Many people actually strive to develop their psychic powers, prompted quite often by direct intervention from the world of spirits. We will all have had some uncanny experience that seems to be beyond logical explanation. For some the interaction between two worlds is something like a precognitive vision or dream that came true, or the sighting of a so called ghost or discarnate entity. Most put such things down to tiredness, or simply deny the evidence of their own sixth sense. Others recognise the truth and attempt to develop their gifts through their local Spiritualist circle. But there are those for whom an encounter with the paranormal proves too terrifying to contemplate.
In the city of Manchester there lives a couple, Jenny and Jim Taylor, who had been trying to have a child. Jenny, in her early twenties at the time, had decided that it was the right time for them to start a family and in due course she did become pregnant. Attending her local hospital Jenny was given a scan and was asked if she would like to know the sex of her baby. She said she would and was told that she was carrying a female baby. When she told her husband Jim he was delighted and together they chose the name Susan, after one of Jenny's sisters who had helped them set up home.
In the eighth month of her pregnancy Jenny began to feel ill. She had been painting pink emulsion on the spare room walls as part of the preparation for the arrival of baby Susan. Suddenly Jenny started to experience violent pains in her lower stomach. Jim was away at work so Jenny called for the ambulance herself.
The hospital contacted Jim and he was standing by Jenny's bedside as the doctor explained that the baby she had been carrying had died. There was no reason for this that he could give, it was, he said, just something that happens. Jenny and Jim were distraught, the child they had dreamed about, planned for, their baby Susan would never enter their lives.
It took months for Jenny to make anything like a recovery from that traumatic experience. Jim did all he could, but he had to work and for hours every day Jenny was left alone with her thoughts of what might and should have been. Then one day whilst Jenny was walking to the local shops she saw, sitting on a wall, a young boy of perhaps 10 or 11 years. Jenny seemed drawn to this boy and as she got closer to him he spoke in a strangely deep and adult voice 'We want you to know that Susan is all right now'.
Jenny, who did not recognise the boy, hurried past confused as to what that message might mean. How, she wondered could that young boy know anything about her still-born child. Turning she looked back to check his appearance, perhaps Jim knew him, but as she stared down the street the little garden wall upon which he had been sitting was empty. The boy had simply vanished into thin air.
That night Jenny told her husband Jim of her uncanny encounter with the vanishing boy and repeated what he had said. As she spoke the colour drained from Jim's face and his hands began to tremble. Then he explained that he too had seen that little boy on his way to work and the child had given him exactly the same message, in the same deep adult voice.
Jim was clearly shaken by this experience as was his wife Jenny, that night neither could rest. In the morning Jim telephoned the office of Spiritualist Medium Gary Dakin asking for help.
As he sat beside the young couple Gary could sense the nearness of a spirit, though as yet could not identify it. Speaking to Jim Gary asked him to give a better description of the boy he had seen.
At first Jim seemed reluctant, but again Gary insisted 'Come on, there is something about this that you are not telling me'. A shadow seemed to cross Jim's face as he spoke, 'I knew that boy' he said, 'he's called Robert and was a friend of mine at junior school. We used to play together, one afternoon he went onto the railway bridge and was electrocuted, he died instantly'. There was a sense of relief about Jim now that he had told his incredible truth. Jenny just looked dumbfounded, 'If he's dead how can we see him?' she asked.
As Gary sat with them he heard a discarnate voice speaking, the spirit of Robert had arrived and wanted to explain. He had returned, he said, to help his old school friend in his time of sadness and sorrow. Deeply regretful of his stupidity at being killed whilst messing about on a railway bridge that he had been told a hundred times to stay off, he felt he had a duty towards those who had loved him on this earth. Jim being his old school pal and Jenny his wife were both depressed following their recent tragedy, he had returned to comfort them.
Gary advised the discarnate spirit of Robert that these two young people, far from being comforted by his return were in fact scared stiff. The ghost of Robert understood and promised never to return until he was certain that Jim and Jenny were ready to receive him. That may not be too long, both Jim and Jenny accepted Gary's advice and decided to join their local Spiritualist Church where they can develop their psychic abilities in safety.