Читать книгу The Red Spark - DH Steppler - Страница 3

That red spark was an enticement and a daring invitation to the unknown but thinking that you have enough knowledge about something doesn’t make it so, at least not in my case.

There were so many other decisions that should have been considered before I made that leap. One of those considerations should have been for my own safety.

Sitting in the garden breathing the premium air produced by my loving growing friends and feeling the warmth of the morning sun on my body, I was reckless even though there was peace all around. That very peace was the impetus of my recklessness.

Things I should have questioned were about my location for that adventure. I knew better than to jump the particles in a location were I was vulnerable to the elements. Experimenting was my secret passion and most of the time I was methodical about the process of any experiment. Being the person that I am, my natural unawareness became a great detriment.

Looking at the ring on my left pinkie finger, Ricky was her name, I saw the invitation she sent from the minute particles that danced, first all around Ricky and then grew to surround me. I’d planned to ignore her but she sent her big guns and enticed me with a beautiful red spark.

For quite sometime I’d wanted to take that adventure and learn what the red spark meant and go wherever Ricky beckoned me to go. I’d ridden her particles out into the universe many, many times and found the action to be rewarding. Taking the scents and flavors found within the dancing particles to currents out into the universe enabled me to reach Michael when we were not able to connect with one another physically. Ricky’s particles were my ride.

Both Michael and I had taken the trip many times together and met up on the current of our combined flavors to connect on a level beyond what seemed humanly possible. Our union within that current was complete, creating the most perfect and absolute wholeness, taking the two of us as one halves and making us one whole. We were always bolstered by the connection while together on that current. We counted on that completeness to hold the pain of separation at bay until we could be together and actually connect physically to assuage our need for each other. When the time was right, Ricky and her particles brought us back to our bodies to awake carrying that glorious joining into our conscious lives, making each and every trip a valuable and rich experience.

With that history going for me I assumed that there was no danger. No, that’s not fair to say; I have to admit that danger was not even a consideration.

I focused and made the leap. My only thought was to give Ricky the lead and allow her to take me where she wanted me to go. The redness was all about me along with a turbulent wind and a frightening feel of chaos. All of the spinning seemed unnecessary and disorienting but that didn’t last long. Eventually I found myself observing the happenings aboard the cruise ship where Michael and I met.

It was that first day and the night of the terrible storm that seemed to only affect the two of us. I didn’t, at first, understand what I was seeing and hearing – not unlike me to take longer to catch on to things than most but eventually I got it.

I was standing in the dark drinking my scotch and offering it to the intruder who was also trapped out of his cabin when from upon that red current, I saw the great wind that knocked the scotch out of my hand and sent me flying into the sliding glass door. At the same time the wind hit the intruder and sent him into the window with great force. For a fleeting second I was sure that I was not the target of that ball of wind that I’d some how gotten in the way of its true target, the intruder.

The intruder was Michael. Just like me he had been trapped out of his cabin and came to my cabin by way of the patio adjoining door to see if my door was locked as well.

When I awoke, there was an oxygen mask over my face and I was on a stretcher in the garden. Charlie was standing next to the stretcher with a look of fear in his eyes. His hand was holding mine and I could hear him talking to the paramedic.

“I found her slumped over the table. She was breathing but I couldn’t rouse her.”

“Her blood pressure is fine. Oh, there she’s coming round.”

I heard the paramedic say.

When I tried to sit up, I found that my body didn’t obey my commands. Where was the calm and rejuvenating effect that was always evident after a ride into the universe? Charlie was kissing my forehead and I felt like crying. He pulled ever so slightly on my hand and I came to a sitting position and breathed deeply hoping for my strength to return.

The worry in his eyes made me smile at him to assure him that I was ok. That smile and the fact that I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest gave us both the relief that we needed and released us from the gripping fear.

Eventually Charlie carried me into the house and put me on my bed.

“Stay right there. I’m going to fix some soup and I’ll be right back.”

Tut, my Baby Blue Amazon parrot, came screeching into my room.

“Helen, squawk, Helen, I love you Helen.”

I followed with my usual response.

