darkness surrounded me.
Right on cue, my heart started pounding and my hands and feet felt tingly. I was heading for a full on panic attack. I took a couple of deep breaths and felt my way back to the couch. Once my shins made contact with the cushions, I dropped onto it and curled up into the fetal position to keep myself from falling apart completely. A cold sweat was breaking out all over my skin, and my throat was as dry as cotton. Obviously my overwhelming fear of the dark had not diminished in the least.
A flash of lightning momentarily gave me hope, but then vacant darkness followed. The thunder sounded much louder without lights. My phone was sitting on the coffee table. Deciding I no longer cared about pride, I grabbed it. I was scared out of my wits.
I dialed Nico hoping that just the sound of his voice would help me feel better, but it went to voicemail. Tears broke from my eyes, and my voice cracked as I left a short message. “Nico, it’s me and it’s dark.” I hung up and hugged myself against the cold that was now creeping into the unheated cabin. I considered calling Mom, but I worried that she would rush home. She was not used to the mountain roads, and in this storm, it would be too dangerous. I had no choice except to brave the dark by myself and hope like hell that the lights would come back on soon.
The clamor of rain on the roof and the gusts of wind swirling around the cabin were not helping. Every shadow looked like a monster, and every sound made me jump. I sat in a tight ball for what seemed like an eternity when I heard footsteps on the front porch. A scream caught in my parched throat as a tall figure passed the window. An urgent knock on the door sent me into full sobs.
“Jessa? It’s me.”
My sobs of terror turned to cries of joy when I heard Nico’s voice float through the crack on the door.
I smacked my toe on the table in my hurry to get to him. I flung the door open. He was completely soaked, but I threw myself into his arms.
Still holding me, he lifted my feet off ground and carried me off the porch and into the dark cabin. He was the dripping head to toe with cold water, but I was the one shaking almost uncontrollably.
“It’s all right, Jessa. I’m here now. You’re not alone.”
I released my hold on him long enough to clumsily wipe the tears from my face and peer up at him. “Did you get my message?” My chin trembled as I spoke.
“I didn’t get it until I was in my truck. I was covering the last boat, and I happened to look up toward this side of the mountain. I saw that it was completely dark and figured the lights must have gone out in the storm. Then I remembered you were alone, so I jumped in my truck and raced over here. I check my phone and a squeaky little voice had left me a very sad little message.”
I buried my face in his wet sweatshirt. The coolness of it felt good on my tearstained cheeks. “I’m so humiliated,” I mumbled. “I thought I could brave the dark but I freaked out.” Letting him go took all my courage but I stepped back. “You’d better take off those wet clothes. I’ll get you a towel, but you’ll have to follow me to the bathroom because I’m not going back there alone.”
He lifted his face and looked toward the ceiling. “Listen. The rain has slowed. I’ve got a flashlight and a pair of jeans in the truck. I’ll go get them.”
I followed right behind him as if I was attached to a short tether. I stayed on the porch as he ran to the truck. Rain water dripped from the overhang and small gusts of wind still shot through the trees, but the thunder and lightning had moved farther to the east.
Nico turned on the flashlight and came across the front yard with a pair of pants on his arm. We walked back inside and shut the door. Even though the worst of the storm had passed, there was still no electricity, and the temperature inside the cabin was dropping fast.
“I wonder how long it will take them to get the power back
Right on cue, my heart started pounding and my hands and feet felt tingly. I was heading for a full on panic attack. I took a couple of deep breaths and felt my way back to the couch. Once my shins made contact with the cushions, I dropped onto it and curled up into the fetal position to keep myself from falling apart completely. A cold sweat was breaking out all over my skin, and my throat was as dry as cotton. Obviously my overwhelming fear of the dark had not diminished in the least.
A flash of lightning momentarily gave me hope, but then vacant darkness followed. The thunder sounded much louder without lights. My phone was sitting on the coffee table. Deciding I no longer cared about pride, I grabbed it. I was scared out of my wits.
I dialed Nico hoping that just the sound of his voice would help me feel better, but it went to voicemail. Tears broke from my eyes, and my voice cracked as I left a short message. “Nico, it’s me and it’s dark.” I hung up and hugged myself against the cold that was now creeping into the unheated cabin. I considered calling Mom, but I worried that she would rush home. She was not used to the mountain roads, and in this storm, it would be too dangerous. I had no choice except to brave the dark by myself and hope like hell that the lights would come back on soon.
The clamor of rain on the roof and the gusts of wind swirling around the cabin were not helping. Every shadow looked like a monster, and every sound made me jump. I sat in a tight ball for what seemed like an eternity when I heard footsteps on the front porch. A scream caught in my parched throat as a tall figure passed the window. An urgent knock on the door sent me into full sobs.
“Jessa? It’s me.”
My sobs of terror turned to cries of joy when I heard Nico’s voice float through the crack on the door.
I smacked my toe on the table in my hurry to get to him. I flung the door open. He was completely soaked, but I threw myself into his arms.
Still holding me, he lifted my feet off ground and carried me off the porch and into the dark cabin. He was the dripping head to toe with cold water, but I was the one shaking almost uncontrollably.
“It’s all right, Jessa. I’m here now. You’re not alone.”
I released my hold on him long enough to clumsily wipe the tears from my face and peer up at him. “Did you get my message?” My chin trembled as I spoke.
“I didn’t get it until I was in my truck. I was covering the last boat, and I happened to look up toward this side of the mountain. I saw that it was completely dark and figured the lights must have gone out in the storm. Then I remembered you were alone, so I jumped in my truck and raced over here. I check my phone and a squeaky little voice had left me a very sad little message.”
I buried my face in his wet sweatshirt. The coolness of it felt good on my tearstained cheeks. “I’m so humiliated,” I mumbled. “I thought I could brave the dark but I freaked out.” Letting him go took all my courage but I stepped back. “You’d better take off those wet clothes. I’ll get you a towel, but you’ll have to follow me to the bathroom because I’m not going back there alone.”
He lifted his face and looked toward the ceiling. “Listen. The rain has slowed. I’ve got a flashlight and a pair of jeans in the truck. I’ll go get them.”
I followed right behind him as if I was attached to a short tether. I stayed on the porch as he ran to the truck. Rain water dripped from the overhang and small gusts of wind still shot through the trees, but the thunder and lightning had moved farther to the east.
Nico turned on the flashlight and came across the front yard with a pair of pants on his arm. We walked back inside and shut the door. Even though the worst of the storm had passed, there was still no electricity, and the temperature inside the cabin was dropping fast.
“I wonder how long it will take them to get the power back
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