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Chase dressed quickly and then shouted, “Wake up,” to Jane who mumbled something in reply. Laughing to herself, Chase bounded down to the kitchen with a spring in her step.

She searched the cupboards, found a jar of coffee and some bread. In the fridge, she found butter and jam. After making a drink, she took one up to Jane.

“Come on lazy bones,” she said, entering Jane’s room and opening the curtains.

“Bright light, bright light,” Jane squealed, drawing the sheet over her head.

“Don’t be such a misery.”

Jane mumbled something unintelligible.

“Come on, shake yourself. I’ve made you a cup of coffee. Drink it before it goes cold.”

“Okay mother.”

Chase tugged the bed sheet down to reveal Jane’s face.

“A little bit further and you’ll see paradise all right.”

Chase shook her head and raised her eyebrows in exasperation. “Don’t you ever think about anything else?”

 
“What else is there?” Jane sat up, the sheet slipping down her bare torso.

Chase laughed. “By the looks of it, gravity’s a bitch.”

“These are the real deal.”

“Well they haven’t improved with age, now put ‘
em
away and drink your coffee.” She walked out of the room, grinning.

Downstairs, she studied the fireplace before tackling the ashes. A full bucket of coal and a pile of logs stood beside the hearth, and she set about making her first real fire. But by the time Jane came downstairs, Chase had given up, the room full of smoke and not a flame in sight.

“Sugar, you’ll freeze to death if you can’t light a fire. Open that window and let me show you how I can get anything hot.” She winked and began to redo what Chase had started. Within fifteen minutes, a fire roared away in the hearth and Chase went through to the kitchen to toast some bread.

When Chase came back with the toast, Jane said, “You should just throw your toast in the fire in future, it’s burnt more than those logs were.”
 

“Choke on it.”

Shaking her head, Jane said, “What will you do without me?”

“I’ll manage.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. Are you sure you want to stay here? This just isn’t you.”

Chase looked down the hillside, admiring the view. “It is now.”

Jane crunched on her toast. “Good job I like it burnt.”

After breakfast, Chase put a fireguard around the fire and then she and Jane went to explore the village and to buy some supplies. The sun hovered in the sky and the trees rustled and swayed as though in reverence.

Chase noticed curtains twitching in some of the houses, as though disturbed by a slight breeze. She didn’t mention it to Jane. Halfway down the lane, they passed the grey haired old lady Chase had seen in the church hall. She stood with her back to them, weeding her garden.

“Hello again,” Chase said.

The lady turned, looked up and nodded imperceptibly before turning away.

“Friendly old soul,” Jane mumbled.

Chase shrugged. “The city hasn’t got the monopoly on weirdoes.”

At the bottom of the lane they turned left onto a narrower lane that led to a general store called ‘Necessities’. A bell jangled above the door as they entered.

Chase stared at the shelves, surprised to see that all of the products on them were in the same white-labelled tins with only the name of the contents printed on the label. It made the store appear sanitary, like a medical room.

“Weird,” Jane mumbled, voicing Chase’s thoughts.

In response to the bell, a middle-aged woman stepped from the rear of the shop. Her long straggly hair and dark eyes unsettled Chase. The woman wiped one hand on her apron. In the other hand she had a knife. She smiled when she saw Chase and Jane and she stabbed the knife into the wooden counter, letting the handle sway like a deadly metronome.

“Anything you want, just let me know, my dears,” she drawled.

“Thank you,” Chase said as she perused the shelves. Perhaps it was the knife, but the woman made her feel uncomfortable. What was it about knives around here?

Although strangely packaged, the shop was well stocked, seeming to provide most of the necessities, if not the luxuries, needed to survive.

“Why’s everything in this white packaging?” Jane asked.

“It’s the fog my dear. Since the fog arrived, the army has been supplying our food.”

“What do they do, dip it in the fog to give it this shade of white?” Jane picked up a tin and inspected it.

The woman either didn’t seem to notice Jane’s sarcastic remark, or she ignored it. “They call them army rations. Come from an emergency supply I was told, just for occasions like this.”

Chase frowned. “Hold on, so how long has the fog been here?”

“It gets hard to remember. A long time.”

“So how do you get out, you know, to visit people?” Jane asked.

“Get out. We don’t get out, my dear. It’s the fog, you see.”

“So why hasn’t the fog disappeared?” Chase asked, interrupting Jane.

“I don’t rightly know, my dear. You would have to ask someone else. They did tell us something ...” She scratched her chin, her dark eyes distant, lost in thought.

