A Town Called Discovery

by R. R. Haywood

  ‘Thanks, Bear,’ her voice sounds tired and strained. ‘Have you called Thomas or James?’

  ‘No, just you. Should I?’

  ‘I can do it. Are the numbers in this pad?’

  ‘Yeah, I don’t know how they’ve done it so quickly.’

  ‘The whole thing is weird,’ she says as he hears her flicking through the pages of the pad. ‘They’ve got pizza takeaway…do you think James has seen that yet?’

  ‘Don’t tell him,’ Bear says. ‘Zara, listen…did your mentor say anything about…’ he stops at the knock at his door. ‘Er…someone’s knocking.’

  ‘You’ve got a visitor?’

  ‘Yeah, hang on…’

  ‘I’ll call Thomas and James.’

  ‘Yeah, okay, bye, Zara…’

  He puts the phone back with a sudden thought that it could be Roshi and he rushes over with his mouth already forming a smile in expectation of hazel eyes flecked with green as the door knocks again, louder and quicker.

  ‘Hey…oh.’

  ‘Well, hello neighbour,’ Tammy says, grinning widely with a cup of sugar clasped in her tanned hands. ‘Need some sugar, sugar?’

  ‘Hi, Tammy,’ he says, showing teeth through a forced smile.

  ‘Aw, now y’all look so lonesome and lost,’ she says, lowering her head to look up in a way about as bashful as a wolf staring at a lamb. ‘Tammy thought she’d come and make sure y’all settling in…’

  ‘I’m fine,’ he says as she sweeps through into his lounge. ‘Er, like just got here and…’

  ‘Oh, now I remember these places being new, so dull and boring,’ she says with a scowl that quickly slides into a big grin when she rests her eyes on him. ‘Now, why don’t you make us both a drink and we can get to know each other a little…oh, my, where are my manners?’ she gasps at her own temerity. ‘Here you are all new and lost and I’m being demanding…’

  ‘I am quite tired actually…’

  ‘I bet you are,’ she drawls. ‘You rest and I’ll make the drinks…maybe have a shower?’ she suggests. ‘You know how to use it? I’ll be happy to show you where the knobs are…’

  He swallows at the overt predation within her gaze. ‘Drink! Drink would be lovely.’

  She about turns and sways her way into the kitchen as he falters at the door, thinking he should close it but not wanting to seal himself in with her. He does close it, reluctantly and with a last hopeful look round for Roshi smirking in the shadows.

  ‘I was going to bring a bottle of vino, but newbies are banned from the hard stuff,’ she says as he walks in. He blanches again when she turns, seeing she’s undone another button on the top of her dress to reveal more deeply tanned chest full of lines and wrinkles from over-exposure to the sun.

  ‘No!...er…I mean…yeah, no…er…alcohol.’

  ‘Shame,’ she pouts, pulling a sad face then bends forward opening the fridge door slowly while her tanned breasts dangle within the dress that he refuses to look at. Totally refuses. Denies even. He fell from the sky, he climbed the cliff, he did the path and arrows, he outran the dogs and fought the men in the seven-sided room.

  He looks. It’s impossible not to. A tiny twitch of his eyes and just enough to see the wrinkly mounds and instantly hating himself and the whole of everything for doing so.

  ‘Oh, my,’ she says primly, suddenly pushing the material of her dress in. ‘I do apologise to you, showing my assets off without a care in the world…what must you be thinking of me…’ she rises with the carton of milk, holding it to her chest.

  ‘So, er…what is it you do in er…here in…um…Discovery, Tammy?’

  ‘Aw, now that’s so sweet,’ she purrs, finally moving the cold carton away to show one erect nipple pushing straining under the material of her dress. ‘Y’all making small talk with Tammy but you know we can’t chat none about things, what with you being a newbie and all. No, sir. We’ll just have to find something else to discuss,’ the last word comes out slow and deep.

  ‘Argh, er…why…um…so, why’s that then?’ he says in a voice several octaves higher than usual.

  ‘It’s the rules, sugar. But those rules don’t prevent us discussing other things and doing other things…’

  ‘Oh, my god…er…listen I’m really tired…’

  ‘Oh, me too,’ she says with a sudden stretch, pushing her chest out even more. ‘So darn tired…maybe we should…’

  ‘Fuck no! Haha! I mean…er…so, we can’t talk about anything then?’

