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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

Simon counted off on his fingers. ‘Think of all the things that hold you back from discovering your true self. Husbands, wives, children, work, relationships, colleagues, possessions, homes, rent, mortgages, bills, pets, holidays, insurance, tax, cars, computers, social media, phones, friends. All that stuff is like a weight, it tethers you down, and before you know it you’re stuck in one place, unable to move freely. The seaside, the village, the city, wherever. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to have a simple existence unencumbered by all the shit that buries us. Right now, I can go anywhere I want, when I want. Feel the wind against my face on a clifftop, swim in the sea, climb a mountain, watch the Northern Lights. I go where I fancy.’ He pointed at each of them in turn. ‘You get to spend all your days sitting in this cramped little room. Me, I’m free.’

Craig frowned. ‘Not right now, you’re not.’

‘How do you know about Michelle’s personal situation?’ said Sasha.

‘She told me years ago at one of the reunions, she was so drunk she probably didn’t even remember afterwards.’

‘It’s a pity,’ said Sasha.

‘What is?’

‘Whether you regard her as a friend or not, she thinks of you as one.’

Simon looked away. ‘We meet once every year, and that’s it. We’re very different. She needs lots of stuff to validate her life, and I need nothing.’

‘You both experienced a terrifying situation, doesn’t that count for anything?’

‘The Bad Place, you mean?’ Simon laughed bitterly. ‘Let me tell you about that. That cellar was the best thing that ever happened to me. I became very ill down there, I could have died. After a while I would have been forgotten. And it made me realize it’s nice to be forgotten. After the Bad Place, I felt free to just… fade away. I didn’t need a warm bed to sleep in, or hot water, or central heating, all I needed was to disappear. I had an epiphany – I could go anywhere I wanted, and nobody would care. My favourite thing is to pitch my tent in the middle of nowhere and sleep beneath the stars. Nobody knows where, nobody cares.’ His gaze drifted back to the ceiling. ‘That’s me, that’s what I’m about.’

‘Is that where Sammi is, Simon?’ asked Sasha. ‘In the middle of nowhere?’

He looked shaken. ‘I told you, I don’t know anything about that.’

‘Was that a blackmail note you left on Michelle’s windscreen, or a ransom note?’

‘It wasn’t a ransom note.’

‘Then why are you blackmailing her?’

Simon blurted out, ‘Because he asked me to.’

‘Who’s he?’ Sasha leaned forward quickly. ‘Who asked you to?’

He didn’t answer, but Sasha saw a muscle twitch anxiously in his jaw.