It was clearly a warning from above, not designed to do any real damage, just get our attention. The tourists seemed placated by his words but I knew the trembling earth couldn't be a mere coincidence. Tremors might be rare in these parts but they're nothing to worry about." I noticed the sheriff was out, reassuring some nervous tourists. People seemed to be going about their business as usual. "But nothing like that's ever happened before and I've lived here all my life." He turned his face upward, squinting into the sun, which had quietly reappeared, before letting out a long sigh.
Xavier tossed some bills down on the table and followed me into the street. It was this Beth who stood and snatched up her bag. I didn't know her too well, but somehow I felt like she'd been there all along, waiting in the wings, an understudy ready for her moment to shine. I let the timid girl I'd once been shrink into the shadows like a wallflower at a dance and allowed the new Beth to take over. But I could feel a rebelliousness stirring inside me that told me it was too late to turn back. My dutiful side recognized the wisdom of heeding the warning, meekly playing by the rules and not tampering with the will of Heaven. But the more I watched him, the more I faltered in my resolve. If we hurried we'd probably arrive in time for him to deliver his valedictory speech.
I considered telling Xavier that maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all, that we should return his grandmother's ring and drive back to Bryce Hamilton for the remainder of the graduation ceremony.
Trouble was stirring in the Kingdom we could feel it. But Xavier and I weren't so easily fooled. Nobody was dwelling on what had happened-it would probably be newsworthy for a day or so and then forgotten. Now they were laughing, commenting on the unpredictability of Mother Nature while the waitresses hurried to clean up spilled drinks. Everyone had been bracing for something worse and breathed a collective sigh of relief when it didn't come.
I gripped his hand more tightly, closed my eyes, and waited for the blinding light that would surely come to return me to my prison in the sky.īut a moment later the earth was still again and normal activity resumed around us. The blissful faraway expression on Xavier's face vanished, replaced by the hard, fighting look I'd seen far too much on him lately. Outside I saw the sky darken like bruised flesh and the treetops tremble as if shaken by an invisible hand. The tremor lasted only a matter of seconds but the jukebox cut out and the alarmed waitresses teetered as they tried to balance their loaded trays. I clutched the edge of the table and watched my engagement ring tumble onto the checkered floor of Sweethearts Café.
0 kommentar(er)
