Trying not to think, Franny began to hum, desperate to disconnect herself from the moment. She checked around, more for herself than out of necessity. The area she had driven to was always deserted, a place her father had at one time or another brought his own baggage to ‘dispose’ of.

She could see how much her hands were shaking as, still humming, she dragged Bree’s wrapped-up body out onto the ground with a loud thump. Next, she reached to the back of the boot, grabbing the spade that she’d picked up from the DIY shop, along with a packet of fox-deterrent powder; the last thing she needed were the animals of the forest digging up Bree.

Checking behind her once more and reassured there was no one around, Franny placed the spade and sachets of powder on top of Bree’s body and began to drag her through the trees and bushes to the small area beyond the thickets where her father had always said was a safe, hidden spot.

With her whole body sweating already, Franny nervously surveyed the space, grateful that it had rained so the earth was now soft, making it relatively easy for her to dig. With a weary sigh, she picked up the spade, but she stopped, frozen, hearing a noise … a voice. Someone was calling her name.

‘Franny. Franny.’

She whirled around, trembling, staring through the mist, which was getting ever thicker. Her heart was pounding as she stepped forward. Suddenly she stumbled, tripping over Bree’s body, falling down onto the wet ground. She let out a small scream and panicking she scrabbled, the sound of her panting filling the air, fear running through her as she used the gnarled tree next to her to pull herself up.

Her chest moved up and down in exaggerated movements as she pinned herself against the trunk, listening, watching … waiting. But the only sound she could hear was the pattering of rain against the leaves.

Jesus, she had to pull herself together. What was she thinking? She was being weak. Stupid … again. She was letting her mind play tricks on her. She of all people should know better. She knew there were always strange sounds and noises in the forest. Calls of animals and birds. An owl. A fox. A badger. It could’ve been anything making a sound. It was an easy mistake to make thinking that someone was calling her name, wasn’t it? Because after all what else could it have been?