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Back The Bad Place
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. THE BAD PLACE
  3. Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  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. Acknowledgements
  71. About the author
  72. An Invitation from the Publisher

Like the others, Karin couldn’t get her head around it. They were captives, and may never get home, they could be kept here for ever or killed by Jerry Swann, yet Paul was worried about his father’s reaction.

‘None of this is your fault,’ said Becky.

Paul wrung his hands. ‘He gets really mad if I get home late, or if I don’t keep my room tidy, or do my homework, he’s always mad!’

‘At least you’ve got one,’ Michelle told him. ‘Karin’s dad pissed off years ago.’

Karin blushed with shame and Becky shot Michelle a look, please be quiet!

‘Your dad may get angry sometimes,’ Becky told Paul. ‘But he won’t this time, I promise. He loves you, he wants you back, and when he sees you he’s going to give you a big hug. We’re all going to go home soon and get on with our lives.’ She held up a finger. ‘Here’s an idea. We should all say what we’re going to be doing in ten years, and then we can all meet up and see if it came true. I’ll start… I’m going to be a vet and look after sick animals. Or a marine biologist at the Great Barrier Reef. What about you, guys?’

Lydia shrugged. ‘I haven’t really thought about it.’

‘There must be something you want to be doing in ten years?’ Becky asked her gently. ‘You can tell us.’

‘I’ll have a boyfriend, I guess.’ Lydia frowned. ‘And he’s going to be tall and handsome and powerful, you know, like a fireman. We’ll probably go out for two years and then get married, and we’ll have a big house, with lots of rooms and a garage, and at least three kids – all girls, I don’t want boys – and I’ll dress them nice, but not the same, they’ll all be different, and we’ll go on holiday in Lanzarote every summer, to this resort I’ve been to, me and mum went there once. I’m going to stay at home so I can get involved with the school and spend time with the girls. I’ll help them with their homework.’ She gave an embarrassed smile. ‘Well, I’ll try, but the thing is, they’ll be cleverer than me, a lot smarter. And they’ll each play a different instrument, a cello, a violin, a guitar, and there’s going to be a dining room with a table big enough for a five-thousand-piece jigsaw and we’ll have a shaggy dog called Otis and a cat called Simba. And a blue Volkswagen.