She climbed the few steps up to him, and she was suddenly aware of his size, the breadth of him, the height.

“Come on, now,” he said, “let’s not be making trouble.”

Anger rose in her, breaking through the fear.

“Let me past,” she said, her voice shaking along with every other part of her.

She tried to push past him, between his body and the wall, but there was too much of him and too little of her. Nothing she could do would move him, like a rock, no, a mountain, a cliff face of a man, and she nothing but a breeze to him.

Then he pushed her.

His hand flat on her chest, almost as wide as her torso, and she teetered on the edge of the step, her heels betraying her. Her arms spinning as if she could save herself from falling, as if she could fly if she tried hard enough.

But she couldn’t save herself. She fell down, down into the pit.

12: Mary

12: Mary

I mind the sound she made when she tilted back. That was the worst of it, the cry she let out of her. A desperate sound. I think that’s the sound a soul makes when it goes to hell.

She landed on her back and slid down a few steps, her head clattering off the wood, then her legs went up and over her, so she was on her front, and she rolled the rest of the way until she landed in a heap at the bottom. I mind the way she landed, her dress was all bunched up, and we could see her underthings. The first thought came into my head was I wanted to fix the dress for her. It wasn’t right to be showing herself like that.

We all stayed still and quiet for a while, me, the Mummies, and Daddy Tam, all looking at each other. Then Daddy Tam nodded his head, and the Mummies dived off the bed they’d been cuddled up on and went to her, knelt down beside her.

Says Daddy Tam, Is she all right?

She’s cut her head, says Mummy Noreen, but she’s all right.

Look after her, says Daddy Tam, and he went back up the stairs and locked the door behind him. Mummy Noreen telt me to get the jug of water from the corner, and a dress or a nightie, anything, so long as it was clean. They helped her over to her bed, laid her down on it. I found a white dress that didn’t fit me any more and brought it and the water over. Mummy Noreen tore strips off the dress and dipped them in the water, then cleaned the cut on the back of the girl’s head.