Aurelio Tightens his grip

Rough Outline

Aurelio stood next to Cecelia as she slept in her hammock, with a woven silk pillow that she had found surpisingly comfortable. She had fallen asleep nestled into the pillow, with the hammock pulled over her, pushing aside the thoughts of what she was actually sleeping in. Aurelio noted that her eyes were moving, knowing that she was having a dream he leaned in and whispered, “Hold on. Don’t fall in. I’ll send you a line. Just hold on.” Then he backed up, watching her body startle and twitch. He cracked his leg against the pillar causing a big thud that woke Cecelia up.

“Ah! Oh,” she sucked in a quick breath that only filled her throat, her stomach muscles pulled in to her backbone. “What? Where?”

“My dear,” crooned Aurelio, “are you alright?” He said approaching her, but keeping to the shadows.

“I fell. I was dreaming I was at the ocean, then all of the sudden I was in Cova d’en Gispert, my kayak was wedged in a crack, the water was dropping. I was dangling from my tipping kayak, and,” she paused and looked at Aurelio, “and you were there. I couldn’t see you but you called to me, I could feel a soft rope.”

“Oh my dear, what a terrible dream. But I’m glad I could play a part, a sweet part for you. Now, come, sit up and eat your breakfast.”

She sat up, reaching carefully for the floor with her feet. As she nibbled her food, Aurelio continued.

“I hope you are finding it comfortable here. I do love having your company, especially since my old friend had to go.”

She nodded with a slight frown of confusion. “Go?”

“I miss her so much,” he lilted, ignoring her question. “Now, do tell me what brought you here. How is it that I find myself with a new friend?”

“I was running. Well, mopeding to be exact. I needed to get away from the prince.”

“Oh, was he that terrible?”

“No, not really. More like he was that good, and I was that terrible.”

“Certainly not! How can you say such a thing. I’ve met him myself and he was perfectly charming.”

(Flash back to when Aurelio meets the prince. The prince is quite complementary of aurelio, but warns Bonito that there’s something evil growing in him.)

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be good enough for him.”

“You’re good enough. My dear, oh my dear, you can’t let someone like that put you down.”

“I didn’t say he put me down, exactly.”

“You didn’t have to say it. I know his type, remember I’ve met him, and he can make anyone feel less than important because he’s SO important.”

“He is a prince.”

“But that doesn’t give him the right to insult you like that.”

“Insult?”

Aurelio cut her off, “Certainly, his highbrow attitude would make anyone uncomfortable, especially if you’re thinking about living with him the rest of your life! What a hell that would be.”

“Hell? Oh, I don’t know…”

“Oh, yes–hell! Just think of how you could never measure up.”

“Yes, I could never be good enough.”

“But you’re good enough for me. You’re my savior. Where would I be without you? All alone and despised, rejected and shunned. You are my only friend, and I can’t live without you. The prince, he can survive just fine. But not I. I have found the apple of my eye, and without you I am nothing.”

“Nothing? Certainly not.”

“I have been rejected and beaten. But you have always treated me with care and respect.”

Cecelia thought about her reactions of disgust and fear in light on his reaction, and started to convince herself that her reactions had been well hidden. He must just have seen her as quiet and shy. Could she do that going forward, she asked herself. Aurelio watched quietly as she contemplated these twists of logic settling into her mind.

She replied, “I’m glad I could be nice to you.”

“We need each other, don’t we. Where would I be without you. Certainly, I was contemplating ending my life before you came. I was so distraught about my old friend being sick and dying that I didn’t know if I could go on alone. Surely you can see that. I owe you my life,” he concluded, knowing full well that he was capturing her life in his devious clutches.