Just how did the mums escape the basement?

Lightening flashed through the tiny window and into the darkened basement, creating and illuminating Ashley Marin's face. A clap of thunder boomed through the night, allowing nobody to forget the storm overhead. And yet her thoughts were screaming at her louder than anything outside.

"How did they get through it?" She spoke quietly, afraid to raise her voice in the dark room. The other three women; Ella Montgomery, Pam Fields and Veronica Hastings turned towards her. "Our girls. They went through this and much worse!" she finished. Veronica closed her eyes as if in pain.

"We had one job tonight," Pam murmured, devastated, "just one," she blinked back tears, "to keep them safe." Ella touched her arm in an attempt to comfort her, however, they all knew that tonight there would be no comfort. They were trapped, just as their daughters had been, and they had no way of stopping Charles from in here. Veronica let out a moan and sank to the floor.

"This is all my fault!" she exclaimed, her head in her hands, "Kenneth could have waited...there was no need!... We should have stayed in the den!" The others looked on helplessly, not really wanting to comfort her. She was right!

After a moment, Ella straightened up.

"Ok, well, we can't stay in here helpless, waiting for Charles to come back and probably murder us! Let's think, we have no phones, no light and the door is locked tight. Does anyone have any ideas?" She loooked around expectantly, "Pam! You worked at the police station!"

"I did admin!" cried Pam, "I filled in forms, I filed! I...The only thing...Well...could we get out using a hair pin? I saw that on True Crime."

Unfortunately, all four women had styled their hair down.

Ella took a breath.

"Right, well there must be something in this basement we can use! Look around!"

Ella, Pam and Ashley squinted through the darkness and felt their way over some of the objects in the room. Veronica was left rocking on the floor, sobbing quietly.

"Ew, this is disgusting," Ashley whimpered as she felt a wet fabric. Something moved underneath it and she screamed in fright.

"Argh!"

"What is it?!" Came from two places behind her. Ashley let out a breath a soul a scuttling sound moved away from her, "I think it was a mouse. Maybe we should..." and she moved back to Veronica in the centre of the room.

"Girls, all we need is some sort of wire!" Ella ran her hands through her hair, exasperated. Veronica gasped and looked up.

"Oh! I have an idea!" she reached under her shirt and fumbled around. Ashley stared at her struggling. Suddenly, with a gasp of triumph, Veronica produced a curved object, jumped up and proudly presented it to Pam.

"Underwire bra!" she exclaimed. Pam took it hesitantly.

"Great! Now Pam, let us out!" Ella pushed Pam up the stairs hurriedly.

"Oh but... I can't ... I don't actually know," she protested. Ella stopped pushing in disbelief.

"What do you mean you don't know," she hissed, "you suggested it!"

"Well I ... I'll just have a go shall I?" Pam mumbled. She bent down to the keyhole and looked doubtfully at the little piece of wire in her hand. She tentatively poked it into the keyhole and jiggled it a little. Then a little more. Then a little more.

"Come on!" Ella burst out, "We need to get out of here! Hurry!" Pam dropped the wire, her hands shaking. Clumsily, she grabbed for it.

Meanwhile, Ashley was still on the floor, staring into space. She was so worried about the girls. Slowly, her eyes focused on a shiny object hanging by the bottom of the basement staircase. Suddenly, she came back to herself.

"Girls!" She said, her eyes fixed on the object. The three other women ignored her, too focused on their keyhole escape.

"Ladies!" she snapped, gaining their attention, "I think there's a ... less subtle means of escape."

She slowly raised her arm and pointed towards the axe hanging on the wall. The other three followed her finger. For a minute, they all stood transfixed. Then the spell broke. Ella bounded down the stairs and with an enormous battle cry, she lifted the axe above her head and sprinted back up the stairs. Pam and Veronica flattened themselves against the wall as Ella was finally able to work out her frustrations, hacking away at the thick, wooden door.

Fin