Page 47 of Protecting Kelli
“For the next year, that’s what she did. Even thoughshe was always hungry, she saved some of her dinner every night to bring outside for her possum friend. Then one night, her stepfather got angry with her and began to beat her. The girl was crouched down, trying to cover her head, enduring the pain from the much larger man’s fists, when she heard a noise outside. Scratching at the door.
“It got louder and louder, until finally her stepfather couldn’t ignore it any longer. Angrily, he stalked to the door and wrenched it open. Looking down, he saw a possum.
“As he stared at it, the animal began to grow. It grew and grew—until standing at the door was a giant! A huge, ugly, scarred giant. It hissed at the stepfather, then grabbed him by the throat, pulled him out of the house, and stomped on his head. Squishing it.
“The girl stared at the giant, wondering if she was hallucinating. Then the giant ducked his head and came inside the small kitchen. He picked up the girl ever so gently and carried her outside. He stepped over the wall around their yard and stopped. They were surrounded by almost a dozen possums. As she watched, they all began to grow, just like the one at her door. Now she was surrounded by giants, male and female.
“‘This is my family. My brothers and sisters and my parents,’ the giant said. ‘Because of you, not killing me a year ago, we’ve thrived. To thank you, we’re going to bring you to our world. You’ll marry me and live happily ever after.’
“The girl was confused. ‘But you’re a possum,’ she said.
“‘I am and I’m not. That’s our secret form. I’m really a prince. But maybe you think I’m ugly and don’t want to be with me.’
“He sounded so sad, and the girl felt for him. ‘I don’t think you’re ugly. My stepfather was ugly. Deep in his soul. You aren’t. I’ll come with you. Be your princess.’
“That night, there was a huge party. The giants celebrated a new princess—who was healed by their prince’s touch, so no more bruises marred her fair skin. And they lived happily ever after.”
Kelli smiled against Flash. His stories…they weren’t exactly the best. They made no sense. But she loved them anyway. Because they all had happy endings, just like she’d told him she loved. “That was perfect,” she told him.
He chuckled, and Kelli felt it reverberate against her side. “It sucked. But I’ll get better.”
It was strange that she was smiling. She was filthy, smelled horrible, was thirsty and hungry, and yet, she was content.
Just then the candle flickered and abruptly went out. Kelli could smell the smoke from the smoldering wick in the air. She inhaled sharply.
“Easy, Kelli. We’re okay.”
Swallowing hard, Kelli nodded against him. The dark seemed darker now. Which was silly, but she couldn’t help thinking it was true.
“Your turn. Tell me a story,” Flash ordered.
She knew he was trying to distract her. From their situation, from her growling belly, from the dark.
What Kellireallywanted to do was scream. Have a tantrum. This wasn’t fair. What did she do to deserve this? She was a good person. Didn’t cut in front of people on the interstate, said please and thank you even to people who were mean. She put her cart in the thingy in the parking lot at the grocery store instead of leaving it in themiddle of another parking space. She paid her taxes on time and ignored all of Charlotte’s nasty quips against her. And for what? To end up buried alive in a bus in the middle of some stupid jungle.
Flash’s arm tightened around her, then she felt his lips on her forehead.
But…she wasn’t alone. She had Flash. And the more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. There was probably some psychological reason for that. She was dependent on him. Shared trauma, something. But Kelli couldn’t imagine himnotbeing in her life now. She liked talking to him. He was smart, had good instincts, and was incredibly calming. Besides that, he made her feel alive. He didn’t see her flaws, and there were many.
Instead, he sawher.
“Come on, your turn,” Flash said, nudging her gently.
Taking a deep breath, Kelli began telling a story about a grasshopper named Fred who left home to see the world, only to discover that what he’d been searching for was back home the entire time.
She’d just finished, and was basking in Flash’s gentle chuckles, when a loud sound echoed throughout the metal bus.
Like his namesake, Flash moved so quickly, Kelli couldn’t even begin to process what he was doing or what was happening. Before she knew it, he’d pulled her to her feet and put her back against the far corner of the bus. Away from the manhole they’d been dropped through when this whole nightmare started.
“Stay here,” Flash ordered in a tone of voice Kelli hadn’t heard him use before. It was hard and cold and completely businesslike. This was the SEAL behind theman she’d gotten to know. It should’ve scared her, but instead it made her feel protected.
“I’ve got the conch shell knife we made. If it’s Heckle and Jeckle, I’ll make sure they don’t get a chance to hurt you.”
His first thought wasn’t even about getting out of there—it was for her safety. “Be careful,” she whispered.
She felt his hand on her upper arm a split second before his lips unerringly found hers. The kiss was hard and fast.
“I will. Unlike Fred the grasshopper, I know exactly what I’ve got, and I’m not going to do anything to fuck it up now.”
