Strung (22 page)

Grace has her nose buried deep in a romance novel.  At least I think it's a romance novel.  It looks like it from the cover but, by the
way, she is snickering at regular intervals, it could be a comedy.  I wonder if she applies the same distorted, imagination to books, that she does to film.

I sip my hot chocolate again, and catch Chayton watching
me, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.  He runs a fingertip along his upper lip. 
Oh! 
I blush and lip the hot-choc-tash from my lip, returning his smile.  I love this man!  I snuggle deeper into the soft leather, tucking my toes behind his back and I'm rewarded when a hand settles on my knee, his fingers stroking softly.

"Excuse me?" May says politely to Grace.  "Will you help me with my puzzle?"

"Sure thing honey.  Under one condition - you find an easier puzzle.  That one is way too complicated for my age group." May smiles shyly and offers an alternative, which Grace approves, and they find a space on the floor.

"You boys better be extra strong," Grace grumbles.  "You're gonna have to help these glorious curves defy gravity later."

We all laugh lightly, although Savannah's infectious laugh is noticeably missing from the room.  She's retired to bed early tonight. Although she hasn't said as much, I don't think her medication has helped much with the pain today.  Morgan excused himself disappeared into the night, well over an hour ago.

I slide out of my chair and onto a pile of cushions on the floor where I curl up with a book I found on a shelf in the hall
, another old Wilbur Smith novel.  I remember reading this one as a teenager on the farm.  I quickly tune the room out and loose myself in the sights, sounds and smells of Africa as I follow the Courtney adventures.  Wilbur always knows how to bring the beautiful, the bad and the downright ugly in Africa, vividly to life. 

The clatter of nails on the stone flooring breaks my concentration and I glance up as
Dog wanders in to keep us company.  Calmly, he makes his rounds, greeting everyone.  He doesn't seem offended when Sue's boy cowers from him.  Finally, he flops down beside me and rests his enormous head across the back of my thighs but I hardly notice weight. 

"Humph."  I look up at Chayton, wondering
what is eating him.  He is staring at Dog in disgust.

"Oh my!  You wouldn't be jealous now would you?"
I tease.  "I never took you for the green eyed type."

“Next he’ll be trying to sleep in the bed!” he moans and I giggle. I’m vaguely surprised Dog didn’t wake the pups.  They were so worn out, from the affections of the two kids, they literally collapsed in a heap in the kitchen.  It was some time ago though.

Oh well, everyone is quiet and relaxed.  I return to my book.  Twice Chayton gets up to stoke the fire and add another log and Grace refills our mugs at some point.  It’s about ten o’clock and Edward is talking about taking May to bed but everyone is so comfortable and relaxed.  I feel his reluctance to move. 

Dog suddenly lifts his head and whines softly.

“What’s up boy?”  I ask.  I sit up ruffle his thick mane.  He looks around the room as if searching.  I watch him curiously as he shakes his head and paws his ears before whining again, louder this time.

“Curious.  I wonder if he’s getting ill, maybe earache,” mutters Chayton.

We all watch Dog with interest now as he circles on the spot, like an animal making a nest but whining almost continuously.  After a minute, he ambles over to the large French windows facing onto the glade and paws the glass until Chayton strolls over to open it for him.

“This is ridiculous.  He knows exactly where the dog flap is.”  Chayton moans watching Dog run off into the dark.

“Well, we should be getting back to the cottage.  I haven’t felt this comfortable and relaxed in ages.  Thank you.”  Edward rises and May stands to grab her father’s hand.

“Something is bothering you.  You looked a lot more relaxed ten minutes ago.”  Chayton comments and I study Edwards face.  It’s true.  Edward suddenly looks very worried.  Maybe he’s just remembered the massive changes the two of them will have to endure now.

“No.  I’m okay.  It’s just, well...” he chews on his lip, frowning.  “The dog’s behaviour just now - do you know where the high risk areas are, for avalanches and rock slides, on the mountain?”

