My Dead Friend Terry

My Dead Friend Terry

Jeff Hawksworth

Published by aSys Publishing

Copyright © 2015 Jeffrey David Hawksworth

All Rights Reserved

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Sample from My Dead Friend Terry

In less than an hour the next message appeared.

Ian, please mate.

I still hesitated. There was no one to discuss it with and while logically it had to be a scam, the tiniest part of me wished it were true. I had no wife and few friends outside of my client bank. My two daughters no longer spoke to me and I missed my best friend terribly.

Finally, I numbed out and began to type without much conscious thought;

Who are you?

The reply came back within five minutes.

I’ve been telling you. It’s me, Terry!

I responded to the anger that suddenly overwhelmed me, at such a callous response.

Where are you?

Can’t tell you.

Well it can only be one of two places.

Why?

You’re dead.

Ha ha

I can’t see what’s funny about that.

It is, - from where I’m sitting.

So switch your camera on.

Not possible, sorry. Not from where I am at the moment.

I thought I would play along, for the moment.

But you won’t tell me where that is.

Can’t.

What, Official Secrets Act?

Sort of.

Bollocks.

Still as succinct as ever.

You may recall that I was the executor to your estate. Thanks for the inheritance by the way.

He had bequeathed most of his estate to their only daughter, Caroline, now living in France, teaching English, but I received thirty thousand pounds, which for the want of anything else, was placed with ‘ERNIE’; more popularly known as the National Savings Premium Bonds. They doled out one or two twenty five pound prize warrants to me, most months.

Terry, or whoever was pretending to be him replied,

You’re welcome.

I tried a modest test, knowing though, that wills were a matter of public record.

How much did you leave me?

You’re testing me lol!

I didn’t answer and just waited. After a few minutes;

30K. What did you do with it?

I thought ghosts would be all seeing and told him so.

You probably know.

No- but interested.

This was surreal, but I continued to play along.

Premium Bonds.

How very tame, especially for you.

Whatever.

Sorry about Dee by the way. Really sorry.

I wasn’t expecting that and at a certain level it was as though the real Terry was asking the question; with the sincerity and concern only he would have. Once again, the emptiness her departure had left, overwhelmed me. I rubbed at the tears from both eyes with the heels of my hands and would later ascribe my next question to an emotional state. In that moment, I felt he would know the answer.

Is she happy?

As soon as I hit the enter button I felt stupid and the response was unsurprising.

Don’t know mate. Had no contact with her.

Yeah, I guess. I was thinking Ouija Boards.

You’re still off track. Believe me.

I don’t know what else to say.

How about, Hey terry, good to hear from you – how are you?

I would need to know I was messaging with Terry first.

This time it was Terry who played silent, until I felt the need to move on.

OK, I’ll play along, Hi terry, how are you.

I’m well, better than you could imagine.

Ain’t that the truth.

Here’s the thing Ian, for the sake of progress , will you take things at face value, - just for now?

Why?

I have some information for you. V. Important.

Go on.

I have an inside track on something you could use.