I noticed the house was quiet when I returned. The Italians were gone. They had left their tools which I thought was odd. Jon thought so too. Maybe they were just on a break and would be working on another Atwater property. If we impressed Arnold, maybe the family would take us on, maybe as foremen.
Jon had just secured the second box when I entered the attic.
“Did the Italians cause a ruckus when they left?”
“They left?” Jon asked surprised.
“Yes. I think we’re the last workmen on site.”
“Well, let’s get the last two boxes placed and pack our things. We don’t want to be asked to leave.”
“Ah the Orish, the last to leave the dinner party,” I said. “We’ve earned our right to be here. We have conducted ourselves with propriety and have shared our talents.”
Jon just shrugged his shoulders. “Rich men are rich men wherever they call home. We’re not one of them.”
We finished our work and tested the locks on the boxes. Jon laid a nice secure pathway to each box before we presented the keys to Arnold. He walked to each box and tried the locks. He smiled as each one held. “Did you have any trouble with the wood?”
“It’s softer than walnut,” Jon said.
“It comes from a very special woodland. Miss Gee knows it well.”
“Where is Miss Gee this fine evening?” Jon asked.
“She is preparing. Would you and Mr. Sullivan like to join us for a drink before bedtime? We’ll be in the west sitting room.”
I was flabbergasted. The grandson of the owner of the home inviting the likes of us for drinks. We accepted. I wish we hadn’t.
Sally put the book down. Her heart was pounding, and she felt like she needed to run. She barely sent an SOS to Cid before she broke out in a sweat. She couldn’t catch her breath, and her heart hurt.
The trailer was filled with the sounds of gunfire and then explosions. Her ears rang, and the pressure of the falling building that was burning and burying her alive was too much. She pushed and pushed to keep the ceiling from crushing her.
Sally didn’t hear Cid call her. She was in hell.
Cid found Sally in the corner of the bunk. Her arms were raised above her, and she was hyperventilating. He ducked out of the room and came back with a paper bag.
“How can I help?” he asked, putting his hands on either side of her face.
Between gasps of air, she said, “The ceiling is crushing me. The fires are burning me. I can’t breathe.”
Cid crawled on the bunk and pulled Sally’s body so it rested under the shelter he made with his body. He blew the bag open with one hand and put it to her mouth and told her, “Breathe in and out. I’m keeping the ceiling from crushing you.”
Sally discarded the paper bag. She reached up and her hand connected with his chest. “Don’t crush me, don’t burn me, help me!”
Cid grabbed her hand. “Feel my heart beating. I’m not going to let you be crushed.”
“They’re going to die, and I can’t stop them,” Sally said, her eyes briefly focusing on Cid.
“Who, Sally, who is going to die?”
“Jon and Daniel.”
“Sally, they are long gone. They left years ago. You can’t save their earthly bodies, but we can save their souls. Pick up that bag and breathe in and out…”
Sally focused on Cid’s voice. Soon her heart slowed. The ceiling was no longer falling, and the emotional residue had changed from pain to shame. She cried and turned away. “Leave me, I’ve wet myself.”
Cid gathered Sally in his arms and pulled her close. “It doesn’t matter. Let me help.”
Cid lifted her and maneuvered both of them out the door and down to the tiny bathroom. He peeled off her soiled clothing and started the shower. He kept a hand on her shaking body as he washed her. When she was comfortable, he wrapped her in a towel and carried her to Jesse’s bed and laid her down. He then cleaned up the bunk, stripped the wet bedclothes and replaced them. Next, he looked through her things and didn’t find anything that wouldn’t take some tugging to get on. He grabbed his PEEPs backup sweats and walked into Jesse’s room.
Jesse was standing there looking down at the towel-wrapped woman curled in the fetal position on his bed unaware he was there.
“Either you just gifted me Sally or I should make myself scarce.”
“Please, I’ll explain later.”
“I’ll lock the door after me,” Jesse said and left.
Cid sat down and ran his hand along her cheek. Sally opened her eyes.
“Let me get you dressed and put back in your room. I almost lost you to finders keepers.”
Sally was silent but compliant. “Thank you,” she said barely above a whisper.
Cid guided her back to her bunk. He tucked her in and removed the book from the room. He cleaned up the trailer. Cid remade Jesse’s bed and rinsed out Sally’s soiled clothing. He tucked everything away in his laundry bag before walking back in to check on her.
Sally lay looking at the ceiling. She heard him enter and turned her head.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize Daniel’s story would trigger an attack,” Cid said. “Will you forgive me?”
“I wanted to read it. I want to participate. But he became too real to me.”
“And you wanted to save him.”
“Him and Jon,” Sally said.
“Has this ever happened before with a book?”
“No, but
