Buried in Sunshine

by Matthew Fish

  “I don’t think she’ll ever recover—she’s been punishing herself since 1993.”

  “Some wounds take longer to heal…”

  “Are you healed?”

  “I’m getting there,” Emma says as she smiles confidently and nods once. “I am by no means a normal girl, but—I’m finding that there are a lot of people like me. Different circumstances, of course, but a lot of people are I guess…damaged. I just think that I would worry that no one would accept me—or like me because of how different I am.”

  “I would accept you,” Ethan quickly replies. “I mean I know how it is; being around my mother so much—and you haven’t done anything wrong. So of course I’d like you, for being you…and different.”

  “That’s really sweet Ethan,” Emma says as she feels her cheeks grow red and begins to laugh. “So you go after crazy girls then?”

  “Only ones I’ve admired from a distance for a while,” Ethan admits. “I saw you standing by my father at your mother’s funeral. He used to tell me stories about how well you were doing—just small things really. I mean I hate to bring up another bad memory for you, but when I saw you that day…I wanted to get to know you. I just never was presented with the opportunity.”

  “Until I walked in that day,” Emma says as she nervously bites her bottom lip.

  “Exactly…” Ethan says as he looks to Emma. “I didn’t know I’d have to wait over a year, but I enjoy your company…I loved our little adventure. So all in all, I’d say it was a worthwhile wait.”

  “The tunnel…”

  “Have you been back down there?” Ethan says as he changes the subject as an awkward tone fills his voice. “Really interesting stuff…”

  “Not yet,” Emma says. “I don’t really want to go in alone…although I do want to go back.”

  “I’m free tonight,” Ethan volunteers.

  “Well,” Emma begins as she places her hands upon the table and gestures out a tunnel, “I was thinking—that we found the room at that crossroad.”

  “The hidden room…?” Ethan asks as he follows Emma’s hands against the table with his eyes.

  “I figured that at one time it just looked like a brick wall,” Emma continues. “I thought that, maybe, if there was one room broken down like that—that there could be one that is still intact.”

  “It is definitely a possibility,” Ethan says as he nods. “I’m interested. I’ve got all my gear in the truck—would you like to go back to your place?”

  “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” Emma says jokingly as she laughs once more. “And yes, I would like to have you with me on this little…adventure.”

  *

  Back at Emma’s house on Old Pine Hollow Road, Emma and Ethan stand beside his truck as he pulls a crowbar from one of the metal compartments. The night sky is hazy and the sounds of crickets fill the air in an almost obtrusive manner. The moon is partially blocked by a semi-translucent cloud.

  “Do you ever find it creepy?” Ethan asks as he shoves a flashlight into his pocket. “Living out here all alone?”

  “I never really did,” Emma replies as she wipes a bead of sweat from the back of her neck. The air is heavy with humidity and it makes it difficult to breathe. “I mean, I’ve always found that the only thing that there really is to be afraid of is people.”

  “Sounds reasonable,” Ethan says as he nods. “Like a sauna out here—let’s head in?”

  “Right,” Emma says as she leads the way up the short cement staircase. She reaches into her purse and retrieves her keys. After a little resistance, the old door creaks open.

  “I could fix that,” Ethan says as he eyes the rusty hinges of the door as he passes into the house.

  “There are a few things I had planned on fixing,” Emma says as she remembers the mental list of home improvements she had planned—that was before she was told that the end was near.

  “Planned?”

  “It doesn’t seem important anymore,” Emma replies. She then attempts to cover up the fact that she means something entirely different. “I mean, I’m not here that much—I don’t want to be a shut in.”

  “Got it,” Ethan says as he allows the door to creak shut behind him. “It gives the house character anyway.”

  Emma pauses by the basement door. She is reluctant to enter—reluctant to discover what may lie behind the brick hallway.

  “Would you like me to lead?” Ethan asks, as he brushes past Emma and places his hand upon the ornate doorknob. “I know you don’t necessarily like the basement.”

