Chloe shrugs, embarrassed. She's not trying to fight, but she’s hidden all of this for so long. “I tried to do it all in secret. I was afraid that if anyone knew how much we need - the runners - they'd cut us out when things got tough.”

And people had talked about it, hadn't they? And all that awful stuff had happened at the hall.

“I was in a fight, and I got away but I went back. I don't know why. Then he ran at me, and I had to hurt him to protect myself… but I didn't have to. I shouldn't have been there. It felt like my heart was rotting.”