“One…Two…Three…Four…One…Two…Three Four,” the consecutive numbers echoed throughout the old wooden halls of the once much loved family home. All cheer and joy had been flushed out, now only conceded in memory.


The nervous tapping steps of a middle aged man got fainter and fainter as he stepped closer to the source of the noise. As the tapping died out to his own ears he knew he had reached it, a little girl sitting in the dark light of the living room.

“Stop that Eve, say goodbye to the house it’s time to leave,” the Middle aged man said his voice rung of both concern and fear.

His words fell flat, no movement or subtle hint to indicate that Eve had even acknowledged his existence. All Eve wanted and did was too repeat “One..Two…Three…Four” over and over as she smashed her left hand on to the floor to the rhythm of the numbers, the constant bashing inflicting blood to run across the varnished floor.

The motion of the hand only coming to an end as the man held it up high,

“I said it’s time to go!” he said, rallying his courage he sounded more commanding and sincere.

Successfully obtaining Eve’s attention, Eve’s eyes turned to face him, as she gave a look that can only be described by the reaction of the Middle aged man.


The hand that held Eve’s bloody one high slipped away as he took two steps back.

“I’m not leaving my friends…you can’t make me Dad! You won’t make me…”

The beating of the hand continued.

“Things will be better, everything will be easier…please Eve,”

“I go when my friends can go,”

“They can’t, they have to stay here with the house”

“One…Two…Three…Four…One…Two…Three Four,”

The father looked eerily around as cold air breezed past him, a sudden scream of a child shook the floors of the house, the noise not coming from Eve but originating from the other end of the building ceasing at the loud slamming noise of a door shutting.


“You never did believe me” Eve spoke gently.

“I believe you now Eve and I’m sorry but it’s time to leave.”

“Don’t be scared of my friends Dad they won’t hurt you, and I won’t be leaving.”
From the shivering of his arms he knew he had dwelt for too long with little intention of staying any longer. Turning towards the door, he grabbed Eve’s arm again dragging her across the floor.

The entrance door the father purposely left open now stood firmly shut, no desperate twisting of the handle would open it.

“I said I won’t be leaving,”

Eve’s body flopped to the ground, her Father yet again letting her ago again in fear. No longer focussed on his daughter, his attention diverted to the other beings that dwelt in the living room.

In all four corners stood a faded image of a child. To his left a small boy no older than 9, his right a girl younger than the boy. At the other end of the room both boy and girl this time of equal age, in their young teenage years. Each dressed in a fashion out of the age, not of the modern world but a Victorian England.

Though childlike in appearance the expressions in the face was anything but. No smile or laugh of a child in play time nor the tearful slumber of a child who did not get their way. Just a dead face glaring forward into the nothingness.
“You look scared father, I said they would never hurt you,”

Fear turned to desperation, desperation to the bashing of the door and the evermore vigorous rattling of the door handle.
“Let me out! Let me fucking out!”

“I said THEY, would never hurt you,” she repeated emphasising the single word ‘they’ heavily.


Father slowly changed his focus back to Eve, noticing the kitchen knife in her left hand. The arm slowly raising up to the Fathers chest. In the same motion of the arm the heads of the 4 Victorian children twisted, their eyes glazing at him.

“I won’t be leaving my friend’s father,”