May 2024

I slip on my Nike running shoes and tie them in a double knot, there’s something I find weirdly, so satisfactory about tying my shoe laces. There’s a bang from the kitchen which makes me jump. I groan; Emma, my adoptive Mum is faffing about in the kitchen behind me, getting everything ready for later. There are lots of plates of food already set out on the dining room table wrapped in cling film. Her kitchen aid mixer is whirring, probably whipping up cream. I’m twenty-six today, twenty-bloody-six and Emma insisted on having a party, it’s the last thing I want really.

‘Just heading out for a run, I’ll only be twenty minutes or so,’ I say.

There’s a clatter of cutlery on china. ‘You’re going out for a run, now?’ Emma says, her voice rising in pitch.

I glance over my shoulder. She’s staring at me; a strand of her brown curly hair falls over her left eye. ‘Yeah, I’ll be back soon.’

‘But, Danielle, people will be arriving at twelve, and you’ll want to have a shower and get changed before everyone arrives.’ Her voice comes out thick and fast.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. ‘That’s not for another couple of hours. I’m only going to go once round the village.’

Before she has the chance to protest further, I open the front door and slip out onto the driveway, gravel crunching under my feet. At least Michael wasn’t with her to insist I needed to stick around to help out; Emma sent him out to the shops ten minutes ago, after panicking we wouldn’t have enough booze, and I’m sure we have more than enough. We always do, Emma and Michael have a glass of wine most nights.

I eye the puddles ahead of me on the road. The sun’s only just starting to peak through the cloud cover now. I begin to break into a steady jog. Like I’ve been doing for the past few weeks, I glance at the house being built on the left hand side as I pass it, even though not much progress has been made.

Callum, my best friend from when we were both ten-years-old, is waiting for me at the top of the road, already jogging up and down on the spot. He’s wearing his black Adidas gym top and grey sports trousers I got him for Christmas last year, when we both committed to start up running; he only lives round the corner. He salutes me as I approach, his hand brushing his floppy, blonde strands of hair, and begins jogging up and down on the spot. 

‘Happy birthday,’ he says, grinning. ‘I have got you something, but will bring it round later.’

I roll my eyes. ‘God, if someone says happy birthday to me again, I’m going to scream.’

‘C’mon, you’re the birthday girl, supposed to be the centre of attention.’

‘I’ve no idea why Emma bloody insists on having a party every year, I’d much rather go away for my birthday, or just do a nice quiet family meal somewhere,’ I say sighing.

He shrugs. ‘Maybe the party is more for her; she must hate the thought of you growing up.’

We continue to jog further up the road, passing the lily pod covered pond on the left; I sometimes take my lunch with me and sit on the bench beside it for half an hour, if the weather’s nice. It’s sometimes nice to sit on the bench there with Callum and talk about life. ‘Perhaps, I know every time I talk about the possibility of moving out she goes really quiet.’

‘It’s gonna be hard for them, maybe more so for Emma. Have you managed to have a look at any more flats?’

I shake my head. ‘Nope, I’ve been too busy with this new commission I had come in last week; this guy’s been sending me all this info he wants on his website left right and centre and I have to try and tell him, that it’ll just make his site look clunky, without trying to come across as sounding frustrated. The last picture I got from him, that he wants on it, was the rear end of a sheep, who’s gonna want to look at that?’

Callum laughs. ‘I take it he runs a farm?’

‘Nah, he runs a five star hotel in London,’ I reply grinning, narrowly avoiding a boggy patch of grass. In the distance church bells begin to chime.

‘Well, you’ll always figure out what to do, I’m sure. Hey here’s a thought, perhaps we should get a place together,’ Callum suggests. ‘That’ll be a laugh.’

‘Are you serious? Every time I go into your room at yours it’s like a bombs hit it, there’s no way I’d be able to cope with the mess.’ A woman strolls past us walking a chocolate Labrador and smiles.

‘Oh c’mon, it would be amazing living together, I promise, hand on heart I’ll clear up after myself. It’ll be different for me once I’m in my own place.’

We reach the top of the road. The Old King’s Head pub is to my right; the wooden sign with its name and a grisly looking portrait of Henry VIII creaks in the breeze. I stop. ‘Actually d’you mind if we grab a quick coffee?’ I ask.

‘Sure.’

We slip into the pub, the door squeaks as I push it open, and a waft of garlic reaches me from the kitchen. I keep my head bent low to avoid the Tudor beams on the ceiling; there’s been more than one occasion, when Michael’s had one too many in here, and he’s whacked his head on the beams trying to leave. It’s actually open for breakfast, although there are only a couple of people inside. We choose a table close to the bar. On the wall to my right, two old coins, from the 16th century, found in the pub, are hanging in a frame. Every time I look at it, it makes me think of what this place must’ve been like hundreds of years ago when it was a coaching inn.

‘Two cappuccino’s please,’ I say as we sit down, smiling at the barman.

‘Sure thing,’ the barman, Jordan, his name is, he’s been working here for as long as I can remember, replies. ‘How’s things with you, Danielle? Last time we spoke, you were talking about training for the London marathon; I kept looking out to see if you needed sponsors.’

I feel my cheeks blush. ‘Oh God, that never happened, it would’ve only given me a couple of months to prepare, think I was living in a fantasy world. I’ve been keeping myself busy though, works driving me mad. I keep saying to Emma and Michael that we need to come up here for a meal one night, it’s been ages.’

‘It’s actually her birthday today,’ Callum says leaning back in his seat.

‘Callum,’ I hiss at him.

‘Oh of course, I should’ve realised. Coffees on me,’ Jordan says. ‘Oh and you’ve got to have a piece of chocolate brownie, it’s just come out of the oven.’

‘Oh no you don’t have to do that,’ I say, resisting the urge to glare at Callum.

‘No, no, you guys have given us plenty of tips over the years, it’s the least we can do.’ He plonks two coffees on the table. ‘Enjoy.’

‘Thank you, anyway.’ God my cheeks are still burning from embarrassment. I wrap my hand around the cappuccino. ‘And we best not have any brownie, Emma’s doing a bit of spread for later, but thanks anyway.’

‘So, why don’t we consider it, you know, us living together?’ Callum takes a sip of his drink. ‘We don’t have to look for a place round here; I’ve heard Billericay isn’t too bad for prices. If we start looking now we might have a place by Christmas. Billericay’s got easy access into London hasn’t it, which’ll be great.’

I laugh. ‘You’re living in a fairy tale if you think that’s gonna be possible. But yeah I’ll think about it.’

‘Well, you know my parents have always said they’ll help me when I move out, so that’ll be a plus; we could always rent somewhere first, just to see how we get on living together.’

‘Ex-cuesme.’ The back of my neck prickles. Someone’s standing behind me. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you, but its Danielle, isn’t it?’

I spin around. A man with sandy brown hair; he must be in his mid to late forties, is standing behind me. He’s wearing a burgundy jacket, jeans and a blue shirt. I frown, there’s something about him that’s sort of familiar. I look him up and down, but I can’t place him. He might just remind me of someone. ‘Yeah, it is, who are you?’

‘I hope you don’t mind, but I saw you earlier and thought I’d just pop by and see how you’re doing.’ He edges closer to our table.

I stare at him. ‘I’m sorry, do I know you?’ I say, not meaning to snap, but I can’t help it.

‘Um, no, not exactly, but I wanted to talk to you about your family . . .’

‘Oh God, you’re a journalist,’ I say, slumping in my seat.

He shakes his head vigorously. ‘No, no I’m not, I’m a . . .’

‘Actually mate, I think you need to sling your hook. Can’t you see how uncomfortable she is?’ Callum says, straightening up in his seat, like he’s preparing to land a punch on the bloke. God, the last thing I want is for there to be a scene.

‘Please, I think you’ll want to hear what I have to say,’ the guy protests, holding his hands out.

‘Mate, piss off,’ Callum says.

I’m aware now Jordan’s watching us from the bar, wiping up a cup with a tea towel. God, the last thing I want is for there to be a scene. The guy mutters something under his breath before he shuffles out of the pub, slamming the door behind him, which makes dust fall from the ceiling.

‘Everything OK?’ Jordan asks.

I smile. ‘Yeah, fine.’ Callum’s looking at me. ‘I’m fine, Callum.’

I relax into my seat, but no matter how hard I try I can’t get what the guy said out of my head: please, I think you’ll want to hear what I have to say.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

HMP Belmarsh, London

Harvey finishes the chapter he’s reading, and places the book on his table, next to the photograph, the only photograph he has of him and his sister, taken twenty years ago. It was given to him, not long after he was arrested. He and his sister are standing there proudly. It makes him smile near enough every time he looks at it, even though he looked so scrawny back then, compared to how he looks now. Harvey also hates the state of his blonde floppy hair; now he keeps it short, more like a buzz cut. How much will his sister have changed in the twenty years since he’s seen her? Will her chestnut hair still drape on her shoulders like it used to? Will she still have those dimples that would make even the hardest heart of stone melt?

Harvey’s eyes slip to the front cover of the book and the embossed writing, which he runs his hands over. He isn’t getting into it. It’s a John Grisham thriller he picked up off the book trolley this week; Harvey normally likes his books, perhaps he’s just read too many of them recently, although he does have other things on his mind preoccupying him, his last conversation with Jeremiah. Harvey’s got to plan exactly what to say to his sister when he sees her.

Harvey leans back against the grey, cracked wall, the bed creaking under his weight. He closes his eyes. Memories swirl inside Harvey’s mind; the weight of the axe in his hand; the sound it made when it made contact with flesh, thwack. It echoes in his head making him shudder.

Harvey opens his eyes and focuses on his cell mate’s bed ahead of him. The sheets are still in the same position the guy left them in this morning, crumpled in a heap at the foot of the bed. Harvey sighs; he’s always been a bit of a clean freak, he can’t stand seeing things out of place, it makes his body seize up inside. Harvey pushes the thought away; he can’t let thoughts like that distract him. He takes in a breath, and counts to ten, like his therapist taught him to do years ago.

She’s asked to see him again, his sister, like he expected her too. It’s been the same year after year. He was fearful she might never contact him, and then all of this would’ve been for nothing. The relief that flooded him, when she did make contact, the year of her eighteenth birthday, eight years ago, was like nothing he’d ever felt before. He’s not too sure of the new name she’s been given, Danielle. He much preferred the name he knew her by, Grace. Danielle, he rolls the name around inside his mind. No, it still doesn’t sit right with him, Grace suited her much better, but it can be changed, if she wants to change it. He could suggest it. 

Harvey pictures her. His last memory of her is the day he did it, the day he left her cowering in the wardrobe.

He’s rubbing his sister’s shoulder, telling her to wake up. She stares at him with groggy, confused eyes. He can hear the adults chatting downstairs.

‘You need to hide in the wardrobe, be a good girl, don’t make a sound, or the monsters will get you,’ he’d said to her.

Soon he’ll see her, his sister. Jeremiah’s told him it’s time. Then he’ll tell her everything when she comes, and he knows she will come; she won’t be able to resist. She’ll realise the truth and she’ll be thankful for it.

Harvey smiles. It’s time to welcome her back.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 4
His Silence - Chapter Three

By Jacob1395

‘Happy birthday to you!’ The people around me sing in unison, holding up beers and glasses of wine. Emma holds the cake up in front of me, with a big beaming smile, like she used to do when I was twelve. A whiff of frosting hits me in the face. I spot Callum pulling funny faces, and I have to force myself not to laugh. 

I blow the candles, counting all twenty-six of them before I do; there’s a chorus of claps and cheers before everyone goes back to what they were talking about before Emma announced it was time to sing.

‘I’ll give you the first slice, darling,’ Emma says, picking up the knife from the table. ‘Gosh I remember those years at parties when you would lick off all the frosting from the fairy cakes and put the cake back. All that sugar used to make you hyper for hours.’

‘I’m not bothered for cake just yet. Save me some for later,’ I say, grabbing Callum’s arm, he’s standing beside me, already holding onto a plate. ‘C’mon.’ I drag him into the garden.    

I glance over my shoulder on the way out, but Emma’s busy chatting to her sister while cutting a big lump of cake. She’d spent all afternoon yesterday making it. I must admit, as much as I don’t like birthdays, Emma is an excellent cake maker and always pulls out the stops when it’s a birthday; she had ambitions to go on The Great British Bake Off years ago but never followed through with it. A memory of my own Mum filters through into head, I’m standing next to her in a big kitchen, my head only coming up to her waist. She’s wearing white clothing. She’s smiling down at me as she scrapes cake mixture in a bowl. I grit my teeth as my aunt’s kids, Milo and Niall head out after us, but they’re too preoccupied with their sticks they’re using as swords, to worry about we’re up to. They’re only eight and mischievous as hell, but sometimes I envy the life they’ve got, it’s something I’ll never be able to have. At least when they go to school, they won’t have everyone staring at them and whispering about them behind their back. They’ve got a normal life ahead of them.

‘You better not be making me miss out on cake, you know chocolate fudge is my favourite,’ Callum says as I pull him to the bottom of the garden where there’s an old swing Michael set up for me, not long after I first got here when I was six. Michael keeps talking about taking it down, but every time he brings up the subject Emma tells him no, and says how wonderful it would be for my children to play on when I have them, which always makes me cringe. There’s no way on earth I’m having kids anytime soon.

‘Oh Emma will save us some I’m sure, well she’ll definitely save me some, but you can have it, if you want.’ We both sit on the two swings; I dig the heels of my shoes into the grass. ‘D’you think we should’ve told that guy to piss off earlier?’

Callum frowns at me. ‘Danielle, do you seriously think he knows something about what happened to your family?’

‘I don’t know . . .’ I bite my lower lip. ‘There was something about him. I don’t know what it was, but to me he just seemed, I don’t know, familiar.’

‘He’s a journalist . . . OK, so he said he wasn’t a journalist, if he’s not one of them tossers then he’s a psychic,’ Callum says. ‘They’re even worse, in my opinion.’

I shake my head. ‘But what if he does know something? It’s been twenty years, Callum. I want to know the truth. You have no idea what it’s like the not knowing. If I at least know the reason why my brother killed them, my parents, then I’ll be able to move on. At least I’ll be able to stop thinking about seeing him. I hate the fact he’s the one who knows the truth.’

‘But you hate journalists; you’ve been telling me that for years. What about that journalist who turned up at your graduation? Emma and Michael had to get that injunction to stop him from publishing those photos of you. And then there are all the nutters you’ve had from the conspiracy websites chasing after you, saying stuff about you online that isn’t true. The moment you allow one of them to talk to you, then the rest of them are gonna come knocking and they won’t leave you alone. They’ll make your life hell.’

‘I just want to see what he has to say.’ I keep my focus on the back of the house. Milo thrashes Niall with a stick who cries out, clutching his arm. ‘Hey, Milo, be careful.’

They both look towards us, seemingly unfazed, before going back to whacking each other again as hard as they can. Their Mum’s going to come running out in a minute to stop them, I’m sure, or perhaps she’s just happy they’re keeping themselves occupied and not causing any problems in doors.

A memory swirls in my mind. I’m sitting on Harvey’s bed; we used to share a room, from what I can remember, when we were very young. I shiver. He’s reading to me, the book’s The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, it used to my favourite. There are adult voices downstairs. We were never allowed to join in with the adults. Even now, I still can’t think of that story without thinking of Harvey and what he did.

Callum sighs. ‘If you wanna talk to him, I’m not gonna stop you. But I think it’s a bad idea. Perhaps knowing the truth might be worse. It might make you angrier. How are you going to even contact this bloke anyway, we told him to sod off, remember? It’s not like he left us with his contact details.’

‘I’m sure if he’s desperate to tell me something then that’s not going to be the last time I see him.’

I think back to the way he looked at me; his eyes as though they were pleading with me, begging me to hear him out. The journalists, who’ve approached me in the past, have been so blasé about who they were; I’m from the Daily Mail; I’m from the Express, as if somehow they were trying to go out of their way to impress me. The first thing this man said to me was that he wanted to know how I was. No other journalist has ever asked that question before.

‘What are you two doing out here, being unsociable?’ Michael shouts from the back of the house, holding onto a half empty bottle of Peroni. Milo and Niall scatter to the other side of the garden. ‘Everyone’s here to see you, Danielle.’

I sigh. ‘Yeah, just coming.’ Michael slips back into the house. ‘I s’pose we better go and mingle.’

I’m about to get off the swing when Callum grabs my arm. ‘Danielle, promise me that before you even think about talking to this guy, you’ll call me. I really don’t like what’s going on here. Tell me you’ll call me before you try and see him again.’

Callum’s staring at me with big, pleading eyes. I nod. ‘Of course I will, Callum, you’re my best friend. We don’t keep secrets from each other, remember. Let’s go.’ I give him a reassuring smile.

We climb off the swings and trudge back towards the house. Part of me thought, when I contacted Harvey earlier this year, and he refused to see me yet again, that I wouldn’t bother in the future. This would’ve been his last chance. But I need to know why he killed our parents. I want to see the reaction in his face when I ask him. Perhaps, whoever this person is, who spoke to me today, they might be able to help me find those answers. His words from earlier fill my mind again, making me shudder. Jeremiah knows something, I’m sure of it.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 5
His Silence - Chapter Four

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

I finish off the slice of cake Emma saved me, place the plate on the coffee table in front of me and wipe chocolate crumbs from my mouth. I hate how chocolate cake, particularly the one Emma makes, always tends to stain my teeth afterwards, but that’s still not enough to put me off eating it. I sometimes dream of it, if I know there’s some waiting downstairs in the fridge. There are still a couple of empty wine glasses on the table, with red lipstick stains on the rim. Callum and I tried to insist on helping with the washing up earlier but Emma refused our offer.

‘Enjoy your day, birthday girl?’ Michael asks, holding his hand over his mouth, he’s still halfway through a pint of Peroni. ‘God I’m knackered, and to think I’ve gotta head into work in the morning, I told your mum we should’ve done it yesterday, that would’ve at least given me a day to recover.’

I nod vigorously. ‘Yeah it was great; you and Emma always pull out all the stops.’

‘Well, we just want you to have the best time.’

I sit back in my seat. Michael flicks on the television, the ten o’clock news starts playing with the familiar BBC theme tune. He grumbles something, but I can’t quite work out what he’s said, it’ll be something about politics, I bet; his favourite subject to moan about, especially when he’s had a few drinks.

‘Just gonna take this into the kitchen,’ I say, picking up the plate.

As I get up, I glance out of the window. I squint. There’s a car sitting with its lights on, on the opposite side of the road. I freeze. It can’t be, can it? My heart begins to thump.

‘Everything OK?’ Dad asks, frowning at me.

‘Yeah, fine, I’m just gonna head outside for a sec, won’t be long.’

I breeze into the hallway. Looking to my left I spot Emma outside in the garden puffing on a cigarette. It’s only ever late at night, and sometimes in the morning when she smokes. She’s been trying to give up for years; at least she’s cut down from forty a day. She’s on the phone. I notice the two sticks Milo and Niall were using earlier are still lying on the patio outside. I place the plate on the hallway table and yank the front door open. There’s a man sitting in the driver’s seat of the car on the opposite side of the road. There are only a couple of houses on the other side, from my bedroom window, at the front of the house, all I can see are fields stretching for miles and miles, and beyond that, forest; I used to play there with Emma and Michael when I was young. The man in the car is staring at me, hands clenched on the steering wheel. It’s the same man from earlier. Shit, has he been sitting here since this morning? He must’ve waited for us outside the pub and followed us. What the hell does he want? I check to make sure Michael isn’t looking out of the living room window; his focus is on the television. He’ll no doubt be dropping off to sleep in a few seconds. I doubt he’ll even finish off the beer he’s still got left. I think back to my promise to Callum earlier, there’s no way I’m going to have time to ring him now. But what if I don’t have another chance to speak to this man?

I pelt across the road. As I come round to the car, the guy switches off the light and climbs out. He’s smiling at me, like he’s known me all my life. There’s that flicker of recognition again in my mind, but still I can’t put my thumb on who he is.

‘You spoke to me at the pub this morning,’ I say, folding my arms across my chest. ‘Who are you? What do you want?’

‘Sorry, forgive me for staring, but the last time I saw you, you were only six,’ he says.

I frown at him. What the hell? My knees begin to tremble. ‘What do you mean?’ I ask, spittle flying out of my mouth.

He rubs the back of his neck, then buries his hand in his jacket pocket. ‘I knew your family, your birth family, years ago, before . . . before they were killed.’ He looks at the ground. I open my mouth to speak, but I don’t know what to say to him. He knew my family. I think of all the times I’ve tried to search for information on them before the murders and found nothing. God, he knew my family. I inhale a lungful of air. ‘You’ve been trying to speak to your brother for some time, haven’t you?’ he asks.

I nod. This is mad. My head is spinning. This is the first time I’ve met anyone who claims to have known my parents, it feels as though everything that happened in my life, before my parents were killed, has been closed off to me forever. How did he even find out where I live? Even the crazies haven’t tried this angle before to get me to talk to them, I’ve normally always been stopped in the street and Emma or Michael has come to my rescue.  

‘I’ve been trying to visit him since I was eighteen but he’s always refused to see me, I try every year,’ I say. ‘It’s been making my life hell this constant silence. I want to know why he did it. I need to know about my life . . . before this, where I came from, who I was. He destroyed everything. I should’ve been growing up with my real Mum and dad, and yet I know hardly anything about them.’

He nods. ‘I know. But, it has to be the right time. And the time is right now.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

I know what Callum would be saying to me if he was here. He’s a weirdo, get shot of him. I shake the thought out of my head; I need to focus on what he has to say. I can’t have any other voices in my head.

He sighs. ‘Your brother wants to talk to you, but it has to be with me present.’

I stare at him. ‘Why should I believe what you’re saying? I’ve no idea who you are. I’ve been trying to get my brother to talk to me for years and yet you’re here telling me that the only way he’ll talk to me is if you’re with me.’ Tears prick the corners of my eye, I do my best to fight them back, but one slides down my cheek. This is unbelievable.

He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a photograph. He hands it to me, I flick my gaze down, and almost clamp my hand over my mouth; I manage to stop myself. This is a picture of my family. My Mum’s standing behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders, there’s my Dad next to her and then . . . my brother, Harvey. Nausea sweeps through me. He looks so happy to be there, standing in front of my parents, hands clasped together. We look so ordinary, a happy family. What the hell made him want to kill them? I grip hold of the photograph tighter. There are other people in the background, at least six people. One man is standing behind my mother, staring into the camera with a brilliant white smile and piercing blue eyes. I rub my arms. There’s something familiar about him.

‘I’m in the photo too,’ the man explains, pointing to a younger version of himself in the background. He’s barely changed in twenty years. Emma would be saying she’d want whatever he’s having that makes him look so good.

‘Who are all these people? Who are you?’ I ask.

‘We’re all  . . . friends of your parents; well we were friends with your parents. This photo was taken in their house.’

‘Their house.’

A flicker of a memory passes through me. I’m sitting outside, picking at the daisies in the grass. Ahead of me there are a couple of people hanging washing on a washing line, they’re smiling at me; both of the women are wearing the same white clothing. The memory dissolves.

I shake my head. ‘I’m sorry, this is, this is mad.’

‘Look, Danielle, your brother is desperate to talk to you, but it must be with me present. You can’t bring anyone else, and I would advise against telling your parents. Shall I let him know that you want to go ahead with the visit?’

‘I . . .’ I can’t get the words out of my head. This is all too much. What the hell does my brother want to say to me and why now? ‘I need time to think.’

The man nods. ‘Of course, I understand. I’ll give you my number. If you could call me within the next couple of days, that’ll be fantastic.’

He draws a pen out of his pocket, takes the photograph from me and writes his number down on the back.

‘Do you not want the photograph back?’ I ask.

He shakes his head. ‘No, no. It’s yours to keep. I don’t suppose you have many photographs of your family.’

‘No.’ He hands the photograph back to me. ‘Thanks, um, sorry, what’s your name?’

He smiles. ‘It’s Jeremiah.’

‘OK, I’ll . . . I guess I’ll speak to you in a couple of days,’ I say.

‘I really hope so, Danielle.’

I begin to edge back across the road to the house. Jeremiah gets back into the car, it chugs back into life. Dad still isn’t looking this way, thank God. God, if I tell Emma and Michael some stranger wants to take me to see my brother there’s no way they’ll want me to go through with it. His words roll around inside my mind, I would advise against telling your parents.

I push the front door open and step back inside.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 6
His Silence - Chapter Five

By Jacob1395

I wake my computer up and log into my emails, at least I work from home; I don’t think I could’ve gone into the office today, not with everything still swirling around inside my head from last night, after speaking to Jeremiah. Emma can’t see why I prefer working from home, but it would end up taking me an hour to get into London and home again, meaning I’d have to get up at stupid o’clock, plus I get so much more done when I’m at home anyway. She works in Chelmsford at a nail salon so the journey isn’t too bad for her; I suppose I could look for a job there, if I ever do want to go back to working in an office. Not at the nail salon though, that’s definitely not a job for me. Michael’s the only one who commutes into London, which means he has to be out of the house by seven at the latest.

My foot’s tapping underneath the table. I can’t get my conversation last night with Jeremiah out of my head. I texted him the moment I went up to bed so he had my number, but he hasn’t replied, he’ll be waiting for me to confirm I want to go with him to see Harvey. Perhaps the whole thing is a scam. Perhaps Callum’s right and he is just a journalist. But what about the photograph he gave to me? I shift forward in my seat and pick up my cup of tea, glancing at the last email I received yesterday from my colleague, Isobel, the only person I work with who’s around my age.

God is the guy with the farm driving you nuts as well?

I smile. I should try and catch up with her at some point soon; it’s been ages since we’ve had a night out. Sometimes Callum comes out with us and that’s when we go really wild.

‘Righto, I’m off,’ Emma says, drifting into the living room, clutching her bag. ‘If you want to make a sandwich later you might want to grab some bread from the shop; the last of it got used when Graham decided to make himself a sandwich at nine p.m. last night.’ Mum rolls her eyes.

I smile. Graham, Emma’s brother, is the same at Christmas whenever we’re together; he’ll be the only one who’ll get up to make himself a turkey sandwich, but he won’t think to ask if it’s OK, or at the very least, if anyone else would like one. We always take bets to see how long it’ll be before he slips off to the kitchen to make one.

‘Yeah no worries, see you later, have fun at work,’ I say.

Emma slips back out into the hallway; I wait until the door clicks shut before I open up the Internet. I’ve still got half an hour before I start work anyway. I type in my family’s name and press enter. Hundreds of results pop up on the screen, like I knew they would. The article at the very top is from a couple of years ago, when it was the eighteenth anniversary of the murders. I click on it. My mother and father’s faces beam back at me. I sit back in my seat. There was a time when I couldn’t bear to look at their pictures, I used to always imagine what life would’ve been like with them, had Harvey not killed them, and it was always so hard. Would they have been proud of me, of what I’ve achieved so far in life? Would they have pushed me to get a degree? I shake the thoughts out of my head and begin to read the article.

Eighteen years ago today, the shocking murders of the Cole family became a worldwide phenomenon. Only a handful of cases around the world have received the same level of publicity. John Cole (47) and Laura Cole (45) were butchered to death by their only son, Harvey, who also killed a family friend, Ian Jones (47) who was living with them at the time in a rented house in Little Castle, Essex. Harvey confessed to killing them, but refused to tell the police why he killed them, and to this day the case still remains a mystery, and of course this has given rise to a number of conspiracy theories. What is even more shocking is that at the time, Harvey was only fourteen years old; child murderers are extremely rare in this country, so there was no question about it that this case was going to be big. Countless investigators have tried to solve the case over the years, with no success, and what is even more puzzling, is that there is very little trace of this family before the murders. On the eighteenth anniversary we spoke to key witnesses, who lived in the area at the time, about what they can remember from that fateful day. Alice Whitlock who has lived in the area all her life recalls, “I remember this strange family arriving three weeks before the murders. My husband used to always make a point of welcoming anyone new, particularly if they’re on our street. I remember he baked a cake for them, and when he went up to the gate, they wouldn’t let him in, wouldn’t even talk to him when he tried to make his presence known. He was in a right mood about it at the time and thought then there must be something odd going on. Of course we never saw the children while they were there, that’s why we were so shocked to hear that a fourteen-year-old boy had been arrested. It was just so shocking.”

I stop reading. It’s weird hearing other people giving accounts of my family, thinking they know them. There’s a photograph at the bottom of the article of the house where my family were killed. It reminds me a little bit of the house in The Haunted Mansion, only without the graveyard. There’s a tall wrought iron gate at the foot of the drive. The house is big; I read somewhere it was built in the seventeenth century, why Ian chose this place to take my family to I have no idea. I’m pretty sure I read somewhere once the rent was cheap, and it sounds like they needed somewhere quick. There’s a fountain before the front door. I stare at the big wide windows and think of myself as a six-year-old peering out of them. I must’ve been over the moon as a kid, living somewhere so big and with lots of garden space. Were we allowed to play out in the garden while we were there?

I go back to the search results. There’s no article, at all, that I read through that mentions Jeremiah’s name. I type his name and my family’s name into Google. Still there’s nothing. I tap my fingernails on the table; he didn’t give me his last name. If I knew that, then perhaps I would be able to search for him. Damn it why didn’t I ask? I thump my fist on the table.

I pull out my phone, and bring up my last message to Callum. I haven’t told him about my conversation with Jeremiah yesterday. He’ll want to know if I’ve made contact with him again, after we spoke about it at the party yesterday. I send him a text.

Can we chat at lunch time? Xx

I watch the little dots appear on the screen to indicate he’s replying.

Yeah sure, what’s up?

I’ll chat to you later, just got something I need to discuss with you xx

I place my phone on the table and focus on the emails I’ve got to work through.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 7
His Silence - Chapter Six

By Jacob1395

As twelve thirty rolls around my phone starts to flash up with Callum’s number. I flick the answer button across.

‘Hey, wassup?’ he asks.

I get up from my seat, mooch into the living room and sit down on the sofa. ‘I . . . um saw that bloke again yesterday, the one from the pub.’

‘Danielle, what did we talk about?’

‘Look, I know you told me to call you before speaking to him, but I had little choice. I was hardly expecting him to be waiting outside my house.’

‘He was waiting for you outside your house.’ I can hear the stress in Callum’s voice as he speaks. ‘OK, so who was he then?’

‘He says he knew my family, twenty years ago. Apparently we all lived together.’

‘Right,’ Callum says, drawing the word out. ‘But I take it you have no memory of him from that time?’

I know what Callum’s about to say. I can hear it already inside my head. I search through my mind; there’s no recollection of Jeremiah there at all. It really grates on me that there’s so little I can remember. ‘I’m not sure, everything's just a big jumbled mess. I have snatches of things that might be memories from that time. He showed me a photograph of all of us, me, Mum, Dad, and Harvey, with a group of people standing behind us. There must’ve been about ten other people in the photo,’ I say.

‘Sounds a bit weird, if you ask me.’

