The Soul Traveler

Chapter 3

Morning came as always by muffled sirens and and singing birds from her phone alarm. Eyes closed, Kyna kicked off her blankets, walked out into the hallway and into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, she'd showered, brushed her teeth and was halfway there into looking like a decent human being. Minus the gunk still in her eyes.

She quickly dried herself off, wrapped her towel around her chest like a toga and squinted her way back to her room for her clothes.

Ten minutes later, she was fully awake and by the door still in place, like nothing happened the night before, could surmise that her brother was still in bed.

The wall clock above the kitchen doorway read 6:40. Kyna shook her head, grabbed a couple of eggs, bread, butter and jelly. And by ten to seven, she was wolfing down her scrambled eggs. With bites of butter and jelly on toast in between. Finished off with a small glass of orange juice.

The rest of breakfast rested safely under two purple food covers on the table.

"Ma," yelled Kyna, unlocking the many locks on the door. "I'm going!"

She rushed down the stairs, her heart lifting higher and higher, the further away she became from the hydrogen bomb she'd knew that'll soon explode.

Kyna can suffer nights like last night. But not the mornings. She whipped out her student metrocard as she power walked a short distance down the street to the D-line train station. Which pulled in just when she swiped it.

Cursing again at her rotten luck, for another day of running up stairs, Kyna flew up the steps, all three landings to the uptown side. Barely making it to end of the car right before it closed and pulled out.

Chest shearing, she flopped into the hard, bright plastic chairs. A welcome feeling from the ground zero probably happening right now.

Not like it was her problem anyways. Shaking her head, Kyna stared passed the young resident intern advertisement for NYU medical program imprinted on the walls of the train.

After last night, the last thing she needed this morning was another reminder of the impossible. Though she wasn't interested in attending the prestigious university. It wasn't far away enough. Besides, studying to become a doctor would just make her poorer than she was now.

She might not be sure what she wanted to study. But definitely it had to be something that will lead her to a great paying job. With the least amount of student debts. And practical.

Her stomach churned at the thought. Practical indeed. Kyna rubbed her left thumb over her right middle finger. Feeling the curves and indents from all the times she pressed the pen there. Bleeding blood and ink to lined, blank pages.

Though it's been two years she could still remember the way the pen and her hands flown across the page. Almost as two hearts as one. Lovers who couldn't get enough of each other. Who had so much to say, that it spilled over in a rush into something chaotic yet beautiful. Pure.

Until she learned the truth.

It's only your sophomore year. But have you thought about what you wanted to do in the future?

Although it was early to start talking about college in her opinion. Graduation was only two years away. But the entire sophomore class had to schedule meetings with their advisors for career guidance.

Kyna had kept it a secret, well maybe it wasn't that much of a secret. After all, English was her best and favorite class. And she didn't earn the nickname 'storyteller' for nothing. Though she had her dreams to thank for that.