Chapter-Four: Broken Clocks

Outside my bedroom window is world sketched with looming grey clouds, swirling with darkness and hues of blue, the rain, like paint dripping off a canvas. The rainfall has been kind to me so far. It's gentle. Light and rhythmic taping, just like the ticking sound of a clock. It's hypnotic. 

It's early in the morning, I think. I lift my head up and check the clock sitting on the nightstand to my right. It reads 6:23 a.m., verifying my previous assumptions.

I drop my head back on my pillow, shifting my body to lie on my side, and just think. Swirling in no particular thoughts, just thinking.

A minute or two goes by, and then, I decide to get out of bed, feeling particularly proud of myself for doing so. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, considering how rough of a night I had. Another bad dream. The same dream again just like every night.

I didn't want to get out of bed. But all the whole, I didn't want to go back to sleep either. But neither is important to me right now. My mom is leaving this morning, and despite the fact that I would prefer to hide under my sheets all day, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It wouldn't be right if I couldn't send her off. After all, I'm her daughter, and I'm the only shes got.

I take a warm shower, quick and simple. Not one of those mornings where I would douse my skin in water, hoping to wash away some of my worries.

I dry my hair with a towel, and after doing other hygienic things, I put on a simple striped yellow and white t-shirt, and short overalls, a pare of off brand converse. The usual. Plain -- ghastly plain, and simple.

Walking from the bathroom, my eyes fall to a duffle bag lounging about on a ottoman underneath my window frame. It's left unpacked, but I guess I'll get to it after the day is over.

I exit my room, and walk down the steps. My mom and aunt currently linger about at the front door cracked just a peek.

I saunter over to them, and they, hearing my footsteps, look at me in unison. Warm smiles is what I'm greeted with, and Mom leans toward and wraps me in her arms. I previously assumed she was waiting for me to wake up, but pulling back, she informs me that a cab was waiting for the cab to arrive.

With tired eyes, she grabs my palm, placing a pair car keys in them. My eyes flutter as I peer at the icy of metal and plastic I my hand.

"Sweetie. Last night I got to thinking about certain things, and decided to leave the car here with you." she says, leaving me bewildered. She releases her tender grip from my hand.

"I just thought it would be best to leave it here with you just in case you needed it. I-It's something that could come handy when the time comes." If it were a only second later, I would've missed the knowing glance mom gives to my aunt, before peering at me once again.

"Take care of it for me, will you?" she says. 

I look down at keys in my palm, squeezing it tight before I rise my gaze to look at her. But soon my teeth pull at the moist flesh of of my inner lip, and I give her a nod. "Okay," I say, voice frail and silent.

Right on cue, the cab arrives outside; it's white and red lights swirling through the fog.

Silence thickens in the air as mom holds me in her arms once again, before pulling back. She gives my aunt a curt nod and grabs a stray duffle bag from the foyer floor. I grab the rest of moms things, and my aunt hands me a black umbrella from the coat rack. I push the button, and the flaps opens, carrying over us as mom and I head out the door. 

The rainpour shifts with a crack of lightening, followed by a thunderous roar as we load mom's things in the back trunck. Finished, mom waves at the driving and quickly hops into the passenger seat. She closes the door shut, rolls her window down til' it reaches her chin, and sticks her head out the window.

"I'll call you every friday to check and see how things are going. Remember to take your medicine during the prescribed time, okay? I told your aunt to remind you in case you forgot. And remember to-"

"Take them while she watches. I know, mom," I say, and a distant grin stretches across her cheeks.

"Oh, and I left some goodbye presents in a bag of yours, I think under your window

"Have fun, and make sure you make a lot of friends while I'm gone, okay?"

I nod once again, unable to speaks as my throat tightens, eyes pooling with water. This is really it, huh?

Mom, extending her hand through the window, tucks my loose strands of hair behind my ear, "Good girl. I love you, and be safe."

The car propels foward, and the window closes as the driver carries her down the gravel, and I, standing under my umbrella in a thunder storm, just have to watch as it disappers into a grove of trees, with her in it.

I re-ener the house. Silent. Walk up the stairs, enetering my room. I suanter over to the bag of clothing left unpacked on the ottoman under the window frame, get on my knee, and open it. And there, just as she said there would be, is two white boxes, one bigger than the other, wrapped in a pick bow. I open the small box, starting with unting the bow, and inside it is a 

~~

A few hours have gone by. I went upstairs and sulked in my bed, until the rain had cleared, and now, I'm sitting at the kitchen table with my aunt, picking at the scrabbled eggs and ham on my plate.

I'm not feeling particularly hungry, for obvious reasons, but the look my aunt's giving me, one with curious eyes trying to dig it way under my skin to reveal its secrets, I burry my knife into sausage a take a nibble.

"So, how's breckfast?" she asks me. 

"It's great. Thank you."

