Thrill of the Chase – Chase Sequence 5 – Jenny 33

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 17 Sept 2020 and maybe the end of this one.]

[For other back story click in-links]

Jenny was dreaming.

She was being chased. However, why she was being chased and what by was uncertain. Her journey had started in an American bank where she’d been trying desperately to arrange some extra money in order to make sure Peter and his new family would be all right. The bank teller, however, had not seemed to recognise the need for finance, nor that Jenny would be a good prospect for a loan. This despite Jenny explaining in detail precisely how the arrangement would work.

Added to this the bank teller – played by a well known American comic actor – had taken offence to the conversation and called for backup from a rather foreboding but knowledgeable person who’d appeared behind Jenny asking bizarre questions and threatening to take away the money she had if she was unable to get the answers right.

To add to her anxiety she was finding it difficult to socially distance. When she had started queuing there was enough space for everyone to keep a good two metres apart, but as time went on and her enquiry became more frustrated, more people came into the space, making it near impossible for her to keep away from everyone. Also, the mask she thought she had in her pocket had somehow been replaced by a fish.

Jenny had no choice but to leave and outside she got on her bike and set off at some speed through the streets of the city. Behind her she could feel the presence of something, or someone or other catching up with her, steadily, certainly. If she could only go a little faster she would escape and get back to the safety of her home. However, just as she thought she was getting away and becoming safer, she was stopped by a police dog, who, rather enthusiastically refused to let her go any further.

She dived left and ran her bike straight down an ally. The road was uneven and slowly became wooden, rising up and down in a haphazard manner. Jenny had no choice but to press on, her pedal strokes now powering to the beat of a song playing in her head.

She had done well. She was nearly home when the switch-back road finally descended sharply towards a suddenly appearing sea. Jenny woke up before she hit the water.

“Are you alright?” asked Izzy beside her, in the dark.

“Y-Yes,” said Jenny, her breathing returning to normal slowly. “Bizarre dream, was nightmare, being chased.”

“It’s OK,” said Izzy. “You’re safe.”

They lay in silence for a few more minutes.

“When all this started,” said Jenny, “I remember I always used to wake up and think it was a dream. That everything was normal and that I’d just imagined it all.”

“I think we all did,” said Izzy.

“Strange how you get used to it,” said Jenny. “And yet not get used to it. It’s still all completely new and surreal and…”

“Do you think there’s anything in particular that’s bothering you?” Asked Izzy.

Jenny laughed, “Where to start?”

But then they had to start somewhere, and right now anywhere would be a start. Despite the early hours they went through work, school, current arrangements, Peter, Helen, everything they could think of. 

“Life chases you,” said Izzy. “You set out nice and slow and at your own pace and before you know it…"

“What?”

“Don’t let it catch you up.”

“I don’t think we’re saying anything that means anything anymore,” said Jenny sleepily. “Oh my God, I’ve just described 2020.”

“But,” said Izzy, “To sum up, it’s not that surprising that you’re having weird dreams. Although where Chevvy Chase came from is anyone’s guess.”

“It’s just a farce,” said Jenny. “He might as well be in charge of everything.”

“He probably is.”

“Actually it would be better if he was.”

Jenny wasn’t certain she’d get back to sleep so decided to get up, have a coffee and try and get her head around some of the online plumbing material the course had sent through to her. It was a strange turn of events, she admitted, the whole plumbing thing. But not only did it distract her she felt that plumbing brought order to potential chaos. It was a system to control something that would otherwise head off in its own direction – to determine where it went, what it did and therefore help people to use it. It was at least one area of order in a chaotic universe.