“Hey, hey good looking, I missed you pretty boy.”

My voice sounded distant and my head ached.

Tut pushed his beautiful feathered head into my hand for some attention and I responded like I always do by petting him and scratching him and stroking my fingernails through his feathers.

“I love you Tut. You are my sweet pretty boy, smart and funny and very cleaver.”

I cooed at him the love that he some how drew out of me at every encounter.

Charlie came back into the room carrying a tray.

“Can you sit up?” He asked.

“Helen, can you tell me why you passed out in the garden?”

There was still residue of fear in Charlie’s voice.

For whatever reason, I kept the universal travel to myself.

“I’m not sure what happened.” I said, trying not to lie.

“Do you remember when you went to the garden? I called earlier to tell you that I’d not be home for lunch. But I see that you never got that message.”

Looking at Charlie’s sweet face made me want to kiss his big lips and to feel his arms around me. The man felt like my anchor, my hold on reality.

He set the tray down on the edge of the bed and helped me into a sitting position. Putting the tray across my lap, he commanded.

“Eat and then we’ll talk.”

“Charlie,” I said.

“I’m hungrier for you than for food.”

Rewarded by his sweet smile, I wanted him to throw the food away, take our clothes off, and then join me in the big bed.

“Oh, you’ll get me alright but right now, I want you to eat the soup. Would you do that for me, please?”

When the bowl was empty, I could feel my strength returning. Charlie took the tray away and when he came back he removed my clothes the way only he can. His process for clothing removal was fascinating and something that I’d never want to mess with.

After removing his own clothes and shoeing Tut into the other room and closing the bedroom door, he crawled into bed with me. He gave me the attention that I craved and after I was sated from our lovemaking I was as strong as before.

While lying cradled in Charlie’s big arms I started to piece together what had happened while in the garden. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see that it was 8 o’clock in the evening.

“Charlie, what time was it when you came home?”

“I’m sorry but it was late, I’d say it was 5:30. Would that help in knowing how long you were out there and in trouble?”

“I don’t know. I’m just trying to figure it out.”

I’d only give Charlie what I had to. I didn’t want Charlie to think that I was crazier than he already did. Calculating in my head how long I’d been out there that morning; I’d spent about an hour with Tut after Charlie left at 8 o’clock before I headed to the garden. There was only about 15 minutes spent in the garden before Ricky presented her invitation. Those facts led me to deduce that I’d been out there for 8 and a half hours. Good thing the weather was mild and sun wasn’t hot. My skin is sensitive to the sun.

The travel with the red spark took its toll on me in time and energy. Of course, I’d talk to Charlie about it but first I needed to speak to Michael, to get Michael’s take on the experience. I didn’t look forward to enduring Michael’s wrath at the fact that I’d put myself in danger again.

Charlie’s stomach growled and I turned in his arms to look into his eyes.

“Did you have any food? Let me fix you something wonderful to eat.”

“Are you strong enough?”

“After making love with you, I’m so strong, I could fly. I love you Charlie. Thank you for being here with me.”

Charlie was the most wonderful person. He loved me which in itself was amazing. More than that, he showed me every day in thousands of ways. My favorite, of course, was what he could do to me physically. He enjoyed making me happy in bed and in general.

Enjoying my alone time was easy even with Charlie around. He was a quiet man who spoke only when absolutely necessary. When he wanted me, he just came to me and asked.

“Can I have you now?”

When he came to me, it was due to his need for me and I always knew that I’d be the one to benefit from his ‘having me now’.

Charlie was an excellent lover and we coupled frequently because we both craved each other. Charlie could be a distraction and a deterrent when there was work for me to do because once in his arms, I never wanted our time to end.

He playfully squeezed my breasts and cupped my butt in his hands. He pulled me to him and kissed me little kisses all over my face and neck. He wasn’t done yet. Yippee. Hearing his endearing high pitched moan as he brought himself into me was sweet music to my ears.

We worked his erection and brought him to his climax at exactly the same time as I reached mine.

“I love you, too, Woman, my crazy woman.”

