Harry & The Foxtail

o5 | tempus

o5

t e m p u s

The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.

ON THAT TUESDAY evening at 6:00 pm exactly, it was gradually darkening into the night outside, grey clouds heavy. Despite the weather's ominous turn for the worse Harry excitedly opened the gift box from Sofia. It was a bright orange stone attached to a necklace. The stone wasn't smooth but rough like a crystallised stone of some sort, it was long—longer than Harry's ring-clad middle fingers. It was pretty. He stared at the long gem in the box for a while, he'd waited exactly till 6 pm for this? To be honest to himself, he felt a little underwhelmed at the hype Sofia had built up in him. He knew the gift had to be small, considering the size of the gift box, but he didn't expect this. He was just, expecting something else... and despite the love he held for his sister a frown formed itself onto his face.

He had to leave work 20 minutes early so he'd be home by 6 pm, Harry felt irritated and annoyed at his older sister. He felt he'd hugely wasted his time. This was the time Harry had to start making dinner for him and Sofia. She should be in her room right about now Harry thought. Harry's features drew together determined with purpose. He had some very serious questions to ask about the gift, one being, why 6 pm? Harry then gets up from the sofa he'd been sitting on and proceeds to walk down the corridor to his sister's room.

He left Sofia's present on the sofa in the direct sunlight coming from the living room window, but as he walks away he fails to notice the orange stone growing in vibrancy...

The door was wide open, her clothes thrown onto the floor, books open scattered around on her bed and no Sofia. Suddenly Harry's breath hitches in his throat—long and hard— a yellow post-it note on her mirror, with his handwriting (that he'd written that very morning)...

'Don't forget to take your meds sis

—H'

Underneath there was the plate, he'd laid the tablets on but they were still there and Sofia had left the flat without taking them.

She wasn't there. Harry's bad feeling made his balled fist hit the white corridor wall. "Sofia, where are you?" He asked, his head bowing down, resting his forehead on his fist, and eyes closing with a tear escaping.

Harry brought his other hand to his face, wiping the wetness from his eyes. He took a deep breath in and raised his head dropping his fist from the wall. Then he fished for his phone in his back pocket and called Sofia. He brought the device up to his right ear, and he could hear the continuous ring, ring, ring. His foot started tapping uncontrollably the more impatient he got waiting for her to pick up. She didn't and it went to voicemail.

"Sorry I can't come to the phone right now, I'm probably busy reading or catching a lead, leave a message after the beep. BEEP!"

"Where are you, sis? Where are you? Please call me when you get this, I'm worried about you," he said and ended the voicemail.

Feeling lightheaded and wracked up with worry, Harry walked back down the corridor leading away from the bedrooms and went towards the living room. Harry let his eyes find the place he had in mind, the way to forget the horrors that were running around in his imagination. The liquor cabinet... He went right up to the glass box and stared at the vodka, the whisky, the wine and the shot glasses. He could really use a gin and tonic right about now.