Paul Kohler - The Borrowed Souls, A Novel

“I think you’re lying.” Enoch pulled back the hammer on his gun. I glanced at Penny, who was staring right at me. I was in quite the predicament. If I stood there any longer, there was a good chance that Enoch would actually pull the trigger. If I vanished, Penny would see, and I wasn’t sure how she would react.

On the count of three, Jack, I need you to jump right here to Penny, Hauser thought to me. At that same moment, I will jump up and tag Enoch. Nod if you understand.

I nodded then looked into Enoch’s eyes. “Okay, you got me. I do have a device and it’s in my pocket. Let me grab it.”

“Not so fast. I’ll get it myself,” Enoch said, reaching into my inside pocket. As he began to feel around, I heard Hauser’s thoughts.

Jump now!

A split second later I shoved Enoch backward and vanished. I appeared next to Penny at the same time Hauser appeared on the balcony, his injector at the ready. Unfortunately, Enoch was prepared. He fired his pistol right at Hauser, and they both vanished.

When I appeared next to Penny in the café, she was still staring up at where I’d stood just seconds before. Her eyes were wide with shock at seeing me disappear. When she finally sensed my presence and turned to look at me, the shock turned to fear.

“What the hell are you?” she asked, recoiling from my presence.

“It’s going to be okay, Penny. I’m not here to hurt you,” I said, hoping to calm her reaction.

Suddenly Penny’s expressions changed again, fear being replaced with recognition. “Wait a minute. I know where I’ve seen you before. You were at the hospital,” she said.

I exhaled slowly as I sat across from her. “Yes, that’s right. I was there the day that you gave birth to your son,” I said.

“So are you magic or are you a ghost? I don’t even know what to think.”

“I can imagine the confusion that you’re experiencing right now, but if you’d give me a chance to explain—”

“How can you even begin to comprehend what I’m experiencing?” she snapped.

“Because, Penny, I’ve been in your exact same situation, and it wasn’t all that long ago.”

“Who are you?” Penny began to cry.

“My name really is Jack, but I am not who you think I am. I have been sent here to… to collect your soul. Just as I was sent to collect Calvin’s soul a few months ago.”

“What? Like a grim reaper?”

“No, what I do is more civilized than that. Once a person dies, whether through their own volition or by some natural or accidental occurrence, their soul is released. I capture that soul and cleanse it before it goes to another person,” I said. “The grim reaper mythology is such that they take your soul by force occasionally, and with malice regularly.”

“So I am going to die, then,” Penny said, more of statement than a question.

Before I could reply, Hauser reappeared. I looked him over and saw no signs of blood . Great, you weren’t shot. With a huge sigh of relief, I looked at him expectantly. Well?

He shook his head. “No dice. He was able to get away from me. But I think our mission is almost complete, and I’d expect Enoch to return sooner than later. How’s it going here?” he asked.

Well, the cat’s out of the bag, so to speak, I thought to Hauser. Penny saw me disappear from the balcony.

“Well that complicates things. What have you told her? And can she see me?”

“Penny, do you see anyone else with us right now?” I asked.

She glanced around our immediate vicinity, looking through Hauser. “What is it you want with me? Are you fucking with me?”

“No, not at all. I was just curious if you were aware of anything else out of the ordinary.”

“Beside you disappearing from the balcony up there and reappearing a split second later? No, everything is just peachy,” she said, her voice beginning to crack.

I sensed Penny’s frustration building and wanted to stop any overreaction before it occurred. “How much should I tell her?” I asked Hauser.

“In for a penny, in for a pound,” Hauser said with a chuckle.

“Penny, ever since you lost your son at childbirth, you’ve been depressed, isn’t that right?”

Penny nodded.

“And I gather from these depressed feelings that you’ve considered suicide?”

Again Penny nodded, her eyes widening with surprise.

“First, let me tell you that you should reconsider.”

“What are you doing, Jack?” Hauser asked. “The plan is nearly a success. Enoch is on task. We both know what the end game is going to be here. You’re just going to make it more difficult.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Am I sure, what?” asked Penny.

“Come on, Jack. Use your head. It’s obvious that she can’t see or hear our conversation. You’re now just mentally torturing her.”

I shook my head out of frustration. “I’m sorry, Penny, but there is another person here who you cannot see or hear, and he’s not happy with me right now.”

“That’s an understatement,” Hauser said.

“How can I believe anything that you’re saying? As far as I know, you’re just an old guy playing a mean trick on me, and none of this is real.”

“Be careful, Jack. You’re just going to make this that much more difficult when it comes time to—”

Relax, I have a plan, I thought to Hauser. If we’re going to end up taking her soul anyway, what does it matter what we tell her? And besides, if Enoch is going to continue to pursue her, wouldn’t it be better if she was prepared? And I think it’s also better that we remove her from the public eye.

I looked up at Hauser as he contemplated what I was saying. After a few moments, he nodded. “Okay, Jack. Proceed. Maybe you should take her to your cabin. At least that way we can control the outcome of the situation.”

“I’m sorry, Penny, but I was just having a brief conversation with my partner. If proof is what you’re looking for, I think I have a way to provide that.”

Penny stared at me skeptically. “All right. If you are who you say you are, why can’t you show me your imaginary friend here?”

“Well, you’ll see him sooner or later, that I can guarantee. But how about for starters, I take you on a little trip?”

“What, like in a car or on a bus? A plane or a train?” she asked, sounding like a Dr. Seuss book.

“Not at all. I have the ability to travel from place to place instantly. You obviously saw me disappear from upstairs and reappear down here. What if I were able to take you to a different place in the same fashion? Would you be willing to give it a try?”

Surprising both Hauser and me, Penny nodded her head vehemently.

“I hope to hell that you know what you’re doing, Jack,” Hauser said.

We landed in the middle of my cabin. First Penny and me, then a few moments later, Hauser popped in next to the fireplace.

“Holy shit! What a mind fuck,” Penny stated emphatically. Then she slowly began to walk around the rustic cabin.

“Penny, how do you feel? Are you dizzy? Do you feel like you might be ill?” I asked.

“No, not at all. I actually feel pretty good, considering.”

“That’s good. My first experience was…” I looked at Hauser, my eyebrow twisting up questioningly. Why is it that she is able to transport on her first try without feeling the side effects?

“I don’t know, champ. Some people just react differently to the experience. Some of the collectors in the past have been affected much the same way that you have, while others have only experienced only light cases of dizziness. Looks like Penny here is a natural when it comes to travel in the afterlife.”