His words galvanized me into getting him some food. Crawling out of bed, I pulled him to his feet and dragged him towards the kitchen to see just what I could do to appease that growl in his belly. He stopped me before I got to the door and turned me to him.

“Woman, you’d better put on some clothes or you know what will happen to me.”

Charlie couldn’t watch me cook while I was naked because he thought about how it felt to be inside of me and then he got aroused all over again. I liked it but sometimes it took hours to complete a meal.

I threw on a pair of boxer shorts and a wife beater t-shirt and headed for the kitchen. Charlie pulled on his trousers and a button-up shirt but didn’t button it.

We made a great team in the kitchen and in a matter of minutes Charlie was enjoying a hot sandwich and some leftover potato salad. When he was all but finished, he offered me the last bite of his potato salad, offering it to me on a spoon ready to pop into my mouth. I’d eaten the soup earlier and was satisfied, food wise. But, I took the bite anyway because I knew the effect it would have on Charlie. Charlie didn’t watch me eat because; he might as well have been seeing me naked. Watching me eat was a turn on for Charlie.

No sooner had I taken his last bite than Charlie had me in his big bear arms and was carrying me back to our room.

We spent the rest of the night making each other happy and in general enjoying our carnal relationship. After sated sexually we fell asleep wrapped up in each other’s arms. Charlie enjoyed the freedom of touching me whenever he felt like it and I enjoyed it as well. Every touch was part of his loving me.

We carried our sensual feelings for one another into the following morning and took our showers together. Charlie held me in his arms and I wrapped my slippery legs around him, sliding my soapy breasts over his torso. He pinned me to the shower wall while he brought himself in and out of me and at the same time I soaped up his head to shampoo his hair. We laughed over the fun feel of each other before we got serious and worked his erection to a climax.

“You’d think I’d get tired of that, Charlie. But I never do. I want you almost all of the time.”

That little confession made Charlie smile. Charlie’s smile was another turn on and Charlie took me from the shower to the bed again and we repeated the process before I would let him go.

“You’re going to exhaust me before work again woman. I gotta go.”

He literally begged me to release him.

“So, go. If you have to, just go. Charlie, I’m not keeping you here against your will, so go.” I chided him.

He pleasured me again before he tore himself away from me.

“Breakfast in five minutes,” I said as I jumped out of bed, wrapped up in my yellow robe, on my way to the kitchen to make sure my man had the nourishment that he needed to get through to lunch when I’d see him again and we’d share another meal.

My routine had changed some since Charlie moved in with me. I didn’t feel the need to be up before the rest of the world. I’d usually fix Charlie a good breakfast and when he was gone to work I’d visit the garden.

We sat quietly at breakfast. I ate slowly and watched Charlie; I practically glowed from the love I felt for him.

“Helen, I was thinking about yesterday. Maybe you should stay inside today. Have you been able to fill in the gaps to figure out what happened to you?”

When you love someone the way I love Charlie, it was wrong to keep the truth from him and I knew it.

“I went for a ride into the universe and I think that maybe I just got lost. Every other time that I have had that out of body experience, I’ve gained consciousness in about an hour.”

Charlie stopped chewing and just looked at me. “God Dammit, woman, you are crazy.”

He spit the words out along with some of his omelet.

“Are you angry at me Charlie? You’ve always known that I’m crazy. Have I become too crazy for you?”

“No woman, its not anger, its fear; I’m afraid for you.”

Charlie wiped his mouth with his napkin and looked down at his hands. He waited.

To remove that fear and to replace it with something else, I went and insinuated myself onto his lap by straddling him and wrapping my arms around his neck. I whispered in his ear.

“Tell me you love me Charlie, please.”

He whispered back.

“I love you. I worry about you. I need you. I love you.”

“Ok, everything will be fine. Are you finished with breakfast?”

Charlie nodded. I put our lips together and we smooched. Charlie put his hands on the sides of my face and kissed me so sweetly. He kissed me several more times before he had to get or we would end up back in bed. He was a delicious part of my life.

On the front porch Charlie took me in his arms again for our parting, good bye kiss.

“Maybe you could take an extra long lunch today,” I suggested.

“Crazy woman, you are insatiable. I really like that.” Charlie said.

