As night advances upon the horizon, darkness reaches into the sun’s last rays like death’s long, bony fingers about to snuff the life out of what’s left of the long summer’s day. All of earth’s colorful beauty will soon be hidden in the grays of the night. The darkening shadows stir me to rise with a purpose not yet known to me. I have to go, and in that direction. Gliding effortlessly along the shrubbery that lines the sidewalk, I feel a distant lure towards the tall trees that cluster inside the crumbling stone wall. I must go there.
Moving closer, I recognize my kind – their energy, as I don’t yet see them. I feel their presence become stronger as I come nearer to where they congregate in the darkening of the day’s end. I enter through the gate and search for someone familiar to me… anyone. Many are elderly and middle age, few are young adults and teens, and fewer still are small children. Some take notice of me as I approach, turning to face me for a moment. A rather aged man slowly lifts and extends his long arm to point to his right side. I turn to look and find myself moving in that direction as I’ve willed it… or he’s willed it for me. I realize I’m floating.
Following along the stone wall to the north corner, I turn to look back at the aged man. I shudder in surprise to find he’s now next to me. He looks down. I follow his gaze to a freshly dug hole and, without speaking — as if by mental insertion, he lets me know this is where I will rest forever when the living bring my body here. Sadness overcomes me with a pulsing vibration throughout my essence. I feel hollow, empty. This isn’t “life” on the other side, but rather a void of all life, of all that’s beautiful.
This can’t be how it ends.
Heat rises from the reddish brown dirt, refracting the light into shimmering waves of haze. The air is stifling and nearly still, as if nature is holding its breath for a moment, waiting to exhale and breathe life into the empty terrain and conjure up a dust devil. One spins mightily in the far distance, violently whipping sand and particles into the air… air that seems to suffocate more than sustain life. The sun is high in the deep blue sky on its daily voyage from horizon to horizon, denying relief from the heat and scorched air. Only critters and fowl who can adapt to lack of water and high temperatures are able to survive the extreme conditions.
ME: Well, hello there. I’m not sure who you think I am…
HE: Jessie
ME: I’m not Jessie. And I can assure you I am not one to stand anyone up.
HE: What?? HE: Don’t fuck wih me Jessie
ME: I’m not Jessie. Check the number.
HE: This IS the number!!!
ME: Well, I’m not Jessie. Was it a first date?
ME: Perhaps you were given the wrong number, or you entered it incorrectly.
HE: You called me HE: That’s how I got your number
ME: You know, people can manipulate the number that shows up on caller ID. I don’t know how they do it. ME: No one has access to my phone… at least not that I recall.
HE: I don’t believe you
ME: I’m not Jessie, I don’t know a Jessie. ME: I have no idea how people change their caller ID to show up differently. ME: How did you meet?
HE: A bar
ME: Maybe she has a burner phone with a manipulated caller ID for such encounters.
HE: Haha maybe
ME: So, what bar?
HE: 7 and elm
ME: Where? What city and state?
HE: PA
ME: Well, that narrows it down. ME: When?
HE: Saturday
ME: I didn’t go anywhere Saturday night. ME: I don’t go to bars. ME: I did give my phone number to someone that afternoon. ME: In a store. There were other customers there.
ME: Hello?
HE: Duck HE: Duck HE: fuck
ME: Enjoy your evening.
HE: Sorry HE: For bothering you
ME: No bother. Nice to chat with you. ME: I do hope you have a nice evening and meet someone kind and considerate.
HE: Thanks HE: Me too
ME: You can’t be all that bad. You actually spell all your text words out.
HE: LOL
HE: Seltzer
ME: ?
HE: Pa
ME: Oh. ME: That’s actually not too terribly far from me.
HE: 8:00?
ME: See you then.
Lying in bed, thoughts ran rampant through her mind after she hung up on her boyfriend. “Why in the world would he think that’s ok? Why would I NOT want to be invited? Go ahead, spend time with your friends and don’t include me. Never mind that I was dressed and ready to go, that when you said we were going I thought I was a ‘we.’ I’ve had it! I’m going to start to make my own plans and do things for me. No more putting other people’s plans first only to be not included. I am going to do what I want, when I want it, and no one’s plans will trump mine ever again.” Reaching to turn off the light, she hoped the darkness would calm her. “Oh, my God, I hate you.”
