by Karin Becton

Created on: November 17, 2010

Be My Refuge

(Nicole-just out of college, helping her aunt run a bed and breakfast inn. She has issues with trust due to an incident in her past, and she subsequently has recurring nightmares. She is walking back to the inn after visiting a friend when a storm breaks out.

Chris-One of her aunt's guests. He is a little older than her, moody, and was a member of a rock band that had broken up a few years earlier. Now he is writing songs and playing with a local band.)

The wind whipped the rain into Nicole's face and within seconds she was soaked clear through. The temperature dropped alarmingly and soon she was shivering. She tried to look around for a farmhouse or even a barn for shelter, but the rain was so heavy it was impossible to see more than a few yards in front of her. When lightning ripped across the sky, and a loud crash of thunder followed almost immediately, Nicole began to be really frightened.

With more than a mile to go, Nicole saw the headlights of a car coming towards her out of the blinding rain. It slowed to a stop and the driver's side window opened just a crack.

"Nicole! Get in! Hurry up!"

It was Chris.

Truthfully, Nicole would have rather walked home in the rain than to be confined in a small car with Chris, when she was dripping wet and shivering. But another huge bolt of lightning flashed, followed by an ear-splitting crash, and Nicole splashed her way across the street and opened the passenger door.

"I'm going to get your car all wet..." she said, hesitating.

"You're getting it wet holding the door open, too. Just get in. It'll dry," he said impatiently.

Nicole slid into the seat, plopping her plastic bag containing her now soaked jacket onto the floor board.

"How did you know I was walking home?" she asked. "Or do you just like driving around in monsoons?"

He actually chuckled at that. "Your aunt called Emmy's house to tell you to stay there until the storm is over, but you'd already left. Then she called me to see if you'd gotten home yet."

"And then she asked if you would come get me?" Nicole asked, regretting that she had caused so much trouble.

Chris paused for a minute before he answered. "No, she didn't ask. I told her I'd try to find you."

Nicole didn't know what to say. It was probably the closest thing to something nice he had ever said to her. She would not have expected Chris to warn her if she was in the path of an oncoming train, much less come to her rescue in any way. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

"No problem," he

• 1
• 2
• 3
• ...
• 8
• Next Page >>