The cat was batting at something, under the bush, but Shay couldn't quite make out what it was. She gave the idea of getting up and walking over to the cat about ten seconds of consideration, before letting the idea go. At the moment she was more than comfy, curled up on the wooden bench, and wasn't really sure she wanted to know what the feline's toy was.
A frigid breeze wafted across her face, just long enough to sting her eyes, and then vanished. Blinking until the tears dissipated, Shay again focused on the cat, and giggled. It had gotten hold of a field mouse, and was 'playing' with the even smaller animal, it's tail pinned in the cats jaws. Shay wasn't a sadistic person, but she recognized, even more now than before, just how brutal life was. She now saw just how death seemed to be ever present - even when you weren't really aware of it. Funny how with her time on the police force, even after Mary's death, she had preferred to ignore that fact.
The mouse continued to fight valiantly, not at all ready to just let the cat take over its future. But the odds were the mouse's time had come...the cat was just too strong, and big to lose. Resting her cheek on her knee, Shay saw signs the mouse was beginning to weaken. The attempts to wiggle free were becoming slower, and less frequent. Even the cat recognized this, and had pretty much just laid down, and hung on...waiting.
Given her current state, it wasn't long before Shay lost interest in watching the battle. Closing her eyes, she listened to the night sounds. The traffic off in the distance seemed infrequent - probably the interstate, she guessed. The air was so clear she wouldn't have been shocked to hear sounds from ten miles away. The birds were still sleeping, so those sounds were absent. An occasional rustle in a bush, or tree...the sound of a car alarm...a cracking noise - maybe the freezing temperatures effecting a tree nearby...it was all so very desolate. And yet again she found herself not feeling depressed...resigned, a little, but oddly positive.
A thin branch cracked, and fell onto the bench, barely missing her face when it fell. It must have been the cracking she had been listening to. Picking it up, she distractedly poked at the leaves lying on the sidewalk, beneath her bench. Her thoughts were on Alexi...not the stick...not the leaves...not the cat. She wished he were there with her now. To snuggle into his arms, and talk of their future would have been much more satisfying. Wondering what Ellis had summoned him for, Shay again thought to herself...whatever it was, he had better return to her, none the worse for wear.
The picture of Ellis as a cat, holding someone in her teeth, made Shay shiver, and thankful Alexi was strong, and confident. But the picture in Shay's head began to expand, and she didn't like the direction it was taking. So rather than just sit there and let some horror unfold before her eyes, she quickly stood, and began a brisk walk. She forced her mind off what Alexi might be doing, and instead began a short rehersal of what she would say to him when she saw him next.
Out For a Walk in the Park (open)
It was dark outside, but that was about all Shay could say about anything, at the moment.
She had woke up alone, remembering Alexi had left for a job, but she had found the power had been tripped, and her clocks were off. Then there was the fact that she hadn't been wearing her watch regularly either, except for the trip to New York, and hadn't been able to remember where she'd placed it when she returned.
She had fixed the breaker switch, and restored the power, but that hadn't told her the correct time. And deciding it really didn't matter anyway, she hadn't pursued it further.
Showering, dressing, eating...she had followed her routine, without much thought, until she stood in the center of her livingroom at odds.
With no desire to read, or watch television...or even go shopping, Shay bundled up and decided on a walk instead. Of course since she didn't want to walk around her neighborhood, her walk began with a short car ride first. A short note was written to Alexi, on the off chance he returned to the condo before she did, letting him know her whereabouts. It would be nice if he returned quickly, but it wasn't anything she really expected.
As she had heard about the gardens of Nachton, and how lovely they were, that became her destination.
Finding a parking place at that time of night...morning...was very easy. In fact there were only three other cars in the parking lot, period. Once she exited her car, she stood for several seconds, wondering if this really had been a good idea. But knowing she didn't want to be home now, alone, she started walking.
Winter was upon the gardens, and though they were still quite pretty, most of the vegetation showed signs that the cold weather had taken a toll.
