Hello, fellow disciples! Today, we bring to you the story by JoAnn314, our third place contest winner for The Banishing writing challenge!

You can check out JoAnn314's winning contest entry here ➟➜

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1

"Mum?"

"Oh darling, how are you feeling?"

I sat up, looking around the pure white room. Pain ripped through my body as I lay back against the pillows behind me, looking at the machines bleeping beside my head. I realised there was a cannular in the crook of my elbow and I looked at the long tube that was attached to some strange coloured liquid being flushed through me.

I turned back to face my mum, starting to feel panicked. "Mum, what is going on?"

I couldn't remember a thing. The last thing I could recall was...

"Louisa, you were on your way back from that school trip and the police said the driver might have been drinking or something. The coach flipped over off the road and luckily a few cars were behind and saw the whole thing and called 999 straightaway."

I started to remember, recalling singing next to Natasha in the middle of the busy coach. There was about 20 of us all singing along to the radio and laughing after coming back from completing our Gold Duke of Edinburgh. I had just told Natasha how hungry I was and had reached down to get my rucksack when there was a loud bang on the side of the coach and I was pushed back into my seat as my vision became blurry and...

"Louisa, darling, what are you thinking about?"

I must have looked distressed as mum looked panicked. I shook my head and faked a smile, my memories not overly clear, "I'm fine mum..."

Mum leaned forward and hugged me tight; I could feel her tears drip onto the bare skin on my neck. "Oh, I was so worried. The nurses said you were lucky to be alive. You had a serious head injury... Bit of a miracle really", mum tailed off, moving off me and looking at my face.

I pushed her hand away and shook my head, suddenly seeing something move in the corridor behind mum, like a cloud of smoke rushing across the hospital floor.

"Darling, are you okay?" mum asked, quizzically.

I blinked a few times, passing it off as a side effect of whatever was being pumped into my body and smiled back at mum, not wanting her to worry about me anymore. "Yes, fine."

Mum smiled back at me and caressed my cheek. "Good. Now get some sleep, I will come back in a little bit. I need to call dad and let him know you are awake and okay. He's been so worried."

"But, what about Natasha? And all the other students on the coach? Where are they?"

Mum's face showed a thousand different emotions, clearly not knowing what to say.

"Mum? Where are they?" I said with more urgency than before.

She looked down at her feet, finding it difficult to get the words out her mouth. After a few minutes of awkward silence she looked back up at me and walked forwards, clasping my hand tightly in hers. "Louisa, when the paramedics got to the coach some of your classmates had died... the coach had fallen against a hill side and crushed... Well you don't need to know the exact details."

I looked at her face, a wave of anxiety sweeping through me. "What about Natasha, Abbie and Suzie?"

Mum looked around the room, trying to look anywhere but at me. I squeezed her hand tighter, making her suddenly look into my scared looking eyes. I feared the worst, my heart sinking in my chest. "Oh my god, have they die..."

"No, no, no!" Mum replied quickly, shaking her head. "But it's not looking good Louisa. They are in this hospital too... But Suzie hasn't woken up."

"That's okay, I have only just woken..."

"No, you don't get it Louisa!" Mum snapped back.

"Well then tell me. WHAT?" I cried, feeling agitated.

"Your injuries have seemed to heal magically within a few days; some of the other girls, well, let's just say, they haven't had much luck on their side."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, noticing the white cloud of smoke rush past behind mum in the corridor again. I blinked a few times then leant my head back against the tower of pillows behind me, suddenly feeling exhausted, like I was going undeniably insane.

"I'll leave you to sleep Louisa", Mum whispered.

Ididn't open my eyes and heard her shoes squeak against the floor as she walkedout the door, slowly shutting it behind her. The room suddenly felt cold and Ipulled the covers over me tightly, feeling like my whole world was about tochange in a matter of hours, and I couldn't shake it off.

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2

I opened my eyes sleepily, noticing how dark it was around me and looked over at the clock on the wall.

2am

I couldn't believe I had fallen asleep for so long. My dream had been so vivid, like I was replaying the scene just before I fell unconscious; Natasha talking about her boyfriend troubles and the rest of us listening intensely like it would be the end of the world if she became single again. I had noticed the coach driver swigging on a bottle and was about to tell the girls as I noticed Natasha's face drop. The coach abruptly hit something, and we had held onto our seatbelts and whatever else we could find as the coach flipped over. My heart rate soared as my head got shaken about as the coach tipped upside down. Abbie and Suzie had screamed as a loud crash was heard behind us. I shouted for the girls but then looked down at the side of me, noticing blood drip down from my head onto my arm sleeve before I fell unconscious...

