Facing the Past

Everything was a blur. How could time go so fast? She had managed to put her past behind her, but now… it would soon be in her face again.

Cassie tossed and turned in her bed. There was a crack of light shining from underneath her window shade, which hadn’t been pulled down all the way last night. Dawn was slowly breaking, and Cassie did not feel well  rested.

Climbing into her soft,  fresh, laundered fushia sheets last night had felt heavenly. She had been exhausted last night and was sound asleep within seconds.

But then the haunting  dreams had come. Not a fun way to get tangled in the sheets.

In her dream, she had tried to get out of the house, but when she opened her front door, it was like she had stepped into the deep jungle! Her front porch was shadowed by tall, large, leafy plants. She couldn’t see through them.  If she stepped off the porch to go down the walk, there was a giant spider in a web blocking her path.

When she tried to go out her back door, it wasn’t a simple step outside. Instead, Cassie found herself looking up at a towering mountain that she would have to climb. Closing the door, she had sank to the floor in frustration  and confusion. What was going on?

She woke up, relieved that it was only a dream, but it wasn’t long before reality sunk in, and she knew what had inspired her bad dream.

All the memories of her past that she had tried to bury were back full force, now that Griffin would be back in town.

Cassie stepped out of her bed onto her cool hardwood floor. Staying in bed wasn’t going to slow down time so she may as well face the day.

Not being able to help herself, she peeked out her front door. Phew! There wasn’t any overgrown jungle with a huge spider blocking her path.

She got dressed in a tank top and shorts. Put on her new, Nike running shoes, grabbed some Gatorade and walked out the door to greet the day.

Feeling determined to chase her worries away, she took off running.

Five miles later, she stopped at the park. This was the perfect place to end her run. She sat down on the bench in front of the lake and admired the swans.

The park was quiet. There were only a few people in it this early in the morning. 

“Excuse me, Is this seat taken?”

Cassie turned her head and drew in a sharp breath. It was him!

“What are you doing here already? I didn’t expect to see you for another week.” Her peace from her run was evaporating quickly.

“I managed to come a week early. By the look on your face I can tell that you aren’t pleased by that.”

Cassie stood up. “Did you really expect me to be happy to see you ? I don’t have anything to say to you.”

Griffin looked down at the ground. “I am only asking for a chance.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Cassie’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “A chance? Sure, why not give you a chance to ruin my life again!” She threw her hands in the air.

“You are unbelievable! Stay away from me!”

She glared. The fire in her eyes boring into him. Then she turned around and took off running.

Griffin stood there wth his hands in his pocket, wearing a solemn expression. This was going to be harder than he thought. He knew he messed up before, but after all this time, he thought she would have cooled off.

He wasn’t always the greatest judge of what women were thinking, but judging by the lasers that shot from Cassie’s eyes, he wouldn’t say that she cooled off.

Griffin shook his head. At least she didn’t have to serve as long of sentence as he did. He had been the one that had  stolen the money. Cassie  had only been his  getaway driver. Even if she hadn’t realized that until the cops pulled them over.

Oh well, she may come around. She couldn’t hold a grudge forever, could she?