Free Take It - Part Two by DJ Stone, B.E. Raj Page B

if I said I don’t think of Harrison every quiet moment I have. I do. The time we had together split me open and exposed me to the world in a way I’ve never experienced before in my life. It was like jumping from a plane. The rush, the thrill, the sights, the sounds, everything brand new and fast and powerful. But the thud to the ground was harder than I expected. Maybe we’re not meant to jump from planes. Maybe there is something else. Something safer. It will never replace the sensation of falling fast and gasping for air, but it won’t have me slamming into the ground either.
     
    After what could only be described as a nice date, Pierce drops me at my door, gives me the same nice little kiss as the night before, and heads off to the fire station.   Sitting on my tiny childhood bed I take the final gulp of rich merlot and place the empty glass on my nightstand. I turn to face the neat row of cardboard boxes I've packed with Mom's treasured mementos of my childhood. I can’t stand being surrounded by them anymore. I spy a limp-haired rabbit closest to the bed, most of the plush fur worn off his lumpy body through years of cuddling. Mr. Floppy. Seizing the nearer of his long ears, I snag him and pull him toward me, snuggling the beloved nighty-night against my chest, hoping it makes me feel better. To no avail.
    Squeezing my favored toy with enough desperation to rupture his stuffing, I roll over in my bed, burying my face in my pillow just as the tears come. I suppose in the morning Mom will see the black smudges of mascara on the pillowcase, proof of my tears and continued wallowing. I don't care. I can feel my body growing warmer as I curl in my familiar fetal position, my limbs tingling, my eyelids weighing a ton, as the heady wine kicks in. Losing awareness, I fall asleep in the midst of my sobs.

Chapter Nine
     
    We've driven to the lighthouse. There's no one around; it's just Harrison and me, a couple strolling up to the old structure standing guard against this treacherous coast. We walk hand in hand, a picnic basket in one free hand, two flashlights in the other. I recognize this lighthouse, though I shouldn't. Harrison and I haven't been here before. This one's different. Older, abandoned, the entire light structure at the top is removed, leaving behind a smooth cement platform basking in the light of the setting sun.
    I stop, letting go of my lover's hand so I can tug up one runaway spaghetti strap on my sundress while I gather my thoughts. The sunlight is starting to fade; it's full dusk now. I'd never come here alone. It's only the man standing next to me who gives me enough courage to even dare.
    "Are you sure? We really won't get in trouble or anything?"
    "No, we won't. It's abandoned. Believe me, the local cops have enough worries with drug-dealers and drunken teenaged tourists; they're not going to bother with a couple of star-struck lovers."
    "Is that what we are? Lovers?"
    "Aren't we? Stop being such a fraidy cat. You're going to love this. Don't worry. We're not breaking any laws." He laughs. Seizing my hand again, he draws me forward toward the dark, suddenly ominous shaft thrusting itself up into the darkening sky. "Well, technically, we’re trespassing, but what the hell, right?"
    "Sure," I manage, letting the word tumble out as I move the first of my suddenly stiff legs forward. "Trespassing. What could go wrong?"
    "Where's your sense of adventure? The Jenny I know always loves to live on the edge, intoxicated by the whiff of danger."
    My dreamy companion makes it look so easy, breaking into the old derelict lighthouse.  He is a pro at doing what shouldn’t be done.
    "What's the matter, Jenny?" he asks, taking a flashlight and snapping it on. I do the same with mine, careful not to shine it in his eyes. I sweep the yellow beam around in an arc, catching cobwebbed, dusty Victorian furniture as forgotten as the lighthouse itself. "You look like you've seen a ghost. I can assure you, if there