I sat up, hearing an eerie scream down the corridor. No one seemed to be moving though and the noise persisted. I looked down at my arm and noticed a bruise forming where the cannular had been. I suddenly looked up, feeling like I was being watched and held the covers tightly to my chin searching the room. The scream was piercing through my ears, feeling like it was running through my veins, making my skin crawl. Unexpectedly I felt cold air blow onto my cheek and slowly turned around to look at where it was coming from. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as I noticed 2 piercing cat like eyes staring straight at me. "Oh my god!" I said under my breath as I felt my stomach flip.

I reached up to the press the call button for a nurse when a hand grabbed my wrist and pushed it back down to my side. "I need help", the person said scratchily, like they could barely breathe.

I could feel their grasp tightening around my wrist. "I don't know you. Get off of me!" I said tearfully, pulling my arm away from them. "Who are you?"

The person walked closer to me and I noticed their clothes looking dirty and ripped to shreds.

"What happened to you?" I asked, looking worriedly at the person I thought I recognised, but not quite sure from where.

"Louisa, please. I don't know where I am."

The way they said my name made me realise how I knew them. It was my classmate Rachel Hunt. My classmate that had been sat right behind the coach driver a few rows in front of me. The dried blood stained on her face making me think she might not have been one of the lucky ones to survive.

"Rachel?"

She nodded, biting her lip anxiously.

"You're in hospital Rach. We were in an accident." I went to reach out my hand to her arm but noticed the deep cut marks sliced through her skin and put my hand back to my side. "Where's your room? Did you get rid of your hospital gown?"

Rachel looked at me scared, not knowing where she was or why she was there. "What hospital gown?"

I felt panic start to rise in my body. "Rachel, where's your room?"

"I don't have a room. I don't know what you are talking about!"

I slowly pulled the covers away and warily got up, walking slowly towards her, noticing her cower away. "Rachel, what do you remember?"

"I remember being behind the coach driver and telling him he shouldn't be drinking and driving; I saw him put the bottle in his satchel he had hidden behind his seat. I tried to look at what else was in there as he looked very sheepish but he grabbed my hand and then turned as another car beeped next to us and then...

"Then what?" I asked hurriedly.

"Then... erm... I don't know", Rachel replied, thinking deeply at the gap in her memories.

"Rachel, has anyone come to see you yet?"

"Seen me where?" she replied, her eyes pooling with water.

Suddenly the lights in my room turned on and a nurse with purple highlights looked at me, smiling. "Ah, good to see you awake! How are you feeling?"

I looked between the nurse and Rachel, starting to feel slightly sick. "Erm, okay. I was just trying to help my friend..."

"Oh, did one of your friends come to see you?"

I shook my head and looked back at Rachel who started to look terrified back.

"Erm, no, she..."

"Look, you've been through something awfully traumatic. Let me get you a clean robe and I can find out if any of your friends are awake yet and we can try to organise you to see them, how about that?"

I gulped, my stomach churning as I turned back round to face Rachel.

Rachel took a few steps towards the nurse, but the nurse didn't move, like she was looking straight through her. She swiftly turned to face me. "She can't see me, can she?" Rachel whispered.

I looked over at the nurse who was busying herself with my chart in her hands then looked back at Rachel, shaking my head. "I don't know Rach..."

Rachel turned and walked right in front of the nurse, tears falling down her cheeks as she grabbed the nurse's arm. The nurse looked up nervously at me, realising I wasn't anywhere near her and itched her arm before looking back at my chart. Rachel blinked a few times then turned to face me, "why can't she see me?" she shouted towards me.

I shrugged. "I don't know", I whispered back.

"Sorry, did you say something?" the nurse asked, looking up at me.

"Erm, I was just wondering if you could find out soon if I could see my friends."

"Oh gosh, yes of course. Let me go do that now, I'll be back in a minute."

Thenurse put my chart back and rushed off out the door. I quickly turned around tosee a cloud of white smoke in the corner and then a rush of a breeze sweepunder the door as I realised I was all on my own.

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3

A few days had gone past and I had finally been discharged from the eerie hospital, not having any more visits from Rachel or any other weird goings on. Natasha and Abbie had been allowed out at the same time as me, but Suzie was still in a bad way, and getting worse by the day. Mum and dad had left me alone and the perks of being an only child meant that I had no one else to contend with. I got into bed and turned my light off, listening to the peace of our quiet house as I closed my eyes.

"Louisaaaaa"

I felt a shudder go through me and heard a creak of a floorboard near the doorway of my bedroom. I shook my head thinking it was ridiculous to think I had heard something when I knew my parents were still downstairs watching TV. I rolled over keeping my eyes firmly shut but couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I opened one eye and jumped back as I saw the light shine from two eerie eyes staring at me. "Oh my god!" I spat as I pulled the cover to my chin, "what do you want?"

Whoever it was stood up, still staring at me.

I couldn't move; my body paralyzed with fear.

