“The storm seems pretty bad,” I say, pointing at the light flickering from above us.
“Yeah, it’s pretty nasty,” he responds, throwing some black sheets on the bed. “Here are some clean sheets.”
“Thanks,” I say, touching the dark, jersey-knit fabric. “Where’s Shadow?” I word-vomit.
Bobby stops in his tracks. “He’s across the hall in his room.” His voice is hesitant. I can tell he wants me to keep my distance.
“Oh,” is all I muster. I know I should stay away from Shadow, but I can’t help but want to run in his room and be with him. My head and heart are so conflicted.
“All right, well… night, Firefly,” he says, stepping out of the room.
“Wait. Where are you going?” I ask. I hate being trapped in this room by myself.
“Gonna sleep on the couch. Let you have the bed to yourself.”
“Oh, thanks.” I smile in appreciation.
“Night, Firefly.”
“Goodnight, Bobby.”
***
I wake in a hot sweat, the wind whistling against the building and the thunder clapping. Dreams of the kidnapping still haunt me when I sleep. I wonder when I’ll be able to finally sleep through the night without a reminder of Ricky’s voice. I slip off the bed, out of breath and flip the switch to the lights but they just flicker on and off. The electricity is unstable from the violent storm. It explains why it’s so muggy in here. I open the door and peek into nothing but still blackness. “Bobby!” I whisper loudly, but there’s no response. I could run, just grab my shoes and high tail it out of here. I look across the hall at Shadow’s door and know I can’t leave. If I run, I will look guilty, and they will find me. I tiptoe into the blackness, my hand trailing against the gritty wall to help lead the way. The lights flash on and off, giving me a chance to navigate down the hall and into the kitchen. I find the sink by chance and trail my hands along the counter to the rack with clean dishes. I stumble upon a glass sitting on the draining board, I fill it with water then lean against the sink and enjoy the cool liquid splashing down my throat. My body is beading with sweat. How can anybody sleep? It’s so hot.
“Fucking lights!” I hear as Shadow flings open the kitchen door. We both stop and stare at each other as the lights flicker on and off. My body goes stiff, and my heart races as Shadow stares back at me, his eyes sinister and dark, piercing me. Thunder booms and the lights go off. Frightened, I toss my cup in the sink, the glass shattering as it hits the stainless steel. I make my way quickly in the darkness toward the kitchen doors to get away. The last place I want to be is in a dark room with Shadow.
I trip over a stool as the lights flicker on briefly, my hands falling against the dusty floor with force, making my palms burn from impact. I look up and notice Shadow near the sink where I was before, the lights giving away my location. His eyes catch mine before the room goes black again, and I crawl toward the door in the pure blackness. When my hand touches it, the lights flicker on and Shadow is standing where my hand is touching instead of the door. I open my mouth to scream, and he smacks his hand against my mouth to quiet me as he pulls me up violently and jerks me against his chest.
“DON’T SCREAM,” SHADOW WHISPERS into my ear, his tone alarming and menacing. “Do you understand what I just said to you? If I let go and you scream, you’re not going to like what I do next.”
I nod in understanding as my heart rams against my chest in fear. He slowly releases his hand from my mouth. I throw his arm holding me against him off me, while I push away from him. He’s wearing black jersey shorts with no shirt, his dark hair sticking to his forehead from the heat. Even when I’m not one hundred percent sure he’s not going to kill me, I find him lick-worthy. His chest glistening from little droplets of sweat forming from the heat.
“Why did you come back here, Dani?” he asks, his tone harsh. The lights flicker, giving him an eerie glow. One side of his face is shaded with the dark while the other is flashed with the small gleam of lights, which turn on and off briefly. His face is drawn down, his eyes hooded with an impending death glare. His lips smirk to the side as he reads my frightened body language.
I straighten my back and try to act unaffected. “What was I supposed to do? Go back to New York with my mother?” I don’t try and hide the bitterness in my tone.
“Coming back here was stupid. Only reason you’re still here is because your father is the president. Otherwise, your ratting ass would be six-feet-under.” Shadow’s words hit what’s left of my heart. I can literally feel my shattered heart lifting walls of defense and scarring those made from love.
“Fuck you, Shadow. I’m not a rat,” I spit.