  ‘No sir, nothing at all. Maybe Tammy should tuck you up and…’

  ‘Roshi said they do time travel,’ he blurts, earning a foul look in response.

  ‘Damn Roshi, she got no right telling you that before you do training.’

  ‘Is it true?’

  ‘Now, sugar, I just said we can’t discuss that.’

  ‘What can we discuss? Have you travelled in time? Have you met the old lady? What’s she like? Roshi said you all see a lot of wars…’ her look darkens, the body language changing as she stops pushing her chest out to stand normally with a hand on her hip.

  ‘She’s a whore bitch is what Roshi is,’ she spits.

  ‘Why does everyone hate her?’

  ‘I ain’t telling you nothing, now I come over here being neighbourly so…’ she rallies for another try, forming a sensual pout and sway as she takes a step towards him in the tiny kitchen. ‘Y’all seem stressed, maybe you need a rub…’

  ‘Er…we saw the doc!’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Tammy says, moving closer.

  ‘She er…we heard and…’

  ‘Sure honey,’ she comes closer, not hiding her actions of reaching up to undo another button.

  ‘James has a huge penis!’

  ‘Say what?’

  ‘Huge,’ he smiles weakly, holding his hands out like the doctor did. ‘Said it was like that big.’

  She blinks at the spread of his hands, looking from one to the other.

  ‘Poor bloke,’ Bear says. ‘I think he’s really er…like…upset and…I just wish I could go and comfort him but…’

  She looks from one hand to the other, her head moving left to right. ‘Y’all can’t go out after dark.’

  ‘No,’ he whimpers. ‘Poor James.’

  ‘Poor James,’ she whispers as her hands drop from undoing the button. ‘He really upset?’

  ‘Oh, god yes.’

  ‘Poor lamb.’

  ‘He is a poor lamb.’

  ‘Maybe I should go check’

  ‘Oh, you should. You totally should.’

  ‘But I came all the way over here to see you…’

  ‘S’fine! Poor James,’ Bear says, holding his hands still spread up a bit more. ‘Doc said she’s never seen one so big…I think it hit him hard.’

  ‘You’re right. Something like that will upset a man for sure.’

  ‘Called him a human tripod.’

  ‘A what now?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘You’re a good friend, Bear, telling me poor James is so upset right now…’

  ‘Poor James.’

  ‘I’ll go check on him, being neighbourly and all.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘I can come back after and see you if you want?’

  ‘What the fuck? I mean no, no it’s cool…I’ll get some sleep.’

  ‘What about that other one? The doc say anything about his…never mind…you take care now, sugar and Tammy’ll see you soon,’ she kisses his cheek, pushing her breasts into his body before walking quickly out across the lounge and through the door, leaving Bear gasping at the speed of her exit.

  ‘What just happened?’ he asks the silence of the room, but the silence of the room doesn’t impart any wisdom. He moves to close the front door she left open in her rush to find James and feels a rush of guilt at what he just did. Is James a friend? A mate? Will James even mind? He didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered with the doctor earlier. Still, it was a shitty thing to do.

&nbs
p; He stops in the doorway to stare out at a sky of proper night filled with shining stars and an air that feels warm and sultry. He looks over to the other buildings, seeing lights on inside and hearing music and the sound of laughter that invokes another surge of homesickness and a sudden pressing desire to go out and walk round. Then, he spots a figure in one of the nearby houses staring at him through a window raising a glass in greeting and decides, on the balance of things, that maybe not being arrested, jailed, fined and punished will not be the best start to his new life.

  Tea is the nectar of the Gods. That is without doubt. It is not even arguable or worthy of discussion. This conclusion is reached while Bear sips from his newly made mug of Finest Discovery Tea with another murmur of deep satisfaction and suddenly, everything doesn’t feel quite as bad as it did a few minutes ago when he felt desolate and lost. Now, it’s just a bit shit.

  The chore of unpacking his new clothes and putting them away passes quickly, with frequent sips of his new favourite thing to help ease it along.

