I'd never been an optimist, but I always tried to keep a least a little hope. Lise, on the other hand, worried more than anyone I'd ever met. She was growing more and more obsessed with whoever had captured us. I was naturally concerned, but she was raising that to a level of paranoia. Futile escape attempt after futile escape attempt brought us both to desperation. We exhausted ourselves, mentally and physically, after an hour or two. I had lost track of time. I was thirsty, but I could only imagine how thirsty Lise was. She had put forth at least three times as much physical exertion than I had.
"Can we rest for a little bit?" she asked.
I nodded and slide my back down the cool wall to the floor. She sat down beside me. I leaned my head on her shoulder and released a long sigh. My mind drifted from escaping. Our kiss had all but abandoned my thoughts. I wondered if it was as electrifying and amazing for her as it had been for me. My heart raced even at the thought of it.
I felt too tired to sit up any longer and shifted my position, laying my head in her lap. I watched her green eyes contentedly for a few moments before closing mine. She began gently stroking my hair. Nothing felt that good. How did she know what that did to me? I was on the verge of drifting off into a very pleasant slumber.
"You really look like the angel you are when you're sleeping." I forced myself out of my sleepy state and listened. "I wish I could tell you the truth, especially now."
I wondered what truth she hadn't told me. She knew she didn't have to keep anything from me. I poured my heart out to her, and she had told me a great deal about herself, too.
"I don't want you to hate me." She sighed. "My body is thousands of years old. Everyone knows that. But only Beka knows what I can't tell you. She seems to understand, but I don't think you will. Beka was surprised when I told her I was sixteen, but you...our situation is so different."
I wasn't just surprised. I was shocked. She could easily pass for twenty. Technically, she was thousands of years in age. But by physical standards she was a child. That made me some sort of pedophile. I should have been at least slightly upset that she withheld that piece of information. But I wasn't. I still cared about her as much as before. I still wanted to kiss her again, regardless of the implications. It made me sick inside. That feeling of guilt spread from the pit of my stomach outward. I was a cradle robber.
"I'm so sorry, Harper...Seamus. I've never felt like this before. No one had kissed me before you did. It was so perfect, too. I know it sounds like poetic junk, but I really think the heavens wept. I know what a lot means that I didn't understand before. I know that whatever we have...it's something special. I've never loved before, but if you don't hate me, I'm willing to learn. I'm sure, being the great guy you are, you have lots of girlfriends."
Girlfriend wouldn't be the term for it. Since Del, I've had drunk bar girls who haven't been clear-minded enough to figure out who and what I am. I've had escorts when I've been particularly desperate. But never a girlfriend or any woman more than one night. Committment was a difficult thing for me to abide by. Not because there were women surrounding me begging just to touch me. I was afraid of falling out of love and hurting her. Especially someone like Lise who had never played the game before and would be devastated if they were suddenly without love.
"I wish I wasn't so scared. I let my emotions get the best of me." She began nervously humming.
"It's all right. Everything's gonna be all right." I took one of her hands in mine.
"You heard everything?" The fear in her voice escalated.
"I did. I don't hate you. I don't think I could ever hate you."
"I know I could never hate you." She was calmer. "I'm so tired."
"Then, let's go to sleep." I grabbed the curtain and threw it on the floor.
She threw off her sweater and crawled onto it. I laid down beside her. I wrapped it around us the best I could and protectively held her until I fell asleep.
********************************************************************
"Stop it!" I heard a shriek, and I opened my eyes.
The cloaked figures were dragging Lise away. I watched them shut the door as they left, paralyzed. My anger fueled me as I rammed myself into the door cursing like a sailor at the top of my lungs. If they had taken her to execute her, I wanted them to take me, too. I exhausted myself and wound up in tears. I missed her already. I could only hope that she would survive and return to me.
I didn't want to be useless. There had to be a way out. I looked down at the corpse, which was obviously decaying from the horrible stench. "God, this is nasty." I began to dig through his pockets for anything that could be useful. Touching a freezing cold dead man was disgusting. But maybe I would find something.
