She caught a glimpse of her dad, walking away from her. She banged furiously on the windows; she kicked at the door with her bare feet but was unable to get out and stop him. She watched him disappear into the darkness. Then the squeal of the train brakes came, so piercing that blood started to trickle from her ears. “Dad!” Gina’s scream shattered the silence of the house. She sat bolt upright in bed, her pyjamas clinging to her body with cold sweat. Half asleep, Mum rushed to her bedside. Gina clung to her. “Gina, it’s okay. You were having a nightmare.” Gina buried her clammy face in her mum’s nightdress. “It was horrible. It was me and Dad on that night.” “Shush now, don’t think about it.” “Mum, can I stay off school today? It’s Dad’s birthday. I just want to be at home.” Her mum nodded.
