Prisca's_Writing_Area

Title: The Lunchbox
Character: Tabitha Matthews, Jim Matthews, mention of Victor Kavanaugh
Word Count: 354
Prompt: lunchbox
Rating: PG13

:::

„Did you hear about it?“ Jim controlled the windows for a last time; the night was almost there, and the creature would come, looking for them. „Victor had a breakdown this afternoon. He's in the hospital ward now; they had to fix him to his bed.“

„Yeah,“ Tabitha said. „It's because of his lunchbox, I guess.“

„Hm?“ Jim looked at her questioningly. „What do you know about this?“

„I didn't mean to harm him; only wanted to risk a look.“ Her voice sounded low. „Thought that whatever he is hiding in there can maybe bring us closer to home.“

„Tabby, no!“ Jim was shocked. „What did you do?“

„I wanted to bring it back before he would even notice that it's gone.“ Her hands were shaking when she grabbed her mug with tea. „But he came back too early because of the storm. I am so sorry for that; I can't even say what's gotten into me. But the box was just there, in the middle of his bed, and...“ She shrugged, feeling helpless. "I don't know, I just took it with me."

„Did you...“ Jim hesitated. „... open it?“

Tabitha shook her head. „No. The moment I put the box on this table, it was like waking up from a dream. The content in this box is all that's still left from his past. How could I do what I did? I don't want to imagine his feelings when he noticed his loss.“

„Life is pretty crazy at the moment. We all are overstepping the lines now and then.“ Reassuring, Jim put an arm around her shoulder. „We will give it back to him. Maybe we can say we found it on the road or in the diner. He doesn't need to know the truth.“

Tabitha stared at him silently, letting his words sink in until she finally shook his head. „No! I will go to him first in the morning and tell him all I have done. He might hate me for it, but that's okay. At least I will not hate myself for lying to him.“

Title: Everlasting Love
Character: Kristi Miller, Marielle Sinclair
Word Count: 584
Prompt: floor couch cushions
Rating: PG13

:::

Inwardly, Kristy felt churned up, though she did her job as the doctor for everyone around without complaining. People needed her, and she owed them a lot. Without them, she would probably have long lost her mind. The horror was too much. The loss of all that had been her life was too much. But she gritted her teeth and just moved on.

Until two days ago, a wonder happened. Marielle, her fiance, the love of her life, turned up at this cursed place out of the blue. Together with about twenty other people on the Greyhound bus.

Kristy had felt shocked at first; then she pulled Mari in her arms and kissed her, laughing and crying at the same time. She had already given up hope that she would ever meet her again. Caught into a nightmare for about six months, unable to leave this strange town, like so many others who stranded her before her, or later. She had refused to think too much about Marielle. Because it did hurt too much.

But now, she was here. Still confused, not ready to believe what happened to her. It would take some time, Kristy knew this, maybe days, or weeks, even months. She wasn't surprised that Mari was not overly happy to meet her here again. That she blamed her for leaving her alone without even a word, for betraying their love. Kristy tried to explain; Mari was not willing to listen. Not yet.

Kristy looked around in the small, old-fashioned furnished room — a place that offered some safety at night but was not a home. No wonder that Mari refused to move in here. She was so down-to-earth on the outside, but she had loved it to make their little apartment cozy and comfortable.

A faint smile rose on Kristy's face when an idea crossed her mind.

:::

„What did you do?“ Frowning, Marielle stared at the cushions on the floor and the candles on the window sill. A bunch of meadow flowers in an old mug on the table.

Suddenly, Kristy felt uneasy. „It looked like a good idea to make this room a bit more individual,“ she murmured. „But I'm afraid it more turns out as a weak attempt to say sorry.“

„Sorry for what? For making me happy? I still remember our first apartment; we didn't have much money, but we knew to make the best out of it. Floor couch cushions. Scented candles. And flowers we picked at the park. It was the best time ever.“

She stepped forward, pulling Kristy in her arms, kissing her passionately like she had done it back then when they were still young and carefree. „I love you,“ she whispered. „Our daily life almost made me forget that; we were both so busy with our jobs that there was not much time for us anymore. And then you vanished. I felt hurt and angry. And maybe a tiny bit relieved, too.“

She paused, looking for words. „Maybe, we both here, at this horrible place, not knowing what's going on and what will happen tomorrow... maybe it has a reason. Perhaps we need all this to remember what's really important.“

Tears started to flow when Marielle pulled her onto the old but soft cushions. „Let's forget everything around us for tonight; the creatures out there, the other people in the house. We won't have to think about the past and the future. It's just you and me and our love.“