The Darkness Within 6

“Here let me show you.”  She flattened out a buckling in the blanket and patted it lightly.  She looked up at Karm and said, “Come sit down”.  Karm sat down on the blanket almost exactly where Amanda - Arementa’s hand had been resting.  His knees were bent up, and his hands were supporting most of his weight behind him.  “Comfortable?” she asked.

Karm shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Comfortable enough.”  He nodded up and down a couple times for emphasis.

“Permit me to demonstrate ‘copasquat’?”  She un-velcroed her gloves and slid them off and set them down beside the blanket on the ground.

Karm nodded again in agreement.

Amanda - Arementa reached over and pulled off one loafer, then the sock.  She tucked the sock in the shoe and then reached for the other loafer.  After she pulled off the second sock and stuck it into the shoe she rested the shoes side by side off the blanket near her gloves.  She then stretched out her arms instinctively trying to pull her sleeves up without touching them, and then she laid her hands one on top of each foot.  She looked up at Karm to make sure he wasn’t uncomfortable with her actions.  He was watching, but did not seem to be uncomfortable so she continued.  She slowly ran her hands up the top of the foot, wrapped her fingers around the ankles and went halfway up the shins then back down again, lightly dragging her fingers over the tops of his feet and past the toes.

Karm sighed unexpectedly.

Amanda - Arementa smiled and her eyes twinkled.  “And there you have it,” she whispered “a perfectly performed copasquat.”

Karm’s left eyebrow rose as he questioned her again.  “So what part of that was copasquat?”

“The whole thing.  Copasquat is the act of releasing the tensions that wearing shoes can generate and pouring out those tensions so you can relax fully.  Are you relaxed now?”

“For what little changed I am amazingly relaxed.  However, I was already pretty relaxed with you.”

“Well thank you.”  Amanda - Arementa’s cheeks flushed a strawberry rosy color and she looked at the blanket.  “What other questions did you have?”  Amanda - Arementa opened each of the bags and poured the contents onto the plate and slightly arranged things.  She lifted the plate up to Karm’s chest level offering him his choice of fruits.  Karm picked a couple apples and grapes and Amanda - Arementa set down the plate on the blanket.  Karm patted the blanket next to him and encouraged Amanda - Arementa to sit closer to him.  Amanda - Arementa shifted the plate to the side and rotated her seat to be next to Karm instead of facing him.

Karm nudged shoulders with Amanda - Arementa.  “Tell me more about how you got here.”

“Let’s see, where did I leave off…”

“You skipped over approximately seven years.”

“Oh, you don’t want all those gory details.”

“Sure I do.”

“Ask me something else, please.”

Karm looked her over.  She was sitting there beside him Indian style on the blanket, her gaze lowered to the ground and her hair in various size tendrils and cascading around her face, shoulders, and down her back.  Her hat sat square on her head and the soft brim flapped slowly in the breeze.  He realized he had possibly struck a nerve unintentionally.  Karm thought fully about what he wanted to ask next to try to smooth over the moment.  He leaned in close to whisper in her ear.  “I am sorry to upset you.”

“You didn’t upset me, I just don’t know what you want to know from me.  I understand why you want to know, but I don’t want to bore you.”

“Amanda - Arementa, you are not boring.”  Karm leaned over, touched two fingers to her chin, lifted her head gently, and turned it toward him.  “You are very interesting and engaging, never boring.”

Amanda - Arementa looked deep into his gaze and then looked down half-lidding her eyes.  Karm moved slowly in instinctively preparing to give her a gentle kiss when she turned her head away.

“I think it is time for me to leave.  I am sorry to have put you in that position.”

Before he could respond Amanda - Arementa leapt to her feet and ran towards Padron.  She swiftly swung up onto the saddle gathered the reins into her hands, and without even putting her feet into the stirrups Padron leaned back into his haunches and powered away.  Karm called after her “Wait!  Please WAIT!”

Amanda - Arementa suddenly spun Padron around and yelled back over the great distance she had already covered.  “I will clean up after you leave.”  Then she turned Padron again and using his powerful haunches he powered away into a cloud of dust.

“What on Earth just happened here?”  Karm questioned and chastised himself at the same time.

He walked over to Aodh and grabbed the reins.  When he tried to lead him back to the barn Aodh refused to move.  He kept looKing back in the direction where Padron had run.

“If I let you take me to them, you will be nice to me right?”

Aodh raised his head, stretched out his neck, and whinnied loudly.  A faint whinny could be heard in the distance.

