“Things got better though, didn’t they Bella?” My eyes settled on a discomfortable and anxious Alice.

“I hoped so; I hoped now that bitch was behind bars, we were safe, that I was safe. Things went on as best as they could when I had my stitches and plaster removed. I was kept off school for a few months, just so I could heal emotionally. Of course, the whole street knew what had happened when the evil bitch was bundled into a police van and I wheeled out on a gurney, covered in my own blood. Well, we couldn’t really hide that one now, could we? So, the years went by and things did get better. I went back to school, my brothers got jobs and we were becoming a family again, but stronger. Things got bad again; about 5 or 6 years later. It was the night before Scott’s 15^th birthday, and I had gotten him the best present imaginable – He was such a fun of Broadway, musicals, dance, and things like that; so when I had saved up half for myself, Sam helped me buy 8 tickets to see a musical – Sam paid for most of it but I contributed what I could. When they arrived, the envelope was addressed to me so I quickly wrapped it myself and dressed it with a huge bow; I had written the card and placed it at the foot of my bed ready to give it to him as soon as I woke up the next morning. So, Mum put me to bed and I tried to sleep. I looked over at my clock and it was about 9:30pm. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I grabbed my fluffy dressing gown, placed the present under my arm and tip toed across the landing. I could hear his music faintly drifting out from his room as I reached out to knock. I called out to him, but I didn’t get a reply so I twisted the door handle and creaked it open; giving him a chance to see or hear me. I peered through the crack in the hinge and saw something hanging from his ceiling…”

“Dear god,” Emse cried, cringing into Carlisle. Her whimpers pulled me out of my horrifying childhood memories and I acknowledged the horror-stricken faces that looked back at me, as if they would cry if it were possible.