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Sadie woke up to a room full of flowers, green-leaved trees shading her face. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. She'd woken up in a different world, a verdant paradise filled with strange, beautiful flora, glittering rocks, and crystal-blue water.
But then she saw the black spots and the yellowing patch where the upstairs neighbour's sink had leaked into the ceiling, and realised she was still in her apartment. She couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment as she sat up, more details of her shabby home resolving. The lumpy mattress and the broken blinds. The creaky floorboards and the cramped space.
Worse, the pile of letters by the front door. Sadie had come to realise that getting letters was no longer as exciting as it had been when she was a kid: now they were either adverts or bills. Sure enough, she recognised the energy company's logo on the top letter of the stack, and hastily tossed them onto the table.
Christ, Sadie thought. How long had it been since she'd been fired? Three, four days? Her heart sank. It hadn't felt like long at all in her mind, but when she sat down and thought about it, realised how much time she'd wasted these past few days...
Her phone buzzed. Sadie picked it up and checked the message.
Sadie. Rent was due beginning of the month & I haven't received anything from you.
Straight to the point. The universe couldn't have been clearer.
Get a job.
She shoved her phone into her pocket with a sigh. As she did so, her fingers brushed against something smooth and glassy. She pulled it out.
The lens rested in the palm of her hand. Seeing it brought back the events of yesterday in a heady rush. Sadie pictured the alleyway between the two shops, lined with plants and flowers. The thought alone brought a quick smile to her face. She turned the lens over between her fingers, thinking it over.
It didn't take long for her to make up her mind. Sadie got to her feet, pulling on an oversized grey hoodie. The pile of letters on the table caught her eye, but she shook her head.
I just want to check it out, she told herself, heading for the door. It'll be an hour, tops. Then straight back here to look for a new job.
Plan in motion, she grabbed her keys and left.
She had to walk downtown, but spring was out in force today. The temperature had finally crept into the twenties, news channels were promising a heatwave any day now, and sun-bright daffodils spotted the patches of grass lining the street. White clouds billowed across the sky, buoyant with the promise of warmer, brighter days.
Sadie found the takeaway they'd passed yesterday and paused on the street side, peering into the alley.
It truly was unremarkable. Just wide enough for two people to pass, the road was lined with wheelie bins on one side and graffitied brickwork on the other. Pigeons navigated the uneven cobbles, one pecking at a lump of old food on the ground.
