The Nightmare Game

by Martin, S. Suzanne

  “Can I please get my memories back first?” I pleaded, feeling quite out of my depth.

  “Of course,” he said, “I didn’t mean to pressure you, dear. Please take all the time you need. I’m a very patient man. However, I can’t help but hope that you decide on me.”

  “Whatever you do, Ashley,” Ricky remarked, still smiling broadly, “Don’t set your sights on Ben.”

  “C’mon, guys, cut it out,” Ben good-naturedly objected.

  “That’s very good advice,” said Robert, ignoring Ben’s protest. “For you see, Ben’s taken as well.”

  “Even if he weren’t,” Ricky added, “it wouldn’t help you anyway. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your equipment’s just not the type for his liking.”

  “Cute, Ricky, very cute,” Ben shrugged.

  “So you see,” Robert continued the ribbing. “If you fall for Ben, he will just break your heart. He has eyes only for Geoffrey. Always has, always will. Isn’t that right, Ben?”

  Ben rolled his eyes upward in mock annoyance. “Give me strength, please. See what I have to put up with around here, Ashley?”

  “But it’s true, Ben, you have to admit it,” Illea added.

  Ben clapped his hands and scolded playfully, “Children, children, that’s enough for now. Why don’t you all scurry away and play so that I can continue showing Ashley around.”

  The three of them smiled mischievously and, holding hands, skipped down the hallway.

  “This is us, scurrying,” they said in unison before breaking into a run and flying down the stairs, laughing.

  “Wow, they’re really in a good mood today,” I remarked.

  “They usually are, especially the day after essence. Robert and Ricky are like peanut butter and jelly, almost as much as Kenny and Antonio. They tend to get a little goofy when they’re around each other.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. So, Ben, what are we going to take in today?”

  “First of all, I want to show you where our indoor recreational area is since we have to pass right by it on our way out. I don’t want to spend too much time there because once you know where it is, you can always come back to explore it another day. After that, I’ve only got three spots on the agenda for this afternoon: the games arena, the water sports area and the reflecting pool. There’s more to the grounds than that, but I think it’ll be enough for a start.”

  “Sounds good,” I told him. “I’d rather be outside anyway. I feel like I’ve been cooped up too much these days.”

  “Wonderful,” he said. “I have to warn you, though, before we go out there that Geoffrey’s playing tennis today.”

  I groaned audibly.

  “I know,” Ben conciliated. “He made a lousy first impression. I don’t know what got into him that put him into such bad form yesterday. I mean, he was working even my nerves and that takes a lot. Ashley, I really am sorry that he wasn’t nicer to you.”

  “Did I do anything offend him, Ben? He seemed to dislike me right off the bat.”

  “Of course not. You haven’t been awake long enough to offend anybody,” he said, smiling.

  “True enough, but I still don’t think he likes me.”

  “Geoffrey doesn’t know you. He’ll warm up. Just give him a chance.”

  “You think?”

  “Sure. He’s just the moody sort and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s been a real little turd lately. Try not to give it a second thought. He’s been sullen and temperamental for the last few weeks, long before you ever showed up. Just try to remember that whatever’s going on is Geoffrey’s problem and not yours.”

  “So it was just my imagination that his rudeness was directed at me?”

  “Not really. He definitely did have a bee in his bonnet about you last night and it had more than a few of us raising our eyebrows. But I can assure you that it was nothing really personal.”

  “How can it not be?”

  “A few reasons. First of all, you weren’t officially approved by Arrosha until this morning and Geoffrey probably saw you as an interloper. You see, only our group is allowed to take essence. It’s never given to guests.”

  “I definitely picked up on that, but I get the feeling there was more.”

  “You’re right. Now Ashley, don’t get your feelings hurt when I tell you this, but like I said, it’s Geoffrey’s problem. He can be a real snob at times. He always has been and lately it’s gotten worse again. You need to understand that he grew up dirt poor and as a result, he’s entirely too impressed with trappings and appearances. You see Arrosha’s touch definitely leaves its mark on us for the better. It gives us a more regal – je ne se quoi is the only way I can describe it. I think he was reacting to that quality, that seal of approval, not being present in you. I’m sure his rudeness will be temporary, though, and that once he sees you again, he’ll start being nicer to you soon enough.”

