4.20am

Alice woke from a dream that eluded her memory. All she remembered was the redness, it poured into her sight pushing whatever was behind it deep in the dark. She sat up rubbing her eyes and checked the time. The luminous green of the clock radio flashed 4.20am, sighing she laid down to seek more sleep. She did not dream again that night waking somewhat recharged for the coming day.
She checked her supplies were in order, sales reps were supposed to be professional; it wouldn’t do to be faffing about with the goods when you’re trying to make an impression. She made her way down to the restaurant for breakfast, passing the T.V in the foyer. ‘Oh joy another murder’ she mused quietly.
The food was adequate her job took her all over the country, staying at many establishments, some could only be described as dives, this fortunately was one of the better ones. She called the waitress over for more coffee.
“There you go, did you hear the news,” whispering as she poured.
“I’m sorry what news.” Alice wondered if she meant the man on the TV earlier.
“He was found over at ‘The Palace garden Hotel’, half his face missing, you’d think a top class place like that would have top class security.” Her tone became slightly condescending. “Apparently he was a sale’s rep for some big company,” she sat as she relayed the rest of the little she knew.
“That’s awful, do they know what happened.” Fear coursed through Alice, what if she was next, maybe the killer intended to rid the world of sale’s reps. her hotel was only a mile away from the victims. She dismissed the notion, it will be lawyers, bankers, and George Barker Manager of her department, [the little shit had it coming] who deserved the proverbial chop, or in this case, slice, no, sales reps were way down the food chain in Alice’s reckoning.
“No, all they’ll say is he left the bar with a woman but they don’t know anything about her, who she is or where she went”. The waitress had taken on the hushed tone of someone who suspected more than she knew.
Alice felt a wave of relief, a woman, it was probably his wife, caught him with his trousers down, the male sales reps were notorious for cheating. Many saw it as their right, too many nights away they needed some form of company. She heard them gloating about their exploits back at the firm.
The day was productive, three sales and several potentials. Alice made her way back to her lodgings, passing ‘The Palace Garden Hotel’. A fleeting glimpse of déjà vu passed through her mind.’ Wishful thinking Alice, as if George the arsehole would sanction that one. ‘Yes of course three nights and as much room service as you want’. A lone woman laughing on the street bought odd looks from passers-by.
Alice was about to walk away when a man approached her, “Lisa, hi it’s Jack we met last night.” The blank stare on Alice’s face stopped him going further.
“I’m sorry, my names not Lisa”.
“Are you sure, you’re the spitting image of a woman I was chatting with in the bar last night”
“What the one in there”. Alice pointed to the hotel.
“Yes that one, we were talking, then you disappeared, I thought you’d gone to the ladies, but when you didn’t come back I called it a night and went up to my room .” He seemed hurt by this rejection.
“I’m sorry but it wasn’t me, I hope you see her again, maybe she’ll explain her vanishing act”. She made a point of looking at her watch; she had no desire to stand on the street convincing a strange man she was not the woman he thought she was.
“Oh ok I’m sorry I bothered you”.
Jack watched her walk away, ‘could have sworn it was her, better not drink too much tonight’.
Alice dreamed of faces she couldn’t see, stirring again at 4.20am. She went back to sleep without any problem, waking later much the same as the previous day. As she reached, the TV on the way to breakfast the words ‘found dead’ caught her ears. She sat, her heart beating at such an alarming rate, she believed she was having a heart attack. After a few moments it passed, getting up she headed for the dining room.
Alice ate in relative silence, another rep on the phone to his wife and the cook talking to the waitress at back of the room was the only sound. Alice wondered why the news affected her, she didn’t know the victim, so why? Something was bothering her, but she couldn’t work out what. ‘I’m tired; waking up half way through the night will do that’. She wasn’t sure if she convinced herself, but knew hashing over the unknown was pointless.
After drinking several coffees, Alice developed a pounding headache. She went back to her room. As she saw all her appointments yesterday, she could justify a few extra hours sleep. Taking her clothes off she put on the robe supplied by the hotel and lay on the bed. The pulsating ache mixed with nausea sent Alice racing to the bathroom, emptied of her breakfast and possibly the previous days she sat on the floor and cried.
The voice was so soft; at first, she wasn’t sure if she imagined it. She called out, assuming it must be housekeeping, but no one answered. Then the voice again ‘Lisa wants to play’, she stopped dead, realising the sound came from inside her head. Closing her eyes, she lay down on the bathroom floor, curling into a ball, her hands covering her ears.
Then the faces came, many faces and her smiling. Then the red, and behind the red, blood, skin and tissue all held within her fingers. Alice opened her eyes, and looked at her hands; the stains would never come out.
The voice began again whispering, ‘Lisa wants to play’, ‘Lisa wants to play’ ‘Lisa wants to play’, until she could not hear anything except the voice, her voice screaming ‘Lisa wants to play’.