Page 169 - Demo

169hole.%u201cSarah. Isn%u2019t it?%u201d A voice said behind her.She turned to see her good looking neighbour right there not more than a few feet away. He had walked round from the other side unnoticed by her.She felt slightly awkward knowing he probably saw her as a woman too large in size to be pretty or desirable. %u201cYes. It is. I know you live over there,%u201d she pointed, %u201cbut I don%u2019t know your name.%u201dHe put out his hand to shake hers. %u201cIt%u2019s Daniel... Dan. Well, what do you think of this bloody great hole?%u201d%u201cNice to meet you, Dan. The hole? Exciting, isn%u2019t it. I was just wondering if our houses might collapse,%u201d she replied.%u201cI was thinking the same. I expect the authorities will be along in a minute. They%u2019ll probably want us all to evacuate our homes for a day or two while they get the experts in.%u201d Dan said.%u201cI shan%u2019t go. I can%u2019t stand sleeping anywhere other than where I live.%u201d She told him. %u201cCan they force us?%u201dHe shrugged. %u201cI really don%u2019t know. Your house is extremely close. Your garden wall has shifted slightly. My house is much further away. It might be safer if they ask us to sleep in accommodation they%u2019ll provide for us.%u201d Dan told her. He looked up as a police car approached, its blue light flashing brightly. %u201cHuh. Here we go. It looks like we%u2019re about to find out.%u201dAnother police car came up behind the first and then a small van. Men started erecting a temporary barrier across the road on the far side of the hole from where they stood. A policewoman approached Dan and Sarah.%u201cCan I please ask you to move away from the edge for your own safety,%u201d she called out to them.The Sink Hole