Chapter Five

"Um, hello..?"

The old lady raised her face to the intruder, and lowered it again to continue her knitting while rocking her chair.

"Good afternoon, I'm Beatrice Scolfield, we're your new neighbours. Just wanted to know if by any chance, Mr Thompson put a bandage on my daughter? We're really grateful and all, so..I wanted to thank him."

The stern looking lady knitted on for what seemed an eternity to Beatrice. Her patience was almost exhausted. She swore within herself to scream her presence if by the next minute the old hag didn't say anything.

As if reading her thoughts, the woman spoke.

"Nice name," she began in a hoarse voice. "But it doesn't sound quite right, does it now?"

"Um..excuse me?"

A creepy grin appeared on the lady's wrinkled face as she stared back at confused mother.

"You shouldn't have come back you know, what happens in the past - should stay in the past. You've messed up big time honey, 'big time'."

"Hello? I'm standing right in front of you, and I don't think I understand a bit of what of You're saying. Wait, are you even talking to me?" Beatrice asked in bewilderment.

"Buying that house was a mistake. But go home honey, it's been done." Mrs Thompson said, lowering her face to her work. "You can't avoid what's coming, so go home."

She was overwhelmed with emotions. She felt confusion, shock and fear. Beatrice was scared to the wits, the old lady's words had frightened her. She took quick steps backwards before turning to run.

"Say hi to your son for me!" The lady shouted after her.

Beatrice darted into her lawn, panting heavily. She observed the spot they had stood, but no one was there.

Still in fear, she turned slowly to the Thompsons', but the rocking chair was empty. She bolted into the house and nearly screamed at what she saw.

Lifeless bloodied bodies of Alex, Edward, Nelly and Anna. Their corpses could prove that they died in the most gruesome of manners, their blood was everywhere.

She fell to her knees, unable to mutter a sound as a thousand questions raced through her head. The basic ones being; why? How? when? And of course, what was going to happen to her?

But then, she heard an all too familiar voice.

"Trice, are...you okay?"