The Association

It is with regret that we inform you of Kirk's triple discovery and subsequent departure from this world. He is now at peace. As of yet, we don't know who made the discovery, but when we find out who the individual is you will be informed.

We, The Association are in the midst of a significant crisis. Dr Shaheed's betrayal and setting up of the splinter group D:Association is a considerable threat.

This new group is a coalition with the Dark Side with a remit to harness the after life power of the reanimate for their own evil gains. We will endeavor to remain strong and focus all our effort in defending humanity from the Dark Side's H Offensive.

CNN NEWS

We are now returning to the Wild Boar attacks at Arlington and our reporter Jonathon Swain. How are things developing, Jonathon?

"Well, it's now over 24 hours since the teenager who saved his friends from a savage wild boar attack was taken back to this property behind me. I have here with me an officer from Oregon State Police who has been inside the property, what can you tell us of Kirk's welfare and do you have any news on his friend who went missing from the hospital?"

"I can confirm that the young lady discharged her self from hospital and is now safely inside this residence being treated for acute shock. I can also confirm that Kirk is as well as can be, given the circumstances. I would like to ask the media to please be patient and recognize that Kirk needs time to rest and recover before he will be in a fit state to give any media interviews. Kirk, his family and friends need time to recuperate. I intend to stay with them at the residence whilst my department continues to investigate the source of these wild beasts and ensure the public remains safe from any further attacks."

"Thanks for your time, officer. I now return you back to the studio."

Thank you, Jonathon. And we would just like to reassure the citizens of Arlington that the authorities say there is no intelligence to suggest any further attacks are likely. We will return to that story as it develops.

......

The Association

We are on our way to Kirk's residence to meet with the officer and discuss a strategy.

......

I feel euphoric as my grandmother takes me in her warm embrace, "Welcome home, Callum, I'm so happy to see you again," she says, cupping my face in her hands.

Her smile sends waves of love sailing through me, "But, I'm Kirk," I say, a little confused.

Her hands leave my face and rest gently on my shoulders, "It will take time to adjust, but time is something we have plenty of. Over here, you're Callum, over there, you're Kirk," she says, pointing to a place in the distance. She puts her hand to her ear, "Listen, someone from over there is calling you," she says.

I feel a slight tugging on my right shoulder, but when I look back no one's there. I look back at my grand mother and she repeats, "Listen, can you hear?"

I hear nothing, I just feel the tugging, harder this time, like I'm being pulled away from my grandmother. I resist this 'pulling' feeling, I want to stay here, I like the warm fuzzy feeling this place gives me. My grandmother registers my resistance, "Don't worry, Callum, go with it, someone needs Kirk's help. You will always be able come back to me."

I look around and I see smiling faces with outstretched arms welcoming a constant stream of bewildered yet happy people. A soft sound, like a joyous buzz fills the space that I can best describe as a sun filled meadow.

I look back at my grandmother's serene and smiling face, "Are mom and dad here?" Her smile falters, "No, no, they're not here. But we mustn't dwell on where they are, all that matters is that we're back together," she says, her smile returning.

The tugging returns, more sustained this time and I struggle to stay upright. Then I hear a voice, a distant calling, "Kirk, give us a sign." The voice has a familiar ring to it.

My grandmother nods her head to indicate she's heard it also, "What does it mean?" I ask.

Suddenly, I feel like I'm teetering on the edge of a vast ledge, like I'm going to fall from a great height. And the distant calling continues, "We need a sign, help us Kirk."

My grandmother steps forward and pushes me gently, "Go on, they need you."

I fall backwards and am engulfed in a stomach leaping rush like the first drop of a mega roller coaster. Energy floods through me as I experience an exhilarating sense of freedom as I zoom through the stratosphere.

Then I stop. A sudden stillness surrounds me as I hover gently above two people – it's Jess and Toby.

They're sitting at a table, their fingers resting on a small wooden block, which moves around a board circled by the alphabet.

Slowly, I descend, until my feet meet the floor.

I'm Kirk and I'm back!

......

My friends look deathly pale and their mouths are hanging open. I get straight down to business, "Right, you need to burn that board. Those things attract the Dark Side. You guys are lucky my grandmother pushed me over – never, ever dabble with a Ouija Board – you hear me?"

They both stare, their mouths gaping open, "What's up, did the Ouija Board get your tongues?"

Jess's mouth moves enough to mumble, "How'd you get here?"

"Someone triple discovered me. I died in Casey's arms, then went to this real nice place," I explain.

"Are you a ghost?" Asks Toby.

"I'm Kirk," I smile, happy to be back and able to communicate fully.

Jess and Toby smile. "It worked!" Exclaims Jess.

"What did?" I ask.

"We posted your image online in the hope that someone would recognize you and triple discover you. Its worked, you're here, with us, in spirit," explains Toby.

"Do you know who triple discovered you?" Asks Jess.

"No. But I know we've got to get into the basement of my house, Casey's in real danger back there."

