The Nightmare Game
Page 35
“Oh, Geoffrey, what am I ever going to do with you?”
“Forgive me?”
“Do you promise to watch your manners from now on and play nice?”
“I promise, Bensy. Anything you ask. Unless I have real reason to do otherwise, I’ll be as sweet as puppy for you.”
“Oh, why can’t I ever stay angry with you, Geoff?” Ben replied softly, an accepting frustration in his voice.
“Because you love me too much,” Geoffrey answered, satisfied that he had worked his way back into Ben’s good graces. “And once again, Ashley,” he directed toward me, “my total apologies for allowing my little green-eyed monster out of its closet.”
I said nothing, for Geoffrey had not won me over as easily as he had Ben, but for manner’s sake, I smiled weakly and nodded.
“Great!” said Geoffrey. “We’re all one big, happy family again.”
“Alright. Geoff, guys,” Ben said to the entire group of men, “we’re going to go now. I’ve got to finish showing Ashley around the grounds. Later, okay?”
“Bye,” I said, waving as they waved back.
“Oh, Bensy?” Geoffrey interjected. “Before you go? Kiss?”
Ben leaned close to Geoffrey and through the fence gave him a warm peck on the lips. Ben’s body language told me, however, that Geoffrey was not as much in Ben’s good graces as he assumed.
We began to walk away as the men made their way back to the net to resume their game.
As Ben and I retraced our steps, he said in an attempt to put a positive spin on the situation, “I think that Geoff’s finally beginning to get over himself.”
“You think so?” I asked, unconvinced.
“Sure. Besides, it’s not like he really has a choice. Arrosha’s official blessing of you this morning clinched your status and that’s not something he can ignore. She wants us all to get along and there is no way that he can go against her will. I’m sure she’ll give him a little time to adjust and to come around, but when push comes to shove, she simply won’t stand for any of us causing discord on her turf.”
“Do you think it’s going to come to that?”
“I doubt it. Once Geoffrey’s jealousy fades, and it always does eventually, I’m certain that he’ll warm up to you. If you decide to stay, you’ll just become one of the group, as accepted and embraced as any of the rest of us are. Hey, when everything’s said and done, I’ll bet that the two of you will even become fast friends.”
“You’re probably right, Ben,” I agreed, my statement a hollow one, for I did not feel the words at all. To me, Geoffrey’s apology rang shallow and I could not shake the feeling that it was all for show. But it didn’t really matter, for I no longer cared about Geoffrey’s opinion of me. He’d proven himself to be an ass and it would take a long-term effort on his part to change my mind. All I needed was for him to be civil to me or, barring that, for him to leave me alone. I felt bad for Ben, though, because it must have been embarrassing for him to have to make excuses for the most important person in his life. For Ben’s sake alone, I hoped his prediction would come true.
Within minutes, we arrived again at the fountain. I stopped for a moment to take another glance at the mansion, because from this vantage point I could see the entire back of the house, whose lovely antebellum-style facade reminded me of a perfectly iced wedding cake, with its white paint, scrollwork trim and smaller third floor conservatory dome. While stately and quite large for a plantation home, the mansion’s comparatively modest exterior continued to belie the embarrassment of riches and wonders that it held inside, and no matter how I looked at it, the outside of the manor still seemed too small to be able to accommodate the palatial dimensions of its own Great Room. Earlier today, I thought that I was starting to get the hang of the prerequisite acceptance of the fantastic that this place demanded, that I’d actually managed to make peace with the obvious deviations that the estate not only held, but of which it proudly boasted. Now once again, however, these impossible discrepancies began to bother me, for I found the assault to my reason simply too overwhelming to ignore. I could not get past my own sense of logic and no matter how hard I tried, I could not accept these patent offenses to the laws of physics. But what chance could I possibly have to decipher such a complicated puzzle? I shook my head, recognizing that the oddities of the strange place in which I’d found myself were far beyond my poor talents and abilities. I was no rocket scientist, and yet I doubted that far sharper minds than my own could find rational explanations for these curious physical incongruities that were so dizzying. They were the stuff of science fiction, not of real life. I had little choice but to accept these wonders, didn’t I? After all, if logic had any meaning here, the endless hallway that Ben had shown me could not possibly exist. I realized that my only real option was to let go of conventional thinking, relinquish all reason and surrender to the bizarre. As hard as that would be, I knew I would have to do it if I wanted to live here.
“Still trying to make sense of the place?” Ben said.
“Is it that obvious?” I asked.
“Yep. It’s written all over your face,” he answered. “You might as well give it up because it’ll only drive you crazy if you keep trying. Take my word for it and just accept it for what it is.”
“That’s pretty much the conclusion I came to.”
“Ashley, I wish that I had all the answers and could explain to you what makes this place tick, but to my dying day, I know I’ll never understand it myself. To be honest, I don’t think that we’re meant to comprehend. I prefer just to call it a miracle and let it go at that, because it’s the only real explanation that fits.”
“I suppose,” I answered absentmindedly, not budging.
“So, sunshine, are you ready to keep going or do you want to stare at the mansion some more?”
