to do it all over again to you. There was no beauty in this place, no colours bar black, greys, reds and browns. This was more then hell this bastard place I needed to get out of, I needed to put David, Ghostman and that cunt Dr Sango here and I needed to get a life, any life, even a ghostlife as long as it wasn't here.

CHAPTER 1: HOSPITALISED

I woke up in a bed, my vision was blurry at first, flowery curtains were around my bed, it was dark. This wasn't my bed, my darling wife was not here. I heard some footsteps echoing as someone was walking. I turned my head around and scanned the area, there were machines at either side of me with various tubes and equipment and a table. I was still laying on the bed, I sat up and pushed the white covers to one side. This was a hospital, I now remembered my head hurting and those visions I kept seeing. I reached over and pulled the small wire that hung from the small bedside lamp which was on the table, the light flickered on, it was dull. I figured I must have collapsed or something and Mega must have rang for an ambulance. I was wearing pyjamas, they were mine. I hated hospitals. What was I to do now, I had no idea what the time was but I had no plans to stay here any longer then I had to do. I stood up and pulled the curtains slightly apart and looked out. The ward was small with around five other beds, there were only a small dull light on that was fitted to the ceiling. There were other beds in the ward and other patients, they were asleep by the looks of it. I began walking through the curtains and out of the ward, I wanted to ask if I could go home now. Dizzy, I felt dizzy, my head hurt, I fell. “Mr Robertson, what are you doing out of your bed.” a women's voice said as I heard feet move towards me and an arm lift me up to sitting position. Another women arrived in seconds and they helped me to my feet. “No harm done.” one of the women said, they were both fairly young and wore white trousers and white tops with a blue piny over. “How do you feel Mr Robertson?” asked one of the young nurses, the one with blonde hair. “Feel dizzy” I said, I wobbled. “Can you walk sir.” “Yes with support.” I said. “Lets get you back in to your bed then Mr Robertson.” I nodded and the two nurses helped me back to my bed, I lay back down and they made me feel comfortable. “Would you like a glass of water sir?” The other nurse asked this time. “Yes please but I would prefer a cup of tea.” She laughed, “Ill see what I can do Sir.” The two nurses walked out of the ward. So I had hurt something, I couldn't walk without feeling dizzy and falling over, great just what I wanted, a stay in a bloody hospital. About ten minutes later the nurse with the blonde hair returned with a glass of water and a small cup of tea, she put those on the table. “Thank you.” I said, “That's okay Mr Robertson, now no more getting out of bed, not until sunrise, drink your tea then try and get some more sleep.” “What happened to me, why am I here?” I questioned the nurse. “You fell and hurt your head last night after having some kind of headaches sir, all the doctors were worried about you.” They were worried? “Why were they worried, I remember the headaches but not how I got here. “Don't worry sir, I am sure you will be back to normal in no time, now you enjoy your tea and if you have any problems just press with buzzer here.” I nodded and noted where the buzzer was and the nurse left the ward. I picked up my small cup of tea and sipped, it was weak and milky. I was now feeling unhappy and down. What could I do in here? I drank my drink of tea up and lay in bed and put the covers back over myself. I let my mind wonder back to the visions I had seen, I couldn't make sense of anything. I thought about Paula, she had gone to stay at Suzanne's house, I hoped they had revised for their exams and had not been doing anything that they shouldn't have been. I let my mind wonder and then after some time I must have slept as I suddenly opened my eyes and light filtered through the ward, daylight.

“Morning darling.” It was Mega's voice, I turned my head round to my right, she was sat on a chair at the side of my bed. “Morning love, where are the kids?” I replied as I sat up. She smiled, the warm beautiful smile I loved so much. “Alpha is with Jack, Paula is at Suzanne’s and Peter has gone out with some mates to town.” “What would we do without Alpha?” “She is my best friend, she's always there for us.” “How has she been getting on at the laboratory?” “She is doing well but needs some more staff to help her so I agreed that she could recruit two helpers as long as there trustworthy.” “Is she making enough profit to do that?” I was happy that Alpha was running the laboratory for Mega as it had given Mega and I the chance to open our own together but I would have liked Mega to sell it but it was after all her laboratory. “She's doing great and that new puzzle she devised is selling like hot cakes.” “That's great news.” I said, “Now I really want to get out of hospital love.” “I know you do darling but they have told me a consultant needs to check you over first.” “What time did they say the consultant would arrive at love, I don't want to be stuck here any longer then I have to be.” “They said he started his shift at nine.” “What time is it now?” “Its nine now, ill go and get you a cup of tea shall I?” “Yes please my love, I so need a cup of tea.”