  “Now that I’ve been accepted?”

  “Of course.”

  “And now that the essence has made me more ‘presentable’?”

  “I was trying not to go there, but sad to say, yes. In Geoffrey’s mind, that is definitely a factor, a major factor to be honest. As much as I love him, I have to admit that at times he can be very superficial. And now that you are both officially accepted and more ‘presentable’ to him he’ll eventually come around.”

  “Oh, wow, lucky me,” I said, mustering all the sarcasm into my voice that I possibly could.

  “I know. I’d feel like that, too if I were you. Please try to be patient, though, and try not to take him too seriously.”

  “Alright, Ben, but only for your sake.”

  “Thank you. And if it helps at all, let me tell you that last night’s essence improved his spirits so much that he’s been the epitome of ‘Good Geoffrey’ ever since. I really want you to get to know that side of him. He can be so funny and charming when he’s being ‘Good Geoffrey’. He’s been a bit difficult lately, so I think something really must have been eating at him. I have no idea what it could be, but I think that he finally worked his problems out last night. At least, I sure hope so.”

  “I hope so, too,” I agreed, although I wasn’t able to imagine a “Good Geoffrey”.

  “So you see, Ashley, he should be a lot nicer to you today.”

  “Should?”

  “Yes, that’s the best I can offer. You have to realize that if he still insists on being a jerk, there is always the possibility that he’s jealous of you.”

  “Jealous? Of me?” I asked, surprised.

  “Sure. He thinks I’ve been ignoring him since your arrival, so he resents it. At first, Illea and I spent most of our time tending to you in the sickroom and since your recovery, I’ve been busy showing you around. I never spend that much time with new arrivals to our group. I help them orient a little, but they come here already prepped to a large degree. Geoffrey’s not used to having to share me with anybody else when there’s no soiree around to keep him otherwise occupied. He’s extremely possessive, despite the fact that I’ve never given him any reason to doubt me. It’s actually quite hypocritical because, given his nature, he thinks its perfectly alright for me to have to share him.”

  “Doesn’t that bother you?”

  “Sometimes. In my first life, it used to hurt me to the quick. But Geoffrey’s a changed man since his arrival here and so am I. Since I’m a lot more secure within myself now than I was in my first life, and since his dalliances are no longer serious, I don’t let it get to me for too long. Besides, experience over the years has taught me that it takes a long leash to make Geoffrey a happy Geoffrey. When he’s happy, I’m happy. As long as he doesn’t try to run past his leash, I can generally put up with his habits. I guess it’s just not in my nature to be jealous.”

  “He’s lucky to have you,” I commented.

  “I know. But as for you, young lady, don’t let him get your goat. He’ll come around eventually. I can’t wait for you to meet him when he’s ‘Good
Geoffrey’, Ashley, because he’s such delightful company then. It might take a little while, but he’ll come around. And once he does, you’ll get to see what the rest of us see in him, because when he’s not being an ass, he’s actually very entertaining and a whole lot of fun.”

  “Okay,” I acquiesced. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  “Besides,” Ben declared, clapping his hands together, “we have much more important things to decide today other than how to handle Geoffrey. For example, which do you prefer to take now, stairs or elevator?”

  “Stairs, definitely. We did elevator yesterday.” I was happy to leave the subject of Geoffrey behind and get on with more agreeable topics.

  “A fine decision, madam,” he agreed. “A fine decision indeed.”

  With Ben at my side, I sailed down the Grand Staircase with far more grace and ease than I’d ever have thought possible.

  “I just love this place, Ben!” I announced with glee. “It’s phenomenal! I feel so elegant here. I feel like a movie star going down these steps.”

