The Lido

by Libby Page

Kate felt more comfortable in her books than she did in real life. She liked to re-read her favourite stories: knowing what was going to happen made her feel calm, as though she was directing the story herself. And if she didn’t like the direction a new book was taking she could simply close the pages, take a break and return when she felt ready or move on to a different story. But real life wasn’t like that.

Kate pictures her Panic sitting at one of the picnic tables on the lido decking. As she swims she is aware of it there watching, but she feels safe. You can’t get me here, she thinks as she ducks under water, the cold embracing her like an old friend.