The Reaper (Pt VIII)

He lay in the blue consciousness of tranquility. She was like a river pulsing and giving way with the utterance of the wind. Her waves caressed his skin, and he sank in deeper.

He woke up half believing it was a dream but when he turned to his side, she was lying next to him. She had fallen asleep with a book against her chest. He pressed his lips against hers, drawing water like a bucket at the bottom of the well. He longed for more but pushed back against the current of passion. She woke up dazed and confused before she caught his gaze on her.

"Did I fall asleep," she laughed, half embarrassed. "I'm a terrible host. I must have bored you."

"Not at all," he replied and his hand brushed her cheek. If she'd let him, Kadin would remain there watching her sleep. He was most content in that state.

"Back to work mister," she commanded sternly but the humor in her voice rose steadily. What Kadin most admired about her was her discipline and purpose. Without her command, he'd tumble in her beauty and drift away forever. She alone kept his grades afloat.

Love had also cured his anxious jitters. He no longer hid in his library or dorm room but rose steadily in his new found confidence. His roommate guessed the source of Kadin's jovial countenance.

"What's her name mate?"

"Julia," Kadin smiled.

"That's what I'm talking about," his friend cheered, offering him a fist pump. "Now we have to get a second girlfriend for you."

"No, she's the one," Kadin laughed, amused at his friend's proposition.

The old world that preceded his new existence seemed almost dreamlike. He could vaguely recall his mother and sister by the vine house. Nor could he remember the fields and plains he once roamed in adolescence. Only the occasional letters from his mother jolted him back to his former self.

Then one night, while he drifted to sleep, the memory of his father gathered like portentous clouds. What did he want?