The Enchanted

The week on the island was pretty uneventful, as usual. Shane was avoiding me, and Josh and Jeremy were working on improving the still. I was helping Jessie try to hybrid some of the plant material we grew to see if we could improve it, and worked on some of the landscaping on the island. We had managed to actually breed and create entire new species of fruit and vegetables that were wonderful, and were considered contraband on the mainland, so thus were in high demand. Eric was our main black marketeer since he was one of the better “poppers” on the island, and he had built relationships with some of the more exclusive stores with high-end clientele. We didn’t really need money on the island, but it was handy to have when we played around on the main, and we could never eat everything we grew. Harvesting was easy since the plants basically just handed everything over pretty easily. We took the best looking pieces and sorted the rest for Eric’s next shipment.

I’ll admit that the closer my day with Andie and Adam got, the more anxious I got. There was this little tickle in the back of my mind that it was a bad idea all around, but I credit two things for making it possible for me to go through with it anyway: Young and Stupid.

I’d never been to Magic Mountain. Even before The Event. I like roller coasters OK, it just was never a priority – one of those things I figured I’d always have time to do. This wasn’t exactly how I planned to do it, but what the hell. Could be fun, right?

Andie and I agreed to meet at the bathroom just outside the entrance to the park about 15 minutes before she was scheduled to meet Adam. Somehow public restrooms had become our “joining” spot…who knows. Not sure if there is any deeper meaning to that, but I’ll let you reach your own conclusions.

I remember wondering if we were somehow cheating the park by only paying one admission. Weird, the shit that goes through my head sometimes. Walking through the park seeing everything from inside Andie was pretty freakish. It was interesting that she pretty much controlled everything except breathing. Not sure why that distinction, but it was notable. I decided to try something and thought “I wonder if she can hear me if I don’t speak out loud”. “Yup, she can” was the jovial response. “Me too” was my only comeback for the moment.

“Let me try walking” and I felt our pace slow and tried to kick in my own instructions for locomotion – it worked! I could feel her smile rather than see it. “OK, you try breathing – focus on it…” and I made a conscious effort not to control it – and we stopped breathing – we kept walking, but no air was coming in. “Not working!” the panic in her thought was clear. “Got it, no worries” and I took over again. That was not good. I was afraid she wouldn’t let me do this any more if she couldn’t have that level of control, but it didn’t come up.

The first ride was a blast. Andie wanted to throw her hands up in the air, but I kept a death grip on the safety bar. I think we established the level of dominance I could assert if I chose to. Andie kept her thoughts to herself about how she felt about that one, and I didn’t ask, a little afraid of what her answer might be.

“So how was that for you?” was the only thing I heard. “It was pretty much just a roller coaster ride, how about you?”

“Seriously LaLa, that’s all it was for you? I feel horrible that that is all it was for you. That was singularly the most amazing 60 seconds of my entire life! I literally felt at one with the universe. I felt flowers grow for fuck’s sake! What’s up with that?” There was fear, awe, and euphoria cascading through her. “Walk, Andie” and I set the fade and walked faster, separating and forcing her to hold herself up. I turned and watched her face as I moved and her eyes were huge and she took over breathing for herself and I watched her knees buckle. Luckily Adam walked up behind her at that moment and caught her. I couldn’t have. In a flash I was home.

I didn’t go back to the beach or see Andie for a couple of months. I stayed on the island and puttered around, accomplishing not much of anything and feeling emotionally fucked up. I was scared to death of what Andie had said. How much had she seen? The boys noticed that I was unhappy, but, being boys, left me alone. Jessie was all over me like white on rice because her plants were withering a bit and she wanted my help figuring out why. I knew why. The plants were withering because I was withering. Sucked.

After a few weeks the twins delivered a message and all it said was “Please.” I knew what she wanted, but I couldn’t do it. She’d gotten too close. What if she figured out my secret, what if she got deep enough to know the truth?

A couple weeks later I see a jet ski approaching the dock on the island. By this time it had been nearly 3 months since I’d last been to the mainland. No one came here anymore. My first thought was “private” and I could feel the island responding. I knew whoever it was wouldn’t make it far onto the island. I didn’t want company, and was able to make sure we didn’t have any. Then I got a look at the rider. It was Andie. I could feel the earth shifting. “Stop”…and it pissed me off to do it. What the fuck is she doing here. Damn it – NO ONE came here for a fucking reason. She was risking her life and her freedom. The WSGF would not be happy if they found out about this.

She looped the tether on her ski and I watched her hop up onto the dock. I knew she saw me there and it pissed me off even more that she smiled at me then walked straight toward me. OK, best to just deal with this now – put a stop to it before she got any further.

