The others

"James, have you seen my wallet?" Looking up from this dinner table and at frustration with not making sense of historical information. Dates jumbled and events mixed and confused. The moment to relax and think of where such wallet was.

"Have you tried you bag, your coat or your other bag you use?" She nods really sure of it, "I can't imagine it going far. Rick might have it for a prank on you. You know what his like." She pouts her bottom lip folded. She was visible shaking in worry for it. You could say a panic attack is on its way. She really will suffer worse tomorrow from this.

There are someplaces she will not think of checking because it wasn't her whom put it there. Not that anyone here has the ability to see them or even sense these extra house renters here.

Not the garden, so it wasn't the plant thing that took it. The plant is mostly the old thorn bush at the corner end of the garden, it full of even smaller flower spirits. They tend to steal things to make homes out of or take out of curiosity.

Not in the living room window, the clay face with washed off water colours didn't take it. This being follows me around, house to streets. It constantly would pick up things and put them in sight of myself or others. A more helpful but creepy looking guy. The body is a torn fragment rags of cloth the twist into the limbs it needs to move around or pick things up. Its known to move chairs and whole sofas like it had for one foster home.

Which leaves... attic. Where the dark figure watchs everything. James only has to pry the attic door open for the wallet to be wedged there. This one is what gave the house its haunted title. David and Greg aren't sure of it real shape and intentions. Yet they have told us that it was a previous house owner whom hung himself in the attic became of the marriage between a brother and potental lover. Its a local town story that everyone has slightly different takes of. The main points have always been; hung man, a marriage and something about family.

It sucks. He has to be the one every time because it wants her to fetch something from up there. James knew it from how stubber it snaps his wrist for moving the wallet from the wedge of the door. Karen stares in shiver lessing as she sees her wallet was there. She sighs in relief to having it back and steps away a little. The scratches arms and bruised wrist only really get visible when she really inspected his twinged pain reaction.

"Hey freak, what the hell are you doing with that attic door again? You freak needs stop banging it." The attic door moved on its own with opening and nearly hitting James. The three stare at how it had be another person. The door isn't spring loaded to act like that. The door has to be pushed up or pulled above, more like a thick plank of wood and not a loose fit door. A very common way British houses have attic wood plaster boards to cover the hole in the upstairs ceiling.

At awe and angery, Rick goes up there with his phone for video evidence. Looking around and back. Closing it and mutter a out dark and dusty. That the clay doll up there gives him the creeps. Some prop from Greg's gaming project's. A large 3d figure likely it being a modelling program reference. Karen stares at Rick, pale and maybe due to her seeing it before. At a guess, her room. This ghost will not leave her alone. Only adding more to the myth story of it.

James sees them all the time. He sees these strange spirits everywhere. Clay faced one are the most common, but in closer looking are very different to each other. Mostly he sees many on the streets, among people and good fortune most of the time. He never tries to see anything more of them or talk to them. However, these clay faces can or do talk. They one the few things that can speak English back. fey flower spirits, the eyeless birds on windowsills, and the grim reaper god folks... don't ever talk. Or talk back in a common language to living.

"Is everyone alright here?" Greg scratching his head from the frame of his office. He looked drained of skin tone and shirt of sweat stains. The waft of smelling like gym school invades the hallway.

"My wallet was wedge in the attic door. Again." Greg goes to look at James and Rick. Glaring at for nonsense. It wasn't the frist that and its a prank to old to be funny anymore.

"Not me. I respect the no attic rule." Rick shows surrendered hands, phone tucked to his pocket. He lied and didn't want to be grounded.

"I notice the attic door partly opened when I went to check the bathroom for her wallet. When I fetched it... well..." showing his arms and there wide gasps, "I did not do this to myself."

Greg steps forwards with looking... even finger nails where skin accumulates if he did it himself. Its true, James didn't do this. In thinking about it, David had this happen too. David is not the sort to self-inflict. Might be splinters of the attic door or ladder. It be worth sanding down or replacing the ladder or door. At this point of time, it didn't matter.

"No attic. Ask me in future." He points to all three and back to his work in the study. Rick pulled his tongue out a5 james and closed his room door. James puts the ladder back up and the door closed. Ignoring the more faces looking down from inside the attic. That's a lot of things up there... attic guy isn't alone.

"James..." Karen's voice wavered, "Do you think there is someone or something always watching?"

James was hovers about corridor in checking somethings no one else would notice. Salt lines he put down, as the old witch trick has its merits. He looks back her, her room door opening and gently closes again. The mass of black. He makes sure not to be staring at it but at her. He could tell her and be seen as a freak by her. Maybe letting her find out on her own will not do any harm.

