The Dark Days: The Others - Episode 3

by Ginger Gelsheimer

  Kane spreads the blanket over a couple of stairs above the waterline and motions for me to have a seat. He steps down to the water’s edge and pulls on a small rope. A large suitcase emerges. I used to have a humango one like that with no wheels, and someone once referred to it as a ‘widow maker’ because he thought a person could die from lugging it around.

  Kane lifts the suitcase up onto the lowest step and waits for most of the water to drain out. He pulls the zipper around the side and as he lifts the top, I can see that it’s full of beer and Champagne. The butterflies are going nuts in my stomach.

  He holds two mini Champagne bottles up for me to grab. I take them from him and he lifts himself up the two stairs to sit next to me.

  “Nice way to improvise.” I’m impressed.

  My sudden grin tells Kane I’m brooding something in my head. “What are you guys talking about in there?” He touches my forehead softly.

  When he takes one of the glasses from me, the tips of his fingers brush my skin and I tremble. I’m insane for thinking about leaving.

  The bubbles sparkle inside the crystal as he pours the Champagne. The moment is straight out of a fairytale…well, without the glass slipper and kingdom to rule. He gently puts the glass in my hand, and I can feel the heat when we touch. “Relax. You must be exhausted.” His eyes could pierce my soul. “Stay.” He holds his glass up to toast.

  Am I melting? I lightly cling my glass to his, and the crystal sings with a soft vibration. I take a sip of the Champagne. I’m a freaking nervous wreck. I sip again…and again. I turn my face away from him.

  “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, calm and confident.

  “No.” Guys never make me nervous. This one is different.

  “I’ll go with you if you want.”

  He’s set on this. Is he trying to kill me with disappointment? I can’t let him do that. What if Dorian locks him up?

  “No, these people need you,” I painfully reject his offer. “But it would be nice if Elsie could stay.”

  “Of course. But what are you going to do? It sounds like you’re in danger there with this Dorian guy.”

  I start unloading, “He’s awful! Super big, like a football player and his soul is black. He doesn’t care about anyone, just control. He makes the rules—decides who leaves, what you can keep and if you eat.”

  “Then why risk going back? I know you have friends there, but they would want you to survive.” Kane makes a good argument.

  “I can’t abandon them. I promised Ben.”

  “Ben?” He raises his brow. Was that a hint of jealousy?

  “Benjamin Willoby,” I say with a smile. I can picture his face with those freckles and the curiosity in his eyes every time he asks someone new their name. “He’s sort of like a little brother now,” I say. “No, I take that back. He is my brother.”

  Kane moves closer. “Cold?”

  “A little.” It’s true. Even though we’re inside this grand hotel, the power to run the heat is out and it’s colder here by the lake.

  He motions with the blanket that he’s about to stretch across my chest. “May I?”

  “Yes.” I snuggle closer to him.

  He wraps the blanket over me and secures it near my shoulder with his other hand. I feel his free hand slide down my back and find its spot around my waist.

  “Is this okay,” he asks softly.

  “Yes,” I answer him, but I’m not sure I make a sound.

  I see his grin through the crystal as he takes a sip of Champagne.

  My sip turns to a gulp. I freeze unsure of what to do now. I did just meet him, but I am so attracted to him—and not just his good looks. His amazing confidence and energy are impossible to resist. Doesn’t hurt that he has those tattoos and that long, black ponytail.

  “So, Claudia, how did you end up at the airport in the first place?”

  I tell him about the tunnels and explosions from the planes crashing and how we eventually ended up on the rooftop avoiding the tsunami. I try not to cry when I tell him about Lena’s death, but I can’t help it. I’ll never get the vision of that moment out of my head.

  “Wow, you’re quite a survivor.” I can sense his sincerity. “We lost a few.”

  I feel like there is more. He just can’t get the words out. I’m not sure what to say. “I’m sorry. Were you close with them?”

  “No. We had just found them…in a rescue effort. They were trapped inside one of the buildings on the lower floor—a little girl and her dad…a couple others. Somehow it flooded suddenly, and we couldn’t find them before they drowned.”

