Pernita – Saturday Morning
Pernita turned on the television and switched to the local news channel, where the morning broadcast was about to begin. After placing the remote on the coffee table, she headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. It felt like a porridge and toast kind of morning - a simple, comforting choice. While grabbing a pot, she heard the opening music of the news show.
As she prepared her food, she listened attentively, but no mention of a local child abduction caught her ear. She remained convinced that her dream was a premonition, a warning of something real.
Determined to prevent it, she decided to go to Central Park after breakfast, hoping to encounter the boy and his father. She planned to arrive early and spend a significant portion of the day there. After finishing her breakfast, she cleaned up her dishes.
At 7:30, she stepped out the door, and ten minutes later, she boarded the bus. Anticipating a longer bus ride, she was surprised when it only took 45 minutes, thanks to it being a Saturday morning with timely transfers. Pernita got off the bus and walked the rest of the way from Portage Ave. down Beatty St. to the south entrance of Central Park.
The park appeared devoid of people. Even the pigeons were scarce compared to the day before, casting an eerie feeling over her as she gazed across the park. She decided to grab another coffee from the convenience store across from the park, expecting a long surveillance mission.
Stepping out of the convenience store, she paused to survey the park. Some signs of life were returning – a few more pigeons and a cyclist passing through. Glancing at her watch, it read 8:35. She walked towards the corner and waited for the light to change so she could cross the street. As the light switched, she noticed three white panel vans passing by. Although they all appeared suspicious, she couldn't help but think they were all potential threats.
Entering the park, Pernita made her way to the statue where she had seen the stranger watching her the day before. She positioned herself to observe where the father had been sitting in her dream and where the boy had been abducted. She thought this was the best place to watch. Upon touching the statue, a familiar chill ran from her head to her toes, similar to the feeling she'd had with the man the day before.
She waited and watched as the park gradually came to life. Two seniors played horseshoes at the south end, two mothers swung their babies on the kiddie swings - none of these people seemed to match her dream. Checking her watch, it read 9:00. Pernita decided to take a walk around the park on the city sidewalk. She retraced her steps back to Beatty St. and walked southward along a dead-end street that bordered the park. She watched the seniors briefly and continued. Turning north, she walked along the western side of the park, eventually reaching Cumberland Ave. at the end of the block.
Hearing a honking horn up ahead, she looked to see a white panel van driving eastward along Cumberland Ave. A man and a boy with a bike crossed the street near the park entrance. She wanted to run to them, as they resembled the pair from her dream, but she refrained, thinking it might seem strange. Instead, she maintained her pace as she approached them. The boy was wearing the same helmet, sweater, and riding the same bike she had seen in her dream.
She reached the entrance where the man and boy had just passed through. She stopped and contemplated how to approach the man and tell him about her dream without coming across as crazy. She decided to try the direct approach.
Pernita walked up to the bench where Eddie was sitting and sat at the opposite end. He glanced up, noting her presence but appearing preoccupied. She waited, building up the nerve to speak.
Eddie, upon seeing the woman sit down at the opposite end of the bench, initially perceived her as nervous. It struck him that he hadn't seen anyone else on the bench with him in the dream. He felt relieved, thinking that maybe the dream wasn't going to be fulfilled today. Glancing to where Colin was, he noticed that he was still nearby. Eddie took a sip of coffee, feeling a bit more relaxed, and leaned back on the bench.
Finally, Pernita gathered enough nerve to approach the stranger. "I don't mean to sound strange," she began, "but I think I saw you and your boy in a dream." Her voice quivered with hesitation. Eddie looked at her, shocked by her revelation, and asked her to repeat herself. She repeated herself more confidently, and as he raised a finger to pause her, he glanced to see where his son was. Colin was moving farther away from him.
Pernita suddenly felt a chill, the same as at the statue and the convenience store. While waiting for permission to speak, she looked up to see a white panel van turning onto Beatty St. off Cumberland Ave. Ignoring the silencing finger, she blurted out that his son was in danger and they should leave the park immediately. Eddie looked at her with astonishment.
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