A Letter To My Love: A Stolen Novel

Chapter 10

After I left you to work some more after I had a glass of water thanks to the separates and my handy work, I went back to the outhouse. 

I knew I couldn't stay out here for very long since you would be up any moment. But, I would still make the best of the sparse time. 

I painted the brown and blueish-purple egg in the middle of a zigzag, and I remembered the memory. 

I smiled, thinking of the ten-year-old you. You were so cute in your overalls and t-shirt with mud caking your pant legs and a little on your face. 

Were you really happy there, Gem? They didn't understand you. I understood. 

Before I realized it, my hands slid into the paints of the egg and smudged. 

"Dammit!" I yelled and threw a rock from the ground in anger. "Damn you!" I tossed a rock with a few sticks in the mix this time and managed to put a gash in the palm of my hand. 

I grabbed the rag from the table and had the blood-soaked up as I slumped down to the floor away from my artwork that's becoming messy and blurry. 

A small tear escaped from the corner of my eye, and I blinked it away before the dam broke. 

I wiped at the tear and set my hand back down as I just sat and looked and listened. I don't know what exactly I was listening for, but maybe if I had concentrated really hard, then maybe I could hear you inside the house. Maybe I could hear you coming out for me, coming to say that you loved me back. 

I decided to go into the kitchen to wash up the cut of my hand and go and greet you with an apology lunch in bed for the both of us. Lunch in bed would have been nice where we could talk as we ate. I had so much I wanted to say to you and so little I've actually said. 

My face had paint smeared on my cheeks. It looked like dirt mixed with the sand. 

I stepped onto the veranda and swung open the door to get to the kitchen sink. 

The water came on warm and washed off the paints nicely. The blood washed down the drain and made the murky water look like brewing tea. I scrunched my face up from the crime scene going down in the drain until I heard your soft and subtle movements. 

I turned around to find you scanning the pantry and touching all you could find. You always did seem to touch things to become familiar with them; is that why you touched me the first time we met? 

"What were you doing in there?"

You looked nervous to answer, as if you were snooping for weapons again. I tried to take a glimpse behind you and noticed nothing in your hands. I hated having to treat you like a prisoner here. It wasn't my fondest moments with you. 

"Just looking," Your voice came out completely natural, but I think we both know what you were really doing; I didn't want to believe you wanted to hurt me physically. 

I narrowed my eyes at you to make sure you weren't going to try something quick. 

"If I'm staying awhile, I thought I'd better get to know the place." 

I nodded and smiled at you. I was glad you were finally starting to come around to your senses and realize that I was not the enemy here. 

I let you pass and stepped out of the way if you wanted to go and look around more in other areas of the house. 

"Did you find anything interesting?" I asked, hopeful that you liked what this house had to offer. 

"A lot of lentils."