“Look at me, I am talKing to a horse as though they can understand and respond back.”

Karm followed the routine from the barn and struggled himself into the saddle.  He gathered the reins into one hand and petted Aodh softly on the neck.

Under his breath he muttered, “ Remember that I am new to this, please.”

He squeezed his legs together and Aodh took off with a jolt.  Luckily Aodh had fairly smooth gates so he quickly found his rhythm and was able to stay fairly seated.  He crept up on the billowing smoke not because Aodh was any faster, but because he had longer strides.   Padron had stopped near a double back in the creek.  When Padron had come into view Karm pulled the reins to stop Aodh.  He draped the reins the same way Amanda - Arementa had done and let him take a place near Padron.  Karm looked around scanning around the trees and rocks for a glimpse of her.  He heard an unseen voice singing softly.

They say they love each other
I’ve no doubt they do
They say they’ll always be together
That may not be true

They come from different places
Different points of view
They find themselves in different spaces
Everything is all brand new

He was staring in the direction the singing was coming from.  He caught a short glimpse of her as she propped up against a tree.  She was popping petals off a premature dandelion flower as she sang.  Karm walked slowly up behind her trying to be silent.

“I know you are there Karm,” she said without turning around.

Karm walked up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“I am so very sorry for scaring you.”  Karm whispered softly to her.  “That was never my intention.”

“You didn’t and you did at the same time.  Still, it was not your entire fault.  It just isn’t time yet.”

“Understandable.  Please let us finish our talk.”

Amanda - Arementa nodded and turned around to face Karm.

“May I hug you to make up?”

Amanda - Arementa leapt up and wrapped her arms around Karm’s neck and whispered “There is nothing to make up for.”

Karm lowered his head beside Amanda - Arementa’s and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.  He bent his knees slightly, forced her grasp up higher on his shoulders, and squeezed her tight as he lifted her to her toes then completely off her feet.

“You are so generous and sweet.  Thank you.”

He set her down and looked at her.  She still would not look directly into his eyes.

“Why don’t you look at me?”

“Oh, I do, but I can’t handle looKing into your eyes without just becoming a puddle in my shoes.”

Karm smirked and a tiny chuckle released cut some of the tension.

Karm put his left hand into the small of Amanda - Arementa’s back and his hand urged her to walk forward.

“So what would you like to ask me now?”

“Nothing.  I want you to talk to me about anything and everything you need or want to.  It is completely up to you.”

Amanda - Arementa could not get over the feeling of power and electricity running through the palm of his hand and into her back.

“I bet you are a good dancer.”

“I hold my own.”

“Really?  I love to dance.”

Karm put a slight pressure into the small of her back and guided her around in a small circle to face him.  His right hand rested on the top of her left shoulder and slowly slid it down the length of her arm while she watched his movements until he reached her hand.  He allowed his fingers to linger a short moment until he intertwined his fingers into hers.  He pulled her close to him so she could feel all his movements and follow.  He folded her left hand up at the wrist and rested it upon his chest over his heart so she could feel the beat.  Karm started just swaying slowly.  Then Amanda - Arementa began humming a song that came to mind.  Suddenly, she began singing the words.

I see them dancing
Somewhere in the moonlight
Somewhere in Alaska
Somewhere in the sun

I hear them singing
A song for all lovers
A song for the two hearts
Beating only as one

Karm found the beat and began dancing a slow waltz with her around a very small clearing near the creek.

Imagine the morning
No longer the night
The arms of another
In the quickening light

To see the darkness
To listen within
To answer in kindness
To ever begin

To ever be gentle
To always be strong
To walk in the wonder
To live in the song

In a place of enchantment
Where the wild things are known
Will the future remember
When the lovers are gone.

They danced a few beats until Karm realized that the song was over and he dipped her low and ran one hand down her thigh to her knee and held it up.

Amanda - Arementa’s gaze was concentrated on her hands one of which was still placed against Karm’s heart and the other hooked around his neck leveraging on his upper back.

“Please look at me,” Karm said.

Amanda - Arementa slowly raised her gaze trying to keep her composure. She looked at his throat, his chin, lips, nose, cheeks, and finally many agonizingly slow moment later into his eyes.  Those eyes could melt a glacier in the middle of the ice age.  The character behind them, the life seen through them, the passion burning just behind the surface that made the light shine so brightly and warmly she could not bare to look in them a moment longer than absolutely necessary.  She held his gaze for seconds and then she closed her eyes again.

