June’s fingers clenched on the stairwell windowsill in utter disbelief. It took her mouth working three times to cooperate with her throat, and another few seconds for her lungs to remember to suck in oxygen.
Her voice still came out a wheeze. “Whaaaaa?”
The petite woman she shared an office hallway with stopped half a flight below. Dr. Christa Pham gazed upward in bewilderment. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Wha?” June tried again, and cleared her throat. She pointed over her shoulder, although it felt like a wild flail. By the look on her colleague’s face, it was. “Who thought it was a good idea to set up another festival in the courtyard?”
Christa tapped a sensible flat with impatience and headed for the next landing. “What on earth are you talking about?”
June felt the blood drain from her face. “I can’t go through that again just yet,” she mumbled. “It’s too soon since that blasted Renaissance Faire popped up.”
The folklore professor studied the view out the window. “Ah, lovely, they roofed it over this year.”
“You knew?” June felt her throat start to close again and tried to massage her neck with oddly frozen fingers. “What is it this time? The campus chili cookoff?”
“Interdepartmental trick-or-treating,” the other woman said brightly.
June sat down heavily on the cold tile stairwell. Oxford flats headed her way, and it was all she could do to focus on the shining leather.
“Relax,” Christa said dryly. “It’s a career fair. Happens every year. Didn’t you see the email?”
June grasped the railing and her colleague’s extended hand in another, hauling herself to her feet while wanting to collapse limply with relief. “As long as I don’t have to suddenly run the whole thing, we’re good.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
She kept a grip on the handrail until they reached the bottom of the stairwell, releasing it with reluctance.
Christa paused before opening the door to the chill New Hampshire autumn air. “Do try not to swordfight anyone this month, June.”
***
This week’s prompt came from Leigh Kimmel. Who thought it was a good idea to roof over the courtyard and turn it into another exhibit hall?
Mine went to nother Mike, who also fixed the randomizer (thanks, nother Mike!): “For the last time, it’s not funny to mix up the water caltrops and the baby bats!”
Check it out—and play along!—over at MOTE!
