Encounter

Chapter Eight

A few days had passed since the nightmare. She had not had another one since then. However, Sarah could not shake off the feeling that something had been following her around wherever she went.

Today, she felt excited; something she had felt for a couple of weeks. She was returning to work, against a lot of protest from Nathan who did not feel she was ready to go back just yet. She had spoken to her boss the day before and confirmed with her that she was feeling better and that she was fully ready to go back to work. She felt like the house had been a depressive prison the past few weeks. It had caused her to want to lay in bed all day and do nothing. Those times, however, were now over.

Sarah woke up and started her early morning routine. She showered and then brushed and flossed her teeth, followed by two helpings of fresh mint mouthwash.

Sarah then went into the bedroom and dried her hair, which she then styled. She then applied a light amount of makeup to her face. Her dental uniform had been ironed the night before and was hanging on the door. She worked in the local Colwyn bay dental surgery. She changed into it and then went downstairs to the kitchen.

She prepared a bowl of cereal and a cup of strong Kenyan coffee, which she downed as if it was straight vodka. Sarah then kissed Nathan goodbye. He wished her good luck, followed by a playful slap on the bum as she walked out of the house. It was a beautiful spring morning. The sun had already risen, with the fragments of the night sky floating in the bright ocean blue sky.

Her car was still being looked over by the garage, therefore she was still using the small Ford Fiesta.

The drive to work was a short one, but the main routes into Colwyn Bay were always gridlocked in the early morning. She reached the main roundabout into Colwyn Bay which was a five exit roundabout which always caused problems.

Sarah waited as cars flew around or across the roundabout like it was a race track. There was no indication from most of the drivers, which was always a great source of annoyance for Sarah who did suffer from minor road rage. She could be found on numerous occasions, swearing violently at other drivers who in her words were a danger to society.

Before long after wading through the large amounts of traffic, she pulled into the worker's car park situated behind the practice. She then walked the short distance around to the front of the surgery. It looked small from the outside; it looked like a small townhouse with two large white framed bay windows, with a small single panelled uPVC door between them.

Sarah opened the front door and walked into the main waiting room. The room was very cramped, with only enough seats for about half a dozen people at the most. On the far end of the room, was a large Lego set for the children to demolish and rebuild it with an awkward young child look. The reception desk was small with an ancient Hewlett-Packard computer which the receptionist could be heard most days swearing and slapping violently, for being too slow.

The receptionist was already in well before Sarah was. "Morning Sarah," she said happily like she did most mornings.

"Morning Gillian." Gillian was thin, with round glasses, with ageing grey hair. Gillian smiled at Sarah, as she walked past the desk and walked into the main examination room. The head dentist sat on a small swivel seat by his computer, checking the first patient's notes.

Mr Dickinson was a middle aged man. He was rather short and tubby with a face much like a rat, and he had short ginger hair with a bushy ginger beard. However, his looks were deceiving, Mr Dickinson was the nicest man you could ever wish to meet.

He clocked her as she hung up her coat on the vintage looking coat rack. He smiled warningly over at her. "Sarah, I'm so glad you're back. It has not been the same without you," he said, giving her a friendly hug. She smiled back at him. "Thank you, it's good to be back. I have missed this place."