17 Aftershock
She sprinted away, leaving the shocked man stuck in place. She flew down the stairs, slamming in the wall, nearly falling down the last few. Her feet gathered beneath her and she dove into her room, locking the door.
It wasn't as if she believed he would actually follow her, but she felt she if she could put any kind of barrier between herself and the roof, then it would be as if the entire thing had never happened.
Her eyes went to Iris who snored quietly, her small hand hanging over the bed side.
Shannon stepped over to her side of the room and sat gingerly on the squeaky mattress. A few drops of rain began to fall, hitting the window softly and the confused girl rose her fingers to her lips, brushing them once more as if trying to remember a past thought.
She could still taste his lips on her own, smell the faint scent of Irish Springs which clung to him like a decadent breeze and even more so, feel the hidden strength and desperation in her arms where he held her.
As if she were in a trance, Shannon bent down to open a drawer, pull out her towel and soap and quietly sneak out of her room.
Her footsteps seemed too loud when she shuffled down the hall and into the multi-tiled bathroom, where thankfully no one else lingered at that time of night. She reached in, turned on the hot water and quickly removed her clothes.
Not even bothering to test the heat of the shower, Shannon stepped in, closed the curtain and waited for some kind of feeling to overtake her.
Her fingers climbed up her naked body, trailing over the curves and ridges that made her a woman. Nothing, she couldn't feel anything at all.
Shannon leaned against the tiled wall, staring at her hands, which trembled with a chill that came from somewhere deep within her. Why couldn't she feel anything? Please, God, let her feel something.
Suddenly, her wish had been granted and a whole slew of emotions she wasn't ready to experience, took her all at once.
Confusion of what had just happened, excitement for the feeling of her fantasies coming to life, desire to feel his embrace once more and the all-encompassing guilt which seemed to wrack her body as if she had been literally punched in the chest.
It felt as if the hot water was melting the ice forming within her, as streams of tears erupted from inside, streaming down her cheeks. Deep, agonized cries escaped her throat. Her hands came to her face, shielding her from the hot water, which bellowed out large clouds of steam.
Shannon crouched down in the shower, holding her shaking body. "What have I done? What have I done?" She cried over and over.
While she understood that he had in fact kissed her first, she didn't stop him from doing so. Nor did she deny the complete feeling of joy which engulfed her with each flash of sensory memory. The image of her leg wrapping around him, her hips tilting...
He was trapped in a terrible marriage, but what excuse did she have? The fact that she was a school girl with a crush on her teacher? That the fantasy had gone too far and crossed into reality?
Home-wrecker
Slut
Vixen
The voices were so audible, they made Shannon jump, as she quickly poked her head out the curtain. The bathroom was as empty as it had been when she arrived. Her green eyes searched the vast space, until another voice sounded,
Whore
It was then she realized that the voices were coming from inside herself. These were her inner thoughts projected so loudly in her mind, that she could physically hear them.
How could she look at him again? How could she go on the rest of trip or the rest of the year knowing that this had happened between them? No voices came to answer her and she believed that her lapse in sanity had passed.
Once the water turned from steaming to freezing, Shannon stepped out and sighed, putting back on her PJs.
She left down the hall, entered her room and settled into bed, wincing at the slight burn on her back from the scalding water.
The rain continued to come down though it was much harder than when she left. Shannon was grateful for it because it was loud enough to cover up the slight sniffles, which still escaped her, until the sweet call of oblivion took her.
