text: The library door slid silently closed behind her. Alice felt the chill of the evening probing at her unzipped, oversized coat, searching for a way in. She flicked her hood up and scanned the street ahead. All was quiet. The library had become a welcome sanctuary after school, they would never find her in there. They probably didn’t even know what a library was. She hung her head forward, allowing her long mousy hair to cover her face. Hugging her folders tightly in to her chest, she hurriedly crossed the road, stopping outside her favourite shop she peered in through the window. The small ugly creatures in the display gawped back at her, some were carved from small pieces of wood, some were made from odd shaped pebbles with big googly eyes painted on them. One was even made from a hairy coconut shell. That was Alice’s favourite one...it looked like she did first thing in the morning. She gazed at the eclectic mix of items filling the window. It was one odd shop she thought to herself...odd, like me. She heard them before she saw them, approaching from the corner of Holland street. Laughing and shouting as they prowled along looking for their next victim. Alice didn’t hesitate, she slipped in to the alleyway next to the shop, squeezed in beside the bins, and sat on the floor pulling her legs in tight. She rocked gently, picking at the elastic band on her scared wrist. Pulling it hard and letting it go. Pulling it hard and letting it go. Her hair draped across her face. As the pack got closer she could feel their footsteps on the pavement. She could feel their punches, their spitting. She could hear their words. “Freak! Freak! Freak! Freak!” When the footsteps and shouting were virtually on top of her. She squeezed herself tighter still and hummed quietly, waiting for the first blow. She might as well take her punishment......she was a freak after all. She held her breath. Alice stopped humming and listened. She could just make out the pack as they rounded the corner on to the high street. She waited until their laughing and shouting had completely faded into the sounds of the city. Cautiously she peeked her head out of the alleyway and checked the street. There was no one about. She brushed the dirt from her clothes and peered into the window of the shop again. She looked at her reflection. Her limp hair hanging across her face. Her slumped shoulders. The oversized army jacket she wore virtually covered her whole body....good she thought. Cover the freak up. She focused her eyes from her reflection and allowed them to adjust to the reflection of the other side of the street. A man stood waving. He wore a worn out black suit. He had worn out shoes and a bowler hat with a floppy red flower in it. He was smiling and waving frantically at her. Lorenzo?....No, no, it can’t be, she said to herself. She watched in the reflection as the man skipped across the deserted road. She watched as he came and stood right behind her. He cleared his throat dramatically and tapped her on the shoulder which sent goose bumps through her whole body. “No.....it can’t be you!” she said. “It can’t be you....you’re dead.....Lorenzo, I thought you were dead?.....they told me you were dead.” Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I know you’re not real....when I turn round you’ll vanish.” Alice slowly turned round keeping her eyes shut. She could feel the man’s excitement. He hopped from one foot to the other clapping his hands really fast. “Here goes!” she said, as she opened her eyes. The man threw his arms around her scooping her up into his embrace.....she felt six years old all over again. He smelt the same as he always did. Candy floss and toffee apples. He squeezed and squeezed and squeezed. When they finally parted she looked at his face. “But you don’t look a day older?....Where have you been?” She laughed and cried as tears streamed down her face. “I thought I would never see you again....Dr Munroe said you were gone. She said I didn’t need you anymore....But I did, I do! I do need you Lorenzo I always did!” Lorenzo wiped Alice’s face with his worn out cuff. His smile was always more than just a smile. His whole face smiled, and when it did his bowler hat would lift slightly. And his wise old blue eyes would sparkle just that little bit more. “Well hello to you Miss Alice sugar! It’s a pleasure to be in your acquaintance again.” He tipped his hat and did a little curtsey. They walked for a while, Alice chatted uncontrollably, Lorenzo smiled and listened. He nodded and he gasped as she told him about how life had been since he disappeared. They rounded the corner that led through the park and Alice stopped. She looked at her watch. “It’s getting late Lorenzo, I wouldn’t normally walk home this way....it goes near the park....I guess now you’re here it would be ok, and it’s quicker. Lorenzo squeezed her arm. “Whatever you thinks best Miss Alice sugar, whatever you thinks best.” And his eyes sparkled in the dusky light. #### Chad leaned back in his chair which groaned under his weight. He always found