It didn’t hit Wilom at all as he was walking home, despite the new sheaf of paper in his briefcase: the lists of things he would need to procure and do before he reported for training. He probed at the idea like a sore tooth. Continue reading “Should Have Known”
Bad News
At Marc’s house, Cathlin was sorting through a pile of mail. Jilli was playing with her bear and a doll at the other end of the table, and Marc was chopping carrots.
“There’s one here for you,” Cathlin said, and pushed it across the table to Wilom. Continue reading “Bad News”
Decisive
Wilom stayed at home the next morning. He drank his coffee with Marc, and then took up position at the dining room table as Cathlin and Jilli got ready for the day and left. Cathlin was insisting on walking Jilli to school before she ran her errands. Wilom’s shoulders had been tense the entire time, the incriminating lists hidden under innocuous ones, explanation ready just in case he was asked. But he needn’t have worried. Jilli was too concerned with a book she wanted to borrow from the school library, and Cathlin was too concerned with getting her to stop chattering and put on her shoes. Continue reading “Decisive”
Commitments
Wilom waited for Vanda, for once, when they met for tea to talk through their next meeting with the Heads. He had brought a book to read, and sat at the tea shop, periodically telling the waitresses to give him “just another few minutes until my friend gets here” until Vanda arrived. Continue reading “Commitments”
Pudding
When Wilom eventually got back to Marc’s house, Cathlin was already there, but Jilli was not. Wilom had been far too preoccupied that morning to remember whether Marc had had anything planned with her, or whether she was at Sarit’s that afternoon, but he put it out of his mind. Continue reading “Pudding”
Metaphorically Speaking
Cathlin had declared herself “having a day off” that morning, so Wilom decided that he would have been rostered for an afternoon shift that day and met her at the breakfast table. He brought their coffees, and they said goodbye to Jilli as she headed out the door with Sarit and her father for their day at school. Cathlin waved to Jilli from the breakfast table, and Jilli made two excuses to give Cathlin and Wilom extra hugs before heading out the door. Continue reading “Metaphorically Speaking”
Unpleasant Papers
Wilom slept in the next morning, late enough that Marc had already left for work, and when he finally emerged for breakfast, he found Cathlin sitting at a table with the morning mail, Jilli’s empty toast plate still sitting beside her. Continue reading “Unpleasant Papers”
The Second Folder
The Heads’ meeting was held in a moderately well-kept warehouse on the other side of the city. Wilom was starting to suspect that nobody he knew actually did business in sensible places, like offices, and realised just how much that said about his life choices. Vanda left him outside the door, and went in to make her case to them. Continue reading “The Second Folder”
Breaking News
Vanda took Wilom immediately to the little run-down shack where the people from the tunnels were currently living. It was larger than Wilom had expected – he had expected a decrepit farm house, but this actually seemed to be an old barn or storehouse. Through the window, he could see fluttering fabric. A makeshift curtain. Continue reading “Breaking News”
Resolutions
When Wilom woke up the next morning, Jilli and Marc were playing with toys in the living room. He poured coffee from the pot Marc had left out and watched them for a moment, until Marc looked up. Continue reading “Resolutions”
Whimsy and Metaphor 