Chapter 7- A Name

*Cat’s POV*

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The knocks at the door starlet me as they ring out through the silence. I lie still for a moment, staring at the darkness around me.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

I sigh, swinging my legs out of bed and into my slippers before slipping on my dressing gown. I slowly make my way to the front door and am just about to unlock it when a thought strikes me.

What if it's a murderer?! Or a robber?! Who else would be at my door at 2am?

No, no that's silly, murderers and robbers don't knock.

I think before turning the key and pulling open the door. Suddenly lightning flashes; eliminating my doorstep in blinding light as I try to work out the identity of the dark silhouette. Then, as the light fades and my eyes begin to clear his features smear into focus.

"Eoin!" I cry as I stare at the man stood out in the storm. "Oh god, come in, quickly!" I say, practically pushing him through the door before he can say a word. I close the door and turn to face him, his brown hair plastered to his face, his clothes soaked and dripping into a pool of water around his feet, and in his hands a soaked, flimsy, cardboard box and from it some strange cries.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, I just didn't know where else to go." He says, his teeth chattering slightly.

"No it's fine, I couldn't sleep anyway. Come on in and change out of those wet clothes before you catch your death." I say leading him into the sitting room before rummaging around for something clean and dry for him to wear. Soon I find a towel, a blanket and a lovely, white, fluffy dressing gown.

"What were you doing out in a storm in the dead of night?" I ask, turning to see he has stripped down to his boxers, his wet clothes in an untidy heap on the floor.

"Long story." he says, taking the towel and beginning to rub himself down. I sit down on the sofa and try to find something to look at that isn't his body, but for some reason that proves very difficult.

"Erin and I had a row again, some nonsense about me not being loyal to her or something, I stormed out, went and had a few drinks to try and calm down, got back and found I had been locked out. Then, while I was wondering around trying to think of what to do, I found that." He says, nodding to the box on the coffee table. I manage to drag my eyes away from his torso and down to the cardboard. Slowly I lift open the lid and I can't stop the ‘Awww’ from escaping my lips. Curled up in a little ball of fluff are three kittens.

“Awww wow what were you doing out in the cold hey?” I coo patronizingly and I reach my hand into the box and pick out a meowing kitten. “Where did you find them?” I ask, gazing at the tiny kitten in my hand.

“The box was just dumped in an alleyway; I couldn’t leave the little things there so I brought them here.” He says, sitting down wearing the fluffy dressing gown. I put down the kitten and smile at Eoin; I don’t understand him, not completely anyway. Sometimes he is annoying, flirty, chatterbox who’s ego is bigger than a blue whale, but other times, he is a cute little puppy, who seems so lost and confused but kind and…adorable.

“Lady Catherine?” He says, snapping me out of my little trance.

“Oh, right, sorry. Umm well I will take them to my sister- she’s a vet- and get the, checked, make sure they are ok.” I say.

“Wow, she’s a vet and you were a nurse? Academic family, what do they think of you doing theatre?” He says and I sigh as I go over to a cupboard and find a dry cardboard box and put some towels in it.

“They think I’m an idiot.” Is all I say as I begin to move the three little kittens into the new cardboard box by the radiator.

“Then they are wrong, you’re amazing.” He says and I smile.

“Umm, thanks.” I say. 

“No, really, you’re amazing.” He says and I blush.

“Thank you.” I say, “As are you.” I say quietly and he grins, leaning back into the sofa.

“Well, it’s been said.” He says and I smile and shake my head. Suddenly his stomach growls loudly and he looks rather sheepish.

“Hungry?” I say with a smile and he nods.

“What with arguing and saving kittens I didn’t really have time for dinner.” He says and I smile.

“Kitchen is through there, help yourself.” I say and he smile.

“Thanks.”

Ten minutes later I am sat on my sofa, next to Eoin Knight who is eating a bowl of Coco Pops wearing a fluffy white dressing gown at half 2 in the morning after bring me a box of abandoned kittens. I’m still not quite sure if this is just some sort of crazy dream, but if it is a dream, it’s better than the ones I have been having.

