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"Well this cottage is haunted, you know." Steve said slouching on his sofa, "the guy who set fire to the town,” he made gestures with his hands, pausing for a single moment, “this was his place before he was tried and hung."

"Oh you mean this is the Cain Collins cottage," James said with a bustle of exhilaration, he was high on energy, twitching restlessly on his seat.

Steve nodded, sloth like, "Sometimes i think i see his ghost." His face became dim as he looked at nothing in particular, remaining silent and still. Seconds passed and Steve did not blink nor move, Matius waved his hand in front of Steve's face, nothing.

"Er, Steve?" James said, "Steve," he repeated, poking his shoulder. 

Instantly Steve took in a breath, startling the three boys. He turned to them, “any you lads want a tea?” he asked.

All nodded slowly as Steve lifted himself off the sofa and towards the kitchen.

“It’s not just me who thinks he’s going to murder us, right?” Matius said.

“Don’t be a twat Matius,” James spoke in a sudden peaceful voice, “what type of murderer makes tea for their victims, huh?” his tones drifted nonsensically

“The type who wants you to feel safe and calm so you don’t realize the real reason they brought you there.”

“You're both just being…” his voice mixed and dimming as he swayed, “....idiots..” he melted into his seat, then suddenly rocked forward, as his legs shook up and down.

Steve arrived back in the room with a teapot, it was red with with pattern welded into it. “i got this teapot during my time in Asia,” he said, “i woke up finding it in my bag, and also finding out i was not in my hostel,” he explained, “i think i was in someones villa, i can’t be sure though, that day was a blur.” he poured tea into four cups, handing on each to the boys. “This will help mellow you out.”

Chris sniffed the tea, looking down uncertainty. “What's in it?” he asked.

“Stuff,” Steve answered.

“Thanks real helpful,” Chris muttered. He stared at his cup, then took a breath, downing as much as he could of the hot tea.

“James, mate, i think you should have some, you’ve been all over the place for the last,” Matius checked his phone for the time, “two hours.” he humed, “huh, odd, i could have sworn,” his head turned to face the TV, “wait, has the TV been on the whole time?”

Chris shrugged, taking a brownie. “You sure you don’t want to go into baking instead?” he asked Steve.

Steve chuckled, “nah, i tried to get on bake off, it just wasn’t my thing.”

“They wouldn’t know what was good if it slapped them in their faces, telling my baby boy that he wasn’t good enough, the bastards” his mother said walking into the room, “I've just finished doing your washing love” she told Steve in a instantaneous soft voice.

“Did you-”

“Don’t worry, I hand washed it.” she sang smiling. 

Steve sighed in relief, as his mother moved into the room, walking over to the corner to bring out the ironing board, as she began to iron Steve's underwear.

She stopped for a moment watching the TV, “oh look midsomer murders is on,” she smiled.

“The telly's on?” James asked.

“Just drink the tea James.” Chris told him.

Everyone grew into a leisurely pace, seeping deeper into the sofa, it was quiet, only the sound of the TV and Steve's mothers ironing as she humed the tune of wheels on the bus, that was till crying began to emit in the air coming from the upstairs.

“Shitting hell.” Steve mumbled getting up off the sofa, going up the stairs.

“She's such a cute baby,” his mother chuckled, continuing to iron her son's clothes.

Steve came back down, carrying a small child wearing a light yellow baby suit in his arms, a blanket covering it, 

“Is that your baby?” Chris asked with disbelief.

“Yes, her name's storm,” he said proudly.

“I’m sorry her name is storm?” Matius questioned, wanting to be sure he heard right. 

“Yes, after the x-men character, i collect the comics, i have some in mint condition.” he began to brag, “some are even worth just over a thousand pounds.” the baby squirmed in his arms, her little legs and arms kicking and flailing about, her small round face growing red.

Steve rocked her, stepping towards the sofa.

“Who's the mother?” Chris asked.

“Oh she works at-”

“Stevie, sweetie, let's not mention that whores name in this house, shall we?” his mother said in stern stone voice. 

“Mum it’s only a na-”

“That bitch!” his mother dropped the iron, “to leave my baby boy as a single parent, Christ it makes me sick, sick!”

Steve groaned falling back on the sofa, “get over it mum, you love storm.”

“Of course i fucking love my granddaughter, what type person would i be if i didn’t?!”

“a shitty one?” Matius offered.

Storm began to squirm more, and her cries grew louder, till it was deafening. “You,” Steve said to Chris, “take her,” he passed his child over to Chris,

“No, no, no.” Chris spoke as the child went into his arms. “What do i do?”

“Hold her,” Steve muttered, taking a piece of cake, then falling back resting as indulged in the taste. 

“Should you really be taking drugs when your baby is right here?”

“It ain't like she’ll remember.” Steve argued.

The baby immediately calmed in Chris's arms, cooing as she looked up at him. “Oh," he said quietly looking down at her,  "she is quite sweet isn’t she,” he allowed a small smile prick up on his lips.

“Never seen her so calm.” Steve gazed, “shit how’d you do that?”

“What? I’m only holding her.”

“But she isn’t crying anymore.”

Chris shrugged looking back down to the baby, as it began to play with a necklace that was tied around his wrist.

“You sure you should let her play with that, it’s sharp?” Matius said his head leaning forward to look at the child.

“It’s nice that,” Steve pointed at the necklace, “quite fancy.”

Chris furrowed his brows, “fancy?” he grumbled.

