Chapter 1
He sat at his desk with his head down in his arms. He isn’t slacking on the job. In fact, he is ahead on the budget and finance reports for the next quarter. The man is exhausted. He has been like this for years now and no amount of sleep gives him any rest. The only relief he gets comes from when he takes his private clients in the afternoon.

Quietly, without looking he reached into the desk drawer to his right and pulled out a small gray cloth bag. He dropped it on the desk next to his head.

He lifted his head and stretched some. The man shouted at the office door. “Come in!” There was a knock at the door. He sighed. “I said, come in!”

The door opened and a woman in her mid-thirties walked in. There are really no good words to describe her other than bland and plain. Everything about her was simple from her light tan clothing to her short light brown hair.

“If you would miss, please shut the blinds as you come in.” He pointed to some strings hanging next to the door.

“I was told by a family friend that you could help me.” She turned and pulled one of the strings to close the blinds covering the picture windows that looked out into the office of cubicles.

“Of course. What is your question?” He took the small gray bag off of the desk and untied the strings that kept it closed. Pouring out the contents he beckoned the woman closer with his other hand. Out of the bag came what the woman guessed to be a couple dozen random sized pebbles of differing size and color.

She walked over to the desk. “It’s about my husband. He left me two weeks ago and I am afraid that he may never come back.” Her voice was quivering.

“Please Miss, have a seat.” He stretched his hand out palm up pointing at the chair across from him.

“My name is…” But before she could finish he lifted his hand again and waved his finger at her.

“Miss, your name has no relevance. Look at these stones and tell me what you see.”

“Well,” She mused to herself and leaned in closer to the stones and studied them. One could tell by the way her eye brows bunched together that she was really trying to see something. After a few moments her face relaxed. “I see a road and a fountain.”

“Alright, now you have something of his in your purse. Give it to me now.”

She was puzzled at the harsh way he spoke to her. She did however reach into her purse and pull out a heavy gold watch. She placed it on the desk in front of him. The man took the watch in his left hand and gathered some of the stones in his right . With a throw he cast the stones down again. With his right hand now empty he moved it over the stones rolling them under his fingers.

Images flooded his mind. All of them pertaining to the man who used to wear the watch. He saw a sea side village which was most likely in Western Europe from the look of the architecture, possibly Portugal or Spain. There was a sense of emotion of what could only have been bliss. The images darkened. The moon was high in the sky. There was a bonfire. Couples surrounded it some dancing slowly wrapped in each others arms others just sat peacefully lounging and watching the flames. In the lost husband’s arms rested a beautiful young woman with flowing brunette hair. She held a single rose to her heart as she looked lovingly up at him. The images faded.

The man began to speak plainly. “He isn’t coming back and you shouldn’t worry about him. As a matter of fact, he is fine and happier now that he has moved on, than ever before. You are really wasting your time pretending to fret over him. Not to mention, I can see that you have had some fun of your own very recently.” There was a third image in the background that had shown this very bland woman place the watch on a young man’s wrist. A young man that was maybe in his early twenties. She wanted him to wear it and some other pieces of jewelry that most likely belonged to her husband while they were falling over each other.

“How dare you speak to me like that!” She roared at him then crossed herself in the Roman Catholic fashion. “I should never have come here! My house woman was wrong about you, you are a monster from Hell!”

The man leaned back in his chair and let out a thoughtful chuckle. “Before you storm out of here miss, there is still the issue of my fee.”

She laughed with contempt. “You have some nerve to think I am going to give you anything for that load of crap you just fed me. You‘re just jealous because I have true love in my life.” She yelled at him with such fierceness that showed deep down she knew he had spoken the truth. The plain woman made her way to the door.

“Miss, you really mustn’t do this.” By this time he was speaking with condescension in his voice. “If you walk out that door without giving me my fee, you will never know the truth that your bastard husband is alive and well. You will forget everything that has taken place since you came into this room. And lastly you will never be satisfied with your own life, which I doubt if you ever have been.”

At that, the plain woman lifted her head in defiance and took the last three steps out of the office slamming the door behind her.

