"2012" - Draft 2

“Believe me,” a voice behind her said, “You don’t want to get that one.”

Kate turned her head, looking at the stranger sitting next to her. He didn’t look like anyone Kate could remember meeting before, for all that he was leaning nonchalantly on the bar next to her and smiling casually as if they were old acquaintances. She looked him up and down once and cocked her eyebrow. “Oh really? And why would that be?”

The man slid onto the stool next to hers. “Bigger commercial breweries will add organic compounds and minerals to their beer, claiming that they function as antioxidants or that they are all filtered out of the final product, but many of them don’t make good on their promises. Better to stick to the smaller home brews.” He signaled the bartender, and ordered two pints of a beer Kate had never heard of, “one for me and one for the lady.”

Organic compounds or no, it didn’t taste significantly different to Kate, though it had been a while since she had been bought a drink by a young, presumably available, man. He was, she decided, rather nice looking, and was of course very friendly and willing to talk to her. “So, where exactly did you hear about this?”

“A lot of companies like to make claims about their products, but really, even rudimentary chemical analysis can show you what things actually contain. For instance, did you know that a lot of nondairy creamers and milk-free cheese will actually have more than a trace amount of milk and milk proteins in them?” His eyes lit up behind his glasses as he went on, further describing the chemistry in food science.

Kate laughed at his enthusiasm. “Let me guess – you’re a chemist. Or a nutritionist, right?”

“No, but I studied it some in school… Oh, look at me go. I’ve completely forgotten my manners.” With that, he stuck out his hand. “You’ll have to excuse me, I get a little carried away sometimes. I’m Darren.”

“Kate.” She shook his hand, still laughing a little to herself.

Later, as she walked to the subway station, Kate felt that, as far as evenings went, there were
worse ways to spend an early spring night than talking with friendly stranger and walk away with a dinner date the following weekend.



The knock on the door sent Kate running. “Hi, come in, I’m running a bit late, give me a few minutes,” she said in a rush as she opened the door.

Darren stepped in and shut the door behind him. “Don’t worry about it. I’m a few minutes early. Please don’t rush on my account.”

Kate looked around her cluttered hallway briefly before leading Darren into the kitchen. “Let me find my keys and I’ll be ready to go. Make yourself comfortable.” The kitchen was not significantly cleaner than the hallway, but Darren was able to find a chair to sit on without disturbing any of the piles of papers. He felt something warm brush against his ankle, and started. “Oh! Hello, cat.” A small orange kitten was headbutting him.

Kate popped her head out from the room next door. “Yeah, my sister is out of town for a few weeks, so I said I could take care of Rupert while she’s gone. Don’t tell my super, though. I’m pretty sure we’re not supposed to have cats, no matter how small. You’re not allergic, are you?”

“Not at all. I’m quite fond of cats.” Darren bent down, his large hand dwarfing the small kitten as he stroked the soft orange fur.

“Oh, good.” Kate came back into the kitchen, keys in one hand and long black hair tied back. “I think he likes you.”

“A cat’s favor is a good thing to have.” Darren untangled his fingers from the cat twining himself around them and stood up. “The ancient Egyptians thought them to be gods, treating and worshiping them as such. I frankly think that cats are some of the smartest creatures on this Earth. Possibly even smarter than humans. It’s said that cats are able to form psychic connections, and that’s why witches kept them as their familiars.” He looked down at the small kitten now playing with his shoelace and then back up at Kate, before smiling at her.

Kate laughed. “If you say so. I just wish that this guy would learn to stop making such a huge mess of his food when he ate. Maybe then he might be able to earn some worship around here.”

“Aaaah, but who can really look into the mind of a higher being? Perhaps he is trying to leave you a sign or an omen.” Darren was smiling even broader now, his green eyes laughing.

“With half eaten kitten chow? I’m afraid he’ll need a better prophet than me if he really wants his message spread.”

“That he might.” With that, Darren made a huge, elaborate bow in the direction of the kitten.
“And now, Master Rupert, I must beg leave, to escort your fine mistress to dine with me.” He turned back to Kate and made another, even more ridiculous bow before holding out his arm. “To dinner, my lady?”



Their relationship progressed smoothly. It had been quite some time since Kate had really dated anyone she liked, and if they started seeing each other more and more, she merely shrugged it off as good compatibility.



