Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 47359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
A hint of red popped in Michael’s eyes, and she quickly yanked the front door open and ran out, falling into a mountain of snow.
They were like two teenagers making the most of a snow day. They made snow angels, a snowman and had a snowball fight that to Michael’s surprise Lara won.
At first Lara was concerned that Michael would get cold, having added no other clothes to what he had on. Then she realized that he didn’t feel the cold like humans did, and yet he appeared so very human.
Kisses intermingled with their fun and laughter and Lara fought to keep the thought of what a wonderful life she could have with this man. She warned herself to think and live only in the moment, not to go beyond, for if she did, she knew sorrow would strike her heart.
Lara’s grumbling stomach warned it was passed lunchtime and brought their play to an end. Lara made hot chocolate for herself, and they took their plates, veggies for Michael and a hearty soup for Lara, into the room off the kitchen to enjoy.
Lara once again was in her skirt and knit top and Michael had slipped out of his jeans, wet from the snow, and into black sweatpants and left on the light gray knit top that had been under his sweater.
They talked and laughed, no longer the strangers they had been upon meeting, now—not only friends—but lovers.
“I was thinking,” Lara said when they finished eating.
“Hopefully, the same I’ve been thinking,” Michael said with a smile.
“Staying out of my head, how very nice of you.”
His smile faded. “More that you’ve been keeping me out of your head.”
“I’m learning,” she said, sticking out her chest proudly.
“So, you have, though I miss being there, miss you calling out to me.”
Strangely enough, she missed him being there as well. His absence from her thoughts had left a void, left her feeling alone.
An awkward silence hung over them, as if each were waiting for the other to speak first.
Lara finally did. “I would like to have a look, in bright daylight, at the room of torture.”
“Whatever for?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Curiosity? Perhaps to view history up close with someone who has lived it?”
“It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
“Once we’re done, your bedroom is only a few steps away and I did mention a ride.” She smiled, stirring her libido that had been simmering ever since she had suggested the idea.
Michael was off the couch in a flash, tugging her up along with him. “Let’s go.”
Lara laughed softly as she followed him, though her laughing smile died when she stepped into the room of terror. The room was brighter than she had expected, though it was more from the daylight shining through the bare windows.
Michael must have heard her thought, since he said, “My grandfather insisted that the windows be left unencumbered so light could always shine on this room. It was his way of exposing evil.”
Lara reached out and took hold of Michael’s hand, as if needing his protection from the awful devices.
He held her hand firmly and guided her around the room, offering explanations of certain ones, while others were self-explanatory.
Lara cringed when Michael pointed out the breast pincers, though did not go into detail how they were used, the name saying it all. A pear-shaped device hanging on the wall caught her attention and when she looked to Michael, he shook his head.
“You don’t want to know, though I’m sure the shape tells the tale.”
Lara turned away from the device, only to cringe when she saw the spike-studded chair she had accidentally sat on. She had been lucky to only catch the end of it.
“Who does this sort of thing?” she asked
“Those who believed themselves righteous people,” Michael said. “You have to realize the time period, the ignorance, the fear, and the righteous who believed they could save everyone from evil. Unfortunately, evil had yet to be justly defined.”
“Your grandfather was caught up in this madness?”
“He and countless others and even when rules were passed to ban the use of torture, it continued in secret. And while my grandfather left his homeland for many reason, the driving force had been the torture that had been inflicted on my grandmother.”
“Your grandmother? What happened?”
“It had been a harsh winter between weather and wars, leaving food scarce. My grandparents had taken their two small children to hunt for food when soldiers came upon my grandmother. She mentally warned my grandfather to get the children to safety and she would join them shortly. Unfortunately, the soldiers managed to subdue her, since she was so weak from not feeding. They beat her unconscious, so my grandfather heard nothing from her. And when her captives saw how quickly she healed, they hurriedly chained her and began the torture.”