Something in the Walls

by Daisy Pearce

“I was wondering, Stevie, do you know what all the funny-looking stones are for? The ones hanging outside the houses?” “Hagstones.” She sniffs noisily and wipes her nose on her sleeve leaving a silvery trail of snot. “To keep the witches out. Witches can hurt you.”

“Listen, Lisa—I’m here because Sam asked me to come and assess Alice from a psychological point of view. It’s my job to determine what’s underpinning her behavior and there are tests and methods I can use to do that. I don’t have any preconceptions about what this is.”

“It’s irrelevant what I think. The Herald have sent me to find proof of a haunting, they don’t want my opinion.”

“Well, welcome to Beacon Terrace, Mina. Hope you brought your bell, book, and candle.”

“Can you tell me about the dreams?”

“She watches me through the cracks in the bricks. She’s in there now. That’s why we can’t talk about this.”

“Who is ‘she,’ Alice?” Alice doesn’t say a word. I try again. “Is it the one you’ve talked about before? The witch with the upside-down face?” “Yes,” she murmurs. “She lives up in the chimney.”