I rip down the tarmac on my bicycle, the wind sweeping over my helmet and shoulders, letting my jumper fly behind me like coattails. The glowing streetlights mark my path home, just a straight cycle from here; a couple of traffic lights and I’m back. I stayed later in the park with my girlfriend than I intended, I’m sure my folks are going to give me a hard time about that.

I slow my pedaling as ...

My eyes drowsily blink open. The light isn’t striking me how it usually does, did I forget to draw the curtains? Am I sleeping on the wrong side of the bed? Is my mattress really this comfortable? My eyes focus on the window which woke me; it’s not my window.

I try to roll over, but I feel a large indent next to me; that would explain the different surroundings, and why I can’t remember last nigh...

I’m cold. I’m bleeding. I’m alone.

The water settles around my shoulders, but still resists me when I try to move. Carefully, I untie one of my arms from around the tree I latched onto. Pain rifles through my body as I unhook my arm and I realise that it’s only now, after bracing the rip tide, just how tightly I held the tree. I know before I see that the bark has dug deeply into my forearm, and ...

‘Okay Pat, I’ll see you in a bit,’ I sign off to my friend over the phone.

‘See you there, Andy.’

It has been such a long time since I have had a night out with the guys. We’re either too busy, someone’s out of the country or relationships anchor us to the house. But tonight is the night, none of us have duties to fulfill aside from drinking and joking about life.

My apartment isn’t too far from ...