It was a beautiful end of summer day, and Kate and Darren were enjoying the warm midday sun at a café near Kate’s apartment. Kate loved basking in the sun, so she was fully taking advantage of the bright sunlight, all while teasing her boyfriend about how pink he already was from sunburn.

“Really, Darr, why don’t you ever wear a hat if you burn so badly? Think of your poor skin!”

Darren, however, was staring at the table, tracing patterns slowly with the tip of his finger and the slightest of frowns wrinkling his forehead. “Darren? What’s wrong?” Kate put her hand on top of his, stilling the movement of his finger across the table.

Darren looked up at Kate, with eyes that seemed to be from a million miles away. “I’m sorry, it’s
just…” He rubbed his brow with his free hand and sighed. “I’m just thinking about the future, is all.”

Kate placed her other hand around his, cupping it slightly. “What’s up?”

“I’m,” he closed his eyes tightly, “I’m just worried about what’s coming next.”

“Darr…” Kate’s voice was soft with worry and attempted reassurance, “if you think we are moving too fast…”

He opened his eyes and shook his head slowly, blond hair flopping across his brow as he did. “No, it’s not that. I guess I’m just worried about what is going to happen, in general.” He looked at Kate now, more focused than he had been before. “How much have you heard about the Mayan end of an era prophecy?”

Kate didn’t quite see where this had come from. “I’ve heard about it. The ancient Mayan calendar was said to end on December 20th, 2012, yes? And people think that that will bring about the apocalypse.”

“Of a sort. People think that there will be an end of an era. Whether that means the world will end, or some kind of new world order will replace the current one, I don’t know. But if you stop and think about it, all the signs point to something changing, something big. The way the economy has been fluctuating, the uprisings in Europe… I can’t help but feel like the Mayans were on to something.”

Kate lifted her hand to touch Darren’s face, smoothing the lines that had been forming as he spoke. “So this is what you are worried about? That some huge catastrophe is just right around the corner?”

He looked at her silently before taking her hands in his. “If you put it that way, then yes.” The silence between them grew heavy and thick, Darren just looking at her, and Kate sitting there, growing more and more uneasy. Just as Kate was resolving to say something, anything, to clear the air between them, Darren spoke again. “Will you marry me?”

A wave of coldness washed over Kate, and she sat back in her chair, dropping both hands dully onto the table. Whatever she was about to say had completely fled her mind, and all she could feel was confusion. “Wh-what?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. In it was a simple diamond ring. It sparked in the afternoon sun. Darren said softy, “I’m sorry, I always meant to do this in a more traditional manner. I hope you don’t mind.”

He was serious, that much was clear, Kate thought to herself as she tried to clear her mind. She lifted her head up to stare into his eyes. They were so green and so steady, just looking at her without saying a word. “Darren… I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, I would hope that ‘yes’ would be an obvious choice.” When she didn’t say anything, Darren scooped her hands again, and squeezed them gently. “Kate, just think about it. We’ve been happy together, haven’t we? Is it so much for me to ask to spend the rest of my time with you?”

She shook her head, more of an effort to bring in some sense than to disagree with what he said. “No, it’s not that. It’s… it’s just so sudden, so soon. We’ve been together for what? A few months? Half a year at the most? How do you know we won’t be making each other miserable in another half a year?”

“Kate. Will you think about it, please? For me?”

All the wind went out of her sails when she saw how earnestly he was looking at her. “Alright, I will.”



The next days and weeks passed in a blur for Kate. While she never wore the ring Darren gave her, she kept it with her, occasionally taking it out and looking at it for several moments before putting it away again. An unspoken tension had formed between the two of them. Kate tried to act as if life was moving on as normal, but Darren had lost his carefree and happy attitude, instead having taken to sitting silently, lost in his own thoughts. They were stuck in a rut, neither willing to clear their demons, but both wanting to move forward.



Almost a month had passed before Kate finally had enough.

“Darren.” At the sound of her voice, Darren looked up to see Kate standing in the door frame. “We need to talk.” She was holding the small jeweler’s box, unconsciously flipping it over and over in her hands. When she say that she had his attention, she crossed the room and sat next to him on the couch

“I know that you would have liked an answer long before this, but I needed time to think.” With that, she broke off and looked down. It was several moments before she could speak again. “And… and I’m sorry, Darren, but I can’t. I can’t marry you right now.” Without looking at him, she slowly put the small box in his hands.