A common rule found is that all, every single spirit or ghost, can't touch or physically harm a living person. In the cases that harm does happen, the rule breakers are hunted down by even scarier looking creeps. In James known personal experience, the mask folks are jump scare types but mean not harm or ill intentions. Not really at all, inpite of making you jump put of your skin.

"Thats up to you to believe. Personally I agree but... it sort of like asking if you believe God is always watching." She frowns with looking up at the attic door. James avoids it and goes back around to the stairs. She quick to follow him, "They aren't meaning to scare us, I don't think that's the intention." She gives a puzzled look. He walks down the stairs ignoring another. The water paint one... it admires itself in a mirror. She slows in stepping down and see it too... avoid it like James did.

"You can see them." She realized. James don't answer her, his not sure to.

Rick warned him about playing her see dark figures game. Not that Rick realizes these things are there. However he is able been seeing them more lately. If that whole attic thing isn't more weird. James guessed there is a reason for all this being visible thing. He can feel it almost pricking at his neck. It has to do with going up there to find out.

Sitting back at the books he has been studying. Everything was moved and things were written on stick notes he know that no one owns. All expect himself. Written like he already studies all this. At just light touch of these notes... he knew himself to done this.

"David and Greg can't even interact or realise that 'they' are there. Rick can sometimes them but can't interact or realise it. You and me, we make the cloth fold if we walked past that new guy. Like as if we share ability to." She sits across, "How long have you known?"

James puts things away, folding papers and closing the books. He doesn't wish to make her vulnerable to worse things then these shadow folks. The fey can be real nasty work when you disturb them. The scary things that attack rule breakers are nightmarish enough.

"The only things I know for certain is that inspite of being non-religious... I do reccomend a charm for good luck. To protect yourself from worse. They are not intending to scare us." James dropped stuff and when he went to pick it up. It was gone. He does it again with a pen. It too gone. He sits properly in thinking about it and stood up to check his school bag. Its in there. Full of sticky notes and heavy wear from being read all the time.

She tilted her head to follow him arohnd and would make look to the floor where he dropped stuff. He closed his school bag, trance on thinking of what more weird things could happen.

This ability is new at the moment. Never seems to happen before. It should have landed in shade of the table... so it got to do with the shadow thing of his dream or the water colour thing. Leaned more towards dreaming, given how well read this textbook is. The sort of thing that happens when anything from his dreams is brought with him.

A creak made him glance up the stairs. Doors being opened partly and closed softly. He chooses to be smart and goes back to the dinner table, siting back down at the table where Karen has been staring around.

"I don't talk about it. It's better to not. You will be next to a doctor at this rate." She frowns with getting it.

Staring at him, it passed her mind that his known longer then her and the advice was with full meaning to protect her. She thinks about how supernatural stuff is normal in this house. She goes to her room, avoiding the attic door. The creak of her door opening is followed by thud of the ladder clattering from the attic.

"Greg, we need to fix the attic door. It keeps opening." She walked around avoiding and closed her door. Rick likely now opened his and the clattering of it put back. He comes down for a drink and James stays dazed with listening to the attic open again.

"You need to stop doing this." Rick hissed at him, "This never was a problem before you arrived." Thats not true, Karen isn't the only one to have strange things happen while being in the house. Visitors and previous foster kids whom couldn't handle this. Greg and David like the huanted house. It was their choose to enjoy the supernatural stuff.

"I'm home with great news!" David at the front door peering around the entry. Able to see up the stairs and through to the kitchen, "Will you help me with the shopping in the boot?" James and Rick come around. He looks exhausted and the left eye twitches, his stressing about something. He may not tell them directly yet until he talks to Greg first.

"Karen is in her room and Greg in his study." Rick tells and David look perplexed. James nods in agreement, "The attic door keeps opening and I hate Gregs game prop up there." David is even more stumped.

Now everyone was back and forth carry heavy loads of shopping. Pantry stock up, lots of tin foods and easy cook... not a lot of fridge or freezer stuff.

"Why did you get all this?" Rick going through a bags then putting it away.

"Well I did get good fortune today..." he lied. He had it yesterday. This was the very opposite. Cheap and lots of it. Stuff to last a while. James knew it and Rick continues to study what brands were bought. James pats David on th shoulder and doesn't push it. Putting it away the mess Rick is stacking on the counter top.

David sighed in knowing he can't hide that from James and directly to goes find Greg. Left it to James and Rick to put it away for now. Rick frowning more and more as the pantry is over stuffed. Some spill to the counter of things not fitting.

It been a loud commotion of heavy tins in bags. Enough for Karen to come back down. She looks at the mess of tins staked. Carrier bags folded in one. She looks to the pantry and then closed it.

"Davids home but... left us to go to Greg first." Rick stares confused.

"Lost his job?" She asked.

"Maybe... but I don't want to be rude." James brought out a pan, "Bean pasta?"

