Chapter 8- Shaken

Chapter 8

Shaken

 

 

 

        Seth stood, shaken, with his head low and hands on either side of the door. The black of his boots had an unavoidable lure to him, keeping his gaze for quite a bit. Sliding down from the door, his hands ended up in his pockets and his back met with the wall behind him. He thought for a while about knocking down the door and going in. He thought about that for a long time, actually. Instead, he just stood, shaken.

 

       A neighbor had come out to walk her dog. When he noticed the woman, Seth followed her down the stairs and out to his car. Took out his keys and opened the door. But, in that same instance, he slammed it shut. The sound startled the lady and her dog, who let out a few barks. Seth walked back to the front door and went inside, running up the stairs. Unfortunately, he stopped. I really wish these people would make up their damn minds. They've been around long enough to get the whole 'thinking' part down. Ah yes, he stopped. The brown banister matched his leather jacket and the carpet matched the color of his face - pale.

 

     Taking a step downwards, the last few weeks were playing infront of his eyes. Some were going in fast forward and some, some were going in slow motion. The night at his apartment, the chase in the street. The first time he saw her at the harbour. The tape paused and the last fifty years flew past him, almosting knocking off his balance. January, 1958. He and Liam came off of a ship to meet Tony. He was their contact here. The morning they arrived, the clouds were low and the waves had been crashing a bit too hard for this time of year. When the guys reached Tony's car, they noticed a young girl walking with her father, who was leaving to work on one of the ships. She had to be five or so. Long, blond, curly hair and her eyes were blue. Of course it was still early in the morning and dim, but they're eyes are a little different than ours.

 

        Liam told Seth who they thought she was, but he already knew. Bridget McNeil. The men looked at her and knew that now, all they could do was wait. Seth needed an identity for this place though. His real name couldn't be used so, Liam dubbed him Anthony Delaney. Tony gave a smirk, but then again, they have all had the same name at one point or another. Besides, in 1958, Tony was Jared Stillson, Liam was Nathan Jackson and Seth was now Anthony Delaney. It's been so long since any of them had needed to use their real names, I think they may have begun to forget.

 

      They watched Bridget say her goodbyes to her daddy as her mother came along, Gwen. She had lived in Dublin, where Liam and Seth---Anthony-- followed her from, before moving here in 1943 and meeting Patrick McNeil. After their tearful goodbyes, the boys got into Tony's car and went over to the warehouse.

 

     Seth went back up the stairs, wondering how dumb he'd been for taking so long. Once at the door, he thought he heard something from inside. He knocked a few times, but there was no answer. That was when he heard a scream. He knocked louder, banging at the door, banging so hard it opened. Amelia had forgotten to lock the door before she fell asleep that night. Walking in and closing the door behind him, Seth was careful not to be loud. If someone was inside, one wrong move and Amelia could be dead. Then he'd have to wait one more lifetime again to see her. One more lifetime to wipe her memory clean.

 

     Another scream echoed through the apartment and Seth's steps became faster towards her room but he slowed down as he neared her room. Taking a look inside he saw her struggling and twisting in her bed, her covers on the ground. Seth ran over to her, trying to hold her still. Nothing he did made her stop struggling. He held her face and whispered to her.

 

       "Amelia, wake up." But nothing. So, again-

       "Amelia, I'm here, open your eyes." Just more twisting and moving came after that. But, a moment later she did open her eyes and spotted something over Seth's shoulder. He looked with her and looked back to her when she screamed, louder than he'd ever heard her. With that sound, Seth took Amelia and pulled her to him, although it felt as if he was pulling her away from something at that point. He held her arms to his chest, but the action, and her relentless struggling, made them fall to her pillow. Seth needed to stay above her, to keep her hands from flying around. The legs stayed mobile and unbound. Seth knew better than to hold her down like that.

 

       Amelia's eyes were open but she didn't see Seth. Not his eyes staring in to hers, not the sweat dripping down his cheeks. Nothing.

 

       "Please, Amelia. Wake up." The last time this happened was in the late 1800's, he couldn't remember exactly when. But, it was a time where they actually had a chance. Where Amelia actually remembered something.

   

      "Listen to me. Look at me, Amelia." She was looking around the room but her body had slowed and her hyperventilating was becoming less and less hazardous. Seth took one hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead and left his hand on her face. His mouth went to her ear so as to make certain she could hear his words.

 

       "Wake up, Amelia. I'm here." Her eyes closed and her body stopped moving. The sound of his voice acting as a remedy to this brand of poison.

       "I'm here." The last of her tears made a path down the sides of her face and her head found a place next to his. The grip he had on her wrists loosened and her fingers felt the leather jacket and held on. She opened her eyes and looked back at Seth, little beads of sweat trickling down his face and neck. She looked at him and he knew she could see him and she knew he wanted to kiss her, now probably more than ever. The hair stuck to her cheeks from the sweat was brushed away by Seth and he almost came in to kiss her, but he didn't.

 

      Their bodies separated as Seth stood up and took off his jacket and boots. Whatever happened that night, he wouldn't let it happen again. When he got back in to bed with Amelia, he helped take off her sweatshirt, which was now almost soaked with her sweat. Her tank top was in worse condition, so he took that off of her too. However, our gentleman didn't even try to sneak a peek. Exhausted from before, the girl really didn't think to cover herself or stop him. His sweater came off now, then his t-shirt, leaving him with a sleeveless shirt. Amelia wore his t-shirt and he put back the covers on her. 

 

   After that, Seth walked towards the door and Amelia felt words coming up her throat to ask him to stay, but they were lodged in there. Her head on the pillow and her brown eyes closing, she heard the door close. Then, she could feel someone coming towards her. The beating of her heart begant o race and the blood in her veins pumped so fast she felt its heat.

 

    "I can stay here with you, if you want. Or, I can stay in the guest room." Amelia  looked up to find Seth standing by the foot of her bed, waiting for her response. The words were still stuck. Nothing was coming out, not even a mumble. Seth let out a breath and smiled, although there was nothing to smile about. Laying next to her was something though. Something to make this night a bit easier for him and her.

 

    He crawled into bed next to her, getting underneath the covers. Seth kissed her forehead and slowly pulled her closer to him, letting his hand rest on her head as it rested on his chest. Hoping the sound of his heart would calm her to sleep. And it did.

     

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright ©2008 Anorin Arssinous