“No, I guess I’m ready to move on,” I told him, opting to abandon further speculation. If Ben hadn’t been able to solve these mysteries in all of his years here, what possible chance did I have?
“C’mon, let’s go take in the swimming pools next,” he suggested. “I think you’ll find that section very relaxing.”
We made our way down the left path this time, which, with the sole exception of the statuary, was identical to the first, and continued past an identical archway in the hedges until we reached our destination at the opposite side of the boundary. It was an exhilarating sight which there met my eyes, for rather than the single swimming pool that I’d envisioned, what instead lay before us was a high-end, upscale water park in a tropical paradise of stone, rock and foliage.
“How do you like it?” Ben asked.
“I’m flabbergasted!” I exclaimed, breaking out into a big smile. “I could never have imagined anything like this! It makes me want to run back to the mansion, grab a bathing suit and make a bee-line back here to swim.”
“Why not spend tomorrow afternoon out here? I don’t think we’ve got anything planned yet.”
“Great! Honestly, Ben, out of everything that you’ve shown me on this estate so far, this looks like the most fun. My inner child is doing cart-wheels.”
“I was hoping you would like it,” said Ben, happy with my delight. “I figured that eventually I’d show you something appealing enough to make you not want to leave.”
“I think you have found it.”
“Ah, a true temptation at last. So tell me Ashley, when it comes to enticing you to stay, have I done my job well?”
“Very well indeed, Ben. This spot is your best selling point yet by far, second only to last night’s incredible fountain of youth.”
“Fabulous! I have to say that this is one of my favorite spots, too. Hey,” he said with an impish smile, “since you like it so much, why don’t I give you the full sales pitch and tell you everything that this area has to offer.”
“Sounds good. Go ahead, sell away, “ I played along. “But I must tell you, sir, that I am not prepared to buy into this just yet. You must still co
nvince me.”
“Certainly, certainly,” Ben said, stifling a smile as he deepened his voice and jutted out his chest. “As you can very well see here, madam, we have quite a few pools and Jacuzzis in all shapes and sizes to fit your every need. Most are out in the open air but we have several in grottos for any time you might desire that little bit of extra privacy. Some of our larger pools have diving boards of varying heights, while others have waterfalls and water slides. We have both still water pools and high-current pools, depending on how much of a workout you might desire on any given day. And down behind the pool area,” he pointed, “you can’t see it from here, is a stream that feeds into our lake. The activity of stream is up to you; it can have a mild current if you’d like to inner tube or you can set it to the ‘rapids’ setting if you prefer to white-water raft. Now, those kiosks scattered about, the ones covered by white canvas, are for equipment. The small ones by the pools have towels and water floats. The larger ones by the stream and lake also have everything from inner tubes to small boats. So, madam, may I assume you are interested?”
“Marvelous, marvelous,” I teased. Ben’s imitation of the overzealous salesman was incredibly convincing and I was trying not to laugh. “This is all fine, of course, but tell me sir, have you no beach?”
“Oh, the beach is on a different part of the estate.” The game was over. Ben was serious.
“You’re kidding,” I said, impressed. “I was only joking when I said that. I had no idea that this estate was that large.”
“It’s huge,” he answered. “When I first arrived here, it was smaller. Back then, it was completely surrounded by woods, but they’ve moved further out now.”
“I know I’m going to get a real kick out of using all of this stuff,” I said. “But in a way, it’s kind of a shame that so many trees had to get cut down, especially in this day and age.”
“Oh, don’t give that a second thought. The woods were never cut down. We still have the same trees and bushes that we had back then. They just moved out further to make room for things like this water park, the beach and the sports area.”
“Trees don’t move,” I replied.
“Around here, they do; our foliage is very accommodating. The woods actually retreated because we needed the space. Ashley, I told you things are very different here. I know it takes some getting used to, but remember, on this estate, nothing is impossible.”
“You’re right, it does take some getting used to,” I replied, wondering at which point my feelings of confusion would begin to yield to those of entitlement.
“I know, it’s a real trip,” Ben continued, “but it’s a ton of fun once you get the hang of it. And remember that once you join us and become an official member of our group, if there’s anything that you want or need that we don’t have, don’t be shy about asking for it. I can assure you that it will appear.”
“Anything?”
“Well, virtually anything. For example, if you ask for a person, like a boyfriend, for instance, that will take time. Arrosha will always wait until you’re really ready for it and then she’ll make sure she’s found just the right person to match you with. It’s one of the reasons that Illea and Ricky are still so happy. Oh, but there is one major limitation that I do need to mention, and that concerns animals. Arrosha does not allow animals or pets, so if you want to go to a horse race, a duck pond or a petting zoo, you’ll have to do that in the city.”
“Oh, now that is a shame.”
“Yeah, I know. I’d love to have a pet, too, but we have such an embarrassment of riches, who are we to bitch, right? Anyway,” he continued, “it’s starting to get a little late, so we’d better get going soon. Wanna say ‘hi’ to the others before we leave?” he asked.
“Sure.”
We walked up to the pool nearest the entrance, where Ricky and Illea were swimming, while Robert conversed with the three strange women in the hot tub next to it.