  “I would,” Emma answers as a strange shiver, not unpleasant in any way, rushes over her as she feels the brief contact of their skin. “I’d appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” Ethan says as he opens the door and heads down the stairs.

  Emma follows behind closely. They navigate the passageways. Once more Emma pauses at the stone slab and feels that overwhelming sense of uneasiness within her.

  “You alright back there?”

  “Yep,” Emma says as she continues on, walking straight into Ethan and almost causing him to fall over. “…Shit, sorry.”

  Ethan laughs as he places his arms on Emma’s shoulders and steadies them both. “Something odd about this room… isn’t there?”

  “I don’t like it,” Emma says as her smile disappears from her face. “I always think that they slaughtered animals here. I don’t know if that’s right. It’s just the stone slab right in the middle of the room and the drain at the bottom.”

  “I hate to say it,” Ethan says as he looks around the room. “You’re probably right though. They probably prepared meat here—if you look on the far wall there it looks like there used to be chains or hooks that would hang on that long beam.”

  “I would rather not.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ethan says as he shakes his head and lets out an uncomfortable laugh. “I’m sometimes pretty—oblivious. I mean, I get stuck on the facts and I don’t realize that I’m making you uncomfortable.”

  “It is fine,” Emma says as she nudges against Ethan to continue onward. “You’re just lucky you’re cute—so you can get away with it.”

  “You think I’m cute?”

  “I umm…” Emma replies, realizing that she has just said something completely out of character. Of course she thinks he is cute—she figures any girl would. She would just have never vocalized such a statement. Perhaps, this is more of her old self coming back. “I suppose I do.”

  “That’s a wonderful compliment—“Ethan says as he nervously runs his hand through his hair. “I really didn’t expect it. You are absolutely beautiful, by the way. In case you were curious what I thought.”

  “I don’t think so,” Emma says as she briefly shakes her head—she doesn’t see it. She used to think Alexis was pretty, she thinks that Elizabeth is pretty; however she has a hard time accepting that she is attractive, even though both Alexis and Elizabeth are reflections of herself. “But I do appreciate it?”

  “I think so,” Ethan says reassuringly then follows up with a sarcastic laugh. “That’s all that matters right?”

  “Sure,” Emma says as she smiles.

  “What hack did you hire to do this job?” Ethan says as he points his flashlight to the giant hole in the brick wall. “I’d get your money back.”

  “He made a pretty big mess,” Emma says as she steps over a few bricks and follows Ethan into the hidden hallway. “Luckily, I never paid.”

  “Good move,” Ethan says as a wide grin spreads across his face.

  Emma presses her hand against the warm brick as she navigates her way down the dark hall, always just one step behind Ethan—her safety blanket. The hallway was dry—all the water from the rain the previous night had evaporated. The bricks were dry and rough against her hand. Emma watched intently as Ethan manipulated the flashlight against each passing section of wall.

  “I’d imagine it wouldn’t be easy to spot,” Ethan says as he pauses and places his hand against the
brick. “At least a good room to hide in wouldn’t be…”

  “Is there any way to tell?”

  Ethan brings the crowbar up and begins to knock it against the wall. The sound echoes so loudly down the hallway that it is impossible to distinguish whether or not the walls are hollow or not. “Smart…”

  “What is?”

  “If you try and find the false wall by noise alone, the hallway is so long that its echoes would cover up any sign of a hollow wall,” Ethan answers as he continues along the cement path.

  “So it’s impossible then?”

  Ethan continues to walk onward, all the while tapping his crowbar against the wall lightly. With his free hand he searches out any possible imperfections. “Not at all…”

  “Did you find something?”

  “I believe so,” Ethan says as he points the flashlight down to a small groove in a dark brown brick. “You can’t just put a doorknob on this kind of thing, so you’d need a way to get it open without being obvious…”

  “The room is behind here?” Emma says as she presses up against the wall.

