He'd left the door he came through open on his way out. It seemed a lot wider and taller now. It let everything in. The wind of social pressure, the uncertain future and the potential financial turmoil was gusting in and blowing me over. I tried to fight it every day but I was already exhausted from all the chaos he'd brought with him. The barricades against him had been planned and would be complete in three months on the off-chance he did do something resentful. The rest was overwhelming me and pushing me to the edge of my cliff. Just as I was gathering all my resources together to make a start repairing the door, a calamitous wallop from his direction. The barricades barely had their foundations laid. I slipped and went flying up into the air and off the edge. I had no more energy left to fight the hurricane coming at me. I fell without resistance or strength for what seemed like an age. Eight years condensed into eight hours.
Then, out of nowhere, a hand came out to stop me reaching the sea. It was too frail to pull me up, but it gave me hope. A light that I thought had been extinguished started burning, a big bright flame, powerful enough to throw me up and back onto solid ground. I was bruised, battered and broken, but I was still alive.
The barricade has been built, taller than initially planned. The door is impenetrable. On inspection, there are small cracks of vulnerability in the wall structure. Do I carve out a new door? Or simply fill in the crevices?