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The Letters - Chapter 1
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 Created on 12-7-07
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Chapter 1
The falling sleet soaked Terry Reynolds clothes as the temperature continued to drop. A young man had fallen into her care and his skin burned, as he lay unconscious. She cradled him in her arms as her long red brown hair draped over his face, creating a shroud, which shielded his face from the elements and light. She dragged him to her car.
The thought ‘Who is he?’ reoccurred constantly as she fastened him into the passenger seat. He seemed familiar, friendly. Perhaps it was just because of his good looks, freckles, and the fact that she felt the need to help him, but she wanted to take him back so he wouldn’t die. Whoever he was, he was ill.
She had been returning to her car after work when she glimpsed the figure fall in the alley. Having parked three blocks away from her work, she already walked through the cold sleet. On a Friday night and with the emergency clinic 50Km out of her way, the weather decided to worsen. She barely kept second gear and the banks of the road climbed. The thought of driving to the emergency clinic was swept out of her mind by the thick sheets of snow. It rarely snowed like this, but he smelled faintly of alcohol as his eyes rolled open and shut, making her wary of him.
The sleet began to let up; she sighed turned left off the main road at a street lamp and then right into her flat complex and into her drive. She painfully dragged him up the fire escape and through her studio’s window. Her hair had iced into chunk by the time she closed the window.
He sprawled on the bed where she left him out of exhaustion. She didn’t want to bother undressing him. She didn’t particularly care for the idea of destroying her innocent mind by seeing his anatomy, and she felt he would be violated if she did. She grabbed her spare blankets, heating pads, pillows, and put him into a nest of warmth. After this, in total fatigue, she collapsed on the loveseat only a meter away.
~
The sun shined happily through the single window. The small room, however, was a trash heap from the night before; she tore the place to shreds the night before looking for things to help him. Opening her eyes to the morning, she stared at the patterns of frost on her window against the blue sky. Kyrsta sat on Terra’s chest requesting explanation for the man in her bed. Terra mused at the cat not yet comprehensive of the physical world. She shoved the cat off her chest onto the floor. She sat up and saw a face staring at her ceiling.
Standing up, she thrusted her coat onto the floor and hopped over to the bed messing her hair.
‘Damn I had one too many . . .’ He spoke harshly to himself.
Terra jeered childishly, ‘One too many what?’
‘I don know how I got ‘ere, but anything I did, I apologize for!’ He cringed, putting a hand to his forehead.
‘Name?’ She strolled to a cabinet about the kitchenette. She was pleased that he was not overly questionable in his disposition, and he looked to only be around twenty years in age.
‘Flynn, just call me that.’ He looked confused.
‘Alright, Flynn.’ She chirped nicely. He blushed. She returned with two aspirin and a glass of water, shoving it in his face. Sitting on the bed next to him, she had a good chance to look at him. His curly red crimson hair, freckles, and hazel eyes were studying her studio, and occasionally glancing at her.
‘Are you an artist?’ He asked as she extended her hand to his forehead and left to retrieve a thermometer. ‘Starving artist type?’ He stared at the canvas on her wall drying.
She returned with the mercury filled glass rod. ‘I have two jobs: the one I like to do,’ she pointed to the mahogany easel, ‘and the one I got to do.’ She pointed to her suit neatly placed on the hanger, which hung from the coat rack. ‘Luck for you, I got weekends off.’ She gave him the glass rod to go under his tongue.
She pulled out the drawers under her bed, ‘You’re a little bigger than me.’ She took out a guy’s shirt and tossed it at him.
‘You don’t have a third job do you?’ His eyes widened.
She glared, ‘I wear guys clothes while painting.’ She snatched the thermometer. ’38 degrees.’
‘Just out of curiosity, how old are you? You look five and ten years.’
She set her clothes out on the bed and took the thermometer to the sink, ‘I’m seven and ten. I just graduated secondary last spring. Yourself?’
‘Nine and ten; sophomore at the university.’ He made an attempt to stand and stumbled. He then regained his coordination.
‘The bath is through the door in the closet.’ She ejected.
Kyrsta took his spot on the bed, meowing. Terra rubbed the cat’s head. ‘What do you think of our stranger?’ The cat purred rubbing against her fingertips.
‘Where was I exactly?’ He was slender and visibly muscular though the black t-shirt. He stood taller than her, but could have weighted only a few pounds more. The jeans fit him well, hanging around his hipbones.
‘In a snow pile.’
He stared blankly, ‘Last I remember I was on a roof . . .’His eyes wandered into memory.
‘Well, then you fell.’ She stood and pulled an apple from the icebox; threw it at him.
‘Thanks.’ He stared at the green apple.
She took a bite of her apple and pulled a can of cat food from the cabinet. She yanked off the top and replaced it for the can from the day before. ‘Where do you live?’
‘Not here.’ He mumbled looking at the apple.
‘And I would like that to continue . . .’ She turned around and repeated, ‘Where do you live?’
‘Abrumshire Flats, I don’t know how you would get there from here – wherever here is.’ He shrugged staring at the apple still.
‘You gunnu eat it or look at it?’ She asked in a teasing tone.
‘Don’t become you to speak like that.’ He mocked without adverting his eyes.
‘Oh, and what does become me?’ Her attitude caught Kyrsta’s attention, as she walked over to them to watch the banter.
‘Your body, but obviously not the brain.’ He teased her back and bit into the apple.
‘I ought toss you to the cold naked with fever to die!’ She burst blushing.
