Girl A by Dan Scottow (easy books to read in english .TXT) 📕

were the last one in.’

She heard weight on the stairs as Peter came to join her.

‘I absolutely did not leave the door open.’

Beth popped Daisy down, and strode to the end of the hall, checking her car keys were still on the console table as she passed it. She stood on the threshold, looking out into a thick cloud of white in front of her face. She wrapped her arms around her body, shivering, then shut the door firmly.

‘It’s lucky we weren’t all murdered in our beds, isn’t it,’ she said sarcastically to her son as she headed towards the kitchen.

‘I didn’t leave it open. I swear.’

Beth ignored him.

‘Mum!’ Daisy screamed suddenly, panic in her voice.

Beth ran the remaining few steps.

‘What is it, Daisy? What’s wrong?’

Daisy was standing by the French doors.

‘It’s Cooper. He’s not here. He must have excaped.’

‘It’s escaped, you retard!’ Peter muttered at his sister.

Beth joined Daisy. Cooper’s bed was indeed empty.

She knelt down, placing one hand onto the cushion. It felt warm.

‘It’s okay, he can’t have gone far. Peter, see if you can find him anywhere.’

Peter did a cursory patrol of the house but returned empty-handed, shaking his head solemnly.

Beth sprang into action. She hurried down the hallway, opened the front door, and out into the fog.

‘Cooper!’ she shouted.

Nothing. It was eerily silent, Beth’s slippers crunching on gravel the only sound. She called out again. A muffled bark drifted from somewhere in the distance. He didn’t sound nearby.

‘Cooper!’ she called again, taking a few steps out into the driveway. She turned around the side of the house, stepping cautiously through the fog, arms outstretched in front of her. She couldn’t see more than a few inches ahead.

Now and then a muted bark would echo around the garden, but Beth’s senses were out of kilter. She couldn’t tell which direction it came from.

She didn’t even know where she was anymore in relation to the house.

More barking. Frantic this time. Beth picked up the pace. She ran. The barking grew louder. Interspersed with the odd whimper.

‘Cooper!’ Beth was screaming now.

Desperate.

She could hear Peter and Daisy shouting somewhere behind her, disembodied voices floating through the damp clouds surrounding her.

‘Peter, Daisy, go back to the house!’

They ignored her. They continued their search. Beth ran forwards. Something cold and wet hit her face and wrapped around her body.

The shock made Beth scream, as she battled with whatever was trying to suffocate her.

A familiar smell filled her nostrils. Fresh and pleasant.

She had run into the clean bed sheets hanging on the line at the side of the house. She flung the wet bed linen from her, and it slapped into a pile on the ground.

More barking, frenzied this time. Beth’s heart pounded.

A high-pitched yelp. The sound of feet running on gravel. A car engine.

Beth ran faster, sprinting now. She tripped. Losing her balance, she plummeted to the gravel below, wincing as her hands scraped along the path.

She knelt for a moment. The ground was wet beneath her. She raised one hand slowly to her face.

Red.

Oh God, she thought, springing to her feet, examining herself.

She scoured her limbs, searching for a wound, but finding none.

And then she realised in horror.

Cooper was silent.

‘Did you find him, Mummy?’

Daisy’s voice was close behind Beth. She spun around.

‘Keep back!’ she shouted.

‘Mum, what is it?’ Peter sounded scared. Old enough to sense something was wrong.

‘Peter, take Daisy. Go back to the house. I’ll be right with you.’

‘Mum?’

‘Go!’ Beth screamed.

Peter put a protective arm around his sister’s shoulder and steered her away.

Beth glanced about. All she could see was white.

As her children’s footsteps on the gravel got quieter, she stood and listened. Holding her breath, eyes wide. Not a sound. No playful chirping of birds. No car; it was long gone.

But still Beth listened.

A scream broke the silence. A terrified, blood-curdling scream.

Daisy.

Beth dashed back to the house. The front door still open. She darted into the hallway where she could see her kids in the kitchen at the end.

Daisy was crying, huddled into Peter, who enveloped her in his arms. He stroked her back gently, whilst staring straight into Beth’s eyes, a look of horror on his face.

Beth hurried inside. Peter motioned to the worktop with his head. She followed the direction of his gesture. Her eyes widened in terror as she realised what she was looking at.

A pale blue-and-white polka-dot bandana. Cooper’s collar.

Soaked in blood.

27

‘Peter, take Daisy up to her room. Read her a story.’

Beth’s voice was low, hard.

‘Mum, what’s going on? Who did that?’

Daisy’s wailing stopped momentarily.

‘Mummy, where is Cooper?’ her tear-stained face threatening to explode into torrents again.

‘Now.’

Her son didn’t ask any further questions. He led his sister up the stairs, a worried glance over his shoulder, and then they were both gone.

Beth approached the counter, unable to take her eyes off the grotesque offering.

A small scrap of folded paper poked out from beneath the bandana. She tentatively took its corner and slid it out from under the pile, grimacing. It was spotted with blood, still wet.

She unfolded it carefully, taking in the black, scrawled words on the page.

She dropped it, running to the sink, and vomited. Her stomach was empty, she hadn’t had breakfast yet. Stinking yellow bile tickled from her mouth, bubbling at the corners of her lips.

She spat, turning on the tap to rinse the rancid liquid away.

Bending down, she gulped down icy water, but she couldn’t dispel the taste.

She returned to the note on the floor, crouching down beside it. She didn’t want to touch it. But she forced herself to pick it up.

Forced herself to read the words again.

Next time it will be one of YOUR kids.

She stared at the scratchy black letters. She raised her trembling hands to her face and she sobbed.

She didn’t hear Peter until he was beside her.

‘Mum, are you okay?’

Beth shook her head.

‘This is all such a mess.’

Peter sat on the floor next to his mother, placing an arm around her shoulder.

‘Mum, what is going on? What’s a mess?’

‘Everything!’ Beth spat through her sobs.

‘What’s that?’

Beth’s