I had gotten up before the crack of dawn and so my whole day had been thrown out of whack.
I sipped from my mug and said to Dude, up on the counter again, “It just seems kind of connected, somehow, right?”
Dude looked indifferent.
I said, “Like all of it at once…?”
Dude trilled.
I said, “Of course I don’t mean the dream, that’s ridiculous, the dream was a coincidence — I mean the storm and the stranger.”
But how could a storm be connected to a stranger?
I dumped the last sip of coffee into the sink and used a sponge and soap to wash out our mugs, placing them on the dish drainer to dry. “Likely he was crossing my land and hid in the trees when the storm came on, and... then a branch fell on him.” I peered out the window, my eyes sweeping the lawn down there. No branch. But…
My eyes fell on the weird object again, sitting on the kitchen counter.
I came up with the best explanation: He was a sculptor from down at the art center. This was one of his pieces, or something. He looked like he had been wearing a costume, he probably performed at the… using my phone I searched the arts center calendar to see if there had been a performance last night. Maybe an actor got lost, or like somehow it was a prank.
There was no show last night. He did not look like a student from the college.
This was all so freaking mysterious.
I took a shower,got ready for my day, and then called Jen.
“Hey, lady, I’m going to pick you up in a half hour.”
She groaned. “I’m not even up yet, what-the-hell time is it?”
“Time for you to get up, it’s 7:45, we gottago.”
She was quiet.
“Jen!”
She snored.
I huffed. “Getupgetupgetup.”
She chuckled. “Why? It’s Saturday, I don’t get up on Saturday. I’ve been around monsters all week, I’m in no mood, plus this is spring break now, I don’t have to get up until noon.”
“Those are kids, you’ve been aroundkidsall week, stop complaining — I need you to go to the hospital with me.”
She said, “Why what happened? You okay? Is Coop okay?”
“Yes, we’re both fine. He’s on his business trip — the craziest shit happened last night, or really, early this morning in the storm.”
“Whatstorm?”
“That giant storm! The one that almost lifted my house from its foundation and then left some stranger lying in my yard.”
“What the heck? So, like a tornado? I didn’t know we were having storms last night. Man, must have slept right through it.”
She went quiet again.
I said, “Jen, I’m going to be there to pick you up in twenty minutes. You’re going to the hospital with me.”
“Bring coffee.” She hung up.
