Chapter eight, HEAT

The heat wasn't exactly something I had become used to even though I had been here for four years. I laid on the cool grass, watching Wilson fiddle with another mechanism with squinted eyes. Every couple of minutes he would wipe the rosey painted skin of his forehead, the dark eyebrows raising as he would flick the salty liquid off of his wrist.

I couldn't help but feel admiration for this man. His face was pulled together in full concentration even though the sweltering heat. The only noise that would escape him was the sharp exhales whenever he would accidentally pinch his fingers in the machinery. He knows I'm watching him.

Rolling over onto my stomach I looked to the diminishing pile of materials we both had moved only a couple of meters away. The rock pile was down lower than I had ever depleted it to. For a moment I thought to the old rucksack that sat in the corner of my room. The beefalo sleeping mat was still rolled up and tied against it. There's still some tools in there in good working condition and if I'm missing anything I can make it now.

There was a soft 'yes' that came out of Wilson and he made a movement and I looked back to him. He was holding a patch work sphere, the plates were bolted together and different colored. There was a corkscrew type of handle on what seemed to be the top. The three legged wooden stand stood only a foot and a half away with a hollow tube like thing coming off of it.

He lifted the sphere and secured it onto the stand, his long, slender fingers inserting little bolts into three different holes on the legs. Inserting them and locking the machine in place. "What's that?" he turned to me, a small smile laid on his face. He was shaved now, his face cleansed and smooth. "It's an alchemy machine." he smiled, knocking his elbow onto the machine. "Alchemy? Like chemistry?" "Yes!-" he paused for a moment, "-and no…" he withdrew his elbow, pulling it close to his side as I sat up, looking at him with raised eyebrows. "Explain it then" I folded my arms across my chest, offering a smile, "I might understand this time."

The inside of the cabin offered a relief to the hot sun outside almost instantaneously. Wilson had joined me inside as noon had hit. Both of our cheeks were hot from the weather and sweat rested on both of our brows. We both avoided the windows, pressing our hot backs against the cooler wood of the floor.

With a groan I sat up, throwing my hands to the ground with a thump. "That's it!" I stood up, my bare feet grazing over the wooden floors. There was a sound that escaped Wilson but I didn't have the patience to listen. Shutting the door behind me, I moved to the pile of clothes and various fabrics, pulling out two long sheets of a linen like cloths. Throwing the fabrics over my shoulder I turned to the door once more, picking up the dirty pair of sweatpants and sweater.

I opened the door quickly and saw that Wilson was sitting up in the same spot he was before. His head moved to me quickly, wide grey eyes. The creases beneath them were still there. Would they ever go away? "I've got an idea on how to be productive and cool" I tossed the spare cloth at him. "What-" he caught the cloth, examining it, "What do have in mind?"

The creeks cool mist of a breeze kicked up, the cooling sensation against my skin was wonderful. Hanging my excuse of a towel on a branch with the sweater and sweatpants I looked to Wilson who stood there. His shoes and holey socks were at the cabin with his vest. He was left in his crudely resewn and stained dress shirt and black slacks, the towel around his shoulders as well.

I stepped down the hill, meeting the odd texture of the pebble shore again. Wilson still stood on the hill though as I waded into the water. I brought him further down the river, away from the traps. It was wider, deeper, but not dangerous. As the water met my hips I couldn't help but snicker, looking back at Wilson. "Ya' coming?" I called, smiling brightly at him as he hung up the cloth. "Is it safe?" he began to approach. Thin legs shuffling down the steep hill in small movements. I continued to move back, the water reaching my lower back, "Whaddya think?".

When his feet made contact with the water I could see him freeze up, moving out of the water again. "It's bloody cold!" he nearly whimpered and I laughed, "You'll get used to it!" he shot a look that reminded me of a mock pout.

He started to move into the water once more and before I knew it, he had made it to me. His arms were slightly raised, as if he were trying to keep out of the water. It was rather funny to see, "blimey…" he spoke softly, his eyebrows coming together again as his eyes shut. "So?" I drew out the word, looking around and moving further out, he gave me a different look. "I feel like I've been fooled into freezing myself to death" there was an excuse of hurt in his voice, his expression betrayed him as the edges of his mouth pulled upwards.

"What!" I exclaimed, trying to be dramatic. "I wouldn't do that" there was a soft giggle that escaped me afterwards. He was standing in front of me once more, the water met the bottom of my ribs and his waist. The feeling of the water moving around us, the tug of the current brushing against us. Powerful but not enough to pull us away.

As our giggling subsided we were left in the ambience. The sound of insects chirping, birds singing. Familiar fauna. We weren't looking at each other, well, we weren't directly looking at each other. My view was on his reflection, the dark silhouette of his frame so close to mine. There was an unfamiliar feeling rising, something I had almost forgotten. He hadn't moved in the shadow, staying still. Tilting my head upwards I saw him staring at me, eyes half lidded and cheeks bathed in red, the color stretching down to his neck. My heart sped up as I looked at this man, a different type of heat now rising to my cheeks.

The unfamiliar feeling of fluttering in my stomach wasn't repulsive like it used to be. It was different. Welcome. He slowly moved forward by a small step. There's barely enough room for another person in between us. I could hear his breath, the soft yet almost labored huffs that left him. I said his name lowly, breathlessly almost.

And then I splashed him with cold water. Watching as he jumped back and fell completely into the water. The yelp that escaped him brought me back to my previous feelings and I laughed. Closing my eyes as I mocked him slightly.

The sudden, almost angry "why you" and then the chill of water being splashed into my face made me fall over too. The frigid waters ran over my face as the feeling of water moved across my scalp. I found myself breaking the surface, splashing him and watching him flinch.