by J. Naomi Ay
"What did you say, Luci?" Vinz mumbled, hastily retyping a footnote that for some reason kept referring to the wrong link.
"I was about to say, Vinz," Luci continued, edging even closer and then daring to put her hands upon his shoulders. "I think, we, that is to say, you and I should…"
"I can't now, Luci," Vinz uncharacteristically snapped. That damn footnote again was in the wrong place. How the hell could he write a paper when the word processing software on this netbook had so many bugs? He'd be better off getting a pen and writing by hand. Luci apologized and backed away. She returned to her own room, leaving Vinz at the dining room table to work out his frustrations on something other than her. She shut the door to the bedroom and sat alone upon Aunt Klair's double bed, fingering Aunt Klair's diamond ring which had been in her pocket. She decided to give Vinz a few more days. Let him finish up and submit the paper. After that, they'd go celebrate at the neighborhood bar. She'd show him the diamond ring and suggest that she could wear it when they were wed. They already had a flat. What more would they need? Luci would work and run the house until Vinz had graduated from school, and then she'd stay at home to care for their babies. With this thought at the top of her mind, she slept blissfully that night, and in the morning, she hummed as she went off to work. In fact, for three days more she planned her big surprise, certain that Vinz would be overjoyed when she proposed this delightful plan.
On the last day of the week, the one when the thesis was due, Luci was able to leave work two hours early. She intended to hurry home whereupon she'd bathe and set her hair before dressing in the nicest clothes she had in her closet. Vinz would be so surprised when she greeted him at the door and insisted she would take him out to dinner. She would buy a bottle of wine so they'd be touched with that warm rosy glow which would melt her own inhibitions as they planned their life together and named their future children.
Surprisingly, the flat's door was slightly ajar and from within she heard some noise that sounded vaguely familiar. It was a moaning and a groaning, a gasping and a crying out that caused Luci's blood to freeze like ice in her veins. Luci stepped into her flat and followed the sounds to whence they came which was her very own bedroom, the one which had been Aunt Klair's.
"What's going on in here?" Luci yelled outside the bedroom door as the noises continued to sound, now even louder. Luci rapped upon it three times but whoever was inside paid no attention as they continued to shriek and scream as if in pain. Luci shoved open the door and stuck her head inside, knowing once again that she should have turned away and hurried away. And, once again, her eyes were met with a most horrific sight. A pale red headed woman lay on her bed writhing about. Above her, thrusting away was a naked Vinz. "Blessed Saint!" Luci screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Oh, Luci!" Vinz cried, his face turning as red as the woman's hair before he ducked beneath Aunt Klair's heavy blanket and disappeared.
"Luci?" The woman repeated. "It's you!" She sat up and held out her arms as if to embrace poor Luci in a naked hug. Luci shrieked again in horror, slamming the door as she ran away, for this young woman was not a stranger at all. Her hair was exactly the same shade, and her face was nearly the same for the woman was none other than Luci's youngest sister Baby.
****
Three months later, Luci was sitting on her couch with a blanket wrapped around her body. It was bitterly cold inside as the winter had been reluctant to give way to spring, and Luci couldn’t afford the cost of heating the flat. She had looked for a new roommate once or twice, but had given up and tried to manage herself. All the wages from her job went to paying for food and taxes. She figured if she wore a lot of sweaters, she could save a little money. The vid wasn't on because there was nothing to watch, and the lights were out to spare the expense of electricity. Luci had a candle by her side, which she used to read a book, one of the many from Aunt Klair's antique collection. The book was about a boy, a dog, and a horse that lived on a farm. Other than that, Luci couldn't recall what was happening to them. In truth, the story was uninteresting, and the dark and cold were putting her to sleep, so she blew out the candle and lay the book aside. Curling up on the sofa, she had just closed her eyes when a knock sounded on the door, startling her awake.
"Who is it?" Luci called, cursing herself for immediately she had hoped it would be Vinz. Perhaps, he had tired of Baby already, or she had moved on to another man. Then, Luci cursed herself again for even thinking this.
"Sorry?" A man's voice called out. "Is Vinz there, by chance? I'm looking for him." Luci scrambled over to the door and thrust it open to discover another young man. It was Berkan, the one with white blonde hair and the pale blue eyes that had laughed at her.
"He moved," Luci replied, eyeing Berkan up and down. He cut a fine form for a large man although his clothes were a bit shabby.
"Pity," Berkan said, eyeing Luci up and down, as well, hoping for a glimpse of what he had seen before. "I have two tickets to a Raven's game but no one to share them. You wouldn't want to go, now would you? The stadium will undoubtedly be warmer than here."
"I hate football." Luci made a move to shut the door, but Berkan stepped inside and searched around in the dark.
"Come now, Luci. Get your coat." He found a light and switched it on. "I'll buy you popcorn, a hot dog and a chocolate milk shake." Luci was hungry, she had to admit. She was cold, and a stadium full of people would be warm. She glanced back at Berkan with narrow eyes. Something silver flashed from behind his head and caught her attention.
"What is that?" She asked and pointed at the space.
"What?" Berkan looked around as the object, whatever it was, beckoned to Luci. She took a step forward to get a closer look, but ended up tripping over the blanket that was dragging on the floor. Luci went flying into Berkan and knocked him down. The object, whatever it was, disappeared completely, while Luci and Berkan struggled to right themselves. Unfortunately, or not, the blanket became twisted between their legs, locking Luci and Berkan together for the next half century.
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The story continues with
The Boy who Lit up the Sky
The Two Moons of Rehnor, Book 1
The Two Moons of Rehnor series can be purchased online at all your favorite book and ebook retailers.
www.jnaomiay.com