And it snapped.
The car park was deserted. Something felt wrong, the air tasted dirty. Every footstep I made seemed to echo. Rebounding off the surrounding buildings with outrageous force. Surely I would be heard, caught or seen. I could see the particular building I intended to search towering in front of me. I'd come so far through all the enemies assault courses and evaded their traps. There was no way they would allow the most vulnerable asset to remain unguarded.
Almost as soon as the thought entered my head I heard the squeak of a metal gate and heard the pounding of feet coming my way. There was no time.
I ran, pushing hard on my already weary legs. Crashing into the side of the building I began to scale the outside using a less than stable metal stair case. The footsteps grew louder and the whistle of radios filled the air.
"Get down from there!" A voice cried above the rest. It hadn't come from below where the men had gathered, guns raised. The voice originated from an adjacent building. Turning too fast in an attempt to face the window from which a woman was hanging, waving a finger, I missed my footing.
My hands grasped for something to hold but every bar slipped through my fingers.
The ground broke my fall and knocked all the air from my lungs. I screwed up my eyes and doubled over in pain.
"Allison!" My mum shouted. I cracked open an eye. Mum was running down the garden path towards my location, the postman was crouched beside me holding a cardboard tube and looking fairly distressed.
"I think it's broken." I managed clutching my arm. Without a word Mum hauled me to my feet and bundled me into the car. As she started the engine I noticed she was still wearing her slippers.
"What on earth were you doing up that tree?!"
Allison Crane (And it snapped-issue three), copyright of Lucy Marsh. 12.01.2014
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