I discovered a few tools and odds and ends in his pockets. I emptied my own and sorted through the small pile. There was nothing that could aid in our escape by itself. The tools might be useful later. Nothing like a sautering wand, but they were at least something to work with. I began to formulate possible escape plans.
"Can we rest for a little bit?" she asked.
I nodded and slide my back down the cool wall to the floor. She sat down beside me. I leaned my head on her shoulder and released a long sigh. My mind drifted from escaping. Our kiss had all but abandoned my thoughts. I wondered if it was as electrifying and amazing for her as it had been for me. My heart raced even at the thought of it.
I felt too tired to sit up any longer and shifted my position, laying my head in her lap. I watched her green eyes contentedly for a few moments before closing mine. She began gently stroking my hair. Nothing felt that good. How did she know what that did to me? I was on the verge of drifting off into a very pleasant slumber.
"You really look like the angel you are when you're sleeping." I forced myself out of my sleepy state and listened. "I wish I could tell you the truth, especially now."
I wondered what truth she hadn't told me. She knew she didn't have to keep anything from me. I poured my heart out to her, and she had told me a great deal about herself, too.
"I don't want you to hate me." She sighed. "My body is thousands of years old. Everyone knows that. But only Beka knows what I can't tell you. She seems to understand, but I don't think you will. Beka was surprised when I told her I was sixteen, but you...our situation is so different."
I wasn't just surprised. I was shocked. She could easily pass for twenty. Technically, she was thousands of years in age. But by physical standards she was a child. That made me some sort of pedophile. I should have been at least slightly upset that she withheld that piece of information. But I wasn't. I still cared about her as much as before. I still wanted to kiss her again, regardless of the implications. It made me sick inside. That feeling of guilt spread from the pit of my stomach outward. I was a cradle robber.
"I'm so sorry, Harper...Seamus. I've never felt like this before. No one had kissed me before you did. It was so perfect, too. I know it sounds like poetic junk, but I really think the heavens wept. I know what a lot means that I didn't understand before. I know that whatever we have...it's something special. I've never loved before, but if you don't hate me, I'm willing to learn. I'm sure, being the great guy you are, you have lots of girlfriends."
Girlfriend wouldn't be the term for it. Since Del, I've had drunk bar girls who haven't been clear-minded enough to figure out who and what I am. I've had escorts when I've been particularly desperate. But never a girlfriend or any woman more than one night. Committment was a difficult thing for me to abide by. Not because there were women surrounding me begging just to touch me. I was afraid of falling out of love and hurting her. Especially someone like Lise who had never played the game before and would be devastated if they were suddenly without love.
"I wish I wasn't so scared. I let my emotions get the best of me." She began nervously humming.
"It's all right. Everything's gonna be all right." I took one of her hands in mine.
"You heard everything?" The fear in her voice escalated.
"I did. I don't hate you. I don't think I could ever hate you."
"I know I could never hate you." She was calmer. "I'm so tired."
"Then, let's go to sleep." I grabbed the curtain and threw it on the floor.
She threw off her sweater and crawled onto it. I laid down beside her. I wrapped it around us the best I could and protectively held her until I fell asleep.
********************************************************************
"Stop it!" I heard a shriek, and I opened my eyes.
The cloaked figures were dragging Lise away. I watched them shut the door as they left, paralyzed. My anger fueled me as I rammed myself into the door cursing like a sailor at the top of my lungs. If they had taken her to execute her, I wanted them to take me, too. I exhausted myself and wound up in tears. I missed her already. I could only hope that she would survive and return to me.
I didn't want to be useless. There had to be a way out. I looked down at the corpse, which was obviously decaying from the horrible stench. "God, this is nasty." I began to dig through his pockets for anything that could be useful. Touching a freezing cold dead man was disgusting. But maybe I would find something.
I discovered a few tools and odds and ends in his pockets. I emptied my own and sorted through the small pile. There was nothing that could aid in our escape by itself. The tools might be useful later. Nothing like a sautering wand, but they were at least something to work with. I began to formulate possible escape plans.
