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Back Suzy Suzy Save as PDF
Chapters (90)
  1. Cover
  2. By the same author
  3. SUZY SUZY
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Glossary of Dialect Terms
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. About William Wall
  90. An Invitation from the Publisher

First we couldn’t find anything to burn. Serena started to complain that the petrol was leaking through the plastic so we put it down and then we couldn’t find where we put it. It took ten minutes to find it in the dark. Eventually we found the recycling bin and there was cardboard in it. Then we decided to make the fire in the bin. It was a plastic bin so that was good because it would burn too. But Serena knew we needed something a bit heavier. So we went into the trees and tried to break some branches off. They just bent. What kind of trees they were meant to be idk. Luckily we found a couple of bits that fell down sometime. One was heavy enough that two of us had to carry it. We got it into the bin. It was a wheelie bin. All our bins are. So we rolled the whole thing over the lawn to the drawing room window. I checked my phone and it was already well after five. I was starting to get worried that we’d get caught getting back in.

So we got the bin in place with the log sticking up in the cardboard. Serena opened the cleanser bottle and poured it in and I lit the match and dropped it in. But it went out. I threw another one. Same difference. Serena said it’s the cold that’s putting it out.

We have to light it inside the bin.

No fucking way, I said. Like the fumes. Like whoosh. No fucking way.

And she’s like: I’m gonna do it, Suzy, I’m gonna do it, baby.

She took the matchbox and sort of hunched over the bin. I saw the flare of the match. I closed my eyes. I knew I would hear a whoosh and then I’d know that Serena the fucking dinosaur had set fire to herself. But all I heard was Serena saying, Fuck fuck fuck.

The match went out again.

Jesus, this is pathetic, I said.

Serena just looked at me.

I said, We’re going to end up pulling the bin all the way back to where we got it and then we’ll have to put the branch back. And someone’ll come out tomorrow and they’ll get the smell of petrol from the bin. Like fuck’s sake.

Serena struck another match and put her hand right in and it went out on the way down. Her hand was shaking.

Wait, I said. Take out a piece of cardboard, dry stuff with no petrol. We’ll light it outside.