Into the Dark - An Unplanned Encounter...

NINE

* Part 2 *

-" Let me start a hearth so you' ll feel better." Prince suggested while gathering kindling and inflaming it.
-" Thank you so much. I didn' t mean to bother you." Shelley started to take out what was inside her basket.
-" Don't mention it. » Prince made sure to place stones around the fire place.
-" Thirsty? Evian or Perrier?" Shelley was holding the mini bottles in front of her.
-" Sparkling, please. Thank you. " Prince held out his misty hand.
-" I made vegetarian faux pastrami club sandwiches with sauté portobello tops, onions, shredded purple carrots, avocado and a little cheese. » Shelley proudly presented her preparation on a little purple paper plate tucked with a purple to match.
-« Woow, are we celebrating anything, because it sure sounds like a very special sandwich? »
-« Well, I just wanted to thank you for your kindness and all the great things you've showed me so far. Chips? » Shelley popped the bag out the basket.
-" How did you know it's my favorite kind?" Prince's eyes were gleaming.
-"A little bird told me." Shelley tilted her head upward.
-"Oh." Prince liked her smartness.
They enjoyed their food while the fire was putting out a full show for them with lambent flames upon crackling and snapping wood. The smoke and the wind waltzed shamelessly making strange faces while the crickets stridulated their familiar song.

Prince and Shelley couldn't help checking each other expressions in appreciation of this natural performance.
-" This is so outstanding! I never really paid attention to how powerful fire can be. » Shelley pointed out.
-" When the wood is burning it's releasing stored atoms and energy known also as Kinetic Energy! While you get warm and the logs change from wood to ashes, it creates a chemical change. This energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another. The law of Conservation says that when we use energy, it' s not being « used up », but rather changing into something else."
-" Trans-formed " Shelley swallowed down her last sandwich bite.
-« Correct, similar to the mythical Phoenix or the Egyptian Bird cyclically regenerating or otherwise born again. While some might mis regard cremation as something inconsequential, the deceased goes through extreme heat. As a result, it'll be reduced to gas and bone fragments, which are then converted into ashes. On a lighter note, what have been kept quiet and trapped in the form of a living body comes back of heat and light beyond the grave.» Prince was palming sparks as if they were fireflies.
-« Unstoppable, you are?! » Shelley could not believe her eyes.
-« Everything is energy dancing in form and the dance is a continuous weaving of the form and the formless. » Prince' s look had changed and his face was beaming brighter.
The flames grew and the sound amplified. They could almost divine a standing ovation.
-« Ahem. All right...Intermission snack, anyone? » Shelley offered Famous Amos cookies for dessert.
-« Now, that was quite impossible to guess! How...? » Prince looked around for clues.
-« Mhhh... »Shelley shrugged not so innocently, smiled, threw a pack to Prince and a small chunk into her mouth.
Prince shook his head and laughed to her antics while their minds and eyes were drown back to the fire place.
-«  I could stay there forever. » Shelley said quietly.
-« In the winter you would freeze. Minnesota snow got nothing on you! »Prince's tone morphed to Jamie Starr's.
-« You're funny! How about we play a little game? » Shelley felt at ease enough to ask.
- « And what game would you like to play, Shelley? » Prince lowered his voice.
-« Hide and seek? »Shelley dared.
-« Are you sure about this? » Prince rubbed his chin.
-« Yep. Let's draw straws? » Shelley had anticipated and was already holding four twigs she had just picked up.
-« Ok, you're fast! But you know my mum used to call me Skipper, right? » Prince reminded her.
-« I know... » Shelley had little flames twirling in her eyes.
-« OK, let's do this! » Prince hadn't played in a long time.
-« All right, your turn. » Shelley closed her eyes and wished for Prince to be the first one to count.
-« Got it! » Prince held his proudly between them.
-« Ok, now the shortest counts first. And mine...is...LONGER...Ah ah!! » Shelley was excited.
-« Pfff, anyway. Just remember this is all mine. And if you break anything, I have no insurance, so you'll pay for whatever! » Prince disliked not winning.
-« Is that so? Could we stick to the fun part and enjoy ourselves, Mr Poor Looser. » Shelley tried to cheer him up.
-« Go, loose yourself, but remember I helped to make the plans to this white mansion. No matter where you go and try to hide, I'll find you. » Prince spined around, sat back on the bench, shut himself and started to count out loud.
Shelley ran carefully down the hill, followed the white palissades and pushed the double door opened. She looked quickly behind her before letting it go and close on its own.
-« ...10...» Prince knew she needed time to find her way inside.
Shelley felt unsure to where exactly was the best spot to hide. She chose to bet on her feelings. She passed the soundstage where the long piano was standing with just a white star gobo projector placed on it. She found her way back to the main corridor from where she could take many possible turns. She trusted her photographic memory but the building had absorbed a different light from the last time she had her private tour.
-« ...20... » Prince was giving Shelley an extra window to get accustomed to the intricate spaces of his property.
Shelley finally found a new path after randomly leaned against two hidden sliding doors which magically unlocked. The lights were also playing tricks on her. Every time she tried to approach a switch or grab a candle it would turn itself off. Between those backdoors, she found two carpeted boudoirs with white metallic shelves full of old scattered VHS Tapes labeled «PRIVATE» along with stamped shoe boxes, some bigger than the others, stuffed with uncased cassettes tapes, laced scarves and gloves. She was so tempted to dig into them but Prince would be so outraged if he ever found out she had been violating his personal belongings.
-« ...30. Ready or not, Here I come! Prince despite his fake frown was glad she offered to play.
It brought back some great memories from back in the day where Paisley Park had just freshly been done as a musical complex and full time working place. He loved to roam the whole building at night and surprised random workers just by opening a door or jumping from behind faux walls or plants. He got a kick out of it just by watching the frightened or puzzled looks on their faces.
Shelley almost jumped a little when she found herself, in semidarkness, with a life-size Prince Poster in one of his Dirty Mind most provocative poses. A card board sign was sticked up with « DON' T PUSH DOWN TOO HARD » hand written in bold red letters. She smiled, shook her head guessing Prince himself might have humorously put this up to dissuade people from wanting to go wander on the roof terrace.