  Into the bathroom and he brushes his teeth while staring at the weird bloke in the mirror. The shower is decent, the soap is nice, and he washes, rinses, dries and walks into his bedroom in his new boxers to listen to the crushing silence of nothingness.

  More tea.

  He tests the sofa. The wooden chairs. Washes up his tea mug, finds the waste bin and walks back into the bedroom to listen to the crushing silence of nothingness.

  He gets into bed then gets out of bed, turns the light off and gets back in while around him the strange noises of the night grow magnified and abstract. He won’t sleep. There is no way he’ll sleep. He’s too wired. Too stressed and freaked out, besides, he can’t remember ever sleeping before and sure as shit, he’s not going to do it now. Then, as his eyes adjust to the gloomy light, he spots the faint spider web cracks in the plaster on the ceiling above him. Like striations in a beam. He inhales deeply. He is not here. This is not real and pain is just a suggestion.

  What woke him? A noise? There is no noise. The gloom is deeper now, the shadows darker. He pushes the sheets off, straining to listen then rises to his feet and moves silently towards the door. The curtained window on his left, the only source of light, and the illumination it gives is a mere lifting of the darkness but he sees the hand coming from the depth of the shadows, and in the split second it takes to react, to position, to block, to catch the wrist and turn it to snatch the blade free so he scents the air that is filled with the aura of Roshi and the scent of cherry blossom.

  ‘What’s up buttercup.’

  Her whispered voice cuts off as the blade taken from her hand presses lightly at her throat. She lifts her chin in defiance and even then, even in that depth of darkness with a knife at her neck, he can see the taunt in her eyes and that wry smile.

  ‘Nice undies, I was hoping you’d sleep commando…’ He starts lowering the blade, but her hand comes up, pushing it back in place. ‘Keep it kinky, honeypot.’

  ‘What the fuck?’ he snorts the unwilling laugh as that wry smile spreads to a big grin that shows the whiteness of her teeth.

  ‘I was going to kill you,’ she says.

  ‘Were you?’

  ‘I’m an assassin.’

  ‘Is that right?’

  ‘You snore so loud.’

  ‘Do I?’ he asks, genuinely surprised.

  ‘Like an actual bear.’

  ‘Why does everyone hate you?’

  ‘Cos I’m shpeshal.’

  ‘What did you do?’

  ‘Zara’s pretty,’ she says, ignoring his question.

  ‘She is,’ he replies, feeling a subtle stiffening in her frame.

  ‘You met the doc yet?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘She’s pretty too.’

  ‘Very,’ he replies assertively, almost spitefully and her hand grips harder as she glares unblinking while the tension in her form flows into him.

  He starts lowering the knife, but she grips harder, holding it in place. He exerts more strength but so does she, forcing the blade into her skin and the flesh peels with a tiny cut that forms a bead of blood that runs dark and fat over the blade. He wrenches back, his strength and speed greater but with a hint that she is letting him win, toying with him and the second he wins the blade to cast it aside so she pushes out, getting her hand to his throat and turning fast to slam him into the wall.

  ‘You’re bleeding,’ he says.

  She gets a finger to the cut, scooping the rivulet of blood up onto the end of her digit that she lifts to take in her mouth.

  A grunt, a motion and her back slams into the wall with his hand on her throat. She tries to strike but he blocks and grips her wrist, lifting it to hold against the wall above her head while her chest heaves and her breathing becomes harder, faster and deeper. Her knee rises but he twitches to block with his hip. She tries again but he blocks, and her eyes stay locked on his. Challenging and playful but her hesitation and nerves show when she swallows and blinks. This isn’t The Circuit now and the tension between them is not born from violence.

  She tries for the knee strike once more. He blocks and presses closer, preventing her doing it again and she wriggles, bucks and heaves but he tenses, holding position, sensing and feeling the game underway. A minute passes of near silence broken only by grunts and the sound of them breathing harder.

  ‘I can get free,’ she whispers, daring him to say she can’t. Their faces but inches apart. His body trapping her.

  ‘You can’t,’ he says simply, honestly, adding a smile of his own. ‘Why does everyone hate you?’

  She blinks suddenly, flinching as though in pain. ‘You’re hurting me,’ she gasps.