'Yeah, it does a bit. But, then he said to me my brother wants to talk to me, but only if this guy, who I spoke to, is present.’

I wait for Callum to reply, leaning back in my seat. In the distance there’s the sound of someone else chatting on the phone.

‘OK, so what did you say to him?’ He’s annoyed at me for not calling him like he asked me to; I can hear it in his voice.

I puff out my cheeks. ‘Well, I said I would sit on it, but I think I kind of want to go with him.’

‘You’re not being serious, are you?’ Callum asks. ‘This complete stranger rocks up, says all this stuff about knowing you and your family, yet you have no recollection of him. He could’ve made the whole thing up, and now you’ve said you’ll go with him, a stranger to visit your brother in prison. Danielle, this is mad. What if he has no intention of taking you to see your brother, but has something else planned?’  

I press my free hand into the sofa. ‘I know it seems mad. But this is the best chance I’ve got of actually speaking to Harvey. I want to speak to my brother; I want to see how he’ll react when I ask him the questions I want to ask.’

‘Has this bloke shown you any proof that he’s even had any dealings with Harvey?’

I think back to last night. I hadn’t thought to ask that, the photograph seemed enough proof to me. ‘I . . . I guess I can ask him.’

‘Perhaps I should go with you,’ Callum says.

‘No, he said it has to just be me and him.’

I can visualise Callum shaking his head. ‘God, this is sounding crazier by the minute,’ he says.

‘I might need you to cover for me though, with Mum and Dad, I don’t want them to know what I’m doing; I don’t want to end up worrying them.’

Deep down I know they would much rather I didn’t see Harvey at all, despite telling me, when I was a teenager that, if I still wanted to, I could apply to visit him once I turned eighteen. I can still remember that day, requesting to visit him for the first time. I can still feel the sheer blow of disappointment I felt when Harvey refused to see me. I’d gone up to my room and screamed into my pillow to prevent Mum and Dad from hearing me.

‘OK, well, if you think this is the right thing to do, but if something happens, or if you don’t get in contact with me to let me know you’re OK then I’m telling them everything.’

I puff out my cheeks and exhale. ‘Sure, that’s fine. We haven’t even got a date sorted yet, I’ll have to get in touch with him to tell him I want to go, then we’ll get the ball rolling from there.’

‘I want you to keep me updated though, OK. Text me the moment he gets in contact with you.’

‘Sure thing.’

‘I still think this is a bad idea, but whatever I say I don’t think it’s going to change your mind. Let me know when he texts you, I’ve gotta go as I’ve got a meeting in ten minutes.’

‘Sure. Speak to you later,’ I say.

Callum ends the call. I let out a steady breath. He’s going to be annoyed with me. It might take a few days but he’ll calm down.  

I get up from the chair and pad into the kitchen. I’ve got another hour until my next zoom meeting of the day, a prospective client based in Yorkshire.

I flick on the kettle; the sound of it roaring fills the house. I fold my arms across my chest and stare out at the garden, focusing on the swings at the bottom. Is Callum right, should I be doing this? I purse my lips, thinking again of Jeremiah, how happy he seemed to see me, despite the fact I don’t know him. I sort of, I sort of already feel a sense of attachment to him. It’s weird. It’s like I want to know more about him.  

The thought I might get answers about my past, is enough to outweigh the risk that something might go wrong. I pull out my phone, text Jeremiah, and tell him I want to go with him to visit Harvey. I slip my phone back into my pocket. All I can do now is wait for Jeremiah to get back in touch.

**************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max (podcaster)

Jeremiah

Oliver

Mary

Abraham

Abigail

Isaac

Noah

Eve

Chapter 8
His Silence - Chapter Seven

By Jacob1395

My phone bleeps on the armrest, making me jump. We’ve just sat down after eating dinner. The scent of curry is still wafting around the house, despite all the windows being thrown open to get rid of the smell; Mum always uses far too much garlic. Mum glances across at me, a frown in her forehead.

‘You’re a bit jumpy,’ she says, looking me up and down, with a concerned expression.

I ignore her. My heart begins to pound as I read the text message on my screen. It’s from Jeremiah. 

Got a visit for this Friday at 12pm, I can pick you up outside yours.

Part of me thinks that perhaps he already had the visit arranged and was just waiting for me to say yes. What would he have done if I hadn’t said I wanted to go with him? I glance at Mum; her focus is back on Pointless on the television, she laughs at a joke one of the contestants has made. Dad’s sitting in the armchair flicking through the newspaper, murmuring something to himself, like he always does when he reads the news. With each passing year he reminds me more and more of my grandad, it's scary. I've never had a problem with the thought of me getting older, but it's the thought of my parents ageing that scares me. I turn my focus back to the message. If it’s Friday afternoon, perhaps I can speak to work about getting a couple of hours off, I don’t have any meetings in my schedulee.

I send a reply back.

No can you meet me outside the pub where you saw me on Sunday?

I don’t want any of the neighbours seeing me getting into Jeremiah's car; they might mention something to Mum and Dad if they do. Everyone here knows about my family history. If they see me getting into the car with a stranger that might add more fuel to the suspicion something weird is going on, plus Mum and Dad might then find out about my visit to see Harvey. I watch the dots appear on the screen to show he’s typing. His reply comes through.

Sure. Make sure you’re alone.

I shut my phone down. Why is he so insistent I can’t bring anyone with me? I rub my arms.

‘I’m gonna make a cuppa, anyone want one?’ I ask, getting up.

‘No, you’re alright,’ Dad replies.

Mum’s still frowning at me. ‘Everything alright, sweet heart, you’re looking a little pale.’

‘Yeah I’m fine.’

I leave the room. God, now Mum’s going to be thinking something is up with me. I send a text to Callum letting him know the visit is booked for Friday, he responds immediately with a thumbs up emoji. I have to keep convincing myself that Jeremiah isn’t some nutcase like Callum thinks he is, and that he does genuinely want to help me. I focus on making my tea. This time on Friday I might have the answers I've been waiting for. 

****************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max (podcaster)

Jeremiah

Oliver

Mary

Abraham

Abigail

Isaac

Noah

Eve

Chapter 9
His Silence - Chapter Eight

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

HMP Prison, Belmarsh

Harvey concentrates on lifting the weight, closing his eyes as he raises it higher, feels the tension increasing in his arms. He squeezes his eyes shut; then drops his arms, allowing the weight to clatter to the ground with a thud. He wipes sweat from his brow and watches one of his fellow inmates doing pull ups on the multi gym ahead of him. Harvey leans back on the bench and smiles. It isn’t going to be long now. Danielle will be here in two days’ time. Jeremiah was excited when he spoke to him on the phone. Everything feels like it’s all coming together, like he was always told it would do. He’s never been particularly patient so it’s been excruciating for him having to wait for this moment. There’s a flash of a memory in his head; he flinches. He sees himself edging down the stairs, twenty years ago, after leaving his sister hiding in the wardrobe in their bedroom. He hears the voices of the adults in the living room; their soft murmurings, convincing each other they’d done the right thing. He’d curled his fists at the sound of them talking about him and his sister, and about how much better their lives would now be. He’d hidden the axe under his bed the previous night; he doesn’t think his sister would’ve seen him pull it out. He can still see his shadow in the light of the hallway downstairs, his scrawny figure; the axe in his hands, ready to do his bidding.

Closing his eyes, he tries to picture what Danielle could look like now. He’s glad there’ve been no pictures published of her; he hates the thought of the media hounding her. On Friday, he’ll know the answer to that question, he won’t have to imagine anymore.

‘Alright, mate?' The guy who was doing the pull ups is standing beside him, his hands are buried in his pockets, Harvey glances at the massive sweat patch on his chest.

Harvey knows the guy's in for killing his girlfriend, well his ex-girlfriend; she left him for someone else. Two days after he found out, he went round there, to his ex's place, and killed her and her boyfriend, and then went round to the nearby chippy to get himself some fish and chips, like what he'd just done hadn't happened at all. The case only took place two years ago; he remembers reading about it in the papers. The funny thing is, is that all the other inmates in here tend to avoid him, despite some of them committing worse offences than he has. He thought, with time, people might try to approach him after a while, but they all steer clear of him. They would’ve known about him when they were living their lives outside, before they threw their lives away. At least he has a reason for being here. The guy looks away. God, he’s scared of him. Perhaps he’s read about the ludicrous conspiracy theories Harvey’s heard about himself, that have been circulating the internet for years. He even heard one suggesting he was some sort of spawn of the devil. People surely must know it’s all a load of bullshit.

‘Yeah, I am,’ Harvey says.

The guy fixes his attention back on him. ‘You finished with the weights?’

Harvey pulls himself upright and nudges the thirty two kilogram weight with his foot.

‘All yours mate,’ he says.

The guy mutters something in response but Harvey can’t work out what it is he’s said. He doesn’t care.

The guy picks up the weights and meanders over to another bench at the far end of the room.

It’s time to hit the showers. Harvey picks up his water bottle and makes his way to the exit. Even in here there are guards watching their every movement. They train their eyes on him. He gives them a smile but they make no acknowledgment of it, they’re like the guards who stand outside Buckingham Palace, they’re not meant to interact with the public, despite tourists thinking otherwise. His parents took him there once, long ago, long before his sister was born. He still remembers standing beside the guard outside, the Royal Mews, having his photograph taken. When he was first sent to a young offender’s institute, before he was moved to an adult prison, he was terrified of the guards. It was the way they watched him, it used to make him think of lasers searching for their target in the dark, it really freaked him out. He would cry in his cell, thinking about it, wishing he could turn back the clock and be back in the house he grew up in with his sister. If he didn’t have Jeremiah keeping in contact with him, he would’ve gone mad, he’s sure of it. Now the guards make him laugh. They look so pathetic, all dressed up like that.

He concentrates on his sister as he heads for the showers, his feet slapping against the stone floor, and wonders if she’ll resemble their Mum, or their Dad more. It’ll be their Mum whom she'll have taken after; they both had the same brown, shoulder length hair, the same shaped nose. He doesn’t suppose her new family would’ve encouraged her to change her appearance, to make the link to her past seem less obvious to everyone. He can just imagine the whispers that must’ve followed her over the years wherever she went. He switches the shower on, water rushes down on him, and he massages soap into his hair.

Only two more days to go. He feels like a kid waiting for Christmas.

**************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah 

Oliver 

Mary

Abraham

Abigail

Isaac

Noah

Eve

Chapter 10
His Silence - Chapter Nine

By Jacob1395

The rest of the week drags. Mum’s worried about me. I keep seeing it in the way she looks across at me when we’re at the dinner table; then I hear her whispering to Dad when I make my way up the stairs to bed. I’ve no idea what she thinks is going on with me. There’s no way she could’ve guessed about the prison visit; I’ve only told Callum and he wouldn’t have said anything. Not yet. I’m sure, if he’d told his parents, they would’ve been straight on the phone to mine. There’s no way he’d go behind my back like that; I think back to all the times I’ve covered for him. His warning comes back to me about how he said he’ll have to tell my parents if he feels something is wrong, if I don’t get in contact with him. I’ve told him I’ll text him when I get to the prison, when the visit is finished, and when I’m home.

I pull my phone out of my pocket. There are no new messages. Jeremiah texted me last night telling me he’d pick me up at ten thirty. That’s fifteen minutes away; it’ll take me ten minutes to walk up to the top of the road. I’ve barely slept, in the end I ended up getting out of bed at 3 a.m. and went downstairs to make myself a hot milk; something Mum used to always make me whenever I got anxious, and anxiety really plagued me when I was a kid.

What am I going to say to Harvey? It’s been a conversation I’ve imagined inside my head for years, but there were times when I was certain I would never get the chance to speak to him. I bite down hard on my lower lip, so hard that within a few seconds the sharp metallic taste of blood pools in my mouth. The thought I’m actually going to be seeing him today, fills me with dread. What’s he going to be like? How is he going to respond to my questions?

Breezing into the hallway, I snatch up my house keys from the hallway table, and leave. It’s warm today, the forecast’s actually been predicting that temperatures will rise above twenty degrees this weekend. I can’t believe it’s nearly been a week since my party and since I first met Jeremiah.

The pub comes into view as I jog up the street. A couple of cyclists are taking a breather outside; a roar of laughter from one of them reaches my ears, I look away from them, hoping they won’t spot me heading towards them. I don’t think they’re locals. Jeremiah’s here. I stop. I recognise the car from the other day. Jeremiah’s spotted me. Should I be doing this? I push the thought out of my head and make my way further up the road. I can’t start letting doubts creep into my mind now. Jeremiah gets out. I frown, he’s wearing the same clothes I saw him in the other day. I brush a branch snaking down from a tree to my right out of my way.

‘I was starting to think you might choose not to come,’ he says, smiling at me.

‘I would’ve texted you if I’d thought that.’

I open the passenger door and slide in; a blast of cool air hits me from the air conditioning. There’s no music playing in the car; Jeremiah climbs back into the driver’s seat and switches the car on. He buckles in his seat belt and pulls the car out on the road. I glance back up the street, thinking of Mum and Dad blissfully unaware of what’s going on. They have no idea where I’m going. I rub my sweaty palms together. If this does go wrong, or if I’ve made some terrible mistake, this could be the last view I get of my home. I want to believe that Jeremiah’s a decent man, that he’s doing this to help me, but a tiny nugget of doubt, planted by Callum, builds in my mind.

‘Are you OK?’ Jeremiah asks.

I switch my gaze back to him, and do my best to smile. ‘Yes, fine. Just feeling a bit nervous. Have you . . . have you ever seen my brother in prison?’

He nods, flicking on the indicator as we get to the junction. A white Mercedes speeds past us, Dad always moans everyone travels far too fast down this road. ‘Yes, a few times. I pop round to see him every now and again to see how he’s doing.’  

If he’s seen other people, why has he refused to see me?

‘How's he doing?’ I ask, frowning. God what sort of a question is that, how’s he doing? In my head I picture him a broken man, guilt ridden by what he did to our family, and for making my life a living hell.

‘He’s been OK, as well as you can expect, he’s looking forward to seeing you.’

I glance out of the window. ‘I should hate him for what he did to my family. He took something from me I’ll never be able to get back, but . . .’

‘But part of you mustn’t.’

I shake my head. ‘You have no idea what it’s been like for me. Have you got any brothers or sisters?’

Jeremiah keeps his focus on the road ahead. ‘No, I don’t,’ Jeremiah says. I frown; there was something very final in the way he said that, like it’s something he couldn’t care less about. ‘But I’m part of a much larger family now, that’s what matters.’

‘Well, how can you imagine what this must feel like then?’ I say, biting down hard on my teeth. ‘God, I have no idea what I’m even going to say to Harvey, or how I’ll even react when I do see him.’

‘Don’t worry about it. I felt exactly the same way when I first saw him after it . . . it happened. You’ll know what to say in the end,’ Jeremiah says. Was there a slight hint of nervousness in his voice?

‘When was the first time you visited my brother?’ I ask, relaxing a little more into my seat.

‘A short while after he did it. That was when he was back in a young offender’s institution. He moved to Belmarsh when he was eighteen, as I’m sure you know. You do know he’s refused parole a couple of times already, don’t you?’

I stare at him. ‘Has he? Why?’

‘Perhaps Harvey will tell you why.’

We sit for the rest of the journey in silence. I must’ve dozed off because when I’m at last, jerked awake, we’re pulling into the prison car park. I gaze out at the ordinary, red brick building. My brother is inside there now. Goosebumps erupt on my skin. I pull out my phone as Jerimiah parks up, and text Callum to say we’ve arrived, I shove it back into my pocket. I don’t know what Jeremiah would say if he knew I was texting him. He told me not to tell my parents about the visit, but he didn’t say anything about not telling Callum, and of course he knows about Callum, he met him at the pub. Surely it would’ve crossed his mind that I might speak to Callum about it.

We climb out of the car. A warm breeze whips through my hair.

‘You ready?’ Jeremiah asks.

We enter the building and immediately I want something to fan myself. Some of the guards have sweat patches under their arms, a fan on full blast is sitting on someone’s desk and I will for it to turn round and face me. God, it must be unbearable having to work in here. I pass my phone over to be scanned through the machine, and pass through the bleepers, as I’ve always called them. The guards look me up and down, as if they’re trying to work out who I am. I’ve always felt conscious going through airport security, like I might be guilty of something, even though I’m not.  Do they know who I am? Do they know who I’m here to see? I keep my head down, and follow Jeremiah. He’s been here before, he knows what to do.

We enter a wide room with sets of tables and chairs. The back of my neck prickles. This is the moment I’ve been waiting years for. It doesn’t feel real. Guards patrol the perimeter of the room, I keep my focus on the floor as we move closer to a table and sit down. My knees are jittering. It would be better if they could have a window open in here. Now I want to get out, I want to go.

There’s a buzzing sound and a stream of people stroll through into the room. God, which one is my brother? The only photo I’ve ever seen of him was from when he was fourteen. It’s hard to believe he’s in his early thirties now, it makes me think on all the time together we’ve missed: birthdays, family holidays, Christmases. Because of his age, it meant his name wasn’t released by the police, although that didn’t stop the press from finding out. It didn’t take them long; within weeks there were big double page spreads about him. The police wouldn’t confirm if it was him, but they didn’t deny it either.

Jerimiah waves his hand; a man towards the end of the queue smiles. I freeze. It’s him. It’s Harvey. I bite down hard on my lip as he approaches the table.

 

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah 

Oliver 

Mary

Abraham

Abigail

Isaac

Noah

Eve

Chapter 11
His Silence - Chapter Ten

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

Harvey’s hair is a lot shorter than it is in the photographs I’ve seen of him, from when he was fourteen, and from what I remember. My eyes clap on his bulging biceps. I shift in my seat. God, now his gaze is fixed on me, I want to look away but I can’t.

He approaches our table; he’s almost sauntering over, like this is just like every other day for him. Has he had many other visitors apart from me? I imagine journalists trying to gain access to see him in prison, and those strange women who think they can somehow fix people, who have been banged up for horrific crimes, and end up marrying them in prison. The thought makes my skin go cold at these sorts of people contacting Harvey. I keep my focus on him. I’m surprised at how confident he is. From what I remember of him, from when we used to live together, he was never particularly outgoing. It would always be me and him together, I’ve never been able to remember any other children our age being in the picture. He pulls the chair out opposite us, sits and smiles. My knees are trembling under the table. This is it. This is the moment I’ve been waiting years for.

‘Oh God, Grace, I mean, sorry . . . Danielle, it’s so good to see you,’ he says. His eyes seem to twinkle. How can he say that to me? I roll my tongue around the inside my mouth. I swallow. I can sense Jeremiah’s eyes on us; he’ll be watching both of us intently, studying our every move, everything we say to each other. It felt weird Harvey calling me by the name I had before, like I’d been stung.

I take in a deep breath. I’m actually sitting across from my brother. He’s in front of me; right now he’s in front of him. ‘Eight years. Eight bloody years I’ve been trying to see you.’ My voice shakes as I speak. ‘You’ve rejected my request to come and visit you every single time.’

He looks into his lap. For a moment I think he looks genuinely upset. ‘I know, I’m sorry. If I could’ve seen you earlier, I would’ve done so, but it wasn’t possible. It’s why I’ve been so looking forward to this particular year,’ he replies, shifting forward in his seat. He clasps his hands together on the table.

‘Why wasn’t it possible?’ I snap. I have to keep forcing myself to stay in my seat. I want to hit him; I want to beat the answers out of him. ‘D'you not know how many sleepless nights I’ve had over this, over what you did to our family? I see Mum and Dad’s faces all the time in my mind; I see their bodies sprawled out across the sofa, and you standing there with the axe in your hand. Hey, I’m talking, to you Harvey.’ His gaze had drifted across to Jeremiah, like I wasn't important.

He switches his gaze back to me, for a brief moment we stay like that, staring into each other’s eyes and the soft murmurings of everyone else’s conversations around us drift into my ears. ‘Has Jeremiah talked to you a little bit about our life before all of this mess?’ he asks, keeping his voice soft.

I lean back. ‘A little, apparently we all lived together, he showed me a photograph.’ How can he be so calm? I grit my teeth.

Harvey nods. He’s not even shaking, if I was in his position I would’ve been terrified at the thought of meeting me for the first time. I force myself to stay rooted in my seat. Don’t react; you need to hear what he has to say. He rubs the bridge of his nose. ‘You probably can’t remember much from that time, but what we had . . . it was so special. It was amazing. Our parents, they took that all away from us. If they hadn’t done that, then we would still be there now. They would still be . . .’ There’s venom in his voice as he speaks. Our eye contact breaks. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jeremiah’s keeping his gaze fixed on Harvey; his arms are folded across his chest, which rises and falls steadily as he breathes.

I stare at Harvey. ‘You’re not making any sense. I want you to tell me why you fucking killed our Mum and Dad.’ I slam my fist into the table as I say the last part of my sentence.

Harvey flinches. There’s something in his eyes. Anger. What made him kill them? I shiver.

Harvey runs his tongue across his lips. ‘There’s a place I think you should visit, Danielle, and I really would advise you to do so.’ He’s keeping his voice steady, but there’s a slight touch of nerves.

‘What place?’ I ask, sitting back in my seat.

‘It’s a house in Essex, the people who we used to live with, they’re still there. If you want to know more about our past, that’s where you need to go. I promise you, you won’t regret it. Only there will you find the out the truth.’

‘So are you not going to tell me anything then?’ I say, shaking my head. This is unbelievable. Tears prick the corners of my eyes, but I force myself not to cry. I will not let him see me cry. ‘I’ve waited years for this, Harvey, absolute years. I want you to tell me why you fucking killed our Mum and Dad. I’ve spent years imagining what life would’ve been like with them, a life you stole from me. You can’t say you finally want to talk to me and then tell me nothing.’ I wipe my eyes.

‘I’m telling you, that’s where you’ll find the answers you’re looking for,’ he says, still in that same, mocking voice. He’s doing this to wind me up. He’s doing this on purpose. ‘Jeremiah can give you all the details.’

I glance across at Jeremiah. ‘So why did I have to come and see you to hear all of this? Jeremiah could’ve told me.’

‘Would you have believed it if someone else spoke to you?’ Harvey asks.

I open my mouth to respond, I close it. I’m not sure what to reply. This stinks.

‘Do you feel any remorse at all for what you did?’ I say, my spittle landing on the table.

He stares at me for what feels like a long time. ‘No, I don’t. I realise that may not be the answer you want to hear, but in time, when you go to the place I told you about just now, you’ll see why.’

I can’t believe he’s said that. After all these years he feels absolutely nothing. I curl my fist and launch myself across the table, slamming it into his nose. Jeremiah stands from his seat and tries to pull me back, grappling at my shoulders. I’m aware guards are shouting, everyone else is looking at us as I continue to pummel my fists into Harvey. I don’t care. He doesn’t react. Tears streak down my cheeks as I force my fists into him. I want him to die. I want him to pay for what he's done. I yell as a guard pulls me off Harvey, and within seconds I’m being dragged out of the room, Jeremiah following closely behind. I catch a final glimpse of Harvey. He’s staring in my direction, blood spurting from his nose as he’s lifted off the ground by guards.

‘Come on, it’s time to go,’ Jeremiah says, grabbing hold of my arm.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner)

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View House resident)

Abigail (Marsh View House resident)

Isaac (Marsh View House resident)

Noah (Marsh View House resident)

Eve (Marsh View House resident) 

Chapter 12
His Silence - Chapter Eleven

By Jacob1395

HMP Belmarsh

Harvey’s glad when he at last, finishes with the prison doctor, although his nose is still stinging. He knew there was no need to see him really; he has no doubt the guards wouldn’t have cared less about him being looked at, but of course, protocol needed to be followed. Secretly they would’ve been urging Danielle on, he's sure of it. All the doctor did, was give him a few tissues to keep the pressure on his nose, to stop it from bleeding. The doctor had examined him with his small blue eyes, behind his spectacles balancing on the edge of his nose. He had to keep pushing his glasses back up, when they kept sliding down. 

‘First time you’ve got into a fight, haven’t you, Harvey?’ the doctor had asked him, after he’d sat.

‘Yeah, wasn’t really a fight though, I didn’t hit the person back,’ he’d replied.

‘Well, of course violence is never the answer to anything,’ the doctor had said, his voice stern.

Harvey had glanced up at him, a whiff of the doctor's sweat hitting him in the face, making him wince. He could see it shining on the doctor's forehead. Had he been referring to what he did twenty years ago? He’d opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again. He’d thought against reacting to him, it wouldn’t have done him any favours if he did. They’d spent the rest of their time together in silence, until the doctor said he was OK to go.

He thinks of Danielle on his way out of the room. Will she still be here? He wonders if the police will want to prosecute her for what she did, but doubts it; he certainly won’t be pressing charges. Everyone else’s visits were cut short after Danielle started pummelling her fists into him, he’s sure they won’t thank him for that. He doesn’t blame her, he’s sure he would’ve reacted in the same way if he was in her position.

Harvey edges back to his cell, keen to avoid as many people as possible. He hopes Danielle will see sense and go to the place he told her to go to. Jeremiah will make sure if it, he has to. Otherwise, what was the point in all of this?

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 13
His Silence - Chapter Twelve

By Jacob1395

I’m shaking as I get back in the car. It seemed the guards felt a lot of sympathy for me; they certainly didn’t spend a lot of time with me after the incident with Harvey. They took a brief statement from me and Jeremiah and sent us on our way. I still can’t believe I reacted in the way I did, I’ve never hit anyone like that before, ever. My knuckles are still stinging; I washed them before leaving the prison to get rid of the blood. I'll definitely be having a shower when I get in. I let out a steady breath. Surely I won’t be arrested because of what happened; the police could’ve done that there and then if they wanted to.

I texted Callum five minutes ago to let him know I was on my way back. I didn’t let him know what happened between me and Harvey, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time for me to do that. That’s something Callum will definitely be interested in hearing.

‘Are you OK?’ Jeremiah asks. There’s a slight hint of hesitation to his voice, like he’s afraid to ask me. Does he think I might attack him as well?

‘Do I look like I’m bloody OK?’ I snap. I shake my head and wipe my eyes. ‘I’m sorry, I just hate how little remorse he seems to have for what he did. He didn’t just kill my parents that day; he destroyed my life as well. I know my step-parents have given me a good life, but I still wish I could’ve grown up with the family I was born into. I wish I could’ve had a normal life that hasn’t been plagued with unanswered questions, and lies spread about me all over the internet.’

‘I’ve no idea what it must’ve been like for you,’ Jeremiah says, strapping in his seatbelt.

I sigh. ‘So where is this place Harvey talked to me about? Have you got any more photographs at all?’

Jeremiah clasps his hands around the steering wheel after switching on the ignition. ‘Well, like Harvey says, it’s a house in Essex called Marsh View, not too far from Leigh on Sea, so I guess, from here, it’s a little over an hours journey. It’s pretty remote, but yes he’s right, everyone’s still there who lived there when you were growing up. I’m afraid the photograph I gave you is the only one I have. We’re not really into taking pictures; I think the only reason that one was taken, was because that was not long after everyone first moved in.’

‘Who’s the tall man standing behind my Mum in the photo?’ I say, picturing the tall, handsome stranger again in my mind.

‘Ah, that’s Oliver. He was very close to your parents; he was probably the one most cut up by what happened to them. We all were, but to him it was like he’d . . . like he’d lost part of his soul that night,’ Jeremiah replies. His voice has softened.

‘D’you still live there?’ I ask; someone blares their horn behind us as we pull out onto the main road; I grip the safety bar tight. Jeremiah doesn’t seem to care. He doesn’t even look up into his mirror, like Dad does if someone ever toots their horn at him on the road. Dad would’ve been giving the driver behind a shake of his fist and mouthing swear words at them. Politics and impatient drivers is what really gets Dad’s back up.

He nods. ‘It’s a wonderful community, Danielle, you’ll see that, but you have to make the decision if you want to go or not. It has to be your choice. As much as I would like you to come and see us, I can’t make that decision for you.’

I loll my head against the window. I try to picture us living there when we were growing up, me and Harvey. My skin turns cold. Did everyone used to sit and eat meals together; would all the adults go off for a drink down the pub in the evenings? The only memories I’ve got, which must be from that time, are fuzzy at best, the clearest ones being of me and Harvey in our room together. I’m pretty certain we shared a room, wherever it was we stayed. I can see us both, curled up together, me sitting on Harvey’s lap; Harvey’s back leaning against a cream coloured wall. Back then, Harvey meant everything to me. I couldn’t imagine the world without him. I swallow. Only a few short years later, I had to face that reality.

An hour later we’re pulling into the road Jeremiah picked me up from earlier. At least no one’s hanging around outside the pub. My head is swimming. I glance at my watch; it’s just gone three p.m.

‘Can you send over the details of this place then?’ I ask, unbuckling my seatbelt.

Jeremiah nods. ‘Of course, I really do hope to see you there soon, Danielle. I know everyone there will be overjoyed to see you.’ I climb out of the car. Jeremiah smiles at me before I close the door. ‘I hope to see you soon, Danielle.’

I smile at him, and begin to march up the road towards home. When I get to the top of my road, I spot someone standing outside my house. I frown.

‘Callum,’ I shout, waving. I sprint towards him. He’s wearing his football gear; sometimes he plays football with his mates on a Friday, I go to watch him play sometimes as well. ‘What are you doing here? Don’t you have work?’

He pulls me in for a hug as I approach; I grip hold of him tight, and breathe in the scent of his cologne. ‘I wanted to make sure you got home OK,’ he says. ‘I managed to get the afternoon off. So, how did it go?’

‘C’mon, I’ll tell you inside,’ I say, pulling on his hand.

I slide my key into the lock and open the front door. Thank God Mum and Dad aren’t back yet; they shouldn’t be back until another couple of hours, there's no way I want them hearing any of what I say to Callum.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 14
His Silence - Chapter Thirteen

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

HMP Prison, Belmarsh

Harvey wipes his nose one final time with the bloody tissue and throws it into the bin. It misses and bounces onto the floor, he doesn’t care; someone else can clear it up. His nose has only just stopped bleeding.  

‘You look like shit,’ his cellmate, Thomas says, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and stretching.

Harvey smiles. It was just bad luck Thomas was in here, when he got back a short while ago. Harvey would’ve much rather have spent some time to himself after what happened. ‘Yeah, the visit I had didn’t quite go to plan today.’ God this is the first time he’s had a proper conversation with Thomas; do they all think, that because his sister managed to attack him, that he’s suddenly easily approachable? News about what happened would’ve spread round here like wildfire. Harvey tries to shake the thought out of his head, but it niggles away at him at the back of his mind. The thought of everyone gossiping, and spreading lies about him being weak makes him feel sick. He isn’t weak. That’s one thing he will not be called.

‘It was your sister, who came to see you, weren’t it?’ Thomas asks, rubbing his hands together, like Harvey’s about to tell him some juicy gossip.

Shit, so everyone’s going to know. Harvey rubs his nose. ‘Err, yeah, first time I’ve seen her in twenty years.’