  I lean my head on his shoulder. His pain is intense and consuming.

  “Sometimes, I feel like there’s still a chance I’ll wake up and this will have all been a bad dream.” I stare at the reflection of a torch in the black water.

  Kane rests his head on mine. “Me, too. The world is empty now—lonely.”

  We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes. I don’t know if it’s the Champagne or Kane, but I’m happy.

  “Would you like some more?”

  I hold my glass out to him. “Why not?”

  He refills both glasses and turns to face me as he leans back on his elbows on the stair behind us.

  “Do you always wear your hair up like that?” he asks, grabbing hold of the tip of my ponytail.

  I keep my gaze forward but turn my eyes to him. “It’s easier.”

  “I’d love to see it down one day,” he says, letting my hair slip through his fingers.

  I take another sip and my emotional exhaustion from the past few weeks kicks in, or maybe it’s the Champagne buzz. I lean toward him, resting my head against his chest, holding my glass on top of my thigh.

  He takes the glass out of my hand and puts it down on the stair below us. He settles back and moves in close, and I think he’s going to kiss me. I turn to let him, but instead he sifts the tip of my ponytail between his fingers.

  Kane is close enough to whisper in my ear. “Do you mind?” he asks, gently pulling the hair tie out of my hair, not waiting for an answer. He brushes my hair over my shoulder. “You’re beautiful, Claudia.”

  I’ve never thought of myself as beautiful. Smart, athletic, witty and charming—yes. I always assume people have liked me for my personality, not my looks.

  He moves closer. His lips almost touch the corner of my mouth.

  “May I kiss you?” The words come out in a whisper.

  “Yes.” Please! No sound comes out. “Yes,” I say again too loud.

  His kiss is soft and gentle. He pushes my shirt off the edge of my shoulder. His fingers are soft caressing my skin.

  “Do I really have to take you back?”

  “I have to, Kane.”

  “Will you stay with me tonight—in my room? Just let me keep you warm tonight. I promise nothing funny.”

  How can I resist that? I prop myself up a little higher and look him in the eyes. “Just keep me warm?”

  “Just keep you warm.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’m a respectable southern girl you know.”

  He laughs. “Okay.”

  Kane pours us each one more glass of Champagne, and then we head up the stairs to the main area. “There are a few suitcases in that room there,” he says pointing to an open door. “Feel free to rummage through them. Take what you want for you and Elsie.”

  I hadn’t even thought about it. What a relief—I couldn’t climb in his bed in my dirty clothes, and I wasn’t about to get naked.

  “I’ll be in my suite, so just come down when you’re done.”

  “Okay.” I enter the room but stop and poke my head out. “Kane?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, Claudia.”

  I dig through a few suitcases and find a pretty silky pajama set with matching tank top and shorts. I admire it but then realize the owner is probably dead. Why can’t these thoughts leave my head?


  I shake it off and get undressed. Using a towel I soak with water from a bottle, I wash off a little more and then put on the pajamas. The silk feels wonderful against my skin.

  I go through a couple more suitcases and find a few things for Elsie and the rest of the gang including new socks and underwear for everyone—have to be practical these days.

  When I get to Kane’s suite, he’s nowhere in sight. He must have heard me come in because he steps out from the bedroom wearing loose running shorts and nothing else and he’s brushing his teeth. His chest is smooth and perfectly defined and his abs are ripped—he may have an eight pack. With toothpaste foam covering his lips, he waves me in and returns to the bedroom.

  When he goes into the bathroom, I see another tattoo on his shoulder blade. It’s a grim reaper with several names surrounding it. Figure I’ll ask about that one some other time.

  I lay the bundle of clothes down on a black leather couch and follow Kane to the bedroom. I feel like I did before my first kiss.

  The room is lit by candles, which I know are out of necessity, but it’s still a romantic scene. The gigantic bed and velvet headboard only add to the ambiance.

