Hidden in the mist

late night, and no luck

   Sometime in the middle of the night my phone started to ring, I rolled over, wincing at the pain in my leg, and grabbed my phone from my table. I didn’t even have the chance to look at the caller ID before I had picked up my phone, I was very out of it when I spoke, you could tell I was just waking up with how horsed my voice was. “hello, Boa speaking…...” nothing came on the other end, maybe they didn’t hear me speak, so I sat up and rubbed my eyes and answered again. “hello, this is Boa….. any one there?” still nothing, I sat up more, with my brows coming together in a confused. I tried to listen for something on the other end, but I couldn’t hear not a thing. I looked at my phone to see the number or the caller and to my shock, there wasn’t a call in progress, I just stared at my main screen.

   I figured maybe I must have dropped the call or something, so I went to my phone log to see who had called…. “No one?”

       “Maybe it was all just a dream?” so I laid back down and re-adjusted myself so not to hurt my knee or ankle, as I laid there looking over at the wall that was lite by the soft glow of the moon just outside my window I realized something. “Wards!” Right away I jumped from my bed stumbling across the floor from my injury, it was a horrid pain running threw my whole leg, with every step I took was a sharp new sharp pain. I had to get to my office, so I took every step with a wince and grunt, I just walked threw it. Once to my office, I swung the door open almost falling as the door tried pulling me away with the force, I had used to open it.

          I held onto the door frame with both my hands to hold me up as I looked across the office once again, and again nothing seemed to have activated the wards. I went to rest my head on the wall and catch my breath from the pain still running through my leg from my efforts of trying to get here in such a rush. Just before my head rested on the frame, I noticed my fathers pendent swinging in the frame I had rested it in.

         I felt my head spin and my legs go weak, and my breathing became slow and shallow, almost not even breathing. Then a surge of hope shocked threw me, I dashed over to the wall that had my fathers pendent, but the pain was like a white fire burning straight up my leg and into the rest of my body, it made my vision blur. That’s when my bad luck struck again, twisting my leg just right so I fell over a foot stool, with the thud I shouted…. “OOOUUUUCCCHHHH!!!!!HOLY s**t BALLS!!!!!! ARE YOU f*****g KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!?” I let out my cries and moans while rolling side to side on the floor while holding my leg to my chest.

          “DAMN IT! Isn’t this curse over with yet?” I arched my head back to see the time, oh it was most definitely past midnight, there was no way I should still have been having bad luck. In that moment of pain and frustration a had almost forgot about the pendent swinging, I looked up at it still slowly swinging. As I stared up at it I knew there was nothing that could have made it sway like it was. No wind. No fan. No vents. Nothing to make and air current that could go threw the frame and glass, the walls were to thick for me to jolt it and make vibrations, what could be the reasoning behind its current movements.

       After a lot of pain, and many foul words, I made it to my chair at my desk, I had some sweat beading across my forehead from over exasperating myself. I then used the chair to roll over back to the wall and then used the handle to make it rise so it was easier for me to stand up and use to steady myself to reach for the frame to pull it down. Once I had it down though, it felt very normal, no hums or vibrations coming from it not even a faint amount of magic. I really wanted to smash the damned thing after all that I went through to get it.

       I through my head back, and then used my good leg to push backwards toward the door. Once at the door I took my hands and used the door frame to give myself a good push toward my bed, as I slid across the floor the chair spun around slightly, I was lucky that my good leg hit the bed. I then climbed into the bed and studied the pendant that still rested in the frame, I was very tempted to just toss it into my side table, but for some reason I couldn’t heart it.

      Looking at the pendant, I just imagined my father wearing it while in his best cloths for family gatherings, he loved wearing rich but warm colors, greens, grays, browns and golds. It was very rare to see him in blues, I loved seeing him in blues, he loved to wear blues on my birthday though, and every year daddy got me a beautiful blue dress, and blue gemmed jewelry to match. That morning of my birthday I woke up to blue flowers at my bed side with a note that was waxed stamped, blue wax with fathers’ stamp.

       A felt the warm tears go down my face, I cleaned them away and set the frame in my bed side table, I took more meds for my leg and laid back down. Tears fell, there was no stopping them, I felt so alone in that moment because it felt like a new pain and old pain was in war to see what could hurt me the most. Losing my parents and having false hope that there was a sign of us being together again.

          Without even really realizing, I grabbed my phone and texted Zan to see if he was still awake, I needed some one to talk to, I needed for once some one there for me so I didn’t feel alone. For once in my life, I didn’t want to be alone…

          Zan: I am awake… are you doing alright? I opened the message but didn’t reply, I wasn’t sure how to, I was starting to go numb in my head, but everything else hurt so bad.

         Zan: hey Boa, are you okay? Do you need me to call?” I did reply to that though.

     Me: yes…… almost instantly he called, I looked at the phone this time to see his name, to make sure my phone was actually receiving a call from someone. Then I answered, “I hurt so bad, I don’t want to be alone Zan.”

          “wow lassie, what’s going on? Are you crying right now?” his brogue was thick with worry, it pained me more.