“I see.” He gripped the box tightly. “I guess this is the end, then.”

At that, Kate looked up at him. “That doesn’t mean I don’t care for you, though. I know you believe that something is going to happen soon, but I just can’t risk what could be years of happiness. Not now. Maybe in a while, but marriage is just too much right now.” Her voice cracked.

“Shhh…” Darren lifted a hand and ran it over Kate’s black hair. “It’s okay. I’m just sorry this is the end.”

“Darren, it doesn’t have to be. I just can’t get married right now.”

At that, he sighed and stood up, beginning to pace in front of the couch. Kate watched him silently, unsure as to what was going to happen next. “I know you don’t feel like I do, Kate, but I know that something big is going to happen, in only a few months. Is it so wrong for me to have some happiness before then? That’s all that most people want from life. But if you don’t feel like you can get married now…” He paused and shrugged. “I guess I will just have to look for my one chance at happiness elsewhere.”

Out of everything that she was expecting, this certainly was not it. Kate blinked several times, before starting to speak, lips heavy and numb. “Are you seriously breaking up with me because I won’t marry you? Because I don’t think that the world is going to end in December?”

He wouldn’t look at her. “That’s a rather harsh way of putting it.”

“I can’t believe it.” She felt frozen to the couch, unable to look anywhere but him. It was like watching a car crash – everything moved in slow motion, and she couldn’t help but stare at the horror that was unfolding before her. “Darren, did you ever care for me? Or was I just an convenient means to your end? A last ditch effort?”

He slowly put the box in his pocket, and turned away from her. “Obviously, this is something that we will not be able to reconcile. I wish you the best of luck in the time you have, Kate.” Without looking back at her, he strode quickly out of the room, and left.



She sat at the kitchen table, cupping a mug of tea in her hands, alone. Despite her best efforts, her eyes kept flicking to the slowly moving clock. It was late – very late, in fact, almost midnight. The cold and dark winter night was quiet and still. She sipped her tea and put it back down almost immediately, making a face and wondering if she should be drinking something stronger. There were bills and paperwork in front of her, and she had brought her favorite book out into the kitchen with her, but she somehow could not find the motivation to do anything but sit there. Idly, thoughts drifted through her mind – did she really make the right choice? What was he doing, at the moment? – but they never stayed long, quickly replaced by the sense of cold numbness that seemed to have filled her.

As the clock ticked onwards, she sat there, staring into her cup and occasionally shivering at the midwinter cold – not from the sense of foreboding that kept threatening to permeate her entire body, no. She did nothing but wait.

Only time would tell what would happen, anyway.

In a long while

It has been a few years since I last touched the box. It is full of things I don't want, but are too important to throw away. Little things, mostly, and most of them ugly. Some were beautiful, and may be again, but only after time has had a go at remaking them.

But most of them are ugly.

I don't like to open the box, but there are some things I need to put in it. Some new things. They are cracked and blacked, and nip at my hands as I hold them far from me. Into the box they must go. I may pull them out again, someday.

We'll see.

"2012" - Draft 1

When all was said and done, it really hadn’t started off that unusually.

“Believe me,” a voice said in her ear, “You don’t want to get that one.” Kate turned slightly to her left, eyeing the stranger who had just sat down beside her. He had a small smile on his face and was leaning on both arms rested on the bar top. “Oh really? And what’s wrong with it?”

He jerked his head towards the tap. “It’s not well known, but all the big breweries use genetically altered yeast to brew their beer. That’s why they are all so paranoid about anyone getting anywhere near their yeast strains and seeing what they did. It’s best to get something that uses wild-caught yeast.” He tapped the glass in front of him and nodded sagely, a steady expression on his face. The glass sitting on the counter didn’t look any different than any other pint of beer she’d seen before. Kate glanced at the bartender, who had been listening off to the side the entire time, and shrugged. “I guess I’ll have what he’s having, then.”

Whatever the difference between genetically modified and wild-caught yeast was, it certainly didn’t change the taste of the beer made from it. Regardless, Kate looked over at the man to her left. “So, how’d you find out about these modified yeast? I don’t remember hearing about anything like that in the news.”