“How do you know my address?” I ask as the thought dawns on me.

“Sally gave me it, I like to have everyone’s address so when I wake up on your floor covered in sick and alcohol with a headache like Satan’s steal band I can sort of work out where I am.” He says and I smile.

“I see.” I say. There is silence for a moment as he places down the now empty cereal bowl and leans back into the sofa next to me.

“Cat?” He asks and I can’t stop a huge grin from taking over my face. “What?” He asks and I shake my head.

“Nothing, just I think that’s the first time you ever called me Cat.” I say and he smiles.

“Really? Well, are you complaining?” He asks and I shrug.

“I don’t know…anyway, sorry, you were saying?”

“Oh, yeh, I was just going to ask, are you ok?” He says, turning to look at me. For a moment I’m startled and confused.

“Sorry? Of course, I’m fine.” I say and he just looks at me.

“Are you sure? It’s just, I see you sometimes, when you think nobody is looking, you look sad and…lost.” He says and as his soft words swirl around in my head my heart feels as if it might break and tears rush to my eyes. “And…I know what that’s like, what it means, so I just wanted to say…I understand.” He says. Part of me wants to deny it, to hide any sign of weakness, but somehow, I can’t.

“Thank you.” I whisper, a single tear dripping from my eyelashes as I slowly lean into him. I sit there, curled up against him on the sofa, feeling like a child again. His arm drapes around me as we both begin to doze off. I have felt so alone for so long I almost forgot what it feels like not to be, but now, at last, I remember, for it feels like this.

  *Guy’s POV*

Stupid Christmas tree lights, illuminating the room in ghostly light, if I’m honest, it’s rather creepy. I wish I didn’t have to sleep out on this stupid sofa next to my idiot of a brother and this fricking festive tree. I know Sean did his back in when Luke knocked the Christmas tree onto him giving him a much better claim to the proper bed but I still don’t like it. I hate not having a space of my own; I need time away from judging eyes. I’m so tired of being judged.

“Guy?” a voice suddenly asks from the darkness.

“What?” I moan.

“Nothing.” Luke says and I groan before rolling over. “Guy?” He asks again a few minutes later.

“What?” I growl through gritted teeth.

“Do you ever sleep?” Luke asks and I sigh.

“Not if you keep talking I don’t.” I say.

“No, but really, I haven’t seen you sleep in years.” He says.

“Good at least I know you aren’t stood over my bed all the time watching me like a stalker.” I say and I hear him sigh as he gives in. However my mind doesn’t, it keeps wiring over his question. The answer is; hardly ever, and when I do I am haunted by the scene, always the same, played over and over in my head; the time she fell. But then, when I wake, I am alone, broken and frozen. Every day I drag myself from my nightmares to find there’s no relief in waking, she’s always there, always falling, forever, and she will never ever stop.

*Kara’s POV*

“Daniel hasn’t had any visitors before.” The nurse says as I am lead through some white doors into an even whiter room.

“I’m the closest he has left to family but we lost touch for a while, I only just found him.” I explain.

“Ah I see, well I’m sure he will be glad of the company.” She says and I nod. I don’t quite know what to expect, when I finally found his name on the files for a mental institution I was sure it wasn’t the right person, but now, now I’m not quite sure.

“He doesn’t talk much, just mumbles to himself. Any sign of trouble just ring the bell.” She says and I smile.

“Thanks.” I say before she leaves the room and another door opens on the opposite side. My breath catches in my throat a little as the young man is lead in by a man wearing a white coat and sat down in a chair opposite me across a white table. Then the man leaves the room, closing the door behind him, leaving us alone.

“Dan?” I whisper, trying to get a good look at his face, hoping beyond hope that this is not him. “Dan?” Slowly, he lifts his head, his dark eyes slightly misted.

“Kara?” He whispers and my heart leaps. There is no doubt about it, it’s him.

“Dan, what happened?” I ask, leaning towards him over the table.

“She’s gone.” He whispers.

“Who?” I ask.

“Gone, gone, gone, gone, yet not gone.” He says, bring his knees up onto the chair and rocking slightly.

