-Stories-

Waiting

Blink, blink, blink. It taunted. Visually ticking away the seconds. Like a metronome, serving as the backbone to her soundtrack of failure and lost sleep. An all too familiar theme. Her apartment was quiet. The only sounds being the all too human sighs coming from the kitchen. The refrigerator groaned as it worked to cool the cheese, bread, and eggs on its shelves. The basics needed for a bland pallet. Filling, but lacking. It was an old refrigerator. Operating years passed its warranty. But working just enough to keep food cold. It seemed to be empathizing with her current emotions and mental state. Functioning on the brink of a breakdown. Needing maintenance she couldn’t afford. 

Everything else in her home stood still. Her empty fish tank sat atop the coffee table. Her last surviving fish scooped out months prior after going belly up. The water stood stagnant with a tint of green. She had been meaning to clean it out. Maybe get herself a lizard as a replacement. She thought she would be lonely without a little companion, but she was coping fairly well. Two potted plants inhabited her living room, set on the floor in opposite corners. They had seen better days. She didn’t have much of a green thumb and these were well past their thriving period. Their stems hanging low, weighed down by the half brown leaves. Either overwatered or underwatered. There was never quite a balance.

The only indication of activity was the glow of her laptop. The white screen illuminating her face and drawing a contrast to the darkness of her room. The darkness that concealed the hamper filled to the brim with dirty clothes. Stray socks and underwear that lost their balance atop the heap were on the floor. The laundry basket with clean but unfolded clothes stood beside the hamper. It now served as a staple in the room’s decor. Consistent organization was never her forte. The room was either neatly arranged or a chaotic mess.

Her thick unkempt blanket also fell victim to the pixels glow. Soft and heavy. It had shifted to reveal the bare mattress underneath. Her washed sheets took up the most space in her laundry basket. They had been washed weeks ago, but never quite made it to the bed. Instead she opted for laying the large blanket over her bare mattress and covering herself with her comforter. It served their purpose, providing warmth. But neither helped much with creating the conditions for comfortable sleep, nor an office space.

The laptop laid in front of her crossed legs on the mattress. Water bottle and cell phone laid on her nightstand. She checked her phone. No message notifications on her lock screen. Yet she still entered her passcode to double check. Of course, no new texts. But who else would be up at this hour? Only the bird chirping from a nearby tree. The same bird that regularly accompanied her into her sleepless nights. The relentless bird varied its song every couple of minutes. It’s calls never seeming to be answered. Yet it arrived every night with the same purpose. To sing louder than the last. 

Blink, blink, blink. The cursor stood in the same place. Why couldn’t the thoughts be easily funneled through her fingertips? Maybe this just wasn’t her calling. Her spoken words often went unnoticed, so why would her written words speak louder. It was a waiting game it seemed. The room was still, quiet, no distractions. Perfect conditions for inspiration to strike. But everything was far from perfect. 

The computer had remained idle for so long that the laptop entered sleep mode. The screen went black. She was thankful the faint light peeking in through the curtains wasn’t enough to see her reflection in the dark screen. She could imagine her sunken sleepy eyes and slumped shoulders. Another unproductive night. The bird outside had stopped chirping. Did it get his message across? Had it gained a follower to go along with its plan? She wondered how long she would have to wait for her turn.

Unexpected Adventure

She had never been on a train before. Figuring out the ticket machines and maps were never her strengths. Her travel was always strictly by car. Never one to take public transportation, especially by herself. That was too dangerous. Growing up arrangements were always made to have someone, a trustworthy individual, drop her off and pick her up from school, take her to appointments, and accompany her on errands. She couldn’t shake the feeling that today was an adventure. Oh how sheltered she was realizing she was. This childlike wonder was something she yearned for. Something she thought she had lost.