  ‘Fuck that, Roshi…’

  ‘My little bear,’ she laughs but blinks nervously and he detects the tremor in her body, ‘I so thought you’d fall for that.’

  ‘Why do they hate you?’

  ‘Wanna see me get free now?’

  ‘You can’t.’

  ‘Can.’

  ‘Why does everyone…what are you doing?’

  ‘Getting free,’ she says, looking him in the eye as her free hand brushes over his groin again.

  ‘That’s not fair,’ he whispers tightly.

  ‘What’s not fair?’ she asks, as her hand passes over his groin once more then stops to rub.

  ‘You are so fucked up,’ he says then gasps when her hand pushes into his shorts.

  ‘Give in and I’ll stop,’ she whispers, her lips rubbing softly over his ear.

  ‘Fuck you,’ he whispers, swallowing but standing his ground as her hand starts moving up and down.

  ‘Well, duh…that’s why I’m here…unless you just want to cream your pants from a handjob.’

  ‘No…no, I don’t.’

  ‘I said I can get free,’ she takes his earlobe in her teeth, making him gasp and stiffen.

  ‘Say I’ve got you,’ he grunts, his face turning to kiss her cheek.

  ‘You stubborn shit…’ she breathes, turning so their lips brush.

  ‘Say it,’ he whispers, barely kissing, almost kissing, so close, so very close. Hearts booming and bodies trembling with tension and desire and fear of rejection. A second in time frozen for eternity. Their eyes locked and a meeting of wills, of energies that refuse to be beaten or cowed.

  ‘You’ve got me…’ she whispers with raw honesty.

  Their lips meet and the thrill surges through them both. The glorious anticipation of the contact now made and rewarded. A gentle kiss. A soft kiss. An expression of emotion shared then the urge comes back, and they can’t get close enough or move fast enough. His hands drop to the hem of her top, pulling it up as they break to let the material go by before pushing back in to kiss again. Her jeans go down. His boxers tugged and shoved. He fumbles at her knickers, but she drives him back across the room to the bed, pushing him down onto the mattress as she steps over to straddle and reaches down to pull the material of her underwear aside before sinking down on
to him.

  ‘Oh, my god,’ he gasps at the feeling, at the sensation, at the idea of it and the sheer unbelievable rush of ecstasy inside.

  She doesn’t take him fully but lowers slowly, her eyes locked on his with that vulnerability showing in the shadows. She breathes harder, lowering to take him in and pushes her forehead into his. ‘It’s been a while,’ she says quietly.

  ‘Does it hurt?’ he asks, his whole world suddenly consumed with abject worry at causing her pain.

  ‘It’s fine…just don’t thrust.’

  ‘I won’t thrust.’

  ‘Good,’ she gasps.

  ‘I really want to thrust now you’ve said it.’

  ‘Don’t…not yet…’

  ‘Okay…oh, my god!’

  ‘Are you coming?’

  ‘Fuck! Oh, my god…I can’t stop it.’

  ‘It’s not even in properly…wow, you’re still going…’

  ‘Oh, my god, oh, my god…’

  ‘Jesus…how much semen have you got?’

  ‘Sorry,’ he spasms underneath her. ‘Kiss would be nice…’ he grunts.

  …

  ‘I am so sorry,’ he murmurs a few seconds later, savouring the press of her lips on his.

  ‘It’s fine, my trigger-happy little teapot,’ she says between kisses.

  ‘Um…’

  ‘What?’ she asks, pulling back a fraction.

  ‘It’s all the way in, I think.’

  She wriggles and sinks down deeper, then deeper, pushing her groin into his until the contact is full and absorbed wholly. ‘It is now,’ she gasps. ‘You’re still hard. Go again?’

  ‘I’d love to.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Definitely. If you want to?’

  ‘I’m pushing your penis into my vagina…do you think I want to?’

  ‘Just checking.’

  She starts moving slowly as their breathing deepens again and his hands reach up to cup her cheeks, guiding her down to kiss so gently, so softly.

  She moves higher, groaning as she rides him while he feels the stiffen of her nipples within his mouth. They kiss more, unable to stop kissing, unwilling to stop kissing and although his new life has been short and filled with terrible, awful pain this makes every second of it worthwhile.

  ‘You’re better than tea,’ he tells her between kisses.