Fade To White - Sequel to Fade To Black

Plan B

I woke up, patting the bed next to me where Clementine should have been. I shot up from under the covers and looked around the room. She was standing by the old wardrobe, undressing.

"Good morning." She smiled, her dress falling to her feet. I got up then, going behind her and tenderly putting my lips against her bare shoulder. "Good morning." I replied. I moved my lips down her back and carresed her softly. Suddenly the thud of little footsteps stopped me and i stepped back as Clementine quickly slipped her dress over her head. I helped her zip it up as the twins barged in and jumped on the bed.

"What did i tell you two about jumping on the bed?" She chastised them and they giggled, hopping off the bed and tumbling on the floor, intertwined with one another, a big giant ball of energy. I couldn't stop from smiling.

"It's today, it's today!" Wes yelled, excited. I looked at Clementine who looked at me shyly.

"What's happening today?" I asked.

"Mama said she'll take us into town today!" Annabelle said gleefully. I looked at Clementine again, this time though, I was angry.

"Clementine? What are they talking about?" I asked. Suddenly the smiles on the kids faces dissapeared.

"Well... We've been cooped up in the house and they've been wanting to go down and see Josephine's dress shop-" She explained.

"You know it's too dangerous to promise anything like that!" I was struggling to keep my voice level, taking a deep breath. Annabelle and Wesley scurried away, out of the room.

"The kids and I can't stay in this house forever! It's suffocating in here!" Clemy said, biting back tears

"But Clementine-!" .

"Jackson, it's fine. We won't go!" She said, trying to  compromise suddenly.

"You shouldn't have even thought about going in the first place. What if someone picked you up and tried to sell you? How would i ever be able to find you?"

"You're going to such extremes Jack!" She began to grow angry as well, putting her hands on her hips.

"Extremes? No, it's reality!"

"I don't think you know the first thing about reality in the slave trade!"

"Well then, do you want to be out in the field picking cotton from dusk till dawn? Do you?!" I yelled. Clementine's face crumpled, her eyes welling up with tears. The fuzzy haze i was under cleared as i looked at her begin to cry.

"I-i'm sorry honey... i.... didn't mean it. You know that." I tried resting a comforting hand on her shoulder but she moved away from my touch.

"I'm going downstairs to fix up breakfast for Ann and Wes. Since plans have changed i guess we'll make a visit the Johnsons..." Her voice was frail, wounded, as she turned away and headed downstairs.

"Damnit all to hell!" I cursed under my breath, throwing my shoe at the wall in frustration. Nothing seemed to be going right between the two of us. One of us would always end up making the other one mad. And the way Clemy avoided my touch suprised me.

I got dressed, slipping on my work clothes. I would be back in the fields today while they kids and Clemy were gone. I went down into the dining room where a cold plate of food was left out for me. I could hear th ekids playing with the spigot outside as Clementine did laundry, hanging up the white linen in a neat row.

I had managed ot scarf my food down before going out to the hot plantation field, wild cicadas flying everywhere. I took my plow, pulling it up behind my head before striking it down in the dry dirt and running the metal comb through the earth. I picked some of the cotton off of the few trees tha had remained over the years and then gathered it up to bring onto the front porch. I set down the heavy basket and settled myslef down on the stairs where Annabelle and Wesley stood.