Forever In Time

by Charlie

  The heavens were vast, endless, and they called out to him. A feeling of separation slowly came over him, as if he was floating outside himself, not really part of this world any more, but part of the energy that made up the universe. He was no longer attached to the weaknesses of a human body. Endless possibilities awaited him, if he’d just leave this existence behind. ‘There’s still time,’ the voices in his head whispered to him. ‘If you’d only let go, there is still time to really live, to be what you were meant to be. You’re better than these frail humans that surround you. Just think of how easily you fool their gullible minds. Why stay bound to their ridiculous rules? You are like a god compared to them… ’

  As if in a dream he hovered over the apartment, watching himself cross the room and opening the fridge, taking out a can of pop, then returning to the balcony to drink it. What else might he do, while watching himself in this disembodied manner? Where did his control over this body end? If he just left it, would it die or would it function on its own? Did he really want to be confined within such a finite existence when the whole universe awaited him? Maybe…

  “No!” He came to himself and felt his knees buckle with the suddenness of his return. Sweat beaded his forehead and his hand trembled, the pop sloshing onto the floor. That hadn’t happened in ages. Why now? Why were they doing this to him? He’d told them before to leave him alone. He didn’t want the voices talking to him, planting ideas in his mind. His thoughts were his own. It was his choice to be here. He looked up and growled at the heavens. “Quit trying to entice me away. I’ve made my decision. I don’t want you in my head. Leave me alone—now!”

  The wind stirred and the trees rustled. He listened and watched and felt, using all of his senses to try and determine if they were really gone. All was quiet. He was alone. Nothing touched his mind. He crushed the still full pop can in his hand and cursed as the carbonated drink gushed up over the top and onto the floor, little drops splashing up on his legs and feet.

  He hated it when the voices took over. They had no right to do that. They knew better, but still they kept coming back, trying to control him… change him. Sometimes they did briefly, when his guard was down, when he was tired or too emotionally wrought. He’d find himself floating in the night, becoming one with the energy of the universe. He was a god, omnipotent, powerful, free of the constraints of earthly existence. It was a heady feeling, addictive, seductive and he fought to turn his back on the temptation that was laid out before him. It was happening again because of Stephanie he decided. Never had it been this long that he’d been kept away from the one he loved. The need inside of him was too great; the yearning to belong, to become one was almost overwhelming. That was why the voices were back; why they were trying to make him do things he didn’t want to do. They sensed he was vulnerable.

  As he thought of Stephanie, he felt the muscles in his jaw tighten. He breathed deeply trying to control the hunger inside, a hunger only she could quell. The need was raw, almost painful and he desperately searched his mind for something to ease the feeling that was threatening to overtake him. Striding into the bedroom, he pulled open his top left hand dresser drawer and took out a thin accordion file folder. Stephanie’s name was printed neatly on the outside.

  Walking to the bed, he flipped through the contents, pausing to read some before moving onward. Finally, at the back, he found the collection of pictures and lovingly began to go through them. Her hair and clothing changed, but her eyes were always the same. They seemed to reach out to him, calling to him, asking him: ‘Where are you? When will you come for me?’

  “I’m here, Stephanie. I’ve finally come for you. I know it took a while and I’m sorry, but that’s behind us now. We’re together again, just like we should be, like we were meant to be. Together for the rest of your life.” He gently traced her lovely features then lay back on the bed willing his body to relax. Placing the photos on the pillow beside him, he drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 6

  Stephanie sighed in frustration and checked the clock yet again. It was almost six thirty and Jake would be here soon. She was both excited and nervous about the prospect of seeing him again, but wondered what he’d say when she had to break the date. She’d surprised herself when she’d accepted his invitation—it usually took her a while to warm up to strangers, especially men, but before she’d even realized what was happening, she was making arrangements to see him. Even now, she wasn’t sure what he’d said or done that had made her agree. Was it his smile or his quirky sense of humour or his gentle teasing? Perhaps it was the way he’d looked at her as if she was the most fascinating person he’d ever met… or the confidence in his voice… Whatever it was, something about him that had her falling in with his plans despite herself.

  But now these floral arrangements had to be done for the Johnston wedding tomorrow and she hadn’t been able to start on them earlier because the delivery truck had been late. Then Paula’s three year old daughter had become ill and the babysitter had called asking that she come get the child so Paula had had to leave early. She’d apologized profusely about leaving Stephanie with so much work, but it couldn’t be helped. Stephanie understood. She knew better than most that if you were lucky enough to have a family, they came first, but, still and all, it was… frustrating.

  So now she was sitting by herself on a Friday night facing over two hour’s worth of work. There was no way she’d be done in the next fifteen minutes and she couldn’t ask the man to wait until she was finished. Double checking the bouquet she’d just completed, she set it aside and began working on the next one, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Jake. He was good looking, friendly and not too pushy—just enough to let her know that he was really interested. His references checked out too. Self-employed, successful, planning on starting a local business… A guy like that didn’t come along every day—at least not in her life—and now she’d have to turn him away.

