Peter only had one choice, the fence wasn’t going to hold him and he didn’t want that fence chained to him, he found the padlock and released the chain from around his body, and at that moment he wished he had said his goodbyes and told his family how much he loved them, the next thing he felt was being lifted off the ground and hurling towards the trees, Tony just looked as his new friend disappeared, it had all gone wrong so badly wrong, he gripped the fence tighter hoping he wouldn’t suffer the same fate.
Lily and Ivy sat huddled against the wall, they were some distance away from the trees and the walls was still protecting them from the wind, which now seemed to be easing as the rain became lesser, once they were sure that the worst of the storm had gone, they would continue to the top of the estate to find Lily’s dad.
They held hands tightly, two people from two different worlds bonded in a moment of terror, and a friendship that will last a life time, however long that life was.
Delyn didn’t know how long she had slept or if she slept at all, it was the morning sunshine shining through the trees that awoke her, for that moment it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen, as she looked out of the car windows, she could see no road in front of her or behind her, her head was still in a whirl and she wondered how she managed to drive through the trees, she was hot and sweating as the sun had warmed the inside of the car, dressed in a purple dress that ended above the knee she got out of her car, her sandled feet sunk into the mud, but just in front of her she could see some huts, and that’s where she walked with just a purse and a phone feeling thankful that she was still alive, chastising herself for thinking the worse, upset with herself for missing her best friends hen night, she thought of ways to make it up to her as she walked.
Tony Griffiths had unchained himself from the fence but he had been sat in the same position for a while, his ribs hurt from the pressure of the chain, but he was sure nothing was broken, the landscape had changed but the old army huts still remained in the same place, after a while he stood himself up slowly and carefully, his body had stiffened up, he couldn’t remember ever aching quite as much as he did now, his clothes were surprisingly dry from the morning sun, he started to look around, he started looking for the body of Peter Ford, but he could see no body and his heart sunk as he realised his friend had been taken by the trees, he was thinking of what he could say to his family, both men were sure there was a way out, the theory being that as someone enters then there has to be a way out, the same way they came in, Tony still believed that, he wanted to believe it, he turned to walk to Hawthorne to explain to Peter’s family and was surprised to see two girls stood in front of him,
‘Where’s my dad’ asked Lily, she noticed the look on his face and she didn’t like it’
Tony gave the best answer he could think of as his heart sunk,
‘I think he got out’ he told the girls,
‘That’s impossible’ said Lily gritting her teeth, ‘he would not go without us, now tell me where he is’ she shouted.
‘He wouldn’t leave her’ shouted Ivy and for a brief moment Tony wished he had just stayed in his car lot drinking beer and smoking cigarettes and watched the storm from a distance.
‘I don’t think he meant to’ Tony replied and as he said it he heard the sound of the bus coming up the road, he grabbed both girls and they hid behind the shrubbery in front of the army huts and watched Steve Duce pull up in the No.64 bus and step onto the pavement.
The three people hidden and the driver of the bus watched as the beautiful Delyn Brown emerged from the woods, her clothes now covered in mud, and just one thing went through Tony’s mind, ‘he got out, he must have got out’
Steve Duce was a bit disappointed to see the young girl, he didn’t want to take another young girl to the sheriff, but he had a job to do.
Delyn was pleased to see the strange man stood beside a mini bus, as she walked towards him she was also pleased to see the houses, it looked a strange place with lots of trees, she realised she must look a mess, and was wondering what the man must think of her walking out of the woods dressed like that, the early morning sun was strong and she was glad of that, it gave her a sense of security as the memories of the storm were slowly diminishing, she smiled as she walked towards him.
‘You can’t let him take her’ whispered Lily to Tony,
Tony didn’t need telling that, he thought the girl looked in her late teens and would immediately be used as a breeding machine, she appeared alone therefor had no family to help her, he was her only chance, Tony whispered something to Lily and ran from behind their cover.
He was at Steve Duce in a second, at this time Tony Griffiths still didn’t know what he was going to do, even as he done it he wasn’t sure it was really him, Steve never saw him coming, Tony could only see one alternative as he put his arm around Steve’s neck and forced him to the ground, Lily and Ivy came running out towards the girl, Lily kicking Steve in the balls before Lily and Ivy grabbed an arm each of Delyn, Delyn screamed in horror or fright, she thought it was probably both,
‘Its ok’ said Lily to Delyn trying to reassure her, ‘he’s a nasty man, he was going to take you, we can’t let that happen’
Delyn let out another scream, she had no idea what the girl was on about, and she tried to struggle free but the two girls held her tight, as if her life depended on it, which it probably did.
The kick Steve received took the struggle out of him, and as he struggled for breath, Tony took hold of him covered his mouth and nose until the last breath of Steve Duce faded away, the pain in his groin not allowing to kick out, the last thing he saw was the No. 64 bus, Tony had never killed a man before and stood shocked at his own actions as he looked at the body on the floor, he held his hands out in front of him as if they weren’t his hands that had just killed a man, but they were his hands and as he looked at the dead man on the floor, he knew there was no going back, he had to kill for a reason, and Steve Duce had to die for one as well, he would ensure that would happen.
The three girls stood opened mouthed, Lily and Ivy not expecting that reaction from Tony, Delyn just looked and cried wonder what the hell sort of place she had come to, she had just been a witness to a murder, and two girls she had never met before were preventing her from running away, she wanted her dad so badly at that moment.
‘Help me’ said Tony to the girls and the three of them lifted Steve back into the mini bus, behind the driver’s seat whilst Delyn just looked on and cried, she wanted to run but had no idea where to run to, they shut the mini bus door,
‘Please come with me’ said Tony as he held out his hand to Delyn, she didn’t take it, she looked scared, Tony could see she was in a state of shock, he didn’t blame her, he was also in shock, he thought all of them were.
‘Please go with him’ said Ivy, it’s not safe for you here’
‘Before the whole Town wakes up’ added Lily,
Delyn reluctantly took his arm, not seeing any alternative, as Tony led her to the car lot, he told the two girls to go home and say they had been there all night,
‘Where’s my dad’ Lily asked before leaving,
‘I’ll explain later, but I didn’t see him come to no harm’ he paused ‘I really think he got out’
As the two girls walked back home to sneak back into the house, neither of them quite believing what they had witnessed, it was murder by no other name, in an ordinary world that was bad enough, in Underwood they both dreaded to think what the consequences would be, they snuck back into the bedroom, it appeared they had not been caught, Eileen was asleep on the sofa, 3 empty bottles of wine were on the kitchen table, it had looked as if she had passed out, Nathan was fast asleep in his room, Rebecca went to her own house and found her own mother and brother asleep, both girls went into their separate beds for some much needed sleep, but neither girl slept, they couldn’t stop thinking of the dead man at the top of the town.