Lost Souls

14

After eating their delicious fish and chips, Amber finally managing to polish off both her sausages, the Rusk family moved into the lounge, and with very full stomach's, collapsed onto the sofa and various chairs.

​"I'm stuffed," Alex said, as he rubbed his extended belly tenderly.

​"Me too," Katie agreed.

​"Me three," Amber giggled, as she made herself more comfortable on the sofa between her parents.

​"You've got to hand it to them. That was the best piece of haddock I've ever tasted," Mr. Rusk said contentedly.

​"It wasn't as greasy as our old local one that's for sure," Mrs. Rusk commented, as she examined something stuck under one of her fingernails.

​"Nothing's that greasy mum," Alex joked. "You could fill dad's car engine with the grease from there."

​"I had to wring my fish out once," Katie jested.

​"That's gross!" her mum announced, disgusted by the mental images filling her head.

​"Do fish have telephones?" Amber asked innocently.

​The room filled with laughter, Amber's dad playfully put his arm around her neck and pulled her closer towards him, then he started to tickle her ribs. Amber screamed as the giggles took her over, "No! Stop it daddy or I'll pee."

​"You always threaten to pee poppet, but you never do," her dad said, as he mercilessly continued his attack.

​Amber tried to slip off the sofa to get away, but her feet were being tickled too. Alex had joined in the fun.

​"Careful the pair of you," Mrs. Rusk said.

"You'll make her sick."

​"Going to puke!" Amber yelled.

​Alex dived away from her, while her father immediately let her go.

​Amber made a big fuss of putting her hand over her mouth, gagged loudly behind it, and then started laughing. "Got you both. Got you bad," she sang happily.

​"Oh you little..." her father started to say, but was cut short by Katie's startled voice.

​"Did you hear that?"

​"What now?" Alex asked mockingly.

​"Didn't you hear the crying?"

​Alex shook his head, but then his eyes bulged, his jaw slackened, and his mouth opened and shut like a floundering fish, as loud sobbing filled the room.

​"Oh my God," Mrs. Rusk mumbled to herself.

​"Where's it coming from dad?" Katie asked in a panic.

​Mr. Rusk shook his head. "I don't know honey, but I'm going to find out," he said, as he jumped to his feet and headed out the room and back across the hallway towards the kitchen.

​The rest of the family moved quickly, and within seconds they all stood silently beside him, listening.

​The crying sounded as though it was coming from the wall nearest the large fridge freezer. Gingerly they moved as one towards the sound.

​"How can a wall cry?" Alex wanted to know.

​His father held up a hand, instructing him to remain silent as he tried to figure out what was going on. Moving to the wall, Mr. Rusk gently placed his palm against the brickwork, immediately jumping back as if he'd been hit by an electric shock.