She was woken early in the morning by shuffled footsteps outside, the creak of the bathroom door. The shutters were closed but she knew that outside the sky was still mainly dark, a tinge of light beginning to form over the hills. Lying in the warmth of her bed she realised one of her socks had come off as she slept. It didn’t matter now with the bed so warm.
  Her bedroom door opened and a rush of irritation filled her.
  “I’m awake,” she said.
  “Do you want your light on?”
  “No.”
  The figure, one hand still resting on the door handle, retreated, pulling the door with it.
  As happened most mornings, the door swung open as soon as it was released and was stopped by the shelves with a quiet bump, muffled by the coat hanging there.
  She rolled over onto her side, face to the wall, pulling her knees up to her chest hoping that somehow this movement would make getting up seem a more desirable prospect.
  It didn’t.
  She pushed the sockless foot out from under the duvet to see how cold it was. She pulled it back into the warmth quickly. The echoing tap of footsteps going down the staircase sounded loud in the cold morning.
  Deciding that was her cue for action, she slipped quickly out from under the covers, pulling her pyjama top over her head as fast as she could. The cold air was cruel, making her shudder as she pulled on her work clothes.
  Leaving the shutters closed she went to the bathroom, arms folded across her body as if that would somehow stop her body heat escaping. She brushed her teeth and splashed icy water on her face. The remnants of sleep disappeared down the drain with the water.
  Crossing the landing back to her room she switched on the light and found a hairpin on her desk. She pushed it into her hair at the side of her face and picked up the mug from last night.