Sing A Twist

by Brooke T. Mays

  When Phillip woke, he felt much better. He picked up his guitar and played for a while. That got rid of the last of his headache. It was late afternoon and he went in search of Elena to see if she had her glasses off. She did, but she was in the kitchen. Damn, if he had woken up ten minutes earlier or came down before he played his guitar, he would have caught her before she got wrapped up in dinner. They had the house to themselves. The other two roomies weren’t home. Nothing to do now but help her get dinner done as fast as possible. Anyway, it was lasagna. He loved her lasagna.

  Elena smiled as Phillip came in the room. She needed a break from studying and dinner was her choice of distraction. She had almost finished the prep work and was ready to assemble to lasagna. Slipping his arms around her, he gave her a long lingering kiss. “I heard you playing upstairs. Are you working on something new?”

  “Just messing around but maybe it will turn into something.” He stirred one of the pots for her. “Can I help you?” She asked him to get one of the larger baking pans down for her and preheat the oven. Elena washed her hands and began assembling the lasagna, asking how his studying was going. He answered her while using the excuse of handing her things as a way to brush up against her. She had the idea that Phillip was using her to procrastinate. She had to admit she was enjoying it, especially as he kissed her again.

  She was just about finished putting the lasagna together when her phone beeped indicating she had a text. She asked Phillip to check it for her as she put foil on the pan and placed it in the oven. She quickly raised her head at what she Sensed from Phillip. “What is it, Phillip?”

  “It looks like I am about to meet this Aiden guy. The message says ‘Be there in 10’. Is he always such a dictator?” As far as first impressions went, the Speaker was not making a great one on Phillip. She scrambled on how to smooth things over. The fewer excuses the Speaker had to use Voice on Phillip, the better. She came up short, though, and in the end settled with answering him with a simple ‘yes.’ As she cleaned up the dishes and bowls that had gone into making the lasagna she reminded Phillip that she would need to speak with Aiden in private. Phillip mostly grunted as he helped her put things away. They were almost finished when the doorbell rang. Elena’s heart beat furiously. An irrational part of her was suddenly certain the Speaker was here to make the people in her life forget her forever. She had been here too long even for the Speaker to accomplish that, though he could make them believe a plausible reason for her to leave. Wondering if Phillip could actually hear the evidence of her nervousness, she fought hard not to squeeze his hand too tightly. Impulsively, she grabbed the back of his head pulling his mouth to hers. When they finally parted Phillip asked, “We’re still answering the door?”

  Unfortunately, yes. Phillip at her side, she led him down the hallway as it stretched in front of them. Elena opened the door. “Hello, Sp – Aiden. Won’t you come in?” Oops. Two seconds in and already she had almost messed up. The Speaker inclined his head before stepping in to their home. “This is my boyfriend, Phillip. Phillip, this is Aiden.” The two of them shook hands. Elena thought she better start talking fast. The less the Speaker said, the better.

  She could think of absolutely nothing to say.

  “Elena tells me that you know her parents. I hope to meet them someday. Still waiting on an invitation.” That is what Phillip leads with? Elena still hadn’t found her voice as Phillip winked at her with a smile adding, “No secrets.” Though with what she was Sensing of Phillip’s emotions, she shouldn’t be surprised. She supposed this was the verbal equivalent of him peeing on her to mark his territory.

  “You would be a lucky man indeed to receive one.” Aiden’s voice sounded deep and dark as it always did to her. It matched the tall, dark frame. Even without Speaking he exuded power, at least to Elena’s eyes.

  Phillip answered him with a shrug and a smile, “I am lucky. And patient,” he added to her as he kissed the top of her head.

  Finally, she came up with something. “Can I offer you something to drink?” Well, at least she had spoken.

  “Thank you, but no. I need to be on my way. We have some short family business to discuss. Phillip, would you mind giving us some privacy?” Elena was so relieved, not to mention a little shocked, that the Speaker was being so careful with his word choices. No chance of even accidentally using Voice as a command. They shook hands again, exchanging pleasantries, and Phillip headed upstairs.

