36
Alice heard the motorbike engine start up and then quickly fade away, but the noise didn’t register with her. Neither did the slow, measured footsteps that ascended the stairs, approaching her prison. It was the same with the noises that heralded the unlocking of the door; she heard the noises, and her brain recognised them for what they were, but it failed to realise the significance of what was happening.
Lost in the shame of having had to use a bucket as a toilet, a bucket that remained in the corner of the room, and from which came an unpleasant, though thankfully not overpowering, smell, Alice was oblivious to anything else. Compounding her shame was the feeling of being unclean – she hadn’t had a shower in some time, nor had she been able to brush her teeth or change her clothes
