09-24-2018, 10:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-24-2018, 10:39 PM by Jay Carpenter.)
Skinny dipping seemed entirely appropriate right about then. He glanced at the lake. What he knew of the terrain, even the way the wind tickled the surface, gave the clues as to its depth. This one was man-made, and as such, would have a nice slope toward deeper waters. Likely a smooth bed of gravel underfoot. Currents would be minimal. He could swim it easily. Probably underwater half way to the other side at the very least. It’d been a few years, though. The Legion didn’t have a swimming standard in PT. Hell, in the marines, he took an entire combatant scuba course. Now that was a hard fucking final exam.
They could duck away, hand in hand, stifling the simultaneous laughter and abject horror at being caught, doff clothes, gasp at the cold water, and huddle close for warmth. It sounded glorious. Though, maybe not the best of ideas in a public park. A nice secluded river would work. The kind with big rocks making walls along one side; baked warm by the sun. Clothes streaming from branches. Truck a haven as good as any palace afterward. Music blaring. Drinks swimming in coolers dragged to the river bank…
God that sounded amazing. Not that he’d ever done that before….
Despite the fact that Jay forced his legs forward, despite the fact that he wanted to sprint as hard as he could, Natalie was distant. Like a fog covered her. Maybe a veil. Maybe whatever they had could never be repaired. Maybe he screwed it up too much. The item in his pocket felt heavier than ever before.
Which was exactly why he dug it out and showed it to her. “Someone is really wanting to talk to you.” Alistair’s wallet device was light as a feather in his palm. The tech so advanced, he didn’t even want to know how Alistair delivered it to Natalie.
He turned it over in his hands as he came closer. The thing was his only lifeline to the one that could get him the answers he wanted. Yet Alistair already refused to do it despite every bait Jay knew how to offer. That man had answers. He only wanted a small sacrifice in return. Jay paused on the sidewalk, looked at the lake, knowing what he had to do. The decision was made even when he first saw her. Hopefully Natalie wouldn’t curse him afterward. Hopefully she understood the gamble. Muscles coiled, gaze focused; heart ready. The high-school baseball all-state athlete showed itself, then.
He threw the thing as hard as he could.
It sailed. It fucking sailed through the air. The tiny splash in the lake was its final goodbye. When he turned back to her, he offered a palm. ”Please come with us.” And silently begged her to agree.
They could duck away, hand in hand, stifling the simultaneous laughter and abject horror at being caught, doff clothes, gasp at the cold water, and huddle close for warmth. It sounded glorious. Though, maybe not the best of ideas in a public park. A nice secluded river would work. The kind with big rocks making walls along one side; baked warm by the sun. Clothes streaming from branches. Truck a haven as good as any palace afterward. Music blaring. Drinks swimming in coolers dragged to the river bank…
God that sounded amazing. Not that he’d ever done that before….
Despite the fact that Jay forced his legs forward, despite the fact that he wanted to sprint as hard as he could, Natalie was distant. Like a fog covered her. Maybe a veil. Maybe whatever they had could never be repaired. Maybe he screwed it up too much. The item in his pocket felt heavier than ever before.
Which was exactly why he dug it out and showed it to her. “Someone is really wanting to talk to you.” Alistair’s wallet device was light as a feather in his palm. The tech so advanced, he didn’t even want to know how Alistair delivered it to Natalie.
He turned it over in his hands as he came closer. The thing was his only lifeline to the one that could get him the answers he wanted. Yet Alistair already refused to do it despite every bait Jay knew how to offer. That man had answers. He only wanted a small sacrifice in return. Jay paused on the sidewalk, looked at the lake, knowing what he had to do. The decision was made even when he first saw her. Hopefully Natalie wouldn’t curse him afterward. Hopefully she understood the gamble. Muscles coiled, gaze focused; heart ready. The high-school baseball all-state athlete showed itself, then.
He threw the thing as hard as he could.
It sailed. It fucking sailed through the air. The tiny splash in the lake was its final goodbye. When he turned back to her, he offered a palm. ”Please come with us.” And silently begged her to agree.
Only darkness shows you the light.