As soon as she pushed the bar she felt the air suction and her downy hairs instantly raised on her arms. The feeling and the view from where she was appeared very different from the grounds around the compound. There was nothing exceptional apart from loose gravel, sparse air ducts and very few wild grass. She tiptoed along the edge but not too close. She wasn't sure what she was looking for and lost track of exactly why she was up there. She noticed weird shadow lights in one offset corner and felt particularly attracted to it.

She stared and felt suddenly transported to another time and another place where she was once happy and careless. Her honey moon in Morocco was everything she had ever dreamed of and her stay there had been unforgettable. The food, the music, the dances, the people, the whole Arabic ambiance was engraved forever in her mind.
-« Earth to Shelley!? » Prince snapped.
-« Oh! Hey! » Shelley flinched and put both hands over her chest.
-« You look like you've time traveled. » Prince observed.
-« Sorry...Kind of... » Shelley hummed.
-« Is everything OK? » Prince worried.
-« Yes, everything's fine. » Shelley sighed and smiled.
-« I think we'd better head back inside. » Prince was loosing energy.
-« Yeah. Good idea. » Shelley felt a bit tired.
They passed the kitchen where Prince had brought back Shelley's basket. Prince wanted to rest but wished to put back Shelley's departure.
-« This might sound greedy but would you mind staying a bit longer? » Prince had no specific expression only his voice seemed warm and inviting.
-« I thought you'd never ask. » Shelley felt relieved.
They both went up the stairs and walked in silence to Prince's bedroom.

Good morning Purple Lovelies, I pray you're all safe and well. Here's my new chapter, I really hope you'll like it. Please, don't forget to hit the star, comment and share. Have a wonderful week-end ahead.