Sweet, sweet light
Historiah took an afternoon nap and was woken up around 7:00pm to the sound of the rain. She got up and walked to the window nook and sat slowly. The rain fell and every sound filled her ears like the water poured into the earth. She leaned against the wall and breathed deeply, mind wandering. The memories from her childhood flooded her head. A picture of herself sitting on the ground next to a streetlight while the rain poured, soaking her to the bone. "Light. Light. Light. Light..." She called on, tears blending with the downpour.
Perhaps the rain was giving me a hug.
She is pulled abruptly from her thoughts by the bone chilling thunder-Incredibly loud. Must've struck something. Hard.
The lights start to flicker before finally turning off. Her heart rate increases slowly until it's beating out of her chest. It feels like there's a hand over her nose and mouth and another squeezing the wind out of her lungs. She breaks into a cold sweat and tries to stop shaking. She scurries around searching frantically for her phone. My school bag.
She searches her bag and finds it finally, pushing the power button over and over again. Nothing. It's still dead. She had forgotten to plug it in when she came home. Her head starts spinning as nausea sets in. She sits on the floor about to pass out-
"Tori!" Luke calls. The door opens. Light. Sweet, sweet light. He flinches, seeing her on the floor and hurries to her. He sits her up slowly, "Breathe, Tori! Breathe. You're fine." He hands her the flashlight in his hand. His voice is soothing and kind. Her scared eyes meet his affirming ones.
"Am gorn teh herl." She says covering her mouth, translating to "I'm going to hurl." He pulls her up quickly, rushing to her bathroom. She kneels in front of the WC and throws up her entire day's meals. Maybe more like Luke's lunch. He pulls her hair back, only now realizing how soft it is. "Sorry about the darkness, lightning struck a vital part of the plant." She gets up and washes up in the sink. "What plant?" She asks.
"The power plant. At the far end of the estate."
"You have a freaking power plant in your backyard?"
"Of course." He replies.
Why does this surprise me? She goes back to the nook and sits to clear her head. "You, okay?" He asks, sitting on the bed. "Trying to be." She replies, leaning on the wall. "You came because of my nyctophobia, right?" She looks outside instead of at him. "Started running as soon as the lights went out." The room was quiet for a moment, yet it felt like a million words flew around between them.
"Being scared of the dark is pathetic, isn't it? Childish." She laughs ruefully.
"I don't think so." He starts. "Maybe there's just a child inside who is too broken to grow out of it."
Her eyes meet his, and for the first time, they search instead of glare. "Do you enjoy the rain, Luke?" She asks over the sound of it. "No, I don't."
"Why?"
"It brings back bad memories."
Hmph. Something always does.
The lights finally flicker on. "The backups must've kicked in." He looks around. "They modelled it nicely, don't you think?" She realizes that this is the first time he's in her room.
"I guess it's alright." She says nonchalantly, plugging her phone in. "How was your phone dead in school too?"
"I used it overnight."
"You need to get sleep, Tori."
"It was as a lamp, idiot." Of course. He hadn't remembered to add a night light. And the bulbs would be too bright for her to sleep at all. "I am so, so sorry, Tori. It had slipped my mind completely."
"It's fine." She replies plainly.
"Let's go out and get one for you after dinner."
"Wouldn't it be late?"
"I can't have you sleeping with your phone torch, can I?"
"I guess not." She smiles slightly. My eyes must not have adjusted to the light yet. Because this girl DID NOT just smile. Did she?
"I'm hungry, let's go." She ordered.
"Perky little freeloader, aren't you?"
"You brought me here, so you do what I want." She singsongs.
"Whatever you say."
They take the elevator downstairs, take a couple of lefts and a right to the second room ahead. "This place could be a maze." She looks at the tall, grand door. "This is the family dining room," He points at the door she's staring at. "But it's too big for two people. So, we're eating here. He opens the one next to it to reveal a medium sized beige room with a white-wood 6-person dining table and a chandelier hanging over it. The maids come in and serve chicken skewers as appetisers and spaghetti as the main dish. "Do you eat here alone?" She asks. "No, it's usually me and sin. And if my cousin comes around, then yeah."
"You have a big family, don't you?" She asks, remembering this afternoon.
"Yes, and you wouldn't believe the amount of drama that comes with it."
They finish eating and leave for the supermarket. On the appliances isle, there's a variety of small lamps to chose from. "Pick whichever you like." Her eyes scan the collection, till they land on one on the highest shelf, so small it was almost mobile. "I want that one." She points. "A bit small, don't you think? You can take a bigger or more decorated one..."
"No, I want that one." Her gaze is fixed.
"If you say so." He agrees. She nods and looks at him. "Isn't there something you're supposed to say?" He asks.
"Bring it down." She shrugs. "Then add something at the end of the sentence..."
She looks at him.
He looks at her.
"Let's go back, I'll sleep in the dark." She folds her arms.
"Oh, for crying out loud, it's not that hard to say please!" He picks it up and puts it in the shopping basket. "You're so stubborn, shorty." He puts a hand on top of her head. She gives him a death glare. "I'm a comfortable 5'6, you fool."
"Sure, you are, brainiac." They navigate to the cash point, and Historiah stares into the freezer nearby. "Looking to satisfy a sweet tooth, are we?"
"No, I just," She breathes. "Yes."
"You want ice cream?"
"Yes."
"You know what to say."
"Buy it." She says plainly. "Tori!!" He drags.
"Alright, alright." She pauses. "P-pl..." She breathes. "Please."
"When you make a face like filth just rolled off your tongue, it's hard to believe you just said please."
"I said it, didn't I?" She frowns.
"You did. Well done." He pats her head and slides open the freezer and lets her pick what she wants.
It's like taking care of a cat.
She eats the ice cream cheerfully on the ride home. This is the most joy I've gotten out of her since we met.
"Luke." She calls, taking him by surprise. It's the first time she's called him by his name before. "Thank you. For earlier, in my room." She's staring out of the window like she was when watching the rain.
"That was unexpected."
"I'm not completely mannerless, you know."
He smiles. "I guess you aren't."
After a long pause, he continues. "I'd do that every day if I had to."
But those are words Historiah would swallow a knife before believing.