State of Sleep

CHAPTER 5

  Frank woke the next morning to a pounding feeling in his head. “God, what did I do last night?” He moaned, rubbing his forehead in pain before burying his face into his pillow to try and sleep again. No use, it felt as if his head was screaming at him. “What happened last night?” he mumbled. “What happened to Mandy and that girl, Emily?” He sat in bed and rubbed his eyes. “And what was with that duck?”

  Whatever had happened, he knew he wouldn’t be going into work. He fought his way out of bed, wincing at the pounding and the dizzy feeling that had taken over. Once he'd managed to stand properly he hobbled over to the telephone.

  "Good morning, Sunnytime Supermarket, how may I help you?"

  “Hello, Mr White? Is that Mr White?”

  “Good morning. This is Manager White. How may I help you?”

  "Hi, Sir, it's Frank. I'm just calling in to say that I’m sick and can't come into work today."

  There was a groan from the other end of the line. “You’ve already had a week sick.”

  "It’s the medication, Mr White. It’s making me feel drowsy and tired so I just can't make it."

  "Young man, you have spent too many days out of work." His manager snapped a little too loudly. "I am willing to make an exception for you this one time, but you must make progress in becoming the best employee you can."

  There was an uncomfortable silence as Frank tried to find the right answer. "Yes! Of course, Sir,” he eventually said. “I'm very sorry, Sir, I'll work on it."

  With the call ended, Frank went back to his room to dress and picked out a black top and jeans. His head was still pounding and he wondered whether fresh air would make it better. Fresh air, a walk and some daylight.

  The street was gloomy and wet from overnight rain. The sky was grey and felt cold and damp, but it was just what Frank needed to clear his head.

  At the end of his street, he saw his neighbour, Mr Pilcrow standing in the road and turning left and right as though guarding the area. Pilcrow was at the station during the attack. Frank had seen his bowler hat with the feathers. He was there. He knew what had happened.

  "Hello? Mr Pilcrow?" Frank said as he waved at him. Pilcrow looked at him momentarily then returned to his street watching. "It's me... Frank? Your neighbour?"

  "Frank. They'll come after you next if you’re not careful," Pilcrow whispered. “Have the police been to your house yet? They'll come to yours next if they haven’t already been."

  “They came when I was in hospital,” Frank replied. “They spoke to my mum. What do they want?”

  "You cannot trust them, Frank. Whatever they say, do not trust them." Pilcrow stopped looking at the street and stared intently at him.

  "What should I do?" Pilcrow didn’t answer. Frank waited a moment for a response but his neighbour was in his own little dream world. “Mr Pilcrow… I think what happened at the station was a terrorist attack but other people tell me…”

  “...Don’t say that!” Pilcrow suddenly rushed towards him and grabbed the lapels of his coat. “Don’t ever say that out loud. Do you not understand? That’s what the police are waiting for. They’re waiting to see if you remember. Just forget it all, Frank...” Pilcrow let go of him and held his fists to his temples. “God, I wish I could forget about it. I’m scared Frank. I want to go back to sleep, but I can’t.” Pilcrow stared at him for a few seconds, then as though he was overcome with emotion, turned his back and walked away.

  “What the hell was that all about?” Frank mused to himself as he left. Would the police really come and visit him again? Maybe Pilcrow was just crazy. Maybe he was genuinely insane or just playing a joke, but it all seemed a little too real.

  Above him Frank noticed the billboard, washed out with the weather and faded. A smiling woman’s face and the words, ‘Life is Wonderful’, then below it, ‘The Government Protects’. He was sick of those words but this time it made him laugh. There was nothing wonderful about life in this street. It was wet, there was a smell coming from the drains and further down the road he could see that a bus had broken down and the sad looking passengers were walking away with their bags of shopping and grey cigarettes.

  As he went further into town he saw a young man busking in the street. Frank listened to him for a few minutes and watched as the other people ignored him, not hearing the song he played. Frank stayed to the end then dropped a few coins in his guitar case before he carried on walking down the road.

