Knots

Pompeii.

17. "Pompeii."

"In the darkness you could hear the crying of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men. Some prayed for help. Others wished for death. But still more imagined that there were no Gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness."
- Pliny the Younger, A.D. 79.

September 7th

7:45 A.M

REGGIE SIMON

The sun nearly blinded him, an ironic reminder of how completely bipolar both his friend and the weather was yesterday. Reggie was still infuriated beyond comprehension, but the light snoring that seemed to come from the other side of his door added a bit of relief to his thoughts.

"I didn't think the bastard would actually do it," he noted while pulling himself out of bed and getting dressed for work. Today, he had determined, was going to be one of the roughest days he'd experienced as an intern. There was no doubt in his mind that Avery was going to be raising hell; not that he could blame him. Sure Andre had told him about his problem with Phil, but he had never gone as far as to mention the things that the fourth year was making him do. Even the thought of Andre and Novak giving each other-

He shook the thought from his head as he slowly opened his bedroom door, Andre still very much asleep, and eased over him without much regard. Once Reggie had made it to the bathroom he knew he was golden, Andre never actually had time to use it so he knew he was in the clear. He grabbed the water faucet, twisted the hot water nozzle, and waited patiently for the immediate blast of cold water to get warmer. While he waited, Reggie made note of the fact that the mirror in front of him showed just how much all of this emotional trauma had aged him lately. Whether it was attending to a bomber, attempting to save someone who couldn't be saved, or getting wrapped up in his coworkers 'soap opera' like lives, Reggie just couldn't seem to escape the feeling entirely.

"How much more of this can I take? I can't keep doing this to myself."

The real twenty-four hours of being an intern start today.

The words of the Chief seemed to echo in Reggie's head, a reminder of the progress he'd been put through hell to make. He could hardly handle it coming back to him all at once, small hands clinging to the sink for dear life as steam began to edge its way along the mirror.

Yesterday, some of you merely got your feet wet; and others may have slipped.

Maybe he had slipped?

Maybe yesterday was a trial placed before him by some higher power intent on teaching him a lesson in forgiveness?

Maybe everything he kept worrying about, that seemed to age him, would be resolved in some elaborate swoop of the universe correcting itself?

A knock on the door startled his thought process, and it was only then that he realized he couldn't hear anymore snoring. Reggie rinsed his face, quickly brushed his teeth, made his way towards the door, took a deep breath, and opened it before his roommate could get in any more knocks. Andre, for obvious reasons, looked completely disheveled and just as emotional as he had been during the period of time he mourned his father. It was dark, this was dark, and extremely screwed up; but for the longest while the two just stared at each other.

"Regg, what are you thinking?" The older boy finally asked, his tone a plea, desperate for information; for forgiveness.

"I can't," Reggie noted, pushing past his roommate and making his way towards the front door; hand grasping the handle before a hand settled firmly on his shoulder.