  Elena was about to thank the Speaker for his courtesy, when he added, “Enjoy playing your guitar, Phillip.” His Voice was strong enough that Elena knew that Phillip would enjoy playing. He would probably play until she stopped him or he fell asleep from exhaustion. She tried not to be angry. It wasn’t as if he had commanded Phillip to do anything unpleasant or forget that this meeting had happened. Still, she had too much history where the Speaker was concerned. She couldn’t view anything he did as harmless. She decided to go with her anger and glared at him. It felt better than being afraid.

  He stood there in silence disregarding her glare until they heard Phillip’s guitar start playing. He listened for a bit. “He can Sing?” he actually sounded surprised. This could be dangerous. She wanted to minimize the amount of attention Phillip was receiving.

  She decided not to answer. “Did my mother send you, Speaker? Is there a problem?” She meant to wait him out for an answer, but was having trouble standing still beneath his gaze. “My control is better and I have been very careful. There is no need-…” Elena went white. She couldn’t finish the sentence. There is no need for you to intervene here. That’s what she wanted to say. Apparently, part of her thought otherwise.

  The Speaker was looking at her questioningly. To her great horror, she found she was blinking back tears. He put his hands in his pockets and shifted uncomfortably. She made him feel embarrassed. For her? He would fit her monster mold better if he would take joy in his part of wrecking her life. Maybe he was embarrassed by her? That angry thought loosened her tongue. “This waiting is killing me. Just tell me. Am I being told to leave again?” She would run this time. If he somehow left without using Voice on Phillip – or her –she would run. She would get on Phillip’s motorcycle and ride back to his swamp with him if would take her.

  “Forgive me, Elena. I –” he cut off when Elena automatically answered ‘okay’. He cursed.

  “Elena, feel free to be mad at me or forgive me as you see fit.” Once again the full power of his Voice hit her, and suddenly she was mad again. He rushed on, “I am sorry that I made you wait. I was distracted. I am here at your mother’s request. She knew I would be in your area and asked me to check on you. She has recently sent you a warning?” his voice raised at the end of that statement making it into a question. Elena only nodded her head. Her thoughts were racing - a nod was all she could manage. He continued, “She told me to tell you that her Vision repeats. ‘When Spring’s hue changes echoes’ were her exact words. She apologizes for not being able to tell you more.” He broke off and looked up the stairs once more. “Do you not feel it difficult to control your Talent? His Song is interfering with my concentration.” Phillip was playing her song. Well, the one she wanted to be her song. One day she would get the courage to ask him if he wrote it for her.

  “I hear this song often.” She said instead of a real answer. She tried to lead the conversation away from Phillip. She didn’t want him taking any more note of Phillip’s Talent. “Are you telling me you are in town for reasons other than me? That you just stopped by as a favor for my mother?” This was too much to hope for, yet he nodded his head ‘yes.’ “Well, thank you. If you see my mother soon, please thank her as well. Will there be anything else?” She realized she was rushing him out the door but couldn’t seem to stop herself from being rude. She was half giddy with relief.

  “Well, I am investigating some potentially dangerous activity in this area. Perhaps something organized even. If you hear of anything too unusual, I would appreciate it if you let me know.
Also, there may be someone, or maybe a small group, using Talent to commit petty crimes. I am not sure if the two are connected. And, it would benefit you to take care of yourself, of course.” He smiled an awkward smile at her. She forced herself to smile back. He was being very careful to not accidentally use Voice on her. Even going so far as to not directly say ‘Take care of yourself.’ “I am curious. Why would your friend think I am with the FBI?”

  “You Listened to him!?!” Just when she was starting to feel charitable towards him he violates her trust!

  He held his hands up in front of him as he said unapologetically, “Only when I shook his hand. It is a protective instinct and a beneficial practice in my line of work.” He looked at her as she stood there, silently, pointedly not answering his question. He inclined his head slightly, accepting her silence she supposed. He tried another smile, seeming reluctant to leave. She opened herself. As always with the Speaker, there was an undercurrent of loneliness. What she also Sensed was . . . wistful? “He was also pleased that I am older than the impression he had from your description.” He paused slightly, then added, “And he loves you. But I don’t suppose I need to tell that to an Empathic.” He turned and headed toward the door. “Good-bye, Elena. I wish you happiness in your relationship.”