Alpha didn't mind helping Mega out, she was like a sister to her. “Jack, what do you want for breakfast?” Alpha shouted. Jack was playing with his figures that he had taken off the top of the television, he was sat in the living room on the floor. “Don't know Alpha.” was his response. “How about a bacon sandwich Jack?” “Nah, ill have cereal.” “What cereal do you want then, we have Chocograin, Wheatanix and Nuttyflakes?” “Nuttyflakes!” Jack replied with an exited shout. Jack looked like his dad with his black short hair and big round blue eyes. Alpha opened the cupboard door and examined the bowls, now which one she thought to herself, Ben20, Dragon Power or Lego Batfink. She picked one of the bowls and opened the Nuttyflakes cereal and poured some into the bowl then went to the fridge and took out the milk and poured the milk into the bowl. “Jack, come and get your cereal.” Jack got up off the floor and went in to the kitchen, he opened the drawer and took out his Ben20 spoon. Alpha handed the bowl to him. “Thank you, Dragon Power!!!!” Jack shouted as he saw which bowl Alpha had given him, he splashed milk on the floor as he ran back into the living room. Alpha began cooking breakfast for herself, an egg and bacon sandwich, this didn't take long, Alpha seemed happy to play the Mother roll for a change, she had no children of her own despite wanting too but she had never met the right man, and she loved Mega.

After breakfast Alpha cleaned the pots up and wiped clean the blue and white kitchen surfaces, the kitchen was finely decorated and was filled with many modern features. “Jack, how about we take a trip to the park?” Jack was playing with his figures still, engrossed in some fantasy world. Alpha walked into the living room, “Jack can you here me?” Still no reply from Jack. Jack was knelt down and looked to be having a fight between a dragon and a ben20 figure, he was making fighting noises and moving the figures around, the dragon sweeping down and firing flames at the ben20 figure. Alpha bent down and placed a finger from each hand in the air and prepared for the tickle kill. Jack suddenly turned around and dropped his figures and reached out to tickle Alpha, she attacked Jack also and together they laughed and laughed.

Alpha put her black leather coat on, jack put his blue ben20 winter coat on, on the back was a picture of a boy dressed in black leather with descriptions of each of ben20's powers at the side of him. Together they left the house hand in hand and turned left down the street, leaves were blowing all over the road from many of the trees that littered the gardens of most of the houses. There was a slight breeze, it was cold but not too cold, Autumn was truly here. The small park was not too far away, it would take around ten minutes to walk there. “When is daddy coming home?” Jack asked as he looked up at Alpha. “I'm not sure Jack but I am sure your daddy will be just fine and will be home real soon.” Alpha smiled a warm loving smile. They came to a small alley and turned down it, the short-cut knocked five minutes off the walk to the park but the alley was dirty and beer cans littered it. Jack kicked the cans and Alpha joined in also, together they kicked one can from the beginning of the alley all the way to the end of it. At the end of the alley they turned right and the park was across the road. Hand in hand Alpha and Jack crossed the road and entered the park, it was fairly busy. Jack ran off straight the the slide in a mass of excitement. The park was set in an old woods, a large chunk of the woodland had been taken out for the park but the trees still surrounded the perimeter. Alpha spotted a bench and sat down, it was in good view of Jack. Many children of all ages were here, Jack had made friends already with two young girls and was showing off. “Do you mind me sitting here also miss?” Alpha looked up to the man, he was gorgeous with deep penetrating blue eyes, dark hair and of a medium build. “I don’t mind at all.” Alpha replied, she was still staring at the man and quickly looked away.

