Mechanically her hand continues reaching for the half empty bag of wheat thins. Not one or two but four or five shoved into her mouth. It was getting to be unbearable. She can feel it. Creeping up behind her, breathing in her ear, sucking the very life from her body. The endless chatter and clacking of keyboards. The shuffling of Nell’s crocs down the hall, the oppressing silence upon silence when the sun is still high in the sky and birds are singing though she cannot hear them. She did a yearly review earlier on one of her more senior employees, Agatha. It had gone alright. Though admittedly tears are not the best endorsement.

Lyllian feels her inadequacies as a supervisor the most in these moments. An urge to shake someone. Get it together! Stop the office politics! To just be left alone to write. But in their current financial situation Lyllian’s options are limited. At some point perhaps she will simply settle in – but she hopes not.

She finds her mind wandering to the locket. And to the most recent visions. The black trees seem to dominate and as always there is an oppressive feel. Though the memories with the young man are very different. Those are fewer and less clear. But one thing is certain, she loves and longs for him. From her very being.

Lyllian hears her boss Roger laughing a hello as he makes his way toward her cube. She and her boss get along well. He knows her and accepts her. Though he still attempts to groom her into a leadership position she never wanted and resists daily. His smile is big and he settles into the chair by the window she loves. It looks out over the parking lot but beyond that is a stand of trees. White blossoms and thick trunks. There are always birds. It looks peaceful.

“So what’s the latest?” Roger asks handing her an ever present Reese’s cup.

“The latest is that my mind is imploding and my passion and zeal are seeping out of my ears in a deluge.” Lyllian responds with a small smile at her friend.

There is laughter, “Well good good. Use that. Write it out!” he gets up, “Just not on the company dime.” He smiles and hands her another confounded Reese’s cup and leaves.

Lyllian laughs. Roger is one in a million to put up with her.

Next Chapter: Rose, Seattle, 2017