look.

"Be still with me."

      Soft blades of wind spent past the tunnel entrance, propeller seeds wafted along by them, scattered in front of the hole.  Rinna knelt slowly, her fingers gently embracing the last dandelion, inevitably wilting, alive but waiting, waiting to die.  Clocks began to tick inside her head.  Her mouth formed a small "O" as she turned and saw the frigid, angry storm clouds forming in the distance.

      "Ben.  Ben!"  No response.  It was always like this; too late, and why?  Because

      A dry lump formed in Rinna's throat as she peered into the tunnel, greeted by an unlikely object to her face - a - what was it?  "Boo."  Up, away, out of the tunnel it flew, one single
balloon

      Ben's voice startled her - she'd thought he was still asleep.  Looking up, she caught the double sensation of the mischievous sparkle in his eye and the ceiling of the tunnel knocking against her head at the same time.

      He smiled

   She didn't

      "We need to go, now.  Come on.   And, don't do that again."
             "Do what?"
      "Scare me."

      Ben's hand closed around hers.

"Be still with me."
   "But...!"
"Rinna."

            "I left the casserole in the oven."