Lina 9
My mom was sitting on the stairs of our house. The house I grew up in. Her cheeks were pink from crying, and her whole body shook with sobs.
I knew this dream. I’d had it before. Not in a very long time, though. It wasn’t so much a dream as a memory. One so burned into my mind it was impossible to forget. So, I covered it with a Band-Aid. I could still feel it, but I didn’t have to see.
Slowly, I approached her. My hand reached out to wipe the tears from her face.
“Kit-Cat, baby,” she said, tugging me onto her lap, struggling to pull herself together. After several moments, she took a deep breath, and said, “Kit-Cat, there was an accident today. Daddy and Ollie were on their way home from helping Mr. Ashley and something happened with the car. Then Daddy lost control and the car went off the road and down an embankment.” She stroked my face, moving a lock of hair behind my ear.
“But, they’re okay, right? You’re just upset Daddy wrecked his car, right?” I asked. Daddy broke a lot of things, and Mom got mad.
“Oh, Kit-Cat, I’m so sorry, honey,” she said.
“When are they going to be home?” I asked.
She gave me a quick kiss on my forehead and sulked into the house. I followed her through the living room and down the hallway. She marched straight into my father’s study, slamming the door behind her. Rather than closing, it bounced off the frame and remained open a crack. I crouched down against the closet door and watched as my mother poured herself a glass of clear liquid. My parents always called it grown-up juice. I smelled it once, and it burned my nose. But Mom gulped the whole glass down in two swallows before pouring another.
That morning, when Oliver and Daddy were getting ready to go, I’d begged them to let me tag along. Daddy said no, that the seniors were off school for the day, but I still had to go. When I went to Ollie, he’d promised we would hang out when I got home.
“I’ll take you to the park, I promise,” he said, ruffling my hair. I wasn’t happy about it and continued to pout. “I love you lots, Kit-Cat.”
“I don’t like you right now,” I yelled, stomping up the stairs to my bedroom.
“Cariad, wake up. You’re just having a bad dream, wake up.”
The floor began to shake, then the walls, then me. Everything was rocking back and forth.
This isn’t real, this isn’t real.
I closed my eyes, fighting. This was a dream. This was just a dream.
“Wake up, Lina. Wake up!” someone screamed as they shook me.
I shot up in bed, my alarm blaring with the morning traffic report. Being only five a.m., the roads were clear as of yet. Slapping the off button, I dragged myself out of bed to head for the shower, and caught a whiff of something masculine and sweet. It might have taken a little extra effort on my part to keep from burying my face in my pillow and inhaling deeply. That smell, I knew it from somewhere. It reminded me of my dream; I’d smelled it in my house.
With the hot water washing over me, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something. Something important. I racked my brain to try to get some inkling of what it was. My mind was fuzzy and foreign. I pushed harder and harder and finally came up with a pair of hazel eyes. Cariad, I thought. Cariad. I’d heard that word before. I didn’t know where, but I knew those eyes, and I knew that word.
I had been gone from the museum for about two weeks. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how behind we were going to be, seeing as we had been behind before all this. After drying myself, I walked back to my room and dressed quickly, hoping to grab breakfast on the go and get to work early.
Gavin and Jilsey were still asleep, probably hoping I would sleep in and go into work late. That’s a negative, Ghost Rider. I grabbed a granola bar and filled my travel mug with coffee before I headed out the door. Most of the snow had melted and the sidewalks were nearly dry. It felt good to finally get some fresh air, sans babysitters. Gavin and Jilsey took really good care of me and I was grateful for it, but I wasn’t used to being hovered over that way, and it was a relief to finally be getting back to normal.
Alone. It felt weird today. Eerie even. I stopped and did a full three-sixty, looking around for anything out of place. It was early morning and still dark outside, but I didn’t see anyone. All of a sudden, my stomach rolled with nausea. I tossed the remainder of my granola bar to the curb and washed what was in my mouth down with a sip of coffee. I couldn’t wait to get to work now.
Finally, I arrived. It amazed me how the beauty of the building could still leave me breathless after all the time I had spent here. Sending a quick text to the roomies to let them know I was safe and sound, I let myself in the already unlocked front door. Hmm, that was weird, I didn't see Seline's car. Maybe the cleaning staff was here?
Stopping by my office, I dropped my bag off. No Seline or cleaning lady. I wandered toward the stairs leading to the basement archive rooms. My office was originally supposed to be down there, as my predecessor’s was. However, after hearing the rumor about the Hanged Man’s ghost, I opted to keep my old desk in Seline’s office. She certainly had the room and didn’t seem to mind.
After a lap around the visitor floors and exhibit rooms came up empty, I headed to the bottom floor, toward the tunnels.
"Seline? Are you down there?" I called to the open door, hesitating to go down before I was sure I wouldn’t be alone. I could handle the supposedly haunted space if there were other possible victims around me, but there was no way I would be caught dead down there alone.
