The Kiss: An Anthology About Love and Other Close Encounters

by C. A. Newsome

  Then it happened. The car stopped in front of the familiar house where my mother, father, and I all lived. I knew the place well. From this point forward, I may alas, speak of my own memories. I must warn you though they are certainly not pleasant things, not in the slightest. By the time I stepped out of the car, my mother was already halfway up the porch steps. My attention was drawn to her and the sight of my father standing at the top of the concrete structure. He was waiting for her, he was ready. Or was he?

  The sights and sounds that followed have haunted my memory for years and can never be forgotten; never be erased. In that moment, it filled my soul and cut through my young core. I did not hear the words my father had spoken. Even if I had, my forming mind could not comprehend their full meaning. I will tell you what I do remember. I remember my mother and that sound, that horrible aching noise. In that instant, I watched as her knees buckled and she fell onto the cold concrete below. A scream of sheer terror and agony flowed through the air like a sonic boom, sending sound waves across my ears. The words that left her lips will never leave my mind. They still often arise in my nightmares. After all, this was the day I lost my mother. This was the day everything changed.

  *

  Her workout was proceeding quite nicely. Debra raised the treadmill level up a notch as she continued to gossip with her beloved friend Nancy. The woman on the neighboring piece of equipment cranked her own device up a level. Both women were truly competitors at heart. It was a commonality that had brought them together, among other things. Everything was as it should be; nothing was out of the ordinary. It was just another November day in the gym. She could have never anticipated what would come next.

  Debra watched as a gym employee approached, staring right at them. The woman looked fully prepared to interrupt their exercise routine. Debra felt annoyed. The young, blonde walked straight up to the two ladies. Debra had seen her here before and sized her up as just another bimbo with a nice, young figure. Debra’s defensive state caused her to push the treadmill to a higher pace. As she watched the girl’s expression, her own attitude changed.

  “Nancy? Are either of you Nancy?” The girl seemed afraid to ask the words. Was that truly fear?

  Debra’s friend answered the question and had the treadmill off in a matter of seconds. “Yes, I am Nancy. What’s going on?” Now it was Nancy’s face that seemed filled with fear. Debra lowered her own treadmill setting down to a walking pace.

  “There’s a man on the phone. He says he is your husband and that it’s an emergency.” The girl’s hands shook as she stated the words, clearly nervous. In fairness, Debra knew this was not the sort of thing one expects when taking a job at a gym. Of course, now, her focus was drawn to her dear friend. Nancy was already off the treadmill, ready to follow the ditzy employee. Debra was going to ask if she should go along as well, but the look on Nancy’s face implied she would not have been heard. It was as if she knew, as though she had already heard the news echo in her ears. Debra stopped her own treadmill and opted to watch her friend approach the phone on the other side of the gym. Nancy was not on the phone long. Debra could not be sure if she had spoken into the device at all. She watched as Nancy’s arm weakly placed the thing back onto its appropriate location. Nancy was never weak; she never carried herself like that. After all, Nancy was prior military. She was a strong, determined woman. It was a quality Debra adored about her. Something was wrong here, truly wrong.

  Debra did not hesitate any longer and plucked up her bag, rushing to her friend’s side. Nancy was not herself. Her eyes were glazed over and she seemed lost in some distant land. “What is it?” Debra did not know of any other way to ask. She needed to know what course of action to take next.

  Nancy’s expression drifted toward her friend. She still wasn’t there, not truly. “It was Paul. I need to go home.” The words seemed to have drawn the last bit of energy from the woman’s body, mind, and very soul. She needed Debra now more than ever. Debra was more than willing to step up to the plate.

  “Let’s go get Korina.” Debra hoped that hearing her daughter’s name would draw Nancy back to reality for the moment. It did not. The woman remained as though the living dead. Her face was pale, her mind was gone. Debra put her hand on the woman’s shoulder and led her to the facility’s daycare.

  “I need to pick up Korina.” She handed the attendant the tag that identified the young girl. Something about that concept seemed sick. It was as though she was picking up a lost bag, not a living person. Nevertheless, such random thoughts were not where her mind needed to be. She had to be here, in this moment, for the sake of her friend.

  Debra led her friend and the woman’s young daughter through the gym doors and out to the parking lot. She scanned for the car. She was desperately trying to think on her feet and move as efficiently as possible. She could not remember where the darn car was parked. Irritation arose within her, she needed to hurry. She looked down and saw the young girl clinging to her mother’s weak hand. They needed her; they both desperately needed her right now. She had to keep it together. There was simply no other option. At last she identified Nancy’s beaten, tan car. She rushed toward the vehicle, half pushing her friend along. Nancy walked much like a robot. Her body seemed to be following Debra’s directions but at a loss for its own movements.

  As they approached the car, Debra did not even ask. She knew the woman was in no state to drive, certainly not with a child in the car. She plucked the keys from Nancy’s hand. How they had even gotten from the woman’s purse into her clinging fingers, she did not know. It didn’t matter. She opened the passenger door first and eased her friend in, keeping a close eye on Korina the entire time. She then opened the back door, ready to help the young child.

