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‘Kelly! No!’ The voice came from Lucy’s own mouth, but it sounded far-off and hazy. She went into the bathroom, elbowing the others out of her way. She stoodswaying at the side of the bath, looking down at the blood. My God, there was so much. Then she saw where it was coming from. Blood oozed out of Kelly’s wrists. Her beautiful little wrists. In the water, on the bottom of the bath, Lucy could make out something metal and sharp.

‘What have you done?’ she wailed. She reached into the bloody water and pulled her daughter up and into her arms, cradlingher limp body. She pushed her hair back from her face. Her eyes didn’t open. Kelly hung from Lucy’s embrace like a rag doll. It was as if she had gone, leaving her body behind.

Sounds came back into focus. Lucy could hear Billymaking a noise that sounded like keening. Sarah was weeping. Shannon was distraught.

‘Is she dead? Is she dead?’ Shannon screamed over and over again. ‘Oh, God, it’smy fault.’

Sarah pushed Shannon towards the door. She shook Billy’s arm. ‘Get your phone out,’ she barked at him. ‘Call an ambulance.’

Billy nodded and fumbled in his pockets.

‘Use Shannon’s!’ Sarah roared. ‘Shannon! Phone! Now!’

Shaking, Shannon took out her phone and handed it to Billy. He dialled and a moment later began reciting the address.

Sarah gently loosened Lucy’s grip on her daughterand placed her fingers on Kelly’s neck. ‘She’s got a pulse,’ she said.

‘Is she alive? Is she, Mum?’ Shannon sobbed.

‘Yes, she is. She needs us to be calm now. Hand me some towels, Shannon.’ Sarah barked orders and her daughter obeyed her without thinking.

Lucy wrapped Kelly in the dark blue towel and rocked her. She kissed her face, she told her she loved her, she cried and prayed. She bargainedwith God. ‘Don’t take her, God, take me, strike me down, but please not Kelly. Please …’

Sarah ran out of the room and came back with a pair of socks. She tied them around Kelly’s wrists to stem the flow of blood.

‘It’s okay, Lucy,’ Sarah said. ‘Deep breaths. Help is on the way.’

Lucy rocked her like a baby. ‘I love you, Kelly, stay with me. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Don’t leave me.’

‘It’s here! The ambulance is here!’ Billy roared, as a blue light lit up the room in intermittent bursts. He took the stairs two at a time and flung open the front door.

Two paramedics rushed through the house, up the stairs and into the bathroom. They had to prise Kelly from Lucy’s arms. Useless now, Sarah, Lucy, Shannon and Billy held each other and cried as the crew lifted Kelly gently ontoa stretcher on the floor. They checked her vitals, took off the socks and applied proper bandaging.

‘We need to get her there quick,’ one of them said. ‘Can someone pack a bag for her? Then you can all follow us.’

‘No way,’ Lucy said. ‘No, no, no, I’m not leaving her alone.’

The paramedic tried to persuade her, but they were losing precious minutes arguing.

‘Fine,’ he said. ‘Just the mother.Quickly now.’

Within minutes Lucy was in the back of the ambulance, gripping the side of the stretcher as they raced through the streets, siren wailing. Grief and panic seared through her. She closed her eyes and the tears that escaped burnt too. She felt like she was on fire, the pain unbearable.

‘Please, please, please,’ she whispered. ‘Please save her. Save my beautiful Kelly.’