On the Park Bench

“Life has gotten really weird for me,” Aurora said once they had settled down on the bench. Her cheeks flushed and she faced away from Isabella. A couple went by, walking a dog.

“Define weird,” Isabella replied. Aurora could hear the amiable smirk in her voice.

Aurora drew a deep breath, trying to find the phrasing. Then she opened her mouth and her planning fell away. It all came pouring out. She felt like she was watching herself from afar. She told Isabella about the headaches, the weird vision. She told her about the accidents. She told her about Raeth and what he had explained to her. She even started talking about her suspicions. About her mom.

Aurora was surprised she got as far as she did before Isabella finally interrupted.

“Wait, wait, slow down,” Isabella said. “There's a lot to process here.”

“Sorry.” Aurora continued to stare ahead, her eyes fixed on the horizon. She couldn't handle the look of bemusement Isabella would have on her face.

“So I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to say 'You must be crazy' or something along those lines,” Isabella continued. “I'm supposed to throw out everything I know about you and defend my view of reality by ignoring your story.” Aurora felt a gentle hand on her face. It turned her to face Isabella, who was simple smiling her lovely, patient smile. “It sounds like you have some evidence for all this. So show me.”