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‘Rebirth,’ said Clara

‘But there needs to be a death first,’ said Sophie, looking around with feigned innocence ‘Doesn’t there?’

She sat between Madeleine and Monsieur Béliveau, taking the chair just as the grocer had reached for it Sophie picked up the chocolate egg then placed it in front of her

‘Birth, death, rebirth,’ she said wisely, as though she’d brought theht, all the way fro ht Clara Always had been Sophie would come home from university sometimes blonde, sometimes a brilliant redhead, sometimes plump, sometimes slim, sometimes pierced, sometimes without orna see in front of her She always got what she wanted But what does she want? Clara wondered, and kneas probably

An hour later Peter, Ruth and Olivier watched their friends and lovers plod into the night, invisible except for their flashlights, each person a bobbing torch At first they cluht separated, beca toward the dark house on the hill that see for them

Don’t be such a wuss, he told himself It’s just a stupid house What could possibly happen?

But Peter Morro famous last words when he heard them

Clara hadn’t felt like this since she was a kid and would deliberately scare herself stupid by watching The Exorcist or going on the gargantuan roller coaster at La Ronde, slobbering and shrieking and once even wetting herself

It was exhilarating and terrifying and ot closer Clara had the oddest feeling it was approaching them rather than the other way round She couldn’t quite re this

She heard shuffling behind her and voices Fortunately she relers Clara was also happy to reot it first But, if they got it, she’d be the last She speeded up Then slowed down, battling betanting to survive and wanting to hear what the to to each other After what she’d overheard while hiding Easter eggs she’d assu about?