agentblack

Robert's life fell into a gentle rhythm. He spent his mornings walking on the beach, pausing to rest when he got tired.

He'd throw stones in the sea whilst he waited to catch his strength. Watch the seagulls bob on the breeze. Trace shapes in the sand that would be gone by the next morning.

He saw few of the other inhabitants of his little hamlet during his morning walks. He would occasionally catch a glimpse of a tired looking man or woman sitting on the porch of their house, staring blankly into space.

Robert had waved and called hello the first few times, but the people he called to either ignored him or didn't notice him.
They continued to stare out into some far distance. Robert gave up after a while, limited himself to just waving.

He prefered his solitude on the beach to the idea of making forced conversation with the near comatose members of his strange little commune.

At around midday, Robert would make his way back to his house and make himself lunch. After badgering Maria, Robert had persuaded her to teach him how to use the primitive stove.

He had learnt (re-learnt?) how to make scrambled eggs, or bacon; he'd cook himself some lunch and sit around the house for a while until Maria dropped by with his tranquiliser for the evening.

It was a few day until he started dumping the tranquilisers.

He'd never meant to decieve Maria the first time; He had found a cardboard box of yellowing paperbacks, rescued from a jumble sale or charity shop.
They were heavy with the smell of book dust, and he had picked up a collection of short adventure stories during a raining day when he hadn't felt like going to the beach.

He'd become engrossed, and was half way through a story set in the Wild West when Maria had dropped round with his pill.

They had chatted for a while before Maria left to get on with her rounds with a cheery wave, Robert waving back from the door, intending to take the tranquiliser just as soon as he finished the story he was reading.

It was dark when he had finished the book. Consumed with guilt, he had taken himself straight to bed. The next morning, he'd woken up early, feeling fresher than he had before.

Downstairs, the forgotten pill had sat reproachfully on the kitchen worktop. Robert had quietly binned it, deciding that what maria didn't know couldn't hurt her.

Now Robert spent his evenings and afternoons out of sight reading his way through the musty old books. Those books he had finished decorated the bare floorboards of his bedroom. The cardboard box was almost empty.

The only books left in the books were three worn romance novels, faded pink backgrounds wrapped around handsome doctors, innocent heiresses and dastardly aristocrats.

Robert didn't read that afternoon, after waving Maria off and dumping his pill into the bin. Instead, he waited until she was out of sight of the house.

He waited five minutes, then slipped outside.
___

Robert had been wandering back from the beach when he had seen a group of people wheeling a trolley down the path towards the houses.

Robert had hung back feeling awkward, as though he was discovered trespassing. It felt strange to see strangers walking around so easily and nonchalantly, like it was completely routine.

Robert was still getting used to the place. it had a strange dream like quality to it. He was followed around by the feeling that at any moment he might wake up remembering who he was. who he was from before, and the whole experience would be other.

Seeing people wandering through his dream-place made it seem a little more ordinary, a little more banal.

Watching the group wheeling the trolley towards one of the unoccupied houses, Robert was about to back track the way he had come and find another route home to avoid them. It was then he saw Maria awving to him.

"Robert! Are you back from your walk?"

Robert nodded. He took a few steps forward as Maria advanced on him in her busy shuffle.

"You're back from pacing along the beach then, eh? Grand. How're you doing?"

"Fine, fine, you know." Robert nodded towards the trolley, covered over with blankets. "What's going on with...?"

Maria looked round, like she was suprised to see the group whe had left behind moments before.

"Wha-? oh yes! That'll be Julie, we're moving her in today, I'll be sitting in with her tonight and tomorrow, to see that she's settled."

Maria knudged Robert with a gentle push from her warm doughy hand.
"Do you remember pet, like I did with you?"
Robert nodded, smiling. Maria tapped him on the arm to make a point.
"I meant to say this morning lovey, will you be alright managing by yourself tomorrow?"

Rboert nodded.
"No problem Maria." She chuckled and patted his cheek.
"Brave Soldier. I'll pop round in a minute with your pills. I leave tomorrow's as well so you don't go short, alright love?"

"That'll be fine Maria, thanks." Robert waved as she hurried back to the group of orderlies, who were struggling bringing the trolley (a stretcher, Robert saw now) up the porch stairs and in through the doors of the vacant house.
___

Now Robert stood outside the house, throwing gravel from the pathway up at what he assumed was the bedroom window.

It was a bright day, sunny and warm, there had been a breeze blowing in from the sea, but round the houses it was utterly calm and still. The sky was deep blue at it's peak and faded to white at the horizon.

Yesterday he had seen the girl sitting on her porch, in a dressing gown and pajamas, looking round at the houses and chewing at her nails.

He had waved, not expecting a response, and was shocked when she had waved back. He paused for a moment, his hand frozen in mid air. Should he go over? What would he say?

Robert couldn't think of what to say. He couldn't remember how to do things like this. He knew he'd look silly if he kept standing in the open with his hand in the air though.

He gave the girl - julie, he remembered - another half hearted wave, and then hurried onto the beach, feeling like a fool. When he came back from the beach, sand was still clinging to the toes of his trainers where he'd kicked the sand in frustration at his stupidity.

The girl wasn't on her porch anymore. Robert decided she must've gone back inside already. It was about the time Maria came around with the pills.

Robert took his pill the moment he got in, for the first time in ages. He wanted to sleep through the awkwardness he felt.

Now he stood on the path, throwing the gravel chips at the window, hoping that he wasn't too late, that the girl - Julie - hadn't already taken her pill and was sound asleep.

The window swung open. The girls's head stuck out, looking down with a puzzled expression. Her dark hair had swung forward, and blocked her eyes until she pulled it out of the way, pinning it to the top of her head with the flat of her hand.

Her face was scrunched up with bemusement. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes squinted up against the bright light.

"Oh... It's you. From yesterday. What do you want?"
Her voice was raised to carry down to the ground. She put both her hands on the window pane and leaned forwad a little more, until it looked like she was growing out of the house at a right angle, like some strange kind of plant.

"What're you doing today?" Robert called up.

Julie looked confused. Her nose wrinkled up some more. Robert felt foolish.

"Urrrmm... I dunno. I was just going to take that pill the lady left for me and go to bed..."

Robert shuffled from side to side for a bit.

"Do you want to go for a walk instead?"