An orangey brightness flickered in Annalise’s pupils and under a metal-plate window. Smoke twirled into the cottage, thin strands at first, then thicker and thicker.

Suddenly, a BOOM! rattled the metal window and fire exploded up one wall, tearing around the window frame towards the ceiling.

Annalise sat up straight, clutching the baby tight.

‘It must be lightning,’ I said. ‘From the storm.’

‘No,’ said Annalise, looking around, trying and failing to get up. ‘This is Michael. He’s locked us in here and he’s burning the place down. Don’t you get it? Anything that hurts his image … it has to go. We have to go. All of us.’

‘He wouldn’t—’

‘I wasn’t the first girl Michael kept out here,’ said Annalise. ‘He told me about them, Lorna. When they tried to escape, he cut them up and buried them in the woods. He said he’d do it to me if I tried to get out.’

I got to my feet and hammered on the windows. ‘Let us out. LET US OUT!’

‘There’s no way out,’ said Annalise flatly. ‘Not unless he lets us out. Here. I can’t hold her. The baby. Take her.’

I took the baby and Annalise slumped forward, arms limp and loose. Her breathing sounded raspy. Shallow.

‘I’ve been told that before,’ I said. ‘That there’s no way out. But there’s always a way.’

Annalise didn’t reply, but I heard her little sparrow breaths in the darkness.

‘There’s always a way out, Annalise,’ I say again.

More raspy sparrow breaths.

‘If you really, really want to live.’

Was I already going a little bit insane?

Yes. Pretty sure I was.

Liberty

I didn’t walk to the gate, like my dad wanted. Of course I didn’t. That would have made me a pawn in Michael’s chess game, when in fact it’s me who’s been playing him this whole time.

Michael is a good tactician but I’m better. I’ve been pulling Michael’s strings, putting him where I want him.

Now I’m one move away from checkmate.

They say chess is about thinking many moves ahead. But to me, the most important part is analysing your opponent, working out what kind of player they are.

Michael is the ‘win at all costs’ kind of player. He doesn’t care if he breaks the rules, as long as no one sees him do it. As soon as I worked that out, things were simple. Make Michael feel like he’s winning and he’ll move into the right places.

I watch Michael from my crouched position, one of his shotguns on my lap, hidden behind the cottage. Skywalker sits beside me, ears pricked and alert.

Guess what, Dad? I am not a dumb, scared little teen desperate for a record contract. My dog isn’t really sick. And you’re not the only one who can act.