“See you at lunch.”

He patted me on the butt and then ran to his truck. I stood there to watch because I knew he’d jump the fence for me. Every time he jumped that fence I was impressed all over again. Charlie was a big man at 6 foot 4 inches and weighted about 280 pounds so to see him jump that fence was something special.

Tut came to chat with me while I cleaned up from breakfast.

“Charlie’s gone?” He questioned me.

“He’ll be back for lunch. Did you want to talk to him about something?” I asked.

“Crazy love.”

Tut squawked back to me using Charlie’s voice. Charlie and Tut had a good relationship because Charlie could sound just like Tut and vise versa. Crazy Love was the song that they played well together on the guitar. So Tut was saying that he wanted a little guitar time.

Tut continued to follow me around while I made short work of the rest of the chores that took up my morning. Those chores included house hold work as well as the work needed for the designs I was developing.

At 11 o’clock Tut went to the guest room for his morning nap and I went to the garden. Carrying my produce basket and a tall glass of iced tea, I sat for a moment at the table. The day was warm but not too warm. Breathing deeply I took in all the love that my garden was dishing out to me by way of new clean oxygen and our unique communication.

Were they concerned for me? On a general basis I’d say they were always concerned for me. We had a strong bond that garden and me. Through that bond I would know if there was true danger in my experiments with universal travel; I was just sure of it.

Sipping my tea and feeling content, I watched as Ricky’s particles started their inviting dance again.

“Not today, I need to speak to Michael before I do that again, but keep inviting me, please.”

I gathered the produce for our noon meal and sang a song to my rooted friends before we parted. I sang because they liked it; plus I sounded fabulous and I liked it, too.

‘I’ve got the world on a string

I’m sitting on a rainbow

Got that string around my finger

What a world, what a life - I’m in love

I’ve got a song that I sing

And I can make the rain go

Any time I move my finger

Lucky me, cant you see - I’m in love

Life’s a wonderful thing

As long as I’ve got that string

I’d be a silly so-and-so

If I should ever let you go

I’ve got the world on a string

I’m sitting on the rainbow

I’ve got that string around my finger

Oh, what a world, what a life - I’m in love’

When Charlie got home, lunch was ready. He came into the house carrying his beautiful smile and a need to kiss me. But first he went to clean up and then came to me for a proper hello and the yummy food he knew would be waiting for him.

“Oh my God, my favorite.”

Charlie practically giggled at the sight of the special garlic mushroom burger and salad, no fries. I’d also poured him a glass of iced tea.

We enjoyed our meal and I had the benefit of hearing all of the sounds of appreciation that Charlie moaned over the burger.

“You are too good to me woman.” Charlie said as he hugged me to him.

“Ditto lover,” I said.

“Helen, looking at the calendar, you’ve marked that you’re going to London next week. Is that still on?”

“Yeah, it’s a song writing week.”

When I said it, I had a flash.

“Charlie, would you like to go with me to London?”

“Maybe sometime, but not next week; I got a project and can’t leave for awhile.”

“Charlie, I just thought about how nice it would be to travel with you. You could meet Wyatt and we could just play and sight-see together.”

“Your friends Michael and Lu don’t like me.”

Charlie knew that Michael and Lu still held a grudge because of the way we met. Charlie was my kidnapper. There was no ransom or anything like that because money had nothing to do with it. Charlie was only trying to protect his sister Amanda. Since then Charlie saved my life by throwing himself in front of me when someone tried to kill me and nearly lost his own life in that effort to protect me.

“We don’t have to stay with them. Charlie, we got options.”

I snuggled in close and hugged him to me.

“We could have adventures together.”

“I like the adventures we already have.”

Charlie said as he brought his lips to mine.

“I gotta go.”

That afternoon I called Michael.

“Hey Baby, I was just thinking of calling you. What’s up?” Michael answered.

As soon as he answered the phone I felt the reconnect reaching out to me and bringing me, at first an intense and taboo longing that always took my breath away then surrounded me with the most glorious softness and peace.

“Oh sweet reconnect, thank you.”