           “I can’t tell if I’m crying any more, I’ve cried so much…. Can you just talk with me for now?” I was feeling very weak, I could feel all my energy draining from me.

           “Boa, please tell me what’s going on…. Is the pain your talking about you leg? Do you need me to take you in to be seen?”

          “no, I don’t need to be seen…. I wish they were here Zan, I can’t keep having the same dream of losing them, it’s worse because it’s a harsh reminder ill never see them again…. I just want to hold them; I want to hear their voices….”

         “oh, Boa…. Your breaking my heart right now, I wish I could take all your pain away right now. I wish I could return them to you Boa….”

“me to…... thank you for being my friend Zan…. I have bad news by the way…”

“What’s that Boa?”

“I hurt my leg more…. and the pain killers are kicking my ass right now, but I’m still in so much pain.”

“you sound it lass…. wait how did you hurt your leg again?!” I didn’t respond, I couldn’t respond. Images of my fathers pendent swinging in the frame flashed threw my mind, was it a sign from him? Was it a sign saying they were back? Was I meant to do to something with it? I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize Zan was still talking, I removed the phone from my ear and laid my head down on my pillow and began to cry. I wasn’t sure if he could hear my muffled tears or not, I wasn’t even sure if he was still on the phone, I just wanted the pain to go away.

    The pain inside my mind, my heart and my body, I just wanted it all to go away. At some point I started to move and slowly tried getting off my bed to head to the bathroom, I wanted to hide in my shower, I wanted to feel the safeness from my own element. I moved my way into my office chair and used my good leg to push and I grabbed my bed with my hands and pulled. Once I was by the door, I pulled myself up out of the chair, I began to sway from the head rush I got from the meds, I had to lower myself to the floor. Once on the floor a rested my head  on the frame of the door way, I closed my eyes and tried to push away the dizziness and the nausea, the pain in my leg moved to past my hip and as it did more tears fell from my eyes.

      I didn’t realize that I was falling asleep in that position I was in, not until I felt extremely warm hands on my shoulders, I felt my body lean into what seemed like a hot stone wall. I opened my eyes to see Zan looking down at me with pinched brows, I reached up to smooth them out, but instead I almost poked him in the eye.

      “good god Boa! Trying to take my eye out?” Zan blurted out as he leaned his head to the side to avoid my fingers in them, I couldn’t help but to giggle.

      “well its good to see you still have some humor, violent little thing you…. Why are you all the way over here?” as he spoke, he helped himself to carrying me back to my bed, I looked back to my bathroom only wanting my shower.

     “I didn’t mean to almost poke you in your eye, I apologize, you just had a scrunched forehead, so I was going to smooth it out. Why are you here?” he had set me down then stood there with a gawking look of shock and confusion. He started to push his hair back and rub at his neck, never taking his eyes from me.

    “Boa…. You don’t recall calling me, do you?” oh yeah! oops. This wasn’t a very good start was it? Everything started to come back to me, slowly but it came back to me, I must have passed out harder than I thought from the pain. I’ve heard your body and mind can shut down and forget things to protect itself from traumatic things, like pain, physical and emotional. Just so happens, I had an overload of both with in just a short time.

       “um, I slightly recall that, I also recall trying to get into the shower to help the pain.” I quickly realized that was the perfect cover up for my reinjured leg. “that’s how I hurt it again, I was trying to get out of bed earlier to use the bathroom because I felt like throwing up, so in trying to rush over there I hurt it, then I came back to bed to rest but I was loopy with pain and the meds and everything else. I guess at some point I called you then attempted to go take a shower to help feel better.”

      “oh Boa, you are just a hot mess, here ill help you into the bathroom.” He picked me up and I wrapped my arms around his neck, his warmth against my body did help the pain so I had hoped the hot shower really would work. My head on his shoulder had even proved to help, maybe it was just being close to him or the warmth, I wasn’t sure, but I was thankful he came to help me.

      “here ya go, ill start the water for you, here is the towel, close by so you don’t slip and hurt yourself anymore then you already have. Ill go and make some coffee for us that I brought over from my place, did you need anything to eat?” I watched as he walked around moving things and prepping things for me, how can some one be so kind to a person he hardly knew? He was a rare kind to come across, just thinking of what he had told me about his painful past even made me wonder how he became so kind and helpful even though his past was full of pain and lost and struggle.

    “no, I don’t think ill need anything to eat. Thank you for the coffee though, ill need a cup of that for sure… thank you Zan, I’m so sorry you that you had to come and save me again.” He stopped setting up the rug in front of the shower and looked at me with a grumpy pout face, I knew he wasn’t mad or offended, I could already tell what he was thinking. I gave him a small smile and he returned it, he got up and walked over to me and kneeled in front of me with somber eyes.

“Boa, you’re my friend, you were in need of my help and friendship. It pained me just to think you were by your self alone here, then when I got your call it broke my heart, you may not want to hear this, but you sounded broken. I’m not sure what triggered it all but I’m sure being alone here and, in your condition, didn’t help.” He then lifted his hands and rested a hand on each side of my face, I closed my eyes enjoying his warm touch and his smell just flooding my nose. When I opened them, he was looking into my eyes and with the deepest feelings came from them. Did he like me? Butterflies bursted threw my insides at the thought.

