Fifteen Feathers - pt. 5

- Part 1 -
- Part 2 -
- Part 3 -
- Part 4 -
- Part 5 -


Katya cradled her mug of tea. She was sitting up. Still on the sofa, but sitting up. It was a step in the right direction. Well, maybe not an actual step, but a metaphorical step, at least. And it had been several steps to go to the kitchen and make the tea in the first place.

It was Friday afternoon, the post had been, twice. There would be two of the little, neat, black envelopes that were ruining her life. No, that wasn’t right, Larry had ruined her life, somehow. Something about the envelopes, and the black feathers, was twisting her into worse of a tangled mess than her hair had ever been, and that was saying something.

Larry wasn’t the vindictive type, that’s what she didn’t understand. Sure, he had a dark side, an edge that came through in the bedroom, but it was never out of control; he had never really hurt her in all their time together.

And she had done nothing to deserve this, she was sure.

She stared into the sweet depths of her steaming tea, frowning, deriving some comfort from the warmth seeping into her hands. Was there something she should remember? Her tired mind kept drifting. All she could think about were her dreams, the rush of air and the Earth wheeling beneath her.

There was a knock on the door, quiet but firm. She jumped, her heart quickened. No, she wasn’t in. No one was home. Go away.

“Katya?” A woman’s voice, familiar – Selina.

Her best friend, her boss, Selina had seen her at her worst, but she just wanted to be alone; people couldn’t be trusted.

She heard a key in the lock. They each had keys to the other’s place, just in case. And of course Selina wouldn’t stand by if she was worried about her friend. She could trust Selina, Selina had an abundance of empathy and compassion, Selina had always been there for her.

She heard the door open, the drag of mail pushed over carpet.

“Katya?”

“In here.” She hated how feeble she sounded.

Selina came in with the mail in her hand. Her long blonde hair was hanging loose about her face and as she looked around the gloomy room her delicate features took on a look of tender concern. She noticed the black envelopes already on the living room table, and the black feathers. Something changed in her eyes, her lips tightened and she looked at the two similar envelopes in her hand. She put the rest of the mail to one side.

“Oh, Kitty Kat. I’m sorry. It was Larry, wasn’t it?”

Katya nodded dumbly as Selina opened the two new envelopes. Selina and Larry had never got on, there had always been a tension between them. Her best friend and her boyfriend, both seemed jealous of the time she gave the other. But they had accepted her desire to spend time with both of them, if only grudgingly.

Two feathers. One feather. Selina held them up and shook her head. Katya’s vision swam just a little as she looked at them, but nothing worse.

“Remember this cruelty, remember that it isn’t in your nature.” Selina said as she went over to the drawn curtains.

Katya watched as her friend took hold of the curtains and flung them wide open. Bright light cascaded through the window. It crashed over Selina like a breaking wave, scattering and splashing brilliant droplets outwards into the room. Selina was limned by the sun’s radiance, ablaze with a luminosity that caught and leapt out from her shoulders, cascading into the room like flexing, effulgent wings.

Then Selina stepped away from the window and the vision was gone.

“You don’t look well, Kitty Kat. I’ll stay here tonight. I’m not working tomorrow, I’ll look after you.”

That was just like Selina. Always looking out for people.




- Part 6 - the grand finale.



*****
Recommended reading:
The Factory Floor by Chris Gladis
Commercialisation and industrialisation come to every industry... spend a day in the Dream Factory.