On the surface, he was a good boy, always willing to lend a hand. But like her, he had an addictive personality. Christian’s compulsion wasn’t food, it was computer games. One in particular. Beyond the Darkness. It was about a bunch of teenagers trapped in a creepy hotel. One by one, a ghostly figure picked them off.

It wasn’t just the game that made Elsie uneasy, it was Christian’s growing resemblance to his father. What if he’d taken on his personality? He was an evil man. Christian couldn’t help what he was. But at least he knew the truth. Elsie sighed. It had not been easy, explaining his parentage last year, but he had seemed to take it OK.

She paused to drink from the bottle on her table. It was a small but positive step, replacing chocolate milk with water. With help from Sarah, there was hope on the horizon. She was starting to imagine a way out of the prison she had created for herself. But not before she put her mind at rest about her son. She could have a little peek in his room. Her imagination was probably running away with her, and he wouldn’t like it if he knew, but one look couldn’t do any harm. Still … she thought, as she lumbered out of bed. It’s like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

It had been years since she’d ventured upstairs, so Christian had no need to lock his bedroom door. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. She had at least an hour before he returned home for lunch. She forced one foot before the other as she shuffled towards the stairs. Already, sweat was beading her brow. One step at a time, she told herself. She was in no rush. With each stair, she paused for breath, heaving herself up. ‘C’mon Elsie,’ she encouraged herself as she gasped for air. ‘You got this.’ She was almost there.

At the top stair, she bent over, feeling like someone had lit a bonfire between her chafed thighs. She rubbed a clammy hand over her chest. Her heart felt like it was going to near on pop out. ‘Almost there,’ she gasped, pressing her hand against the wall for support. The carpet was thick with dirt and cat hairs, and there was a stink wafting from the bathroom. Why had she turned such a blind eye to housekeeping? Her parents would roll over in their graves. She only noticed the bulb on the landing had been removed when she tried to turn it on. Squinting, she adjusted her eyes to the dim light. Every door on the landing was closed.