No Rivers in Riverton - Chapter Four: Ignorance is Bliss

Ignorance is Bliss
4

I didn't open my eyes at first. I just felt the heat of the sun on my face and I listened. I listened to the activity outside; there wasn't much at all today. Every once in awhile I heard a dog bark or some kid scream something. Usually I can tell what the weather is like outside just by listening to it. Today sounded.... sunny. I bet there was a nice little breeze too. I could hear the rustling of leaves outside my window. Finally, I persuaded myself to open my eyes; it isnt until you open your eyes that the day really starts.

First I saw my wall; it was a plain white wall but the shades obscured the light a little so it looked more like a pale yellow. My pillow kind of got in the way of my view so I took it out from under my head and placed it on my side by the edge of the bed. I must have placed it too close I guess because it fell onto the floor. I had no intention of picking it up. I was laying a little on my right side so I straightened up and laid on my back. I turned my head to the left and looked at the shades just above my bed on the left wall. One of the shades was missing and the missing spot cast a white line along the walls of my room. The space was blindingly bright and it hurt my eyes to look at so I turned my head to gape at my room again. The room wasn't adorned with little nick-nacks all over the place but was actually pretty empty. I had a cheap wooden dresser on the north wall beyond my feet; it was one of those cheap white ones that you have to put together with plastic screws. If too much pressure were applied to it I'm sure it would buckle and the fake wood would break into a million little splinters. On top of the dresser was my alarm clock. It was also cheap. I had bought both items from Walmart. What did you expect with such "low, low prices". The alarm clock was telling me that it was already 2:24 P.M. It was set to go off every morning at 6:00 A.M. it just never does; never has.

Besides the dresser I have a closet to my far right. It was closed. I almost never open it. If I did I'd be greeted with forgotten baseball cards and my old action figures. It was full of all the little nick-nacks that arent placed in my room. They weren't even useful nick-nacks; just things like the little Monopoly pieces that I lost the board to a long time ago but just couldnt let go of. It was filled with things like that. I had some shirts and pants hanging in it too. Stuff I'd never wear. Clothes I had collected over a decade of Christmas's from relatives I had never met before and was likely to never meet again. Anyway, to the left of the closet was a glass-top table; one of the rectangular kind. I had change and candy wrappers sprawled all over the glass. There was also a porcelain lamp with a plastic lamp shade. I just never bothered to take the plastic off.

I was still wearing the clothes I had worn to the fair yesterday. I started thinking about yesterday, it had been truely perfect. I wished I could have taken Juli's smile and framed it to look at whenever I was blue. I don't know why I didnt think about bringing a camera; I guess I was just too excited to think about the small things yesterday. I really wish I had. Suddenly, all these thoughts started welling up in my brain. They were stampeding to the surface of my mind but I suppressed them. Whatever the thoughts were I didn't want to think about them.

I willed myself up onto the side of the bed into the sitting position. I sat there only for a moment and then stood up and stretched my arms toward the ceiling. Standing on my tippy toes, I let out a yawn. I needed to get up, it was almost 3 o'clock. I opened my door and scrambled my way to the bathroom. I guess my legs weren't fully awake yet. I turned the nobs of the sink and put my hands under the faucet ready to receive the warm water. After my face was thoroughly soaked I took the hand towel hanging on the rod next to the mirror and wiped my face dry. Even after the refreshing wash I was still a little tired. I tried to remember when it was I finally went to sleep last night but stopped myself for some reason. I stood still for a second and just listened. I didnt hear any other signs of life in the house. I guess my parents went to work already. Of course they had, it was already 3 o'clock. What was I thinking? I wasnt.

I went back into the hall and walked to the end of it, up until the front door. The living room was to the right and the kitchen to the left. I thought I'd grab a little something so I walked into the kitchen. I have to admit that we have a very nice kitchen. It has light brown sanded brick tiles that were shaped like octagons. We have a nice mahogany table in the center with a nice wicker basket of fruit. Real fruit not the wax kind that have no purpose other than to look good. It was a fairly sized square-shaped table and my mom had all the plates and silverware out. She always leaves them out on the table. But there was something else. A note. I walked closer to the table and sat on one of the immaculately carved oak chairs surrounding the table.

