Free Underwood by Colin Griffiths Page B

will be all for now’
    ‘What happens if we go into the woods’ Lily asked, already thinking of ways to get out of Underwood, Andy met her eyes, Lily could see the grin on his face, it frightened her and she took a step back.
    ‘Certain death’ he told her,
    He left through the front door, stood at the top of the path, the residents who were out on the streets were few as there were only 8 houses occupied in that close, nevertheless they stopped whatever it was they were doing when they saw the vicar, Andy stroked his chin, ‘ must get home for a shave’ he told himself, and that’s what the vicar of Underwood did.
     
    Peter paced his cell, in the prison that he had been impounded in, for wanting to protect his wife and children, it all seemed a bit like a dream, or rather a nightmare that he could not wake from, and in his nightmare he had stepped into a horror movie and become a bit part actor, but no matter how hard he tried he could not wake from that dream, he just wanted to get out so he could start to make things right again, he was startled by the door opening again, and it made him take a step back, he thought the sheriff had come back, maybe to torture him, to kill him, he would fight him, fight to the death if he had to.
     
    He was pleased when he saw the bartender there, he wasn’t sure why that pleased him, he just seemed less threatening then the sheriff, and he had come across more friendly that anyone else he had met, but he was still a resident of Underwood, a place where no one could leave, maybe the guy in front of him could give him some answers.
     
    Craig opened the letter box flap in the cell door and passed Peter a sandwich and a bottle of water
    ‘thought you might need these’ he told him, he had a forced smile on his face, he had a look of a man who didn’t want to be there, Peter recognised the look and suspected his own face told the same.
     
    Peter took the sandwich and water, he nodded his thanks, Craig sat on the chair, Peter took a bite out of his ham sandwich, it was surprisingly good, and neither man spoke for a while, he sipped the water as if he hadn’t drunk for a day and for some surreal moment Peter regarded it as a dying man’s last meal, he coughed as he swallowed the water, and the only thoughts he could think of was ‘ I’ll go down fighting’
    ‘What is this place’ Peter asked from inside his cell,
    ‘It used to be public toilets, still got a bit of a pissy smell about it’ answered the bar tender,
    ‘I mean this place, Underwood’ what is it’,
    Craig knew what he meant, he was trying to avoid the question, because he wasn’t sure what answer to give, it had been a long time since they had new residents, he particularly didn’t want any new residents, he hated meeting new people just to watch them go downhill and perish, he swore he would never get close to new residents again, he chose his words carefully.
     
    ‘If you’re male and live by the rules, it’s a fine place to live’, as he said it he realised he had not chosen them that carefully, he chastised himself and looked away so as not to catch Peter’s eyes.
    Two things stood out to Peter in what he had just heard “live” and “male”, he shivered not for the first time that day, probably not for the last.
    ‘And if your female’ asked Peter,
    Craig wished he hadn’t come here now, he licked his lips, wishing he had brought himself some water, he shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, Peter offered him his drink through the hatch, Craig took it, took a swig and handed it back,
    ‘It’s not a good place for young women, particularly your daughter’s age’ Craig himself shivered, forever thankful that he had no children, or at least none he could call his own, his memory went back to when he was younger, memories that would not die.
    ‘They are breeding machines, they are impregnated and the babies are taken away’ he paused ‘well some are taken away’
    Peter thought of Lily,