Daphne
We were in Robson's suite when we heard the news. An explosion in a restaurant in the city...scores of people dead, dozens injured. Naturally, the whole city was in shock. Angry, scared and devastated by the tragedy, not least because it seems to have been deliberate. Some guy who worked there had set the kitchen ablaze, and caused the whole place to go up in smoke. We shut the television off, none of us speaking for a moment. Words couldn't express the horror of what had happened, nor the horror of what we knew would happen now.
"It's coming." Fred whispered, his voice shaky. "Five days, then it happens again. Five days, and then the Whispering slaughters someone."
Robson looked at us uncertainly. "You don't know that, folks. Not for definite."
"But we do." Velma said bluntly. "We do know, Mr. Robson. Which is why we need your help."
He stood up abruptly, and started pacing, his hands clenched. "But what do you expect me to do?" he half-shouted, his face contorted with anger and fear. "What can any of us do about it?"
Velma shook her head. "I don't know...but we have to do something. Listen sir-"
"No, no, my dear. You listen. I'm just as angry with this thing as you folk are. It terrorized me for years on end, it made me a nervous wreck. It ruined my life, and I shall never forget how scared I was. I want it dead as much as you. But really- there is nothing you can do. From what Daphne describes, what we see is the tip of the iceberg. It doesn't sound like it can be killed."
"Remember what I asked you last time, Mr. Robson?" I asked.
"No, dear. I don't. My memory isn't good any more, as I believe you have been told."
"I'm sorry. But I asked you if you'd ever tried?"
Robson sighed deeply, and sat back down on the sofa heavily. "No." he answered finally. "No, I didn't. But-"
"No "but", sir." Fred butted in. "We have to do something about it now. You should have seen Daphne when she woke up. She was scared beyond belief. It can't keep getting away with what it does, Mr. Robson. Surely you agree?"
Robson nodded slowly, and shrugged. "But what do you expect from me? I can't help. From what you've said, most of what I know about it is totally wrong..."
"Yeah," I said, "But during all those years it chased you, was there anything odd? Anything that you remember not making sense at the time?"
"Aside from being chased down by a monster, you mean?"
"Fair enough." I smiled faintly. "But did it ever like...I dunno, do anything or say anything that just seemed weird? Anything that could help us now? Think back, Mr. Robson."
He chuckled. "You will find, Miss Blake, that my long term memory is as sharp as ever. It's just the short term I struggle with...I mean, I have to be honest. It's a silly question. It's very existence is "weird." I don't think any of it's actions can be judged as normal, do you? But I do understand, in essence, what you are asking me."
"What, man?" Shaggy piped up. He'd been very quiet recently, overwhelmed by what was happening. It pained me to see him like this, and I made a mental note to have a chat with him about it all at some point.
"Well, Daphne...remember I said how it often injured me? There is one thing that seems...strange. I didn't think much of it at the time, but maybe it will help?"
I nodded gently, gripping his frail hands in my own. "Go on." I said.
He nodded, and pushed me away. He lifted his shirt up to the chest, revealing a set of jagged scars running along his torso.
"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed. "They look awful man!"
"They did hurt." Robson said candidly. "Very much so. But look closely."
We did. I squinted, looking at the tiny, zig-zagging lines running along the old man's body. They looked like...no, they couldn't be? But they looked like...
"Are those words?" I gasped.
"They are. He carved them into me with his bare hands."
"H...how?" I whispered, gazing at the tiny letters. "And what to they say? I can't make them out."
"No, indeed not." Robson said. "I did have some enhanced photos of them, but I misplaced those many years ago. Have any of you got one of those ridiculous phones? I understand they have cameras that zoom in."
"Sure, sure." I took mine out of my pocket, and zoomed right in on the camera. "Can you remember what they say at all?"
"No." he replied sadly. "Not remotely. I'm afraid you'll have to forgive my memory, folks. It's unlikely to improve. Funny though, I do remember the day he did it to me. I remember that all too well. Usually, he enjoyed hurting me, you see. But that day, he was...I dunno, it's almost like he was scared himself. Like he didn't really want to do it."
"Hmm." I took a snap of the words. Up close, there were about fifty of them. No- no, Robson was mistaken- it wasn't a bunch of random words at all. It was the same word. Over and over again. I enhanced the picture even further. "I can almost make them out!" I announced.
"What do they say?" everyone chanted in unison, including Robson.
"There's only one word here, guys. It's the same word!"
"What is it?" Everyone asked in unison, including Robson himself.
"Howle."
/
We left shortly after that. Velma wanted to get back to HQ and research anything and everything relating to "Howle", and why the Whispering had taken it upon itself to carve them into one of it's victims all those years ago. If we were lucky, it would have some importance. If we were extremely lucky, it might even help us to stop the impending murder, the one we felt sure was going to happen.
Mr. Robson had been quite happy to see us go. He saw us out, promising to call if anything else came up. I thanked him for helping us, promising that I'd come and visit him again soon.
I don't think he was too pleased about that.
Note: Just to clarify, the previous chapter (Boccino Heights) takes place around about the same time as the gang are solving the mystery in the Milton Brothers' studio (chapter 5). But it's only at this point that they hear about what happened, hence that chapter comes later in the story.
I'll update again soon. Probably. Thanks to everyone who's following the story, and by all means leave a review (even if you hate it, I can take criticism :D)