  “Thank you for coming. Aiden.” She made herself call him by his name. She never used his name when talking with him. It pleased him which made her feel guilty. He had a very difficult job to do. With his position and power in Voice she suspected he was very isolated. She should be nicer to him, but she couldn’t make herself feel anything except happy that he was leaving.

  The Speaker turned back to her once more. His emotions had changed once again. “Elena, your mother watches for you for more than the simple reason that you are her child. You have a role to fulfill. She has Seen it. If you run, we will find you.” Now, she Sensed only resolve.

  She reminded herself that he had been in her mind often. It would be harder to control his Talent around her. He had stated that he was having difficulty controlling with Phillip playing. It didn’t lessen the violation that she felt. He had Listened to her. That was at the opposite continuum of his natural Talent. The opposite power was weaker; it had to be pushed almost, while a natural Talent had to be held in, contained. His Listening would take more energy from him and would also be weaker than his Voice. But, she had to admit to herself, his Listening would also be harder for him to control. That was the way of things. All this ran through her head as she tried to convince herself that he was not deliberately trying to control her life. She failed. Even now, she wondered if he was still Listening. She stared at him as he said goodbye and walked away. Slowly, she shut and locked the door.

  Elena stood there for a moment in the hallway by the door, just leaning against the wall. It could have gone worse. So much worse, she determinedly reminded herself. Time to move forward. Right now, the lasagna had just enough time left in the oven for her to rush upstairs. Phillip was still “enjoying” playing his music. She meant to make him “enjoy” a little time with her.

  She knocked on the door before heading in. He was sitting on the bed playing his guitar. “Are you finished already? I meant to eavesdrop,” he told her with an unabashed grin. He touched his head. “I don’t know why I just started playing.”

  She guided him to the bed. He had been fighting the suggestion. He needed to rest. Mostly he needed to let it go. “Well, I’m glad you did start playing. You probably would have gotten caught, and then he would have been here even longer. It turns out that he was mostly just checking in on me for my mother.” She rubbed his shoulders. “So, you want to meet my parents?”

  “And I want you to meet mine. They will love you, cher.” He relaxed into her touch. “Monica’s never met them either, right?” He waited for her answer and then asked, “Have they met anyone you have dated before?” Again, he waited for her to answer. “Do I even have a chance?” He turned around and grabbed her hands, those beautiful green eyes staring back at her.

  “To meet them? I would be proud to show you off,” she was interrupted, or saved, by the oven timer going off. She should have picked a different subject, something a little safer, to pull his mind away from the Speaker. She just couldn’t help herself. He wanted to meet her parents. It made her smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He followed her downstairs where she removed the foil from the lasagna and put it back in to finish cooking.

  Monica and then Jacob trailed in giving them a chance to actually all have dinner together. She really didn’t want to live in a swamp. A picture of Shrek and Fiona popped into her head. What she really wanted was to not lose this. This little family she had put together, sitting around the table talking and eating together. They even opened a bottle of wine, Phillip and Jacob complaining a little about missing out on having a beer. Monica teased them that their taste buds would finally grow up one day. It was a lovely night and a nice break before they went back to trying to study some more for finals, some with more success than others. For once, Elena had more trouble studying than her roommates.

  The next few days passed business as usual for the closing of a semester. They studied. They took tests. They studied some more. Finally, the last of the tests were over, all four of the roommates were done. It was late afternoon. Monica had gone to work to squeeze in a few hours and try to beef up her paycheck, needing to find a way to make up some of the hours she had taken off to study. Jacob and Phillip were enjoying a beer and playing Frisbee golf in the yard. They had mapped out a “course” that wrapped around the house and included the garage. Elena had caught glimpses of them jumping the fence and heard plenty of bumps as the Frisbee hit their specified marks. Sometimes it was a tree or part of the fence. In the garage, the target was an old bar sign that Jacob had taken home. They were the loudest in the garage. It must have been the most difficult hole of their game.

