Page 47 of Inbetweeners
Emmett sat down next to Harry. “Thank you for your help yesterday. I’m sorry we drove off and left you.”
Harry pouted as he looked at Nix. “It wasn’t kind. And I know who was driving.”
Nix glared at him. “You’re going to be waiting a long time forsorryto come out of my mouth.”
“I’ll take that as a win then, since it just did.” Harry held up his hand for a high-five and when Emmett didn’t respond, he high-fived himself.
Nix groaned.
“The thing is, Harry,” Emmett said, “you reallydoneed to move on.”
“But I can be a help. I can get into places you can’t.”
Emmett nodded. “You can and you were a great help yesterday. But sticking around is putting you in danger. The reason we’ve been sent back is because some people who’ve died aren’t moving on in the way they should. Something is stopping them. Someone. It looks like it’s two someones. A man and a woman. Can you remember anything about your death, even if you didn’t see who killed you?”
“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it.”
“But—”
“No, it’s too traumatic. Don’t ask me.”
Nix rolled his eyes as he started brewing coffee, then slipped bread into the toaster.
“Why is it a bad thing not to move on?” Harry asked. “I mean if people can’t see you, what does it matter if the dead hang around for a while?”
“If it wasn’t bad, why have we been tasked with helping people to leave?” Emmett pointed out.
Cat was back on Harry’s lap, turning in circles as Harry stroked him. “So who wants dead people to stick around? Who’s powerful enough to persuade them to stay? I can’t see what use we’d be? Well, apart from the ability to walk through walls. I couldn’t rob a bank because even if I got into the vault, I couldn’t pick anything up. Though it does seem to be different in here. I can touch things. Not just Cat.”
“What have you been touching?” Nix asked.
“Not much. Just the window. The wall. My fingers don’t go all the way through every time.”
“That’s interesting,” Emmett said.
Nix nodded. It was. Because if those who didn’t move on developed the ability to interact with physical objects, theycouldbe used in all sorts of ways. Not good ones.
“What if whoever is behind this wants to control you?” Emmett said. “Use your body? What if once they get inside you, youdobecome visible?”
He glanced at Nix and Nix knew he was thinking of Vin. Much as he’d wondered if Vin could be behind this, Nix hadn’t left Hell with his hitchhiker untilafterthis had started.
“You mean like a demon?” Harry gulped and Cat jumped off his chest. “A demon might take over my body, and make me…do stuff? Bad stuff? Eat liver? Show my dick to strangers?”
“We don’t know,” Emmett said. “Though forget the liver. And the flashing. All we’ve been told is that we need to encourage people to move on.”
“My body doesn’t feel as if it wants to go anywhere. I’d rather take my chances and stay. I can help you guys look for Mr and Ms Bad.”
“How about you move on and take Cat with you?” Emmett suggested. “He needs to go too. Just…think yourself gone.”
Harry closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them. “Nope. Nothing happened.”
Nix wondered how hard he’d tried. “Hold Emmett’s hand.”
Harry frowned. “Why?”
“Because I think Emmett is the one the dead have to pass through.”
Harry looked at Emmett’s outstretched fingers as if they were snakes. “Not yet. Please. One more day.”
