Inveigle

Chapter Seven: A Spoonful of Honey

I walked up the stairs, and I walked, and I walked. The white marble steps seemed to go on forever. When I reached the top there was a concrete platform with no roof. I walked out near the edge. The view was of a clear meadow. Trees of oak and maple outlined the grassy field dotted with goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, and other wild flowers. Butterflies fluttered from Black-eyed Susan to purple thistle. Closing my eyes, I felt the sun's warmth on my face, and I heard honey bees buzz by my ear.

Opening my eyes, the sun was beginning to go down over the meadow. I blinked and the meadow was full of people, crushing the wildlife beneath their feet. Men, women, children all shouting up at me. No, chanting. I couldn't make out what they were saying from this high up. I could only feel the rhythm of their collective voices. Inching closer to the edge to hear better, I slipped on the smooth stone. My heart skipped a beat and down I tumbled through the warm air.

The crowd parted to let me fall. Wind rushed around my ears, in my mouth, and eyes. The ground looked cold and unforgiving. My heart turned to ice with fear. I closed my eyes a moment before impact.

Instead of bone crushing ground, my body dove into a heavy liquid. My eyes opened to see a yellow substance all around me. There was sunlight above my head, and I looked up to see the distorted images of the crowd now looking down on me from above into this pool of whatever I landed in.

I open my mouth to scream for help, and it is slowly filled with a sweetness that could only be honey. I swam up, struggling with the viscosity. A woman with hair the color of the honey I was in appeared above my head. The crowd dissipated from behind her. She reached a hand into the liquid and pulled me the rest of the way to the surface. The pool was gone, and I stood alone in the meadow with this woman. It began to rain, and I felt the honey easily wash off my skin. The woman was wearing a bright dress. I couldn't decide if it was white or yellow, and it seemed not to be getting wet in the rain. She looks away from me and took in the meadow. 

"This will make a lovely home," she smiled. "Thank you."

I opened my mouth to speak to this woman, but a strange sensation in the back of my throat stopped me.

"Achoo!" I sneezed under the covers of my bed.

The scent of the rain washed meadow was replaced by the stale smell of my room. The cold trickle of air licked at my toes from under my blanket, urging me to get out of bed and move. But I lingered just a few moments longer, holding onto my dream.

I rifled through the cabinets in the kitchen, hoping that some guest at some point had left more coffee. It's too early. That dream had me up before the sun. Eventually, I gave up and walked down the hall. There was no surprise to see Pam at the front desk. The news was on and she stared at it from the counter. No one died last night, nothing was burned, or looted, so the news was having a rough time of it.

President Persim was visiting other cities in the country where her Volunteer Tax was apparently making a difference. Blueprints were being discussed for new schools that will be possible in five to ten years.

I almost open my mouth, but I know by now that Pam doesn't want to hear me. Instead I walked behind the counter and grabbed the trash can to empty it before any guests wake up.

"'Scuse me," I say as I squeeze behind Pam's knees for the small plastic can.

"Of course, dear," she replied.

Dear? I thought to myself. She must think I'm a guest. That or she is starting to lose her mind. I don't reply to her comment and push hard on the front door with the trash bag in my hand.

Outside the wind was at a constant gust. The sky was gray and hard. The short walk to the dumpster in the alley behind The Palace felt twice as long. When I reached the dumpster, I stuck my hand out to throw open the lid, and I saw a white dot appear on my skin. I tossed the small trash bag in and looked up at the sky to see the formation of little flurries floating slowly down toward me. I hurried back inside out of the freezing cold.