m.r one shots | x

Varun-Shraddha OS: On A Moonless Summer Night...

Ona dark moonless summer night, with only occasional bolts of heat lightning torelieve the blackness, Vinnie stretched her stiff legs as best as she couldwhile driving the rented moving van. All her worldly possessions werestuffed behind her as she drove the long five hour trip. She turned left onto agravel road, almost there now, almost to her new home in the country and to hernew life in nearby Mumbai.

Off in the distance,an orange, yellow, and red glow flickered on the horizon. A fire! Oh no! Vinniepulled into the long winding driveway as flames leaped, dancing in the wind,while devouring the old weathered wood barn. She jumped from the van and ran towardthe blaze. That barn was supposed to be an animal shelter and headquarters forher new job. Vinnie felt like she was watching a funeral pyre for her new life.What kind of sign was this for her new beginning?

The fire, hot as thehinges of hell, singed her black hair as she ran into the choking cloud ofbillowing black smoke. She collided into what felt like a brick wall and herknees buckled.

"Whoa, littlelady." Large gentle hands clasped her shoulders to stop her from fallingupon impact, and then guided her back out of the heat.

Vinnie's heartcaught at the sound of the deep, rich baritone voice. His chocolate eyes lockedonto her blue ones then widened with surprise. Or was it appreciation? Perhaps the scorching heat was roasting her thinking processes? Something softsquirmed against her chest before she realized his brawny arms were filled withwhimpering kittens. He was rescuing the baby animals! Although glistening withsweat and smudged with charcoal, too sooty to distinguish his features, heseemed like a knight in not-quite shimmering armor. "Who are you?" Vinniewhispered.

"I'm Suresh."Suresh remembered his manners at the same time as the wiggling weights in arms."Here." He thrust the bundle of panicky kittens into her arms beforebrushing a stray lock of black hair from her lovely oval face. He took a giantstep back, away from the temptation of her feminine and curvacious form. Sureshwondered why no one warned him that she was such a beauty. "You must be Vinnie,the new vet," he tossed back over his shoulder as he again ran toward thebarn to save more animal shelter strays.

Vinnie settled thenewborn kittens on the grass, well away from the blazing barn, as fire enginesroared into the driveway. Firemen hollered out directions to each other,working in harmony with hoses to blast water into flames. Suresh hauled out thebaby kitten's mother, handing it and three more strays to Vinnie, beforedashing back for another rescue.

Professionals thatthey were, the firemen had the inferno down to a smolder in no time. One of thefire fighters led Vinnie to a large neighboring ranch house at the end of thelane and told her the owner said for her take care of the rescued animalsthere.

Although she kepther hands busy by washing the smoky scent from the kittens, her mind zoomedfrom one worry to another with the speed of a NASCAR race. What would she donow? What about her job at the animal shelter? Now that the barn burned, wherewould she live if not in the loft? Did God have something personal against her,for her fresh start to begin with disaster? Wasn't it all but a flashing neonsign advertising that she'd made a wrong decision to move here?

Oh no. Would her newveterinarian partner want to rebuild the animal shelter? She'd neverspoken with him directly, but had been interviewed by the relocating vet whowas to hire a replacement partner. What did the future hold for her?