Helping The Poltergeist // H.S.

Chapter 33: A Flicker of Hope

Zayn

  
"Yes. Y-You're that guy."

Hollie sure does recognize him.

"But why're you here?" She continues on smiling for the first time in weeks, her blue eyes trained on his face. She seems enthralled by him.

Somehow, as I hear Hollie's voice again, I wasn't sure what to feel. I'm torn between feeling as if a great burden has just been lifted off of my shoulders and feeling a slight twinge of, what is this? Is this jealousy?

But something is not quite right.

James was looking at London like he just discovered something. His eyes were wide with wary and he was gaping at the two of us as if something very disturbing happened.

"Wh-What is it?" I turn to London to catch on to their non-verbal conversation. But all London did was stare at her brother with furrowed brows and mouth slightly hanging open in confusion.

In my periphery, I notice James moves toward our direction, leaving Hollie with her eyes still on the place where James was standing.

With my eyes focused at Hollie, I didn't give that much attention to James who's now barfing half of his stomach's contents out on the carpeted floor.

"Breathe. Breathe." London rubs her brother's back as he disgorges. "Sir. Sir!"

"Y-Yeah?" I answer her without removing my gaze from Hollie, who was still talking to someone we really can't see. Clearly it wasn't James she was interacting with a while ago.

I walk with a fast pace to Hollie and try to snap her out of it. "Hollie! Hey!" I grab her shoulders and start to shake her with the thought that she might just be daydreaming, to no avail.

"She won't hear you!"

"What's wrong with her? Huh!" I turn to James and ask him. "She wasn't like this before you-"

"What's going on here?" Liam, Niall, Louis, Eirylle and George came in the room probably because of my loud shouts. They were all looking at me waiting for an answer.

"No, no, no! Wait, sir." London blocks me away from James before I could attack her brother.

James wipes his mouth with his sleeve and punches his hands up in surrender. "I didn't do anything." He clears his throat and continued, "Something triggered it that's why it's all around her."

"Triggered?" Eirylle reiterates, giving me and James an alternate look. "What does that mean?"

"Triggered what? Honestly, you could explain it better." I say seriously burning in anger.

James appeared to be doubtful of whether he should tell us or not.

"What. Is. Going. On here?" Eirylle asks with her teeth grinding like she's about to bite someone's head off.

I cast my gaze at London and then at James. "Don't worry, they all know what you can do."

"She... She's travelling somewhere. I..." He hesitates again for a second giving his sister a short glance. "I think something is blocking her way back."

   
~
   

The room we are in is now gripped with a grim mood as we all stay quiet and in deep thoughts.

"When did this all start?" James breaks the silence with his question.

"Is this some kind of an investigation?"

"Just cooperate, Liam." Louis rolls his eyes and then he throws his head back, facing the ceiling. And then he faces the floor. He seems to be preoccupied with something.