The Doctor by Jennifer Bull Page B

he hadn’t heard. Then he stopped, ‘I’ve been there before.’
    I waited for him to continue, but he just started humming again. Clearly he was not going to elaborate, and I wasn’t about to pressure the one guy who was keeping the wolf at bay for me.
    Returning my gaze back out the window, I watched the world pass us by. There was something very peaceful about being in a car on a rainy day like this. The sound of the rain beating down on the windscreen was strangely comforting. We were driving through a quaint little village now, a triangle of green grass lay off to our left, and small shops with closed signs hanging over the doors sat at the edge of the street. It was completely deserted, but somehow I seemed to recognise it. Even the old wooden bench under the great oak tree looked familiar.
    I was about to say something when Jack spoke up, his voice graver than before. ‘We’re almost there.’
    Quite quickly I started to feel sick. I had no idea what to expect, but judging from Jack’s demeanour, this guy was not simply going to give up and leave with us. I was starting to wonder why on earth I had got into the car in the first place. Because you and the wolf would both be locked up right now if you hadn’t , a little voice inside my head said.
    Trying to keep my voice steady, I asked, ‘What’s the plan?’
    Jack laughed quietly. It was not a particularly comforting laugh to be honest.
    ‘No idea. I’m hoping something will come to me when we get there.’
    Oh great. Maybe it would be better if Jack just stopped suppressing the wolf. At least then we might have a chance before we die. We had driven out of the village now and were trundling along a pot-holed road, with fields spread as far as I could see to my left and every so often there was a dilapidated house to my right. What had happened to this place? It’s like the whole village had just vanished and never returned.
    ‘Cheer up,’ Jack said, ‘We’re here.’
    I grunted, ‘How is that supposed to cheer me up?’
    He pulled the car onto the drive of a particularly large, and particularly decrepit house. I was impressed it was still standing. On second glance it wasn’t completely standing; the mess of stone to the side suggested the back end had fallen in at some point. We both got out of the car and into the rain, which showed no signs of stopping any time soon.
    ‘I do hope you’re not planning on going in there,’ I said, dreading the answer. He just grimaced at me and walked towards the front door.  
    ‘Seriously Jack, this place is falling to pieces. The whole thing could fall down on us as soon as we step inside. No one in their right mind would live here.’
    ‘Exactly,’ he said calmly, reaching the front door, ‘Ready?’
    I just grunted at him again. It was the clearest way I could express my true feelings for what was going to be the most idiotic thing I would do in my entire life.
    Positive thinking, that’s what Beth always told me. You can achieve anything if you think positively enough. Can’t say it had worked for me before, but what did I have to lose?

CHAPTER TWELVE
    Sarah

    ’14 years, 6 months, 15days… and counting.’  

    I was back in my cell now and absolutely worn out. He’d had me running from him every day for the last week, although it felt like it had been months.
    Picking up one of the stones that lay on the floor, I scraped another mark on the wall. I don’t really know why I bothered counting anymore; the days all merged into one horrific nightmare. At least he’d kept my mother out of the picture recently. I shuddered at the thought; the image of her had haunted my dreams every night since he’d shown me her ghost. Well, his version of her ghost anyway. I refused to believe it was really her.
    Taking the photo out of my pocket, I fondled it gently in my hands. This was my mother, the one I remembered. She was so beautiful, so kind and loving. Feeling the familiar pressure building, I put the