A Sense of Smell By M.M. Wake
Jayne woke, the alarm buzzing in her ear. She glanced sideways; 6:00 am time to rise and shine. Her eyes closed involuntarily, body unmoving. Just 5 more minutes maybe 10 at the most. She rested her head fighting the resistance to fall back asleep again and return to her dreaming.
Twitch. Jayne had a very sensitive nose. Some people have second sight, with Jayne it was smell. Twitch, again, just as she was nearly back to her sleepy images her nose picked up a waft of something.
Ever since she could remember her nose and sense of smell had been highly sensitive. Her nasal receptors quivered with the merest hint of an odour, good or bad.
She picked up on the least hint of body odour.It had become so bad that travelling on public transport had become almost impossible. The last time she travelled on the tube she had spent the entire trip with a handkerchief pressed to her nose trying to stop herself from wretching; squashed between an obese man, damp, dark pools forming on the armpits of his shirt, and an old man of about seventy smelling of urinals and possibly worse.
Life had become a bit of a challenge but Jayne had learnt to exist, avoiding the most unpleasant aroma’s where she possibly could. Pubs and clubs were a no-no, the smell of cheap perfume and aftershave seemed to cling, a choking fog of chemicals and manmade scents. With names like ‘Poison’, no wonder she had difficulty breathing.
She shopped late at the 24 HR supermarket to avoid the busy spells and stench of the general population.
Her house was immaculate. No cheap pungent air fresheners or pot pourri leaking venom into the air, just honest cleaning with good quality fragrant free soap, water and a bit of elbow grease.
Yet this morning something lingered in her nostrils, a subtle, sweet scent invaded her slumber. Opening her eyes she breathed it in, trying to determine the type and source of the substance languid in the air.
It reminded her of Lily of the Valley, not quite as flowery yet sweeter somehow. There was a hint of muskiness too, just on the cusp, merely a hint, a vague impression.
Jayne bent her head onto her body and sniffed around her shoulders and hair; she didn’t smell of anything in particular, just sleep and body warmth. Her duvet had been washed in mild soap flakes for sensitive skin, giving off a light scent but nothing unusual.
The smell seemed to be in the air rather than on anything in particular, in front of her nose, shadowing her movements.
Glancing at the clock Jayne was shocked to notice it was already 06:30, how could that be, it was only 5 minutes since it was 6:00? Time to get up, the train was at 7:00. Jayne was pretty good at rushing in the morning, with minimal maintenance she arranged her hair and face, managing to find clothes that had not only been washed but also ironed. Throughout the morning routine the smell lingered, above the toothpaste, organic deodorant and face cream. If anything it seemed to be more distinct now she was up and about, following her from room to room while she prepared for the day.
Before heading for the door to catch the train, Jayne had a final look around. The bins were clean and empty, the sink was clear and tidy, there was nothing that she could pinpoint where the whiff came from, she shrugged smiling, maybe it was a phantom smell, a ghostly lingering?
Locking the door she headed for the train. The 07:00 train wasn’t too bad, it was quite busy but she usually got a seat and the people were usually quite clean at the beginning of the day. There were a few women who liked to wear particularly pungent fragrances, but she usually managed to sit in a different carriage.
There was a choic of two seats, one next to a man of about 30ish, quite handsome and pleasant on the eye, or a tall man of about 45ish with red hair. She plumped for the latter, she had sat with him before and he was usually a safe bet. She liked the other chap and once sat next to him but had to put up with the animal stench of stale sex for the rest of the journey. She smiled; it was funny how she could tell what people had been doing just by using her nose.
Sitting down she sank once again into semi sleepiness, her mind blank, eyes sunk deep into her head. There it was again, that smell, a little deeper now, definitely earthier, stronger. Maybe it was her breath? Jayne brought her hand up to her mouth blowing air into her palm. She sniffed, toothpaste, mint toothpaste, nothing odd there.
What if other people had noticed? Jayne moved her head to look through the window, casting the mere hint of a glance at the ginger headed man, who, for a brief second, looked back at her through the reflection.
Could he smell it, what must he think? Jayne closed her eyes self consciously and tried to ignore the strange pong.
She drifted in and out , sinking lower and lower into a state of semi consciousness, the tick tacking of the train lulling her into a sleepy state. In her dreams she found herself heading down a tunnel, deeper and deeper and deeper.
