Cellar Door

When the nail rammed through his belly, Sandy was almost surprised that blood didn't spurt out, and his glassy expression didn't change.

Knuckles white, hammer raised, hair coming down, she cut a crazy, unChristmassy figure in pink velour and lipgloss. Another unfestive fear-fuelled thwack, that made the room judder. Dust snowed onto her shoulders, and cobwebs festooned her messy bun like tinsel.

Why nail Jingles to the beam in the cellar?

She wasn't leaving him to roam about the house again. Who knew what he might do while she was on the school run? What grisly mischief might she come home to? What if he lay in wait for her? She could take the kids and run to her mum's, but would he track her down?

No way was she taking him along. What havoc might he wreak while her eyes were on the road? Would he make her crash while she had the children in the car?

Nor was she wasting her time putting him in the attic; Karl had tried that and it had done nothing.

The lock clicked, loud and reassuring, giving her the courage to turn and leave. With every passing moment, doubt grew, and regret nagged. Some part of her remained unconvinced that a nail in his midsection and a locked door would be enough to contain him. She drove too fast, reckless in her paranoia.

She bundled Summer, Wyatt and Matty into the car with their backpacks and lunchboxes, and without ceremony. The other mothers who normally greeted her warmly turned frosty when she didn't offer even basic courtesy. She could almost hear their thought-

stuck up bitch, I won't be supporting her crap blog anymore

-but she was too anxious to care.

When the car crunched onto the gravel driveway, she leapt out.

"Stay there!" she told the children.

Matty whined. She ignored him, sprinting through the house and yanking on the door to the cellar.

Phew. Still locked.

She hesitated. Unlocked it. Descended the creaky steps. Just to check. To be certain he was still... yes, she could see a shape up there on the beam.. but no, it was wrong, it was...

The bloodcurdling shriek was hers.

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