Part Four Apart from her trips back home, to remain unruffled in harrowing situations came easily to Amanthra. Things that tend to bother most people (bad weather, politics, screaming children, and filthy public bathrooms) hardly fazed her. She could glide through the most horrendous turbulence without a smidge of panic infiltrating her heart valves. If someone were to cut her off maliciously while driving down the highway, causing her to spin out of control, she would simply take a deep breath and hum a tune by Neil Diamond.
This sort of composure is only found amongst a very few, mainly holy people, stoners, and the mentally challenged whom don’t really have any concept of right or wrong.
It was twelve o’clock; Amanthra had begun her day just like any other, and was now sauntering down Oak Street, knuckles prepared to knock on her first door. She followed the ground with her eyes making sure not to step on any of the cracks on the sidewalk. Though she was not in the least bit superstitious, Oak Street suddenly seemed like a place to avoid cracks, broken mirrors, the under side of ladders, and black cats. A great wind tore through tree branches emanating a deep whirling noise that seemed to ping pong back and forth between house windows. Disturbed by the sound, Amanthra simultaneously covered her ears and eyes, looked up toward the sky and shouted with grand vehemence, something that surprised even her…“Silence!”
Within two and one half seconds, the wind ceased, a quiet ensued, and all remained unscathed on Oak Street as though the physics of wind and sound had never existed before.
Amathra uncovered her eyes and ears then slowly turned back into her surroundings. The day was fairly mild, seventy-six degrees, cerulean skies with just a few lumpy clouds, a scent of freshly baked bread filled the air, a child’s cry spilled from one of the homes on the street, traffic buzzed four blocks north, birds chirped, and cats purred on front porches in sunlight rub downs.