Morningstar Manor

Lift number two, fully restored and looking good as new, was Charlie's favourite means of getting around the Manor. If he had it to himself it wasn't many moments before Betsy would emerge and hold his hand and they would sing all the way up to whichever floor he needed to get off.

But today there was no Betsy. Just the flicker of a match from the corner of his eye, the flare as a cigarette was lit, and the little red glow getting closer.

Heart thumping Charlie looked into the eyes of his old lover and tormentor and felt all his new self confidence and strength begin to shred away. The dark saturnine face smiled and the hand took the cigarette from between his lips and blew a cloud of smoke and then - and then ....

Teeth bared, an eye burst, all across the skin marks of a dreadful and vindictive anger blossomed and wept and the torn and bleeding lips whispered, "You did this - you did this to me - you - little - bitch."

The lift stopped with a jerk and Charlie slid down the doors, hunched and shaking as Gavin's head strained back and blood welled across his throat, opening like an angry mouth.

There was a lonely ghost by the little fountain in the conservatory, whistling quietly while he tried to make a splash in the water.-

Cambion could probably live in Morningstar manor for another twenty years without getting bored of the view over the city from the roof. Her certainly hasn't tired of it yet - which is why he was to be found perched on a parapet, smoking his uaul pretentious cigarettes, and drumming his fingers idly on a nearby pipe.

There were two ghosts out in the garden, just after dusk.

Nothing very unusual for Morningstar Manor.

These, though, were having a snowball fight.

Less usual.