Galileo

Written for Challenge #1 Sweet Summer Song: Pick a song that represents summer for you. Use the song as the title of your piece, and to inspire either a poem or a short story/micro fiction about summer. Feel free to use some of the song's lyrics in your piece as well. So what does summer feel like for you?

For the main James & Oneg Summer Writing Challenge Extravaganza, click here.

~

The chill of the blacktop skittered along my spine, cooling palms slick with sweat. It did nothing to slow the ball of muscle trying to beat through my thin tank and spill onto the pavement.

The cheap wine I pinched from the corner store gave me a warm buzz, and I floated for a bit, the alcohol blessedly dulling my mind.

The scream of cicadas was silent tonite, no competition for the guitar strings humming from the dash as I gazed at the heavens.

Nervous energy sung through my veins until thoughts of the past pulled at me, stealing a sigh from my moscato-stained lips.

And then you had to bring up reincarnation

Over a couple of beers the other night

And now I'm serving time for mistakes

Made by another in another life time

Would my ghosts ever let me go? Didn't I deserve to be happy?

A set of headlights broke through my sinking mood. She was here.

Unwilling to gauge her expression as she approached, I let my eyes drift shut. She stood there a moment, her nearness raising all the hair on my body. Electric. I was attuned to her every move.

My breath caught as I felt her lie next to me. Her soft fingers crept over the tight fist at my side, relaxing my grip moment by moment until our hands were entwined.

"Open your eyes, Sarah," her light rasp washed over me.

God, I loved the sound of her voice.

My lungs expanded, filling with the weight of so many mistakes, so much pain.

How long 'til my soul gets it right?

That was the question. It throbbed to the rhythm of my deafening pulse.

wasiworthit wasiworthit wasiworthit wasiworthit

Yes.

It had to be yes or there was no point in going on.

I blew out hard, forcing the poison from my system and banishing the past.

And all the while, she simply held on.

I blinked a bit, my eyes taking in the majesty of the summer night sky before turning to finally look at this beautiful creature tucked against me. A sheepish expression stole across her face.

Hope flared hot and bright.

"My ghosts came for me too," she said. "But it was never a 'no'. It wasn't about you in the way that you probably think. I want to be good enough for you. You deserve everything in this life. And I? I have so much baggage. My family doesn't understand. They don't want us together and..."

She paused there, and I waited knowing she had more.

"I–, I just needed some time to accept what I know deep down to be true. You're it for me, and I want to be it for you, no matter the consequence...if you'll still have me."

The uncertainty in her eyes as she whispered that last part, almost broke me.

"Let me be very clear. I've wanted you from the day I met you," I said slowly, wanting each word to sink in. "And I've wanted you more every day since. So I'll ask again...Shelly Ann Baron, will you marry me?"

"Yes."

The word barely slipped out of her mouth before we clashed in a wild tangle of lips and teeth and limbs. Her soft curves against my own drove me wild.

I pulled back to suggest we go somewhere else, needing her in a way that was almost primal, but movement near the car drew my eye.

What the–

A crack ripped through the night air, followed by pain lighting up every nerve as I dropped to the ground, immobilized. It barely registered that Shelly was screaming my name.

When the muscle spasms finally slowed, the sound of a struggle hit my ears.

"You son of bitch!" Shelly yelled. "I can't believe you hurt her!" A ringing slap followed. Then another.

I had to move, needed to protect her, but everything hurt. It was a struggle to get on my knees.

And then I took in the sight of my avenging angel.

She had the taser in hand and pointed at her own father. "I'll use this on you, I swear it. So, back off!"

Shelly cast a brief look in my direction, the relief on her face evident at seeing me moving again.

"Sarah, can you get to the car?" she said, staring her old man in the face.

"Yeah, I think so, give me a minute."

I struggled over to her beat-up sedan and crawled inside, wincing at the effort. I found the keys in the ignition and started it up.

"Don't move. I mean it. I'm getting in the car and if you try to follow, you won't like what happens. I can't believe you did this."

"Go ahead and go. I don't want your kind in my family anyway. I thought this was just a phase. But marriage? You disgust me," her father growled.

Another crack whistled through the night air, and I managed to look in the sideview just in time to see the shock on Mr. Baron's face before he went down twitching.

Shelly rushed to the car and jumped in, giving me a once over and then we tore out of the parking lot.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at my apartment building, shaking and high on adrenaline, only stopping to breath once we were behind a locked door.

And I felt I had to say something, "Shelly, I love you more than anything, but I don't want to tear your family apar–"

Two fingers pressed against my lips cutting me off.

"I'll hear none of that. Sarah, you're my family, and people who hate that are not welcome in our lives. It's you and me now."

She spoke with such conviction. I searched her eyes but only found more confirmation of this amazing truth.

"Well then...let's celebrate."

A grin stretched across my face as I pulled my soon-to-be bride back to our bedroom.

I offer thanks to those before me

That's all I've got to say

____________________________________________________

https://youtu.be/dI1keSSwdcI

This song, Galileo by the Indigo Girls, means summer to me for many reasons. It has these gorgeous harmonies and guitars, and makes me think of the stars, the what ifs of life, and love. I used to spend many summer nights listening to music while lying outside stargazing. Orion was always my favorite constellation. And the Indigo Girls albums were a huge part of my coming of age story back in the late 80's and most of the 90's. They spoke to me on so many levels, and I will be forever grateful.

Also, this story totally took on a life of its own, so sorry that it went down a dark path for a bit. But life happens during summer too :)

~

Here's Kelli Sheckler-Amsden's response to the challenge.