“Thank you.” She whispered breathily and barely audibly.

“For what?”

“I have not been able to dance with someone in over eight years.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

Karm stood Amanda - Arementa upright again.  They began walKing in silence for a while.

Karm and Amanda - Arementa return to the house on horseback.

“Amanda - Arementa, I want to ask you a question, that if I do not, I will kick myself all night long.”

Amanda - Arementa did not turn to face him, but she did not stop his inquiry.  After a pause he continued with his question.

“Will you escort me to the ball tomorrow?  I would be honored if you would.”

“I am sorry, but I can’t.”  

She takes one of Karm’s hands in hers and though she feels the electricity between the two of them, she deliberately bends over at the waist and lifts his hand to her lips.  “Good evening, kind sir.”  He was taken aback enough he didn’t react quickly enough and she managed to slip his grasp.  He found himself suddenly alone in a hall in front of the Master Suite.  For the first time all day he felt the coolness of the fall air around him that had permeated into the house.  Karm walked silently down the hallway and up the spiral staircase.  Once he reached the landing he looked back towards the Master Suite.  He Shook his head and made his way to his suite.  Once in his suite he changed clothes into a pair of pajama pants and laid in the bed, silently awake.  He wondered what it was going to take to get through to her.

Amanda - Arementa spent the whole night sitting up and cogitating on the full situation.  She didn’t get a wink of sleep.

Karm’s morning note was handwritten but not by Amanda - Arementa.

All day long Karm searches out Amanda - Arementa but can never find her.

Karm stood in front of the full-length mirror on the inside of the closed bedroom door.   He admired his appearance.  He felt good.  The reflection showed his tuxedo, his salt and pepper hair, tanned complexion, and shining smile.  His hair had been well behaved all day, so it was soft and naturally parted.  His white shirt with the banded collar was a nice contrast to his olive complexion.  The suit coat was solid black, with a long and straight waist.  There were no tails, but the lapels were satin, shining in the failing light from the setting sun burning through the sheers into his room.  The coat was held closed with two buttons at his waistline.  His black pants and shiny black dress shoes mimicked the jacket and it’s contrasts.  He tugged on the sleeves of his white shirt to bring them through and attach the cufflinks.

After attaching the left one with his right hand he struggled slightly with the right one.  Once he was done, he examined himself once more in the mirror.  He cut a fine image, and he reached for the door to leave his suite.

He could hear the band performing in the Great Hall.  There was lots of chatter, and laughter.  He walked down the hallway to the landing at the top of the spiral staircase.

“Announcing actor Karm Nomrah.”  The voice came out of nowhere over a speaker above the band.  A few people looked up from their conversations.  He made his way down the staircase and into the crowd to mingle.

A woman wearing a long formal dress with a slit up the length of her legs to her mid thigh walked up to her.  Her hair was hoisted high, her makeup was natural, and her voice was friendly.  “Did you enjoy your ride yesterday.”  Instantly Karm realized who she was.

“Yes, ma’am, I did.  Aodh is a magnificent animal.  A bit tall, but magnificent.”

“Glad to hear it.”  Her arm reached around to pat his back as she took a step to pass him.  “Please excuse me, I have many guests to greet.  Please, enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you.”  He said as he scanned the crowd.

There were a lot of people filling the Great Hall.  The whole setting was magnificently decorated.  The cascading lights, candles, and lamps all built a soft nearly romantic ambiance.  Karm was intent on finding Amanda - Arementa, he had to talk to her again, but there was no one in the Great Hall that came close to her appearance.  Brunettes, blondes, jet-black hair, curly, bald, nothing ever matched her.  If they had red hair, it was either too short, the wrong color, or too curly, possibly all three.  The smile melted off his face as his mind began to accept that she wasn’t in the Great Hall at all.

A hearty pat came on his left shoulder as a familiar gravely male’s voice chimed in.

“Man, she doesn’t come to these things.  I told you.”

“She should.  These people are here to donate to her, to her organization.”

“True, but we all understand.  We all know she keeps her distance from us.  You would be well served to learn that too.”

“If only you knew.”  He said as his voice trailed off into oblivion as he continued to scan over the crowd in one last attempt to find her.

His eyes fell on a vision.  He thought it was possible it could be her.  He glanced back at the gentleman he had been speaKing with.

“Good evening Michael.”