  “I’d imagine some kind of tool would be needed,” Ethan says as he nods and slides the flat end of the crowbar into the groove. With a slight push forward a click sound is heard. The room opens up with a low grumble and dust fills the air.

  “This is it,” Emma says in astonishment. Elizabeth was right—there was a second room.

  “Now what kind of treasure have we found here?” Ethan asks as he shines the flashlight and attempts to blow the dust away.

  Emma stares into the room intently. It is much like the first room—large and mostly empty. However, this room is a little different. A large pile of stone fills the center of the room.

  “Well it’s not exactly a pile of gold or anything,” Ethan says, his voice sounding slightly disappointed. “Looks like just…busted up concrete?”

  “Why is it here?”

  “I guess when they were working on the tunnel, maybe making it parts of it—the stored whatever they tore down in here.”

  “So it’s just broken concrete from construction?” Emma asks, she is rather disappointed—she did not know exactly what she had expected to find here. However, why would Elizabeth want her to look for something that had no purpose?

  “Yeah,” Ethan says as he places a hand over the rough, large, broken pieces of concrete. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

  “I’m not disappointed.” Emma says, hiding the truth from Ethan.

  Ethan draws close to Emma. “Not even a little?”

  “Maybe this much…?” Emma says as she raises her hand and spaces her pointer and thumb to less than an inch apart.

  Ethan reaches his hand around Emma’s back and draws her close to him. He spontaneously places his lips against hers.

  Emma is taken aback by the action, however does not hesitate nor draw back. Instead she allows his lips to linger against hers. She then places around her arms around his body and begins to kiss him more passionately in return.

  “I hope this…” Ethan says as he pauses and looks to Emma. “Makes up for some of that disappointment.”

  “It definitely does,” Emma says as she allows herself to fall away.

  “I’m not trying to be too forward,” Ethan says softly as he allows his hands to linger against the small of Emma’s back. “But, I don’t have to be at work until later—I could stay.”

  Emma has a flashback to the nightmare she had the night before, the sight of Ethan as he waited for her with a sledgehammer in hand. She shakes her head and she backs away a few steps.

  “I’m sorry,” Ethan adds as he shakes his head. “That was way too forward…”

  “No,” Emma says as she attempts to recompose herself. She places Ethan’s hands in hers and smiles. “I’m just… I don’t think I’m ready for that. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to. It’s been a while actually…” Emma adds, as she allows her embarrassing speech to trail off into a whisper.

  “I am completely okay with that,” Ethan says as he squeezes Emma’s hands in his. “I mean—I kind of forgot that we were on our first date. It just feels like I’ve known you longer. Is that odd?”

  “I don’t think it is,” Emma says as she nods. “I’m just a little bit of a basket case. Has it really been a year that you’ve liked me? I mean you just saw me…and heard about me?

  “I was fascinated,” Ethan admits. “I can’t quite place why. I suppose it’s just one of those things—out of my control. Just don’t go thinking I am some kind of stalker or something. I was just drawn to you, but circumstances were…bad.”

  “I’m flattered,” Emma says. “I felt the same way when I saw you—I really did want to know what was on the other side of that brick wall, but I’d be kind of lying if I were to say that I didn’t have another motivation.”

  “Well I’m glad we’re on the same page at least,” Ethan says as he lets out a sigh of relief. “I really do have to get up at like five in the morning tomorrow—I was just kind of…”

  “Hoping to score…?”

  “I just really like you—and you’re really hot in that dress,” Ethan says as he laughs. “You can’t blame a guy for hoping…at least I hope you will not in this case.”

  “So you were lying about not needing to be up early?”

  “Well sleep—“Ethan begins, as he shrugs his shoulders. “It’s terribly overrated. I’m sorry though, really.”

  “We should head back up,” Emma says as she turns to the door and begins to leave the empty room. “It’s getting pretty hot down here.”

  “Right,” Ethan says as he follows Emma’s lead.

