Maddie started her vlog on YouTube with her older sister – a TV presenter, and wannabe actress at the time. It was long before Maddie began caring for Thomas. In the early posts the sisters talked about the grief of losing their mother. Later, Maddie put on a few posts explaining that her sister was suffering with depression, so she was manning the vlog for now. Now the vlog was mainly about Thomas’s day-to-day life. Amelia hated Maddie sharing her brother’s life online, and stopped watching when Maddie added her mum’s fight with cancer to her daily spiel. But while her mum and brother didn’t seem to mind, even said it might help others in similar situations, Amelia mostly kept her opinions to herself.

A chilly breeze, as if from nowhere, made her shiver once more. She pulled up the hood of her coat, and hunched over her phone, and while she had a full signal, fired off a message to William:

Hey, You! I’ve arrived safely. I’m not going to lie, it’s not easy here, but I’ve got to get over myself and do it for Mum. Don’t forget to feed my fluffy ball of love. Hope work is OK. Love you. A X

She pressed Send.

Watched her phone, willing William to reply.

‘Amelia?’

She startled, jolted her head upwards, and grabbed her chest. ‘Christ!’

‘Sorry.’ It was Finn coming through the darkness with his torch on full beam, wearing a top hat and black cloak. ‘I was going to ask if you’re ready to be spooked, but I’m guessing you already are.’ He lowered the beam. ‘You scare easily.’ His Scottish accent was smooth, and held a hint of humour.

With her hand glued to her chest, her heart thrumming under her fingers, she continued to look up at him. ‘I challenge anyone not to jump when a man looking like the ghost of Jack the Ripper creeps up on them.’

‘Fair enough.’

‘I’m a total sceptic, by the way,’ she said. ‘Don’t expect to convince me.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’ He removed the hat, and laid it on the wall.

‘Basically, I’m only here because my mum made me come.’ She smiled. ‘OK, I realise that makes me sound as though I’m about eight.’

He laughed, and sat down beside her, far enough away not to invade her space, for which she was grateful.

A silence fell between them, and she spent the quiet moments staring at her phone, willing William to return her message. Wishing he was there supporting her.