making threats. Anyway, you were asleep when you came down the corridor. You just dreamt it, that’s all. You’ll probably be out tomorrow. And if you’re not, maybe I’ll come down again tomorrow night, to see if you’re OK . . .’
She regretted saying that as soon as the words had left her mouth, but before she could take them back, Peter said, ‘Please come.’ His voice sounded so sad and vulnerable.
‘I’ll try my best,’ she promised reluctantly. ‘But you mustn’t fight with Charlie again. If you get out. I mean . . . when.’
‘Thanks, Anna. You’re . . . you’re my best friend.’
Anna flushed.
‘You’re my friend too,’ she said hesitantly, the words feeling strange in her mouth.
‘Run away with me, then?’
Anna shook her head. ‘Peter, don’t be ridiculous. No one’s running away. Why don’t you just concentrate on getting out of Solitary?’
‘Actually I’m better off here,’ Peter said sulkily. ‘Solitary’s where the escape route out is.’
He paused, then spoke again, this time his voice more animated. ‘Anna, listen to me, I’ve seen the plans to Grange Hall and there’s a secret tunnel. Comes out near the village. I could go now, if I wanted to – I can see the grate it’s hidden behind. But you have to come too. You have to escape with me, Anna Covey.’
Peter’s voice was becoming slurred again, but it sounded close and Anna realised he must be pressing against the door, only centimetres away from her. For a moment, she let herself imagine leaving Grange Hall with Peter, imagined leaving Mrs Pincent and Tania and Charlie behind and feeling grass under her feet in some magical, safe place. But even as the thoughts entered her head, she knew they were pure fantasy, and a dangerous one at that.
Once, on a winter afternoon when Anna was meant to be cleaning the big ovens in the kitchen, Mrs Pincent had caught her peeking behind a blind. It was snowing, and the entire landscape was quickly being enveloped in a wonderful new coat, even the tall, grey walls that separated Grange Hall from the Outside, the world beyond it where Legal people lived. She could see Domestics and Instructors through the gates pulling their coats around them more closely as they made their way home. She looked longingly at them, thinking how wonderful it must be to feel the wind and snow in your face. Surpluses were not allowed outside unless it was absolutely necessary. Mrs Pincent said they were easier to manage inside. Anna had pressed her nose against the cold glass in order to admire the swirling snowflakes, mesmerised as she watched them coming directly towards her and billowing on to the window sill, joining others until there was a big mound of delicious, new whiteness covering all the grey and grime. She’d been wondering what it would be like to touch something so magical, to hold it in her hands and feel it melting through her fingers, when Mrs Pincent saw her and dragged her away angrily.
‘The snow is not falling for you,’ she’d shouted at her as she pulled Anna to her office by the hair, then set her down on the floor as she searched for her belt. ‘How dare you even look at it! How dare you spend one moment of your life looking at something beautiful when you should be working. Nothing good in this world exists for you,’ she’d screamed as she gave up the search and used her own hands instead to slap her across the face. ‘Know Your Place, Anna. Know Your Place. You are nothing. You deserve nothing. You will never feel snow in your hands or the sun on your skin. You are not wanted on this earth and the sooner you can accept that, the better for all of us.’
‘I do accept it,’ Anna had whimpered as she closed her eyes against the pain. ‘I’m sorry, House Matron. I succumbed to Temptation. It won’t happen again. I do Know My Place. I have no Place. I’m nothing . . .’
Pushing the memory out of her head, Anna looked back at the metal door that imprisoned
She regretted saying that as soon as the words had left her mouth, but before she could take them back, Peter said, ‘Please come.’ His voice sounded so sad and vulnerable.
‘I’ll try my best,’ she promised reluctantly. ‘But you mustn’t fight with Charlie again. If you get out. I mean . . . when.’
‘Thanks, Anna. You’re . . . you’re my best friend.’
Anna flushed.
‘You’re my friend too,’ she said hesitantly, the words feeling strange in her mouth.
‘Run away with me, then?’
Anna shook her head. ‘Peter, don’t be ridiculous. No one’s running away. Why don’t you just concentrate on getting out of Solitary?’
‘Actually I’m better off here,’ Peter said sulkily. ‘Solitary’s where the escape route out is.’
He paused, then spoke again, this time his voice more animated. ‘Anna, listen to me, I’ve seen the plans to Grange Hall and there’s a secret tunnel. Comes out near the village. I could go now, if I wanted to – I can see the grate it’s hidden behind. But you have to come too. You have to escape with me, Anna Covey.’
Peter’s voice was becoming slurred again, but it sounded close and Anna realised he must be pressing against the door, only centimetres away from her. For a moment, she let herself imagine leaving Grange Hall with Peter, imagined leaving Mrs Pincent and Tania and Charlie behind and feeling grass under her feet in some magical, safe place. But even as the thoughts entered her head, she knew they were pure fantasy, and a dangerous one at that.
Once, on a winter afternoon when Anna was meant to be cleaning the big ovens in the kitchen, Mrs Pincent had caught her peeking behind a blind. It was snowing, and the entire landscape was quickly being enveloped in a wonderful new coat, even the tall, grey walls that separated Grange Hall from the Outside, the world beyond it where Legal people lived. She could see Domestics and Instructors through the gates pulling their coats around them more closely as they made their way home. She looked longingly at them, thinking how wonderful it must be to feel the wind and snow in your face. Surpluses were not allowed outside unless it was absolutely necessary. Mrs Pincent said they were easier to manage inside. Anna had pressed her nose against the cold glass in order to admire the swirling snowflakes, mesmerised as she watched them coming directly towards her and billowing on to the window sill, joining others until there was a big mound of delicious, new whiteness covering all the grey and grime. She’d been wondering what it would be like to touch something so magical, to hold it in her hands and feel it melting through her fingers, when Mrs Pincent saw her and dragged her away angrily.
‘The snow is not falling for you,’ she’d shouted at her as she pulled Anna to her office by the hair, then set her down on the floor as she searched for her belt. ‘How dare you even look at it! How dare you spend one moment of your life looking at something beautiful when you should be working. Nothing good in this world exists for you,’ she’d screamed as she gave up the search and used her own hands instead to slap her across the face. ‘Know Your Place, Anna. Know Your Place. You are nothing. You deserve nothing. You will never feel snow in your hands or the sun on your skin. You are not wanted on this earth and the sooner you can accept that, the better for all of us.’
‘I do accept it,’ Anna had whimpered as she closed her eyes against the pain. ‘I’m sorry, House Matron. I succumbed to Temptation. It won’t happen again. I do Know My Place. I have no Place. I’m nothing . . .’
Pushing the memory out of her head, Anna looked back at the metal door that imprisoned
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