By Kathryn Aldridge-Morris

The border stopping dreams from passing into reality is not as clear-cut as the Dover Lorry Border Patrol. Marked only by half-drawn curtains, a baton of light. I can’t shake the dreams that night after night wrap me in sleep with layers of bandages, a hand-woven red sweater and inflatable vests.

I’ve a key worker, but no key. It’s breakfast time. He opens the fridge –

I see myself inside. Paling skin pressed against plastic. The driver knows anything lower than 7 degrees causes internal breakdown in his cargo of mangoes. Temperatures for storing humans don’t come in the manual.

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Kathryn Aldridge-Morris is a freelance writer in the field of educational publishing. Her creative writing appears in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual 2020, the Bath Flash Fiction anthology (TBP 2020), Retreat West, Paris Lit Up, and the anthology ‘From Syria with Love’ (Indie Books).