You stand facing an airport terminal window, a cigarette pinched between the fore and middle fingers of your right hand, where a narrow yellow stain rings around the skin between the joints - the bad boy version of a golden band.
A United jet lifts from the runway. I watch you take a drag from your cigarette and turn around.
The jet disappears over the horizon, then suddenly reappears, flying straight at us. I look behind me, and I realize: This is not an airport terminal. We are standing inside a cafe, on the top floor of the downtown Portland Hilton. The nose of the plane aims at our window as if shot from a gun - fast, with murderous linearity, volition.
You grab my hand and pull me into the stairwell, where we jump down three stairs at a time.
"Someone once told me I move like a gazelle," you say, and I silently agree. You have grace.
Later we run into the street and stop to catch our breath. You take my hands and whisper, "It keeps happening. Over and over. And every time, I end up saving you. Every four years."
And then I wake up.
Comments (1)
awesome writing.
i read what you wrote about Tara Calico. I actually live about 3 hours from where the disappearance happened in 1988. I have thought about her soooo many times as you have. The boy in the picture (the duct tape pic found) was actually from a town i used to live in as well. The day she disappeared was significant to me because that was the day my niece was born 17 years ago. Tara's files were opened again this past year in relation to the Mark McCracken case (the NM State Police officer accused of killing his wife) Ironically, he married a girl from my hometown. I'm not sure why they opened her file again but i havea feeling deep in my heart that this guy may have had something to do with it. I have seen him in person and there is no connection when you look into his face, its rather blank and desolate and you can tell something is seriously wrong with him. Anyway, i just wanted to share that with you and maybe someday we will find out what really happened to her. You can reach me at sandralisa99@hotmail. com if you wish. Thanks and have a great day and keep you are an swesome writer!
Posted by sandralisa | December 28, 2005 11:29 AM
Posted on December 28, 2005 11:29