In The Right Key

Chapter 7: A Million Miles an Hour

Chapter 7: A Million Miles an Hour

I woke with a jolt. I looked around my small room, but didn't see anything. I could have sworn I had felt something cold on my face. It almost felt like a caress. I shook that feeling off and looked at my alarm clock. 7:58 a.m. Glad I hadn't slept in, I turned the lamp on-It was still too dark to see, obviously another cloudy day-and felt the need to go to my window. I opened the curtains, and, sure enough, it was overcast. I groaned. Was the sun ever going to shine here? I wondered idly if they even sold sun block at the convenience store. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.

It was probably freezing, but I had an aching need to open the window. When I had first come here, for a reason unbeknownst to me, I had tried to open the window. After a minute, I'd only gotten an inch off the sill, so I had given up and shut it, closing the paltry distance. I knew I would have to try harder this time, use a little elbow grease. I mustered up all of my strength and pushed upward. It flew up without a hitch, and, combined with the gale of wind passing through, pushed me backward and caused me to lose balance, ending in me landing on my butt. All the wind gusted out of me and I sat on the floor trying to get it back.

In the quiet moment, the window crashed back down. I half-screeched and Charlie ran into my room.

"Bells? What happened?"

"The window," I gasped out. "Don't worry about it." I got up off the floor and looked down at myself. I was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. I had also neglected to shower. "I'm going to take a shower and do the laundry. I'll probably clean and go to the store later."

"Okay, Bell. Be careful," he said with an odd expression on his face. I took a real look at him and saw that he was dressed in fishing gear.

"What are you doing today, Dad?"

"I'm going fishing with Billy Black. Things have slowed down at the station lately so I figured I'd take a break. But I could stay home . . . ," he trailed off. I wasn't buying that. I was touched that he had considered staying home with me, but I wasn't going to let him.

"No, Dad, that's okay. Go relax." I smiled, relaying to him that it was okay.

"Alright. Bye." Charlie stood in the doorway for a moment, then turned and left me alone. We had always had a problem expressing our feelings for each other. I loved him and he loved me. We both knew that, but hardly ever told each other. I didn't really know why. I grabbed my clothes for the day and my bathroom bag (the product of having only one bathroom) and headed towards the bathroom.

I looked in the mirror; eyes wide, hair like a haystack, chest heaving. After Charlie had gone it had all come back to me. What had I felt against my cheek? Why had the once rusty window opened so easily? Why had I been so drawn to it? And what was up with that dream?

I pondered that last one as I entered the shower and attempted to ease my tense muscles. I had been in a city, one I hadn't seen before. I was standing in the middle of the street, right on the yellow lines. To my right was an average looking man with cropped brown hair, odd violet eyes, and pale skin; someone I hadn't seen before. To my left had been the twitching form of a Native American boy who seemed vaguely familiar. I turned and looked behind me and saw Mike. Not particularly liking that, I turned back around and Edward was standing there, looking perfect even in a dream.

All equal distances away from me, they started walking towards me at exactly the same time. They were coming at me from all sides, walking together as if trained to do so. I turned around in circles, not frightened but also not jumping for joy. I backed up, forcing them to make a semi-circle in front of me. About two feet away, they raised their right arms, bent at the elbows, palms facing themselves. I closed my eyes and waited for the dream to end until I felt a cold object just barely touching my right cheek. I looked and saw a single white hand there.