Heart Fire
When she started to doze, Marcus moved away from the bed and pulled the amulet off his body. The heat was unmistakable and the emanating light became a deeper blood red. Sera kept sneaking little peaks at him though. She watched him open a metal box near the bed, put the amulet inside, closed the lid and mumbled under his breath. Then he padded across the loft and into the kitchen. Rummaging into the fridge for something and then returned to the bed with two bottles of water.
He layed back down, letting his eyes close and sighed. But Sera didn’t think it was contentment. He seemed rather pensive and distant for a guy that had just had an awesome blow job. But he began to snore softly and she figured his frowns were just misplaced shadows.
Sera had always hated post coitus. What the hell were you supposed to do when your one night stand falls asleep. But she couldn’t remember his address, so calling a cab was difficult. She stared at his well built body. Strong forearms crossed over a wiry chest, forever smooth from daily working with the kiln.
Sera smiled as a river of light spilled across his belly and small taut nipples. The shadows seemed to pulse with Marcus’s breath, changing from a light pink to a soft rose. Sera looked to the skylights but only dark sky and a sliver of moon looked back. She reached her fingers out to touch that smooth skin, but paused before reaching his hip.
The last thing she needed was to get attached, even if 12 months is a long time to live without male comfort. She missed the sturdy frame and easy disposition of having someone stronger than herself around. Someone to open stuck jars and gripe at to take out the trash. Even if they couldn’t figure out how to pick up their damn socks.
Her head started to ache and the pulsing light seemed to shine a deeper red. Were the room lights were getting brighter? She looked up to find the source, hoping she could turn it off and just ride out the hangover in the dark. But it was coming from the amulet box and it really was getting brighter. The idea of tripping around a strange bedroom, with a pulsing light, and the hallmarks of a bourbon hangover didn’t appeal to her. Or maybe she was just looking for a reason to touch him.
Either way, she let her hovering hand extend over his belly and land above his bellybutton. His unexpected goosebumps prickled her palm. She blushed remembering how ticklish he was elsewhere.
“mmm…Raina? You don’t have to go Raina. Just stay.”
Great, Sera though. He has no idea what my name is. Am I really that forgettable! It upset her that she was feeling so connected to him yet guilty for playing suck my winkie with a stranger she met at a party. Then again, he was very attentive to her needs a few minutes ago, and complaining wasn’t going to help her campaign for a second round.
She ignored the thought that she’d eventually have to sneak out of here early next morning and try to explain to her brother why she ditched his well picked ringer for a one night stand with a glass artist. She couldn’t understand why he refused to understand that she had no intention of staying here. Seattle was his town but not hers. She didn’t want to work at a damn bar filled with alcoholics and assholes. She didn’t want to live in a city with 345 days of rain a year. She didn’t want to be a fucking bartender for the rest of her life. And right now, she was wishing her name was Renee, because then she wouldn’t have to go.
She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears but they fell anyway. Coming back to this gloomy city never improved her emotional disposition. She was tired of being reminded of all the accidental fires she’d spent her entire life putting out. All the doctors advice to keep her raging childhood emotions in control all the years ago. Why did her mother have to leave her? Why did she have to die? “It’s all my fault, again.”
“Raina?” Marcus blinked as if confused to be waking up in his own house and a bead of fresh sweat rolled down his chest and under her palm. The wood stove must have found a hidden pocket of dry wood. Sera sniffled at the smell of burning pine and flicked away her tears. The room seemed to contract. The air was too warm, the loft too cramped all of a sudden. Sera slowly untangled herself from the mess of blankets and limbs.
Marcus shook his head. “I was just leaving anyway” she mumbled and began to feel around the bed for her clothes. Marcus reached out to stop her.
He was still blinking through sleepiness. “Raina, you don’t have go”
“No, I’d better go.” Sera shifted her legs off the bed. But his grip tightened. Sera struggled but he didn’t let go. “You’re sleep walking Marcus, wake up”
“You don’t have to go back to him” She could see his face from the light leaking out of the amulet’s box. Marcus tried to pull him to her.
“I’m not Raina, Let me go” Sera tried to pry his hand loose from her wrist but couldn’t. Her slip started to stick to her legs from the oppressive heat. And her hangover had picked a perfect time to start throbbing.
“Just stay Raina.” Marcus’s eyes pleaded “I forgive you. Just stay” His grip tightened even more and Sera finally felt her fear and sadness barriers collapse into anger.
“Wake up damnit! I’m not Raina” She scratched at his fingers and yanked hard at his wrists. “Let me go”
A booming noise shook the wood stove, throwing the flame guard across the room and into the largest floor vase. Sparks sailed from the unconstrained fire and onto the carpet, lighting the Ikea version of a black ivy shag on fire. The candles near the bed popped, sending wax and bits of lit wick onto Marcus’ back. “Fuck!”
“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit” Sera couldn’t stop. She didn’t remember standing but now she was frozen, looking over her shoulder at another room filled with small fires. She heard her dead mother screaming at her to run, but she couldn’t move.
Marcus, broken from his sleepwalking trance, picked up the almost full bottles of water and ran into the living room area. But there wasn’t enough left to douse all the growing sparks.
Sera began shaking but didn’t move away from the bed. Marcus pulled the extinguisher out from under the sink and aimed it at the ruined and half wet carpet. A whipped cream of white foam coated the growing circles of red and orange. The carpet was ruined but at least the fire alarm wasn’t going off. He dragged the carpet down the hall and stepped into a hidden doorway.
Sera heard a shower running as he padded back out to her. “Sera, are you okay?”
She still couldn’t stop shaking, her eyes wouldn’t focus on anything, and everything seemed to be covered in red splotches.
“Sera?” he grabbed her shoulders and she tried to look at his face, but her eyes wouldn’t focus “Sera!” he shook her shoulders. “It’s okay, it’s out”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry” Tears pooled in the indentation of her neck.
“Sera! The fire’s out!” He wrapped his arms around her, gently rocking.
She looked up at him and suddenly gravity pulled her legs out from under her. Marcus swept his arm underneath her knees as she dropped and scooped her limp body back onto the bed.
Marcus looked around for the second bottle of water and saw the amulet’s box lid was torn off it’s hinges. The amulet bathed the room in deep red light. He lifted it out of the box, and held it between his clasped hands. “Ana Dua, baraca andua” he whispered. The red light flickered out and Sera woke up screaming.