A quick jolt brought her back to the surface and light, the train had reached her stop and standing she headed for the doors, the aroma following quickly behind.
The day was long; Jayne sat at the computer, the bright whiteness stinging her eyes. The smell was still with her getting more and more pungent as the day progressed. Was it her own body odour? She sat between 2 male colleagues, maybe they could smell something? She would bring up the subject in a matter of fact way.
“There’s a funny smell in here”, Jayne tried to sound nonchalant, dismissive. Dave the IT guy moved his eyes slowly away from total absorbance in computer programming to engage with her own. Pushing his spectacles back from his face he sniffed the air, screwing up his face as he did so.
“Nope, nothing”, Dave spoke in monotone voice; eyes reverting quickly back to his computer screen. 20 seconds later he turned to face her, “Actually, I can smell something, something quite sweet, it’s only feint though, new perfume eh”?
Jayne smiled back embarrassed, Dave was back into the world of JavaScript before she had time to explain, or not, as the case would have been.
The smell did seem to be changing; it now took on a more sickly smell, earthy yet muskier, almost carnal.
Jayne glanced at her watch, it was 2 o’ clock and she hadn’t eaten all day, the smell had removed her appetite. That was it, she was tired and hungry and maybe she was just hallucinating, possibly Dave had just sniffed a whiff of deodorant.
Standing in the sandwich queue at the kiosk in her work place the strong stench of onions filled her nostrils. Jayne usually hated the smell but today it seemed preferable to the strange smell that lingered around her.
Purchasing a plain cheese roll she walked over to a small table to sit and eat in peace. As soon as she sat down the smell came at her again, this time much stronger, almost repellent. She gagged, pushing the sandwich away, she must be ill.
That was it, she was coming down with something, she would go home.
Getting her coat and bag she quickly headed for the door, breaking into a run to escape the air around her. It followed close on her heels, quickening her pace the smell clung in pursuit.
Jayne looked at her watch, it was 2:20, she had a train at 2:30 if she was quick she would catch it.
She ran to the corner of the main road opposite the train station, the smell now intense, hanging in the air, stormy and repulsive.
The accident occurred several seconds later, a young woman knocked over by a car on a busy road, dead on impact.
The sweet, rotten smell of death languished heavy in the air for several hours that afternoon before rising and dispersing into the day.
Download for Kindle / iphone etc @ http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/21614/a-sense-of-smell
Twitch. Jayne had a very sensitive nose. Some people have second sight, with Jayne it was smell. Twitch, again, just as she was nearly back to her sleepy images her nose picked up a waft of something.
Ever since she could remember her nose and sense of smell had been highly sensitive. Her nasal receptors quivered with the merest hint of an odour, good or bad.
She picked up on the least hint of body odour.It had become so bad that travelling on public transport had become almost impossible. The last time she travelled on the tube she had spent the entire trip with a handkerchief pressed to her nose trying to stop herself from wretching; squashed between an obese man, damp, dark pools forming on the armpits of his shirt, and an old man of about seventy smelling of urinals and possibly worse.
Life had become a bit of a challenge but Jayne had learnt to exist, avoiding the most unpleasant aroma’s where she possibly could. Pubs and clubs were a no-no, the smell of cheap perfume and aftershave seemed to cling, a choking fog of chemicals and manmade scents. With names like ‘Poison’, no wonder she had difficulty breathing.
She shopped late at the 24 HR supermarket to avoid the busy spells and stench of the general population.
Her house was immaculate. No cheap pungent air fresheners or pot pourri leaking venom into the air, just honest cleaning with good quality fragrant free soap, water and a bit of elbow grease.
Yet this morning something lingered in her nostrils, a subtle, sweet scent invaded her slumber. Opening her eyes she breathed it in, trying to determine the type and source of the substance languid in the air.
It reminded her of Lily of the Valley, not quite as flowery yet sweeter somehow. There was a hint of muskiness too, just on the cusp, merely a hint, a vague impression.
Jayne bent her head onto her body and sniffed around her shoulders and hair; she didn’t smell of anything in particular, just sleep and body warmth. Her duvet had been washed in mild soap flakes for sensitive skin, giving off a light scent but nothing unusual.
The smell seemed to be in the air rather than on anything in particular, in front of her nose, shadowing her movements.