  He comes out of the bathroom wiping his mouth on a towel and then hands me a new toothbrush. “Would you like-”

  Am I in Heaven? I about run him over. “Yes, please and thank you!” That’s when I realize I’m a little tipsy from the Champagne.

  I brush my teeth for so long I run out of toothpaste so I add another dab. I scrub them as clean as I can get them. I can’t stand not being able to brush my teeth every day. The days old slime is disgusting!

  I watch Kane by his reflection in the mirror. The flicker of the candles creates a shadow against the wall as he turns down the bed. I imagine for a second this is my honeymoon and none of this awful disaster has happened. The sad truth is there will never be a wedding for me. My life will be about survival.

  I finish brushing and take a deep breath as I wipe my face. He’s just going to keep me warm.

  Kane meets me at my side of the bed. He lifts my hand to his lips. “I’m glad I found you.” He pulls me in and squeezes me tight into his bare chest.

  “Me, too.” I brush my fingers over the mane of the black lion tattoo.

  We kiss again, standing in the dim glow of the candlelight. He pulls my hair back and brushes his lips against my neck. It tickles and causes me to shiver.

  Kane stops unexpectedly, giving me a peck on the lips and then he pulls the bedding down so I can crawl under it. As I lie back on the pillow, he takes the silky soft sheet and grazes my face. I feel like I’m in a palace of luxury as he tucks me in before shuffling to the other side. He pauses when he reaches the end of the bed and stares at me. With a smile and a raised eye, he goes to his side.

  Though he sits with his back to me, I can hear him take a deep breath before getting under the covers. He rolls over toward me and kisses me once more. “Good night, Claudia Sheeplord.”

  I love his smile. “Good night, Kane Fairchild.” I shoot him a flirtatious smile. What goes through my mind is the fact that he might be the only man left on Earth I could love.

  If I don’t turn the other way, there’s going to be more happening than keeping warm, so I face away from him. Just like the gentleman he said he was, Kane curves his body around me from behind. Wrapped in his arms, I fall asleep—completely lost.

  Chapter 4

  I wake to sizzling bacon—it’s wonderful! I haven’t smelled hot food in weeks. I’m afraid to open my eyes because I know I must be dreaming.

  When I do open them, Kane is standing above me with a stainless steel breakfast tray.

  “Good morning, sunshine.” He’s such a charmer.

  I sit up in the bed and he sets the tray over my lap. He has cooked up a breakfast with bacon, potatoes, toast and fruit. There’s even coffee! Have I finally woken up from this nightmare?

  “Kane, this is so sweet. Thank you!” I’m gushing. “But how did you cook it?”

  “Me have fire,” he says imitating a caveman. “Sorry, no eggs.”

  I’ve already stuffed my mouth full of potatoes but manage to give him a small grin. I wash it down with a sip of coffee. “Are you kidding? This is wonderful.” I cram a piece of bacon in my mouth. I’m so hungry for good food, I don’t care how sexy I’m not, but hopefully I don’t have something embarrassing stuck in my teeth.

  “Have to make sure you get something good to eat before you leave. Never know—it may be your last meal before execution.”

  I know he’s trying to get me to stay. Unfortunately, this new world we’re in isn’t all about love affairs.

  “I’ll be fine. Really. You don’t need to worry,” I reassure him.

  Kane sits on the edge of the bed. “Then come back after you rescue your friends.” He puts his hand on my thigh. “Come back.”

  “How will I find you? I thought you were leaving.”

  “We are. The food supply will only last us another couple of weeks, and we need to save some of that for the trip west. Our plan is to leave in five days. Can you meet us before then?”

  I have no idea what Dorian is going to do when I return without Elsie. “I can try.”

  “Then how about this. When I take you back, we’ll look for a place to meet. You try your best to escape with your friends and take them there and wait for me.”

  “When?”

  “We’ll figure that out when we find a spot.”

  I hate leaving him. I haven’t felt this good since even before the disaster. “You know I want to be here, right? I just can’t turn my ba-”

  “You’ll never have to apologize to me for loyalty, Claudia.”

  “Thank you. It means a lot that you understand.”

