Authors: L.M. McCleary
“So Nathaniel made this…?”
I bit my
lip as I stared at the piece of jewelry, trying desperately to switch my mind
to unrelated thoughts. The memory was too strong to ignore, though; the ring
burned its existence into the forefront of my mind. That night in my room…it
was only a few months before Kay vanished.
Kay had shown an uncanny interest in what I would be wearing for the Christmas
party; he refused to believe that I had nothing.
“Show me what you have and I’ll help you pick something out.”
I had looked at him in confusion and laughed. “Why do you care?”
“This could be the last party for a long time; maybe even ever! Why don’t you
want to celebrate it?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to…I just don’t think I should be asking for
anything else this year.”
“Then let me help you out.”
I had eventually agreed; there was nothing else to do anyway. I lead him to my
bedroom and showed him the limited supply of clothing I had in my closet. “It’s
mostly clothes from when I was a kid,” I said, “I’m holding onto them for
hand-me-downs for any Birthing Ceremonies that might come up.”
“You actually participate in that? I never bothered; seemed like there was
already an abundance of people pitching in for new babies.” Kay laughed at the
idea.
“Well it doesn’t exactly hurt anything to offer some help; why not put my old
things to a good cause? Where else would they go?” I giggled. “I think you’re
just lazy, Kay.”
He pretended to be hurt by my words, causing me to burst into laughter and he
shortly followed suit. “More forgetful than lazy, I think; I have a pile of old
clothes I really need to do something with.”
“Yeah; you have more clothes than my mother.” We exchanged smirks and turned
our attention back to my pitiful wardrobe…or so I thought. “Maybe this…” I was
poking at an old, white blouse that I had never actually worn before, thinking
Kay was right behind me when I caught his movement from the corner of my eye.
“Kay?”
He was fiddling with my jewelry box that always laid unused on my vanity.
“Hmm…what about this?”
He slowly opened the
ornate lid to reveal a mass of tangled beads and wires. “Maybe we can find you
something nice enough to spruce up some jeans and a tank top.”
I laughed. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“You never know.” Kay fiddled with the entangled jewelry until a small, golden
ring managed to escape. It was adorned with tiny emeralds; my father had given
it to me for my birthday a few years prior, after I had just finished learning
all about rare gems in a book I had found in the basement.
“Most of this is my mother’s.” I had said as I joined him in untangling
bracelets from necklaces. “She gave me them for Christmas…stuff she didn’t want
any more I guess. Or maybe she was hinting at me to dress nicer; I
dunno
.”
“I doubt she would want you to be something you’re not.” He was holding up two
different piles of jewelry, the items so entangled that I could clearly see the
defeat in his eyes.
“Who
knows.
” I replied, not wanting to get into it
with him. I struggled to free a few pieces of jewelry and in my distracted
state Kay must have taken the ring and stuffed it into his pocket. He knew it
was a perfect fit because I had worn it all day when I received it and he was
always there for my birthdays, even if no one else was.
I had noticed that it was missing a few days later and casually mentioned it to
him; I hadn’t actually thought he had it at the time but he played stupid
nonetheless. Then, a few weeks later, he said he randomly found it outside in
the sand. “It must have fallen into a shirt or shoe and then fell out when we
went outside.” The words came out so quickly and easily; almost as though they
were rehearsed. It was a weak excuse but I never really cared, I was just glad
to have the ring back and we never mentioned it again.
I gazed
at the golden ring on my finger and thought back on the events that brought us
here. Just what did my Kay plan to do with this? What did he have planned for
our journey together? I suppose I could ask what the vial showed him…but would
I really want to? Is it really that important to know what could have been? I
don’t think he’d want to divulge that information anyway…he seems pretty
adamant that he had no feelings for me and he quite clearly has none now; in
fact, the thought that we were ever even
friends
seems too much for him.
The Kay I have now is not the Kay I once knew…and not a Kay I would want to
know, either, and it was time I accepted that fact.
Same for
my father…or should I say Chester?
Kay
Thomes
and Chester
Morgansen
were dead – I
had
to
accept that.
I slowly raised myself up from the hard ground and watched the sandstorm of the
Dunes, its ferocity starting to dwindle in the ongoing night. I swallowed hard
but my mind was made up; more so than it had ever been in my life. I started
walking. I twirled my new ring on my finger incessantly; a memento of the men I
used to know and love…the men who no longer existed. Unlike the first time I
did this, this was a goodbye I no longer had difficulty with. I don’t know
where I intended to go or what I planned on doing but it no longer mattered.
With the dusty Dunes spread out before me, I wrapped my bandana tight around my
face as I wandered into the night.
Note from the Author:
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