Luke couldn't sleep. He eventually gave up trying around three o'clock in the morning. Going down into the kitchen, he didn't bother with the lights and opened the fridge to collect ingredients for a sandwich.

His mum's roasts were the best and he wasn't about to let the leftovers go to waste.

Putting the double stacked mini-meal onto a plate, he shuffled back upstairs to his computer desk, next to the electric fire. Warmth and a soothing glow helped him to settle down, heating his legs while he rested his back on one of his mother's collection of tartan cushions.

He sipped his drink and munched away, losing himself in the now automatic clicks and log ins to restart his game.

So, this was his future then. The farm. It wasn't exactly what he'd wanted but now knowing the full story he guessed there could be worse fates than this. Maybe it would be a blessing in disguise? Working at the shop hadn't been as interesting as he'd hoped, and after failing his course at college, he'd never really expected to become the whizz kid entrepreneur like Duncan. After Clara, things had changed. And after Clara again.

Goosebumps rose all over his flesh. Clara again.

The screen of Luke's computer glared yellow with the opening credits of the game. He finished his midnight snack and bent closer to the image. Attempting to engage his mind with the action, he tried to phase out the memory of the Ouija game.

Move the mouse quickly to that box... Grab the explosives and run behind that car...

Sarah hadn't stopped laughing. She'd almost wet herself giggling at the sight of Duncan doing his 'Freddie Krueger picking his nose' impersonation.

Luke had set up the Ouija board on Sarah's parents' bed. The three nineteen-year-olds had all been ready for the Halloween night of fun.

"I mean honestly," Sarah spluttered between laughter. "Why are the girls always skinny, silly, screaming and with big boobs in those stupid movies? And why do they always go down in the cellar? With no lights? I mean, who would really do that?"

Duncan had jumped onto the bed next to her and passed Luke the bottle of wine they were sharing, shaking his head in agreement with her.

"I know, right? You'd think the daft bitches would realise that the first place a psycho hides out is in the dark, in the cellar, under the stairs just waiting to--"

"Grab your ankle as you come down!" Sarah finished for him.

Luke had the feeling that he had been missing out on more between his two friends than a cynical view of horror films.

Shoot that monster over there before it gets too close... Shift and up cursor...right click mouse. It's dragging a body behind it...

"I suppose the popcorn's all gone, Sarah?" Luke had asked, sitting himself at the foot of the bed, his back resting on the wall.

Sarah had pursed her lips and knotted her eyebrows.

"Yeah. Sorry about that Luke, but you know how I can't stop eating it when I'm nervous."

Duncan had banged his body into her.

"How can you be nervous about stupid films like that when you live in what has to be the most haunted house in England?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sarah had snapped back.

"Just what I said. It's creepy in here at night. Your grandfather's right. All those noises and that weird flowery smell. I wouldn't be surprised if we get hold of a real ghost here tonight. What do you think, big man?"

Luke remembered catching a sidelong grin and wink from his friend, and he'd been ready to go along with whatever stupidity Duncan was going to try on her. He'd had a good idea where it was heading.

"Yeah, could be so Sarah. There's some real spooky vibes in here, but you know what, Duncs? I reckon I know who's behind it all."

Sarah hadn't seemed too amused by the teasing.

"And who do you suppose that would be?"

"It's got to be weird old great grandfather George, right, Duncs? You know, the one who used to bury all those potion bottles and only eat after midnight."

"Yeah," Duncan hadn't let up. "He was like a flippin' Gremlin! What kind of family do you come from, Loops? But honestly, mate, I think it's gotta be the psycho in the closet, right, Luke? The pyromaniac?"

"Oh yeah, he's a beauty."

"Trouble is Mr. Witchfinder General is too hot for you to handle, Loops!"

"Yep. He's a real 'firestarter'."

"Oh, yeah. A 'twisted firestarter'. Good one, mate. Bit of a 'Prodigy,' that one."

Sarah had groaned and smacked Duncan on the back of the head, giggling at him in what Luke had felt was a flirty way. He'd wanted them to stop. "Okay, guys. Let's get this started. Who wants to do the opening speech?"

Duncan had shrugged. "Guess that falls down to the weirdest person in the room." He made a show of looking around the room, nodding at the rose patterned walls. "Suppose that's you, Loopy."

"Piss off." Sarah had settled down to the board and read off from the instructions. "Okay. Here goes..."

The monster is dropping the body beside the doorway... Get over there and find out which of your team mates it's killed...

They had been having a good time. Even Luke had relaxed a bit and was seeing the funny side of the situation.

"Oh, come off it, Duncs. I definitely saw your hand move it that time."

Duncan had taken his hands from the wedge piece and held them high above his head, proclaiming his innocence.

"No way! I'm telling you it moved by itself. When I said 'Did you always have bad breath' I swear Great Aunt Bertha gave us the answer."

"You wanker. I saw your finger tips turn white with the pressure. Don't give me that shit."

"Boys, boys, please." Sarah had joined in the joke. "Don't you think it's strange that Hitler would choose to hang out at Great Aunt Bertha's anyway?"

Luke had flipped Duncan the bird and sat back as he watched Sarah take control of the wedge for the first time.

The body's lying face down, it has to be turned over... Use the left arrow button, click and hold... That's it... It's turning....Who will it be..? The doctor or the thief...?

As Sarah had touched the game piece, a rush of wind had whipped open the window, causing her to yelp with surprise.

"Easy there, Buffy." Duncan had got off the bed and jumped over to slam the window shut. "There's no Angel leaping in through your window tonight for a quick shag."

"Ha ha." But Sarah had looked uneasy as she put her finger tips back on the wedge.

Luke sensed her disquiet.

"We can call it a night if you like."

