Mirror Lake

Three

As Jillian's Tracker rolled down the road away from her parents' house, she felt the urge to go back. This morning's visit hadn't gone sour, like it usually did. It had felt like past memories of Sunday mornings, when everyone spent time together as a family. Before leaving, she had helped her Dad feed the horses; and when she left, they'd both kissed her goodbye.

Too bad the rest of their time is spent ignoring one another, and telling me I basically need a life and shouldn't be living near old people.

But can you really argue with them about that?

Catherine and Hugh had met in college, at a local diner, and had recently celebrated their twenty-third wedding anniversary. They still loved each other, but Catherine wondered if there was more that they could be doing. Hugh spent most of his time working their small property, or watching television, and she couldn't help but be a little stir-crazy. She had grown tired of the little town.

Jillian had questioned her parents about the growing tension between them. They always answered that it was just how things were as you got older, and not to worry; but she did.

Jillian lit a cigarette. She was going to need to make a stop at the store. She hadn't thought to buy smokes when she'd been there earlier, and was now kicking herself for having to be seen in public. Again.

Her mother's disapproval rang in her head once again, and she shook it off, putting her elbow out the open window, leaning against the car door.

Reaching the edge of town, she pulled into the general store on the corner. She got out of her car and pushed through the door, the bell dinging as she did so. The clerk behind the counter looked up, nodding as if letting her know he saw her. Jillian smiled politely and walked along the wall grabbing a bag of chips and a candy bar before pulling open the door to the cooler and tucking a jug of tea under her arm. She let the man know she needed smokes, the black pack, and set everything on the counter in front of him.

"Got the munchies?" the clerk asked, as she reached for her wallet.

Jillian looked at him. His eyes were red, and relaxed. The corners of his mouth curved up slightly.

Jesus...

"No," she laughed, "but it looks like you might."

The clerk laughed suddenly, seemingly aware that he was obviously stoned. He was probably about her age, and for a moment, stared at Jillian before giving her the money back.

"Keep it. Snacks are on me."

Crap. Please don't be awkward.

"Oh, Uhm...okay? Thanks." she thanked him with a smile, and scooted out the door. He was still staring at her.

As Jillian drove home, she glanced along the side of the road at the small businesses that filled the center of town. She chose to take a different route to avoid passing Mirror Mountain Press, where she knew Charlie would be working.

I need to talk to him. I shouldn't have slept with him, it was a mistake. Especially since he's one of the very few people I can actually tolerate. But that won't be today.

Once Jillian reached her apartment complex she hurried inside, noting that Hank's car was missing from the place he usually parked.

Good. I just want to relax a little.

Casper was waiting for her on the back of the chair.

"Returning to the scene of the crime, you little asshole?" she asked, scratching his neck. He meowed as if answering, and then followed her into the kitchen. She made herself a ham and cheese sandwich, and opted to sit in her room on the bed, instead of her usual favorite spot in the living room. She wondered if she would ever feel comfortable sitting there again. She glared at the cat briefly before digging into her lunch.

Jillian figured that maybe her parents were right. She didn't have much of a life. She lived alone with her cat, had very few friends, and most of her time was spent at home... With her cat. She worked from home as well, as a small-time graphic designer. She had only had a total of three actual projects under her belt, but she sold digital artwork all the time online.

She set her sandwich to the side, and then picked up her pencil and sketchbook. She had started working on a picture of Casper, sleeping soundly in the window. Looking back through the pages, a lot of them were filled with portrayals of him. Jillian also liked to draw things she saw in dreams, or nightmares. It gave her something to do when she was unable to go back to sleep. There was even a cartoonized version of Hank the landlord, looking more like a disgusting alternative to the marshmallow guy.

The room dimmed. The sun had slipped behind the edge of a small cloud, and was already starting to come back out the other side. Jillian could see more, darker clouds in the distance.

Looks like rain. Then again, you can never really accurately predict the weather here.

Casper meowed by the front door, loudly the second time to make sure he caught her attention. Jillian grabbed her cigarettes and lighter and let him out, sitting on the concrete step in front of her door. Hank's car was still gone.

Thank God.

Jillian thought about running over to Mr. Gregory's to retrieve her tupperware but decided, instead, that a nap sounded better. She finished her cigarette and called the cat in. Then she made her way into the apartment and to the cabinet in her bathroom, where she pulled out the joint she had rolled three days ago.

Gayle Johnson lived two doors down from Jillian. The seventies were her prime years, and she hadn't lost her touch for growing what she called "the magical cure-all plant". She was the youngest resident, besides Jillian, and the two had struck up a friendship. Gayle's apartment was littered with artwork she'd collected over the years, including some that Jillian had given her; a trade. Art, for the magic behind it.

The guy had the right idea, she thought, remembering the clerk from the store.

She smoked half of it, lay down, and rolled onto her side. As her eyes slid closed, she could hear raindrops tapping gently on the window. They sounded odd to her, like the tapping of fingers, but she convinced herself as she drifted off that she was just incredibly-

Incredibly.

-stoned.

***