The Richmond Haunting (COMPLETED)

Chapter 2:

The inside of the new home was like any other three-bedroom house Fiona had sailed her feet around. Except for one thing, it was empty, but apart from that, it wore the same old clothes — it had three bedrooms upstairs — a small bathroom, and a narrow hallway. With downstairs, the kitchen and the front room, not to mention a bijou toilet next to the front door.

Hard to believe such an average property might set her back, two hundred thousand pounds if she was buying it. But she wasn't, only escaping from the flat where for so many years. It really felt as though the walls had sealed around her.

Never enough space to move around. The girls getting bigger each day, the endless noises that came from all directions, music blaring, footsteps creaking above her. A rancourous page in her life she wanted to turn over.

Here she would be finally free from all that.

The new house would serve her well.

And so far, it was doing that, although the wallpaper had to go for a start, woodchip. God, she hated that design, so pale and tacky.

Give it a month — something grander would be up in the front room, a shade of cream; woven with silver flames.

That concept was a hundred miles away, unlike the old man she had seen last night. Who the fuck was he? Some drunk hanging around the car park, somebody high on weed.

No, she could forget the latter. He was an old man, late seventies, early eighties — she would wager. Although she couldn't say for sure, it was dark and not many old men wearing black suits were into doing drugs.

Click back into the present at the sound of her mobile phone ringing, it was Steven; telling her; he'd be another two hours.

Not too keen on the idea of waiting around for the next two hours, doing nothing, Fiona remembered seeing a café around the corner on her way to the new house.

Hearing the girls running about upstairs, Fiona went upstairs and found Katrina hiding behind the door in one of the bedrooms.

'Shush, don't tell Harmony where I am.'

Fiona didn't; she guessed the girls were playing hide and seek and she didn't want to give Katrina's hiding place away.

'You should have hidden in the bathtub.'

Fiona's big mouth gave the hiding place away because Harmony came running into the bedroom and shouted.

'Ha! Got you!'

Katrina's face exploded with disappointment. 'Mum, you and your big mouth!'

'I didn't say anything.'

'Yes, you did; you told me to hide in the bathtub.'

'Oh, that; well, never mind, she's found you.'

'Only because you gave it away.'

'And now it's my turn for you to find me.' Harmony said.

Katrina looked surprised by the statement. 'That's not fair; I was being quiet.'

'And I still found you.'

'Only because of mum and her big mouth!'

With the headache still bugging her, Fiona told the girls to be quiet for a second.

'I didn't come upstairs to hear you two arguing. Your dad rang before.'

'What for?'

'To tell us — he won't be here for a while, and there's a café down the road; I thought we could give it a try?'