I don’t know how long it all took. The five of us running through the trees like that. Probably not all that long, but at the time it didn’t feel as though it would ever end. It was like being in a nightmare or something. A nightmare within a nightmare, where there’s no way of telling what’s really real. Which is why, when I heard it, I wasn’t sure at first whether I’d really heard anything.
But what happened was, I tripped again. Over a root or something. And I landed on the very same knee. Which, even though the ground was softer, was so painful I thought I was going to black out. I couldn’t even scream this time, because the pain was like a … like it had locked up all the moving bits inside me. I wanted to scream, and it was just right there, at the back of my throat, but that was as far as it could get. I couldn’t yell, couldn’t have talked, couldn’t even breathe.
And then, when the pain subsided, I lay where I’d fallen, moaning. Crying, in fact. And my knee … I mean, take a look for yourself.
See?
And now compare it to the other one.
Do you see what I mean?
Apparently all I did was bruise it, but it felt at the time as though someone had taken a hammer to my kneecap. It feels a bit like that even now, if I’m honest. Not that I’m complaining. They offered to give me a crutch at the hospital, but it’s like … it’s a bruise. You know? Like, big fucking deal. And, yeah, it hurts, but I’m not going to go around with the equivalent of a great big sign around my neck asking for sympathy. Not after … not after what happened.
So anyway, I’m lying there, my hands either side of my knee, and that’s when I thought I heard it.
The voice.
I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. It’s like I said, for all I knew it was just my imagination. A trick of the rain or something. But it seemed as though it was coming from up ahead, from near where I’d seen that shadow. I couldn’t see anything when I looked, though, and I couldn’t make out what the voice was saying. But the thing was – the thing that made me listen so closely; the thing that freaked me out, if I’m honest – was that the voice sounded like it belonged to a girl.
And, no. Before you ask. It couldn’t have been Abi’s. Christ, I’d recognise her bleat anywhere. With Abi’s voice, sometimes, it’s like with bats. You don’t hear it so much with your ears, as feel it in the back of your skull. And anyway, it turned out later that Abi had run in the other direction entirely. At least, that’s what she claimed.
But it didn’t sound like Abi’s, is my point. And obviously it wasn’t Mason’s, or Fash’s, or Luke’s. I forced myself back on to my feet again, and tried to move closer, but the next time I stopped to listen, all I could hear was the rain. It was falling heavily, and the sound was like gravel coming down through the trees. But then there was another voice, deeper this time, and this one sounded more familiar. I strained to hear, but whoever it was seemed to be whispering, hissing almost. I caught a word or two – home, maybe. Help. Hurry.
And then both voices stopped. Instead, there was movement again, first on one side of me, and then on the other. There was a yell, a scream of pain, and this time I was certain it was Luke.
‘Luke!’ I called, stumbling forwards. ‘Luke, where are you?’
He didn’t answer, even though he’d sounded so close. I felt tree roots trying to snag around my ankles, and branches clawing at my face. And then, suddenly, I was in a clearing. It wasn’t large, and it was almost as dark as it had been in the trees. But there was just enough light that I was able to see: Luke lying bleeding on the ground, and Mason standing over him looking down, his hand still clutching that broken bottle.
Abi
I missed it all. Whatever it was that happened. By the time I found the others, they were in the clearing, arguing as though we’d never left the cave.
‘You were standing right over him! And there was no one else here!’
‘But you found us pretty quickly, didn’t you, Cora? Meaning you couldn’t have been very far away!’
‘Guys. Guys!’ This from Fash. ‘For Christ’s sake, stop shouting at each other, will you?’ He was crouched down for some reason, his torch on the ground beside him, and when he spoke I saw him glance out into the trees. Like he was afraid. Like he thought there might have been something out there, and he was worried all the shouting would bring it back.
‘Cora?’ I said, because even though she had her back to me, she was the one standing closest.
She spun and clutched a hand to her heart. ‘Abi, Jesus …’ She lurched, then, and gave a wince, as though something was the matter with her leg.
‘What’s happening?’ I said. ‘Why are you all –’
And then I saw Luke on the floor.
‘Luke?’
I rushed forwards. I was already out of breath from running, but seeing him on the ground like that, I felt my heart rate double.
‘He’s OK,’ said Fash, who was beside him. ‘Just a bit dazed. Right, mate?’ He moved the torch so that the light was pointing at Luke’s chest, close enough to allow us to see his face. He was propped up on his elbows, and his eyes were half shut. Against
