The Sicilian Affair

Chapter 15 - Seeking Shelter

Tomas pumped on the brakes, Laurie's body jerked violently forward, her hand holding on for dear life against the dashboard and the car came into a screeching stop.

The storm was far worst than they had hoped, Tomas thought, shocked as he watched one of the many perfectly spaced and groomed abundance olive trees hit the pavement only a few meters infront of them. The harsh wind blew the pistils of the small white flowers into the air and they floated and danced like fireflies in the headlights.

It was both beautiful and at the same time scary. If he hadn't stopped when he did... a small breath of relief escaped his thin lips. Thank goodness he had stopped.

"What do we do now Tomas?" Laurie asked staring at the blocked path.

Tomas blinked, his mind slowly come into the present.

Laurie, he thought, his eyes snapped to her side of the car. "Are you alright?"He quiered, voice rasped with worry.

Her arms tightened around the grey pup, she smiled up at him and nodded her head but Tomas could tell that she was trying to put up a strong front. Her lips quivered at the sides, she was scared and it was perfectly understandable.

There was absolutely no way that they were going to make it all the way up to the mansion in this type of weather. It wasn't safe and it wouldn't be wise of him to risk it.
The smartest thing to do was to seek shelter and warmth before they both drowned or die of hypothermia.

"We're going to have to walk." Tomas said, unbuckling his seat belt.

Laurie casted a worried look outside then back to him, "Out there? Tomas are you it's safe? Maybe we should just wait it out right here." She suggested, it made more sense than going back out there.

Tomas stilled, his eyes flashed of something somewhat amusing. It was the second time that she had call him Tomas and she probably had no idea that she had done so. He strangely rather like the sound of her voice with his name bouncing off of her tongue. It was serene.

"No," Tomas shook, reaching over to her side, unbuckling her seat belt as well.

"We're surrounded by trees. It's not safe."He told her the reached at the back seat, grabbing on to a spare raincoat.

"Here." He said trusting the fabric towards her, "There's an old cabin not too far from here. I used to go there when I was little. We can wait out the storm there."

Laurie nodded. He was right and he did know the place so it was useless to urge when they wouldn't even be sitting here in the first place if it wasn't for her.

"Alright." Laurie replied accepting the coat, then quickly pulled it on.

The first gush of of wind as she stepped out of the car rippled through her yellow sleeveless cotton dress. Tomas was out on by her side with a black flashlight within seconds, he caught hold of her hand and began to lead the way through the side bushes of wild berries.

They have walking for a good mile, atleast that what Laurie thought as Tomas placed his hands around her waist and lifted her up and over boulder of rocks that had rolled down from a small cliff evident from the effects of the storm. She heard him hiss a curse when he placed her back down and she breast brushed against his chest.

She stifled a laugh then quickly allowed it to fade when he gave her a daring look.

"Is it still far a head?" She asked determined to keep a casual conversation. It was better than walking silently with him brooding over how all this was her fault.

Tomas' brow creased. Was she seriously making small talks? Now? When he was angry at her for not wanting to walk infront of him. She was causing him a great deal of frustration, having to stop and checking to see whether she was okay then continue on this death trap in the dark trying to find a place that he hasn't been to for years.