  “Magnificent, isn’t it?” he agreed. “Barring the obvious pratfall, this staircase is an instant grand entrance. I’ve been told by many of our party guests that our little group is quite an impressive sight as we descend together. Oh, Ashley, regardless of your decision, I do hope you decide to stick around at least long enough to attend one of our galas.”

  “I would love to, Ben. I can’t think of anything I’d like better than to attend one of your galas. In fact, I can’t imagine a single thing urgent enough to make me want to leave any sooner.”

  We reached the bottom of the staircase and turned right, then took another right down the hallway at the far side of the elevator.

  “This is the hall that goes past our indoor recreation area before it reaches the back door,” Ben explained, “When we get there, I’ll just give you a quick synopsis of what it has to offer. Now, Ashley, if you ever want to wander on your own, this shouldn’t be hard for you to find, right?”

  “Nope, I’ve got my bearings for everything you’ve shown me so far except for the hookah room; I’m still a little fuzzy on that one. I think it’s the disappearing doors that throw me off.”

  “Ah, well, we have quite a few more of those at various places about the mansion to keep the strangers at bay, but they’re all open today because we’re not expecting visitors any time soon. Another day, I’ll show you where the rest of them are, although they shouldn’t be a problem to you any longer. Now that you’ve taken essence with us, you’ll be able to see the door triggers very easily.”

  Our walk came to an abrupt stop just prior to reaching an intersecting hallway.

  “Okay,” Ben said with anticipation. “This is it. Are you ready?”

  “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be ready for, but I guess I’m as ready I’ll ever be.”

  “I tell you what, close your eyes.”

  “Do I have to?” I protested. “I always hate it when somebody asks me to do that.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. I just want you to get the full impact.”

  Since I trusted Ben, I did as he requested and let him lead me by the elbow for a few feet until we stopped.

  “Alright, then, here it is. You can open them now. Don’t freak out and don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said.

  Intrigued at what I might find after this cautionary comment, it was with care that I ventured a look. He had led me into the spot where the two halls crossed. When I looked both ways down the new passage, I could not believe my senses. At either side, this new corridor was unending.

  “It’s impossible.” I told him. “What is this? Some kind of optical illusion?”

  “I told you the floor plan was tricky,” Ben replied.

  “This is way beyond tricky,” I said in awe. “Really, where does this hall go?”

  “Nowhere. In both directions, I might add,” he said, enjoying himself immensely with his new show-and-tell. “The recreation rooms begin here at the corners, near where we’re standing. The hallway doesn’t end because all of our rooms don’t exist yet. They probably never will until we run out of new desires for entertainment and amusements and that’s likely never to happen.”

  “You mean that if I start down either side of this hall, I’ll never reach the end?”

  “That pretty much sums it up.”

  “No, way.”

  “Yeah, way. For all I know, this corridor has no beginning and no end, at least not one that any of us has been able to find. When Geoffrey first got here, he rode one of his Harleys down this passageway for a week each in either direction and never came close to anything even resembling a far wall. We’ve all been met with the same results. This hallway is endless. Of course, past the last of the entertainment areas, the doors stop and the corridor becomes empty. At that point it’s simply ready to be filled with whatever kind of room that you would like it to have with any kind of amusement that you would like to indulge in.”

  “This can’t be,” I protested.

  “But it is,” Ben assured me.

  “So what’s all in here?” I asked, still trying to wrap my mind around the impossibility in which I stood.

  “Let me just skip a few and give you the condensed version for now,” Ben stated very matter-of-factly. “We have several incredibly large music rooms containing every kind of instrument you imagine and many that I can assure you that you have never heard of before, because nobody has. Along those lines, we also have several recording studios. Within the last year, Arrosha added a nightclub right over there,” he pointed to the first room across the hall to our right. “Most of the time, we provide our own entertainment because I have to confess that a few Karaoke addicts live amongst us. Occasionally, though, we pull out a couple of the disappearing doors, as you call them, and wall off the hall at either end to mask its special features. It’s then that Arrosha brings in singers and back-up bands from the outside world for us to enjoy. You’ll like that. She even gets Max in here to bartend and we get to enjoy the special cocktails we usually only get at our private club in the city.”

