The Return

Chapter 1 The Gathering Storm

The Return

Chapter 1

The Gathering Storm

Listening to Rossini, she was broughtback to what Beethoven had said about his works, and even though sheloved Beethoven, she liked Rossini also, and didn't in the leastthink of his work as "fluff. At times, she did however feel likeinvading Poland herself when she listened to the Ninth Symphony ofBeethoven's, and never understood why it had not played at chesstournaments or battlefields.

She brushed her long hair, in onestroke of the brush, first one side and then the other, flipping itover her face, bending her head and getting the back just like hergran always made her do. She was pensive today for some reason. Itwas hot, and although it had rained a little a while ago, it wasn'thumid as it usually gets on the last days of August. The sun was out,and setting in the west in a fireball of oranges and reds. Even thesky took on a pinkish hue of iridescent color. It was pretty out, butshe knew it wouldn't last. A storm was going to brew beforesunrise. She could feel it. The moon was in the darkness right now,and would be full in a few days. Energy was building, not only in theatmosphere, but inside her as well.

She couldn't put a finger on her moodtoday. It was not a bad one. It was not a great one like it had been.She could not discern it to be a calm one, because she felt sojittery inside. However, she wasn't nervous either. It irked herthat she felt this way. When she couldn't put a name to heremotions, she walked the floors, cleaned the place, plucked thegarden dry of every weed there was. It was good to get things done,that was no argument, but she didn't like this feeling ofexpectancy. Like, something was going to happen, but she didn'tknow what. That was it. Something was going to happen. It botheredher slightly that she just couldn't figure out for the life of heras to what it was going to be. She didn't like surprises. Well,Christmas and anytime she got a gift was an exception to the rule. Itwas that kind of...unknown dark surprise that scared her. But whatcould it be?

She shooed it off, chalking it up tothe unpredictable southern weather. It always does this to me, shethought to herself. It's the electricity in the air is all. Shefinished her hair, flipping it back out of her way as she thought tofind a hair band to braid it with later. As hot as it was, shesometimes just wanted her hair down instead of up all the time. Herbrown hair was thick; she took that back after her gran who wasCherokee. It would do for her to wash it later. That may cool herdown, some cold water upon her neck and head. She got up and wentthrough the house into the library where the bar had been kept sincetime immoral. A mint julep just might calm her nerves this evening.The sun was quickly fading as she noticed storm clouds coming in fromthe East fast approaching.

She found the bourbon and poured somein the tall glass. Then just a little more, knowing that it was justa bit much, but she didn't care. She fixed it to suit her taste anda bit more always suited her in times like these. She got the sugarout pouring a teaspoon in the amber liquid. Next the mint, and thecrushed ice from the small freezer hid neatly behind a mahoganydoor.She stirred well, getting a little more mint for garnish.Rossini had quit playing and now it was Wagner's turn to enchanther with his Das Reingold.She never checked to see what followedwhom, always wanting to let it just flow with who would pop up next.She loved guessing the music, just to see if she could get it right.She loved classical, ballet, opera, and the musicals. No one else inher family remotely was interested in those things. But, she wasalways wanting to learn new and different things, new and differentlanguages. She loved listening to French and even took it in school.She did good, and learned a few of the less desirable words to goalong with it, but now..it was a distant memory. She could still tellsomeone to go to hell, and quite possibly suck something, althoughafter she thought about it..that word probably meant butter insteadof dick.