“Relief” Published in the UK magazine, CafeLit.
This is a short fictional story (2200 words) based loosely on the worst London Underground train disaster of all time in 1975; 43 people were killed and almost 100 seriously injured. It is written as a nightmare in which the terror and horror of the event is traumatic and a young woman has her foot amputated. As the ambulance, it’s bell ringing, takes her to hospital, she is suddenly awakened by the sound of her alarm
clock. In the darkness, the smell of burning toast as her roommate prepares breakfast fills her bedroom and she cannot feel her left foot. It has gone numb with her pet dog
Max lying across it. Relief floods over her as she draws back the blinds, and looks out onto a beautiful spring day.
