Haunted: Scariest stories from the UK's no. 1 psychic. Derek Acorah

was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

      The weeks dragged by and we were at the beginning of March with Mum still in hospital. After many ups and downs – indeed, many moments when we thought she was lost – she seemed to rally. The doctors told us that there would be no recovery, but that she could return to her home to spend her last few days or weeks there. Mum had in fact been most adamant that she wanted to return home to be with her family for some time. She was unaware that she had little time left.

      Arrangements for oxygen supplies were made and Mum arrived home. My sisters who had flown over from their homes in America stayed with her to care for her. My brother Colin and his wife flew over from his home in Spain. My brother Wayne, my sister Barbara and I were resident in England anyway. So Mum was happy. She had almost her whole family around her – her sons, her daughters and her beloved sister. The only person missing was Fred, my dad, who had passed over to spirit some seven years earlier.

      After only three short weeks, Mum suddenly relapsed and then within a day or two she was gone. She had gone to join Fred and the rest of her family in the world of spirit.

      To say I was devastated would be an understatement. Again, although I am a medium, this does not mean that I cannot love people with all my heart and then watch them pass over to the spirit world without missing their physical presence. I, too, miss not being able to pick up the telephone and have a conversation. I miss not being able to call in at my parents’ home and share a cup of tea with them whilst chatting about what has been going on in my life. I miss an arm around my shoulders and a soft kiss on the cheek. I miss my loved ones as surely and as sorely as anybody who does not possess mediumistic gifts.

      My grief seemed insurmountable. I prayed that Mum would return quite soon and assure me that all was well and that she had met up with my dad once more.

      The day of Mum’s funeral came and went. It was a warm, sunny day. Mum’s wish was fulfilled in that her final journey was made in a coach drawn by black horses. My sisters had arranged for two doves to be released after the service. As the birds flew up towards the sun, I bid a last goodbye to the earthly parental ties. Mum and Dad were free now and together.

      A few weeks later I woke early one morning. I got out of bed and went downstairs to be greeted by our dogs, Jack and Penny. Their tails wagging frantically, they approved of the opportunity of an early-morning run around the garden.

      After letting them out, I put the kettle on for coffee and, whilst it boiled, watched as the two dogs cavorted and gambolled around the garden. When I had made my coffee, I let them back into the kitchen, where they settled down once more to catch up on their sleep.

      As I sat at the kitchen table, I heard Mindy, one of our cats, miaowing from another room. I opened the door and walked through to what Gwen refers to as my ‘play room’. This is a room where I keep all my Liverpool memorabilia and can watch football on television without fear of interruption from Gwen, who does not appreciate football at all.

      As I walked into the room I noticed that Mindy was sitting on top of my pool table, still miaowing away. As I walked towards her, I heard a noise behind me. It was a loud cracking sound. I knew that I had closed the door, so I turned around quickly.

      ‘Oh my goodness! Mum!’

      There, by the door, was the spirit of my lovely mum. She was very faint and faded quite quickly, but nonetheless, I knew that she had made her first spirit return to me.

      I couldn’t wait to tell Gwen, I was so excited. I had known without a shadow of a doubt that at some time my beloved mother would pay a visit to me, but I had not expected it to be so soon after her passing.

      It was the end of my autumn theatre tour and many weeks after my first sighting of my mother’s spirit that I had another wonderful experience. After the last show, rather than stay overnight in a hotel, Ray, my tour manager, and I had decided to drive home. We arrived at approximately 4 a.m. As I let myself into the house I was, as usual, greeted excitedly by Jack and Penny. They had not seen me for some days and demonstrated their pleasure by jumping up and down before careering around the kitchen. Gradually they calmed down enough to allow me to make myself a cup of tea prior to retiring to bed.

      It was almost 4.45 a.m. before I had finished my tea, had a chat with my dogs and enjoyed a last cigarette. I turned out the lights in the kitchen and wearily climbed the stairs.

      I had not bothered to put the stair or landing lights on, as the stairs were illuminated sufficiently by a street light on the pavement outside the house. As I reached the top of them, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye that made me turn to look along the landing towards the door of the bedroom where my mother had slept when she had stayed with us. Standing there was my mother.

      I could see her very clearly. She was not, however, the tired and lined 81-year-old lady who had made her journey over to the world of spirit six months earlier, but youthful and strong, as I recalled her when I was a boy. Her hair was the dark auburn I remembered so well. She was looking at me so lovingly and then she held out her hand towards me. I realized that although she had learned how to return to visit her loved ones, she had not yet mastered voice communication.

      I sent out thoughts to Sam: ‘Please help her, Sam! Please, my good friend, help her!’

      I so dearly wanted to hear my beloved mother’s voice once more and I knew that she had always been a very determined lady and that if she could, with Sam’s help, she would most certainly speak to me.

      Gently, however, Sam told me that he could not do this for me. My mother had to learn at her own pace. One day soon she would achieve voice communication, but for the moment I must be happy with seeing that she was well.

      Sam told me that she was very happy now, that the spirit world was a wonderful place for her and that she had met my father again. He told me that she had also been reunited with her mother, my grandmother, and that they were both so proud of my spiritual efforts.

      Tears welled up in my eyes. I could feel nothing but joy at my mother’s excitement at being in the spirit world.

      Gradually the spirit form of my mother faded and there was nothing left to indicate that she had been there other than an enormous feeling of peace. Feeling happy and contented, I went to my bed.

      The following morning I woke late. Gwen had been up and about for a few hours already. I went downstairs and happily regaled her with my experience during the early hours of the morning. We went on to discuss our plans for a forthcoming holiday break. We had decided that we would go over to our house in Spain.

      Much later that evening, after we had eaten our dinner, I decided that I would go upstairs for a soak in the bath prior to retiring to bed. As I lay there relaxing in the warm foamy water, my mind drifted back to my mother and I smiled happily to myself as I remembered seeing her looking so young, fresh and healthy. After my bath, I climbed into bed and went to sleep almost immediately.

      I had been asleep for some time when I suddenly woke up. I knew that a noise in the room had woken me and initially I thought that it was Gwen. Then I turned and saw that the light was not on in the bathroom adjoining our bedroom, so I knew that Gwen had not come up to bed yet and I was alone.

      Suddenly there was another noise – a couple of knocking noises followed by a ‘whooshing’ sound. I sat up, wondering what on Earth was causing it. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room, I became aware once more of the presence of my mum. Her spirit form was standing at the end of my bed.

      I sent my thoughts out to her, willing her to communicate with me. She smiled the most beautiful smile and then I saw her lips moving. I heard her voice as though from a great distance. It was almost whispery in quality and I had to strain to catch what she was saying, but her eyes twinkled and danced as she knew that I was hearing her at last.

      ‘Hiya, son. Do I look good or what?’ she said.

      I whispered back to her, ‘You look wonderful, Mum.’

      Her smile widened. She drifted up the side of my bed and I felt myself