CHAPTER TWELVE

Nannie's Ghost - The End -

-----------------------------------------------Chapter Twelve------------------------------------------

“There was nothing wrong with Steve,” David interrupted and everyone looked at him in surprise.

“What do you mean?” asked Emma and he started to grin.

He let go of Claire and backed three spaces behind still holding everyone’s attention to him and took in a deep breath and twisted his head from side to side several times and then looked at Fred.

“Poor little Steve was never put into an orphanage … this man here dumped him into an old mental hospital afraid that he might become a threat someday. He used to talk with me for hours and then one day he tried to kill himself and I saved him and promised to help him find his parents.”

“You mean to say that you are not …” Started Fred gasping and looked at Claire as well,

“Scarlet’s son … but I am Steve but not Steve Mascot you see … I was just an innocent boy who lived in a mental hospital because my mother worked there. Growing up amongst crazy people was even crazier. That’s when I befriended Steve.

It was a big mistake to dump him into somewhere he didn’t belong.

“You’ve been playing with us all this time …” said Claire,

“No. It wasn’t me … it was Scarlet … she is the one who was playing with our lives and it’s all because of you Fred.”

“You made that boy go crazy … gave hell to their lives and in the end … set fire to that house …”

Fred took in a deep breath as he gave him the eye.

“How did you know all this?”

“Miss Claire Dunstan here once came to take Steve away and she did. She took him back to England, so I got to know from him, she took him to meet his real father … Bryan Peters … Isn’t that so … Miss Claire …”

Claire straightened herself up at his words and gulped.

“Is it true?” asked Robert demanding an immediate answer from her,

“Ye-e-s  ...” she said finally, “When I was back in England I happened to encounter Bryan, he was a policeman at the time. We met up several times and I fell in love with him alright. But he didn’t like me back that way because he was still depressed and moaned over Scarlet. I wanted Bryan all to myself so I told him the truth and then he wanted his son back soon and then we could get engaged and I did.”

“So did you get engaged?”

“No. " She paused for a second, “Bryan died in a shoot out a week before,”

“I’m sorry,” said Emma

“After he died you brought Steve back to the hospital and took away that necklace Bryan wore around Steve’s neck to remind him of Scarlet,” Said David,

“Yes …. I did,”

“And then Fred came back for him,”

“Because when Claire told me everything that had happened, I was afraid that this boy might become a threat to my life ….. I wanted to get rid of him at once…

So I went there and brought him home to my place but I hadn’t known that it was David,”

“Meaning,”

“After he took Steve away my mind was not at rest so I started searching for Scarlet first and with the help of my mother I found out that she had returned to Ireland and was living close by,

So I went for her. She was a kind woman and when she saw me she told me that I remind her of her son. I got closer to her and in the following days I some how managed to get the truth out of her before telling her of what I knew.”

He paused at his words and let silence take over for a few minutes whilst the heavy breathing and the sound of sirens and people creating a fuss outside. David started walking around the room and then suddenly produced a knife from his pocket causing everyone to gasp as he walked over to where Fred lay and then jerked the knife onto the wall opposite Fred and smiled indecently and continued to speak after having a quick check on every one’s faces.

“When Fred found that Scarlet had come back he sent people to spy on her and they had told that she was living with a little boy considering to be her son and Fred got a little upset so he made an appearance himself to find out the truth.  

Fred and Scarlet got into frequent arguments and that’s when he decided to use her son against her. He played Steve off by sending him to Scarlet. After they reunited they lived happily for a while but things started to change. Steve started acting weird and began growing a dislike towards me and Scarlet and I suspected Fred for his change in behavior…”

“In that case you are right David …. I told little Steve how bad his mother is and that that other boy is trying to take his place and it made him what I wanted him to be,”

“What did Scarlet ever do to you?”

“She threatened that she would spill out everything she knew about me and tell everyone that I killed her father and took everything he owned just get back at him and threw her to the streets….” 

“But did you really kill him?”

“I didn’t lay a hand on him ….”

“Really” said David half enthusiastically, “Well from what you did … it tore up a nice loving family. She couldn’t bear to see her son change like that and I couldn’t hold up the truth any longer so I told her everything.

Scarlet was in tears and she too told me about Fred’s act on her and I’m afraid Steve overheard everything and that was the night that unforgettable incident happened.

