she was flaunting her life in a forest of the dead ; her body so animated , so purposeful , not belonging to anyone , no relation of “ the above ”, no-one ’ s daughter , no-one ’ s wife .
“ There they are !” Candice waved at a group of figures , scarcely visible in the uncertain light . I braced myself to meet the strangers , to flirt and charm with Candice ’ s easy grace .
But something was wrong – George slowed , noticing it too . There was something intensely unnatural in the way the boys stood ; hooded , upright , silent , each eye unwaveringly fixed on Candice as she waltzed towards them . Standing in a semicircle around what I realized was an open grave , crudely gutted into the earth . Some held spades , some held other instruments with the same cruel metal glint .
“ Hurry up !” Candy turned and grinned , baring her sharp white teeth , and extended her hands to us .
George ’ s eyes met mine , and for the first time ever I saw something of myself in them :
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a vulnerability , a longing . Wordlessly , we confessed to each other what we already knew . We would have followed her anywhere .
*
The character of Candice is inspired by Candyman from the Forbidden . I wanted to explore the horror dynamic of male villain and female victim ; Candyman is a curiously feminised figure , through the focus on his makeup and his method of murdering through seduction , a role traditionally occupied by women . He is also set up as a contrast to the male academics Helen is surrounded by . I wanted to contrast “ masculine ” power with “ feminine ” power through the contrast between the ways George and Candice exert power . George condescends to Anna like Trevor and the other male academics in “ The Forbidden ”, and he uses physical touch to exert ownership over their bodies . Candice openly exerts power over Anna but hides the power she exerts over George ; she makes him think she needs to be protected and educated , but
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