When
still a child, Cassie had often listened to morning storms and heard the voices
of the old gods in the rumble of the clouds.
Mighty Zeus would speak with a growl that filled the air and echoed
across the land; wise Athena replied with a quick and decisive retort, and
finally bright Apollo whispered some last words to send them on their way
before he brought the sun out again.
Older
now, but she still listened sometimes. The storms told her secrets. Today they told her to say her truths and
move on; there was no reason to stay longer in this place. The decision gave her strength. The city had worn her down with so many
truths unsaid, so many hurtful secrets lingering in the shadows. She couldn't bring them all to light and she
couldn't make the people believe her anyway.
She
packed up her car with everything she owned and told the manager of the
apartment building goodbye. The old
woman was sorry to see her go; that was rare, really. She savored those words
of farewell.
Then
she drove across the city through the dozens of lights while everyone rushed to
places they really didn't want to go.
This would be the last day she went to the office with the rude woman
who lorded over them all and the mousy girl who never talked back when the head
of the firm hit on her.
Today
would be a day of change. Cassie lived
for these days, even though they came with pain, regrets and accusations. She already knew what would happen before she
walked into the office and she smiled brightly anyway. The lies today would not be her own.
"This
is my last day here," she announced, drawing silence in around her. "I'm leaving."
Then
she went to her desk and went to work.
Before long, Marie May rushed over, high heels tapping a staccato beat
on the hard floor She put her hands on
her trim waist and threw back dyed hair.
"You can't go without two week's notice. I won't give you a good reference. This is
--"
"Mr.
Karlin's wife knows."
Marie
May blinked and backed up a step with furtive glances right and left. "You can't know -- You little
sneak. You damned little spy --"
"I
never said anything to her. She's a hell
of a lot smarter than you and her husband.
This is the day of reckoning, Marie.
She has already been to her lawyer.
You'll be meeting him soon."
"You're
lying, Cassie. You lie --" Marie
May backed up again and then spun and hurried out of the office. Cassie caught mousy Ellen looking her way,
her eyes gone wide and her face pale.
"Things
are going to get better," Cassie said with a smile.
Ellen
didn't believe her, of course.
Within
the hour, Mr. Karlin had stormed into the room, his face thunderous with
rage. People moved out of the way and
Marie May pointed to Cassie. The man
stalked over to the desk. "Come
with me," he ordered.
"I
don't think so," Cassie replied and startled him. No one ever said no to the boss. "You have nothing to say that I need to
hear."
"Then
I don't think you need to be at this desk."
She
smiled brightly and stood. He took a
hasty step back. "You're
right."
Cassie
picked up her purse and headed for the door.
She wouldn't get paid for the last few days of work, but that hardly
mattered. The others were so shocked to
see her walking away that even Mr. Karlin didn't try to stop her. Stepping out
into the bright light of a hot summer day was shocking, though. How long since she'd felt free to just move
on? Time got lost after a while.
A
woman got out of a car just beside hers.
A man got out of the driver's side and gave a grim nod to the woman.
"Ask
Ellen about what your husband does in the office," Cassie said.
The
woman looked startled, but Cassie was already getting into her car and driving
away.
Free. It was a cleaner break than some. She'd been at a dinner party once, a long,
long time ago and warned the others of something dire. They hadn't
listened. Everyone said she died with
the rest, but what good is knowing things are going to happen if you can't walk
out in time? She'd moved on and kept surviving against all odds. She had been moving on for a long time since
those old days. Cassie had also learned
that she could tell others the truth and it didn't matter if they believed her
or not. Sometimes she could nudge things
to go better than expected, but mostly things simply happened.
She
made a stop at a cafe later that night.
Even here she felt the old tension as she followed two teens to the
register.
"If
you go through with it, you're going to prison," she told them. They both looked at her, eyes narrowing in
anger.
"You
don't know what you're talking about," one said, his voice low and
dangerous. His hand went to his pocket.
"You
are going to prison," she said.
"You
don't know what you're talking about.
You're lying!"
It
wasn't the first time she'd heard those words.
She stared the two down and they cursed as they left. The woman at the register gave her an odd
stare, more afraid of the crazy woman than of the boys who clearly were looking
for trouble.
"There's
a storm blowing in," Cassie said.
"Be ready for it."
The
woman nodded but she hadn't even really listened.
The
storm stood off in the distance, the echo of voices soft on the wind. She turned towards the clouds and in a brief
hint of lighting, she thought she saw the columned halls of home again. She hit the freeway and picked up speed,
following an old, old dream.
