The Perimeter

The Perimeter by Shalini Boland Page B

Book: The Perimeter by Shalini Boland Read Free Book Online
Authors: Shalini Boland
Tags: Juvenile Fiction
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– a pair of crutches. Miriam must have left them here for him. Jamie reached out and took hold of the walking aids. He positioned the cuffs over his forearms and gripped the handles. Then he levered himself upright.
    Jamie realised he was still wearing the cotton nightgown he’d put on after his shower. Should he get changed? A pile of homespun clothes lay on the floor. No, he would put them on later, but right now he had to get out of this room. Find some company to keep out the images of the girl. Once more he saw the shard of glass drop from the doorframe. Saw it slice into her white throat. Saw her look of surprise before the life drained away. He shook his head to dislodge the pictures. If he didn’t get himself under control, he would start blubbing again, or screaming. They would think he was mad and lock him away.
    The door to his room was closed and Jamie prayed they hadn’t locked him in. If they had, he would definitely start pounding on it. He manoeuvered his way across the room, working the crutches, his bad leg slightly bent at the knee. But he needn’t have worried; the door clicked open and Jamie poked his head out into a darkened landing. He wondered what the time was. Was it late evening? Or maybe the early hours of the morning.
    ‘Hello,’ he called out, his voice still croaky with sleep. ‘Anyone there?’
    Four other doors led off the landing, all closed. Should he knock on one of them? He didn’t think he’d make it down the stairs on his crutches; the treads looked too narrow and steep.
    Footsteps from below. Jamie froze and then relaxed. It would be Miriam. He stepped back nonetheless and realised he could use the crutches as a weapon if he needed. A dim light filtered up from below and then the figure of a woman appeared on the stairs.
    ‘You’re awake.’ It was Miriam. She reached the landing, a glass candle lamp in her hand, the flame casting strange shapes around them.
    ‘What time is it?’ Jamie asked.
    ‘A little before midnight. You should get some more rest. How’s the leg?’
    ‘Sore,’ he replied.
    ‘That’s normal. I see you found the crutches.’
    ‘Yeah. Thanks.’
    ‘You really should go back to bed. Sleep is the best medicine.’
    ‘The thing is,’ Jamie said. ‘I . . . I can’t sleep.’ His voice cracked and he willed himself not to cry. He took a breath to get himself under control. ‘I could really do with some company. Maybe a drink . . .’
    ‘We don’t drink alcohol here,’ she replied.
    ‘No . . . I meant tea or something.’ He hadn’t meant that at all, but he didn’t want to offend her.
    ‘Come on then,’ she said. ‘I was about to go to bed myself, but I’ll make you a cup of tea first if you like.’
    ‘Oh, sorry. Don’t worry. You go to bed if you’re . . .’
    ‘No, no that’s alright. I’ll join you in a cuppa. You can tell me a little about yourself.’
    She turned around and began to walk back down the staircase. Jamie hesitated at the top, not sure how to negotiate the stairs. Miriam stopped and turned. ‘Lead with the crutches,’ she said. ‘Then follow with your good leg.’
    Jamie did as she said and found that it wasn’t as hard as he’d anticipated. All the same, he felt better once he’d reached the bottom. He followed her toward the back of the house and into a small kitchen where she set the lamp upon the shelf of a wooden dresser.
    ‘Is it just you here in this house?’ Jamie asked.
    ‘There are four of us,’ she replied, pouring a jug of water into a metal pan.
    ‘You all doctors?’
    ‘I’m the only qualified physician, but my sisters are quite as capable as I.’
    ‘Isn’t it dangerous?’ Jamie said, leaning against the doorframe. ‘Four women on their own in a nice house. Aren’t you scared that someone will steal from you or hurt you or something? I mean, I’m a stranger. You don’t know me.’
    ‘No,’ she replied. ‘I’ve been here for more than ten years and nothing like that has ever

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