Green light was peeking out from under the door again when I awoke in the middle of the night. Whatever had been sleeping in the crook of my legs had jumped off of the bed and scurried away towards the bathroom as I stirred. The light under the door cast the room in a sickly green glow as I slid my arms from around Lucas. He didn’t stir as I rolled and let my legs dangle off of the bed. I stared at the light coming from under the door. Nothing happened. Suddenly, I was filled with a wave of anger fueled by curiosity and exhaustion.
I stood from the bed, still naked, and grabbed my underwear from the floor. Slipping them on, I pulled on my sweatpants and sweater next. Lucas continued to sleep as I crept from the bedside to the bedroom door. After a short moment to take a breath, I reached out and turned the knob. I pulled the door inwards, expecting to be blinded by the light. However, the hallway was just cast in the eerie glow of the light as the bedroom had been. I stepped out of the bedroom and looked down the hallway. Wherever the light was coming from was drifting down the hallway and going down the stairs.
When I glanced back into the bedroom, Lucas was still curled up in bed, sleeping peacefully, so I left the room, closing the door gently behind myself. I crept down the hallway carefully, so as to not wake Lucas or Oma, and followed the light as it traveled downstairs. Step by step, I kept just within the shadows the light cast and followed it. Then down the stairs. When I got to the base of the stairs, the light was in the kitchen, casting it in an eerie glow as well. So, I followed it there. When I got to the kitchen, my feet making tapping noises against the linoleum, the light was behind the basement door, peeking out in a slant across the kitchen floor.
My hand went to the basement door and I turned that knob as well, deciding to follow this light wherever I had to in order to find out what the hell was going on. When I opened the cellar door, the light was moving down the rickety stairs, further into the basement. I took a deep breath and started to descend the stairs. Step, by frightening step, I descended the old wooden steps into the basement, not knowing what might be waiting for me. However, when I got to the base of the stairs, the room seemed to be filled with the eerie green light. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been in the basement of Oma’s house, in fact, when I really thought about it, I wasn’t sure that I had ever actually been in the basement.
That was weird, considering the fact that I had grown up in Oma’s house from a very young age. I held a hand to my eyes, to shield them from the bright green light. Finally, after several moments, the light seemed to dull and I pulled my hand back so that I could see what was happening. Before me, in the center of the basement, was what could only be described as a stone well, roughly as far across as I was tall. The green light was emanating from somewhere deep within, seemingly disappearing deeper and deeper into the well, getting duller and duller as it descended.
Cautiously, I tiptoed over to the well, knowing that this was probably the worst decision I could have made in the situation. However, I tiptoed over to the edge of the stone well and braced my hands against the side, which came up to my waist. Against my better judgment, I leaned forward to look down into the well, needing to know where the light was coming from. When I looked down into the deep recesses of the well, all I could see was the green light flooding everything below so that I could not tell how deep the well actually was. I stared down into that green light for a very long time. Then it began to move upwards again, getting closer and closer until I was being blinded once again. I stepped back from the well, bringing my hand up to shield my eyes again as the basement filled with the bright light.
I awoke to the feeling of Lucas’ lips against mine. When I opened my eyes, Lucas’ face was next to mine, his eyes were closed as he pressed his lips against mine, and the room was warm with late morning light. The light was that type of snow-reflected white that let one know, without getting out of bed, that it had snowed the night before. Of course, it had snowed all day long, so I wasn’t sure if the light would have been enough of a clue if I hadn’t already seen the snow for myself with my own eyes.
The sudden change from being in the basement in Oma’s house to lying in bed next to Lucas, being kissed awake gave me a mental jolt. I did my best to smile and return the kiss, but my brain was asking “what the actual fuck?” very loudly. Lucas finally opened his eyes and smiled at me as he pulled away from the kiss. He looked so content and warm in bed with me that it made my stomach flutter again. And, yet again, I was left with the nagging feeling that things felt too good—too right. That I was being too nonchalant about all of the odd happenings in my life recently.
“Good morning, babe.” He said softly.
“Good morning.”
“It snowed more last night.”
I gave an involuntary shiver with a laugh as he pulled me into his body.
“Another few inches, I think.” He spoke against my mouth. “I got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and it was really coming down. But there’s nothing wrong with getting a few inches.”
“More than a few.” I winked.
He chuckled throatily.
“You were having some dreams, huh?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You were kicking a little in your sleep.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was cute.” He somehow managed a shrug as he laid there. “Made me want to wake you up and give you a real reason to thrash around.”
I chuckled.
“Does Mrs. Wagner have a pet?” He asked with a half-frown half-smile.
“What?”
“I thought there was a dog or cat in bed with us last night.” He chuckled.
I am not crazy.
Later in the day, just after lunch, Lucas bid adieu to Oma and me—after way too many kisses at the front door. I watched him drive carefully through the snow, away from the house, as I stood on the front porch. It was still below freezing outside, but the sun glinting off the snow was nearly blinding. As soon as Lucas’ truck was out of sight, I gladly went back into the warm house, rubbing my hands together to knock away the chill. Oma was in the kitchen, banging away, preparing for an elaborate, stick-to-your-ribs meal seeing as there wasn’t much else could be done, considering the weather.
Doing my best to not march, I went straight to the kitchen. Now that Oma and I were alone, we were going to have a real conversation about her and her house. When I entered the kitchen, she was pulling some potatoes, carrots, and what looked like fennel out to prep for the meal. A whole chicken was sitting in the sink. An evening roast. I wouldn’t let myself get distracted by the thought of good food.
“Okay, Oma.” I crossed my arms, standing ten feet away from her. “Tell me what the hell is in this house.”
“What are you babbling about again?”
“You have a pet or…something…in this house,” I demanded. “What is it?”
“I ain’t got no damn pets.” She placed the vegetables on the counter and turned to me with her fists on her hips.
“Something has been crawling into bed with me at night.” She started to interject, but I continued quickly in order to cut her off. “And it crawled into bed with Lucas and me last night and he noticed it, too. So, I’m not fucking crazy. That excuse isn’t going to fly.”
“You need to take—”
“I haven’t taken my pills in days.” I actually stomped my foot. “If this was withdrawal, I’d be over it by now. And that doesn’t explain Lucas noticing it either!”
“I don’t have any pets, I tell ya’.” She snapped back.
“Then. What. Is. It?”
Oma started to say something, stopped herself, and raised her head haughtily.
“I don’t know what in the world you’re talkin’ about, Robbie.” She sniffed. “If somethin’s crawlin’ into your bed at night, it ain’t no damn pet of mine.”
I glared at her.
“Fine,” I said. “Game on, old woman.”
I turned to leave the kitchen.
“What the hell does that mean?” She grumbled.
“If you aren’t going to tell me—I’m not going to tell you,” I replied over my shoulder. “Elphaba.”
“Who?”
“Read a book.” I snapped as I walked away.