As the room settled back into it’s omnipresence of peace and order. He gathered the stones and placed them back in the bag, and put the bag in it’s place next to his calculator in the top drawer to his right. Still laying on the desk was the heavy gold watch. He turned in his chair so that he was facing a set of dark stained wood cabinets. He opened one of the lower doors and pulled out a rusty green metal box covered in dust. Cringing on the inside he took out the box and set it on his lap. Inside the very old box were around a dozen random trinkets on top of a crust of black char. A fresh water pearl rosary with silver Christ, a gold bracelet, and a pair of shoddy red sunglasses to name a few. He dropped the watch into the box and put everything back where it was this time hiding the box behind some files in the cabinet.

He leaned his head back on the head rest of an almost extravagant office chair. Supple black leather with silver buttons and a frame of dark mahogany. He sat there taking in a few deep and calm breaths.

“Come in.” Once again there was a tapping on the other side. He kept quiet, and slowly the door opened. Walking into the room was a nondescript plain woman with tan clothing and short light brown hair.

“Before you ask about your husband do you mind if I open the window? It would be nice to have some fresh air. Please, have a seat.” He stood without waiting for her reply and opened the window between two dark stained cabinets. He went back to his desk and once more pulled the bag from the drawer and poured the stones out. “Tell me what you see in these stones.”

She came over to the desk and sat down looking at the many rocks. After a few moments she replied, “I see a road and a fountain. By the way my name is…” He cut her off again.

“Miss, there is no reason for me to know your name. Names lead to connections and connections lead to disappointment. So, I‘ll just know you as Miss.” He swirled the stones on the desk never taking his eyes off of her. “Now, Do you still see the same thing?”

Her eyes widened as she looked at the stones. “Well I‘ll be. Yes I do. Even more clearly actually from just a bunch of rocks.”

The man let out a heavy breath. “Well then miss, you shouldn’t worry. Your husband is just fine and is even on his way back.”

She was so happy with this news that a tear swelled up in her right eye and fell down her cheek. She didn’t even bother to notice the grief covering the man’s face.

“Thank you, oh thank you sir. Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“My fee is fifty U.S. dollars. Cash is preferred.” Though the grief was still there, a sly smile rose to the surface. He considered himself to be humorous. He knew she wanted more but he couldn’t suffer her being here anymore today.

“Oh my, well that is a bit steep but you don’t know what this news means to me.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her large wallet stuffed to the brink of bursting with worthless receipts and cards. She undid the snap closure and pulled out the money he required. “Here you go. And again, with all my heart, thank you.” She turned and walked out the door and as soon as it was sealed the man‘s eyes began to water.

He spoke though no one else was in the room. “Master, I don’t understand why they just can’t accept the reality of what they create for themselves.”

A smooth and almost melodic voice answered. “Because my all-seeing one, they are blinded by their own wants and desires.”

“Send me home Master. The day is at an end.” A cloud of smoke formed in the room and surrounded the man. When the smoke closed the man off from all light and sense of sight, it faded and he was sitting on an old broken down two cushioned red leather love seat in the living room of his wretched cold apartment.

The man found himself to be hungry. He gathered himself up and took the few steps necessary to reach his kitchenette. The floor of the apartment was littered with old newspaper articles, liquor bottles, and random trash.

He opened the cupboard and didn’t find anything appealing. Only after looking in the fridge did he find anything to eat. He grabbed a cold bratwurst and took a few bites out of it. He went back into the living room and fell into the love seat. His exhaustion took hold of him finally and he passed out without the assistance of his usual late night companions, liquor and sedatives.

His head rested on the desk wrapped in his arms. Some people would most likely think the man was sleeping on the job, but the truth was he was ahead on the budget and finance reports for the next quarter. Not to mention, the office had been closed for almost two hours now. The man was exhausted and he had been like that for years now. No amount of sleep could give him any rest, the only relief he received came from when he took his private clients in the evenings.

