Lilith's Blessing 9

9.

Trevor heard the rain pelting the porch before opening his eyes. He reached for his phone, checking the time. It was 3:59. He set his alarm for 4:15 AM. He contemplated calling in sick. The last few days were rough.

Every morning his girlfriend awoke angry, screaming about a dream. In it he cheated with a girl behind some corner store and believed instead of going to work, that was his goal. Trevor questioned the dream compared to reality. The store she talked about was 2 miles away and he didn’t have a car. “How?”

No matter his words, she felt it, so it had to be true. Her anger got the best of her. She threw a glass at his head, shattering against the door he used as a shield. A year of verbal abuse and threats of self-harm left Trevor exhausted. He bit the bullet, ending the toxic relationship.

“Get out!”

When he returned home that night, the couch stared at him, cushionless. Confused, Trevor realized everything was gone. He checked the kitchen, opening the cabinets, empty. He rushed to the bedroom, the bed, gone. Dresser, lamps, pillows, anything a person needed to be comfortable, gone.

That night it was cold, uncomfortable, but peaceful. When he woke up, he expected a tornado to burst through the door, screaming at him. It never came. He looked at his phone. 4:00 am. He had to leave for the bus soon.

Relief washed over Trevor while walking to the bus stop. The usual frustration he felt before work was absent. He asked himself questions that never crossed his mind after a breakup. What happened? Could I have done better? Did I choose wrong? Did I really love her? He almost missed his stop as he delved into the reason his relationship went sour.

Traffic piled up, as cars outnumbered bus riders. People in their SUVs and speedy electric vehicles clog the road, honking at each other. Trevor’s heart rate increased as he cursed at expensive cars. He wished death upon everyone as long as he went with them. Was it jealousy or anger, or was it something deeper?

The next bus arrived. Trevor looked through the large windows, hoping for an open seat.

Every row, people buried their faces in their phones. His head dropped, standing room only.

The electric bus zipped off as Trevor clung to the handrail. A chubby young man sat leaned against the window with his eyes glued to his phone. Whatever he read made him chuckle. The lady next to him held onto her phone as if someone tried to take it from her. It dinged, and her expression lit up as she held it close.

The bus turned onto the express freeway entrance but ran into traffic. A normal Monday, they would sail past traffic and reach downtown in 10 minutes. Today, every lane in both directions was at a standstill. Instead of the robot voice, the driver announced over the intercom. He cleared his throat and informed the riders the Department of Transportation closed both interstate 90 and State Route 520 bridges.

Trevor contorted his face as the announcement made no sense. The man next to the window removed his earpiece and asked the lady next to him. She looked it up on her phone and her face filled with horror as she read the breaking news aloud. “Because of dangerous water levels, they closed the bridges? They advised all citizens to return home and await further instructions?”

An angel flew over the bus. Everyone became quiet as they checked their phones. Not much information, just DOT closed the bridges into Seattle. Panic settled in as people feared the worst. Did China or Russia attack? Terrorism?

Trevor’s dark skin grew pale, and his eyes sunk into his face. The worried look troubled the young man. Next to his apartment was a crow habitat. Thousands flew over every morning. At night, when he got off the bus around dusk, they returned. Like clockwork, every morning and night. But this morning he did not see or hear any birds.

The chubby man did not understand and questioned if Trevor was ok. The bus shuttered as the ground beneath them rumbled. A deafening roar approached them, drowning out a screaming woman.

Cars behind them lifted into the air, pushed by a massive wall of water and debris. People abandoned their cars, sprinting past as commuters attempted to exit the bus. Trevor watched the chaos. It's what he wished for. He sat down to pray.

Trevor woke up covered in sweat. He was dizzy. The room spun; he caught his breath, then looked over at Kira. She shuffled, but remained asleep as he rubbed his temples, trying to shake the cobwebs. The same dream, but now he remembered it as vivid as the previous day.

Kira spoke in her sleep; she dreamt of food and wanted more. Whenever she ate something she loved, her eyes lit up, and she smiled with every bite. He brushed her hair off her face, kissing her forehead. Trevor shifted his weight to get out of the corner bed, but bumped into her as he crossed over. She opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Where are you going?” He explained he just needed fresh air after a horrible dream. Kira kissed him, falling back asleep. Trevor leaned over her and whispered he loved her.

As Trevor exited the apartment, he observed a faint light from the second floor. John and Meredith spoke, but couldn't make out the words. He tried to slip by, but Meredith stopped him before he opened the door. “Do not be gone for too long. We have much to discuss when you return.”

“Don’t worry, MOM. I’ll be back soon.”

