The shadows of finality.

in public

What wakes you up at night?

Me?

Yes, you – there’s nobody else here.

Except us chickens.

Exactly – so, what wakes you up in the small hours.

What doesn’t? Someone sleeping next to me, someone not sleeping next to me, a cat sleeping next to me, a cat sleeping on me, a cat climbing all over me, a cat I’ve locked out of the room who has gone outside the house and is standing under the window of my bedroom moaning at me, someone sleeping next to me getting up and letting the cat back in, the cat jumping on me again, my pillow, my pyjamas… but really, to be honest, it’s mostly my dreams.

Your dreams?

Yep, they’re too loud.

Loud?

No, that’s the wrong word – abrupt may be a better one.

What do you mean?

They don’t fade out into waking anymore, they just snap shut and the jolt wakes me.

Is there a noise?

No, that’s the weird thing - and why I felt just now that the word ‘loud’ was incorrect, neither is there an accompanying colour but the moment is so violent that there could have been both.

What does it feel like?

The shadows of finality.