It was nearly dinner time and I was tired, hungry and plain fed up. Mega had waited in the hospital with me despite myself urging her to go home. It was not fair for her to be as fed up as I was, we loved each other but now we didn't need to be spending every minute together. Mega had been great and had fetched me several cups of tea and had enquired as to when the consultant would be seeing me but the answer she had got was always soon and the consultant never came. I was up and dressed now, Mega had brought me a fresh set of clothes, my blue jeans and red t-shirt. Something suddenly appeared before my eyes then went again, I could not make it out, it was like the visions I had experienced before with the headaches but I felt no pain. I thought I had seen a man that looked like me standing in the corner of the room with a big hole through his heart, but the corner of the room was not in a hospital but a dark gloomy red walled building, it was like I had seen the room from above – looking in. I wondered if I was going crazy, should I tell mega or a nurse, perhaps they had given me some kind of medication that caused it. “Darling are you okay?” It was Mega, she was looking straight at me from near the edge of the bed, I could not see the corner of the room that I saw the man as Mega was standing right there. “Darling?” “I am just fine love.” I said, I had no intention of telling anyone I thought I was going crazy. “You just seemed to be staring at me for a while and looked a little spaced out, perhaps I..” “I am fine love!” I cut Mega off with a sharp tone I didn't expect to have come from myself, “Sorry love, I just want to get out of here.” I mumbled an excuse for how I had spoke to Mega. “Ill go and have a cigarette.” Mega left me and walked off, I put my head down knowing that I had upset her. “Mr David Robertson?” I looked up at the old man who had addressed me. He spoke with a thick Scottish accent, I nodded in reply. “I have looked at the test results that have been carried out on you, it appears that there is nothing wrong with you apart from a touch of concussion.” I was surprised seeing a Scottish consultant, other times I had been in hospital visiting I had been met by doctors and consultants from other nationalities and I had always struggled to understand a word they had said. “What about the headaches?” I asked. “I think I would put them down to stress of some kind, say at work or at home maybe?” Stressed I wasn't I knew that. “Mr Robertson, if you have any more of these headaches make an appointment with your doctor and then we can bring you back in for some scans and more tests, I will write an email to your doctor.” “Can I go home now?” “Yes sir, just report to the reception desk and they will check you out, have a good day sir.” “You too.” Well that was just great, nothing wrong with me and they think I am just stressed. I began collecting my things together when Mega returned. “What are you doing!” She had a mad look on her face. “The consultant has been and I can go home now, they think I am just stressed.” Together we headed for the reception desk, then eventually we were out of the hospital and in to the car and heading for home.

CHAPTER 2: DECISION / THIS IS MY SUPERMARKET

Ghostman was sat in his room pondering about a decision he had to make. Should he stay or should he go. His room was painted a bright red, the floor and the ceiling was painted yellow with lights of many colours on the walls, the light in the centre of the room was a normal shade of yellow and was draped in a beautifully crafted lampshade that resembled a butterfly. Ghostman had a medium sized room that was as big as the Queens and had one huge bed and many tables that were all of a dark oak design with finely crafted edges that looked like eagles, dragons and many other creatures both mythical and real. His easel and his paints sat in the corner of the room with the appearance of having not been used for a while, the words on the paper that sat on the easel were, Otherme.

“Look Ghostman we all love you here and we will all look after you but we shall all also respect any decision you make. There is a whole ghostworld out there and if you want to explore it then I am sure the Queen wont stand in your way.” Helen was sat on an oak chair which had a red nicely sized cushion for her bottom and also one for her back. “I know Helen, I just feel as though something is missing and that I need to find it.” Ghostman said sadly. “Its been ten years since you arrived here and every one of those days you have missed Otherme, your brother, father, the man you was cloned from and my ex husband David, there is no way to bring him back, unless he dies.” Helen new she was treading on ground that no one had dared to tread. “Its not that, I miss him but I know I had to let him live again, I should never have been here, I only know this life as a ghost, I was never truly born, I need to find answers why this has happened and I need to seek out myself, and find an answer as to why I can not pain pictures any more.” Ghostman said the words fast, he needed to get them out to someone. “I understand Ghostman but be aware that answers are not always the answers you may want to hear, the answers are answers you may never find.” Helen felt sad now. “I can only try Helen and maybe I will find myself in the search for the answers, find a purpose for myself, find a life I never truly had.” Ghostman smiled and hugged Helen. “Off to see the Queen then.” he said.

I had found myself a room, well kind of. The room was part of an old farmhouse, it had red walls and was fairly dark, the doorway to the room had collapsed and I had to crawl to get through. This room I had made my home and I found that I was left alone here, it was like a sanctuary for me, I was safe from been killed again and again here. For around ten years I had been seeking a way to escape this hell of a ghostworld and had failed. I had been sitting here for days, it was a good job ghosts like us never had to eat and drink. Today was the day that I would venture out for a while and seek something that would help in my escape, was I fooling myself, most probably so but I had to try. I heard voices, a lot of voices nearby, I crouched down in the corner of the small building, I kept very quiet. Seconds passed, the voices trailed away slowly. After around five minutes I stood up. “ha-ha-ha, I knew there was one in here!” A loud thunderous laugh boomed out, I looked towards the collapsed door and saw a face looking in through a small crack, it was grotesque and certainly not human, deep red blood and green goo was all over it. Seconds later there was a bang, pain enveloped me, I held my chest to see blood pouring out of a large hole in me, I was killed again, so much for this place been my sanctuary. My vision clouded and them I saw something different, I saw David, that Otherme, the man who I had been cloned from sat up on a bed, it looked like a hospital bed, machines were around him. I stared straight at him, he appeared to see me. Suddenly a women appeared between me and David, it was that Mega and then I was gone and I only saw blackness.