The moonflowers, nicotiana, and primroses were all deciduous, and therefore no evidence of the flowers could be found. Shay was excited about seeing the gardens in the spring though, and smiled at the thought of sharing that with Alexi, not to mention just being there to see it at all.
The air was biting with cold, and her nose was already feeling frozen and red. She had a few tissues in her coat pocket, ready should they be needed. Even with the discomforts, Shay loved winter, and now appreciated the solitude the gardens afforded her.
She didn't come to dwell on what she had yet to speak to Alexi about...her next trip to New York was quickly descending, and she had to tell him before she left. But that was for later. For now, she only wanted peace, and the opportunity to enjoy the barrenness of the season. It was proof of life renewing in the future, and that was what she wanted reinforced within herself.
As she meandered along the paths, she smiled to think of lovers having taken these walks. History was holding a strong fascination for her these days, and in addition to the connection with Alexi, she was also incorporating it into her book. The ties to ones past having such a strong bearing on the formation of ones future...you really couldn't have one without the other.
When she came upon a bench, she sat down and pulled her feet up, to wrap her arms around her knees. A dark grey cat peeked its head out from between the branches of a bush, and startled Shay, but only for seconds. Smiling, she watched as the cat took size of her, before silently stepping out of the bush altogether. She felt sorry that the animal had to be out in the cold, instead of curled up in front of a nice fire, or lying on the foot of a nice warm bed. But she found watching it to be entertaining.
Shay
18 years ago
Shay
18 years ago
Pleasantly winded from her jog, Shay was startled from her trek by the ring of her cell. She had forgotten having slipped it into the pocket of her sweat pants, and slowed down to pull it out now, and see who was calling.
Unfortunately the number was blocked, but when she opened the phone she saw the time. The heel of her hand almost connected with her forehead, when she realized how easily she could have found the time...there it was, large as life...4:45am...
"Hello?"
She said, shivering now that she'd gotten warmed up, and was cooling down.
'Hey! Sis! I didn't wake you did I? If I did, I'm sorry, but listen, I'm in town, and need a place to stay. Can I come by? I've missed you!'
Shay heard the voice and recognized it immediately. It didn't thrill her though. While she loved her brothers and sister, PT was a pain in the ass most of the time. He was a complete riot to hang with, for short periods of time, but somehow he always seemed to over stay his welcome. She missed him too, but that would be rectified after a couple hours of his company.
And now...he was in Nachton? She couldn't help but wonder what trouble he'd put himself into now.
"PT?! Why in heaven's name did you come all the way to Nachton? No...wait...not on the phone. Where are you...exactly?"
It was too cold to stand there catching up, when she would probably be seeing him very shortly.
"Do you have a pen and paper...I'll give you my address and directions. But you'll need to give me a bit, I'm not home now."
'Not home? Shit...Oh! hey, that might work out better anyway...can you come pick me up?'
Shay groaned...it had started.
"Ok Tristan...where are you?"
Damn it, he'd been in Nachton for minutes maybe, and he was already asking favors. Sure, it was nothing really...now...but it was just the beginning, unless he'd gone through some far out miracle therapy, and completely changed his personality.
The bus station. His last ride had dropped him off there, and now he expected her to come running. Of course she would, she hadn't seen him in months now. But this time things were going to be different. This time Shay had her own priorities, and a man in her life, who happened to be her number one. She would not let Patrick Tristan O'Mannon come between her and Alexi.
"Alright PT, stand out by the front of the station, and I'll be there in..."
she looked at the phone, and tried to remember where it was she'd seen the bus terminal. Retracing one of the earlier drives she had made when first arriving in Nachton, she suddenly placed where she'd seen the Greyhound.
"about ten minutes, give or take. And PT...don't make me come looking for you. It's late...early...I don't want to have to hunt you down. Got it?"
