‘Maddie. Wait. Help me up.’ But she’s spun round, scrambling to turn on her phone, and switching on the torch, her boots thudding the snow as she attempts to run. ‘Maddie. Please,’ I call after her, frantically rubbing my legs, hoping to bring them back to life. ‘Christ!’ I can’t believe she’s taken off and left me – only thinking to save herself.

I look back to where we saw the figure, but can no longer see anyone. I glance about me, shivering. Whoever it was could be anywhere. There’s nothing else for it, I’ll have to crawl back to the cottage.

I realise as I crawl like a baby through the deep snow that every part of me that isn’t numb aches. If I pass out, I’ll smash face first into the snow. I’m going to die.

I hear heavy footfalls thudding on the snow behind me. Oh God, I’m seriously going to die. I keep on going, crying now, so close to sobbing – tears freezing on my cheeks.

The footfalls get closer.

And closer.

Strong hands lift me to my feet.

‘Jesus! Finn!’

He’s injured – there’s blood on his forehead. He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, and as I moan and groan, tears plopping onto the snow below, he carries me towards the fire – a frenzy of flames whipped by the wind – outside Maddie and Thomas’s cottage.

It’s as we approach the front door a pungent smell, like burning paper, wafts in the air. I turn to see a piece of clothing in the fire, almost turned to ash.

*

‘You left me to die,’ I cry at Maddie as Finn carries me across the lounge and lays me on the sofa like a wounded soldier.

Maddie, who is standing by the wood burner, looks over at me as I shuffle from my wet jacket, then back at Finn who is taking off his coat and hanging it by the door.

‘Finn. What a relief,’ she says, ignoring me. ‘Are you hurt?’

‘You left me, Maddie,’ I say again.

Her eyes are back on me. ‘I went to get help.’

‘I don’t see any help.’

‘Well, Rosamund is upstairs asleep, so I was waiting for your dad to return from finding more wood.’

‘I could have frozen to death out there.’

‘Yes, but you didn’t. And I knew it was Finn anyway.’

‘No you didn’t. You thought it was the bloody killer.’

‘Killer?’ Finn says, puzzled. ‘What are you on about?’

Oh God.

‘Hey!’ It’s Thomas coming from his bedroom. ‘What’s the racket?’

‘Your sister thinks I abandoned her,’ Maddie says, kissing his head. ‘When I was simply going for help.’