Made For You

Ch. 14: Whispers in the Dark

Gabriel

One moment she is perfectly calm and then the lights flicker off, snuffing out the light within her as well. Thunder crackles outside, rattling the windowpanes, and Sofia shrieks.

"What happened?" I inquire, though I already have a sense of the situation.

"The—dark—" she stammers, interrupted by another clap of thunder. "I'm scared."

"What?"

Her face is illuminated solely by the shimmering darkness as my eyes adjust to our surroundings. She appears pale and utterly terrified.

"Th—da—" Another burst of thunder, and Sofia rushes toward me. "Ahh!"

Her body crashes into mine with such force that had I have been closer to her weight, we'd both be on the floor now. She wraps her arms around me, her cheek pressed against my chest, embracing me so tightly that I momentarily lose my ability to breathe.

She trembles as she hugs me, her eyes shut tight. I hold her arms, rubbing up and down to try and soothe her panic.

"Sofia?" I call, sensing her skin growing cold beneath the layers of clothing. "Okay, now...calm down."

The rain gradually diminishes, the ferocious drops no longer assaulting the roof. Sofia raises her gaze, her pupils widening as she realizes our proximity.

She abruptly pulls away from me, wearing an expression that suggests I was the one who crossed a line.

"I'm calm!" she exclaims, her words likely muffled by her heightened anxiety. "I'm just..." She winces as another clap of thunder cuts through the silence. "Oh God!"

I retrieve my phone, activate the flashlight, and mutter to myself, "Brave woman."

I shine the phone's light on Sofia's face, observing her continued agitation but no physical harm. Once satisfied with my assessment, I turn to head in the direction of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Sofia asks, quickly following me, her proximity close enough for her nose to graze my shirt.

"To the kitchen," I reply in a flat tone. "I'm hungry."

I ordered some ingredients to be delivered earlier, and I find them neatly stored in one of the island drawers. I retrieve the pancake mix along with eggs and butter, a milk carton, a bottle of maple syrup, and baking soda. I place them next to the griddle. There isn't a restaurant nearby that serves healthy food so takeout was out of the question.

Sofia is now beside me, her eyes examining the ingredients with curiosity.

"What's all this?" she asks, leaning a sultry hip against the island.

"Ingredients." I nudge the items toward her and point to the stove. "Cook something."

"What?" She looks at me, her cheeks flushing in seconds. "Why me? Oh God!" She runs her fingers through her long hair, then places her hands on her hips, shooting me judgmental eyes. "Don't tell me you're a misogynist too. Why did I even expect anything else? Made men like you will always be the same. You just assume that being a woman, I have to be the one doing the cooking, right? As if our sole purpose is to cater to your every whim."

I let her continue her rant as I check my phone for weather updates. I fire Fabio a message to have someone inspect the backup supply in the cottage. This place has been unoccupied for a decade, and I should have been more cautious before venturing up here.

Eden Cottage was built by my Dad for Mom who wanted a place all to herself to enjoy the bounty of nature that the city air didn't provide her. We used to come here every weekend before we stopped fourteen years ago.