by Jim Proctor
Opening the messaging app, she found three new messages from Gailen.
Jaz, what did you do to Serna? She just limped into the cafeteria. Her left arm is in a sling, and she winces every time she moves.
Gailen
Flicking to the second message…
Terrin just came in, and he’s NOT sitting with her! He walked right past her and sat with a group of boys.
Moving on to the third message…
I just talked to Carra. She is in Serna’s first period class. She said Serna has a broken collarbone, two cracked ribs, and a sprained ankle. You must have worked her over pretty good! And that was after you told me not to touch her. You wanted to take care of it personally, I guess. Bitch deserved it.
Jazeen looked at the clock. Five minutes of her thirty-minute lunch break were already gone, and she was hungry. Setting the tablet down, she tore open a granola bar and began eating as she picked up the tablet and typed a reply.
Gailen,
I didn’t do anything to Serna. She fell out of a tree and hit several branches on the way down.
Jaz
Putting the tablet down, she began peeling the orange while chewing the granola. The tablet chimed.
Jaz, where have you been? I messaged you fifteen minutes ago! Fell out of a tree? That’s hilarious. You better think up a better story. Nobody will believe Miss Prissy climbed a tree. Maybe you could say she fell down the steps at the mall. They’d believe that.
Jazeen laughed. Everyone in the employee lounge stopped talking and looked at her. She ignored them and typed a reply.
Sorry, Gailen. She really did fall out of a tree.
Removing the last of the peel from the orange, she pulled off a section and ate it. The tablet chimed. Taking another bite of the granola bar, she read the new message.
I hope you pushed her. What was she doing in a tree?
She swallowed the granola and tossed another section of orange into her mouth.
I caught her and Terrin on his platform. She stole the letter I had left for him, and when he found out, he took off and left her behind. She slipped and fell while she was climbing down after him.
Another section of orange went into her mouth, followed by a bite of granola. She glanced at the clock and wondered where the time was going. Thirty minutes in a high school class dragged on forever, but her lunch period was flying by. Her tablet chimed.
I have to go. Lunch period is over. Let’s get together. I’ll record a video of Serna limping out of the cafeteria and send it to your phone. I don’t believe the tree story. When we’re alone and no one can hear, you can tell me what you did to her. Nice work.
Jazeen laughed, drawing more stares from her coworkers. Closing the messaging app, she quickly ate the rest of her lunch and gulped her soda. Gathering her trash, she threw it into the trash can, dropped the soda bottle into the recycling bin, and jogged back to her checkout station.
Waving her hand, she said, “I can help the next customer in line.”
* * * *
Jazeen hurt all over by the time she left work. She had stood behind her sales terminal most of the day. Her plan to pick up groceries for her lunches on the way home was out. All she could think about was lying on her bed and letting her muscles relax. Her stomach grumbled, but the thought of standing in her kitchenette cooking dinner made her body hurt even more. Reluctantly, she stopped at a sub shop, placed her order, and waited as it was prepared and wrapped.
Closing and locking her hotel room door, she limped to the bed and put her dinner on the nightstand. Unzipping her book bag, she took out her tablet and set it on the bed. Unwilling to even attempt to bring her feet and hands into conjunction, she used one foot to force the laced and tied shoe off the other foot. Forcing the second shoe off, she climbed onto the bed and laid down. The pain in her back was excruciating until her muscles finally relaxed. Breathing a sigh of relief, she rolled to her side, reached down, and with some difficulty, pulled her book bag up and onto the bed. Pulling out the jacket she had worn that morning, she tossed it aside. Finding her purse, she dug inside it until she found her little bottle of pain medicine. She wanted these beauties to go into her stomach before she ate. Tossing two capsules into her mouth, she pulled her bottle of juice from the bag on the nightstand, twisted off the cap, and washed them down. Setting the bottle on the nightstand again, she put the pill bottle back into her purse and set it aside before lying on her back to wait for the pain to ease. Then, remembering Gailen’s last message, she felt around for her purse, pulled it closer, and took out her phone. There was a new video from Gailen. She struggled to hold the phone up while she watched. She had been looking forward to this all afternoon, but now, with all the pain she was in, there was nothing funny about watching Serna limp out of the cafeteria. She almost felt sorry for her. Stopping the video, she put the phone on the nightstand and closed her eyes.