“You’d be impressed as to what a few simple phone calls to the right people can accomplish.” He looked so serious that she felt slightly alarmed. Her face must have given something away, for he cracked a smile. “No, I’m sorry, I’m pulling your leg. I had an old college professor who had seen a talk about altering the yeast genome at a conference and told our class about it. I found it interesting, so I did a bit of research on my own. Nothing to be worried about, really, just not something I’d like to be putting into my body.”

“I see. Well, good to know.” He was smiling so nicely, she couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m Kate, by the way.”

“Darren. Very pleased to meet you.” His hand was warm in hers.

And as they sometime will do, one thing did lead to any other.

The front door let a wash of cold air into the room. Kate poked her head out, and hurriedly motioned Darren inside, shutting the door quickly. The lips that brushed hers were ice cold. “Brrrrr… It’s especially cold out today. Are you sure we can’t just stay inside?” Darren broke off his sentence and crouched down to face the cat that had just appeared in the hall. “Hello, cat.”

Kate couldn’t help but smile at the sight of a small orange cat poking its nose into her boyfriend’s large hand. “Yeah, my sister is out of town for a few weeks, so I said I could take care of Rupert while she’s gone. Don’t tell my super, though. I’m pretty sure we’re not supposed to have cats, no matter how small.” The kitten’s head had completely disappeared inside the pocket of Darren’s winter jacket. “I think he likes you.” Small mews were muffled by the wool.

“I think he just ratted me out.” Darren reached inside his pocket, shaking loose the kitten and pulling out a small rectangle covered in brown paper. “This is for you.”

It was the copy of Ann Veronica she had been looking for. Kate leaned down to give her boyfriend a kiss and scratched the cat behind the ears. “Oh, thank you. I’d been looking for this for a while now.”

“I remember. The corner bookstore has a good collection of H. G. Wells, so I thought I’d look around and see what they had for you.” Darren smiled at Kate before turning back to the cat in front of him. “I was going to give it to you later, but someone ruined the surprise…”

Kate laughed. “Cats are like that. Always getting where they shouldn’t be.”

“Well, apparently, they are the animals most likely to form psychic connections, so I wouldn’t put it past them to know exactly what we don’t want them to do and to do just that to be ornery.” Darren stood up and stretched. “Come on. Let’s go before this guy gives away all my secret plans.”

Everything was going well. But as always, how long can that really last?

“Will you marry me?”

He was serious, that much was obvious. Everything that should be there – the ring, the bended knee, the bouquet of flowers – was. There was something missing, though, and Kate couldn’t put her finger on it. Whatever it was, it was important. She lifted her head up to stare into his eyes. They were so green and so steady, just looking at her without saying a word. “Darren… I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, I would hope that ‘yes’ would be an obvious choice.” When Kate didn’t move, Darren slowly moved on to the bench beside her. He wrapped his hand around hers. “Kate, I know that we haven’t been dating for very long, but I think we’ve got something. You make me happy. I’d like to think I do the same for you. I don’t see why we shouldn’t spend our lives together.”

Kate shook her head. “We’ve only been together for a couple of months. Half a year, at the most. How do you know we won’t be making each other miserable two, five, ten years down the line?”

“Have we made each other miserable in the last six months? Why would we be making each other miserable over the next six months?”

“That’s the point. Six months, a year, that’s not that far off. But things change as the years pass. We could be completely different people in five years and not even know each other then. Making permanent plans that far into the future scares me.”

Darren reached out and softly touched her cheek. “Worrying about that won’t get anything done. All I know is that I want to spend the rest of my time here with you. Is that too much to ask?”

Kate leaned against his hand. “No. I don’t know. Can I think about it, please?”

After that, things got a little bit… odd.

“Hey, Darren,” Kate leaned back so she could see him through the door frame, “I just heard from my mother. She wants to know if you and I want to visit home for Christmas and New Year’s.”

Darren looked up from the papers he was reading. “That’s a little far off, don’t you think?”

“I know that the idea of buying plane tickets six months in advance seems a little silly, especially for Christmas plans in the middle of summer, but my mum thinks she can get a good deal if she buys them early on. Or were you planning on visiting your family in December?”

Darren looked down and was silent for a few moments. “I’m not making any plans for December at this point.”

And of course, tension started to build.

“Kate.” She felt his eyes staring at her, but didn’t look up. “I need an answer.”

At that statement, she raised her head and looked at him. “I don’t know. I still don’t understand why there is this rush to get married. What am I missing here?” He didn’t answer. “Darren, what are you not telling me?”

