Categories > Original > Drama
Exhaustion had finally taken over as Mandy slept soundly. Five days had passed since her arrival in town yet so far she had accomplished nothing but a sore neck. Nights sleeping in bus shelters had done nothing to provide comfort. Her current sleeping quarters appeared to be a small alleyway, although someone had seen it fit to deposit an old mattress on the ground. It wasn't the ideal place to spend the night but, at the time, Mandy didn't care. She had fallen asleep thinking of flowers and bunny rabbits, presumably to stop herself from focussing on the stench or constant background noise of cars and yelling.
What had surprised her, once she had her head around the fact that she was sleeping, alone, in a dirty alleyway about a hundred miles from home, was that she wasn't scared. Three weeks ago she would have been afraid to walk the streets alone, even during the day. Timothy's death had taken her by surprise, naturally, but in many ways it had also liberated her. There was no husband to take care of, no house to clean, so weekly shopping list as long as her forearm. The lake of proper responsibilities was something she had craved for years and it had finally been handed to her in the form of an oncoming train. Not ideal circumstances, but good enough.
The sound of sirens pulled Mandy from her dreams and back to the dank alley. For a moment she kept her eyes firmly shut, hoping sleep would return when the noises stopped, but the ambulance passed, washing her eyelids with bright blue light. Groaning, she rolled over and placed her hand in front of her face. She felt something soft, and not entirely cold. She smiled in her half conscious state and opened her eyes, finding her hand buried in the fur of what was unmistakeably a cat. And a dead cat at that.
Voiding a small scream Mandy removed her hand and changed to a sitting position. The cat had still been quite warm, and that thought scared her. She had no problem observing death from a distance, but knowing the animal had passed away next to her was too much to bear. Shaking hands grabbed the bag from where it had been used as a pillow and she fled the suddenly cramped spot.
What had surprised her, once she had her head around the fact that she was sleeping, alone, in a dirty alleyway about a hundred miles from home, was that she wasn't scared. Three weeks ago she would have been afraid to walk the streets alone, even during the day. Timothy's death had taken her by surprise, naturally, but in many ways it had also liberated her. There was no husband to take care of, no house to clean, so weekly shopping list as long as her forearm. The lake of proper responsibilities was something she had craved for years and it had finally been handed to her in the form of an oncoming train. Not ideal circumstances, but good enough.
The sound of sirens pulled Mandy from her dreams and back to the dank alley. For a moment she kept her eyes firmly shut, hoping sleep would return when the noises stopped, but the ambulance passed, washing her eyelids with bright blue light. Groaning, she rolled over and placed her hand in front of her face. She felt something soft, and not entirely cold. She smiled in her half conscious state and opened her eyes, finding her hand buried in the fur of what was unmistakeably a cat. And a dead cat at that.
Voiding a small scream Mandy removed her hand and changed to a sitting position. The cat had still been quite warm, and that thought scared her. She had no problem observing death from a distance, but knowing the animal had passed away next to her was too much to bear. Shaking hands grabbed the bag from where it had been used as a pillow and she fled the suddenly cramped spot.
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