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Skyfyre Senior Member
since 1999-08-15
Posts 1906Sitting in Michael's Lap 
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He sat in shadows. The amber glow from the fire at his back danced kaleidoscope patterns on the frosted window, reflecting as though off a thousand tiny mirrors every time the flames flickered. Though the fire provided a cheery warmth to the room, the vision of the window and the driving snow beyond crept into him, chilling him in spirit if not in body. He shivered as he leaned forward once again to peer into the frozen night. The snow is too deep, he mused. She isn't coming. Probably stopped off at a motel before the white out set in. He sighed. Though he knew he preferred his fiance to be safe in some cozy roadside inn rather than driving in this Hell-sent storm, in some corner of his soul, he was disappointed. He had really wanted to see her tonight. Being without her while she visited her parents in Oregon had been harder than he expected: two weeks was a long time when a man was in love. He picked up the phone, thinking to call her parents before bed and ask if they had heard anything from her since she left. The receiver was silent as he raised it to his ear. Damn thing is dead again, he cursed. Though he loved his home, nestled high in the beautiful Colorado Rockies, it did have its disadvantages; the phone lines tended to go haywire every time a snowstorm of appreciable strength stirred up, and his remote location made repairs slow to come. He muttered as he headed toward the hall that led to his bedroom, vowing to drive the thirty miles to the nearest payphone in the morning to give them a piece of his mind. The knock on the door was so quiet he almost missed it under the shuffle of his slippers. He paused for a moment, trying to reassure himself that it was not just some freak of wind, or the house settling under the weight of the already waist-high drifts. When he heard it again, he shook his head, scolding himself for leaving some poor soul standing out there in the snow waiting for him to answer the door. Some poor soul, he smiled. As though you don't know who it has to be. Who else would drive up here to the middle of nowhere on a night like this to see you? He hurried to the door, his smile growing wider with every step. The chill of the metal doorknob was a shock to his warm skin as he fumbled with the lock, then finally pulled open the door. A huddled figure hurried in, trailing a shower of snowflakes in its wake. He waited patiently while the figure shed layer after layer of winter clothing, quickly filling the hanging hooks by the door which were there for that purpose. As he watched, the shapeless bundle that had scurried in his door slowly resolved itself into the familiar figure of Carla, his fiance. As she hung her last piece of outerwear on the last remaining hook, she turned to face him, a smile beaming on her beloved face. Closing the distance between them in a single step that was more like a leap, she threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply. "Whoa!" he jumped back in mock horror, "snow maiden! Your lips are like ice!" He studied her face as he cupped it in his hands, trying to lend her his warmth. There was a tint of blue to her lips, mute testament to the bitter cold he had forced her to stand in while he debated the truth of her knocking. Mentally berating himself, he took her cold hands and led her to his chair by the banked fireplace, kneeling at her feet as she settled into it with a sigh. Her eyes traveled the length of the room, as if memorizing it; then lit with a fire of their own as they settled on him. Her voice was barely a whisper. "You do know that I love you, Ben." It was a statement, not a question; but her eyes studied his face as though waiting for his answer. "Of course I do ..." His voice trailed off as he watched her -- it seemed a shadow passed over her face, revealing for an instant a mask of indescribable loss. By the time he drew the breath to ask her what was wrong, though, her serene expression had returned, making him wonder if he had really seen anything at all. He shook his head to erase the image. It's late. I'm tired and I was worried and I'm imagining things. He looked back up at his love as she smiled down on him -- her delicate beauty was only enhanced by the cold-induced pallor ; she appeared for all the world to be an ice sculpture brought to life -- right down to the snowflakes still caught in her eyelashes, which hadn't gotten around to melting yet. After what seemed like an eternity spent gazing into the crystalline pools of her eyes, something brought him back to himself. He felt as though he was emerging from a dream -- stifling a yawn, he muttered something about going to make coffee to get her warmed up. Still smiling and silent, she nodded. He bent forward -- her kiss was the brush of snowflakes on his lips. Brewing the coffee lent a twinge of the familiar to this strange night ... he shuffled about happily, so caught up in the comfortable routine that he jumped, startled, when the phone rang. Figures. The darn thing fixes itself just in time to scare the bejesus out of me. He picked up the receiver with a scowl, ready to deliver a barrage of expletives to the person audacious enough to call this time of night -- how were they to know he hadn't been sound asleep..? -- but the distraught voice on the other end gave him pause. "Oh God, Ben, I'm so sorry!" the voice sobbed -- it took him a few seconds to recognize it as belonging to Nicole, Carla's sister. The words caught him off guard ... surely she could not be apologizing for calling..? "Now just calm down, Nicole ... sorry for what?" he asked, puzzled. A pause, then: "You mean you don't know?" Her voice was hesitant now, as though she was unsure of what to say. He gripped the phone more tightly, and felt the hair standing up on the back of his neck. "What don't I know, Nicole?" he asked, his voice carefully controlled. "It's Carla ... I mean ... they found her, her car broke down ... Ben, they said she had been there over 12 hours, frozen to death ... I thought you knew ..." If she said anything else, he didn't hear; the phone swung on its cord as he dropped it and walked numbly to the chair by the frozen window. It was empty, save for a few droplets of water that might once have been snowflakes. ------------------ You cannot choose the way of your death, but the path you choose will determine its own end. [This message has been edited by Skyfyre (edited 10-23-1999).] [This message has been edited by Skyfyre (edited 10-23-1999).] |
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| © Copyright 1999 Linda Anderson - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Julie Jordan Scott Member
since 1999-09-19
Posts 146Bakersfield, CA USA |
Wonderful work! So vivid, and the ending was such a surprise, I truly had no idea this was coming..... |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
Welcome to Passions In Prose!! And what an entrance! I hope to see more! |
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Watcher666 Senior Member
since 1999-10-13
Posts 1606 |
Loved this.The ending caught me totally off gaurd! Well done!! ------------------ Illusion...what we see and what we do...it's all up to you. |
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Skyfyre Senior Member
since 1999-08-15
Posts 1906Sitting in Michael's Lap |
Thank you for your welcome.  I think I'm going to like it here!--K. |
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hoot_owl_rn Member Patricius
since 1999-07-05
Posts 10750Glen Hope, PA USA |
EXCELLENT!!! Applauds this magnificant piece. Wow, almost speachless here in it's wake. The visuals on this one very fine, the story line intriguing and captivating. A most hearty welcome to Prose!! ------------------ This is courage...to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends. ~Eurpides |
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DreamEvil Member Elite
since 1999-06-22
Posts 2396 |
Welcome to Passions in Prose! Redundant, I know but 'tis the official greeting uou know. I echo the sentiments above and truly do eagerly await your next morsel presented to Prose. As for the message of your piece, refer to The Right To Die, an essay here in Prose. Again, welcome to the family. ------------------ Now and forever, my heart hears ~one voice~. DreamEvil© |
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JennyLee Senior Member
since 1999-09-01
Posts 1461Northwestern, NJ. |
Wow,really don't want to be redundant, really a thought inspiring work here. Welcome Jenny |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Very well done. Is there an echo in here? |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
Kess, this one gave me chills again, even though I knew the ending. A very well written piece! (DOn't let it go to your head!) |
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Bill Charles Member Patricius
since 2000-07-11
Posts 10619highways, & byways, for now |
Nice work, very enjoyable with a great ending. |
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AVANTI Senior Member
since 2000-02-02
Posts 664INDIA/MAHARASHTRA/PUNE |
wonderful imaginary and story was great to read it... well written... If all was light...then I would have never learnt the dark...from which such truth evolves from which evolves the light... Avanti Rao |
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