  Further along his way, Frank saw two men in black suits that reminded him of his dream. Were these the men who had come into his room? They looked like government men. Like that man who came to see him in hospital. They looked at him for a moment and Frank felt a cold shudder. He didn’t make eye contact and tipped his head down, feeling self-conscious, worried they may be looking at him.

  Close by he spotted the entrance to a small park and playground and went inside to escape the scrutiny of the government men. There was a bench and some children’s swings. He took a seat and listened to the birds chirping in the trees. It was the closest he had been to wildlife in a long time, or rather, it was the first time he had noticed wildlife in a long time. How could he not notice wildlife? How could he have ignored the sound of birds, or not recognised that they were there for such a long time?

  ----- X -----

  Out of curiosity, Frank returned to the station. He saw police tape barriers and more of the strange people that he had seen before in their white suits. Strange, he thought, that they should still be collecting evidence if this was only a gas explosion.

  Some of the white suited men stopped to look at him and one of them waved to a nearby police car and pointed at him. Frank turned to the police car, the government slogan printed on the side and watched as a policeman got out and beckoned him with a hooked finger.

  Frank pointed to his own chest, asking the policeman if he was really calling him. The policeman nodded and Frank bent down to get under the tape the police had used to cordon off the area.

  “Yes, Sir?” Frank said to the policeman.

  The policeman took a helmet from the car. It seemed a little too large for his small head. "Can you not see the cordon tape behind you?” The policeman asked.

  “Yes, Sir?” Frank replied.

  “Then why are you on the wrong side of it?”

  “Because…” Frank blinked, almost in disbelief. “Because you beckoned me to come to you. I was… I was on the other side until you called me.”

  The policeman gave him a beady eyed stare. “Wait here,” he said before walking to another officer on the edge of the cordon. This officer was a slightly plumper man and he came back to Frank and sniffed at the boy disapprovingly. The officer sighed and pulled out a slightly crumpled notepad from his back pocket and flicked pages aside with a grumble. Frank watched a bead of sweat slide down the side of his cheek. "Oh! Right, here we are," the policeman prodded the pad. "So...um. Sir? Is it?"

  “Yes… I’m a Sir.”

  “So how do you… feel… about the gov-ment?" He read badly from the notepad. Frank could tell that this man had no idea what he was saying.

  "The Government Protects?" he raised an eyebrow, amazed that this man could even qualify as a policeman. The officer nodded happily at the answer. “Can I go now?” Frank asked.

  The dumb officer scratched his brow and wiped his face with his palm and said, “Yes, but don’t do it again.”

  Just as Frank was ready to leave, he saw one of the white lab coat men from the corner of his eye taking a photo of him. The lab man then went back to looking through the rubble innocently like he'd never seen him.

  ----- X -----

  Leaving the station, Frank realised that he was being followed. A hooded man walked on the opposite side of the street slightly behind, but when Frank turned to look directly, the man spun around and looked in a shop window. The shop had sold fish tanks and pet supplies in the past but it had been closed down now for many years; the man was window shopping in a derelict store.
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  “I don’t like this,” Frank mumbled. Being followed, spoken to by police, being photographed, government men in the street. Not to mention crazy Mr Pilcrow. Frank decided to double back and head home. He switched direction but the man across the street crossed to join him.

  "Excuse me," the man said. "Are you OK?" He stepped closer to Frank, pulling down his hood to reveal a man who looked only a little older than himself, which he was not expecting.

  “Um, yes. I’m fine thank you.” Frank replied, then waited for the man to either identify himself or give some clue as to his intentions.

  “I saw you on the platform last week when the..." he paused, looking like he was considering something, "…gas explosion happened. I was on the same platform as you."

  Frank remained silent. Maybe he was one of the policemen in disguise. "Oh, I don't remember seeing you." Frank said. “I don’t remember anything really.”

  "Well, my name’s Jake. Can I buy you a pint?"

  Frank froze for a second. Part of him wanted to go home, but the other part, the part that wanted answers was curious. This man seemed to be trying to say something and Frank wanted to know as much as he could. He would have to be careful. “I suppose,” he replied. “Yes. I have time for one quick drink.”

