S H O RT S TO R I E S F R O M T H E G LO B A L C LA S S R O O M |
2014
All this was just too much for him. A lifetime passed, and James aged in his sorrow and realisation of loss as he
perched on the end of the sofa while the police did their work and talked their talk.
And then he was alone. Sitting stunned into a silent and shivering state. The police had reluctantly left, telling
him that he should spend the night somewhere else with friends around him. But he could not imagine having to
describe what had happened or explain how he was feeling to anyone. This would make it seem too real. In his state
of shock he really thought if he just closed his eyes and slept, it would all go away and his life would be back to how
it was and should be. His norm. His delightful life with his beautiful Kate. So they had left him with the promise that
they would be back early tomorrow to finish up the investigation and that he would have to answer some
more questions.
Finally the door shut and, like a zombie, he slowly climbed upstairs to escape into a long hot bath. To wash away
the events of tonight and allow himself to escape into the still and quiet of the deep water. Below the water his mind
emptied, only to flood full of harsh reality when he was forced to come up for breath. After a long time he was
forced by the cold of the bathwater to get out and, in a trance-like state, found himself in the spare room that was
made up for him to sleep in. He was wearing his blue pinstriped pyjamas, but he must have been in such a daze
that he had no recollection of dressing himself.
Heavily he climbed into bed and closed his eyes. He was so drained and utterly exhausted after today’s horrific
and surreal ordeal. Physically and emotionally, he was being pulled into a tortured sleep. He tossed and turned,
periodically staring at the blank celling for who knows how many hours, until eventually he felt himself being
enveloped by a heavy blanket of sleep, turning round to sleep on his front like he always did.
As he gave in to the enticing powers of Master Sleep, he was sharply brought to his senses by a sharp piercing pain in
his chest. He rapidly patted his chest down to find what had caused him to be woken so suddenly. It was at this exact
moment his heart seemed to stop and a deeper layer was added to his waking nightmare. There was something in his
shirt pocket. He reached in and pulled out a single blue feather.
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