"Lina? Oh, goodness! I didn't realize you would be here this early. I was hoping you’d sleep in or come in after lunch. Jilsey mentioned a week of half days. Come on down, honey, we have some introductions to make," she said and moved a work light closer to the steep staircase so I could see where I was going as I climbed down.
My feet had barely reached the bottom of the ladder before Seline pulled me into an enormous hug, nearly crushing my rib cage.
"It’s good to see you, too, Seline," I said, as I tugged myself free of her grasp.
"Sorry! I got a little carried away." She fluttered her hand around, waving away the fact that she’d nearly crushed me. Looping her arm through mine, she led me to her work area—I noticed she’d actually moved a spare desk down here. As I took my seat across from her, she moved her glasses to the top of her head and propped her chin on her hands. "I missed you, Lina. I was so worried about you. I called your cell when you didn't show up on Monday to make sure you were feeling okay, and Gavin answered. He gave me the CliffsNotes version of your accident."
"Oh my God," I said, cringing internally at the clusterfuck that I was sure that conversation had consisted of. “Was he at least nice to you?”
"He was as nice as I believe he possibly could have been," she said, smiling. Whatever Gavin said couldn’t have been too bad. "Don’t give it too much thought, he did what he thought he had to do. And, regardless, you have good people on your team, honey," she said, patting my hand. She was quiet for a moment and finally asked, almost reluctantly, "Has anyone told your mother?"
"Not that I know of,” I clipped out, not liking the turn this conversation had taken. Seline knew how I felt about this subject. “If they were stupid enough to tell her, they wouldn’t have told me. They know better," I said, wanting desperately to change the subject. "Jilsey and Gavin are my next of kin. I changed it a while back. Plus, I’m an adult, they don’t have to tell her shit." Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I hoped she would take the hint that this was not a subject I wanted to discuss. "So, be real with me, Seline. How far behind are we? I can work late or come in early for a while. No scratch that—I will."
"There will be no more coming in early or staying late or weekends for either of us," she announced, looking at me sternly. "We will have set hours of no more than twelve hours a day, with an hour of mandatory lunch, along with one fifteen minute break for every four hours worked. We will not be here on weekends, either. You may take work home, though," she said.
"I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you correctly. What did you say?" I asked in astonishment. She lived and breathed this museum. What on earth would possess her to—never mind, it all made sense now. "What did Gavin do?"
"He had a list of pros and cons. I’m surprised he didn’t come in and present a PowerPoint slideshow, to be honest.”
“I’m so sorry, Seline. Don’t worry about him.” I was going to have a serious talk with him when I got home.
“He made some rather good points. There is nothing in this place that can’t wait until tomorrow. There is no reason that we should be here at all hours of the day and night. I’m single and have nothing better to do with my time. You, however, have family, friends, and a social life that you should be spending your off time tending to," she explained. “So, don’t worry about it,” she assured me, laughing. “It will be okay. I went home at six thirty every day this week. I even did laundry on a Wednesday! Did you know Jeopardy was still on the air? I’m also thinking of signing up for hot yoga…ooh, or maybe Pilates.”
“Okay, if you say so.” I was still going to talk to him. “So, how long is it going to take us to get caught up?” I cringed inwardly, because I knew my hiatus had probably cost us at least a month in work.
“Shouldn’t take any time at all. We’re not that behind,” she said. Taking in my stunned expression, she explained, “I kept up the office work, the team continued to dig out the tunnels, and we just took on a new volunteer to document all the artifacts. He actually started earlier this morning. He was here bright and early.”
“Does the poor sap know that he’s barely going to see the light of day while he’s here?” I laughed, already feeling bad for him.
“He just finished course work with The University of Saebo but has to wait until spring to graduate, so he’s collecting experience hours until then. I think he said he was from Wales or something like that. Anyway, I think you will be a good mentor for him, even though he’s a couple years older,” she added excitedly. Looking behind me, she smiled. “Oh, speak of the devil, we were just talking about you. This is Lina, my Museum Technician and Archivist.”
I stood and turned toward the opening at the south of the tunnel to meet our newest volunteer. There was an ultra-bright light shining behind him, making it hard for me to see him right away. That was when I felt it, an instinctive pull toward him—like my body already knew him though my mind didn’t. Or maybe it did, because a little bit of that wall crumbled away. He was wearing a blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, khaki pants, and his hair was flopping onto his forehead.
“Lina, this is Telor,” Seline said, from seemingly far away.
My head was floating somewhere above me. I tried to mutter a hello, or something similar, but all that came out was a slurred “‘lo.” Blackness crept across my vision as I swayed on my feet, and distant voices asked me if I was okay—was it Seline or Telor? I felt a hand on my face and an electric shock shot through my entire body as my knees went out from under me. In the far corner of my mind, I hoped someone would catch me before I hit the ground.
My body was cradled in someone’s lap. It was as solid as the undeniably masculine arms wrapped around me. Oh God, did they call Gavin? Wearily, I opened my eyes. Staring back at me was a pair of hypnotic eyes behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses. He smiled worriedly down at me.
