‘Christine!’ Alice races down towards her, sees the red circles painted on her cheeks, the addition of a bow tie at her throat. She crouches down, takes hold of her hands. ‘Christine, Christine.’

The woman stirs, opens her eyes.

‘Christine, thank God. What happened?’

‘Pushed,’ Christine whispers. ‘So much pain.’ She swallows hard. ‘Said I was a bully.’ A tear rolls down her cheek, drips off her chin. ‘Said …’

‘Who said? Who did this?’

‘Said I deserved to be punished. Said we all do.’

‘Who, Christine?’ Alice squeezes the woman’s hands, her eyes flashing from Christine’s pale, distorted face, to her surroundings. ‘Who the hell did this?’

Christine’s eyelids fall over her eyes, her head tilts back. ‘No, no, no,’ Alice cries, searching the woman’s wrist for a pulse – she’s no expert – but she can’t find one, however hard she tries.

She rises, rubs her clammy palms on her top, as she spins around, eyes searching. Where’s Faith? Lori? Gabriela?

After a moment, she races back up the stairs, and along the corridor. Once inside her room, she pulls the bolt across, turns, and leans against the door, trying to catch her breath, fighting back tears.

Eventually, she heads over to the window, her heartbeat refusing to slow. Guilt rising. Could she have done more to help Christine?

She narrows her eyes, and peers closer to the glass, feeling sure she can see someone making their way down the hill towards the jetty. She blinks, and they disappear into the shadows. She moves her gaze to the sea. There are no flashing blue lights of a police boat. No sign of Leon.

She returns to the bed, sits down on the edge, and presses her fingers deep into her temples. Whatever happens now, she has to stay here until daylight. It’s the only place she is safe.

Leon

‘Leon. Leon. You OK?’

He hears the panicked voice infiltrating his dream, the broken sound of English. His head throbs; eyelids, like lead, seal his eyes. He doesn’t want to fully wake, to face reality. He wants to return to the spellbinding dream he was having, where the sun beamed down on him and Alice, as they strolled hand in hand along the river – deeply in love. The dream felt so real. He wants to go back there, where it’s safe. He wants to go back there with Alice.

He attempts to lift his head, and groans. He’s lying on a hard floor, a scratchy blanket covering him.

‘Leon. You awake? Please.’

Gabriela?