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Clare was at the door before I was out of the car She ran over todown her face My brain was struggling to cope with everything that was happening I didn&039;t knohat I was supposed to say

&039;Are you okay?&039; I eventuallyand cracked with emotion and uncertainty

&039;No,&039; she replied in little ?&039; I asked nervously, almost too scared to listen to her answer

&039;It&039;s Penny&039; she began before stopping when the pain and tears took over &039;She&039;s I don&039;t&039;

She withered and collapsed in front ofinto ht her I hauled her back up onto her unsteady feet and she buried her head in htly, keen to let her know that I was there for her, but also because I was relieved to have found someone else who had not deteriorated into the same pathetic and sorry state as most of the rest of the population seemed to have done

&039;Tell ently as I walked her back towards the house &039;What&039;s wrong?&039;

Clare looked up attears She sniffed and wiped her face

&039;It&039;s Penny,&039; she sighed

&039;What&039;s the ht?&039;

&039;Worse&039;

&039;Worse? How?&039;

I closed the door behind us and followed Clare into the living rooht,&039; she began, &039;after I&039;d spoken to you she just seeet worse and worse I&039;ve hardly had any sleep I had to lock her in her room because&039;

&039;Because what?&039;

She shook her head, tears running freely again She couldn&039;t bring herself to finish her sentence

&039;It&039;s all right,&039; I said, reaching out to hold her My atte pathetically Even after all that had already happened I was still frightened and disturbed by news of Penny&039;s condition I tried to at least appear strong for Clare&039;s sake

&039;Can I see her?&039; I asked

She nodded, stood and ledirl&039;s roohter

&039;I&039;ve been sitting here for hours just listening,&039; she whispered, nodding towards a s which was littered with empty coffee cups and other rubbish She stopped, dried her eyes on the sleeve of her blouse, and then lifted her head to look at me Her face was a picture of frozen fear and pain She turned back to face the door, lifted her hand to open it, and then stopped, letting her hand fall away again

&039;I can&039;t&039; she began &039;She&039;s&039;

&039;She&039;s what?&039;

Clare shook her head and sniffed back &039;

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open She h

&039;It&039;ll be okay,&039; I whispered as I passed her She didn&039;t believe ed half a smile

I peered cautiously around the door into the little square bedroom I couldn&039;t see Penny at first It was difficult to ht was low and the room looked as if it had been hit by a tornado

&039;Is she okay?&039; Clare asked, trying to lean over my shoulder to see inside

&039;Don&039;t know,&039; I replied &039;I can&039;t see her Maybe she&039;s&039;

In one unexpected movement Penny appeared fro at er and inexplicable hate Her sudden appearance and uard and I ju over Clare behind me And then she th of soedIt took all ed her back towards her room she spat and hissed and bit me I threw her down onto her bed and then ran back and sla her sla on the wood, trying to get out And she screanificance alongside the desperate cries of her heartbrokennext to me

&039;What&039;s happened to her?&039; she de this?&039;

I didn&039;t answer I couldn&039;t answer I locked the door, leant against the wall and slid down to the ground

The thu continued for another twenty minutes When it finally stopped I crept back into the bedrooirl curled up in a ball underneath her bed, shaking Stronger than a shiver but nowhere near as violent as a full-blown fit or convulsion, she was trens were okay but apart than that she didn&039;t move or respond to me in any way I didn&039;t knohat to do other than just leave her there until we&039;d ed to fetch a doctor to her I stood up and ushered Clare out of the room and then turned back to look at Penny once more She was bruised, bloodied and exhausted Her nor eyes were dull and clouded She was just an e left of the beautiful little creature that I&039;d taken out for a birthday treat just a couple of days ago

Clare and I quietlyroo to be all right?&039; she asked

&039;Don&039;t know,&039; I replied honestly, shrugging et someone out to see her but&039;

&039;What&039;s caused this?&039; she de across me

&039;I don&039;t know Look, Clare, have you been out today?&039;

&039;No, I&039;ve been here with Penny all day, you know that Why?&039;

I paused for ato deal with, could my friend cope with any more news?

&039;Because she&039;s not the only one who&039;s like this&039;

&039;What do you ht that Joe Porter had been acting weird&039;

&039;But he&039;s a sixty year-old man and Penny&039;s just a child for God&039;s sake&039;

&039;Yes, but that&039;s not all Did I tell you about Siobhan?&039;

&039;No,&039; sheher head

&039;She&039;s hardly spoken to ether at the weekend&039;

&039;Why not?&039;

&039;Christ knows She&039;s screanoredan affair with you just because ent out together on Penny&039;s birthday&039;

&039;What?&039;

The disbelief on Clare&039;s face was clear to see

&039;I&039;ve just co on the sofa like she was in a fucking co at the floor And James and Stephanie were the same when I saw them earlier, and Ray Mercer from the pub says that his wife Brenda has&039;

&039;So what are you saying? Is it a fucking epideed my shoulders and walked across the room to look out of theThe street outside was deserted

&039;I don&039;t know To be honest I haven&039;t really thought much about it I had just assumed that Siobhan and Joe Porter were both off on one and I thought Pennyup from nursery&039;

&039;But what about the rest of theain

&039;It&039;s got to be a virus or so the rounds, hasn&039;t it? Last winter half the village went doith flu just before Christmas Maybe that&039;s it?&039;