         “we may not know each other well yet, but know this, for sure know this Boa, I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU. Don’t ever think for one second that you are bothering me, okay?” I nodded, unable to find words yet, but he went on with his heart-warming speech. “I don’t care what time of day it is or what it maybe, if you need me there, ill be there okay. Now lets get you into the shower and then once you’re feeling better give me a holler ill come help you back to bed… oh and no more chair escapades, I’m sure with your luck right now you’ll take a toe off or roll over and get stuck.” He gave me a wink with an evil grin. He was right though, my luck as of late who f*****g knows what could happen.

    “you’re right, knowing my luck that could happen.” As we shared a laugh, something came to mind.          

     ”so much for bad luck comes in threes idea, its past midnight so its day four now… I wonder why my luck has been so shity then.” Zan had a deep in thought look, just like me, after a moment he just shrugged.

“well either way, I think we need to invest into some bubble wrap for you until your luck goes back to normal.” I kicked his leg closest to me and gave him an evil glare, he could only laugh and rub his leg.

   Once Zan left the bathroom, I began to undress and slowly moved into the shower, I sat on the floor extremely happy Zan had the hot water running well before I got in. The floor of the shower was already heated up, the room started to steam some, it was calming. As I let the hot water run down my body and the steam warm up the untouched parts of my skin that the water didn’t touch, I was deep in thought. This week seemed to be just the beginning to something larger, I could feel it already.

      As I was lost in my thoughts I had no idea that the water and steam was responding to my emotions, the water was creating rings around me like it was trying to hug me, and the steam did little swirls  that kissed at my face. I noticed but went back deep in thought after I gave a small smile, my eyes closed, and I leaned against the glass wall. I could feel the water trying my rub my leg to make it feel better, which it truly was helping, I was grateful for my gifts and how the water shared its love with me.

        I have no idea how long I was in the shower, I must have fallen asleep at some point, I started to come out of my relaxed trance when I herd the water try and rush down the drain and the mist of steam left me to spread back across the room. I felt cold at first.

        Then the knock came, I had forgotten Zan was waiting on me! That’s why the water and steam acted the way it had, I quickly grabbed my towel and yelled out. “ill be ready in just a moment!”

         “okay lass take your time! I just wanted to make sure you were okay in there!”

          “yes, I’m fine! Thank you!” I quickly turned the water off and wrapped my hair up, I used my magic to absorb the water that was on my skin so I could dress fast. It proven much harder to do then getting undressed, I couldn’t stand alone so I attempted to use the wall so I could get my panties and bottoms on. Once I was fully dressed, I called for Zan, letting him know I was ready for his help. He slowly opened the door and entered, while looking down, I told him I was fully dressed already so he could look.

        He came over to me and swooped me up from my spot, he carried me over to the bed like I was a feather pillow, it was funny, and it made me feel so small. On my table he had some coffee ready and some snacks from my cabinets, I know I had said I wasn’t hungry but looking at everything, I became hungry. He sat at the foot of my bed and looked at my leg with such a pained face, I looked down at it and I couldn’t even stand the sight of my leg. My leg was swollen and discolored very dark from the bruising, the discoloring was almost to my hip and the swelling was visibly the whole leg halfway up my thigh.

     “maybe I should try icing it maybe?” I said, as I reached for his hand that rested by my foot, he looked up and gave a sad smile with a nod.

     “we should try that, it might help the swelling go down some, maybe even help the pain a bit.” I nodded and gave a smile and thanked him before he walked out. I was glad he came, and very thankful for his help. By the time he returned though, I had already started to dig into the snacks. I herd him enter and I looked up with a mouth full only giving him a “I’m busted” look, he gave me one of those “ah huh” looks with a smile right after, I returned it as I adjusted on my bed.

     “well it looks like you were hungry after all… I’m glad I found everything and grabbed it for you.”

     “I’m glad you brought the snacks; I had no idea how hungry I was. The coffee is amazing by the way, what kind is it?”

     “Irish cream, it’s one of my favorite ones. I was away in America for a few weeks once, and while I was there, I was shopping for stuff and came across it, along with the creamer, well ever since then I get it, I became addicted to it. Matter of fact I found my self so stuck up about my coffee, I get whole beans and put them into a vacuum sealed container that I found it holds the oils nicely. I was in a coffee shop one day and saw it, it was way better than the canister I had it in, then I got a grinder, well I went threw a few, cheaper is not better for those things. So any ways every cup of coffee is a fresh cup of coffee, to me I think its better then going to a coffee shop, I know a little crazy right?”

      “actually, no, it makes sense and sounds really good. We should go a town over to the north, they have a market that sells all sorts of flavored coffees, I treat myself to the pecan pie one, I use normal creamer in that one or hazel nut, once in a blue moon I find the pecan pie one, I buy all of them and stock up until the next time they come into stock. It sounds like I have a bit to learn from you though.” We both chuckled, we then made plans to go shopping for coffee things, and normal food as well, I guess we both were in desperate need for groceries.