The Occurrence

Chapter 4

I hold the Ziploc bag of ice to my throbbing temple. The aroma of damp rotting leaves floats up from my clothes. Gross. I'm on a moss covered log and I shift the ice to the other side of my screaming cranium.

"Thanks," I mutter, glancing up at Eddie, my ice retriever and former poker and nudger.

He smiles down jovially at me and fixes his bottle thick glasses. He has Down's Syndrome and I instantly recognize him from my high school years.

"It really does help," I add and Eddie's proud smile broadens. I ponder why I never stopped and talked to him all those many years ago. Wait.

Am I Previous Me? Or Future Me in Previous Me's place? Where IS Previous Me?

Kiara pipes up.

"Eddie, you are such a hero!" she declares, her great vim and vigor on display with extravagant arm movements that obviously excite him. "You ran and got just the right amount of ice! What a super helper!"

His chest puffs with pride and just when I think Eddie can't smile any bigger, he does. Kiara and I stifle giggles. Eddie scuffles happily three feet to my left, now interested in a rotting tree stump.

"Stay close," Kiara says. "Your mom'll worry if I don't have you back in one piece."

"I'll stay close," Eddie replies and squats, prodding an unsuspecting something with a stick. This kid loves to poke things. I make a mental note to keep 'pokey' objects away from him.

Kiara perches on a large limestone rock opposite me. The sun is to my back and blasts onto her face without remorse. I see every freckle, every eyelash, every perfect imperfection. The wind teases her hair. Her curls dance, effortlessly bowing and swaying in the cool breeze. The faint smell of jasmine teases the air.

"Feel alright now?" She slaps my knee twice.

I lower the ice pack.

Do I feel okay? I'm in 1992. How is this happening? Because you're freaking crazy, Mason. You. Are. Crazy.

A blue jay shrieks a reprimand. What did Chetana say about-

Another breeze toys with Kiara's hair and tortures me with her scent.

I nod. She tilts her head in thought.

"Wanna tell me what happened and how you got here in our woods?"

Eddie giggles. A fuzzy caterpillar inches up a twig. Kiara's eyes haven't left me.

"I talk to animals!" he exclaims. The trees clap their leaves in agreement.

I shift my focus back to her. She's not going to let it go. I size up the situation. What the hell.

"Screw it," I say. "I give up. I'm going crazy anyhow. Okay."

Her eyes widen, then gleam with excitement. She quickly pulls her hair into a messy bun at the base of her neck, then leans in.

"Go for launch."

I open my mouth.

And tell her everything.

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Kiara blinks, brushes a wispy tendril of hair from her nose to behind her ear, and leans back. She's been quiet through my entire recollection and there's a frown forming on her brow. I told her everything. Why did I do that? WHY DID I DO THAT?

A dumb ass wasp buzzes past me and I jolt. I hate wasps like I hate root canals. What good are they? I mean really. They don't make honey. They're aggressive. They have non-stop stinging capabilities. Not the poor defenders of honey... not the helpful bees, no. Just these assholes. Don't even get me started on hornets.