NINE TIME MACHINES: Do you want to undo your entire life on planet earth?

CHAPTER 32

On Friday morning I wake up thinking of the ocean. There's something beneath the waves that calls to me every time I close my eyes. I see and feel a presence so strong that it jolts me from myself. If only I didn't fear it so much, I'd dive into its salty dance and be made whole again.

A message tone goes off. I pull the phone from beneath my pillow and click on the red notification. This reminds me. I have to change my settings. Nobody wants to build their hopes up high only to have them deflated by disappointment. But hey, once you're on here there's no easy escape. So I scroll down aimlessly for a bit then get a friend request. I accept and this puts me directly in line with people I may know. Zero! I don't know any of you hopefuls. I exit and an old post from Pete Falona is the first thing I see. Of course, you know what comes next.

I click on his name and scroll through his page. All it takes is five minutes of longing after his pictures to awaken my dormant bravado. I type the two silliest letters any human can think up to message someone: Hi. Then I hit send and immediately regret it. Maybe I should add something else to make him warm towards me. No, you won't. Are you a fool, girl? Whatever happened to the golden rule of spying like an eye in the sky? Dammit! I need more practice in this area. Yet the damage is already done. There's no turning back now. So I refresh my timeline and scroll some more.

Like clockwork, a sponsored witchcraft post pops up. I fool myself into believing that I'm not doing this today. But who am I kidding? The link opens up to a website with free spells. Of course I'm going to click on the money spell first. My shoes and tattered life remember? A quick read through reveals I'll need fresh herbs. My mind instantly drifts to Matron Caine's herb garden. I write the spell down and click off. Hey! What's a little charity between her and me?