Thomas whistles. ‘Twenty years, hey, I remember your case like it was yesterday, it was all everyone talked about back then. People love a true crime story with a lot of unanswered questions, don’t they? It made headline news for months, didn’t it?’

Harvey nods. ‘Still does on the odd occasion, draws out all the crazies who think they have something new to say.’ Harvey's fixing Thomas with a sharp gaze, warning him not to continue. His blood’s pumping fast around his body. Keep calm, don’t react, he tells himself.

‘But only you know what happened.’ Thomas grins at him. The guy’s an idiot. Why won’t he just shut up? Surely Thomas can’t read the expression on his face, otherwise he would’ve stopped after his first question.

‘Yeah, I s’pose I do,’ Harvey replies. 

Thomas is grinning at Harvey. What the hell is he playing at? ‘So c’mon then, what was the reason why you killed your parents? Some people seemed to suggest they were abusing you and your sister; I read a report that they were religious fanatics, or devil worshippers,’ he says, excitement in his voice.

Harvey shakes his head, goosebumps racing across his skin. ‘It was nothing like that.’ He bites down hard on his teeth. Ignore him. Don’t retaliate.

‘Oh c’mon, you can tell me, we’re cell buddies, aren’t we? If you did kill them, because they were abusive, then you’d be a hero. You shouldn’t be in here if they were.’

‘I’d stop asking questions now, if I were you,’ Harvey says.

‘Mate, I . . .’

‘And don’t call me mate, we’re not mates,’ Harvey says through gritted teeth.

Thomas holds up his hands. ‘Sorry, man. Just tryna be friendly, is all,’ he says, shrugging. ‘Don’t think I’m not the only one who’s gonna ask ya now. Everyone here thinks you told your sister something which made her react in the way she did.’

Harvey watches as Thomas leans back onto his bed, the mattress creaking as he does. Harvey rubs his hands together, gets up, and curls his fist, tensing his arm. Don't do it, don't do it, a voice at the back of his head tries to tell him. Thomas's last sentence rolls around inside his mind. He spins around and starts pummelling his fists into Thomas, aiming for his nose.

‘Mate, what the fuck,’ Thomas cries, eyes wide. ‘Help.’

‘Who the hell do you think you are to question me like this?’ Harvey snarls at him as Thomas tries to cower away.

Harvey continues to slam his fists into his face, in the same way his sister did to him only an hour earlier.

‘Mate, please, stop,’ Thomas cries. There are tears in his eyes, but Harvey sees past that, the blinding rage inside him keeps Harvey going, urging him on; telling Harvey to finish Thomas off.

There are raised voices outside, before the door is wrenched open. Prison officers swarm through and wrestle Harvey onto the ground. Harvey breathes hard, rage still boiling over inside him, making his whole body tremble.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 15
His Silence - Chapter Fourteen

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

‘So how did it go?’ Callum asks again as we sit down in the living room.

I shake my head. I knew I was going to be speaking to Callum about what happened soon anyway, but I didn’t think it was going to be the moment I got back. I thought I would at least have some time to gather my thoughts. ‘To be honest, I’m not sure. He didn’t really tell me anything. And then I sort of . . . I sort of lost it with him, and ended up being pulled off him by the guards,' I say. 

Callum raises his eyebrow. ‘To be honest I wouldn’t have blamed you for doing that, he’s a piece of shit; I would’ve struggled to keep my hands off him. I thought the whole business of you going to see him, was for him to tell you what happened at last.’  

‘I know, but God, it was weird. I . . . I asked him if he had any remorse at all for what he did to my parents, and he said no. Can you believe it?’

‘The little shit.’

I let out a slight laugh. ‘He’s hardly little anymore. He’s really beefed up actually, during the years he’s been in prison; he’d give your mate, Rob a run for his money. But . . . I did get some information out of him. Turns out my parents, and this man, Jeremiah were all living together at this address in Essex; Harvey told me to go there and said that that’s where I would find the answers I’m looking for. Actually, I just remembered I haven’t shown you the photo Jeremiah gave me the night of my party.’

I get up from the sofa and hurry over to where my laptop is still sitting on the table where I left it earlier. The photograph is lying next to my computer. I’ve been keeping it in my room, to make sure Mum and Dad don’t stumble across it by accident, but I was looking at it earlier in here, before Jeremiah picked me up. I pick it up and show it to Callum, he takes it from me.

‘So these are the people who you want to go and see?’ he asks, glancing back up at me.

‘Jeremiah says they’re all still there at the same place. I’d like to . . . I’d like to at least find out what my life was like there. Jeremiah says it has to be my choice to do this, no one else’s.’ I sit beside Callum and run my tongue around the inside of my mouth.  ‘Will you come with me if I decide to go?’ He’s not going to want to. He’s going to say there’s no way I should be doing this.

Callum nods, I breathe a sigh of releif. ‘What about your parents?' he asks, frowning. 'What are you going to say to them? I can’t imagine they’ll be pleased with the idea of you going to this place.’

I try to think. God, the thought of telling Mum fills me with dread. I think her and dad have always hoped that with each passing year, that Harvey continued to refuse to see me, that I might lose interest in wanting to talk to him, and instead that I might choose to move on and live my life. But that was never on the agenda for me. ‘We can . . . if you can come, we can say we’re going for a weekend away somewhere, or a day trip, sort of.’ I try and think of how my parent's will react, Mum and Dad will probably encourage me to go, if they think me and Callum are planning on spending some time away together. 

‘A weekend away, you’re not seriously thinking about staying at this place, are you?’ he says, disbelief etched in his voice.

‘I don’t know. It depends what I feel like when I get there, but I doubt it, they might not even have space for us to stay anyway.’

Silence stretches out between us; Callum sighs. ‘OK, I’ll come with you. When were you thinking?’

My leg jitters up and down. ‘Tomorrow, would that be OK?’

‘Tomorrow?’ Callum replies, puffing out his cheeks.

‘If we do it tomorrow, then that’ll give me less time to think about it and chicken out. It’s Saturday tomorrow so we don’t have to think about taking any time off work. Please, Callum.’

He nods. ‘OK, sure, but prepare for lots of questions from your Mum and Dad if we suddenly spring this on them. They’ll want to know what we’re doing.’

‘I know. Don’t worry, I’ll sort it.’

Callum hands the photograph back to me and I stare at the faces standing behind me and my family in the picture. My eyes fix on Oliver’s. There’s something about him that keeps drawing me in, it’s the way he’s looking at the camera, as though he’s looking at me directly from the past, enticing me. I shiver. Mum would call it some sort of mystic force, she’s always been into all that supernatural stuff; she goes to see psychics with her friends every now and again. She comes back and tells me and Dad about all the amazing stuff the psychic said, and we both just look at each other and know whoever she saw had just been phishing for information, like they all do.  

‘Well, if you’re OK, think I’ll head off,’ Callum says, getting up from the sofa.

‘Thanks for coming round.’ I give him a hug.

‘No problem. Wish me luck with speaking to my Mum tonight, y’know what she’s like,’ he says, rolling his eyes. ‘You don’t fancy coming to football tonight then?’

I shake my head. ‘I think I just want to have a quiet night in,’ I say. ‘Have a drink for me though when you go out after.’

‘Think I’ll need a couple of beers before I speak to Mum later. You sure you don’t want to come out tonight, it might do you some good to let your hair down everyone will be there.’

‘No, no, honestly, Callum, I’m fine.’

I show him out. Now I’ve got to think of what to say to my parents this evening so they don’t get suspicious.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 16
His Silence - Chapter Fifteen

By Jacob1395

After Callum left this afternoon, I wanted to text Jerimiah to let him know we’re coming tomorrow, but I decided against it. There might be every chance I might not be able to go, and then Jeremiah will think I’m not interested. It doesn’t seem likely he’ll come back to visit me after today, he told me it had to be my choice. His last words seemed pretty final.

I plunge my fork into my mashed potato and eye where the cheese has melted, forming thick golden yellow clumps. Dad can't have mashed potato without cheese, something his mother brought him up on. He even loves it with gravy. It's a good job I love it as well. ‘Mum, just thought I’d let you know, Callum and I are thinking about going out for a day trip tomorrow,’ I say.

Mum takes a sip of her water. ‘A day trip. Sounds fun, where you thinking of going?’

I shrug. ‘Not sure yet, we’re just gonna get in the car and go for a drive, perhaps down to Leigh on Sea.’ I place the mashed potato in my mouth.

‘Oh, do you remember those times when we used to go to Adventure Island at Southend, just up the road from Leigh on Sea?’ Mum says, beaming. ‘You used to love the helter skelter slide. It’s still there, I think.’

‘No way, it can’t be, it must’ve been at least fifty years old when I used to go on it.’ I laugh. ‘Wasn’t it called Peter Pan’s Playground though?’

‘It was, but it changed its name a few years ago. Perhaps you should go there tomorrow, take a trip down memory lane.’

‘Maybe,’ I say.

‘So, what time you thinking of going?’ Dad asks.

I finish chewing on the potato. ‘Oh, it’ll be early. We want to make the most of the day, and I think the weather’s supposed to be alright, so that’ll be a plus. I suspect we’ll be leaving at about nine. We’re not sure what time we’re gonna be back though, I’ll text you though to let you know what we’re doing.’

‘You should make a weekend of it,’ Dad suggests. ‘You could book a B&B somewhere.’

I shift in my seat; I’ve always found it surprising that Mum and Dad have always been keen for me to do whatever I've wanted to do, so long as I’m sensible. I would’ve thought they would’ve wanted to be more protective, considering what happened in my past. ‘We might do, depends how we’re feeling, but I doubt we’re going to get a room anywhere at this short notice.’

‘Well, make sure you take your toiletries and a set of clothes just in case,’ Mum says.

‘Sure.’

I glance at my dinner. I wonder how Callum’s getting on with his parents, and if he’s talking to them round their dinner table right now. Actually, he'll still be at the pub; he'll want to speak to his mum on the phone, rather than face to face. Unlike mine, they much prefer to know about stuff in advance. If he springs it onto them now that we’re thinking about going away for the weekend, it’ll get his mum into a right state. She’s been like that for as long as I can remember, she hates it when people drop by unannounced as well. That’s why I always make sure I ring at least a couple of hours in advance, if I know I’m going round. It shouldn't be like that, we're both adults.   

‘Who’s going to drive?’ Dad asks.

‘Oh, we’ll take it in turns. I think Callum’s going to drive there and I’ll drive back. We’ll let you know though if we do decide to stay down there for the night.’

I pick my phone up off the table and message Callum. He texted me a picture half an hour ago of him, and the usual gang, sitting round the table with a few beers, asking me to reconsider coming out. They’re probably still there; there’s no way he’ll be home this early on a Friday night. Perhaps they'll venture out to the clubs later, but he won't want to get smashed if we're going out tomorrow.

Mission accomplished, have you told your Mum and Dad? Xx

He replies in seconds.

Yep all good to go, spoke to Mum on the phone earlier. Come and join us seriously Danielle you’re missing out.

I check the time. It’s coming up to quarter past seven; by the time I get ready and get there it’s going to be eight pm. I know what Mum would say to me, she’d be telling me to go and enjoy myself.

No, really not up to it tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow though.

I place my phone face on the table. Can I really do this? Mum’s chatting to Dad now about some woman she was speaking to at the nail salon earlier, but only part of their conversation filters through. From the look on Dad’s face, it makes me wonder if he’s really listening, we’ll both be in the dog house if Mum expects a response from either of us to anything she’s just said. This time tomorrow I’ll be with the people I knew for the first six years of my life; the people who knew my family best. I try to think of all the questions I want to ask, but my mind is a scrambled mess, I can’t think straight. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll be able to think more clearly, but I doubt it.

What will they be able to say to me tomorrow that Harvey wasn’t prepared to tell me? There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep tonight thinking about it.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 17
His Silence - Chapter Sixteen

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

I glance at my watch. It’s coming up to a quarter to nine; taking in a steady breath I focus my attention on the fields opposite and follow the progress of a tractor moving steadily across the grass. If Callum gets here in the next five minutes we should be at the address Jeremiah gave me within an hour’s time. At least the weather forecast was right; the skies a deep shade of blue today, the sun’s already beginning to warm the back of my neck. I study the trail left behind by an aeroplane in the sky, and imagine everyone on board off somewhere on their holidays, without a care in the world, excited for the next few days ahead. I still don’t get why Jeremiah couldn’t have just told me about this place, rather than arranging this visit with Harvey and making me even angrier. Despite Harvey's futile attempt at an explanation, it still doesn't make sense to me. 

I tried to see earlier if I could get a look at the house Harvey told me about on street view, on Google Maps, but the road was blocked up; I guess it must be private. I could see part of the house from the main road nearby but that wasn’t enough to give me a clear view. From the Google Earth aerial images it looks as though the house is surrounded by marshes. I reckon the nearest house will be a good half hour's walk away. I can’t imagine living so remote, I always thought the area where I live now was pretty remote, but it's nothing compared to Marsh View. Before I went to bed I decided to Google the house to see if there was anything I could find, there was nothing, but then my eyes had found an old Facebook post that made my blood go cold. I can still remember the Facebook post I read, posted in a local community group to Leigh on Sea around five years or so ago word for word.

Crazies were out in town again, did you see them all, all huddled together?

I’d headed straight for the replies, and that’s where I’d come across the houses name.

Marsh View isn’t it, where there from?

That’s right, the house overlooking the marshes, on its own. They must perform some weird rituals up there.

Someone had jumped to the defence of the people they were talking about.

Leave them alone, why can’t you? It’s a community of likeminded people living together, sounds idyllic if you ask me.

Off you go and join them, then. Go and join the crazies, bet you’ll be drinking sheep’s blood by next week lol. 

The comments I’d read had swirled around in my head all night, making me feel sick. These Facebook users were referring to the people who supposedly knew my family.

I spot Callum’s blue Vauxhall at the top of the road. A shiver pulses through me, I take a step forward as he pulls up.

‘All good to go?’ he asks, rolling down the passenger window and leaning across the seat.

‘Yeah, sure.’

I open the passenger door and slip in, flinging his West Ham scarf off of the seat and into the footwell. I glance back at the house. I left Mum and Dad in the kitchen; they’ve still got it in their heads we’re going to be spending the day strolling around Leigh on Sea, visiting all the old haunts they used to take me as a child. I bite my lip. I hate the fact I’m lying to them, but what other choice do I have? They’d go mad at me if they knew what I was doing. They can’t stop me from doing what I want to do now I’m an adult, but I don’t want to create any animosity between us, particularly after everything they’ve done for me. They’ve given me the best life I could possibly have asked for after what happened.

Callum manoeuvres the car back out onto the road

‘My sleep was shit last night,’ Callum says, yawning.

‘Tell me about it,’ I say, rubbing my eyes. ‘You alright driving though? How was it at football last night?’

‘Yeah, yeah fine, we won so that was good. You should've come out with us, Danielle, we had a right laugh. So, I take it this Jeremiah bloke’s gonna be there then at this place?’

‘Well, he said he still lives there. I have a feeling when we get there, whoever greets us, is going to know exactly who we are.’

We pull out onto the main road and Callum gradually picks up speed, I texted him the address earlier so he could put it into his satnav. I’m reminded of when we used to go off together for days out during the long summer months. We’d never go too far, our parents wouldn’t let us, but it was always amazing getting out of the house and being able to spend all day together and do whatever the hell we wanted. Sometimes we’d just sit in the middle of the field near the forest and drink beer, once we were eighteen, of course, and we would take our bikes then. Now that we’ve both started working, those days are getting few and far between. It makes me sad to think those days are in the past. 

‘Why d’you reckon your parents lived with a bunch of people in the first place, bit weird, isn’t it?’ Callum asks. 

‘I’ve no idea, but I’m sure they’ll be able to tell us everything when we get there. It’s gonna be weird, being back in the place where I grew up, it’s strange I have virtually no memory of the place, just snippets here and there.’

‘Perhaps your mind’s blocked it out,’ Callum suggests.

‘But I thought that only happened if you’ve suffered some kind of trauma?’

‘Well you suffered a pretty massive trauma when your brother killed your parents.’

‘Yes, but that was after I lived there.’

‘Well, weren’t you only living in that house for three weeks after you left this place where we’re going? Look, Danielle, there must’ve been a reason why your parents left. If they thought it was a great place for you and your brother to grow up, why didn’t they stay?’

I don’t reply. I stare out at the rolling fields passing me by and the horses grazing. Callum doesn’t ask me again; instead he keeps his focus on the road. Shit, I don’t want things to be awkward between us. He's doing me a massive favour coming with me, there's no way I could've done this on my own. 

‘Well, I’m hoping I might find out some information today,’ I say.

I loll my head against the window. In an hour, or two hour’s time, I’m going to know more about my family than I’ve ever done. The thought’s crazy and scary at the same time.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 18
His Silence - Chapter Seventeen

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

‘Looks like we’re here,’ Callum says.

I lean forward in my seat as Callum turns a corner, jutting off the end of long road, barely big enough for one car. It would’ve been a nightmare, if a car had met us coming the other way. It’s not even really a road, more of a dirt track; I grab hold of the safety bar as the car bumps in and out of a massive pot hole. Branches from the trees on either side partially block out the sunlight and scrape my side of the car.

There’s a white gate ahead of us with a sign pinned to it announcing we’ve arrived at Marsh View. I glance up at the camera on the the top right hand corner of the gate, and imagine someone watching us now; I look away from it, a nervous shiver racing through me. Is this really the place? Why would anyone want to live out here, it’s so remote?

‘Is there a button or something we need to press to tell someone we’re here?’ I ask.

Callum rolls down his window. ‘Ah.’ He reaches out with his hand, presses something; there’s a crackling noise. No one speaks. Callum looks back at me with a frown in his forehead, I urge him to say something. He looks back to the intercom. ‘Err, hi, I’m here with Danielle Olsen, we were given this address by her brother, Harvey, when she went to see him in prison, she went with some bloke, err, Jeremiah his name is.’

There’s no answer. They’re not going to let us in. We’ve come all this way and they’re not going to let us in, I sink back into my seat.

There’s a clang which makes me jump, and the gates ahead of us begin to creak open to reveal a short further stretch of road ahead of us.

‘Bit security conscious, aren’t they?’ I say.

Callum pushes the car forward. After driving for a few more yards, I catch a glimpse of a white farm house poking through the gaps in the trees. Vines snake up the walls, curling around the windows. Gravel crunches under the car wheels as we pull onto the driveway. I notice straight away there’s only one other car here, it’s parked close to the main entrance of the house; it’s the same car Jeremiah came to pick me up in the other day when he took me to see Harvey. Jeremiah’s standing ahead of us in the doorway of the house; I breathe a sigh of relief. Was it him who opened the gates? If it was, why didn’t he say anything when Callum said who we were? He knew there was a possibility I might be coming.

Callum parks the car up, next to Jeremiah's car, and switches the engine off.

‘That’s the bloke, isn’t it?’ he says, motioning towards Jeremiah. Callum will be trying to look back in his mind to see if he can remember him from the pub.

‘Yep,’ I say, my stomach keeps doing somersaults.

I open the car door and step out into the cool air, seasoned with sea salt. A gull’s cry reaches my ear, making the tension in my body turn up a notch. Keep calm, breathe. This is where you grew up.

‘Danielle, I thought it was going to be a lot longer before you came to see us,’ Jeremiah says, with a broad smile. He's wearing a white T-shirt and white trousers. ‘And who’s this?’

Callum’s got out of the car now. He’s clutching his right arm with his hand.

‘This is Callum, my best friend, I didn’t really fancy coming on my own. You met him briefly at the pub the other day.’

I remember the sternness in Callum’s voice when he told Jeremiah to piss off. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said that Jeremiah met him at the pub, Jeremiah might’ve forgotten.

Jeremiah beams at both of us although there’s a hint of annoyance in his eyes. I look away. ‘Any friend of Danielle’s is a friend of ours,’ he says, keeping the tone of his voice bright. ‘Welcome, Callum. Do you both want to follow me through? Everyone’s dying to meet you Danielle, but I thought we should give you a bit of space first before everyone crowds in. But I have made an exception for Oliver. He’s so looking forward to meeting you.’

‘The man from the photograph,’ I say a shiver racing through me as I think back to how he made me feel.

‘Yes, that’s right. Oh, please don’t take any pictures.’        

I notice Callum’s taken his phone out to photograph the building.

‘Oh, sorry,’ he says, gingerly placing his phone back into his pocket.

‘That’s fine,’ Jeremiah says, although I notice his knuckles turning white. ‘I would ask you to please keep your phones out of sight whilst you’re here, we don’t really encourage phones in the house, and it might upset some people. This way please.’

Callum glances across at me with a raised eyebrow. I say nothing. We follow Jeremiah through into the porch and into a cream coloured hallway with stone tiles. A vision flashes in my mind making me stop in my tracks; I’m being pulled by my hand by Mum. Dad, Harvey, and someone else are ahead of me, wearing dark clothing. Mum keeps glancing back at me as we head outside putting a finger to her lips. Did that happen here?

‘Everything OK?’ Callum asks, keeping his voice low.

‘Yeah fine,’ I say, taking in a steady breath.

We follow Jeremiah further down the hallway, before turning left into a living area, which I’m pretty sure must’ve been a barn at one stage, it’s huge. There’s a long table stretching from one end of the room to the other, it’s already set for the next meal, knives and forks laid out. I glance at the two brown sofas at one end of the room. High above me wooden beams support the ceiling. It strikes me there isn’t a television in the room, which makes me think back to what Jeremiah just said about no one having phones here. The walls are covered in wooden panelling. There are no pictures I can see. Where is everyone?

‘I’ll just go and get Oliver,’ Jeremiah says. ‘I won’t be one moment. Please do make yourselves comfortable.’

He slips out of the room; I listen to his footsteps getting further and further away.

Callum’s frowning at me. ‘He’s a weird bloke,’ he says.

I nod. ‘Yeah I know what you mean,’ I say, keeping my voice low.

‘Why on earth did he want me to put my phone away?’  

‘I don’t know. Why were you taking photographs?’

He shrugs. ‘I just thought I better have some sort of record of this place, y’know, in case anything does go wrong.’

I’m about to respond when there are footsteps, I nudge Callum, urging him to keep quiet. God my heart’s going at a million miles an hour.

The man from the photograph appears in the doorway Jeremiah just left through. Oliver. I swallow. Jeremiah’s standing behind him. Oliver’s barely changed, albeit, yes, he might have a few more lines in his forehead, and his hairs greying, but he looks bloody good for his age. He’s still ridiculously handsome; my eyes flutter to the floor.

‘Danielle, it’s such a pleasure to see you again,’ he says, smiling the widest smile I’ve ever seen, even his eyes seem to twinkle as he speaks.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 19
His Silence - Chapter Eighteen

By Jacob1395

‘I trust Jeremiah’s told you about me,’ Oliver says, still smiling. I notice a scar above his right eye. I flick my gaze away, God I always find it embarrassing whenever I catch myself staring at people.

I nod. I don’t know why but I’ve suddenly gone cold, I glance at Callum, his eyes are fixed on Oliver’s, like he’s trying to work him out, although Oliver doesn’t seem bothered by it. ‘Um, yes, he did talk about you, a little. But he didn’t tell me a lot,' I say. 

‘I was very close to your family when you were living here. You don’t know how much this means to me to see you looking so well.’ He moves closer towards me, I flinch and move closer to Callum. ‘I’m sorry, who is this you’ve brought with you?’ Did Jeremiah not tell him about Callum?

‘This is Callum, my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were ten.’

‘Ah, I see,’ Oliver says a slight hint of disappointment in his voice. I’m pretty sure now they would’ve much preferred it if I’d come here on my own. ‘Callum, I hope you don’t mind, but I would very much like to speak to Danielle on her own. You can wait here with Jeremiah if you wish.’

Callum’s face is scrunched up. ‘Err, OK, so long as you’re OK with this?’ he asks me.

I nod. ‘Yeah, I should be fine.’

‘This way please,’ Oliver says.

I glance back at Callum; he smiles at me. I follow Oliver towards a door at the other end of the room. He opens it for me, letting me step through first. I stand still. My eyes scan the garden before me. This is the garden from my memory, where I could see myself picking daisies as a child. I eye the willow tree at the end. Beyond the bushes bordering the garden I can just about make out the marshes stretching for what seems like miles. It makes me think of tiny islands dotted around a shallow sea. I shudder, as I think of anyone trying to navigate their way through them, especially in the dark. It could very easily be a death trap.

‘Is everything OK?’ Oliver asks.

‘Yes, I . . . I remember this place, at least I think I do.’  Tears prickle my eyes as the memory becomes bolder in my mind. 

I scan the garden again, stepping forward onto the soft grass; my eyes clap on a small annexe to my right, with a green door, it’s almost like a small cottage. It wouldn’t look out of place in a Grimm fairy tale, there’s even a chimney poking out of the roof. Even though the main house is just up a little path, it feels completely cut off. I shiver.

Oliver smiles. ‘You used to spend all of your time out here,’ he says. ‘Your arrival was so special, to all of us here. We celebrated for days after your birth.’

‘I, there’s a memory I have of me picking daisies, there are a couple of women standing hanging laundry out, they’re both wearing white clothes. I’ve never been sure if the memory is real, or if it’s something I’ve made up.’

‘Ah yes, I’m pretty sure I know who you mean, they’re still here,’ Oliver says.

‘Where is everyone? I thought there were a few people staying here, there were at least ten other people in the photograph Jeremiah gave me.’

‘There are,’ Oliver says. He’s walking with his hands clasped behind his back. ‘I told them to go out this afternoon, but if you and Callum would like to stay for dinner, and you’re more than welcome to, I would love you to meet them. They’re so overjoyed you’ve come back here today. Everyone is mostly older than you and Callum, although there is one girl, Eve, who’s around your age, she joined us a couple of years ago; you’ll both probably get on with her. I told Jeremiah to stay here because you’ve already met him, and I thought it would be nice for you to have a familiar face here. I wasn’t expecting you to bring someone with you, but of course, that doesn’t matter.’ So, I was right. Even the last part of his sentence was said with a slight hint of animosity.

I swallow. ‘I didn’t particularly fancy coming on my own. I’ll have to see what Callum says, but I would . . . I think I would like to stay a bit longer.’

Oliver beams. ‘Of course, Callum sounds like a very good friend.’

I nod. ‘He is. Oliver, um, when I saw my brother, in prison, he didn’t really tell me a lot about what happened twenty years ago. He told me if I came here I would find answers. Is there anything you can tell me about what happened?’

Oliver shakes his head, my eyes fix on the scar above of his eye. How did he get it? ‘I was so upset to find out what happened to your parents all those years ago. Of course, I would’ve had you back here in a shot, we would’ve adopted you and taken care of you, but things got complicated. There did come a time when I thought I might never see you again, but then you made contact with your brother, the year you turned eighteen, and suddenly it felt as though everything had been reset for us again, that we were on the right path.’

The right path, what the hell did he mean by that? I listen to the sound of the birds chirping. It really is peaceful out here.

‘I wanted to try and get in contact with my brother before then, but my parents . . . they wanted me to wait until I was an adult. I was angry with them at the time. It caused a lot of arguments in our house, but now I realise they were just doing their best to protect me, I don’t hate them for it now,’ I tell him.

Oliver wipes his eyes. ‘Yes, it was . . . well what happened to your family was totally unforgivable. The only reason I’ve sort of maintained any contact with your brother, is because I thought you might somehow try to make contact with him one day. Your name had been changed by your parents, after you left here, and then you were adopted; it proved impossible to track you down. Gosh, that makes me sound like a stalker, but I promise you I’m not. Your parents were so valued amongst us all here; your brother was as well. He was a shining member of our community and that’s what made, what happened, even more devastating. It’s why I was so keen to get in contact with you again, and to hopefully welcome you back one day so you could learn about your history.’

‘Why did my parents leave, if they loved living here?’ I can’t stop anger and frustration from seeping into my voice. I just want answers. I’ve waited far too long and it feels like everyone’s trying to stretch things out even further for me. It’s not fair.

Oliver sighs. ‘I’m sorry to tell you, Danielle that I’m about as clueless as you are. There was someone who . . . I don’t know what he exactly said to them, but one morning we woke up and they were gone. He spread all sorts of lies about us to your parents and this had devastating consequences; if you’re looking for someone to blame for what happened to your family, I would blame him. He got them to leave. But of course, Harvey’s the one who killed them. If they’d stayed, it wouldn’t have happened.’

I run what he’s told me over in my mind. The flash of the memory I had earlier, when I entered the building, filters through again. It was Ian, the third person who Harvey killed; it must’ve been him who Oliver’s referring to. But what exactly did he say to Mum and Dad? How did he persuade them to leave this place?

‘Did you try to find them?’ I ask. ‘After they left.’

Oliver nods. ‘I did, but I wasn’t successful. When they published the pictures of your parents, after their bodies were found, I howled like a wounded animal, that’s what Jeremiah remembers. They were like a brother and sister to me, your parents. We shared the same ideals and ideas for the future. They truly were visionary, and I think you might be as well; you certainly take after your mother with your looks. She was so beautiful.’

My cheeks sting. How can he know anything about me? He hasn’t seen me for twenty years. We’ve reached the end of the garden now. We’re standing underneath the willow tree. I get a whiff of what to me, reminds me of rotten eggs, I glance again over the bush and towards the marsh.

‘What were my parents like?’ I ask. ‘All the memories I have of them are snatches at best and I’ve never been sure if they’re real or something I’ve made up.’

Oliver looks lost in thought for a brief moment. ‘Your mother was wonderful, kind, caring, always willing to do things for others, much like your brother was. Your father, on the other hand, he was more reserved, kept himself to himself. But he still helped out a lot,’ Oliver says. ‘You were a cheeky little thing when you were young, but everyone loved you. It was such a joyous moment when your mother told me she was pregnant with you. I have to say your mother really was treated like a queen and she deserved it.’

I rub my arms. ‘I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like here at that time, with everyone here.’

Oliver’s beaming at me. ‘You don’t have to imagine it, you know. There’s always a room for you here. If you would like to stay here for just a couple of nights, to see how it feels, then that’s fine too. Callum’s more than welcome.’

‘I . . . I think I’d like to, but I’d have to speak to my parents first,’ I say.

‘Of course, I totally understand.’

‘But, I think we’d both like to stay for dinner.’

‘That’s excellent; we’re having lasagne tonight, it’s a vegetarian recipe; all of the products we cook with are locally sourced, so you’re in for a treat, all of our vegetables are grown on site. We don’t cook with meat here at all. We’re very concerned about the state of the environment, and cooking meat, rearing cattle, is one of the biggest causes of climate change as I’m sure you know. I imagine, being so young yourself, this must be something that plays on your mind as well.’

I nod, and stare back towards the house. I hug my arms tight to my chest.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 20
His Silence - Chapter Nineteen

By Jacob1395

‘What’s he like then?’ Callum whispers, crossing his legs as we sit next to each other at the table in the living area.

