Felix’s eyes were wet. He wiped at them roughly with the back of his hand. “I’ve spent decades trying to get rid of this thing, this torch I’ve been carrying around for you, and all that keeps it burning is pure pigheadedness, but I can’t any more. OK? I can’t. For my own sake. I’m sorry. You’re going to have to find someone else’s shoulder to cry on.”
“Felix,” Kasper said, sounding like the words were torn from his throat. He looked petrified now, rabbit-heart pounding in his neck. Felix had seen that expression on his face before, whenever Felix made too many jokes about being gay.
Kasper was afraid to even hear the words. Why was Kasper so scared all the time?
Before Kasper could say anything else, Rima appeared in the doorway. There were dark, hollow bags under her eyes.
“He’s here! Felix, Oscar is here!” she yelled, with pure panic in her voice.
Felix stopped thinking about Kasper immediately.
“Oscar,” he said, fear running through him. Oscar was here while Harriet was on the loose. This couldn’t be happening.
HARRIET
There was a reason Harriet had liked make-up so much when she was alive. It was a way to control how people saw her. She could make sure that everyone’s first impression of her was positive: someone who was careful about her appearance; sociable and fashionable. They would never see the real person, hiding behind the mask.
Because Harriet had always known, deep down, that she was a mess. She was inarticulate, embarrassing. She could be mean. If people got to see the real her, they would hate her immediately. It was better that they only saw the filtered, artificial Harriet that she’d made up.
She wished desperately that her old disguise still worked. Because she was exposed now, completely and utterly. Everyone here saw her for who she truly was, regardless of her perfect eyeliner.
Harriet hid on the roof, giving her energy levels a chance to equalize and calming the torrent of emotion inside her. The sky went dark, and then a pair of headlights lit up the road below. A lone figure parked and walked over to Mulcture Hall. A human was coming into the building.
Harriet let out a yelp of delight – she could use this! Her plan of possession could still work! Then she saw their face.
The man looked familiar. A bit older, but his features were almost identical to Felix’s. Didn’t Felix say he had a twin? He’d said that his brother always visited on the anniversary of his death. Oscar, his name was.
This was perfect. She knew exactly where Oscar was going to go – and she was willing to bet that where Felix was, Kasper would follow. With both Kasper and Oscar in the same room, the rest would be easy. Kasper had leapt inside that police officer without any hesitation. If she got him close enough to Oscar, then all she had to do was make sure that she was there to piggy-back the possession.
Harriet ran down to Felix’s room. She would be nice, and give Oscar a bit of time to mourn before she made Kasper possess him.
To her surprise, Leah was sleeping on the floor. She looked faint and muted, like the Shells had been. Claudia was curled up at her mother’s side with one tiny fist wrapped in the fabric of her dress, whining softly.
“… Leah?”
The girl didn’t stir, but there was a tormented expression on her face. When Claudia caught sight of Harriet, she stopped crying. She rolled over onto her back, regarding her with a surprisingly intelligent expression. Then she reached out towards Harriet with chubby arms, looking at her almost greedily. Harriet crouched down to wrap her hands around the baby’s torso, but someone ran into the room before she could touch her. Surprised, Harriet jumped backwards. It was Felix.
“What the hell are you doing?” Felix shouted, as Claudia started screeching.
“What do you mean?” Harriet asked. “I was trying to stop her crying.”
“Not the baby! Is he here yet?” He looked around, wild-eyed and chest heaving. “What are you going to do to Oscar?”
She sighed. She’d been hoping that Felix would never have to know about this. It wasn’t like it would hurt Oscar to be possessed. Once they reached her gran’s house, he’d be free to leave, confused but unharmed.
“Go away. This is none of your business.”
“What … what are you planning? I know you attacked Greg. I’m not letting you take my brother too!”
Rima and Kasper appeared behind him in an act of perfect coordination, looking equally furious. How did they all fit together so well? Why had they not made space for her?
“I didn’t do anything to Greg – he made his own choices. I didn’t realize you were close.” She kept her voice disinterested, as if she didn’t care that they were looking at her like she was a monster.
“Why is everything a game to you?” Rima sounded winded, like she’d been punched in the chest.
“I want you to leave this room before Oscar gets here,” Felix commanded with remarkable single-mindedness, walking towards her.
Harriet held her ground. If he came close enough for her to touch, then she would make him feel fear worse than he’d ever even dreamed possible.
“Absolutely not.” Harriet tilted her chin upwards determinedly. “You can’t stop me. I’m not going to hurt him.”
“You can’t touch him,” he said, fear sending his voice paper-thin.
“I’m not going to do anything life-threatening. Honestly. Please calm down.” She wished Oscar would walk a bit faster. He was taking so long to arrive. Had the police boarded up the entrance and windows again, after they’d cleared away her corpse?
“Felix, use your power,” Kasper said.
Felix stretched his hand out towards her. It was a growing tickle at the back of her mind; the compulsion to go to sleep. She shook her head, forcing the
