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Back The Bad Place Save as PDF
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

Karin wondered if Becky would contact her again and immediately chastised herself for even considering that it could be from her friend, as if she could have returned from the dead all these years later. But she couldn’t stop herself any longer. Her fingers flew quickly across the screen as she tapped in a message.

Are you there?

Karin xxx

Three dots began to pulse at the bottom of the screen, indicating that someone was replying. The dots danced, someone was writing, writing…

…

…

…

Karin stared, hardly daring to breathe. Expecting a reply to appear at any moment… any moment…

And then:

Why dont u ♥ me? 😥 😥

BeXxx

Karin swallowed, confused. She would never stop loving Becky. Her thumbs twitched across the screen as she typed:

But I do! XXX

Then a bang on the front door made her jump.

Going into the hallway, she saw a distorted figure framed in the coloured glass of the door. Light from a nearby lamppost cast a shadow against it. It was someone slim, a woman. Karin hardly had visitors, and never at this time of night.

It just wasn’t possible. There was only one person she wanted it to be.

Only one person.

Karin was excited – and terrified.

After all these years, Becky had come back to her. She typed quickly, breathing hard.

Are you here? xxx

Sent the message. Waited for the ellipsis to jump.

…

…

…

And a message came back.

do U want me 2 b?

BeXxx 😍😍

Karin sat on the stairs, staring at the blurred figure on the other side of the door. What would she say to Becky? After all these years, how could she possibly explain?

She felt dizzy with hope, sick with fear.

Unsure of whether to let Becky in… or keep her out.

The figure loomed closer to the door, the features undulating behind the rippled glass. Karin saw a sharp nose and cheeks, clawed hands pressed against the glass.

And then the figure shouted, ‘Let me in, yeah, I see you!’

Lydia’s voice broke the spell.

Karin slumped with disappointment – and relief. She got up off the stairs, took a moment to compose herself and opened the door. Lydia slipped inside and shot into the living room, tugging at her hair.

‘Are you okay, Lydia?’ asked Karin.

‘I am, as it happens, yeah.’ Lydia’s head jerked in a nod. ‘I’m totally okay, I think so.’

Karin watched her pace anxiously. ‘Are you sure, because—’

‘I’ve come to tell you something, yeah?’ interrupted Lydia. But her attention was grabbed by the television. She laughed miserably at something happening on the screen.

‘Lydia…’ Karin picked up the remote and turned it off. ‘What is it you want to say?’