I listen to the sounds coming from the kitchen, the clink of cutlery and plates. I offered to help out with the cooking, but Oliver wouldn’t hear of it, he said we were his guests. I still don’t quite get who he is. From the way how he spoke to me earlier he made it seem as though he was in business with my mum and dad. Could they have been running a business from here all those years ago?

I take a sip of water, Callum had asked for a beer, but Oliver told him, a little frostily, that there was no alcohol in the house. ‘He seems . . . nice,’ I say.

‘Bit weird though, don’t you think?’ Callum asks.

‘Yes, but then you think everyone’s weird,’ I say. ‘It sounds like he and my parents got on really well. From what he told me, they were the best of friends.’

‘So why did they leave?’

‘He doesn’t know, he says he was devastated when Mum and Dad left and that he tried to find them before the murders. He . . . he said someone turned their heads and spread lies about him to get them to leave. I don’t know, it all sounds a bit crazy.’

‘I thought the whole point of us coming here today, was because you would find out those answers,’ Callum hisses.

I keep my eyes fixed on the kitchen door, to make sure Oliver and Jeremiah, can’t hear us talking.  

‘I think . . . I’d like to talk to the other people who live here; perhaps they might be able to tell me something more. Perhaps the only chance I’ve got of uncovering any more information is by staying here a few days and talking to people.’

‘Ah, the car’s just got back,’ Jeremiah says, emerging from the kitchen making me jump. He’s wiping his hands on a tea towel; his eyes are fixed on us.

Oh God. A nervous wave pulses through me as wheels on gravel from outside, reaches my ears. Seconds later, there are excited voices coming from the hallway. Surely they must’ve taken a couple of vans for that many people to go out for the day. I count the number of seats around the dining room table. Yes, there are enough spaces for everyone, including me and Callum. This is it. Jeremiah heads into the hallway, perhaps he’s going to tell everyone not to crowd in on me at once. Beside me, Callum gives me a reassuring smile. I used to hate too many people at once.

‘Danielle.’ A woman with dark, shoulder length hair is the first to breeze into the room. She rushes over to me, but stops a few paces away. ‘Oh, you’re exactly how I imagined you would look,’ she says. ‘I’m Mary.’

She holds out her hand, I take it. I glance over her shoulder as a small crowd of people enter the room behind her. There’s a mixture of men and women, it looks as though there are an even number of each. I notice they’re all adults though, no children. Harvey and I must’ve been the only children when we were living here. It strikes me they’re all wearing the same clothing; white trousers and a white shirt. I spot a younger girl towards the back of the group with straight brown hair, falling in clumps on her shoulders. It must be Eve. For a moment our eyes meet, then she flicks her gaze back to the ground again.

‘Hi,’ I say focusing my attention back on Mary standing in front of me, a lump lodging in my throat. God what the hell am I supposed to say?

Oliver appears in the room, holding a glass of orange juice. He steps closer to me, the ice in his glass clinking against the side of the cup as he does. I feel like I’ve felt at the times when I’ve been at a party, and I’ve only known one person there.

‘Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great day,’ Oliver says. ‘It’s a great honour of mine to be finally able to introduce you all to Danielle, after all this time; it feels so surreal, doesn’t it?’ I want to look away. This is so awkward. All these people are looking at me like I’m something special, like they’ve known me all my life and I have no clue who they all are. ‘This is her friend, Callum.’ Callum nods at everyone but they don’t respond with quite the same level of enthusiasm. I’m sure he’ll be thinking about that. ‘They’re both joining us for dinner this evening, so please, I would like you all to make our esteemed guests welcome.’

‘Welcome, Danielle and Callum,’ everyone says in unison.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see Callum’s struggling to keep a straight face. He better not start laughing. I feel like I can translate my thoughts to him in that moment, like we used to believe when we were kids.

‘Well, now that everyone’s here we can all sit together and eat. Danielle, would you like to sit next to me?’ Oliver asks, smiling.

‘Um, sure, OK,’ I reply.

It doesn’t look as though he’s going to offer a seat beside him to Callum. I shrug at Callum and go to join Oliver. Everyone else begins to get ready for dinner.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 21
His Silence - Chapter Twenty

By Jacob1395

‘So Danielle, why don’t you tell everyone a little bit about your life now?’ Oliver suggests, fixing his gaze on me.

Everyone falls silent and looks in my direction. Sitting beside me on the left is Jeremiah, I’ve a feeling he’s sort of Oliver’s right hand man here. They must run the place together, whatever it is. I finish chewing a piece of lasagne. It’s surprisingly good. A little bit about me, God I’ve always hated talking about myself to strangers, they’re going to be expecting I’ve achieved some big things, not that I’ve been stuck in the same dead beat job I’ve hated for the past five years. They're going to be disappointed. My heart begins to thud against my chest. I eye Callum, he’s sitting a few chairs away, next to the woman who first spoke to me earlier, Mary I think she said her name was. She keeps sort of looking at him like he’s a naughty child. There’s a man sitting beside her, on her other side. I keep thinking he must be her partner, from the way they keep looking across at each other. There’s a tattoo of some sort of bird on his neck, I can't quite work out what one it is. It makes me think of the summer days, when my grandfather would take me bird watching, during the school holidays. We would sit in the garden for hours and he always knew how to make it so much fun. Tears prick my eyes, but I blink them back.  

‘Well, um. I live with my parents . . . my adoptive parents, in this tiny village in Essex, so not too far away from here; it took us about an hour to drive here today. I design websites for people, which is something I’ve been doing for about five years now, although I’m not sure if it’s something I want to continue with long term. It doesn’t exactly pay very well at the moment,' I say, my voice shaking as my gaze fixes on everyone sitting further down the table. 

‘And what about school? Did you do well?’ Oliver asks.

I wish he would stop asking me questions. ‘I . . .’  what would my education have been like if I'd grown up here? I’m not sure what the nearest school to here is. I certainly don’t have any memories of going to school. Did they home school Harvey and I? ‘I guess I struggled to fit in at school really, especially as everyone already knew everything about me, and what happened to my parents. People used to question me about what happened all the time, but in the end they left me alone. After that people found being around me awkward, like they didn’t know what to say to me. That’s why Callum’s so important to me; he’s always been there for me, especially when I struggled with bullies at senior school,' I reply. 

Everyone looks towards Callum. He sort of half smiles. Eve continues to look towards him, even when everyone else, refocuses their attention on me. I swallow as I notice the dreamy look in her eye. At least Callum doesn’t appear to have noticed Eve staring at him.

‘Well, I’m very grateful to Callum for being there for you,’ Oliver says, holding up his glass and smiling at him. It’s the first sign of friendship he’s shown towards Callum since we arrived. ‘It must’ve been extremely challenging for you, navigating those early years of your life.’

I pick up my fork and plunge it into the lasagne again. ‘It was.’

I’m glad Oliver doesn’t put me on the spot again, he must’ve realised from the tone of my voice that I found answering his questions uncomfortable. When I finish eating I look at my phone. It’s gone six p.m. I haven’t had any missed calls or messages from Mum or Dad.

‘Is everything OK, Danielle?’ Jeremiah asks.

‘Um, yeah, it is, I think I just need to let my parents know what I’m doing this evening,’ I say, rubbing the back of my neck. I feel as though I’ve just been caught cheating in a school exam by looking at my phone. Since everyone sat down for dinner, I’ve not seen one person get out their phone and check it, not even Eve. I think back to Jeremiah asking Callum not to take any photos.

‘You’re more than welcome to stay the night if you wish,’ Oliver says. ‘It can be a bit dangerous driving back from here in the dark, particularly as there are no street lamps.’

No street lamps. I hadn’t been paying attention to that when we were driving here. Callum’s watching me. He’ll want to know what Jeremiah and Oliver are talking to me about. I notice Mary talking to the man with the tattoo on his neck beside her. She laughs at something he says and holds her hand over her mouth. I try to work out what it is they're talking about, but the sound of everyone else chatting muffles everything.

‘Is there a toilet I could just use?’ I ask.

Oliver points towards the door I came through earlier. ‘Through the door, up the stairs and it’s the first door on your right.’

‘Thanks,’ I say. I'm surprised he doesn't ask Eve or Mary to go with me. 

My chair scrapes across the wooden floorboards. I get up. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me as I leave the room. I will Callum to get up and follow me, but he remains seated. It would look a bit strange to everyone if he followed me out of the room.

The moment I begin to climb the stairs, the chatter in the barn continues. The floorboards creak as I make my way up to the landing, my shadow growing across the wall. When I get to the top I stare down the long corridor to my left. There are doors opposite each other on both sides hallway. This must be where everyone sleeps. This would've been where my family and I slept when we lived here. The realisation makes my body go cold. Straight ahead of me there’s a window overlooking the garden. I peer out and stare at the darkening sky and the shimmering mist on the marshes. To me it makes me think of spirits lost forever, wandering the earth. There’s a light on in the annexe I saw outside in the garden earlier. It’s got to be living quarters. Is it where Oliver sleeps? I can imagine him having the largest room here. I look to my right. There’s the toilet. I move towards it, but stop. I glance over my shoulder again down the corridor. There’s no light on up here, not even a lamp. It would be interesting to have a look in the rooms; that might give me a sense of who everyone here is. My heart begins to thump in my chest. I listen out for anyone who might be coming up the stairs, but I can only hear the noise of people chatting.

I edge further down the hallway, the floorboards creaking under my weight. I stand outside the first room, and try the handle. It’s locked. Damn. I try the one on the other side. It’s also locked. I try every single door, but they won’t open. I stand still at the other end of the corridor, breathing steadily. I can’t hear the sounds of people chatting this far away from the stairs. The silence seems to swallow me up, making the corridor ahead of me back to the staircase, seem longer than it is. Why are all the doors locked? Surely if all these people are living together, and have been living with each other for years, it must mean they trust one another. They wouldn’t think anyone would go into their room and steal their personal belongings.

I pull out my phone. There’s no signal at this end. I hurry back the way I came; I get two bars by the toilet door. Yes. I open my contacts and call Mum. The phone continues to ring. Why does she never pick up when I want her to?

‘Danielle,’ Mum’s voice appears on the other end.

‘Mum,’ I say clamping my hand to my forehead. ‘I . . . I wanted to let you know that me and Callum have found this little B&B, they’ve got a couple of rooms free tonight, so we’re thinking of staying.’

‘Oh, that’s fine, sweetie, where is it? You’ll have to let me know what it’s like.’

‘Oh, um, God I can’t remember, I’ll have to go outside and check, but it’s lovely, right on the sea front. We’re just going to get sorted and go out for something to eat, I think. I just wanted to ring you to let you know so you weren’t worried about where I was.’

‘Well, it sounds like the pair of you have had a fun day.’

‘Yeah, it’s been great.’ The lie feels thick in my throat. ‘I’ll ring you when we leave in the morning.’

‘Try and make a weekend of it if you can, I’m sure Callum would love to.’

I roll my eyes. I’m sure Mum thinks something more is going on between me and Callum than there actually is, we’re just friends nothing more than that.

‘I’ll see what he says, love you,' I reply. 

‘Love you, sweetie, enjoy yourself.’

Mum hangs up. I breathe a sigh of relief. Now all I have to do is tell Callum we’re not going home tonight. I begin to make my way back down the stairs, my whole body trembling as I head back into the dining room.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 22
His Silence - Chapter Twenty One

By Jacob1395

‘You sure you want to stay?’ Callum says. ‘I honestly don’t mind driving back.’ I can tell from the tone of his voice that’s what he wants to do. If I could, I would tell him he could go back home and leave me here, but even if I did tell him that, I’m sure there’s no way he would want to.

‘I feel I need to, at least, just for tonight,’ I reply. I’d already told Oliver half an hour ago I’d like to take him up on his offer. ‘Don’t worry I’m sure everything will be fine.’

Mary approaches us, carrying a sleeping bag. I’m not sure what to make of Mary, she seems nice, and she always looks pleased to see me, but she looks at Callum a little too frostily, like the way Jeremiah did when we arrived earlier. In fact the only person here who’s shown Callum any attention is Eve. I flick my gaze around the room, but she’s left, she must’ve gone up to her room. I’m surprised she hasn’t asked Callum to follow her after the way she was looking at him earlier.

‘I’m so sorry, Callum, but I’m afraid we don’t have a spare room for you, so if you don’t mind sleeping in this tonight? You can sleep down here on the sofa,’ Mary says, patting the sleeping bag.

Callum smiles. ‘That’s fine, thanks.’ He takes the sleeping bag from her, shoving it under his arm.

‘Danielle, there is a room already for you here. It’s been here since you were born, I can take you upstairs to see it.’

I nod. ‘Yes please.’ Callum follows closely behind as we make our way out of the room. A couple of women brush past us in the corridor outside, talking in hushed voices. They both smile at me as we pass them ‘Where did Oliver go?’ I ask.

‘Oh, I suspect he’s out in the annexe, that’s where he stays,’ Mary replies as we climb the stairs. There’s more activity upstairs now. People are going in and out of their rooms, some making their way into the bathroom. They smile at me as I pass.  My eyes clap on a man just entering his room to my right. He has thick, brown wavy hair and five o’clock stubble on his chin. He keeps his gaze fixed on me, looking at me with what looks like pity in his eyes, before he slips into his room and closes the door. I hear it lock, I shudder. ‘Your room is just at the end of the corridor.’

Someone must’ve unlocked all the doors before everyone started to come up. Why do they keep them locked? I think about asking Mary, but realise I don’t want her to know I was up here earlier snooping around. She might tell Oliver. We reach the end of the hallway, Mary opens the door. I stare into a small, fairly comfortable room with a green carpet. The walls are cream like the hallway downstairs. There are two single beds in the room; as I step further into the room, I notice the window looks out onto the gravel driveway below.

‘Why are there two beds?’ I ask.

‘You stayed in here with your brother,’ Mary explains with a big smile on her face.

A shiver races through me. This was the room I stayed in with my brother. I think back to those memories I have of sitting on his lap and him reading from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

‘Um, why can’t Callum stay in this bed?’ I ask.

Mary sharpens her gaze on me. ‘Oh, we don’t allow that. If you and Callum were to become members of our community here, then perhaps we might consider it, but not at this moment in time. We’ll both leave you now to get settled and ready for bed. There are glasses in the cabinet if you want to pour yourself a drink of water. Callum, would you like to come back downstairs with me?’

The way Mary said the last part of her sentence made it seem like she wasn’t giving him a choice. There was no way she was letting him stay up here with me. Callum clutches tight onto his sleeping bag. ‘Well, I guess I’ll see you in the morning, Danielle. What time d’you want to leave?’

I rub the back of my neck. ‘Between ten and eleven,’ I suggest.

He nods. ‘Night, Danielle.’

Mary and Callum both back out of the room; Mary closes the door behind her. I listen out for the sound of their voices, but I can’t hear them chatting. Actually I can’t imagine Callum wanting to make small talk with Mary.

I place my soap bag on the bed closest to the window. This is the room I would’ve slept in for the first six years of my life. Which room did Mum and Dad use? Someone else must be using it now.

I sit on the end of my bed and pull out my phone. I’m surprised I have signal. At least I have no missed calls or texts from Mum or Dad. I text Callum on WhatsApp.

Thank you for helping me out, I really appreciate it.

I wait to see if he’s received it, but no blue ticks appear at the bottom. I place my phone on the table. I hope he isn’t mad at me.

Moving over to the window, I peer outside, my eyes seeking out Callum’s car if anything to reassure me our mode of transport is still here. A dark cloud has smudged the moon’s surface. I don’t know if I should feel more comforted about their being so many people here, being this remote, or more afraid. It feels as though everyone’s watching me. The memory of me and my parents racing down the stairs in the dead of night resurfaces in my head. I try to push it deeper into my mind.

I flick my gaze to my phone. It stays silent. Callum doesn’t reply to my text.

 

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 23
His Silence - Chapter Twenty Two

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

My eyelids flicker open. I sit upright in bed, forcing my eyes to stay open. Where am I? I reach out for a light switch on the wall, running my hand across the smooth surface, but feel nothing. Shit. I pull off my bed covers, flinching as I knock into the bedside cabinet. What’s the time? I think I must’ve fallen to sleep pretty quickly, but I’ve no idea for how long. I pick up my phone, the light from the screen momentarily making my eyes squint. It’s just gone three a.m. outside its still pitch black. The moon’s disappeared behind a cloud. I switch on the torch on my phone and the room brightens around me with a silver glow. Then I remember coming to the house, Oliver and Jeremiah greeting us. My beating heart begins to calm. I sometimes get like this the first night I go away anywhere; I wake up in the night and panic when I don’t recognise where I am.

‘Callum,’ I hiss.

I was certain I’d heard something. Movement. The sound of a door clicking into place, I’m sure of it. I shine the light from my phone onto the spare bed. I edge closer towards it. There’s an imprint in the sheets, like someone’s . . . like someone’s been sitting on it. My blood freezes. Was someone in here, watching me while I slept? I don’t want to move. My heart thuds against my chest. Someone was in here, watching me.

Forcing my legs to move, I dive towards the door, yank it open, and shine the light from my phone down the corridor, expecting to find someone standing at the very end. The corridor’s empty. Every door along the corridor is shut. Callum was told he could have the sofa downstairs to sleep on; he’ll be down there now. On tiptoes I begin to edge my way along the corridor. The sound of my heart gets louder and louder in my head. If someone finds me out here, what am I going to say to them? That I’m going to the toilet? That’s the easiest explanation.

I reach the top of the stairs and edge down, one step at a time. Keep going. Don’t look back. Keep going. I grip my phone tighter in my hand, clinging onto the precious light I have, as though any moment it might flicker out and plunge me into darkness. I reach the bottom. The door to the living room area, where we had dinner, is ahead of me. I dart over to it, reach for the door handle. It’s locked. No, no, no, no. I rattle it again, but it doesn’t budge. This can't be happening. 

‘Callum,’ I say, keeping as quiet as I can, knocking gently on the door.

There’s no sound of movement. I call his number; it goes straight through to voicemail. Perhaps his phone’s run out of battery. He doesn’t normally switch it off when he goes to bed; there are some evenings at home when I’m still chatting to him on text gone midnight.

Why is the door locked? I switch my gaze to the front door to my left. I hurry over to it and curse when I find it’s locked too. It’s like the walls are beginning to press in on me. There’s a window to the right hand side of the door. I peer out of it. Callum’s car is still parked outside. At least that’s something. I spin around. Further down the corridor, at the other end is the kitchen. The door’s ajar. There’s a light on inside. I race over to it and push it open. My heart stops.

Oliver’s sitting at the table, wearing a purple dressing gown, his hands clasped around a mug. The scent of hot chocolate reaches me. Around him the kitchen is spotless; all the plates that had been left in here after dinner earlier have been cleaned and tidied away. He glances across at me. He doesn’t look surprised to see me.

‘Danielle would you like to join me?’ he asks, gesturing to the seat opposite.

*************

Characters:

Danielle (protagonist)

Callum (Danielle’s best friend)

Harvey (Danielle’s brother)

William (Danielle’s adoptive father)

Emma (Danielle’s adoptive mother)

John Cole (Danielle’s biological father)

Laura Cole (Danielle’s biological mother)

Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed)

Max Hardy (podcaster)

Jeremiah (works with Oliver)

Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) 

Mary (works with Oliver)

Abraham (Marsh View resident)

Abigail (Marsh View resident)

Isaac (Marsh View resident)

Noah (Marsh View resident) 

Eve (Marsh View resident) 

Chapter 24
His Silence - Chapter 23

By Jacob1395

My legs remain frozen to the spot. Dread curls at the bottom of my spine.

‘Where’s Callum?’ I ask. My throat is dry, I run my tongue around the inside of my mouth to try and moisten it, but it has little effect. In my head I think Oliver and I are the only two people here and that somehow everyone else in the house has left us, without me realising. I think back to the sound I heard which woke me a few moments ago. Was it the sound of everyone leaving I heard?

Oliver frowns at me. ‘Callum’s in the living room. He’s fine.’

I shake my head. ‘Why’s the door locked? I haven’t been able to get through to his phone.’

‘We lock all the doors of an evening, it’s a security precaution.’ He’s speaking so calmly. ‘And we ask everyone to switch their phone off during the evening so it doesn’t disturb people’s sleep.’

‘My door wasn’t locked, and no one asked me to turn my phone off.’ I edge a little back towards the corridor. ‘Were you in my room?’

He shakes his head. Oliver continues to stare at me with the same neutral expression on his face. ‘No, Danielle, I wasn’t in your room, I’ve been sitting down here for the past half an hour. I suffer from anxiety at night and have struggle sleeping, something I’m sure you can relate to.’

‘Why wasn’t my door locked when everyone else’s was?’ I ask.

‘I’m not sure, it should’ve been; Mary locks all the doors of an evening. Perhaps she forgot as she hasn’t had to lock your door for years.’

‘But then she remembered to lock the living room door?’ I say, unconvinced by his answer.

‘The living room door is always locked after we finish in there for the evening, so she wouldn’t have had to think twice about that. Please sit with me; there are some things I’d like to discuss with you.’ I stand still for a few more moments, our eyes are locked. I move closer to the table, pull out the chair opposite him and sit down. ‘Do you want a drink?’ he asks.

‘No, thank you,’ I say. I can’t shake off the feeling that he’s been expecting me to come downstairs to find him here.

He sighs. ‘Danielle, you have to trust me, we have your best interests at heart here. You’re family. You always have been and you always will be; we would never harm you or your friends.’

‘Can I see Callum?’ I ask. I can hear the plea in my voice as I speak. ‘Please.’

There’s a brief stretch of silence before Oliver nods. He gets up from his seat; the legs of his chair scrape across the stone floor. I watch him walk over to the wall beside the kitchen door and unhook a set of keys that look as old as the house; they're rusted, thick and heavy. I get up and follow him back out into the corridor; he unlocks the living room door, it swings open. My heart’s still beating like crazy. I spot Callum asleep on the sofa at the far end of the room, the shape of his body, rising and falling underneath a blanket. I want to go over to him, wake him up.

‘See, he’s fine,’ Oliver says.

He closes the door and locks it again.

‘Can you not?’ I ask.

He stares at me for a brief moment, before he unlocks the door. I want to go into the living room; I want to be with Callum. ‘Come, sit down, if you’re up to it, we can have a chat. It does get lonely sitting up at this time of the night,’ he says.

Somehow I don’t feel as though I can refuse him. There’s something about his voice. I want to talk to him. I want to see what he has to say. At least I know everyone else hasn’t left me alone in the house with him.

I follow him back into the kitchen, trying to convince myself that Callum is OK, and sit opposite him at the table.

‘What d'you want to talk about?’ I say. I still can’t relax. Although I want to hear what he has to say, every nerve inside me is screaming at me to run out of the room, grab Callum and go.

‘Your future,’ he says, taking a sip of his drink. ‘I would very much like to welcome you back here as a fully-fledged member of our community.’

I shift in my seat. ‘What about my parents?’ I ask.

‘Well, you’re twenty-six now, aren’t you? Surely you must’ve been thinking about moving out for some time, although I know how hard it is for your generation to afford to rent, let alone buy your own home.’

‘I have been; me and Callum have even been talking about moving in together,’ I say. It’s like he can see right through me.

‘I’m sure they’d understand if you tell them you’ve found somewhere and want to move out. You wouldn’t have to pay any bills if you move here, for a start.’

I stare at him. ‘No bills, are you serious?’

He smiles. ‘I am; everyone would be delighted to have you back here. You’re so important to us. Everyone pulls together here, and we all help everyone out.’

I tap my foot underneath the table, I still haven’t found out much about my parents and my brother, and what our lives were like when we were living here. I haven’t really had a chance to speak to anyone else, other than Mary, individually.

‘I . . . it’s something I’ll have to think about, I can’t just rush into this,' I reply. 

Oliver nods and picks up his drink. ‘Of course, I totally understand. You can either contact me or Jeremiah when you feel ready to come back; I’ll give you my contact details.’

I sit back in my seat and imagine what life would be like living here. With very few memories of what my life was like here before, it’s hard to picture it.

‘But I . . . Oliver, I came here looking for answers, I want to find out why Harvey killed my parents. He told me if I came here I would get them.’ I force back the tears that threaten.

Oliver shakes his head. ‘I can’t imagine the pain you must feel, believe me, Danielle, the pain of not knowing why he did it has driven me crazy for twenty years, so I understand what you’re going through. But believe me, Danielle, if you come back here, you will find a community ready to welcome you with open arms, everyone here will love you unconditionally, and perhaps then you’ll find peace.’

I replay his words over in my mind. There must be something more he can tell me about what happened, surely. ‘I think I’m gonna go back up to bed, if that’s OK,’ I say, faking a yawn. I get up from my seat. I need to get out of here.

‘Of course, Danielle, we can talk more about this in the morning.’

I nod. ‘Night, Oliver.’

I leave him in the kitchen. Even as I walk back down the hallway, I can feel his eyes on me, seeking me out in the dark. I think again of the imprint on the second bed in my bedroom, making me think someone had been sitting there, watching me. I have no doubt about it that it must’ve been Oliver sitting there, no matter what he says. I climb the stairs and return to my room, willing the morning and the light to come.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) William (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 25
His Silence - Chapter 24

By Jacob1395

HMP Belmarsh

‘How are you feeling, Harvey?’

Harvey keeps his eyes fixed on the grey-haired prison Chaplin sitting in the chair ahead of him, his knees crossed over each other. There’s a silver crucifix balancing on his chest, glinting in the light shining from the ceiling. Harvey can see where some of the silver has worn off around the edges, which must be from the amount of times he's clutched hold of it. Michael, his name is; he’s Irish although he told Harvey he’s lived in the UK for the past fifteen years. Harvey would put him in his mid to late sixties; he's got to know him quite well over the past few years. He recognises the scent of his Jo Malone cologne before he sees him. He wouldn’t have thought, before he met Michael, that a vicar would’ve chosen to buy something so expensive, so needless. Harvey resists the urge to curl his fists. He was brought up to believe that owning material goods was like a sickness, something people shouldn't be concerned about. Perhaps it’s the one luxurious thing Michael allows himself to buy.

Harvey was pretty sure Michael took an interest in him, when he first started here, because of his history, but during that time, Harvey would like to think they’ve sort of become friends. It’s weird though, he kind of does get a sense of peace sitting in here with Michael, and there’s something about Michael’s soft Irish tone that soothes him. The walls around him are a soft, white colour. Ahead of him on the wall there's an empty wooden cross. Whenever Harvey gets himself in a state, Harvey always finds that spending, even just ten minutes with Michael, is enough to relax him.

‘I feel embarrassed, upset, I can’t believe I allowed my anger to get the better of me,’ Harvey says, tears building behind his eyes. ‘I’m really sorry for what I did and I would like to ask . . . for God’s forgiveness.’ His words are shaky.

Michael nods. ‘Your cellmate said something to provoke you, before you attacked him.’ There’s nothing accusatory about his tone.

Harvey resists the urge to curl his fists. He must not get angry. Still his body trembles. ‘He was talking to me about my sister; she’d visited me earlier that day. Things turned violent between us during our visit, she attacked me, but I never laid a hand on her. He said some suggestive things to me that upset me.’

‘I can understand why your sister must’ve been angry with you,’ Michael says. ‘And I can also understand why you felt you’d been provoked.’

Harvey wipes his eyes. ‘I can too, I was expecting it to be honest; she has every right to be angry with me for what I did, but there’s nothing I can do to change the past.’

Harvey glances at the marble floor. At least he’s stopped shaking.

‘Would you like to talk to me about the relationship you have with your sister? Is it something that you would like to see developed further?’ Michael asks tentatively. It's like Michael's taken on the role of his therapist. 

Harvey runs his tongue across the roof of his mouth. He can’t help but notice the intrigue in Michael’s voice as he speaks. Why is he asking him this? It’s like he’s letting his own curiosity get the better of himself again. ‘Of course I’d like to have a relationship with Danielle, but I can’t see how that’s going to be possible, especially after what I’ve did.’ Even if they were to both move back to Marsh View, Harvey can’t imagine it’ll be like a happy ever after.

‘Well, if she could see how remorseful you’ve been,’ Michael says.

Harvey shakes his head. He told her he didn’t regret killing their mum and dad. She won’t forget that. ‘That won’t change her mind.’

Michael lets out a slight cough. ‘Well, I would give her a chance; you’re the only family she has, after all. You should both try and work towards building a strong relationship.’

Harvey runs what Michael’s said to him over in his mind for the next half an hour. He doesn’t really pay any attention to what Michael says next; his mind is totally focused on what a relationship with his sister could look like, if she doesn’t shut him down. This is why he needs her to move back to where they both came from. If she does, then perhaps, he might stand a chance of reforming what they once had. They used to have so much fun together and he loved reading to her of a night before they went to sleep. There were few books in the house, but her favourite one, which she always chose, was The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

At half past nine he leaves the chapel. He still gets the sense that things have changed for him since his sister’s visit. He can hear people whispering about him after he passes them in the corridor on the way back to his cell. He wants to turn round, teach them a lesson, but he mustn’t. He would like to think, that the next time he’s up for parole, he would be able to finally leave this place and re-join Oliver and Jeremiah. Surely they want him back there. He can’t languish in prison for the rest of his life. He wants to begin his life anew.

He returns to his cell. At least no one else is here. He reaches under his mattress and pulls out the burner phone he was supplied with. There’s a text from Jeremiah.

Everything’s going well, will give you an update soon.

Harvey sends a text back, his fingers punching the keys on the phone, leaving sweaty marks on the screen. 

Does she want to stay?

He waits a few seconds for Jeremiah to reply and holds his breath when the little dots tell him Jeremiah's typing.

It’s looking like she does, I’ll let you know what happens next.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) William (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 26
His Silence - Chapter 25

By Jacob1395

‘Sorry I didn’t respond to your messages, Mary took my phone off me last night,’ Callum says, taking a sip of his orange juice. Oliver insisted I try some as well earlier, when I came down to breakfast; telling me it was freshly squeezed. ‘I tried to hang onto it but she got a bit shirty with me, so I felt I needed to hand it over. I think Jeremiah must’ve told her I tried taking a photograph of the house when we first arrived. She didn’t threaten me as such, but I could see it in her face. Did she not take yours off you as well?’

I shake my head, balancing my elbows on the white table cloth. ‘No, I thought that was a bit weird, if I’m honest, like with my door being left unlocked as well. Oliver says that could’ve been a mistake, but there’s something about the way he said it that doesn’t quite make me believe him. It’s OK though, Oliver told me Mary would’ve taken your phone, so I realised that you weren’t, well . . . I thought, I thought you were ignoring me at first.’

‘I’d never ignore you, Danielle,’ he says, looking at me with pleading eyes. ‘When did you end up speaking to Oliver?’

I glance down the table. There are a couple of people seated at the far end still eating breakfast, but that’s it. I eye the woman with curly red hair, her face is turned away from me; she’s sitting next to the person I saw chatting to Mary at dinner last night, with the tattoo of the bird on his neck, a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her. Oliver went back out to the annexe earlier, telling me he needed to meditate. That was half an hour ago. He’d spoken to me a little bit earlier about coming back to live here, and then he’d given me his phone number.

