Allison only noticed the passage of time by looking at the skylight overhead. There were no lights in either the bedroom or en suite and once night came, she was left in darkness. The lack of lights or light switch puzzled her. The slanted angle of the room indicated her prison was an attic conversion. The doors and bathroom fixtures looked relatively new… so why weren’t there light fixtures?

For safety? So that she couldn’t take them apart and do herself damage?

The thought took root and horrified her… had this room been prepared solely for the purpose it was currently being used for?

Perhaps she wasn’t the first woman Stuart and Portia had kept here.

If she wasn’t, what had happened to the others? Kept prisoner here until what? They managed to find a way to end their lives or – a horrendous thought – they starved to death. This was accompanied by a growl as if her stomach was complaining about the future she’d considered.

The room was warm. She slept sometimes, exhausted by the various scenarios spinning around her head, by the hunger, by the sheer unknowingness of her situation. Sleep at least passed the long, wearisome hours. She tried to keep track of the days but when she finally heard a sound at the door, she wasn’t sure if she’d been there three or four days.

For a few seconds, she thought it was a dream, or the recurring nightmares that had her waking in a sweat, the one where Stuart came through and advanced on her with an engorged phallus and a lewd light in his eye.

She shuffled up, her back against the wall, staring as the sound came again and slowly, very slowly, the door opened. Expecting a monster to appear, it was an anti-climax to see Portia standing there with a sad expression on her face, a large double-bladed knife held almost listlessly in one hand.

Allison was about to jump up and charge her, knock her down, climb over her scrawny body, stamping on it for good measure, maybe give a few kicks and punches while she was at it. Maybe spit in her damn face. She’d have done it, wouldn’t have hesitated to run out in the street naked as the day she was born if she managed to get away. She would have done it if Portia’s expression hadn’t suddenly hardened as she raised the knife with clear intent.

‘Did you think I’d walk in unarmed? Don’t underestimate me, my dear.’

Allison had tensed for the flight. She slumped back as Portia approached.

‘Very wise. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. Not to kill you, you understand, I’ve gone through far too much trouble for that, but I’d certainly cause you considerable pain.’