As soon as the ghost said his eerie words, he vanished, leaving Alfie stunned in the middle of an empty corridor. The principal of their college had been searching for him? Alfie guessed it was for a reason other than the fact that he was a student. It was either related to his mediumship or related to Koda. Alfie had a spoiled feeling at the bottom of his stomach. Something was not right.

Even with his doubts, Alfie finished his journey to the principal's office. He had to sit in the waiting room and it felt bigger without Koda slumped in the corner of the room and Chris glaring at the floor. After what felt like an hour, the medium was called into the office. Only ten minutes had passed, though Alfie had never been a very patient person.

When he entered the office and shut the door behind him, it was like stepping into another world. The noise of distant chatter and footsteps silenced, and Alfie relaxed almost immediately. The principal, a tall man with grey curls, dark skin, and a sharp posture, was turned towards a trophy cabinet, facing away from Alfie.

"Take a seat Mister Willow," the principal said in a voice that Alfie would hate to hear if he was angry.

"Is this about Chris?" Alfie asked, not daring to mention the ghost who had been yelling his name for weeks.

"I'm sure you've heard that he has been permanently excluded?"

"Yes." Alfie tried not to sound too pleased.

The principal turned around and the tranquil atmosphere started thickening. The way Mister Birch looked at Alfie with emotionless eyes didn't sit well on the medium's bones.

"I didn't bring you here to talk about Chris."

There was a click behind Alfie and the blood rushed straight to his toes as he turned. A woman stood by the door with her hand on a silver key. Alfie didn't see her when he entered, but he cared more about the fact that she had just locked him in the office. "What's going on?" Alfie asked, not as boldly as what he would have liked.

The principal sat on his chair, soundlessly. "I have been looking for you for a few months now, Alfie."

Just like what the ghost said. Alfie wondered who that ghost was. "Why?" he asked. His throat felt dry.

"Because you're different." Mister Birch leaned forwards, daring Alfie to deny it. "We need your abilities."

Alfie opened his mouth to say that there were thousands of mediums all across the country, but the principal continued and Alfie's words were suddenly left hanging on the edge of his tongue.

"Working for the Grim Reaper must be a... different job. Tell me, what is it like to take the souls of the dead?"

Alfie chewed his words quickly. The principal thought he could do what Koda could do. He stood up and pointed at the door. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I'm going because I'm missing class." Alfie stepped towards the door and the woman stepped in front of it. "Move," he demanded.

The woman's eyes stayed on Mister Birch, waiting for his instructions.

"Alfie, I think you know exactly what I'm talking about," the principal said, rubbing his hands together. "And unfortunately, you can't be in the eye of the public anymore."

The trophy cabinet behind the desk jolted and pushed against the carpet. Alfie watched intensely as it moved just like a door, revealing a man on the other side and a passage going so far back, darkness engulfed the end of it.

My dream. Alfie took a step back. Someone was warning him about this.

"If you come without a fuss, you'll be treated better," Ronnie Birch said with a gentle nod, staring at Alfie with hopeful eyes.

"Are you joking?" Alfie started to roll up his sleeves, already forgetting about his bag sitting by the chair.

"This way please." Mister Birch stood by the cabinet and gestured down the secret corridor. "Don't make this difficult Mister Willow."

Alfie cracked his knuckles. "You really don't know me at all. I like to make life difficult." He turned towards the main door and the woman tried to grab him. Alfie knew she would have to lean down to get a secure grip, so he lifted his elbow and it made hard contact with her chin. Pain shot up his arm, and he ignored it as he shoved her back and grabbed the silver key that was still in the lock. He was aware that the man from the corridor had moved towards him, so as he turned the key, he kicked and made contact with someone's hip.

They grabbed his ankle and Alfie kicked as many times as he could until the door was open. He stumbled into the waiting room and to his absolute relief, students were waiting on the seats and he was safe, for now.

Alfie didn't look back and ran through the room as fast as he could with his heart smashing against his ribs. He sprinted down the corridor, not pausing for long enough to check if there was someone coming after him. Students jumped out of his way as he scrambled to the ground floor and threw himself into a classroom.

