Screams

As night falls, Jenna realizes the quiet patter of the rain outside the window has stopped.

She wonders if it will restart. Part of her hopes it does. Part of her thinks that if it ever rains again she will smash the clouds to pieces. And yet, clouds can't be smashed. Clouds are strong. Clouds are not like Suzy. Jenny gets up from the swivel chair at the computer- even though her assignment is nowhere near finished- and moves to the kitchen.

She's bought cupcakes specially- red velvet. Suzy loves red velvet. Suzy could eat a multi pack all on her own in three hours. Jenna smiles and places the packet on the lino beside the sink. Yes, she thinks, she can see them now. The dents in the plastic packaging where Suzy's nails have tried to prise open the box. Suzy's a bit of an airhead. Suzy always forgets about the sellotape. 

So Jenna opens it herself. Inside the box it is wet. Suzy must have licked the icing off the top. But, Jenna reminds herself, Suzy never opened the box. Or perhaps, Suzy resealed it. Suzy is smart, really. Jenna dips a finger into the icing on top of the cupcake in the first depression. She tries to lick it off, but nothing happens. Looking down, she realizes all the icing has receded into the cache of her too-long nails. Jenna sighs and makes herself a cuppa instead.

The cuppa is warm, like Suzy's fingers fresh from the bath. Jenna still remembers the first time Suzy held her hand. 

Jenna walks around with the cup because she is scared she will forget what it feels like. She walks into the drawing room and shuts the door. She sits on the bed. Under the bed is a small chest of drawers. Jenna opens the first one. Inside is a medical report for somebody called Susan. Jenna laughs and shuts the drawer. She wonders what Susan's report is doing in her drawer. She wonders who Susan is. 

Suzy's name wasn't Susan. Suzy's name was Suzy and Suzy didn't want to be called Susan. So they decided that Suzy's name didn't have to be Susan. 

The next room is the bedroom, but there are no beds in this bedroom. There is a large, rectangular table with instruments of all descriptions scattered on the surface, packaged in bubble wrap, or in metal caddies around it. Jenna sits on the bed and touches the sheet. An image flashes through her brain, faster than light. She can't see it anymore and she doesn't know what it was. She wishes she does. Somebody screams and Jenna twitches on the bed. Under her on the table, somebody else seems to twitch. Somebody smaller. Somebody weaker. A child. 

Suzy doesn't like screams. Jenna has to go now, to tell her that she's safe. That nothing will happen to Suzy, or to herself. 

The sheets are white. The face is grey.