It was late. Katie lay on a low inflatable mattress, in borrowed night-clothes, staring up at the ceiling of Charlotte’s bedroom. “They took me there. They did stuff to me. In a big metal ball. You climb in and it hypnotises you and … things.” Her voice was flat in the darkness, the only emotion she had left was exhaustion. Charlotte shifted slightly and acknowledged her friend’s words.

“Does your dad know what this thing is and how it got into me?” Katie stroked her tummy; the ball was still there.
“I don’t know,” Charlotte replied, “I never really believed him until today. I do know that it connects to your spinal cord at some point. Did your parents mention any final dates?”
“Next summer. My eighteenth year. They’ve been making something of a big deal of it.”
“I’ll take that as a good sign.”
“I want this thing gone.”
“Norman will be here in the morning. Dad trusts him. Try to sleep for now.”

Silence settled between them.

“Charlie?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m scared.”
“I know.”