In front of him, next to the bed, was Mary's dressing table. A jewellery box and numerous sprays and creams and other products were on the table. The centrepiece, a tall oval mirror, caught Andy's eye. Through the reflection, he saw the wall behind him. His heart jumped when he looked at the shadowed corner of the room.

He turned around, seeing the real corner, but didn't see anything wrong. He looked back at the mirror. There it was. The shadowed corner looked the same, except there was more of a shadow in the reflection. The darkness spread further out on the ground.

Andy moved closer to the mirror, trying to make out what that extra darkness was. He looked back at the real corner, and was sure that the shadows weren't the same. He turned back towards the mirror. What is that? He moved his head closer to the mirror, so that his nose was almost touching the glass.

Three long points of darkness were spread out from the bottom edge of the shadow in the corner. Feet, Andy realised. The points sprang to life as a dark figure emerged from the shadows, rushing towards him. Andy jumped back and spun towards the real shadows. The dark figured was there! A thin, gangly shadow with a mess of hair flapping wildly around it. It darted closer, spreading its long, clawed hands.

Andy screamed, throwing his hands up protectively. A cold wind rushed through him as the shadow met him. A dull, numbing sensation washed over him; somehow feeling both calm and familiar.

A baby's cry echoed in Andy's mind. He was no longer in Mary's bedroom, but saw a very strange scene. Babies in small cots in what looked like a hospital room. His focus somehow shifted to the name tag of one of the baby's. He read the name. Andrew Enslin.

Cries came from the cot next to his. A baby wrapped in a pink blanket. Andy read the name of the baby, knowing what it would be. Mary Madina.

Baby Mary wailed and struggled under her blankets. And then she stilled, moaning softly before becoming silent. Deathly silent. Her chest stopped moving. A familiar cold sensation washed over Andy–however it was that he was seeing and feeling these things. The light distorted over baby Mary, appearing to move towards her; into her. Suddenly the baby burst to life, crying louder than before.

She died, Andy realised. Died and then, what, something went into her?

The hospital room wavered, shifting like a reflection in water. Another scene came to Andy. A little girl of about seven or eight, drawing on a table in a house. He recognised the crude style of the drawing, and also the eyes of the dark haired young girl. Mary. The little girl smiled as she put her crayons down, and then crossed her arms over the table and laid her head down, closing her eyes.

The room distorted, blurring like it was being sucked into a great vortex, becoming streams of light. Suddenly a new scene popped up. Andy recognised his younger self right away. He was with William in his room. They were pretending to be different people, making up characters. When little Andy paused, looking around the room, the older Andy remembered the moment. He thought he felt something, at that time. Something cold, and yet comforting.

So that was Mary, his disembodied presence thought. It's been her the whole time. My whole life.

The vision wavered once again, distorting and blurring. Suddenly Andy was back in Mary's room. She still lay by his feet.

It was her the whole time. That person that both me and George saw that night. It wasn't a short person. It was a kid, a young girl. Every strange presence I felt, every face I thought I saw...

The walls of Mary's bedroom creaked and grinded. A thrumming vibration filled the room, shaking the walls and rattling objects. A hairdryer flew from the nightstand. Andy ducked quickly, causing the hairdryer to smash into the opposite wall.

He steadied himself as the dark room continued to shake.

"I know who you are," Andy called out. He had to do something. It's still Mary, he told himself. "Just tell me what you want, Mary."

The mirror behind him shattered, spraying glass. Andy braced himself as the tiny glass shards showered over him, but none did any damage aside from a few scrapes.

Andy planted his feet, looking around the shaking room. "Mary," he cried out. "Nothing has changed. I still want to break up."

His stomach lurched, sweat building under his T-shirt. A plastic figurine flew across the room, shattering against the wall beside him. The wardrobe doors burst open with a loud bang, the clothes within flapping wildly as if possessed.

Don't push the evil spirit, he said to himself. But... no, he would have to. He had to be strong.

"Mary!" he called out to the room, stepping and looking around as he spoke. "I know it's hard. And I'm sorry."

Andy paused, breathing heavily. Why was this so hard? Come on, you fuck, he berated himself.

Just a moment in time. Like every other moment.

"But the truth is," Andy went on, "that I haven't been sure about us for a while. I'm sorry, I really am. I can't be the person for you."

"Why not?"

Andy spun. Mary stood before him. The real Mary, in her summer dress. Her face was paler, her eyes darker.

"Mary," Andy said, taking an apprehensive step closer. "I know you love me. I know... you showed me what you are. But..."

"But you haven't learned to love me. Yet." Mary's voice sounded muted, distant, as if an echo of her real voice. She stepped towards him, her movements stiff, jittery, her knees buckling slightly with every step.

"You may not love me like this," Mary went on, gesturing at her body. "But you will, once your soul is free. Once we have left our bodies."

Andy froze, his heart pounding in his chest. She wanted to kill him. Kill them both.