‘It was at three a.m. in the morning. I woke up, thinking someone had been in my room. I went downstairs to find you, and that’s when I found Oliver, sitting in the kitchen.’

‘You thought someone was in your room,’ Callum says, leaning closer towards me.

‘I thought there was. It doesn’t mean anyone was though.’ 

‘You should’ve woken me,’ he says.

‘I tried; I was banging on the living room door. Didn’t you hear us when Oliver unlocked it?’

He shakes his head. ‘Strangely enough I actually slept really well on the sofa. Normally when I sleep on someone else’s sofa it takes me ages to get to sleep. So do you think it was Oliver then, who was in your room?’

‘I told you, I could’ve imagined it,’ I hiss at him.

I glance up as Mary wanders into the room from the kitchen with a big smile on her face. Mary's green eyes flicker over to me.

‘Did you sleep well, Danielle?’ she asks, drifting over to us.

Does she know about me sitting in the kitchen with Oliver last night? My heart thrums against my chest. Would Oliver have told her about my bedroom door being unlocked last night?

‘Err, yeah, I did, thanks,’ I reply.

‘We really hope you’ll come back and take up your old room here,’ Mary says. ‘How did you sleep Callum? I hope the sofa wasn’t too uncomfortable for you.’

‘Yes, fine, thanks.’

Why do I get the sense she’s come over to us to try and work out what we’re talking about? I shift in my seat.

‘I think we’re going to head off in about half an hour or so,’ I say. ‘Oliver’s kindly given me his phone number, so I’ll let him know soon if I want to come back.’

‘Wonderful,’ Mary says. ‘Well, I hope you have a safe journey home and I hope very much to see you back here again soon.’

Mary drifts towards the kitchen.

Callum mouths, ‘weirdo,’ at me and I have to resist the urge to laugh.

‘Right, we can leave in half an hour, can’t we? I’m just gonna go upstairs and grab my things,’ I say, getting up from my seat.

‘Yeah, that’s fine with me, I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get out of this place.’

‘Shhsh,’ I hiss at him, keeping my eye on the other people still sitting at the other end of the table.

I pick up my empty bowl and take it through into the kitchen, the smell of freshly baked croissants hitting me as I step inside. It looks like everything’s been stacked on the worktop waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher. I think back to how clean it was last night, when I was sitting in here with Oliver.

‘Morning, Danielle.’ I spin around, clutching my bowl tight. A blonde haired man, dressed in the same white gear I saw everyone else wearing yesterday, saunters into the kitchen, through the door leading into the hallway, carrying a mug in his hands. I’d put him in his early to mid-forties. His eyes are a deep, icy blue; there’s something about them which makes me shiver. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to speak to you yesterday, I’m Abraham.’ He takes a step closer towards me.

I frown at him. ‘You all have very religious sounding names here.’

‘It’s something we choose when we join,’ he says.

‘But not Oliver?’ I ask.

Blonde strands of his hair hanging just above his eyes, flick to the left and to the right as he shakes his head. ‘No, Oliver kept his name for personal reasons, and for other reasons that will become clearer to you. Have you enjoyed spending time here with us?’

‘Erm, yeah, sort of. It’s a bit weird coming back here after the all this time, I don’t have many memories of my time here.’

‘That is such a shame,’ he says.

I place my bowl with the other stacked items. ‘Were you here at the time when I was living here with my brother?’

‘I joined shortly before your family left,’ he says, taking a step closer to me; I back up against the worktop, a couple of plates crash into each other as I disturb the pile. ‘You are so like your mother. It’s a shame I didn’t get to know you when you lived here before. I hope you don't make the same mistake your parent's did.' 

‘Abraham,’ Mary’s sharp voice reaches my ears, just as I'm about to say something. She’s standing behind him in the hallway door, the features on her face pinched tight. ‘I’m sure Danielle would like to get ready.’

Abraham smiles at Mary before he turns to me again. ‘Of course, I hope to see you again very soon, Danielle.’

He nods towards Mary, heads out of the kitchen, and into the garden, keeping his hands clasped behind his back as he makes his way out. I rub my brow. Mary keeps her eyes fixed on me for a few moments, before she too leaves the kitchen, following after Abraham.

God, that was creepy. I dart into the hallway and hurry up the stairs to my room. What mistake did Abraham seem to think my parent’s made?

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) William (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 27
His Silence - Chapter 26

By Jacob1395

‘Thank God that’s over,’ Callum says, hands clamped on the steering wheel as we drive down the small dirt track back towards the gate. I prepare myself for the pothole ahead and grab the safety bar, but it still makes me jolt forward.

I peer over my shoulder at Oliver still standing outside the house, watching us, his hand raised. He’d come back to the house to see us off; he’d hugged me as we’d made our way out through the front door in a way that no one else, not even my parents, have ever hugged me before. Part of me wanted to stay there in that moment with him. I wanted to hold him tight and never let go. But like a dream fading, we’d parted; he didn’t make me promise to come back like I thought he would do, he didn’t beg me to stay. He let me go. There’s a clang and the gates open in front of us. It’s so weird, there’s a creepiness about him that makes part of me want to run, but there’s also something mysterious, I feel it, like gravity pulling me towards him.

‘Um, I think you’re going to be mad with me,’ I say, looking into my lap and biting my lip.

‘Why?’ he asks, steering the car through the gates.

‘I kind of, I want to come back and stay for longer.’

‘You can’t be serious,’ Callum says.

He’s keeping his focus on the road, but I can see him tightening his grip on the steering wheel. 

I sigh. ‘Something’s going on there, I’m sure of it, and whatever it is, it must be something to do with what happened to my family. I still don’t have the answers I came here for, I need more time.’

Callum shakes his head. ‘I s’pose you want me to come back with you.’ I don’t say anything; my silence pretty much confirms it for him. ‘What are we going to say to our parents? Not so much your parents, they’re fine with whatever you do, so long as you’re sensible, but my parents, my Mum won’t stop worrying about me if I’m away from home for some time.’

‘I’ve been thinking about that. We could either just tell them we’ve found somewhere where we’d like to live for the next, I don’t know how many months or so, or we can tell them we’re going away to do some travelling.’

‘Travelling, how are we going to prove that?’ Callum asks. ‘They’re gonna want to see photos and stuff. That’s not gonna be possible, Danielle.’

I purse my lips. ‘We can always photo shop them, to make it look like we’re abroad. We could say we’re planning to go away for three months or so, we don’t have to give them a definite time on when we’re going to be back.’

Callum shifts in his seat. ‘What about my job, Danielle? What about your job? It’s not something I just want to give up.’

I stare out at the fields passing us by on Callum’s side of the car, and the sheep grazing. I’d pretty much been thinking about moving on from my job in the last couple of months anyway. I don’t even think my manager would mind if I handed in my resignation; it’s not like he ever checks up on me to see how I’m doing. He must get an email from me every now and again and have to remind himself who I am.

‘Can you not work from home?’ I ask.

Callum lets out a sigh. ‘D’you really think Oliver and his lot are gonna let us set up our laptops and work from there?’

‘I can ask him,’ I say.

‘Danielle, I know we went for a weekend, but it didn’t strike me that they all had jobs to go to during the week. I need to really think about this OK, it’s not something I can just jump into. You need to think about it as well.’

Silence stretches out between us. I tap my feet on the mat in the footwell. I can’t do this without Callum, I need him. He has to see that.

'Sure, I’ll think about it,’ I say.

In my head, my mind’s already made up. I’m going back, no matter what Callum says.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) William (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 28
His Silence - Chapter 27

By Jacob1395

Callum pulls the car to a stop outside my house an hour later. I clutch hold of my bag, I want to go straight to my room, lie down on my bed and go to sleep. At least, after a good nap, I might be able to gather my senses and think about the best next course of action.

‘Danielle, I want you to seriously think about this, please tell me you will,’ Callum says, fixing his gaze on me.

I smile at him. ‘Of course, I will. I’ll speak to you later yeah, and thank you for coming with me this weekend, I really appreciate it.’

I slip out of the car and gently push the door shut. From where I’m standing I spot Mum watching me from the living room window. Great, it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to go straight up to my room without her questioning me about the weekend. Callum drives the car back up to the top of the road; I watch him turn the corner, before I head in the direction of the front door, keeping my head down. Perhaps if I convince Mum I’m tired, she’ll leave me to go straight up to my room.

‘So, how was it?’ Mum asks, before I’m even halfway through the front door. She’s staring at me with a big beaming smile, her phone in her hand. She’ll be straight on the phone to my aunt to let her know how my weekend went I’m sure. They always have a good natter on a Sunday; they sound like a couple of school girl’s gossiping in the school playground when they’re on the phone to each other.

‘Yeah it was great,’ I reply, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

‘So what was the B&B like?’ Mum asks, following me into the kitchen with big curious eyes.

Shit, what the hell am I going to say to her? ‘Pretty basic you know; not sure if it would be your cup of tea, but it was nice.’

I can feel Mum’s eyes bearing down on me. ‘I think you seem to think your Dad and I can’t cope unless we’re in a five star luxury hotel, but it wasn’t always like this for us, you know. I might not stretch to a hostel, but I’d be perfectly happy in a B&B.’

I grin at Mum. ‘What with no turn down service every day and little chocolates left of on the pillows?’ I laugh. ‘Right just gonna go upstairs.’

‘I’m doing beef for lunch later by the way, Callum could’ve joined us. Why don’t you send him a text and ask him?’

‘I think he wants to get home. You know what his Mum’s like, she wasn’t particularly happy with him when he told her we were going to come home today instead of yesterday.’

She shakes her head. ‘I can’t understand why Jackie’s like that; it’s a wonder how she and her husband have stayed together because of the way she is.’

‘I know it gets on Callum’s nerves. Call me when lunch is ready.’

I thunder up the stairs, slamming my bedroom door shut behind me. A picture of me and Callum, pinned to a collage of photos on the back of the door flutters onto the carpet; I bend down, pick it up and put it back in the correct position. It’s a picture of both of us; our mouths wide open in two big smiles as we enjoy a ride on a log shoot. I sit on the edge of my bed, and think back to the weekend, to everything I learned while I was there. Oliver told me someone; the other person, who Harvey killed, spread lies about Oliver to my parents. What lies? Did he want my parent’s to think Oliver was a bad person?

I think back to the countless newspaper reports I’ve read about my family’s case. They mainly focused on me, Harvey and my family, not the other person who Harvey killed, Ian. Ian sort of almost got brushed under the carpet, but what if he’s the key? I remember the podcast that covered the case a couple of years ago. It was so popular they actually did an episode a night about it for a week; I’d downloaded each episode, saving them on my computer and scrutinized every piece of information I could learn. They’d spoken about the other man my brother killed; it was the first podcast I’d listened to that had spoken about him at length. I reach for my laptop sitting on my bedside cabinet, open it up, and select the files I want, pressing play. The presenter’s nasally tone fills my room. He must’ve had a cold when he recorded this.

‘One of the most intriguing aspects about this case is that not only did Harvey bludgeon his parents to death, but he also murdered one of their friends, a man later identified as Ian Jones, who was the same age as Harvey’s father. It’s been speculated Harvey’s father was the mutual connection here, but this has never been proven, as virtually nothing about their lives, before the three weeks leading up to the murders, has been uncovered. This is what makes this case so much more intriguing, and why it has continued to endure and haunts us to this day. Now the media’s primarily focused on Harvey’s parents, but I’ve always thought this man, Ian, is the key to everything. The neighbours claim they saw this man before the family even moved into the house, where they were to meet their fate, but he never conversed with anyone. As one local put it, everyone who comes to live in Little Castle always wants to become integrated with the local community; there are always events going on and it’s a great way to make new friends, and a way to get to know the neighbours. This person also said she thought this Ian was controlling, especially of the young family who were staying with them, Harvey, his parents, and his sister. So what do we know about this man? He was born in 1954 in Norfolk, to parents David and Irene Jones; he was an only child, he never particularly excelled at school, but in his early twenties we know he worked in the steel industry and made a few friends there. He had a brief marriage with Alison White which lasted only three years, the couple had no children. He continued working in the steel industry until the age of thirty-seven, when virtually all trace of him disappears, until he turns up again in the days leading up to the murders. So there’s a period of ten years where we have virtually nothing about this man. What was he doing in that time; where did he go, who did he meet? I believe the more we look into the missing ten years in Ian Jones’ life, the closer we will come to finding out what happened, so stay tuned for part two of this series when I reveal what I manage to uncover.’

I press pause. This was what I wanted to hear. This was the last podcast recorded for that week. There never was a follow up series like the podcaster said there would be. I’d waited ages for it at the time, before finally giving up on there ever being one released. The previous episode had been about the murders themselves; the police investigation; me and Harvey, and what our lives could be like now, nothing I didn’t know already. I rub the back of my neck. Two years ago, when I first heard the recording, I considered trying to get in touch with the creator of the podcast, but decided against it, fearing he would end up being some nutter who wouldn’t leave me alone. But now, I’ve no idea if he did find out more about Ian. I want to know why he never made another podcast. If there’s something I can find out about him, before I look at moving back into where I used to live, then perhaps it could unravel everything, there’ll be no need for me to move back there. Could it really be that simple?

I find the guy’s website; he’s not covered my family’s case in the last two years at all, at the time I thought he was obsessed with the mystery, as so many people have confessed to being. There’s an about section; it tells me his name is Max; he’s in his late thirties and lives in Suffolk, not too far away. I study the picture of him, arms folded across his chest, standing in a wooded area, with a solemn expression on his face. I drum my finger nails on my laptop. There’s a contact form on his website for people to get in touch. I click in the box and begin to type a message.

            Hi Max,

            This is a difficult message for me to write, my name is Danielle. You covered my family’s case two years ago on your podcast, and I really want to know if you managed to find out anything more about Ian, the other person who my brother killed. You were going to do another episode on your podcast, but I don’t think you ever did. I would really appreciate it if you could get back in touch with me as soon as possible.

I look at the ceiling. Can I do this? I remember what Callum said to me the other day, the moment you invite one nutter into your life, the rest are going to start crawling.

I shake the thought out of my head, and press send. All I can do now is wait for him to reply.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) William (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 29
His Silence - Chapter 28

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

My eyes flicker open at exactly half past six in the morning. I’d pretty much spent the rest of last night slopped out on the sofa after Emma's dinner. She always does far too much, even now I still feel partially bloated.

Stretching out under my duvet, I pick my phone up off my bedside table, half expecting to see a text from Oliver or Jeremiah, but there’s nothing; it seems as though they’re really leaving this decision up to me. Excitement courses through me making the tips of my fingers tingle. There’s a notification in my Gmail account. I unlock my phone and open my emails, heart thumping in my chest. Max has responded to my message, I was expecting him to not reply at all. I scan the words on the screen, my eyes lapping up every single word. Shit, he actually wants to talk.

Hey Danielle,

I was surprised, to say the least, to receive your message, I think about what happened to your family every day. I think if we’re to talk about this it would be best to do so face to face. Are you able to talk on Zoom at all? I can arrange a meeting for later on this afternoon if that works well with you?

Zoom. Why didn’t I think of that? Emma and Michael normally get in from work at just after five, if we do a zoom call at four, an hour should give us plenty of time. I type out a reply.

Can we do a Zoom call for four pm?

I press send. The reply comes back in seconds, I imagine him sitting by his computer, or phone, waiting for my response. His reply comes through. God, he’s going to buzzing at the thought of speaking to me. This would be like Christmas coming early for him.

Sure, I’ll send you a link.

It strikes me Max is hedging his bets it’s actually going to me who he’ll be speaking to. I could be anyone, for all he knows. He’s not asked me to show him any identification to prove I’m actually me. Perhaps he’s thinking he can’t pass up this opportunity, even if it does sound too good to be true, like I thought with Jeremiah when I first met him.

Emma and Michael are both downstairs after I finish getting ready.

‘Blimey, you’re not usually out of bed this early on a Monday,’ Michael says, taking a sip of his tea.

‘Oh well, I was awake so I thought might as well get up, you know,’ I say, grabbing two slices of bread from the bread pin and placing them in the toaster, even though I’m not really hungry.

My phone bleeps in my pocket; it’s Max sending me a zoom invitation. I shove it back to make sure Emma and Michael don’t catch a glimpse of it.

‘So you didn’t tell us much about what you and Callum got up to at the weekend,’ Michael says.

Jesus, can’t they just leave it alone? I grit my teeth. It’s like they’re both thinking something happened between us at the weekend. It wouldn’t surprise me if Emma was texting Callum’s mum last night to see if our stories tied up with each other’s. ‘Oh well, we just strolled around the area, had a few drinks at one of the pubs on the sea front. It was really nice. We’re thinking actually about going away for a couple of months.’

‘Where to?’ Emma asks, placing the jar of marmalade back in the fridge.

I know me and Callum haven’t agreed to what we’re going to do yet, but at least I can start planting the seed so it doesn’t come totally out of the blue.

‘We’re still sort of in the planning stages, we might do Europe, Asia, but we want to do it soon.’

Emma's frowning at Michael. ‘This is all very sudden, Danielle,’ she says.

‘Emma, I’ve got the money saved up and to be honest I hate my job, so I’m thinking about throwing the towel in anyway and looking for something else. I’m not going to be young forever; I won’t go mad and spend all of my money.’

Emma holds out her hands, a strained expression on her face. ‘Honestly, love, I’m not saying it’s something you shouldn’t do. I’m sure you’ll have a great time.’

My toast pops up. Michael finishes his tea as I spread a thick lump of butter on the bread. I wait for Emma to say I’m using far too much butter, but she doesn’t say anything. Perhaps she’s thinking she doesn’t want to upset the boat anymore, she can be like that.

‘Right, I’ll see you guys later,’ Michael says as I take a bite of my toast.

He pecks both me and Emma on the cheek as he leaves.

I finish my toast. ‘Just gonna get ready and get set up for work,’ I tell Emma.

‘Well, I’ll probably be gone by the time you get back down,’ Emma says. ‘So I’ll see you later tonight.’

‘At just after five, yeah?’ I ask.

‘Of course, why?’ Shit, now she’s giving me a curious look. I shouldn’t have said anything.

‘No reason, just checking.’ I smile at her.

I place my plate in the sink and hurry out of the room, keen to get out of Emma's way.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 30
His Silence - Chapter 29

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

Every half an hour, once Emma’s out of the house, I find myself looking at the clock to check what time it is. I try and focus on the emails piling up in my inbox, but my brain is a mess; the guy with the farm wants me to change the way how I’ve organised his pictures for the fifth time. It’s getting to the point now if he asks me for one more change I’m going to tell him to sod off; then I will have my boss on the line, wanting to know what the hell’s going on.

At lunch I spend half an hour trying to find out more about Max. He’s got quite a big following on Facebook, around fifteen thousand followers; it actually says his podcast gets on average twenty thousand listeners a month. Twenty thousand, I try to imagine that number of people listening to me ramble on for an hour; the first thing anyone listening would think, well she’s miserable, and switch off. His Facebook page seems to be full of armchair detectives and conspiracy theorists, all discussing old crimes and their own theories about what might’ve happened in different cases. It makes me roll my eyes when I read some of the comments; but no one appears to be discussing what happened to my family though. At least that’s something.  

Four pm, at last, rolls round. My heart thuds as I click on the link Max sent me and wait for the call to connect. Come on Max, don’t leave me hanging. I tap my fingernail on the table. God Emma and Michael better not make this the day they come home early. I straighten up in my seat, as the call shows it’s connecting; Max’s face fills my screen, it looks like he’s sitting in his bedroom. He’s not how he looked in the photos I saw of him on his website. His dark hair’s bedraggled; glasses are balancing on his nose, sweat's shining on his forehead in the light. He looks at least ten years older than he did in the photo on his website. I notice a blue folder on his desk in front of him, and shiver when I spot my family’s name in bold printed on a label stuck to the cover. In the background, on his wall, there’s a Coldplay poster from one of their world tours. That would actually impress Callum; he’s a massive Coldplay fan. He dragged me along to one of their concerts once, I don’t mind a couple of their songs; I’m more of a fan of Billie Eilish and Imagine Dragons, it’s their music I listen to whenever I need to find an escape from everything happening around me.

‘Danielle, are you there?’ Max asks, leaning in closer to his screen. His glasses slip further down his nose.

I realise I haven’t switched my video on. ‘Oh, yeah, sorry, one sec.’

I click on the camera; my face appears on the screen.

‘Hi,’ Max says, smiling, sitting back. ‘Wow, it’s . . . it’s great to talk to you, you have no idea how much I’ve thought about you and your family over the years. You have no idea what some journalists would give for the chance to speak to you.’

I shift in my seat, God what he just said sounds really creepy; he has no personal connection to me at all, but he must feel he knows me personally, because of the countless stories he’s read about my family. ‘Um, yeah, it’s great to talk to you, I was actually listening to your podcast that you did a couple of years ago again last night, that’s why I contacted you,’ I say.

‘How did you manage to listen to the podcast? I was asked to take it down,’ he asks. There’s a slight hint of panic in his voice.

I frown. ‘I downloaded it at the time you uploaded it, why were you asked to take it down?’

It seems to take an age for him to reply. His eyes seem to dart around his room as he tries to think of what to say. What doesn’t he want to tell me? ‘Erm . . . OK I got a lot of emails from fans of my site asking why I’d taken the podcast down. I couldn’t reply to anyone I was . . .  I was threatened. I thought . . . I thought at the time it was going to be the end of the podcast, all that hard work built up over the years over in the blink of an eye.’

‘Threatened, I don’t understand, who threatened you?’ I ask. I can’t bloody get comfortable in my seat, I keep moving up and down.

He shakes his head, and rubs his hands together. ‘I honestly don’t know, although I have a theory. A couple of weeks after the podcast went live, I started receiving these . . . Erm . . . cease and desist letters in the post; they were threatening to come after everything. It made me think I’d accidentally stumbled across something incredible without realising. It made me really ill, I lost a load of weight, and I’m a heavy set guy so it really showed. I did have to think before replying to your email, but I couldn’t pass up on this opportunity.’

‘I did notice you’ve not discussed what happened to my family since that first podcast you did.’

Max rubs his eye. ‘Yeah, you hear of cases of people being threatened all the time, but you never think it’s going to happen to you. I’ve covered some big, well known cases since I set up my podcast, and I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before. So, why . . . why did you want to contact me?’

I keep thinking of what Callum would be saying to me if he knew what I was doing. Don’t think of what Callum would do. This is your choice. ‘I wanted to find out more about the other man who Harvey . . . my brother . . . murdered, Ian . . . you said in your podcast that you thought, if we found out what happened in the missing ten years of his life, it would bring us closer to finding out the truth. I also . . . I spoke to Harvey in prison a few weeks ago.’

Max stares at me, his mouth drops open. ‘You spoke to your brother.’  

I nod. Should I be telling him this? It doesn’t sound to me like he’s going to be writing up on our conversation. ‘I’ve been trying to speak to my brother since I was eighteen, but he’s always refused my request to see him, up until now.’

‘What did he say?’ Max asks, the pitch rising in his voice. At last, there’s the excitement I expected to hear from him.

‘He . . . he didn’t tell me why he killed them, he, he told me to go to this place, he says if I went there I would find out what happened, but, I did go there and still I don’t know the full story. Bits and pieces are starting to come together, but there are a lot of gaps missing.’

Max wipes his brow. ‘Jesus, I thought he was never gonna talk about what he did, he’s remained silent for twenty years. Well, I did do some digging into his life, Ian’s life; I was all set to do another podcast episode, I thought it was going to be my most popular podcast ever, but that’s when the letters started arriving.’

‘What did you find out?’ I ask. He’s glancing off to the left. It’s like he doesn’t want to tell me, like he’s still considering what might happen to him if he does. ‘Please, Max. This might help me.’

He sighs. ‘OK, I’ll tell you everything I found out.’

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 31
His Silence - Chapter 30

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

Max lets out a steady breath. ‘I managed to track down some of the people who Ian was friendly with in his early thirties, before he, sort of, went missing. You’ll know from the podcast that I revealed he worked in the steel industry. They all said the same thing that he wasn’t too keen on hanging out outside of work, and only came to very few work events; he seemed to them to be a bit of an introvert, although he was pleasant enough to deal with in the office. They told me they spoke to the police about this at the time, but they were only questioned about Ian a couple of times, I s’pose the police thought there wasn’t much for them to pursue.’

‘D’you know how he met my parents?’ I ask, keeping an eye on the time; Emma normally gets back just after five, another forty minutes away, we’ve got plenty of time. I flick my gaze back at Max.

He sighs. ‘I still didn’t quite get to the bottom of where they met. I asked the people Ian knew and they didn’t know either; it’s why it came as such a huge shock to them when his name was revealed by the police, they hadn’t heard from him in years. It was only seeing his photo in the press that made them remember him. One thing I did find interesting, is that bearing in mind he’d been working in the same job for more than ten years, all of a sudden he left, with no explanation, he didn’t even hand in his resignation. They tried to get in contact with him, but he blocked all their calls.’

I study this piece of information inside my mind. Could this have been around the same time he met my parents? ‘So there was no sign, at all that he was intending on leaving his job?’ I ask trying to think if any other news reports have covered this, but nothing springs to mind.

Max shakes his head. ‘They all told me he was a lot quieter in the weeks leading up to it, they all just assumed something was going on in his family life and that he didn’t want to talk about it.’

‘But did he have any family?’ I ask.

Max opens the blue folder and flicks through the pages, I catch glimpses of pictures, scrawled writing on pages; these are the notes he must’ve made when he was investigating for the podcast. I spot a picture of the house where my parents were killed, I look away. ‘I think he might’ve have had one parent still alive, but they’ll be dead by now, he had no brothers or sisters who I’m aware of. Do you mind me asking what your brother spoke to you about?’ Max asks. 

I bite down hard on my lip. ‘I wanted him to tell me why he did what he did all those years ago. It’s been hell for me growing up knowing everyone in the country knows about my family. He, he didn’t say anything new to me, he just . . .’ I'm no sure exactly what to say to Max. I don't want to tell him everything. 

‘I’m sorry, if you think I might’ve played a part in that, Danielle,’ Max says. ‘But I can assure you I have only ever dealt with the facts; I’ve never given the conspiracy theorists time of day and whenever people discuss the different theories on my Facebook page, I always shut the comments down.’

I nod; tears prickle the corners of my eyes, blurring my vision. ‘He told me to go to this address, this place in Essex. I’ve since been told this is the place where I was born. I also found out, how true it is, I don’t know, that Ian got it into my parents heads that they needed to leave, I still don’t know why though, this was three weeks before the murders.’

Max is staring at me, eyes wide. He’s probably wishing he could interview me for his podcast, I’m pretty sure that would end up sending his ratings sky high. I look into my lap. There’s no way I’m doing that, even if he suddenly thinks it’s a good idea.

‘This is some scary stuff, um, do you have any memories from that time at all, before your parents were killed?’ he asks.

‘There are snatches of things. I can remember hiding in the wardrobe the day my brother murdered my parents; there are memories of me playing in this garden, which I’m pretty sure is the garden at the house, where Harvey told me to go to, and memories of Harvey reading to me, but I’ve never been sure if they’re real. I went to this place at the weekend, it was quite weird; they all seemed really pleased to see me and wanted me to stay.’

Max leans forward in his seat. ‘Danielle, I would urge you to be really careful here. These people may claim to be like your family, but they sound dangerous. I’ve already told you about what happened to me, and now I think it might’ve been them who threatened me.’

I think of Oliver and Jeremiah. Would they really have threatened Max just because of his podcast?

‘I don’t know what to do. I want to get to the bottom of what happened to my family so badly, but . . .’

‘I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you,’ Max says. ‘Look, when I was speaking to various people about the case, before the threatening letters started arriving, I spoke to a police officer who worked on the investigation. He’d recently been let go by the force due to some sort of misconduct, which I think made him quite angry. He was quite willing to talk to me when I spoke to him, turns out he was a fan of my podcast, but God could he drink.’

‘What did he say to you?’ I ask the back of my neck prickling.

‘He . . . look, Danielle, he could’ve just been spouting lies because of the way how he was treated, but . . . he told me that the DNA of an unidentified person was recovered from the scene at the house the night your parents were murdered. It was compared to the owner of the house, but it wasn’t a match. No one else was known to have visited your family while they were staying there during those three weeks.’

I swallow. Jesus. There are sweat patches forming underneath Max’s arms now.

‘What else did they do to look into this?’ I ask.

Max shakes his head. ‘Not a lot, they had your brother’s confession that was what they needed to successfully wrap the case up.’

‘What about this police officer though who spoke to you, d’you know what happened to him?’ I ask.

‘Sorry, but I think he ended up going off the rails, that’s why I would take what he’s said with a pinch of salt, Danielle. I haven’t tried contacting him since then. But the DNA could’ve been from anyone, I think there were reports that before your family moved in, people used to break into that house, particularly teenagers.’

He can’t expect me to just put it to the back of my mind. I shake my head.

‘And this is everything, there’s nothing you haven’t told me,’ I ask, my voice trembling.

He sighs. ‘I wish I could be of more help, Danielle, but please . . . I’m not sure what it is you’re thinking of planning, but please be careful.’

I smile. ‘Don’t worry, I will,’ I say. ‘Thank you for talking to me.’

‘I’m here for you if you need me,’ he says. ‘If there’s anything you want to talk to me about.’

‘Sure, thanks, anyway, I think I better get going.’ I want to get off the call now.

‘Stay safe, Danielle,’ Max says.

The call ends. I get up from my seat and drift out of the living room and into the kitchen, my head swimming. I grip hold of the edge of the kitchen work surface, before throwing up in the sink.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 32
His Silence - Chapter 31

By Jacob1395

Emma picks up the fan and starts flapping it in front of her face.

‘You’re very quiet this afternoon, sweetie,’ she says.

I glance across at her. This is actually the first time we’ve been able to sit out in the garden this year. The sun’s roasting, in the distance the thrum of a lawn mower reaches me. My mind keeps drifting to my conversation with Max a couple of days ago, particularly his revelation about the DNA.

‘Just thinking,’ I reply, picking up my glass of lemonade.

‘Have you and Callum spoken anymore about going away?’ she asks.

She’s looking at me with the biggest smile. God she really wants me to take this opportunity and go. If only she knew what I was really doing.

‘Um, yeah, we’ve been talking about it.’ I shift in my seat, I haven’t mentioned it to Callum since we first spoke about it on the way back from Leigh on Sea the other day, and he’s not asked me. I feel like this is beginning to drive a wedge between us, the last thing I want is to harm our friendship. He’s already done so much for me.

‘Well, remember, like my Mum used to always say, you’re a long time dead, seize the opportunity and go for it,’ Emma says.

I stare at the end of the garden.

‘I’m gonna call him now,’ I say, getting up.

