The House of Bells: The Essences Saga - Book #1

House: Chapter 13

Thirteen

By Friday, Silas' tolerance for the voices in his head finally exploded. A touch of her hand had his mind whispering, 'Another man would hope no more,' and from one glorious, unburdened smile, the words, 'I had rather bring a light to your clear eyes,' bounced around behind his eardrums. He started to write some of them down, but when the lyrics of Warrant's "Heaven," echoed through his mind and sent him stumbling off the pier and into the lake fully dressed, he decided to just let it go. At least the music was better than the poetry he had never heard before, and he was glad that his brain finally settled on something he understood.

"Why are you singing Def Leppard?" Mae giggled during their kayak trip.

"It's stuck in my head," he said and turned up the volume. Mae grinned at his off-key singing and after the first stanza, joined him. Everyone else either gave them crazy looks or rolled their eyes. Ashley leaned up to Min and whispered loud enough for him to hear, "Who's Def Leppard?"

The sound of her bursting chuckle had his brain switching to REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight this Feeling," and when Mae swerved off to a throaty rendition of "Sweet Child O' Mine," Min splashed them both with the cool lake water.

"At least sing something good," she called to them. Her yellow kayak circled back to his and Amber's. Jennie and Tia were drifting nearby in their blue one, and Melissa lay propped with her feet over the side of hers, leaving Mae to do most of the paddling.

He flashed a teasing grin at her, "For you, my lady, I will do requests."

Her gaiety slipped a fraction, but she lowered her sunglasses and said, "How about 'You're So Vain'?"

Mae picked up on the song quickly. "You're so vain!" she bellowed, causing a flock of birds to depart nearby trees. "You probably think this song is about you. You're so vain! I bet you think this song is about you. Don't you? Don't you?!"

"Mae!" Min laughed, dashing a wave of water in the girl's direction. "You are an anomaly."

The next day, the girls wanted to go to the nearby amusement park, and Silas was able to persuade Min to join him on a few of the rides. Just being with her, knowing that she as was affected by their kisses as he was, relaxed his tense mind. He allowed the mini concert to play in his mind, convinced that he wasn't going crazy.

Or any crazier than the average person with voices in his head.

Both Jennie and Mae owned cell phones, so at the park the girls split up into groups; Min delegated Amber with Mae and Melissa he noticed, to give Ashley some time away from her sister's watchful eye. He had to smile at that. Jennie, not really into scouting boys and being loyal to her boyfriend, agreed to watch after the two younger girls.

Therefore, after arranging a place to meet for lunch and handing out their wristbands and fun cash, Silas and Min were alone again. Well, alone as they could be in a crowded theme park. Min seemed unsure about that at first, but after an hour of his determined nonchalance, she loosened up by gradual increments.

Unfortunately for her, he was also an amusement park junkie and loved the fastest, highest, and dizziest rides; Min cringed at the sight of the merry-go-round. He knew the park well, pointing out his favorite rides and telling stories about the times he had come there when he was younger. In fact, he was so eager to show her the park and convince her to join him on some of the rides that she reluctantly agreed to anything that didn't spin or swing too wildly and downed a couple of meclizine tablets before their first ride.

The only real awkward moment for them came after Silas convinced Min to get on the log ride after lunch with the girls. She emerged from the off-ramp completely soaked. He started to laugh at her drowned-rat appearance, but then he noticed how her clothes stuck in just the right places, and that every post-puberty male within a fifty yard radius had also noticed. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and quickly stripped off his sweatshirt, handing it to her. She blushed and thanked him, pulling it over her head. He led his group away with a protective hand on Min's arm, and she didn't protest.