19 Red Scarf
Thom walks down the stairs the next morning, a flash of red stopping him by the hall window. He squints at the figure curled up on the bench opposite the house and instantly starts to run. He fumbles with the door and races across the street, nearly tripping over the rough grass in the front garden.
He reaches the bench, gasping for breath. She is wearing a large overcoat that has fallen open, revealing her bare legs and a few inches of her stomach where her top has ridden up. The blood red scarf is around her neck and trails over the side of the bench, looking as deeply asleep as she is.
Thom kneels down beside her. He considers tucking her curls behind her ears but as soon as he reaches towards her, his arm feels heavy and he lets it drop. Instead, he rests his fingers o
