The Richmond Haunting (COMPLETED)

Chapter 8:

Almost a week later, following the scary cat at the window. Fiona and Steven had finally gone to the newspapers. They had done it through email.

Fiona's mother had offered to look after the girls for the weekend.

Fiona had mentioned to her mum — about the ghost in the house, and Jane thought it would be a good idea to allow the girls to stay with her, as it would give everyone a break.

Now, on that particular weekend, Jane had rung up, asking if Fiona could pick the girls up?

From that moment, Fiona knew something was wrong.

Fiona: 'Straight away, I could tell something wasn't right.'

Me: How?

'By the way, my mum sounded on the phone. She was trying to stay calm, but I knew something was up.'

'Mum, what's wrong? You sound worried.'

'I'm fine, but the girls want to come home.'

'Why are they bored?' I asked, surprised the girls were eager to come home; what with everything going on, I thought they would have been glad for the breather.

'Can you pick them up? Is that okay?' Mum asked again; this time, I couldn't ignore how upset she sounded, terrified, in fact.

'Mum, what's going on?'

'It's your dad.' My mum finally said. 'Things around here are pretty stressed out.'

'You should try living here. Yesterday, we saw the cups and plates flying around in the kitchen.'

'I know you're having a hard time, but your dad.'

'What about him?'

'He hasn't slept since you dropped the girls off.'

'Are they playing up? Put them on the phone, and I tell them not to.'

'No, it's nothing like that.'

'Well, if it's nothing like that, why can't dad sleep?'

'I really don't want to worry you; besides, it's probably nothing, but —'

'But what? You're starting to worry me! Just tell me what's going on.'

'Your dad keeps hearing this cat.'

'A cat?'

'After that cat at the window with that old man's face!' Fiona says. 'I had a bad feeling where the conversation was leading too, I had to ask.'

'Mum, this cat; what does it look like? Have you seen it?'

'No, I haven't seen it, but it's every time; the girls go upstairs.'

'I don't get you.'

'How can I put it?' My mum said. Pausing for a moment, searching for the right words to say.

'The girls when they go upstairs. That's when your dad keeps hearing it.'

'And what does it sound like, this cat?'

'Well, this is what I don't get; I'm right next to your dad. The girls are upstairs, and your dad starts to hear it.'

'The cat?'

'Yeah.'

'But you don't have a cat.'

'I know that, but now it's gone worse.' Mum went silent. And in the background, I could hear my dad yelling.

'Will somebody shut that fucking cat up?'

Pulling the phone away from my ear as though it had given me an electric shock, Steven, who was in the same room, saw the reaction.