  “Who’s Max?”

  “He does odd jobs for Arrosha. He’s also the bartender at our club, The Crypt. We’ll have to go there soon. It’s our little haven, always our first and last stop in the city.”

  “That sounds good. So what else is here?”

  “Lots of things. We have a two-story library, several huge indoor pools, saunas and steam rooms, full gyms with complete workout facilities and racquetball courts to start with.”

  “That’s impressive.”

  “But wait, there’s more. A lot more. We also have our own pool halls, bowling alleys, running tracks, movie theaters, hiking trails, and that’s just to name a few. The list goes on and on.”

  “Wow, this isn’t just a mansion, it’s a resort,” I said, stunned by a level of wealth and indulgence which I had never not only ever experienced but did not even know existed.

  “It’s like I told you before, Ashley, Arrosha is very, very good to us because we are her children. She loves to indulge us. You see, when I first came to live here, this hallway itself was here, but none of the rooms were because it was up to me to decide what I wanted from her. Then she added what I wanted whenever I wanted it. When the others came with new desires, new rooms became available for all of us to use.”

  “You mean the rooms keep getting built into this hallway?” I asked, trying to understand.

  “Not exactly built. You see, there’s never been any actual construction. It might be more accurate to say that the rooms are grown as needed. Whenever any of us long for an activity that we don’t have yet, we state our desire for it and when we wake up the next day, a new room containing that desire has simply appeared, ready for use. It’s almost plantlike, really, as if this part of the mansion just grows overnight to suit our needs. It’s quite nice, actually.”

  “I’ll bet. So if I decide to stay here and realize tha
t I want an internet cafe, it’ll just show up? I know my personal memory might have gone the way of the passenger pigeon, but I still have a sneaking suspicion that I might need to check my e-mail.”

  “Not exactly. Internet service, televisions, radios and telephones are actually among the few things that we don’t have here,” Ben answered.

  “You’re kidding,” I said. “You have everything else and you don’t have the basics?”

  “No. And you’ll find you won’t miss them, either.”

  “But why don’t you have them?”

  “On a purely practical level, we just can’t get those services out here. Any kind of live streaming just isn’t available. From time to time we’ve all tried to bring in electronic devices like cell phones from the city, but they just won’t work. We can’t get signals. I used to think it was because we were too far removed from civilization, but there are very few areas left that aren’t hooked up to at least something these days. Besides, nothing electrical that we bring in from the outside will work. We have electricity, but unless it’s a battery-operated device, it blows out the minute we plug it in and turn it on. Everything is on a different system, on some unusual voltage that’s totally incompatible with outside devices. I think that the mansion must have its own generator. Not only that, but even batteries go completely DOA within a couple of minutes of being brought in. If it’s something that Arrosha doesn’t supply us with, it just won’t work here. Besides, Arrosha just doesn’t want us to have those things, anyway, and I must say that I agree with her reasons.”

  “So are you’re telling me that you’re okay with being completely out of touch with the modern world?” I asked, beginning to feel uneasy.

  “Oh, no, Ashley, far from it, actually. Perish the thought. We can log on to everything in the city and we visit there quite often. Arrosha has a large town home in the French Quarter to which we have complete access. When we visit the city, we stay there and indulge in TV, the internet, you name it. When we’re in New Orleans, we go clubbing, take in concerts, the theatre, gambling. Nothing is forbidden to us there, nothing is denied us.

  “You see, Arrosha wants us to keep in touch with the world; she realizes that it would be interminably boring for us not to receive outside stimulation. It’s just that she doesn’t want us immersing ourselves in popular culture on a daily basis; she doesn’t want us become inundated with it, to structure our entire lives around it. She says the world has become far too corrupting an influence; I’m old enough now to see her point and I must say that agree with her. I don’t miss being bombarded by those things constantly. I think our way is better, more balanced.”