by Anna Willett
Hal moaned softly in his sleep, his breath warm on her cheek. Paige pulled back and looked into his face, he grimaced in pain. He didn’t have a fever; his skin was too cool. If his bite were infected, surely he’d be hot? She wondered about the pain. It must be his broken leg.
She ran her hand over his arm and leaned forward so she could kiss the tattoo on his inner wrist. His skin felt icy, his pulse thin and distant. Something touched the back of her head and she looked up startled.
Hal’s eyes were open and his right hand gently touched her hair. His green eyes were red-rimmed and raw. She thought they were watering, but when a tear ran down his cheek, she realised he was crying.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “The car was gone, I had to come back.”
Hal nodded, but he didn’t seem to be hearing her. “Paige,” he whispered. “She took my leg.” His voice trembled so violently she wasn’t sure she’d heard him right.
Paige wrapped her fingers around his hand. “What, Hal? What did she do?”
“She cut off my leg,” his voice louder now and filled with anguish. His grip on her hand tightened. “She cut off my leg,” he repeated it as if he couldn’t believe his own words.
Paige shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She could see the truth in Hal’s raw, haunted eyes. Her gaze travelled down the bed and by the faint blue glow of the phone, she saw the depression in the sheet at the end of his left leg.
“No. Oh no. No, no.” The words tumbled out. Paige could see the evidence with her own eyes. She could hear the jagged horror in Hal’s voice, but couldn’t take it in.
Her mind kept coming back to the smell; she realised that when she’d come up the stairs she’d smelt blood. Hal’s blood. This is my fault. I did this to him. She’d left him alone with a mad woman who’d punished him for Paige’s attempted escape. She had no doubt Lizzy amputated Hal’s healthy leg to punish her.
She put her head on Hal’s chest and felt him wrap his arms around her. She wished she were strong enough to pick him up and carry him out of this house of horrors. She could feel him sobbing into her neck, as his arms clung to her like a drowning man.
“I’m sorry, Hal. I’m so sorry,” she whispered, but no amount of regret would undo what Lizzy had done to him. An image of Hal kicking a soccer ball on the beach in Bali flashed in her mind. They were on their honeymoon, he wore dark blue board-shorts and a straw trilby. He’d started kicking the ball with some local kids and pretty soon they had a game going. In her mind, she could see him, tanned and healthy, smiling at her as she watched him play.
She stayed in his arms sobbing for a few minutes, but as strong emotions do, her grief faltered. Her mind kicked in. Fury took hold, racing through her like poison. She wanted to punish Lizzy, hurt her the way she’d hurt Hal. But then another thought crept in, why? Why was it so important to her that they stay?
She pulled back and took Hal’s face in her hands. “Tell me what happened?”
She could see Hal battling to get himself under control; her heart went out to him. She wanted to take his pain away and give him comfort, but right now she had to work out what Lizzy wanted from them.
“She came in and asked where you were.” Hal dragged his forearm over his eyes and took a shuddering breath. “She didn’t even give me time to answer. She told the other one,” he frowned.
“Soona?” Paige offered.
“Yeah. She told her to help and they put me on a trolley.” He gave a humourless smile. “I tried to fight her off, but she grabbed my leg.”
Paige listen as Hal recounted the story. There were times when he struggled to speak, moments when Paige wished she could cover her ears and turn away, but she wouldn’t allow herself that mercy. She needed to hear what he had gone through. She had to know what Lizzy was capable of.
When he finished, Paige kissed him on the mouth. His lips were cool and she could feel a tremor in him that ran through his entire body and out his mouth. She guessed he was in shock and wondered how hard it would be for him when this nightmare ended and they were back in the real world. If we get back to the real world.
“I’m going to get us out of here.” It came out with more strength and conviction than she felt.
“No,” Hal said. “I want you to go as soon as you get the chance. But this time, don’t come back.”
“I’m not leaving you again …”
“You and the baby come first,” he said gripping her arm. “Get as far away from here as you can. Do it as soon as you can.”
