Ch 2

Simon’s first thought of the morning – he was still half awake, half sleeping – was that the dream was more vivid than he remember. He’d had it many times before. He was always twenty-three years old, fresh out of medical school. It was raining. He was on a bus filled with members of his forth grade class. River, thirteen-years old, sat next to him in the back. “There’s this place,” she said, “that some of the other students go after class to compare notes… Thisbe and Carol think that I should come. Volger started pouting the second they said so, but he’s never liked me, so I really don’t care… the problem is, this place they meet is a bar… Mom and dad trust me, but they might be worried if someone sees me there… I’d never drink underage, but to be sitting their surrounded by the blue glasses…”

She smiled and laughed. “Wheel never stops turning. It matters.” He didn’t know what it meant, but the words frightened him. They made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His heart began to race. River was still smiling. She rolled her eyes. “You shouldn’t be so nervous, Simon,” she said. The bus began to slow. “This is your stop. You need to get out now. Don’t trip on your way.”

Simon got off the bus in a daze. Suddenly, it’s midnight and still raining. He is in the middle of the woods. Through the trees he could see a bright red light. The hospital. Simon had an interview there before he could start his residency. He started walking forward. He felt like he was walking forever and forever without getting any closer. He fell. It took forever to fall, but finally he was face first into the mud. It was all over him, his cheeks. It felt so cold. At least it was supposed to. It felt strangely warm… He opened his eyes…

“In the name of… River!” He sat up like a shot, pushing her hands away. River, sitting on the bed, fully dressed, laugh. Her hands were covered in what looked like white paste. Simon looked at her in disbelief. His heart was racing. “River? What are you doing?”

She stopped laugh