Stuck in Time | #OpenNovellaContest2020 | Round Two

10.

It was only the next morning, when I was in the bath, that I realised something important about last night:

'Hey! I didn't time-travel at all in the midst of my sleep!'

It was Sunday, a holiday, and there was only one thing I wanted to do—something I'd always done ever since I was growing up: visit the cemetery. Buried there, among the dead of the rest of the town, both of my parents and my older twin sister.

When I came out of my bath and got dressed, I stretched my arms above me with an unexpected yawn – it looked like my nightmare was already taking a toll of my wakefulness.

I padded further down the corridor to the end, where the door opened to the laundry room. I placed my used clothes beside the washing machine and headed towards the kitchen to help with the breakfast. The clock sitting on the mantelpiece beside the television in the open living-room told me it was nearly eight o'clock.

When I entered the dining-room, only Mrs White was sitting, reading a newspaper. She glanced up when I took a seat a couple chairs from her.

"Good morning!" she greeted me with a smile. "You're up early to-day! Good for you! Iris' is still sleeping in."

"Good morning," I muttered back. "It's Sunday."

"So?" She gave a puzzled frown. "You want to go to church?"

I had to laugh at that: I wasn't Christian; I didn't even completely believe in any religion, which, I strongly felt, was an unnatural concept by itself.

"I go to visit the graves on Sunday," I explained.

Now, her brows cleared and she looked guilty. "Oh, that's right. You've always been going there. I'm sorry."

"No, please don't be, it's okay." I paused. "Say, do you and Iris have any plans for to-day?"

Mrs White thought about that. "No, not particularly. Why? Do you want us to take you somewhere?"

I thought about how to frame my request as I cleared my throat.

"Er... yes. I mean, I want to back home and see how's it all going there. I want somebody to... well, go with me, you know?"

A patronising smile grew on her lips. "It's spooky, isn't it, how that murder happened like that when you were asleep, without you even knowing?" she said, sympathetically.

I had no desire to correct her about my state of affairs, but spooky it definitely was.

"Yea. I mean... how in the world did that even happen? I don't know..." I felt an itch at the corner of my right eye and reached to scratch it lightly. "I... I just... You know." I gulped, not meeting her eye. "I just want to go and see what's happening there for myself. I already had an update from Teresa Adams the other day, though, so I'm not expecting any grand developments very soon." My eyes flitted towards her.

She nodded. "I understand. Take Iris with you after lunch. She shouldn't have any plans, unless she's made some after I went to bed."

"Okay. Thanks." I picked up a newspaper that was lying with the supplement papers of the one Mrs White had in her hands, and began reading.

~*~

Breakfast time went by in a blur of images that I didn't care to remember; all I had in mind was the family I lost.

After helping with clearing away the dining-table, I went back to my room in silence, picked up my handbag, checked that I had money in my purse, and swung it over my left shoulder. As I turned around to go, I glimpsed something falling outside my window and went back towards it. It was starting to drizzle outside. Rainy season was here at last.