“Yes of course.  Why?” says Chayton looking concerned.

“Is this site safe?” 

“Yes very.  Our only risk is the access road.  It does pass beneath a slide zone about a mile before the main road but that’s already had a major slide this year.”

“Good, nothing to worry about then.”  He smiles and leaves for their private cabin.

“We will get going too,” says Susan quietly, speaking for the first time tonight.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the evening.  Thank you.”

Chayton
escorts them out and closes the glass doors.  “I need to check a few emails.  I’ll be in my office for a while.  Will you be okay?” he asks.

“Sure, don’t get lost in there.” 

“I won’t,” he gives me a cute smile and blows me a kiss, disappearing down the hall toward his office.

Grace and I clear up the cups and tidy up the cushions, tripping over the pups who have woken and are stumbling about aimlessly.  We are just finishing up when Edward appears at the glass doors, tapping urgently.  I cross over to open the door.

“Edward, is everything alright?”  I ask, taking in his laboured breathing and flushed almost excited expression.

“I’m not sure.  I just checked some of my equipment and well I think I know what was wrong with your dog.”

“Dog.  His name is dog.” 

“Oh, how strange,” he frowns trying to get head around the name.

“Long story.”

“Yes well, I think we are going to have an earthquake.”

“Oh gosh.  Hold on.  Chayton!” I call, turning back to Edward.  “You can predict earthquakes?  I thought that was still impossible.  Are you sure?”

“I’ll go find Chayton,” says Grace, swaying her ample body through the maze of furniture with ease, making her way to the hall.

“Come in.  Is May alright?”

“She’s okay.  She’s fallen asleep so I’ve tucked her under the metal bed frame.  She’ll be safe there.  I just thought I should warn you.”

“I really thought we couldn’t predict earthquakes yet?” I ask, trying to shush the pups who are now yapping loudly at nothing in particular.

“We can’t.  Not with any certainty; and certainly not with any period of useful notice.”

“So you could be wrong?”

“Yes, it’s possible.”  He nods wistfully.  “But your dog, sorry, Dog probably isn’t.”

Chayton and Grace join us, Chayton sweeping an arm possessively around my shoulder.

“It is well documented - but not as well researched - that animals are very sensitive to tremors, earthquakes and volcanoes.  They often behave very strangely before an event.  Some snakes have been known to beat their heads against solid objects until they’re dead.  Anyway...” he shrugs apologetically.  “I decided to check my monitoring equipment.  It gives me access to sensors scattered throughout Washington State and I’m getting some strange readings.  I don’t know exactly what it means, but it
seems to be centred in the Cascades area.  Not far from here.  It could turn out to be nothing more than a twitch and we’ll get a mild tremor, but it could be a lot worse.

“Do you know how long?” Chayton asks.

“Seconds?  No more than a couple of minutes.  I just thought I would warn you, but I need to get back to May, so please excuse me.”

“Yes of course.  Thank you.” says Chayton, Grace and I nodding in agreement.  “Would you mind warning Susan?”

“Sure,” replies Edward.  We watch him sprint across the damp ground to the cabin. 

“Well now I know why he was asking about rock slides and avalanches,” Chayton mutters frowning. 

“Shush you two,” he orders and both pups cower on their bellies whining softly at the sound of his voice.  One of the pups can’t help himself and lets out one last yap.  Chayton glowers at the little fella, who puts his head on his paws in silence. 
Oh my! The poor things; they’re only little, Chayton.  You’re so mean!

“Are we safe?” demands Grace.

“From slides and avalanches?  Yes.  From a quake?  Possibly.  It depends how bad it gets.  Just in case, put your coats on,” he orders, galvanized into action.

