Chapter 46

He was lying in his grave again. Alive and struggling, although the mourners gathered around the hole and looked down at him as though nothing was wrong. Lord Archie leaned over him and laughed. And then he moved away and Authur heard tools digging into the earth, and felt the cold slap of the first pile of dirt as it hit him in the face.

He coughed and muttered a weak ‘no’, spitting soil from his mouth. And when he looked up again, his mother was there, and Lucille, and they were the ones holding the shovels. And he heard the cutting noise again, as the metal blades dug in and stuck stones. And the earth, showering in on him faster than he could dodge. And it lay heavy on him as he tried to raise a hand to cover his face, struggling to keep his nose clear so he could breathe, his mouth clear so he could shout. And suddenly, Gwen was there, standing over him, leaning on her shovel and watching him struggle for air.

He screamed, ‘Gwen! No!’

But her face was dispassionate. ‘Why must you