‘My head,’ she attempts, which emerges as Med. She puts one floppy puppety hand up to swipe at the base of her neck, and at last he reads her meaning. He pauses, then scoops her into his arms. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
He carries her as though she weighs nothing at all. Every thump of his feet makes her head pound harder. She bites her lip, trying not to cry out. He smells clean and fresh but there’s muskiness in there too, a hint of something more primal.
‘Hang on,’ he mutters after a while, and lays her down on a large boulder. The world is spinning but she sees the big oak tree pass by and guesses that she’s lying on the coffin stone. Wispy lights dance in her vision, as though the spirits are gathering to watch this unexpected procession. Leo is leaning over her, his face dark, his jacket smeared with blood. In a haze, she wonders about this weird lightheaded pull that seems to lull her towards unconsciousness. Is it the beginnings of a change into something more ephemeral than flesh and bone? She is too tired to feel afraid. She just wants this journey to end.
Leo has one hand on her, holding her steady, and in the other is his phone. ‘I’ve found her,’ he says. ‘You need to call an ambulance quickly. I’m almost at the field.’
When he attempts to carry her again she tries to resist, fighting him off. ‘I can’t,’ she wails, breaking down in tears. ‘It hurts.’ But he hauls her up anyway, encouraging her to put her arms around his neck, but she’s too weak, she can feel herself slipping, and his steps are slowing, she can tell he is struggling. He sets her down again briefly and scoops her up so she’s cradled in his arms, staring at the tips of the trees as they point beyond the sky, counting silver stars that seem to be sailing down from heaven.
She drifts into weird daydreams. Her family, Danny, Leo, Sophia, Bethany – they are all jumbled up where they shouldn’t be: her parents at school in uniform; Sophia running through the woods; Danny driving a car at her; Leo in her bed at home. Every now and again she comes back to herself in Leo’s arms, panicking, gasping for air, and each time she sees they have made a little more ground.
He sets her down and picks her up again, supporting her legs around his waist, so she is wrapped against him, their bodies pressed hard together like that other time, that better time, the one that’s faded into a dream. ‘Don’t go, Leo,’ she begs him. ‘Don’t leave me again.’
Is it one of her hallucinations, or is he whispering into her ear, his voice breaking. ‘I’m so sorry, Georgia. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.’
38
ANYA
I have long since reached the limits of my patience. I am monitoring the search effort as I pace in circles, my fingers hovering on the phone, willing it to ring.
When it finally does, it’s Liam’s name on the screen.
‘Has Georgia turned up there?’ he asks.
‘No.’
‘I’m at your house,’ he says. ‘Don’t panic, but Callum’s been arrested.’
‘What?’ I shriek. I know people are watching me, but I don’t care. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
‘That woman was here when he got back. He tackled her and it got a bit ugly – don’t worry, it’ll all be fine.’
My confusion has taken a turn towards delirium. ‘But what about Georgia?’ I gabble.
‘I’m heading into the woods now – Callum asked me to walk through to the school. He thinks I’ll find her on the way.’
‘Don’t walk, Liam, run!’ I shout. ‘Call me as soon as you have her.’
As I say this, Chris Jessop is rushing towards me. One glance at her face and I am clutching the phone to my chest, tipping over the final precipice of terror. ‘Leo Freeman just called. He’s found her, he’s bringing her back now, and he asked us to call an ambulance.’ Her face is ashen. Before I can react she adds, ‘It’s already done.’
‘Why the ambulance?’ I whisper. I can hardly speak, there is so much fear coursing through me.
‘I don’t know.’
I look up the hill. There is a figure staggering against the tree line, carrying someone in his arms. I begin to run.
I’m not the only one. The first-aid team are already halfway up the hill, much faster than I’m capable of moving, their equipment banging against their sides. Danny is sprinting ahead. Beside me Zac scrabbles up the incline too, using his hands to help gain speed.
As I get closer I see it’s Leo Freeman, and Georgia is limp in his arms. ‘Tell Callum we’ve got her,’ I shout into the phone, my voice breaking, unsure if Liam is still there. Then I drop the phone and let out a scream, charging up this never-ending hill as fast as I can.
39
GEORGIA