I took the second to recognize the goodness that our connection brought to me, even through the telephone.

“Hi Baby, I’m calling because I saw on my calendar that we have a session planned for next week. Is it still on?”

“Yeah, we gotta stick to the schedule we set or things get too screwed up.”

I appreciated that about Michael. He was ever punctual and reliable, well where work was concerned anyway. I was still smarting from him and Lu not scheduling a real physical hook up between the three of us.

“Let’s schedule our meeting on the current so that I don’t upset Charlie. He worries so much about me.”

“Baby, you are easy to worry about because you give us so much to worry about.”

“I didn’t call for a lecture.”

“When we meet up on the current, how soon are you conscious after your return?” I asked.

“You mean, how much time does it take for the process?” Michael was getting clarity.

“Yeah.”

“It’s about an hour from beginning to end. So let’s schedule the space hook up for the night before you leave. Why don’t you call me just before you’re ready and we’ll go from there?”

“Ok,” I said as I put it on the calendar.

“Michael have you given any thought to the red sparks that we’ve seen coming from Ricky?”

“Not really, about the only thing that I can come up with is that maybe they’re a warning.”

Not being known for beating around the bush, I jumped right in.

“Yesterday while I was in the garden, Ricky invited me and even sent her red spark. I accepted and jumped in. There was a red feel to everything and there was spinning and turbulence and chaos, so different than the regular party.”

Michael was listening and barely breathing while doing so.

“Anyway, when all the craziness stopped, I was in pitch black and on the balcony of the ship during that horrible storm. Somehow Ricky had taken me into the past. I heard myself offer you a drink of my scotch and then we got hit by that big ball of wind that slammed us into the window.”

Michael hadn’t made a sound and his breathing nearly stopped.

I continued.

“When I woke up, I was on a stretcher in the garden with an oxygen mask over my mouth, like I’d need oxygen when I was in the oxygen capital of the world. What I’m saying is that I was still in the garden unconscious when Charlie came home at 5:30. I’d been there for 8.5 hours. I’m not telling you this to scare you. I just want it chronicled that your take on the ‘red warning’ may have been right on.”

I stopped and wasn’t going to say another word until I heard from him.

“For Christ’s sake Helen, we should talk about this. Someone needs to know when you are taking off into the universe. I always thought that that someone should be me. So the next time you decide to do that, please call me first.”

“Unclench, would ya, I’m alright. Poor Charlie was nearly beside himself and kind of freaked out when I told him that I’d gone to visit the universe. We just need to use this information to figure out the rest of the riddle. 8.5 hours is a long time to be out of commission. But I want you to know that my interest is peaked and I am going to explore this new development.”

“Are you trying to give me a freaking heart attack?”

“Michael, if I wasn’t an exploring kind of person, we would never have discovered the universal travel in the first place. You got to know me by now.”

“Oh Baby, I get it. You’re going to do as you damn well please, even if it scares the hell out if me.”

“Michael, you sound like you need a reconnect. I’m sorry if I frighten you by my behavior; but Baby I gotta be who I am. You want to hook up now?”

“I’m not home and if I passed out here there’d be a stink for sure.”

Michael chuckled at the thought of it. How about tomorrow at about 2 or 2:30?”

“I can make that happen.” I assured him.

“Can you promise me that you won’t jump the sparks until after we see each other next week?”

“Can’t make that promise but I will promise to be careful and to think of how much I love you if I do accept another invitation from Ricky and her red sparks.”

“Hellie,” he used my nickname as a coddle.

“Please listen to Charlie. Allow him to protect you if you do decide to travel again without me.”

“You have no idea how it would please him to know that you said that. He pretty much thinks that you and Lu hate him.”

“He’s not exactly our favorite person but both of us have seen how much he loves you and that works for us.”

“I’m planning to bring him with me on one of my trips to London in the next couple of months. Well, if he’ll come with me, that is.”

“You can count on us to make him feel welcome, I promise.”

“Thank you Baby, I love you. Give Lu my love. Call me tomorrow when you’re ready for our hook up.”

“I will. I love you, too Baby, b-bye.” Michael ended the call.