‘Go for it, Danielle. I’m jealous, wish I was young and free like you guys are; I’ll have to talk to Michael about booking a Saga cruise while you’re away.’ She laughs and closes her eyes. Perhaps she’s thinking if Callum and I do go away it might put my mind off of Harvey. She would’ve said something to me if she’d found out about me visiting him.

I pull out my phone as I head back towards the house. Michael’s making himself a sandwich in the kitchen.

‘Did you want anything, while I’ve got the bread out?’ he asks as I breeze past.

I shake my head. ‘No don’t worry, just got a call I need to make.’

I dial Callum’s number as I race up the stairs. He answers as I sit on my bed.

‘Hiya,’ he says.

I sigh. ‘Look, Callum I really, really want to go back to the house; I totally understand you’ve got your own life and if you don’t want to come with me that’s fine. But I’m telling you, with or without your help, I’m going.’

There’s silence on the other end. He’s going to hate me for putting him on the spot like this.

‘Look, how many weeks are you thinking?’

I squeeze my duvet. ‘I dunno Callum, I guess, a minimum three to four weeks.

There’s another pause. ‘OK, I s’pose I could talk to work, I still haven’t booked off any holiday yet this year.’

He’s going to use his holiday to help me. I rub my eyes.

‘You have to really want to do this Callum; I don’t want to put any pressure on you.’

‘D’you think there’s any way I’m gonna let you go back to that place on your own? I know how important finding out what happened to your family is to you, but promise me this, after four weeks is up we’re leaving, no matter if you haven’t found anything out, that’s it.’

I swallow. ‘Of course.’

‘Let me speak to work and I’ll get back to you.’            

‘Callum, I –’ the phone goes dead before I finish my sentence.

I’m shaking. If work can’t give him the time off I’m going to have to go on my own, no matter what he says. I find Jeremiah’s details in my phone, I think about texting him, but call him instead.

‘Danielle, this is a pleasant surprise,’ he says, I can almost hear the smile in his voice.

‘Hi, um, I’ve had a chance to think about Oliver’s offer, and I’d love to take up a temporary room,’ I say.

‘That’s excellent news,’ Jeremiah says. ‘When do you think you’ll be able to come?’

‘Um, the earliest would be week after next, I’ve gotta get stuff sorted out here first.’

‘I totally understand, would it just be you, or your friend, Callum, wasn’t it, as well?’

‘Callum would like to come,’ I say. He might not. I ignore the voice in my head.

‘Well, a week should give us plenty of time to get everything organised. I’ll speak to Oliver and we’ll get sleeping arrangements sorted.’

‘Thank you,’ I say.

‘That’s no problem, Danielle; we really can’t wait to have you as part of the community here again.’      

I end the call, get up from my bed, and check outside my room to make sure Emma wasn’t listening in. I edge into their bedroom and stare out the window; she and Michael are sitting out in the garden eating their sandwiches. The sound of the lawnmower starts up again. Am I doing the right thing? But a banging voice in my head overrides my fears; you want to find out what happened. This is the only way.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 33
His Silence - Chapter 32

By Jacob1395

‘So where’ve you booked to go first?’ Emma asks me excitement in her voice as she stacks plates in the dishwasher.

I lean against the kitchen worktop, taking a sip of my tea.

‘Um, we’ve booked Italy first, we’re gonna do Spain next, then we’re gonna move onto Austria and Hungary, all around there basically. I fancy Croatia as well; everyone keeps saying it’s really nice there. We’ve got a few hostels booked along the way, so nothing too dear.’ I decided it would be best to say we’re going to Europe rather than further afield.  

‘The flights weren’t too dear were they? You know if you’d booked this for another few months, you probably would’ve got them cheaper,’ she says.

‘I’ve got savings, when was the last time I splashed out on myself?’

She holds her hands out in defence. ‘I’m just saying, just saying. Well you make sure to keep us updated with lots of pictures. Call us as often as you can, and if you have got some money left over why don’t you treat yourself to somewhere nice to stay at the end of the holiday?’

‘I’ll try.’

I drift into the hallway. If only we were going away on a holiday to Europe. My suitcase is by the front door. I glance back towards Emma. I hate lying to her, but what other choice do I have? There’s no way she and Michael would approve of what we’re really doing.

Callum’s car arrives outside at quarter to nine.

‘Have a lovely time,’ Emma says, hugging me.

I hug Michael.

‘Stay safe,’ he says, tightening his grip on me. Why do I get the feeling he has some sort of inkling of what we’re up to?

I head outside. Emma and Michael both step out of the house to see us off.

‘Got everything?’ Callum asks, getting out of the car.

'Yep,’ I say.

I dump my suitcase in the boot and wave to Emma and Michael. They think we’ll be landing in Italy at around two o’clock in the afternoon, UK time. Callum waves at Emma and Michael before sliding back into the car.

‘You’ve not received any more correspondence from Harvey, have you?’ he asks.

I shake my head as I plug my seatbelt in. ‘Nope, nothing.’ Callum sighs. ‘Callum, I did say to you that you have to be certain you want to go through with this. If you want to you can drop me off at the house and drive home.’

‘No, don’t worry, it’s fine, it is,’ he says. ‘Right I s’pose we better get going.’

Please don’t say he’s already having second thoughts. Michael and Emma both go back into the house. I relax into my seat.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 34
His Silence - Chapter 33

By Jacob1395

Callum and I don’t speak for most of the journey back to the house. I’m sure this isn’t how he would’ve wanted to have spent his four weeks leave; I’ll make it up to him somehow. When we’ve got all of this out of the way, I will treat him to a holiday somewhere. Somewhere exotic, I think we’re going to need it.

The white gates appear at the end of the dirt track, the sight of them makes me shudder. My parents fled this place along with me and my brother, and now here I am going back, agreeing to stay. The gates are already open, I texted Jeremiah last night to tell him we were coming today. I think of Emma and Michael, they’ll be thinking we’ll be in the airport by now. So far I haven’t had a text from either of them.

I grip the safety bar again like I did before as we head up the track. The car bumps along before Callum swings it into the space beside the mini bus. Jeremiah and Oliver are waiting for us outside the house. Their hands are clasped behind their backs; they both beam at us as we park up.

‘Here we go,’ Callum says, turning off the engine. He climbs out of the car.

‘Danielle, it’s so good to see you,’ Oliver says. ‘And Callum as well, welcome back, I’m really pleased you’ve both decided to stay with us.’

‘Thank you,’ I say, clutching the handle on my suit case tight. ‘I’ve been really looking forward to coming back.’ I think back to my conversation with Max last week, when he warned me, like Callum did, about coming here again. His revelations about being threatened filter through into my head. It must’ve been Oliver who threatened him, there can’t have been anyone else.

‘This way please,’ Oliver says. ‘Now, I hope you don’t mind, but since you said Callum wanted to stay as well, we’ve had to alter some of the sleeping arrangements, for the time being. Callum will be in the room you stayed in Danielle the other week, and Danielle, I hope you don’t mind, but I have a spare bed in the annexe for you. I think you’ll be very comfortable there. It’s in a separate room, of course, you won’t be staying with me.’

I think back to the spare bed there was in my room. Why won’t they let us share the room together?

‘That’s fine, thanks,’ I say. It’s best to go along with it for now, don’t try and be difficult.

‘I’ll show you to your room now,’ Oliver says. ‘Jeremiah, would you mind showing Callum where he’s staying?’

Why’s Oliver so keen to get me on my own? We enter the building, our feet creaking on the wooden floorboards. People are chatting in the living space where we ate dinner the other week. Before we reach the door, it’s pulled shut, the sound becomes more distant. What don’t they want us to hear?

‘I’ll take Callum up to his room,’ Jeremiah says, holding his hand out and directing Callum up the stairs. It looked like Callum was going to follow me for a second; it’s clear now Oliver and Jeremiah aren’t going to allow that to happen.

‘I’ll catch you later then, Danielle,’ Callum says a slight hint of concern in his voice.

I nod and follow Oliver into the kitchen, listening to the sound of both Callum and Jeremiah heading up the stairs. They don’t speak to each other. Callum will probably try and make conversation, but whether or not Jeremiah will reciprocate it I have no idea.

‘So, I take it you ended up speaking to your family about staying here?’ Oliver asks.

‘Um, yeah, they’re fine about it,’ I say. The lie feels thick in my throat, I’m sure Oliver will realise I’m lying. There’s something about his face that suggests nothing gets past him.

What’s going through Oliver’s mind? I shake the thought out of my head as we head out into the garden, my suitcase crunching along the pathway as I drag it behind me.

‘That’s good,’ he says, holding the door of the annexe open for me once we get to the bottom of the path. ‘Your room is just to the right here. Mine’s on the left.’

‘Thanks.’ My suitcase bounces in behind me. We’re standing in a small hallway with wooden floorboards. There are two pictures hanging from the wall on either side showing the marshes from above. I shiver, perhaps they’re there to remind people of the danger they pose. Oliver holds open my bedroom door. It’s a bigger room than the one I stayed in before. The bed is a king sized one by the looks of it. There are two bedside cabinets on either side with an empty photo frame, and a lamp on each. On the other side of the room is a large wardrobe. It’s almost like a hotel room. My eyes clap on the purple dress lying on the duvet. ‘What’s this?’

Oliver steps further into the room. ‘Ah, this dress belonged to your mother when she was living here. I thought you would like to have it and, it’s up to you, of course, but you might want to possibly wear it to dinner later.’

I take a tentative step closer to the bed, and feel the soft fabric of the dress; I imagine Mum wearing it years ago. I picture her wearing it and going out to dinner with Dad, hand in hand. Tears prick the corners of my eyes.

‘Why was it left here?’ I ask.

Oliver rubs his right eye. ‘When your parents left, they ended up leaving a few of their belongings behind; I’ll be very happy to give them to you.’

I nod. ‘Yes, please.’

Oliver beams. ‘I’ll get them sorted for you right away. So, lunch will be served in the dining room, where you ate the first night you stayed here at one thirty. There’ll be a meeting, which I would like both you and Callum to attend straight after lunch, and then dinner will be served at six thirty. Do you have any questions?’

‘Um, yes, where’s the bathroom here?’

‘Oh, of course, you have your own ensuite in this room,’ he says, walking over to a door and opening it. The smell of jasmine, coming from the diffuser on the sink hits me in the face. I stare at the pristine bath and shower. This is like a whole other world to the sleeping arrangements in the house. Does anyone else from the house ever come into the annexe? ‘I hope you’ll be very happy here. So, I’ll leave you to get settled and I’ll see you at lunch.’

‘Oh, sorry just one more thing, what’s the Wi-Fi code?’ I ask.

Oliver pauses in the doorway. He looks back over his shoulder at me, his forehead creasing. ‘We don’t actually have Wi-Fi up at the house, but we do have it here in the annexe; I can give you the code so long as you promise not to share it with anyone else.’

I stare at him. ‘Um, yeah, OK, that’s fine.’

‘I just need to check what the code is, and then I’ll give it to you.’  

He exits the room, shutting the door behind him. I sit on the bed and feel the dress again, rubbing it between my fingers. It seemed a bit odd that he suggested I should wear it tonight. I remind myself of the reason why I’m here. If I’m going to find out anything about what really happened the night my parents were killed, I need to keep Oliver onside. This won’t be for long, just until I get the answers I need, like I promised Callum.

Author Notes

Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 35
His Silence - Chapter 34

By Jacob1395

It’s half past twelve. I’m about to head out of my room for lunch up at the house, when there’s a knock on my door. I wrench it open, expecting to see Oliver standing there, but it’s Mary. She’s wearing the same clothing she was wearing the last time I saw her; white trousers and a white top, the same as everyone else. I suspect she might’ve been the person who pulled the living room door shut, when we passed it up at the house earlier, to stop us hearing whatever it was they were discussing inside. Were they talking about me and Callum? They must’ve been.

‘Ah, Danielle, I was hoping to find you. Do you mind if we go for a quick walk before lunch?’ she asks, her voice bright.

She’s staring at me expectantly, waiting for my answer. I don’t want to go with her, I want to see Callum. I pinch at the fabric of my clothes.

‘Yeah, OK,’ I say, my pulse quivering. ‘Let me just grab my phone.’

Was it my imagination or did Mary stiffen? I grab the phone off my bedside cabinet and slip it into my pocket, trying to ignore the alarm bells flashing in my mind. Oliver still hasn’t got back to me with the Wi-Fi password, and that was a couple of hours ago I last spoke to him. I can’t push him for it though. I need to be patient, even though Emma and Michael always used to say I was never good with being patient.

‘All ready?’ she asks. I nod. ‘Good, we’ll go for a walk down the path, outside the house. It’ll be so good to get you on my own for a while.’

Mary clutches my arm and half pulls me out of the annexe with her. I get a whiff of her perfume, which makes me want to cough, but I try my best not to. Abraham, the man who spoke to me in the kitchen the last time I was here before I left, is in the garden. He’s wearing the same clothing as Mary. He’s tending to what looks like a vegetable patch by the side of the house, there’s a spade in his right hand covered in mud. He glances across at me; I look away.

‘Mary, d’you mind me asking why everyone here, apart from Oliver, wears the same clothing?’ I ask.

‘Oh, it’s tradition,’ she says patting my arm. ‘We’ve been here for more than twenty years now, most of us, anyway. Eve’s the only fairly new person here; I’ll introduce you properly to her later today, I think Oliver may have told you about her the last time you came here. Wearing the same clothing gives us a real sense of community; it makes us feel as though we’re a part of something.’ I get the sense she’s not told me the real reason why. Is it something Oliver insists? We walk round the side of the house, my shoes squelching in the soft grass and onto the driveway. A sharp, salty breeze stings my cheeks, carrying with it the stench of the marshes. I rub my eyes as they begin to water. I suppose it’s something I’ll get used to over time staying here. ‘Now, I wanted to ask you how much Oliver explained to you about our community here; which your parents were once a part of.’

‘He’s told me a little bit,’ I reply, thinking back to our first conversation more than a week ago now.

My shoe slaps into a puddle sending a grubby stain up the leg. Shoot. Mary continues to pull me in the direction of the main gate.

‘Well, as you may have noticed, we have, near enough, an even number of men and women here. Most of the people, who you’ll gradually get to know over the course of the coming days were lost souls when they came to us, but once they arrived here we put them on the right path, we made them see what their true potential was, and helped guide them towards their forever partner.’

I frown at Mary; she’s making this place sound like some sort of match making centre. Is that was this place is? ‘So, everyone here is paired up?’ I ask.

‘Well, most of us. What Oliver teaches us, is that we have one true soul partner in this world, I . . . I did have mine, but he, um, he died quite a while ago now.’ There’s a tremor in her voice.

She stops; her grip on my arm tightening. ‘I’m sorry,’ I say.

She shakes her head. ‘It’s been a while now, but every time I think of what happened, it hits me like a sledgehammer. Anyway, like I was saying, of course, you were born here all those years ago, but some other force, greater than ourselves, has guided you back to us. You must feel as though you’re at home here, don’t you?’ She says the last part of her sentence with so much force it’s like she wants me to believe what she’s saying.

‘Um.’ A man and a woman are standing outside the back of the house, holding hands, talking to each other, their heads almost touching. They both look so happy. Even Emma and Michael don’t hold hands like that, well; I never see them do it. ‘Well, it hasn’t even been a day yet, but I’m sure, with time, it’ll feel like home.’

We stop walking. Mary’s staring out at the marshland over the hedges to my left. My eyes snake around the little channels of water and the dark grey mud which makes me shiver. It makes this place feel like we’re at the very end of the earth. Ahead of us is the imposing white gate, now shut. It looks fairly new though. Has the community always been gated? An image of my parents escaping this place filters through into my mind. I can see them trying to be as quiet as they can while they bundle themselves into Ian’s car. How many people have accidentally stumbled across this place while out walking? Has anyone ever stopped and asked for help, for someone to point them in the right direction? I swallow. Somehow, I don’t expect they would get a warm reception.

‘If you follow everything Oliver teaches us, you’ll feel as though you’ve reached eternity, I promise you that,’ she says. ‘There are exercises which you will be asked to practise, and when you start to do them, you’ll find your forever partner isn’t so far out of reach.’

I shake my head. ‘I’m not sure I’m ready to settle down with anyone yet.’

Mary smiles. ‘Oh, believe me, I felt the same as you did when I was your age, I was so certain of what I wanted to do with my life; I wanted to study medicine. When I was younger than you are now I dreamed of becoming a midwife, but sometimes you don’t get to choose what path your life takes you on.’

‘Right,’ I say. I want to go back to the house. I want to find Callum, but Mary’s still holding my arm. ‘Mary, were you close to my parents when they lived here?’

A wide smile breaks across her lips. ‘Oh yes, we got on so well, particularly your mother and I, she had everything going for her, but she chose to . . . anyway, I’m rambling on. But yes, I just wanted to explain a little about what we do here, but Oliver will give a more detailed overview at lunch. So, you and Callum, the pair of you are very close, are you and he?’ She breaks off, as though she’s not sure what to say next.

‘If you’re asking if we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, no, Callum’s more like a brother to me,’ I say. I think about the time Callum asked me to the leaver’s do.

‘As friends, yeah?’ I’d said to him.

There’d been a slight pause before he’d replied. ‘Yeah of course.’ He’d tried so hard to keep the disappointment out of his voice, but it had still slipped through, making me hate myself. But we can only be friends. There’s no way he’s going to be interested in me in that way now, not after I turned him down.

It was the first time he’d shown any sign of being romantically interested in me. I’d shut him down. I hadn’t wanted to get closer to him. I couldn’t stop thinking, if we become a couple that I might . . .

‘Oh, it’s just you seem very close, I just thought . . . never mind, it was just my imagination going into overdrive, something I’ve never got under control. Shall we take a mooch back then? I’m sure you must be hungry, I am too,’ Mary replies.

I nod. She wanted to say something to me a few moments ago, but chose not to. Something about my parents?

We turn around; the couple who were standing outside the house a moment ago have disappeared back into the house.

Author Notes

Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 36
His Silence - Chapter 35

By Jacob1395

It’s quarter to one when Mary and I enter the hallway. It seemed like we were talking for ages, much longer than fifteen minutes. My arms aching a little from where she was clutching hold of me, she mustn’t have realised how tight her grip was. The smell of jacket potatoes wafts into my nostrils as I slip into the kitchen. It immediately makes me think of long afternoons that stretched on forever in the summer, when I was on school holidays. Emma and I would sit in the living room in front of the television and have a jacket potato with cheese and beans, our favourite treat; she’d always make sure the cheese was like a mountain on my potato. 

‘Hi, Danielle,’ a woman with red curly hair approaches me, as I step into the kitchen, carrying a bowl of salad with pomegranates sprinkled over the top. ‘I’m Abigail.’

‘Nice to meet you,’ I say. Oh God, I’m the only one standing here not wearing the same clothing. I didn’t check in my wardrobe to see if Oliver had left any clothes for me. Abigail’s the woman I saw chatting to the man with the tattoos on his neck last time I was here at breakfast.

‘How’re you settling in?’ Abigail asks her eyes wide.

‘Yes, doing good, thanks,’ I say. ‘I’ve just had a chat with Mary actually.’

‘Oh, Mary’s lovely,’ she says. ‘If ever you’ve got a problem, or if you’d like to talk to someone, she’s your person to go to. She’s like a mother to everyone here.’

‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ I say, thinking to how tight Mary held onto my arm again, I think I might be staying out of her way. ‘Would you like me to put the salad on the table?’

She shakes her head. ‘No, no, no, I’ve got everything in hand; you go into the dining room and make yourself comfortable; we’ll be through with lunch in a second, you’re in for a treat, the meals are always fantastic here, better than anything I ever had before I started living here.’

Voices from the dining room reach me as I edge further into the kitchen; I push the living room door open. Callum’s sitting on the sofa, arms folded across his chest. My eyes widen. He’s wearing the same clothes as everyone else.  

‘Where’ve you been?’ he asks, getting up from the sofa.

‘Sorry, I ended up just having a rest on my bed earlier and Mary took me out for a quick walk.’ I say. Callum looks me up and down; he’ll be wondering why I’m not wearing the same as him. ‘How comes your wearing this?’ I ask. 

‘Jeremiah insisted,’ Callum says irritation in his voice. ‘God I feel like a right idiot.’

I want to say ‘you look it,’ but decide not to.

‘What he literally made you get changed?’

‘Well, he said I had a choice, but it was the way in which he suggested it that if I didn’t, he was going to end up making my life hell. I see you’re still wearing your clothes. How’s things out in the annexe with Oliver?’

‘Well, I’ve actually been given this massive room with its own bathroom. What’s even crazier than that is this dress was left out for me on my bed; Oliver sort of implied I should wear it to dinner tonight. He told me it used to belong to my mum.’

Callum raises his eyebrow. ‘Sounds like you won’t have to follow this stupid clothing rule, then.’

I’m about to reply when there’s a clink of a spoon against a glass.

‘Would everyone please take a seat?’ It’s Oliver.

Jeremiah follows him closely behind as they enter the room, they smile warmly at me. At least it doesn’t look as though Oliver’s going to ask me to sit next to him this time. I take a seat at the table next to Callum. Eve, the girl who seemed to be keeping an eye on Callum last time we were here sits opposite us. Plates of food are placed in front of us, again there’s no meat; I remember Oliver’s words to me about the environment when I first spoke to him. The smell of something minty reaches me from further down the table.

‘Looks like he’s gonna give another one of his speeches,’ Callum whispers, leaning into me. ‘Brace yourself.’

Oliver sits next to Jeremiah; everyone else sits near enough at the same time. It’s like they’re all in synch here and Callum and I are the odd ones out, well more me, as I’m the only one, apart from Oliver, not wearing white clothing.

‘Thank you, everyone,’ he says. He switches his gaze towards me and Callum, I look away, biting my lip. ‘I would like to take this opportunity to formally welcome Danielle and Callum. I hope you’ll both be very happy here and that you’ll become outstanding members of the community, we expect big things from the both of you. To Danielle and Callum.’ Everyone repeats his words in unison and raises their glasses of water. Eve’s eyes drift towards Callum as she speaks. A shiver races through me. What should it matter to me if she’s interested in Callum, it’s never bothered me when girls have been interested in Callum before? I can’t allow myself to get too close to Callum. ‘Please everyone help yourselves; let’s not let all of this wonderful food go cold.’

Callum lets out a slight snort, but covers it up by blowing his nose. ‘Jacket Potato, Danielle?’ he asks, in a rather posh voice.

I resist the urge to smirk. ‘Stop it,’ I say to him, feeling Oliver’s eyes on us.

‘So, Danielle, I’d be happy to show you some exercises we do here after lunch, we can practise together over in the annexe,’ Oliver says to me.

‘Sure, sounds OK, I guess. Oh, you were going to give me some items that belonged to my family.’

‘Yes, of course, why don’t we meet back in the annexe after lunch and I’ll happily show them to you.’

Show them to me, I thought he wanted to give them to me? Surely, if anything, they belong to me now.

I nod and go back to my jacket potato.  

Author Notes

Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 37
His Silence - Chapter 36

By Jacob1395

‘You sure you want to go with him back on your own?’ Callum hisses at me as we finish with lunch. Mary takes my plate from me; she lingers for a few moments, looking once over her shoulder before disappearing through the kitchen door. What does she think we’re talking about?

‘I’d watch out for her if I were you,’ I say to Callum. ‘I think she’s gonna be keeping an eye on us. It’ll be fine with Oliver though, I’ll catch you later. Try and get talking to people if you can. Ask them about life here; see if you can get anything more out of them.’ It'll be fine with Oliver; I've no idea what he even wants to do with me? 

I give him a hug and stand. Oliver’s waiting for me by the kitchen door, he’s looking at the ceiling, but I’ve a feeling he’s getting impatient with me for taking so long. I hurry after him. What sort of exercises does he want to practise with me? I think back to my earlier conversation with Mary, but there wasn’t much she gave away, other than her talking nonsense about finding your life partner.

Oliver smiles at me. ‘I promise you, Danielle, what I’m about to teach you will change your life in more ways than you can imagine.’ He totally believes what he’s saying.

We head back towards the annexe, the salty air kissing my cheeks. Oliver waves to Abraham whose back by the vegetable patch. I don’t look towards him; there’s something about him that unnerves me, I keep my gaze fixed on the path ahead. Oliver holds the door of the annexe open to me as we arrive.

‘Do you want to come through into my room?’ he asks.

I stand still for a second, replaying what he said to me over in my mind.

‘OK,’ I say.

He opens his door. His room’s a similar size to mine. In the corner to my right there’s a television. His window’s open a smidge.

‘Please sit,’ he says. He’s directing me to a plush purple armchair by the window. I sit, feeling the cool air race up my arms as I do. Oliver moves over to his bedside cabinet on the right hand side of his bed. He yanks the top drawer of the cabinet open. ‘I’ve always hoped that one day I would be able to give these back to you.’ He lifts out a small notebook and a few other items. An image slips into my mind of him sitting in here, holding my parents belongings, thinking about what happened fifteen years ago over and over again. Why couldn’t they have been kept in a safe, where no one could touch them? ‘I’m sure you’ll be interested in all of these, but this book, this was actually your mother’s diary. She kept it the nine months she was pregnant with you.’

I stare at him. This was Mum’s diary. God, what the true crime podcasters would give to get their hands on this. I take it from him, tears prickling my eyes. Mum held this book. It’s like I can almost reach out and touch her. I flick through the pages, staring at Mum’s neat, tidy handwriting. My writing’s so untidy compared to hers. I want to read it, I want to lap up everything she’s said, but I’ve a feeling I’m going to have to wait until tonight when I’m in bed, or before dinner.

‘Um, what about the other items?’ I ask, looking back at Oliver.

‘Ah, yes, this watch belonged to your father; it’s a very nice watch, a Rolex, your parents were quite well off when I first got to know them. I imagine if you choose to sell it, it might fetch you quite a bit of money.’

‘You’ve never actually told me how you met, and why you ended up living here,’ I say.

I take the watch from him, a shiver racing through me as my skin comes into contact with the cool metal. Did Dad feel a sense of pride at having saved up enough money to buy something so expensive? Years ago, I thought there was no way I would ever own anything that once belonged to Mum and Dad. They didn’t have anything at the house where they were killed, apart from a few sets of clothes. They’d only been living there for three weeks.

Oliver sits on the edge of his bed. ‘I was newly married at the time we met; we got chatting one afternoon on the promenade, they lived in Southend. But . . . a year later, my wife and I were involved in a car accident and she . . .  she didn’t make it.’ He rubs his hands together.

Did he get the scar above his eye from the accident?  I look away. ‘Oh God, Oliver I’m really sorry.’ Now I wish I hadn’t asked. I’ve always found it awkward when someone gets emotional with me.

He shakes his head. ‘It’s fine. It happened a long time ago now. But as I’ve always believed, everything happens for a reason, and although I suffered a tragedy, like you did, it led me to the path I’m now on. But your parents and I, we remained firm friends, and shortly after my wife passed away, your mother made the suggestion we live together and things grew from there. Now we’re a thriving community; I’m so proud of what we’ve all achieved together.’

‘So, you and my parents really were the founders of this place, then?’ I ask.

He nods enthusiastically. ‘Yes, Danielle, and look at what we’ve achieved and how we’ve helped everyone. And you too can achieve the same level of happiness everyone here has achieved. Now, if you’d like to, I’d like to practise these exercises which I believe Mary may have spoken to you briefly about before lunch.’

‘Um, she did, yeah,’ I say, my body tensing. He hasn’t explained yet what he wants to do. I want to take Mum’s diary back to my room and read it, I don’t want to complete whatever stupid thing he’s got lined up.

‘Firstly, I want you to focus on your breathing; can you do that for me, Danielle? I’ll shut the window, so there’s no distraction from any noise outside.’ He gets up off the bed and heads over to the window, gently shutting it. The back of my neck prickles, tension coils around my stomach. I feel like I’m being trapped in the room with him. Oliver sits back on the bed. ‘That’s better, now, focus on your breathing, in and out; close your eyes.’ I don’t want to close them, but there’s something about his voice, it’s so smooth, like honey. I’m unable to resist. I close my eyes. I sense him move closer to me, his breath tickles my nose. I shift backwards in my chair. ‘It’s OK, it’s OK,’ he says. ‘I want you to picture a place where you feel most at ease. Somewhere where you can be yourself.’ I'm in the garden, back home. Emma’s beside me, like she was the other day, sunbathing. My shoulders drop. ‘That’s it, that’s excellent, now, slowly, I want you to count backwards from ten, and I . . .’ The vision distorts. My spines pressing into the back of the cupboard. No, please. There's a scream coming from downstairs; coats are flapping in my face. ‘Danielle, Danielle.’ Oliver’s voice tries to reach me, but it’s like I’m drowning. Mum’s calling out, begging Harvey to stop. No. There are footsteps. Thump, thump, thump. Harvey’s staring at me through the gap in the wardrobe, his shirt soaked in blood.

‘No!’ My scream snaps me out of the vision. 

Author Notes

Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 38
His Silence - Chapter 37

By Jacob1395

‘Danielle, Danielle it’s OK.’ My senses return, Oliver’s warm breath on my cheek, carrying a hint of garlic from something he ate at lunch. His arm’s wrapped around me. My shirt’s drenched in sweat. The room comes back into focus, big and bold, like a camera sharpening its lens on an object. ‘Let me get you some water.’

Oliver darts into his bathroom. I hold my hand to my forehead taking in steady breaths. What the hell happened? For a moment, in my head, I was with Emma relaxing in the garden, and the next moment I was . . . I clutch the armrest tight. No, I can’t go back there. Oliver returns, handing me a glass. I take greedy long gulps of water.

‘Thanks,’ I say, gasping for air. I place the palm of my free hand onto the soft leather armrest.

‘I’m sorry,’ he says, wiping his forehead. ‘This is a trusting exercise I do with everyone when they first come here and I didn’t mean to . . . what did you see? You went as white as a sheet.’

‘I was . . . I was back in that moment, the day Harvey killed Mum and Dad. For a moment I was relaxed, I was thinking of a special place, like you told me to do, and the next thing it changed. It felt so real, like I was back there in that moment.’ Don’t think about it.

‘Have you ever had a panic attack before?’ Oliver asks.

‘Um . . . years ago, I think, when I was at school, but that was the only time.’ I think back to that day. I was ten. My teacher had given me a copy of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe to read, the moment I realised what the book was panic gripped me. I’d ended up passed out on the floor. I haven't been able to look at the book since.

‘Well I think it’s best if we stop there for now. I’ll leave you to get settled in your room, and I suggest you try and get some rest before dinner this evening. Is there anything you would like in the meantime?’ Oliver asks.

‘Um, I’d like to see Callum, and you were going to give me the Wi-Fi code.’

‘Of course,’ he says, a slight hint of hesitation to his voice. ‘The Wi-Fi box is just by my bed if you want to take a look, I’ll tell Callum you’d like to see him.’

He drifts out of the room. I head over to the Wi-Fi box near his bed, punching the code into my phone. I grab Mum’s diary and the watch Oliver gave me, and slip out of the room.

