I shivered under my covers.
Outside, the wind howled and the trees bent and the rain poured relentlessly. I buried my face in my pillow. My roommate and I were the only two students on the ground floor, and Maddie was long asleep. I knew she would never let something as silly as a little rain bother her.
The sky let out a roar and even through the curtains, the room grew a little brighter just for a moment and the shadows on the wall grew long and jagged. I dove under my pillow and tried to pull it over my head. I wanted to crawl under the bed, but I didn't think I was able to climb down by myself. The next roar was even louder and deeper. It made gooseflesh crawl all over my tiny, scarred body. I hugged myself and shut my eyes as hard as I could to banish the brightness. Something creaked out in the storm. I tried to dig a little hole in the mattress to hide in. I wanted to kick and punch and run, but all I managed was to flail and to cry and to scream.
"Shh," the voice was calm.
Something warm and soft pressed down on one of my stumps. I stopped struggling abruptly.
"I'm sorry," I squeaked. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"I don't mind," Maddie slowly lifted the pillow.
Her voice was nearly lost beneath thunder and a brief flash lit Maddie's face, her large, brown eyes, and her own stump, dark against my alabaster skin. I couldn't stifle another scream as the sound of thunder went through me.
"Oh god, look at you trembling like that," Maddie shook her head. "Scoot over."
"What?"
"Scoot over. I'll join you."
I performed an awkward shuffle. None of my limbs was much use even when they weren't shaking madly, but Maddie didn't seem to mind much. Both of us had only little nubs for arms that ended well above where we had no elbows, but while my leg stumps were just as short, Maddie still had both of her knees and was only missing her feet. She laid her upper body down on my bed and swung one of her legs, uselessly hitting the side of the mattress in the process.
"Woops. Give me a second."
I thought about protesting, but Maddie's nightgown shone by the light of another flash of lightning and once more, I dove into my pillow for safety.
Maddie tried again and, with a guttural grunt, managed to find purchase on the sheets. She thrust with the knee that had remained on the floor, jumped, and turned. For a second, the nightgown and both of her leg stumps swung merrily through the air, before she rolled over onto her stomach, and the two of us suddenly lay side by side. Maddie slid her legs beneath the covers and I could feel warmth and silk and skin. I turned my head carefully to the side. Maddie gave me a bright smile.
"Hi," she said and brushed my golden locks with her stump. "Getting warmer?"
"Y-yeah, thanks."
"These nighties they give us really are terrible," Maddie spoke softly. "It feels like I'm wearing nothing at all."
"R-right."
My leg stumps felt warm and tingly where they rested against Maddie's firm thighs.
"You don't like stormy weather?"
"N-no. Not since..." I didn't like to finish this thought.
Not since that time.
When the streets were wet.
When the whole world spun.
When the gorge came closer and closer.
We never talked about the accident.
"It's fine," Maddie inched closer. "I'm here."
The silks were slippery. I felt her bust spilling out to the side, big and soft like pillows. I laughed nervously as her black curls fell across my shoulder. It tickled. Maddie's face was close enough to smell the toothpaste on her breath. Our noses touched, then our foreheads. Maddie presence rapidly drove away the cold.
"Let's see if we can't find a little distraction for you," she pressed her lips against my cheek.
That tickled as well.
"What are you doing?" I was blushing now. She drew back. As I spoke, my eyes never left those lips of hers, dark and full and always smiling.
"You don't like it?" Now her lips brushed my ear. "I could stop."
A tingling sensation went down my spine and I bit down on my own lips. Maddie bit down on my lobe. I shuddered. I could still hear the rain outside, but it was a little farther away now.
"No," I said quickly.
"You're so pretty," Maddie smushed my face with her little stumps. "So strong and brave and beautiful. I guess that's why everyone's always looking at you, why I am always looking at you."
"What are you talking about?" I pulled away.
Maddie was the one everyone was looking at, I was sure of it. She was the one walking around on proper prosthetic legs while I was strapped into my little chair, pushed from class to class, talked over and forgotten. I was the one who hid from bad weather.