“B-bye,” I called into the receiver as he hung up.

The following day Michael and I hooked up on our current in the universe to receive from each other the ultimate reconnect. Our beings combined into one for a single unit and the most fulfilling completeness either of us had ever experienced. That single effort brought us peace and confidence throughout the following days.

A couple of days before the trip to London I found myself accepting another invitation from Ricky and her red spark. Remembering everything that had happened the time before, I took precautions and made the decision to only jump in while making sure that my body was safe on my bed.

Thinking that I knew what to expect but also carrying a respectful fear of the unknown I jumped with the intent to relax and let Ricky take me where I was going. The sense of falling through space was exhilarating and a challenge to meet with calm. The redness still carried a foreign feel and a basic sense of danger probably due to the chaos and turbulence.

When I stopped I was on Michael’s balcony aboard the cruise ship during our first dinner together. Michael was surrounded by an aura tinged in red. I could still see how handsome he was in his tux. I could see that at anytime if I used my recall. So I questioned why Ricky took me there and what value was it to us.

In the quiet, between the songs on the CD player, I heard something that I know my recall would never pick up. Granted with the quickest glimpse of the intent in Michael’s mind, I heard his thinking.

“I’ll show them, I don’t need anyone. I’m tired of having to placate others, I’m the star.”

It was brief and then the darkness was upon me.

Charlie, sitting on the edge of my bed, was watching me when I came round and regained consciousness. The look on his face held a number of emotions, anger seemed prevalent but it didn’t completely mask his fear.

“You ok,” he asked.

It took me a moment as I couldn’t speak. I looked at Charlie and slowly replied, “Yeah.”

“Thanks for staying in here,” he continued.

“I can’t seem to move and I remember that the last time I was gone so long a kiss from you made me feel stronger right away.”

Charlie, completely clothed except for his shoes, crawled into bed with me and wrapped me in his arms, kissing me tenderly. Who could ask for anything more than that? In no time I was feeling strong enough to be a handful for Charlie and turned all of my sexual attention on him.

Before I knew it, we were both naked and pressing our bodies together and expressing our individual urgency. Our coupling was swift and a bit brutal but not awkward. Later I would discover bite marks on Charlie’s chest and neck.

Charlie was my treasure; we lay cradled together in our sated bliss.

“I’m sorry woman if I hurt you; I couldn’t stop myself.”

Charlie as usual took the blame and apologized over feeling unable to control the situation.

“Don’t apologize I enjoyed myself. You constantly surprise me. I love you Charlie.”

Charlie quietly kissed my breasts and licked me all over.

“I bet it’s time for dinner; shall I go fix us a nice meal?”

“In a bit we can do it together but first, maybe some answers.”

“Anything Charlie,” I assured him.

“I’ve been trying to wake you for about 30 minutes. Helen it’s frightening when you don’t wake up.”

“Sorry to cause you any fear.”

I put my arms around him.

“Would you let me know when you plan to do that?”

Charlie wasn’t telling me not to travel but he was trying to get a bit of control over the situation.

“Charlie sometimes I don’t plan to travel but then Ricky invites me, I feel compelled to go; like I’m being called by a force greater than myself.”

“Dammit Woman, don’t you understand how strange and scary you are sometimes?”

“You sound like Michael. He told me that I was being reckless and to listen to you and to let you protect me.”

“Will you listen to him even if you won’t listen to me?”

“I listen to you Charlie and I also take into consideration what Michael has to say. In the end, my decisions are mine and I take full responsibility for them. There’ll always be fear of the unknown but I can’t let that fear be the deciding factor in my life. I know that you wouldn’t and neither would Michael.”

He chewed on that for a moment and then I heard his tummy growl again and I was all motion and intent as I sat up and started to get out of bed.

“We aren’t through with this conversation.”

Charlie informed me as he allowed me to pull him to a standing position and head for the kitchen.

At dinner Charlie brought the subject up again and I finally said that I was through with that topic for the evening.

“Charlie, I’m done with talking about this. Let’s move on to other things. Tut wants some guitar time.”

