Nathan shook in fright seeing what was happening to his father, the tears flowed down Lily’s cheeks still, she wanted to get that pool cue and wrap it around the sheriffs head, Eileen was trying her best not to cry for her children, the sheriff picked up the chairs and gestured for the three of them to sit back down, all three did shaking with fear, they had seen the consequences of not doing as he asked, the others in the bar either looked on in sympathy or carried on with whatever it was they were doing, to scared to even make eye contact, no one spoke, not even to each other, Craig Jones the bartender looked on from the bar, feeling sympathy for the nice young lad he just had a game of pool with.

The sheriff sat down and stroked his chin again, for some reason unknown to Eileen she wished he would stop doing that, somehow it made him scarier, it felt like he was pondering what he was going to do, it felt like they were about to be given a life sentence.

‘As I said number 12 Hawthorne, Steve our driver will escort you with your bags, I’ll send the handyman around to make sure you’re ok, don’t leave the building until the vicar and , or, the judge visit you, they will explain everything’ he got up to leave, his patience was running thin.

‘Can I ask a question please’ asked Eileen, she almost raised her hand such was the dominating presence of Allan Herapath, he nodded for her to go ahead, even though he had no interest in hearing what she or anyone else had to say, she stuttered her words out, the fear showed in her voice,

‘We didn’t mean to come here, or do any harm, when can we leave please, it was the kind of question he expected, he leaned over to her, his face inches from hers as she sat, she thought she was going to wet herself, she could feel his breath as he spoke, it seemed an age before he did eventually speak, Eileen had to force herself from not turning away in disgust, she could

Smell his breath, feel it as it hit her face, his breath was rancid like rotted meat

‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible’ he said, but he didn’t have to say it, his dark red eyes already told her so.

Chapter 4

The cell was typical of any prison cell that you would see in a British movie , 3 concrete walls and bars to the front, Peter had tried fighting the security off, but with him cuffed and there being two of them he had failed drastically, the woman had a harder grip than the man and his arm hurt from where she grabbed him, his throat was also hurting as if a clamp was still squeezing the breath out of him, it had weakened him considerably, more than he realised, what was unusual about this jail was the size, the cell was about 8 x 6, that’s all the prison consisted of was 1 cell and an area about 4x3 in front of it with a chair and a door, no windows, it stunk, it was damp, there was an old mattress on the floor and a bucket for a toilet, Peter really hoped he wouldn’t have to sleep on that mattress as it appeared to be alive.

Peter stood pacing the small cell, trying to comprehend everything that had happened and was still happening, his mind was in turmoil with the circumstances he found himself in, he still wasn’t sure what was happening, or even how it had happened, he had to get out to his wife and kids, they were his priority, that’s all that mattered for that particular moment, he thought of his own father who had died a few years ago, he was hoping he was looking down on him and he would help him through this, they had taken his belt and shoes off him, ‘as if I’m going to hang myself’ he thought, he still thought that this was all a mistake and soon someone would come and tell them what was happening and put them on the road out of Underwood, his body chilled when he thought of the sign he had seen.

24 hours ago they were still in Sheffield, leaving to go on their annual summer holiday, there was an excitement in the air, a time to cherish and remember, now they were stuck in some place called Underwood, a place not even on a map, they had an armed sheriff and he was in a cell ‘how has this happened he thought, this is fucking Britain’ he punched the wall, he looked at the marks on his knuckles but he felt no pain, then he punched the wall again as if hurting himself would somehow make things right, he put both hands to his temples, he just wanted to scream.

With there being no windows the place was dark other than a bit of light coming through some vents and from underneath the door, but then the place brightened up as the door opened and in came the sheriff, he looked even bigger in the small cell and even though there were bars between them, Peter stepped back, he tried not to show the anger and fear he was feeling, but he failed to do so, the sheriff sat on the chair.

‘Are my wife and kids okay ‘Peter asked, he noticed the nervousness in his own voice,

The sheriff turned the chair so it was facing Peter, it looked as if the chair would collapse under the weight, he was expressionless, and Peter realised that he actually feared this man,

‘Now that was daft thing to do, insubordination, that’s a serious offence, said the sheriff with his usual grin, Peter could see he was enjoying it,

‘Are my wife and kids okay’ Peter shouted, he didn’t realise he had raised his voice and regretted doing so,

The sheriff stood up put his face against the bars, Peter stepped further back he was almost touching the rear wall, it looked as if he wanted to the sheriff could just pull the bars apart to get at him, he felt he wouldn’t have needed keys.

‘That’s your one chance ‘he warned, and sat back down,

‘They are fine, they should be moving into their new home right now’ he added.

Peter winced at those words, it seemed the most natural thing to the sheriff that his wife and kids were moving in to a new house, he knew he had to play it cool, he dreaded to think what the sheriff would do if he antagonised him again,

‘When will we be able to go home’ Peter asked. Stroking his chin the sheriff said

‘I’m afraid that is impossible, you see this is Underwood’ the words chilled Peter to the bone as the sheriff got up to leave, he opened the door, before he left he turned around, Peter could see his dark eyes, he could feel them piercing him

‘You see, there’s one way in, but there isn’t any way out, he closed the door behind him as Peter sunk to his knees.

Steve Duce the fluorescent waist coated No. 64 bus driver took them to Hawthorne, no words were spoken as he drove and no questions asked by the occupants of the bus, Hawthorne was a close of 12 houses each side and four at the top, Number 12 was the last house on the left, and that’s exactly what Eileen thought as they pulled up, recalling the horror movie, she hadn’t seen that particular film and at that time she was glad of that, but like in all horror films people usually died, she cursed herself as she tried to get the thoughts out of her head, Steve Duce got out and lifted their cases onto the pavement, Stuart Hillman a thin man in his fifties was stood there waiting for them, he had the keys in his hand and jangled them in the air as they got off the bus, Steve drove off leaving them to it, wishing he wasn’t the only bus driver in Underwood.

‘Welcome to your new home’ Stuart said and smiled a toothless smile, ‘he looks creepy’ Lily whispered, and Eileen thought she hadn’t met anyone yet who wasn’t creepy, Nathan said nothing, he just clung onto his mother’s hand as if he would never let it go.

Stuart opened the door for them to go in, they wanted to object but they did as they were told, they had seen the consequences of not doing as they were told, but Stuart looked a weak and feeble man and Eileen thought the three of them could overpower him easily if they had to, Lily stood there with aggression building up inside of her, she wanted to kick the man in the balls, for no other reason that the satisfaction it would have given her, but they went inside and Stuart followed, the front door opened to a long passage with a staircase at the side, the door at the end led to a kitchen, it was nicely done out and looked to have all the utensils hung on its yellow walls, but no enthusiasm came from the new tenants, after all as soon as this was all cleared up they would be getting out of Underwood, in a few hours they would be out of here, they were sure of that, the u shaped living room was the same, sofa’s, a bookcase and a cabinet with a nice coffee table in the centre, the other part of the u housed a large dining table and six chairs, the curtains were pastel, the sun shone in from the large window, making the room bright and airy, but it didn’t feel lived in, it didn’t feel like anyone’s home.