Leave This Place by Spike Black Page A

book and flipped through, reading random entries.
    “The surrounding countryside is just lovely,” said Mrs Beech from Lowestoft. “Already booked for next year.”
    Paul and Marjorie, no last name given, from Oxfordshire: “Great walks, good food & ale and breathtaking scenery.”
    Near the back of the book: “An ideal location for exploring the countryside. Thanks.” - Del & Rhona, East Fife.
    The next page: “Should never have come here.” - T&S.
    Oona stared at the words, dumbstruck.
    The message on the facing page was written in shaky handwriting and was anonymous. “There’s something wrong with this place.”
    Her hand trembled as she turned the page. The last message in the book.
    One word, etched deep into the paper.
    Re-scored and underlined.
    “LEAVE.”
    Oona dropped the book with a scream and ran back into the living room. She stopped fast when she saw Silas.
    The cat was sitting on his lap.
    “Where did that come from?”
    Silas sighed. “You’re more of a dog person. I get it.”
    “It needs to go. Right now.”
    Silas lifted the cat up and turned it to face him. “Aw, did you hear that, Maude? The nasty lady wants to get rid of you.”
    The blood froze in her veins. “What…?”
    “Huh?”  
    “What did you call it?”
    “Maude.”
    “Why?”
    “What do you mean, ‘why’?”
    “Have you seen the photos, too?”
    “What photos?”
    She wanted to slap him for being so ignorant. “So, you looked in the album.”
    “What? No…”
    “Then why did you call it that?”
    “Well, look at that face…” He turned the cat around. The creature glared at Oona. “She looks like a Maude, don’t you think?”
    Oona eyed Silas with suspicion. “Are you fucking with me?”
    Silas was so taken aback he was lost for words for a moment. “Oona…”
    “Are you fucking with me? Seriously, don’t fuck with me. Don’t you dare fuck with me. Because I’ll just go.”
    “Oona, what’s got into you? Are you possessed?”
    “I’m not kidding, Silas. I’ll just pack a bag and leave. I’ll drive away and you’ll be stranded here. Just you and that piece of shit fucking cat.”
    “Oona, please. There’s no call for all the language.”
    “Oh, you don’t think so? You don’t fucking think so?”
    The cat ran away as Silas stood up. He held out his arms. “Hey, hey, come here.”
    Oona stepped back.
    “Calm down,” he said, lunging forward. “Take it easy.”
    He moved in for a hug and she batted his arms away. “Don’t touch me.”
    “Oona, what’s the deal? You’re not being yourself.”
    “ I’m not being myself?”
    “Let’s just enjoy our holiday.”
    “Holiday? This is not a holiday, Silas. I want to leave.”
    “We can’t leave.”
    Her heart missed a beat. “What?”
    “Let’s just stay until the end of the week, like we planned.”
    “No…”
    “Please. I need to work through a few… issues. There are no ghosts, I get it. I’m trying to accept that it’s all in my head. But I’m still haunted by the memories of the things I saw. So I need this extra time. Please. For me.”
    He placed his arms around her. She didn’t push him away this time. But she couldn’t stop thinking about all the cat hairs he was transferring to her.
    “Look,” he said, “sleep on it. If you still feel the same in the morning, we’ll go.”
    Sleep on it. That’d be nice. “I don’t need to sleep on it,” she said, turning to leave. “We go in the morning.”
    The morning . She would have to find a way to cope until then. She thought about Silas, how burning the chair had done wonders for him, and that gave her an idea.
    She ascended the stairs, each stone step causing her heart to pump faster and filling her belly with dread. She glanced into the master bedroom through the gap in the door.  
    She crossed the landing to the spare room and went inside. Took the framed photo of the old man off the bedside table. Thumbed the furrows made by the embossed vines on the