The Stone of Life: Book Three: Waltz of the Dead

Chapter Nine:

"My first question is personal, my second question is more personal, and my third question is even more personal.  Which one do you want to hear first?" Eric asked as he stepped from the bathroom fully dressed.  He raised an eyebrow at my slumped figure.  I shrugged.  "Okay, I'll do them in order then.  How are you feeling right now?"

Not expecting this I lifted my head and looked at him suspiciously.  "Do you really mean that?" I asked.  He chuckled.

"Of course.  How are you doing Anna?"

"I'm fine," I huffed.  "Just feeling really--depressed."

"Why?"

"Is that your second question?" I asked quickly raising an eyebrow.

"No," he laughed again.  "That's just to ask why you're depressed.  So?"

"You wouldn't understand," I answered, rejecting him access of my real feelings of him.  He raised an eyebrow.

"You underestimate me," he grinned and stepped forward menacingly.  "Maybe I'll understand more than you think."

"Why don't you just drop it?" I asked irritated.  "What's your next question?"

He rolled his eyes before opening his mouth.  "How do you know of this place?  It's amazing!" he twirled around with his arms out and I had to giggle at his childish manner.  He stopped and glared at me playfully.

"Don't laugh at me," he joked, coming to sit next to me on the bed.  "So--how do you know this place?"

"When I first became... soulless... I needed a safe place to crash and burn off the black inside of me.  Marianne took me in and safe proofed this room for me.  If it wasn't safe proof this whole building would have burned down to the ground long ago.  That's why the black evaporates when we're in here.  Outside it burns anything it touches.  I also needed a safe house from Jack"  I glanced at his burned forehead and remembered when he had first seen my outburst.

"Which brings me to my next question," he started, glancing in my direction.  He suddenly blushed and shook his head.  "Never mind... I can't bring myself to say it."

He started to get up but I forced him back down.

"What is it?" I asked, peering into his eyes.  I already knew what he was going to ask, and I was ready to say yes if I was right.

"It's nothing really," he blushed again just thinking about it.  "I'll get some dinner for us."

He tugged his arm out of my hands and walked out of the room.  I rolled my eyes and laid back on the bed again.  Whatever he was going to say I knew it had to do something about me liking him.  Either he liked me back or he just wanted to confirm his suspicions of me liking him.  Either way I would be able to tell him how I really felt.

As I waited for him I got an idea forming in my head.  I could hide and pop out at him.  Maybe I could scare him!  That would be fun...

I quickly went to find a hiding place and quickly dove under the bed as the door opened.  I grabbed the side fabric under the bed to peek out from under it.  Eric looked around in confusion and stepped forward.

"Anna?"

As he stepped closer to where I was hiding I reached out and grabbed his ankles and made an eerie noise with my throat.  He stumbled and flopped onto the bed; I have to say that I was pretty disappointed that I couldn't see his face.  Suddenly his face appeared near mine and he scowled at me.

"What was that for?" he demanded.  I shrugged in reply and gave a small, innocent smile.  He playfully glared at me and grabbed my arms which were resting on the floor in the open.  I giggled as he lifted me from the ground and twirled me around.  "Tickle fight!"

I gasped as he pinned me to the bed and then started to tickle me endlessly.  I hadn't laughed this much in a long time, it almost felt good.  When he was done torturing me he laid next to me and peeked over at me.  I smiled.

"I tried so hard not to like you Anna... but I can't shove away my real feelings for you.  I don't know how to say this... but..."

"Then don't say it Eric," I radiantly smiled.  "I already know what you're going to say."

"You do?" he stuttered relieved.

"And I feel the same," I replied.  I felt the fabric move as he inched his hand closer to mine and enclosed mine in his.

"I love you Anna," he whispered.

"I love you too," I whispered back.