Veronica Nadalin

Short Story (This is the start of a book that I may write if more ideas develop)

Bee's Flight

Bianca stumbled, tripping over the mat as she burst out of the coffee shop out into the pouring rain.  Blushing and cursing herself for forgetting her umbrella she dashed across the puddle parking lot towards her car. Why did I have to park all the hell the way out here, she thought to herself.  Not noticing that her Converse low-tops had become untied she tripped again in slow-motion to her knees, managing to somehow prevent her laptop bag and purse from smashing into the wet concrete. Good thing I wore jeans today.

Bianca finally reached her car, a beat-up Buick station wagon, clumsily unlocked it, and collapsed inside.  She pushed her belongings into the passenger seat and slammed the door simultaneously.  Bianca rolled up her jeans to look at her already bruising knees, and felt relieved that she was not bleeding. She rolled her jeans back down and paused for a moment thunderous sobs streamed down her face like the raindrops on the window.  Sobs erupted from her like thunder as she placed her hands and forehead on the worn steering wheel.  Bianca sat there for a few minutes before she lifted her head, wiped her mismatched blue and green eyes, making her already smeared eyeliner and eye shadow worse and let out a huge sigh before staring at her purse.  She hesitated before she picked up the simple black small messenger-style and opened the small side compartment to take out her cell phone.  She looked at the message that had caused her to run out of the coffee shop.

Cant come. with sean. sorry. We shouldve told u. 4give me?

“Seriously?” Bianca screamed at the phone. “How? Why? I just….UGH!”

She threw the phone at the passenger seat. It bounced off the seat and fell to the floor.  Bianca started to hyperventilate. “Okay…this… no need to overreact.”

Too late she thought to herself. She bent over to pick up her phone and place it back in its proper place in her purse.  Looking straight ahead through the windshield as thoughts raced through her head and she tried to figure it out. I should have known.  He was avoiding me.  We were growing apart.  But Paige? Paige!  How could she do that?  She violated the ultimate rule. You don’t date your friend’s boyfriend especially when your friend is still friggin’ dating him! What did I do?  Why would she do this to me?  And she told me over damn texting.  Sean.  Why? Why has he not contacted me? What are they doing now? Scratch that--- I don’t want to know. Or do I? SHUT UP BRAIN!  She couldn’t bother to make our coffee date. Never drinking coffee EVER again. Well, for a week.

“Text-messaging!” she said suddenly. “Cowards hide behind technology.  I dated a coward and my best friend is a coward.” Well, previous best friend.

She sighed again, and grabbed the keys from the sat next to her and attempted to start the car. Her eyes brightened. She patted the dashboard and said coaxingly, “Please, sweetie.  You can do it.”

The car sputtered in protest, but started. “That’s it.  We only have a couple of miles.  You can do it.  I have faith in you.”

Bianca’s mind was on autopilot as she drove home.  Mesmerized by the windshield wipers and lights from the businesses and traffic signals contrasting from the darkness of the evening and fog of the rain it is miraculous that she even made it home.

            Bianca returned to reality when she parked the car in front of her apartment building. The rain was now a light drizzle. She looked at her bags absently before shouldering them, opening the door, and getting out.  She slammed the door, locked it, and trudged up the flight of stairs to her apartment. 

            On the other side of her apartment’s door, she could hear her jet-black greyhound, Ragnar, whining in anticipation of her arrival.  She unlocked the door and pushed it open and flicked on the light right inside the door. “Hi someone who loves me!” She cooed, scratching his head. 

            Ragnar’s rear end shook back and forth in delight. His rear wiggled more since his tail was a mere stump. “Let me put my crap down.”  Bianca frowned for a moment wondering if she should check to make sure her laptop was not filled with water, but decided not to- there’s nothing she could do about it if it was filled with water. “Ragnar, do you want a treat?”

            Ragnar whined in excitement and sat down.  Bianca went over to the pantry and opened the door. “Let’s see here.  Were you a good boy?”  She looked over her shoulder and Zulu.   He whined in anticipation. She smiled and pulled at a Purina Jumbone. “Go hide it.”

            Ragnar daintily took it from her hand and dashed off to hide treat in her bedroom. “It better not be under my pillow!” She shouted playfully as she plopped down on the beat-up recliner.  Ragnar trotted out her room looking proud of himself.  He went and placed his soft black head under her hand. 

“Why can’t people be more like dogs?” Bianca mused to herself.  Ragnar licked her hand before he walked to the coffee table where his leash was waiting to be used.  He sat down, placed his head on the table, and looked at Bianca expectantly.  Bianca stared back at Ragnar. 

            “You blinked,” she said.  Ragnar continued to stare at her.  Bianca got up from the chair and looked at the window. “Fine.  We should go before it rains again.  I see some lightning in the distance.”

