2.37 Again

2.37 am.  The red figures on the alarm clock were burning themselves into Lloyd's retina, so even when he closed his eyes he still saw them. He wondered if his clock had stopped, it seemed to have been displaying the same 3 numbers for the last hour. It was far too early to give up on sleep but Lloyd had never felt more wide-awake, yet so tired. He longed to sleep but his brain had other ideas. So he swung his legs out of bed resigned to his fate. He padded into the kitchen, bracing himself for the cold tiles of the kitchen floor. ‘Oof ‘ he said as the cold tingled up his body, no matter how warm it was, those tiles were always cold. He poured a glass of water, drank half of it at the sink and then took the remainder back in to the living room.

He had this overwhelming urge to go outside, to go walking but he didn't dare; even opening the balcony door seemed to frighten him. Instead he just stood still and stared out of the window into the night. Why was outdoors scary at this time of night? Why did stepping out on to the balcony hold so many terrors? If anything it was safer now than ever, the city slept, the good, the bad and the in-between were under their duvets, tucked up tight. Those crazy drivers had all parked their cars and hung up the keys while the only sign of life were nocturnal cats prowling the streets looking for cat flaps to flap in search of easy food. 

It was a warm evening, Lloyd took a deep breath and cracked the balcony door, he rattled it a little and swung it open - letting the night into his flat; breaking down the barrier that protected him from its evils. He hesitated, unsure if to step on to the balcony; the place was his sanctuary during the day but his room 101 at this ungodly hour. With his heart racing, he tentatively stepped out into the darkness. He breathed in the air and enjoyed the silence of the city at night. He sat on his seat feeling the fears slip away, embracing the danger, feeling his heartbeat return to normal. He could easily fall asleep right here, right now. The street below was still, not a soul in sight, not a mouse or a murmur. In the distance he could hear the slight clip clop of heels on pavement but there was no sign of the person causing the disturbance. The building opposite was dark, no lights in windows, no other sufferers feeding their insomnia. A figure came into view, just one person, too far away to see if it was male or female, but Lloyd had the impression that the person had nothing on. 

He smiled to himself and decided it was time to head back to bed. He left the balcony door ajar and went back into the bedroom and snuggled under the duvet, somehow feeling liberated by the experience. He looked at his clock and blinked, it still read 2.37 am.