‘This girl is useless,’ the voice boomed from Jackie’s room. ‘I can’t have her here, looking after Jackie any longer. Have you seen the bruises on her?’ He was on the phone.

‘I didn’t hurt Jackie, I love Jackie. Please, I need my medicine. Help me,’ Miley cried, knowing that the boss would never believe her as he spoke on the phone to the very person who had been hurting Jackie.

Jackie began to shout and cry out, louder and louder. Miley flinched as she heard a slap through the thin wall. He was now hurting her.

‘Stop yelling,’ he called out. ‘I’m sorry, sorry, my love. I didn’t mean to hurt you.’

‘I can look after her. I just need my medicine.’ Miley writhed on the floor of her room as another wave of stomach cramps travelled through her, this time stronger. She screamed as her body flushed with heat and sweat dribbled down the side of her face, making the carpet she was lying on, even stickier.

Jackie’s yells filled the house again. ‘Oh shut up! Shut up, both of you!’ the boss shouted.

‘Don’t hurt her,’ Miley cried as she doubled over. Jackie was all she had. She wanted so badly to hug and feel the warmth of the woman who never responded to her need for affection. She wanted to feel what it was like to be hugged by her mother again. She began sobbing loudly as a wave of nausea shot through her. Closing her eyes, she tried to face the carpet. The light was making her head throb and the room sway. She needed to be in darkness.

Jackie’s door slammed and the boss stomped down the stairs, locking the bottom door after him. ‘I need my medicine,’ she croaked. It was the first time she’d been without since arriving. The boss was punishing her now he believed that she’d beaten Jackie.

Miley hadn’t been out of the room all day. The urine in the bucket filled the warm room with an unbearable stench. Rain fell, pattering on the roof above. At least the thunder had stopped. Listening to Jackie’s animalistic cries during that time had been torture for Miley.

Her skin began to crawl as she watched the beetle emerge from the skirting board.

She rolled on the floor. ‘Leave me alone,’ she cried as she scratched. Her worst nightmare was happening. It felt like the insects were all over her, gnawing away until there was nothing left but bone. ‘Help me.’ She wanted it all to stop. It had to stop. She couldn’t live like this any more.

Jackie began calling as the rain outside fell.

She listened as the flapping of moth wings surrounded her. She couldn’t open her eyes and be confronted with the creepy crawlies. She scratched and scratched until blood seeped from the tears in her skin.

---

She awoke to the sound of the downstairs door being unlocked. A heavy foot led the way. Jackie began to call out. He murmured words that she couldn’t make out until he reached the landing. ‘Jackie, please, my love, stop shouting.’ It was the man again.

Back then, he’d promised her everything, a wonderful job, a lovely safe place to live and help with the work. He told her that she’d been just the type of person he’d been looking for. He had made her feel safe and warm.

‘Help me. I need my medicine,’ she mumbled, as he passed her room. She couldn’t shout any more. She turned and forced her eyes open, knowing she had to face whatever was surrounding her. The insect wings flapped louder and the rain sounded like knives on the roof, no longer were they little droplets. Darkness had fallen and the room filled with shadows. Afternoon felt like it was night or was it night? The crawling sensation receded, leaving her with a moment’s respite.

Her heart began to pound as she fought to lift her arms up. She could just about see that they were still smooth, except for the occasional spot. Nothing was crawling out of her skin, it never had been. The itching had come from the large spots that she’d been picking. Her limbs were plagued with them. She gazed at the black scabs that had formed on her fingertips.

Her stomach contracted. It was coming again. ‘Please stop it.’ Her cries were so gentle, no one would be able to hear. Why hadn’t Miley realised? She’d become so dependent on them and there was no way out. She’d do anything for a fix. Medicine! It wasn’t medicine. There had been nothing wrong with her in the first place. She needed to get out. ‘Mum.’ Her mum wouldn’t hear her calling, but she could hope. She wondered if her mum actually missed her. ‘Mum,’ Miley called as the man paced behind the door.

‘It’s me,’ he said abruptly.

Her heart misfired, beating irregularly until she realised he was talking on his phone again.

‘That stupid bitch has been going mad. I can’t deal with her any more. I’ve had to lock her in her room, just hurry back.’ He paused and paced up and down, behind the door. ‘Oh shut up. How can you accuse me of that? I’ve never touched a hair on her head or any of the others. Sometimes you disgust me, I will always love Simone.’

‘Jackie loves me,’ Miley called, whimpering as she lay there.

‘Shut up.’ He banged on the door. ‘Not you, okay I’m sorry. Just hurry back with the stuff.’

‘Who’s Simone?’ she shouted.

‘Got to go,’ he said into the phone as he unlocked her door.

‘Please, I didn’t mean it. Please, I just need my medicine. I’m happy. I never hurt Jackie.’

The man stood before her. He looked so smart and clean. What she’d do to feel clean again. She reached out. ‘Please help me.’

‘You stupid junkie. Why would I help you? Who’s Simone? You really want to know?’

Miley wept as she nodded. The crawling was starting again. The insects were back. ‘Simone was the most beautiful girl ever. Kind, gentle, loving. Jackie loved her so much.’

‘Jackie loves me—’ Her stomach clenched as she screamed.

‘She doesn’t love you. She has no idea who you are. You’re nothing. Look at you. You’re useless. Jackie is always filthy. It was your job to keep her clean and safe. Clean, all you had to do was clean. The house had to be kept tidy, your room, Jackie’s room or any other room that needed cleaning. Smell this room.’

Miley continued to weep as pain tore through her body, wave after wave.

‘It smells filthy, like you.’

‘I didn’t hurt her.’

‘I saw what you did.’ He drew his foot back and a kick landed in her gut, taking her breath away. The man jangled his keys and laughed as she writhed around on the floor, gasping for air as he walked over to the door.

‘Please don’t lock it. I won’t leave, I can’t leave – look at me,’ she whispered.

He grinned as he pulled the door to and locked it. ‘Sleep well.’

‘No, don’t leave me.’ She didn’t want him to go even though he’d hurt her. His being cruel was better than her lying alone in pain, in the stormy darkness. The flapping wings were back. She scratched her arms and dug her nails under her skin. She’d dig out the intruders, every last one of them. ‘Mum! Get them out of me.’