Glancing at the clock Jayne was shocked to notice it was already 06:30, how could that be, it was only 5 minutes since it was 6:00? Time to get up, the train was at 7:00. Jayne was pretty good at rushing in the morning, with minimal maintenance she arranged her hair and face, managing to find clothes that had not only been washed but also ironed. Throughout the morning routine the smell lingered, above the toothpaste, organic deodorant and face cream. If anything it seemed to be more distinct now she was up and about, following her from room to room while she prepared for the day.
Before heading for the door to catch the train, Jayne had a final look around. The bins were clean and empty, the sink was clear and tidy, there was nothing that she could pinpoint where the whiff came from, she shrugged smiling, maybe it was a phantom smell, a ghostly lingering?
Locking the door she headed for the train. The 07:00 train wasn’t too bad, it was quite busy but she usually got a seat and the people were usually quite clean at the beginning of the day. There were a few women who liked to wear particularly pungent fragrances, but she usually managed to sit in a different carriage.
There was a choic of two seats, one next to a man of about 30ish, quite handsome and pleasant on the eye, or a tall man of about 45ish with red hair. She plumped for the latter, she had sat with him before and he was usually a safe bet. She liked the other chap and once sat next to him but had to put up with the animal stench of stale sex for the rest of the journey. She smiled; it was funny how she could tell what people had been doing just by using her nose.
Sitting down she sank once again into semi sleepiness, her mind blank, eyes sunk deep into her head. There it was again, that smell, a little deeper now, definitely earthier, stronger. Maybe it was her breath? Jayne brought her hand up to her mouth blowing air into her palm. She sniffed, toothpaste, mint toothpaste, nothing odd there.
What if other people had noticed? Jayne moved her head to look through the window, casting the mere hint of a glance at the ginger headed man, who, for a brief second, looked back at her through the reflection.
Could he smell it, what must he think? Jayne closed her eyes self consciously and tried to ignore the strange pong.
She drifted in and out , sinking lower and lower into a state of semi consciousness, the tick tacking of the train lulling her into a sleepy state. In her dreams she found herself heading down a tunnel, deeper and deeper and deeper.
A quick jolt brought her back to the surface and light, the train had reached her stop and standing she headed for the doors, the aroma following quickly behind.
The day was long; Jayne sat at the computer, the bright whiteness stinging her eyes. The smell was still with her getting more and more pungent as the day progressed. Was it her own body odour? She sat between 2 male colleagues, maybe they could smell something? She would bring up the subject in a matter of fact way.
“There’s a funny smell in here”, Jayne tried to sound nonchalant, dismissive. Dave the IT guy moved his eyes slowly away from total absorbance in computer programming to engage with her own. Pushing his spectacles back from his face he sniffed the air, screwing up his face as he did so.
“Nope, nothing”, Dave spoke in monotone voice; eyes reverting quickly back to his computer screen. 20 seconds later he turned to face her, “Actually, I can smell something, something quite sweet, it’s only feint though, new perfume eh”?
Jayne smiled back embarrassed, Dave was back into the world of JavaScript before she had time to explain, or not, as the case would have been.
The smell did seem to be changing; it now took on a more sickly smell, earthy yet muskier, almost carnal.
Jayne glanced at her watch, it was 2 o’ clock and she hadn’t eaten all day, the smell had removed her appetite. That was it, she was tired and hungry and maybe she was just hallucinating, possibly Dave had just sniffed a whiff of deodorant.
Standing in the sandwich queue at the kiosk in her work place the strong stench of onions filled her nostrils. Jayne usually hated the smell but today it seemed preferable to the strange smell that lingered around her.
Purchasing a plain cheese roll she walked over to a small table to sit and eat in peace. As soon as she sat down the smell came at her again, this time much stronger, almost repellent. She gagged, pushing the sandwich away, she must be ill.
That was it, she was coming down with something, she would go home.
Getting her coat and bag she quickly headed for the door, breaking into a run to escape the air around her. It followed close on her heels, quickening her pace the smell clung in pursuit.
Jayne looked at her watch, it was 2:20, she had a train at 2:30 if she was quick she would catch it.
She ran to the corner of the main road opposite the train station, the smell now intense, hanging in the air, stormy and repulsive.
The accident occurred several seconds later, a young woman knocked over by a car on a busy road, dead on impact.
The sweet, rotten smell of death languished heavy in the air for several hours that afternoon before rising and dispersing into the day.
Download for Kindle / iphone etc @ http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/21614/a-sense-of-smell