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Back The Cottage Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. TWENTY-THREE
  26. TWENTY-FOUR
  27. TWENTY-FIVE
  28. TWENTY-SIX
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. TWENTY-NINE
  32. THIRTY
  33. THIRTY-ONE
  34. THIRTY-TWO
  35. THIRTY-THREE
  36. THIRTY-FOUR
  37. THIRTY-FIVE
  38. THIRTY-SIX
  39. THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. THIRTY-NINE
  42. FORTY
  43. FORTY-ONE
  44. FORTY-TWO
  45. FORTY-THREE
  46. FORTY-FOUR
  47. FORTY-FIVE
  48. FORTY-SIX
  49. FORTY-SEVEN
  50. FORTY-EIGHT
  51. FORTY-NINE
  52. FIFTY
  53. FIFTY-ONE
  54. FIFTY-TWO
  55. FIFTY-THREE
  56. FIFTY-FOUR
  57. FIFTY-FIVE
  58. FIFTY-SIX
  59. FIFTY-SEVEN
  60. FIFTY-EIGHT
  61. FIFTY-NINE
  62. SIXTY
  63. SIXTY-ONE
  64. SIXTY-TWO
  65. SIXTY-THREE
  66. SIXTY-FOUR
  67. SIXTY-FIVE
  68. SIXTY-SIX
  69. SIXTY-SEVEN
  70. SIXTY-EIGHT
  71. SIXTY-NINE
  72. SEVENTY
  73. SEVENTY-ONE
  74. SEVENTY-TWO
  75. SEVENTY-THREE
  76. SEVENTY-FOUR
  77. Suggested topics for reading-group discussion
  78. Keep Reading …
  79. Lisa Stone also writes under the name of Cathy Glass.Don’t miss her latest book …
  80. About the Author
  81. Books by Lisa Stone
  82. About the Publisher

She shivered from cold and nerves and pulled her woollen hat further down over her ears. Taking out her phone, she stood a little way back from the window and prepared to wait. From here she could see the living room clearly lit up. On a cold winter’s evening it looked warm and inviting. Despite being well wrapped up, the cold seeped into her. The shed was old and some of the wood had separated at the bottom, leaving gaps. A mouse scuttled past, but Jan had never been frightened of mice. Eight-thirty came and went. An owl hooted in the distance and a light breeze stirred the barren branches of the trees overhead, making them creak and groan.

Then she was aware of another noise. She stood perfectly still and listened. It sounded as though it had come from the roof of the shed. A scratching sound. Was it a branch chafing against the roof? She didn’t think so. There it was again. Something was up there. More scratching as it moved across the roof. Her heart raced. It was too heavy for a bird, she felt sure. Then a small hand appeared at the top of the window. It was them; they were on the roof.

Jan clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out. Petrified, she forced herself to keep quiet and wait. The hand disappeared from view, but the noise coming from the roof continued. How many were up there? She’d only seen one hand, but the noises suggested more. She looked up and tried to track their movements. Why were they on the roof and not going to the food? Did they know she was in the shed? Surely not. Unless they’d been watching her earlier. Fear gripped her.

More scratching noises, and then it went quiet. What were they doing? Were they still up there? She was half expecting to see them appear on the lawn, running towards the food. She kept her phone camera at the ready and waited, but it went quiet. She listened, straining against the silence. Where were they? Had they gone?

Suddenly she heard a movement at the door. Dear God! They were trying to turn the key and lock her in. Throwing herself at the door, she forced it open, just in time to get out. Without looking back, she ran up the lawn to the cottage and let herself in. As she did, she heard a woman’s voice call from the woods, ‘No, don’t do that!’ The same voice she’d heard before.

Fighting for breath, Jan locked the back door and fled upstairs to the spare bedroom at the back. Without switching on the light, she crossed to the window, dialling 999 as she went. She could barely keep her phone still for trembling, but there was a torch beam in the woods.