Beach House

THE BEACH HOUSE

They that love beyond the world

cannot be separated by it.

Death cannot kill what never dies.

-William Penn

I looked at my fiancé. His eyes were taunting me, amused at my reservations about his family's beach house.

"It gives me the creeps."

"This may be the only chance we have to see it for a while. Trust me, you'll love it."

We had been unsuccessfully looking for a wedding venue for over a month now and we were both becoming impatient. Every place we found had either been booked or frighteningly dull and we were beginning to lose hope. It wasn't until last week that Fletcher's mother had suggested we take a look at their vacation home. That's when I saw his face light up, knowing that it would be the perfect location for our wedding. We had driven for over three hours to get here and it would be pointless to turn around now so I nodded apprehensively and he rewarded me with a smile. When Fletcher smiled he did it with his entire face. His smile had been the first thing I had noticed about him, the first thing I had fallen in love with, and the last thing I ever wanted to be without.

"Alright, let's go inside." I smiled back and unbuckled my seat belt, prepared to brave the howling weather outside.

"Race you to the door?"

"You're on!" I agreed. "One, two, three...go!" I took off out the door and ran up the walkway, my feet pounding on the intricate stonework below. I could hear Fletcher close behind me, letting me win of course, and I laughed as I made it to the front door.

I turned around to see my fiancé taking the few remaining steps up the stairs and to my side. His black hair was plastered to his face, his nose and chin dripping with rain. I quickly stepped aside so he could unlock the door and we practically fell over each other as we pushed our way inside. We both laughed and Fletcher pulled me in for a tight embrace, rubbing his wet face over my neck until I shrieked with delight.

He finally released me and took my hand. "Come on, I want to show you the house."

We moved across the entryway and he felt his way along the wall and to the light switch. Flipping it on, I saw the chandelier above us flicker to life then disappear into the darkness as a loud snap echoed through the house. I jumped and screamed, Fletcher laughed.

"Trinity, it's alright. The storm probably knocked the power out. There's a flashlight in the kitchen so wait her and I'll be right back."

"Hurry, please," I said, my heart still pounding in my chest.

He squeezed my hand and walked quickly into the shadow of the next room. As the thud of his footsteps became faint, I became aware of the sounds the house was creating. I heard branches of the trees brushing the thin glass like fingers on silk, the moan of the walls standing strong against the gale force winds outside, the steady drum of the rain falling on the shingled roof. I listened, almost entranced by the resonance of the house, when suddenly I heard a floorboard creak from the second floor.

"Fletcher?" I asked the darkness. "Fletcher where are you?"

"I'm coming!" I heard his distance voice responding and soon saw the beam of the flashlight dancing across the tile floor.

"Miss me?" he asked, shining the light under his chin. "Kind of scary here, huh?"

"Scary how cheesy you're being right now." I told him, laughing.