Miriam Munch woke up freezing cold. She tried to make herself as tiny as possible, curling up in a foetal position, tightening the small blanket around her shivering body. She had finally managed to fall asleep, exhausted, having crawled on her hands and knees for hours, but the hunger and the cold that slipped in through the cracks in the walls had roused her from her sleep and brought her back to this nightmare. She was still in shock. She had sat in the car. Going down the E18. She had been thinking about her parents. She had been a child again. Drowsy and warm. The contrast to the room she was now in could not be greater.
A joke. That had been her first thought when the initial shock had abated. Where was she? An icy floor. A dark basement. Who was messing with her? She had not even realized the seriousness of her situation when the squeaky door had opened and the feathered creature had entered. She had thought it must be a dream. I’m still asleep. The terror had not come until later. To begin with, she had looked around with curiosity. Someone had built a strange room underground. She had felt very small in this dream. Like Alice in Wonderland. She had turned into a small animal. There was a big wheel in which she could run. A bottle of water on the wall with a spout from which she could drink.
No no no.
She was bound to wake up soon.
This isn’t happening.
Perhaps she should try thinking positive thoughts?
Please, God.
Marion. Perhaps she should try thinking about Marion?
Help me.
Perhaps that would help her wake up?
Please.
Somebody.
Help me.
Miriam Munch narrowed her eyes and tried to keep her hunger at bay. And the nausea. She had thrown up in a corner after going on the big wheel. Her palms and knees were smarting, but she had made up her mind not to cry any more. She had tried chewing the brown pellets that had come out of the wall and which were supposed to be food. She had swallowed some, but they had come straight back up again. She refused to do this. If only it hadn’t been so cold.
Miriam carefully moved into a sitting position. She made an attempt to stand up, and slowly got to her feet, crouching at first, then she slapped her shoulders a couple of times and began bending her stiff, aching legs to get her circulation going again.
Oh, God, she was so hungry.
Miriam could see cloudy breath coming out of her mouth as she tried blowing a little warmth on to her cold fingers.
Please, God.
She was bound to wake up soon.
Help me.
Mum. Marion. Dad.
Somebody.
Please.
Miriam jumped as the door opened and the feathered creature appeared in the doorway.
‘Jacob,’ she pleaded, retreating in terror to a corner of the room.
‘You’re not very nice,’ the feather-clad young man said, aiming a pistol at her.
‘Jacob, I …’ Miriam tried again, but her voice failed her. All that came out from between her lips was a murmur which was swallowed up by the cold room.
‘Shut up,’ the feather-clad creature ordered her. ‘Why aren’t you doing anything? I’ve already explained to you how everything works here. And still you won’t do it. You were nice for a little while, but now you don’t seem to understand. Do I have to explain everything to you again?’
The young man in the feathers took a step towards her and pointed the gun at her face.
‘No, please,’ she stuttered, holding up her hands in front of her.
‘Are you stupid or something?’
His eyes were black. He shook his head as his feathered hand tightened its hold on the gun.
‘Is that why you could do it for a while, but not any more? Because you’re stupid?’
‘No,’ she stuttered.
‘It must be why, because it’s not difficult. Do you think it’s difficult?’
‘No, no,’ Miriam stammered.
‘Or perhaps you think someone is on their way to save you? Maybe some of your boyfriends?’
He was grinning at her now. Glistening white teeth in the middle of his feathered face.
‘Or Daddy? Your daddy in the police? Do you think he’ll come to your rescue? Save his little girl?’
Miriam Munch was shaking now.
‘No one is coming,’ the feather-clad figure in front of her continued. ‘They may be smart, but I’m much smarter. They’ll never find you.’
He grinned again, chuckling across the barrel of the gun.
‘I could just shoot you on the spot, but that wouldn’t be any fun for the audience, would it?’
Miriam had no idea what audience he was referring to.
‘This is my show. I thought of everything. Clever, don’t you think? It’s about being creative, putting on a decent show, something unique, something the punters are willing to pay for.’
Miriam still had no idea what he was talking about.
‘You’re lucky, you really are.’ The feathered young man smiled, a taut smile beneath cold, soulless eyes. ‘Very lucky, in fact,’ he continued. ‘You’re a star now. People have paid millions of kroner to watch you perform. And you weren’t even the chosen one.’
The young man in front of her scratched his head with the gun and chuckled to himself.
‘Can you believe it? You weren’t even the chosen one – the other girl got three votes. They prefer the young ones, you see, but it’s my show. I invented it. The wheel. The writing on the wall. So I get to decide. I chose you because I like you. You’re special. Your daddy is a policeman. Wasn’t that nice of me? Not to pick the other girl, although they voted for her?’
Miriam nodded cautiously. ‘Jacob …’ she began tentatively. She felt as if she had sandpaper in her mouth.
‘No, no, no,’ the man with the cold eyes said, aiming the gun at her again. ‘We don’t talk. We just listen.’
Miriam closed her mouth and stared at the floor.
‘This is the last time I’m coming down,’ the young man said. ‘Now, you’ll do as you’re told; if not, I’ll have to fetch the other girl after all. It’s important to give the public what they’ve paid for, don’t you think?’
‘Yes,’ Miriam mumbled, without looking up.
‘Do you want me to shoot you now, or will you do as you’ve been told?’
‘I’ll do it now,’ Miriam whispered.
The young man with the feathers looked for a moment as if considering whether she would keep her promise, then he lowered his gun and bared his white teeth again.
‘Good.’
He chortled to himself before closing the heavy door, leaving her alone in the cold, dark room.