The Dying Soul

Chap 3 – Surviving one more day

3RD PERSON POV

            Exiting the publisher’s office after a long discussion on her next book, Eva blows out a breath, releasing all the stress built up during the meeting. Eva is a successful new age contemporary author. She started her career in writing when she turned 18 publishing her first book. 

            She strolls down the streets enjoying the evening breeze with her best companion, her Golden Retriever-Leo. She walks through the park and sits under the comfort of a large tree with Leo by her side. Leaning against the trunk of the tree she observes the people leaving the confine of their office after a long day of work. Some playing in the park with families and friends. People watching is something she loves doing. It allows her to feel surrounded. The light and happiness of the people that is around her pushes away the darkness of her loneliness even if it was just for mere minutes.

            Closing her eyes, she listens to her surroundings. The laughter of people of different ages, the cries of children, voices of concerned parents, sounds of lovers and the call of nature. The sound of birds chirping and sings from the trees fills her heart with unsung music. The remembrances of music shared between her family brings her to open her eyes that is brimmed with unshed tears in memory of her lost parents. 

            Parents whom she loves dearly. They supported her since she was born as a weak and ill child. Growing up was a though journey for the family as trips to the hospital were a frequent practice. Shielded from the outside world in order to keep her healthy was a on-going task for her parents. She had to grow up at a very early age. She learned to consume tablets at a very early stage that no kids would have to and was home schooled for her benefit. 

            Her parents never let her out of their sight until one ill-fated night. Her world took a three sixty turn upside down when she lost her parents at the age of 17 to a road accident. She however escaped death with just a few scratches. Her relatives disowned her not wanting to accept the baggage and responsibilities that comes along with her since she was just shy of 2 months to become 18 years old. She got in touch with her father’s lawyer, also her neighbour – Mr. Richardson. They took her in with them being her guardian for the 2 months. She was looked after from the confines of her own home.

            When she turned 18 years old, she had to put aside everything and pull herself together to grow up and jump into the business world without experience. She picked up where her father left off. She took up the responsibilities of caring and running the 3 bookstores in town, alongside her studies majoring in Foreign Languages and writing as her profession. 

            All these memories and feelings overwhelms her. A sharp pull at her heart is followed by a constricted breathing. She closes her eyes willing the thoughts away as she starts to feel the symptoms of a possible panic attack. Her heartbeat racing within the confines of her ribcage. Her breathing slowly becoming shallow and spaced. She could hear a distinct sound of whine pleading her to calm down. Leo. But her breathing starts to accelerate as she tries to fill her lungs with air. She instinctively rubs down her chest to calm herself down. She opens her eyes but her vision seems to blur. She willed herself to calm down. 

            She tilts her head back and observes the shades of green and blue accompanied by hues of red and orange. Unable to see it clearly. She closes her eyes once again imagining and concentrating one the colours that she last saw. The greens of the leaves that provides her a comforting shelter, the blue sky that calms one soul and the hues of red and orange, the possible signs of the sun setting beautifully in the horizon. Slowly observing her breathing returning to normal, she remains unmoved for a few minutes just being mum and relaxing. When she is sure that she has calmed herself, she opens her sense and welcomes the sight of her imagination, smell of nature, sound of Leo’s soft whines and the touch of wet licks furiously wiping away her tears that made its way down her cheeks.

            She diverts her attention to Leo patting and brushing his furs back thanking him for being there for her. A companion that she had since her parents passed. He has never left her side ever since they met at the canine centre. They instantly connected the moment their eyes locked. It is common belief that human chooses their pet or a practice where the pet chooses to listen to its Alpha or master. However, in the case of this two, it is not known who chose whom as it was more of a neutral ground where they have chosen each other to their human and pet. 

            Realising that it started turning dark and they made their way back home. She stops at the entrance of her house and looks up the 2-story beach house. A place she spent her childhood with the love of her parents. A building she once called home, filled with 17 years of memories shared with her parents. But now it was nothing more than a shelter. A roof she keeps above her head till the day she expects. One day. She opens the door and enters her family home where only loneliness greets her. Coming back to an empty house was one reason why she has stopped staying long hours in her house since she turned 18.

            She feeds Leo and makes herself a salad. She sits at her piano and runs her figure on the keys. Something she picked up when she was young. Looking at the time striking 7:30 in the evening, she gets ready in a comfortable black-tie belt midi shirt dress with long sleeves and a pair of black mid-calf boots. She ties her naturally curly brunette hair into a messy side braided low bun. She applies on a thin coat of mascara and coat her underlid with a black eye pencil and finishes her look with a soft red lip tint. 

            She walks out her house with Leo and makes her way to the garage. Since it would be late when she gets back home, she opts to take father’s blue CR-V instead of walking. Just another one of the many things she kept around her to reminisce her parents. Today is her second week of her part-time job. Something she took up as a hobby to fill the emptiness of her lonely heart. Music. It was the Reece family’s favourite past time. An activity shared and done as a family. Now she does it just to survive one more day as it reduces the pain and burden that she carries in her.