WUTHERING BITES

Chapter Thirteen: Linus

Chapter Thirteen

Linus

Katarina woke in the living room but she did not feel refreshed. The girl stepped quietly past her sleeping cousin and headed upstairs to retrieve her shoes. Much to her surprise, a shard of sunlight was shining through the floor length window of the room. The storm had subsided, leaving a wreck of mud and branches across the grounds of the estate. The girl pulled on her jumper and brushed her hair. The ancient brush looked like it had been passed down through many generations of the Spencer family. Katarina discovered some toothpaste in an old-fashioned bathroom. Upon scrutiny of her image in the mirror, she changed her mind and decided to take a shower. Katarina leaned in closely to the mirror, noticing the dark circles under her brown eyes, betraying her lack of sleep.

'Hello, how are you?'

The voice made her jump.

'You might have knocked.'

'Oh, no need to cover up. I've seen it all before,' Linus said breezily. 'I work in a theatre – stage management. You look as if you've seen a ghost.'

'Is that meant to be a joke?'

'Oh, you noticed it too...'

'What?'

'Last night, curtains moving, lights flickering, noises in the dark...' He made a strange horror movie noise and laughed.

'There was a woman...a stranger trying to get into my room...'

'Oh people have been saying stuff like that for years...'

'You're not going to tell me...'

'Oh, I'm here to tell you, it's all true. I'd never bring my friends home. Place is seriously haunted...'

Kat didn't know if he was joking or not, nor did she know what to say in response to Linus' quick wit and even quicker turn of phrase. She decided she had no choice but to run with it. She smiled - at least it felt safer with another human being in the room.

'But enough of the gloom and doom, I'm interning in a theatre on the West End. I'll get you a ticket to come and see the latest show if you like. It's pretty good. I also organise dance parties on the weekends. Father does not approve, as you can imagine. What about you?'

'I like music and...painting. I go to Art College and take photographs.'

'Cool.'

Linus held out his hand to Katarina, and she shook it.

A boy with what could only be described as wild hair and the appearance of an 80's punk, smiled back at her in the mirror. He messed his hair with his hands.

'So, do you like my new look?' Linus asked.

'It's...interesting but I never saw your old one.' Katarina replied.

'You must be Kat, Heath's niece, the one we've never met. I have the illustrious honour of being Heath's son. How is the old man?'

'Well, he's not very...old.'

'No, I know. But I'm guessing he's still pretty grumpy.' He pulled a face. 'I always try to get out of the house early. Father hates the fact that I go off to Brighton with my mates every weekend and can't stand the thought of working in his stuffy financial firm. But he was so young when he had me. Really, his idea of becoming a parent at this point in my life is a bit of a joke... Mind?' Linus took Kat's tube of toothpaste.

'I brought my own toothbrush,' Linus said reassuringly.

Katarina laughed.

'Oh, I'm going to write down my web page. We should stay in touch. Heath is sure to lose it at some point this morning, or he might already be out with the horses. In any case, you're going to want to run away from this house and never return...just like all the women in this family do...'