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window behind him. He landed roughly from the one-and-a-half metre drop on the downhill side of the dormitory. In the next instant, he was up and running, leaving them staring at the spot he had been two seconds ago.
    He didn’t hear the commotion and didn’t care. He was getting out of that place, even if it killed him. Who knows, even if he did get lost and a rescue squad had to come and find him, he might just be returned back to mum and dad, instead of back to this hell !
    Danny hit the blackberries at the foot of the hill at breakneck speed, crashing thirty metres in before slowing. Thorny fronds slashed his bare shins and stinging nettles flung themselves at his face and hands.
    The bushes are probably on their side as well, H Unit and all the rest of them. United, the world plotted his demise. But for once, he didn’t care.
    A strange new defiance had risen in him, an unknown strength of purpose. Never before had he experienced such confidence, such determination that nothing was going to stop him. He did not know its origin, but for once in his life, he felt in control.
    For once in his life, he felt free.
    He was oblivious to the pain in his hands and legs. He was oblivious to the possibility of failure. He was oblivious to the approaching logging truck as he ran onto the road beyond the forest. With sudden astonishment and fear, he looked up into the white, shining eyes of the screaming lorry, its tyres gouging black streaks of rubber into the road...
    Just like a rabbit caught in headlights.
    And then he was oblivious to everything.

 
    SUNDAY 4:51 PM
    Home at last.
    Brian turned the engine off and sighed in relief.
    What a day. What a totally fucked day. But it was over.
    He stretched his arms and yawned. He sank back into the warmth of the patrol, collecting his thoughts.
    As expected, enquiries at the school and nearby properties were of little help. No one saw anything, nor had much to say that could assist the investigation. Robert studiously took notes and seemed to enjoy the endless banter with locals. Douglas, meanwhile, assured the media that every effort was being made to bring the perpetrators of this hideous crime to justice, but not to expect results soon, as the information was still being collected and analysed.
    The Coroner’s report on the two bodies should be available within the next twenty-four hours and Brian would liaise with the homicide division of the Criminal Investigation Branch tomorrow. Right now though, he was going to get some sleep and recover. Maybe a good hot meal and some sex too.
    That’s when he realised that his girlfriend wasn’t home. Sasha’s car was gone but she couldn’t be far away. Brian yawned again and closed his eyes. Sleep was so inviting, so close...
    So easy.

    He stood alone in an unfamiliar room filled with a thick, musty smell. Nervous, he saw that the room had no exits.
    A peculiar design was painted on the dirty grey carpet. A black circle a couple of metres wide, surrounded by a dozen half-burnt black candles. Within the black circle was a white circle placed off-centre. The walls were a mottled yellow that only came with old age and against one of them was a worn dressing-table, its mirror facing the wall. The remains of a tape recorder graced its surface and a wooden chair lay before it in splinters.
    Where the hell am I and how did I get here? More importantly, how the fuck am I going to escape?
    Suddenly the mirror began to pivot, its rusty hinges squealing, sending shrill notes through him like slithers of ice. Brian backed away from the unnatural animation, awestruck with disbelief.
    Now the mirror faced him, revealing a dark scene that was no reflection of the room. Like a haunting movie, images began to play across its cracked surface. Unable to move, he watched with horrified fascination...
    He saw himself, distraught, running. Running blindly from darkness into darkness. Never slowing down, he kept glancing over his shoulder. Then the vision