Backwards Into Hell

Part One: The Lodge

Sunday 24th October

The remainder of breakfast that first day was uneventful. Just Abe, Lottie, Lily, and I made it down early, and Harriet provided us with a full English: bacon, eggs, hash browns, et cetera—name it, and it was there. I even discovered a quaint thing called a Potato Scone—a Scottish delicacy which was essentially fried mash and flour.

While we ate, Abe glanced between me and Lottie. He'd realised I could sell him out, but I wouldn't. Not yet anyway.

I finished quickly and fled to my room, leaving them to discuss The Castle.

Except as I reached the stairs, a faint voice drifted from one of the rooms. This time it was David's on the second floor. I paused at the top of the staircase before creeping to his door, hugging the wall like a lizard.

Games like this are won with secrets.

As a kid, one of the only lessons Dad ever taught me was that information was power.

When I was twelve, I had a habit of skipping school. It was easy enough. You just had to wait until lunch, go to the edge of the field and find someone strong enough to give you a leg up over the fence and into the forest that bordered town. Then I'd run home, swiping some food from the market, and let myself in through the back door.

One day, I was in my room on my DS when Dad came home unexpectedly. Except he didn't come alone. I'd watched from the window as a five-foot-ten blond bombshell stepped from his shiny Nissan.

Dad glanced up at the window and his face fell as he saw mine. I remember that moment like it was yesterday. We stared at each other—just for a second—and a silent understanding settled between us.

I won't tell if you don't.

It went on like that for years—I'd sneak out of school and sometimes, just sometimes, that woman would come. He never told me her name.

I soon realised his transgression was much worse than mine. It gave me power over him. He stopped shouting, stopped making me play chess, and, most importantly, stopped giving a toss about the rules. As long as Mum didn't find out, I was free to do what I liked.

Anyway, back to David. His voice was raised, which is why it had echoed so far, and as I got closer, the words sharpened.

'How can you say that Abi?'

I frowned. He'd seemed so quiet, shy even, at dinner yesterday. The second voice was garbled, but it was a woman. I could tell that much.

'He really means that much to you?' David spat. 'No, you're not seeing him again.'

It seemed more people than just Abe had secrets. But who was Abi? His wife, maybe? Girlfriend? Caleb's mother?

David must've hung up after that because footsteps rang around his room. He was coming for the door. There wasn't time.

I turned swiftly and dashed, my feet striking the wood floor unbearably loudly as the doorknob creaked and began to turn.

The staircase was miles away. I wasn't going to make it.

Then David stopped—muttered something to Caleb. I didn't stick around to find out what it was. I turned the corner and raced back to my room, not making a sound.

Then I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, breathing hard. Now more than ever, I was conflicted. Is this why The Old Man chose these people? There were secrets, clearly, but they didn't deserve to die for that, did they?

I was wondering what the others could have done when, just ten minutes later, there was an unwelcome knock on my door. My chest jumped. Had David followed me?

I took my penknife from the drawer, palmed it, and approached the door, but when it swung open, the first thing I saw was that beautiful dark hair. Delilah.

'Hey,' I said, and she smiled.

'Hi—just letting you know the coach leaves at ten.'

Two hours.

'I'll be there.' It was hard not to stare.

'Great,' she replied brightly and left, strolling down the hall. I watched her go and then, got to work.

I hid the penknife in my pillowcase and took a seat in the armchair. Then, using my phone to note it down, made a profile of each guest, strengths, weaknesses, questions, and what they'd done to end up here.

Because if this plan was going to succeed, I needed to know everything.