Rest came fitfully, dreams drifting through her mind–mad demons seeking to bind her, unbind her. The moon above paid no heed to what occurred below her passive face. The sun rising over the eastern horizon also held himself aloof. No aid there, no relief or comfort.
The sudden ringing of the phone broke into Khorsia’s dreams like a song of hope. Wildly, body flailing out of the bed, she reached for the phone as if it embodied the last bastion of her faith. Dark hair draped her face like a shroud presaging fevered fears of a death to come. Hope and faith faded into the background, into silence.
“Hello?” she said, voice hoarse.
A man’s neutral voice asked, “Ms. Rosetti?”
“This is she,” wondering how true that was after such a night.
“I’ve been instructed to escort you to the Portland airport. A private jet awakes to take you further on your journey. You need bring nothing but your handbag and identification. All else has been provided for.”
A pause…when the mind finds itself unable to find rationality in the mundane world. No anchor. What the hell? she thought to herself.
“Uh, look. I don’t have time for prank calls. I’ve got to work today. Go find someone else to pester.” Without any further words, she hung the phone up. Jesus, some people are so easily amused! Fucking wacko!
For a moment, trapped between dreams and the phone call, she almost felt she’d go insane. Her hands balled into fists so tightly she practically drew blood. Shuddering gasps, tensed muscles, as if a pitched battle waged itself within her being.
The phone rang again.
She snatched it up, yelling before she’d even had a chance to decide how she’d react, “Look! This shit isn’t funny! Leave me alone!”
That neutral voice spoke up once more, as if it were immune to any reaction she might have, “My apologies, Ms. Rosetti. I am only doing my job. I assure you, most completely, this is not a prank call, or a joke. I’m utterly serious.”
Khorsia couldn’t maintain her rage, nor her bewilderment in the face of such neutrality. God, I can’t take this. Without warning, she deflated, all her emotions spent into ineffectiveness. The story of her life.
“Alright, tell me, again, why exactly it is you are calling me,” whispered without true caring at all, her eyes roaming the room, over the stained coffee cups and scattered books, as if a stranger lived there.
His voice droned on for several minutes. Something about a plane, a place to go, nothing needed.
A final attempt to maintain control, “Just who is wanting me to go God knows where?”
“I’m not at liberty to say, Ms. Rosetti. I’m sorry, but all will be explained to you in the proper time. I am merely the messenger,” he replied complacently, not sounding very sorry at all. The bastard. But she could not bind herself to her own will, the black mood in its insidious way strangling her slowly.
It seemed she still roamed the land of dreams. She moved. She followed. There were blurs of faces, places; sounds fell upon ears that did not hear. Some whirlwind of activity that could make no impact upon the numb state she’d fallen into.
The sun arose once more upon a day she had no knowledge of, he rose brightly, impassive as ever to her life, to any desires of hope and faith. She found herself standing in front of a gate, blinking at the shafts of sun coming down through the huge oak trees draped in hoary moss on the other side.
Oddly, she smelled the rich scents of roses and honeysuckle. She had arrived, but to where she did not know. A shiver passed down her spine, one soft moan escaping taut lips. Memory was no easy taskmaster. Not easy at all.
What have I done to myself now? she wondered.
“If you need to leave the world you live in
Lay your head down and stay a while
Though you may not remember dreaming
Something waits for you to breathe again”
~Evanescence
Daphne Cochran-Shapiro is an Author, Virtual Assistant and Entrepreneur who specializes in working with people seeking lifestyle changes, interested in starting an online business, and needing web design assistance. My goal is to empower you to be the best you can be in ALL your endeavors. Be sure you grab the free Celebrate Life! Newsletter while you’re here. I invite you to join me on this exciting journey! 