The teacher was forced to stop in mid-conversation when the door slammed against the wall. Alfie furiously searched the students until he found the face he was looking for. "Koda, we have to go!" he said with wide eyes, panting hard.

The students around the room erupted into laughter, sharing the same mean thoughts about the weird kid that talked to himself.

"Excuse me," the teacher said, not in a stern way. "but-"

"Shut up." Alfie's eyes didn't leave Koda. "We have to go, now!"

Koda saw the worry smothering the medium's features. He had never seen him panicked like a pet owner watched their dog stepping further into the sea. There was a reason why Alfie had barged into his class, and if he didn't do what he asked, Alfie would surely drag Koda out.

To all the student's surprise, Koda packed up his things and hurried through the tables. "What's going on?" he hissed, but Alfie grabbed his wrist and yanked him out of the door, leaving the teacher staring after them. "Alfie!"

"Just run!" Alfie yelled and Koda did just that. They exploded through the double doors and into the car park. Alfie grabbed Koda's wrist again and dashed for the bus. They jumped on as the driver was about to close the doors and Alfie asked for two tickets to the train station.

"What-" Koda tried to question Alfie's motif, but the medium gave him a stare that made his mouth shut immediately.

When they sat right at the back and Alfie scanned the faces on the bus multiple times, Koda leaned down and whispered for him to explain himself, so Alfie told him about the ghost and about their principal thinking he was Koda, and about the doorway behind the trophy cabinet and about how he only just managed to escape.

"I came for you because I figured you'd be next." Alfie rubbed his chest, not used to running so much.

"I-" Koda's skin pulsed. "I don't understand. He's our principal."

"We don't know anything about him. That was the first time I've met him." Alfie tenderly held his arm. It ached where he elbowed the woman in the face.

Koda noticed Alfie's trembling hands. "I'm calling my dad," he said and touched Alfie's cheek with his finger. Alfie flinched and Koda knew it was pointless asking him if he was okay. "I know you're freaked, but hopping on a train and running away might not be the best solution."

"Well, get your dad to meet us at the station. We can't go to your house." Alfie had slouched in his chair with nervous eyes pointing to anything that moved. He almost got kidnapped because someone knew a secret about Koda that shouldn't have been told, but who told it?

* * * * *

Morlen was dozing on the couch when a loud knock on his door forced him awake. He was trying to rest before coaching his youngest rugby players, knowing he would need some energy to yell at them for hours.

"What now?" he grumbled and stomped to the door, yanking it open to scowl at a man who wouldn't see his annoyance.

Connor stood on his doormat, smiling politely and twisting his cane between his fingers. "Good afternoon."

"What do you want?" Morlen asked, forced to move out of the way when Connor invited himself in.

"I'm here to asses the energy of the house."

"Right." Morlen watched him walk through to the living room, slowly and relaxed. "Why?"

Connor ignored him, trying to remember the direction to the couch. When he found it, he sat and awkwardly prodded the rug with his stick.

Morlen hovered by the door, trying not to pace. He hated having strangers in his house. "Well?" he asked with his usual forceful voice.

"The energy is better than the last time I was here."

"And..."

"And what?"

"Get out."

Connor shook his head with amusement. "May I ask you something?"

"No."

"Have you ever felt..." Connor paused, trying to arrange his words correctly, "spiritually connected?"

Morlen frowned so deep, his eyes almost closed. "What do you mean spiritually connected?" he said in a way that sounded very judgemental.

"Well, in touch with the spirits of the world? Or energies or feelings of others?" Connor turned to where Morlen's voice was coming from. "Did you feel the darkness of your home after Enya's passing?"

Morlen tensed at the mention of her name, and he processed what Connor was asking, though he didn't know why he was asking him. Before Morlen could think about replying, his phone rang loud on the table in front of Connor. Morlen marched towards it and almost hung up until he noticed that his son was the one who was phoning.

Quickly, Morlen answered, remembering that Koda should be concentrating on whatever he studied at college. "What?" he asked in a tone much softer than what he used on Connor.

His son's reply prickled the back of Morlen's neck as Koda said lowly like he didn't want others to hear, "Dad, I'm in some trouble. I need your help."