Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
‘Hey, baby,’ he answers, sounding happy. Content.
‘Stephanie was here,’ I shout urgently, exhausted, my breath loud and strained. ‘Jack, she has a knife. She attacked me with a knife.’
‘Jesus!’ he chokes, and the background noise of his engine gets louder, evidence of him hitting the floor with his foot on the accelerator. ‘Where are you?’
‘Inside. I got her out and locked myself inside.’
‘Are you hurt?’
‘Nothing major.’
‘Nothing major?’
‘A few scratches, that’s all.’ I look down at my arm and see evidence of her nails, just like I’ve seen on Jack’s body. ‘She’s not pregnant, Jack. She stole my pregnancy test from my handbag.’ I return my attention to the window, my eyes darting left to right, searching for her outside. She’s gone.
‘What?’
‘The pregnancy test. It was mine.’
‘But she did it while I was there.’
‘Did you watch her? On the toilet?’ It sounds like a stupid question, but she could have switched them.
He’s silent for a second before he whispers, ‘No. She was in the bathroom. I waited outside.’
I close my eyes, reaching up to my cheek and pressing into the burn. ‘It was mine,’ I repeat quietly. ‘She knows it’s me. And she knows I’m pregnant.’
I hear his sharp inhale. ‘Call the police. I’m around the corner. Don’t open the door until I’m there.’ He hangs up before waiting for my agreement, and I watch the street from the window as I dial 999 and bring the phone to my ear. When I see his Audi round the corner, I nearly fold with relief.
‘Emergency. Which service do you require?’
‘Police.’
Jack zooms into a parking space across the street and jumps out, heading quickly around the car to the road. But he pulls to a stop abruptly, looking over his shoulder, something snatching his attention. My heart stops in my chest as he backs up, turning towards something. Or someone. I can’t see who; there’s a van blocking my view, but I don’t need to see. She’ll be waiting for him.
‘Jack!’ I shout, banging at the window. ‘She has a knife!’
He doesn’t look my way. He can’t hear me. I start to tear up as I drop the phone, then rush for the door and unbolt it, running out onto the street.
‘Jack!’ I yell, frantic. He looks to me, frowning, as I leap into the road just as someone walks out from behind the van. But it’s not Stephanie.
My brain vaguely registers Lizzy and her widening eyes at the sight of me running across the road towards them, and my mind pulls up, as do my legs, slowing me down until I come to a confused stop. I look to Lizzy, then to Jack. He’s frozen in place, his mouth slightly open as he looks down the street. It’s then I hear the screeching of tyres.
I turn slowly, seeing a car speeding towards me.
‘Annie!’ Jack roars. I hear his shoes hitting concrete as the car comes closer and closer.
‘Annie!’
I’m a statue.
‘Annie, move!’
Jack’s hysterical plea is the last thing I hear.
My bones, my flesh, my head . . . they all scream on impact.
But I don’t feel a thing.
Chapter 28
Beep. It’s all I can hear. The damn sound has embedded itself into my brain – the short, sharp, repetitive shots of noise assaulting my ears. I’m sure that’s all I’m going to hear for eternity.
My world is black and I can’t move. My body feels heavy – so, so heavy – and my head is pounding terribly. My brain feels as if it’s been bouncing off my skull. Everything hurts – my head, my bones . . . even my skin.
Why am I in so much pain? Where am I? The blackness engulfing me shows no sign of fading. There’s no light anywhere to be found, and no matter how hard I try to convince myself to move, I can’t. My eyes won’t open and I can’t talk. Everything is failing me.
My mind descends into panic, and then quickly my panic turns to pure, raw fear. In my head I’m falling to pieces, hysterical and frightened. I’m crying but I’m not crying. I’m flailing but I’m not moving. It’s my own personal hell, and I begin to wonder if that’s where I actually am. Am I dead?
Beep!
That sound. It’s unbearable.
Beep!
A spasm in my eyelid surprises me, and I wait, wondering if I imagined it. I push my fear away and wait some more. Another twitch, this time in both eyelids. I focus, concentrate hard on the muscles in my eyes, willing them to open.
I’m filled with hope when I detect another spasm – small but definitely there. I get a glimpse of light, spurring me on. I need more. I can’t bear this blackness any longer. I shove the pain away and gather my determination and strength.
Beep!
My eyes open, seeming to wake my lungs as they do. Air gushes into me and my body inflates. My eyes quickly close again on a flinch. The combination of harsh light and searing pain bolting through my body makes it too difficult to keep them open.