Eeny Meeny

78

She was dead. She must be dead. There wasn’t enough oxygen in here for a fly to breathe, let alone a human. There was no energy, no life, left in her body and she was barely aware of her surroundings any more. She was consumed by darkness. The heat was unbearable. There was no air.

Hannah tried to convince herself but she knew she wasn’t dead… yet. Death would be a sweet release from this slow torture. And there was no relief, no let-up in her suffering. She had been reduced to the level of an animal, wallowing in her own misery and ordure.

How long had it been since she last heard Sandy? She couldn’t remember. Good God, what would it smell like in here if he died? The rotting excrement was one thing, but a decomposing corpse? If Mickery had had any tears left, she would have cried them now. But they were long gone. She was a husk. So she lay there, willing death to claim her.

Then suddenly it happened. Without any warning, a blinding light that set Mickery’s eyes ablaze. She howled in agony – it was as if lasers had shot into her brain – and clamped her hands to her face. A sudden rush of cool air, freezing yet blissful, poured over her body. But the respite was temporary.

She was being dragged. It took her a while to work out what the sensation was, but she was definitely being dragged. Someone had a vice-like grip on her arm and was dragging her across the floor and out into the light. Was she being rescued? Was this Grace?

She struck something metal and yelped. Now the hands were under her, hauling her up. Instinctively she knew this was no rescue, that there would be no salvation here. She landed with a thump in a small, enclosed space. Her hands felt around and slowly, gingerly, she began to open her eyes.

The light was still punishingly bright, but she was lying in someone’s shadow now, so could just about bear it if she snatched glimpses. She was in the boot of a car. Helpless and splayed in the boot of a car.

‘Hello, Hannah. Surprised to see me?’

It was Katherine’s voice – her tormentor and jailer.

‘Don’t be. I’m not the sadistic type, so I’ve decided to spare you.’

Mickery looked up at her, unable to process what she was hearing.

‘But I need you to do one little thing for me first.’

Hannah waited. Reeling as she was, she knew straight away that she would do anything Katherine asked. She wanted to live more than she’d ever wanted anything before.

As the car drove off, Hannah found herself smiling. Something – she didn’t know what – had happened. And she had been delivered from purgatory. Any price – any – was worth paying for that.

It never even occurred to her to wonder what had happened to Sandy. He didn’t exist any more as far as she was concerned.