First and Last

Daniel reached over and fumbled with his phone trying to shut off the blasted alarm before it woke up Chauntelle. She stirred a little but seemed to go right back to sleep.

As his feet hit the floor Daniel started his morning routine. He rubbed his head and his daily internal monologue began.

Do I have a hangover? Yeah, there it is. Not too bad though. Gotta stop drinking, can't afford it. Landlord will be looking for rent...need to get out before he's up. Two job interviews today, Chauntelle thinks I've lined up four. I hate lying to her, but she would've wondered why I would agree to a 6 p.m. interview. Ugghh, look at this apartment! Where does the landlord get off charging rent? The place should be condemned. No wonder Chauntelle can't get more clients in here. Who wants to do downward dog and face off with a cockroach? Need coffee.

Daniel showered and dressed, then kissed Chauntelle on the forehead and stroked her cornrows.

"My last interview is at 6 downtown, so I'll be late tonight," Daniel whispered.

Chauntelle was still half asleep; "Get a job! Bring home money! I love you. Bills are due. Rent is...past due."

In the hall, Daniel stepped quietly past his landlord's door. He thought he was home-free as he started down the stairs, but he heard the apartment door open behind him and then the landlord shouting; "DAN! Rent is DUE!"

Daniel kept moving down the stairs without turning around, he didn't want to see the hairy chest with the gold chain and medallion or the wife-beater undershirt.

"I'm working on that! Have four interviews today! Can't be late!"

The landlord shook his head and chuckled. "Have it your way, Dan! But I will need cash eventually! Can't keep doing THIS!"

Daniel reached the foyer and punched through the door.

Phew! Got past him!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Your credentials look impressive! Master of Architecture Kansas State? Impressive portfolio, nice work. You mention that you worked for 8 years at 'A leading design firm'...are you able to, um, share the name of the firm?"

Daniel put his hand up to his mouth and exhaled heavily. He was being interviewed by one of the youngest partners in the industry at a very well-established firm. He knew she would zero in on that part of his CV; there was no escaping it. That company was an albatross! This is always where the interview derails. Daniel suddenly noticed an annoying tapping noise that he realized was coming from his own finger drumming on the boardroom table.

"It was Girder & Frost Design." Daniel blurted.

"Ahh. I see why you would want to hide that. Something of a scandal wasn't it?"

"Yes." Daniel nodded, looking down like a child sent to the principal's office.

"I'm just curious, did YOU ever meet with any politicians? Deliver any envelopes?"

Daniel stood up abruptly and began shuffling his drawings back into his folio. "Thank you for your time, you're an icon in the industry, it was a pleasure meeting you." he recited.

He didn't see his interviewer's shocked expression as he abruptly made for the door.

"But, Daniel, did you play a role? A lot of clients were left high and dry! The entire local construction industry took a hit. Please tell me w- "

Daniel was already in the hall.

Heading for the elevator, Daniel decided to call Chauntelle. May as well give her the bad news. Hearing her voice might cheer him up. He fished his phone out of his pocket and tapped her number on his 'recents' list. She was always the top number. He held the phone to his ear thinking she'd already answered; "...not processed. Please call our service department, or go to 'myaccount' online to manually make a payment.___ This month's payment was n--".

Daniel hit the power button and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The feeling of failure darkened Daniel's mood. He sat deflated on a stone bench outside the office building. He was trying to decide what to do with his day. It was only 9:00 a.m. How best to kill the time until his evening appointment? He settled on finding a coffee shop for the time being.

As he rose to start his wandering, a woman walked towards him, her gaze fixed. She moved with a purpose. Daniel looked around but there was nobody else nearby; she was definitely coming toward him! She looked physically tired, but her expression was joyful. Her eyes: electric. Daniel felt apprehensive and guarded, as she approached.

She held out a small black leather notebook which Daniel instinctively took from her.

"Daniel?" she said.

Daniel nodded absently.

"You're going to want to do everything this book tells you..."

Daniel glanced at the book, then looked back at her. He snickered. It's a prank! He glanced around for a camera and that's when he suddenly noticed that the morning shadows had begun moving...toward him...from all corners and shadowy places of the high-rise buildings around the courtyard.

"...Starting now!" the woman said. She too was looking around the courtyard as the shadows morphed into wraith-like creatures.

Daniel opened the book. The first page was initially blank but then the word; "RUN" appeared in black ink.

"That way!" The woman yelled pointing toward a beam of light between the buildings and a break in the ranks of the creatures.

Daniel sprinted for it as fast as fear could carry him. Then he noticed that the woman was not running with him. He stopped to look back. The woman had stayed where she was and was fighting the creatures! And she was kicking ass! She used an array of gymnastics and martial arts, and..? She moved strangely. She pounded three of the wraiths back into non-corporeal black smoke.

