All characters are older than 18. This story was a FAWC 5 entry and has been edited for resubmission.
*****
Upon the table lay three items: a handkerchief, a book, and a knife. He studied the objects in silence, cupping his chin in his hand. His brain felt fried. Weakness gripped his body, though a surge of nervous energy coursed through him like an electric current. A cold knot swelled in his chest. All he could do was stare. The same familiar thoughts raced in his head but he couldn't make sense of the babble.
Three simple things. They didn't even belong together, not in any way that made sense. It was like a bad joke or a puzzle missing its pieces. He couldn't remember seeing anyone that even used a handkerchief, especially not one so decorative. The more he looked at the items, the more frustrated he became. He rubbed his eyes as if to erase the images from his sight.
A hand touched his arm.
"Adam?"
He glanced over wearily. Rachel was sitting so close to him that he could feel her breath. Her touch was as soft as a feather, but he could feel the tension in her fingers.
"Adam?"
His eyes met hers. "Yeah?"
"What do we do now?"
Adam couldn't hold her gaze. There was so much worry and uncertainty there. Rachel was better than he in tough spots. She was so much more fierce than he could ever be. It unsettled him to see her this way, looking to him for answers. The swollen cut on her cheek made it no easier for him to look at her.
Adam sighed. "What can we do?"
"We have to do something," Rachel said. "We could... we could move, or take a vacation and see if things settle down."
Her voice was too desperate. Adam could tell she didn't even believe her own words.
"You know that won't help," Adam told her quietly. "Nothing will."
Rachel squeezed his arm. It was more than he'd felt from her in so long.
"There's gotta be a way," she said. "We can't live like this."
"I know, Rachel."
He traced her gaze to the leather bound book in the center of the coffee table. Adam blinked. He imagined that he could hear the words of that book whispering, seeping out from the pages and into his head.
Rachel reached for the book. Adam's arm shot out to stop her.
"Don't."
It was the only word he needed to say. She searched his face, and Adam could see her eyes pleading with him. He still had no answer. There wasn't any comfort he could give her.
He looked away, his lips tightening. "Every time you open that diary, it only makes things worse."
Rachel eased back into the couch. The flatscreen on the wall chirped away about a new weight loss program. Adam tried to follow his wife's lead and focus on the TV, or take up any distraction to ease his mind. Still his mind writhed in his skull. What could they do? What could they do? How the hell could it be really happening? Why couldn't things be like they were? The whole thing was making him so nervous he felt sick.
The lights flickered. Adam shot a look at Rachel. Her chest rose and fell as she squeezed her eyelids shut. He leaned forward and scanned the living room. The glow of the lamps on the end tables dimmed slowly. The bulbs in the ceiling fan flickered. Images on the television screen became a distorted digital mess.
Then all at once, the house went black. The fan overhead slowed. Gone was the gentle hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. Adam thought he saw the waning glow of the lifeless TV as it faded amidst the black of the room. He could hear Rachel's quivering breath. Her fingernails dug into his skin as she clutched his arm.
Darkness and silence were all that remained. It was Rachel that spoke first, and the frailty of her voice chilled Adam to the core.
"Oh god... they're coming."
****
I found the tanning lotion in the bottom of the pile in my lotion basket. Digging in that basket made me think of Adam. Every time he saw all the lotion I had he would smile, shake his head, and say something about how ridiculous it was for women to own so much shit.
Smiling to myself, I stretched out a leg with my foot on the bathtub and filled my palm with the oily lotion. The stuff smelled sweet and incredible. Spreading it down my bare thigh and under my calf, I instantly felt more relaxed. If there was one huge plus to quitting my job, it was wearing out the pool during the day. I was really getting used to owning a home and being a housewife.
Housewife. The silliness of it made me giggle. I never imagined myself affording rent for my old trailer in bumfuck, let alone being married and paying a mortgage. I wondered how long it would take for the excitement to dwindle. It'd have to one day, I knew that. I shook the thoughts away and just allowed myself to be happy.
When I finished my legs, I started working on my upper body. I started wishing Adam would come home so he could see my new bikini. I admired the little skull decorations on the top. The black and white two piece fit the designs of the tats on my arms and sides too well. When I put it on, I did worry that the neighbors might shoot me dirty looks if they saw me wearing it, more because of my ink than anything. It just looked too damn cute for me to care. Suburbia would just have to get used to me.
