You’re here now – just go!
She ran to the lift in panic, jabbing the call button relentlessly. The moment the doors opened she threw herself in;she was like a woman possessed. As the lift jolted into life, Alice closed her eyes tightly.
Breathe.
All you need to do is breathe.
Was it always this slow? Claustrophobia began to set in. She squeezed her palms tightly, fingernails digging into her skin.
As soon as the lift opened again, Alice hurled herself out and through the front doors.
The cold air hit her immediately, its chill catching in her chest and stealing the breath from her lungs. She gasped, gulping thirstily for more. She stared upwards at the sky, the stars thrown haphazardly across the velvet backdrop casting their pins of light on to her. The wind whipped through her hair and grazed her bare flesh. She closed her eyes and simply stood with her arms out wide, head thrown upwards, begging for the breeze to lift her up and carry her away.
‘You OK, Miss?’
Alice’s heart dropped. She snapped her eyes open and frantically tried to search out who’d spoken.
‘Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.’
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she clocked the outline of a person walking towards her.
‘I don’t mean any harm. I just want to check you’re OK?’
She stumbled backwards, further into the shadows.
‘I’m fine,’ she croaked, sounding anything but fine. ‘I just needed some air.’
‘You and me both. Thankfully I’ve got Bruno here as an excuse to get outdoors.’
The cold wet nose of a dog sniffled at her feet.
‘Holy shit!’
‘You’re not scared of dogs, are you? Sorry, it’s hard to seewhere he’s gone at night. Bruno, come back here, you bloody idiot.’
If she weren’t so petrified of being seen, Alice would be laughing at the absurdity of this situation. Her heightened senses from the ward kicked back in as she tried to paint a picture of this man from his voice. He was old, definitely. Frail but with a deep resistance to admitting it. There was a fire in him that Alice could feel burning through the cold night.
‘I’m Fred, by the way. I live just over there on the new estate. Bruno’s getting on a bit now, but every time I can’t sleep, I like to come out and give him a quick walk. Good for clearing the head, you know. How come you’re out so late?’
How come she always attracted the talkers?
‘Couldn’t sleep,’ she murmured.
‘Ever since my wife passed I’ve barely managed to get a solid hour a night. God bless her. Married for over fifty years and then, just like that, she’s gone.’
Alice’s mind instantly went to Mr Peterson and Agnes. Her heart strained in her chest at the thought of them.
‘I’m sorry for your loss.’ She really was.
‘Thank you. On the whole it’s fine – Bruno and I make a good pair – but I suppose I get a bit lonely, you know?’
She did know. More than she’d care to admit.
‘So now, what’s the real reason a young lady like yourself is standing outside in the middle of the night?’
Alice wasn’t entirely sure what made her do it. Could fresh air make you delirious? Perhaps the rush of oxygen to her brain was causing reckless abandon, or maybe the night had numbed her fear temporarily.
‘I was in an accident a couple of months ago. I got discharged from hospital nearly two weeks ago and tonight isthe first time I’ve left home. Think I was at risk of going stir crazy holed up in my flat.’
