Girl In The Red Coat

weather made me even more keen to get out of the house. The weakness in my body had disappeared and I felt like I could run a marathon, if I was asked to. I saw the pink, glass jar and that the contents were gone. I must had managed to drink it all before I fell back to sleep and not realised it. I put on some music and danced my way into the bathroom feeling vibrant. In the wide mirror of the bathroom wall, I performed as if I was showcasing a new dance routine. Dancing was something I had loved for as long as I could remember. My dancing reflection revealed a dark stain on my neck. I stopped and gazed at the mark. It looked like a love bite, but I had no idea how it got there as the only physical encounter I’d had with a boy was the version of Daniel from my dream. I touched the mark and suddenly I was back laying on the snow with Daniel looking down at me. Then I heard a loud knocking and I was back in the bathroom at my Grandma’s house and she was knocking on the door.

‘Grace, are you ok in there?’ she yelled to me through the door. ‘Your music is playing really loud and interrupting your Granddad’s meditation.’

‘Yes, I am fine. I’m just feeling so happy and vibrant. Sorry that the music is too loud.’

‘It’s fine, I am happy to hear you are feeling better but I am going to turn down your music so Granddad can concentrate.’

I looked at in the mirror again, the dark mark on my neck had changed to a dulled yellow colour like a healing bruise. I hoped my Grandparents hadn’t see the mark that morning when we were chatting. But the room had been quite dark so I just thought that they probably hadn’t. I shook this small mystery off as I wanted to get outside and fill my lungs with fresh air. As quickly as I could I jumped into the shower and lathered my dirty hair with my Grandma’s luxury shampoo. The shower products were also kept in glass jars. she seemed to make a lot of her own lotions from the various herbs and flowers that were grown in her garden. I guessed that being retired, she’d have a lot of time to try out new things such as making homemade beauty products. Whatever she put in them, they always did the trick. My hair was so bouncy and full of life after washing it with her creations. I climbed out of the shower and back in the bedroom, the music had switched over to my favourite slow ballad. I hummed to the tune and sang along, as an image of Ben appeared and there, we were holding each other and gazing into each other’s eyes. I smiled to myself at the thought of this and wondered whether it would come true. Or maybe I wouldn’t really see him again. The song ended and my thoughts stopped, so I reached for the hair dryer and finished getting ready.

I headed downstairs to tell my Grandma my plans for the day. She was in the kitchen chopping herbs and placing them into glass jars. Again, lavender incense filled the room with its essence.

‘Grandma is it ok for me to take a walk into town? It is such a lovely day, and I’m feeling much better and I could do with some fresh air.’

‘Yes, of course Grace, but make sure you are home for tea as your parents are coming over. Your mum has been really worried about you being poorly.’

‘Ok Grandma, I will make sure I’m home for about fiveish.’

‘Be careful out there and if you walk down the old railway please keep to the footpath. Oh, that lovely Ben dropped in your college work this morning.’

‘Well, I’ll have to find him to thank him. I guess I owe him a lot for what he has done for me.’

I gave Grandma a quick hug and kiss on the cheek and walked out to the back garden to say bye to Granddad but he was deep in his ritual meditation, so I didn’t bother him. I would see him later on that evening for dinner when my parents visited. I hadn’t seen them in a week and was looking forward to catching up. Walking out around the passageway to the front gate that took me to the main road, I headed for the old overgrown railway route. Maybe there’d be clues as to what had happened to me, or perhaps I’d remember once there. The weather had changed from when I was last outside, the sky overfilled with grey clouds and a wind that blew so strongly that my hood on the red coat would not stay over my head. I approached the opening of the old railway pathway and paused, I took a deep breath to prepare myself for what might be and hoped to seek some answers.

I was also longing for Ben to appear.

I started to walk again but at a slow pace, the wind howling through the overgrown trees and grass. I tried to hold the hood up on my red coat. As well as the strong wind, I still felt quite weak from my episode, but I was not going to give in. And I was determined to find Ben. Up ahead I saw a shadowy figure heading in my direction. I carried on walking. I hoped it was him. Just a few steps further and I would have had a clearer vision to see who it was, then something caught the corner of my eye. Ruffled up on the overgrown vegetation was what looked like some material, an item of clothing that was screwed up and damp as though someone had tried to hide it. I knelt down to