Ebony

She’s here again.

My God, she’s here again.

How many times can a stranger be called a stranger before the word loses its meaning? Is there a word when a stranger becomes too strange? I don’t know what to call her – the woman in black. I haven’t seen her face nor have we talked, yet the word ‘stranger’ doesn’t seem to fit her. So, I just call her Ebony.

It’s the end of my shift, and the rain fell as soon as I punched out my time card. The sudden static noise of a million droplets hitting pavement is good enough reason for Joe and Annie to pause wiping the tables, and counting the money in the cash register.

“Where did that come from” Joe said. I looked out the window, and had a similar question. Ebony was right there, sitting in the waiting shed across the street. Her hair was bent down and she started twirling a scrunchie. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 times, once around every finger. She then stood and strolled out of the shed to somewhere east. After 5 seconds, she’ll look back towards my direction, and I look away. I know this too well. She does this every time I see her. She does this routine almost exactly when I look her way. Am I looking in to this too much? Probably.

“Anyone got a spare umbrella? I left mine.” I said. 

“There’s one in the lost and found, Emma. Just bring it back tomorrow, okay? Or don’t.” Annie winked, and continued wiping the next table. 

I jogged to the box where all things lost were found, and I remembered how I thought the lost and found box was magic — where everything gone just reappears if you wished hard enough. It’s somewhere there at the bottom of the box. I brushed the thought. The wind outside was getting louder. I waved goodbye to the two, and went on my way.

Let’s just say the umbrella was useless. I took off my tights, and my hoodie and draped them over a chair, and thought a hot cocoa seem like a good idea. 

I brushed my hair, and smiled, remebering how my mom used to describe me — a caramel fluff with clouds for hair.

As I sip the cocoa, Clinton, my boyfriend came in. He gave me a kiss, and slumped on the couch.

“How was your day?” He asked

“I saw her again. Ebony.” I answered

“Same drill?” He said

“Yes. I’m telling you. It’s weird. You think she’s some sort of spy or something?” I said, and he chuckled.

“Honey, I love you, but you’re not cool enough for spies to hunt you down” He teased. I sat next to him on the couch, and whispered “Sweetheart, I have a whole secret life you know nothing about” He smiled then kissed me. 

“So, you’re a secret agent, huh?” He winked. “Top Secret. I don’t even know about it.” We laughed and he asked “Don’t let her get into your head. I know how you overthink things. Most probably she’s just some rando woman, okay?” I nodded “Perhaps”.

He went to bed and I stayed in the living room to finish my hot cocoa. There was a scrunchie on my table, and just for fun, I twirled it five times. I chuckled at the absurdity of my thoughts. Spies. Still, I closed the blinds just in case.

Ebony came to my dream that night. One, two, three, four, five. She was five feet away from me. We were in the shed. I turned away before she stood. I ran to the coffee shop, and there she was. She was sitting at a coffee table near the window. She pulled out a neuralyzer. With the flash, the scene changed. I was in a sunny beach. The sea was above me. All across me was sand. The kids were building sand castles — really magnificent ones, big enough to enter. There were barricades and it was full of color. the sea above was like silk. I laid on the sand, and marveled at the ocean above me, but then it started growing dark. At first I thought it was whale. It wasn’t. Everyone around started running. It looked like a black, velvet cloth falling from the ocean above. Eyes wide, I started to scream.

I’m awake.

“That’s some hell of a nightmare, babe” Clinton said.

“Yeah. I’m just tired I guess – friggin‘ tired” I sighed. “I need a massage, wanna come with?” I asked.

We ate breakfast and I tried not to think about the nightmare for the rest of the day. Nonetheless, I had the nightmare again, three times after. It always ends the same. I never told Clinton about these three, but I did file a leave to clear my head. I got a massage, and pampered myself. I haven’t been this relaxed in a while.

I locked the windows, and pulled down the blinds. I went to bed and slept. I’m at a ball. I was wearing a tight fitting dress. My curly hair was tied in a fancy bun, and I was wearing a mask. 

Joe and Annie were with me. We drank wine and laughed. Looking around, I recognize a few faces. Jeremy from high school. He didn’t grew up. Lisa from Blackpink, and Channing Tatum, I guess. Hehe.

Joe was in the middle of telling a joke when suddenly everything stopped. On the dance floor were two people — Clinton and Ebony. As Clinton spun her around, Clinton paused, too, together with the rest of the crowd. Ebony and I were the only ones moving. I grabbed another bottle of wine. Ebony started to twirl the scrunchie. I slapped Joe to wake him up. Drown Ebony. I just started slapping everybody, to no avail.

She wasn’t going away, I thought. She wasn’t going away.

Could you get intoxicated in a dream? I don’t know what gave me the courage to do what I did after that last bottle of wine.

“Lost and Found Boxes are magic!” Ebony said, as gleefully as a six year old. “If you wish hard enough, everything lost, comes back to you, don’t they, Emma?” She said.

“Only if you look” I answered.

“Right.”

As she stood up, I didn’t look away for the first time. I saw her face. I started crying. I finally looked at her — a caramel fluff with clouds for hair.

She hugged me and said “Lost and Found Boxes are like magic, aren‘t they, sweetie?”

—————————————————————————————————————

I woke up the next morning. I saw Ebony on my morning jog. I guess I was still intoxicated by the wine I dreamt. I did something I’ve never had the courage to do before. I went up to her, and said “Hi”. 

She looked up at me.

“Hi, can I help you?” She said. I do not recognize the woman.

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else” I said, and went on my way.

That night, I left the blinds open.