For two

After our new best friend Bill had shown us to our room, my first thought was that the bedding was a lot smarter than in most guest houses I'd ever stayed in.

Which was strange really, as it meant my second thought was: "Ah. It's a double bed."

Kate had obviously been ahead of me in her thinking.

"Well. Obviously this is less than ideal. But I'm sure we can both be sensible about this, can't we?

"Needs must, and all that. I don't think there's any need for you - for either of us - to traipse off and sleep in the bath with the extra blankets, is there?" she said, with every question sounding like a statement.

"Not on my account, there isn't," I replied. "We can put a pillow down the middle of the bed if that helps."

"Whatever. Anyway, I suggest we go out and get a bite to eat, then come back and I'll run my plan past you, see what you think. Does that sound OK to..."

Her voice trailed off, and I turned to face her.

"Sorry Kate, I was listening," I said. To be honest, my mind had been wandering, but at least I'd noticed when she'd stopped speaking.

She was staring down at the bed, or rather, at where my hand was resting on the metal bedstead.

Except, as I noticed when I looked down, my hand wasn't resting on the bedstead at all.

It was, instead, absorbed into the metal of the bedstead.



Story begins here.