"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light"
~Dylan Thomas
***
The next morning, Evie left her Uncle's house earlier; she had to go to the hardware store to replace the broken bulb. After purchasing what she needed, she then proceeded to work.
By the time she arrived at the pub-house, Jim was already sitting on his chair and a petite and angelic girl was situated at his left. Evie presumed she's the one named Morgan who called in sick the day before.
As if on cue, the girl angled her head towards Evie and instantly smiled. She leaped on her feet and blithely extended a hand. "I'm Morgan, it is so nice to finally have you here." Morgan was around 5'3. She had a slightly tanned skin and a round face with a smiling hazel eyes. She wore a blue midi dress that highlighted her curves and a set of pearl earrings that completed her whole look.
"Evie. I'm honored to be here." She accepted her hand.
"I'm so glad to finally have a girl companion here. For the past two weeks, Jim has been a boring dude." She acted as if she's whispering those words but she purposely said it out loud. Jim gave off a snort and rolled his eyes. "I'm positive that we'll get along, oooh I can't wait to shop with you Eve." Morgan said while holding her arm and jumping up and down like a little girl.
"It's uhm... actually Evie." She corrected her shyly.
The girl smiled. "Yes, I know but Evie is quite a mouthful. I prefer Eve, it sounds pretty like you." Evie felt quite a bit awkward. She wasn't used to people complimenting her but there was something she felt with Morgan; a good feeling to be exact.
"You'll get used to her Evie." Jim said while typing something on his computer. Morgan laughed.
After the introductions, Evie sat on her desk and started to work. She needed to finish all the twelve manuscripts by the end of the month. The bulb she bought earlier provided the perfect amount of light. Not too bright and not too dark.
When lunch came, they all went to the same restaurant they had eaten the other day. Evie ordered linguine with lemon and ice tea for refreshments. The food was very appetizing.
While having lunch, it was Morgan who kept on throwing questions towards her. It was obvious that the girl was so fond of Evie. She asked Evie about her education, parents and likes. Evie being a private person, answered the questions coyly.
Despite the dispersed age differences between the employees of the pub-house, she found their bond real and homie, apropos to a family indeed.
The day finished with a haste. It was around 6 when Evie arrived at her Uncle's house. The moon shone bright over the City, creating ripples of light reflected on each of the house's roof.
Feeling a bit parched, she went down towards the dining room and found her Uncle sitting on the head chair; a glass of champagne on his side. Her uncle gave her a perfunctory nod, signaling her to sit down.
After settling down on her bolstered chair; so fancy and quaint, both of them began to eat. There were garlic shrimps served in gold plating, bouillabaisse and black pasta. She smiled knowing the latter was her favorite.
"Evie, I'm gonna be out tomorrow for a shoot in the Branch Brook Park. Mayhap you would want to come?" Paul said, breaking the eerie silence. Evie stopped eating and gazed at her Uncle.
"Branch Brook Park? Isn't that in Newark?" asked her.
"Yup, we're launching a photoshoot for the fall edition of Vogue since the place is stunning and an oft-visited landmark. Are you in?" Evie paused for a second.
"Yeah sure. I guess it's time for me to unwind also. I've been pretty stressed with all the moving out and finding a new job thing." She said.
"Good. Just pack for a one night stay. We'll travel tomorrow at 8 and go home the following day." Evie nodded as Paul continued. "You don't have to work during weekends, do you?"
"No, only weekdays." She replied. As much as Evie hated to travel, she could not deny that she wanted to go and explore new places. After all the things she'd been through, she deserved a nice weekend vacation.
After packing her bag with the necessities: toiletries, a white slipper, a midnight blue romper, her beige strap sandals, sunglasses, cosmetics and her laptop, she laid on her bed and drifted off to a deep slumber. Slowly dragging her into the pit of total stark darkness.
As the night continued to prosper, Evie heard the sound of an ambulance.
Its whirring sound was muffled.
She heard cries and screams and she badly wanted to open her eyes but her eyelids were weighed down; unable to open.
She felt her body quiver.
With all the strength she could muster, she tried to open her right eye to see what was happening but all she can see was blood. Blood on her hands, on her legs and on her dress. Her dress was barely white and was more of a crimson color already.
She tried moving her neck but all the parts of her body seemed to ache. She felt as if she was being squashed with a hundred-pound rock. Even moving her fingers required strenuous effort. She felt her throat closing in; she was running out of breath.
She was losing hope.
'Am I going to die?' She thought.
She tried to reach for air, breathing harder but her strength was gradually fluctuating and darkness crept into her whole system. Swallowing her whole being.
Evie opened her eyes, aghast.
She touched her cheeks that were wet with tears.
She was panting, as if reliving the whole moment again. She tried breathing in a slow pace, trying to catch her breath.
She was dreaming again.
Her nightmare.
The dream which haunted her for years; a poignant reminder of her mistake.
She muffled up a cry that tried to escape her mouth. 'Why can't I forget?' She thought; her mind befuddled due to the nightmare.
With quivering feet, she stood and watched the sun, shining brightly on its place. Its rays reaching out to every living thing, evoking a sense of hope and tranquility. The scene somehow helped Evie relax again from her terrifying dream.
She stood still, barefooted on the floor, withstanding the cold that was slowly creeping to her tanned feet.
If not for the knock on her door, Evie wouldn't had awakened from her drowning thoughts. She looked at the door that was slightly ajar and a house-help emerged; waking her up from her terrible dream.
She was told that her Uncle's already waiting for her. She hurriedly changed into her white halter dress and dragged her small bag. It was not the appropriate time to linger on depressing thoughts. She should at least enjoy her trip. She deserved it as much as anybody.
After eating toast for breakfast, they immediately hit the road; passing the different skyscrapers in New York City.
She saw different people working, not even stopping to enjoy the view. Everyone was busy dealing with their own lives and moving forward. And there she was, still stuck in her past; refusing to let go of the burden that she felt she was responsible for.