"I'm glad you enjoy it. I was a little worried you wouldn't. haven't been cooking as much as I used to. And since 

"I forgot to tell you this last night, but Caleb will pick you up in about..." she looks at the time on her cell phone screen, "thirty minute or so. He's going around the place." I drop my fork, and look at her.

Caleb?

"Why? is he taking me somewhere?"

"Well he going to give you a tour of the place. i told you didn't I?"

"He's what!?" I exclaim. "I thought you said you were taking me."

My aunt's eyes widen as if she just ran over a dear, and she covers her mouth. "Oh, shoot! I did, didn't I? Darn it, I must've to tell you that two."

Wow, as if my morning could've gotten worse. I slump i  my 

"Lilith sweetie, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot to tell you. There just been so many things going on and I-"

It's just like mom all over again. 

"It's fine, I get it." I lie through my teeth, and put on a pained smile. It's not fine, nothing is. 

The table is silent now. And it stays that way for a couple of minutes. Silverware clanging againstour plates just ties in the awkward atmosphere perfectly. But thankfully, it all ends as her phone begins vibrating against the table. She looks at the caller ID and scoots her chair back, dragging against the floor she stands up. "I'll be back in a second," she says and walks away, leaving me at the table alone.

I stand from the table and empty my plate in the garbage bin near the kitchen window. And there's movement, from the corner of my eye, something moved. Again, just like yesterday. With careful strides I walk towards the window and stare into the forest basis to my right, just beyond the peace of the lake. The same spot as yesterday. Nothing.

I prepare to look away, and as I do so, my bones jump in fright as I spot a Caleb standing in front a golf cart, thinking he is someone -- r something else. 

My shoulders relax, however, a part of me swathes in anger. His done it again.

I shout to my aunt goodye, she responds telling me to stay safe before I head out the back door, and down padeos steps, walking to him.

Aware, I am. That I forget to take my pills.

His dimples, full on display miles at me, and I smile back.

"Slept well last night?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess you can say that," the moist breeze carries my hair.

"You're early," I say.

"I guess I am, aren't I? I like to stay on top of my game," he tilts his head down a bit, giving his lips, "That, and I'm getting a bonus to take extra care of you." He leans back and gives me a wink, before hopping into the cart and turning on the ignition.

As the backround noise of birds singing and the engine roaring, I stare at him, bewildered and slightly offended. So much for wanting to genuinely help someone out. But who am I kidding.

"Come on," he pats the empty seat beside him, "Hop in."

Hesitincy being my friend and foe, I consumes me, I do as told.

Caleb drives me around the resort grounds, showing me practically everything. Most importantly, the resorts "town square" as Caleb likes to call it, where everything is within the forrest glade, well, almost. As lake Omaha is practically

From recreational facility where games, gi, a gift and canoe shop, a few eateries. A five minute walking distance  from my aunt's home. 

There are different neighborhoods for cabin and lake house residents, divided from standard housing to luxuary, where richer families stay. The  wealthier housing isn't enormous mansions per say, but much grander than the typical housing provided here. Much grander than anything ive seen

They're supposedly given more iminities, like they're own private clubhouse and event, and personal housekeeping, and there's also, which i guess i benefit from in a way. Then their are permanant resident who stay here like my aunt. Those who Caleb claims mostly consist of retired elderly people, choosing this place instead of being shipped off to a retirement home by theyre own children. It's pretty sad.

There's a gigantic walking trail that stretched throughout resorts ground, some go deeper into the forrest.

We continue our drive, basking under the sun forthcoming after the morning storm.

"Everything is exactly how I remember it,"  I say in hushed , "Well, almost everything."

"What was that?" Caleb says, beaming ahead with taunting eyes, aware that it wasn't something meant for him to hear.

"I agree. Not much has changed over the years," he says, and I peer at him with. Noticing this, he laughs.

"I use to come here every summer with my family as a kid, like you did," he explains.

Oh.

"Every summer?"

He nods. "But then after a couple years, we just... stopped."

His usual smugness suddenly vanishes,

"How so?" I relax more in m seat and bring my arms and legs close, hugging my body

He doesn't answer my question, instead he chuckles and takes a left.

"How so? Geez, Lilith. I've never met a 15 year old girl talk the way you do."

There he goes, making mockery of me once again.

"I'm 17, not 15. And you haven't answered my question," I rebuttal, hostility fueling me.

He ignore me before taking a left turn down a neighborhood of cabins. The ide by side they alinged for what seemed to go on forever-- and I'm sure this is tbe same place he's show me earlier.

It was practically empty. I see only but a few cars vacated in emtpty car lots, It pulled in front cabin, as for us, we pulled into a driveway-- tires shaking under dirt and gravel-- next to  brown and dirtied pick-up truck.

This doesn't look like home.

"Why are we here?" I give him

"That's pretty much all of Henderson's in a nutshell, but," he looks at me and smiles.  "There's someone I have to pick up."