Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2014 01:02:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: rock_on_summer@yahoo.com
Subject: His body is my universe / chapter 12

Wow. We did it! Coming up is the final chapter of ãHis body is my
universe". I can't believe it's finished. I hope you enjoyed reading!


(From the previous chapter)

I tried to sneak trough the abandoned cemetery as fast as I could to get
back to the car. I was hurrying through the lines of graves, passing
Emilie's grave. I finally made it to the car, racing off in search of a
hardware store. I bought something that looked like scissors to cut iron, a
lock picking set and a flashlight Ð glad that I had thought to bring
Case's credit card I gathered the stuff and hopped back into the car.

 I parked in a side street of the cemetery and didn't use the flashlight
when I got to the cemetery, just in case The Creep was already back. I ran
back to the gate as fast as I could and in one (ok maybe four) swift
movements I opened the lock. How easy was that!? And it didn't make any
noise either Ð a lot more effective then this crazy idea I had about
hitting it with a rock! I swung the door open and listened for any
sound. Just the dark and moist smell of basement. Other then that Ð
nothing. Just then my cell phone rang.

I was wondering if there was such a thing as fate when I read the caller
ID. It said "Home."

"Hello" I said, sounding out of breath when the chirping of my phone
against my ear told me that I hadn't hit the right button yet.

"Hello" I tried again, sounding slightly calmer.

"You were right, this is not what I want. This is shit" the Creep announced
angrily.

"Wow, that's harsh" I said, knowing that Case was probably a safe distance
away from him.

"I wanted a painting, a memory of my girl. What you made is absolute trash!
You think anyone could put this in their living room? And what's with the
dirty pear? This looks nothing like my girl" he sounded mad.

"Well, what did you expect?" I bitched back

"Not a painting of a cadaver. Something like the painting of your Asian
boy! Something real that seems like you can touch it, like it would start
to laugh when you gave it a new doll, or that would get mad when you told
her she couldn't have candy before dinner! Something that would help me
remember her. . Make it better this time. More like her...more like the
paintings of the Asian boy" I had always kind of assumed that the Creep had
somehow killed the little girl on my couch but now I wasn't so sure. Maybe
he was just a crazy grieving man and I felt a pang of sympathy at the hurt
in his broken voice. I took a few seconds to phrase my answer carefully.

"Well...I love that Asian boy and I know him well. I know how his hair
moves when he shakes his head and how his eyebrows knit when he frowns. I
know what kind of chocolate he likes best and which wine will give him a
headache. But I don't know anything about this girl. To me she's just a
stranger on a couch. So that's all I could paint. I'm sorry..."

Was I apologizing to the guy that had kidnapped my boyfriend and put a dead
body on my couch!? I guess I was.

"...you know...it might help if you told me a little more about her...so I
can imagine how she once was... maybe that way I will be able to do a
better job" I suggested carefully.

"What do you need to know?"

And he talked. Her name was Emily, who it turned out was his daughter. She
had died from stomach cancer at 10 years old. Her mother had passed away
when Emily was born and now Robert Ð that was Creepy-man's real name
knew that he was going to suffer from dementia. He was going to loose all
memory of her and he couldn't bear it. He talked about random things,
little memories, her hair, that she had liked horses like most little
girls, had taken ballet classes and had loved the fluffy inside of
biscuits. She had had a little kitten named Spiffy and a turtle named
Michelangelo. He told me everything I needed to imagine what she was like
and what might have become of her if she hadn't died way too early.

"It would have been easier to write me a letter and send me some
pictures. Would have saved both of us a lot of trouble" I flat out told
him.

"I know, but would you have helped me?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. I might have. Or maybe not. Maybe I
would have been angry at being burdened with someone else's problems. Maybe
I would have been happy to help. It would have depended on my mood. But it
didn't matter now.

"So...what are you going to do with her now?" I asked him

"Burry her. Put her back in the ground I guess. To me she is still
beautiful and I can still see how she was when she was alive. I guess it
makes sense that you can't. I'll put her back to rest" Ð take the
cootie-couch with you!

"Can you send me a picture of her?" I asked

"A picture? Do you mean you are going to try again?" he asked, surprise in
his voice.