From the hallway I watch Oliver make his way up the path towards the house, hands buried in his pockets. There are a couple of people, including Abraham, working by the vegetable patch again. I dive into my room and sit on the edge of the bed. I open the diary and run my hands over Mum’s handwriting. There’s a date inscribed in the top left hand corner, 29th August 2002.

Told Oliver the news today about bean, it’s strange to think I was more nervous about telling him than anyone else. If only I could’ve recorded the look on his face. Gosh, he was so overjoyed, I was worried he might not welcome the news of us having a new little one to look after, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Actually, he’s the one who suggested I keep this diary, so, I guess that’s what I’m doing.

Bean? She must be referring to me. When Emma’s sister was pregnant with Milo and Niall she gave them nicknames while they were in the womb. I continue reading.

I’ve a feeling it’s going to be a girl. I knew straight away with Harvey that he was a boy, we didn’t ask to be told the sex when we went for the scans, so on the day of Harvey’s arrival, I looked up at Tom and told him, I told you so. Now I’ve said I’ve a feeling bean’s going to be a girl, he’s already started suggesting girl’s names. Grace is a nice one actually.

There’s a knock on my bedroom door. I flick the book shut, as the door opens, it’s Callum.      

Author Notes

Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 39
His Silence - Chapter 38

By Jacob1395

‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ Callum says, sitting on the bed beside me.

I wipe my eyes. ‘Oh, think I’m alright now, just had a mild panic attack.’

He stares at me with wide eyes. ‘A mild panic attack, you haven’t had one of them since we were at school. What caused it?’

‘Oliver . . . he did this sort of, weird exercise thing with me he said he was going to do. I . . . I could see myself back in the cupboard, the day Mum and Dad were killed. I was back there; I was physically in that space. It was so real.’ I clamp my hand to my forehead. I can’t let it get to me again. When I draw my hand away from my head I notice it’s shaking.

‘Hey, it’s OK. Nothing can hurt you, remember. You’re safe,’ he says.

‘Am I?’ I ask. ‘Perhaps you’re right; perhaps it wasn’t the right decision to come here. Do you think we should go home?’

A brief silence stretches between us.

‘That’s your decision,’ Callum says.

I stand up from the bed. ‘I’m fed up of everyone telling me this is my decision.’ I kick the bedside cabinet and hold my scrunched hands tight to the side of my head, so I can feel my knuckles pressing into my skin.

‘OK, OK.’ Callum holds out his hands. ‘Why don’t we sit tight for a couple of days? It’ll look a bit weird to our parents if we suddenly say we’re coming home, we’ll be faced with loads of questions about that, which we’ll have to try and find the answer to. Let’s try and see what we can find out first, OK. If we haven’t found anything worthwhile by the end of the week, we can make a decision then.’

I let out a steady breath and wipe my eyes. ‘Oliver did tell me how he first came to live here with my parents.’

‘Did he? Do you think he told you the truth?’ Callum asks.

‘I’m not sure, he said he’d had some sort of car accident and lost his wife. That’s how this whole thing started.’

‘Perhaps there’ll be a report about it online,’ he suggests.

‘Oh, he gave me the Wi-Fi code, don’t share this with anyone else though, he told me not to,’ I say. ‘Put your phone next to mine and I’ll share it with you.’

Callum shakes his head. ‘Phone’s still up in my room, will have to do it later. Quickly Google it now to see if you can find out anything about this accident.’

Opening Google on my phone, I try to think of the dates for when the car accident would’ve been. I was born in 2003; Harvey was born eight years earlier in 1995. So it would’ve either been in the late or mid-nineties. I type the decade, the local area and car accident into the search engine. I scroll down; nothing jumps out at me.

‘There’s nothing here,’ I say.

Callum shrugs. ‘Perhaps it wasn’t reported on back then, or the company archives didn’t hang onto it.’

‘I don’t know,’ I reply. ‘He got quite emotional about it though, so I’m inclined to believe it did happen.’

I tap my phone on my leg. What reason would Oliver have to lie to me about something like that?  

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 40
His Silence - Chapter 39

By Jacob1395

It’s seven p.m. I stare at myself in the mirror wearing Mum’s dress. It’s not the sort of dress I would ever choose to wear; I much prefer to keep things casual, I hate the thought of people looking at me if I wear something fancy. I twirl around in it once. Wearing her dress feels the same way how I felt when Oliver passed me her diary. It feels like I can reach out to the past and hug her. It’s like she’s with me here in this moment. What would Emma and Michael say if they could see me like this now?  

There’s a knock on my door, which makes me jump.

‘Danielle, its Oliver.’

I hold back a sigh. I would’ve preferred it to have been Callum. ‘OK, just a sec.’

I head over to my door and open it. I’m surprised to see Oliver standing there wearing a tuxedo. He beams at me.

‘Wow, you look stunning,’ he says, my stomach flutters. ‘You look just like your mother. It’s incredible.’ He keeps his eyes fixed on me, they turn watery, like he’s about to start crying.

My cheeks tingle. ‘Thanks.’

He coughs, as if to compose himself. ‘I knew it was the right decision to give you the dress, everyone’s going to be amazed. Would you like me to escort you to dinner?’

‘Um, OK, sure.’

How can I refuse his offer really? I look around the room to make sure everything’s as it should be and link arms with Oliver. He leads me out through the hallway and into the garden, letting me out through the door first, like a proper gentleman, Emma would say. A breeze whips through my hair; the blue sky is beginning to turn indigo. A waft of herbs, including garlic, hits me in the face as we approach the house. At least, whatever it is they’re cooking, smells alright, so far all the food I’ve had here has been remarkably good.

‘We’re having a bit of a celebration tonight to welcome you and Callum,’ Oliver explains, still clutching onto my arm tight, almost as though he’s afraid I might pull away and make a run for it. I push the thought to the back of my mind. ‘It’s not every night we get to celebrate the arrival of two new members, so we’re having a feast. Eve was the last person who we had a celebration for and that was a couple of years ago now. You and Callum are the guests of honour.’

‘Oh, great,’ I say, then I kick myself, my words sounded harsh, I should’ve said it in a more grateful way. Even now I can feel my Emma’s eyes burning into the back of my neck, like she used to do when I didn’t show enough appreciation for something someone had done for me.

We breeze into the kitchen. There’s no one standing around waiting to take stuff into the dining room. My eyes fall on all the pots and pans ready to be washed up, sitting in the sink.

As we near the living room door, excited murmurings of everyone else chatting inside reaches my ears. Oliver eases the door open. Everyone falls silent and flicks their gaze in our direction. I feel everyone’s gaze on us as we make our way to towards the head of the table. God, everyone’s going to be talking about me. I flick my gaze to the wild flowers decorating the table cloth. Callum’s sitting at the head of the table; at least I’m not going to be on my own with Jeremiah and Oliver, like I was the first night. It looks like they’ve picked out something for Callum to wear as well; his crisp white shirt is untucked at the waist and he’s wearing a dark, stripy jacket. The clothes suit him.

‘Looks like they’re really pulling all the stops out for us tonight, check out the wine, I thought Oliver said they didn’t have alcohol on the premises,’ he says to me, keeping his voice low, as I join him at the table. I eye the bottles of wine on the table. ‘Mary insisted I wear this thing. You feeling better?’

I nod. ‘Yeah a bit, think I’ll be having an early night though, my head’s still pounding.’

Oliver’s smiling as he pulls out his chair from under the table next to me. Everyone else remains standing.

‘Thank you everyone. Tonight we’re celebrating the arrival of Danielle and Callum, but it is even more special to be welcoming Danielle back into our fold this evening. I’d like you to all raise your glasses please.’ My cheeks burn, like how I felt the other week when everyone sang happy birthday to me. Callum clutches my hand and I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. There’s a hint of a smile on his lips. He’ll be resisting the urge not to laugh. ‘To Danielle and Callum.’

‘To Danielle and Callum,’ everyone replies.

‘Well, on this, rare occasion, I have made the exception that tonight, as it is a special celebration, that we can all have a glass of wine. I would urge everyone not to go mad though, some of us haven’t touched a drop for more than a decade.’ There’s a murmur of laughter. Actually I could use a drink now. I eye the bottle of white in front of me, it’s a Sauvignon Blanc, Emma’s favourite. ‘So, all I can say to everyone now is please tuck in and enjoy the evening.’

Everyone gives a round of applause, Callum and I both tentatively join in. 

‘Wine?’ Callum asks, picking up the bottle of white, once the clapping dies down. I’m glad when it does.

I nod enthusiastically. ‘Please,’ I say sitting in my seat. I pull my chair closer to the table.

‘How did you find your first day, Danielle?’ Jeremiah asks me, plunging his fork into a vegetarian sausage. ‘I heard there was a bit of a situation earlier out in the annexe, Oliver was quite concerned.’

‘Oh, it was just a mild panic attack,’ I say, taking a gulp of my wine once Callum’s finished pouring. It doesn’t look like either Oliver, or Jeremiah, are going to drink, despite everyone else helping themselves to alcohol. Even Mary’s having a glass. ‘But I’m feeling much better now.’

‘That is a real shame that happened. I can vouch for Oliver that these exercises will really help steer you onto the path to enlightenment,’ Jeremiah says. ‘They’ll make you realise things about yourself that you never thought possible before, and help you see the world in a new light.’

‘Sounds like I’ll have to have a go at this exercise thingy,’ Callum says, taking a sip of his drink. I bite my lip, feeling the laughter building inside me.

‘Oh, all in good time, Callum,’ Oliver says. ‘Like I said, everyone here masters these exercises and look at how happy everyone is. They’re so important to our daily lives here.’

My eyes drift down the table. It’s true everyone looks like they’re loving life. My eyes find a man sitting right at the other end, looking into his plate of food and I’m hit by a jolt of realisation. I remember him from my first night here, when Mary was showing me to my room. He’d looked at me with such pity in his eyes, but hadn’t said anything; it almost felt like he was trying to give me a warning. Then he’d disappeared into his room without even saying hello.

Apart from everyone else he’s the only person not chatting. I will him to look at me, but he continues to stare into his plate of food, everyone else continues to ignore him, like he isn’t even there.

‘Check out the guy at the end of the table,’ I whisper to Callum.

‘Err, OK, what about him?’ he asks.

‘It’s like he’s invisible to everyone else,’ I say.

Callum shrugs. ‘Perhaps he’s not very talkative,’ he suggests.

‘Maybe,’ I say. ‘There’s just an odd feeling I’ve got about him.’

The man picks up his water and takes a sip. His eyes keep flickering over to the living room door, it’s like he can’t wait to get out of here. I return to my meal.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 41
His Silence - Chapter 40

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

The music starts playing the moment the plates are cleared away. It’s not a song I recognise, it’s soft, classical. Well, I hardly expected Oliver to start playing Eminem or Taylor Swift. Oliver claps his hands together and stands up from his chair. Everyone stops talking. It’s like they all wait for his lead; he’s the shepherd and we’re his sheep. It’s cringe worthy.

‘Danielle, would you like to dance?’ he asks, holding out his hand to me.

Callum shifts in his seat beside me. I sink into my chair. Shit, why the hell is he asking me to dance? I can’t dance to save my life.

‘Um, OK, sure,’ I say, and take his hand. My head is giddy from the amount of wine I’ve had as I stand up, I’ve only had a couple of glasses; I haven’t gone mad.  

It isn’t long before we’re joined by other couples; Abigail’s joined us, holding the hands of the guy with the tattoo on his neck. Callum remains seated, watching me. It’s then I notice Callum’s eyes aren’t the only ones focused on us, Abraham’s are as well. He’s leaning his arm on the back of his chair, staring at us with a hint of a smile on his face. Why does he give me such creepy vibes? I focus on Oliver.

‘I would like to try the exercise again with you tomorrow, if you’re feeling up to it,’ he says, as we gradually waltz to the music. I’m letting Oliver lead; he’s definitely had some dancing lessons in his time. His steps are in perfect time to the music, I feel hopeless. ‘But of course if you don’t feel ready I’ll be happy to wait a few more days.’

I shake my head. ‘No, tomorrow will be OK, at least I sort of know what to expect, so hopefully I won’t go down that same dark path.’

He beams at me. ‘That’s excellent, Danielle. That’s exactly what I’d hoped you would say, and I’m certain that won’t happen again. It will be a beautiful experience for the both of us, I can assure you.’  

‘How long did it take everyone else to learn how to . . . how to complete the exercise?’ I ask Oliver, a lump bobbing in my throat.

We continue to dance in time to the music. ‘Oh, well of course everyone is different, some take longer than others, but you need not feel ashamed at all, Danielle. You’ve suffered horrors in your past that people here can scarcely imagine. Perhaps it was wrong of me to start today, but I’m glad you’re feeling up to it again.’

‘I am,’ I say, half smiling. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the man I saw at the end of the table, not talking to anyone else, get up. He takes his empty wine glass into the kitchen. ‘Actually, Oliver I really need the loo, do you mind if I?’

‘Of course not, Danielle.’

‘Thanks.’

He releases me from his grip and I head in the direction of the kitchen. Callum frowns at me, but I don’t look back.

I push the kitchen door open and scan the room frantically. The man isn’t here. There’s a squeak which makes me spin round, but it’s the kitchen door, the one leading out to the garden, flapping on its hinges, like someone’s just shut it. I dart over to it and step out into the cool night air, looking over my shoulder to make sure Oliver hasn’t followed me. I know I won’t have long. I’m pretty certain Oliver will send someone after me, if he thinks I’ve been gone for too long, or he’ll come after me himself. The thought sends a shiver racing through me. I spot the man standing over by the vegetable patch, looking towards the sky, as though he’s lost in thought.

‘Hey, hey,’ I say, sprinting over to him.

He looks at me, eyes wide. ‘What are you doing?’ he asks, keeping his voice low. From where we’re standing by the vegetable patch I can hear the music playing from inside the dining room.

‘I . . . I wanted to talk to you,’ I say, my words coming out fast.

He shakes his head, and holds his hands out in front of him. ‘No, you need to go back inside now, before you’re missed.’ He can’t look me in the eye. It’s like he’s looking over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching us.

‘Please,’ I insist, stepping closer to him, my shoes squelching in the soft grass. ‘You’re the only one who doesn’t appear to be head over heels in love with Oliver and this place, whatever it is. I want to know why?’

His breath mists out in front of him. His dark eyes fix on mine.

‘You need to be really careful, Danielle,’ he says.

‘Why?’

‘Because . . . because your parents left here for a reason.’

I shake my head. ‘But you must know why they left, don’t just say that to me and say nothing else. That’s not fair.’

‘You need to get out of here while you still can, Danielle. The longer you stay, they . . . they won’t let you leave,’ he hisses at me. ‘They’ll go after everyone you love if you try to defy them.’

A shudder pulses through me.

‘Who do you mean?’ I ask. ‘Do you mean Oliver and Jeremiah?’

He backs away. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have –'

‘Look, I’m not leaving until I find out why my family left.’

He shakes his head. ‘You’re making a mistake,’ he replies. 'You should've learned from what happened to your brother.'

I stare at him, it feels like I've been punched in the gut. 'What do you mean?'

He shakes his head. 'Your brother signed his life away, when he . . .' he breaks off. 'He's . . .'

My heart slams against my chest. I think of what happened between me and Oliver earlier today. Shit could he have . . . could he have done smething similar to Harvey? ‘Is . . . is my brother innocent?’

The man disappears into the darkness. I want to follow him, but something compels me to stop. I didn’t even get his name. How can he just leave me standing here like this? Holding my hand to my forehead I make my way back into the dining room, yawning as I step back inside. Callum’s waiting for me by the kitchen door.

‘Who was that you went after?’ Callum asks.

Oh shit, if Callum noticed perhaps Oliver did as well. I glance in Oliver’s direction, but he’s deep in conversation with Jeremiah. People are still dancing.

‘Oh, no one . . . I just wanted to speak to him,’ I say.

I head back over to my seat, half stumbling as I head towards it.

‘Danielle, are you OK?’ Callum asks.

‘Fine, fine, just need to sit down.’

Oliver’s watching me. My body feels sluggish. It’s like the signals my brain’s trying to send, aren’t working properly. My eyes droop. No, no, I can’t collapse. Not like earlier today.

‘Danielle.’ Oliver’s voice comes out on a long, slow drawl. He’s standing up. A few more people have glanced in my direction with concerned expressions on their faces.

I don’t have the chance to reply, before my head hits the table. I pass out.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 42
His Silence - Chapter 41

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

There’s a bitter taste in my mouth when my eyes flutter open. The sun’s blazing through the window ahead of me, warming my face. For a moment I panic, I grip the bedsheets and bang my head on the headboard as I pull myself up, then I remember where I am. Mum’s dress I wore last night, is hanging from the handle on the wardrobe to my left. The last thing I remember is hitting my head on the table at dinner and passing out. What the hell happened to me? Who brought me back here and got me out of my clothes? My phone’s lying on my bedside cabinet, I pick it up, it’s just gone nine a.m. Shit, there are several texts from Emma, I forgot to text her yesterday.

Hope flight was alright?

How’s the hotel?

I know you’re probably tired but text me as soon as you see this. You’re making me worried xx

Heart thudding I type a reply out to Emma and press send.

All good, sorry was absolutely shattered when we landed. Forgot to text.

Flinging off my covers, I dive into the bathroom. There’s no way I want to stay here for the full three months I was planning to. I want to find out the answers I need and leave.

When I leave my bedroom, I notice Oliver’s bedroom door is shut. I consider knocking, but decide against it, the last thing I want right now is to get into a conversation with him.

I trudge up the pathway towards the house. Even though I’m not planning on staying here long term, it still feels weird not being asked to do anything to help out. They obviously didn’t want me to help out with breakfast; otherwise someone would’ve come and woken me up.

‘Ah you’re awake.’ It’s Mary who greets me when I open the kitchen door, making me jump. ‘Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to startle you. How are you feeling? You gave us all a bit of scare last night.’

‘I’m fine. What happened last night?’ I ask, unable to stop myself from rubbing my forehead.

The door connecting the kitchen and the dining room creaks open. The man I spoke to, before I passed out, walks through, carrying a bowl. His eyes meet mine for a brief second, and then he turns his gaze away. There’s no way I can question him, not with Mary standing here. I’m certain whatever we discuss she’ll tell Jeremiah and Oliver about it. He doesn’t make eye contact with me again as he heads out of the room and into the hallway.

‘You had a bit of a funny turn,’ Mary says, concern in her voice. She’s appraising me like a school nurse does, checking me over for any signs I might still be unwell. ‘Oliver carried you back and I got you all sorted for bed, I hope you don’t mind.’

‘No, no, it’s fine,’ I say, the back of my neck prickling. God the thought of Oliver carrying me back makes me feel sick. I would’ve preferred it if it had been Callum, but something tells me Oliver would’ve dismissed that idea. ‘I’m just going to grab some breakfast.’

‘I’ll see you later, Danielle,’ Mary says, still fixing me with a concerned stare.

I enter the dining room, rubbing my arms. Oliver and Jeremiah are both sitting at the head of the table, talking quietly to each other. My stomach sinks. Perhaps I should grab something to eat and take it back to the annexe.

‘Danielle,’ Oliver says waving his hand. Can’t he just allow me to have some toast in peace? ‘Please join me; I hope you’re feeling better.’

My eyes flick around the room. Where’s Callum? I thought he would’ve wanted to have waited around for me. He must be upstairs.

‘Erm yeah, I am, thanks. Mary just told me that you carried me back last night after I collapsed,’ I say. I shuffle over towards him, and sit beside him.

‘I’ll sort you something out,’ Oliver says, picking up some toast and the butter. He begins to scrape it onto the bread. The wild flowers that decorated the table last night are still strewn across the table cloth. ‘You gave us all a bit of scare last night when you passed out like that.’

‘Think I scared myself, perhaps I still wasn’t quite recovered from what happened earlier on,’ I say, laughing slightly.

Oliver places a plate of toast in front of me. I can’t stomach the thought of eating, but there’s no way I want to pass out again. I need to eat something to keep my strength up if I’m going to get through the day.

‘Perhaps, coming back here, has stirred up some old memories that you may thought you had forgotten. I should’ve foreseen that,’ he says sitting back in his seat. ‘But that’s something we can work on in our sessions together.’

I take a bite of my toast, it’s not quite well done enough for my liking, but I continue to eat it anyway. There’s no way I’m going to say that to Oliver. ‘Honestly I think yesterday was just a bit overwhelming for me, but I’m glad I’m here Oliver, I really am, and I want to be an active member of the community.’

He nods. ‘I understand, Danielle. But I think to truly help you move on from your past, I think you need to choose a new name, like everyone else here has.’

Nausea skitters through me. Except you, I think to myself. ‘I hadn’t thought of changing my name,’ I say softly.

‘I think it would really help you, Danielle. You could, if I might suggest, go back to the name your birth parents gave you when you were born, Grace. I think it suits you much better than Danielle.’

I shift in my seat. He wants me to agree to it now; I can see it in his eyes. My stomach squirms. I don’t want to change my name; I like the name I have. I swallow. It’s like he’s trying to claim ownership of me. ‘If you think that’s the best thing,’ I say.

He smiles at me. ‘I really do, Grace,’ he says. Shit he’s already using my old name, I’m going to have to get used to this, I don’t think he’s going to give me much of a choice. ‘Also, I know we talked about having another session today, but I’d just like you to take things easy. I get you might be keen to become more integrated with what we do here, but we can start to look at ways at how you can help out in the coming days. Is that OK?’

‘Sure.’ I take another bite of toast. A headache’s beginning to form now. I think back to my conversation with the man last night, I can’t believe I still don’t even know his name. Should I ask Oliver? I decide against it, I don’t want Oliver getting suspicious. At least, so far, Oliver hasn’t asked me what I really got up to last night, when I left the table, so at least that’s something.

But if Callum noticed I’d followed him outside, surely Oliver must’ve as well?

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 43
His Silence - Chapter 42

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

I find Callum out in the hallway when I finish breakfast; he’s putting his shoes on by the front door. He has his back to me.

‘Where are you going?’ I ask, stepping forward. Why’s he not come to find me? Whenever something bad happened at school, and I was bullied a lot, Callum was always the first person to seek me out, and he knew exactly where to find me. We’d sat many afternoons in the janitor’s closet, knees scrunched into our chests calling Lesley Watkins all the names we could think of under the sun. Callum always wanted to go and talk to her, but I forbad it, fearing it would only make the situation worse. Then we’d sit there and talk about our dreams for the future. I was going to go and work for NASA, or the European Space Agency; of course that dream fizzled away when I spotted the amount of qualifications I needed.

He turns around. ‘They want me to help out with getting some shopping in town,’ he says. That’s something I could’ve helped with, if Oliver hadn’t said to me to take it easy today. He didn’t even mention it. ‘There are a few of us going. Are you OK after what happened last night?’ He stands up.  

‘Yes, fine, perhaps it was just the dancing with Oliver that made me dizzy, as well as the two glasses of wine I had.’ There are murmurings from people getting ready upstairs. Shit they’ll be down here in a moment. I won’t have time to talk to Callum. ‘Have you got a sec?’

He looks up the stairs. I spot someone head into the bathroom, the lock clicks, it was Eve. I still haven’t been properly introduced to her. I bet she’s had a few words with Callum already.

‘Think I’ve got a few minutes,’ he says.

‘C’mon,’ I say, and open the front door.

He follows me outside, at least there’s no one here. There’s a cool breeze today. Above me a seagull squawks.

‘That guy who I spoke to last night, the one who you saw me follow, he warned me about staying here.’ I keep my voice low. I can’t shake off the feeling that where ever I go someone’s watching me. Looking up at the house, I find the room where I stayed in the first night, the room Callum’s in now. There doesn’t appear to be anyone looking out.

Callum puffs his cheeks out. ‘Well, I warned you about staying here, but you didn’t seem to want to listen to me, did you?’

God, he’s never spoken to me in that way before. Ignore it. ‘The thing is, Callum, he said they won’t allow us to leave, and by that I assume he means Jeremiah and Oliver.’

‘Well, I pretty much gathered that from the moment we came to this place,’ he says. ‘I think Oliver likes being the man in charge of everything here, and if things don’t go his way, well, I can imagine the fallout isn’t pretty.’

Why is he being like this with me? I try my best not to show my emotions in my face, but the tension in my cheeks is making them ache.

‘Look, Callum, it was like he wanted to tell me something, but he was afraid to. He told me my parents left here for a reason, and that I’d made a mistake in coming back, I need to know what he meant by that. If he’s going with you to the shops, can you see if you can speak to him?’

Callum glances towards the door. ‘Well Mary’s coming with us, so I think she’s going to be keeping her eyes on me all day, so it might be difficult, but yeah I’ll try.’

‘Thank you, Callum, I promise you I will make it up to you.’ The front door open, a few others slip out, there’s about five. Abraham, and the man I spoke to last night emerge; Abraham’s walking in front of him. God I don’t want to hang around here any longer. ‘I’m gonna head back to the annexe, I’ll see you later. Oh by the way, Oliver thought it might be a good idea if I have a new name.’

‘What?’ Callum asks, raising an eyebrow.

‘He’s actually suggesting the name my birth parents gave me, Grace. So if you hear people calling me by that name, that’s why, you’re not going mad.’

Callum opens his mouth to say something but stops himself.

‘Ah, Grace, I hope you’re feeling well this morning?’

I turn around, Mary’s striding towards us, the features on her face pinched tight. Damn, Oliver must have already spoken to her about what we’d discussed.

‘Yes, fine thanks, I see you’re all off to the shops?’ I reply. 

‘Yes indeed,’ Mary says. ‘It’s good of Callum to come and give us a hand as well. I suspect you’ll want to rest up today after yesterday, won’t you? Let’s leave Grace in peace shall we, Callum?’

Callum’s staring at me with wide, bemused eyes. ‘Enjoy your day . . . Grace,’ he says, with a hint of a smirk.

They all climb into the mini bus. There’s about six of them, surely they don’t need that many people to go to the shops. Callum’s sitting beside the bloke I spoke to last night; at least it looks like he’s trying to help. Mary’s the one who’s driving. It looks so strange seeing everyone sitting inside the bus, all of them wearing the same clothing.

I wave as they pass; Callum doesn’t wave back.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 44
His Silence - Chapter 43

By Jacob1395

The moment the minibus leaves I run back into the house. Jeremiah and Oliver are both still talking in the dining room. Mary might’ve spotted Callum and I speaking from the window. There’s no way she would’ve been able to have worked out what we were talking about though. Could she have bugged either of us?  I shake the thought out of my head, and then I think of Oliver carrying me back to my room last night, and her getting me out of the clothes. It would’ve given her ample enough time and the perfect opportunity to place a bug on me. Stop thinking about it, I would’ve noticed if they had.

I enter the kitchen. A young couple, they can’t be much older than me are at the sink, washing up. I recognise the woman I spoke to yesterday; her curly red hair makes me realise who she is. Abigail, I’m sure she said her name was. God, it’s going to be hard remembering the names of everyone here, it took me ages to get everyone’s name who I work with right.

‘Oh, Grace.’ Damn, they must have some sort of secret WhatsApp group Callum and I aren’t a part of yet. Or if not, once Mary has hold of something from Oliver and Jeremiah, it spreads around the house like wildfire. I turn around. ‘There’s a fresh pot of coffee on the table. Help yourself.’

‘Thanks, but I’m just heading back out to the annexe,’ I say, inching closer to the door.

‘Oh, you haven’t been introduced to my partner. This is Isaac,’ she says.

The man with the tattoo on his neck looks over his shoulder, hands still submerged in soapy water. Now I can make out the tattoo is of a raven. ‘I’ve been meaning to say hi to you, Grace. I hoped to catch you last night at dinner, but . . .’

Abigail glares at him. ‘It wasn’t Grace’s fault she passed out.’    

‘I wasn’t suggesting that in the slightest,’ Isaac replies, the water in the sink sloshing over the side.

The features on Abigail’s face tighten. Were they discussing me before I came in? Did Isaac think I’d faked passing out last night?

‘Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Isaac, I’m sure we’ll have a chance to have a proper conversation at some point soon. D’you mind if I head off, I just want to freshen myself up after breakfast?’ I say.

‘Of course, and Grace, when you’re ready come and talk to me, yes,’ Abigail says. It doesn’t sound like an invitation, more like a command. ‘I’d love to have a moment of your time.’

Danielle, my name is Danielle. I repeat the words over and over in my mind. I won’t let them take my identity away.

‘Um, sure, yep, I’ll come and find you.’

‘See you soon,’ she says, waving.

I feel as though I’ve been holding in my breath when I step outside into the garden. I was only in the kitchen with them for a few moments, but God it felt awkward. I race to the annexe, keen to get back there before Oliver does.

I fling open the door and step into the hallway. Silence greets me. He’s not here. Heart thudding I turn to his door. He can’t be here.

‘Oliver,’ I say, unable to stop my voice from shaking.

There’s no reply. He’s not here. I glance up the path through the window in the door. He’s not coming.

I reach my hand out, and push open Oliver’s bedroom door.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 45
His Silence - Chapter 44

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

I don’t know what it is I’m hoping to find. I need to be quick. I dive round to the right hand side of his bed, approaching the purple bedside cabinet, my heart banging like a crazed prisoner fighting to get out of their cage. The Wi-Fi box is glowing green, sitting against the wall. Don’t mess anything up. You’ve got to leave everything the way you found it. I yank open the drawer. Shit, it’s empty. I pull open the second one at the bottom; it’s empty too. I edge around to the other side of the bed and check the drawers of the cabinet there. It’s the same result. I stare at the bed. It could be one of those ottoman ones that lift up. Emma and Michael store all the Christmas decorations underneath their bed at home, Emma said it makes it easier than storing everything in the loft, especially as they’re getting older.

I’m not going to have enough time to check under his bed. I take a step forward; the sound of footsteps on gravel reaches me. It’s Oliver. He’s coming back down the path. The way how he’s walking makes it seem as though he’s forgotten something and he’s running back to get it. If he sees me, what the hell am I going to say to him? He’s going to know I’ve been in his room if I leave now, he’ll see me coming out. I eye the wardrobe, a lump wedges in my throat. No I can’t. The door to the annexe squeaks open. I have no choice; I fling open the wardrobe door and dive inside, carefully shutting the door behind me.

I clamp my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound of my breathing. He’s in the room, he’s moving stuff about, there’s a thud as something hits the floor. Dizziness sweeps through me. No, I will not pass out. Not in here. He might only be in his room for a few moments. There’s a creaking sound, he’s got onto the bed. What’s he doing? I have to resist the urge to open the wardrobe door a smidge to have a look. A vision flashes in my mind of me peeking out of the wardrobe years ago and seeing Harvey, his shirt stained with blood.

‘I know you’re there, Grace.’ The soft tone of Oliver’s voice fills me with absolute dread. No. How could he have seen me? He hadn’t looked in the direction of the room while I was coming down the path. ‘Why don’t you come out and we can have a little chat?’

