Youth's Dew

Chapter 11

Joven

I'm going to die; this is surely torture here on Earth or I should say below the fountain. No way is the Mist helping with this problem. Waking in bed alone, was not what I had expected. Reaching for her and finding her side felt cold, I knew she had left some time earlier. Ugh! She couldn't wait to get away from me!

I get up from bed and walk around to her side. I can hear her moving in the kitchen, and know I'm safe to check. I raise the bed skirt, yep, I didn't dream it, even though it felt more like a nightmare; her response to receiving my Purity Ring. There in a perfect circle, lays my ring still on the heavy gold necklace. Our middle school boys' class taught us it's a symbolic way of saying "No" to anything physical; basically, a rejection. It's like every guy's worse dream. I scratch me head, what did I do wrong? She more than responded to my wedding kiss, and the ones within our home. Does she need more time? I can do that, but somebody up above must really enjoy keeping my emotions on a string, like I'm a puppet.

Trying to stay positive, I enter the kitchen, glad to see she's busy cooking. Hopefully, in the future, we can cook together, and maybe with less clothes on? Chill Joven, she's not the daily special at Bovine's Better. I'll try a more subtle approach.

"Did you sleep well wife?" I ask, mostly to her back, for when she looked at me, she quickly turned back to the stove. In disgust? I hope not. We make idle talk and I press closer to her, and Poop Pile in a Compost! She moved away!!! Ouch! My ego is getting a serious hit here.

I raise my hand to my mouth and try to and smell my breath, yep, I should brush my teeth and not scare my new wife with my early morning Frankenstein look, no telling what my hair looks like. I just hurried out of our bedroom, to confirm her bag wouldn't be sitting by the front door to leave me. Going in for a quick kiss on her neck, I'm out of the kitchen before I get rejected again. A man can only take so much.

"So, today I thought I would show you our Mystical civilization and answer all your questions," as we both begin eating breakfast. She's looking odd at me, maybe her arm hurts? Probably need to get her some more herbal meds, while we are in town, from the doctor.

"Sound great!", she says and has already quit eating. All the changes, must have really thrown her for a loop.

"I did have one question. I noticed the Mist is not in the homes, is that the same for everyone?"

"Yes," conversation is good, maybe tonight we can... Head in the game Joven, make eye contact with your wife and nothing below her face. "Umm, yes, the Mist is throughout all the tunnels and in cavern areas, but not within our homes or businesses. Does the Mist bother you?" Please, please, please, say No.

"No, just making an observation," Pann says while she continues to stare at me; like I should say more, but I have no idea where to go to next.

I give up trying to eat and we both do the dishes quietly and head out. Taking the initiative, I take her hand in mine; perfect, this we get right every time. Her hand in mine, and my smile relaxes as well as my shoulders.

"So, you've seen Cara vicinage as you live here now, and my parents are in Seca. Next, let's go to Hanno and then Inga." As we begin walking through the tunnels. I avoid the Ancient tunnels and Forbidden Cave for now and will save those for later in the week. Don't want her on overload or too tired for later, now do I? I laugh at my own joke, while her back is turned around and looking at all the history displayed on our houses, cave walls, and even our stone pathways.

"Joven, I noticed the names of the tunnels with dwellers are carved into the stone, but there are spaces between some of the letter; why is that?" she asks.