She took the alarm clock out of her bag and put it on the night table, then sat on the bed. The clock’s hands were fixed on the time it had stopped, but it ticked steadily as though still measuring something. She stared at it blankly. She stayed like that until she felt the repetitive sound starting to have an effect on her. It was certainly not yet time for bed, but this unusual day had completely exhausted her. Maybe she would stretch out a bit, just to have a little rest. She didn’t even have to get undressed. She would just lie on the bedspread. She never slept during the day, let alone fully dressed, but what difference did it make? There was no one to see her. In any case, she was not accountable to anyone for her behaviour.
She closed her eyes. Before she sank into the deep darkness and silence, two thoughts briefly crossed her mind. She was somehow convinced that she wouldn’t have any dreams. That was good. She would have the best rest that way. Who knew what dreams might visit her? In addition, this time there was no need to set her internal clock. She had no reason to wake up at any specific hour. No urgent work awaited her anymore.
IMPOSSIBLE STORIES
Copyright © 2008 by Zoran Živković
Introduction by Paul Di Filippo
Translated from the Serbian by
Alice Copple-Tošić
The rights of Zoran Živković to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Originally published in printed book form by PS Publishing Ltd. in March 2006. This electronic version published in September 2011 by PS by arrangement with the authors. All rights reserved by the authors.
FIRST EBOOK EDITION
ISBN 978-1-848631-84-7
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Impossible Stories Page 39