Toby tenses up, "We can't just stomp over there; almost every news station in the country's camped outside the house," he says. He loosens up, "Besides, they won't harm Casey. The Officer told the news anchor where she is, I guess that's his way of protecting her; they can't add another death to the toll, it'd throw too much suspicion their way," he says, hopefully.

I raise an eyebrow (it's so cool being able to express myself fully, even if it is in spirit), "I strongly suspect they'll kill Casey. Her death will be explained somehow," I say, with a ruthless but rationale insight into the kind of people we're dealing with here.

"Can't you just go over there and spook em?" Asks Jess.

I chuckle at her naiveté (Something I never noticed in my half life), "Come on Jess, you're a Grade One Responsive. This ain't no Poltergeist movie. I can't just show up and hurl objects around the room while hollering Boo–Hoo," I say.

Jess smiles, "Sure, I'm Grade: 1 – but that doesn't come with experience of this dimension. We're all in at the deep end here," she says, pacing the room.

"Why can't you do it like in the movies?" Asks Toby.

"Because this is real; I'm all energy and I need to conserve as much as possible to save Casey. Transporting myself to the basement will drain me, I'll be as useless as a Priest's Penis."

They both laugh, "Kirk, you're fun-ay," says Jess, through chuckles.

I cut the humor, "But we have a serious situation here, we need to think how I can get over there." I say, bringing the brevity of the situation back on track.

I follow Jess's eyes as they scan the room, searching. When she focuses on the Ouija board I interject, "No, that's not the way."

She looks enthused, "I'm not saying it is. But, here's the thing, the board's used as a portal to bring dark side spirits over here." She stops talking as her eyes move around the room and settle on a small box in the corner, "The Wi-Fi hub?" She says, with a questioning look on her face.

Toby lights up, "Jessie genius strikes again – it's worth a shot!" He enthuses.

"You guys have lost me," I say.

Jess approaches, stands in front of me and swipes her arm right through me. She flinches at the electromagnetic current that sparks from her hand, "Jeez, that was kinda alarming, but thrilling at the same time!"

I chuckle, "Yeah, I'm a real live wire!"

Jess opens her laptop, "Right Kirk, this is a long shot but we gotta try it," she says, tapping at her keyboard.

"Try what?" I ask.

"I'm gonna try and email you back to your house. Walk toward the WI-FI Hub," she says.

I don't even question her, because it sounds so ridonculous that it just might work.

As I approach the Hub, I feel its pull, tugging me closer, "Awesome-sauce – guys, this is working," I say, pulling back on the hub's tug.

Toby jumps up and joins Jess, it feels good to see him so psyched up. He looks at her screen then up at me, "If this works, do whatever you can to communicate with us when you get there, send us: images, words and sounds, so that we can act accordingly to save Casey." He watches me struggling against the tug of the Hub, "Kirk – let it go!"

"HARDCORE – I'm sucked supersonic like, along a kinda superhighway. The speed with which I'm traveling means I can't focus on anything – I'm blinded, yet I feel more alive than I've ever felt before.

My sight notices my 'slowing' first. I see things on either side of me, inanimate objects. As I slow further the objects I'm traveling with reveal themselves to be myriad shapes: icons, symbols, numerals, parenthesis, periods, and hash tags. I watch as they break from their flight paths and form groups, which eventually stop and park in small spaces.

When I come to a halt in a tiny space, I look around in awe. I'm in what looks like the most gargantuan, vertical parking space you've ever seen. But I'm not surrounded by cars, instead each space contains grouped shapes which I'm guessing are Internet codes.

No sooner does one code ping away, then another replaces it. While I wait and watch, I figure that I must be an email attachment waiting to be opened and released – off-the-hizzle!

I hear a ping, followed by the blow of an almighty punch that throws me backwards – back into my old reanimate basement!

......

They are unaware of my presence.

Standing back, out of sight, I listen and observe.

I don't like what I see or hear.

The members of The D:Association remain in their seats surrounding the observation booth; in which Casey stands: terrified and shivering next to my rotting corpse.

It's a sight that fills me with anger and fear. Emotions that are amplified when one voice rises above the debating members: Dale's.

"Look, it's a no-brainer. We have to kill her; she's seen too much. After death, Dr Shaheed can reanimate her, which will mean she can still make appearances to the press, under our strict supervision, of course. They'll be none the wiser."

A male voice interrupts, "What about her parents?" He asks.

Dale continues with confidence, "Simple – we have them devoured by reanimate boars. Casey will be seen as a traumatized orphan who is being looked after by Dr Shaheed," He explains, with a callousness that makes Casey shake violently.

I hear a multitude of voices expressing impressed agreement. Then the male voice again, "The kid's right, she needs to go and come back in our control. We already have a job on our hands convincing the press of Kirk's suicide."

Dale's enthusiasm rises, "I'm so energized now that Kirk's soul has left me, I can express myself fully."

He walks toward Casey in the booth, "I'll kill her, strangle her nice and slow so her body is unblemished for reanimation."

He turns to the members and smiles proudly, "She'll be my fifth victim, the magic number that will make me an official: Serial Killer – awesome..."