‘Do it, Eric,’ Donna hissed.
‘Don’t do it, Eric – it’s over,’ Kim said, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Donna cried.
In the lamp light, Kim could see the wound on Donna’s temple from the crystal at Karen’s house.
‘Of course it matters – she’s an innocent little girl,’ Kim said, trying not to look at Ava’s terrified face.
‘She has to die. Her blood is keeping the curse alive.’
The damn fucking curse.
‘It’s bollocks, Donna,’ Kim cried. ‘All the deaths were from natural causes.’
‘The curse is not rubbish. It’s been responsible for so many deaths. My own brother is a victim. If I can’t get my family back, at least I can save Martin. If we just kill this last?—’
‘It won’t make any difference. Your brother is dying, Donna. Not because of some spell or curse or hocus pocus but because of a vicious disease. Trust me, the stats are on my side. Killing Ava isn’t going to save his life.’
Donna shook her head in disbelief. ‘We’ve come this far. We have to try.’
Donna thrust Ava towards the outstretched knife, but Eric instinctively took a step back. Kim realised she was talking to the wrong person.
‘Three lives, Eric,’ Kim said. ‘The belief in this curse has taken another three lives not including your dad. Do you really want the murder of a little girl on your conscience as well? Ava has done nothing wrong. She’s already lost her mother.’
The tension in his hand relaxed. He was no longer holding the blade poised, but he was still holding it, and it was still only inches away from Ava.
‘Your own mother is going to prison for shooting your dad. Too many lives have already been ruined.’
‘Eric, don’t listen to her. The curse will live on if you don’t do it,’ Donna cried desperately.
Kim could see the indecision shaping his features. His love for Donna and his conviction in their cause had inspired the murder of three women, but was it strong enough to incite him to kill a seven-year-old girl?
She had one card left to play, and if it didn’t work, she was out of both options and time.
‘Eric, I was told that your dad was the more reasonable parent. Your mum shot him because he was trying to end this feud. He walked past the oak tree to try to talk to Martha, to end things, for your sake.’
‘Don’t listen to her,’ Donna screamed. ‘There’s only one way to end this.’
‘I swear, Eric. He loved you, and he wanted you back in his life. He loved you enough to try and end this madness.’
The knife fell from Eric’s hand, but with lightning speed, Donna swooped down and picked it up.
She’d loosened her grip on Ava to retrieve the knife, and the child had managed to wriggle out of her firm grasp. But the distance between them was still too great for Kim to close. She stared in horror as Donna grabbed Ava by the arm.
Ava reached up to rub the spot where Donna was holding her.
‘Don’t you get it?’ Donna asked, placing the blade against Ava’s ribs. ‘I don’t care about myself. My life is over. But I can save my family.’
‘Donna, no…’ Kim screamed as she pulled back the knife, ready to strike.
She lunged forward as Ava tore herself out of Donna’s grasp, leaving Donna holding on to Ava’s prosthetic arm. Relief flooded through Kim as Ava ran behind her, but there was still a knife.
Kim opened her mouth to speak.
‘It’s over, Donna,’ Eric whispered, taking a step towards her.
Kim’s breath caught. For an instant, she had no idea what Donna was going to do.
