Fever Dream Red

43

"You okay there?" Alfie asked me from the kitchen door.

His voice made me jump. I didn't realise he was there, but I was glad it was only him.

The last time my night had been interrupted by a man had been a bit worse.

Not the worst it could've been, though.

"I'm fine, thanks." I gave him a bit of a glare. I was hungry and annoyed and he was stopping me from getting my food. What did he expect? "Just hungry, that's all."

An awkward pause ensued whilst uncovered the foil on the salad.

The only thing to be heard was the ruffling of plastic.

"You don't mind, do you?"
"About what?"
"Me and Doug."
"Why would I?"

Alfie shrugged and looked around for a few seconds.

"I don't know." He said simply. "It's none of your business."
"It isn't."

I grabbed a spoon from the drawer and sat down to eat the salad.

"I think I'll go to bed."
"I think that would be good."

Alfie set off to go to bed.

"Oh, and Alfie?"
"Hmm?" He leaned on the doorway once again.
"Don't be too loud." I giggled.
"You little-" Alfie blushed whilst he murmered his curses, going back to bed.

I had the rest of my salad. It was pleasant, with the same hazy unreal feel that the one at The Base gave me.

Maybe that was just because I was alone in the middle of the night. I wil never know.

The whole time I had had seemed lucid. In only what must've been the span of a month, I had moved from my home with Addy to the apartments in Gloomy Cay to The Base to here.

In a way I felt my whole life had led up to it. Now I was out here living strangely, it made the past fifteen years of my life seem like I had never lived at all.

It was calm to live without people. It was lonely, too. I would never hear the strange one-way conversations that strangers had on the phone as they passed me by on the street.

I would never hear a group of friends dropping bombshells on each other over cups of lattes in the local coffee shop.

They were small things, I know, but I missed them all the same.

But I could walk into anywhere and get anything I wanted. I would never have to sit the science exam I had been stressing over for weeks before.

It seemed like time had stopped and stood still, taking everyone with it. Everyone but us.

Once I finished my caesar salad I dawdles a while. I wasn't sure what to do.

I could've gone back upstairs, but that seemed little use to me. I wasn't going to get anymore sleep and I didn't want to disrupt Sunny.

I thought about staying here, but I was so, so bored.

It was then when I was lost in my own thoughts when I at last saw the sunrise. I'm not sure how long I was sat in the maze of my mind, but when I snapped out of it orange blossom rays were breaking through the curtain.

I sat watching it, mesmorised at its beauty. Then the orange morphed lighter and lighter, until the daylight had been born and baby blue took the night's place.

Clouds dropped along its backdrop lazily as birds sounded in trees overhead.

The cottage came alive. I heard creaks above me of well worn wood moaning about actually having to do its job.

I could just about hear lazy greetings of stale morning breath and askings of sleep.

It was a shame I had no one to ask the same to.

I heard the stumblings of an almost sleepwalker and before I knew it, the lazy frame of Sunny had wondered into the kitchen.

I waved a hand at her as my heartbeat quickened. I wished it wouldn't do that. It was both annoying and inconvenient.

"Good night's sleep?" I asked her as she slumped  down next to me.

In normal circumstances I suppose she would get up and make a coffee and perhaps splash hee face with cold water.

She could not do this.

"It was okay." She nodded dozily.

"How long have you been up for?" She asked me again with a sleepy but cheeky grin on her face.
"A while." I anwered, mirroring her smile with a bit more life.
"No wonder. You went to bed at three."
"I was tired."
"No kidding." Sunny chuckled. I did too, thought I didn't know why. She wasn't funny.

"It's not awkward is it?" She asked my suddenly.
"What? Sharing a bed?"
"Yep."
"Should it be?"
"No. No. I don't snore, do I?"
"No."
"You do."
"No. I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"You're lying."
"Why would I?"
"Because you're..." I pulled a face at her. I didn't know what to say.

Sunny looked at the doorframe. I followed her gaze to find Chloe and Skye. Chloe looked at us both with a bemused expression.

She knew what was going on.

"Okay. I'm not going to question it." Chloe said, grabbing a bottle of water and throwing it to Skye.
"Sunny thinks I snore." I told them both, my cheeks heating up at the absurdity of it.
"You do." Skye told me, a little bitterly.
"I do?"
"Yep. Massive ones." Skye caught Sunny's eye and winked at her.

Sunny giggled in response.

An uncomfortable feeling rushed through me.

"How're you feeling, Skye?" I asked them, changing the subject anyway that I could.
"Bit better. It was all down to Chloe though. No offence to you guys, but without her I would've been toast."
Chloe smiled happily. "Glad to know I came of some use to you all."
"Where did you learn all that, Chloe?"
"Seen it on TV." Chloe shrugged. "I guess I just acted under pressure. Mind you, I've always been good at that. My mother used to say."

A melancholy look passed over her.