My Name is Stab

Chapter Five - The Long March

It was already light when Theodora woke up the next morning. She was still lying in a crumpled heap against a wall in the kitchen and the gang seemed to be carrying on as if she were not there. At least Mummy and Daddy's bodies had been moved but the bloodstains showed her that it hadn't just been some sort of horrible nightmare.

She felt a slight movement and worked out that Jenifer was awake and, though they were both still tied, she managed to shuffle across so that she was at least touching her sister. There was a tiny bit of comfort in that shared contact.

They lay like that, not moving, until at last Theo couldn't keep quiet any more. "Excuse me," she said, "I need to use the outhouse."

"Knock yourself out," came a coarse shout. "Nothing we ain't seen before."

"Nah, tek 'em out, Danny." Theodora recognised Sarge's voice. "They'll just stink the place up."

So an obviously junior member of the gang half dragged Theodora and Jennifer out into the yard in front of the cottage and dumped them unceremoniously onto the grass.

"I can't go like this," Theodora said, almost in tears again.

"Like I care. It's not me that's getting the kicking if you piss on the floor in there."

Her humiliation, she felt, was complete and she tried to roll over so at least she wouldn't wet herself. She was not completely successful.

The girls were given nothing to eat during the day but, in the evening, the gang prepared a stew with loads of meat in it.

"I can't eat that!" she gasped through tears of utter despair. "What do you think I am? What can you possibly think?"

The man pulled a lump of meat from the stew, put it in his mouth and chewed on it as if he was really enjoying it. "Ooo! Mumsy is so sweet!" he said.

Theodora collapsed to the floor, simply unable to cope with this any more. It was all too much.

It was dark when she was nudged back to consciousness by Jennifer cuddling into her side. "I couldn't eat it either," her sister whispered. "I'd have been sick. But Theo, when they kill me, I want you to eat me. You'll be hungry enough by then to keep it down and you'll need it."

Theodora gave a dumb, despairing nod.

"And Theo, whatever happens, you keep going. You keep trying! You try to survive... for all of us."

Theodora tried to respond with a vague grunt but her sister knew her too well and was not going to be fobbed off like that.

"I want you to promise!"

"OK," Theodora replied with a sigh. "I promise."

She was woken the next morning by a firm kick to the ribs - hard enough to be bruising and painful but not damaging.

"Get up," a harsh voice said. "We're moving out in ten minutes

The two girls were untied and sent upstairs to get dressed. "Warmest clothes," Theodora hissed to her sister. And, when they were both ready, she gave her sister's hand a quick squeeze and then the two of them went back downstairs to face what they couldn't avoid.

Loops of rope were tied around their necks and then Sarge shoved Theodora to the table and held her left hand down so that only the little finger was on top. Then there was a knife blade resting on top of her finger. Though her attention was completely fixed on that knife, she vaguely knew that the same thing was happening to Jennifer.

"Either of you touch the rope you both lose a finger," Sarge said. He applied a little pressure and Theodora let out an involuntary whimper. "Either of you say a word out there," he said, applying a little more pressure so the blade cut lightly into her skin. Blood started to flow. "You both lose a finger." Theo whimpered her understanding.

They were given huge packs to carry - much larger than the ones they had carried on the way to the cottage - and then they set off with one of the gang members holding the rope around her neck like a dog lead.

And, as they left the cottage, Deemo deliberately set fire to the place.

The day was totally impossible. The pack was much too heavy for her and she was weak from hunger but, if she didn't keep up, somebody would give her a kick, a slap or a cruel pinch between her legs to keep her moving. She found herself slipping back into her own little world, barely conscious of where she was or of what was going on around her. When the order was given to stop for the night, she just collapsed to the ground where she stood. She didn't even manage to take the pack off

After some time, Jennifer appeared, and helped her to take it off then eased her into a more comfortable spot, a bit closer to the fire. The two girls sat together, holding each other for comfort as well as warmth and Theodora allowed herself to sink back into the blissful release of unconsciousness.

She was woken by a hand inside her trousers and she let out an involuntary whimper of shock and horror. This attracted Deemo's attention and, when he saw what was happening, he was furious. He was there in a flash, kicking the man who'd been attacking her to the ground.

"Shit for brains! You've been told often enough," he roared, emphasising his words with a kick to the ribs. A quick grope's not a problem but if it goes any further I'll chop your cock and balls off and hang you upside down in a tree to bleed to death. Maybe I'll even give this wildcat here a stick to hit you with." He prodded Jennifer with a foot. "She'd like that." He gave the prone man a final, vicious kick in the ribs to emphasise his message.

That evening, the girls were given some sort of bread to eat. It was ancient - a bit mouldy and almost uneatably hard - but, with loads of chewing, they managed to force it down.

At least it was better than trying to eat Mummy.