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Chapter seven

The Investigation

Kathy woke up the next morning and saw that it was raining when she looked out of her bedroom window. She ran downstairs and across the road to William’s house.

“Are you going to the old house today?”

“Yes, I’m going with John and some of the others. But you can come too, if you like.”

“Yes, I do want to come with you!”

The old house looked more frightening than before. It was difficult for William and John to climb the wall because it was wet and slippery. Kathy waited at the gate and watched them walk across the garden. They went to the front door and together they pushed hard, but it wouldn’t open. Then, they walked to the side of the house looking for a window to climb through. William looked for a rock to break the glass and John climbed into the house first. It was cold and dark. There was dust everywhere and mice ran across the room. The hole in the roof let the rain in onto the ruined floor. The wind made strange sounds, too. John walked further into the room just as William climbed in through the window.

“Can you see anything?”

“No. There’s no table here, the room’s empty. I wonder why Kathy made up that story. I think that this house makes her say funny things. She’s so much different when she’s away from here.”

They climbed out through the window and across the garden to meet Kathy.

“Well? What’s it like in there? Did you see anything unusual?”

“The whole place is a mess. The floor is rotten and the walls are falling apart. The roof, as you can see, is ruined.”

“Did you hear “the voice”, or see the table and chairs?”

“There was no table or chairs either. There’s nothing in there. Kathy just made the whole thing up. Don’t ask me why.”

Without waiting for Kathy he started the motorbike and rode away down the road. The others stared at her, then walked away from her and got onto their bicycles. Kathy was now alone outside the old house.

Slowly and carefully she climbed the wet wall and got into the garden. She walked up to the front door, turned the doorknob and stepped inside.

The room smelt damp. The table and chairs were not in the room. Kathy was ready to leave when she suddenly saw two armchairs on either side of the fireplace. There was a small table beside one of them. Kathy walked slowly across the room. She reached the back of the chairs and looked to see if anyone was sitting in one of them. She was really scared as she did so, but fortunately both the chairs were empty.

Suddenly, a gentle wind came into the room and made the old, tom curtains move. She turned round and called to the empty room.

“Please, let me see your face Lord Hampton!”

There was no answer. The room was silent and Kathy, even more scared now, stood quietly beside the empty chairs. After a long silence, which made Kathy more nervous, “the voice” spoke again. Kathy looked towards the sound but she could see nothing.

“Please sit down, Kathy, and make yourself comfortable.” She sat in front of the brightly burning fire and waited. She forgot about William and the others at Helping Hand.

“I have a gift for you. There’s a box on the table next to you. Do open it!”

Kathy carefully opened the box. Inside, there was a small diamond heart on a chain.

“Put it on, then I must explain why the heart belongs to you.”

Kathy put the chain over her head. Then she sat quietly and waited.

“The voice” echoed round the room as the story began.