Sneaky, Sneaky

                        MONDAY 

        Sarah's bright green eyes grew large-a mixture of surprise, consternation and happiness. Her fair skin flushed bright red and she exclaimed, “ Raven, say that you didn't ! “

       Raven's cheeks also grew hot as she nodded up and down, even though she was responsible for this embarrassment. 

       One server with a plate supporting a candle-lit cupcake led a procession of kitchen staff that snaked their way over to their table. The entire restaurant of patrons and workers alike broke into song. Everyone focused on Sarah and Raven while combining their voices into a jumble of octave ranges and varied abilities. 

       “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Sarah, Happy Birthday to you !” The place broke out in thunderous applause and then the diners quickly returned to their plates. 

        Sarah looked around her favorite restaurant, drinking in her surroundings so she could commit them to memory. Exuberant Mexican murals and Spanish phrases decorated the walls. Cacti and bright pottery added to the atmosphere. 

         Raven handed Sarah the birthday card that slammed her on her age and mental competence. Sarah laughed and Raven said,”It's not every day that you turn the big 3-0 .”

         Sarah reminded Raven that the 3-0 had actually happened yesterday. 

          Raven said teasingly, “It's not my fault that your boyfriend wanted you all to himself for a private celebration. How was your night? I can't believe we didn't cover that territory yet- we had so much other gossip to catch up on.”

           Sarah said, “ Dylan brought me out to that great new Sushi restaurant. The name escapes me now. I AM getting old ! He gave me a vintage rock crystal necklace. I should have sent you a picture. He asked me to make our relationship exclusive….”

        Raven waited for Sarah to finish, knowing full well her friend from childhood liked keeping her in suspense. Finally, she couldn't take any more and blurted out, “Well, what did you say?”

         Sarah smiled but gave a faint sigh and said, “I really like him and he's been pushing the issue for a few months. Though I wasn't 100%, I got caught up in the moment and said “yes.”

        Raven said, “ Yeah ! I hope this works out. You've been toying with the idea for weeks. Congrats ! By the way, what did you decide we're going to do for your birthday present?”

       Raven and Sarah were friends since the 6th grade on their first day at O'Rourke Middle School in Burnt Hills. Raven shared her lunch because Sarah left hers on the bus. They remained close and were there to support one another through thick and thin. Several years ago, the pair decided to forgo conventional birthday gifts. Instead, they decided to celebrate by doing a day or overnight trip, taking a class together, or splurging on a joint shopping trip. They went to Lake Placid and took some pottery classes, amongst other things. The only rule was a $500 limit. 

           Sarah said, “ We're going to train together so we can run a 5K !”

       Raven looked at Sarah's eager, triumphant face and was a little surprised. Sarah played softball in high school while Raven ran track. Sarah never seemed that fond of running. She preferred the bike over the treadmill at the gym and was always on the lookout for the closest parking spot when they were out together. This needed a little more investigation. 

        Raven looked expectantly at her friend and Sarah sensed she needed to elaborate. She said, “ Well, you know that Dylan is addicted to running. He's logging about 25 miles a week and is starting to run half marathons. Since our relationship bumped up to the next level, I need to get my sorry self into better shape. Besides, you used to like to run.”

       The idea seemed to gain traction in Raven's brain as she considered. She said, “ You know that was my New Year's resolution and I broke it on January 2nd. Seems like a good plan to me.”

        Sarah looked pleased at Raven's response and shook her friend's hand. She said, “We need running sneakers and cute outfits. The most important thing is to look good while we're doing this. You up for some shopping tomorrow night?”

          Raven said, “You don't even need to ask !” They planned their trip, then rose from the table as Raven threw down the money for the tab. They hugged goodbye in the parking lot and then went their separate ways back to their vehicles. 

                           TUESDAY 

           The pair met at Crossgates the next evening after work to buy accessories so they were properly suited for battle. Sarah was drawn to expensive workout gear that left less money for footwear. Raven convinced her to invest in higher-quality sneakers made especially for running, like she was. With a sigh, Sarah put back the butter-yellow top and pants that matched her hair. They had blown through most of the $500 on two pairs of running shoes. They had to content themselves with more reasonably-priced sweats from the sale rack.

           They grabbed a few slices of pizza from the food court after their spree. The mall was dead on a Tuesday night, so there was less people and activity to garner their attention. 

           Raven ran her hand through her shoulder length brown hair and asked, “What does Dylan think about you taking up running?”

             Sarah said, “I haven't told him yet- it's a surprise. This is mostly for him, so we could enjoy an activity together. If I really can't get into it, I may reconsider the relationship. He spends so many hours a week at it already, and seems interested in doing even more. “

          Sarah looked in the bags to admire their purchases before she continued.

