Thoughts, on fire.

by mlhart

Six thirty in the morning. That ringing, it’s not the alarm clock.

A groan: you’ve got to be kidding me. Covers back, feet on the floor, early morning sleep-crust sticking to my bones.

Fuck me.

Fire alarm wakeup call on the fourth floor.

Shuffle to the door, slide deadbolt – left, right, left, right – peek confirms no one else is in the hallway.

False. Alarm, false.

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. Feet still sleeping, no need to pick them up. Flop into bed, pillow over head.

Still ringing, getting louder and louder, my groan a yell: shut the fuck up!

I am so pleasant in the morning.

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. Deadbolt slide. Peek – left, right – neighbours in winter coats and boots hightailing for the stairwell.

Shit.

Socks. Need to find socks. It’s cold out there. Sweater. Check. Jacket. Okay. Mittens. Need mittens. Hello mittens? Aha! Under the couch cushion.

Pray: fire, please don’t spread quickly.

Shoes. Where’d I put my shoes? Right. By the patio door. Wore them outside to smoke last night.

Smokes! Should take those.

Logical. Very logical.

Records? No.

Computer? Possibly.

Cat.

Shit. The cat.

Here, kitty, kitty.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Yes, I hear you!

Cat carrier case. Where did I leave the carrier case? Front hall.

Okay, cat. It’s just you, me and this damn plastic carrier case.

No.

No paws, no meows, definitely no hisses. Get your angry ass in the carrier!

I don’t want to go outside any more than you!

Pleading with a four-legged animal before dawn – get! in! the! case!

Success! No, aw, no! Get back here! Stop with the scratches. Get in the case!

Okay. Cat in carrier. Latches fastened.

This is good. We’re good.

Keys. Crap. Need keys to get back in building.

Smash!

Cat crashes through carrier door. Door on floor, cat under bed, carrier cracked.

You have got to be kidding me.

Fuck it, cat. Smoulder!

Can’t kill cat. Guilty conscience no way to start weekend.

Cat in coat.

Socks. Sweater. Jacket. Mittens. Shoes. Smokes. Cat. Keys.

What’d I forget?

Sanity.

I’ll come back for that.

xoxo

M.L. H’art