If he knows I’m here why doesn’t he just open the wardrobe doors himself? I ease the door open. He’s lying on the bed, holding his hands behind his head.

‘I’m sorry, Oliver, I . . .’

‘It’s quite alright, Grace. Sit down; we can have a nice chat.’

I do as he says and edge over to the armchair by the window. I don’t have a choice.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 46
His Silence - Chapter 45

By Jacob1395

‘Would you like to explain to me why you were hiding in my wardrobe?’ he asks, still not changing his position on the bed. It’s like he’s trying to pretend he’s not bothered by me being here, the tone of his voice is enough to send a shiver racing up my spine.

I squirm in my seat. There must be a camera in here somewhere, or perhaps there’s one outside in the hallway. He must’ve seen me come in, that’s why he marched over here with such purpose. He already knew I was here. But there’s nothing that looks like it could be a camera. Why didn’t I think of that before I came in?

‘I don’t know, I . . . I sort of made an impulsive decision,’ I reply. ‘I’m sorry, Oliver. I really am.’

‘OK, it’s just, by you hiding like that in the wardrobe, well, it implies you were snooping around, and I must tell you, Grace, no one comes into my room uninvited. No one.’

There it is a slight hint of anger to his voice. I shudder. ‘I’m sorry, I thought I.’ Think, think, think. ‘I wanted to see if perhaps you had any more items that belonged to my parents.’

Oliver stares at me, his chest rising and falling. ‘You do realise you could’ve asked me, Grace.’

That name again. He must’ve noticed the reaction in my face when he first suggested changing my name. My name’s Danielle. I don’t care if Grace was the name my parents gave me; I barely have any memories of anyone calling me Grace.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking, I just.’ The tears come at the right time. I allow them to flow.

Oliver sighs. ‘It seems you still don’t trust me. You need to understand, Grace, we have your best interests at heart here.'

‘I do trust you, Oliver, it’s just.’ Please don’t let my expressions betray me. Not now. ‘You don’t know how it made me feel when you gave me Mum’s diary and her dress; I’ve never owned anything that belonged to them.’

‘I’m sorry, Grace, but that’s all I have that belonged to your family. I don’t encourage members here to keep material goods. Material goods aren’t needed in this world for us to survive. In fact, I believe the world would be a much better place without them, don’t you think?’

Except you have a television, Wi-Fi and God knows what else in your room, I want to say. He’s staring at me, expecting my answer. ‘Um, yes,’ I reply.

‘I’m glad you agree,’ he says. He rubs the bridge of his nose. ‘Why don’t you get some rest, Grace? I can see you’re still upset after what happened yesterday. We won’t speak of this again, but if you are found to be in here at any future date, I’m afraid I will have to punish you. Is that understood?’

Punish me. His words taunt me at the back of my mind. I feel like I’m a child who’s been told to go and sit on the naughty step.

‘Yes, I understand.’ I resist the urge to bite my lip. I want to get out of here.

‘Go on, I’ll speak to you later,’ he eventually says, making my body sigh with relief.

I dive out of the room, wiping my eyes as I step back out into the hallway. No one’s ever been able to put the fear of God in me like the way Oliver just has, not Emma or Michael, or any of my teachers. The only time I felt fear anywhere close, was fifteen years ago when I was back in the wardrobe, and Harvey was downstairs killing my parents. I yank open my bedroom door, slam it shut and dive onto my bed, burying my face in the pillows.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 47
His Silence - Chapter 46

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

It’s another hour before Callum gets back. Oliver must realise why I was in his room; I’m not sure he quite bought my explanation it was because I wanted to see if he had any more items belonging to my family. If I’d had more time, I would’ve been able to have thought of a better excuse.

The minibus pulls back in through the gate; I watch it bounce through the same potholes Callum and I did. Mary drives it up the rest of the drive and swings it into the space beside Callum’s car. Has Mary spoken to Callum at all about getting rid of his car? No one else here appears to have one.

‘Let me help,’ I say, hurrying over to the van as Mary climbs out of the driver’s seat.

‘Oh, thank you, Grace, but there’s really no need,’ she says, flicking her dark hair over her shoulders.  

I shake my head. ‘It’s fine, I want to. I need to have something to do otherwise I’m going to end up going crazy.’

‘Well, the shopping’s all in the back, I’ll just get the door open,’ Mary says, brushing what looks like crumbs off of her seat.

The passenger door swings open, everyone else begins to pile out. I dart over to Callum.

‘How did it go?’ I ask looking over my shoulder to make sure Mary isn’t watching us.

He shakes his head. ‘It was strange, people seemed to know who we were; they gave us weird looks, there were a couple of teenagers who shouted things at us, it wasn’t pleasant.’

‘Did anyone confront them?’

‘Nah, everyone pretty much stuck to the tasks they had. Mary told me to ignore them.’

‘Callum.’ A voice reaches me from behind. I turn around, Eve’s striding over to us carrying two shopping bags. ‘Would you mind taking one of these?’ she says.

‘Course,’ he says, taking one. A wave of jealousy pulses through me. ‘Think it’s best if we chat later,’ he whispers to me and hurries into the house. 

‘How’s things, Grace? I thought earlier I haven’t been properly introduced to you yet,’ Eve says with a bright smile, once Callum's left us. God she’s a lot more confident than I imagined her to be. I expected her to be quite quiet and nervous.

‘Um yes fine, I’ve been meaning to come and speak to you actually, Oliver’s spoken a lot about you.’

Her face brightens. ‘Has he? It must be because we’re a similar age; I was twenty-seven in February. Callum’s great, isn’t he, I remember what you said when you first came here, about him being there for you since you were ten. You aren’t . . . you aren’t together, are you?’

God she really does fancy him. ‘No we’re not, we’re friends. He’s more of a brother to me,' I reply.      

She beams at me. ‘Oh, that’s great, Oliver keeps telling us how we’ll find our one true soulmate and I . . .’ she breaks off, I shift on my feet. ‘Anyway, listen to me, I’m rambling. I’ll catch you later, Grace.’

I breathe a sigh of relief when she enters the house, following Mary. God that was awkward, I’ve never had a conversation with any girl who’s fancied Callum before.

I grab a couple of bags that have been dumped on the driveway and hurry them through into the house, leaving them on the kitchen table. I flick my gaze around the room and dart outside. Callum’s out in the garden. At least it looks like he’s got out of helping everyone else put all the stuff away.

‘Got a sec?’ I ask. He nods; I drag him round to the side of the house. Thank God Abraham isn’t lingering around the vegetable patch like he normally is. ‘So, how did it go with you know, with the guy I spoke to last night?’

‘Well, I managed to get his name out of him for a start; it’s Noah,’ Callum says. ‘Another religious name, but he’s a pretty closed book I’m afraid. Every time I sort of tried to make any sort of conversation with him, he shut me down. He didn’t even try to speak to anyone else, but no one else tried to converse with him either.’

‘Shit,’ I say. ‘That’s like how they were all with him last night at dinner. There must be something he knows, there’s got to be –’ Voices reach my ears, the back of my neck prickles. Glancing over my shoulder, I spot Jeremiah and Mary walking towards us, hands buried in their pockets as they stride our way. There’s no other way for us to go. Ahead of us, to our left, are thick prickly brambles with purple thistles poking through, a strong stench of pollen hits me. If we were on the other side of the house, we would’ve been able to have escaped onto the driveway. ‘Just act natural.’

I make my way out back into the main garden area, my nose tingling from the pollen; Callum follows me.

‘Grace, Callum,’ Mary says, as she spots us, stopping in her tracks, I have a feeling she already knew we were here. ‘I thought you were helping out with the shopping in the kitchen.’ There’s a trickle of ice in her voice.

Jeremiah’s staring straight at me, he mutters something but I can’t quite work out what he’s said.

‘We were, we just wanted to grab some air quickly,’ I say. I have to force myself to keep looking at her in the eye.

‘OK,’ she says, her eyes flickering from me, to Callum standing behind me. ‘Why don’t you go and see if they need any more help? I’m sure they could use an extra pair of hands.’

‘Um, yes, of course, Mary.’

I dart in the direction of the kitchen with Callum following me closely behind. I run my tongue around my dry mouth. At least it didn’t seem as though Mary heard what we were discussing.  

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 48
His Silence - Chapter 47

By Jacob1395

Callum and I don’t get another chance to speak to each other for the rest of the afternoon. Every time I think we might be able to snatch a few moments, Mary appears. It seems she’s finally willing to give me plenty of stuff to do, at the expense of spending time with Callum.

Eve’s kneeling on the floor in front of me, shovelling laundry into the washing machine in the utility room. Eve wouldn’t have been my first choice of person to help out, but Mary insisted.

‘Oliver said you came here a couple of years ago,’ I say to Eve, picking up a cream towel that missed the washing machine as Eve was loading it, in an effort to make conversation.

‘That’s right,’ she says, smiling back at me, taking the towel from me and flinging it into the washing machine. ‘I was so lost before I came here, so lonely, I’d never experienced what it was like to be part of a big family before and everyone here they . . . they made me feel so welcome, particularly, Oliver. Believe it or not I’m jealous you’re getting to spend so much time with him, I’m sure everyone is. You’re so lucky.’ She smiles at me.

I shudder as I think back to earlier, to him finding me in his room and warning me not to go in there uninvited again.

‘How often d’you get to see your parents though?’ I ask.

Eve chucks a laundry capsule into the washing machine and flings the door shut. She flicks the dial round and makes sure it’s running. ‘I don’t see my parents,’ she replies. The tone in her voice has darkened. She gets up from her crouched position.

‘What d’you mean?’ I ask, stepping out of the way as she brushes past me, carrying the empty basket, balancing it against her hip.

She spins around. ‘My parents held me back for years, Grace. They . . .’ she wipes her eye. I wasn’t expecting this.

I step forward. ‘Eve, you don’t have to tell me anything, if you don’t want to.’

‘My parents forced me out,’ she says, emotion trickling into her voice. ‘I was . . . I was . . . I begged them for help, I tried to make them see what they were doing was wrong, but they. I ended up . . . I ended up on the streets. For days I slept in doorways. People would say nasty things to me when they passed; they’d call me low life, scum; there were only a couple of people who actually gave me any money. There was one night though, when I was lying in a doorway of a shop, after closing time, and these boy’s came up to me. They were drunk, high on drugs, or whatever, but they . . . I thought they were going to.’ She holds her hand over mouth and takes in a deep breath. ‘That’s when Oliver found me. If he hadn’t been there at that moment, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. He saved me and brought me here. He told me I could stay for as long as I liked and eventually, after a couple of weeks, I realised I didn’t want to leave. Well, where was there for me to go back to, I can’t go back to my parents. This is my home now. I don’t need anyone else.’

I process everything she’s said to me. I suddenly hate myself for feeling the way I’ve felt about her in the past couple of days.

‘I’m so sorry, Eve,’ I say.

She shakes her head. ‘There’s no need to be sorry. Everything worked out for the best in the end,’ she says.

I think of Oliver. What would he have been doing hanging around in town at that time of day anyway? Was he on his own, or were Jeremiah or Mary with him? I want to ask Eve, but I don’t want to make things even more awkward for her. Perhaps the reason she likes Callum is because I told everyone what a good friend he’s been to me.  

‘I’m sorry for putting you on the spot, Eve, but does anyone here have any family visiting them at all?’

It seems to take an age for her to respond. ‘Grace, we’re your family now. You don’t need anyone else.’

She takes hold of my hand. The emotion in her voice has been replaced by something fierce.

‘But, surely there are some people who would like to still remain in touch with their parents. I know your situation is different, but . . .’

‘Grace, you’ll learn from Oliver, in due course, that we don’t need anyone else. Right, that’s the laundry done. C’mon, I’m sure Mary will be able to find us something out to do.’

She breezes out of the utility and into the kitchen, now buzzing with people preparing lunch. I shake my head and follow her.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 49
His Silence - Chapter 48

By Jacob1395

I manage to grab half an hour to myself after lunch. I’ve no idea where Callum is; actually I’ve no idea where Eve’s got to as well, it seems she wasn’t too keen on working with me after our conversation in the utility room earlier. They must be together. I head back to the annexe, sprinting down the path to avoid being stopped by anyone else.

I pull open my bedroom door and fling it shut. Mum’s diary is sitting on my bedside cabinet; I haven’t had a chance to have a read of it since yesterday. I pick it up, clutching it tight. It’s impossible to believe Mum held this and wrote in it near enough every day.

Opening the flap, I turn to the next entry.

            9th September 2002

            Spoke to Oliver today about Bean’s education.  I know it’s a few months off yet before I’m due to give birth, but it’s been playing on my mind. Harvey’s never been to school, I think if we were to introduce him to one now it would upend him, there’s no way he would be able to fit in with everyone else, and I’m fearful for him if we did try. But with Bean, there’s a chance. Oliver keeps going on about how special Bean will be, the first child to be born here, the first person to be assimilated into our community from birth.

I read Mum’s words over again, her last line making me shiver. Mum’s making it sound like I was something awaited for a long time. It’s the first entry where Harvey’s been mentioned. So I’d been right about my education, we must’ve been home schooled. After I was born, Mum’s desire to send me to school must’ve been overruled, but by who, Oliver? I’ve no doubt he would’ve wanted to keep me secluded here, away from outside influence.

Oliver’s words about his wife from yesterday filter through into my mind. There’s got to be something about what happened somewhere online. I open my Gmail account, and my last message to Max. Perhaps Max can help me, if anything this could be something he could look into, that’s his expertise. I begin to type out a message. He would’ve been thinking the Zoom call was the last he would hear from me.

            From: Danielle Olsen

            To: Max Hardy

            Date: 15 June 2024 at 14:15

            Subject: Oliver Adams

            Hey Max,

            I hope you’re well. I was wondering if you could do something for me. There’s a person called Oliver Adams, who I need to find more information about and I was wondering if you could see if you could find something out for me, you might have more knowledge of where to look than I do. I know what you said about people threatening you the last time you looked into my family’s case, but you could do this discreetly, can’t you?

I press send. There’s no point giving Max any more information until he comes back to me. I’m still reading the message I sent to him when there’s a knock on my door which makes me jump. I shut my phone down.

‘Danielle, are you in there?’

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 50
His Silence - Chapter 49

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

I open my bedroom door. Abigail’s standing there, two mugs of tea in her hands. She gives me a warm smile. I don’t know why but she sort of reminds me of Emma’s sister. Whenever I was feeling upset or angry at all, and I didn’t want to talk to Emma, when I was in my early teens, I’d always ring her; we always had such a close relationship when I was growing up. It altered slightly when she had Milo and Niall; she didn’t have as much time for me as she once had. It used to make me jealous of my cousins, it made me feel like they were taking her away from me.

‘Hi, Grace, I hope you don’t mind me popping by like this, but I thought I’d just come over for a quick chat.’

‘Oh, sorry, I completely forgot you’d asked me to come and see you.’

‘That’s quite alright; I know Mary gave you a few tasks to do. Do you mind if I come in, I brought you a cup of tea? I wasn’t sure if you had sugar or not so I just did it without to be safe.’ She holds a mug with painted gold stars out to me.

‘That’s fine, I don’t take sugar anyway,’ I say, stepping back. I place my phone face down on the bedside cabinet, just in case Max replies to me while Abigail’s in the room, I can’t risk her seeing it. ‘Um, I guess you may as well sit on the bed.’

Abigail beams and does as I suggest, handing me the mug she’s brought with her.

‘You and Eve seem to be getting on well,’ she says as we both sit on the edge of the bed, I hold the palm of my hand over my tea as we sit to avoid spilling it.

I nod. ‘Oh, yeah, we had a good chat when we were doing the laundry earlier. She . . . she told me about how she found this place.’ And then she didn’t seem to want anything to do with me.

Abigail shakes her head. ‘Yes, it’s such a sad story, but at least it’s one with a happy ending. There are so many people in the world, who go through the same struggles, who don’t have that. Since Eve joined she’s become a real asset here, she’s so helpful, and will do anything for anyone, you don’t have to even ask, it’s like she already knows what you want to ask her. Mary and I sort of took her under our wing when she first joined and since then she’s flourished. When she first came here she was such a quiet thing, I’m so pleased with the way how she’s developed.’ Abigail sips her tea, and crosses her legs. ‘Anyway, it was actually Eve who I wanted to speak to you about.’

I stare at her. ‘Um . . . OK,’ I say. ‘Why do you want to speak to me about Eve?’

‘I wanted to talk to you specifically about Eve and Callum,’ she says.

Heat races into my cheeks. Eve and Callum, what the hell? ‘OK, why?’

She smiles at me. ‘I’ve not been the only one to notice Eve’s attraction to Callum and it’s clear to see why; he’s very good looking, and not only that, he’s kind and compassionate, which is a real rarity today, even rarer in men. I know you’ve said you’re not in a relationship, and that you look at Callum as more of a brother, if anything, but I was wondering if you might want to speak to him, and encourage him, to spend more time with Eve. Do you think you would be able to do that for me?’

I stare at her. God, she’s asking me to help put Callum and Eve together. I hold onto my tea tighter, I feel as though I’ve slipped into a dream. ‘I . . . I’ve no idea if he feels the same way about Eve as she feels about him.’ My phone buzzes on my bedside cabinet, making my flinch, Abigail appears not to have noticed, or at the very least she’s not bothered by it. It’s got to be Max replying to my message.

‘That’s why we need to let this spark between them grow,’ Abigail says. ‘When I first came here, I didn’t feel anything for Isaac, and I’m guessing he felt the same about me, but with time, and as we were encouraged, more and more, to spend time with each other, a bond between us deepened, and now I’m so glad I’ve found him. Oliver was instrumental back then in helping our relationship grow and we’ll be forever thankful for that.’

Shit, shit, shit. How can I try and persuade Callum to deepen his friendship with Eve? I focus on my bedroom door, breathing steadily. What if some sort of connection does end up developing between Callum and Eve? Will he want to leave if that happened? I look back to Abigail. She’s giving me a look that tells me, right now, this is the most important thing in the world to her.

‘Um, yeah, sure, I can . . . I guess I can speak to Callum,’ I say, shifting on my bed. ‘But I’m not going to try and force anything.’

‘That’s amazing,’ Abigail says. ‘And of course, I wouldn’t expect you to try and force anything between them, love needs to develop naturally, but I’m sure, once we push them in the right direction, it will. I knew I could count on you, Grace. Oliver will be so thrilled that you’ve agreed to help.’

‘Have you um . . . spoken to Eve about her feelings?’ I ask, taking a big gulp of my tea.

Abigail sighs. She hasn’t taken a sip of her drink since she came in. ‘Unfortunately, Eve is a very closed book when it comes to talking about her feelings. I spoke to her about her obvious attraction to Callum this morning and she sort of shut down and brushed the subject away, but that’s what we do when we like someone, don’t we, we can’t help it, we’re embarrassed. I remember how I felt when I fancied a boy at school, every time my friends asked me about him, I went bright red and ran as far away from them as I could, the sounds of them laughing at me used to follow me all the way home. Even now I can still hear it. Anyway I’m rambling here, aren’t I? That’s all I really wanted to talk to you about. I guess I’ll see you at dinner?’

‘Yeah, see you there,’ I say.

Abigail gets up from the bed and makes her way over to the door. I think of Callum somewhere back up at the house, unaware this conversation between me and Abigail is happening. We’re basically deciding his future for him, it’s clear to me, Abigail doesn’t give a damn what Callum thinks, it’s all about what she thinks is the best thing.

I reach for my phone and pick it up, my body shaking. Max has replied.

            From: Max Hardy

            To: Danielle Olsen

            Date: 15 June 2024 at 14:20

            Subject: Oliver Adams

            Hi Danielle, I didn’t think I’d hear from you again after we spoke. I can look into this for you, but it’s going to have to be under the radar, I can’t have anyone finding out what I’m doing after what happened the last time, I’m not putting myself through that again. Who is this bloke, what do you know about him?

I type out a reply.

            To: Max Hardy

            From: Danielle Olsen

            Date: 15 June 2024 at 14:30

            Subject: Oliver Adams

            Not much at the moment, but I can get more information for you, all I know about him is, and I’m not sure if it’s true, is his wife died in a car accident which must've been around thirty years ago now. It would've happened, I think, in Leigh on Sea. I’ve tried looking for stuff about it online but nothing’s been reported. Give me some time and I’ll be able to get some more information.

I press send. Max’s reply comes back in seconds. He must be sat by his phone or computer the whole time. Sometimes I get a message and it takes me ages to respond.

            To: Danielle Olsen

            From: Max Hardy

            Date: 15 June 2024 at 14:30

            Subject: Oliver Adams

            OK, but where are you, Danielle? You’re not in any sort of trouble, are you?

I type a reply.

            To: Max Hardy

            From: Danielle Olsen

            Date: 15 June 2024 at 14:30

            Subject: Oliver Adams

            No, I’m fine. I’ll try and get some more information for you by this evening, but I don’t know how easy it’s going to be.

I press send and place my phone in my lap. If there’s anyone who can find out more information about Oliver, I’m sure it’ll be Max.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) - renamed Grace by Oliver Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 51
His Silence - Chapter 50

By Jacob1395

I don’t see Callum again until dinner that evening. At least Oliver hasn’t asked me to wear the dress again. It was uncomfortable enough wearing it last night. I’ve still not been given a pair of white clothes, the same everyone else wears. It’s like Oliver’s going out of his way to make me stand out. I don’t like it, as weird as I find everyone else wearing the same clothes is; at least I wouldn’t be the odd one out.

‘Grace, do you want to sit next to me?’ Oliver calls out.

Callum’s already sitting at the table. Eve’s sat beside him. She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. It would be obvious from a mile off how much she fancies him.

‘Um, yeah, sure,’ I reply.

I head over to the seat beside him and sit. Once everyone else has sat, Oliver takes my plate and begins to load it with food.

‘I was wondering, Grace, if you would like to come out with me for dinner tomorrow evening?’

I cut a piece of quiche, it’s roasted vegetable, not my favourite, but there’s no way they’re going to be serving a Quiche lorraine here.

‘Um . . . where d’you want to go?’ I ask a nervous shiver racing through me. Why does he want to go out with me? I thought they never left this place, unless it’s to get food in for the week ahead.

‘Somewhere in town, there’s a wonderful Italian nearby I think you’d like, I know we don’t eat meat here, but they do an amazing steak. I sometimes indulge in it every now and again. But that’s our little secret.’ He keeps his voice low.

Has he ever asked anyone else here to go out with him for dinner? I look further down the table; at least no one else is looking in our direction. Eve’s doing her best to make conversation with Callum. Oliver’s making it sound as though he goes out for dinner on a regular basis.

‘Um, OK, sure,’ I say. ‘That would be nice.’

God, I want to be sitting next to Callum. Eve laughs at something Callum’s said. Butterflies dance in my stomach; at least Abigail will be pleased to see them getting along so well.

‘Excellent, we’ll leave here at around six pm, don’t worry we won’t be out late. I’ll tell Mary to exclude you from helping to prepare dinner tomorrow.’    

I nod, and take another bite of the quiche, trying not to show the disappointment in my face as I taste roasted vegetable. It’s as I put my fork down I notice there’s an empty space right at the far end of the table. I frown. The only person who isn’t here is Noah.

‘Oliver, where’s Noah?’ I ask, my heart rate beginning to increase.

Oliver looks at me. ‘Oh, he’s not well I’m afraid, he’s up in his room. Mary’s taken some food up for him; hopefully he’ll be alright tomorrow.’

I stare into my lap and bite my lip. Oliver starts to speak to Jeremiah who’s sitting the other side of him. I try to listen to their conversation, above the noise of everyone else talking, but there’s nothing they say to each other that jumps out at me. They’re just talking about the general day to day running of the place.

‘Oliver, can I ask you how long you’ve been here?’ I say.

Oliver switches his gaze round to me, taking a sip of his water. ‘Well, I moved here with your parent’s way back in 1996, a year after your brother was born.’

I file the information away inside my head. 

‘What’s with the name, Raven House?’ I ask, thinking again of Isaac’s raven tattoo.

Oliver smiles. ‘That was your father’s suggestion. Do you know how intelligent ravens are?’ I shake my head. ‘Your father was fascinated with them, he was a keen artist as well when I knew him and they were his favourite bird to draw. Plus there’s also the legend of the ravens at the Tower of London, you must’ve heard if the ravens were to ever abandon the castle, the Tower of London itself and the country will fall.’

I nod. I went on a school trip to the Tower once. I can still remember the Beefeater’s booming voice as he told us the legend, a chord of fear in his voice, almost as if it might, one day, come true.

I think of Noah, and all of a sudden I lose my appetite.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) - renamed Grace by Oliver Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 52
His Silence - Chapter 51

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

I pick my phone off my bedside cabinet. It’s just gone one a.m. I sit up in bed. I haven’t been to sleep at all. My head’s swimming. Images keep crashing through my mind of Callum and Eve, then me and Oliver sitting together in a restaurant. Why does he want to take me out and no one else? I fling off my covers and swing my legs over the side of the bed. Noah’s face fills my mind. I think back to what Oliver said about him not being well. I’d seen him earlier in the day, when he’d gone out with the others into town, he’d seemed fine. I think about lying back down and trying to get to sleep, but I’m wide awake, there’s no way I’m going to be able to relax until I’ve checked to make sure Noah’s OK.

I grab a coat from the wardrobe, pull it on, and creep over to my bedroom door. Any sound I make I’m certain Oliver’s going to hear it. Unlike the bedroom doors in the house, mine and Oliver’s, for some reason, aren’t locked. I stare at my door for what seems like a long time. I keep picturing Oliver sitting outside. I reach out for the door handle, my heart crashing against my chest, and turn it. There’s a slight squeak which makes me freeze. For a second I consider going back to bed and diving under the covers. There’s no further sound. I ease the door open and step into the dark hallway. There’s no light peeking from under Oliver’s bedroom door. There’s every chance though he could be sitting in the kitchen in the house, like he was the first night I stayed here, when he told me he suffered from anxiety. At least, perhaps, I could use that as an excuse if he’s there.

I edge towards the door of the annexe and ease it open, wrapping my jacket tighter around me. The distant hoot of an owl makes me jump. Keep calm, nothing out here can hurt you. I grit my teeth and make my way towards the kitchen, keeping to the grass, so no one can hear me coming on the gravel pathway.

There isn’t any light on in the kitchen. Oliver can’t be here. I look back towards the annexe, which remains coated in darkness. Keep going. He’s not following you. He’s not in the house. Hand trembling, I reach out for the kitchen door handle and turn it. It opens. I was sure it was going to be locked; perhaps Mary keeps it unlocked in case Oliver wants to come in and use the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath I step into the cool kitchen. Something electronic thrums, making me freeze; it’s just the dishwasher. There were at least a couple of people still stacking it when I left to go back to the annexe at half eleven. Callum and Eve both helped with the washing up; Callum appears to be settling in better than me, and he didn’t want to come here in the first place.

I pad into the hallway, keeping a focus on my breath as I edge nearer to the stairs. The house is so silent. There isn’t even a clock ticking. Am I really the only one awake out of twenty people here? I begin to climb the stairs, trying to remember which room I saw Noah going into the first night I stayed here. I’m pretty sure it was the third door on the right.

I reach the top of the stairs. I eye my old room at the end of the hallway. Callum will be in there right now. Will he be asleep, or will he have been lying awake like I have? I push further on ahead. There’s no point in trying the door handle, they’ll be locked; Mary will have made sure of that. Edging further along the corridor, I keep my focus on the door I’m pretty sure is Noah’s. What if I get the wrong one and someone else opens it? Shit what if it’s Abraham’s door? I consider running back down the stairs and all the way back to the annexe, but I’ve come this far now, I’ll be annoyed with myself if I don’t do what I set out to do.

I reach the door I’m sure I saw Noah go into on the first night and try the door handle. It’s locked, of course it would be. I rap gently on the door. He’s got to respond to me, he’s got to.

‘Noah,’ I hiss, as I continue to knock. ‘Noah please, it’s Danielle.’

There’s no sound from the other side of the room. He’s not going to answer me.

I’m about to call out for him again when a sharp voice makes my blood freeze.

‘Grace, what are you doing here?’

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) - renamed Grace by Oliver Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

Chapter 53
His Silence - Chapter 52

By Jacob1395

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of language.

I don’t want to turn around. I know the voice. I know it all too well.

‘I won’t ask again, Grace. What are you doing here?’

I step away from Noah’s door, my chest feels like it's on fire. Mary’s standing in the middle of the hallway, her eyes wide, wearing a purple dressing gown. The lines in her forehead are deep.

‘I . . . I,’ I say, unable to string the words together. Shit, what the hell am I going to say? ‘I was worried about Noah, Oliver told he me wasn’t well at dinner.’

Mary continues to stare at me. The silence between us seems to stretch on forever.

‘So you didn’t think to come and find him in the morning when everyone will be awake?’ Mary asks. She’s still keeping the tone of her voice soft, but anger's simmering away.

Tears are threatening behind my eyes, I force them back. My knees are shaking like mad.

‘I couldn’t sleep, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I was sure he was OK,’ I say.

Mary sighs and draws a key from out of a pocket in her dressing gown. I move out of the way as she approaches Noah’s door; she slides the key into the lock. My breath catches in my throat. She eases it open. Noah’s asleep in his bed, clutching his duvet tight in his hands.

‘There. Are you satisfied?’ Mary asks. I nod. This can’t be right. Mary pulls the door shut, softly and locks it again. ‘I should punish you for this, Grace. Even Callum hasn’t been up like this. I thought, out of the two of you, that he would’ve been the more troublesome one, I thought you were sensible.’ That’s because you’ve locked his door, unlike mine, I think to myself. He wouldn’t be able to. Is he listening to our conversation now? Did my voice wake him up? Mary’s stare hardens. ‘Oliver’s given you a lot of freedoms since you joined here, that many people, including myself, don’t have, and this is how you repay him?’

‘I’m sorry,’ I say, keeping my gaze fixed on the floor.

She knows I think Noah knows something about my past. I bite my lower lip. If I hadn’t put him in danger before now, I certainly have now. I’ve been such an idiot. I’ve risked everything.

‘I know you got out of bed the first night you were here, but Oliver asked me not to do anything about that.’ She shakes her head. ‘Get back to annexe, go to bed and don’t get up until the morning, Grace.’

I nod, fighting the urge not to cry. I brush past her and head back to the stairs, not caring about the sound I make now when I head down the stairs.

Author Notes

Characters: Danielle (protagonist) - renamed Grace by Oliver Callum (Danielle's best friend) Harvey (Danielle's brother) Michael (Danielle's adoptive father) Emma (Danielle's adoptive mother) John Cole (Danielle's biological father) Laura Cole (Danielle's biological mother) Ian Jones (third person who Harvey killed) Max Hardy (podcaster) Jeremiah (works with Oliver) Oliver Adams (Marsh View House owner) Mary (works with Oliver) Abraham (Marsh View resident) Abigail (Marsh View resident) Isaac (Marsh View resident) Noah (Marsh View resident) Eve (Marsh View resident)

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