        She mused “I figured you and I could train a few times a week together and do some running on our own. After a few months, I could ask him if we could both go for a jog. I'd love to see the look on his face when he sees the work I've put in. Does Saturday morning work for you? Dylan has to work all day and won't be around until dinner. “

           Raven nodded her head and said with enthusiasm, “ You came up with a great idea- for once in your life. “

          Sarah stuck her tongue out at her friend while she separated their sneakers and clothing. They left the food court and made their way to the mall exit. 

          “Talk to you tomorrow,” they said at the same time as they walked to their cars. 

     Later, Raven admired her blue Hokas and tried them on again before bed. 

                   WEDNESDAY 

        Raven woke up from a dead sleep at 2AM bathed in a cold sweat. The first suspect was the couple of pizza slices she had eaten hours ago. She lay there, not sure if she wanted an extra blanket or to kick off the covers . Raven remembered only a fragment of the dream from which she just emerged. Something really awful happened to her and Sarah- they witnessed something terrible. With that, her left hand began to tremble and she thought ,“not again. “

          Since childhood, she was prone to sense something bad would happen when she felt tingling in her left hand. The tremor happened just before her little sister broke her arm. Her cat never returned home after a bad episode. The phenomenon happened on her 13th birthday, then her father was laid off a week later. Over the years, several upsetting things happened without the tingle. However, whenever she got that sensation, it was accompanied by bad luck. 

        She tried to recall the dream, but it was hazy. The sole fragment she could extract was it was somehow tied to the running. This was more information than she normally got, though. Raven thought about the negativity associated with jogging. That the person who was the perfect picture of health died instantly on their neighborhood run. The jogger always finds the dead body and is haunted forever by what they can't “unsee.” They are interrogated for hours to ensure they have included every detail they can remember. Mountain lions and bears constantly bag human trophies. Worst of all, the jogger becomes the dead body that is discovered by yet another jogger. The circumstances that lead to this outcome are often too horrible and infinite to imagine. Raven was able to get back to sleep only one hour before her alarm went off. 

         Raven texted Sarah that evening just before bed at seven- she was exhausted and couldn't even make it till Jeopardy. The message said, “ Think we should run at The Crossings instead of the bike path down by the Mohawk River. It's much less creepy. “

         Sarah replied with, “Sounds Great. “

                       THURSDAY 

         Raven awoke from an undisturbed sleep but continued to have a knot in her stomach. It was from a sense of unease she couldn't quite put her finger on. She met her mother, Ann, at Chipotle for a quick bite to eat after work. 

       “Raven, all you're eating is one taco?,” asked her mom as they sat down with their food. 

          Raven said, “I told you earlier that the hand tingle came back the other night. This running pact Sarah and I made fills me with dread somehow. I'm probably just being stupid.”

          Ann said, “You've always had flashes that can sense things ahead. Birds are bearers of omens. I've told the story a million times that you were named Raven because one showed up in the tree outside the delivery room before you were born. Can't you just cancel out or go to the gym?”

           Raven considered while adding sauce to her taco. “Sarah is a more reliable friend than me. I've changed plans on her many times, but she rarely does. I canceled her birthday trip to Vermont during Covid and swore I'd never let her down again. Anyway, Sarah hasn't had a gym membership in a few years. “

          Ann said, “ Well, I've brought you both a couple of personal safety alarms and pepper spray for my peace of mind. If you can't shake off this feeling, you ought to level with her and do something else. “

        Raven said, “Mom, I can't let this control my life and everything is put on hold until it passes. I'd become a prisoner in my own apartment. Besides, I loved track in high school and it would be fun to train for 5K's with Sarah.”

           Ann gave Raven a hug in the parking lot and said, “ Love you, call me if you need anything. “

             Raven turned in early but it took a long time to drift off. 

                         FRIDAY 

           Raven woke up at 3AM with the sense of dread she had all week but with even more intensity. She never needed surgery or faced intense personal danger, but she could relate now to how people facing these things must feel. She rose early and decided to hit the gym. She hadn't used her membership in six months but wanted to see if using the treadmill gave her any ill effects. 

            She arrived at the gym at the 6AM opening time, wearing her new Hokas. There were only a few people and she had the upstairs to herself. She was able to walk while gradually increasing her speed, but got dizzy and out of breath when a higher speed forced her to jog. The last time she was here, Raven was able to run two miles. 

       “What the hell is happening to me?,” Raven asked herself as she gave the machine a quick wipe-down. She waited in her Honda a few minutes to get her nerves under control before heading home. 

       Raven called in sick for work and stayed in bed all day, pulling the covers over her head. She was tempted to text Sarah to cancel their plans for tomorrow but thought she'd give it time. 

            Sarah called Raven about 6 and asked, “You psyched about tomorrow? We'll grab something to eat afterwards to treat ourselves. “

            Raven didn't have the heart to disappoint her friend. She lied with good intentions and said, “ Can't wait. How about picking me up at 8 ?”

           Sarah replied, “ Are you alright? You sound really horrible. We can make it another day, but I'm swamped most of next week.”

