Let the light in

A sudden tremor stopped me.  When the ground then wobbled, I emitted a small yelp; Rick caught me just before my knees buckled.  “Steady there,” he said with a grin, not that I could blame him.   After all, the earthquake—if it even deserved to be called that—had already ended.   Still, I needed to take several deep breaths before I could manage, “I’m sorry.  I just have a phobia about earthquakes.  I know it’s stupid when I’ve lived in California my whole life and we have little ones all the time, but I can’t get over it.”

“Fair enough.”

“No, it’s ridiculous.  I should probably just leave the state...”

My sentence trailed off as I realized I was still holding onto Rick’s arms.  He had never touched me before, and I certainly had never touched him.  I stared down at the serpents wrapped around his arms, willing myself to move, but feeling paralyzed by how suddenly the atmosphere of the room had changed.  Surely not, I told myself.  Surely not!

“You look pale,” Rick said.  His voice had gone quiet, and he was no longer grinning.

“I—I’m okay.”

“Then why are you shaking?”

“...The earthquake.  I—I hate them.”

“Why?”

“I—I don’t know.  I don’t know,” I said helplessly.

Rick brushed his finger against my skin.  “What are you so afraid of?”

“Well...I guess that the building will fall down on me.  Or that I’ll fall into a sinkhole.”

“That isn’t what I mean,” he returned, confirming what I had up until now refused to believe.  “I, um—would you like some coffee?” I offered in desperation.  “No,” Rick said.  Continuing to hold onto me with one hand, he then ran his other hand up my back, into my hair that I’d neglected to tie up after my shower.  I in turned leaned against him, afraid that if I let go I would faint from the shock of what now seemed to be happening.  “You hate me,” I protested.

“No.”

“But you think I’m stupid.”

“No.”

“...I don’t understand.”

“I know.”

“Why are you here?” I whispered.  Rick smiled a little.  “To drop off your security deposit,” he answered.  His hand still in my hair, he tilted my head up toward his.  I knew what was going to happen next, but something about how he looked at me made it impossible to do more than let out a tiny whimper before he kissed me.

*From my novel The Abduction Myth, available to download here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KI6XNJU