“Hey, guys,” said Ben.
Noticing our presence, Ricky and Illea smiled.
“Enjoying the grounds, Ashley?” Ricky asked.
“They’re incredible. It’s nice to have such a beautiful day for the tour,” I answered.
“It’s like this most of the time,” Illea said. “Weather on demand, you know.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Ben explained it to me, but I’m still finding this place hard to believe.”
“Ashley!” exclaimed Robert, waving broadly. “It’s so wonderful to see you again.”
“Oh, hello,” the three women said in unison as soon as they saw us. They stared at me for a full minute before the first of them said, “Robert told us how lovely you look today.”
“Oh, yes, you do look very pretty,” the second agreed.
“Indeed, indeed,” remarked the third, “I must say that he was quite correct in his assessment.”
The three of them continued to peer at me, then smiled oddly and licked their lips in unison.
“Uh, thank you,” I responded, unsure of how to react, for these women still made me nervous. I found the tone of their compliments too suggestive and maybe even a little sinister and wondered why their peculiarities did not seem to bother the others. Fortunately, I was relieved of the responsibility of any further response when Robert stepped out of the Jacuzzi, grabbed a towel on his way out and with finesse, wrapped it about the lower torso of his well-chiseled body.
“Would you like something to drink, Ashley?” he asked, walking up to a statuette that held a jug in one arm.
“Oh, yes, I’d love something,” I replied, realizing I was getting a little thirsty.
“I forgot to point the drinking fountains out again, didn’t I,” Ben said. “Sorry. Remind me from time to time, will you?”
“That’s okay, Ben,” I told him. “I didn’t even realize I was thirsty until just now. Power of suggestion, I suppose.”
As I began to walk over to the fountain, Robert flashed a warm, sunny smile my way and said, “Don’t worry, Ashley, I’ve got it. Just stay right where you are and allow me.”
He turned to the statuette and pulled its free arm, tipping the jug and causing the water to flow. He picked up a glass that sat on a table by the fountain and filled it. Then he walked over to hand it to me.
“Here, my dear,” he added, staring intently into my eyes. “Have this one. I’ll pour myself another.”
“Why, thank you,” I said shyly.
I quickly drank the water, feeling once again the vitality it bestowed, but not the feeling of complete peace that I’d come to associate with the liquid. I supposed it was because I was a little nervous, for Robert stood next to me, staring, gauging my reaction.
“Thanks again,” I mumbled shyly to Robert as he took the empty glass from my hand. I had no idea what else to say.
“I’m here to help, my dear, any time you need me,” he replied sweetly.
I smiled at him, somewhat amused. On any other man, these attempts to be suave would have been cheesy, but underneath all of Robert’s raw elegance there stood an undeniable innocence about him that made his flirtations more than a little cute. I liked him and found him not only handsome and charming, but quite adorable as well. So why then, I asked myself, was I not responding to his advances? Were his overtures simply a matter of just too much too soon? After all, I was only beginning to get my footing in an environment for which the word ‘quirky’ would have been a vast understatement, while Robert, it seemed, had already made up his mind that I was the one for him, a conclusion which he had most likely reached long before I ever turned up at the manor’s doorstep. If I were to be perfectly honest, however, the real issue bothering me went far deeper than simply feeling rushed. For some strange reason, Robert’s attentions made me a little nervous, as if they were trying to force my mind into a place to which it did not want to go. Whenever he was around, I felt an anxious need to remember my past. Now had my memories decided to surface willingly and without protest, I would have been more than delight
ed to have them stirred, but such was not the case, for it was with great stubbornness that they resisted, refusing to come forth, continuing to evade me without relief. This persistent refusal scratched away in annoyance at my subconscious, causing a nagging tug that I found most distressing.
Why was this inner upset occurring in the first place? I could sense that Robert meant no harm. Why were his attentions now causing my amnesia to become such an issue when it hadn’t bothered me in the slightest only moments before? It was almost as if his flirtations were acting as a catalyst, forcing me to ask questions that I wasn’t yet ready to ask, questions whose answers steadfastly remained hidden. My mind now began to pick at the lost memories like a scab. For the first time since my arrival, I felt they might contain something within them that was important. While all else remained hidden, one question was so universal, so obvious, that it immediately sprang to mind and that question was whether or not I was even free to accept Robert’s advances. If my heart was already taken, it was something I would definitely want to remember before becoming involved with another man. I tried hard to think, to dredge the answer from the blank abyss of memory, but with no success. Any further investigation of these thoughts, however, was too soon interrupted.
“Oh, Ben,” cooed one of the three dark beauties, the one who always spoke first. “Why don’t you two join us?”
“Yes, do,” said the second. “Please, join us.”
“We’d adore it ever so much if you did,” added the third.
“I didn’t bring a bathing suit,” I excused myself.
“Silly,” said the first. “You don’t need a bathing suit here.”
“We never wear anything when we swim or tub,” informed the second, drawing attention to that which the reflection upon the water’s surface had hidden.
“It’s so much more fun to skinny dip,” remarked the last. “Don’t you think?