Butterflies

Amberle lay still in bed with her eyes still closed against the late morning sunlight shining into the room. Despite his gentleness it had hurt her more than she had expected. She wasn't quite sure why sims would return to try again. But then she thought of how gentle his touches had been. The way he had kissed her it was almost like butterflies alighting gently on her cheeks and jaw. He smelled so warm, and his arms were so thick she couldn't help but feel safe between them when he had laid his weight on her so that each breath pressed his chest against hers. In that moment she had trusted him completely. It was a beautiful memory; one of the few she could rank highly. If it meant going through the process again to have such memories, she would.




Amberle halfway sat up so that her elbows sunk into the mattress. She had realized right away that she was alone. The sun was shining through the window. She had slept later than she normally would on a school day. But school was out for the summer. Sleeping in late would have to become her next project.


There was a note left on his side of the bed in a quickly scrawled script. A key ring with two keys rested on top of the note. "Sorry-- had some business to take care of that'll take me out of town. I'll be back later tonight. Please feel free to make yourself at home."

Amberle slipped back into her dress, trying to smooth out the wrinkles it had gained from laying one night crumpled on the floor. (In the back of Amberle's mind, she dreaded the ribbing she would get from Samantha who would undoubtedly be looking for her return.) It was odd to feel so at home in someone else's apartment, and she knew she could easily head back downstairs to her own, but he had said to make herself at home. So she would make herself at home.

She grabbed the key ring and took it with her downstairs to get used to the idea that she now had the key to his apartment. The tight ball of warning that had attacked her the first night she had been with him in his apartment still seemed intent on poking at her every so often.

The fridge was cleaner than any fridge she had ever seen. He had juice and milk, ketchup and mustard. No left overs though. Maybe that was part of why the fridge seemed to clean. The knot in her stomach attacked again.

On top of the fridge, there was an unopened box of cereal. It was as if he had bought it just for her.


The bowls she found were dusty. She had to rinse out one to use it. The knot kicked her. But perhaps he simply ate out? He wouldn't be the first male bachelor to order take out every night. Though she hadn't seen left overs in the fridge. And a peek into his garbage revealed no containers or much of anything.


Amberle sat down with her bowl and a newly rinsed spoon. As she ate, she glanced around. His apartment was beautifully decorated. Her eyes fell on the tapestries again.

She stood, leaving her hardly eaten cereal to turn to mush, and walked into the living room again. It hadn't changed since the first time she saw it, and yet her stomach was twisting horribly.

There was a door she had noticed the other time she had visited, but assuming it was his office, she had simply never bothered to ask. But now she was curious. She turned the handle, but it was locked.



There were two keys on the key ring he had left for her. Could it really be that simple? But Amberle remembered that his note had said to make herself at home. Amberle grabbed the key ring and tried out one of the keys in the door knob. The first key fit perfectly. The door swung open easily. Her stomach pain disappeared.

Heavy curtains blocked out most of the light from the window, but what little came in was enough.

Amberle gasped at the sight of the large, open coffin.



Quickly, Amberle shut the room, hung the keys back up, threw on her clothes and fled from the apartment.

*****************

This marks the end of Spring 2. Whew. A sim year has passed since I started this blog.

Also, I am moving! I got a new job, and it comes with an apartment, so my boyfriend and I are moving. (Okay, so it's really just down the street from where we are now, but still I hate moving.) So I think I'm going to take a week (possibly two!) off from updating (though hopefully not reading).

Next season, the things I have planned are probably going to be weird, but we'll get some back story on the land and on one of the characters, possibly two of the characters.

Here is a sneak peek.

For those of you who can't see it, sorry! But it will literally be illuminated in a few weeks.