Page 15 of Little Paper Games
I couldn’t help it. I laughed sohard my sides hurt. She stood up and hobbled to the adjoining door, quickly realizing that she’d kept it locked on her end.
“Fuck!” she shouted at absolutely no one in particular.
“Hang on, hang on. I’ll help you,” I offered, standing from the chair, and making my way to her.
“No! I don’t want you to see me like this,” she argued, her arms wrapped around her protectively.
“First of all, I respect that. Second, I’ve already seen it, so please at least let me help you.” I did my best not to laugh. I really did. But keeping the smirk from my face was impossible.
“I’ll just have to go through the basement. It’ll be fine, I’m sure of it.” She began to hobble towards the staircase, and I sprang into action.
“Like hell you are!” I argued, blocking her path.
“What, you’re going to hold me here, hostage?” she tossed back, that fire burning brightly in her eyes once more.
“If I fucking have to! You going down those stairs alone is a bad idea, and you know it!” I shouted back. The woman was infuriating.
“Fine! Then go with me! But I’m getting clothes! I’m not going to sit here —”
Her words cut off.
As did the power.
We stood there for the course of two breaths.
Then three.
Then four.
Just waiting for the power to come
back on. It was a chilly March evening. My mind raced with thoughts of survival. Did we have water? Did we have food to use? Did we have a heat source? What was this we?
“Jude…” her voice was timid and quiet.
“Yeah,” I answered back quietly, trying to decide the best course of action.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“Um, hang on, let me think,” I said, letting the ideas come to me. I didn’t like the unplanned.
“I know thinking is hard for you but —”
“Jesus, McKenna, not now. Let me help you get to the sofa again. That way at least you’re not going to fall and break your neck.” Luckily, she didn’t argue with me that time. We made our way to the sofa, using our hands to slowly make our way there.
“Okay, stay here. I’m going to get candles,” I stated, finding my phone in the chair cushion I’d abandoned moments ago. At least it had a flashlight.
“Uh, Jude?” she asked timidly again.
“Yeah?”
“Could you maybe grab me a shirt or even a blanket?” I didn’t have to be able to see her to know that her eyes were down, embarrassed.
“Which would make you feel more comfortable?” I asked sincerely. Regardless of our animosity, I wasn’t one of those guys who took advantage of girls. I wasn’t comfortable with her feeling exposed if she didn’t want to be exposed.
“A blanket, if that’s okay,” she replied after a long moment.
“You got it.” I found the blanket chest across the room and pulled out my warmest, fuzziest blanket for her to wrap up in. “Here you go.”
