Arterial Bloom by Mercedes M Yardley

Author:Mercedes M Yardley [Yardley, Mercedes M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781646693108
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
Published: 2020-04-03T04:00:00+00:00

15.

Roy hunches over his desk and draws the monster. It towers protectively over the frail girl with the freckles and the wayfaring smile. Her eyes are sad. He mutters to himself as he renders her. He looks at the clock and sees it is after two in the morning. There is a knock at his door, timid and small.

“Who is it?” He calls and it sounds weak and uneasy.

“Marta,” she replies and he opens it and invites her in with a sweep of his arm. The hallway is hazy.

He wrinkles his nose. “There a fire somewhere?”

“There always is.”

“I mean, did you walk by one. I smell smoke and it’s strong.”

“I don’t know.”

“I need to finish this artwork, you can watch and talk to me while I work on it if you want.”

She nods and he sits and picks up the pen. She watches the shine of his scarred hand fence with the light of his lamp. She lets it dance in her eyes and smiles. He looks at her and his hand stops moving. She lays her hand on top of his and he does not pull away.

“How?” She asks.

“Fire.”

“When?”

“Forever.”

“That’s the way.”

Outside the sound of sirens grows louder, closer. The flashing red lights paint the walls and windows in strobing rubies.

“What’s going on?” Roy asks but he does not rise or take his hand from under hers, his eyes from hers.

“We are,” she whispers. Smoke curls a finger under the door and then another.

At 2:35, they begin to smolder.

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