The Sensorians: Trust

by Brigitte Morse-Starkenburg

  “Hey, Zaph, tell me all the gossip I missed. What has everyone been up to in the last month?”

  “Ah, not an awful lot,” I started, but she managed to prise quite a lot of detail out of me and by the time we had to go to meet Zack for our meeting, I had spilled the beans on Z's multiple escapades with girls from town. If I were completely honest, I was probably a bit too willing to part with that information, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to make sure he was no competition for me and shedding some negative light on him was an opportunity I couldn't miss.

  I gently touched her arm and caught her eyes with a flirtatious look, though I had to remind myself to take it slowly. Not my forte. I was pleased to see her eyes light up, though she looked down coyly when she caught my eye. It was enough for me.

  “The hour is up. We need to go and see Zack.” I said regretfully whilst my hand moved down her arm to grab her hand and pull her up. She reluctantly followed and I smiled to myself. She hadn't wanted to break the moment either.

  Zack was already in the meeting room, sitting down reading some paper work. He got up when we arrived, an inquisitive look in his eyes but he kept schtum. I could feel him cloaking, making sure he wasn't showing too many emotions, motioning us to sit down.

  “Right, I know you've only just come out of isolation, but as per usual, we're rather pressed for time, so forgive me for bombarding you with information and questions so soon. I promise you'll get some time later to digest it all.”

  “No, yeah. I understand. I'm actually feeling great at the moment, so go for it.”

  Bless her, she was so cool, I genuinely admired her. Zack wasn't buying her statement though.

  “To start with I need to know exactly how you feel about your time in isolation. Saying you feel great isn't going to wash with me. You need to tell me how you feel about being a Sensorian and whether you think you can be loyal to us, even though we have extremely strict rules and harsh consequences when they get broken. No hiding away your true feelings, Eliza. I can tell from a mile off when you're trying to cloak.”

  His eyes determinedly looked into hers and my poor Eliza wasn't particularly happy about it.

  “But Zack, I don't really know what to think at the moment, I..”

  “Stop fucking bullshitting me,” Zack interrupted harshly and a glimmer of defiance sparked in Eliza's eyes. I wouldn't like to be in her place right now, but I could see she was ready to give it as good as she got.

  “Fine then,” she snapped. “I resented you immensely whilst I was in there, but I knew you only did what had to be done. I wanted to show you I could cope with it and that I'm a worthy Sensorian, but it was hard at times. I did frequently ask myself what on earth I was doing here and vowed that as soon as I got out I would beg to go back to live with mum and forget all about you lot. Back to my, drugged, but mainly easy, happy life. But then, moments after, I would be cross with myself for even thinking it. I can't turn my back on you or any of the Sensorian community. I would never forgive myself, if I didn't try my hardest to stop my father executing his coup. So that's where I'm at. No frills.”

  She paused and sought my eyes. I understood completely what she was trying to say and tried to purvey that to her without interrupting Zack. She knew I had her back, I could tell from how she straightened herself slightly, getting ready for Zack's reply, but he sat back in his chair, pondering. I

  couldn't read him at all which was unusual for me, being his sister. He must have been working on his cloaking skills. Maybe I found it hard to read him because his feelings weren't directly to do with me.

  “Okay I see,” Zack started, still not giving away whether he was satisfied with Eliza's answer or not. “Is there anything that worries you about being out of isolation, something we might need to work on?” he asked, leaning forward.

  Eliza shook her head vigorously.

  “No. I feel fine. I'm happy to be out. I just want to get on with things now.”

  Zack observed her again. I could tell something was bothering him, but he abandoned the idea to confront her. His demeanour changed.

  “You'll be happy to hear that we would like you to go and see your mum for a few days. Reflect on what you want to do with your life. Whether you want to stay and become a full member of our Sensorian community and commit to it wholeheartedly or to withdraw and go back to your old life of some sorts, though exactly how far that's possible is still up for discussion. I won't ask you to comment on that any further now. You have made your feelings quite clear, but it will be good to test them.”

  He leant back into his chair and checked Eliza over for a moment, who was exuding resolve but wasn't given the choice to voice that at the moment. I knew she had made up her mind already, but Zack was right, it was a good idea to be exposed to what living her old life would actually entail.

  “Secondly, we want your father to think there may be a way of contacting you and that you're not being guarded impenetrably.”

  Eliza raised her eyebrows a little on hearing this, but didn't give anything else away. She was clearly cloaking too.

  “What did you have in mind?” she enquired matter of factly.

  “I hope he'll contact you when you're not in our compound. Zaphire will be with you but I'm sure he'll find a way.”

  Her heart leapt when she heard I was going to accompany her. It filled me with happiness.

  “We'll talk about it some more before you go. We'll have a couple of days in the compound for you to get acclimatised and feel more in control over your senses to avoid a sensory overload. You can go when I feel you're ready for it.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Eliza

  I still had to get used to the ultimate control Zack held over me. I could go when he felt I was ready for it. I had to take back that control by showing I was ready. Problem was, I didn't really know what he was looking for. I tried to find out from Zaphire when Zack had popped out for a moment, but she was no help. She waved my questions away dismissively and advised me not to worry about it. He'll know when you're ready, she said. But she missed the point I was trying to make. I didn't have much choice but to just take it. Should be used to it by now.

