Dead Scared

West Wales, twenty-three years earlier

‘ALL THE KING’S horses and all the king’s men.’

Iestyn realized that his young sister was in their father’s study. He pushed open the door and stepped inside. His dad was lying on the floor, face down, his sister sitting beside him. Iestyn’s first thought was that they were building something together. He opened his mouth to grunt. He’d leave quick, before he got drafted into babysitting duties.

Then he realized his sister was sitting in a shiny pool of thick, gelatinous liquid, the colour and consistency of runny strawberry jam. Her hands were the same shade and her hair sticky with it. Her cute, pale face glanced up at him once before she went back to her task. She was in the process of rebuilding their father’s head, picking up bone fragments from where they lay on the carpet, and trying to fit them together again like a three-dimensional jigsaw. And as she worked, she sang.

‘Couldn’t put Humpty together again.’