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man by his jacket and he's swinging him around. He tries to grab hold of something to steady himself but the thin man's not giving him a chance. He lets him go and then runs at him and shoves him in the chest, sending him tripping backwards. Another hard shove and this time the tattooed man is pushed so far that he ends up flat on his back on another table not far from where we're sitting. Half-empty plates, cutlery and glasses are sent flying. I grab hold of Josh and I look around and see that Lizzie has done the same with Ellis. The clattering, crashing and smashing noise quickly fades away and is replaced by a heavy and uncomfortable silence. Everyone is watching the fight but it's so sudden and so violent that no-one dares to get involved. Everyone knows they should do something but no-one's moving.

'Don't, mate...' the man lying on his back on the table cries nervously. 'Please don't...'

The thin man looks around. Holding his victim down with one hand he searches through the debris on the table and picks something up. It's only when he holds it up above his head that I see he's got a steak knife. The next few seconds seem to last forever. I don't want to watch but I can't look away. He brings the knife thumping down on the tattooed man's chest and sinks it into his flesh. But that's not enough. His fist already covered in blood he yanks the blade out then stabs it down again and again and again...

Fucking hell.

Christ, we have to get out of here. We have to move. This bloke's out of his mind. What if he turns on the rest of us? The hundreds of people crammed into this overcrowded pub have started to panic and are heading for the exits, running from the two men in the middle of the room. The thin man is still shredding the other man's chest with the sharp, serrated blade. The tattooed man's arms and legs are thrashing and even from this distance I can see that the table and both men are covered in blood.

I drag Josh out of his chair and then push Lizzie towards the nearest door. I'm trying hard to stay calm but I'm fucking terrified. Come on, get a fucking move on... There's a crowd of drinkers all trying to push their way out through a narrow doorway at the same time and, for the second time in less than a day I'm stuck at the back of a load of people trying to get away from trouble. I hold Josh close to my chest and look over my shoulder to see where the lunatic with the knife is. If he's finished with the man on the table who knows who he's going to come after next. I don't want to be his next victim. I just want to...

'Danny!' I hear Liz scream. I look up again. She's been pulled further along with the crowd and there are a couple of meters between us now. She's almost through the door. She's looking back and shouting something at me. I can't make it out.

'What?'

'Ed,' she yells, 'get Ed!'

Jesus Christ. There's no time to think. I hold on to Josh tightly and make a sudden change in direction back towards the fun-barn. The way through is clear. The people in there can't have heard what's happening yet. I push through the swinging double-doors and look around for Ed but I can't see him. The lighting is low at this end of the room and there are kids and their parents everywhere.

'Edward!' I shout over thumping party music. People turn and look at me like I've gone mad. 'Ed!'

'Dad!' I hear him shout back. I can see him now, down by one of the climbing frames at the far end of the room with a friend. I run towards him.

'Get your shoes and your coat,' I tell him, 'we've got to go.'

'But Dad,' he starts to protest.

'Get your shoes and your coat,' I tell him again.

'What's going on?' someone asks. I turn round and see that it's Wendy Parish, the mother of one of Ed's friends.

'There's some trouble in the pub,' I tell her, watching anxiously as Ed disappears to find his stuff. 'I'd get out of here if I was you. I'd get everyone out of here.'

I look up and see that staff from the pub have reached the staff of the