Paige wanted to argue, but the exhausted look on his haggard face made her hold her tongue. “Okay, but let’s wait a few days.” She could see him ready to protest so she spoke quickly. “Just long enough for her to drop her guard, and to give me time to plan how I’m going to do it.” And for me to make sure you come back from this.
“Okay,” he said and closed his eyes.
Paige leaned her head on the bed and listened to his breathing, at first shallow and then gradually deepening. When she was sure he slept, she turned off her phone light and sat in the darkness watching his outline, listening to him moaning in his sleep.
* * *
Things moved slowly over the next two days. If Lizzy had expected anger and recriminations, Paige didn’t give them to her. She kept her emotions guarded. After the night she found out about Hal’s leg, she only spoke of what happened once – thanking Lizzy for saving her husband’s life. Lizzy responded by reminding her that Mable House wasn’t a resort and she should be doing more to help.
Paige took over Hal’s care, making sure she was the one to feed and wash him. The thought of Lizzy touching him any more than necessary made Paige’s skin crawl. Hal slept a lot, whether his body needed it or so his mind could escape from what had been done to him, she wasn’t sure. If it were the latter, she couldn’t blame him for needing to shut out the horror. But he seemed to be drifting away from her and a selfish part wanted him to snap back and solve all their problems.
For her part, Paige busied herself quietly watching Lizzy, taking careful note of the woman’s timetable: when she woke up, when she ate, and most importantly, when she slept. Convinced Lizzy had taken the Ford, Paige hoped she might glean information about where it might be hidden.
* * *
On the morning of the fourth day at Mable House, Lizzy sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of milky tea laced with two heaped spoons of sugar. She wore another one of her patented navy shirt and pants outfits. Occasionally licking her thick, blunt index finger she flicked through the pages of an ancient copy of Gardening Australia. She wrapped those thick fingers around a hacksaw and cut off Hal’s leg, Paige thought and a sob lodged in her throat.
“I think we’ll have marron for tea tonight,” Lizzy said to no one in particular.
It was early, a little past seven in the morning. The three women sat at the kitchen table; Soona champed her way through three slices of thick, toasted bread and jam, eyes dreamy and unfocused, while Paige drank a cup of strong tea and tried to force down a slice of toast. She’d come to realise that meals, à la Lizzy were plain and stodgy, consisting of generous servings of boiled potatoes, fried sausages or chops and homemade bread, usually washed down with tea or fresh lemonade.
“Marron,” Paige said, her tone casually interested. She was getting good at playing the, I’ve no interest in leaving and I’m so grateful game.
Lizzy lifted a surprisingly delicate china cup to her mouth and drank the last of her tea before she answered. “We’ve got a dam.” She put her cup down and stood. “After Soona’s finished her jobs, she can take you out and show you.” She turned to Soona and said, “Take her and show her the dam. Don’t touch the cages.” She spoke in a loud, slow voice and waited for Soona to answer.
“Marron,” Soona said. It was the first word Paige had heard her speak. Up until that moment, she’d assumed Soona was completely non-verbal.
“Yes,” Lizzy nodded. “That’s right.”
Paige listened to Lizzy’s thumping footfalls climb the stairs. She was eager to get a better look around the property, and discovering Soona’s limited language skills gave her an idea. As soon as she was sure Lizzy was out of ear-shot, Paige turned to Soona, who now stood at the sink washing the breakfast dishes. She watched the other woman for a moment. She wore dark denim jeans, the seat faded to a threadbare white. A brown checked-shirt strained over slumped shoulders.
“Do you like cola?” Paige asked.
Soona’s arms continued to move working on the dishes, but she made no reply. Paige picked up her cup and plate and walked over to the sink. “Do you like cola?” She asked again.
“Cola,” Soona said. And took the plate and cup from Paige without looking at her.
“When we go to get see the crayfish, I’ll give you some cola if you take me to my car,” Paige said softly. I need to get some clean clothes, that’s all.”