There was a long silence. Neither of them moved. Finally, Darren closed his eyes and spoke. “I think the world is going to end.”

Whatever Kate was expecting, this wasn’t it. “Wh-what?”

He turned to look at her straight on. “I think the world is going to end. The ancient Mayan calendar was foretold to come to the end on the winter equinox, this year. Scholars have been debating what exactly this means for centuries now, whether this means all existence coming to an end, or just the word as we know it. I don’t know. All of the signs have been indicating that something big is going to happen soon. Political instability, strange weather fluctuations over the last decade, miracles occurring… I believe that these have all been harbingers for the end of the world.”

“You honestly believe that the world is coming to an end, and will be completely finished in a couple of months?”

“Yes.” At this point, he took her hands in his. “I don’t know what is going to happen, but I do know some things. One of those things is that I love you. If we only have a few months left on this year, I want to spend them with you. I’m an old fashioned boy and I was raised properly, so I want to marry you. There’s no time to start a family if we wanted to, but we could have a few months of happiness.”

Kate felt confused and cold all over. “So you are saying that you only want to marry me because you think the world is ending?”

His gaze was firm and unwavering. “If you put it that way, then, yes.”

It wasn’t something that you heard every day, that is for sure.

“No.”

It got very quiet in the room as soon as she said those words. Kate hesitated, and then continued. “I will not marry simply because you think that the world is going to end in a few months. A marriage like that would be a sham. I don’t think that the apocalypse is nigh, and I certainly haven’t seen any four horsemen or plagues of toads or anything else indicating that the world is going to end soon. But I also take the idea of marriage very seriously. If we were to be married and the end of the world did not happen, we would still be married, which could eventually go horribly, horribly wrong. The gamble of the world ending is too risky for me to put my life on the line here. Getting married at the point would not help or solve anything.”

“Alright.” Darren’s voice was very quiet. “I guess this is the end, then.”

Kate shook her head. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be with you. I just don’t see the purpose of changing our relationship to something that could quite certainly have negative consequences if the world does not end. I don’t want to break up with you, I just don’t want to be married.”

“I know. I’m breaking up with you.”

His statement felt like a splash of cold water. “Wh-what?”

He swung around and spread his hands out in front of him. “We are obviously at a cross path here. You believe one thing and I, another. Unfortunately, it seems that these two opinions are not reconcilable.”

“Just because you believe that the world will stop in a few months and I don’t doesn’t mean that we can’t be involved until then.”

“Maybe. But what if I want to have my one true chance at happiness? If I stay with you, I am being denied that. As much as I like you – and believe me, I do indeed like you a great deal – I cannot limit my options with so little time left. I hope you understand.”

Kate just sat there, not knowing what to think. “Well…” she said slowly, “that certainly wasn’t the reaction I was expecting to get.”

Darren patted her hand. “I imagine. Don’t worry, Kate. You are a smart, pretty, and well-liked girl. I’m sure you will have a chance to find happiness before your time is up.”

And that’s how it went. Not something anyone could have predicted.

She sat at the kitchen table, cupping a mug of tea in her hands, alone. Despite her best efforts, her eyes kept flicking to the slowly moving clock. It was late – very late, in fact, almost midnight. The cold and dark winter night was quiet and still. She sipped her tea and put it back down almost immediately, making a face and wondering if she should be drinking something stronger. There were bills and paperwork in front of her, and she had brought her favourite book out into the kitchen with her, but she somehow could not find the motivation to do anything but sit there. Sit there, and wait.

As the clock ticked onwards, she sat there, staring into her cup and occasionally shivering at the midwinter cold – not from the sense of foreboding that kept threatening to permeate her entire body, no. She did nothing but wait.

Only time would tell what would happen, anyway.