  ----- X -----

  The two picked a booth in the pub. The table held a wine bottle with a dead candle and lots of wax drippings. Why did I agree to come here? Frank thought. I’m in a pub with a total stranger, a suspicious stranger no less. He picked bits of wax off the table whilst waiting for Jake to return with drinks.

  "So.... How have things been going for you,” Jake said as he put the drinks down. “You know, after the incident?"

  "Slightly strange, but I’m feeling much better now. Things are almost back to normal... What about you?"

  "So you admit that you felt different?" Jake asked.

  “I didn’t say that,” Frank replied guardedly.

  “You seemed to imply it… You seemed to imply that things had changed.”

  “Perhaps. Why don’t you tell me what happened to you?"

  Jake sipped his drink and nodded. “I ran past you on the platform. I remember you ducking down against the wall and I almost fell across you. This was when the… when the shooting began… Do you remember?”

  “I remember being scared,” Frank replied, but he registered what Jake had said. He said, ‘shooting’. He knew about the shooting but Frank was wise enough not to confirm he’d heard him say that.

  “It was scary though? I mean, a situation like that would leave anyone with a few questions?” Jake gave a slight grin and a subtle wink. Somehow his manner relaxed, as though he felt more at ease speaking with him.

  “It was scary,” Frank agreed. “And I do have questions without answers. I guess we’ll never know.”

  “When you say it’s scary,” Jake asked. “Do you mean the explosion was scary, or how you felt afterwards was scary?”

  Frank looked at Jake with suspicion. This man knew things.

  Jake stood up and took one last sip of his drink. “I think you’re right to be scared, Frank. And I think you’re wise to keep it hidden. This is a strange world we live in and there are dark forces around us. An enemy without a face… But you seem like a switched on kind of guy. You’re wide awake and can see the world… Good luck to you, Frank.”

  Jake pulled on his coat to leave and hovered a moment longer as though giving Frank the opportunity to ask one last question.

  “If there was something wrong with the world,” Frank asked. “There would be nothing we could do about it anyway. So there’s no point in worrying… The government protects.”

  “Ah, yes. The government protects… but who protects us from the government?”

  Frank’s mouth dropped in surprise. Had he really just said that out loud?

  “If you find yourself looking for answers, Frank,” he looked at him straight faced. “I normally hang out around the old ice cream factory down Turle Road, you know where that is?"

  Frank nodded. “Yes,” he whispered.

  "Great, perhaps I'll be seeing you." He smiled for a moment, then left.

  ----- X -----

  Frank entered the house hearing voices from the living room. He peered around the door to see two policemen in full uniform and the same suited man from the hospital sitting with his mother. The government man and his mother were drinking tea.

  "Frank. You're home. These men are here to talk to you." Mum gave Frank a look that he knew too well, it was a look telling him to behave.

  “Hello, Frank,” the suited man said standing up. “Do you remember me? I’m Mr Complete. I visited you in hospital.”

  Frank shook his hand nervously. “I don’t remember much from the hospital, I’m afraid.”

  “Is that a fact,” Mr Complete replied. “Come, sit with us.”

  Frank took the armchair and looked to his mother. “Mr Complete is from the government,” she said enthusiastically. “Isn’t that kind, they were checking up on you in hospital and now they’ve come to make sure everything is alright.”

  “I see,” Frank said.

  “Are things alright, Frank?” Mr Complete asked.

  He nodded firmly. “Yes, things are much better. Can I ask, what do you do for the government?”

  “I do what is necessary, Frank. And can I ask you, how do you feel about our government?"

  "The government protects!"

  Mr Complete smiled. “Yes, they do. And that is my job. I’m here to protect you and your lovely Mum and Dad.” Frank noticed his mum touch her breast and blush at the government man calling her ‘lovely’.

  “How can I help?” Frank asked.

  “I just wanted to find out how you are; but you seem fit and sprightly to me. You seem very alert and aware of what is going on… Have you been following your doctor’s orders? Have you been taking your medication?”