We're so sorry for what happened, honey. These things are never planned, they just happen. You should just take today to rest and get some sleep since we had a crazy morning. We have to go to work now but if you need us for anything just call us. It wasn't your fault.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Those thoughts that I had tried to suppress earlier were now shaking and rattling the bars of the cage I had put them in. I wasn't going to let them out. I just knew that if I did I would be crushed--crushed under the weight of my thoughts. So I just ignored them. I crumpled the note in my hand and I tossed it into the trash bin. I decided to get some OJ so I stood up and walked to the fridge. Grasping the handle of the fridge I jerked it open. The cold air from the fridge embraced me and I reached in and pulled out the OJ carton. I got a glass from the cabinet and poored myself a moderate serving. I brought the glass to my lips and let the juice flow into my throat. The OJ tasted very good. It was a bit sour but thats how you know its real juice. After I had another glass I thought I'd go sit on the couch in the living room. I brought the glass with me.

I placed the glass on the coffee table that was next to the couch and then I dived. I landed on my back and kind of sank into all the couch pillows. It was one of those couches that you sink in; my favorite kind. Across from the couch was a big flatscreen TV. No, not one of those LCD flatscreen TVs but the gigantic ones that came out in the mid 90's. They were the great monoliths you'd see in a living room. We were planning on getting a newer one, we just hadnt gotten to it I guess. I felt like watching a little TV but when I went to grab the remote from the coffee table my head started swelling up with all the thoughts again. I thought about the note. I didnt want to think about it too much but they said that this morning was crazy. What had happened this morning? I didnt want to go any further into it so I turned the TV on and there was some type of soap on so I started flipping through the channels. I flipped passed one of the news channels for a second and the only thing I caught was some reporter lady and I could swear I saw the word "Riverton" for a second. I was going to flip back to the reporter but then I got this deep feeling in my gut not to. Curiosity got the best of me and I flipped it back to the news channel.

"...still looking for the person who committed this horrific crime. The police arent releasing any information on the case and as of right now there are no suspects. The police are urging any citizen who might have any information about this case to step forward. As you might imagine the citizens of Riverton are really shaken up over this murder, especially since it was only a few blocks away from the school. We spoke to a friend of the victim earlier this afternoon, lets hear what she has to say about losing her friend."

The report jumped to an interview that had been recorded earlier this afternoon and I was surprised to see Erica's face covering up my televison screen. Erica is a friend of me and Juli. Her face was sore and pink and you could tell she had been crying her eyes out. Suddenly I took the remote and turned the TV off. I didn't want to know. I knew I couldn't bear to hear what Erica was going to say. I couldn't... I just couldnt hear her say the words. I was starting to panic and my breathing was becoming erratic. I was loosing control of my thoughts. The bars in my mind's cage were bending and I could hear the iron bars making that sound they make right before they break. "Err CRACK!" The cage was broken and the thoughts were flooding my head and I was drowning. The livingroom was spinning so fast... so very fast. I fealt my shoulder hit the floor. My face met the carpet and I was frozen much like when your computer freezes and you only see a black screen and the white cursor. No matter how much you jiggle the mouse the cursor just doesnt move. The computer needed to be restarted. But there was no one to restart my mind. My body was an empty shell. I just saw the carpet going on for miles. White, fuzzy carpet. I just then realized that I had stopped breathing.

I coughed and gasped for air as I sat up on the carpet. I felt moisture on my cheek and my vision became obscured with hot tears. I heard something... it was subtle but I could hear it whispering.

"No.... no...." I could hear myself saying "No". I couldnt tell if my lips were moving or if the whispers were just in my head. I had a pounding headache and the light from the windows were stinging my eyes. Then something unexpected happened. I stood up and I was moving towards the front door. Only it fealt like I was floating to it. I couldnt feel my legs walking to it, I just fealt like a floating conscience. Like I was on a ride. The door opened, I dont know if I used the handle or it just opened on its own. I winced at the sudden flood of daylight but I kept floating down the driveway. The sun was brighter than I had ever seen it; it was just this overpowering white light. I floated down Garrin Street, if there were cars or people I dont recall them, it was just my floating conscienceness. I passed where me and Juli had split to go our different ways last night. I started to feel the bottom of my feet. I fealt the sharp pebbles of the asphalt cutting into my feet but my legs kept moving forward of their own volition. Finally I had to stop. I saw yellow tape, the kind you see on those detective shows that they place at a crime scene. There were a few cop cars on the other side of the tape and a few cops were doing something on the sidewalk. One of them was walking towards me and I think he said something but I didn't hear him. I just glanced at him for a second and then back at the sidewalk.

It was the oddest thing I've ever seen in my life. I might as well have been staring at a UFO crashsite. The whole scene was just so "otherworldy".