“Now will you reconsider coming home?” Jane pursed her lips.

“I am home, Jane. Please, we agreed.”

“But the fog!” She leaned closer and whispered, “And the people!”

“Well there must be a good reason.” She looked back at the woman behind the counter who still seemed to have a remote, frowning look on her face, as though struggling to remember something.

“It’s not just the place that’s fogged around here.” Jane looked at the woman and shook her head.

Abruptly the woman snapped out of her reverie. “Now what was it you wanted?”

“Answers,” Jane said.

“Do they come in a tin or a packet my dear?” the woman asked. “If we haven’t got them, I can always ask them to bring some next time they come with the deliveries.”

Chase and Jane stared at the woman, waiting for her to laugh. She didn’t.

Jane looked at Chase and frowned, rolling her eyes.

“No, answers to questions,” Jane said.

“You’re welcome to look if we’ve got any. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some work to do. Just give me a shout if you need me, otherwise just help yourself and take what you want.” She yanked the knife back out of the counter and walked into the back of the shop, out of sight.

 
“Was she serious?” Jane asked.

“I don’t know. I ... I don’t think so ... was she?”

“Crackers.” Jane made circles with her forefinger at the side of her head.

“Perhaps she was just joking.”

“Well she isn’t a comedian because I’m not laughing.”

“Come on, let’s go. I’ll come back later for some food.” She needed some fresh air. The woman had disturbed her more than she would like to mention.

As Chase opened the door, the bell jangled again and the woman walked back into the shop.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

Chase shook her head. “Thank you, but we’re just leaving.”

The woman frowned. “Leaving? You haven’t come in yet.”

“We
were
just inside. Don’t you remember?”

“Crazy,” Jane mumbled. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Inclined to agree, Chase let the door shut behind her.

“Ah, I see you’ve met Ms Woods.”

“Pardon,” Chase said, turning to face the young man who had spoken. He had a slim build with rugged good looks. His nose looked slightly off centre, as though it had been punched and his blue eyes held her attention with their clarity. He had medium length, tousled brown hair and a warm, compassionate smile. She noticed his eyes momentarily linger on Jane’s prominent bosom, and she silently cursed her friend’s plentiful bounty.

“Hi, I’m Adam White. Doctor Adam White – before you say it, I know, everyone says I look nothing like a doctor.” He extended his hand and Chase shook it, feeling a flush of embarrassment.

“Black and white,” Jane murmured into Chase’s ear, making a connection between their surnames. “If you’ve got to have a man, I suppose you could do worse.”

Chase felt her cheeks grow hot. She hoped the Doctor hadn’t heard Jane’s comment. “
Erm
, yes, Ms Woods, is that the lady’s name?” Chase asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid she suffers from a mild form of dementia.” He must have seen the worried look on Chase’s face as he said, “I can assure you, it’s nothing to be afraid of. She’s harmless.”

Chase had never heard of a mild form of dementia.

“I bet that’s what they said about Jack the Ripper,” Jane sneered.

“You must be Chase Black,” he said, ignoring Jane’s comment.

“Is it that obvious?”

Jane sniggered. “Small town
England
where the village grape vine is quicker than the Internet.”

“Something like that,” Adam agreed.

“Well yes, you’re right and this is my friend, Jane.”

“Pleased to meet you.” He gave Jane a perfunctory nod and turned back to Chase. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be at the gathering yesterday, but I had an urgent matter to deal with.”

Gathering
. The word conjured bizarre images in her mind.

“Someone stub their toe, doc?” Jane asked.

Adam laughed. “You’d be surprised. We have our little dramas now and again.”

“I would have thought the only drama found here was on the television.”

Adam grinned, revealing perfect teeth. “I’m sure you think we’re a little out of touch here, but we do have our moments, like tea at the vicar’s, dancing round the maypole, oh yes, it has its moments.” He winked at Chase and she laughed in response.

“That hit my funny bone, doc,” Jane said, folding her arms across her chest and walking toward a bench at the edge of the lane where she sat, scowling.

“Your friend’s hard to please.”

“She’s not a country girl. I think she misses the smog, it’s her drug.”

“And you?”

Chase blushed again. “I think I’m going to be happy enough here.”

Adam nodded his head and smiled. “I’m glad about that.”

After his earlier inspection of Jane’s bust, she thought he was going to be a typical male lecher. But perhaps she was wrong.

“You will have to visit me at the surgery, so I can get your details and sign you onto my register.”

“Yes, I’ll come in soon.”

“Promise?”