Elemental Rain

She hurried her footsteps down the alley.  This was not part of the plan.  Something grabbed her foot.  A bottle, a branch, or a hand -- either way she found herself flat on the pavement, cheek to the ground, face to foot with a very large, very black, boot.

Then she heard it, that all too familiar Irish lilt, ”My father always said I’d have the girls fallin’ at my feet, but I always thought it was just a metaphor.  Darlin’, if you had feelings for me, all you had to do was say so,” he laughed as he held out his right hand to help her up.

Damn him!  The last thing Lily needed on a night like this was to run into Jake Moran.  She rolled over onto her back and looked up at his outstretched hand, attached to a well-muscled arm, which led straight to his face and that damn cocky grin of his.  If she thought he was hot when she was fifteen, then he’s downright blazing now!  An Irish Han Solo with a black trench coat and a ponytail instead of the blaster! 

Propping herself up on her hands, she shook her head to clear her thoughts, got up, ignored Jake’s outstretched hand, and began brushing off her black, lacy, Victorian era style Goth-chick gown, checking to make sure she hadn’t lost or torn anything.  “What are you doing here Jake?”

“And hello to you too, darlin’.  I’m sorry to see that you still hate me.” 

“I don’t hate you, but I’m still angry with you for leaving.” 

“Jesus, Lily, that was ten years ago!”

“Exactly.  You weren’t there when I needed you most, so why come back now?”

Come back? That gives him pause.  Something’s just not right, “I haven’t returned, Lily.  Just where do you think you are darlin’?” 

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean,” she defensively inquired. 

“Well, darlin’, take a good look around.  We’re standin’ outside of McGilly’s Pub.  In fact, I’m, always here on Friday nights these days, but you wouldn’t know that, now would you?”

Her dark brown eyes went wide as she took in her surroundings.  McGilly’s Pub?  But that’s in… oh hell!  She ran her fingers through her dark, wild curls, “Friday night, did you just say that it was Friday night!”

“That I did.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” 

“There’s no chance you could be mistaken, is there Jake?”

“Listen, darlin’,” he began, his words becoming heated, “I may get buzzed once in awhile, but I don’t get so drunk that I forget what day it is!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply anything.  It’s just that,” she hesitated and restarted, “it’s just that,” and hesitated again, not sure what to tell him.     
 

“It’s just what, darlin’?” 

“Nothing,” she lied. 

“I’m not buyin’ that for one second, darlin’, but we’ve been standin’ here long enough.  If we continue to linger, we’ll likely become targets for thieves and the like.  There’s somethin’ bothering you, I can see it in your face.  You’re in trouble, that’s obvious.  Can’t you trust me to keep you safe?”

“Trust you,” she exclaimed, not moving an inch, sarcasm dripping like venom, “that’s rich, all right.  How can I trust you not to take off again when I need you?”  

That stung.  He may have left without saying goodbye, but he didn’t deserve that.  “Damn it, Lily, I didn’t have a choice about leavin’ and you know that!”

“What are you talking about Jake?”

“I was extradited here after the murder.”

“Murder, what murder?”
 

“Don’t you remember, Lily?  That last night, before I left, don’t you remember anythin’?”

“What are you getting at, Jake?”
 

“Lily, the guy who tried to rape you, in your own livin’ room, when you were fifteen, I killed him.”

She just stared at him in total shock and started to shake her head.

Before she could say a word, he said, “Think back darlin’.  Deep down, you know it’s true.  He was so close to rapin’ you, but I tackled him and beat him up, badly.  He died in the hospital two days later.  Remember Lily?”

Rapidly shaking her head back and forth, she cried, ”No, no, no, no!”

Taking her face between his hands, holding her gently, but firmly, he ordered, “Stay with me Lily, come on, stay with me, darlin’!”

She continued to shake her head, breaking his hold on her.  She molded her hands to her head and clung on to her head as she shook it in protest.  She let out a bloodcurdling scream in protest and then just fell limp.  Jake caught her before she hit the ground and cradled her in his arms. 

Lily looked like she was sweating.  He put his hand on her forehead and realized that she was burning up.  The hospital was too far way, which meant one thing, the old woman.  She was an herbalist, a practitioner of eastern medicine.  Lily was too hot to wait until he could get her to the hospital, so he hurried further down the alley and, before he could knock on the old woman’s door, she whipped it open and ushered him inside.  “Quickly.  Quickly, now, before somebody sees you,” she scolded and hurriedly shut and locked the door behind him.  “Bring her this way,” she ordered as she ran her gnarled right hand through her long white hair.

As he followed her down a flight of steps into the lower level of the building, he stated, “I don’t know what you think is goin’ on here, but Lily’s sick, hot to the touch, she doesn’t have time to get to a hospital and I had nothin’ to do with it!”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that, but they will be looking for her,” she replied, gesturing with her gnarled hands. 

“What are you talkin’ about?  No one’s lookin’ for her.  I doubt anyone knows she’s here.”

“Sure they do.  They’ve been waiting as long as I have for her return, but they want her dead.”

“Maybe comin’ here was a mistake, seems like you’re havin’ a bad day.”

“Ha,” she exclaimed,” playfully backhanding him.  Pointing her finger at them both, she continued, “I’m not the one having the bad day, she is!  Stop fussing and let me get to work!”  

Click here to read chapter two