Haunt by Curtis Jobling

Author:Curtis Jobling [Jobling, Curtis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781471115783
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

EIGHTEEN

Intros and Outros

Dougie was scrambling across the floor, back-pedaling into desks and tables as they clattered down upon him. I raised my hands towards the girl in the doorway, half expecting her to unleash another mournful wail, as on our previous meeting. Instead she stepped into the room where we could see her better. Her eyes now sparkled blue, alert and aware. There was nothing monstrous about her: whatever horror had stood on the staircase that awful evening had been replaced by this grey vision of innocence.

‘What’s the matter with your friend?’ she asked me as Dougie stumbled backwards. ‘Is he not right in the head?’

‘Something like that,’ I replied nervously as she stepped further into the room. ‘He’s always been nervous around . . . ghosts.’

She stopped and looked me up and down. ‘He seems all right in your company. Perhaps it’s girls he’s afraid of?’

‘You’ve a point there. His last encounter with the opposite sex left him looking like a shaved panda. Not a good look.’

‘For real?’ gasped Dougie as he clambered out of the jumble of tumbled furniture. ‘You’re ganging up on me with her? Need I remind you the last time we met her she almost scared you back to life?’

I studied the girl as she watched my friend straighten himself. He was right, she’d frightened both of us witless the last time we encountered her. The girl before us bore no resemblance to that creature.

‘Don’t you remember meeting us before?’ I asked her.

‘Yeah,’ added Dougie. ‘Why the sudden character shift? Are you schizophrenic or what?’

She stared at us both suspiciously, her brow knitted as she considered us both. Twirling a finger through one of the red ribbons that held her pale blonde hair tied up in bunches, a mischievous smile suddenly spread across her face.

‘Oh that meeting? Yeah, I remember that, the two of you stumbling up the staircase like Abbott and Costello.’

‘Abbott and what?’ asked Dougie.

‘Comedians from old black-and-white movies,’ I explained. ‘My dad has a collection of them on DVD.’

‘Deevee what?’ countered the girl.

‘OK, hang on,’ I said. ‘I think we need to clear a couple of things up. Firstly, why did you wail at us when we first met one another? We didn’t come here looking for trouble, we came searching for answers. Local superstitions said the House was haunted and for once they were right. So why the horror show?’

‘You’re new to ghosthood, aren’t you?’ she said. I nodded as she continued. ‘The scares comes with the territory, for me, anyway. I like my own company. I don’t need people snooping around here. For anyone to return even after I’ve given them the old “black eyes” routine tells me they’re serious about wanting to meet me. I wouldn’t have harmed you, if that’s what you’re concerned about.’

‘You froze me half to death!’ Dougie was glaring at her in disbelief, but I found myself smiling. I was warming to her, and quickly too.

‘So that was all for show?’ asked Dougie.

‘Seemed to do the trick,’ she sighed, perching herself on the edge of one of the desks.

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