Page 32 of The Serial Killer's Sister
‘She your sister?’
‘No, my best friend.’
‘Sure, I’ll help you find her.’
The din of the music is muffled in the garden. It’s huge – not as big as Finley Hall’s, but big for a house. Whoever lives here must be rich, Anna supposes. She calls for Kirsty, then so does Neil. When there’s no response, Anna says she must be either back in the house, or she’s left. Her chest tightens. Surely she wouldn’t dump Anna and sneak back to Finley without her? They came together, they would leave together – that was the deal. Her cheeks grow hot, her breathing shallow.
‘She can’t have gone. I’m going back inside.’
His hand grips her wrist, yanks her back. ‘Leave her. Stay with me.’ He pulls Anna towards him, the heat of his body pressing against hers. Her back hits against a wall and in a split second, his lips are on her, kissing her while his hand touches her chest, then grapples with her top. He shoves it roughly up and grabs her breast, squeezing hard.
‘Don’t … please, don’t,’ Anna says when his mouth leaves hers. Her words are quiet, coming out in a whisper. He looks down, one hand reaching for his zip. And in that moment, the full horror of what might be about to happen dawns on her. ‘Enough,’ she shouts. ‘I said no!’
‘Get your fucking hands off of her.’
Anna feels a rush of relief hearing Kirsty’s voice. She didn’t leave her after all. The weight of Neil’s body disappears, and suddenly she’s free. Anna regrets the drink, regrets the party, regrets coming outside with a boy she doesn’t even know. She just wants to go back to the home with Kirsty and forget this night.
‘Thanks, Kirst. Thank God you’re still here.’
While her attention is on Kirsty, Anna doesn’t spot a group of boys pouring out the back door, heading towards them. And Kirsty doesn’t see them until they’re on her. Anna lets out a scream, but a hand clamps over her mouth, and other hands push her to the ground. Damp grass presses against her face as she’s shoved belly down against it. She hears the usual taunts: ‘you’re lower than low,’ and ‘no parents, no future,’ and tries to close her mind to them. Anna bucks and kicks out as much as she can, but she’s no match for the two boys holding her down.
‘Prick tease.’ She hears one of them snarl. She forces her head up and sees Kirsty in a similar position on the ground and Neil, the boy that was with Anna, is now on top of her friend. Shit. Where is everyone else? Why aren’t people coming to help them?
They are going to be raped.
The inevitability of it speeds her heart up so fast that it feels like it might burst out through her chest. But the thought also gives her a surge of strength. With a roar, she breaks one arm free and pushes her fingertips into the eye sockets of one of her attackers. He gives a roar and falls away from her. The moment gives her enough time to propel herself up, slamming her forehead into the other one’s nose, blood spurting from it like tomato ketchup erupting from a bottle. His hands fly to his face, but he manages to push her back down and straddle her. She groans with the effort of pushing him off. Time seems to stand still; everything happens in slow motion.
She hears a low wailing sound and turns to look at her friend. Kirsty’s thrashing beneath a body, then she stills; her sobs quieten. Is she dead? The thought gives her asecond wind and she pushes with all her strength against the bleeding boy and he slumps to the ground. She’s free to go to Kirsty. Anna grasps a chunk of Neil’s hair, and she yanks at it hard – a clump remains in her gripped fingers as she stands and pulls her leg back. With a swift kick, her foot makes contact with the side of his head, and he goes down, a dull thud sounding as his body slams against the ground.
Anna grabs Kirsty, pulls her up off the floor and they run, Anna screaming all the way to the back door of the house.
‘Those boys tried to rape us,’ Anna shouts. Blank faces look at them, while others don’t even acknowledge her words. Kirsty takes Anna’s arm as they both push through the crowded rooms and reach the front door. Outside, in the cold air once more, they begin to run. They’re halfway to where they hid their backpacks before they dare slow down.
‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,’ Anna says, bent over, her breathing rapid.
‘They’re the ones who should be sorry.’ Kirsty’s voice is shaky, her face tear-stained.
By the time they’ve retrieved their backpacks and walked back to Finley Hall, it’s past midnight and they’ve barely spoken – both deep in their own thoughts. To sneak back in, they have to climb the wall to the side of the building. It takes them twice as long to break in as it did to escape, but once they’re inside the relief is evident on both of their faces. Careful to avoid Frank’s quarters, they go the long way around to reach their floor. Just as their dorm is in sight and they think they’ve got away with their misdemeanour, a bright light blinds them.
‘And what time do you call this?’
They freeze, Anna shielding her eyes from the glare, Kirsty hanging her head. Then Anna realises it’s a child’s voice, not an adult’s.
‘Henry?’ she whispers. ‘Is that you?’ She takes a few tentative steps towards the wavering beam, but stops when there’s movement and what sounds like a scuffle. Is Henry fighting with someone? As she goes to walk forward again, Kirsty puts her arm in front, stopping her.
‘It’s okay,’ she says. ‘It’s just Dean.’ Her voice is monotone.
The light extinguishes and at the end of the corridor the figure steps out of the shadows. Anna lets out a relieved stream of breath – if it’d been Henry they’d have been in more trouble. He might not have snitched on them for sneaking out and breaking curfew – but he would’ve held it over their heads and blackmailed them about it, making their lives hell for weeks to come.
‘Thought I heard someone creeping around. Found Henry lurking, but lucky for you, I saw him off before he realised it was you two.’
Anna’s muscles tense. So Deanhadbeen scuffling with her brother. She wonders what he means by ‘saw him off’, though. She doubted Henry would be scared away by Dean – they’re both thirteen and Henry has caught up with him height-wise now. Anna does a three hundred and sixty-degree turn, peering into the shadows. She would bet her life he’s still around somewhere.
Dean approaches, and as he reaches them, his face pales. ‘Shit, Kirsty – what the hell happened to you?’
‘Nothing. Don’t worry about it,’ she says. She’s first to the dorm door and goes in without saying anything else.Dean’s brown eyes are filled with concern and Anna’s stomach twists. Is it jealousy she’s feeling? Where Henry only wishes her harm, Kirsty’s brother actually seems bothered that his sister is in pain.
‘It was a party,’ Anna says, trying to keep her voice low. ‘It got a bit … messy. We’ll fill you in tomorrow.’
