There was nothing good coming. Enya’s father would get a lamp on Patrick Mullaney sure as God made little apples. The guards would take badly to word about the crystal meth that was putting the hearts skaw-ways in the crowd below in Roxy’s. The wire cutters was still in back of the van, he had forgotten to bring it into Doggie, and it was enough alone to put Patrick Mullaney back in Castlerea jail for a stretch. His teeth were falling out. It was greyer he was after getting. There was the situation with the lack of a roof over their heads and the situation with all the chest pains and all the stress. Tee-J’s odds on staying out of scraps were long. There was only the half-chance ever of finding some peace and rest. People were fly-tipping their rubbish everywhere. Oh and the white Hitachi was set fast to its tracks and the tracks led in one direction only. The Hitachi also was making some fairly severe choking sounds. But Patrick Mullaney reckoned that if he got the exhaust sorted on her at all, she’d be 100 per cent.

Dark Lies the Island

DARK LIES THE ISLAND

SHE SAT IN a pool of grey-blue light thrown by the screen. Beyond the high windows, it was darkening, the quick fade of an October day. She had not cut in nine days but maybe tonight. She hung a song on her cloud, Sufjan, and took down another – she Xed a window and opened another. There was no internet at the holiday home except for dial-up, as though powered by a hamster on a wheel, and it made her want to retch it was so slow. She went each day to the cineplex at the far edge of the town. It had coin-operated terminals in a lobby annexe upstairs. She clicked and dragged; a deep nausea swirled. The smell of stale popcorn and bodies rose from the main lobby beneath. Sound FX from the movie screens, muffled, and faint dialogue, snappy-snappy. The itch of her blood as it sped. Gun shots. Car revs. Screams. She opened 4-Real Forum and typed:

Maybe tonite …

Gretchen from Flagstaff had a green light beside her name on the screen – Gretchen was live – and Gretchen typed:

It is what is in your heart that must be answered it is your call to make we are here for you, S.

Alison from Teignmouth had a green light beside her name on the screen – Alison was live – and Alison typed:

U hav been v strong for days why now Sara. This is what I must be asking right now. Is the med changed/weakened by ur head doc?

Kandy The Lez from Bremen had a green light beside her name – Kandy The Lez was live – and Kandy The Lez typed:

You cut tonite you photo n show me you hot fucken bitch I love you Sara K xox