Page 111 of Together in Harmony

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“OK, I need to know if you can understand me. Can you blink once for yes and twice for no?”

After an agonizing few seconds, I see Clash slowly blink his lids together.

I don’t know if it is a good or a bad thing that he understands what is going on.

“Is there anyone here who can help us?” I ask.

One blink.

Yes!

But then he blinks again. Two blinks, no.

“We are at your house?”

One blink.

“You must have a nurse? A carer? Nurse?”

One blink.

“But you can’t communicate with them, correct?”

One blink.

“Would they hear me if I scream?”

Two blinks.

Now the door is open, I can see we are in the recording studio.

It’s completely soundproof. The rooms have been emptied of instruments. Now it just holds a mattress, a bucket and me on one side. Through the door on the engineer's side is my dad in his chair.

“My men will find me,” I tell myself and my father.

They will. They have to. Screech must have driven all night to get here. I’m in my Dad’s Fairview mansion. Surely they’d look here? Wouldn’t they?

I’m so thirsty.

Dad just stares at me and makes the odd noise. I can’t even begin to imagine what Screech has been putting him through.

“It’ll be OK.”

I want to keep talking to him, but I feel so tired, my eyes keep closing. I’ll just lie down for a minute.

???

Screech is back.

Dad has gone.

“Still thirsty, sis?” he asks me.

I don’t bother replying.

“Recognize this?” He waves something in the air.

It’s my old laptop, covered in stickers.

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