Louise Dennard

Mind Games Gone too far

It's been a years since Natasha Bloom has been out in the real world, she had been in a mental hospital after being diagnosed with schizophrenia sub type, demand to hallucinations. Natasha had killed her family as she believed they were going to chuck her out of the window and sat she had been sleepwalking.

Adam Duke, a loyal friend of Natasha's met her at Warstairs secure unit, ready to take her home. Her home was a 35 million pound grade 2 listed mansion, known as Witanhurst house (that's the fame Academy house) situated in Highgate. The mansion looked still, still as a statue frozen in time; it hadn't been entered for a very long time.

"Right, you're home, I will take your stuff inside whilst you look around" Adam said securely.

"O....Kay, I'll take a look in the garden" Natasha mumbled.

The garden lay crisp with a silver layer of frost and glittering cobwebs. Even the outdoor pool had frozen over; the forensic pathologist must have never put the cover back on when checking for DNA.

Natasha had only been home for a few hours now and yet it felt like she'd Neva left the building.

"Where's Claudia? I thought she was coming to stay" questioned Natasha

"She's dead Natasha, she was killed and you were put in Warstairs secure unit" Adam replied, trying not to mention that she'd killed her.

"She can't be, she visited me!' Natasha tearfully exclaimed.

"So you believe" Adam muttered.

After that small argument the atmosphere was back to normal so you would think.................

:That night, Adam was staying at Natasha's to make sure she was okay, but then the house kept turning cold and strange noises began occurring. Was the house turning back to its old status, was the ghost of dick turpin the highwayman returning. Natasha started to freak out, but good friend Adam thought nothing of it and said it was all in her head, but suddenly BANG! there was a clatter from the upstairs kitchen. Natasha and Adam ran from their rooms, to find there sat at black cat licking up the milk, and an open window swaying letting in the cold air of the winter night.

"Why is this happening, why me?" belted out Natasha

"There are many ppl like this you're not alone just stay calm I'll take the cat outside and close the window" Adam replied.

The next morning, everyone was silent, none of them dared to speak, they wondered what was happening, how come no-one picked up on these signed, was the highwayman's soul opened out or....................

Maybe they both were going mad.

Soon enough news spread that Natasha was home and a failed psychiatrist called Matt Carney, was so mad that his brother was getting to much recognition so he decided to take revenge and make his brother look like a fool. Matt sneakily got hold of Natasha's files and picked up Adam's phone number, which gave him a brainwave to start on his revenge.

"Hello is That Adam, I'm Matt, and I was wondering if you could help me" he spoke in cynically

"Yeah it is what do you want do I know you?" Adam said sounding confused.

"Well you know my brother and I want you to help me get him humiliated"

"But why, he helped my friend Natasha" Adam prevailed.

"yes but if you help me haunt you friend and not tell her I'll pay you millions" Matt started to sound desperate.

"How much?" Adam asked

"5 million, and then there's no further contact"

"Fine I'll do it, but you gotta promise that if you're caught I'm not part of it okay, else I won't do the job wit ya" Adam said with no hesitation

"Okay, we'll start tomorra" Matt replied "meet at Hampstead heath at noon, b there"

Matt hangs up. Does Adam go ahead and betray his best friend..............

Today was the morning Adam was to meet Matt, he had decided to go, well it's for money and he needs it.

"Natasha I'm popping out I'll be back later" Adam shouted up the stairs

"Why you can't leave me" she yelled back

But by then Adam had all ready gone and left Natasha in the lurch.

As Adam drove off to Hampstead he was thinking what it involved were they going to do what she believed her parents would do or somethin worse. Meanwhile Natasha had found some photos of her family, "why did I kill them, they were never gonna kill me, I'm pathetic" she said tearfully whilst sitting by the fire.

Adam was waiting out side Kenwood house on Hampstead heath, when a man tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oi, what did you do that for" yelled Adam

"Hey there's no need to shout I'm Matt, now can we go somewhere more private, gotta car we can talk in"

"Yeah sure, what is this about? What we gonna do? We are not gonna kill her are we?" Adam kept asking

"NO! We are playing tricks on her like I said now let's go to your car and discuss, ok" Matt was loosing his patience.

"Fine, I'll shut up and wait" Adam said grumpily.

Adam and Matt both get in Adam's car, "here's the money as promised" Matt says in a businesses type of voice "And yes it is the full amount".

"Good, now tell me what is it we have to do" Adam asked.

"Well, you know how there is a ghost at Natasha's house, well we have to pretend to be the ghost by doing stuff"

"Like what" Adam was quick to but in

"Well she believes everything on the left is evil so we start by changing all the furniture and out it on the left" Matt gave him an evil glare whilst saying this.

"How do we do that, she never goes out any more"

Matt's response was 'well you got some money now, so take her out for the day and I'll do some work in the house"

"When?" Adam questioned.

"Tomorrow, leave the door unlocked and I'll be round at 11 o'clock, you best be out" Matt said in a deep voice.

"Sure" Adam replied in a slightly worried voice.

Meanwhile Natasha was starting to get worried, she didn't like being on her own and she started to get angry. She started to tear down the pictures off the wall and smash them, was this good sign for Adam and Matt.