After a moment, Soona repeated the word, “cola.”
“Yes,” Paige said. “But don’t tell anyone, cola’s bad for your teeth.”
A short time later, Paige followed Soona through the garden; they passed the Hills Hoist ducking to avoid flapping wet sheets. Soona led her through a human-sized hole in a clump of grevillea bushes to a section of the property that was home to a large vegetable patch. Paige had never been this far behind the house and found herself amazed by the way the property seemed to go on and on: sheds, led to veggie patches, which in turn led to a small paddock.
The smell of damp grass and manure floated on the morning air. Two cows, one a soft chocolate brown, the other black with a patch of white on its hindquarters were intent on grazing and ignored them as they passed. The layout of the property seemed helter-skelter, nothing really made sense in terms of function, but Paige reminded herself, this crazy maze is Lizzy’s kingdom.
Once they were past the paddock, Soona grunted her way over a small upsurge. At the top of the rise, a gully dam came into view. The setting, so idyllic that, for a moment, Paige felt awed by its perfection. The natural dip in the landscape was clothed in lush green grass. On the right side a sandy bank led to a small bleached wood jetty. On the other side, an ancient gum curved towards the water as if stooping to drink. The sunlight glittered across the surface of the dam casting the whole scene in a yellow glow.
Before they descended the slope, Paige touched Soona’s arm. The woman shuffled out of reach and stopped. “Before we go down there,” Paige said. “Let’s go to my car and get the cola.”
Soona swayed from side to side, her head bobbing up and down. She seemed to be caught between action and understanding.
“You like cola,” Paige tried again. “Take me to my car and we can have some.” When Soona remained silent, Paige tried another approach. “Would you like me to tell you a story?”
Soona started to sit down on the grassy slope. “No, not yet. The car first, then cola and a story. Okay?” Paige forced the urgency out of her voice.
“Okay,” Soona said, her eyes fixed on something only she could see in the distance.
Paige felt a flutter of excitement and her mind lurched forward. The car was her best chance of escape, if it was drivable there was nothing to stop her leaving immediately. She doubted Soona would try to stop her, but if she did … Paige’s thoughts faltered. If she tries to stop me, I’ll do whatever I have to. The coldness of her thoughts surprised her, as if they came from a place in her she didn’t know existed. A dark place. A primordial place that housed a part of her very different to the Paige the parents who met with her to discuss their children saw. This voice, Paige realised, came from a cold, hard woman, who’d stop at nothing to protect what was hers.
Soona turned away from the dam and plodded back towards the paddock. She moved with a side to side gait that made her look like an overgrown toddler. Paige was using her, she knew that. Taking advantage of the woman’s childlike trust was easier than she wanted to acknowledge, something she didn’t care to dwell on. Getting to the car was all that mattered.
Paige followed her, glancing over her shoulder expecting Lizzy to leap out from behind a bush or materialise in the veggie patch. Soona moved towards the paddock and the ground became marshy. Soft earth sucked at Paige’s shoes making each step more difficult. Soona seemed unhindered by the sludge, lifting her knees high and taking great loping steps around the wire fence.
By the time they reached the barn, Paige’s tennis shoes and ankles were thick with mud and she panted from exhaustion. At first it seemed they headed for the barn, but then Soona continued on behind the building and towards what looked like a disused dirt track.
Paige could feel a stitch gripping her right side. She put her hands on her hips and stopped. “Soona, wait. I have to stop for a minute.”
Soona wandered back towards the paddock and ducked under the fence. She ambled over to the chocolate coloured cow. It raised its head and regarded her with big soft eyes and a wet puff of its cavernous nostrils. Soona reached into the front pocket of her jeans and produced a stump of carrot. The cow, unfazed by her presence, familiar with the routine, strolled towards her, head up and belly swinging. Paige watched the woman hold out her hand and let the cow gobble the chunk of carrot. Soona patted the animal between the ears and in return it gave a contented snort.
