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She hadn’t screamed out loudor at least she didn’t think so Her room was a fair distance fro There was no sound of a door opening No footsteps running down the passage No voice calling out to see if she was all right

She waited in the darkness, poised, tense, agitated

Long minutes passed

She lay back down and closed her eyes but it was ies flickering behind her eyelids like an old black-and-white film set on permanent replay

Aiesha threw off the bedcovers and reached for her wrap A hot drink with a shot of brandy would have to do as Jah her scales at this hour She hadn’t seen hi earlier that day But she could still feel the ih her body like the hu fork

When she got to the kitchen, Bonnie got up off her bed and looked up at Aiesha with a sheepish look in her brown eyes, her feathery tail sloagging back and forth like a metronome on three-two time

‘Don’t even think about it,’ Aiesha said and reached for the fridge handle ‘You’ll have to cross your legs or so’

The dog gave a little whine and padded towards the back door, looking back over her shoulder as if to say, Co?

Aiesha closed the fridge and put the milk carton on the counter with a ht golden retrievers were supposed to be smart? You’re the dumbest one I’ve met’

She opened the back door, wincing as a blast of the icy hipped it back against the wall The dog a as if she had all the ti as the wind skirted around her bare ankles ‘Hey, don’t go out of sight I’ for you’

The dog disappeared behind the low hedge that surrounded the vegetable garden Aiesha swore under her breath as she reached for a jacket hanging by the door She could smell Louise’s perfume on it and for aher arh the sleeves