Charlie sighed deeply and looked down at his food. I couldn’t help Charlie anymore with his understanding of my need to see where the sparks would take me.

At the mention of his name, Tut came to the dinner table to see what was going on. He screeched and whistled and Charlie matched his sound to the letter and we laughed all of us; even Tut laughed.

As Charlie could see that he was getting nowhere with his crazy woman, he dropped the investigation and we got into our evening together.

The very next day at the same time, Ricky invited me to visit the universe again and I had intended to turn her down but her red spark was more than enticing, it drew me.

The redness nearly felt like the glow of fire; like everything was going up in flames but there was no sense of heat. The falling was disorienting again and the chaotic turbulence didn’t allow for much thinking, only enduring until it all stopped and I was once again on the cruise ship with Michael. It was the first day of our hook up. We were sitting side by side on the balcony. I’d examined that day multiple times within my recall but I never once heard anything that would make me change the way I looked at that encounter.

The voice was quiet but I didn’t have to strain to hear.

“Don’t think you need any one, oh yes you do.”

After that statement from wherever, Michael reached over the small expanse and hooked our pinkie fingers.

Then I heard the voice again.

“You will need this woman for the rest of your life.”

I barely caught the end of it before the blackness came over me and I was done with that adventure.

When I came to consciousness, I saw that Charlie was sitting on the side of the bed looking at me again. His attitude was sadness in the extreme. Neither of us said anything for a very long few minutes. My body wasn‘t yet responding to my commands or I would have been wrapping my arms around Charlie and kissing him soundly about the neck and face in an effort to take away the sadness that I saw there.

Charlie was the first to speak.

“Helen, I can’t take this anymore. You frighten me too much.”

“What do you mean?”

I nearly cried to him. Then I saw that his two suitcases were standing near the door. It took a minute but finally I got it. Charlie was leaving me again. Still without my strength the fear nearly swallowed me.

“Please Charlie.”

I sobbed and tried to reach out to him but my arms wouldn’t answer the will to move.

“You can have me now, Charlie.”

“Woman you’re leaving me out and I just can’t take it anymore.”

I repeated myself as I didn’t know what to do and I was totally unable to move.

“You can have me now, Charlie. Please have me now. I need you so much. Charlie I can’t move. Please don’t leave until you hold me again.

He must have seen the fear in my eyes at the prospect of him leaving me because he gently drew me into his arms and set me on his lap. He kissed me tenderly and my arms were around him as soon as I could feel any strength at all coming back to me. I wrapped myself around him and clutched on to him like a spider monkey - if he left, he’d have to take me with him.

“Shh, shh, shh,” Charlie shushed me and rocked me while I got a better hold on him.

I whispered in his ear.

“If you leave me, I won’t die but I’ll want to. I’m sorry for being so odd and crazy. Have you stopped loving me again?”

“Woman I love you and I always will but you are so reckless and unconcerned for your own safety. I don’t want to watch you hurt yourself.”

“The most painful thing in the world for me would be for you to leave me Charlie. It seems that you want me to be someone else but I am who I am. I was under the impression that you wanted me for your crazy woman. You’re my man. I can’t live without you.”

My strength back, I turned in his arms and straddled his body and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him and rubbed my breasts into him.

“Please don’t be angry at me and think of leaving.”

That’s when I saw the tell in his eyes. He wasn’t going to leave me; he was grandstanding. I relaxed slightly at the knowledge that he wouldn’t go but I also recognized that he was trying hard to lay down the law, so to speak.

My eyes still glistening with tears, I smiled at him with my next words.

“How about we discuss how you can help to keep me safe when I jump the current into the universe?”

Then I kissed his big lips and suckled on his tongue and worked, in general, to arouse him.

When he put his arms around me and crushed me to him, I nearly cried from the joy of it. He whispered my name as he began the task of removing my clothes. While he worked his clothing removal process he said to me.

“After, let’s talk about keeping you safe while you travel. Promise?”

“I promise,” I assured him.

While Charlie and I made love I thought about how important he was to me. He made me feel really good, better than anything.

“You know Charlie; I am cursed to love you forever even if you stop loving me. It’s just not in my makeup to unlove after I’ve fallen in love.”

