Page 7 of Killian
“I know! I was kind of having a bit of a meltdown until I saw you,” she said, laughing nervously. “But if we’re together, then I’m sure we can figure out what has happened.”
“With any luck,” he agreed, using the wall to climb to his feet. He held out his hand to Moira and pulled her up with him. “Is it just me, or does this look like the lobby of some expensive hotel?”
“I was going with movie theater,” said Moira. “But yes. It feels like a room to stand around in before you get to any of the actual places. I was going to look outside next. Maybe we’ll be able to see where we are.”
“Good idea,” he agreed. “Hopefully, there isn’t a giant sign that says Hotel for Terminal Amnesiacs.”
Moira laughed, and that made Killian grin. Making Moira laugh was a pretty good antidote to just about everything. Why couldn’t he remember anything more than that she was Moira, and she was his? He wondered how long they had been together. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but men sometimes didn’t. He surreptitiously tried to check her hand. She wasn’t wearing a ring either, so they probably weren’t married. He should fix that. Or maybe not? What if they hadn’t been together that long?What if she didn’t feel the same way? Perhaps they had reasons for not wanting to get engaged.
He looked at Moira with her sharp leather jacket and expensive boots and then down at himself and his dusty old trail boots.
Ring. He probably couldn’t afford a good ring yet, and a girl like Moira obviously deserved something big and flashy.
Moira checked the hinges on the door, grabbed the handle, and pushed, but there was a hard clunk, and the door went nowhere.
“Um,” she said, looking over at him.
“Is it locked?”
“The handle turns,” she said. “You try.”
He grabbed the handle and gave it a hard jolt, but just like for Moira, it didn’t move. He put his shoulder against it and shoved. There was a grinding noise like gravel against something hard, but the door moved only a fraction, if it moved at all. He tried again and, this time, stepped back and slammed into it. The handle broke off in his hand, and his shoulder stung, but the door didn’t move.
“OK,” he said, stepping back. “So, it appears we are not going out that way.”
“Well,” said Moira, turning to look at the stairs to the darkened archway, “I guess we’ll have to go in there.”
Killian turned to face the archway with her. He didn’t like the look of it—too dark, too large, and it smelled like old things. Moira grabbed his hand, and he squeezed it, grateful that she was there with him.
“Let’s just go have a look,” he said.
Episode 4
Into the Library
Moira
They stood in the archway and peered out into the cavernous space. The red carpeting continued into the velvet blackness, but they couldn’t see anything else.
“Do you see a light switch?” asked Moira.
“No,” said Killian.
Moira tried the flashlight on her phone, but it still wouldn’t turn on. “OK, well, let’s try my backpack,” she said. “Maybe...” She flipped open the front pocket and rummaged inside. Killian was also searching in his.
“Ah!” they exclaimed simultaneously, pulling out flashlights. They were the same brand.
“Mine is newer,” said Moira.
“That just means mine is reliable,” said Killian, and Moira laughed. They both pushed the switches on the flashlights, but nothing happened.
“OK, so much for reliable,” said Killian.
“I suppose both our phones could be dead at the same time,” said Moira. “But our flashlights? That seems...”
“Weird,” agreed Killian. “All right, but apparently, I believe in preparedness.” He reached into his bag and pulled out two industrial-strength glowsticks.
“Ha!” said Moira cracking one. The blue light filtered through her fingers. “Boy Scout vibes and chemistry for the win. How long do these last?”
