time of it.’
Dora held out the mug and Ash took it, instinctively putting it to her lips.
The old lady watched her carefully. She had incredibly bright blue eyes. There was a warmthin them that seemed to drag Ash right in. ‘Drink, my love,’ she said quietly.
Ash felt dizzy and exhausted. She so wanted to sip the tea, to feel its warmth running through her. To sit down and forget all the terrible things that had happened.
Something glinted in Dora’s eyes, something cold and triumphant, and the spell was broken.
‘I’ll have it in a minute.’ Ash smiled and turned to put the mug down, every nerve and muscle in her body ready for flight.
With remarkable speed, Dora’s hand flew out, knocking the boiling hot tea all over Ash’s face and upper body.
Ash screamed in shock and pain and leaped backwards. Dora grabbed her wrist and yanked her back, then placed her in a fierce headlock that immediately choked off Ash’s air supply.
The old lady’s grip was incredibly strong. Ash’s vision began to blur as she fought to break free, trying but failing to dig her elbow into Dora’s ribs. What little strength she had left was fading fast. Her whole body soon felt like it was on fire.
‘You little whore,’ hissed Dora in her ear. ‘You murdered my son. You’re going to pay for that. We’re going to have you begging for your life.’
Ash tried to shout out to her, to ask why, what had she ever done to deserve this? All she wanted to do was go home to her family. But all that came out was a long, drawn-out rasping sound. Blue lights flickered in front of Ash’s eyes. She was passing out. She wasn’t going to make it.
She had to. There was no choice.
Ash Murray does not give up .
With one last burst of energy, she brought her heel down hard on Dora’s toes. The old lady yelped, her grip loosened, and Ash yanked herself out of it. She swung round and punched Dora hard in the face, finding it hard to accept the fact that now she was violently assaulting a senior citizen.
Dora cried out and tumbled back on to her threadbare sofa, one hand on her jaw, a shocked expression on her face. It looked as if she couldn’t believe Ash would do such a horrible thing as punch an old woman. ‘You slut!’ she screamed, her features screwing up into a mask of fury. ‘I’ll have you for that!’
But Ash was already out of the room and running through the kitchen, pulling open the door, knowing the woods and freedom were only yards away …
She stopped dead. He was in the doorway, ahuge man dressed all in black, a mask covering his face. Looking just like the man who’d murdered Nick, even down to the knife he carried in one gloved hand.
‘Oh God.’
The fight went out of Ash then. It was replaced by a dark and heavy acceptance that the end had come.
She tried to run back the way she’d come, but he was on her in a second, wrapping his arms round her in a massive bearhug and lifting her up. The tip of the knife blade sat painfully against her throat as he walked her further into the kitchen, her legs flailing uselessly beneath her.
‘Ah, I see you’ve met my other son,’ said Dora. The smile was gone from her face, replaced by a dirty scowl. ‘Now don’t fuck things up this time, Rory. Keep hold of her. She’s a feisty little whore.’
‘She’s nae going anywhere, Ma,’ grunted Rory. ‘Not this time.’
Ash screamed, the effort making her lungs ache. Her throat hurt where it pushed into the blade, cutting the skin.
Dora, the big jolly lady in dress and pinafore, just laughed and opened up one of the kitchen cupboards. She removed a bottle of dark liquidand a filthy-looking rag. She poured a generous slug of the liquid on to the rag, keeping her face turned away from it. ‘Scream all you like, my love,’ she said, coming closer. ‘Only the animals will hear you out here.’
‘Please,’ gasped Ash, making one last effort to save herself. ‘I just want to go home.’
Dora shook her head, almost
Dora held out the mug and Ash took it, instinctively putting it to her lips.
The old lady watched her carefully. She had incredibly bright blue eyes. There was a warmthin them that seemed to drag Ash right in. ‘Drink, my love,’ she said quietly.
Ash felt dizzy and exhausted. She so wanted to sip the tea, to feel its warmth running through her. To sit down and forget all the terrible things that had happened.
Something glinted in Dora’s eyes, something cold and triumphant, and the spell was broken.
‘I’ll have it in a minute.’ Ash smiled and turned to put the mug down, every nerve and muscle in her body ready for flight.
With remarkable speed, Dora’s hand flew out, knocking the boiling hot tea all over Ash’s face and upper body.
Ash screamed in shock and pain and leaped backwards. Dora grabbed her wrist and yanked her back, then placed her in a fierce headlock that immediately choked off Ash’s air supply.
The old lady’s grip was incredibly strong. Ash’s vision began to blur as she fought to break free, trying but failing to dig her elbow into Dora’s ribs. What little strength she had left was fading fast. Her whole body soon felt like it was on fire.
‘You little whore,’ hissed Dora in her ear. ‘You murdered my son. You’re going to pay for that. We’re going to have you begging for your life.’
Ash tried to shout out to her, to ask why, what had she ever done to deserve this? All she wanted to do was go home to her family. But all that came out was a long, drawn-out rasping sound. Blue lights flickered in front of Ash’s eyes. She was passing out. She wasn’t going to make it.
She had to. There was no choice.
Ash Murray does not give up .
With one last burst of energy, she brought her heel down hard on Dora’s toes. The old lady yelped, her grip loosened, and Ash yanked herself out of it. She swung round and punched Dora hard in the face, finding it hard to accept the fact that now she was violently assaulting a senior citizen.
Dora cried out and tumbled back on to her threadbare sofa, one hand on her jaw, a shocked expression on her face. It looked as if she couldn’t believe Ash would do such a horrible thing as punch an old woman. ‘You slut!’ she screamed, her features screwing up into a mask of fury. ‘I’ll have you for that!’
But Ash was already out of the room and running through the kitchen, pulling open the door, knowing the woods and freedom were only yards away …
She stopped dead. He was in the doorway, ahuge man dressed all in black, a mask covering his face. Looking just like the man who’d murdered Nick, even down to the knife he carried in one gloved hand.
‘Oh God.’
The fight went out of Ash then. It was replaced by a dark and heavy acceptance that the end had come.
She tried to run back the way she’d come, but he was on her in a second, wrapping his arms round her in a massive bearhug and lifting her up. The tip of the knife blade sat painfully against her throat as he walked her further into the kitchen, her legs flailing uselessly beneath her.
‘Ah, I see you’ve met my other son,’ said Dora. The smile was gone from her face, replaced by a dirty scowl. ‘Now don’t fuck things up this time, Rory. Keep hold of her. She’s a feisty little whore.’
‘She’s nae going anywhere, Ma,’ grunted Rory. ‘Not this time.’
Ash screamed, the effort making her lungs ache. Her throat hurt where it pushed into the blade, cutting the skin.
Dora, the big jolly lady in dress and pinafore, just laughed and opened up one of the kitchen cupboards. She removed a bottle of dark liquidand a filthy-looking rag. She poured a generous slug of the liquid on to the rag, keeping her face turned away from it. ‘Scream all you like, my love,’ she said, coming closer. ‘Only the animals will hear you out here.’
‘Please,’ gasped Ash, making one last effort to save herself. ‘I just want to go home.’
Dora shook her head, almost
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