"Well....I guess. With what you told me about her I can imagine her much
better..."

"Thank you. I really appreciate that. You can come home now. The Asian boy
will come to you soon after you get there" that last sentence made my heart
skip a beat. I had hoped for that. But with a little luck my Asian boy was
coming home with me right now.




I climbed down the mossy steps and expected a crypta under the stone
angels. Instead I found a room filled with rusty gardening equipment, a
pile of dirt littered with old flowerpots in the corner and a wooden door
with an iron latch. I threw back the bar, ripped open the door (which I
later realized was pretty stupid Ð without cover or anything) and looked
down at a pretty pissed-off-looking but unhurt Case Ð tied to a chair
and gagged with a rag and duct tape.

A sob echoed loudly from the concrete walls and I only then realized that I
was on his lap, hugging him, tears streaming down my face. I reacted to his
"hmhm" and quickly regained enough composure to cut the nylon rope which
bound him to the chair, noticing the spots where he had been rubbing it raw
against it. Feeling heroic I grabbed for the tape on his mouth and would
have ripped it off his face to kiss him had he not stopped my hand in his
strong grip. He answered my puzzled look with wide eyes and a shake of his
head and started to slowly peel the edges off, wincing. Ok, I guess ripping
it off would have really hurt. I hugged him tightly, kissed the tape and
grabbed for his hand.

ãCase Ðlet's go! We can do that in the car!"

Again he shook his head. While he kept peeling the duct tape with one hand
he shut down a computer that I only now noticed with the other. It was
crammed into the tiny space and attached to an electrical cord, which ran
through a little air vault barred with iron bars. Attached to it were
several electronic devices and monitors Ð neither of which I
comprehended what they could do.

ãGive me you phone." Case demanded, holding out his hand.

ãThis is the first thing you say to me after you almost die?" I asked
exasperated.

He pulled me close, and his soft hot lips found mine, his tongue, which I
had so feared to never taste again, probing, teasing. My glazed eyes opened
slowly, the thought that I really did have him back still not quite ringing
through. I looked at Case with my phone held up to his ear - did he really
snatch it from me while we kissed?

ãHello? This is Case Tentaiyo. I was kidnapped. I was just freed and am
still on siteÉ NoÉ I don't know. A cemetery in the Riverridge
area. Can you locate this phone?... We will wait for you at the
gate. TwoÉYes, but not badly. We don't need an ambulance. My partner
will drive meÉYesÉ"

He had started walking carefully to the exit, pulling me along as he
went. The light was getting closer and I was relieved when we breathed the
fresh night air and the soft soil of the cemetery under our feet. Finally
both of us free again.

ãYesÉ There was a lock. My partner cut itÉNoÉ We are out
now...to the gate" He nudged me ãwhich way?" I pointed in the direction
of the car and he promptly turned, taking my hand to pull me with him.

I shook it off.

ãCasey" I stared at him shocked. Was he talking to the police? I
know. Me. Really slow sometimes.

ãHold on one sec" he covered the mouthpiece of the phone and turned to
me.

ãYes love?" he asked me.

ãThis is all wrong Case. We can go now. He will take the dead girl off
our couch and we can go home. We don't need to call the police."

ãThere is a dead girl on our couch?" he asked.

 ãWell, he said he'd take her back and send pictures. But we really
don't need the police."

ãWhat?" he asked ãSweety, I was kidnapped by a guy who put a dead
girl on our couch. He is still out there. And you think I shouldn't have
called the police? Really?" He gave the officer on the phone the
information about a dead body being in our house so they could send cars
there as well and make sure to catch his kidnapper.

When he hung up I shook my head and sighed, slowly falling a little behind
ãCase. You don't understand. He's just this poor dad who misses his
daughter and is scared he will forget her. He just did this to get me to
paint her."

He gave me a serious look.

ãLucy" he said rushing me forward ãa normal poor dad doesn't rack up
all this equipment, bugs your phone, kidnaps me AND apparently puts a dead
body on your couch. This person is not normal and he needs to go to
jail. And we need to hurry, let's go."

