The Richmond Curse - {The Richmond Haunting 2}

Chapter Thirty-Six

And Harmony elsewhere didn't expect the day to end on a bad note; she found it a blessing it had gone so well. That was - until it happened.

The day began as normal in her granddad's house. Makeup, breakfast, a quick look at the social media, and for a change, ice-skating with Jay after college.

It was her first time - ice-skating, and she was a natural in the ring.

It was also good to feel alive again - instead of having to look over her shoulder, fearing the old man would do something terrible to her.

It was why - she enjoyed her time on the ice-skating ring because, during those few hours, nothing else mattered; it was sunshine on a cold day.

Jay wasn't all that good on the ice skating ring; he kept slipping and sliding, landing on his backside.

Harmony, when this happened, didn't mean to laugh, but it was just so funny, Jay losing his balance.

Good job; the place was half-empty because there wasn't anything more embarrassing than falling flat on your bum in front of everyone.

Yet, Jay didn't find it funny, and he left the ice-skating ring without saying a word.

'God, what's up with you? Why are you leaving?'

'Because you keep laughing.'

'And?'

'Because I don't find it funny, you might, but I don't.'

Again Harmony laughed.

'See what I mean?' Jay fired back.

The kid had been narky most of the afternoon - he kept scratching at the back of his neck and complaining of a buzzing sound.

And now sat on the bench, lacing his trainers up! He said this.

'We should go back to your house.'

'You want to go back to my house? What about my dad and the problems we're still having?' Harmony sounded surprised.

'What about them?'

'It's still going on. Besides, I'm not really living there at the moment. My sister and I are staying at my granddad's.'

'I thought it was just you staying there.'

'It was, but my sister, when she came back from her meeting yesterday, wanted to stay with me.'

'Leaving your mum alone with your dad?' Jay asked, the buzzing sound in his ears doing his nuts in. He wished it would just go away. Christ, it was like having a blue bottle trapped in his ears, a constant zinging sound.

'She doesn't mind; truth be told, she'd rather have us away from the house, away from the old man.'

Jay turned his head and looked at Harmony. 'I see. So what was the meeting about?'

'Something to do with mental health. Calms or something.'

'You don't sound too sure.'

'Because I'm not. I just know she has to go there to keep the school fucking happy. Even though she's perfectly fine.'

'So why go then?'

'Because the old man keeps making her do stupid shit, and the school thinks she's got mental health issues. Anyway, we're both staying at Grandad's. Mum thinks it's for the best.'

Again, Jay scratched the back of his neck like a dog with fleas, and Harmony could see he was beginning to sweat. She found that odd because it wasn't a warm day. Quite nippy, to be honest.

Maybe he was coming down with something. Food poisoning, perhaps?

'But you still got a key to your house, right?'

'Of course, but you don't look good; you should go home.'

'I'm fine.' Jay said.

'Really!'

'Yes, really. I just need some fresh air. Once I'm at yours, I'll be okay.'

Harmony looked at her boyfriend and didn't feel comfortable with him coming back to her house. Not because of the way things were.

But Jay.

He did look ill; he wouldn't leave his neck alone and kept scratching it.

'Have you got something wrong with your neck?'

'Not as I know. It just feels tense, like there's something on the back of my neck.'

Harmony had a quick look. 'It looks fine to me.' She said.

And leaving the ice-skating ring, Harmony and Jay began walking toward the traffic light.

Jay pressed the button and looked over his shoulder.

'That's weird.'

Harmony didn't hear what Jay said - because the traffic on the road made it difficult to hear anything. But Jay did look ill; she wanted him to go home.

She also didn't know that somebody had called him. 'His little toy.'

When he turned around, there wasn't anybody there, but Jay knew what he heard: an elderly voice speaking in his earlobe.

'I really think you should go home.'

'No, I want you to go back to your place. Will anybody be there?'

'Probably not. My mum has a meeting at school; I think they're putting into place a safeguarding thing for Katrina.'

'Like what?' Jay asked.

'I don't know, but you really should go home.'

Jay didn't take any notice - but grabbed Harmony by the hand. It felt freezing cold, and Harmony didn't like it.

And crossing at the traffic lights, Jay began leading her back to where she lived, not to her granddad's house, but the house where the old man dwelled.

Harmony knew Jay wouldn't have a change of heart, no matter what she said.

He was adamant about going back to her house, and Harmony began to have a gut feeling something wasn't right.

It was the same feeling; she would get when something bad was about to happen. She could feel it.

And with only two streets left, she tried to talk him out of it.

'Let's just go back to your house. We can chill there, or you can get some rest. You don't look well.'

Harmony wished she had a mirror on her. She could show Jay how awful he was starting to look.

But Jay didn't want to know.

'Can you stop banging on about me going home? I told you before I'm fine. Now leave it alone, will you?'

Harmony couldn't.

'Seriously, go the fuck home; you look terrible.'

'Fuck me, are you a doctor or something?' Jay blurted out.

'No, I'm your girlfriend. I'm worried about you. Now, please let me take you home?'

'I don't need to go home; besides, there's your house, right there.'

Jay was pointing his finger at the house.

And Harmony, seeing it, felt Jay's hand around hers.

'Fuck sake, do you want to crush my hand or something?'

But Jay didn't care. All that mattered to him was getting inside that house, the house where the old man lived.

And once inside, the most dreadful thing happened.

The most terrible thing.