Shivers ran down Freyr’s spine as Indy’s cold hand moved down her boiling hot body. The fans had been working overtime to make everything cool but she had a habit of making a nest for herself in and among the bedcovers which preserved heat. It often meant stealing the duvet from the man sleeping next to her but that was a sacrifice she was willing to make. He turned on his side and gathered her up in a spoon and for a moment Freyr buried her head in her pillow and tried to block out the sound of frantic voices from outside and feel safe again, but the noise got increasingly loud over a period of minutes until she couldn’t bare it. If Indy wasn’t going to find out what was going on, she would.

Gently squirming out Indy’s vice like grip, Freyr shimmied towards the precipice of their king bed and put her feet on the cool wooden floor. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the half light of their bedroom and she picked out items of their clothing scattered everywhere. Instead of going through the palava of fitting into her tight jeans Freyr grabbed a pair of Indy’s boxer shorts and a short silver silk dressing gown and left the room. The hallway looked a lot scarier by night. The experimental artworks on the walls left strange shapes which seemed to move and shift in the moonlight. The sculptures which hid in corners and crannies left horrific shadows that kept Freyr’s pace slow and steady. 

She reached the kitchenette and main open space. The stairway that led to their two guest rooms was shrouded in darkness and the breakfast counter was a mess. A half empty Scotch bottle beside two empty tumblers the figurehead beside opened crisp packets and other rubbish. The noise had escalated to various banging, scraping. Freyr couldn’t make out what they were saying but she heard the familiar squeak of wheeled suitcases. Unlatching their door and pulling it open slightly, Freyr saw a family she’d never seen before banging on the flat next door. A man, a woman and two little girls. “Tiana! Open up right now, it’s your sister!” The woman shouted as she pounded furiously away. Freyr decided to reveal herself, they could use her help. Stepping over the threshold with her arms loosely crossed she called softly out to them. “Hey. May i ask whats up?”

They all whirled round towards her. The man, who was closest, couldn’t help but hungrily eye up the slices of body that had slipped out from between the silk curtains of Freyr’s dressing gown. The woman abandoned her knocking of next door and rushed her, throwing her arms distraughtly around Freyr, tears streaming down her face. “My sister, she won’t answer the door! We need to get out of the city.” Freyr was shocked by the woman’s tears and hesitantly returned the strangers hug. Over her shoulder, Freyr gave the man a ‘help me out’ face and he obliged. “We’re leaving the city, had a phone conversation with Tiana and hour or so ago but she isn’t answering the door.” At this point the woman peeled herself away from the door, recovering a bit but still distraught, and resumed banging on the door.

“Why are you leaving Atlanta?”

“You haven’t noticed yet? There’s something going on out there, we’re not sure what but i think it’s best if we get out for a few days. Til things blow over. Freyr looked behind her and found Indy in the threshold of their flat, just as there was a banging from the other side of Tiana’s door. From inside. The woman jumped away like she’d seen a ghost, but the banging continued.