Читать книгу Sqerm - James A. Moore - Страница 11

Chapter 7

Sage had busied himself in his office. Research materials, pens, papers, and small notepads were strewn across his desk. Through the window, daylight waned, and darkness approached. He paused momentarily to absorb the slowly fading sun. The sky enveloped the Phoenix horizon with varying degrees of purple and orange. Sage loved the color purple. It was his favorite color.

He desperately needed rest but did not look forward to closing his eyes. He had not slept well recently. The dream of Vickie had become more vivid, and he missed her terribly. Additionally, he was not fond of Chuck. Since his departure from the Marine Corps and his arrival home, he dreamed of Chuck more often, and it bothered him.

He sat erect in his chair and began to flip through notes and materials on his desk. He had been researching extensively, and his eyes had tired of staring at the screen. He yawned heartily and gently scratched the back of his head. His eyes were getting heavy, and as badly as he wanted to be champion in this battle, the sleep was going be the victor.

As Sage once again fell victim to the sleep monster, Vickie appeared. Sage was sitting on a blanket in a park. Picnic items decorated the makeshift flooring, but the color of it was fuzzy to him. The grass had no separation from the Technicolor bedspread; they were woven into one continuous sheet. His focus shifted to Vickie. She smiled at him; her smile was his fuel.

People walked about the park noticing Sage and Vickie. Sage and Vickie paid no mind to the people that passed by. As the couple drank wine and ate fruit, Sage put his finger to his ear and rapidly scratched at his ear canal. Vickie put her ear to her shoulder and ground and shook her head back and forth while attempting not to spill her wine. The two of them shared intimate glances, and he moved closer to her. He flirted, and she laughed. They were madly in love. This was evident, and denying it would not be remotely possible. Vickie’s finger was decorated with an ornate engagement ring that sparkled in the light. The size of the ring seemed as though gravity would react differently to it and that her hand would be hard to lift. As Vickie smiled, she put a finger to her ear and attempted to scratch at her ear canal. The briefest of a greenish shimmer appeared around her body, but it was nearly imperceptible.

As they leaned in to steal a kiss, Sage began to close his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, Sage caught an ever so brief flash of red—also nearly imperceptible. An unknown figure stepped on to the edge of the blanket and punctured Vickie’s skull at the base, just above her neck. It had been with a sharp instrument that looked similar to an ice pick. Sage felt Vickie’s face smash into his, and he awoke from this nightmare with which he had become all too familiar.

“Vickie…,” moaned Sage.