The Light of the Blue Pearl by K.C. HAWKE Page A

traveling in the
direction she had been so determined to go.
    ***
    When Ethne woke up, she found herself in her
bed, a wet tear stain beneath her cheek and her covers grasped
tightly in her hand.
    The sun was already coming up. Although it
was still early she was actually relieved to be awake. The dream
had been one of those realistic kinds, the kind that leave you
exhausted and in this case confused.
    She had plenty of time before she was to
meet Scott so she rolled over and tried to relax. The butterflies
were back for more than one reason this time – excitement but also
a flutter of anticipation of having to end something that had
barely just begun.

CHAPTER
12
     
     
     
    A fter lying in bed
for a couple more hours, trying to shake the dream off so she could
focus on her “date” with Scott, she finally rolled out of bed.
    Once she was showered and dressed she went
in search of some food, though the nervousness and doomed reality
that was now dwelling in her stomach left little room for it.
    She grabbed an apple and plopped down on the
couch to eat it, finding herself once again staring up at her
ceiling; she had come full circle in the course of less than a
week.
    There wasn’t much time before Scott would be
arriving, but there was time enough for her to think; sometimes she
absolutely hated time.
    She picked up her remote and flicked on the
TV knowing full well there would be nothing of quality on, but then
there hardly ever was.
    It was enough to distract her though; she
let her mind wander to the clueless people on the screen, all so
blissfully unaware of her current circumstances. That thought gave
her a strange comfort; TV did little else for her except
occasionally remind her that there were other people on the planet
and that she wasn’t completely alone. She knew her troubles didn’t
hold a candle to the problems of the world; although the stupid
soap opera she was watching barely counted towards that fact.
    With ten minutes to go before he was set to
arrive she turned off the TV and took one more turn in front of the
mirror. She wasn’t used to giving one iota for her appearance, she
supposed after today she’d be back to caring about that much.
    Satisfied that she was ready she picked up
her purse and headed outside.
    Scott was waiting next to his car parked
along the curb. He hadn’t come to her door, but was at least out of
the car and leaning against the passenger side door with a look of
hopefulness on his face.
    When he saw her he smiled and waved and
walked to meet her halfway.
    “Hi beautiful,” he said.
    She blushed, really unaccustomed to hearing
such terms directed at her. The butterflies had returned now taking
up full residence; she was suddenly having a hard time remembering
what it was she had wanted to tell him.
    “Hi,” she said, smiling at him as they
walked back to his car.
    “I didn’t come to your door in case you
didn’t want to go today; I hope you’re not offended?” he asked.
    “No…of course not, that was very thoughtful
actually,” she said.
    He held the door open for her so she could
get in and smiled at her again before crossing around to his
side.
    Once they were buckled he turned to her and
asked, “Ready to go?”
    “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me
where we are going today?” she asked, knowing full well what the
answer was.
    “Umm…nope,” he said, turning back toward the
road and starting the car.
    “I didn’t think so,” she said.
    When they were on their way to…wherever it
was they were going, she asked: “So why the box?”
    “Hmmm?” he asked, not taking his eyes off
the road.
    “The box,” she said. “Why did you use a box
this time?”
    “Ohhh the box,” he said. “I figured you were
getting tired of envelopes – didn’t want you getting bored.”
    He was grinning at her from the side. She
sighed and rolled her eyes and turned toward her window, not
letting him see her small but amused smile.
    They didn’t travel