He’s followed me back to my family home. At dawn, through a crack in the curtains, I noticed his parked car. Minutes later, his fists pounded on the front door. I escaped through a back window. Now I’m running along sandy paths. My legs ache. Body sweats.

A painful stitch brings me to a stop. I flop down onto a grassy hummock. It’s quiet. Too quiet. Can’t hear the sea, gulls or any creature for that matter. Nothing stirs. Not even a breeze. I shiver after my punishing run. Last week, when I’d fled from our shared flat, I'd wanted to reach the ends of the earth and sitting here, catching my breath, I realise that no amount of running will take me away from him.

He’ll always be there no matter how hard I try to escape. He’ll be forever haunting my dreams and, the fear I feel now and have felt in the past, will remain with me until the day I die. I tremble at the thought that he might be the one to deal that final blow.

A short distance away, high upon a dune, I see a silhouette of a man standing still like a hunter watching for his prey. Flattening myself down onto tough grass, I raise my head to see that silhouette run down the dune, heading in this direction. Now there’s only one place where I might find safety. I leap up onto my feet and I can hear him shouting, ‘Alicia!’

I start running again, winding my way around sandy humps. ‘Alicia!’ That voice breaks the silence, apart from my pounding feet and harsh ragged breath.

Now I’m close to a stunted copse; a place I played in as a child. Soon branches snag at my face and clothing but I don’t feel pain as I head for centre where, long ago, my friend Maggie and I made a den; a place to hide in.

Clawing back brittle twigs, leaves and planks of wood, I find our secret lair camouflaged for over a decade. Crows begin to squawk at the sound of him crashing through the copse, his voice shrieking out my name.

About to hide, he bursts through branches into the centre, booted feet crushing bluebells. ‘There you are.’ My ex partner grins a grin of triumph. ‘Did you think you’d get away from me, Alicia?’ I shake my head. My heart thumps. ‘You’re mine,’ he says, approaching.

As he lunges for me, I jump back and he falls into the den. Bone cracks. He howls out in pain. All I can see is his head and the top of his shoulders. ‘Bitch!’ That curse comes through clenched teeth. ‘Get me out of here.’

Picking up a sturdy plank, I raise it above my head and bring it down upon his. I catch his brief look of surprise mingled with sudden fear. Then silence returns. Warily, I step forward.