Chapter 19

I heard a faint chuckle.

And THAT created a situation I never wanted to happen.

You know ... you’ve just seen ... or thought you saw ... something fuzzy on the very edge of your peripheral vision. You turn to look but it was gone and you can’t put your finger on what it was. Generally, you push it off ... out of your memory. Our ability to forget is necessary. If you can’t forget you run out of storage.

It keeps happening. There is never anything there. Increaasing regularity. Days ... hours ... minutes.

And now you’re paranoid. SOMETHING IS WATCHING! AND they’re watching ... ME.

And the day comes when whoever is watching makes a piddling error ... like a chuckle. Sometimes it’s a glimpse ... just a flash on this side of vision ... not on the edge.

And the voice in your head says, ‘Shit ... caught.’ And the OTHER voices say ‘Idiot’... ‘I didn’t mean to. It was funny.’ There is this conversation going on in your head ... and you are fed up with their shit!

“It’s one thing to know you are there ... Do you have to talk about me behind my back ... no ... wait ... that’s not what I mean ... a little help here.”

THEY ... and this time ... we don’t know who THEY are ... make a snap ... or executive ... decision.

The fuzzies are real.

Not only are they real ... there are Seven of them.

Two men.

Four women.

And...?

Well ... one kid ... androgynous ... a kid. At that stage of life where it’s hard to tell. Tomboy? Boy? Girl?

Marion has been dithering. There had been much babbling, didconnected sentences, thrown away considerations, hair pulling, a few tears but mostly itterations of Mom.

“She was right.” “What am I going to do.” “I must be crazy.” “This is just plain nuts.” “SHRIEK!”

Shriek? She turned around.

One or two standing wouldn’t have bothered her. She’s a librarian and fairly used to doing library things when seekers come looking for entertainment or knowledge ... or shelter from the storm. She might be shelving or small repairs ... or ... as is her wont ... living in her own little world. But seven that she didn’t hear come in ... six adults and boisterous child. After her outburst she took refuge in her occupation.

“Shush ... don’t disturb the patrons.”

That was directed at the child.

Then she who had been busy at the shoreline... ‘I don’t know where I’ve been ... but I’m back’ ... was back and realized it was snowing to beat the band. That she wasn’t at work hadn’t dawned ... yet. It’s coming. David came into focus and the disorder of his books brought her up ... but slowly.

“Oh,” she said...