The Box, Chapter 12

The Box is a short story I wrote in 2020. It inspired my second novel, Can You Be.

This is Chapter 12.

Church St, Charleston, SC

Read below or watch/listen to the video at the bottom of the page:

Twelve days later, hurricane Dorian reached Charleston as a Category 3 storm. It didn’t make landfall in the city as was expected. The storm started the afternoon of September 4 and continued into the night. The actual hurricane passed through the next morning. Several people lost power. There was flooding in some areas, but it wasn’t bad.

Naina and Raiya huddled together in his apartment. His windows were shielded from direct onslaught of wind and rain and he had more streaming options than Naina. They lost power for a couple of hours on Thursday morning, but otherwise, their 24-hour popcorn and Amazon Prime session ran uninterrupted. Naina kept her angelite securely in her pant pocket the whole time.

Naina thought about the questions Holy Man posed. She did not know what brought her joy, but it was clear she had not enjoyed her job at the real estate office, and she had never liked Alice or Matt. She felt relieved she was not at the mercy of their arrogant demands. Still, she had no clarity on what to do next.

She finally shared all this with Raiya, who insisted she reach out to her father. After the storm passed, Naina called her father to tell him she no longer had a job. Raiya sat next to her and Naina held on to his hand for support.

“I should have listened to your stepmother long ago and cut you off. You’ll be thirty in a couple of months. It’s high time you fend for yourself. I’ll send you one last payment for October and that will be it,” he said.

“Since when is it known that parents pay for their children at our age? We are retired. If she were a dutiful daughter, she would be sending us money. She’s a spoiled girl.” Her stepmother spoke loudly in the background.

“What will I do?” Naina squeaked.

“Get a better job,” her father said, hanging up.

Tears swelled up in Naina’s large brown eyes. Raiya didn’t have to ask how the conversation went. He knew it meant that by the end of the month, Naina wouldn’t have a place to live.

“How about we move in together?” he asked.

Naina tried to imagine what it would be like. In the short month they had known each other, her life had been turned upside down. Her routines were disrupted, and she spent more time outside of her apartment than she had ever done before. She had rich and fatty foods and her skin hadn’t broken out. Nor had she gained any weight. She had never been happier. She didn’t know if the angelite played a role in this. She had no proof of it, but the crystal gave her a sense of encouragement, unlike anything she had felt before.

“We get along well. We are comfortable with each other. We could both save money.” His expression was warm and he enclosed her hand with both of his.

Naina felt chills run through her body. It felt good as if a blanket were snuggling over her. She threw her arms around Raiya, clutching at his neck. It was the biggest hug she had given anyone ever since her mother was alive.

“Raiya, you bring me joy.”

Watch or listen along below: