The Haunted Hangman

Chapter 4

Harry and I stared at him. At first I thought he was trying to play another trick on us, but he looked truly terrified.

"Liam," I said, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible. "Are you sure? I mean, we're the only ones here."

"I didn't see anyone else," confirmed Harry. "What about you Niall?"

"I didn't see anything," he snapped. He shook Liam by the shoulder. "Hey, are you certain something bumped your hand?"

Liam nodded. "Only it wasn't just a bump. It was like someone gave my hand a hard push. Like they really wanted to kill the torch."

"Why would someone do that?" Niall asked with a scowl.

"Because it was someone who didn't want us to see them," Liam replied. He looked around us. "I know it sounds nuts, but that's what happened."

"So was it a ghost?" I wanted to know. "One of those ghosts we came down here to see? The headless man maybe?"

Liam shrugged. "I guess so."

"Whoever knocked the torch from your hand must have been the one who made the noise," Harry said.

"Unless there were two ghosts down here," Liam reasoned. "The one under the bridge and the one who hit my hand."

Niall's gaze surveyed the shadows beneath the bridge. "Well, what are we going to do now?"

"I think we should go home." Harry answered.

"So do I," I argued. "I'm getting cold, and the canal stinks.

"But we can't!" Liam argued. "We've just made contact with the Other World."

"And we haven't seen any Asian ghosts yet," Tom added. "Just that cat."

"But it wasn't a cat," I reminded him.

"That's what you think," Niall shot me a cynical look and rolled his eyes.

Since when you became so brave, Niall?

"Stop arguing," snapped Harry, seizing my arm. "Let's go!"

He spun on his heel, dragging me with him.

We had taken no more than two or three steps when-

Niall's shout of terro stopped us.

We whipped around in time to see something flying through the air from beneath the bridge.

It was a black blur, its green eyes shining with hate.

It landed on Niall's shoulder, it's black arched, it's claws digging into his shirt.

"It's only a cat!" shouted Liam. He let out a laugh. "It must be a stray that lives under the bridge. It's harmless....."

His last word died in a strangled cry.

It was a cat.

Only it wasn't like any cat we'd ever seen..

And it didn't look harmless to me.

It's black fur, matted with blood, was torn away in places to reveal its glowing bones and innards-

And when its mother opened, a ferocious howl erupted-

Like it was a cat from the fires of hell.

"It's a dead cat!" screamed Liam, as the hideous creature leaped from his shoulder and vanished into the gloom.

"A dead cat that's still alive!"

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