The Haunted Hangman

Chapter 5

Niall was shaking with horror, his shirt ripped by the creature's claws. He stared at the spot where the cat had vanished into the darkness.

"It was a cat, wasn't it?" he asked through chattering teeth. "And it looked dead!"

He swung around to Liam, his voice shrill.

"Do cats have ghosts?" he asked.

"I've never heard of one," Liam admitted, paralyzed with fear.

Harry's face was bloodless. His lips trembled when he spoke. "It looked dead, but it wasn't. I mean, its fur was missing. You could see right inside it. And it kind of glowed."

"Because it was a ghost!" Niall insisted.

"But what kind of ghost of a cat doing under the bridge?" I asked, looking from one to the other.

"I think I know," Liam said in a tight, low voice.

We all looked at him.

"What?" demanded Niall.

"Well.." Liam hesitated and made a swallowing noise, trying to clear the fear from his throat. "Don't laugh, But it's like- Well, you know, cats are pets, right?"

"Right," said Niall, nodding. "So...?"

"So what if the ghost cat belonged to a ghost human?"

Harry's eyes shot up. "That's crazy," he retorted. "Why would a ghost keep a pet?"

"Well, they might- " Liam lifted his arms and let them to drop. " -they might if their pet died when they died. Then the ghost would have their pet to keep them company."

I'd never heard anything so ridiculous. I began to laugh. It was a shrill, scared sound. "Liam, that's cuckoo talk!"

But Niall wasn't laughing. He fixed Liam with a fearful look. "So what you're saying is that the ghost cat might have a ghost owner?"

"Something like that, Yes," Liam agreed breathlessly.

"If that's true," Niall said. "That means the cat's owner must be somewhere nearby."

Liam nodded. "It's possible, isn't it?"

His eyes darted from side to side. Suddenly, he took a step away from the bridge.

"That's why we'd better get going," he said in a low voice. "Because if the cat is dead, and its owner is dead, we might be in big trouble."

But before we could leave, Harry's eyes widened. His hand flew to his mouth.

"Liam," he whispered.

"What?"

"There's something behind you!" He warned.

I followed his gaze, and my heart sped.

Liam turned around.

Something was moving out of the shadows towards him.

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