One creature made it past her and started coming toward Daniel, reaching for the book. Daniel backed up and saw the woman move between him and the wraith with superhuman speed. Magic?

"GO!" She yelled. "Read!"

Daniel ran for about five blocks at top speed until his lungs burned and refused to process more air at that rate. Gasping, he tumbled into a small dark hole-in-the-wall city pub that probably shouldn't be open this early. He watched out the window of the door for a few moments to make sure no creatures followed him, then found his way to a booth near the back of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel sat down and pulled the notebook out of his pocket and set it on the table.

"What'll it be?"

Daniel was startled, not having even noticed the bartender as he entered the place.

"Oh, uhh. I'll have a rye & coke...make it a double." Daniel said.

The bartender looked at his watch as he made the drink and shook his head.

"Rough morning?" The bartender asked as he set the drink on Daniel's table.

"Yeah, I..." Daniel realized he couldn't sum up the morning's events. "...I have some reading to do," he said, holding up the book.

The bartender looked at the small leather-bound book and nodded knowingly.

"You know, there weren't a lot of distilleries around there back then,..." The bartender motioned at the black book, "...so turning water into wine was a miracle. But for a guy like you, in a bar before 10:00 a.m.? Your miracle would be turning your booze into water."

The bartender walked off back to the bar. "Good luck! Go to your meeting!" he said.

Daniel savoured a sip of his drink and then opened the book. The words; "He's right. Alcohol stops your communication with your higher being.", appeared on the page. Daniel took another sip and thought it tasted funny. He looked at the glass in his hand. The rye and coke had turned to water!

Daniel turned the page, and suddenly it was as if a door in his mind opened up allowing a download of information from the universe. Daniel sat in a trance-like state. His body rigid, his eyes moving rapidly. Full text appeared across the pages then faded and were replaced by new text. Daniel was seeing in 360 degrees as he floated in a void. He materialized now and then in various realities across time and space. He realized that he was immortal, that his body and time on earth was just a temporary experience, one of infinite experiences, before and after this time.

The information download process went on for several minutes until a splash of water in his face brought Daniel back to the 3 dimensions of the bar. The bartender was standing beside the table holding Daniel's empty glass. "You ok buddy?" he said.

Daniel smiled, then drew and exhaled his first calm breath in years. He basked in a feeling of relief for a moment and then said; "Yes... In fact, we all are. We always have been."

"Good! Get out!" The bartender said pointing at the door.

As Daniel made his way to the door, he noticed the shadows around the gloomy bar began to move and take the form of the creatures he'd seen earlier.

As one closed in on him he grabbed its outstretched arm, pulled it over his shoulder, and slammed the creature onto the ground with a thud. It dissipated into smoke. The next creature was almost upon him as he turned and gave it a hug. Daniel thought; thank you, I love you to the creature, which suddenly exploded. Daniel laughed as he turned again to face the rest of the creatures. They all suddenly retreated back to the shadowy parts of the bar.

Daniel could sense that these creatures were his own manifestation. They were fear, doubt, self-pity,... All the low vibrations. Suddenly they were not so powerful, and they no longer wanted to fight. Daniel just smiled and nodded for a moment. The bartender stood, mouth gaping, wondering what he'd just seen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was past 9:00 p.m. when Daniel returned home. Chauntelle was waiting for him.

"I didn't know when you'd be back! Dinner is ready, I just need to heat it up. I waited for you so we could eat together!" she called from the kitchen. Daniel could feel the love from her; it was radiant energy that filled the room. How had he not noticed before?

"Do you want a drink while you're waiting?"

"No thanks," Daniel called back.

He sat in the den and thought about Chauntelle. A vision came to him of her with another man on the couch. He saw something shiny, and then the vision was gone. Daniel sat there, stunned for a moment. Then, as if guided there, Daniel got up and went over to reach under the couch. His hand immediately found a chain with a medallion on it. The landlord's!

"So, how did the interviews go?" Chauntelle said.

"First one was a bust. But the second?..."

"Yes?"

"I wowed them! I was transparent about Girder and Frost. I anticipated their questions and sensed what they wanted to hear." Daniel said as he moved to stand by the kitchen.

Chauntelle was beaming at him. "So...?"

"Signing bonus! And $200,000 a year!" Daniel dropped a cheque on the counter.

Chauntelle squealed with joy and gave Daniel a hug. Joy and...relief...shame? She was forced to be with the landlord.

"Ok, let me get this on plates, then you'll tell me all about it!" Chauntelle started opening the kitchen cupboards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'll be right back. " Daniel said as he walked out to the hall. He knocked on the landlord's door.

"Ahh. Dan. Got rent?" The landlord asked with a hint of disappointment.

Daniel handed him the chain and medallion.

"Yeah. Rent. Here... It's been a day of firsts. Consider this our last."