Scarlet presented to Steve with a small box … it contained a ring, a necklace, a letter and a photo and asked him to forget about her and then asked me to take him and leave the house immediately but we didn’t. She locked herself up in a room. I yelled at her to open the door whilst sent Steve out to get help but he arrived quite lately and looked all pale when he came back in but without any body to help.

I asked him what was wrong but he didn’t reply instead he ran outside and I ran after him but lost track so I returned back home. I sat by the door to Scarlet’s room and eventually had fallen asleep and woke up when I heard sound of glass cracking and then only did I  realized that the house was on fire …..

I called out to Scarlet but she didn’t bother to open so I reached for an axe and broke down the door and I got a shock……”

“W-h-y  ... W -h- at happened?” asked Emma, her voice a little shaky,

“What happened…” pronounced David and reached for the knife that was stuck on the wall and pulled it out in anger as he continued to speak,

“She had stabbed herself and was drenched in blood but I didn’t leave her there, I was just about to drag her out when Steve suddenly screamed from inside … he was trapped in his room. There was fire all over the place; - David closed his eyes, tightening his grip on to the handle of the knife, “I failed to save him as he fell out backwards through the window, pieces of burning wood fell on me, that’s how I got burnt and I too fell out. I called out to Steve but he was already gone….. And the rest you already know….”

“Why did Fred save you in the first place?”

“I had been trying to figure that out myself too….”

“That’s because …” started Fred, “When I took you to the hospital, and I asked you your name you said Steve Mascot and I really believed you to be him when you kept repeating that name, therefore I had to take my chances and take you away for Steve knew too much about everything and me but then when I came back for you, you were gone …. That’s why I had to change my name….”

“Interesting,” muttered David and looked at his two astonished friends,

“I know what you’re both thinking right now,” he said again, “how did you all get involved in this … yes … I’ll tell you … A few months later I started having weird hallucinations, just the way Rachel did, so I started looking up on it though I ignored it at first. I went back to Scarlet’s burnt house and found that box but I didn’t know what to do with it until Scarlet kept haunting me more … it was like she wanted me to do justice for hers and Steve’s death and then it hit me.

After my mother remarried we moved to England … … and that’s when I happened to meet you all and after hearing what Rachel said I realized... … this was it….”

 “So … you mean to say that this was all a set up to get back at Mr. Dan  ...” asked Robert,

“Yes, in a way there it could be like that …”

“I am the one who mailed that package to Rachel in the first place and that pendant that you mentioned about, I really don’t know how it got out but that is one that belonged to Scarlet. In fact she did all this… just to get here …” David calmly paused at his words and then quickly snatched the knife and threw it towards the door and someone caught it, causing everyone to be bemused.

A figure appeared through the darkness and revealed herself as Scarlet; she looked very much disfigured,

“Thanks for everything Steve … but now this game is over  ...” She said with an evil grin and without any hesitation threw the knife straight at Fred, killing him in one shot and Emma and Claire screamed blue murder.

“Good riddance,” said Scarlet softly and then looked at Claire who was still flabbergasted.

“Perhaps I should do something with you too,” she said walking up to her and cornered her to the wall but just then David yelled out for her to stop.

“I believe you got what you wanted … now give us Rachel and end this business!” he stomped,

Scarlet stopped what she was doing and turned towards Emma, Robert and David and starred at their faces for a few seconds and then suddenly burst into laughter and then turned towards Claire again and held her by the neck.

The three friends looked at each others faces in bewilderment and the Robert sprouted out and walked towards her and reached for her arm.

“Where is Rachel? Give her back to us!”

“Let go of me kiddo …” she ordered him and pushed him aside with force,

“I’m afraid you will never get to see your friend again,”

“What! Why? What do you mean?”

“Because she is dead”

“Dead!” repeated the three of them and Scarlet put more pressure onto Claire’s thin neck as she struggled to break free but just then someone pulled a c**k from behind and fired a bullet which all thought hit Scarlet but really hit Claire.

“Nobody move,” instructed a policeman still holding the gun and Scarlet slowly faded away and disappeared into thin air saying that everything that happened in the store room was for real….”

 

The End

Author's Note

Finally .. six months of hard work came to an end. Perhaps it needs a bit more editing but alas the truth came out, revenge was taken and sorry, but Rachel had to die. Thanks to all those reviewed my work and thanks to all those who will read and comment on this last chapter as well :)

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

The last chapter is amazing. I like the secrets of Steve coming to light. I like the way you led me into the final scene of the story. No weakness in the outstanding story. Thank you for sharing.
Coyote