When Jazeen awoke, the room was dark. No daylight leaked in around the curtains. Her pain had eased significantly. She was still tired, but wasn’t exhausted anymore. Sitting up, she realized she was still in her work clothes. On the nightstand was the bag containing her untouched sub, her open juice bottle sitting next to it. Focusing on the clock, she realized it was just after midnight. She had slept for more than five hours. Her stomach growled.
Her juice was warm, and her sub was no longer fit to eat. A bitter taste filled her mouth and her tongue felt slimy. Forcing herself out of bed, she went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. Then, shedding her clothes, she slipped into her pajamas. Fumbling in her purse, she found her pain pills and poured one capsule into her hand. Washing it down with a sip of water, she set the alarm clock, climbed back into bed, and pulled up the covers. Softly, she said, “I get to do it all again tomorrow, and the day after that, and the next day…”
Jazeen lay on the floor at the top of the steps, listening to her parents’ latest argument, their voices carrying up from the kitchen.
“I can’t go to meet her teacher,” her father said. “I have thirty term papers to grade!”
“Well, I can’t go! I’ll be in Collington for a sales meeting,” her mother said.
“Then… we’ll just miss it this year.”
“Ren, that’s what you said last year,” her mother protested.
“Yes, and as I recall, you were on a business trip then, too,” Renco said.
“I don’t get to decide when I’ll have to travel. It isn’t up to me!”
Her father sighed. “I know, I’m sorry. Look, it can’t be helped. We just won’t get to meet her teacher this time. Hey, maybe we can schedule a private meeting with her next week.”
After a moment, her mother said, “I guess we can work something out. Can you set it up?”
“Why me?” her father asked.
“Fine. I’ll set something up,” her mother said.
“We never should have had kids,” her father said. “Our lifestyle… I mean, we’re both working all the time. What made us think we could have kids and our careers, too?”
“I don’t know,” her mother said.
“Hey, Jazzy,” came a whisper by her ear. “Come on. Let’s go read in your room.”
Milla picked her up and carried her into her bedroom, set her on the bed, and went to the bookcase. “Which book should we read tonight, my Jazzy girl?” Milla asked.
“Mommy and Daddy hate us,” Jazeen said.
“No, they don’t,” Milla said. “They’re just very busy with their jobs.”
“Daddy said they never should have had kids,” Jazeen said, her eyes welling up.
Milla returned to the bed and picked her up, hugging her tightly. “I heard him, but he didn’t mean it, Jazzy. He loves you.”
“No, he doesn’t. Mommy doesn’t, either.”
Lost for words, and unwilling to lie to her sister, Milla said, “I love you, Jazzy.”
“I love you, too, Milla.”
“I love you more.”
“No, I love y
ou more,” Jazeen insisted.
Milla kissed her cheek again. “Let’s call it a tie. So, which book do you want to read?”
“I don’t care. You pick.”
Milla set her on the bed and then picked a book from the shelf. Climbing into bed next to Jazeen, she put her arm around her little sister and pulled her close. Opening the book, she began to read.
When Milla closed the book, Jazeen said, “Milla, will you always love me?”
“Of course I will, Jazzy! I’ll always love you with all my heart.”
“Me, too,” Jazeen said as she kissed her big sister on the cheek.
“It’s time for bed. Have you brushed your teeth?” Milla asked.
“Not yet.”
“All right, into the bathroom you go and brush your teeth. I’ll wait for you,” Milla said.
“Milla, will you come to my school tomorrow night to meet my teacher?”
“Oh… sure, I can do that. It’ll be fun,” Milla said.
Jazeen smiled broadly.
“Brush your teeth, Jazzy.”