  It was strange. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted to have someone in her life until yesterday when she’d met Jake. Usually, she felt her life was fine as it was. Her job kept her busy. Coco kept her warm at night. Paula was a good friend and they had a great time together taking her daughter, Chelsea, on outings. Her holidays were spent with Mrs. McCreedy or Paula’s family. Finding a man hadn’t really figured largely in her plans. Given her past, she assumed she’d spend her life alone, and that was fine.

  But now, after spending just a short time with Jake, she felt an emptiness that she hadn’t been aware of before and she realized that she wanted it filled. Unfortunately, her chance of filling it was rapidly disappearing with each tick of the clock. Her usually calm, quiet personality was disappearing under a wave of resentment and she jabbed a white rosebud into the floral foam with more force than necessary.

  “What did that flower do to you?”

  Stephanie jumped and clutched her hand to her chest while turning to find the man she’d just been thinking about standing behind her. “What? Oh… Jake… It’s you. Don’t do that to me.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you come in. I was so busy working… ”

  “That’s okay. I’m sorry I startled you. So, what did that rosebud do to tick you off?” He nodded towards the arrangement she was working on.

  “Nothing.” She shrugged, adjusting the flower before looking up at the man beside her. “I’m just a little upset. I’m really sorry, but I have to break our date. I need to have all of these bouquets ready for a wedding tomorrow and everything has gone wrong today. It’s a shame that you came all this way for nothing—I would have called, but I didn’t have your cell phone number and there was no answer at your home, though I did leave a voice mail.”

  He frowned and the look on his face seemed to be genuine disappointment rather than just being peeved at having his evening suddenly free. “I was out and haven’t checked my messages yet. I’m sorry to hear that your day went badly. How long will it
take you to finish, do you think?”

  “If all goes well, two hours, maybe a little longer. Then I still have to cash out, and clean up… There’s no way I can ask you to wait that long.”

  “Is there anything I could do to help?”

  “No, not really, but thanks for asking.” She smiled at him regretfully while thinking how nice it was of him to offer. Not many men would be willing to hang around a flower shop late at night.

  “Stephanie, I really do want to see you. I don’t mind waiting. Even if we just go for a burger and fries it would be fine.” He stared at her intently and Stephanie felt his gaze reaching out to her, drawing her in, willing her to agree.

  “I suppose… ” She was surprised to find that she was standing close enough to him that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Her hands were clasped in his; she didn’t even remember that happening.

  “Great.” He gave her hands a gently squeeze. “I’ve got some errands I can run and I’ll be back in a couple of hours. If you’re not ready, I’ll just wait, okay?”

  “Sure. It’s really nice of you to be so understanding.”

  Jake squeezed her hands gently again, then reached out and ran the back of his hand down her cheek and traced his thumb across her lips. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day. I’ll see you soon,” he whispered before quietly walking out the door.

  As the door shut behind him, Stephanie touched her face where his hand had been. Her skin felt warm and her lips tingled. “Oh boy, I’ve got it bad for him already.”

  *****

  She completed the floral arrangements in record time and took off her work apron, draping it over her desk chair. Grabbing the broom she began sweeping up the leaves and stray floral foam humming softly to herself as she anticipated Jake’s arrival. A sound at the rear door had her looking up, a smile starting to form on her lips. At first she thought it was Jake and wondered why he was coming to the back door, but then decided he’d probably seen the “closed” sign and the darkened front window and had thought she’d be using the rear entrance. Actually the back door was only opened for deliveries, but he wouldn’t know that.

  Leaning her broom against the counter, she took a few steps towards the door, but then stopped as a cold feeling swept over her. The door knob was turning very slowly to the left and then the right like someone was testing it, but trying to not make any noise. There’d been no knock—surely Jake would knock and not just walk straight in, right? Instead there was a faint scraping sound of metal on metal, almost as if the lock was being picked. Stephanie stared at the door transfixed. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she recalled the rash of break-ins around the town. She grabbed onto the table to steady herself as she felt her legs tremble. Oh god—someone was breaking in and she was here by herself!

  Keeping her eyes fixed on the door knob, she began to retreat, bending and fumbling for her purse then quietly backing out into the front display room. As the curtain fell shut, blocking her view of the rear door, she reached for the phone to call the police. Just as she picked up the receiver, a sound came from outback and she was sure it was the rear door opening. Dropping the phone, she ran across the store, throwing the front door open and hurrying across the street, intent on putting as much distance as possible between herself and whoever was breaking into her building.

