It's a Start
'Breathe, Cass; in and out, in and out.' It was a constant mantra in Cassiel’s mind as she ran. 'In through your nose, Cass; your nose! Then out through your mouth. Get it right! Breathe, Cass; in and out, in and out.'
Not being much of a runner, Cass had to constantly remind herself how to breathe or she might pass out. Being human made breathing essential. And Cass sucked at it. But, running; running was something that was getting easier and easier the more she trained. And the training hadn’t been her idea, thank you very much; no, that idea had come from her mother. Her mother was a saint and a brick house. Cass could count on her for anything.
'Okay, just one more mile; remember to breathe!'
As soon as Cass could see her house, she picked up speed and dashed inside; se was grateful her mother had left the door unlocked. And the smell that hit her when she shut the door was powerful and delicious.
“Whatever you made I want some!” Cass hollered down the hall in the direction of the kitchen.
“You get a protein shake; you know the rules.”
Groaning, Cass headed down the hallway, “But, pancakes!”
“But nothing, Cass, sweetie; you don't need the extra carbs.”
Looking down at her full figure, Cass glared over at her mom, “Are you implying that I’m fat?”
Her mother, with her tall, model-like build and wavy auburn hair, turned to glare right back and her daughter. “Who said anything about losing weight? I just know that you’re going to pig out at the donut buffet they have set up at your work. So, like I said, you don’t need the extra carbs.”
Nodding her head, Cass went over to pour her shake into a bottle before asking, “How do you know there’s gonna be a donut buffet at my work?”
“It’s Friday, sweetie; they always provide donuts on Fridays.”
“Right,” and Cass made her way over to the fridge to make sure the lunch she had packed the night before was still in the fridge and still in the lunch box/cooler she received for Christmas the previous year.
'Food doesn’t just get up and walk away, Dumbo.' Cass rolled her eyes at herself before responding back: 'It does if you have to hunt it down and kill it.'
Sighing, Cass pivoted and headed up the back stairway so that she could take a shower and change into her work clothes. It was a job she both loved and hated but she was fully aware that not many people even liked their job so Cass knew that she should be grateful. She was and she wasn’t; a great juxtaposition, truly.
As soon as she said goodbye to her mother and started down the road in her car – a 2007 Hyundai Sonata with crap cupholders – Cass felt the sudden urge to turn back around and simply go back to bed. She wouldn’t, she never did, but the feeling was always there. Pushing onwards, Cass made it to work and was immediately greeted by six little two-year-olds even though eight more were expected.
Being a preschool teacher was both rewarding and draining (physically and mentally) but it was a job she loved even if it didn’t love Cass in return. Her co-teachers, including the one who opened her room and stayed with her all day (thank God for small mercies) were some of the best people she knew. And, to top it off, none of them were fazed when she told them about her mutation (the owners, being the ones who hired her, were the first to know). But, to be fair, her mutation wasn’t something to fear. Cass just had to learn to keep gloves on at all times and wear long sleeves and pants because the kids were a casualty just as adults. Just a touch of skin on skin and that person’s life – past, present and future – were thrust into Cass’s mind. So, touching was off limits (it had become too much after so many of the kids she took care of ended up having short-lived lives).
The future, Cass knew, was never a guarantee, but, even if something were to happen where the future of someone she had changed, Cass would have a sudden migraine and the new path would be shown to her. So, again, touching was a no-go.
And, every day, after so much chaotic learning, Cass would go home and meditate. In the process of destressing, her mother would come into the family room with two steaming cups of herbal tea. The two women would sit and chat about their days before heading their separate ways and going to bed. Those were the best days. Sometimes, things would go askew, and nothing would go right.
Today was an off-day and Cass knew that something would happen the way she had envisioned it. Something Cass dubbed ‘A Start’.