‘Yes?’
I hesitated. Snarky comments was one thing, anger to drive the fear away was fine, but this, what I was thinking now… this was dangerous.
I cleared my throat. Not that anyone heard over the racket. ‘I… feel alone.’
‘Do you?’
‘I don’t want to be alone right now.’
Silence. He didn’t say a single word. I didn’t even have the help of seeing his face to read his expression. But then, with Mr Ambrose, what was there to read? Just this once, I simply had to take a chance. Cautiously, I reached out, and felt something smooth. Not skin. The fabric of his tailcoat, maybe. A sleeve?
He gave a slight twitch under my sudden touch. Not letting that deter me, I moved my hand up his arm, until my fingers came to rest on his hand. Carefully, I brushed away a few grains of sand and stroked the soft skin underneath.
The silence emanating from Mr Ambr
ose became silenter than silent. It seemed to last forever. When he finally spoke, his voice was somewhat hoarse - probably from all the sand. ‘I thought that sort of thing between us was reserved for the dark of the night.’
I tried to wet my lips. But there was no moisture left in my mouth. ‘It looks pretty dark to me.’
Yet another pause. Then… ‘Yes. You’re right, it does.’
A moment later, two strong arms came around me, pulling me closer.
*~*~**~*~*
Dark is a strange thing. In the dark things happen that you could never have imagined.
‘What’s that?’ a voice asked. Or shouted. Or whispered. It was difficult to tell in this world of deafening, roaring silence. The voice sounded a little like my own.
‘That’s me. My neck.’ Another voice out of the dark. Another shout. Another whisper. His.
My hands clenched tightly around his neck, pulling him close.
‘No, I mean that smell. Has the camel had something bad for breakfast?’ Although the odour wasn’t actually that bad. It didn’t smell of camel at all. A bit harsh, true, but also… interesting.
‘I don’t think so. That smell might come from the fact that you have your nose buried in my armpit.’
‘Oh.’
A pause. The storm roared on.
‘Um… It’s a nice armpit.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Feels good.’ The voice in the dark that sounded like mine hesitated. Then, lower, so low I almost couldn’t hear it myself, it said: ‘All of you does.’
Silence. But only for a moment. Then his voice came out of the black nothing.
‘So do you.’
Suddenly, the unseen force of the black wind around us slammed a fist of sand into me. The voice that sounded like mine cried out, and strong arms tightened around me. I sagged back, breathing hot air and dust.
‘Oh God… I… I’m scared!’
‘So am I.’
Mr Ambrose? Scared? That couldn’t be! Not to mention sweet little me! I was never scared, out of principle!