I’m trying to convince her as much as myself and she gives me a sad smile.

‘You don’t wanna do it either.’

‘What else can we do?’

May looks straight into my eyes. ‘There is one thing you could do.’

‘What?’

‘Don’t wait for the others. You go now.’

My smile drops. I’m supposed to be with the adults on this one. Mum is already on the warpath. The little girl in me wants them to fix it so bad; my throat tightens with panic. ‘Why?’

‘They think they can do this and protect you, but they’ll only stuff it up. You can’t get in a paddock with a bull and have your focus on anythin but the big bastard.’ Her thin hands grip mine harder. ‘You need to go do this.’

‘Alone?’ I nearly choke. ‘What about Troy?’

Her smile is so terribly sad. ‘You don’t need us, bub, and you don’t need to trick Troy to do nuthin. You know where your twin is. You’ve always known.’

I picture the cave entrance in my dream, the deep darkness within, the tiny figure curled in the heart of the mountain that I’d walked around days before. A soft thrumming sound comes from outside and I flinch.

The old girl’s eyes go to the kitchen window. I don’t have to look, I know it’s there.

‘Ghost birds ain’t bad,’ she says. ‘Not good neither. They warn and if it’s still ere at this time then it as a message for someone in this house. I think it’s ere for you.’

Nan said as much, but it didn’t stop her from closing doors and windows if she saw one going about its business. But it’s when they start doing weird things, like swooping people or hanging around outside a house till dawn, that a warning is clear.

A firm grip on my chin pulls me back to the present.

‘End it. Now. This is the only way to get your twin back.’