The other two sigh and nod... sitting at the dinner table. They quietly talked about how to get by with what little there is already of pocket money. James cooks tonight not expecting the two fathers downstairs for a while. It was a very silent evening then onwards. Not a sound from the office. Karen and Rick went to bed after dinner. Worries about school for now, a distraction of not thinking about rent or other bills. Electricity and water.

It was really late and the others were sleeping in bed. James was still awake washing dishes. Keeping food warm in the microwave covered over by over turned plates. The rest out away in the freezer for now likely for tomorrow's lunch or dinner too.

"Its 10pm..." Greg announced from the door.

"I dont sleep well anyways." James rinsed and places plates to the dry rack.

"Do the other two know I lost my job?" David asked.

"Karen knew the second she seen the tins. Rick and her had a siblings meeting about lunch money. I know were going to be fine." Taking off washing gloves and setting them to the dry rack too.

"What this thing about the attic?" Greg asked now.

"We are being genuine with saying it keeps opening. Karens wallet was wedge in the door. Rick says he didn't. Why would I? Not with being scratched from fetching her wallet." David awes in wonder and Greg sighs in some skeptical look, "The only folks that been up there properly that we know of was Rick to make sure no one was stomping his ceiling and maybe you two. I went as far as the ladder and back."

"I dont have any large dolls up there from my job." Greg sighs in trying to think logically. David well impressed with all this supernatural stuff. James wipes down the counter a last time, "What did Rick think he seen?"

"He grumbled about a clay faced doll. His sister went pale when he said that. Later asking me about it. I have to admit, its not my first time seeing things like that. Clay drama mask sort of beings. I choose to ignore them and not talk about it. I am telling you because clearly you two can't see them. Don't notice just how often they move stuff around you." James sees his not believed, "You're not going to believe me. I know you will not. So... I leave it to them to make their minds up showing themselves to you."

James sighs and took out a paper from his pocket. Passing it to David. A Job advert for receptionist for foster charity. He says nothing in leaving for the night. Avoids the attic door being at the floor and the ladder down. Rick has a go pro set up... watching this. James gave it a wave and goes to his room. He takes seat at his room desk, to weirded with how active the shadows have been today.

There was a door that opened at the corridor with physical foot steps. Muffle conversation between Karen and Rick. Rick told her to go to bed. She lingered with not comfortable being alone tonight. She shuffled with avoid the ladder and attic door on the floor. She backed to James door and knocked.

"James..." she voiced. He does feel bad for her. He remembers being this scared too once. She quickly got herself into the room, closing the door and checking the handle isnt awkward like her room.

"You can come in." James has nothing around here to hide and his not tired. He doesn't want to sleep. She was already in before he could say, "You are alright in here. They will not come in." She stares at the door in fear of it opening without cause, "Just sleep. I am not." She finally listened and settles a little bit.

She adjusted her Pjs to cover neatly and makes the floor comfortable. To awkward to steal his bed but safe feeling with staying here. He takes out the History books... started getting memorizing it properly. History test tomorrow. It was more like glancing through it to actually be listening to the corridor. To act normal with her in here.

"Karen!" Rick slams the door of her room and she stretched with waking up. She opens this room and looked at how Rick is stood froze staring at her room.

"Brother, I am not in there." She steps and walks to see what his looking at. She pulls him around to James room and closed the door, "James..."

"On it." He gets up front the desk, text book and everything sort of just disappeared. He picked up a jar beside his bed in the stand and he walks through to the corridor. David coming out of his room looking around confused, "Ghost in Karen's room... apparently. " David snickered with watching James guide around to her room. Jar opened. The tall double bent figure screeched and snarls. James flicks the jars contains at it. It opens the window and leaves. David stood frozen with staring.

"Clearly wasn't the thing from the attic." James leaves her room. David side steps with going into James room with everyone. Jar capped and out back on the bed stand. He goes back to his desk, out with his journal writing the experience.

They talked between each other about this. Greg came in stood flummoxed by this insist party in James's room. Rick braved with fetching the go pro and James passed a laptop over. They look at him strangely with seeing this laptop for the first time. They don't think about it for now and go through the footage, stopping to take screen shots of the eight wrong things that passed the go pro... blurry photos.

"The one with the colored mask hangs out down stairs all the time. Puts things in the window. The attic guy is nosy. The butterfly is good luck. I haven't really bothered asking what the other things are... they are never welcome. Not even by the other ones." James does some explaining. Puts the journal away on a book case that wasn't there. They stare at him and at this magic trick of games suddenly.

"I am sorry for assuming you are crazy." Rick spoke first. James sighed because he knows what this was going to. He tapped in counting the seconds. That bad scent and cold wraps around everyone. The ticking tap was annoying Rick to almost shout at James.

Crash!