The alarm sounded and Lisa’s hand shot out of bed to silence it. Why, she pondered, did people use the snooze button? An ex had argued about this, at some length, in fact more than one ex. The shower was hot and acoustically kind. Downstairs she made toast and coffee, black, the stronger the better. This was the cause of another disagreement. But, honestly, how was she to know other people didn’t take it that way?
She wrote her Morning Pages. There were now over 100 notebooks stacked on her shelves, containing streams of consciousness. This also seemed to be a major topic for discussion.
Catching the tube she contemplated her day. Accounting was an oasis in the maelstrom that social interaction presented. Lisa knew where she was with numbers. They were consistent. They obey rules. They never argued with her. They always made sense and they often challenged her. She very rarely met clients and when she did she knew that her presentation was the epitome of numerical clarity.
As she entered the office she saw The Lottery Winner was being announced. Ignoring the announcement Lisa switched on her computer and got to work. Speculation was rife about who this week’s winner was. By lunch she had conquered the profit and loss sheet and was ready to write her report.
Sunshine illuminated the office so Lisa decided to walk outside. This allowed her to work towards her daily 10,000 steps, breathe fresh air, make vitamin D and vary her diet. A very efficient use of her lunch break.
As she briskly walked past the shops her eye was caught by the newsreader urging The Lottery Winner to come forward and claim their prize. No one had ever said what that prize was. No one ever seemed to interview previous winners to find out. This had resulted in The Argument and, somehow, an office visit by a man named Mr Jones; who told her curiosity killed the cat and to take this advice to heart.
Back at the office she heard her name being announced and turned to see a picture of herself with a newsreader asking people to let her know that her ticket had been selected. The office was silent as Lisa went to her desk, picked up her case and walked rapidly towards the exit.
How long did she have? Where could she go? She had lots of questions but no answers and she needed to think. As she crossed the road to the tube station a black SUV cut across her path. Two men stepped out of the vehicle and approached her.
‘Lisa Cromwell, we need you to come with us, now.’ ‘Please, I…’
