Cherelyn

"Can I look yet?"

Cherelyn says this to me.  I ignore her.

"Come on.  Quit it."

She pushes my hands from her eyes.  I lock them in place.

"How much longer?"

"Just shhh," I say, as I adjust her high heel.  It got snagged on a step.

"All this walking is kind of exhuasting, especially in these heels, you know?"

She's getting impatient.  You need to hurry this up.

"Okay, I'm going to take my hands from your eyes."

"Okay."

"Grab my hand and follow me up the rest of the steps.  Don't look."

"Okay."

My tiny hand folds into her's when she takes it.  Gingerly.  We step.

These steps are made of granite or cobblestone (how would you have any idea?)  and you know they're really, really old and you can't believe--

"What was that?"

"Nothing.  Let's go."

You hear the brusqueness in your tone.  You mentally apologize.

"Nothing.  Are you okay?"

Night moving in, consuming everything, just the way you wanted it.  This will be great.

"I'm alright," she sighs, fixing her heels.  "For now."

You wonder how slippery it will be up there and then if she'll find it beautiful.

***

"Open your eyes."

Where we are is the top of the oldest belltower in a hundred miles.  We learned that in first grade.  No one is allowed up here, of course, but kids sneak to the top to drink and smoke and fuck all the time.  We're kids, so I figured we could get up here too.  For once, I was right.

And what a view.  The full moon casts gray light over the tiny town and I feel like doing a massive belly flop, smooshing all the people who make me mad and sad and

She's kissing me.  I let her.

When she stops and asks "now what?" I say "I'll show you now what."  This is the part I've been waiting for, the part that will make it all worthwhile.

I grab hold of the bell's giant swinging pendulum, I pull it back, and I let that thing go flying.

GONG

Echoes through the town.

GONG

Echoes through the town.

GONG

Echoes through the night.

A million bats come flying.  They're all whirling, swooping, diving around us.  She screams.  You hug her.

And you both stand there.  Bats from all sides battering your bodies.  Bats in your hair.  You keep your eyes closed.  You feel her warmth.  It's cold in mid November.  The bats keep coming.