32
The screaming had stopped and the girl squeezed her eyes shut when she heard the rhythmic thud of the headboard banging against the wall in the next room. She knew exactly what that sound signified, because she had been woken by it many times since her stepdad had moved in. And, once, when she had crept out to use the toilet in the middle of the night, she had seen him and her mum doing naughties.
After what felt like an eternity the noise stopped, and the girl shuddered when she heard a low, deep chuckle. Her bedroom door suddenly creaked open and she bit down on her hand to keep from crying out when light spilled in from the landing and she saw a huge pair of feet clad in green trainers with black writing on the side enter the room. They turned in a circle before approaching the bed, and she felt hot piss trickle out from between her thighs and soak into her nightie when the duvet that was hanging over the side was lifted and a pair of dark eyes peered straight at her . . .
‘Holly . . .? Holly, wake up, hon.’
Holly’s eyes snapped open and she sucked in a sharp breath when she saw a hazy figure hovering over her.
‘It’s only me.’ Suzie placed a gentle hand on her shoulder when she lurched up in the bed. ‘You were crying out in your sleep. Bad dream?’
‘Mmm hmm.’ Holly shivered when she gazed around the dark room and saw the silhouettes of unfamiliar furniture. ‘Wh-where am I?’
‘My spare room,’ Suzie reminded her.
‘What time is it?’ Holly sank a little lower beneath the quilt to try and get warm.
‘Nearly twelve.’
‘At night?’ Holly was shocked. ‘Have I been sleeping all day?’
‘No, you had a couple of hours when I went over to see your mum, but then you came down and watched telly with me. I sent you back up at eight when you started falling asleep again. Don’t you remember?’
Holly frowned and then nodded when it started to come back to her. ‘Yeah, I think so. Have you seen my mum yet?’
‘Not yet.’ Suzie stroked her hair. ‘But she knew you were staying the night, so I reckon she’s probably gone to visit a friend and clear her head.’
That was what Suzie had told herself after going over to the flat that morning, but she didn’t believe it – and Holly clearly didn’t either, because she said, ‘She hasn’t got any friends; only people she works with.’
‘Well, maybe she decided to go back to work to take her mind off things,’ Suzie suggested, even though she already knew that hadn’t happened, because she’d rung the agency while Holly was sleeping and they hadn’t seen Josie. ‘Wherever she is, I’m sure she’ll be home tomorrow, so try not to worry about her.’
‘I can’t help it,’ Holly whimpered. ‘I feel like something awful’s going to happen.’
‘You’re bound to feel like that after a nightmare,’ Suzie reasoned. ‘I’ve had them in the past, and it takes ages to shake the feeling off. Might help if you talk about it?’
‘It – it was really scary,’ Holly said, licking her dry lips. ‘I was sleeping and some men broke in and woke me up. I hid under the bed and heard them going past my room, then I heard a load of shouting and my mum screamed. Only it wasn’t my mum.’ She paused and looked up at Suzie with wide eyes. ‘Not this mum, anyway.’
‘It’ll be all that stuff about the woman in the paper playing on your mind,’ Suzie said. ‘I wouldn’t read too much into it.’
‘But I’ve had it before, when I was little,’ Holly said, her chin quivering as tears pricked her eyes. ‘My mum started giving me tablets to help me sleep, and I didn’t have any bad dreams for ages. But I had it again the other night, and this was the same one. I remember it.’
‘Dreams are made up of all the stuff we see, do and think about during the day,’ Suzie said. ‘It’s the mind’s way of putting things into perspective, that’s all.’
Holly desperately wanted to believe that, but she knew she’d had the same dream before, and the realness of it terrified her. It was like she had actually been under that bed, and she could almost taste the dust in the back of her throat and feel the piss-wet material of her nightie between her legs.
‘How about I make some hot chocolate to help you get back to sleep?’ Suzie offered.
Suzie was wearing nightclothes and, guessing that she must be tired and eager to get back to her own bed, Holly murmured, ‘Yes, please.’
When Suzie had left the room, Holly sat up and switched the bedside lamp on before reaching for her phone. Bex had sent a couple of messages, but she must have been asleep when they came in because she hadn’t heard them. The first one was a long one, and Holly smiled when she read it.
Babes, I’m worried about you, please call me. I missed you at school today, and I wanted to let you know it’s all cool with Leanne now. Gary Mottram’s girlfriend got suspended for attacking her, then Gary finished it and asked Leanne to go steady with him, so she’s not mad at us any more. She actually thanked me for telling you – can you believe that??!! She reckons he wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t let the secret out, so now we’re like her new
