A Beauteous Flower

Chapter 39 - The Rainstorm

Madison screamed herself awake. Where was she? Wait! It was all a dream, a nightmare! With a cry of relief, Madison threw back the comforter and vaulted out of bed. For a moment she stood and gasped deep breaths of air, grateful that she was not a mermaid in a deep, icy-cold well. She was safe in her room, and it was all just a dream.

She still had a chance!

Questions rushed around her mind. What had happened? What time was it? Where was Daniel? Would he read her story and finally listen to her? And, most immediately what was all of that beeping she heard?

She had finished her story at about three in the morning and decided to take a nap before she arose to accost Daniel before he went for his morning run.  She planned apologize, beg his forgiveness and give him her story to read. No wonder Daniel said all a writer had to do was sit in front of a typewriter and bleed. She was so emotionally exhausted from writing the story that she needed a few hours of sleep to recharge before she made her play.

From somewhere the beeps sounded again. Absently, she reached to turn off her alarm, but then the beeps sounded again so Madison knew it wasn't her alarm. Madison wondered until the beeps sounded again from outside. What emitted those kinds of beeps? Then the source of that sound fixed in her mind, and her heart plunged.  Madison flung open the French doors and rushed onto the balcony. A slate gray mist shrouded the morning sun from direct view and the cold sting of tiny rain drops pelted Madison's skin, but that wasn't why Madison shivered.

Below her Daniel motioned as he directed a moving van toward the door of the cabin. There three other men stood with boxes as they waited to load them. Madison grabbed the clammy wet iron of the railing to keep her feet under the weight of realization that made Madison's blood run cold. Daniel was leaving! Leaving their home! Leaving her!  Madison's mind spun in panic. She had thought she had time yet, time to speak with Daniel and get him to see how deeply she loved him and how sorry she was for everything, but it had never occurred to her that Daniel might move out of his own house to get away from her. Now this man who was always so patient and sweet, who had given in to her every whim, had determined to leave her alone in their bed without even a backward glance. If she didn't act fast, their whole marriage, their whole relationship would be over before she had even begun to fight.  Madison tried to scream, but nothing came out because her mouth was dry with fear. She swallowed and tried again.

"No," she finally managed to say out loud. "Daniel!"

No one looked up in response to her, so she tried again through a frightened throat.

"Daniel!"

Still, no one looked up, so Madison took a deep breath and shrieked for all she was worth.

"Daniel!"

Only Daniel didn't turn his head to her. The men with the boxes all looked up at her and the driver of the truck, alarmed by her sudden scream, stopped the truck and looked at her through the side mirror. Ordinarily she might have been self-conscious in a wet T-Shirt in front of four strange men, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that Daniel might leave and that she had to stop him.

"Daniel, No!" Madison screamed in a strained, high-pitched voice. "Daniel! Daniel, look at me!"

Daniel ignored her calls and angrily gestured for the truck driver to resume. The back up alarm beeped again, and the truck resumed as Daniel directed. Madison's heart rose to her throat and choked her with panic.

"Daniel! Daniel, no!"

The truck stopped and the men with the boxes shuffled forward, while the driver got out of the cab and climbed up into the trailer to arrange the boxes for transport. Madison was out of time. There would be no quietly reverent scene of reconciliation between them. To reach Daniel and save her marriage, she had to make her play right now, face to face in the rain before the van was loaded and Daniel left their home forever.  Madison tore out of the bedroom, down the stairs, through the kitchen and out into the rain with desperate speed. Her bare feet slapped on the wet grass as she sprinted towards Daniel with her arms spread wide.