"No, Mary," Andy said, trying to compose himself, his voice shaking. "I don't love you. And I won't, ever. You can't make someone love you."

"People change," she said, stepping closer. "I can change. You can change."

"No, Mary," Andy said again. "It doesn't work like that. People are either right for each other or they're not."

He let her reach him, mostly from being frozen and not knowing what to do. Mary's eyes were pure black, he saw through the dim light. She wrapped her arms around him. Andy remained still for a moment, before he returned the hug.

He held her tight, her cold skin soon warming. He squeezed his eyes shut, causing tears to drop. Despite the fear of losing his life, a deeper sense of compassion overwhelmed him.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he said quietly. "I... I don't even know if I know how to be loved. I just want to be happy with someone. But I don't know if I can be."

Mary leaned away to look at him. Andy pulled her back into the hug, holding a hand gently behind her head. She tightened her embrace, whimpering.

"I... I love you so much." She choked back tears. "I'm sorry I wasn't someone you could love."

Tears streamed down Andy's face. He squeezed her, wishing it didn't have to be like this.

"I just wanted us to be together," she said in a fading voice.

Mary's hands fell, her body becoming limp in Andy's arms. He steadied her, adjusting his hold to keep her up.

He remained holding her, sobbing into her shoulder as the realisation hit him. Mary had gone.

"Mary..." was all he could say, but his voice was hoarse, his mind numb.

He wanted to tell her that he did love her, but they just weren't right for each other. He wanted to talk to her again. To spend time with her. But now she was gone.

Dull sounds came to Andy, and he focused on the room. Outside, far away, he made out the sounds of sirens. Someone must have called the police, he realised. So all that shaking wasn't just in his head.

Andy slowly sat himself down on the ground, bringing Mary's lifeless body with him. He remained there, holding her, crying, until the police made their way into the house.

***

The director yelled cut.

Several people in old, ragged clothes broke character, leaving the cobblestoned street. A ringing bell signalled the beginning of lunch.

Andy left his last position and made his way to the buffet tables with the rest of the extras.

While others mingled and made small talk in the queue for food, Andy remained quiet, keeping to himself. It had been a year since he'd met Mary Madina, but she was still with him. Not in the spiritual way that she had visited him before, but Andy thought of her often, replaying his time with her, wondering if he could have done anything different.

A girl had died in his arms. It didn't matter that she was possessed by some evil spirit. She was still a girl; someone he cared for. Someone who loved him.

Andy picked up a paper plate and began spooning food onto it, shuffling further along the long table.

He thought about that final night with Mary almost every day. He still didn't know where she had come from, but it was clear that she–whoever she was–had taken possession of a new born baby who had died in the cot. In a way, she gave life to a baby who had died, Andy sometimes thought, trying to see Mary as someone good.

He looked around the Victorian era set. He had come a long way in year, having moved to Galway, on the west coast of Ireland, after landing a small acting gig for a big budget film. Once he had managed to clear his head enough after the ordeal with Mary, he had thrown himself into his work, and found that he was actually a better actor for it. Particularly in the dramatic thriller and more emotionally driven roles.

Next to him in the queue, a girl with long brunette hair leaned across him, picking at some food with tongs.

"Oh, sorry to get in your way," she said, looking up at him with large, brown eyes. "Just barging into you, there."

"No problem," Andy said, glancing at her but keeping his focus on the containers of food.

"Hey," the girl said, pointing at him with a tong. "You're the guy that was wearing a Blade Runner T-shirt this morning, right?"

Andy looked at her. She was tanned and petite, large teeth and big eyes. And had a fringe.

"Hello?" she said. "I say something wrong? Sorry, that wasn't you, was it?"

Andy blinked, clearing his throat. He hadn't realised he had frozen. "That was me," he said, attempting to sound light.

The girl smiled at him. "Great. I love that film. Actually, are you free tonight, by any chance?"

Andy paused. He hadn't been with anyone since Mary. Not even gone on a date. It took him some time before he was comfortable going out with his friends again. He hadn't told anyone of his ordeal. He'd told everyone that Mary left Dublin. How do you tell people that a spirit had become attached to you as a new born, and visited you throughout your life, and then tried to be with you forever by killing you? That just wasn't something you brought up over dinner and cocktails.

"Tonight?" Andy said, trying to keep his voice even. "Uhh..."

"It's ok," she said. "I know it's short notice, and we don't know each other. But I have a spare ticket to the open air cinema tonight, to see Blade Runner. I wasn't going to go, but when I saw your T-shirt this morning, I thought: this is fate."

A chill ran through Andy.

The girl smiled at him, curling a strand of hair over her ear.

"Do you believe in fate?" she asked.

Andy looked at her, not knowing what to say.

[THE END]

So that was the big ending, and a little bit of an epilogue for Andy there. What did you think of the big scary climax? (I know some horror films can fall apart once they move away from the mundane and get into the big scariness of it all)

What did you think of the story overall? Were the characters good for you?

Anything else stand out, good or bad?

Thank you very much for reading!