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Back The Sleepover Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PROLOGUE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. EPILOGUE
  69. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  70. MORE FROM KERI BEEVIS
  71. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  72. About Boldwood Books

A fresh bout of tears hit. This had all been her fault. She had promised him it wouldn’t matter if they broke Mrs W’s rules.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered.

Her words seemed to suck up more of the air and it was already difficult to breathe, so she didn’t speak again. Instead she lay in the box, clinging on to Miles’s cold hand, growing more and more sleepy. When the darkness tried to pull her under, she didn’t fight it.

She was still sleeping when the box was opened, didn’t even realise she was outside and on the ground until she heard Mrs W and Bill talking. They sounded panicked and Rosie struggled to wake herself properly, surprised to see it was almost daylight. Her body shuddered as she recalled the events of the previous night. How Mrs W had turned nasty and locked her and Miles in the box.

Where was Miles?

She pulled herself to her feet, peered inside the doorway, looking over to where Mrs W and Bill stood over his body. He was completely still.

No, no, no. He was just sleeping, right?

But then she picked up on words of their conversation.

He’s dead.

I only meant to scare them.

We can’t explain this away like the pond.

The girl has seen.

We need to deal with her.

Rosie’s hand went to her mouth to cover the scream that threatened to escape.

What were they going to do to her?

She backed away from the barn door, her eyes wide with terror, understanding that she needed to run and fast.

They never heard her go and she cut through the woods, scared in case they realised and came after her. The woods had plenty of places where she could hide.

Eventually, she made it back to the village and to Hannah’s house, which was the closest. When Hannah opened the door, Rosie burst into tears.

It took forever to manage to calm herself down and explain what had happened. Hannah’s face going from shocked to serious.

When she finally spoke, her tone was grave. ‘We need to call the police.’

62

Miles had suffered an asthma attack. Rosie had found that out much later, just as she had learnt they weren’t the only victims of the box. Hannah had been trapped in there too, when they had been on the camp night.

After the Wickhams were arrested, there was an air of shock reverberating around the village. This was a place where everyone knew each other and where it was safe to raise young families. Neighbours were friends and they could be trusted. Eileen Wickham had been trusted.

Journalists and television crews descended from all over the country and villagers who had lived in the area for years were suddenly regarding each other with wariness. Parents wanted to know where their children were at all times and everyone stayed away from the farmhouse.