  “Yes, thank you,” Frank replied.

  “You wouldn’t lie to me would you, Frank?”

  “Of course not,” he answered with a sudden tremor to his voice.

  “Well, I must be a little confused because…” he reached towards one of the policemen who handed him the pack of pills. “We found the pills in your room and it doesn’t seem you have taken any?”

  Frank froze in horror. He had lied and he’d been caught lying.

  “Moreover,” Mr Complete continued, “you telephoned Mr White at Sunnytime Supermarket today and said you were suffering from side effects of the medication… But I must be confused because this is an unopened pack… Would you like to tell me why?”

  Frank felt his skin go cold. He felt heavy in the chair. He wanted to speak but found it difficult. “I… I must have been confused. I’m still a little shaken up, I must have forgotten.”

  Mr Complete nodded and smiled. “Perfectly understandable. But you do realise I am here to help you, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And that your welfare,” Mr Complete continued. “And the welfare of your mother and father are my responsibility. It’s so important that you follow instructions, Frank. It is vital. Otherwise terrible things could happen.” Mr Complete passed the pills to Frank. “Please, Son. Take the pills. Don’t miss any doses. Obey all instructions… And believe me when I say this is for your own good.”

  Frank took the pills and stared into his lap. “Yes, Sir. I will.”

  “Good man.” Then to Mum, “Thank you very much Missus, for the tea. I truly appreciate your hospitality.” He clicked his heels as he headed to the door. He paused as he allowed the policemen to leave first. “Oh, one last thing… who was the man you were with today? The man you had a drink with?”

  Frank stammered. “I don’t really know him. I just met him. He said he was in the station with me… but I don’t really remember.”

  “You wouldn’t lie to me, Frank, would you? Not again?”

  “No, Sir. Really, I don’t know who that man is, he said he rec
ognised me and wanted to talk and…”

  “...never mind.” Mr Complete said with a smile. “I’m sure you wouldn’t want to talk about that event ever again. Would you?”

  “No, Sir,” Frank replied. “I just want to forget everything.”

  “Good… then take the pills.”

  ----- X -----

  Once the policemen left, Frank grabbed his coat and ran out of the house before his mother could question him. He needed answers and he needed them now. Mr Pilcrow had said the police would come but Frank suspected he wasn’t capable of giving answers to this. Jake seemed to know what this was about and he had an air of confidence about him. He had answers.

  The ice cream factory. He could just about remember where it was. He ran through the darkening streets with their orange lights that hardly worked. He ran past a woman being brought out of her home in handcuffs and slowed to a walk lest he arouse suspicion. The woman gave no resistance but was quietly crying.

  Ten minutes later he could see the ice cream cone logo ahead of him. The factory itself was abandoned. Nobody had been there in years. He checked the metal door, locked. There was an intercom at the side to which he pressed the button.

  Nothing happened.

  "Hello? ... Is anybody here?" He walked along the side of the building as the first drops of rain began to fall. “Hello? Jake? Helooooo?”

  "Hello." A posh sounding English woman’s voice came from the intercom. "To whom am I speaking?" she asked.

  "Hi, my name is Frank, I'm looking for Jake. Is he there?”

  "I'm sorry, there is no Jake here. Perhaps you have the wrong address."

  Frank frowned. He couldn't have been given the wrong address. How many ice cream factories could there be?

  "Oh... Right. I'm sorry to have bothered you, but are you sure there's no Jake there? This is urgent."

  "I'm sorry but, like I said, there is no Jake here. Goodbye."

  He walked away slowly watching the rain forming into puddles, then heard a faint patter of feet behind him. It was Jake.

  "You decided to come back," he said with a smile. "I was watching you on CCTV; I was here the entire time. I'm sorry I had to be sure that you were awake." He sounded in control and calm with his hands behind his back and his hood down to reveal his wet ratty hair.

  “Police were at my house. And a government man. They want me to take medication and I can tell that weird things are happening… I want to know what is going on.”

  Jake smiled and nodded. "Then it's time you learned the truth, Frank."