The air outside was crisp, with a thick fog that hovered the trees, and concealed the dawn. Trevor disappeared into the low-lying clouds, as all the uncertainty vanished with each stride. He ran harder and harder; the trees, valleys, and rivers blurred by. Until a massive wall of ice stood before him. The Atlas Ice sheet filled the Million Lakes and the Lake of Mississippi with fresh water every summer as it encroached south and melted.

Trevor stopped at the base and looked up at the towering glacier wall. It stretched further than he could see, east and west. A large fragment broke off, falling into the freezing water below. The wave of water rushed toward him, similar to the constant dream he suffered. He stepped back, turned, then dashed the 500 km back in two hours.

Now he stood under the northern gate of Sioux Falls. Its magnitude is far less than the imposing ice wall that blanketed the continent's north sector. The sun rose before Trevor as he faced east. He thought it was still the same. It burned the fog away, exposing the town spire that shined over the city. 21st century architects cannot comprehend how they built it, but the town spire would be a marvel for them.

Kira opened the window to admire the sunrise as Trevor appeared at the front door three floors down. Their eyes met. Kira smiled and pushed her hair back from her face. That look she gave melted him every time. Trevor neglected the door and appeared behind her, wrapping his hands around her growing belly. He buried his nose into her hair.

Kira gripped Trevor’s arms, leaning her head back. He trimmed his bushy beard; she stroked his face.

She liked the new look, but noticed the red seemed less prominent. “I liked the red, though. You’re not graying but Redding. Did you have that dream again?”

Trevor nodded, lowering his head. The recurring dream bothered him. “Talk to aunt Mere.”

He sighed, contemplating the offer. “Meredith wanted to talk about something, anyway. We should go down to the tavern.”

Kira shrugged off the suggestion, snuggling into Trevor's arms. She had a desire to remain for longer.

Later, the door creaked open; Trevor followed Kira from their apartment down to the tavern lobby. It was a smaller venue, but it had more character than the previous larger bar, with plush lounge chairs, reading tables, and board games. The kitchen, about the same size as the old tavern, had newer appliances and more cabinet space. The apartments above were perfect for their growing family.

John and Mere lounged on a large purple sofa in the corner next to the cracking fire. A cadre of tablets filled the table before them. But the aroma of coffee, cinnamon, and chocolate reminded Trevor of his arrival in Sioux Falls. A lot had changed. He examined the mug, touched it, manipulating its shape into a cube. Then changed it back without disturbing its contents.

John shook his head, complimenting Trevor’s rare ability. Trevor didn’t reach, but shrugged. He tried his best, but wore his feelings on his face. They knew something bothered him. They prepared for Trevor to be sad and quiet most of the day, but he divulged his dilemma. “These recurring dreams…” He detailed the most recent dream.

Mere described dreams held parallels with memories of past lives. But as people grew older, their dreams became lucid with mana control. Kira had them as a child but grew out of them. Trevor looked at Kira. She nodded in validation.

Trevor remembered Mere mentioned that before. But insisted something was not right. The dreams were visceral, and he felt them. Plus, they were every night now.

“The answers will come in time. You must meditate to find the control. The control will guide you to the answers.” John, in almost haiku form, spelled it out. Trevor rolled his eyes. He sounded like a monk trying to delve out wisdom through contemplation. Mere jumped in. Adding consciousness is the source. He had to find his source, to find the way.

Trevor rolled his eyes again. He swore that sometimes they just said shit.

John pushed a sizable hardbound book toward Trevor. Displeased, he pushed it back. He had no interest in reading a thick book. “No, thanks.”

John pushed it back. “Read it.”

“Can I get the cliff notes?”

Meredith raised her eyebrows like a mother. Trevor relented, picking up the book. Bhagavad Gita. “This is the Hindu bible, right?”

“It's not a bible, but a history of old empires pre-Younger Dryas.” Kira interjected, correcting Trevor. That made him feel euphoric. She’s so cute! His mind went into overdrive.

A realization kicked in. Trevor’s old mindset followed him. “Will people care if my child is black?” Trevor threw the conversation off course. John looked at Meredith, unsure how to answer the question. She shrugged and then turned to Trevor and Kira. But Trevor cut her off before she could speak.

“I desired children, but the difficulties they would face? Just because of their skin color? No matter what race of woman that bore my child, the child would be black, nothing else.”

Kira rubbed Trevor’s shoulders, feeling the tension. She used mana to smooth out the kinks. “That time is gone now, Revy. It's history. People do not care about skin color anymore.”

John changed the subject, wondering about Trevor’s morning jog. He lit up as talking about his excursion. He discovered a new technique. “It goes boom!” Trevor put a twang on it. Mere didn’t want to know. She shook her head, then handed Trevor a tablet.

It had an image of a long rectangular object hovering in the distance. Trevor zoomed in on the image. More vessels like it followed. “What am I looking at?”

“Kushite ships.”