Episode 35 - The Big Bang
dedicated to the glorious athletes of Australia
...aussie... aussie...aussie... oi... oi... oi...
Sara was glad for the weekend. Her first week had been long and confusing. The people in her office were all preoccupied with their own busy lives and she hadn't struck up so much as a casual hello with anyone. She felt she was just another anonymous face in this sterile and unfriendly environment. To add weight to this theory, her boss was still calling her 'Sandra'.
She stood in the packed train for the half hour commute, giving her seat up to a heavily pregnant woman who thanked her gratefully. Sara glared at young businessmen, comfortably seated, with mobile phones seemingly grafted to their ears. They deliberately made themselves busy so as to avoid her disgusted gaze.
Finally she dissembarked at her station. Sara smiled and waved goodbye to the pregnant woman and shoved past some yuppies,almost falling out of the carriage. She juggled her briefcase and some contracts that she planned to work on over the weekend. She trudged up the street and rounded the corner into Carlisle.
Chloe flashed passed her like a fluorescent comet swathed in lycra. Sara watched her fly by. She had half raised her hand to wave when she realised she was oblivious to Chloe.
~*~*~*~
The stalker watched as Sara walked past her car. She saw Chloe speed by on her 12 geared carbon framed bike. She bided her time, waiting another 5 minutes for Sara to let herself into her apartment. She held her mobile phone in her nervously sweating palm, her thumb poised over the speed dial button. It was programmed with the bomb's mobile number.
~*~*~*~
Chloe had spotted Sara and decided to ignore her. She had rounded the corner and realised she had forgotten the parcel that she had rescued from Sara's doorstep. She continued on, circling the block and returned to the apartments from the other direction. In doing so, she didn't go past the black sedan and it's psychotic occupant.
~*~*~*~
Sara was about to open the door when she heard Chloe call out to her from the foot of the front steps. She turned and smiled.
'Hey,' I picked up a parcel that someone left you this afternoon. I put it in my place.'
'Oh, thanks. It's probably from Mum. I can get it off you later if you were about to go on a ride.'
'Its ok, I've come back now.' Chloe said, bounding up the steps awkwardly in her cycling shoes. It reminded Sara of last week when she had tried to drive with her soccer boots on. 'Follow me and I'll grab it.'
Sara thanked her again and followed Chloe to her apartment. They went in and Chloe picked up the package.
'Here, 'tis. I thought I'd better bring it in. You never know who may have pinched it.'
Sara took it and looked at the red writing on the label. There was no address, just her name. She frowned. It looked strangly familiar.
Thats odd? she thought. She knew no one in the city and wondered who had hand delivered it.
'Well, thanks again,' she said. tucking it under her arm. As they stepped out the front door, Nan was walking past with her gardening tools in a bucket. She stopped for a natter.
~*~*~*~
The stalker felt it was time. She slowly caressed the phone and then viciously hit the speed dial button with her thumb.
Her eyes blazed with maniacal glee as she waited for all hell to break loose.
to be continued... |