Liar: A five minute write

Growing up, his life had been rather unremarkable, something which he was utterly embarrassed by. One simply did not grow up normally in his line of work. It just wasn’t done. So he was always very careful to hint that his mother was slightly delusional, and that his father had disappeared for many years when he was young. It wasn’t a huge deal, he told himself, it was just to make sure he had the proper background. After all, who would hire a professional liar who had nothing solid to base his lies on? The only truly beautiful lies were those that were entirely based on truth. Indeed, the great masters could twist the truth without lying.
He did not permit himself the delusion that he was anything more than a rather average liar. Good for pretending your lost uncle was visiting, but nothing great enough to actually be hired for Court. Deep down, he dreamed of one day being allowed to witness the spectacle that was Court. All the true liars gathered there, hired by different patrons to mingle and mangle with the aristocratic minds.
It was considered high treason to be caught lying in the Court, so you had to learn to lie without lying. Oh the wordplay conversations must embody! What he wouldn’t give to be mazed by the twisting and metaphors and veils of the Court. He would blissfully fall into the gentle spider threads if only he could hear language taken to the height of its glory.

A thing, with no stars

They say first thing anyone ever notices about the school is the towers. They're right, whoever they are. One of the reasons is they’re tall, you see. Very tall. In fact, I haven’t ever seen the tops they’re so tall. Not even on the clearest day. Or the cloudiest. They must be very ugly to need to hide so well. The other reason everyone notices the towers first is because you can see them a week’s ride away, glowing in the Dark above the mountains.

When my mother told me about the school, she told me first of the towers. I had thought she was lying, changing stories like grownups always do, making them 'better'. Exaggerating, that's the word. But there they were, rising tall and yellow into the air as I got closer. ‘Solid sun beams’, Miss Eva called them, ‘come down from the stars to keep the darkness away.’ She told me the story of the school almost every night, even that last night we spent packing...

************

“I’m not eight, you know. I don’t believe in those star stories anymore.” I declared. No one I knew had ever seen a star. Not even Miss Mary who lived next door, and she was fifteen and had been to the Big City.

She gave me a look. “Of course, dear,” she said, like adults say things when they don’t want to argue with you. Tiredly almost. “no more silly star stories. Now finish rolling your stockings.”

We had one last dinner with Mother. I was allowed to stay after instead of being sent to wash up right away. I listened to her and Miss Eva discuss my trip, but the talk about money and hotels was dull. I really just wanted to fetch my drawing things, but they were packed away already. So I sat and stared outside, watching the glitter bugs flash messages to each other.

I was leaving for school the next day. The same school Mother had gone to. She was a very accomplished lady, and I thought she must be terribly important, because no one ever bothered us, even though we had no man to keep the monsters and such away. The villagers always tugged their hats at us whenever I rode with Mother, but never when I was just with Miss Eva. I wanted to be an accomplished lady too, and then maybe I could go with Mother when she disappeared on those trips that I wasn't allowed to ask about.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. “You will visit, won’t you Mother?”

“It is rude to interrupt, dear.” She reprimanded me gently. Miss Eva gave me a stern look.

“But you will? Won’t you?” This suddenly seemed very important, far more important than hearing about hostels and travel rations.

“You should apologize for interrupting your mother,” was my only answer. Mother simply gazed at me for a bit.

“I’m sorry.” Miss Eva was always very strict about my manners. Why wouldn’t Mother answer? “Please Mother, will you visit me?” Something strange was going on.

“Really dear, you shouldn’t be getting so worked up about this. It isn’t like you.” Mother said. She turned to Miss Eva, “Perhaps it is time for her to rest. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

“Of course, Mistress.” Miss Eva bowed her head, and then pulled me out of the room. It had been a long time since I had been sent to bed like this, and I dragged my feet through the thick carpet, obedient as always. I looked back through the retreating doorway, and waved farewell to Mother, but she only stared into the fire. I know it’s silly, but for a moment she seemed very, very pale, almost see through, like a thin cloud. Then the corner blocked my view.

I woke up early after a strange dream, and went to my window. The light was just beginning in the east, and I saw Mother’s coach rolling away through the wispy morning fog.

Something very strange happened to me then. I felt as if a bit of myself was being pulled, stretched thin. The carriage seemed to pull my hand through the window like how Gram Neber's spindle pulls thread from a skein of wool. I began to feel very squeezed and twisted. It hurt a bit, but not like when you fall and scrape your knee.

“There now, dear,” a voice said somewhere, “Mistress just doesn’t like to say goodbye. Here now,” a soft cloth brushing my cheeks reminded me of my body, and I began to feel whole again. “Are you back with us?” Miss Eva said. I looked at her warm face, and nodded, even though I wasn’t sure what she meant, or if I really was back. Part of me still felt a bit far away. “Good. Let’s eat then. We have a long ways to go today.”