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Back The Family Next Door Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. 107
  113. 108
  114. 109
  115. 110
  116. Teaser chapter
  117. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The boy was shaking her, and it was making her head hurt and shooting pain down her shoulder, toward her broken wrist. She couldn’t form the words to ask him to stop, but he must have guessed because he said, “Don’t move, Mum. I’m going to get Dad.” And she heard that rustle of leaves again, the sound of small hands and feet scrambling through brambles, trying to clamber up the sides of the ditch, and her eyes did not want to open, but she became aware again of the absence of light and the dark mouth of the night.

* * *

She could not say how many minutes had passed, only that she was drifting and floating, and then she heard loud voices and lights, and strangers were speaking to her in calm voices and sliding her onto a spinal board and she could not remember how she had gotten there or what had happened.

“Thank God,” said a man’s voice, and his lips were warm against her cheek. He said things like, “I love you,” and, “I’m sorry for being such a dick,” and, “Things are going to be much better from now on, I promise.”

Her eyes flickered open and closed, and the skeletons of the trees above bowed to her, and the moon was cold and she saw snapshots of black and silver and felt the rain on her face, and she thought, Is this what it is to die?

She wanted to scream at them to leave her where she was because the moving of her body had triggered a wave of agony, but the monochrome landscape blurred until all the colors were washed out, and her world collapsed in on itself.

85

85

Wednesday 1st August 2018, 3:14 A.M.

27 The Avenue

The walls were talking to her.

Audrina could hear the cry of a child like a knife slash across the peace, disemboweling it. Unexplained noises. A thump. Footsteps running across carpet. The register of a boy’s voice, high and clear. And for the briefest of moments, she mistook him for another boy from another time.

She floated up through sleep, throwing it off, eyes wide open, heart buzzing, hands reaching for a ghost.

The blue wash of sirens lit her bedroom. A man’s voice, low and serious, was talking beneath her window. At the slamming of a van door, she pulled herself up in bed, fear in her eyes, fingers plucking at the cotton tie of her nightie.

“Surely not the police again?” When he didn’t answer, she felt the first stirrings of panic, as if something important had changed. “Cooper? Cooper?”

Cooper was at the window, peering down on the street below. His white hair looked yellowish. He shook his head. “No. But it’s something.”

“Come back to bed,” she said.

But he didn’t move.