            When Bianca picked up the leash, Ragnar stood up and did a sort of dance in place in excitement when she placed the collar of his leash around his neck and he started to pull her towards the door.

            “Whoa!” she went as she grabbed the keys before going through the door.  She locked it behind her and Ragnar led her down the stairs and looked longingly to the direction of the undeveloped field right next to the apartment complex and back at Bianca, his rear end wagging in excitement. “Don’t look at me.”

            Ragnar, knowing better than to pull too much, led the way along the sidewalk until it dead ended in the field.  The two walked, Bianca lost in her thoughts of the evening’s events and Ragnar overwhelmed with the smells only he could detect, until they were about fifty yards from the complex when the hair on Ragnar’s back went up and his rear started to wag slowly. Bianca came to a sudden halt and looked at Ragnar. “Wanna run, boy?”  

            Ragnar sat and Bianca unhooked the leash from the collar.  Before she could straighten, He bolted off. “RAGNAR!!!”

            However, he took no heed of her call and was soon out of her eyesight in the tall grass. “Ragnar!  I don’t need this right now!”

            Thunder clapped and lightening flashed.  Rain began to sprinkle again. “Fudge. Ragnar!”  She started to dash hastily in the direction she saw her four-legged friend go. “Ragnar! Ragnar!”

            Bianca paused and looked around her. “Oh, Ragnar!  Ragi-boy!  I need you. Don’t you dare leave me, too!”

            Tears began to trickle down her face.  The sky opened up and the rain rushed downward.

“Screw it!  Ragnar!  Fine!  Be like this!”

            Bianca turned and started to trudge toward the house when suddenly there was a blinding flash of  light and overwhelming heat that burned from inside.  She collapsed to the ground unconscious.

CHAPTER 2

She laid there unconscious, getting even more drenched and sinking into the mud. Some time passed.  Ragnar eventually came running up to Bianca’s body.  He nudged her pale face with his nose licking her auburn hair whining and whimpering.  The hair on the back stood up as his nose detected the scent he had smelled earlier.  Ragnar turned and looked over his shoulder and growled softly.

            A tall figure dressed entirely in a black long sleeve-button down and black Dickies. His straight black hair was to his chin and his green eyes looked to the dog, before his eyes fell onto Bianca. He went to take another step, but stopped when Ragnar growled again. 

The figure looked to the dog. I can help her.

            Ragnar looked at him. You can talk to me! How? Really? Been trying to teach Bianca for a year! Wow! Wait… Bianca!  Help Bianca!

            I will if you let me.

            Ragnar backed off a little and whined. Help Bianca! Help Bianca!

            The man went and knelt down to Bianca’s side. Ragnar did not budge from his position still not sure what to make of this stranger that did not smell like any other human he had ever encountered.  There was something raw and untamed in this man’s scent.

The man seemed to sense Ragnar’s concern over the girl. “Where do you live, dog?”

            Second floor in that building.  Left at the top of the stairs.  Where my bone is.

            “Let’s put you back in there and I’ll take Blanca to the hospital,” said the figure.

            Bianca. Not Blanca. Bianca.  I want to go with you.

            The figure smirked at Ragnar.  “Dogs aren’t allowed in emergency rooms.  The best thing for Lea will be if you go and wait patiently in your apartment.”

            Okay. Oh. Okay. For Bianca.  Who are you?  You smell weird.

            The figure smiled at the dog and gently picked up Bianca, holding her to his chest tightly to make sure she did not move.  She felt cold, too cold.

            “You’re going to have to,” he said absently and paused for a second staring down at Bianca’s face overcome by her subtle beauty. “Come on.”  The figure started walking toward the apartments.

Ragnar had started to scratch his ear, but quickly stopped. He trotted after the stranger who moved much faster than Bianca normally did so Ragnar had to speed up his pace. Wait for me!

Ragnar and the stranger holding Bianca got to the front door of her apartment.  Ragnar was panting. Bianca locked it. I think.

“No worries” he said and with a great force knocked the door in. “Apartments are not known for their locks.”  The man walked into the apartment. “You coming?”

Ragnar hesitated for a second, surprised by the stranger’s display of strength then followed this stranger holding his master into the apartment. What now?

“You wait here like a good dog while I take her to the hospital.”  He looked down at her again. “I better get going. Guard the place.”

Wait!  What’s your name? I’m Ragnar.

“I know,” said the stranger turning toward the door ignoring Ragnar’s whine of confusion. “I go by many names, but you can call me Tobias.”

The stranger left closing the door behind him as Ragnar laid down on the kitchen floor by the door in the dark and whimpered pitifully.