I gave myself a last look in the mirror, fetched a towel, and made my way from the master bathroom. It was time to get some sun. The house was smelling clean and everything was tidy. I got a little rush of excitement when I saw the clear blue water of the pool through the windows overlooking the back yard.
The front door opened and a sweaty Adam walked in. I had hoped he'd have caught me sunbathing, but I turned so that he could see me anyway. I put one hand on the wall and struck a little playful pose for him. He was about to greet me as usual, but I saw his eyes scanning my body. A half smile formed on his face.
"Oh wow, babe." Adam rubbed his neck. "Didn't expect to find you like this."
I shrugged. "You caught me. I was just about to lay out and take a dip."
Adam motioned to me. "New bathing suit?"
"You like it?"
"Uh, y-yeah," Adam replied with a grin. He started toward me and I put up a hand.
"Uh-uh! Boots off, mister! I just got everything clean."
He raised both eyebrows, but did as I told him. As he bent to unlace his boots, I could hear him chuckling.
"Look at you, getting all 'woman of the house' on me," he said.
"Yep," I replied smugly. "Laundry is drying, dishes are running, and you've got lunch sitting on the stove."
"Cooking too, now?"
I shot him a look. It was a bit of a cheap shot.
"Easy there, boss man, it's just a sandwich. But it's a very big sandwich."
He was still chuckling when I closed the back door behind me. Stepping out onto the deck, I inhaled the fresh air and basked in the heat that hit my oiled skin. I used to hate the heat at the trailer, but of course I also wasn't staring at a huge pool full of sparkling water back in the desert. This uppity neighborhood seemed more and more appealing everyday. It was long past time to forget about old stuff, and the scars of wounds that had healed. I eyed the reclining patio chair and tossed my towel on the wooden railing of the deck. I almost turned away when something caught my eye.
It was some kind of cloth. A napkin maybe? The small piece of fabric was draped on the rail near my towel. I picked it up and immediately admired the decorations that adorned both sides. The sunlight gleamed against the silky pearl colored material, but it was the design of the rose in the center that caught my attention. There was something about that shade of red... it was breathtaking. The folds in the petals of the flower were layered somehow, which gave it realistic depth. I had to resist the urge to put it to my nose and smell the rose.
I wondered why it had been out on the deck, and who it could've belonged to. I shrugged the thought off. Adam would probably know more about it. For all I knew, he might have gotten it for me as a gift. I took my place in the patio chair and reclined until I was comfortable. The heat of the sun coated my slick skin and nearly made me moan. I knew I'd have to hop in the water before long to cool off. Closing my eyes, I melted into the chair. Lost in that void between sleep and conciousness, my mind cleared as minutes drifted away.
I heard a splash. Batting my eyes against the brilliant afternoon sun, I peered out toward the pool water. I expected to see Adam, but there was no one. The sparkling surface of the water was calm. A gentle breeze kissed my slick skin. I had forgotten about the little napkin thing in my hand until it waved in the wind. I felt so relaxed. There was something about that rare breeze, the sunshine, the crisp smell of pool water, and that smooth cloth in my fingers...
I slid my fingertips across my stomach, tracing the curves of my waist. I couldn't keep my legs still. My thighs glided against each other as my hips twisted slowly in the chair. It felt like the air had been sucked from my chest. My hand crept lower to the tiny bottoms of my bathing suit. Something inside of me was building, filling me with a warm glow that made the sunlight seem cool. The fabric touched my cheek and I inhaled the sweet flowery scent of spring.
The back door opened. I blinked as Adam stepped out into the sun.
"How's the water, babe?" He stopped when he saw me. "What's that?"
I glanced down to realize that I was holding the little napkin thing close to my face. For a few seconds, I stared at it dumbfounded and tried to find words to say.
"I... I dunno," I said squinting up at Adam. "I just found it out here. Thought maybe you'd know?"
Adam's brow furrowed when he reached for it. "It's a handkerchief. Fancy one. You found it out here?"
I nodded. "On the railing. I figured it was a gift for someone..."
I tried to hide my grin, but Adam smiled wide. "If I was going to give you a gift, it'd be a whole lot better than this little thing."
I rose from my seat and brought myself close to him. Locking eyes with Adam, I hooked my fingers deep in the pockets of his jeans. Pulling his hips to me, I could already tell I'd flipped a switch inside him.
"You could still give me something if you wanted to," I said with an innocent little shrug. "Maybe a repeat of yesterday?"