The person moved towards the window laughing quietly. I noticed the dark ruffled hair and broad shoulders and as he turned around I familiarised myself with Damien, a popular boy in school whom I had never spoken to. "Damien?" I said confused.

He smiled; his lips perfectly formed on his face. "Didn't think you'd know who I was...", he said, grinning.

"How did you get here?" I asked, feeling the hairs on my arms stand on end. I had a growing feeling that something wasn't right and my whole body felt on edge.

Damien stepped towards me and I noticed the red blood stained down the side of his face. He saw the panic in my eyes and leant towards me. "How can you see me?" he breathed in my face.

"I... I... erm... I don't... know", I replied sheepishly, hoping that when I had seen Rachel it was all just a bad dream and not some new reality.

"Well find out, because I have been roaming around that stupid hospital for a few days with no help from anyone apart from a couple of old ladies and some eye contact from a toddler. My family can't see me and then I found Rachel..."

"Where is Rachel now?" I said, feeling my heart hammering in my chest.

Damien lifted a finger and stroked it against my cheek. I reverted my eyes from his face, wanting to run away, but knowing there was nowhere I could run away too without him being able to find me. Something supernatural was going on here and I had no idea what to do, but I knew one thing for certain, I couldn't run away from it. "You need to help us find a way back to being alive. We have no idea where we are or how we get back..."

"Or what?" I said, pushing his hand away from my face.

He grabbed my shoulders tightly, his nails digging into my skin, "otherwise we will cause you so much pain and distress you will wish for death too."

Withina split second he had vanished, leaving me panting like I had run a marathon,my body feeling limp and electric all at the same time. I had no idea what Iwas going to do and as I lay down I couldn't help but feel this was only thebeginning of something absolutely impossible.

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4

I walked into the hospital to see Suzie still attached to a bleeping machine that had been made apparent, was keeping her alive. I stood next to her, feeling my eyes start to pool with water. She looked so peaceful, her blonde hair cascading across her shoulders as her chest slowly moved up and down. I felt Natasha next to me and leant my head on her shoulder, "she has to wake up soon, it's been nearly two months..."

I heard nothing in return and started to feel panic rise in my body.

I looked down at my feet and noticed the shoes next to me seeming to look slightly burnt and tired. Definitely not something Natasha would wear. I gently lifted my head up and felt my heart rate quicken as I slowly turned around. I stepped back instantly, nearly falling into the machine bleeping next to Suzie as I noticed Rachel staring straight back at me. "Long time no see, huh?" she spat, her eyes burning into me.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd gone...", I replied, worriedly.

"Gone where?" she spat angrily.

I shrugged, "home?"

Rachel's lips turned into a smile as she shook her head, folding her arms against her chest. "Have you not wrapped your stupid little brain around this yet?"

I shook my head, having an inkling of what was happening, but not wanting to say it out loud.

Rachel took a few steps towards me, letting her arms hang by her side. She paused as she looked at the machine keeping Suzie alive before abruptly turning to face me again. "I'm dead Louisa", she said, glaring at me.

"Wh... wha... what?" I replied, trembling.

Rachel huffed, "I can't spell it out for you anymore than this... I... AM... DEAD!" she cried, her voice getting louder and louder. She turned to face Suzie, "and soon she will be too..."

I shook my head, "she's not going to die..."

Rachel turned back to face me as I felt my body weaken. I don't know what Rachel was doing to me and suddenly felt a force push against me. Rachel grinned, knowing I was near enough paralyzed and put her hand on the wire running from the machine to Suzie, holding it tightly in her grasp, restricting the air flow.

"What are you doing?" I shouted, struggling to move. I watched Suzie's eyes suddenly open in shock, the green in her eyes turning a horrible yellow.

Rachel didn't reply and yanked the wire out the machine making it go mad.

"Rachel stop! Please!" I begged, seeing Suzie's breathing quicken, her chest looking like it was going to explode.

Rachel laughed as the lights cut out in the room.

I stood up and ran out the room, not knowing what to do and as I stepped out into the corridor five nurses ran into Suzie's room shouting at each other, yelling for help, calling for the defibrillator.

"Miss, you need to go!" an authoritative voice shouted at me as the door shut.

I turned around but felt myself gasp for breath as I walked straight into a blonde-haired girl, who looked the spitting image of my best friend.

"Suzie?" I whispered, not believing what I was seeing, and knowing full well what it meant if I could.

"What's happening?" she replied, blinking in agony at the brightness of the hallway. "Where am I?"

I shook my head, hearing the shouting stop in the room next to me, knowing exactly what that meant. "Suzie, I need to explain something..."

CRACK

I looked in horror as I watched Suzie's head snap to the side before her whole body dropped to the floor like jelly. Rachel stared at me with pleasure, "wow, who knew this would all be so fun, hmm?"

I wiped the tears angrily from my eyes. "What did you do?" I cried, dropping to the floor to push Suzie's blonde hair away from her face.

