Walking After Midnight

Walking After Midnight

“Where am I?” Louise mumbled. She looked around.

“Somebody! Anybody! Help me!” she began to shout.

A nurse came in, hushing her.

“You’re in a hospital, try to keep it down to dull roar,” she said.

“How did I get here?” Louise asked.

“The police brought you in. According to them they found you wandering the streets in your nightclothes; no coat or shoes.”

“I don’t remember anything.”

“So, you don’t remember where you got the knife dripping blood we found in your hand?” interrupted a male voice.

“This is one of the policemen who brought you in.”

“So, you don’t know why you were roaming the roads?”

“Was I sleepwalking?” the patient asked.

“Your eyes were open, but we couldn’t get a response to our questions,” the officer replied.

“I’ve walked in my sleep for many years. But only when I’m stressed about something,” Louise told him in a trembling voice.

When the police officer pulled a baggie out of his pocket, Louise blanched.

“Is that the knife I was carrying?”

The cop nodded solemnly.

“That’s my husband’s filleting knife.”

“Where is he now?”

“He died last year. My neighbor has been harassing me to move out of our house, because he’s disliked us for years.”

“Would that be... “the cop said as he mentioned a name.

“That’s right.”

“He was found dead on your doorstep.”

“Will you be arresting me for something I did in my sleep?”

“There’s precedence. A Psych. evaluation will happen, and a trial, but I’ll be happy to testify how we found you.”

“I’ll ask for solitary if I lose, will I get it?" After all, I’ve paid taxes for years, perhaps I can live comfortably on the province from then on.” Louise told him as she fell back to sleep.