Heart Of Gold

The Return

In two months on the job, Rose had earned a reputation for being unflappable under pressure. 

So she was shocked when, around one o'clock in the morning on a Saturday, she felt a wave of panic wash over her. A violent shiver ripped down her spine and an unsettling sense of unease weighed down on her limbs. 

Unprepared, her knees buckled and she collapsed on the floor of the radio studio.

Rose knelt down, trying to regain her composure while her producer came running in. Brushing off his concern, she stood and apologized, forcing a smile that she hoped looked genuine. The strange shiver had left her and in its place a hot flush spread across her cheeks.

What is wrong with me? 

Rose chastised herself mentally. She wasn't even halfway through her shift.

"You okay?" Her boss, George, eyed her carefully. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm fine," Rose smiled, brushing him off. "Sorry about that, I don't know what happened. I just got this weird feeling all of a sudden. It's nothing though."

"If you say so," George shrugged. "We're back from commercial break in two minutes – go splash some water on your face and get right back."

"I'm on it." She tried to shake the unease that had settled inside her but couldn't. She didn't like the feeling - Rose wasn't one to dwell on things and this strange sense of dread left her uneasy.

The next four hours dragged by slowly. When she finally got home, it was just after five in the morning. Despite the chill in the air, Rose opened her bedroom window, letting the cold, salty air fill her lungs. Rose took deep breaths, trying to let go of the unsettling feeling. Wandering into the kitchen, Rose found a bottle of wine and poured herself a full glass. It would be hard to fall asleep without something to help ease her nerves.

Eventually, sleep found her.

When she woke later that morning, the sun was shining in through the window, casting its warm beam of light on her. Rose stretched, noting that the strange feeling that had overwhelmed her last night still lingered. She pulled on a ratty old gym shirt and bike shorts, threw her hair up in a ponytail, and laced up her running shoes before heading out the door. She cleared her mind and concentrated on her breathing as she ran, relishing the feel of her calves and muscles working.

By the time she got home, her legs ached with the satisfying feeling of a good workout. There was a text on her phone from Danny saying to call him as soon as she got home.

Rose dialed his number and waited as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Danny's frantic voice came as a shock to Rose.

"Danny, hey," she said, frowning. "What's going on?"

"There was an accident," Danny began, his voice hollow. "Gail's mom called this morning - oh, Rose ..."

"It's okay," Rose soothed, "take a deep breathe. Everything's okay."

"No, Rose. It was Gail." Rose's heart skipped a beat. "There was a car crash, and she's..."

"She's okay, though, right?" Rose interrupted. "She's fine?"

"She's dead, Rose," Danny said. "Gail's dead."

The blood rushed out of her head and Rose sat down on the floor beside the oven, afraid that she might pass out.

"No," she whispered. "She's not, she can't be."