ALANA'S MISTAKE ✔

Chapter 42

Alana stared hard at the back of Elias' head as he led the way. If only she could stab him in the neck or twist it until he died. I want to murder people now? She was scared, terrified in fact. But she knew that she must not let it show - for Snow's sake. She must be strong.

Alana made herself look calm and controlled, even though inside she was a screaming mess of chaos. If she were alone, without her daughter, she would yell and fight but there was more at stake than just her, way more. She had to keep her head, it was all she had against this lunatic. She held onto Snow's hand and smiled down at her.

'We're just going on a little walk with Mummy's friend this morning,' she said, stroking her daughter's hair.

'But I have to practice being a frog,' replied Snow, looking up with big blues eyes, just like Noah's.

Elias turned around and smiled at Snow.

'You'll be able to do much more exciting things than that today, I promise. We are going to play a little game. Do you like games?'

Alana clenched her free fist so tightly her nails dug into the skin. If he didn't have that knife ... she would rip him to pieces: he would be no match against her rage. She knew whatever he was planning, he could not have accounted for the almighty protectiveness she felt when it came to her daughter. He didn't know what it was to have someone to love, truly love, like she did. His love was twisted and sick but her love for Snow was pure, and from the way she was feeling in that moment - deadly if threatened.

It wasn't clear where they were headed. They were a good way from the park now, walking along a deserted back street. Alana kept scanning around, trying to work out if it would be better to run away. But he was fast, she'd seen that when he caught up to them in the park, and getting Snow to run fast enough would be a problem. She thought about picking her up but that would be too clumsy and it would slow them down. He was close to them, only just edging in front. He had control of them and he knew it. Finally, he was getting her to listen.

They walked on and on, mostly along windy, shadowy back streets, right into the heart of the oldest part of the city. Snow still held on to her bright pink lunchbox. Alana looked at the box long and hard. Anyone that knows Snow knows that lunch box. She took it everywhere with her, not just to school. She would put necklaces and little trinkets in it if she didn't have her lunch. Alana made sure Elias was still facing forwards then she leaned down towards it and swiftly, quietly, took it out of Snow's hand.

As Snow looked up at her, a puzzled expression on her face and her mouth open about to speak, Alana smiled at her reassuringly and placed her finger on her lips as if to say 'shhh'. Snow clamped her mouth shut and nodded silently as Alana squeezed her hand as reassuringly as she could. Snow was six, but she was smart - how long could she keep up the pretense that nothing was wrong?

They walked a little further right into an industrial area, close to the docks where the ships come in. It was deserted. In front of them lay a huge warehouse that looked like it hadn't been used in years, with looming old windows covered in moss and dirt. He turned around and with a sly smile led them all the way to the decrepit wooden door. Alana and Snow remained silent as he took a key from his pocket, unlocked the door then pushed it open.

'Time to go in,' he said, as Alana paused.

'Why are we here?' she said, holding her chin up defiantly.

'You're here for a visit, aren't you? Isn't that right Snow?'

He bent downwards to smile at her again. She grabbed onto Alana's arm with her other hand.

'I want to go to school now,' she said. 'Please, Mummy.'

Elias straightened back up.

'You don't want to go to school today ... You get the day off. Isn't that fun?'

Snow shook her head quickly.

'It's all right,' said Alana. 'We can visit Elias and then we'll take you back to school.'

Elias raised his eyebrow at that.

'Inside,' he said.

As Alana began to walk in behind him, Snow at her side, she threw the lunchbox onto the ground where it landed a few meters away. She held her breath as she looked at Elias' face as he turned towards them, but he didn't seem to have seen what she just did. It was dark inside and looked like no one had used the place for a long, long time. He led them through the entrance, along a wide corridor with walls covered in mildew, into a big room lined with windows and old pieces of machinery - looms perhaps, for textiles. Elias spun around to face the two of them.

'Welcome,' he said, beaming. 'I've been wanting to bring you both here for ages.'

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