I opened my eyes and in the darkness I could see Nobby sitting on his bed. There wasn’t enough light to see his face but he sat with his hands on his knees, staring at me. ‘You all right, Nobby?’ I said. ‘Tain’t Nobby. It’s me.’ The gravel voice was unmistakable and it did two things. It iced my blood and it sent me scuttling up from my bed and against the window, to the nearest point of escape. ‘Calm your nerves, son. It’s Colin.’ I knew perfectly well who it was. As I forced my back up against the window the curtain rucked to admit a thin ray of moonlight to fall on Colin’s angular face. In that light his eyes shone like the carapaces of shiny black beetles. If I tried to speak, my mouth was too dry. I was paralysed with fright. I couldn’t move again if I wanted to. ‘What the fuck are you doin’? It’s Colin,’ he said again. He laughed.
