She sat there, tentatively waiting on edge for the time to come. The freedom she had been waiting for. Forty three minutes on the timer. She was counting them down, second by second. The sharp nail of the left thumb digging hard into the side of the right. Picking the skin with panic, until it bled. She needs to get out. But she can’t. The time seems to be going slower which each minute the timer loses.
‘WHEN WILL IT END?!” she screams, dragging her sore fingers through her hair, pulling knotted clumps out along the way. The noise in her head, going round and round, monotonously droning. The noise stops. But only for a second. The whirring and beating sound becomes more intense and alive than it was before. Much more, throwing her brain into complete chaos as she continues to watch the minutes melt away, ever so slowly.
She had planned things so perfectly, and everything was going according to plan. ‘How did she let this happen?’ she asked herself. This was the one thing that could have gone wrong, and it went and bloody happened! She didn’t even have a Plan B!
Still sat there, entirely focused on watching the countdown to her inevitable freedom, she began to think of all the possible things that could go wrong from this one, innocent mistake. People are relying on her and she can’t even perform a simple task. Her whole family will be waiting there, for her to appear, and she wont. After all this time. What will they think? What will they say?!
The clock dropped, interminable minute by interminable minute, until eventually she could taste her freedom. It was there, almost on the tip of her tongue. The wood beneath her had flaked off in two precise spots where she had turned her attention from her thumbs to the floor. Picking the flecks of old wood from her nails she counted down; three minutes, then two… she began to pull herself together, shaking her head to break her gaze and prepare herself to face reality again.
Stood staring freedom in the eye, as if ready for battle, the sound of the door unlocked. Her, pupils enlarge with anticipation, heart skips just one beat as her mouth opens in marvel. She knows she has made it. Everything came together, despite the setbacks and initial panic. She takes one step forward, stretching one arm ahead of her as she cautiously pulls her top out of the dryer, slips it on and heads out for the day.