Three days had passed since the incident and Robbie was getting himself dressed. After putting on his underwear he'd snuck out of his room to grab some clothes off of the radiator in the hall. He didn't notice that someone was watching him as he hurriedly walked back into his room. He was about to put on his shirt when an all too familiar hand touched his back.

Robyn stood behind Robbie with her hand pressed against his back. The moment she touched the scars that spread all over his back a cold shiver ran down her spine and her heart skipped a beat.

Barbaric images confronted her. Voices, screams, threats and pain surrounded her. She could see Mr Snail, his belt raised and ready to land another blow on the poor naked boy in front of him. The belt came down and lashed the boy soundly over and over again. The buckle sliced through the boy's skin and the edges of the taut leather left angry red marks where they'd bitten into the skin also. With a devil's fury Mr Snail continued whipping the boy despite the agonised screams that ripped themselves from the boy's throat. Nothing would stop him.

In an instant the images changed and she was the boy. Pain flooded her body and she screamed and screamed but no mercy was afforded. The belt continued its bloody onslaught and wouldn't stop. Darkness was ever approaching but it wouldn't enfold her in its comforting blanket, every lash of the belt halted its progress.

Shouts could be heard in the room and the belt stopped. Strong arms lifted her from the ground and she was aware of being carried somewhere. With the belt having ceased its torture darkness came and she was lost in it.

Robbie couldn't turn around fast enough to catch Robyn before she fell to the ground. Shock and dread welled up within him and his head spun. Robyn wasn't unconscious for more than ten seconds and when she awoke her eyes were wild. She got up and tried to run from the room but Robbie grabbed her and pulled her back closing the door behind him. Robyn struggled against him and he had a hard time to hold her. Finally he pushed her none too gently against the wall and pinned her arms to it also. This quieted Robyn but there was a tinge of fear in her eyes as she looked deeply into her father's.

"What happened?" Robbie asked stilling his temper.

Robyn's words came out in a rush, "I saw something. When I touched your back I saw images, terrible images. I saw you. I saw how you got those scars. I felt it."

Robbie's eyes darkened and he looked away. Letting go of Robyn's arms he sat on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands. Bitter tears flowed down his cheeks and fell onto his hands. He'd never wanted Robyn to know what had happened to him, he'd never wanted her to see his scars. Now she knew and she'd found out in the worst possible way.

Robyn slid down the wall onto the floor still shaken by what she'd seen, felt and heard. She couldn't find words to say nor could she bring herself to leave the room. She just sat and watched her father's anguish while she drowned in her own.

After what seemed like an eternity Robbie spoke his voice thick with pain, "You should never have found out. You should never have seen what happened or felt it. I tried so hard to protect you from the knowledge of what Mr Snail did to me but that's all undone now."

"How many more lies are there? How many more times do I have to learn the truth this way? If I could dash my head against a wall until this gift vanished I would. It's nothing but a curse."

Robyn's words made Robbie look at her quickly. He could see that his daughter was in a much worse state than himself and an ache unlike any other he'd felt before gripped his heart. Knowing that he was yet again walking on a knife's edge with Robyn he cautiously moved towards her. It struck him that one wrong move would destroy everything that he and Robyn had rebuilt after she had learnt of his wicked ways from Lily.

When Robbie had reached Robyn he knelt in front of her and lifted her chin with his finger. He looked deeply into her eyes and wanted so badly to take her pain away but couldn't. If he could turn back time and prevent Robyn from seeing the scars he would have. A million thoughts of what to say next flooded his mind but there was no reply to what Robyn had said.

Slowly he drew his arms around Robyn and hugged her hoping that it would afford some comfort. He was dismayed when Robyn just went stiff in his arms and wouldn't make a move to hug back. Drawing away Robbie made no effort to hide the fresh tears that welled up in his eyes and spilled out over his lashes. Getting up Robbie gathered up his clothes and walked across the hall to the bathroom to finish getting dressed.

Robyn stared off into space. The images she'd seen before played in monstrous technicolour in her mind. The sounds rang in her ears and the pain spread like a miasma through her body. Angry red marks broke out on her back and blood stained her lilac blouse. She made no movement or sound as she continued to stare blankly at a world beyond the capacity of normal eyes.

Sportacus felt strange. He felt like he could crawl out of his own skin. Something was happening somewhere but he didn't know what. He tried to work out where to look first. Finally choosing somewhere he made his way over to Robbie's house. It had been a lucky guess; the closer he got to the house the stronger his strange feeling grew. Not knowing what to expect on the other side of the door he slowly opened it and entered the house. Looking around downstairs he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary which led him to look upstairs. The house was painfully quiet and he feared the worst.

Reaching the top of the stairs Sportacus noticed his strange feeling growing to fever pitch, his attention was drawn to Robbie's room and with leaden legs he walked over. Cautiously he pushed open the half closed bedroom door and entered. It took him a few minutes to spot Robyn and when he did he gasped.

The girl was sat in much the same posture she'd been sitting in when Robbie had left the room. Her eyes hadn't left the spot they were fixed on. Her complexion had altered from its usual colour to a deathly pale. She trembled imperceptibly and her hands were clenched so tightly that her fingernails tore into her soft flesh. Red trickles of blood flowed from in between her tightly closed fingers.

Sportacus was startled when he heard a sound behind him. He turned to see Robbie whose eyes were set on Robyn. A look of horror crossed Robbie's face and tears coursed their way down his cheeks. Temporarily recovering himself he gently pushed past Sportacus who followed. He knelt down beside Robyn and looked helplessly at Sportacus.

"She knows what Mr Snail did to me. She found out. What can we do?" Robbie whispered desperately.

This revelation hit Sportacus like a train. He'd felt bad enough when he'd learnt of the origin of his scars and he knew Robyn must be feeling a thousand times worse. In answer to Robbie's question he didn't know what to do. Calling a doctor was the best thing but what would they say?

Sportacus' thoughts were interrupted when Robbie cried out. He looked up and saw Robbie had fresh blood on his hand. Looking over Robyn Sportacus noticed traces of red winding their way from Robyn's back and ever so gently he tilted her forward to get a better look.

Blood saturated the back of Robyn's blouse and had stained the wall where she'd been leaning against it. Without a second thought Sportacus ripped the blouse and almost cried out himself when he saw what it had concealed.

Kit came into the room and the sight that confronted him confused him. Sportacus looked up noticing his presence.

"Get a Doctor!" Sportacus shouted rousing Kit from his reverie.

Kit ran down the stairs as fast as he could and dialled the private number Doctor Cole had given him. The minute the doctor said he was on his way Kit hung up and ran back up the stairs.

Entering the room he saw Robyn having a seizure more terrible than any she'd had before.