Hello, Goodbye

Although we weren't where I'd wanted to get to, we were away from that awful room. As far as I was concerned, that counted for a lot.

Looking at the trees beyond the bridge, it seemed much darker beneath the arch than it should have been. Puzzling, but the fact that Jen was gasping for air like someone who'd nearly drowned meant I didn't give it much thought.

"Jen? Are you alright?"

I thought at first she was crying - then I realised her sobs sounded more like laughter. The barely-controlled edge to it made me wish she was crying.

"Alright? Alright? In what messed-up way could you call any of this alright? Two murders, one of them done by you - and ... and ... wait a minute - how did we get ... did you just..?"

She was looking around, eyes huge and wild, trying to take in her new surroundings.

"Where..? I mean how? What have you done, Al?"

"Jen, I can explain. It's all to do with that time just before I was found on the Links. It's to do with Lewis, and Mr Smith and some drugs my mum took before I was born..."

"What the f... what are you talking about, Alan? You're making no sense. How did we get from where we were to here - wherever that might be - in no time at all? One minute we were..." she tailed off, her mind taking in more of what she'd seen minutes before.

"Mr Smith called it quirking, and that's probably as good a word as any for something as mad as this. Jen, what did they tell you about me? What did Lewis say?"

She was looking panicked now. "He said you were delusional, Alan. He said you were dangerous and confused about things." I could see that every word I'd said to her was just confirming this view of events.

"Alan, I think you need - I think we need - to go the police and tell them all about this - that's what I think. The sooner you get some help..."

"No, Jen. I don't think there's much that anyone can do for me. Certainly not the police." I put my hand out to touch her arm, I so badly wanted to just hold her then - but she brushed it away. This time, I saw she was crying.

"Alan, I don't know what to think right now. But I'm going to follow this path until I can find out where we are. And then I'm going to the police. People have died, Al - and we need to tell someone. If you still care about me, you'll come with me."

She held out her hand - but I just looked at it. She wiped a tear from her eye with the heel of her hand, and turned to walk away.

"Goodbye, Alan," she said. I hated the finality in her voice.

I let her go five, six, seven paces - and then started out after her.

At that moment, I started to rise into the air.



Story begins here.