Quietly, without looking he reached into the desk drawer to his right and pulled out a small grey cloth bag. He dropped the bag on the desk next to his head.

The man lifted his head and stretched. He shouted at the office door. “Come in!” There was a knock at the door. He sighed, “I said, come in!”

The door opened and a woman in her mid-thirties slowly walked through it. There were really no good words to describe her other than bland and plain. Everything about her was simple from her tan clothing to her short light brown hair.

“If you would miss, please shut the blinds as you come in.” He pointed to some strings hanging next to the door.

“Hello, I was told by a family friend that you could help me.” She turned and pulled one of the strings to close the blinds covered the wall of glass that looked out into the empty office of cubicles.

“Of course, what do you need to know?” He took the small grey bag off of the desk and untied the strings that kept it closed. He poured out the contents as he beckoned the woman closer with his other hand. The contents from the bag turned out to be nothing more than random sized and colored pebbles.

She walked over to the desk. “It’s about my husband. You see, he left me two weeks ago, and I am afraid that he may never come back.” Her voice was quivering. The man could tell that she was nervous coming to him. Everyone was nervous when they came to him, at first.

“Please Miss, have a seat.” He waved his hand palm up in a welcoming gesture towards the chair across from him.

“My name is…” But before she could finish he had lifted his hand to stop her.

“Miss, I don‘t need to know what you name is. What I do need is for you to look at these stones and tell me what you see.”

“Well,” She leaned in closer to the stones and studied them. The man knew by the way her eyebrows bunched together that she was trying very hard to see something. After a few moments her face relaxed. “I think I see a road and a fountain.”

“Alright.” He took in a few breaths and rolled his neck form side to side. “You have something of his in your purse, place it on the desk.” His voice had become darker which gave it almost a cruel intonation.

The woman was surprised with the change in his voice and how he knew what was in her purse. However, she reached into her purse and pulled out a heavy gold watch, which she placed on the desk in front of him. The man took the watch in his left hand and gathered some of the stones in his right. He threw the stones in his right hand down. Then, with his right hand empty he moved it over the stones and rolled them under his fingers.

Images flooded into the man’s mind. All of them pertained to the previous owner of the watch. There was a seaside village most likely located in Western Europe from the look of the architecture. The husband had been fulfilling his dreams and desires. Rustic cottages and villas full of peace were where the husband had been.

The images shifted and darkened. The moon was hung in the night sky as if was painted on. A large bonfire had been built that was surrounded by couples. Some danced slowly around it While others had sat wrapped in each others arms watching the flames. In the husband’s arms rested a beautiful young woman her red hair flowed over her shoulders. She held a single rose to her heart as she and the husband looked lovingly into each others eyes. The images faded into nothing as he looked up at the plain woman‘s face.

The man began to speak plainly, “Your husband isn’t going to come back and you really shouldn’t worry about him. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be happier now that he has moved on, than ever before.” The woman's eyes were began to fill with tears as he continued. “I must say, you are wasting your time pretending to fret over him. I saw many things thanks to this watch including the young man you recently put it on.”

When the flood of images first hit him he had witnessed other things from the watch. The bland woman placed the watch on a young man’s wrist. A young man that was maybe in his early twenties. She wanted him to wear it and some other pieces of jewelry that most likely belonged to her husband while they had been falling all over each other.

“How dare you speak to me like that!” She roared at him then crossed herself in the Roman Catholic fashion. “I should never have come here! My house woman was wrong about you, you have made deals with Hell!” She’d become scared from his words. She had been shaking so badly when she accused him that she could hardly point at him.

The man leaned back in his chair and let out a thoughtful chuckle. “Miss, before you storm out of here, I told you the truth, and there is still the issue of my fee.”

She laughed with contempt. “You have some nerve to think I am going to give you anything for the load of crap you just fed me. You‘re just jealous because I have true love in my life.” She yelled at him with such a fierceness even a man with no empathy could tell she was frightened and upset that he knew so much about her. The plain woman backed up to the door while tears ruined what little make-up she wore.