  Elena was inside the house, smiling to herself as she flipped through a People’s magazine. She had recently got approval to man the hot lines again. She had also decided she was going to focus on counseling. She would steer her thesis in that direction. She felt like she was finally getting her life back on track. The guys came in to the house, a bit sweaty and smelly. It was hot outside. Elena shared her good news about the hotline, and Jacob and Phillip shared a look. What was this about?

  “Elena, Phillip has been filling me in about this Evenfall guy. I agree with him. He could be stalking you, or maybe someone else is, but either way you shouldn’t be out at night alone.” Jacob, so easy going and laid back, was about as serious as she had ever seen him. “We’ve been sticking around here, taking turns making sure you aren’t alone. I’m worried now that you plan to head back to the hotline with all the crazies.”

  They talked more about the whole situation, the cell phone, the picks, the phone calls, her car. Elena lectured Jacob about being politically correct and just plain decent when speaking. In the end, Elena still felt as if it was overkill, but agreed to getting rides and arranging carpools when she was working the hotline late at night. The semester was over and summer session had not yet started. As far as everyone’s schedule was concerned, it was a pretty easy time. It wouldn’t be too much of a hardship on anyone. Truthfully, it made Elena realize how lucky she was to have these wonderful people in her life. “Okay, okay. Agreed. I give. You two get what you want. I won’t be working too many hours in the beginning anyway. It will be pretty easy to schedule my hours around your work schedules. Now go bathe. You guys stink.” They joked some more and both gave her sweaty hugs before Jacob headed upstairs, and Phillip went to her bathroom.

  Phillip got done first and was sitting on the couch with her, his hair sopping wet when the doorbell rang. He answered it and she could hear him talking with another man. She heard Phillip invite him in and then he called to her, “Elena, Detective Talbot is here to see you.”

  The Detective in question came in to the house and showed her his badge as he intro
duced himself. She was very surprised. Surely, the police didn’t come in person to follow up on a car getting broken into? Phillip must have been having the same thought because he asked a bit incredulously, “You’re here about Elena’s car?”

  “Ma’am, what happened to your car?” Obviously not.

  “Please, call me Elena.” She motioned to the table, and they all sat down. Phillip was a warm presence beside her, feeling protective of her. She wallowed in that a moment before going on to explain about the break in that happened at the bar. She opened herself as much as possible, even went so far as to gently touch the officer’s arm, as she finished her explanation and then asked why, if not because of the car, was he here? She was able to Sense that he was suspicious and guarded, but there was no hostility. Maybe he was always suspicious and guarded. He was a detective with the police force, after all.

  Officer Talbot checked his notes. “Elena, you made two phone calls regarding a man you named Evenfall. One to 911 on the twentieth of April and one to the Sherriff’s office May eighth. I did some further checking and found that you were also involved in a police report involving this young man earlier in the Spring. What is your relationship with him?” Elena got the distinct feeling that he was fishing. Since she had nothing to hide and was hoping to gain his trust, not to mention see what was in the manila folder he was holding, she told him absolutely everything she knew.

  She started with the suspicion that he had called the hotline and talked with her months ago. She had hypothesized to herself that Evenfall was the caller that first peaked her interest in neuroscience and she passed this on to the detective. Phillip squeezed her hand, and despite what she Sensed from him, he kept quiet. She had not yet shared that particular suspicion with Phillip, given his stalking theory and all. Then she told the officer the entire story of the night that Evenfall had cut himself in the parking lot at Rosewood Community Center. She reiterated what happened after the ambulance and police came and threw in the bit about her own theories for good measure, mostly about Evenfall needing psychological help. Next, she told about the first phone call. Officer Talbot was taking an occasional note and asked if she still had the number that Evenfall called on. Elena got her cell phone, found the number, and passed it over. She had also saved the phone message that Evenfall left the second time he called. She let Officer Talbot listen for himself. When he was finished Elena gathered her courage and asked, “I have long been worried about Evenfall. Now you are here asking about him. Either you think he has done something bad or something bad has happened to him. Can you tell me which?” Phillip took her hand. She squeezed his and then let it go. She needed to focus. The longer Elena had talked about her story the more Officer Talbot’s emotions had changed. She was very worried about what she had been Sensing from him – trust and sorrow. Some guilt, too.