Page 40 of Immortal Sun

I feel rather than see Cyrus walk up beside me. Odd how I can always tell it’s him, like instinct.

“The gas is shut off but they can’t find the leak, so you can’t stay here. But don’t worry, I’m not going to turn you out onto the streets. I have a guest house, you’re welcome to stay there. As far as employment, the bar’s closed, but I have some research I need another set of eyes on. You were studying similar subject matter as your brother, were you not?”

I take a deep breath. “Yeah, I took a break from University, but I’m familiar with all the Egyptology material.”

“That’s good, then I can still offer you employment, just of a different variety. And you’ll be at my house where I have the collections so that will be easier for you as well.”

Being in that close proximity to Cyrus presented a new sort of danger, one that seems riskier than the gas leak at the bar, but what choice did I have? “Thanks, I appreciate it. Um, my stuff? Can I go and grab my things or is the whole place shut for the time being?”

“I’ll ask the firemen.” Cyrus replies , then moves away, taking the ever-present heat that surrounded him away as well.

It was later that night, lying in Cyrus’guesthouse bed attempting to fall asleep that I first dreamed of the light, and the fire. The dream was so real, it took me a minute to clear the fog from my mind when my eyes finally open and adjusted to the sunlight streaming through my window. “Ok, weird.” I croak . Rolling to my side, I slowly stood from the bed and frowned. The pristine white sheets were smeared with faint black streaks, like thick pencil marks or…smeared ashes. The faint scent of campfire lingered in the air and I wondered if maybe I’d missed a bondire the night before, but I was exhausted, so I’d fallen directly asleep, clothes and all.

I wake up and stretch, then move over to the window. I need fresh air, but when I look out I see the same squirrel from the bar or I’m assuming so? The other animals are gathered all around too. Cryrus must have moved all the animals too, which would make sense since no one will be there to care for them. I wave at the squirrel, odd that it seems normal, and make my way outside.

I stop at the tree where the squirrel lives. He scurries down and stops right by my feet. His fur’s a deep caramel with black stripes down to his tail.

I touch the tree, and my palm heats when it hits the bark. The tree feels so warm and alive that I end up putting both palms on the main trunk. I glance around and count a few more just like this one. They almost look like several sticks stacked up against the bricks protecting the animals or creating a sort of cage. They aren’t trees I would normally see in the Pacific Northwest.

I don’t know what makes me do it, maybe frustration, curiosity, or just a dumb decision, but I climb up to the spot in the middle of the tree and sit. I hold onto the old branches. It’s somewhat flat, almost like this used to be a bench or something.

I smile. The view’s perfect. It’s the bar my brother frequented and it’s my new home even if it is a bit strange just like it’s owner.

“Hey!” A loud voice shouts. “Nobody sits in the tree without permission, it’s used for other purposes.” A man is walking toward the tree, the groundskeeper, I think. He’s wearing green working clothes with brown gloves, and he’s holding a shovel that I’m not entirely sure he’s not going to wield in the air toward me. I mean it at least makes sense that somebody takes care of this idyllic little getaway behind the bar and between the streets.

“Sorry.” I look over my shoulder and back away slowly. “I just thought…it would be nice.”

Rat starts to make a ton of noise then throws his nut like a petulant child. I don’t dare laugh.

“My apologies.” The groundskeeper tilts his head then looks between me and the squirrel like the animal is the boss and the groundskeeper is just managing things for him. “Sit wherever you want, ma’am, my apologies.”

The old man scurries off, shovel in hand. Rat retrieves his nut then comes back and actually sits next to me.

“I have to admit, I’m not the Disney princess sort, but you’re super cute.” I reach out and lightly touch his head, and I swear the damn thing looks up and smiles at me then sighs.

Weird.

I’ve never even had a pet.

Other than the naked cat upstairs, that is. Which reminds me, he probably needs to be fed again. Where does Cyrus keep his cat food?

I make a mental note to ask if I need to figure all that out since the cat seems to be attached, and so does Rat. Of the animals I’d met they all seemed attached, well except for the mean cow, which Cyrus assured me actually used acts of violence to say “hi”.

“It was a weird day, Rat. A very weird day.” I don’t know why I’m talking to a squirrel.

Apparently, this is what I’ve come to; plus he wouldn’t think I was crazy if I suddenly told him I saw his tree burning or that earlier when looking at Dag I felt nothing but chaos in my soul, an unsettling storm I still have issues coming to grips with.

Rat moves closer, then closer again, until finally he rests a paw on my thigh, before scurrying off again.

My imagination must be strong here.

The wind suddenly picks up and roars around us in a chaotic rhythm. I see it in my mind’s eye. A tree on an island snapping in half falling over for no reason. I frown and hear myself whisper. “Why?”

“Because.”I hear an answer in the wind.“Chaos demands it.”

I fall out of the tree and land so hard that I hit my head against the ground. The whisper was hoarse, full of so much pain that my chest hurts and my hands shake. It feels like someone just spoke into my brain.

“What the hell are you doing? You scared the shit out of the groundskeeper,” comes Cyrus’s voice.

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