Rachel crouched down next to me and leant her elbows onto her knees, "hmm, I think she would have just gotten in the way. There was no need for her here..."

I looked up at her, feeling my body radiate the hatred and confusion at what she had just done. "What do you want from me?" I said as my throat felt like it was closing up.

"I need to find out what the hell I am doing here!" she spat.

"And what makes you think I can help you with that?" I sobbed.

Rachel pulled me up and pushed me against the wall, "because you are the only one who can see me", she seethed into my ear.

I felt my whole-body exhale as she pushed meaway and strutted off into nothingness at the end of the corridor. I turnedaround as the door to Suzie's room opened and her parents were ushered towardsthe doctor. I focused so hard on what he was saying but I couldn't catch aword, but I could tell by her parents reactions that the worse had happened andher lifeless body on the cold hard hospital floor a few metres in front of mewas the last I would ever see her.

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5

I felt cold.

Rachel and Damien had driven me to where it had all happened.

It was all still taped up.

The coach had looked better, and I felt petrified as we stood beside it on the side of the road.

"I don't get what this is going to achieve...", I said, looking at both of them beside me.

Damien smirked, "it's all just a bit of fun really. We're bored and I'd quite like to find out what the hell was in that bag the murderer was keeping so secretively."

"It was probably nothing..."

"And that's what we are here to find out", Rachel interrupted, rushing behind me and pushing my back towards the coach.

I looked over the edge of the road at the coach that was leaning against the hillside, some of it crushed against the side. I saw the river on the other side, knowing there was no way the coach was going to hold much weight without moving. "It's not safe for me to go in there, it might fall!" I pleaded.

Damien and Rachel crossed their arms over their chests and gave me an icy stare. "We can't seem to go in, so you will have to Louisa. There is no other option. If you want to get rid of us this is the only way, it's like we have some sort of unfinished business here", Rachel said with an attitude.

I knew I didn't have any other choice and slowly stepped forward, towards the battered coach. I took a deep breath as I put one foot onto the side, hearing it creak with the pressure. I turned round to face Damien and Rachel, but they hadn't moved a muscle, their faces the same expression, like they had been frozen on. Damien moved his hand back and forward, ushering for me to get on with it and I took a deep breath as I turned around and jumped onto the side, praying that it would hold my weight long enough to retrieve the bag behind the coach driver's seat and return back to them safely. I kicked some of the broken glass away, hearing it shattering as it hit the other side of the coach and jumped through the hole in the side, landing on a soft seat on the bottom of the tilted coach. I heard it creak and felt my heart rate soar; I knew I had to be quick, the coach starting to wobble every time I moved. The smell was overwhelming, like I was surrounded by rotting flesh, making my skin crawl. I tried to hold my breath, but it was too overpowering and I started to feel lightheaded as I made my way towards the front of the coach. Blood was splattered across the walls on the side that had hit the hillside and my stomach flipped at the sight of it, making me gag. I tried to ignore the feeling creeping up inside my body and kept walking carefully towards the front of the coach, clambering over seats and leftover baggage, no one daring to go inside the coach whilst it was still dangling on the hillside above the river.

I walked up to the seat and noticed the black satchel wedged deeply under the driver's seat. I wrapped my hands around the handle and pulled at it, but it seemed stuck on one of the levers. I crouched down and opened the zip, looking inside at what the coach driver was seeming to hide so secretively and put my hand to my mouth in shock. It was the missing items from the teenage girl who had been reported missing a few months before, the girl everyone was talking about who had gone to a school in the area and had disappeared one evening as she was walking home from school. I felt a sicky feeling rise through my body and as I clasped my hands around the pink flowery purse I recognised instantly from the pictures scrawled across the internet I felt the whole coach move, making me fall on my back, banging my head on the side. "Ow!" I screamed, raising my hand to the back of my head in agony.

No one could hear me. I was completely isolated and didn't notice the coach slowly start to slip away from where it was.

All of a sudden there was a massive jolt and I flew down to the back of the coach as it shot down towards the river. I grabbed onto the side for dear life but nothing could have warned me for what was about to happen. I looked down at my feet as water started pooling around me and I climbed over the seats to try and make my way back to the window I had come in from. I paused as my foot got stuck in a bit of safety rope on the side and my eyes dilated in fear as I saw the water rising underneath me. Hot tears pricked at my eyes as I thought of all the things I hadn't yet achieved and reality kicked in at what was going to happen to Rachel and Damien if I didn't get out, if I couldn't give them the closure they so desired... Would they just roam around as lost spirits forever? Was my job really to make sure they found the ending they needed to move on?

I tried to use all my energy and adrenaline pumping through my body and as the water creeped up towards me I knew I had found my purpose and used all the determination I could muster to make sure I not only got out there alive, but to also bring the black satchel with me!

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