Prophetic Dream

 It was already 7:30. Lydia’s shift began at 8, and if she wanted to make it on time in the terrible morning rush, she had to leave soon. She couldn’t afford to be late. Her manager, Kim, was looking for any reason to fire her and she really needed this job.

And on a normal day, she had no problem leaving the house at 7:30, leaving her five-year old son Teddy with the elderly neighbors. She then took the bus across the city, as was her daily routine. But he was being really clingy today, and was just not letting her go.


“Come on Teddy,” Lydia coaxed, trying to pry his chubby fingers out of her shirt. He was hanging on like a particularly determined limpet. “I’ll get you chocolate ice cream when I get back home. How about that, huh?” This wasn’t her first bribe of the morning, nor would it be the last. He hadn’t given up even in the face of dino nuggets, cotton candy, or a trip to the water park.


She was becoming desperate now. Her son had always been very calm for a baby, and then a toddler. He learnt how to speak and walk far earlier than the other children, and she believed that he was a true genius. Of course, when she told her coworkers this, they laughed at her and told her that that’s what every parent thought of their beloved babies.


But there was truly something different about Teddy. He had an odd maturity in his words, a strange understanding glint in his eyes. He was always reasonable, never cried, and always ate his vegetables.


All of this made his behavior today even more strange. Tears ran down his chubby cheeks, and he screamed if she tried to move towards the door. From what she’d heard, this was pretty normal behavior for toddlers. But it certainly wasn’t normal for her toddler.


“No!” He shrieked, grabbing on tighter. She stumbled at the odd weight, unable to keep her balance. “Stay here! Don’t go!”


Lydia could feel that this wasn’t a normal tantrum. Perhaps it was just her instincts as a mother. She sighed heavily, and sat down on the couch. She’d just call in sick for the day. It’s fine. She’d already missed the bus now.


Teddy probably realized that his mother wasn’t going anywhere now. His fingers loosened their death grip on her shirt, which was now irreparably wrinkled. His sobs quietened down to occasional sniffles.


“Why do you not want me to go, darling?” Lydia cooed, hugging her little boy close to her. “Are the Jamesons not treating you well?”


The kid shook his head mutely, and murmured something inaudible into her shirt.


“It’s ok, you can tell your mom anything,” She carded her fingers through his hair, which was growing a bit too long. He was long due for a haircut.


“Bus crashed,” He mumbled, curling up into her lap. His emotions were calming down, and it seemed like he was falling asleep. She huffed in amusement as his breathing slowed. He must’ve had a nightmare. She really shouldn’t have let him watch those action movies with her last night.


Gently moving her son so he didn’t wake up, she covered his sleeping form with a blanket and moved to the next room. Just as she was going to call Kim to ask for the day off, she received an incoming call instead.


It was from Kim. “Hello?” She answered, confused. Her boss had never called her before. “I wanted to ask for the day off-”


“Lydia!” The woman on the other side of the call gasped, sounding strangely relieved. “You’re alive!”


She had never been greeted in such a way on a call, much less by a coworker. “Um, yes?” Lydia glanced at the phone in puzzlement, as if she could get answers through the glass screen. “Why wouldn’t I be?”


“The 7:30 bus you take everyday,” Kim exclaimed, her fear palpable even through the low-quality speakers of the cheap phone. “It just crashed on the highway! Everybody on it is dead.”


Lydia’s heart stopped.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blood, Sweat, Tears

“You’re being rather cruel”. Lyshia, the assistant trainer and mage, shot a look at me, gauging my reaction to her words. Of course, I did not give her the satisfaction she wanted. I wouldn’t be distracted, not by someone who did not understand what was happening. “Isn’t this too harsh, Gideon?” She sighed, gesturing at the crowd surrounding us. The smell of sweat and blood filled the air, metal swords clashing with loud clangs. If the numbers reported earlier were to be believed, nearly a thousand people had signed up to join the Vernian Army in this city. After the Claifenfield invasion, patriotism had skyrocketed within the country, leading to people enlisting. However, even if they wanted to join, they are not guaranteed a position. For many millennia, the Vernian Army had held a high standard for its soldiers. Those who do not reach the bar will be sent back home, even if that means that there are only five new recruits per city. “I’m looking for talent. Nothing less” I replied. N...
Read more

Clockmaker

 The first time Liora heard the ticking, she thought it was a neighbor’s wall clock. It was faint: slow, rhythmic, almost soothing, until she realized it was coming from inside her bedroom closet. A chill crawled up her spine. The small apartment she had moved into after her father’s death had no clocks. He had despised them with all his heart. For hours she sat frozen on her bed, listening as the slow ticks grew louder, sharper, more confident. At dawn, when she finally gathered the courage to open the closet door, the sound stopped instantly, as if the world was holding its breath. Inside, nestled atop an old quilt, rested a pocket watch she had never seen before. It seemed to be made of burnished silver, an antique engraved with patterns she didn’t recognize. Intricate. Beautiful. Abnormal. She slammed the door shut and didn’t touch it. The second time was weeks later, after the layoffs. After the funeral expenses, the debt collectors circling her like vultures. Her father...
Read more

One in Infinite

“What’s the point in studying so much if it’s impossible?” I whispered under my breath, and snapped the book shut. I placed it at the top of the pile of books and got ready to leave. Usually, I would sit with my book until the last second before the library closed, and then leave. But, the book I was reading today was particularly frustrating. It kept reiterating how impossible my dream was. I was starting to feel like this was all a childish hope. There was no way I could do it if all those scientist and renowned scholars said it was impossible. How could I cure cancer and be able to save my brother? Looking back at my stack of books, I felt a pang of pity for Ms. Menzel. Tomorrow, she was going to have to put all of these back in their appropriate shelves, all by herself. Normally, I would have no time to put them back myself before leaving, but today I could spare a little time. With a sigh, I picked up the books. And then, I felt immediate regret. This was way too heavy for me to c...
Read more