Natalie

Closing the door behind me as gently as possible trying not to let the squeak wake the baby I walk out into the night. Still, silent, I can hear my footsteps on the icy floor, see my breath in the black. The stars piercing the inky sky and the yellow glare of the streetlights above. I walk through the dead estate peeking in through the windows of the identikit houses trying to see how each one has been configured and to catch glimpses of the different lives going on behind the new-build walls.

 

Out onto the main road with such little traffic I think I can hear the sea in the distance. or is it distant traffic?

This is the first time I’ve been out of the house today and my only taste of freedom which makes this trip to the shop feel exhilarating and reminds me of the thrill of going out to meet friends in the dark as a teenager. 

 

Some steps echo behind me make me jump but as I turn I see a harmless looking couple behind me who veer off down an alleyway, leaving me alone again, wrapped in the dark.