Jazeen hurried into the bathroom. When she came out, she climbed into bed and Milla pulled the covers up, kissed her forehead, and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I want you to know I will always love you, Jazzy, no matter what.”
“Always and forever?” Jazeen asked.
Smiling, Milla said, “Always and forever.”
Milla turned off the light as she opened the door and stepped out.
“Always and forever, Jazzy,” she repeated and closed the door.
The alarm clock beeped, rousing Jazeen. Rolling over, she turned it off and sat up. She couldn’t be sure if her dream had been a memory, or some fantasy of her subconscious mind. Dreams always felt real while she was in them, but when she woke up, parts of the dream seemed improbable if not impossible. This was different. It felt real, even now. She wiped a tear from her cheek, realizing she might never know the truth.
Hunger pangs brought her back to the moment. Hurrying to the bathroom, she turned on the shower. She wanted to leave early so she could have a big breakfast at the diner before work. As for lunch, she wasn’t going to have granola bars and an orange again. She’d just have to go to the food court, eat quickly, and run back to the drugstore.
Chapter 14
Dolus looked at the fuel gauge and shook his head. “Something’s wrong. We’re burning fuel too quickly.”
“Do we have a leak?” Venandi asked.
“I haven’t seen any sign of one,” Dolus said. “Diesel has a pretty strong odor. I’ve checked the engine room and all around the fuel tanks.”
“Then where is it going?” the captain asked.
“I think the fuel injection system has gone out of calibration.”
“Can you fix it?” Venandi asked.
“Not out here. I don’t have the right equipment. Even if I could, it wouldn’t help us now,” Dolus said.
“How much fuel do we have left?” asked Venandi.
“Half a day’s worth, if we’re lucky,” Dolus said.
“And we’re at least a day and a half away from Scallia,” the captain replied.
“Yes, sir. So what are we going to do?”
Venandi looked through the front window. “Keep going. We have no choice.”
“There’s one good thing,” Dolus said. “The wind has come around. It’s out of the north. It’ll blow us south.”
“That’s better than north,” Venandi said.
Chapter 15
Fluffy paced back and forth at the railing where Rupert and Angus had their fishing lines over the side.
“So, tell me about this new lady friend of yours,” Rupert said.
“What do you want to know?” Angus asked.
“Everything, of course,” Rupert said with a chuckle.
“Well, her name is Jazeen Florence. I met her the week before last. It was a Sunday night, as I recall. I taught her how to fly my ship. Fluffy adores her, and Occisor likes her, too, as far as I can tell.”
“That’s it? That’s everything?” Rupert asked.
“What else is there? She’s stayed at my place a few times. She’s a joy to have about. She loves reading. She’s a good cook, too.” Angus said.
“What does she look like?” Rupert asked.
“She’s tall.”
“Angus, everyone is tall according to you,” Rupert said.
Angus chuckled. “True. All right, she’s almost as tall as you. She’s slim and muscular. Has long, wavy brown hair. Does that satisfy you?”
“I’m just trying to get a mental image of her. So, when will I meet her?”
“I asked her to come on this trip, but she got a new job and couldn’t take off,” Angus said. “I’m sure she’ll come along on one of my shopping trips. I’ll be sure to introduce you.”
“I know you, Angus. You’ve taken an interest in this young lady, for some reason. What’s special about her?” Rupert asked.
Angus looked at the horizon for a moment. “She’s troubled, Rupert. She had a traumatic experience as a child, and she’s repressed her memories of it. She’s turned someone she loved into a monster in her mind. Now, the real memories are starting to surface, and she’s going to need a friend to help her through. She’s in for a rough time.”
“And you’re going to help her?”
Angus shrugged. “I’m going to be her friend. If I can help her, I will.”
Rupert was silent for a while. Finally, he said, “We’ve been fishing all afternoon and haven’t caught a single Ocean Bass. The few things we have caught have been junk we’ve thrown back.”
“Well, we either got here too early, or too late,” Angus said.
“The question is, which is it?”