An ethereal voice smoothly rang out the words, “What is the password.” Helen looked at Ghostman and waved her hand indicating that he should say the words for one last time, he said the words clear and happy, “love and joy.” The tiny door opened and Ghostman entered first followed by Helen. The Queen suddenly jumped out from under a huge pile of dolls and teddy bears. The queen was a small child, perhaps aged around seven years old, she looked pretty in a princess styled dress with blonde hair that waved around her shoulders. Upon the Queens head was her crown, it was sparkling bright with many diamonds and colourful jewels, the main framework of the crown was pure gold. “Hello Ghostman, Helen, what brings you to see your Queen today?” she spoke in a high pitched child’s voice, a happy voice. Helen looked towards Ghostman indicating that he should tell the Queen. “My Queen, I have decided to leave the castle and explore this ghostworld and seek the answers that I seek.” his head went down as soon as he said the words. “Oh, Oh Ghostman, I don't want you to leave.” said the Queen. “But my Queen, I must or ill never be able to paint again, and ill never be happy again, I need to find myself my Queen.” “Its a dangerous place out there, you could get yourself lost or in trouble and never come back.” said the Queen. “I know but I have made my decision, I must at least try.” “Okay you may leave Ghostman, but you make sure you come back again, or ill, ill tell the guards to chop off your head!” the Queen was clearly upset with the news, her and Ghostman had spent many hours together playing and having fun together. “Don't worry, when I come back ill draw you a magical painting, a special one, just for my Queen, and you have no guards my Queen.” They all laughed then and the Queen picked up a teddy bear and threw it at Ghostman and he in-turn threw it back and not before long the Queen, Helen and Ghostman were involved in a teddy fight and were having so much fun.

It felt like I woke up from a big sleep, I looked around and I was sat in a plastic chair in what looked to be a supermarket, my clothes renewed and no hole in my body. I scanned the area, it looked to be empty. I was sat on the corner of one of the isles, it looked to be the home accessories area. Lights flickered off and on, it was strange to have working lights in Ghostworld. Every time I was killed I would wake up and my clothes always looked like new, my pockets and anything I was carrying were always gone though. Sometimes I found that I would wake up in familiar places that I had been before but this place I had never been in, I knew that. The shelves all looked to not have been disturbed at all, new items sat on them, things from knives to cushions. I stood up and looked this way and that, no one was to be heard or seen. Further down the isle I spotted a shopping trolley, this was cool I thought to myself. I headed for the trolley. As I walked slowly I thought of David sat in that hospital bed, maybe he was dying and I would find him in this place soon, I hoped so. “Don't move or ill shoot” I stood still and looked around, the voice was a women’s. “I said don't move or ill shoot.” I really did not want to be killed again so soon after waking up again. “Okay okay ill stay right here and keep still.” I said out loud to the air. “Babe just shoot him and get it done with will you” it was a man's voice, sounded like a London accent. “No Eddy, I kind of like the look of him.” “Suit yourself.” Well I couldn't just stand here could I. I looked out of the corner of my eyes, I figured that they were behind the shelves to the left of me, if I could leap up the shelves to my right and jump over the top I could possibly make a run for it. “Eddy go round and get him will you, don't shoot him though unless he attacks you.” “Yes ma’am.” I heard footsteps now to my left. This was it.

I turned and accelerated as fast as I could the few metres to the right towards the shelves, I leapt onto the first shelve then managed a small jump to the next one, I felt myself losing balance – backwards away from the shelves. I reached out with my hands and clung to the next shelve up. “Get him, get him he's trying to escape Eddy, but I want him alive still.” I heard and felt a gunshot slam into the shelves right below me, I heard the clatter of the items flying off below me. I made one last jump and succeeded in pulling myself over the shelve, I landed heavily on the floor on the other side, I hurt but I leapt up and ran right as fast as I could. I took a left at the end without checking and found myself between isles , some to my right and some to my left. Ahead I could see what looked to be a electric department, there were televisions all sat on the shelves still but not working. I heard another gunshot and shouting. “You should have listened to me bitch.” I heard the man who she called Eddy shout. “Fuck off Eddy, ill get my man.” I carried on running. I turned down an isle to my right, it looked to be the cereal isle. I ran as fast as I could, I heard their footsteps running fast also. Ahead I saw the tills and I also saw the doors and the red, dark gloomy outside ghostworld through the glass in the doors. I ran past the tills, and straight for the doors, I pushed at them but they would not move. I tried all the doors, none would open. I tried hitting them, I tried smashing a shopping basket through the glass but it would not break. I was mad now. I heard more gun shots from somewhere else and more shouting. “This is my supermarket bitch, it ain’t yours.” “We were always in this together Eddy and now you want to turn on me” the women Eddy called bitch shouted. “You want that man, so ill have to kill you both won't I” “it don't need to be like this Eddy.” “Oh yes it does honey, oh yes it does.” the gun shots continued.