Calmness

Sandra Gerz

by Sandra Gerz

Story

Calmness had always been something she was only able to achieve at home with her cats or when she was at work and completely zoning out in her flow state. She was calm now and she was neither at home nor cutting hair. The room the two purple creatures had given her had become her home somehow, even though it was probably not that much time she had spent here. It was hard to tell because sunsets and sunrises were for one much slighter than they used to be on earth and for the other she had no idea how many earth hours one day here would equal.

Her cat passed her by on its way outside. There really wasn’t much that would harm it here. Something else that was completely different to earth. On earth she had always been afraid a car might hit her cats.

“We have news,” the less wrinkly creature said. She still considered it weird that none of the creatures here had a name or even a pronoun other than it. Everyone was it.

She licked her arm. The kind of sour taste of what was considered food here had become normal. She had even found out it could vary slightly depending on where she was. “What’s up?”

“You can go home”

“Home?” She froze up. The thought of living the rest of her life here at the other end of the galaxy had become normal. It no longer seemed like a threat but like a fact she was just going to accept. She had no idea how long she had been gone and how much things might have changed. “When?” She did want to see her cats again and real human food would be great too. It might be worth it.

The less wrinkly creature pointed at a strange area in front of it. Fingertips holding a sponge kept sticking out, retracting and trying again a little farther to one side or another. “Now”

“Now? But I’m not prepared and … my cat!”

“Don’t worry,” the other creature handed her the cat. It bit the creature’s hand, but the creature didn’t let go. It did look like it was silently cursing the cat though. “Here you go. Be safe”

She was shaking as she said farewell. “Can I visit you sometime?”

“Sure! Now, just walk through and you will be back home” The wrinkly creature waved like she had taught it.

Everything was so much brighter when she exited. She slipped and felt something giving way. Someone around her screamed. She let go off her cat so it might be able to run.

So, this was it. Everything she had done and seen and now she was back at home. It was a strange feeling she couldn’t hope to describe.

© Sandra Gerz 2023-01-08

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