“Ah, the angler’s age-old dilemma,” Angus said. “If you apply science and knowledge of Ocean Bass behavior, you can make an educated guess.”
“Who, me?” asked Rupert. “I don’t know squat about Ocean Bass behavior, and if I knew anything about science, I probably wouldn’t be flying around on this nuclear bomb of yours.”
Angus laughed. “You’re just upset because I never buy fuel from you.”
Rupert put fresh bait on his hook and lowered his line over the railing. “Were you making some point or other about where the fish are?”
“Ah, yes, I was. You see, the ocean has been a bit warmer than average this year. I suspect the Ocean Bass began their northward migration early,” said Angus. “Besides, those fish we threw back are scavengers. They always follow behind the Ocean Bass, eating whatever little bits linger after the bass feed.
Rupert turned to face him. “You expected this?”
“No. I merely knew it was a possibility. We had to start somewhere, and this is a little farther north than I would normally start. We’ll fish a bit longer, and if we don’t catch anything, we’ll stop for dinner and then fly north for a day and try our luck there.”
Rupert nodded. “A sound idea, my friend.”
“Well, it’s an idea. Time will tell whether it’s a sound one,” Angus replied.
Fluffy padded over to Angus and nudged his arm with her nose.
“I know! I’m trying, girl. We’ll find your fish.”
“Angus, my friend, I think we’re wasting our time here. How about I go down to the galley and cook dinner while you get us underway?”
Angus nodded and began reeling in his line. “All right, Rupert. Let’s go after Fluffy’s fish.”
Rupert quickly cranked his reel. “Did you hear that, Fluffy? We’re gonna chase your fish!”
Angus stood, tucked his pole under his arm, folded his chair, and went into the wheelhouse. A moment later, the ship began to accelerate gently as Rupert folded his chair and followed his friend. Reaching the wheelhouse, he leaned his chair and pole against the wall and headed for the steps.
“What do you want for dinner?” he asked.
“Whatever you make is fine, Rupert.”
“Plain
toast and water, then,” Rupert said.
Angus laughed. “Do you remember the recipe?”
“Yes, you leave the bread in the toaster until it’s black and hard. I’ll figure out the recipe for water,” Rupert yelled as he entered the galley.
Fluffy stepped inside and stared at Angus. After a moment, he glanced at her.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s how fishing goes. I could have bought you a crate full of Ocean Bass in the fish market, you know. You like it best when it’s still wiggling. Hey, is your brother still perched on top of the balloon?”
Fluffy stepped out onto the deck and walked forward. Angus heard Fluffy mewing. Occisor squawked. Fluffy hissed loudly. A moment later, the dragon flew through the open doorway and settled on his perch in the corner. Fluffy returned, wearing a look of smug satisfaction.
Angus walked to a cabinet, scooped some coal into a metal bowl, poured lamp oil on it, and then placed it into the holder by Occisor’s perch. He scratched the dragon’s head before returning to the wheel. Turning to Fluffy, he said, “Why don’t you go down to the galley and see if Rupert will feed you? He’s a clever chap. I’ll bet you can get him to understand.”
Fluffy padded across the room and down the steps. Angus checked his GPS and turned the wheel a bit to starboard. Hopping off the dais, he hurried to the door and closed it. Then, after climbing back into position, he increased the throttle and then gradually increased the pitch of the propellers. As their speed increased, he could hear the air rushing past the cabin and could feel the gentle hum of the propellers through his feet. Checking his airspeed and comparing it to the speed display on the GPS, he knew he was fighting a strong headwind.
After a while, he realized he was trembling. With a glance toward the stairs, he dug in his pocket and pulled out a bottle. Unscrewing the cap, he shook two pills into his hand, tossed them into his mouth, and swallowed. Looking into the bottle, he saw there were eight pills left. There was an unopened bottle in a drawer in his cabin, and another at home in the kitchen cabinet. When he and Rupert returned to Port Zebron, he’d go into town and get more.
Eventually, Rupert came up the steps carrying a tray with two plates and two mugs. Fluffy came up a moment later.