A TANGLE OF LIGHT

By Tessa Harvey


    Adrienne felt numb with shock. Huddled in the meagre shelter of a very dark doorway, her heart raced. Oh, and she thought, not another stupid panic attack. She reached for her phone, the lurid pink cover barely registering in the almost unbroken blanket of night.
    It was a rough area. She was a fool to have taken this shortcut! Rain flung its slicing into her small area. Huddling even further back against a derelict shop doorway she phoned home. The male voice answering was as cold as Adrienne felt. "Adrienne! About time. What the hell are you doing out? Where are you?" The tone was demanding. "Dad, there's been an accident. A woman fell down. She's not moving. She needs help." Her voice sounded shaky and childish even to her own ears. "I don't know what to do."
    The answering voice sounded a little less angry. "Well, call an ambulance. You can do that, can't you?" The sarcasm helped her focus. "Where are you? I'll come and get you. This weather is terrible. It's too late for you to be out." Shaking, the young woman gave directions. There were more angry comments, then her dad ended the call.
    The ambulance came quickly as she had hoped. Waiting near the unconscious sodden woman, she flagged down the emergency vehicle, now edging cautiously down the street.


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