Gabriel's Revenge (The Adventures of Gabriel Celtic Book 2) by J.T. Lewis Page A

buzzing this time, no one trying to communicate in the strange language, only the affectionate feeling that I was being protected…and loved. I liked this feeling immensely, and I saw no reason to change my current situation…ever!
    Things were getting lighter however; the eyes and warm embrace were fading away.
    “Please, don’t go!”
     
    ***
     
    Opening my eyes, I found myself on the floor, confused. Looking up at the ceiling, I saw the orange light of sunset flooding in. How long had I been here?
    Trying to sit up, I realized that my muscles were so stiff, I could barely move. Bringing myself slowly to a sitting position, I leaned against the wall as I tried to clear my mind of the muddled fuzziness that had invaded it.
    The house was silent around me. Looking out through the window, I saw that the sun was almost behind the horizon. It took a few minutes for me to calculate that I had lost at least an hour somewhere. Thinking harder for an explanation, it started to come back to me in small spurts.
    The lightning storm, the dancing fingers of energy playing in my yard….Betty! Had she really appeared?
    My mood improved with that beautiful memory, but quickly dampened again when I vainly tried to rise from my position on the floor.
    “Ouch!”
    Every muscle in my body was so sore and stiff I could barely move. I took a deep breath and forced myself up to a standing position, looking out at the yard once more as I thought back on the incident.
    The experience of the storm continued to leave me confused. Whether this was because the electric had rattled my brain, or just from trying to figure out what it meant I didn’t know.
    Either way, it was beyond me at that moment. I also realized that I was dead tired, and that it would probably be better to figure it out in the morning.
    Reaching down agonizingly, I picked up the clothes that had been scattered throughout the hallway before making my way slowly to the bathroom for a shower.
    The warm water felt good on my aching muscles as I again tried to make sense of the experience to no avail. I exited the shower after but a few minutes, not used to the extravagance of having an unlimited water supply. I quickly dried myself off, feeling better physically than I had for a few days, not counting the stiff muscles. Pulling on the jeans and shirt, I exited the bathroom and started up the stairs to the bedroom.
    Stopping suddenly as I passed through the threshold. I looked upon the bed, our bed, with trepidation. Recollections of our life together came flooding back as I stood there, defenseless to the onslaught of emotions that enveloped me. I closed my eyes and let the feeling overtake me as a tear escaped from one eyelid and rolled down my cheek. The memories were many and overpowering, and I was powerless to escape them as they flew through my mind one after another.
    I let them come, as I felt the need to experience them once more after my long absence. I reveled in the joy of our life together, and mourned the loss that had changed my life forever. My knees started growing weak, and I realized that I was unable to continue the emotional roller coaster I was on right then. I turned around and walked back down the stairs. I would have to deal with my jagged emotions again in due time, but my body was beyond reprieve at that moment.
    The combination of the travel, getting electrocuted, the shock and guilt of Frank’s death and the ever-present reminders of Betty had conspired to bring me to my knees physically, and it was all I could do to make it to the living room.
    I found a blanket on the chair and drug it over to the couch. Looking at the comfortable couch, I realized that it would be too soft considering my usual bed of the last year and a half, quickly deciding on the floor instead. I spread the blanket out and laid on one side of it while pulling the other edge over me.
    The comfort of lying down was lost on me within seconds as my heavy eyes closed