“Jimmy Noone drifted, alone in a cold subway, falling away with the day as it faded to shadow. He dreamt of balloons: sky-blue, bought by his father to mark his third birthday. The balloons were set free, one by one from the bedroom window as Jimmy, holding onto his brother’s hand, urged them to float higher and higher over brick terraces into a sea of platinum cloud. Their mother smiled weakly, propped up in bed drinking tea, rubbing heavy eyelids between gulps, mug balanced on her swollen belly. His earliest memories always came unexpectedly. Somewhere above the ground there was a clatter and it echoed loudly, jolting dreams away. He was no longer alone. A woman was slumped opposite, head cocked against an image of a sapphire-blue kingfisher. She was young, even younger than him; just a girl really.”

From ‘Should We Fall Behind ‘– included in the showcase