Forty

F

inn’s face appeared closer to me now, dazed and rapturous. His eyes were as clouded as that night in my bedroom. My eyes registered the full view of the triple spiral on his chest. Did he realize he had his arms outstretched? That the light burst from his fingertips like some kind of sorcerer?

I tried to move my heavy body, terror and survival instinct telling me to get away from him. I couldn’t feel my hands at all, though they supported me on the carpet. The room swung in and out of focus as I struggled to stay upright. Fearful thoughts struck like lightning. Searing. Burning away everything I thought I knew about Finn.

He had taken from me. Robbed me of my energy, the very essence of my life. His aura glowed with nothing but white light. Like that man in the park. He and my…my Finn, they were the same!

I tried to crawl backward, away from him, and fell onto my butt, burning my elbows on the thick carpet. Each breath was like sucking air through the eye of a sharp needle. His euphoric expression changed slowly, too slowly, to one of concern. He rushed to my side and dropped to his knees in front of me.

“Why do you look like that?” he whispered. “Don’t you feel what I feel, Cora?” He ran his hands over his head and looked to the ceiling. “Amazing!” Then he looked down at me again and took my face in his burning hands.

I had no energy left to fight him. No strength left to fend him off. I couldn’t even lift my arms. “Please, please don’t,” I choked out.

“No one ever told me love was so beautifully grand, so exquisite.” He bent to kiss me, and even then, even as I came undone, even as I faded from myself, I loved his sweet words, his lips on mine. I could not fight. He was killing me. And something inside me still loved.

Suddenly, someone yanked us apart.

Ina shoved Finn away and stood over me, shielding me from his white glare. I closed my eyes and collapsed, rolling to my side, curling in on myself. I was so cold. This must be what people feel like when they bleed to death.

“Clancy!” she screamed, while putting two fingers to the pulse point on my neck.

I opened my eyes briefly when Uncle Clancy burst into the room, noted his shocked face as he looked from me to Finn. “What’s happened?” he asked.

“Oh, shut up! We all knew this would happen. Get her out of here!”

Clancy scooped me up off the floor and carried me to the door. I began to slip out of consciousness but fought my eyes open to look at Finn. I couldn’t believe he would hurt me like he had. He attempted to push past his mother. His long fingers reached out, clawed the air for me.

His mother’s voice was angry. She pointed at Clancy. “Out! Now! Get her on the next plane back to America. Get her back to her father. We can’t keep her safe here. She was never safe here.” Her voice softened then. “That girl’s not safe anywhere.”

Ina touched Finn’s cheek. Her words followed me down the long hallway. “Oh, son, look what she’s done to you.”