  “I do it myself!” Korina half screamed the words as she crawled into the backseat. Debra considered getting onto her for being rude, but it wasn’t the time. After all, the young child was probably aware something was wrong with her mother. Debra had always had a way with children. She understood them in a way many could not, granting them more credit for their understanding than the average, arrogant adult. Letting the slight disobedience slide, she closed the door and rushed to the driver’s side. Keys in hand, she whispered a silent prayer under her breath, then crawled in.

  She started up the car and glanced once more at her friend. Nancy was staring straight ahead. Her mind wasn’t in the car; it wasn’t even in the vicinity. She was gone somewhere far away. Debra was thankful she did not need to ask for directions. She knew the way to her friend’s house well. Pulling onto the main road, her foot pressed the pedal hard. She looked in her review mirror and was reminded of the child in the back seat. The young girl stroked the doll’s red yarn hair, seemingly oblivious to the situation that awaited them. Debra lessened her foot’s pose against the pedal. She attempted to stay within the boundaries of limited speeding and safety. Every turn seemed to last an eternity and each red light felt like it stretched on for hours. She was eager to complete her mission, to get her friend and the young girl home safely.

  Finally, they were arriving in the familiar neighborhood. Suddenly Debra almost wished the venture had taken longer. Deep down she knew this day would change everything for her beloved friend. It would change everything for them all.

  She stopped in front of the split level home and saw Nancy’s husband, Paul, waiting on the steps. Even from afar, the look on his face said it all. It was worse than she could imagine, worse than her most terrible nightmares could concoct. Before Debra could move, her friend was out of the car and rushing toward the porch. Finally Debra’s body caught up to her mind and she hopped out of the vehicle, quickly opening the back door for the clueless young child waiting there. Then she heard it. She had not even turned around yet, but the scream froze her in place. It echoed with a pain that surpassed centuries. A desperation held within that would forever haunt Debra’s thoughts. In that moment, Debra knew beyond a doubt her friend was experiencing a level of grief few h
ave ever known.

  *

  It was just another class, unlike any other. Paul was studying the work of God like always. Theology was his calling. He knew deep down this was exactly where he was meant to be but he had no idea how much his faith was about to be tested.

  ”Paul Fletcher?” The voice was distant from the back of the classroom, interrupting the lecture. Paul wondered if the man had really just said his name.

  “Yes, that is me.” Paul did not understand the reason for this intrusion. It seemed very out of place, and he suddenly felt something was seriously wrong.

  “There is an emergency call for you.” The man’s words confirmed his concern. He rushed out of the seat and was through the hall in minutes. His journey from the classroom to the phone flew by in a blur. As he picked up the telephone receiver, Paul felt a physical rush of pain shoot through him. He just knew something was wrong. It was his wife’s sister on the other line. Her words were weak as she conveyed the news. The phone dropped from Paul’s hands. He knew what this meant. His wife would never be the same, and worse, he had to deliver the news that would devastate her. He walked out of the building with horror filling him. How was he going to do this? How could he possibly speak the words that must be said?

  Finally sitting in his car, he prayed to God for strength. He needed His help to get through this. There was no other way. He could not do this on his own. He started the car and was home in no time. He knew his wife was at the gym. She and Debra had made a tradition out of going every Monday and Wednesday. He plucked up the phone to call her and hesitated. He desperately wished this was all some terrible nightmare, a dream he could awake from. It was not. Paul dialed in the numbers and waited as it rang several times. He then sat on hold while the employee went to get his wife. He could picture the look on her face and, deep down he knew there was no reassurance that could be offered. There was nothing he could do but wait to deliver the ultimate blow till she arrived in person.

  After getting off the phone, the moments seemed to creep into eternity. His mind searched for the best way to tell her the news. He already knew the way. He would simply have to force the words from his mouth. There was no easy way around this. Nancy needed him to be a man now more than ever and he was ready to do just that. Well, as ready as anyone could ever be.

  He heard the car pull up and rushed to open the door. He was tempted to approach her but Nancy was nearly to him now. He took a deep breath and prepared for the misery that would cloud all of their lives for years.

  *

  The workout was going as normal with Debra being her usually competitive self. Nancy was more than willing to step up to the challenge as both ladies raised the levels on their treadmills. From the corner of her eye, Nancy then saw a gym employee approaching them. She was looking directly at her. As their eyes met, Nancy knew something was terribly wrong. Over the last few months, she had a growing sense that something terrible was in her future. She had been anticipating bad news for some time, but still a wave of fear boiled up within her.

  As the girl approached them, she eked out her required question. “Nancy? Are either of you Nancy?”

  Nancy felt her fear rise to a new level. “Yes, I am Nancy. What’s going on?”

  The girl straightened her body but her eyes flickered to the floor. She seemed aware she was dealing a vital blow. “There’s a man on the phone. He says he is your husband and that it’s an emergency.”

  Nancy began following the girl back to the front desk. She could see the phone’s handset from here. It sat on the counter like any other object, but something about it was ominous. In a strange way, the thing was almost evil incarnate. Nancy hesitantly picked up the phone. She held it there a moment then remembered the need to speak. “Hello.” It was all she could get out.