“You really should give me what is mine miss.” By then the tone of his voice had lightened as if he was sincere with his warning to her. “If you walk out that door without giving me the fee, you will never be at peace, you will always ache for what you don’t have, and you will forget everything that has taken place since you came in here.” At that, the plain woman lifted her head with defiance, took the last three steps out of the office, and slammed the door behind her.

The room settled back into it’s omnipresence of peace and order. The man gathered the stones up, placed them back in the bag, and put it back in it’s place next to his calculator in the top drawer to his right. The heavy gold watch was resting on the top of the desk. He turned in his chair so that he faced a set of dark stained wood cabinets. He opened one of the lower doors and pulled out a rusty green metal box covered in dust. His insides twisted when he took out the box and set it in his lap. Inside the very old box were around a dozen random trinkets on top of a crust of black char. A fresh water pearl rosary with a silver crucifix, a gold bracelet, and a pair of shoddy red sunglasses to name a few. He dropped the watch into the box and placed everything back where it was. He then hid the box behind some files in the cabinet.

He leaned his head back on the head rest of an almost extravagant office chair. Supple black leather with silver buttons framed in dark mahogany. He sat there taking in a few deep and calm breaths.

Mere moments later he called out, “Come in.” Once again there was a tapping on the other side. He kept quiet, and slowly the door opened. Slowly, into the room came a non-descript plain woman with tan clothing and short light brown hair.

“Before you ask about your husband, do you mind if I open the window?” The man stood and turned to the window behind him. “It would be nice to have some fresh air. Please, have a seat.” He opened the window between two dark stained cabinets, then went back to his desk and once more pulled the bag from the drawer and poured out the stones. “If you would miss, tell me what you see in these stones.”

She came over to the desk and sat down looking at the many rocks. After a few moments she replied, “I think I see a road and a fountain. By the way my name is…” He cut her off again.

“Miss, there is no reason for me to know your name. Names lead to connections and connections lead to disappointment. So miss, I‘ll just know you as what I’ve already called you.” He swirled the stones on the desk never taking his eyes off of her. “Now, Do you still see the same thing?”

Her eyes widened as she looked at the stones. “Well I‘ll be, yes I do. It’s like their a picture not just a bunch of rocks.”

The man chuckled and let out a heavy breath. “Well then miss, you shouldn’t worry. Your husband is alive, healthy, and may come back to you in only a matter of weeks.”

She was so happy with this news that a tear swelled up in her right eye and fell down her cheek. She didn’t even bother to notice the grief that covered the man’s face.

“Thank you, oh thank you sir. Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“My fee is fifty U.S. dollars, cash preferred.” Though the grief was there, a sly smile rose to the surface of his face. He considered himself to be humorous. He knew she wanted more but he wouldn’t suffer her being there anymore.

“Oh my, well, that is a bit steep, but you don’t know what this news means to me.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her thick wallet. It was stuffed to the brink with worthless receipts and cards. She undid the snap closure and pulled out the money he required. “Here you go,” She placed it on the desk, ”And again, with all my heart, thank you.” She turned and walked out the door and as soon as it was closed the man‘s eyes watered up. NO tear was to fall, but his was torn.

He spoke though no one else was in the room. “Master, I don’t understand why they just can’t accept the truth of what they create for themselves.”

A smooth and almost melodic voice answered. “Because my all-seeing one, they are blinded by their own wants and desires.”

“I want to go home, please send me there.” A cloud of smoke formed in the room and circled around the man. When it closed him off from all light and sense of sight, it dissipated and he sat on an old broken down red leather loveseat in the living room of his wretched cold apartment.

The man was tired but knew that he should eat something. He gathered himself up and took the few steps necessary to reach the kitchenette. The floor was littered with old newspaper articles, liquor bottles, and random trash.

He opened the cupboard and didn’t find anything appealing and only after he looked in the fridge did he find anything to eat. He grabbed a cold bratwurst and took a few bites out of it. He went back into the living room and fell onto the loveseat. His exhaustion took hold of him finally and he passed out without the assistance of his usual late night companions, liquor and sedatives.