The Entrance....

The sky was a flat, slate grey, dramatic, naked trees spilt the sky, Lauren marched through the post Christmas dank, cold air.

The rest of the family had gone shopping. Lauren had grown tired of endless stuff and glittering lights, she wanted to think. Lauren looked down at her trainers, they were her old ones, bored of the path by the new housing estate she started to stomp through mud and grass. She enjoyed the small adventure away from her loud tribe, she felt truly herself away from the visual noise of endless selfies from mates, gossip and claustrophobic drama of her life.

Lauren took in the morbid beauty of a field. Every colour was dull but she enjoyed it.

Lauren felt a sudden nervousness, she looked everywhere, the warnings of rapists and bad people chimed in her mind. There was no one around. She sensed a buzz, a vibration that never turned into a noise. She heard singing, it sounded odd sung minor keys and an unfamiliar, discordant tunes. Lauren was drawn to the sounds and walked a little faster so she could work out where the singing was coming from.

She marched through the field with new purpose, the grass got a little longer and the ground became rougher. The wet was soaking through her jeans but she carried on. A crowd of oddly dressed people gave Lauren empty smiles.

A small man in glasses and red robes hugged Lauren, Lauren stood stiff. The man stepped away.

“What’s your name?”

Lauren asked, it seemed the obvious thing to say

“My name doesn’t matter here.”

“OK”

Replied Lauren.

“Where am I?”

The man replied with an empty love in his eyes

“Hatefield”