“What is so important to you about your travel?”

Charlie started the conversation after we both reached our climax and he lay cradled between my thighs and stroking and kissing my breasts, first one and then the other.

“Research and experimenting is what happens when I travel through the universe. You know that I lack awareness during the present but my recall and the universe allows me to pick up on stuff that I shouldn’t have missed in the first place.”

“Continue please,” Charlie said still kissing my breasts.

“There are two kinds of travel that I have learned of, so far. There’s the short trip that only takes about an hour and is extremely rejuvenating for hours, even days, after the trip; then there is the ‘red spark’ travel that takes a much greater toll of time and depletes all of my energy. It’s the ‘red spark’ travel that I’ve been interested in as of late.”

“More please,” Charlie said.

“The shorter travel is easy to control but so far I’ve learned no controllable way to take charge of the ‘red spark’ travel and to guide me within it. So it’ll take more research and experiments until I get the understanding that I need.”

“So, it’s the ‘red spark’ travel that is causing our issue.”

Charlie was clarifying for both of us.

“Charlie you said I was leaving you out. I’m not trying to leave you out. I’ve explained to you as much as I understand myself. Have you ever been with me when Ricky has sent her red sparks?”

“No,” was all Charlie had to say.

“I’ve jumped the particles when the red spark was present on three different occasions. And each time I traveled back in time as an observer to the cruise ship that Michael and I met on. I think it all means something; Ricky is trying to tell me something, I’m just sure of it.”

Charlie continued his attention to my breasts but I noticed a slight hesitation and a very slight shake of his head.

“Damn woman, you are unbelievably odd. I’m probably odd as well because I believe you.”

Charlie telling me that he believed me was the sweetest thing to me. I put my hands on either side of his face and pulled his head to me for a sexy smooch. As I pulled him to me, he pushed himself into me. He moaned his high-pitched moan while we were kissing. That sound was igniting and I brought my legs up and around him for a tighter connection.

After the lovemaking, I asked, “Charlie would you be interested in traveling with me into the past?”

“Woman, wouldn’t that just leave both of us unprotected and unconscious?”

“Since you know that I’m going to travel can you think of anything that you could do to help protect me while I’m unconscious?”

I wanted to get Charlie to be part of the discovery and discussions about the precautions that we needed to take to protect me.

“Protect you from anyone getting to your body and doing you harm while you’re unconscious. Maybe you could limit your travel to the weekend when I can be here.”

“That won’t work because I never know when Ricky will invite me and include her red spark. I kind of have to take advantage of each opportunity.”

“Do you have any idea of how long it will take for you to learn how to have control while you’re out there?”

“No, it’s more of a trial and error kind of deal. I’m just the observer and I think I’ll need to observe many more times before I can piece it all together.”

“So, we’re working without much information here woman.”

Charlie was frustrated.

“Experiments that have meant the most to me have been ones that I could build on. Starting with a basic premise, taking a step and then seeing where that takes me.”

“What I can piece together is that you are unconscious for one to eight hours at a pop. You need to have someone watch over you while you’re out…”

Then a little light went on for Charlie; he had an idea.

“Woman, since I can’t be with you all of the time, would you mind if I rigged up a couple of cameras so I can see you from where ever I am?”

“You’re a genius Charlie, that’s a great idea. I’d love to have you watching over me particularly when I’m vulnerable.”

The evening took on another feel; a feel of accomplishment and of progress. Somehow that idea helped to confirm our bond. Even though I knew that I would continue to travel no matter what, the value of Charlie’s protection didn’t go unappreciated. Charlie worried about my vulnerability during travel and came up with a plan that we both agreed to live with.

“While you’re in London, I’ll set it up.”

“I’m starved Charlie, let’s go look in the refrigerator for something to eat. I slept the day away and didn’t make a meal plan.”

“Let’s seal our deal first, what do you say?”

Charlie wasn’t through with the physical side of things just then.

“Seal the deal with a kiss or what?”

“Matters not,” said Charlie as he worked his way into me. He was as insatiable as was I. I told you, Charlie was perfect for me and vise versa.