I floated above my doppelganger, hovering just a foot away from Ms. Ida. Being incorporeal, I would periodically wave as if blown by a breeze, much like a flag held high in a child's hand during a 4th of July parade. So when Ms. Ida looked my way, I was startled because it seemed like she could see me. She dipped her head, nodding slightly, and looked up with just her eyes. Her gaze pierced me like a pin would pierce a moth onto an insect display. The gaze was brief, I'm not sure if Kiara, who was studying Rihanna's reaction to Ms. Ida's handshake very closely, even noticed. The moment passed and we were ushered into the house.
The house was laid out as you'd expect. A welcoming entryway led to a cozy den and ended in a bright kitchen nestled into the back of the house. The far side of the kitchen was made up of what could only be described as a wall of windows broken only by a door which led to the backyard. Ms. Ida offered chocolate chip cookies which Meanie Me exclaimed were her favorite. Chocolate chip! I'd take a snickerdoodle over chocolate chip any day.
The three sat at a large round table while I scanned the room, looking for any signs of drifting fog. The fog had thickened while we stood outside on the porch, growing dark and ominous. I could see it in the distance wrapped around the bottoms of the trees, worming its way through Ms. Ida's backyard, stopping a few feet away from the bushes protecting the house's backside. The kitchen seemed so bright and cheerful; however, that I couldn't fathom the fog daring to seep through any crack an old Victorian house might possess. I turned my attention back to the group at the table and quickly learned that Ms. Ida was the type of lady that gets straight to the point.
I had noticed that Meanie Me's mood had shifted with the fog, becoming, if possible, even more distant and cold. Her comments to Ms. Ida were snide and waspish and as she listened to Ms. Ida's advice, her expression clouded over.
Ms. Ida lectured her on secrets and shadows and the importance of faith, hope and love. She warned Rihanna that by trusting in the empty secrets of shadows, she could ultimately lose her soul.
"Push back the darkness, Rihanna," Ms. Ida exclaimed. "Allow the light of God's Glory to shine through and break the hold this shadow seems to have over you or you may well remain separated from the integral part of yourself that makes you a caring and compassionate human being."
"Caring and compassionate," snorted Rihanna. "You mean dull and boring. I do not look toward the shadows for fulfillment of any kind. I look to them for release. Release from the mundane. Release from responsibility. Release from the need of others who are constantly asking me to do something or to be someone they want me to be. The shadows offer me freedom from these things."
I rolled my eyes. Not only was Rihanna growing meaner, she was also a big whiner. I had, though, been thinking these very same thoughts over the last few weeks. I needed to get Meanie Me's attention fast. Instinctively, I knew that the longer we remained two separate parts, the harder it would be to put us back together. Ms. Ida's advice only seemed to make Rihanna less responsive to a reunion, so I had to act fast.
Also, as Rihanna's temper worsened, I noticed the fog bank grew. It had made its way across the yard and was now creeping through the bushes to reach the house. So, Rihanna and the fog were connected. I could only assume the shadow both Kiara and I had witnessed over the last two days was also connected to the fog. But how did Ms. Ida play into this and why was the fog around her house and not Kiara's?
Suddenly, Kiara grabbed Rihanna's hands. "Listen to me you twit! I love you, your kids love you, Rico loves you and The Mother loves you. Get over yourself. The only way to find fulfillment in this life is through trusting in God. You know that."
Kiara's grip appeared to shoot through Rihanna like a bolt of electricity. Rihanna's eyes bulged and she jumped, knees hitting the table with such force that the plate of cookies were knocked to the floor.
Rihanna panicked and screamed, "Let go of me!" I could hear the fear in her voice. Kiara kept her grip on Rihanna's hands, holding tight. Her eyes bored into Rihanna's.
"I will not let go, ever. This dark side of you is weak. It cannot bear the pressure of life because it is basically already soulless. This freedom you seek through the shadow is only fleeting. At some point, you will have to pay a price. Again, listen to me! Put yourself back together before it is too late. You're not humpty dumpty, I know you can do it!"
My thoughts started to spin and I felt a pull, like a vacuum. Rihanna was now in full panic mode struggling with Kiara to release her hands. The pull grew and my world began to whirl downward. Wall, window, cabinet...wall, window, cabinet....round and round I went. Rihanna screamed louder, pleading with Kiara to let go of her hands. From somewhere a mumbling sound broke through the racket, but I couldn't pinpoint the source. I was very dizzy; the twisting downward plunge reeking havoc on my senses.
Kiara entreating, Rihanna screaming and the mumbling noise twirled around with the wall, windows, cabinet until...silence.
I opened my eyes and looked straight up into Ms. Ida's steely gaze. Where once I saw kindness, now I saw only malice.
