Twenty-four years earlier
You’ve been locked in your room for a long time now.
There is no clock in here any more so you’re not entirely sure how long you have been upstairs. But the light has faded outside and you know that soon it will be completely dark.
You can stand the hunger pains, the thirst and the boredom, but you hate the dark more than anything.
They removed the bulb ages ago as part of the punishments, and the shadeless pendulum hangs uselessly from the ceiling, reminding you of a hangman’s noose. Sometimes, when you lie on your bed and stare at it, it seems to sway slightly, as if something unseen is moving it.
‘Please, God, please help me.’ You hug your knees closer to your chest. ‘Please let me know you’re here, God.’
You imagine a bright white light above your head, like you once saw in a photograph of the Virgin Mary. And for a few minutes, you feel a little better. Until the light fades a bit more and your heart begins to pound.
‘I promise, if you keep me safe, I’ll not steal any more biscuits from the jar,’ you whisper into the shadows.
You always promise God things when you need Him the most, but once your punishment is over, you nearly always forget to follow through.
That’s just the kind of person you are.
You really hope that God hasn’t noticed, because you need Him now. You need Him more than ever.
YOU ARE READING
Dangerous Affection
HorrorI know my daughter better than I know myself and if there's one thing I know for sure at this moment: it's that Maisie is not ok. My ex-husband Shaun and I are still friends. We would do anything for our beautiful little girl, Maisie. But now Shaun...
