Romantic Elopement: Gambler

1     Just leaving Ralph there. Just, fucking off without him.

1.1   “It’s only for a while, like a honeymoon, then I’ll be right back for you. It does my nerves, Ralphie, leaving you like this, but if I’m longer than a week, you’ll go to Mandy’s, eh?”

1.2   Peter gave him three ten-pound notes in an envelope.

2     A heart-shaped white balloon stirs in one corner, bumping its head against the wall each time you open a door.

3     •   The phone went dead.

       •  The radiator stayed cold.

       •  The lights went out.

       •  If there was a knock, he held still.

3.1   He bought cornflakes and jammy dodgers. He bought cigarettes.

3.2   Every few days he went to the public toilet, where he patiently extracted yards of loo roll, stuffing it into a Happy Shopper bag to carry home.

4     A shriveled rag of pale rubber trails from the hard puckered ring where the balloon was tied.

4.1   Ralph turned eleven.