“Yes,” she said, her voice so whispery thin she couldn’t hear it herself. “Yes, I will, I promise.”

“Right, then,” he said. “I’ll let you up, and you’ll go straight back to the house. Will you do that?”

“Yes,” she said.

He lifted his boot from her wrist and stepped back, reached a thick hand down to swallow hers. She allowed him to haul her up onto her feet.

“Never try that again,” he said. “You know what I’ll do.”

Esther couldn’t meet his gaze. She would break if she did.

“Away you go.”

Her arms at her sides, her head down, she stepped around him and began the walk back to the gate. She took her time, made sure of her footing. Somehow she knew that if she fell now, it would set her mind loose and there would be no getting it back. She concentrated on the sensation of the grass blades beneath her soles, the stones, the bare earth, the mud. These things, the feel of them, kept her mind in place as she walked. She found her shoes on the way, pulled them from sodden ground, and carried them.

When she reached the gate, it stood open, Ivan waiting. He watched her approach, face as expressionless as when she’d passed him on her way out to the yard.

“Look at the state of you,” he said, no anger in his voice. “Go on and get yourself cleaned up. There’s work needs doing.”

Esther did as she was told.

18: Mary

18: Mary

That was a terrible long night, so it was. Esther lay there all curled up, her hands over her head, while Mummy Noreen lit into her. Me and Mummy Joy stayed quiet, mostly, but I know Mummy Joy was angry too.

Says Mummy Noreen, What were you thinking? You could’ve got us all killed. Are you mad in the head?

Esther didn’t answer. She curled up tighter, so tight I thought she’d turn herself inside out. I wanted to go to her, but I couldn’t. Not with the Mummies watching.

Mummy Noreen grabbed her shoulder and shook her. Says she, Do you know what could’ve happened today? Even if you’d got away, they would’ve wiped the rest of us out. Did you think about that?

Esther pushed Mummy Noreen’s hand away.

Says she, What else am I supposed to do? Just stay here and rot?

You’re supposed to survive, says Mummy Noreen. We all are.

Esther sat up, an awful fierce look on her face.

For how long? Do we just wait for one of them to die? Or one of us? I won’t spend the rest of my life here. I need to find a way out.