  *

  “Well, thank you again for another adventure,” Ethan says as he smiles to Emma and places his hand upon the door.

  “So you have to be up at five?”

  “Yeah,” Ethan replies as he looks down to his watch. “It’s eleven now, so… maybe four hours of sleep after a shower.”

  “Sleep is terribly overrated,” Emma says as she places her hand into Ethan’s and tugs him away from the front door.

  “It is…” Ethan adds as his eyes widen.

  Without another word, Emma leads Ethan up the spiral staircase—all the way up to the attic room. She takes Ethan’s other hand and pulls him to the bed, allowing him to be atop her.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Ethan asks as he runs a hand through Emma’s long hair and brushes it away from her sparkling blue eyes.

  Without a response, Emma gently pushes him away and sits up against the bed. She pulls up her dress and giggles as it gets caught for a moment against her chin. She then tugs up on Ethan’s shirt until it is completely off and tosses it upon the floor. She runs her hand against his well built chest as she places her lips against his.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” Ethan says as he reaches behind Emma’s back and unsnaps her white and yellow flowered bra, revealing two small globes of tanned flesh and small pink nipples.

  Emma shudders as his hands cup her breasts as he lays her down and begins to press his lips against her nipples alternatively. She lets out a sharp, short little moan as he takes one of them fully into his mouth. Emma reaches down and fumbles with his belt. With a little help from Ethan, it is off and she begins to unbutton his jeans. Ethan slides to the side, keeping his attention on her breasts, to allow his jeans to slide off the side of the bed.

  Emma pulls him against her body. She can feel the hard form of him through his thin boxers. She grinds herself against it until she can no longer take it. She pulls down his boxers with one hand while she violently rips down her matching yellow and white panties with her other.

  Completely exposed and on her back, Emma can feel his erection fumbling between her legs, sliding rhythmically against her wetness. With a heavy, delighted, moan she glides him inside of her with a helping hand. He responds with a groan as he pushes the length of himself deep inside of her.

  “You are so beautiful,” Ethan whisper
s as he begins to kiss her neck as he thrusts himself in and out of her in a slow, full motion.

  “Thanks…” Emma whispers awkwardly, as she lets out another quiet moan of pleasure. She can feel herself tighten against him as he continues to press himself harder and harder into her. As Emma’s mind slightly wanders to whether or not ‘thanks’ was a good reply, as she has never been good for regular conversation, let alone sexual conversation—she feels a wave of pleasure that rips her away from her irrational thoughts as she begins to come.

  Ethan can sense this oncoming flood of pleasure as he quickens his pace and his groaning. He thrusts one final time as her body shudders and her back arches as she squeezes down hard against his cock as she comes. Ethan follows shortly after. He collapses upon her, his breath heavy and his chest covered in a fine layer of sweat.

  Emma lets out one final whisper of a whimper as he slides out of her and rolls to her side on the bed. An overwhelming sense of pleasure fills her—however, in the back of her mind, she finds a bit of guilt. After all, she has been hiding the fact that their parents were having an affair—hiding an awful truth about how terrible her father was. She regrets not saying something. She does not, however, regret this act. After all, if the other versions of her were correct—she did not have much time and she was glad that she could spend an intimate moment with someone who cared for her. After all, life is short—and for her and the rest of the world…possibly very short.

  “Are you alright?” Ethan asks as he caresses Emma’s cheek with his fingertips. “You look a little sad—was it alright?”

  Emma smiles as she turns to Ethan and nods. “I’m fine.”

  “I’m glad,” Ethan says as he embraces Emma.

  “Don’t die,” Emma whispers as she returns the embrace tightly. She does not completely understand where this statement, or command, comes from. Perhaps, it is a fragment of a memory from her past. All of sudden she feels sad and guilty once more. A few uncontrollable tears begin to stream down from her eyes.

  “Hey…” Ethan says as he wipes away her wet tears with his hand. “Everything’s alright. I’m not going to die.”