Issue 12
Rest
Darlene Cah
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The Rest of Her Life
Every night Lucy sleeps near the edge of the bed and weeps for the
man who will never return. Friends warn her about the danger of sleeping so
close to the edge, but she can't bring herself to touch his side. The sheets no
longer bear the warm indentation of their love.
One night she awakes, her right leg hanging off the bed. She waits
for the terror, but instead, her eyes grow heavy and for the first time in a
year she has a pleasant dream: pink sand, blue-green ocean, the world
stippled in pastels.
The next night her right arm dangles freely, and she lets sleep
transport her: wildflowers swaying in a dizzying dance, the landscape a swirl
of spin art.
At lunch, Lucy notices her friends exchange glances and purse their
lips. She hides her smile behind the menu.
That night, Lucy falls asleep without shedding a tear. She awakes on
the floor. A Mona Lisa smile upon her face, she recalls her dream: rowboat
floating gently on a lake dotted with water lilies.
Still smiling, she takes the black dress off its hanger, folds it
properly and locks it in a cedar chest.
~Darlene Cah
Darlene Cah is a freelance writer and improviser. Her many years as an
advertising copywriter have prepared her well for the world of
fiction. Email.
© 2003 by Darlene Cah. All Rights Reserved.
© Copyright 2003 by Cayuse Press. All Rights Reserved.