Dangerous Games

Chapter 1

We go back to the middle of August in the year 2015. Picture Lakeside House, a tower block of fifteen stories, looking rather out of place in the middle of Kingston Hill, a rather upper class area of Kingston-upon-Thames, surrounded as it is by lowly terraced houses. Indeed, when I first saw it, it reminded me of Gulliver in the midst of a crowd of Lilliputians. In one of the Lakeside flats – I won't mention the number – lived a family called Martin. On that hot August evening, the teenage daughter Geraldine Martin was hosting a sleepover-type party for two of her friends while her parents were off with their own friends at a local restaurant.

Anita bounced up and down on the bed, behaving for all the world, much younger than her thirteen years. "Let's play Truth or Dare."

"What's Truth or Dare?" Michelle looked puzzled. The other two were surprised, but then again, perhaps she genuinely didn't know.

Gerry had played the game before, so she took on the role of mentor. "Well, we each take turns to say Truth or Dare to somebody. If you say Truth, then the person gets to ask you an embarrassing question, which you have to answer truthfully!"

"Yes," Anita interrupted, "but if you say Dare instead, then the person who asked you dares you to do something, and you have to do it."

Michelle clearly wasn't keen. "God, that sounds horrible. You could ask me to do anything."

"Oh, please can we do it?" Anita clapped her hands together repeatedly in excitement and anticipation. "Please, please, please, please. You can go first if you like Michelle."

"Er, well, if all right then, if that's okay." Michelle looked at Gerry, clearly the ultimate decision maker for the group. One nod from her and the game was in play.

Michelle didn't seem certain how to start. "So I say truth or dare to one of you, yes?"

"That's right."

"All right then, since you were so keen to play this, I'll start with you, Anita. Truth or dare?"

"Truth. That means you have to ask me a question."

Michelle paused a moment. "Which boy do you fancy most in class?"

Anita blushed deeply.

"I think I know who it is," Michelle said.

"No, leave her. She has to answer for herself – and tell the truth, Anita."

After another long pause, Anita finally coughed up the required information.

"Adam" she said, clearly reluctant to give more than this one word answer. However, it was enough – there was only one Adam in the class.

"Ha, I knew it." Michelle was triumphant. "You've been mooning round him for weeks." She laughed. "I'm starting to enjoy this game. What happens now?"

"Well, now it's Anita's turn to ask one of us," Gerry explained. Keen to exact her revenge, Anita rounded on her tormentor.

"Michelle, truth or dare?"

Innocently, Michelle said "Dare" not realising the sort of thing she might be asked to do.

"All right, Michelle. I dare you to take your knickers off and wave them at the window for everybody to see. And, remember, you have to do it."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"No, you have to do it. Come on, get your knickers off and wave them at that window there so that people can see them."

"All right, but I'm not going to take my jeans off in front of you two. If I'm going to do this, I'll do it in the bathroom."

"You'd better. I expect to see you back in here in two minutes no more."