Dominion

Marie And The Storm

The storm outside the cabin is imprisoning. The frigid, biting rain dissuades any attempt of escape. The back door rattles from wind hissing through any crevice available, like water into a cracking submarine. Phineas locks his hand around the back doorknob. He pulls it open and holds the door from the wind.
     "I'm going to find her!" he yells over the wind, sliding out the door. "I must get her..."
     Phineas disappears into the storm for the second time as MaryAnn and the boys push the door closed like the lid over a box of snakes.
     In the downpour, Phineas holds his arms up to shield himself from the wind. He fights through the storm, arriving at the southern end of the island with sand clotting halfway up his soaking trousers.
He runs through the rain to the guest cabin, where he hears a small voice shouting in the storm. It sounded like it was calling out "grandpa."
He pulls open the lattice door, then slams it behind him. The room is dark and damp like the interior of a storm fairing ship. He hears the faint cries of Marie whimpering in the corner. The storm evolves outside as Phineas kneels beside her. The cracking sound of the thunder claps easily through the walls, causing Marie to jump. He lets his hand down to her, and she takes it.
     "You should have run to the other cabin, dear."
     "I got lost. I'm sorry, Grandpa."
    "What was that you were shouting?"
"I was looking for Grandma. I thought maybe she would come out because of the rain. Maybe she could stay in this place."
"She isnt there, Marie. And nothing is worth more than you, so keep yourself safe. Dont do that ever again, you hear me?"
    "I'm sorry."
     "It's okay. We are going back now."
     Marie doesn't want to go. She wonders why they can't stay here.
     "Does someone live here?"
     "No."
     "It's a guest house?"
     Phineas waits a moment before answering.
     "Yes."
     "Oh."
     Phineas takes her hand and guides Marie out the door, back into the storm. As they run down the beach, the cracking thunder is much louder. Each explosive shock of the atmosphere compels the two storm travelers to duck. Marie learns to guard her face from rain for the first time in her life.
     The rain spikes Marie's cheeks. To her it feels like hail. She pulls her wet hand from Phineas' grip to wipe some of the water from her face.
    "Hey!" Phineas says while reaching out to grab her arm again.
    "The rain! Its—" Marie tries, but Phineas couldn't hear her.
    She rushes off ahead of Phineas, and he chases. But Phineas is already near his physical limit. In one short jog after her, he drops to a knee and coughs—then looks up and spots her silhouette against the house lights. She changes direction, adjusting toward the rear of the cabin. The back door? Phineas considers as he pushes himself to his feet. He continues toward the house, Marie dissipates into the grey.

...

    MaryAnn is chewing her nails when Phineas burst through the back door.
    "Marie!" Phineas says, looking around the room. "Where did you go?" he shouts.
    MaryAnn watches Phineas open all the doors in the house, shouting his granddaughter's name into each room.
    "She wasn't out there?" MaryAnn asks, stopping him beside the guest room door.
    "She—I saw her out there. I had her hand...."
    "What happened? Where is she now?"
    Phineas glares at her.
    "You think I know? She ran ahead of me. I thought she got in."
    "Ran ahead?" MaryAnn asks. "Slow down. You're yelling, Phineas."
    "Fuck!" he yells. "I have to go back out, I'm just—tired. Lord, please."
    MaryAnn turns away. She looks outside at the storm, then to her boots by the door.
    "Maybe, well. Maybe Timon could-"
    "He is cooked," MaryAnn says.
    "Cooked— oh."
    MaryAnn takes her boots from beside the door and sits on the couch to pull them on.
    "You're going?" Phineas asks.
    MaryAnn doesn't respond. She can tell Phineas thinks of her as a housewife, she knows he might protest—even just to protect his own masculinity.
    "Stay here," MaryAnn tells him.
    She pulls her second boot on and leaves Phineas standing alone in the living room, confused and useless.
...
    Timon rolls over in his bed. He hears people arguing in the kitchen and wonders what it is all about. He knows only that it is something about his daughter.
    The spot he rolls onto is wet with his sweat, which is why he left the other. Nowhere to go, he thinks.
...