Ablaze Without Flames

Chapter 2, Part 2 - Thea

Thea opened her eyes for the fourth time since coming to bed. Her head ached with tiredness and she was unsure if she had actually slept at all. The night had been a blur of tossing and turning, fighting with blankets, staring out through the open door into the living room where she had refused to turn off the light and forcing away the image of glowing eyes. Craning her neck to look at the luminous display of her digital clock, she let go of a heavy sigh and pushed herself up from the pillows.

She showered under a cold stream, shocking away bleariness and with it, she hoped, would go the face from the park. But instead the memory grew clearer, the lines sharper.

Dressed, Thea stood pondering between the living room and the kitchen. Her mind lingered on everything she had seen the previous night and wondered if she'd dreamt it, wanting nothing more than to erase such an illogical memory.

She was too tired to revise. Her project file lay patiently on the arm of the sofa. The day's first lecture wouldn't start for another two hours. Quickly becoming restless in the silence, she turned on the television for some background noise as she wandered around the kitchen in search of something to do; eat or clean. The morning news played, the broadcaster's voice quickly ridding the flat of its eerie atmosphere. There was nothing of import; doctors were planning to strike, a politician had been caught out in another lie, a hurricane was developing in the Atlantic but no one was sure whether it would dissipate before it hit the east coast of the States. Another student had fallen into the river. Nothing new.

Thea's eyes snapped to her phone as it started to shrill. JOE flashed on the screen and she frowned down at the name before answering.

'What is it?'

'Good morning to you too,' he answered with a light chuckle.

'It's half-eight.' Thea collapsed onto the sofa and drew up her knees to lean on them. The television continued to buzz with inane chatter and a car horn blared on Joe's side of the line.

'...Did I wake you up? Sorry.'

She noted the shift in his tone and sighed. 'No. Sorry. I didn't sleep well. Is there something wrong?'

'No, no. Nothing's wrong. It's just, uh, a few of us are going out for dinner and a few drinks tonight. Wondered if you'd like to tag along?' His voice lifted with the question and she could imagine the expression that accompanied it. She scratched the bridge of her nose, smiling tightly.

'I would, but I don't really want to.'

'Oh.'

'And I have work at six anyway, so maybe next time.' Thea reached over to mute the television when the shrill voice of the excited presenter started to grate.

'Sure, sure. Maybe we'll stop by the Shieldmaiden and say hi.'

'Okay.' Please don't. 'Speak to you later.'

She hung up before he could invite her to anything else and tossed her phone onto the seat beside her, getting up to pour herself a bowl of cereal. Leaning against the counter in the kitchen as she munched, Thea watched the soundless images flicker across the television screen. She wasn't too sure what she was watching, but it seemed like some kind of daytime sitcom; something that had been filmed with a live audience. It was easy to guess when they laughed just by watching the actors pause.

When she grew bored of her guessing game, Thea rinsed out her bowl and debated with herself whether to head to campus early or try to research from home for an hour. Glancing at her laptop, sitting closed on her small square dining table, she decided on the former. She packed it into her rucksack along with her project file, weaved her hair into a loose plait and shucked on a jacket.