Chapter 1: Lilacs and Shrubby

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While she briskly walks the pier there is a whisper of something no longer there. Amanda sits on the shore and watches the tides roll in and slowly digress back in to the vast ocean.
His hands still reside on her. The soft warmth develops her into a place of utter bliss. She takes a seat among the white beach.
The sand beneath her provides comfort as she thinks of him. Her skin tingles with the sensation of memories she still holds onto. Why wouldn't he be here?
That's when on the other side of the pier she sees a man. The man wears a ran coat and is soaking wet. In his hand he holds a match. The match burns, the flame making it's way down it's wooden handle.
Quivering Amanda stands, the man approaches her.

"Amanda!"
"Yes sir."
Mr. Brins strolls behind her desk and drops a stack of files. "You've been staring at the damn wall for the past ten minutes."
"I'm sorry si-"
He slams his hand down on her desk, the files falling to the floor. "God dammit, am I paying you to stare!"
She clears her throat, "Of course not, sir."
Mr. Brins runs his finger through his thickly gelled hair. He pulls out a cigarette and walks out of her office as he lights it.
Amanda picks up the reciever and anxiously twist the phone's cord around her finger. She mutters the same slogan into the line. The beeping signals that the caller has hung up. She spins the dial again and calls another number on the yellow telephone book.

After a waining day Amanda's shift ends and she punches out. She hurries home, hoping to avoid the afternoon traffic which makes it especially hard to cross the many crosswalks along the way. Her heels clap with exasperation on the heavy sidewalk until finally passing by the all so familiar shrubby and lilacs outside her home. She unlocks the door and throws her purse to the floor and quickly takes off her coat. Lex's tale wags with excitement on her arroval. She runs through his thick coat and smiles as she looks into his ember eyes as he pants heavily.
She lies on her floral patterned coach and admires the many photos on her mantle. She skims through to insure she does not pay inventiveness to the one she spends so many hours examining.

The phone eagerly rings and Amanda rushs toward it.
"Bev, what a delightful suprise!"
"As to you."
"May I ask you reasoning for calling so late?"
"Well, I thought maybe you and I could go out for some drinks. You know... To talk."
"We're talking now, aren't we?"
"About more important matters. I know how hard it must be with the passing o-"
Amanda drops the receiver. No more of that.

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