Outside the door Annie’s footsteps pad back and forth and then finally stop. I freeze too. Slowly the key turns in the door and I slide down again, back on to the floor. Light trickles in with a cold blast of air.

I hear her pause, an intake of breath as she creeps closer to me, bending down. Finally she rests a hand gently against my head, her fingers sliding into my hair, stroking it softly. It’s such a caring gesture that I can’t help but open my eyes, and when I do she’s staring right at me.

She gasps, pulling back. There are tears in her eyes and I wonder if I could talk her round from whatever she plans to do. This is, after all, what I am good at. My job is to talk to people, to reason, find solutions when it feels like there aren’t any.

But even I know there aren’t and so it’s only a brief thought. I have seen all too clearly that Annie’s prepared to do whatever she has to to remove the threat, and that is all I am to her now.

Annie is off guard because she didn’t expect me to open my eyes and stare into hers. This is my chance. I could hurl myself into her, knock her off balance.

I go to push myself up again but I am too weak, too slow, and with one hand she grabs for the carriage clock as the front door slams open and someone behind us yells.

It only takes a second for her to pause, glance towards the hallway, and in that time I manage to push up further, leaning unsteadily on one hand as I use the other to grab the clock from her grip.

Her eyes are bright with fear as she turns back to me and I open my mouth to tell her we can sort this out because deep down it’s what I still want, but already my hand is drawing back and instinct is taking over as it crashes down.

Annie yelps, sinking back against the bookcase. Only a tiny trickle of blood seeps out of a small cut at the side of her head.

Oh God, what have I done?

My arm is weak and what I’d thought of as a crash must have only just scraped her skin, and now there are noises in the hallway. I missed my chance.

‘Hello?’ someone calls.

I can’t see through to the hall, unlike Annie who turns to look. I open my mouth but no words come out.

‘Annie? Oh my God. Stella, what happened? Are you hurt?’

A figure is in the room, crouching in front of us. Only now do I see it’s Meg.

‘Need help,’ I manage.

‘Yes. Yes. I’ll get help,’ she says but she doesn’t move as her frightened eyes glance from me to Annie.