The Richmond Haunting (COMPLETED)

Chapter 7:

'What about the girls?'

'What about them?'

'They might get picked on at school; you know what children can be like.'

'Well, have you got any better ideas? We've been at this for weeks now, trying to get help. This might be our only choice left?'

Fiona didn't like the idea of getting the papers involved, but what else could she do?

There was nothing left in the bag.

And much later that night, the house went cold, really cold.

'Oh, my God, mum, it's freezing in here.' Harmony said, wrapping her arms around herself, shivering.

Fiona sat on the sofa watching telly, said I know.

'I can't do anything about it; the heaters are on.'

'I know, but why does it have to be so cold?' There was desperation in Harmony's voice. Fiona could hear it. But there was nothing she could do about the cold air around the house.

'Why don't you just sit down and watch telly with me?'

Harmony declined the offer.

'I'm okay; I just want the house to be warm.'

'I know you do, and I am trying.'

'I know you are mum.'

Harmony threw in the towel and sat down next to her mum.

Fiona, feeling her daughter — leaning up against her, wished to God; there was some way to end this nightmare. Not for her sake - but for the girl's sake.

It wasn't fair what they were going through. And on a few occasions, she had thought of sending them away to her mum's house. But that idea had fallen short because there was no guarantee of how long this nightmare would last.

A week, a month, a year? It was anyone's guess.

With Steven upstairs in bed, having gone early because of his toothache, Fiona asked what Katrina was doing? And was she okay?

'She's fine; she's watching T. V in bed.'

'Good.' Fiona thought. Everybody was okay; no spooky shit was happening.

The coldness - she could deal with. Even the bad smells around the house, like a mop left in the sewers. She could cope with all that, but the scary shit. She wasn't cut out for that.

'That's good.' She replied, stroking her daughter's hair.

Harmony leaned in closer to her mum's side.

'Will this go on forever, the house being haunted?'

Fiona sighed heavily. 'I don't know, I really can't say.'

'I just want it to be over, you know.'

'Me too.' Fiona replied, again hearing the desperation in Harmony's voice, and no other words were spoken, only a mother and daughter watching telly.

That's how the evening went up until bedtime.

And after an hour in bed, Fiona woke up to hear a sound she recognised.

It came from the bedroom window, yet it seemed so distant that she had to sit up in bed, like she was about to read a book, and look more closely at the window. Leaning forward.

As she waited, nothing happened, no sound, only Steven next to her, snoring.

It wasn't her imagination; she had heard it. A cat, meowing.

And Fiona tried to ignore it, but it grew louder, becoming like a baby crying.

Then she heard it, two words, but it couldn't be. For it sounded like it came from that damn cat outside.

'Hey, Fiona.'

The words were spoken slowly, almost stretching out.

Disturb by what she could hear - yet at the same time, intrigued. Fiona had to see if it was a cat or something else, and getting out of bed, she peeled back one of the curtains and saw it was.

The poor animal was stuck on the window ledge. Or that's what Fiona thought until the feline creature turned its head.

And Fiona saw it wasn't the face of a cat, but an old man.

His face was moonlit white, bearing hundreds of wrinkles

And it was crying, meowing.

'Fiona.'

'Fiona.'