Page 13 of Leafpoint Lighthouse

Since the night I had fallen, I hadn’t walked away and I wouldn’t—even if I was dead. The evil would stay trapped by me for eternity. Eternal peace might be taken from me, but my prisoner had lost its freedom too.

Lyra

Both Thea and I sat on the window seat, staring out into the darkness. The Gull’s Nest was situated just out of town and higher up. Below we could see the town lights spread out, but nothing else. It was pitch-black out there.

“Lyra, I’m scared,” Thea said.

“Me too. But Mrs Penrose seems so confident. Thea, I don’t know about Seareef, but I can tell you, Leafpoint is in no…” I broke off in disbelief.

Thea followed my gaze and gasped. The storm hid Leafpoint, but from its general direction, a bright light shone.

“No, I’m imagining it,” I murmured.

“That makes two of us,” Thea said, pointing, and I turned my head and saw a second beam. Seareef.

“The town has to be playing tricks. Either those council-run lighthouses work, or someone is accessing ours. Seems not only are we unwanted, but we’re also a joke. Keep things close to your chest, Thea. Don’t trust anyone,” I warned.

Thea nodded as we both exchanged a glance. Why would the supposedly kind Mrs Penrose lie to us? What was going on in this town?

Wearily, I straightened my back and cracked it with a wince. Today had been a long day. Upon arriving, I immediately headed upstairs toward the lantern room.

I checked every level, finding no trace of an intruder. Worse, on the lantern room’s floor were two sets of footprints, but they showed up nowhere else inside the lighthouse. That had completely confused me. Anyone else would be screaming ghosts by now. Not me. Nope. I didn’t believe in them.

With a frustrated huff, I headed down the steps.

It was three o’clock; I’d been cleaning for hours. The good news was that the kitchen counters, cupboards, and drawers were scrubbed clean. To my surprise, they were sturdy and not rotten. They needed repainting, but otherwise, they were in perfect condition. The floor had been swept, and I could see the original tiles under the crap I’d removed. The entire kitchen smelled of bleach, and I had cleaned the windows and opened them, letting in fresh air. They were such cute little arched windows. The winter chill didn’t bother me as I’d worked up a sweat.

All the rubbish was cleared, bagged up, and taken to the newly delivered skip. I managed to drag out some of the broken furniture myself and throw it away. I’d also received some good news. According to the electrician, the wiring had been updated within the last five years and met current standards. The plumber gave me a similar report.

The surveyor wasn’t due for a few days, and the builder was coming tomorrow. I glanced down as my phone beeped. I almost cursed as I saw an email from Joseph with the certificates for the plumbing and electrical wiring. That could have saved me some pennies.

The water was now running cleanly, and the plumber had assured me it was clean and safe to drink. Joseph had evidently arranged for the utilities to be turned on weeks ago.

The teens were coming tomorrow, which made me wonder why I had scrubbed the kitchen, as they’d only dirty it by bringing the furniture down.

I made a mental note to contact a painter and decorator. I could do plenty of things, but painting was not my strong point. As I washed out my cloths, I began mentally making a list of what I required for the kitchen. Basically, it was everything. Kettle, toaster, cutlery, you name it, and I needed it. Sadly, I wasn’t overly keen on retail therapy, but I smiled at the idea of the huge online shopping giant I used. Thank God it offered next-day delivery. But I needed a white goods store.

With a grin, I turned to pack items, then stopped dead. By the stairs, I thought I saw a shadow, but it was gone so quickly it made my skin crawl.

What on earth?

I bit my lip in worry and, taking my courage, checked every level once more. There was nothing. Not even anywhere to hide.

Feeling a frisson of fear run up my spine and wondering if I was going mad. I headed downstairs back to the kitchen. My phone pinged, and I opened it, gasping. Tears welled in my eyes as I saw a screenshot of Cale and Serena. Underneath was a caption by Serena, ‘Amazing what happens when you get rid of dead baggage.’ That was clearly aimed at me.

“You can’t just let go. You have to keep driving the knife in,” I whispered. “Both of you can laugh, but Serena’s useless without me to do her job. As for you, Cale, money and status mean more than love. You’ll never get mine back.”

I puffed out my cheeks and calmed down. “I’ll never fall for your lies again or accept your bullying. Go to hell, both of you.”

Saddened and putting them out of my mind, I grabbed the car keys and headed out. I needed to buy some items from the shops before they closed. A kettle, cups, and some groceries. I’d have help tomorrow, so I had to be able to feed them.

After parking in town, I wandered down the main street. Even though some kitschy stores were clearly for tourists, I loved them; however, in February, there were no tourists. I stopped outside a small white goods store and grabbed a kettle and a microwave. The shop assistant didn’t seem to know who I was, and I carried them back to the car before heading to the supermarket.

“Go home,” a lady hissed in the street.

“I am home,” I retorted, and she glowered.

“You’re not welcome. We don’t need your trouble,” she continued.