The Hauntings

Chapter 13

Elizabeth paces the spare bedroom, where she has been sleeping for the past few days. She can't bare to step in her bedroom, it just seems surrounded by it's only creepy paranormal halo. The atmosphere reeks off it. 

So, the dead vampire's ashes still remains scattered on the floor, the bed covers are still dishevelled, where she clutched onto them, when she was a crumpled mess on the floor and the darn, paracetamol bottle still lays beside the window. 

However, Elizabeth did end up going to the concerts in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Aberdeen and Dundee, acting normally as if nothing life-threatening had occurred but completely ignoring Scarlett. But now, is a different story that is the only thing Elizabeth is thinking of, Scarlett's loyalty. She tosses the cordless phone anxiously, in her hand as she paces her mansion.  Living room to kitchen to conservatory to utility room....

She should phone Scarlett because she should give her some rope, to explain but then again, she could be in league with them and the idea of having an interaction with them, revolts her. Scarlett could so comfortably lie, reeling Elizabeth in and then eventually crush her. Elizabeth is not a stress ball, where you could squeeze her and she would bounce back into shape, she instead would doubtlessly deflate. 

But Scarlett did save her life, doesn't that stand for something? She could see the vampire though, so she could see Francis, whenever he had popped up she had known all along what Elizabeth was going through. Scarlett had been allowing Elizabeth feel so distraught and lost, so crap and she couldn't be bothered to tell her that she could see him too. This fact made Elizabeth writhe with agitation. What type of person would do that? Certainly not a friend. 

The conflicting feelings and thoughts rally in Elizabeth's head, as she continues to tap the phone in her cold, clammy hands. But as much as she hates to admit it, she misses her best friend, she despises the fact that she has not been able to laugh and talk to Scarlett in the past few days, especially doing the gigs in Scotland. That's what makes her job so special, being able to do it, with the people she loves.

She has to take the higher road here and talk to Scarlett first, considering she was the one that screamed in her face ignorantly and banished her from her home.

"Scarlett." Elizabeth timidly asks down the phone.

There is a pause, before Scarlett replies as if she is shocked that Elizabeth is ringing her  but then finally speaks with renewed  happiness and relief.

Elizabeth asks if Scarlett can come to her house and Scarlett subduedly agrees, both excruciating aware that some explanations are seriously needed.

Elizabeth breathes a sigh of trepidation, the butterflies flutter wildly in her stomach. She doesn't know what her best friend will say and its making her almost keel over. She dislikes waiting and not knowing. The not knowing is always the worst part. 

Scarlett arrives after fifteen minutes, calming knocking in the door unlike her usual rapid, upbeat thumps on the door. Elizabeth and Scarlett stare at each other in the doorway, awkwardly not quite making eye contact. 

"I'm sorry!"

"Come in." 

They both say at the same time, their words mixing with each other, so all that can be heard is a high pitched, garbled sound. They hesitantly look at each other in alarm but after a tense moment Elizabeth nods and beckoning Scarlett, to enter her mansion. 

Elizabeth leads her to the conservatory, where the glass walls absorb the autumn sun, overlooking the garden. She sits on a chair at the round glass table, crossing her legs over tightly, waiting for Scarlett to follow suit, so they can civilly sit opposite each other at a table and talk this through. But Scarlett decides to, instead, to stand against the large windows, facing the rose garden.