  The sound of screeching of brakes had her suddenly looking to her left and freezing in fear even as her mind was screaming for her to move and get out of the way of the car that was heading towards her. As she threw up her hands to shield her eyes from the blinding head lights, an icy wave of fear washed over her and settled in her stomach. She knew she was going to die and tensed waiting for the impact. Instead, the vehicle slid to a halt, stopping just inches from her. She stared wide eyed at the bumper that was almost touching her legs then swung her gaze to the driver who was getting out of the car and angrily storming over to her.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing, lady? You don’t run across the street without looking! I could’ve killed you!” A large burly man clad in a sweaty T-shirt and stained jeans loomed over her. He spit a wad of tobacco juice on the road beside her.

  With a whoosh, she exhaled the breath that she hadn’t even known she was holding. “I… I’m sorry. I was working late in the flower shop and I heard someone trying to break-in through the back door… ”

  “Did you call the police?”

  “N-n-not yet.” Stephanie tried to control the chattering of her teeth.

  “Geez! Women! You should be home taking care of your men instead running all over creation.” Obviously disgusted, he flipped open his cell phone and dialled 911 while grabbing her arm and marching her to the sidewalk. She was sure she’d have bruises on her arm in the morning. “Stay here. I’ll move my car and wait with you, but geez lady, now I’m going to be late for the game.” He stalked off and left Stephanie standing alone by the street lamp.

  Reaction was starting to set in. Her knees lost their strength and began to buckle while everything around her started to grow dark. Gripping the lamp post, she willed herself to stay upright, shivering as the reality of her near miss began to set in. Closing her eyes, she prayed the police would arrive soon and hoped the thief hadn’t made it to the cash register. She hadn’t done the night deposit yet and the thought of losing that much cash filled her with dread. The store was turning a profit and she was getting by, but losing a whole day’s take would really mess up her budget. She’d never be able to afford a new fan let alone a new air conditioner. Perhaps she’d made enough noise running out of the store that she’d scared him off before anything was taken.

  “Stephanie?” Suddenly Jake was beside her, his voice full of concern. “Why are you out here instead of in the store? What’s going on?”

  “Oh Jake!” Without thinking, she launched herself against him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and pressing her face to his chest. Tears began to well up, spilling down her cheeks and she dug her fingers into his back, trying to draw strength from him. His arms came up and held her close, his hand gently rubbing her back as he made soft soothing noises. In some corner of her mind, she noted how good it felt to have someone to turn to, to feel the warmth of another person seeping into her…

  “Steph, don’t cry. Please? Tell me what’s wrong.”

  Before she could answer, the man from the car reappeared. “This your woman? She’s trying to get herself killed or something ‘cause she ran right out in front of my car. Good thing I just got the brakes fixed or she’d be dead.”

  “Dead?” Shock was evident in Jake’s voice. He held Stephanie away from him, his fingers biting into her arms as he gazed at her with a mixture of anger and concern. “Steph, did you run in front of his car? What were you thinking? He’s right. You could’ve been killed and I wasn’t even here.” He gave her a slight shake before pulling her into a tight hug, again.

  “If I’d killed her, your being here wouldn’t have mattered. Dead is dead, isn’t it?” The man spit tobacco juice onto the ground again. “Listen, the police will be here in a minute. I gotta get going – game’s starting in ten minutes. You staying with her?”

  “Of course.” Jake scowled at the man.

  “Good. Then I’m outta here.” With a final spit, the man left.

  Jake eased Stephanie away from him again. “Okay. Now what happened that made you run across the street like that?”

  Feeling a bit foolish now, Stephanie stepped out of his arms, wiped her face, and then shoved her damp hands in her pockets. She stared up at the sky, silently berating herself even as she explained what had happened. “While I was cleaning up in the back room, I thought I heard someone at the rear door. At first I thought it might have been you, but then I realized that it sounded like someone was working the lock. I started to think about all of the break-ins lately and I panicked and ran out of the store and across the road without looking.” She cast a sideways look at Jake. “Dumb, I know.”

&nb
sp; “Yeah, dumb, but understandable. Are you sure someone was trying to break-in?”

  “At the time I was… Now I wonder if I overreacted.”

  At that moment the police drove up. Two officers exited the vehicle, introducing themselves as Officers Carter and Bakker. Stephanie explained the situation and they went to investigate the store while she waited with Jake. Soon one officer exited the shop and crossed the road to where they were standing.

  “You were right ma’am. Someone broke in. The back door is open and there’s evidence that the lock was tampered with.”

  “Is the till open? Did he take the money?”

  “I’m afraid so. He seemed to know right where to go. Nothing else appears to have been touched. We’ll have you look around to verify that, but it appears that it was a quick in and out job.”

  “Oh no… ” The loss of the money had her stomach clenching. “Do you think it’s the same person that’s been breaking into the other homes and businesses in town?”