Karm made a beeline for the woman he had witnessed standing in the corner watching the band.  People kept attempting to get his attention and compliment him as he was walKing and he would smile and graciously accepted their praises with aw-shucks aplomb, but he maintained his focus on his mission.

People obliviously would cut in his path as he worked his way through the crowd.  He had his eye on her, and someone passed in front of him, and she vanished.  He looked frantically around, and there was no one that matched what he had seen.

He felt his heart sink into his knees.

A man in a tuxedo walked past him and offered a glass of champagne.  Karm declined it with a smooth wave of his hand.

Karm momentarily became aware of his surroundings again, and heard a most familiar song coming from the band.  He realized it described how he felt.  The irony was almost too much for him to handle.

You’re such a high wind blowing
And it’s snowing in my bed
Oh, baby you started flowers growing
Where nothing grew instead
I need some things to hide
My failure of my garden and the way it grew
Oh baby, I didn’t know I could depend on you
You’re such a high wind blowing
I won’t get no sleep tonight
I think that warm wind feels all right
You’re such a high wind blowing
I won’t get no sleep at all
I feel like I’m going to fall
Into your fine high wind
You look like twilight falling
On the ocean in the setting sun
Oh., baby do you know what you have done
I feel like you have changed my mind
About living the way I do
Oh baby, I didn’t know I could depend on you
You’re such a high wind blowing
I won’t get no sleep tonight
I think that warm wind feels all right
You’re such a high wind blowing
I won’t get no sleep at all
I feel like I’m going to fall
Into your fine high wind

Karm looked over at the band performing and there was the woman again.  He urgently worked his way through the crowds again towards the band underneath the landing.  He saw her talKing to Martha.  She wasn’t in formal attire, her hair was swept up into a large ponytail that fell in loose curls caused the twisted bun he’d seen her wearing so often.  Martha was pointing and talKing to the woman with a fever about something that was apparently of utter importance.  He prayed it would be a conversation to last long enough for him to make it to her.

Again, people kept blocKing his progress.  This time he was a little less friendly, brushing them off with a simple hand in the air.

A man in a tuxedo walked past him and offered a glass of champagne.  Karm declined it with a smooth wave of his hand.

He reached Martha and the woman was gone.  Martha was talKing to the chef and caterer.

“Where did she go?”  He interrupted her conversation.

“Excuse me?” Martha turned around exasperated.

“Amanda - Arementa, where is she?”

“I don’t know.”  Martha turned to look at him.  “You look as if you have seen a ghost.”

“I feel I have.  Where did she go to?”

“If she wants you to see her she will find you.  Now if you will excuse me we are getting read for the auction.”

Martha stood up on the bandstand.  She tapped the microphone gently and then leaned into it slightly.

“Thank you everyone for coming.  We hope you are having an enjoyable time.  We are just about ready to start the auction so if you could take your seats please, we will get started with the purpose of this gathering.”

A hush wafted over the crowd as people walked around looKing for their assigned seats. At the tables people found a letter from Amanda - Arementa, an auction paddle, and a catalogue.  When the catalogue was opened, each painting could be seen, and information written by the artist about each painting.  

Karm read the letter before him first.

Dear Mr. Nomrah,

We welcome you to the gala event tonight.  We hope you have enjoyed yourself thus far.  We have certainly enjoyed having you here at Stonehaven Sunset Ranch.

I wish to extend a hearty thank you for attending this event and fundraiser for our program’s growth.  You should find at your place a catalog and an auction paddle.  Please read through the catalog to find what artwork you would like to purchase.  Some of the pieces will apply funds to specific programs, as is noted in the catalog, but most of them will apply the funds in general to the whole Ranch, which allows us to have the best possible use of such.  If you would like to make a donation please make it out to the Stonehaven Sunset Ranch.

Sincerely,
Amanda - Arementa Mc Lane

Below the letter there was a handwritten note.  It read:

P.S.  Karm, you will be able to understand everything after the gala.

He flipped through the catalog quickly.  The artwork was beautiful.

While the crowd was hushed, the band packed up and cleared the bandstand.  An easel was brought out, and the first painting came in and was set upon it.  Martha walked to the microphone and called the guests to attention.

“Ok, here we are with lot number one.  This is Landscape at Horseback.  Amanda - Arementa painted this in watercolors based off her first rescue projects Hallel, Savannah, Entweydemelo, and Rob Roy.  The use of non-local color and non-representational subject matter make it fit into any décor.  We will begin bidding at $500.00. “

Karm raised his paddle.

“I have five hundred do I have six?”