(14) Fallout

(14) Fallout

     The group inside was only vaguely aware of the madness being wrought outside. They were too busy getting tossed about like ragdolls. The house stopped for just a second and each of them was able to find a sort of foothold, with varying degrees of success.

Then the house was moving again. In great big lurches, and Riley especially was holding on for dear life on top of the counter pressed against the top cabinets.

     Another pause and then the house jerked the other way. At least three of them were not prepared for the change and went flying. Riley’s precarious hold had let go and she was the first to smash against the opposite wall in the ensuing mess. Lou was hanging on to Saint more than any piece of furniture. Bliss had found her way into a nook near the fridge and was looking more or less unphased as was her way. Ash had pressed himself in the doorway into the living room, looking weirdly vindicated.

     And then the house was still. Just like Carter had, everyone stayed put for what felt like twenty minutes. Saint was the first to move. He pried Lou off of him, and then wordlessly pushed past Ash into the living room.

     Ash tried to lighten the mood, “At least we have settled the argument on whether it is or isn’t a normal house?”

     Riley wasn’t paying attention. She was staring out the door where Saint left, and she was fuming. Bliss on the other hand busted out laughing. Only Ash noticed when Bliss’ laughter cut off with a choke.

     Riley was already halfway through the door after Saint. She looked back to Ash and told him, “Just one minute. I have.” She trailed off.

Maybe she didn’t know, or just didn’t want to say. The door swung with a light swish behind her.

     Ash was trying to get around the island counter to Bliss, who had frozen in place staring out the window. Except without any preamble Lou was suddenly very deeply into his business with an intensity that did not match the situation. Not necessarily aggressively, but more than enough out of pocket. Ash reacted, pushing Lou away, with a “Hey!”

     Lou didn’t register that Ash was upset. Instead, he got a little closer, and asked, “Do you want to come look for the heart with me?”

     Ash was confused and annoyed. “What? No. Hang on ok!”

     Lou looked back at him, not distressed just confused. “The heart.”

     Ash told him, “In one minute, ok.” Ash took Lou by the shoulders and slid him to the side. He made his way over to Bliss. She had managed to find her way to a chair, but was still staring blank faced outside. She didn’t say anything to Ash when he knelt down beside her. He was left to follow her eyeline with his own. She was staring at the Marquis’s house. Or at least what used to be their home, now no more than a pile of dust on the ground.

     Ash crouched down next to Bliss in the chair. “Hey. I am sure your dad is still safe in the temple where we left him, right? He’s not brave enough to be anywhere near that. Yeah?”

     Bliss didn’t answer. And then Lou was at his shoulder again, literally tugging on his sleeve. He kept saying, “Ash. The heart.” From the living room Saint and Riley could be heard yelling at each other.

Ash looked from Lou to Bliss, then to the door living room. “Dammit!”

He told Lou to, “Hang on, man. Just one minute.”

Lou was unimpressed. He started mumbling something under his breath. Ash rolled his eyes and focused back on Bliss.

“Please, Bliss. Your dad is ok I promise he is. We need you here. Everyone is being crazy and I need you to tell them to cut it out.”

There was no kind of acknowledgment from Bliss. Still. Ash banged his fist on his knee, looking down in desperation. He must have noticed that Lou wasn’t mumbling next to him anymore, or that Lou’s intense heat was no longer breathing down his neck.

He looked around just in time to see walking like a zombie out through the door to the living room. Ash popped up and then seemed stuck for a moment between Lou and Bliss. He had to make a judgement call, and for better or worse, he assessed that the higher need went to Lou. He took one look back, and gave Bliss a pat on her hand, and then followed Lou through the door.