ãHe was just desperate"

Case just shook his head ãLucy let's go"

So we went. Him hurrying along. Me a step behind, shaking my head. We
reached the gate and just like that Robert pulled up in his Volvo, staring
at us openmouthed in pure surprise to see Case already out in the
daylight. It shouldn't have made me feel guilty. A black truck pulled up
behind him, gave a short whine of a siren and blue lights started
flashing. It was strange, like watching a movie without background
music. Case pointed at Robert who still looked at us dumbfounded.

ãThis is him. This is the kidnapper. He has a dead body in the passenger
seat."

Robert was pulled out of his car and pushed to his knees by two cops. Hands
behind his back. Cuffs clicked.

ãI'm sorry" I heard myself say. Wait? Was I apologizing to the guy who
had kidnapped my boyfriend? The man who had made my live a living hell for
the past couple of hours? I guess I wasÉ

ãMe too" he said from his knees ãÉyou've got the right to remain
silentÉ." and took one last glance at the golden curls that spilled
through the cracked window of the passenger's side where Emmies body was
buckled into the front seat.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------







It was a Saturday morning and I was on my tummy on our bed on the covers,
giggling to myself. Case was in the bathroom washing away what we had done
and brushing his teeth (which kind of was the same thingÉo well) It had
been six month since Case had been kidnapped and he stopped seeing a
counsellor over it two weeks ago (which I thought was early, but he assured
me he was fine). Somehow having him ripped from my live, if only briefly,
had renewed my appreciation of him. I was so scared to loose him, I hadn't
realized how important he was to me. I mean I had always known he was
important to me, more then he did even. But now I knew what it felt like
when he was gone and now that I had gotten a taste of that, it was just so
much more real. It made me appreciate little things more - like the
disgusting little noise he made when he cleared his throat after rinsing
his teeth, you know, when it sounds like he's choking? Whenever I got
annoyed with him I just had to remember how it was when he wasn't there to
bug me. I knew I would miss that noise same as everything about him, were
he gone again. I enjoyed being around him so much more because now I didn't
think of it as something that just kind of happened, but as a privilege. I
knew that this privilege might be short lived. And that I shouldn't take
our time together for granted. Because it might not last as long as I
expected it to.

ãShouldn't you be getting dressed, dreamy-eyes?" he smiled at me warmly
and threw a towel at me.

ãHmmmm, maybe" I took in the way he was standing in the doorway. Golden
skin, hair damp, some drops of water on his chest and shoulder from where
his hair had dripped. Full lips puffy and his eyes so warm. Golden
almost. Was it the way the sun hit them? Or was it just him?

He snipped his fingers in front of my face.

ãI think you should" he said, pressing a kiss on the top of my head.

ãHmmmm. Should what?" I said rolling over.

He laughed at me and sat next to me to run his fingers through my curls. I
loved his laugh. I know. I realize it. I sound like a teenager in love. We
had been together for such a long time and it all just kind of
happened. Because I was happy with him and he with me and there was the
house and we could both live there and sure why not? AndÉwhy not, right?
And that's what it had felt like for a while. Like a Ð sure why not? For
him more then for me, even. And then Case had been kidnapped. And even
though he wasn't gone long it changed so much for me. Because now I knew
the answer to ãwhy not?".  And now I knew that he had felt the ãwhy
not?" more then I did Ð because he had actually told me. Because we had
really started talking to each other. Because he had really opened up and I
had the feeling that I had gotten to know him on a whole deeper level. And
he had gotten to know me. We spend more time together, really together Ð
not just sitting on the couch watching the same TV show (I mean we did that
too). Maybe part of that was his therapy, but I just had the feeling that
now we had a much better way of communicating. Like he could express what
he needed and I could trust him to hear what I was saying. In short. We
connected. And that for me was such an erotic feeling, it was like falling
in love with him all over again. I know. Sappy. You may go brush your teeth
now, too much sugar will rot you teeth.

ãWhat's up little one?" he pushed lightly on my shoulder.

ãI'm not littleÉ" I grummbled.

He roled is eyes and tugged on my ear ãWhat's up. You're thinking again"

I rolled on my tummy again, facing his leg ãI was just thinking how much
I'd miss you if you were gone. And how much I love it that you're not. And
how much I love being around you and that I'll always want to be around
you. Even when your mad or sad or being difficultÉ"

ãMe, difficult...? Pf, never" he laughed.