  Kane stands up from the bed. “Eat your breakfast before it gets cold. I’ll take you whenever you’re ready.”

  His words are blades of ice. I’ll never be ready, so the sooner, the better. I learned a long time ago not to carry around dread—another lesson from Mom. I’ve tried not to think much about my family because it only makes me sad, but I miss her and my dad. I tell myself that they managed to evacuate and are living in the mountains in North Carolina.

  I refocus, and as much as I’d like to put on clean clothes from the stuff I gathered last night, I’ve decided to stash them before I get back to the airport. Otherwise, they’d be listed on Fran’s checklist and I’ll never see them again. And I still haven’t decided what to tell Dorian about why Elsie is missing.

  After dressing into my old clothes, I put my hair into its usual ponytail. Staring into the mirror, I notice the toothpaste on the corner of the sink. Yes! Thank you—glad I didn’t forget that. The toothbrushes and toothpaste we found inside the stores in the airport went fast with so many people, and Dorian only lets us brush our teeth every other day to preserve supplies.

  When I walk out of the bedroom, I’m disappointed that Kane isn’t here—would’ve liked to steal one more kiss before I head to the main lounge. I take one last look around to savor the moment. I grab the small pile of clothes from the black leather couch and exit the suite, leaving my fantasy world behind.

  I see the two men playing chess and smoking their cigars over to the left. At least these people are going on about things as usual. Kane runs daily searches, Jimbo cooks for everyone, and these two play chess.

  Elsie and Sam are cozy sitting on the couch when I enter the lounge. Elsie has her trunk on her lap. Has she decided to come back with me after all? Sam looks at the plastic coated map as he feeds sunflower seeds to Bernie, who is perched on his shoulder.

  “Mornin’,” Sam utters, peeking up from behind the map.

  “Good morning,” I reply. My smile is too big—everyone can see the giddy mess on my face.

  I don’t see Kane at first, but then he comes out from another room dragging an enormous laundry bag packed full of stuff. As he approaches me, a small, first aid kit falls out onto the floor.

  “Good timing,
” he says as he picks up the kit and shoves it into the bag.

  “Is that for me?” I ask. I think for a second Dorian might actually forgive me and besides, he doesn’t want Elsie anyway. Nah-who am I kidding?

  “Medical supplies, clothes, food, tools. Figure it’s in your best interest to butter this Dorian guy up,” Kane says with a wink.

  “Thank you. He should be happy with this.” Should.

  “There’s another one just as full. Think they’ll both fit in the kayak?” Kane teases.

  “I’ll make them fit.”

  Elsie chimes in, “You know to stash some of that right?”

  “Of course.”

  Just then Elsie gets up from the couch and heads toward me with her trunk. She motions for me to join her on the other side of the room. I love the mysteriousness about her.

  I follow her over, and she sets the trunk down on the seat of the chair. She opens the lid and takes out three darts, a blow gun and a small black bottle.

  “Here, I want you to take these. Use them to escape,” Elsie says giving me the darts.

  “Will it kill someone?” I ask.

  “No, but it will make them sleep for a long time.” She pats my hand. “Make sure you save them for the right time. Get Edgar, Masaru and little Ben out of there, okay?”

  “I will, Elsie. I promise.”

  “And then you get your tail back to us as soon as you can,” she adds.

  I laugh and tears well up in my eyes. “I will.”

  Kane grabs the map from Sam before he joins Elsie and me in the corner. “Ready?” He’s pulling the laundry bag of supplies.

  “Yes. Ready as I’ll ever be.” I follow him toward the door, stopping to give Elsie a hug. “You take care and I’ll see you soon.” I hope.

  Pulling the supplies behind him, Kane leads me to the room where the boat is tied up. Sam comes along, dragging the other laundry bag.

  Kane climbs out the window first and Sam helps him load the two bags onto the boat.

  “You’re next,” Kane says, holding his hand out to help me climb out of the window.

  The sun is out and it’s a beautiful day. Is the winter already winding down? I laugh—that’s a crazy thing to think in Colorado. It snows in June sometimes.