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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

Becky’s words made her conflicted. Karin wanted to be free, of course she did, but a small part of her would be disappointed if they did escape, because she knew she’d never again be able to spend so much time with Becky, never again be able to stay so close to her side. This was a bad, terrible place, but at least they had each other.

‘I will,’ Karin whispered. ‘I’ll get us out of here.’

Lydia’s voice came from across the floor. ‘Can’t you hit him over the head with something and then climb out the window?’

‘He keeps the knife on the table. He’d kill me on the spot, like he did all those others.’

They all fell into silence, thinking about the people Jerry had killed. It was six or seven, or maybe more. The way Jerry spoke about the murders was confusing. Karin didn’t know if it was because she was so tired, but the circumstances of what happened and who died seemed to change all the time. Nothing he said seemed to make sense.

‘We’re all going to die if you don’t do something,’ Michelle said, and Paul began to weep again, but they had all grown tired of his tears. ‘Oh, shut up, won’t you?’

‘There’s going to come a time, and it might only be a split second, when you’re going to have a chance to get to a phone, break a window and climb out, I don’t know what it is, but you’ll know when it happens.’

And when Jerry took her upstairs that night, Karin knew she had to act quickly, she had to get them all to safety. She had sat with him for so long that the dull grey of morning had begun to gnaw at the edge of the net curtain. Karin was exhausted, mentally and physically, so tired she could hardly think, and Jerry’s monologue had become a burble in her head.

Her eyes must have closed because he rapped on the table. ‘Stay awake!’

‘I’m sorry, I’m so… tired.’

‘Perhaps you like listening to her more than me.’ Jerry’s head twitched. ‘Maybe you’re a liar, like the rest of them, and you don’t like me. Maybe you’re not my friend.’

‘I’m your friend, Jerry,’ she said. ‘Honestly I am.’

He considered her carefully. ‘Who’s your best friend, me or her?’

Karin didn’t want to upset him, but she couldn’t betray her love for Becky. ‘You both are.’

‘If she’s such a good friend, then why didn’t she tell you about that party she went to?’