It didn’t seem at all out of the ordinary the first time Karen saw Marcus and Noel.  They were pleasant enough, perhaps a little odd in their choice of apparel, which looked as if they had barrowed little  bits from cultures throughout the world without looking too flashy or overpriced. It wasn’t completely abnormal, however.  After all, Seattle was just as much a hub for wildly different people as was any other major city.  The two of them gave the feeling of being actors or maybe musicians.  They had the sort of self assurance and nearly palpable ecstatic aura that came most often from artists wrapped up in the joy of creation.  Though Karen had long since gotten over staring at the more eccentric customers that came into Starbucks, she still couldn’t help but examine the two of them as they waited patiently in line.

The way they moved together just seemed to be natural.  Though he stood a good head taller than she, they still somehow seemed to just fit.  When one smiled, so did the other. Their laughter seemed to be from a single source and the other customers standing around them couldn’t help but smile to themselves.  He raised their linked hands to kiss the back of her hand and she stood up on tiptoes to whisper something in his ear.  Whatever she said brought a twinkle to their eyes as they looked at each other.

I remember that, Karen said with a sharp pang of regret running cold down her chest, God, it seems so long ago that I felt anything like it.  She couldn’t help but think of Tommy, that beautiful, sweet, charming bastard.  Their romance had seemed to her something divine.  He had been perfect and made her completely happy.  That he could be anything short of blissful had never even occurred to her until he left.  Had these memories crept up on her anywhere but at work, she would not have been able to contain her regret.  She was unsure whether she was thankful or furious that she was forced to hide her feelings here.

She greeted the loving couple with a sort of fake cheerfulness which as far as she could tell every human being on the planet could recognize, but no one ever called anyone else on, “Hello, what can I get for you today?”
  
After a rich, resounding laugh at some private joke that needed only a look from his beloved to induce, the man who Karen would later learn was named Marcus said, “Yeah, we’ll have two mocha frappuchinos please.  Grande size.”

“Sure.  Will there be anything else for you?” she seriously hoped there wasn’t so she could get them out of her face and try to pull the thorns back out of her heart again.

“Yes,” said the woman, “yes there is.”

She pushed a small scrap of brightly colored orange paper across the counter to Karen.  Puzzled, Karen picked the paper up and read the words scrawled on it in handwriting that was somehow beautiful in spite of the fact that it was nearly illegible,

Your journey begins tonight, it said simply.  Below it was written a phone number and below even that was a sign of some sort, a strange looking stylized starburst that made Karen feel very strangely when she held it.  She looked back up at the woman, a skeptical expression playing across her face.  In spite of her every intention of handing the scrap of paper back to her obviously completely mental customer and telling them to move along, Karen looked into her eyes and saw the way she was nodding as if she were silently comforting her over a great loss.  There was something intensely warm and soothing in her eyes.  With her winter coat pulled up around her neck, Karen could imagine the reflection of snowfall in those dark eyes.  It seemed insane, but Karen folded the piece of paper in two and stuffed it in her pocket.  The woman named Noel bowed slightly, the briefest hints of a smile spreading across her pretty face and as one the two lovers floated over to a table removed for the quasi-conversation pit toward the front of the store.  It was as quiet and private seating as one came upon in a Starbucks, a favorite place of Karen’s.

She half expected them to whisper, “The Matrix has you.” At her when she came to bring them their coffee, but they didn’t.  They barely seemed to notice her now that they had delivered their message.  All she got was the polite smile offered up to her by everyone that she brought coffee out to.  It wasn’t something she was technically supposed to do, but for regulars it was a nice touch.  These two were not regulars, however.  Though Karen felt like she had known them her whole life, she could not remember having once seen them before.  It just seemed like the right thing to do.

She half considered, turning back around as she walked back to the counter and asking them what their note meant, but something stopped her, a fear of looking foolish perhaps.  Whatever it was, it kept her walking till she was back to doing her job.  She could feel the slip of paper in her pocket as she took orders and made coffee.  It drew her attention, distracted her.  More than once she had to apologize to a customer when she botched his order.  By the time she looked up after having at last finished fixing all the orders, she found that the lovers had vanished.

By the time Karen’s shift had ended, she still could not stop thinking about that couple.  Something about them wasn’t right…or maybe something about them was totally right, either of which seemed a completely reasonable description to her as she slipped on her coat, considering what the note still nestled in her pocket could mean.

Oh, it’s probably just some kind of scam, she told herself, or some creepy cult.  I don’t know why I haven’t thrown it away yet.

“Hey, Karen!” called Tim one of the few people who worked with her that she didn’t find intensely irritating, “Why don’t you let me give you a lift home, and maybe we could get something to eat while we’re at it.”

Karen looked over at Tim.  He was very cute in an honest, straightforward and awkward sort of way and even her regarding him brought a minor blush to his cheeks.  It was adorable and what’s more he was beautiful.  One of those corn fed Kansas boys that she found so appealing.

“No thanks, Tim,” Karen said, her face giving away more of the strain her emotions had placed on her in the last few weeks than she had hoped to show, “I, ah, have some things I need to do at home tonight.  I’d really rather walk.”

“Oh,” Tim said, his face falling in defeat, “alright.  See you tomorrow then.”

It felt like lead was rolling around in Karen’s stomach as she walked out the door.  She didn’t know why she hadn’t just said yes to Tim.  Tommy was gone, had been for months.  Why did she still feel so devoted to someone who wasn’t there?

“Why do I still have to love him?” she asked the wind, which howled through the streets in a bitter moan that sounded just as she felt.

Karen shivered slightly as she walked as quickly as she could back to her apartment a few blocks over.  She didn’t even notice the buildings that came and went, nor the steep slope of the hill.  Having been born in San Fran, Karen had no problem with steep hills in her city.  It was a way of life for her.  This time she was just a little too sure of herself, however.  With the world blocked out in favor of painful old festering memories, she never even saw the car coming.  She never even had time to react when it didn’t slow down nearly in enough time.  There was only that blinding, searing pain that burst from her side and spread like pin needles dancing across her whole body before she was swept up in a blanket of blessed numbness and the world truly did fade away from her.

They were only a few feet from her when the car hit her.  Noel played at horrified and convinced the small crowd that was gathering well enough that no curious looks were sent their way.  Choosing carefully the volume of her voice so much so that she spoke normally, but knew full well that anyone near by who might accidently overhear would just barely not be able to make out what she was saying, “Why does it always have to be so painful Marcus?  Isn’t there a better way for them to touch the Light?”

“You know there isn’t, Noe.  We all had to cross over to understand.”  He stroked affectionately her cheek when he saw the concerned and slightly painful look in his beloved’s eyes, “Don’t worry so much, Noe. She’ll be fine.  We can make sure nothing happens to her after this.  Everything is going to be alright.”

Holding Marcus as tightly as she could, Noel said, “I hope so.  I couldn’t stand to loose another one.”