I dart over to the coat rack throwing coats to Grace and Chayton, then slipping on mine.  I’ve heard that in the countryside the safest place is outdoors.  Earthquakes don’t kill; collapsing buildings do.  As I’m buttoning up a low rumble reverberates from the
back of the house.  We all go quiet as we listen to the sound growing louder and coming nearer like a freight train, rumbling towards us.  Chayton suddenly sweeps me into his arms and calls for Grace to follow, running into the kitchen and then the pantry.  At the back of the pantry is a walk in refrigerator.  He swings the huge door open and ushers us inside.

“Stay here and for heaven’s sake, do not close the door.  I don’t want you to get trapped in here.”  He speeds off again, I suspect to fetch Savannah.  As we listen, the sound is passing outside and steaming off up the hill.

“Maybe that was it.” I whisper in the cold.

“I don’t know honey.  I don’t know
,” Grace whispers back.

Then I feel it.  It starts in my feet and works its way up my legs, turning my bones to jelly and growing in intensity until I’m sure my legs are not going to be able to support my weight.  Then a different noise.  Bottles rattle; pots and pans jingling together.  Tins are falling off the shelves, and the freight train rumble returns to join the cacophony of crashing, tinkling, clanging and splintering.

“Oh my God!  Where are Chayton and Savannah?” I yell over the noise.

Grace grasps my hand in reassurance, her other supporting herself as she avoids a frozen
roast, which topples from a shelf above us.

After four very long
minutes, it trails off and the world goes silent.  A light haze of dust fills the air and Grace and I cautiously step out of the refrigerator into the kitchen.  Grace closes the door behind us.  The house looks intact.  A few loose items on the counter tops had found their way onto the floor.  We make our way through to the hall where a log has rolled out the fire grid onto the hearth and Grace quickly sweeps down to pan it back onto the fire stamping out any embers.  Everything here looks fine.

To my relief, Chayton and Savannah appear, looking okay.  I blush as Chayton’s eyes sweep over me from head to toe and then back again, lingering a little too long on a few
choice curves, relief evident on his face.

“That was quite severe.  There will be aftershocks, so I need you girls to stay together, preferably near a doorway.  I need to check on our guests.”  Chayton leaves through the glass doors in the cavernous living area and I hear him cursing under his breath before he disappears into the dark.

“I’ll put on some water for a nice hot drink,” says Grace, ever efficient in a drama. 

“Use a camping kettle, there is one under the sink.  It’s safer if we have an aftershock,” says Savannah.  “Well there is nothing we can do now but sit it out.  Let’s get comfy in front of the fire and see what the news has had to say about all this.” 

We settle down and Savannah picks up a remote and aims it at the panelled wall next to the chimney.  I hear a click and the panel slides open to reveal a large flat TV on the wall.  Just like Chayton’s room.  I wonder what other magical bits of modern tech are hidden beneath the walls.  She starts flipping through the channels until she finds a local news channel and Grace joins us, handing out hot mugs of tea.

The news reader, a
blondee with far too much make up and a really orange fake tan, is announcing an earthquake which has rocked most of Washington State and early reports are that it has been felt as far away as Boise, Idaho.  She promises to keep her viewers up to date with information as it comes in.

“Well, the night promises to be an exciting one,” says Savannah, surprisingly cheerful.  “And just as my medication has finally started doing something useful, too.”

“Well good, us girls are so drop-dead-beautiful, we don’t need no beauty sleep anyways!” jokes Grace and we all laugh.  I had no idea how tense I had become and the laughter feels good.

“It’s a good thing you’re so independent up here.  I mean what with the solar power and generators, and well water,” I mention to Savannah.

Her face goes serious.  “We should probably use the stored water for drinking until we can get the reservoir tested.  I’ve heard stories.”

Just then a rumble, like an echo can be heard closing in and as fast as we can manage, we dash for the nearest
doorframe.  Nothing falls but Grace gasps, her face ashen, as she points to the large glass wall.  We all stare in fascinated horror.  The large glass panels are undulating bizarrely in their frames.  The pups are both scratching at the bottom of the glass, unaware of the danger.

It only lasts about a minute and we all sag.