Read Online 1942664419 (S) by Jennifer M. Eaton - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer M. Eaton
Ads: Link
scream flew from my lips.
Ten years ago, Mom and Dad took me to a cavern in Virginia. The tour guide turned out the lights to show us what complete darkness was. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. It made me feel small, helpless, and insignificant. Just like now.
My heart thumped madly. The liquid walls hummed, as if they concealed an energy all their own. Could they shift? Come closer? Crush me? Would the room be the same shape when the lights came back on?
If they came back on.
A sloshing sound filled the room, as if I stood beside a pool and someone had walked into the water. The walls continued to hum as a presence overwhelmed my senses. I shuddered worse than one of those stupid girls in the horror movies.
A footstep fell behind me. I swirled in that direction—as if it would help. Black was black from any angle.
Despite the adrenalin coursing through my veins, I lowered my arms. A sense of security wrapped me up like a warm hug. I was fine. Safe. Nothing could hurt me.
I closed my eyes to shelter myself from what I couldn’t see. My entire body tingled, opened up, and accepted the swirling essence of well-being. I wasn’t alone. I should have been scared, but I couldn’t be. Something wouldn’t let the fear anywhere near me, as if I was hidden under an impenetrable blanket.
The presence surged against me. Around me. Taunting and caressing at the same time. I’d experienced that degree of tension and tranquility only once in my life: in the arms of a guy I was never meant to meet, but fate had brought us together to save both our worlds.
A pain lodged in my chest, and I held back a sob. Could it be? “David?”
“Hello, Jess.”
His voice struck me with the force of a train. It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t be there. He was on Mars.
I covered my face with my hands as tears filled my eyes. “David, I can’t see you. They turned out the lights.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
I sensed him to my left and turned. I stepped toward him, but could feel him dodging me, dashing to my right.
“Why are you moving away?”
The pause cut a small hole in my heart. I needed to hear his voice again. I needed that validation that he was actually with me.
“David?”
“I just want to look at you,” he said.
“In the pitch dark?” I reached in the direction of his voice.
“I can see in the dark.”
“You can?”
I could almost sense his grin. “How do you think I navigated the woods at night on Earth?”
Oh yeah. Hadn’t thought of that.
The heat of his breath kissed my fingertips before he moved again.
“David, please stand still. I want to touch you.”
Silence.
I closed my eyes again, opening my senses. He was to my right now. The pull was undeniable, as if we were tethered, and he’d given the string a tug. I walked toward him.
“Wait,” he said. I could sense him moving: behind me now. “Keep your eyes closed.”
I turned my left ear toward his voice. “I can’t see anyway.”
“Just keep them closed.”
He was close. Very close. The back of my shirt heated, sending the rest of me trembling. It was like standing in front of a six-foot-tall alien-shaped space heater. I wanted to back up, trace his features with my fingertips, lose myself in his arms; but I couldn’t move.
“David?”
“Shhh.”
He gently caressed my shoulders and ran his hands down the arms of my shirt. The heat—it was almost too much to bear. A gasp escaped my lips.
David released me. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” Well, maybe a little. I guess startled was more the word. Even through my sleeves, his hands burned ten times hotter than I remembered.
But that made sense. The whole time we were together on Earth, he’d been insulated by a simulated human coating. This was David. Only David. All one hundred and fifteen and some odd degrees of him.
Was that why he didn’t leave the lights on? Was he afraid for me to see what he really looked like?
I spun and seized his wrist before he
Ten years ago, Mom and Dad took me to a cavern in Virginia. The tour guide turned out the lights to show us what complete darkness was. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. It made me feel small, helpless, and insignificant. Just like now.
My heart thumped madly. The liquid walls hummed, as if they concealed an energy all their own. Could they shift? Come closer? Crush me? Would the room be the same shape when the lights came back on?
If they came back on.
A sloshing sound filled the room, as if I stood beside a pool and someone had walked into the water. The walls continued to hum as a presence overwhelmed my senses. I shuddered worse than one of those stupid girls in the horror movies.
A footstep fell behind me. I swirled in that direction—as if it would help. Black was black from any angle.
Despite the adrenalin coursing through my veins, I lowered my arms. A sense of security wrapped me up like a warm hug. I was fine. Safe. Nothing could hurt me.
I closed my eyes to shelter myself from what I couldn’t see. My entire body tingled, opened up, and accepted the swirling essence of well-being. I wasn’t alone. I should have been scared, but I couldn’t be. Something wouldn’t let the fear anywhere near me, as if I was hidden under an impenetrable blanket.
The presence surged against me. Around me. Taunting and caressing at the same time. I’d experienced that degree of tension and tranquility only once in my life: in the arms of a guy I was never meant to meet, but fate had brought us together to save both our worlds.
A pain lodged in my chest, and I held back a sob. Could it be? “David?”
“Hello, Jess.”
His voice struck me with the force of a train. It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t be there. He was on Mars.
I covered my face with my hands as tears filled my eyes. “David, I can’t see you. They turned out the lights.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
I sensed him to my left and turned. I stepped toward him, but could feel him dodging me, dashing to my right.
“Why are you moving away?”
The pause cut a small hole in my heart. I needed to hear his voice again. I needed that validation that he was actually with me.
“David?”
“I just want to look at you,” he said.
“In the pitch dark?” I reached in the direction of his voice.
“I can see in the dark.”
“You can?”
I could almost sense his grin. “How do you think I navigated the woods at night on Earth?”
Oh yeah. Hadn’t thought of that.
The heat of his breath kissed my fingertips before he moved again.
“David, please stand still. I want to touch you.”
Silence.
I closed my eyes again, opening my senses. He was to my right now. The pull was undeniable, as if we were tethered, and he’d given the string a tug. I walked toward him.
“Wait,” he said. I could sense him moving: behind me now. “Keep your eyes closed.”
I turned my left ear toward his voice. “I can’t see anyway.”
“Just keep them closed.”
He was close. Very close. The back of my shirt heated, sending the rest of me trembling. It was like standing in front of a six-foot-tall alien-shaped space heater. I wanted to back up, trace his features with my fingertips, lose myself in his arms; but I couldn’t move.
“David?”
“Shhh.”
He gently caressed my shoulders and ran his hands down the arms of my shirt. The heat—it was almost too much to bear. A gasp escaped my lips.
David released me. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” Well, maybe a little. I guess startled was more the word. Even through my sleeves, his hands burned ten times hotter than I remembered.
But that made sense. The whole time we were together on Earth, he’d been insulated by a simulated human coating. This was David. Only David. All one hundred and fifteen and some odd degrees of him.
Was that why he didn’t leave the lights on? Was he afraid for me to see what he really looked like?
I spun and seized his wrist before he
Similar Books