the night shift challenging. Glancing around at the array of CCTV monitors in the control room, he puffed out his cheeks at the prospect of another eight hours of staring at the screens. He lazily clicked the mouse and zoomed in on one. Sitting forward he dragged the chair closer to the desk, the worn out wheels refusing to turn. He pulled down his microphone. “This is CCTV control....We have a female youth....Caucasian....approximately Five foot eight...wearing a long green jacket with long brown hair. She’s making her way east along Church Street. Looks like she’s heading for the park. Probably not a good idea at this time of the day. Do we have a foot patrol anywhere nearby? Just in case....she’s walking alone....I repeat she’s alone......Over.” #### Robbo drained the last drops from his can of disgusting warm cider. He stood up on the bench, steadied himself against the railings and harpooned the empty can onto the spiky fence. “Take that you bastard!” he bellowed before letting out an enormous burp. Cliffy sat motionless. He drew in hard on the spliff, the red glow illuminating the gaunt features tucked away under his hood. He flicked the butt away, leaned forward and spat on the street between his feet, allowing a trail of drool to hang from his stubbly chin. Something at the end of the road caught his eye. He sat back and pulled down his hood. “Eh....Robbo, this is gonna be too easy...look at this, is she talking to herself? Or was that shit really good! Man, she’s more fucked up than you are. I reckon even you can do this one!” #### Alice stopped chatting and grabbed Lorenzo’s sleeve. “Uh oh” She said, as the two men approached. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all...What do we do Lorenzo?....I’m scared.” Lorenzo pushed down on his hat. He turned up the cuffs of his jacket. “Well Miss Alice sugar....Don’t be scared...I’m here now. I think we can handle this....together.” The pair stood still and watched the two men approach. “All you’ve got to do is focus on what you can see Miss Alice sugar....What can you see?” Alice shot a look at Lorenzo then back at the danger approaching. “Err...I can see two nutters coming towards me?” “Look closer...what can you see?” Alice took a deep breath and studied the scene. “Ok...The skinny one who’s slightly in front and probably weighs less than me, is puffing out his chest and trying to make himself look threatening....he actually looks a little scared” “Good...and the other guy?” “The other guy is more dangerous. His movements are slower. More calculated. He’s kept his right hand in his pocket the whole time....my guess is he’s got a knife. But he looks completely stoned. Lorenzo grabbed Alice firmly by the shoulders. “Very good Miss Alice sugar...very good. Now watch this!” He pushed Alice backwards, spun elegantly round, and took two quick steps towards Robbo. Robbo panicked, his alcohol blurred vision couldn’t keep up with Lorenzo’s speed. He swung a punch desperately into thin air and as he lost his balance and began to spin, Lorenzo leapt high in the air landing down hard with his heel on the side of Robbo’s knee. As the ligaments snapped, burning pain flooded through Robbo’s malnourished body and he passed out instantly. Lorenzo straightened himself up and pulled down on his blazer jacket brushing at the lapel. He smiled at Alice. A big smile that made his hat lift up. Cliffy pulled the knife from his pocket and waved it in the air. Before he had a chance to speak Lorenzo kicked the knife from his hand. Cliffy’s eyes followed the knife in disbelief. Lorenzo grabbed one of Alice’s folders and in one fluid motion swung round. As the corner of the folder made contact with Cliffy’s temple he got one final glimpse of Alice as he dropped to his knees and blacked out. “Run Alice! Run!” Shouted Lorenzo. The pair of them ran as fast as they could. #### Chad’s jaw hung open. He slowly positioned the mic in front of his mouth. “Errr, this it CCTV control....dismiss the last message, I repeat, dismiss the last message....Can we have an ambulance to the park entrance on Church Street please. That’s an ambulance to the park entrance on Church Street please. We have two males down....Over.” #### Alice stopped running and bent forward to catch her breath. Her long hair hung down in front of her face. She pulled the elastic band from her wrist and tied her hair up in a ponytail. She rubbed at the red mark the elastic band left. “No more.” She said. “No more.” She stood up straight and took off her coat stuffing it into her bag. She stood alone on the curb waiting for the traffic to slow so she could cross. A big red bus drove past and as she watched herself pass by in the reflection in the bus windows, she saw Lorenzo. His arm around her shoulder. A Huge smile on his face. His smile was always more than just a smile. His whole face smiled, and when it did his bowler hat would lift slightly. And his wise old blue eyes would sparkle just that little bit more. Alice smiled back. “It’s good to have you back Lorenzo....It’s good to have you back.”