“What do you mean? Tell me what you mean.” I say softly. “How can someone be gone but not gone? Where are they?” I ask and suddenly he shoots forwards making me jump.

“In here.” He whispers, tapping his forehead. “She’s in here!” He hisses. “She is gone but she is still here!” He cries. “She whispers.” He says, his eyes darting all around. “She is always whispering!” He lowers his head, and begins to mumble to himself quickly. “Tell her Dan, gone on tell her, tell her what you did!” He whispers before his head flicks sideways and he screws his eyes shut. “No! No!” He cries before opening his eyes again. “Tell her!” He hisses.

“Dan, please tell me what happened.”

“Tell her! Go on, do it now! She needs to know!” He hisses before sobbing quietly. He reminds me of that creature in The Hobbit; Gollum, the way he talks to himself as if there were two separate people inside him. Suddenly he looks up at me, his expression blank.

“Autumn left like a swallow

And winter came along

And all the kings men did follow

Well, all of them but one.”

He says and I quickly get out my phone and note down his rhyme.

“Swallow found a new nest

Hidden from his rage

But the men would not rest

Until birdy was again in cage

Betrayal for betrayal

Lead the pack to her

So close to their holy grail

Minds began to blur

Murder of the brightest

followed by sweet revenge

His hands were not the cleanest

by that cold nights end

Brightness still stalked him

Shinning on his strife

Whispering all tales grim

And so he took the knife”

Once he is finished he slides from his chair in a ball, his arms over his head like a shield. “Why did I have to tell her?!” He sobs and I watch him pitifully before looking down at my notes.

‘Autumn’ I guess is referring to his sister, and if she ‘left like a swallow’ I guess all references to birds are her as well. So Autumn ran away, and ‘found a new nest’ So someone took her in. ‘All the kings men’ will be Dan’s gang, so they all helped try and find her ‘all of them but one’ so someone betrayed Dan. But then someone betrayed who ever betrayed Dan and they found them. ‘Murder of the brightest’ Someone was killed…Autumn maybe? ‘Followed by sweet revenge’ So whoever betrayed Dan was killed? ‘Brightness still stalked him’ So…someone followed him…Autumn? Or whoever was ‘murder of the brightest’? So Dan imagined their ghost following him? And that’s the person who is still whispering to him now. ‘And so he took the knife’ So he tried to kill himself? So he ended up here?

I look back up at him, trying to set everything straight in my head. He has lost it, anyone could see that, and I doubt there is any way to get him back, to get back the Dan who saved me, who made me who I am, who was my friend when nobody else was, but there is one thing I can do; revenge. Whoever is responsible for all this must pay. My job is to carry out revenge for other people; I think it’s time I got something I want out of it.

“Dan, who did this? When Autumn left, who did she go to?” I ask. Slowly, very slowly, Dan unravels his arms from around him and looks up at me with lost eyes. “Just give me a name, who did Autumn go to?” I ask.

“A name?” He says and I nod. “A name Daniel.” He hisses suddenly. “Give her a name!” He yells, cowering backwards before looking up at me with terrified eyes. “A name…Danny O’Donoghue.”

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So, hello.

Well, this is slightly late as i lost track of what day it is with it being the holidays! Hope everyone had a great xmas!

Right well, Eoin and Cat! That bit came to me a few nights ago and i must say i love it, if he showed up on my doorstep like that i would be the happiest person alive! The abandoned kittens was of course inspired by the kittens my dad found a few weeks back! (Meg is doing great and has discoved she has sharp claws and teeth that can be used to her advantage....) lol but it has thrown me deeper into confusion about who i ship more Canny or Coin! Lol

A little bit more about Guy and his dead girlfriend...what do u think happened to her?

Kara/Karma found Dan! I think its safe to say Dan has gone insane...it was really hard to write that bit so i hope its ok! But now Kara is going to go and try and get revenge on Danny! Dun Dun Dun!

Lol anyway i really hope u enjoyed this chapter thanks so much for reading! Please do vote and comment! Thanks! Your all amazing! :)

                                                           Jess :)

Don't forget the KETTLE! :)