Eight years later
I was driving home from collecting groceries when I saw her again. The soul from that day in the grocery store. It gave me such a sensation of déjà vu that I almost veered into the sidewalk. I had to ease over and put on my hazards, gripping the wheel with white-knuckled hands.
I had been fourteen when I'd seen here. It was so long ago that I'd seen her… I almost couldn't believe I recognized her.
Maybe it wasn't her, I thought. Maybe I'm just daydreaming again.
I looked in my rearview mirror, and saw their discreet black car pulling farther and farther away. A small part of me got a rush of panic, and my hands unconsciously reached to wave for them to stop. I clenched the wheel harder.
What is wrong with me? I demanded, shaking my head in anger. I don't know that soul!
But even as I reached down to put the car back into gear, to continue my way home, I found myself pulling a U-turn and giving chase to the soul I'd seen eight years ago in the supermarket.
They didn't leave my town. A different soul, a small woman that looked like church depictions of an angel checked them into a hotel at the edge of town, and she and the soul the voice in my head had called Melanie and two men got out of the car and large delivery truck they'd been driving also. Once inside their rooms, they did not come out.
Which is to be expected, I assured myself. They're tired, and sleeping. They won't come out. It's silly.
But as I reached to restart my car, I found my limbs locked. Something was urging me not to leave, to stay hidden and watch them.
Fury washed through me, like the ocean waves of the Pacific. This was my body. I was in control of it, not anything else!
But as I violently turned they keys, dread seeped into me. Now I was shaking with anger, and fear, and adrenaline. No, no, I couldn't leave. That was Melanie! She knew where–
I growled, a ferocious sound that came between my teeth and was more animal than human. It startled me, and helped me calm myself. I was a soul, not a creature of violence. Never could I harm another being. Never. It wasn't in my makeup.
But the dilemma remained. An invisible force, something like intuition was pleading with me to stay. But the logical side of me was thinking about the frozen yogurt and French fries I had in the trunk, probably melted and spoiled.
I could take my things home, and come back, I assured myself. It was ridiculous, in hindsight, to reason with myself. But I found that I was able to put the car in gear, and drive away, after I'd promised myself I could return.
When I did get home, and packed in all my groceries and delighted in my frozen yogurt still being frozen, I paused my activity. I leaned against the counter, a habit this body had had when it was human. I looked out the window absently at the sunset, admiring its palette of creamy colors. In my brief stint of painting lessons I had tried to recreate a sunset, which my teacher had said was easy. It had turned out to be extremely difficult, and mine had been childish and ugly. The blended rays of light were so hard to mimic, to remotely do justice to such beauty. I smirked at the irony of it. My name, Ending Light, should have been inspiration.
I poured myself a glass of water, and resumed my leaning. Unconsciously, I knew I was avoiding the urge to return to the hotel where I had left Melanie and her companions. I was delaying, making excuses. Very unlike me.
Headlights appeared down the street, and I turned my eyes to avoid the harsh light. When they passed, I looked out again towards the sunset. It was sinking below the horizon, it's last weak rays flinging long arms of honey light over the desert.
Beautiful.
I couldn't admire it forever. Soon it would be gone, and I would have only the night to look at. Some souls, astronomers, were fascinated by the stars, having already found the other planets that we'd settled and discovering others. I did not share this enthusiasm; looking at the stars made me sad.
I put down my glass. I could check my email first, surely.
As I sat down at my computer, I noticed it was strangely quiet. There had always been music on my street, which I hated in a way, but was the main reason I'd chosen to live here. To soothe my nerves, without having to participate. But it was dead silent.
I frowned. Where was everyone? No one's lights were even on inside. My neighbors, two Bears, had always had music playing, usually classical piano ballads. And down the street there was a Spider that loved to blast rock music. They were both quiet now.
Unnerved by the quiet, I opened my music program, which would have been dusty had it been physical, and clicked the first song, a slow alternative number with a talented female as their front woman. The soul that she'd been inserted with had even kept her flaming red hair.
At ease now, I continued on to my mailbox, which had one message from my Comforter, and another from Ice Speaks. I read my mother's first, read of her week and her new experience in hiking. She recommended a mountain hike.
My Comforter wanted to know how I was. She knew of my aversion to music, and was concerned about my decision to live on a musical street, but had not protested too loudly. But she did check on me often.
I replied politely to both, and noted my haste. Why was I in such a rush?
Melanie.
I leaned back with an exaggerated huff. What was this soul to me? I had never seen her before that day eight years ago in the grocery store. My host's memories had long ago faded to blurry images that I could not make out. I had never seen her face in any of them.
It was puzzling. And frustrating.
Now I, Ending Light, was very curious to know who this Melanie was, and maybe if I did find out, her existence would not hound me so.
So I picked up the keys, and marched out the door into the cool night.
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