ãTschhhh. You know." I looked at him ãyou know what I mean. I feel
like in the past sixth months we have really grown together as a couple,
like I rediscovered you and like you still mean the world to me. Shit, I'm
no good at this. What I'm saying is: I'm glad you're in my life and I want
to keep it that way."

ãWell I'm not going anywhere. Any I love you too" that warm smile
again. So full of love.

I smiled back at him ãI'm still not seeing a ring on your finger" I
pointed out.

After the kidnapping things had been a little confusing for everybody. We
had put off the wedding to get some ground back under our feet and Case had
turned down the promotion that would have him move to Taiwan. Instead he
had been promoted to a position that kept him in the headquarters
(something liaison-officer for Pacific Asia, not sure). So while we were
technically engaged, we had put everything off. Which had been good at the
time.

ãWell maybe it's time you put one there" he looked at me intensely.

ãPut one there?" I smiled at him as he leaned down to give me a slow
luscious kiss with his full lips and just a little tongue.

ãReally? You're ready?" I asked him.

ãI love you Lucy. I feel like we've grown, too. And I have faith in
you. I'm ready." I squealed, jumped on him and rolled around with him on
our bed. Finally!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I was walking with Case through my first real exhibition of a real complete
series of paintings. I was so proud. Case had arranged for the collection
to travel to some major art museums all around the world. And we were going
to be there for every vernissage Ð traveling there would at the same
time be our honeymoon. Tokio, New York, Madrid, Berlin Ð so many cool
places to visit, so many hotel sheets to ruin. It was exciting and I was
almost giddy with happiness. Nah, ok, I was giddy. Part of that might have
been the prosecco that was being passed around by waiters with fashionable
burgundy aprons. I glanced over at my man to see him looking at a painting
of a little girl placing marbles around a turtle. Perfection. I had
received particularly many compliments on that one. I took a picture of him
with my phone (Yes, I had learned how to do that).

ãSmile" I said.

He rolled his eyes. I knew it annoyed him. Me taking the picture but also
knowing I was going to send it to Robert. It was strange that Robert and I
had stayed in touch and Case Ð even though he was the victim Ð had
never spoken to him again. Robert had apologized to me for kidnapping Case
a million times, but never to him in person. He never got the chance.

We were walking through the room that had the ãchildhood memories"
series in it right now, past my favourite painting - a little blond girl,
crying and raising her arms to receive a doll that had been taken from
her. I had painted several versions of this motive. One was missing. It was
at the Psychiatric ward of the prison Robert was being kept in. He had very
shyly asked for it when I had sent him pictures of the paintings and I had
no reservations to gift it to him. Needless to say that had been a strange
moment for Case.

We walked on to the next room. For some reason I had discovered seagulls Ð
so I had a room with paintings of seagulls. I know. Sometimes it didn't
make sense to me either. I wasn't too fond of them, I had just kind of
played around with them, but Case had insisted on displaying them because
he thought the perspective they showed, seeing the world through the eyes
of seagulls, was unique. Ok.

We entered the last and tallest room of the exhibition. It had a high
ceiling and across the back wall was my favourite piece of all times. I had
put so much time in it. So much effort, love, passion Ð and yes it had
been frustrating at times. And now that I looked at it, finally on display
I saw that it was all worth it. 8m tall, 4m wide it was a combination of
189 paintings, some big some as small as a post card. They showed different
motives mostly of nature - a volcano about to erupt, birds in the sky, the
foamy sea, camels in a desert, the sun and the moon, herds on a plane,
goats on a mountain, ice, a city, stars, planets Ð a whole universe.
Every painting in itself was complex and could stand alone, but combined Ð
the sea: his hair, the desert: his torso, his lips: fields of red poppy
with sheep grazing there, the stars: his eyes Ð combined they were my
Case. I smiled at him standing next to me. The volcano in his eyes, the sun
in his smile. My love. My life on canvas. My universe.



Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. If you did or didn't: let me
know at rock_on_summer@yahoo.com.

I recently found another really short story on my harddrive. It's called
ãKasi" and can soon be found in the non-English section (sorry, its in
German. I hope I'll find the time to translate it someday and post it in
the relationship section).