  Paul’s voice sounded through on the other end. There was an eerie desperation and pain in his voice. Something had gone terribly wrong. Nancy just knew. “Nancy? Honey, hurry home…” His words were simple, but they cut her deeper than a knife. She weakly put down the phone. Her mind was in a fog and began wandering a million different directions.

  Before she could process one full thought, Debra was at her side. “What is it?” Her friend was clearly concerned. Nancy did not even know how to respond. She stood there a moment feeling blank, much like the living dead. Finally words formed across her lips, which seemed to be operating from some inner auto pilot. “It was Paul. I need to go home.”

  If Debra responded, Nancy was unaware. Everything around her faded and darkness swarmed in. She had known something like this was going to happen. She had felt it building, as though some force was attempting to prepare her. Her mind immediately rushed to thoughts of her family back in Virginia. The faces of her sisters and father flashed in her mind.

  Before she knew what was happening, she felt the light touch of a small hand against her own. It was her daughter, Korina. She momentarily realized they were out of the gym and her other hand instinctually reached into her bag. Her mind faded again. She had never felt such a confusion of emotions flow through her. She feared the news that was coming, yet desperately wanted to know. She needed to know. She barely felt the keys drift out of her hand and the encouragingly light push into the open passenger door.

  The drive lasted an eternity; yet was over in an instant. They were here. Nancy saw the door above the porch open and she rushed up the steps. She wasn’t ready to hear the news. Nothing could ever prepare her for the words, but she had to hear them. She had to know. The thought kept replaying in her mind as the faces of her loved ones flashed across her unseen vision.

  Paul spoke with a deep mixture of love and pain. He did not want to say the words. They both knew it, but he had to. “Your father and two of your sisters, Loraine and Evelyn, have all been shot.”

  It hit her like a flying bullet. He may as well have just pulled the trigger. Pain shot through her entire body and Nancy fell to her knees and screamed out. “Oh God!”

  The next three days passed in a complete blur. The details of the news had been conveyed. Loraine and Evelyn had both been shot and had passed on to another place. Nancy’s father remained in critical condition. Nancy’s body was now standing in front of her sister Loraine’s coffin, though her mind was somewhere else entirely. It was not until her form shifted and she stood in front of her youngest sister Evelyn’s coffin that she came back to reality. The young woman resting in the casket had only been 21 years old. Nancy leaned over to kiss her sister’s cold forehead and say goodbye. As she leaned up, her eyes were met by those of her daughter, Korina. Nancy felt a million emotions and thoughts boiling within her but one suddenly dominated them all. “She needs me.”

  *

  As the Colors Fade

  The shots were fired,

  The deed was done,

  She knew she would never again see the sun.

  Her eyes were open,

  Her mind was numb,

  The act could never be undone.

  Never.

  The word reached into her soul,

  There it took its hold,

  An eternity of black,

  From which there was no going back.

  The pain sank in,

  She wanted no more than to die within.

  In an instant she watched the colors fade away,

  There was nothing left now but shades of gray.

  * * *

  Corrie Fischer is the author of the Shattered Skies series. She lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas with her two dogs and a leopard gecko.

  http://corriefischer.com

  *

  The Slave Who'd Never Been Kissed

  Jess Mountifield

  The Captain's First Contact

  “All right, all right, the lot of you can have an hour in the market. Then I want you back to your stations.” The man said with an Irish lilt and chuckled. The five people Auraylia had seen badger him for the last few minutes grinned and dispersed into the crowds.

  Desp
ite knowing none of them she found herself smiling at their exchange. He wore the uniform of a Unified Federations ship captain, and the deep blue shirt and trousers brought out the blue in his eyes. Complete with the black ankle-length coat and insignia on the right shoulder, he had many young ladies turning their heads in his direction, her included.

  She saw him pull out an ornate pocket watch and glance at the time before making his own way into the market area right past her. The scent of spiced aftershave marked his path and tantalised her senses. Intrigued, she followed him.

  For several minutes he merely browsed and didn't buy a single item, but eventually he haggled for a small packet of herbs from a specialist stall. It disappeared somewhere into his coat, leaving her no reason to engage him yet. She kept back and continued to watch, only half sure she wanted to approach but convinced the risk would be worth the nerves making her shiver already.

  *

  Dylan made his way through the pressing crowds, inspecting the wares of many of the market stalls. Although he'd held out on his crew and pretended to be concerned over their wishes to explore the market town, he was pleased at their desire. It gave him the free time to browse alone and gather his thoughts.

  The few purchases he had already made were tucked into the deep pockets of his coat and weighed it down a little more than usual, but it helped keep them safe from the little hands that snuck about the place.

  As he glanced over some ornate necklaces on one stall and wondered if they would make a good gift for his third officer he noticed a familiar figure amongst the masses; a young woman, barely of age yet dressed in the usual female slave outfit, a pale coloured top and pantaloons, leaving her mid-riff and arms barely covered by the partially transparent organza overlay, to hint at the body that lay beneath. Unlike most of the girls nearby, who wore oranges and yellows to stand out, she wore a pale blue ensemble. Ironically, the contrast made her easier to spot and it was the third time he'd noticed her meandering along behind him.