faded in less than a minute, although it felt like longer. In just a few minutes more I was left with merely a dull ache, although it was made worse by the fact that my shirt was clinging to it.
Caddie was still standing up on the other side of the table, but her face was no longer twisted so fiercely. She gave a little cough as she lowered herself back into her seat and poured another cup of boiling hot nothing.
‘That was your fault,’ she explained. Her voice was back to normal again, all trace of the rage that had gripped her gone. ‘I didn’t want to do that, but you made…’
Her voice trailed off and she turned to look at her doll.
‘What’s that, Raggy Maggie?’ she asked, reaching over and carefully lifting the bundle of rags off the table.
She held the doll to her ear, moving its head up and down slightly, as if it was whispering to her. For a moment I almost wondered what it was saying, until I reminded myself it was only a toy.
‘Hmm, I don’t know, Raggy Maggie,’ Caddie murmured. Her eyes were still on me, not blinking. ‘You think we should do what to him?’
I watched the scene playing out before me, barely aware that I was holding my breath. My hands wriggled at my back as I struggled to free them from the rope or wire or whatever it was that was holding them together.
It was no use. The harder I struggled, the deeper my bonds dug into my wrists. All I could do was sit there. Sit there and wait to find out what Caddie had in store.
‘Oh, but he’s a nice boy,’ Caddie protested. ‘He might be our friend.’ The doll’s head waggled up and down moreforcefully. ‘He didn’t know they were bad words,’ the girl continued. ‘It’s not fair!’
Raggy Maggie stopped moving – just for a moment – then gave a final few nods of her head.
‘OK,’ Caddie nodded, her face brightening. She turned her wrist so the doll’s solitary eye was looking towards me. ‘Raggy Maggie wants you to say sorry for saying the bad words,’ the girl explained. ‘I think you’d better. She’s very cross.’
My lips had gone dry. I licked them, but there was no saliva left in my mouth, so it didn’t help. ‘Sorry,’ I croaked.
‘Say it properly.’ Caddie stood up and stretched across the table, holding out the doll so its expressionless face was just a few centimetres from my own. Up close it smelled sour, like a carton of milk a month past its sell-by-date.
‘Sorry for saying the bad words,’ I said. I felt like an idiot, but more than anything I wanted the doll out of my face.
‘Thank you for being so nice, Raggy Maggie,’ prompted Caddie.
I hesitated, but then carried on. ‘Thanks for being so nice.’
Raggy Maggie’s porcelain head bobbed up and down. As it did, Caddie spoke in a harsh, scratchy voice. ‘You’re welcome,’ the voice said. ‘Don’t do it again.’
The doll was pulled back across the table, but wasn’t put down in its place. Instead Caddie held on to it, both of them facing me. We sat there in silence for a long time, the occasional whimper from Mrs Milton the only sound to be heard.
I was about to say something – anything – when Caddie spoke. ‘We’re going to play a game,’ she told me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. My heart sank. The groans from the headmistress testified to the damage Caddie’s games could do.
‘What kind of game?’
‘A fun game. It’s like hide-and-seek, only better !’ She was bouncing up and down in her seat now, barely containing her delight. ‘Me and Raggy Maggie will go and hide somewhere, and you’ve got to find us.’
‘OK…’ I said, hardly believing my luck. Once they were out of the way I could find a way to get free and escape. ‘Sounds good.’
‘I’m not finished yet, silly,’ Caddie giggled. ‘Because we’re not going to be hiding all by ourselves. We’re going to be hiding with our best friend in the whole wide world.’ She hugged Raggy Maggie tightly to her face. ‘Billy.’
That
Caddie was still standing up on the other side of the table, but her face was no longer twisted so fiercely. She gave a little cough as she lowered herself back into her seat and poured another cup of boiling hot nothing.
‘That was your fault,’ she explained. Her voice was back to normal again, all trace of the rage that had gripped her gone. ‘I didn’t want to do that, but you made…’
Her voice trailed off and she turned to look at her doll.
‘What’s that, Raggy Maggie?’ she asked, reaching over and carefully lifting the bundle of rags off the table.
She held the doll to her ear, moving its head up and down slightly, as if it was whispering to her. For a moment I almost wondered what it was saying, until I reminded myself it was only a toy.
‘Hmm, I don’t know, Raggy Maggie,’ Caddie murmured. Her eyes were still on me, not blinking. ‘You think we should do what to him?’
I watched the scene playing out before me, barely aware that I was holding my breath. My hands wriggled at my back as I struggled to free them from the rope or wire or whatever it was that was holding them together.
It was no use. The harder I struggled, the deeper my bonds dug into my wrists. All I could do was sit there. Sit there and wait to find out what Caddie had in store.
‘Oh, but he’s a nice boy,’ Caddie protested. ‘He might be our friend.’ The doll’s head waggled up and down moreforcefully. ‘He didn’t know they were bad words,’ the girl continued. ‘It’s not fair!’
Raggy Maggie stopped moving – just for a moment – then gave a final few nods of her head.
‘OK,’ Caddie nodded, her face brightening. She turned her wrist so the doll’s solitary eye was looking towards me. ‘Raggy Maggie wants you to say sorry for saying the bad words,’ the girl explained. ‘I think you’d better. She’s very cross.’
My lips had gone dry. I licked them, but there was no saliva left in my mouth, so it didn’t help. ‘Sorry,’ I croaked.
‘Say it properly.’ Caddie stood up and stretched across the table, holding out the doll so its expressionless face was just a few centimetres from my own. Up close it smelled sour, like a carton of milk a month past its sell-by-date.
‘Sorry for saying the bad words,’ I said. I felt like an idiot, but more than anything I wanted the doll out of my face.
‘Thank you for being so nice, Raggy Maggie,’ prompted Caddie.
I hesitated, but then carried on. ‘Thanks for being so nice.’
Raggy Maggie’s porcelain head bobbed up and down. As it did, Caddie spoke in a harsh, scratchy voice. ‘You’re welcome,’ the voice said. ‘Don’t do it again.’
The doll was pulled back across the table, but wasn’t put down in its place. Instead Caddie held on to it, both of them facing me. We sat there in silence for a long time, the occasional whimper from Mrs Milton the only sound to be heard.
I was about to say something – anything – when Caddie spoke. ‘We’re going to play a game,’ she told me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. My heart sank. The groans from the headmistress testified to the damage Caddie’s games could do.
‘What kind of game?’
‘A fun game. It’s like hide-and-seek, only better !’ She was bouncing up and down in her seat now, barely containing her delight. ‘Me and Raggy Maggie will go and hide somewhere, and you’ve got to find us.’
‘OK…’ I said, hardly believing my luck. Once they were out of the way I could find a way to get free and escape. ‘Sounds good.’
‘I’m not finished yet, silly,’ Caddie giggled. ‘Because we’re not going to be hiding all by ourselves. We’re going to be hiding with our best friend in the whole wide world.’ She hugged Raggy Maggie tightly to her face. ‘Billy.’
That
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