Spellbound by Fate

Dreams

It was around five when they finished their chat and parted ways. Janice’s apartment building was only two blocks away. She headed up to the third floor and opened the door.

A calico cat met her at the door and wove through her legs, rubbing up against her with a purr.

“Well, you’re happy to see me. What’s gotten into you?” Janice said. Picking up the cat that had been distant for the past couple of days. She couldn’t understand, but she guessed cats just went through mood swings much like humans. Or maybe it was because her schedule at the library had changed. That was most likely it; or better yet, it was probably because the food dish was empty.

“Just using me for food, huh, Trixie?” She said to the cat as she filled up the bowl. Trixie had come into Janice’s life two years ago. She found the cat hanging out in the library’s parking garage a few days in a row and decided to take it home. The other employees had told her not to bother because the cat tried to attack several of them, but Janice hadn’t had a problem.

Trixie seemed to enjoy the company, and Janice did as well. The cat had snuck into her bag a few times and ended up at the library. The head librarian didn’t seem to mind the cat being around occasionally as long as it stayed out of the way, but most of the time, Janice checked in her back before she left to make sure she was not in there. Last time Trixie tried was a few days ago, which also might have been the reason she was sulking, because she didn’t get to take a trip.

“Are you speaking to me now?” asked Janice. Trixie looked at her and almost seemed to nod, then hopped on the couch next to her. “I’ll stop looking in the bag if you are that desperate to go to the library. I was not aware that cats liked books so much. I also was not aware that I would become this pathetic woman talking to her cat.”

The cat seemed to make a human gesture of exasperation, staring at the ceiling and then looking away. At first, the almost human qualities of Trixie had confused Janice, but she was so used to it now, it barely phased her.

Trixie smelled the jacket Janice had taken off and stepped back in surprise.

“What?” Janice asked, hanging up the jacket. Janice took a sniff of it hanging on the coat rack. The smell of Lyric hit her instantly and she gasped. It shouldn’t smell so strongly like him. It was one little kiss, she told herself. Ok maybe not so little, she thought, playing through the way her mouth parted instantly for him and his hands on her waist as he backed her against the car. The jacket smelled of cedar and amber, a smell she hadn’t smelled before but somehow instantly knew. She would see him again tomorrow. She was simultaneously anxious and excited, wondering if she should ask him out or if he would ask her out.

Janice startled awake to the sound of her alarm after a rather intense dream.

In the dream, she was walking through a forest looking for someone. She didn’t know who it was, but she knew they were hurt, and she had to help them. She started running and frantically looking. Suddenly, a light appeared ahead of her. She ran faster, and when she approached the light, it was from a necklace around the neck of a blonde woman. The woman turned to her and said, “Janice, it’s almost time. But first, he needs you.” Janice looked at her, confused, before looking down where the woman was pointing. The man she had met at the library the day before, Lyric, was leaning against a tree, bleeding. The smell of cedar and amber hit her, too real to be a dream. Then… The alarm, loud and insistent.

When Janice opened her eyes, Trixie was staring at her intently.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a dream, but she couldn’t shake how real it felt.

Trixie sat motionless, staring at her as she prepared her bag for the day. “What, not going to attempt it today?”

Trixie just jumped on the bed in response and rubbed up against Janice.

“I promise you can come some day soon, but I’m expecting to help a patron for most of the day and won’t have time to make sure you don't get into trouble,” She said.

Trixie sat suddenly and stared at her as if she were offended by the statement. “You know what I mean. Some patrons are allergic, and I can’t have you running all over the place. If I get a complaint, I'm likely to get told off by Ginger.”

Trixie laid down and flicked her tail around. “Sorry. I’ll see you tonight, though.” Janice said as she picked up her bag and left.

She arrived at the time she had told Lyric she would be there, around 9. She didn’t know if he would be waiting for her or if he would show up later, or if he would show up at all.

She hated to admit that she would be a bit disappointed if he didn’t show up. The kiss and the dream may have had something to do with it. She was intrigued and really wondering why he was so obsessed with his research.

What could really be going on? He obviously was not really writing a paper or a book. He wanted this knowledge for his own personal reasons. For a brief moment, she wondered if he really thought he was going to kill a vampire. But then how could anyone be that crazy to believe they really existed?

The morning went by slowly as she eagerly awaited his arrival. She had contemplated doing some research without him, so when he did come in, she could already have it up. She was imagining how excited he would be if she found something more than he had the day before.

Then she remembered she was supposed to be working, and surely someone would complain or be suspicious if she was on the computer, even if it was under the guise of helping a patron who was going to come in later.

The hours continued to tick by, but Lyric never showed. Finally, Janice’s shift was up, and she reluctantly left to clock out, a little disappointed. She chastised herself. Really, Janice why are you so obsessed with him. He probably found what he was looking for after you left yesterday.