For the first time since the idea of using Soona occurred to her, Paige considered what Lizzy might do to the woman when she found out she’d helped Paige escape. She’d been so focused on manipulating Soona, she’d almost stopped thinking of her as human. That shameful realisation made her cringe inwardly at her own callousness. She knitted her fingers together and brought them up to her mouth. I don’t have a choice. She’ll be okay. Lizzy won’t hurt her. And then out of that dark place, the one that seemed to be getting bigger all the time, she’s not my problem. In her head, the voice sounded flat and emotionless.
“Soona, let’s go.” When Soona looked up, Paige smiled and gave a little wave.
The dirt road consisted of little more than a four-metre-wide trail through the bush. The path was topped with a carpet of fallen twigs, seedpods and weeds. Sunlight struggled to penetrate the thick canopy casting thin shafts of light along the track. The air felt cooler, the sweat that had been gathering on Paige’s brow ran down her face in icy drips. They’d only taken a few steps and already the bush seemed to be closing around them, pulling at her clothes and blocking off all sound from the outside world.
So isolated and well-covered was the track, without Soona’s help, Paige doubted she’d have ever found it on her own. She had to hand it to Lizzy, she certainly knew how to hide something, even something as big as a car. No sooner had the word popped into Paige’s head than something glinted ahead and to the left.
The Ford was parked on the edge of the track in an area that widened into a clearing. It sat like a huge, orange insect draped haphazardly in fallen gum and tuart branches. Lizzy had obviously thought no one would ever find it, the branches were barely covering the bonnet with one or two scattered on the roof.
Paige let out a laugh that turned into a whoop and darted forward. Finding the car was the first thing that had gone right since the snake bite four days ago. She trailed her hand along the vehicle, pulling branches free and dropping them on the ground. The flat had been changed, making the vehicle drivable again. A flutter of excitement in her stomach grew until her hands shook. If the keys were in the ignition, nothing could stop her.
She licked her lips and opened the driver’s side door. The inside of the car smelled of pine air freshener and something else. Paige took a deep breath and thought she caught a whif
f of Hal’s cologne. The smile that blossomed on her face vanished.
There were no keys in the ignition.
Her excitement waned but didn’t die. When they set off on holiday, Hal took the spare from the kitchen and put it in his suitcase. Paige dashed to the back of the vehicle and opened the hatch. The two suitcase were gone. She ran her hands through her stringy, unwashed hair and closed her eyes. Why would she take our suitcases?
Paige turned around and leaned her butt against the open back of the Ford. The missing keys were a setback, but the game wasn’t over yet. She knew where the car was, all she had to do was find the keys.
“It’s doable,” the words slipped out of her mouth, the confidence in her voice sounded like it had come from someone else. “Let’s get you your cola,” she said to Soona who was bending to pick a bunch of stinkweed.
* * *
They made their way back to the dam, this time Paige took the lead and Soona followed behind. Even after the march around the muddy paddock, Paige felt invigorated, as if seeing the Ford worked to remind her that the world still existed beyond Mable House. For a few days, that had been a bit cloudy for her and probably more so for Hal.
She climbed the upswing that led to the dam, when she reached the top, she glanced over her shoulder at the grevillea bushes, their spidery white flowers shivered in the breeze. Paige turned and headed down the slope, the perfection of the gully dam now lost on her. She moved swiftly, they’d been away from the house for too long already, if Lizzy realised they’d been up to something there was no telling what she might do.
Paige plopped down onto the grass and pulled off her shoes. The muscles in the back of her calves, already complaining over the march through the mud, groaned. Her ankles were mottled with insect bites and stained with mud, her knees scabbed from kneeling in the carpark when Hal was hurt. She scratched at her ankles and watched Soona walk out onto the short jetty still clutching the bunch of stink weeds. Paige felt a sudden wave of affection for the woman and quickly looked away. She couldn’t afford to let anything distract her from what she had to do. Becoming fond of Soona would only make things more difficult.