Something else she had experienced with her darling brother, countless times...broken appointments, meetings, get togethers, all because something else had come up at the last minute, more exciting than his sister. If he had exhibited the smallest bit of common courtesy, Shay wouldn't have ever gotten that upset. However, Tristan never thought about it until later. That was it really...Tristan was famous for not thinking about much outside himself.
'Yes, Shay...I hear you. I won't move from the front of the station until I see you. And Shay...could ya kind of hurry...it's fucking cold here!'
Growling into the speaker to make sure he heard it, Shay disconnected the call, and put the phone back into her pocket. Getting her keys out of the other pocket, she turned towards the parking lot and started up her jog again. The sky was changing colors, faster now, and she imagined the sun would be up in less than a half hour.
Unlocking the car door, she looked up at the midnight blue ceiling.
"Alexi my love, I sure hope you're safe, wherever you are."
The engine turned over immediately, and Shay drove towards the bus station.
(Shay out - Lock Please)
Unfortunately the number was blocked, but when she opened the phone she saw the time. The heel of her hand almost connected with her forehead, when she realized how easily she could have found the time...there it was, large as life...4:45am...
"Hello?"
She said, shivering now that she'd gotten warmed up, and was cooling down.
'Hey! Sis! I didn't wake you did I? If I did, I'm sorry, but listen, I'm in town, and need a place to stay. Can I come by? I've missed you!'
Shay heard the voice and recognized it immediately. It didn't thrill her though. While she loved her brothers and sister, PT was a pain in the ass most of the time. He was a complete riot to hang with, for short periods of time, but somehow he always seemed to over stay his welcome. She missed him too, but that would be rectified after a couple hours of his company.
And now...he was in Nachton? She couldn't help but wonder what trouble he'd put himself into now.
"PT?! Why in heaven's name did you come all the way to Nachton? No...wait...not on the phone. Where are you...exactly?"
It was too cold to stand there catching up, when she would probably be seeing him very shortly.
"Do you have a pen and paper...I'll give you my address and directions. But you'll need to give me a bit, I'm not home now."
'Not home? Shit...Oh! hey, that might work out better anyway...can you come pick me up?'
Shay groaned...it had started.
"Ok Tristan...where are you?"
Damn it, he'd been in Nachton for minutes maybe, and he was already asking favors. Sure, it was nothing really...now...but it was just the beginning, unless he'd gone through some far out miracle therapy, and completely changed his personality.
The bus station. His last ride had dropped him off there, and now he expected her to come running. Of course she would, she hadn't seen him in months now. But this time things were going to be different. This time Shay had her own priorities, and a man in her life, who happened to be her number one. She would not let Patrick Tristan O'Mannon come between her and Alexi.
"Alright PT, stand out by the front of the station, and I'll be there in..."
she looked at the phone, and tried to remember where it was she'd seen the bus terminal. Retracing one of the earlier drives she had made when first arriving in Nachton, she suddenly placed where she'd seen the Greyhound.
"about ten minutes, give or take. And PT...don't make me come looking for you. It's late...early...I don't want to have to hunt you down. Got it?"
Something else she had experienced with her darling brother, countless times...broken appointments, meetings, get togethers, all because something else had come up at the last minute, more exciting than his sister. If he had exhibited the smallest bit of common courtesy, Shay wouldn't have ever gotten that upset. However, Tristan never thought about it until later. That was it really...Tristan was famous for not thinking about much outside himself.
'Yes, Shay...I hear you. I won't move from the front of the station until I see you. And Shay...could ya kind of hurry...it's fucking cold here!'
Growling into the speaker to make sure he heard it, Shay disconnected the call, and put the phone back into her pocket. Getting her keys out of the other pocket, she turned towards the parking lot and started up her jog again. The sky was changing colors, faster now, and she imagined the sun would be up in less than a half hour.
Unlocking the car door, she looked up at the midnight blue ceiling.
"Alexi my love, I sure hope you're safe, wherever you are."
The engine turned over immediately, and Shay drove towards the bus station.
(Shay out - Lock Please)