          Raven lied yet again and said, “I'm okay. Just have a few things on my mind and I'm a little beat. “

          Sarah said, “ I've really been looking forward to this. Dylan has been great all week. He brought me flowers and stopped by work with coffee. I'm so glad we're doing this. I'll be spending more time with my boyfriend and my bestie.” 

          Raven said, “ Bye, See you at 8.” 

      Raven crawled into bed and watched mindless TV until she fell asleep. 

                      SATURDAY 

       Raven emerged from her strange dreamless slumber at 6AM and the TV was still on. She couldn't remember any of her channel surfing from the night before and had a dull headache. When she was twenty, she had her wisdom teeth extracted. The worst part was the dread beforehand. This foreboding was at least twice as bad. Raven rolled back over, deciding to forgo a shower and just clean up instead. 

           At 7:30, Raven could procrastinate no longer. After she hauled herself into the bathroom, she was shocked at her bloodshot eyes and pale skin. She attempted to make herself presentable and threw a change of clothes in a gym bag. Her feet felt like lead in her light-weight sneakers. She dragged herself to Sarah's car when she got the text she was waiting outside.  

          Sarah took one look at Raven and exclaimed, “You look exhausted. I hope you're not getting sick !”

         Raven said, “I'm fine- let's go.”

         Sarah took over the lion's share of the conversation, talking about Dylan and maybe joining the gym again. As they got closer to their destination, Raven seemed to have an internal GPS of her own that filled her with increasing dread as they got closer. When they pulled into the 130 acre park ,”The Crossings”, Sarah turned in the parking lot that was adjacent to their prearranged trail. 

           Raven said suddenly, “ Not here. We're going to the playground and maze instead. “

         Sarah stared at her friend and said, ”You're acting pretty weird. You want to go on the slide before we run?”

          Raven said, “ There's something there I want to see.”

         Sarah looked hard at Raven and sighed. Without a word, she put the Toyota into gear and drove to the parking lot across from the playground and maze. Raven sent her mother a quick text and joined Sarah. Her legs felt wooden, but she willed them to push forward. Sarah turned to go towards the playground. Raven said, “No, we're going to the maze instead. “

        The women entered the part of The Crossings that offered family entertainment in addition to the playground. Raven had never been in this particular maze before- she found previous experiences a little unsettling. She noted how the high green yew shrubs gradually got thicker and seemed to close in on them. There was eerie silence and Raven grabbed Sarah's hand. When they turned the corner, Sarah let out a bloodcurdling scream. “Dylan !,” she yelled and blasted the safety alarm in her pocket. 

            Sarah's consternation wasn't because Dylan was injured or dead. It was because Dylan was sharing a deep passionate kiss with a woman Sarah knew to be his ex. Their hands weren't idle either, and Raven and Sarah might have gotten a real eyeful in another minute. 

          Dylan waited for Sarah to shut off the alarm off until he spoke. His voice shook with anger when he asked, “Are you two stalkers?”

      Raven mustered an even more hostile tone and said, “ Hey, jackhole. We're training for a 5K. Didn't know you were here. “

         Dylan calmed down and said, “Sorry, Sarah. I was going to tell you tomorrow. I ran into Karen the day after your birthday when you were out with Raven. We realized we are both still in love and addicted to running. I felt guilty all week and was working up the courage to tell you. “

       Sarah grabbed the pepper spray from her pocket and started to move closer to her now ex-boyfriend. Raven grabbed her hand and said, “He's not worth it. Deal with him later. Let's go.”

      As they turned back and walked through the maze, Raven's burden was totally gone. It slowly dawned on her that the horrible, terrible feeling that plagued her all week was Dylan's cheating. The widest and most beautiful smile of relief appeared on her face. Sarah's face was contorted in a combination of anger, heartbreak and tears. 

      When Sarah looked over at Raven, she saw her look of complete happiness. She felt white-hot anger build in her stomach and then spew from her mouth. 

      She said, “You were jealous of the time that Dylan and I were spending together. You're glad that we've broken up !”

        Raven was shocked and stunned by the swift attack. She said with equal anger, “ I had bad premonitions all week about something terrible and didn't want to let you down by canceling. It was hell.”

          Their loud argument reverberated in the maze and lifted upwards. Even the amorous couple could hear it. 

      The two friends stopped shouting and glared at each other. 

        Suddenly, they were startled from their hostile standoff.

         Ann came around the corner and said, “Raven, I'm so glad you texted. I came to The Crossings an hour ago just in case. Your fighting would wake the dead- I heard the whole thing. Sarah, Raven wasn't happy about Dylan. She's been a hot mess all week with worry. Raven, your visions are hit or miss. If something does happen, it's not as bad as your imagination. Why don't you guys forget the running , make up, and think about a little revenge for Dylan?” 

       The friends smiled, shook hands and forged their new pact.