BooksBarbecue
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

She dropped her keys and stared at the phone as the ellipses pulsed on the screen…

…

…

…

did u?

Karin typed in the reply, her fingers moving across the screen so quickly that what she wrote was gibberish, and she had to keep correcting herself. The text flew off with a whoosh.

No!!

Why would you say that?

When it had gone, Karin let herself inside and slammed the door. There was something different about the quiet hallway, but she was so focused on her phone that she barely noticed what it was.

…

…

…

U no Y

She couldn’t bear it any longer, typed…

Please can we meet? XX

Hit send.

Becky would look different now, of course, she would be a full-grown woman, but they would both recognize each other instantly. Most likely there would be tears and recrimination, but then they would fall into each other’s arms, sobbing with relief and happiness.

And then Karin would be able to explain – finally explain – what had happened in the Bad Place, she’d have a chance to tell Becky about the terrible mistake she had made, about the guilt and shame she felt, and how lonely her life had been without her.

They had a chance to begin again, to be together.

Waiting for the ellipses to pulse to show her that Becky was about to reply, she felt a faint breeze on her neck, and realized there was a draught coming down the hallway. From where she stood, Karin could see that the back door had been forced open in the kitchen.

Her phone vibrated in her hand.

we will meet v soon

& u will make a choice

BeXxx

‘Bex?’ she called as she went into the living room. After all these years, she was back. Karin didn’t know how but she had returned. She was here. Becky was somewhere in the house.

‘Hello?’ she called in hope, but also in fear, because she knew deep down that what she wanted so desperately was impossible. Becky was a long time dead. ‘Becky, please come out.’

She walked back into the hallway and stood at the bottom of the stairs. There was no sound at all except for a car passing on the street outside. And then she heard it – a creak on a floorboard upstairs.

‘Becky?’ she called. ‘Is that you?’

She took out her phone and with shaking hands wrote a message:

Are you in my house?

I know you’re here xxx

The message flew away.

She peered up at the gloom of the landing. Her fingers pressed against the smooth banister.

‘Bex, I know you’re up there. Please, come down.’