The Good Sisters. Helen Phifer

she had feared so much in her thirties hadn’t put in much of an appearance, except for the laughter lines around her eyes – although the last twelve months she hadn’t really had much to laugh about. Maybe they were crying wrinkles because she’d spent a whole lot more time crying than she’d done laughing.

      The air, which was normally full of minute particles of plaster dust, smelt different. As Kate turned around to open the bathroom door, she inhaled again. What was that smell? It smelt like old leather, burnt skin and garlic all mixed together and it was rank. She looked around the bathroom then opened the door out onto the corridor. It was stronger out here.

      The lads had all gone into town for their dinner – even Ollie had gone with them and he normally ate a packed lunch, but all they’d been talking about during the morning had been meat and potato pies and cream cakes from the bakery. She stood and listened to the house. It was so silent and still without the workmen banging around and singing.

      Kate wondered if it was some kind of chemical that they’d used and walked along the hall to the room they had all been working in. The door was shut. She was sure it had been open when she’d passed it to go to the toilet. She heard her name being called and stood still. Was she hearing things? It sounded like Amy’s voice calling for her, but that was ridiculous. She waited, her head turned to the side.

      ‘Katie, where are you?’

      It was so faint, but there was no mistaking it was Amy’s voice and Kate smiled briefly. ‘Amy, where are you? I’m here.’

      Even though it was broad daylight, her heart raced as she thought about her dead friend calling out to her from the same room where the crosses had appeared on the wall with no explanation. Both Jack and Ethan had strongly denied having anything to do with them when Ollie had questioned the pair of them.

      She walked towards the room. Pressing her ear to the heavy wooden door, she listened to see if there was anyone inside or if it was her imagination. Call it instinct or whatever, but her mind was screaming at her not to open the door whilst she was alone in the house. There was a loud thump from inside as if something heavy had been dropped from quite a height. It made her jump away from the door as her hands began to shake. What was that?

      She pulled her phone from her pocket and pressed 999, her finger poised above the green call button, ready to ring for the police. If it was Amy inside there, she wouldn’t scare her. Placing her head back against the door, she heard the sound of something heavy moving towards her. It was too big and clumsy to be her friend, who had been a tiny little thing. It sounded as though it had to drag itself towards the door.

      Kate pulled back, terrified. She wanted to know what was in her house, but she wasn’t brave enough to open the door and see. She opened her mouth to shout that she was calling the police. Nothing came out. Instead she heard a loud thud as whatever it was caught the ladders on the other side of the door and they crashed to the floor. Which meant it was at the door and it would be coming through it very soon.

      She forced herself to turn and run as fast as she could down the stairs and to the front door, where she slammed full force into Ollie. He was carrying a white paper bag with meat and potato pies inside. He dropped the pies to hold his hands out to catch her, but she was coming that fast she managed to knock them both to the floor in a heap.

      ‘Get out, we have to get out.’

      ***

      ‘What’s the matter, Kate? Have you hurt yourself?’

      Ollie wanted to sound like a gentleman, but she couldn’t have really hurt herself when she was lying on top of him. He was slightly winded, but it was the pies that had sustained the most damage. One of them had exploded all over the inside of the bag and there was meat and potato filling seeping out all over the floor. She pulled herself off him and turned to look behind her. There wasn’t anything there.

      ‘Something was coming. There’s something in the bedroom. I don’t know what the fuck it was, but it knew my name. We need to get out and call the police.’

      He stood up and held his hand out to pull her up from the floor where she was kneeling, her face whiter than the paint he had all over his hands.

      ‘Whoa, what do you mean? What’s coming?’

      She shook her head and grabbed his hand, tugging him back out of the front door. He looked down at the mess that was his dinner on the floor, then followed her outside. She didn’t stop until she reached his van and clambered inside, slamming the door shut.

      ***

      ‘All right, Kate, what’s up with you? You look as white as a sheet.’

      Ollie opened the door. He shrugged at Jack and Ethan, who were both sat in the back seat eating their pies.

      ‘Do you want to tell me what happened? Why you almost gave me a heart attack and crushed my dinner that I’ve been dreaming about eating all morning at the same time?’

      Feeling stupid, Kate felt her cheeks begin to flush as she realised she sounded like a lunatic.

      ‘I smelt something weird in the bathroom. When I came out it was stronger on the landing and then I heard my friend Amy call my name. Only it couldn’t have been her because she’s dead. I followed the voice and the smell to the room you were working on less than half an hour ago.’

      All three men were leaning forward, obviously wondering what she was going to say next.

      ‘I sound stupid, don’t I?’

      Ollie shook his head. ‘No, not at all. You heard your name called, something smelt weird and then what happened?’

      ‘I couldn’t open the door. I was too scared so I listened and I heard the sound of something heavy. It was cumbersome and it was slowly moving towards the door. Well, I knew you lot had gone to get some dinner and it scared me. There’s someone or something inside the house and I don’t know who or what it is!’

      ‘You wait here. Me and the masked avengers will go inside and investigate.’

      ‘Shouldn’t we just phone the police?’

      ‘I’m pretty sure whatever or whoever it is won’t want to mess us three around. We’ll be fine, won’t we, lads?’

      ‘Speak for yourself, boss. If something scared Kate then who are we to doubt that?’

      ‘I don’t bloody believe it, you wimps. What’s wrong with you?’

      Ethan got out of the van. ‘I’m not a wimp, but Jack is a complete wuss. Aren’t you, Jack?’

      Jack gave Ethan the finger. ‘I’ll wait here with Kate, make sure she’s okay.’

      Kate could feel her hands shaking and she clasped them together. She felt so cold even though it was a warm autumn day. She watched as the two men went inside her house and felt as though she’d just sent them in to their deaths, the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach was so intense.

      ‘I can’t stay here and wait. I have to go with them.’ She jumped out and ran to the door, closely followed by Jack who was muttering underneath his breath. She ran into the entrance hall, stepping over the crushed pies on the floor and saw Ollie and Ethan almost on the top stair. She ran as quietly as she could until she was on the step behind them. Ollie pointed to the bedroom that they’d been working in and she nodded. Ethan looked at Ollie who was now standing with his hand on the doorknob. He twisted it then threw the door open.

      Kate, whose legs had turned to jelly, saw that the room was empty. There was no huge man in there with an axe waiting to kill them all, and no ghost of Amy. Ollie stepped inside followed by Ethan. They checked the en-suite, but the door hadn’t been hung yet so they could see straight inside it from where they stood. All of them let out a huge sigh of relief except for Kate. She knew that she’d heard something inside there. She could also detect a very faint odour, the same as before, but it was residual and not as strong.

      ***

      Ollie didn’t say anything.