'And I'll be doing this, if you ever doubt, till the love runs out.'

'Tell me what happened to the adults.' Lilly demanded as she walked after Drake. They were making their way back down to the town and for some reason she didn't feel guilty or scared. In fact, she was feeling quite brave and she got the impression that he was confident in her not trying to run because he was hurrying away in front of her – almost jogging as she hopped over tree roots. She wondered why.

'They've gone.' He said sharply.

'But where? And why?' She stopped suddenly and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. He glared back. 'Why did you concrete over their hands?'

He scoffed. 'Since when were you so interested, babe, you've been hiding away in that house for weeks.'

Lilly flinched. 'You know where I live?'

'Of course I do.' He walked towards her, his shark like grin stretching. 'What? You thought I'd just let you be, that it was over? You started this game and I'll say when it finishes.'

'I'm not scared of you Drake.' She muttered sullenly.

He laughed. 'No one knows where the adults are – outside the dome, maybe. Some of the kids,' his face darkened, 'they have powers.'

'Powers?' Lilly snorted. 'And you expect me to believe this shit.'

He grabbed her arm in a bruising grip. She struggled back but his other hand was in her hair and wrenching her head back. 'I can make you believe.'

Walking was difficult and the way he watched her make her slow escape was dragging away what was left of her dignity. She moved painfully slowly towards him. Each step was accented with a gasp of pain and she would clutch the stained wall. Eventually, when she was about a metre away from him and the open door, she stopped and looked up at him.

He raised an eyebrow. 'Go.'

She didn't move.

She didn't flinch.

'What? Are you scared?' His face suddenly darkened. 'I said fucking go!' He shouted and he grabbed her shoulder. She shrieked in terror and tried to back up into the room but he was dragging her out. He threw her down onto the ground and she moaned in pain and shock.

Lilly lay on the bed where he had left her. The sheets were tangled around her bare legs and tiny spots of blood trailed from her shoulder. She had demanded her prove what he had said but as soon as the words had left his mouth he had closed up. It was as if he was almost scared of what he had seen, of what was going to happen, and he hadn't said another word. It had been infuriating for Lilly who hadn't a clue what was going on and here he was with all the answers and he wouldn't even look at her. Apparently it became infuriating for him too because once back at her tiny flat he had thrown her down onto the bed and taken his anger out on her in a way that made her sob into the pillow.

The knife had marred her skin again and her fingers trailed over the wounds as she stared at him. He looked back down at her with an expression of confusion and hate. Did he hate her? She hated him. The sight of him made her feel sick but the thought of him leaving her in this mad world frightened her.

'What's wrong with you?' He grunted as he shoved his gun into his jeans.

She swallowed. 'Never touch me again.' She whispered.

'Never bothered you at school,' he smirked and leant over her. His lips brushed her ear as he spoke softly, 'you liked it. You used to moan my name.'

'Get away from me!' She screamed and shoved him back, curling herself into a ball. He laughed and then kicked the bed causing her to cry out in fear.

'I like you like this.' He snarled.

She didn't respond. The door slammed behind him.

The sun seemed to burn her skin. Her fingertips danced over the sand beneath her and she closed her eyes. For a moment she could of died happy.

She was aware of him sat beside her on the ground. Not shouting, or glaring, or hitting – just sitting. The gun hung loosely from his fingers. A new gun. Bigger. The small circular scar on her hip pulsed at the sight of it.

'You used to talk.' He murmured. Was he talking to himself? 'You used to shout and hit me. You used to think you were so clever.' He glanced down at her. His face was unreadable and she stared back. 'Where have you gone?'