“Well, good morning. Nice of you to join us,” he said, helping me prop myself up on my elbows. Realizing I was practically sitting in his lap, I tried to move to the side, but he held me loosely yet firmly to his lap. “Don’t move, Catalina, you’ll hurt yourself. Seline went to get you some juice.”
I swooned at the way his voice caressed my senses.
A memory clicked in my head. It was fuzzy and blurry. I couldn’t take my eyes away from his face. That face…I knew that face. Memories slipped like sand through my mind.
“Cariad,” I whispered, reaching up and touching his face. He closed his eyes briefly, but said nothing, before opening his eyes and moving his face a little farther away from my hand. That sting resonated through my whole body.
“I beg your pardon?” he said, after a beat.
It clicked that I had just touched his face. I squirmed in his lap, trying to signal him to let me up. Almost reluctantly, he loosened his hold on me and allowed me a couple of inches. I loved the way his arms felt—as if they were made for me.
“Who are you?” I rasped out, my throat tight with anticipation or anxiety.
“Telor?” he asked, as if he was unsure of his name.
“Do I know you?” I asked. “You look so familiar.”
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember you.”
I blushed at his compliment. I knew I’d seen him before. I just couldn’t remember when or where. There was a voice in a distant corner of my mind trying to talk, but it was too far away to hear.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s the head injury, I’m sure.”
“Sounds about right,” he responded. “What happened?”
“I painted my front porch red with four pints of blood, passed out, and almost died,” I explained bluntly. “At least that’s what they tell me. I don't really remember most of it.”
“What do you remember?”
“Not much,” I said. “I think I forget a little more of it every day.” My stomach grumbled, and the sound was amplified by the mostly empty room.
“You should probably stop skipping breakfast, also,” he said.
“I ate breakfast.”
“Half a granola bar hardly counts as breakfast,” he said, rolling his eyes and helping me to my feet.
“How did you know I only ate half a granola bar?” I asked, swaying slightly as he steadied me.
“You just told me,” he said, looking a little worried. “Not sixty seconds ago.”
“Right. Well, good thing Seline went to get juice,” I said. I didn’t remember saying anything about what I ate this morning. Something twisted in my gut. His words felt wrong.
“Are you sure you’re okay to stand on your own, Catalina?” He hadn’t let go of me yet. Not that I wanted him to.
“I’m sure,” I said. “How did you know my name was Catalina? No one calls me that.”
“Seline mentioned it. Do you prefer Lina then?” He didn’t look at me as he said it. Which was odd because he’d barely taken his eyes off me before that. Again, his words seemed off. Trying to pinpoint the feeling they caused, I came up empty. Maybe it was just him. Being around him was making everything harder to focus on. He captured the entirety of my attention.
“No.” I shook my head, regretting it. “Catalina is fine.”
He leaned back and sat on the edge of Seline’s desk, letting go of me. That same empty feeling I had this morning returned. I felt like there was something I was missing. I could feel the mortar on that wall getting looser by the second.
I closed the distance between us and sat on the edge of the desk next to him, effectively eliminating the empty feeling those couple of feet gave me. Cariad. The word came back to me. I grabbed a Post-it and a pen from Seline’s desk and jotted it down with the best phonetic spelling I could manage. Telor looked at the note, and his eyes stayed fixed on it.
“Do you know what it means?” I asked. He opened his mouth to respond, but Seline didn’t give him a chance.
“Oh good, you're up!” Seline said, coming in and handing me a bottle of orange juice. “I was afraid I was going to have to call Gavin and tell him I broke you on your first day back.”
“Always call Jilsey first,” I said gulping down the entire bottle of juice. I tucked the folded paper inside my pocket and made a mental note to ask Telor about it later. I was eager to get back to work and to forget this whole passing out thing as quickly as possible.
“Where do you want me today?” I asked
“Why don’t you go upstairs and work on admin stuff?” she suggested, herding me toward the stairs. “We are covered down here for today.”
I pressed my back firmly against the loose metal railing so she couldn’t physically force me to climb. Though, I was sure that the death glare she had would make me climb it pretty fast.
“I’m okay down here,” I said quickly. “I’m feeling a lot better. Really. I’ll work close to Telor. He’ll make sure nothing happens.” I hoped he didn’t mind me volunteering him to babysit.
Seline looked toward him for some sort of confirmation that he would indeed keep an eye on me.
“That works perfectly for me,” he said. He did smile this time, and I thought I might have passed out again had I not been able to grab the railing for support. It was amazing—I found myself wanting to touch his face again, on purpose this time. “We were just talking about going to lunch this afternoon.”
“Yep, pizza,” I said quickly. It was news to me, but I wanted to go regardless.
She considered us both for a moment, before shooing us away and settling herself at her desk. I followed Telor into the tunnels. I couldn’t see his face, but I could feel his smile. Practically—actually—feel his pure...happiness? Needless to say, it was going to be an interesting day.