The Cycle

CHAPTER 12: HIGHSTRUNG

CHAPTER 12

HIGHSTRUNG

I'm in the middle of a dream. Certain it's a dream by the bizarre standards that lay before me. I'm in a dark room, one that is dimly lit with a flickering ember. I sit at a table with an unfinished house of cards in front of me and a king of hearts in my hand. I hold the last card to the house and my hand trembles as I slowly reach to lay it at the very top. While holding my breath, I gently lay the card on its back, face-side up, and lean back in the chair to admire my craftsmanship. I smile exuberantly to myself when the floor starts to quiver and the table begins to tremble. The vibrations of the tremor cause the house of cards to cave in on itself, and I stare, expressionless.

My alarm goes off and I'm instantly awake, still utterly confused by the peculiar dream. I sit up in bed and rub my eyes when I remember something.

"Kayden?" I ask quietly.

Silence responds.

I sigh and roll out of bed, prepping for the day. After a long, hot shower I trot downstairs to make myself some breakfast. A note on the refrigerator door catches my attention.

Elaina,

I need you to stop by the mailbox as soon as you can to drop off the envelopes that are on the kitchen table. I've left stamps on them, so don't worry about that. Please drop them off as soon as you can. It's very important.

Mom.

I glance out the kitchen window and groan; it's drizzling outside. I dial Lorraine's phone number and she answers on the second ring.

"What is it, Elaina?" she asks with a hint of irritation in her voice.

I ignore the annoyance and say, "It's starting to drizzle outside. Am I still supposed to send these letters?"

"Yes, that is still expected, Elaina. The mailbox isn't that far of a walk."

"But it's going to be pouring by the time I have to come back," I complain.

There's a short pause before Lorraine sighs and says, "Bring an umbrella. I'll talk to you later, Elaina. Be careful."

The line goes dead and I'm left there with my mouth open in shock. What's gotten into her? I know Lorraine can be a bit snippy, but this is ridiculous; I've never seen her so irritable. I hang my head back as I pull on my rain boots and shrug into my raincoat. I hang the umbrella around my wrist as I lock the front door. I unstrap the Velcro and open the umbrella, walking into the foamy mist. The letters are stashed inside my coat in one of the inside pockets, so they should be safe from the forming rain. I brought a flashlight with me just in case it gets too dark to see where I'm going, and I'm glad I did. There's hardly any light outside, just that of the sun barely peeking over the horizon. I flip on the flashlight and grip the umbrella tightly in my other hand.

I manage to make it down the hill without slipping, but the rain has picked up and it's really starting to shower. I make a left at the end of the driveway and trudge up the path toward Central Moon Bay. An intersection appears and that's where the mailbox is, my destination. I slosh through the heavy current and try very hard not to fall over; if I trip I'll get sucked away by the stream and might not be able to regain my balance. I open the handle and slip the letters down the chute while the rain patters heavily on my umbrella.