The terror began immediately.
Scratching at the bedroom window, icy chills, voices speaking in empty rooms.
Then Fiona begins to suffer from blackouts - medical experts can't explain. Her eldest daughter, Harmony, is threatened by the appearance of...
Sat in a café across the road from where he worked, Gary was thinking about the Berman story. And with it came doubt. The cunt that plagued all writers.
Because who would want to read a book about an everyday family haunted by a supernatural predator?
Who?
Even his editor wasn't too pleased with the idea.
'If you're going to write a book, make it a page-turner. Give the reader something they can look forward to when they go to bed. Give them something that will make them late for work because the book you wrote kept them awake all night. In other words, forget this damn NOVEL Forget it!'
Yet Gary found it difficult to accept his editor's advice. In some way, it was as though the woman, who was the first to tell him about the Berman family, was now filling his head with further doubt.
Yet Gary knew The Berman story couldn't be left alone. He had to write it.
Had to.
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It felt good to get away, to be here in KFC, looking like a regular family dining on a Friday night. Harmony and Katrina, munching away on their pieces of chicken - browsing their Facebook accounts, were both chilled. Fiona didn't say much - but kept a watch on the window.
'Is anyone here?' Steven asked.
'What?'
'Nothing, just go on enjoying yourselves in your own little world.'
'Your Dad's right. Harmony and Katrina turn those phones off.'
'But, mum, my friend's having a hard time; she needs someone to talk to.'
'Does your friend go to the same school as you?' Fiona asked.
'Yeah, but that's not the point.' Katrina argued.
'Well, you can speak to her on Monday.'
'I can't; she's got relationship problems.'
Steven almost choked on his food when his daughter had used the term; Relationship problems.
'See, this is why I don't tell you anything, because you think everything's a big joke.'
'We don't, but your friend is what age? The same as you, and she has relationship problems.'
'So, you didn't have problems when you were younger?'
'Not really, because we didn't take everything so damn seriously when we were kids.'
'Well, this isn't about you.'
'You want to watch your mouth!' Steven said sharply.
'Yeah, stop banging on about your friend. Nobody cares!'
'Well, I care because she's my cousin.'
'She's not your cousin; you bellend, you have to be related.' Harmony pointed out, sat facing her sister.
