Silvia was dead inside.
No more tears. No more thoughts.
Nothing.
As she glanced around at the rest of the coffee shop, she saw the other patrons still enjoying their day. Laughing, talking, drinking their coffee, like the world had not ended. She guessed it still existed for them. It went on being a sunny day and things were going to be ok for them still.
But not for her.
With the closing of a door, Silvia's world stopped revolving. To her, it didn't matter if it was rain or shine. Day or night. It was going to be the same for the rest of her life: forever dark.
With a sigh, she decided she might as well go home. "I can be just as miserable there as I can here," she thought to herself. Silvia got up and gather her and Matt's coffee cups for the trash. Walking to the receptacle almost took more energy than she had left in her. When she got back to the table to get her purse, she saw the yellow envelope still next to where she had been sitting.
Silvia picked it up and stared at it in her hand. Then she began to shake. Not from cold, nor from tears. Anger was what she was feeling! How could he do this to me, she screamed in her mind! How could he walk out after all the talk we went through? All the instruction! All the pictures He helped paint for her with His examples! Was that all it was? Just talk?
She turned around and almost stormed out of the coffeeshop. Walking by the trash receptacle on the way to the door, Silvia had half a thought to just chucking the damn thing in. She reached out her hand to give the envelope a good shove, when she stopped.
No....
This.....This is my reward. No matter what it is, I worked for this. I need to see it though to the end.
Silva left the coffeeshop with a final determination. She wasn't going to wait til she got home, she was going to open there in the car. Yes, it was against His final orders, but to HELL with him. He left me there all alone! With that thought, Silvia stomped over to her car, unlocked the door and tossed the yellow thing into the passenger seat. She then sat there and wondered if she should. "I know I don't owe him anything," bubbled into her thoughts, then it all went quiet.
Silvia picked up the envelope and looked it all over. On the front was Matt's name and an address. Slightly perplexed, she wondered if this was his home. Why on earth would he put that there? He never told her where he lived. Squeezing the package told her there was something small in it, but could not tell exactly what. Her left hand went to open the clasp to see what was inside...
No, Again.
She did owe Him something. She owed Him one last act of obedience. That wasn't exactly right, she thought. I owe myself one last act of obedience to him. With that, she set the envelope back in the passenger seat and started her car to head home.
After putting her car in the garage, Silvia walked in the mudroom and into the house proper. She crossed the sill into the kitchen and hung up her keys and purse. She then walked into the dinning room. Silvia didn't use it much anymore since her husband moved out. She either ate in the kitchen or the TV room. Sitting at the slightly dusty table, she again stared at the package. The outside still gave her now answers.
Oh, screw this already! Just open the fucking thing!
Silvia popped open the clasp and reached her hand inside. The first thing she felt was a piece of paper, She pulled it out and discovered it was actually two pieces, both folded in half. The top piece had a paperclip attached. She set the envelope and second paper down on the table so she could see what was on the first paper. Unfolding it, she saw a ten dollar bill was under the paperclip. On the paper itself, was a short sentence written in neat handwriting. It read:
"For the Coffee and Postage, if necessary"
She tossed the sheet on the table. Money. One of His last acts was to give her money. Eww, Silvia thought. Slouching back in her chair, she reached out and retrieved the other piece of paper. "I wonder what he will want in this one, " She grouched to herself, "a bill for time spent?" Flipping the paper open with one hand, she glanced at it. Again the neat handwriting. The her eyes widened as she read what was there!
Oh
My
GOD!
"Silvia," It started:
"I can not begin to tell you how much I have enjoyed our time together! You have been such an apt pupil during our discussions and I truly believe you will make a fine subject for further education within my world. However, this is not something I can pull you into by force or deception. This is a choice you, and you alone, have to make. I am more than willing to hold out my hand and lead you into this world, but you have to cross that line of your own volition. This world is not something you have ever experienced before. It will be new. It will be scary. It will be painful. It is not for everyone or the weak.
Enclosed is my invitation for you to join me in it."
And then the tears fell again. Only this time, they were incredibly, incredibly, incredibly happy tears!
Silvia threw the paper on the table and picked up the envelope! Turning it upside down with her right, she held out her left to catch what was left in the damn thing! But nothing came out! Shaking the package, she felt something finally dislodge and land in her hand. It was a piece of leather about 8 inches long and, maybe, two inches wide. A chrome buckle and a small D ring in the front. She knew what it was, but never thought she would ever wear one.
A collar. He had given her a collar!
`fin`
