My Turn.

The outside world was unknown to her but, she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room.

“What is it that's so amazing?” Alice whispered.

The woman currently taking her seat on a small metal stool was already crying. Alice had noticed the sudden and uncontrollable heaving of her shoulders. Whatever she could see through that small window to cause such a rush of emotion, Alice could only imagine.

Her chair leg scraped across the tiles as she leaned a little too far, determined to see what all the fuss was about.

“Hey, another ten minutes,” said the guard, “you can wait another ten minutes can't you?”

Alice rolled her eyes and slid back onto the seat, the door in front closed with a dull click.

“Jeeze calm down, the door was open, what'd you expect me to do close my eyes?”

The guard resumed his position facing the wall opposite. He pulled his padded jacket tight, adjusted his dark glasses and folded his arms over his chest. Alice huffed, just loud enough for him to hear, he threw her a sideways glance. She crossed her legs and began playing with the pockets on her trousers.

“Don't know what all the fuss is about anyway? Didn't look all that much.”

There was no response from the guard. “And anyway, it's not a prison, I'm entitled to be here, it is my turn y'know?' The guard remained silent as Alice continued to complain.

“I've waited this long, so... I'm bound to be curious aren't I?”

“Sixteen years,” he replied. The same as everybody else. Ten more minutes won't hurt.”

Alice pointed to the closed door ahead of her, “erm excuse me, did she look sixteen? I think not, more like sixty if you ask me.”

“I didn't,” he replied bluntly, “special dispensation.”

“And why sixteen, I mean what's that all about, why not... I don't know twelve or twenty-one?”

“Mental maturity is one's ability to accept and adjust to the situation. To explore the possibilities that one day, everything will be...”

“Everything will be what,” she cut in, “under the dust? Big whoop, you sound like you're reading from a pamphlet.”

“Don't you want to see what's out there?” he asked.

Alice stood up, stretched her arms and walked to the wall opposite, she leaned against the cold metal.

“Sorry, I've been cooped up in laundry for the past eight hours, need to stretch my legs.”

The guard nodded.

“What special dispensation would that be then?” she asked.

“She's chosen to exit the facility so...”

“Oh right, wasn't aware that was part of the deal, fair enough I guess. Can't blame them though, can you? Who wants to die in a steel can?"

“I live in hope, and what you don't have, you don't miss,” he replied.

“Well that's a positive outlook, pointless, but positive.”

“Why do you say that?” he asked, “you think this is the end, of everything? The end of life? The end of hope?The end of mankind?”

Alice returned to the small metal chair. “Mankind, didn't realise you did funny?” she laughed.

“What's funny about hope?” he asked.

“Man-kind, you don't see the irony in that word?”

“It's just a word.”

“No, it's a statement! It's saying man, has... No, had the right, to decide the fate of everyone.”

“I'm sure there were women involved too Alice, don't be so naïve.”

“If woman-kind had any say in things, do you really think we'd be living two miles below the surface?”

He didn't reply, but Alice felt it was a victory, an insignificant one but, a victory nonetheless. The silence was broken by a rumble overhead, the air-conditioning rattled in the pipes. Alice glanced at the guard, she didn't like the silence, never had. In this place, the silence was hollow, not a restful, peaceful silence the kind one could meditate in.

There was no birdsong, no rustle of branches in the wind and no traffic horns echoing in the distance. She wouldn't have recognised the sounds anyway, they; like most things in the world had been destroyed centuries ago.

She'd read the books, almost all of them in fact but, the imagination can only do so much, and being born into a world of grey steel panels and glass, isn't a great playground for the senses.

“Have you seen the paintings?” she asked.

“No, I work here, and I...”

“I know that, I'm just asking if you've seen them because, they're supposed to be inspired by whatever they've seen, through the window?”

“No, I haven't seen the paintings, but I hear they are something to behold.”

“They're something to behold alright, I don't think they could remember anything.”

“Well, as I said, I haven't seen them so I really can't comment.”

“Well, they're either blue, orange or white, there are a few brownish ones and that's about it.”

“The window is always occupied, twenty-four-seven. So depending on the hour and the season...”

“People see different things, yes I get it but, It's still the same thing isn't it, it's the same view. It ain't going anywhere.”

“What do they paint?” he asked quietly, “tell me... please?”

Alice shrugged, she thought back to her many visits to the galleries. The paintings; all of which were housed in huge open auditoriums, had been hung in relation to their colour. She'd often found herself returning to the orange gallery, there was something about the vivid shades she found calming.

“I can't believe you haven't seen them, they're massive, the rooms I mean not the paintings.”

“Well, what are they like?” he asked again.

“They're just colours really, nothing that really stands out. Somebody once told me I was looking at a picture of a tree but, how would they know eh? There are no books about trees, no books about much if I'm honest, and none have any pictures.”

The guard remained silent and continued to stare at the wall ahead.

“So yeah, they just throw paint onto the canvas and hope for the best I think. Come to think of it you're not missing much.”

The steel door opened and the older woman was escorted from the room, Alice could see she was visibly moved by whatever she had seen through the last window to the outside world. The guard; Alice noted, also wore dark glasses.

“Two minutes,” he said quietly and led the woman off into another room.

Alice stood, and a thought came to her. “Oh I see now, you and your pal get to see through that window every day.” She straightened her trousers and readied herself, “No wonder you don't bother with the paintings, you've got the real thing right here.”

“Are you ready for your ten minutes Alice?” he asked.

“I guess so, here goes nothing.”

He turned, walked five paces and held out his arm, “Take my arm and I will escort you inside.”

The door behind her opened and the other guard reappeared with the next viewer.

“Why?” she asked, “I can see where I'm going?”

The guard removed his glasses and looked to where he imagined Alice to be, both eyes were as grey as ash.

“Please, take my arm and I will escort you inside.”

Alice took his hand, and walked to the door, they halted after four steps, he opened the door, took Alice inside and sat her on the small metal stool directly in front of the window.

The next viewer watched as the door closed on Alice, she also noticed the sudden and uncontrollable heaving of her shoulders. Whatever she could see through that small window to cause such a rush of emotion, she could only imagine.

The End.