«Isn't that odd. I always feel frightened, it's always a nightmare.»
«When I dream about it,» said Priscilla, «it's always empty, huge and empty, a wooden shell, counter and shelves and boxes, all empty.»
«You know what the shop means, of course,» said Francis. «The womb.»
«The empty womb,» said Priscilla. She made her woo-woo-woo sound and began to cry, hiding her eyes behind the large pendant sleeve of my pyjama jacket.
«Oh bosh,» I said.
«No, not empty. You're in it. You're remembering your life in the womb.»
«Rubbish! How could you remember that! And how could anyone ever prove it anyway? Now, Priscilla, do stop, it's time you went to sleep.»
«I've slept all day-I can't sleep now-«You will,» said Francis. «There was a sleeping pill in your chocolate.»
«You're drugging me. Roger tried to poison me-I motioned Francis away and he left the room murmuring, «Sorry, sorry, sorry.»
«Oh, whatever shall I do-«Go to sleep.»
«Bradley, you won't let them certify me, will you? Roger said once I was mad and he'd have me certified and shut up.»
«He ought to be certified and shut up.»
«Bradley, whatever will happen to me? I'll have to kill myself, there's nothing else to do. I can't go back to Roger, he was killing my mind, he was making me mad. He'd break things and say I'd done it and couldn't remember.»
«He's a very bad man.»
«No, I'm bad, so bad, I said such cruel things to him. I'm sure he went with girls. I found a handkerchief once. And I only use Kleenex.»
«Settle down, Priscilla. I'll do your pillows.»
«Hold my hand, Bradley.»
«I'm holding it!»
«Is wanting to kill yourself a sign of going mad?»
«No. Anyway you don't want to kill yourself. You're just a bit depressed.»
» 'Depressed'! Oh if you knew what it's like to be me. I feel as if I were made of old rags, a corpse made of old rags. Oh Bradley, don't leave me, I shall go mad in the night.»
«And the night-light. Bradley, do you think I could have a night-light?»
«I haven't got one and it's too late. I'll get one tomorrow. The lamp is just beside you, you can turn it on.»
«At Christian's there was a fanlight over the door and the light shone in from the corridor.»
