Once Upon a Day in May

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)><em>April showers were supposed to bring forth May flowers. But all I ended up reaping for braving the downpour was an unforeseen month of absolute... mayhem.</em></strong></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>It all started right after I plopped down into my seat with a freshly brewed cup of coffee- my third of the day- and my desk phone rang.</span></p><p></p><p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Ringggg</em></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>A violent roll of my eyes instantly materialized in response to the timing because I </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>knew</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> it was no accident. So I debated letting the call go to voicemail as I was not much in the mood for what I knew awaited me on the other end of it.</span></p><p></p><p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Ringggg</em></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>I sighed and reached for the headset lying next to my much-needed midday cup of coffee and placed it over my head.</span></p><p></p><p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Ringggg</em></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>My finger extended toward the blaring device until it hovered over the button matching the headset and I briefly noticed the slight tremble in it.</span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> Must be the Java</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> I surmised.</span></p><p></p><p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Ringggg</em></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>A fourth ring prompted a second roll of my eyes and a mumbled promise to myself to up my search for a new gig before I lowered my trembling finger down onto the button to connect the call and get what I knew awaited me on the other end of it over with: an irate client. An annoying micromanaging supervisor. One or the other. It was always one or the other. Until...</span></p><p></p><p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>This</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> 26th day of May.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>What awaited me upon my attempt to connect the call was not the usual. No it was something peculiar. Something foreign. Something other fucking worldly-at least to me it was. And it changed </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>everything</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. And I do mean every. fucking. thing. about life-</span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>my</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> life as I'd known it to be...</span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>forever.</em></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Hello my name is Hartley Evans and this is my story...</span></p><p></p>