better as I looked for my phone.
The big wooden bowl on the counter was filled with pears and apples and tangerines. I looked around for something sweeter but came up empty. I picked up a banana, and as I peeled it I found my brown leather purse on the opposite side of the counter. I turned the microwave night light on and, under its weak light, unzipped my purse. My wallet, keys, and watch were all accounted for, and after further patting down, I felt the phone in the small pocket in the back. I took it out and pressed the main button, prompting a picture of Mom, Dad, and me lounging on the deck at home.
My vision grew blurry as the tears gathered in my eyes. I unlocked the phone and looked at the date: November 4. I went through the eighteen missed calls: some from kids at school, others, more recently, from good friends of Mom and Dad, most likely giving their condolences. I deleted all voice mails without listening to them. The sobs came naturally. With the phone clutched to my chest, I headed back to bed.
I let myself have a good but silent cry and promised myself I would get out of bed when morning came. But my strength dissipated, and my mind, let loose, busied itself with memories of happier days, interspersed with glimpsed images of their lifeless bodies. I closed my eyes tighter, hoping I could unplug whatever was creating the images. But it was no use. With that last picture in my mind, I once again fell asleep.
This time, my subconscious terror kept bringing its own set of images for me, stealing away the peace of my dreams.
I was walking on a field of lavender flowers, caressing my knees as I walked through it. Its sweet aromatic fragrance evoked a feeling of calm and tranquility. The sky was a pure, vibrant blue, and the sun shone bright without a cloud in sight. I could hear the chirping of finches and robins, though I didn’t see them. The distance was filled with green mountain pastures, with a tree here and there creating some shade. In the foreground, a woman stood gazing at her reflection in a pond. Her long hair swayed in the playful breeze. As I got closer to take a better look, I could see snakes all around her; slithering up her legs and entwining themselves around her body. My stomach felt heavy. The air grew colder, and the images in front of me disturbed me greatly.
“ Gross,” I mumbled to myself. On the other side of the pond, a light shone bright and came down from the heavens. Touching the ground, it revealed itself as Claire. My instinct would have been to run to her, but something inside me told me to stay where I was. Hidden. It wasn’t safe out there, and whatever was about to happen, I would want to see. The woman with the serpents around her spoke first. Her voice was serene.
“ You will not be able to save her, just as you could not save your mate.” She paused a moment and then continued. “Shemer, wasn’t it?”
Even from afar, I could see Claire’s eyes squint as she made fists with her hands. “I don’t see anyone that needs saving other than you,” she said, and she started to make her way around the pond, toward the other woman. “I suggest you leave now, Lilith, before things end badly for you.”
The serpents disappeared, and now a panther stood in their place.
“ Really?” Claire said, and laughed. “Is that supposed to scare me? Do you forget who I am?” Her laughter echoed all around me.
The woman didn’t say a word, just patted the fierce cat, which nagged at a memory I could not quite place. Where had I seen this before?
“ Come on, Lilith. If you’re going to fight, then fight!” Claire’s voice roared.
“ You have been socializing on the mortal plane far too long, cherub. I wonder if you even remember how to fight.”
And just as she said that, the panther sprang at Claire with bewildering speed. Only it wasn’t my Claire anymore. In an eyeblink, wings emerged from behind her, and suddenly, she was a lion. The panther kept coming at
The big wooden bowl on the counter was filled with pears and apples and tangerines. I looked around for something sweeter but came up empty. I picked up a banana, and as I peeled it I found my brown leather purse on the opposite side of the counter. I turned the microwave night light on and, under its weak light, unzipped my purse. My wallet, keys, and watch were all accounted for, and after further patting down, I felt the phone in the small pocket in the back. I took it out and pressed the main button, prompting a picture of Mom, Dad, and me lounging on the deck at home.
My vision grew blurry as the tears gathered in my eyes. I unlocked the phone and looked at the date: November 4. I went through the eighteen missed calls: some from kids at school, others, more recently, from good friends of Mom and Dad, most likely giving their condolences. I deleted all voice mails without listening to them. The sobs came naturally. With the phone clutched to my chest, I headed back to bed.
I let myself have a good but silent cry and promised myself I would get out of bed when morning came. But my strength dissipated, and my mind, let loose, busied itself with memories of happier days, interspersed with glimpsed images of their lifeless bodies. I closed my eyes tighter, hoping I could unplug whatever was creating the images. But it was no use. With that last picture in my mind, I once again fell asleep.
This time, my subconscious terror kept bringing its own set of images for me, stealing away the peace of my dreams.
I was walking on a field of lavender flowers, caressing my knees as I walked through it. Its sweet aromatic fragrance evoked a feeling of calm and tranquility. The sky was a pure, vibrant blue, and the sun shone bright without a cloud in sight. I could hear the chirping of finches and robins, though I didn’t see them. The distance was filled with green mountain pastures, with a tree here and there creating some shade. In the foreground, a woman stood gazing at her reflection in a pond. Her long hair swayed in the playful breeze. As I got closer to take a better look, I could see snakes all around her; slithering up her legs and entwining themselves around her body. My stomach felt heavy. The air grew colder, and the images in front of me disturbed me greatly.
“ Gross,” I mumbled to myself. On the other side of the pond, a light shone bright and came down from the heavens. Touching the ground, it revealed itself as Claire. My instinct would have been to run to her, but something inside me told me to stay where I was. Hidden. It wasn’t safe out there, and whatever was about to happen, I would want to see. The woman with the serpents around her spoke first. Her voice was serene.
“ You will not be able to save her, just as you could not save your mate.” She paused a moment and then continued. “Shemer, wasn’t it?”
Even from afar, I could see Claire’s eyes squint as she made fists with her hands. “I don’t see anyone that needs saving other than you,” she said, and she started to make her way around the pond, toward the other woman. “I suggest you leave now, Lilith, before things end badly for you.”
The serpents disappeared, and now a panther stood in their place.
“ Really?” Claire said, and laughed. “Is that supposed to scare me? Do you forget who I am?” Her laughter echoed all around me.
The woman didn’t say a word, just patted the fierce cat, which nagged at a memory I could not quite place. Where had I seen this before?
“ Come on, Lilith. If you’re going to fight, then fight!” Claire’s voice roared.
“ You have been socializing on the mortal plane far too long, cherub. I wonder if you even remember how to fight.”
And just as she said that, the panther sprang at Claire with bewildering speed. Only it wasn’t my Claire anymore. In an eyeblink, wings emerged from behind her, and suddenly, she was a lion. The panther kept coming at
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