Born Scared. Kevin Brooks

so important that I never run out of pills.

      Because if I do, I have to face the beast.

      ‘It’s coming, Ella. It’s getting closer. I can smell its breath.’

       Me too.

      ‘It stinks.’

       It’s only a smell, Elliot. It can’t hurt you.

      ‘Yeah, but the beast can hurt me. It’s hungry. I need to put it back in its cage before it’s too late. I need the last pill, Ella. I need to take it now.’

      Silence . . . the silence of Ellamay’s thinking.

      Then, All right. Take it. We’ll just have to hope that we find Mum and Shirley sooner rather than later.

      ‘And that they’ve got my prescription.’

       Yeah.

      I take the pill bottle from my pocket, shake it

       like this

      then I unscrew the cap and carefully tip the last remaining tablet into the (slightly cupped) palm of my hand.

      Mind you don’t drop it, Ella says.

      ‘Yeah, right . . . like I hadn’t already thought of that myself.’

      She gives me an imaginary cuff on the back of my head.

      ‘Hey! I nearly did drop it then.’

       Sorry.

      I pop the pill in my mouth and swallow it dry.

      Bye-bye for now, Mr Beastie . . .

      Bye-bye.