The Eternal Return Of Clara Hart by Louise Finch

Author:Louise Finch [Louise Finch]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little Island Books
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

6.5

I hit the water and don’t stop falling. There’s a hard crack to my tailbone. A shock of pain up my spine.

My breath fills my pipes with water and I surface spluttering, gasping. As soon as I’m breathing air again and the risk of death is passed, I’m cold. I’m dripping red. Thin threads of my insides snake the water. The tang of chlorine hits me; at least the water’s clean.

I turn to the house. Breathing through my mouth, because my nose feels wrong. My eyes sting. A weight collides with my back and I’m under again, sucked deep. My toes stub on the tiles and pain streaks my leg. When I find my feet again, a sheet of water hits me, blinding me. I’m hit again. Splash, splash, again and again. I stagger backwards and hang from the edge. Try to focus. People are joining me. Bombing in fully clothed. Mad bastards.

‘It’s freezing,’ I shout at Ryan, whose face looks squat, his usual gelled three inches of hair dampened into submission. He grins.

‘Ant reckons fifty in the pool last time. Amateur effort. Woo!’ He pumps his fist.

‘Where’s Anthony?’ I say. Ryan shrugs.

I dodge falling bodies. The rain peppers my skin, feeling hard enough to pierce. I pull myself out, too slow, everything hurting. My brain sinking. I slide over on the tiles. Back on my feet, I cup my throbbing elbow, go slower. I wind through the crowd.

My classmates tumble from one slick, wet surface into a tub of deep water. What the hell is wrong with them all? Surely no-one’s enjoying themselves out here as they whoop and holler and scream like it’s all a joke when it’s about to end in tragedy.

Bee snags me in her arms and holds tight, hands moving to my cheeks. ‘What happened to your face?’ she gasps. I tell her and the urgency doesn’t translate. ‘Oh god, sorry, love.’ She winces. ‘Alcohol’s a bitch sometimes, darling. That girl’s an idiot.’

‘What?’

‘Sweets, honestly, she’s nothing, she’s so up herself and you’re a hundred times –’

‘Nah.’ I shake her off.

I tear back up the stairs, half dragging Bee, who whines it’s none of her business what Anthony gets up to any more. She doesn’t want to encourage him. I whip to face her. The world turns faster and I grab for the bannister, smacking my head on the wall.

‘If she goes with him, we’re all screwed. Understand?’

‘No!’ Bee casts her arms out wide. Blank. A new baseline starts up, thudding through my chest. The stairs sink and swell and shift under my feet and I claw the wall.

‘Do it myself.’

On the landing Bee catches up.

‘He’s really going to kill you in a minute,’ she says, and this time she sounds scared.

I wrench Anthony’s door open and we tumble in and there’s nothing. Just mess and dark and our shadows in the shape of the doorway.

‘Happy now?’ Bee says.

I walk in, flip the light and turn, as though they might be hiding. I check the bathroom.

‘Oh my god, you seriously need to stop this, or –’

But I haven’t got time for Bee’s warnings.

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