I Wish

Chapter 2

I staggered back from the counter, running my hands through my hair in confusion. Another realization hit me like a ton of bricks. My arm isn't in a sling? What the hell is going on? Was that whole thing a dream? I jogged into my bedroom and pulled my journal out of the desk. I flipped to the page and found the most recent entry.

'Hey journal, it's me again. I had one hell of a day yesterday. My mom gave me this really beautiful fountain pen for my birthday but when I was driving to my parents' house for dinner I got in a pretty bad accident. I'm fine luckily but I have a fractured collarbone which sucks pretty bad. I have a long road of recovery ahead of me. I wish I had never gotten in that wreck. Oh well. I guess things happen for a reason. I think I am going to bed pretty early tonight. My whole body aches.

Talk to you later

-Ashlyn'

I collapsed onto my bed as I stared at the words in disbelief. I wrote this. How could I have written this when the pen my mother gave me just came in the mail? None of this makes any sense. I took a long, calming breath, "Okay, I am going crazy. That is the only explanation. I'm hallucinating." I meandered back to the kitchen staring at the fluid, black words, half expecting them to start levitating off the page. I set the journal on the counter and fished the fountain pen out of the package. I stood still for a long moment before I pressed the nib onto the page.

'Hello'

I really am going crazy. Do I seriously expect my journal to write back? I studied the words on the page carefully. After ten minutes of impatient staring I wrote another sentence, 'Is anyone there?' Five more minutes passed and still nothing. With a frustrated sigh I dropped the fountain pen on the counter and slammed my journal closed. Oliver pranced over to where my journal lay and plopped his fat body on top of it before eyeing my new pen with disapproval. He studied the pen for a long while before batting it off the counter. I scowled at him before picking the pen up with a sigh, "Really? Don't be a butthead." I lifted him from the counter and he immediately squirmed out of my arms and plopped back down on top of my journal. I furrowed my brows at him, "What has gotten into you today Oliver? I just gave you food so I know you can't be hungry."

Oliver stared at me for a long time with his golden, unblinking eyes. "Fine. I'll give you a little more food," I conceded with an overly dramatic eye roll, "but no more tonight." I scooped a small cupful of food into his dish and was surprised when he didn't immediately jump up to eat the food. I observed him for a long moment before picking him up and placing him near his dish. He glanced at me for a long while, almost as if he was trying to decipher some secret of mine, before turning to his food dish. I pet him lovingly and he back arched up to meet my hand. A soft purr emanated from him as he noisily chowed down his food.

I briefly turned my attention back to my leather-bound journal. I caught a glimpse of Oliver suspiciously eyeing me as I flipped to my most recent journal entry. I read the entire passage over and over until my vision blurred from not blinking. My deja vu has something to do with my journal. I just know it does. I flipped back and forth between the small pages, trying to determine if I had written something unique in my newest entry. Something had to have caused this. A sudden, overwhelming urge to yawn forced me to tear my eyes away from the monochrome pages. I gathered my journal and the fountain pen and brought them into my room, placing them in the top drawer of my desk, "I guess I will just have to worry about this tomorrow." Thankfully it's only Saturday. I couldn't imagine being able to focus at work after all this craziness. I crawled into bed and pulled the sheets tightly around my shoulders, savoring the feeling of a freshly-made bed. I felt the blankets shift beside me and I smiled as Oliver curled up against my side, "Goodnight Oliver."