I woke in the darkness at 4:00. I was in Jules’ bed, her arm laying limply across my chest as she slept, her breathing a cute cross between a soft whisper and a gentle zephyr. I remembered that I’d left my phone charging in the car, so I dragged on a shirt and trousers and went outside to retrieve it. Jules was beginning to awaken as I returned to bed.

“What time is it, Tony?” she croaked.

“A little after 4:00.”

“Fuck! It’s very early you ok?” she asked.

“Yes. I always wake up around this time,” I said.

“Why?”

“It’s something to do with fairies and leprechauns, it’s a common thing in Ireland. If I wasn’t employed, I’d probably qualify for the Fairy and Leprechaun somnambulant benefit scheme. We Irish have many crutches to bear, Jules, it’s something to do with 800 years of oppression at the hands of the invading colonial forces.”

She laughed hysterically, “What drugs are you on, Tony?”

• Book 6 of 7
• Print length: 41 pages
• Language: English
• Publication date@ 15th July 2025