#ac088

A sleepy sigh escaped her lips as she rolled over, reaching for her phone that rest on the bedside table, wanting nothing more than to turn off the obnoxious alarm tone that had awoken her from her rare, deep slumber. Seven o’clock in the morning. Why on Earth had she set an alarm for seven a.m.? She didn’t remember having to work that morning, and even if she had, she would have had to be out of the house much earlier than that, or on the opposing side, wouldn’t have had to be at work until twelve hours or more later. Shrugging off the simple mistake, she stretched slightly, gripping the edge of the blanket and pulling it over her as she rolled towards the other side of the bed, the feeling of a thick piece of paper hitting the side of her face causing her to finally open her eyes, confusion lacing her features. Atop the pillow sat a sealed envelope, small in size, and with her name written in perfect script across the front. Furrowing her brows, she sat up, plucking the envelope from its place, and with little hesitation in her movements, tearing it open and pulling out the folded note from inside. Taking in a deep breath, her blue hues scanned the page, reading each word intently.

Genevieve, If you’re reading this letter, do not be alarmed. It’s early, so you may or may not have realized exactly how silent it is around you, or the fact that your ex-husband, daughter, and cat are all missing from your apartment. If you look outside, you’ll notice nothing but silence and stillness has overtaken the town. Please, do not be alarmed by this as it is not permanent! You have simply been chosen, and today is your day. The town of Sloane is yours, and yours alone, for the next twenty-four hours. Do with it as you want. Throw away your fears and run free, loot and rob, or use the time to do something good. Enjoy it. Make it yours. Your alarm went off at seven, and the clock will restart at seven o’clock tomorrow morning. The world is yours, Genevieve, so take advantage of it.

Staring at the piece of paper for a lingering moment, a million thoughts ran through her head. All alone for twenty-four hours. She felt like she was going to be sick. Dropping the letter to the bed, she pushed herself from the mattress, bare feet taking her quickly out of her own room and into her daughter’s. More silence. With her breathing increasing, she ran back into her bedroom, pushing the door open to the attached bathroom before dropping to her knees and emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet. What was happening? After what felt like ages, she pushed herself up from the floor, making her way slowly back into the bedroom and once again plucking the letter from its place on her bed. Twenty-four hours alone in Sloane, with no one around to tell her what she could and couldn’t do, and no rules to follow. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing, maybe this was just what she needed. With a new excitement found within the words of the letter, she glanced at the clock – seven fifty-two, plenty of time – making her way back into the bathroom, she quickly began getting herself ready for whatever the day was going to bring. Time passed slowly, and once she had brushed her teeth and gotten herself dressed, she quickly made her way out of her apartment, not even bothering to lock the door behind her or to take her belongings as there was no one that could rob her, and nothing she needed her phone or purse for. It was just her against the town, and she knew exactly where she was going to start. The Rusty Nail. Pushing her way into the bar, she wasted no time in making her way behind the bar, blue hues scanning the alcohol selection before settling on a full bottle of Maker’s Mark. Perfect. Grabbing the bottle, she pulled the top off, tossing it to the floor before making her way out of the bar and into the empty streets of Sloane. Arching a brow, she glanced around, taking a moment to fully take in the fact that she was truly all alone before taking in a deep breath, bright smile tugging onto her lips as she slowly stepped into the middle of the street. “All alone for twenty-four hours…” She whispered to herself, smile quickly turning to a smirk. “Fuck it.” Taking a long drink from the bottle, she kicked her shoes off to the side, setting the alcohol bottle to the ground as her fingertips moved to her jeans, unbuttoning them and tugging them off before tossing them to the forming pile with her shoes, followed by her socks, the tugging off of her shirt, and finally her undergarments. If the town was hers for the next day, she was going to do all of the silly, wild things she’d not typically do otherwise. Grabbing the bottle from the ground, she took another long drink, straightening her posture as she began to walk down the middle of the usually busy street, slightly laughter falling from her lips as the cool breeze wrapped her flesh. “Cheers to the next twenty-four hours!” She shouted, holding her bottle up in the air before taking another long drink and continuing on with her aimless wandering. This day was going to be exactly what she needed.