Hater Page 0,51

then shut the door and lock the bloody thing behind me and never open it again.

'Are you all right?' she asks again. 'Why were you so long?'

I run back to the car and grab the last few odds and ends that have fallen out of the rapidly disintegrating cardboard box. I push past her and throw the stuff into the kitchen.

'Dad,' Ed whines, 'can we have something to eat now? I'm starving...'

I ignore all of them and concentrate on locking the door and making sure my home and my family are secure.

'Move,' I grunt angrily at Ellis who is standing right in the middle of the hallway, stopping me from getting through.

'What's wrong?' Lizzie asks again from the other side of the kitchen table. When I don't answer she starts to unpack some of the food. She looks at what I've brought home and screws up her face. 'What did you get this for?' she says, holding up a jar of honey. 'None of us likes honey.'

All of the tension and fear that's been building up inside me this morning suddenly comes rushing to the surface. It's no-one's fault, I just can't help myself.

'I know no-one likes it,' I shout, 'no-one likes any of this fucking stuff but it's all I could get. You should go out there and see what it's like. It's madness out there. The whole bloody world is falling apart so don't start having a go at me and telling me that no-one fucking well likes honey.'

Liz looks like I've punched her in the face. She's gone white with shock. The kids are all in the kitchen with us now, staring at us both with wide, frightened eyes.

'I just...' she starts to say.

'I'm doing the best I can for us here,' I scream at her. 'There are people fighting on the streets. I've just watched a kid beating some woman to death and no-one lifted a finger to help her, me included. It's fucking madness and I don't know what to do anymore. The last thing I need is for you to start complaining and picking holes in what I've done when I feel like I've just risked my damn neck for you lot. I don't ask much, just some space and a little gratitude and understanding and...'

I stop shouting. Liz is trembling. She's standing there, back pressed against the cooker, and she's shaking with fear. What the hell is wrong with her? I take a single step around the table to get closer to her and she recoils. She slides further away from me, edging back towards the door. And then I realise what's wrong. Jesus, she thinks I've changed. She thinks I'm one of them. She thinks I'm a Hater.

'No, don't...' I start to say, trying to move closer again, 'Please, Lizzie...'

She's starting to sob. Her legs look like they're about to give way. Don't collapse on me, Liz, please don't...

'Stay back,' she says, her voice barely audible. 'Don't come any closer.'

I try to speak but I can't get the words out. Don't do this to me. I shuffle nearer.

'Stay back!' she screams again, sliding further along the wall away from me. She reaches the door and starts to push the kids out of the kitchen. She doesn't take her eyes off me.

'No, Liz,' I say, desperate to make her understand, 'please. I haven't changed. Please believe me. I'm sorry I shouted. I didn't mean to...'

She stops moving away but she's still unsure. I can see it in her eyes.

'If you're one of them I'll...'

'I'm not, Lizzie, I'm not. If I was one of them I'd have gone for you by now, wouldn't I?' I cry. I don't know what else to say. I'm starting to panic but I don't want her to see. 'Please, I'm not sick. I'm not like them. I'm calm. I was angry but I'm calm now, aren't I? Please...'

I can see that she's thinking hard about what I've just said. The children are peering around the door, trying to see what's happening. Inside I'm screaming but I force myself to stay level and not shout. My head is filled with all kinds of dark, terrifying thoughts. I just got angry, that's all. I'm not a Hater, am I?

'Okay,' she eventually mumbles, 'but if you shout at me like that again I'll...'

'I won't,' I interrupt. 'I forgot myself. I didn't think.'

I still don't know if she believes me. She's looking at me out of the corner of her eye and