  “Come to the Room of Tranquillity with me Zaph. I need to get out of here for a bit.”

  I noticed Zaph's little glance at Zack, who had returned, asking permission to go and he gave her a curt nod. She got up and grabbed my hand.

  “Let's go then,” she said energetically whilst she practically whisked me out of the room.

  I followed but sighed. She immediately picked up on it and asked me to explain my mood.

  “I don't know. It just feels like I have no control over anything anymore. Here you are, practically dragging me off to somewhere I asked you to come with me to. I know you mean well, but what with Zack taking all my decision power away from me, I need some control back.”

  “Oh...sorry.”

  She dropped my hand instantly and looked so disappointed I felt immediately guilty.

  “Don't be like that.” I said gently and reached out for her hand. “Come.”

  She allowed me to take her hand in mine, this time I pulled her along and I led her to one of the secluded benches in the beautiful garden room. I made her sit down and I straddled across her lap, unwilling to deny and cloak my urges. I'd seen Zaphire's flirtatious looks and knew she wanted me as much as I did her. My confidence rocketed.

  “Mmmmm, I like this assertive Eliza,” I heard Zaph mumble.

  I looked into her gorgeous eyes and studied her perfect face. She hated her three moles scattered randomly over her face, but I loved them. I kissed all three of them and then her luscious lips. My feelings went wild. A fire inside me unleashed and even if I wanted to, I couldn't stop. It was incredible. Lust overwhelmed me and I could barely keep it civil. Just about remembering we were in a public space, I willed myself to jump off her, but pulled her up and ushered her out.

  “To my room,” I managed to say, out of breath and gruff. So muc
h for a quiet time in the Room of Tranquillity!

  ◆◆◆

  “Wooooooow” Zaphy sighed with satisfaction. “Are you absolutely sure you've never been with a girl?”

  She couldn't keep her admiration out of her voice and made me blush like a red balloon. I hid my face under the quilt.

  “No need to be embarrassed,” Zaphy giggled in her light-hearted way.

  She leant over me and traced my face with fingers light as feathers. It felt amazing. I was so surprised with my own brazenness. As soon as I felt Zaphire's soft skin and lean body against me, I let go of my barriers, totally engrossed in the experience. It had felt so natural, so loving. Nothing I should have worried about.

  “I love you,” I whispered in her ear.

  Now it was Zaphire's turn to go a deep shade of pink. It was from pleasure, not embarrassment.

  “Oh My God. You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say those words. The last month has been torture. Pure torture,” she sighed.

  “Same here. Zaph. Same here,” I grunted.

  “I love you too Eliza,” she whispered, her lips softly brushing my ear.

  The relief and joy I felt was undeniably the most wonderful feeling ever.

  As much as we wanted to just stay in bed and enjoy each other’s bodies once more, we had stuff to do. I leapt out of bed, with a positivity that I hadn't felt for a while. I knew I was meant to feel tired and overwhelmed with all the impressions of today. After having been in isolation for a month I was still expecting a come down at some point but I felt happy and as light as a bird. On top of the world! Maybe I was soon to be grounded as a knock on the door preceded Zack purposefully entering my room.

  He was momentarily taken aback by the situation he found us in; it couldn't be hidden with the scent still heavily in the air. He shook his head once, like he could shake it off and quickly restored his confident air, ignoring our predicament.

  “Give me a minute Zack,” Zaphy piped up, hastily gathering her clothes.

  Zack ignored her and addressed me instead.

  “You should give your mum a ring. She's waiting to talk to you.”

  He sounded rather grumpy, not completely managing to hide his feelings.

  I nodded and went to find my phone. He fished it out of his pocket and handed it to me.

  “Tell her I'll let her know when she can expect you and Zaphire,” he ordered, instantly reminding me who was in control. There it was; the bump back to earth. I took a deep breath and envisaged the waves of the sea. I needed to let it go for now. I took the phone.

  “Of course Sir,” I grumbled quietly.

  “Problem?” he enquired sternly.

  “Sorry, no. Just a bit tired, that's all.”

  He didn't look convinced.

  CHAPTER 7

  Zaphire

  Poor Eliza. She struggled balancing being out of isolation and accepting she wasn't in complete control of her own destiny. In fact she was far from it. She'd get used to it. That's just how it had to be and she'll remember soon. Zack won't let her go until she does. I noticed he was testing her, as he had identified the problem the moment she walked out to the Room of Tranquillity. He's going to push her on it. I should tell her, but it won't make a difference. Zack would be able to tell if she faked acceptance anyway.

  “It was so good to hear mum's voice again!” she exclaimed happily after she called off.

  Her moods were up and down like a yo-yo at the moment. I needed to make sure she wasn't going to be too unstable as it could lead to a sensory overload situation.

  “I can't wait to see her,” she carried on, still as excited as a little puppy.

