The Richmond Haunting (COMPLETED)

Chapter 20

Chris was tired, but he couldn't sleep. For the past two hours — he had spent that time wrestling underneath the bedsheets, turning over. This way, that way. Propping the pillows, fixing them up. Yet no matter how much he yearned for sleep, wanting to yield to it. No slumber came his way, only the cat outside.

God almighty, would it ever go away? Since turning the bedroom light off, it had done nothing — but kept him awake, wailing and screeching.

'Give it a rest, for fuck's sake!'

But the cat didn't let it up; it just carried on making a racket.

And Chris was tempted to throw a shoe out the window. Anything to shut the animal up. But he hadn't gone through with the idea, probably because he would have to go outside and get his shoe back. Instead, he got out of bed and went downstairs to the kitchen.

Tomorrow, he had an early start. Going back to the house on Richmond Street with Lisa, but before that, Andrew White.

'I'm worried about him.'

'Why?'

The question was a big one because of the tone in Lisa's voice. She sounded fretful; Chris heard it, the straining in her voice.

'Have you spoken to him?' She wanted to know.

'Not since he phoned me.'

'He phoned you?' Lisa had barked out. She sounded surprised.

'Yeah, a few weeks ago, after we came back from that house. He was a bit like you. Claimed to see things.'

'Well, it still happening, and it got worse.'

'In what way?'

Lisa had gone in for the kill. 'Well, a few days ago, we met for a drink. Nothing major. You shouldn't see him; he looked like death warmed up.'

'And you're worried about that?'

'No, of course not. It's what he told me. Something about an old man.'

'An old man.' Chris asked, going back to his bad dreams, the old man he had seen in the footage.

She couldn't mean the same person. Could she?

'What about him?' Chris was forced to ask.

'That he keeps seeing him. I think it happened when we went out. Because one minute we're in the beer gardens having a laugh, when the next minute, he's terrified.'

'Get away from me, please get away from me.'

'He was saying that over and over again; the staff had to throw him out.'

'And was anybody there?'

'No, nobody, but he could see somebody; he really could.'

'But nobody was there.'

Lisa snapped. 'Jesus Christ, I know that. What; I'm saying he could see somebody, but we couldn't. And that look in his eyes.'

'What look?'

'Like he was afraid of something. Do you think there's a connection?'

'With what?'

'That house.'

Chris had gone quiet. He didn't like walking on the road this was leading to. More bad news, or something worse.

'I can't say, but I will give Andrew a bell.'

'I think you're best seeing him in person.'

'You're worried about him, aren't you?'

A long pause had come over the phone. 'Yeah, I am.'