Duncan had snorted in disdain as he sprawled back down beside Sarah again.

"Don't be such a pussy, big man. It's not even past midnight yet."

Luke had shrugged his shoulders and winked at the redhead.

"Fine by me."

Sarah had smiled back, briefly shivering.

"Okay, is there anybody else there who wants to talk to us?"

"How about you, Genghis Khan? Fancy a foursome?"

"Duncan!"

"Sorry."

"Is there anyone else?" Sarah had been wiggling her fingers - pins and needles? "We are waiting for you."

"Yeah, come on you miserable gits. This is your night remember? How about you Elvis?"

Luke had yawned.

An owl had screeched loudly as its white body flew across the window, again making Sarah jump.

"Ho ho! It's a ghost. Did you see that Luke? Reckon it's coming for you, Loops."

"Shut up, you prat." Luke had seen that Sarah was beginning to feel genuinely spooked. It had made him want to stop the game, right then and there.

The face is distorted... It's too dark to see... It doesn't look like either the doctor or the thief ... It looks female... Get the lantern from the backpack...

"Can you ask Marilyn Monroe to get her tits out for the lads, Loopy?"

Duncan had laughed and taken out a cigarette. Sarah had smacked his hand, causing him to drop it before he lit it. There hadn't been any sign of playfulness in her action.

She had gone back to the board. Luke had felt a sensation pressing closer on him, urging them to continue.

"Please, there's someone there, right?"

Luke had sat forward, warned by the unsettling undertone in her voice. Duncan had stopped grinning.

"I know you're there. Do you want to tell us something?"

The wedge had gently moved over to the circle with 'yes' at the top of the board.

"Nice one, Loopy Laker." But Duncan had not been laughing.

"Can you tell us your name?" Sarah had waited for a moment, shaking her hand - maybe to get the feeling to return. Five minutes had passed, with the three of them sat still and in silence. Heavy air building around them.

Sarah had taken her hand away and rubbed it frenetically, while smiling at Luke.

"Look!" Duncan had brought their attention back to the board. "No, out the window. Look."

Fetch the lantern... Ok, arrow down to look down... It's a girl....She's familiar...

The black of the night outside had been deep and without cloud. The moon hadn't shone bright and skeletal tree branches pointed out sideways towards their neighbours.

In one of the highest branches there had been a dark shape. A large, hunched oval.

Sarah had gone over to the window. Placing her hands on the glass and looking hard at the form. It had seemed as if she had been drawn there unconsciously.

"Is that an owl, Sarah?" Duncan had asked quietly.

"I don't think so. It looks too big. It's the right shape though."

Luke had come up behind her and with Duncan beside them, all three had stared, entranced by the gloomy bulge.

It had appeared to be expanding out sideways and then retracting inwards, inhaling and exhaling.

Luke had rubbed his eyes, tired from the strain and wine. He'd automatically put his hand on Sarah's shoulder. His skin lightly touching hers at the neckline of her top. She'd felt cold and clamy.

"Is that thing growing bigger?" Duncan had pushed his face nearer the glass. A hot cloudy mist covering the area around his mouth.

"It's moving." Sarah had taken a step back, thumping into the solidity of Luke's body.

"Oh, what the fu--" Duncan had given up his sentence as the thing on the branch had begun to swing, almost mechanically, backwards around the branch.

Sarah had gasped, watching the figure fall back until it was hanging upside down, bat style. Facing them.

It had been too dark to make the details out clearly, the paler area of the space where a face could have been, was obscured and blurry.

Collectively holding their breath, they'd watched, spellbound as the figure had stretched itself out, downwards. Hair had fallen loose from the shape to flow freely in the breeze. Dark brown hair.

Hearing her sucking in her breath, Luke watched as Sarah and Duncan had pressed as closely as possible to the window. The cold of the night seeping through to their skin.

Luke had stepped back.

The thing was changing direction. It had no longer been heading down, but out - outwards towards them.

The glass had frozen, crackling with instantly formed ice. Freezing spiderwebs of lace stretched as the pale face of the creature had moved in closer.

"Sarah, Duncs, get away from there."

His warning had gone unheard. They, too, were frozen. All the breath in their bodies trapped in a moment.

Feeling dizzy, Luke had not been able to break his gaze away from the creature, floating in closer and closer, he had finally made out the features.

It was Clara. But it wasn't. Her dead eyes had held no light, her mouth open and black. Cheeks shallow and sunken. She'd tipped her head to the side, again in an autonomous fashion, blinking her large, black eyes at Luke. He'd felt her reading his soul, feeling her way into his heart.

Luke had fallen to his knees.

The bedroom door had suddenly swung open, and Sarah's grandfather had burst into the room. He'd immediately taken in the situation, the teenagers and the Clara creature outside.

He'd rushed across the room waving his hands, screaming like a mad man.

"Clear off! Clear out of here."

Clara's face had distorted with fury before speeding away, leaving a low screech in its wake.

Slowly the ice on the window had begun to melt, as had Luke's two friends. They'd turned to find him shaking and panting on his knees.

"Thank God." He'd caught Sarah's grandfather's gaze. "Will it be okay?"

The grandfather had raised his chin and glanced out into the dark for a while. When he turned back to Luke, his eyes betrayed recognition of what had been going on.
"I don't reckon so. You're part of it now, boy. This house knows you."

Sarah and Duncan had looked around in confusion with no apparent memory of what had just happened.

The face of the body is familiar... It's... It's... Oh my God. It's her.

Luke pushed himself away from the computer desk and tore of his headphones, throwing them at the screen. He reached under the desk and tore out the plugs.

Coming back up, he saw that the picture on the screen hadn't changed. She was still there. The body in the game that had her face was staring directly at him.

Sarah.