CHAPTER 2 - VIA DOLOROSA

Crabdale trudged home through sub-district B11 of Shallow, preoccupied by the internal parade of images he played with to avoid looking at the grim skyline. At every shop doorway, he tuned his ears to the news of a distant war. He’d always loved current affairs! It gave him a thrill to think of himself as a tiny particle, the product of thousands of events, momentary.

Finally he ran the gauntlet of his own street, where high narrow gargoyled houses rose to block out the light. With relief, he turned the key to his own door. He’d got through another day! Virtually grey with exhaustion, he clambered over a heap of yesterday’s carpet shavings and plugged in the kettle. He watched it boil and restarted it every time it periodically sparked and switched itself off. He tried to make as little noise as possible, but it was no good.

From the bowels of the house, there were the unmistakable sounds of movement and eventually a strident squawk and a series of jarring chirrups as “Auntie” Frothie burst through the door, her tiny body taut as cables. As always, she had news that just had to be sung.

"Did you have FUN at work today?" she screeched and gave a manic grin.

Crabdale's heart sank and, grunting a response, he withdrew into his nether world.