“Go the fuck away Andie. You know you shouldn’t be here. Aren’t welcome here.” I admit my rather soft squeaky voice wasn’t terribly menacing. “C’mon LaLa, we need to talk and you know it.”

“What part of fuck off don’t you get? When did that phrase lose its effectiveness on humans? I mean really, I get it, does your brain not work – are you stupid?” I know it was snotty, it was meant to be.

“I thought we were friends, but clearly I was mistaken. And I certainly don’t know you as well as I thought I did even though we know each other intimately, but fuck LaLa, I want to know why you ran off? Did I do something? None of the Enchanted have been back to the beach since I sent that message back with the twins, not just you, and everyone is wondering what happened, and I wonder too. I thought we were having fun, experimenting. Did I hurt you somehow? What is it, LaLa?” There was sincerity in her face, but something tinged her voice. Irritation?

“Look, Andie, it was fun, but I’m tired of feeling like a freak. On the island I don’t have to explain myself, it’s my fucking island. I control it, and I answer to no one here, trust me on that. Now get the fuck off MY island.”

“Fuck you LaLa; I’m not leaving until I know what happened. And I want to offer you a chance to try something I’m betting you can’t pass up. So you give me my answers and I’ll give you the one thing I remember hearing in your head that you wanted. Adam. Wait....What do you mean you control this island? ”

I purposefully ignored the last question – me and my big mouth! “What the fuck does that mean, Andie? What do you mean you heard in my head? That’s exactly why I bailed – you crossed a line. I never went after your thoughts, I only took what you offered up freely. I felt you go there, and my head…my fucking thoughts are off limits – to you, and to everybody. And now you’ve managed to make it worse by humiliatingly reminding me that I lusted after your boyfriend. Not exactly a recipe for a great friendship. And offering to pimp him out isn’t really your most shining moment either”

“Look LaLa. I didn’t go after what was in your head intentionally. It was the adrenaline rush – I think you probably shared more than you meant to, but it was seriously the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. I can’t even really begin to explain it, and I sure as hell can’t tell anyone else about it, so you’re the only one I can talk to. And honestly LaLa, it’s addicting. I find myself Jonesing for that feeling – like some kind of drug, that euphoric feeling – I get turned on thinking about it, about us together. And that’s when the thing about Adam pinged in my brain. If a roller coaster ride was that amazing…arousing even, imagine what actual sex would be like. It’s all I can think about. We have to try this – we have to!”

“I told you Andie, it was nothing but a roller coaster ride to me and frankly sex is not all that appealing – been there, done that, bored with it.” Though I had to admit I did feel some superficial attraction to Adam, as she had obviously picked up on.

“Look, I honestly don’t know how to convince you that I’m not trying to get into your head, though I have to say, there must be something pretty spectacular in there based on how you’re acting, but I thought we were having fun – granted it would seem I was having more fun than you, but I think whatever this thing is that you can do deserves a more in-depth look. Who knows, maybe there are medical implications, or heck, maybe you can figure out serial killers or something, but until we can figure that out, I really want to see what it would be like. I’m curious, OK. I’m no rocket scientist, so whatever is in your head is pretty safe anyway, but I’m in this for the physical – after everything I’ve experienced recently I am discovering that the same-old-same-old is getting pretty unsatisfying. Come on LaLa, what can it hurt? What if I promise to not poke into your brain?” I’m not sure why, but I was starting to soften a little. She was right, it isn’t like there was really anything she could do with the info in my head even if she got it, right? It’s not like she was a government official or anything…

“OK, Andie, here’s the deal. If we do this we are going to have to tell Adam. I refuse to be party to any kind of deception on that level. I certainly wouldn’t want to find myself having sex with someone and not know it. Can he be trusted with this kind of information…fuck, I can’t believe I’m actually considering doing this…” I was honestly pretty disgusted with my own curiosity on the subject.

It took me a little by surprise when she began clapping her hands and jumping up and down. It was almost a little creepy how happy she was about it. “Oh, I totally trust him – and he’ll totally be into it. Oh God, I can’t wait, when can we do it?” Yup, way too excited.

“I’ll meet you at his studio 10:00 tomorrow night. And I’m going to be the one to explain it to Adam, so I am comfortable he’s really clear and OK with what’s happening. I have no idea why I’m agreeing to this, but you have to stay the fuck out of my head, Andie – go where you’re not wanted and you will regret it on a level you cannot begin to comprehend, got me?” I don’t really do menacing well, and I know it sounded a little melodramatic, but I needed to make sure she was clear.

“Got it, no problem. Tomorrow, 10:00, Adam’s studio.” We’ll be there.

I could tell she wanted to hug me, but I shook my head and she turned around and I watched her walk, or more like bounce, back to her jet ski. Fuck, what did I get myself into?