  Zack put a downer on it immediately by reminding her not to get too excited as a lot of work still needed to be done to convince him she was ready. I saw her face twitch for a fraction of a second but a smile appeared as she announced she would be working hard then. That was better. She was stronger than I gave her credit for sometimes.

  “Good. Let's start some long overdue self-defence lessons. Zaphire can do them with you, as long as you are professional Zaph,” he warned.

  He didn't have to worry about that. The sexual tension had been released. Much easier to concentrate now. We both got down to it and had a great session. She was a bit rusty to start with, but soon got back into her stride. Still moving ungainly but effectively.

  “Zaphire, Eliza. Call it a day for now. Eliza needs to eat and rest. We can pick this up tomorrow,” Zack decided after about an hour.

  I felt a little disappointed as I knew Markus had asked me to meet him after our exercise session and I didn't want to leave Eliza's side. I was looking forward to sharing a shower with her though. But Zack had different ideas and at the moment, where Eliza was concerned, what Zack decided, happened. I am going to challenge him at some point though.

  Eliza was still trying to convince Zack to let me go and get changed at hers, but he wasn't having any of it. I tried to catch Eliza's eye and signal her to back off. It wasn't helping her case at all.

  “Do I really have to fucking discipline you, Eliza? You haven't been out for a day yet! Don't say another word. Go. Now,” Zack insisted, not in the best of moods. She relented, wisely.

  After my meeting with Markus I found Zack hovering around my room clearly waiting for me.

  “Hey, want to come in? What's up?” I asked whilst opening the door and gently putting my hand on his arm.

  I detected the scent of worry. He collapsed onto my sofa with a deep sigh. I went over and massaged his shoulders gently.

  “I'm concerned. Eliza's being obstinate and overly confident. She's not aware of her weaknesses and that can be dangerous. Do you feel her loyalty wavering?”

  I shook my head. I hadn't picked up that vibe at all.

  “She's just adjusting to having relative freedom again. She's testing boundaries. It's only natural. Don't forget she's only been with us for a relatively short time. She's loyal alright. She wants to find her father and stop him as much as we do. Don't worry about that.” I tried to reassure.

  “She's fighting me. I don't want to have to punish her, but she needs something to remind her what's important.”

  He sounded serious.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  He didn't answer but I could see Eliza was going to have a rather tough time ahead of her in the next couple of days. I knew she would cope. Zack would get the best out of her eventually. He always did. Before we know, we'll be on our way to her mum's. He just needed her to crack a little. She was too confident for her own good at the moment, leading her to think she knew better. And that irked Zack.

  “Can I go and see her for a bit now?” I tried in vain. I knew the answer. I knew my brother too well. I tried again though.

  “You need to let 'us' happen at some point brother. No use trying to sabotage it.”

  He just shrugged his shoulders and left me to it.

  “Arse!” I shouted and threw a pillow after him.

  CHAPTER 8

  Eliza

  I hated to admit it, but I was actually pleased Zack had resisted my pleas to have Zaphire come to my room. Annoyed as I was with him, he had made the right call. I was physically and emotionally exhausted and needed a break. I wasn't going to tell Zack that though. I was angry with him because he'd also taken my phone off me. Didn't want me on social media as I needed to rest my senses, he'd said. All I wanted to do was contact my friends to let them know I was returning home soon, but he didn't budge. Apparently that could wait till tomorrow. I was going to be eighteen years old next month and he still treated me like a child. Infuriating.

  I had nothing much to do so after I had my super lusciously long bath, had some food and watched a bit of TV, I went to bed. It was wonderful crawling into my own bed again and soon I fell asleep.

  The next day went without much happening at first. Zaphire was busy most of the day and apart from a quick lunch I didn't see her. I managed to talk to Bella who was insanely
excited to hear I was coming home soon. I texted my other friends but I asked my mum to let Kas know. I wanted to speak to him in person, not on the phone. It would be too difficult. For both of us.

  Zack was never far away, but apart from arranging a couple of hours exercise and self-defence classes, he left me to it. It was great having a sparring session with Brody and he taught me lots. Afterwards we went for a drink. Freedom felt fantastic.

  “So, how do you feel?” Brody began after glugging down a coke.

  “Free and happy. Why?” I answered without thinking.

  “What do you mean 'why'. You've been in isolation for over a month!” he countered.

  “I'm out now, aren't I. So I feel great!” wanting to finish this conversation.

  “Tell me what you've been up to, Brodes.”

  He observed me for a moment but was happy to elaborate on his role in verifying Rick's sightings and stories of nights out with the guys, though he was a bit coy on Zack's participation in those. We said our goodbyes as Zack had requested a meet up at 5pm and I wanted to have a shower to freshen up a bit, just in case Zaphire might pop over later.

  I'd just finished getting ready when Zack knocked on the door. To be honest I couldn't be arsed to talk to him, not that I had a choice. I reluctantly opened the door and let him in. To my surprise he looked calm and dare I say it, almost friendly.

  “We need to talk,” he simply said, before ushering me to the table and gesturing me to sit down.

  “About what?”

  I knew perfectly well what about. He ignored my remark anyway.

  “How do you feel?”

  Not that again. I was sick of it.