‘Do so after you change from your damp clothes; you’ll catch sick if not already.’ He glanced to her. Terra had not realized that she slept and stood in damp cold clothing. She knew he spoke truth. She’ll catch sick if she wasn’t already.
‘Fine, get in that bed though, so you’ll stay warm.’ She grumbled.
She picked up her clothes off the bed where she had left them.
‘Is that lace I see? Where do you shop?’ He tempted her to slap him. This stranger was certainly an ass, but she couldn’t help but feel comfortable around him since he was around her age and nice enough.
She stared at herself in the mirror before putting on her t-shirt and overalls. Her bony figure, lack of breasts, thin lips and large grey-green eyes barely said hello through her pale skin and sparing freckles across her cheekbones. Her strange wavy hair curled massively because she had not brushed it yet, and she wasn’t going to.
She came out to fine Flynn sitting on the bed waiting for her. “So, I wanted to thank you for bringing me here and not letting me die. That would have been very inconvenient for me.” He fiddled with his jacket’s pocket, removing a wallet.
“Generally dying is an inconvenience to whoever it is. Sorry to point out the obvious.” She grinned and heard a knock on the door. “Coming!” Answering the door she found Olrick. Within very little time she gave him a large hug.
The black haired, French, five and twenty year old stood a little more than a head taller than Terra and was dressed in a button up collared shirt with dress pants underneath his woolen trench coat. Entering the room, he saw Flynn sitting on her bed and glanced down at her. “Who is this?”
“David Flynn – Terra here was nice enough to save my life last night.” He extended a hand, only to be rejected as Olrick turned to Terra.
‘You did what?’ He seemed to have some anger in his tone.
‘Olrick, he was unconscious and going to freeze to death, I couldn’t leave him out in that snow.’ Terra nodded.
‘Alright, but I don’t like the idea of other men in your bed.’ Olrick insisted.
‘Other men? Olrick, you have never been in my bed and most likely never will be. Now, stop being childish or leave.’ Terra took his arm and stared into his face seriously.
In a sudden rage he threw her down with the arm her hand was holding. “I was your man, and now you allow other men to sleep in your bed before you allow me?”
Getting up Terra stared at him in hurt shock,’ You’re being childish and this is inappropriate?’
‘Ever since I started taking you out you’ve held other people more important than me when it comes to your time, your work, your nights – everything. Even strangers now? Strangers? I can’t deal with it anymore, and this is the final straw.’ Olrick marched out of the flat.
“You date that thing?” Flynn looked at her questioningly.
“I did, but now he’s in a rage and doesn’t want to anymore. I never even kissed him… but you don’t need to know any of this. I’m sorry you had to see that.” She seemed slightly bothered by the incident on the outside, but inside the turmoil hurt. “Anyways, you said you lived in Abrumshire flats? What’s a landmark those are near that you could give directions from?”
“The University is really the easiest landmark. It’s right off the same road as the main entrance. However, I’m not sure I’m up for leaving right now, and besides, I don’t think you should be driving just yet. People who are upset shouldn’t drive.” Flynn mentioned.
“I’m not upset.” She ejected back, blushing and wiping her eyes.
“I’m sure. So, tell me about how you got to this dreadful city – I think conversation would be good for the both of us – besides, I can’t just let you drop me off without ever spending time with you again, or at least taking you to dinner. You saved my life!” He smiled nicely and put his hand on her shoulder, easing her onto the bed next to him.
“My father has a place here, and I’m a secretary in his office. I’m not smart enough to attend University because I’ve always painted too much, but I’m good at being a secretary. I have a great mastering of reading things and editing them, while also taking messages.” She grinned a little, knowing how embarrassing her lack of independence is. “His name in on the lease of the flat.”
“It’s alright, I’m only here because the University offered me scholarship, and my publishing company is near here.” He smiled. “I’m a writer, so an artist like you in a way, except I do non-fiction and commentary. I love researching things.”
“Does the college pay you for your research?” She asked.
“No, but I have a lot of professors who help me with it and are always interested to see what I’ve found and how I would like to put it together. My latest project is really the most interesting. You have no idea.” He enjoyed talking about his research by the happy tone in his voice.
“You know, when you first opened your mouth I thought you were a complete ass. I’m glad you aren’t really or I would never agree to accept your invitation for dinner sometime.” Terra grinned.
“Really now? What would Olrick say to that?” Flynn coughed.
“Olrick needs to act his age. The boy is five and twenty and the only reason I know him is because he works in my father’s office with me. He’s an assistant attorney. I really don’t think it’s such a good idea for me to agree to start dating him again when he comes back begging because this will just happen all over again. It’s happened before already. So, I honestly don’t care.” Terra stated with conviction.
“Good for you. Perhaps your brains are just as becoming of you as your body. Or at least your common sense.” Flynn teased. He looked at her up and down, almost in aw at her fragile beauty.
“Thank you; I’d like to think so.” She blushed slightly, but smiled. Compliments always made her smile, even though she didn’t receive a lot of them.
“So, what type of food do you like?” He questioned.
“Fish and Chips is normally all I ever get out.” She laughed. “Though, I’m sure a local pub would be just as good as any place.”
“Good, I know the best place. Maybe we can stop there on the way to the University.” They both smiled. Perhaps this was the start to a lovely friendship.Comments
Please Login to post comments| On December 8th 2007 tece26 Said : | |
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This deserves a lot more votes! Comon people... |
| On December 7th 2007 tece26 Said : | |
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You are so good. I can't wait for more. |
| On December 7th 2007 Ballet102 Said : | |
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This is great you havee to keep me postedd. and is that boy the one she met when she didn't know english? or was that just a conciendience? |