Today was the day, things were going to change. Natasha and Adam were already out and as Matt said, Adam had left the door unlocked so he could start work. Matt started by moving the sofas and pictures on to the left hand side, he then moved her bed, wardrobe and desk on to the left, so Natasha would start to think she's loosing the plot again. Adam and Natasha had returned home at about 5 o'clock as Matt went and hid as he hadn't finished yet. They both entered the house, Natasha froze, "what is happening? why?" she cried.

"It's nothing maybe you're imagining it" Adam said trying to be comforting. Suddenly a Natasha had an hallucination of the highway man of the way he died of asphyxiation, Although it was a projection, Natasha thought it was real, then a deep voice boomed "believe it, I'm here and I'm not going to go" The ghost disappeared and a faint sound of an evil laugh remained. Natasha began to cry "no not again, it can't happen again". This time she wasn't going to let it go, as ,Adam had to play a good friend he had to do something "As this is going to be an old case, re opened as no evidence was found I think we should call the cold case team". Because it was getting late the team were going to come the next morning and that was a good thing.

Suddenly the lights kept flicking on and off and the curtains began blowing, then it went dark, dark except one thing a candle was glowing and there was a shadow like figure moving around, if it wasn't Natasha or Adam, who or what could it of been, Matt was supposed to leave earlier, but he might of, why would he risk gettin caught?

It was the morning of the night before, Natasha hadn't been sleep; she just lay awake on the middle of the living room floor. The doorbell rang, who was it, and who could it be so early in the morning? Natasha walked into the hall meeting Adam who was coming down the stairs. They opened the door to find it was a man and women they didn't know. "Hi you called yesterday, I'm DSI Peter Boyd and this is..."

"Dr Grace Foely". Natasha let them in, DSI Boyd and Dr Foely explained what they would be doing. "I'll be keeping you under survalence and looking out for any suspicious behavior. Peter reassured her. "And I'll be keeping a psychological profile of you and your behavior" Grace was trying to make it seem better than having her under survalence.

Whilst Natasha and Adam were having this conversation, Matt entered the home via the back of the house; he didn't know that the cold case team was contacted. The police investigators were just about to leave when "Natasha, listen to me I will kill you" that deep voice occurred again. "No! Make it stop!" Natasha yelled. Grace could see she was distressed so tried to calm her down by telling her they all heard it because they did and it wasn't in her head. Meanwhile Peter heard Adam on his phone; he seemed to be very angry. "Matt stop it, we have investigators here, remember you are only as strong as your weakest link" when Adam realised Peter was standing there he hung up. "I was practicing for a play" Adam was quick to comment. Peter called Grace, "Grace, we're leaving"

"Okay, coming" she replied.

"There's something that's not right, it doesn't add up" he told Grace. As they left Adam watched from a window as they drove off in Boyd's car. Matt on the other hand wasn't happy with Adam so he sent him a text telling him to buck up his ideas.

Back at the cold case unit, Grace and Peter were going over the evidence. "She certainty not schizophrenic anymore, because we all heard the voices" Grace said whilst reading it off her notes.

"yeas but, I heard Adam talking to a Matt person, and it sounded like they were part of this together, we best get them in, if we can find Matt" Peter said by basing it on a evidential point of view. "Don't you think it will be best if there on the outside" Grace replied.

Natasha was at home, she was in the kitchen, and Adam was no where to be seen. CRASH! There was a notice from upstairs; Natasha could hear someone shouting "help me, help me". As she was unsure whether it was in her head or not she stayed in the kitchen. The gas went off, the blinds blew shut, something was happening again, then there was someone running across the landing, suddenly the lights started to flick on and off and then there was a big yell coming from the attic. Natasha took no chances she grabbed a knife and ran upstairs to find Adam was laying on the floor tied up. "What has the ghost done to you?" she asked. "Nothing, there's no ghost" Adam yelled back

Because this would lead to new evidence the cold case team were called back along with there forensic pathologist Dr Frankie Wharton, she took DNA from the scene, it was definatly a person involved no ghost. Adam had to find a way to say it wasn't a person when questioned by Grace and Peter. "There something he's not telling us, I think he maybe causing this or acting with a third party" Grace suggested. "Erm well we have the evidence, but it's not his DNA Frankie confirmed this, we should go back to the house undercover" Peter said sounding very cynical.

They arrived back at the house minus Frankie as she was in her lab; they sneakily entered via the side entrance which seemed to be a pretty safe place to hide. Whilst they were waiting they heard and saw Matt and Adam talking about their next plan. Peter acted quick and called for back up "Back up now at Witanhurst house" he whispehered so he wasn't heard. The back up team entered the scene "Put your hands up and don't move" a detective Sargent shouted. Whilst this commotion was going on Grace had managed to escape to Natasha to tell her the news. Natasha was grateful but upset that her friend had betrayed her.

Adam and Matt were taken out to the police car, when they saw, everyone saw the highway man on his horse riding. Everyone was still and quiet until someone yelled "you are only as strong as your weakest link. Adam and Matt just looked around before being driven off to the police station.

And as for Natasha, well she is still herself, but one question is she still being haunted? Who knows, that's for her to know and us not to.

There was a sudden clash of thunder over her house and..................................