Diana R Dukes

The Little Black Book

The blaring of her alarm awakened Eva Banks with a start. Even after 8 hours of sleep, she was still bone weary. It was Saturday, her day to volunteer at the senior center, but all she wanted to do was stay in bed, wrapped in the cocoon of her thin but comfortable blanket. "Oh well," she thought. "A promise is a promise, and after all I've been through, I can't simply break the one I made when I signed up for this." She reluctantly got up, took a shower, got dressed, then steeled herself for the mile long walk to the center. Leaving her shabby apartment, she quickly glanced up and down the street, checking the weather, but also looking for any sign of HIM. Seeing none, she sighed with relief, then started her long walk. As she walked, she thought about her life, and all of the things which had happened to bring he to this place and time. She knew she shouldn't think about those things, because she was desperately trying to begin a new life, one devoid of fear, heartbreak and loss. So intent was she with her musings, she abruptly found herself stumbling over something lying on the sidewalk. Coming back into the moment with a jolt, she looked down at the thing which almost sent her sprawling, and saw that it was a book. A little black book, to be exact. She picked it up and opened it, thinking that it might be a novel she could read on those nights when she couldn't sleep at all. But all she saw on those slightly yellow and worn pages were letters and symbols which to her seemed to be some kind of foreign language or codes. Not being able to figure it out, and already running late for her duties at the center, she put the book into her purse, and promptly forgot about it.