“Are those gems?” Matius questioned, he took a closer look, “you’ve started wearing it a lot lately. It’s fairly effeminate isn’t it?”

“I was gonna say that,” Steve put in, chewing down on his food.

“But it’s nice,” Matius assured, as if he had hurt Chris's feelings, “really nice.”

Chris frowned looking back down to the baby, who stared endlessly at his eyes, enhanced by the colours, her eyes big watching. she curled her hand around his finger as she grinned. Chris content, smiled at storm, that was when a strange light grew between the two, dancing above the child, she laughed, trying to grab onto it, it split, and split again and again, the light morphing into shapes and patterns, the baby’s laughter boomed, as she happily throw her arms up trying to catch the then flowers of light. Chris jumped up holding the baby at arms length, the lights within a second disappeared, Chris handed storm back to her father rushing, she cried instantly as she was dropped into her fathers arms again. Chris grabbed hold of Matius and James arms pulling them out of the room. James stopped him.

“Wait, I haven't paid Steve.” he mumbled, taking out some money and placing it onto the tabletop next to the container of brownies. Chris groaned, dragging the two out of the house.

Steve called after them, “no! wait, please, make her stop crying, make her stop!”

Chris didn’t stop dragging the two till they traveled off Steve's street, marching away towards the town's centre. “What the fuck Chris,” Matius said, pulling his arm out from Chris's hand, “i hadn’t finished my tea.”

“Sorry, i just really needed to get out of there, something-” he stopped himself, “never mind, it was nothing, anyway we were there for too long, it was only supposed to be a quick drug run,”

“That was before he offered us free drugs.”

“In food, bloody good food, but still food.” Chris said, “We've wasted two hours at his place.”

James meanwhile, moved over to a tree hugging, “guys,” he spoke, “this tree feels amazing.”

“How much did he have?” Chris asked.

“He had a lot of those heroin rice cakes and some of those cocaine biscuits, you know the ones with the white frosting.”

Chris starred as James rubbed his face on the tree. “We should give him some water.” Chris grumbled.

“Do you think he’s going to try and shag it?” Matius questioned as he watched James.

“I hope not,” Chris mumbled as he approached James, “come on mate, lets go get you something to drink.”

James held the tree tight, “you'll never keep us apart, never!”

“For fuck sake," chris muttered, "James let go of the tree.” he ordered. 

“No,”

“James.” Chris warned.

“I will never leave her.”

“Her?” Matius sniggered.

“Stop laughing and help me,” Chris groaned as he took hold of James pulling him off the tree. He pried him off, long enough to convince him, he wasn’t abandoning the tree and they would be right back. Matius and Chris guided James down the road, till they got to a corner shop, they walked in, keeping James close.

"Chris?” a bland voice spoke, he turned around looking to spot Dalmir, buying a new pack of cigarettes. “What are you doin’ ‘ere?"

"Oh just looking around," he answered.

"Who's this?” Matius questioned with a grin, “oh my god, is this Dale?" he spoke excitedly.

"Dalmir," Chris gritted frowning.

“Hi,” Matius moved closer to Dalmir, ignoring Chris. “i’m Matius.” he introduced himself.

Dalmir nodded, then turned back up to Chris as if Matius didn't exist. “your friend wandered off by the way.”

“What?” Chris said confused, then switched his face around finding no James. “Fuck,” he groaned.

“He’s right there,” Matius pointed to the second aisle in the shop, as they watched James pick up all the chocolate bars he could.

“Is ‘e okay?” Dalmir asked, though he didn’t sound he would care either way.

“He’s just on a shit ton of drugs,”

“Swears he’s in love with a tree,” Matius told Dalmir. He looked over to James, “the poor bugger, he won’t live this down for a months.” Matius laughed wickedly.

Chris sighed, “i’ll go buy some water for him.” he trudged off over the refrigerated bottles. He made his way to the checkout desk, buying the water, his gaze traveling over to James, who laying down on the sticky floor, he turned back to pay the cashier. In the corner of his eyes he saw something, it gleamed brightly, lights dancing along, fluttering, blooming. Chris staggered backwards, his body trembling, he couldn’t decide if it was real or not, but it had him running, running out of the shop, and to the beach. 

looking out to the sea, Chris felt immensely calmer. “Hey are you okay?” Matius asked sitting down next to Chris on the sand.

“I ate raw meat yesterday,”

Matius remained silent.

“That's why I want to be a vegetarian,” he answered, his voice dull.

“Why did you eat raw meat?”

“I don’t know,” he said, tired. “Things just keep happening to me.”

Chris got up, “I'm going home,” he grumbled, placing his hands in his coat pockets, his head falling to his feet as he watched them shuffle along out of the beach and along the path.

As he walked on the pavement he heard a voice call out to him, turning up he saw Dalmir, “hey,” he spoke,

“Hi,”

“You doin’ okay?”

Chris shrugged, “as good as you can when you’ve had four weed brownies and a rice crispy cake with heroin in it,”

He walked alongside Chris, as they traveled in silence. They stopped as they got to the hill, “bye,” Chris said, his voice dry.

“What? No fist bump?”

Chris looked up to see a smirk on Dalmirs face, Chris frowned, “fuck off,”

He heard a light chuckle from Dalmir, then heard footsteps moving away, Chris looked back watching him walk down another path. He sighed, his gaze trailing down to his necklace, watching it shine in the evening sun..