R e t r o s p e c t • PSYPHY

Chapter 8: P e r p e t u a

I turn around, "Whoa... it's you." I put away my phone. 

"Yeah, haha. It's me." Hayden says, unenthusiastically. 

"Did you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. I asked for them to bring you here." He replies. 

I knew it! But I shouldn't admit it. Clearly, this guy had something to do with what's been happening to me. 

"Okay, why?" I ask. 

His glances drifts to the side.

"I... needed to talk to you." he says. 

I look down at his dog, a white poodle, and golden retriever mix. It's really cute, especially while its tail's wagging. I accidentally smile. 

"Oh, what's your dog's name?"

"Oh, haha. She's a golden doodle." He kneels to her for a moment, "She's Dixie." he ruffles her floppy ears. 

That feels warm, watching him do that. My smile doesn't fade. Despite this awkward and unexpected situation, I'm not angry. For some reason I feel at ease. I'm in a foreign land, with someone I barely know, and I was tricked into coming here. I might've just left therapy, but here is where I need to be. 

"That's adorable," I say. 

"Yeah. I thought you'd like seeing her." 

He thought a lot about this. He knows something. 

"So, what'd you wanna talk about?"

Now I need answers.

Hayden stands back up. Yet his glance remains downward. He hesitates to respond. 

"I know, that I'm guilty."

I don't like the sound of that. And he doesn't look me in the eye when he says it. I think I know what he's talking about, but I don't want him to know that. 

"Guilty of what?"

"I... had a hand in what happened the other day." he replies. 

I knew it. The time displacement at the Starbucks. 

"It wasn't my intent. But I think the watch caused, someone to find you... or maybe something bad to happen." 

"Huh? What'd you mean?" I step forward. 

"I'm sorry. I know I sound crazy,"

"No, keep going." 

He pauses, a slight smirk on his face. He's looking at me. I'm looking at him. 

"Okay," he continues. 

"Someone died there. And they know you're involved."

I gasp, like I just smoked something. My pupils tremble, as the confirmation I don't want falls upon me. 

> Back at Caasi's House

There's a quick knock at the door. A woman calls out from within. 

"Be there a sec, hold on." Nicole says. 

Her miniature schnauzer barks incessantly. Her flip flops slap against the hardwood floors. She walks to the door, and opens it. "Yes?"

"Oh, you look... different." she says. 

The man she's looking at, smiles. He adjusts his fedora.

"I thought I'd stop at the mall before I came back. Like my outfit?" Syeef says.