The Shadow People

1. The new neighbours

The Langford family seemed to be a fairly ordinary family living in a coastal town in the south of England. Richard and Fiona Langford had two teenage children, Steph and Tony who where both in the sixth form at their local school. Richard worked as an estate agent while Fiona worked in a hotel as a restaurant supervisor and lived in a four bedroom house with a pet cat. To everyone they seemed like an ordinary family so it would come as a surprise when Steph and Tony would disappear almost overnight while Richard and Fiona where away during their wedding anniversary. Things seemed to have started when new neighbours moved in next door, the O'Connell family who at first seemed to keep to themselves but slowly started to meet the neighbours. They where a supposedly Catholic family and their two teenage children went to different schools. To most people they would seem to be a normal family and didn't seem to bother anyone so Fiona was happy to help Stella O'Connell into the area.

'I know it's not easy moving to a new town, I moved here from London when I was 13 and at first hated it, starting a new school and not knowing everyone but grew to like it,' said Fiona to Stella after inviting her over one morning. 'It's great living by the sea and looking back it was the best thing my parents ever did,' said she said.

'I think it would be good for Paige as he hasn't settled into his new school yet,' said Stella 'As this is the only Roman Catholic school in the area it is much larger than his old school and easy to get lost in. I guess he is the same age as your son?'

 'Tony is 17 and Steph is 19,' said Fiona, 'how old are your two again?'

'Paige is 16 and Jade is 18 but she goes to a school in London, it’s a Catholic school for girls and she stays with her aunt during term time I hope she goes onto college in the future,' replied Stella.

It had been arranged that Tony and Steph would spend some time with Paige and Jade during the Easter holidays. Neil was in Sixth form doing an IT course while Steph was studying child care and in the third year of a three year course making her of the oldest students in the school. Both Tony and Steph looked similar, both with brown hair and where of average height and build for their own age. Often Tony would spend time with his friend Neil who was also doing the same course and Steph would spend time with her friend Kirsty who was studying a social care course at the sixth form but Fiona recommended they spend time with the neighbours children to see how they get on. Both Tony and Steph were unsure about the neighbours. It was a Saturday and they had wanted to do something else at the start of the holidays but Fiona had them up early to welcome the neighbours into the area. She had asked about their father but Stella had told them he was still in London working and didn't say much more about him. When Paige and Jade arrived Fiona had introduced them to Steph and Tony. Paige and Jade both had dark hair and looked somewhat pale making them look gothic unlike Steph and Tony who both had brown hair they had inherited from both their parents. First Fiona invited them into the living room to make small talk and sat all four of them down. The cat Trixxy who had previously been asleep woke up upon arrival of the guests and looked at them and quickly left the room. Jade stepped away from him showing that she was not keen on cats. After about five minutes of discussion Fiona left the four of them when she went out to go shopping. 

'Do you play any games?' asked Tony to Paige feeling that he was already not sure about Paige's blunt behaviour  'Not really,' replied Paige rather plainly  'Watch TV?' suggested Tony

'Sometimes?' replied Paige again rather bluntly.

'Films?'

'I like horror films!' said Paige more excitedly 'Cool what ones?' asked Tony finally feeling that he was getting somewhere 'Dark films' replied Paige. Steph had also been having trouble finding something that Jade liked. Her taste in music was Gothic and although she couldn’t be classed as a Goth she seemed to be the type of girl who wasn't always easy to get along with