Chapters (68)
- Cover
- Dedication
- NOW
- One
- BEFORE
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- NOW
- Twenty-One
- BEFORE
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- NOW
- Thirty-Nine
- BEFORE
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- NOW
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- AFTER
- Fifty-Six
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
She wondered if there was ever going to be a final level to this game. Whether she would have to play forever and ever.
Imagined the look on her mum’s face if she found out what she’d been doing.
It wasn’t all bad. Her life was easy in so many ways. Her mum loved her, she wasn’t ill, she wasn’t poor.
Her dad had already left for work and they both earned a good wage, provided all the things she could ever want.
She’d had enough to make her life easy, if you ignored the loneliness.
Beside her, the mobile phone lit up and began to buzz. It made her jump, her heart pounding, knowing who it would be. She swiped to answer and lifted it to her ear.
‘You’re almost there, Holly,’ the voice said, the flat, robotic tone filling the silence. ‘Only a couple more levels…’
‘Please, let this be over,’ Holly replied, feeling a huge lump grow in her throat. She wanted this done. To move on. To go back to loneliness. ‘I’ve done enough for you.’
‘Too late, Holly. You know the rules by now. Everyone is going to know what a dirty little liar you are, if you don’t do exactly as we say.’
For the first time, Holly realised the reality of it all. That it would never be over. Not really.
‘I’ll do anything, please,’ she heard herself say, and realised it was true. She wanted to take it all back. She didn’t want the attention anymore. She didn’t want to live like this anymore.
The voice had scared her the first time. The emotionlessness of it. She had no idea if it was a man or woman on the other end; no idea if they knew everything. There was no doubt now, though.
‘But please,’ Holly said, her voice soft and pleading, ‘I can’t do anymore. I’ve done enough. Let me go.’
‘It’s too late for begging,’ the voice replied, and there was almost a humour to the tone now. As if it was excited. ‘There’s only one way out. And that’s to play. To the end. Unless you want me to tell everyone what you’ve been doing.’
She breathed in and closed her eyes for a second. Leaned her head back and nodded to herself. ‘I’ll do anything. Just please, don’t tell anyone what I’ve done.’
‘I knew you would make the right choice,’ the voice said, its monotone purring through the phone. Holly felt she could almost hear emotion in its void.
‘What do I have to do now?’ Holly said finally, thinking she wouldn’t go near the internet ever again. Wouldn’t look for validation there, for comfort. She wanted nothing but boredom from now on.
Something else.
A life.
PLAYER TWO
Rob couldn’t play anymore.