by Darrell Bain
Bailey watched as Pat came from the bathroom into the dimly lighted bedroom. A flickering candle cast moving shadows and highlights over her body, which was clad in a nightgown she knew he liked to see her in, a thin light blue color that zipped open from the top of the bodice to the hem. Her breasts swayed provocatively beneath the fabric as she walked toward the bed, their movement and the stride of her slim legs first revealing, then partially concealing the splendor of her figure. He never tired of her and never ceased to be amazed that she had chosen him to share her life with.
Pat came into bed beside him and flung the covers back immediately. She slid over into his waiting embrace, already eager for his attention. She loved the way he touched her, gently but confidently. His hand moved over her back and to her thighs then traced the curve of her hip to the indentation of her waist and up to her breasts. She shifted slightly, giving him freer access and began her own exploration.
Bailey found the zipper and slid it open slowly, pausing in increments to caress her firm breasts and touch her nipples, already erect with excitement. A moment later her gown was open, baring all of her body to him.
Pat gave a soft little anticipatory moan and drew Bailey to her, holding him tightly, loving the strength and comfort she gathered from the feel of his hard body. She lay back and pulled him over her. A moment later he was inside her, his murmured endearments stimulating her all the more. She held him with her arms and legs and hands, wanting nothing more than to prolong the act, to make it last as long as possible. Her senses blurred with the intenseness of their mounting excitement until she could hold it back no longer. She bit at his shoulder to muffle her cries then tears and laughter and the unintelligible noises of total involvement went unheard by either of them as the peak of their orgasms wrapped their senses in a total togetherness that nothing else could penetrate.
* * * *
Amber woke up to a noise and realized it wasn't sounds she was hearing, but something in her mind, something coming from a secondary source. A dream? No, it was real, noise and emotion, an intense, mounting emotion impinging on her awareness, yet it was as soundless as if it was happening in a vacuum. Mom! Bailey! She set up in bed, startled and scared, remnants of sleep flying from her mind like patches of fog being blown away by a sudden wind. For a moment, she thought they were being hurt because of the powerful feelings of mounting excitement that suffused her mind, almost overwhelming her with their intensity, and then, almost as if she were there, she could hear them, not audibly but ... somehow; she could feel the wonderful sense of passionate release along with the bursts of mingled noises from both of them, exploding silently in her mind, Oh, Oh! Oh God! I love you, oh, oh! Ahhh, oh God! It went on and on, and while it continued, she could feel the mingled length of their bodies, almost as if she were participating in the act. Amber knew that Mom and Bailey must be making love, and knew she shouldn't be listening or whatever it was she was doing, but there was no way she could shut it off. She covered her ears and closed her eyes, trying not to intrude on their privacy and wondering if they could sense her, and still the sensations assaulted her, almost as if she were in the same room with them. Just when she thought she must do something, make some violent move, anything to distract her, the awareness of their emotions impinging on her mind slowed; they became less intense and then gradually faded to nothing.
For a long time Amber lay awake, shocked by what had happened, sometimes hugging herself in despair, sometimes crying, but still not able to put the experience aside. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced she had actually become mixed up in Bailey and Mom's minds while they were having sex, and despite knowing it was a horrible intrusion, something no one should be able to do, she couldn't help but remember how much they enjoyed the act, how intense their pleasure had been, how much they loved each other and clung together in mutual rapture.
All the while, another concern kept her from sleeping. She couldn't stop herself from wondering whether it was always like that or whether it would be as enjoyable for her as it appeared to be for them when she decided to do it herself. Her last thought before finally falling asleep sometime after midnight was of Jimmy. Would it be that good with him?
* * * *
When Amber opened her eyes the next morning, the first thing she thought of was what had taken place during the night. For a while she lay in bed, trying to convince herself it had all been a dream. Finally, she sighed and sat up. It was no dream. It was another manifestation of her increasing ability to know what other people were inside, but this was different just as the way she and Jimmy and Jeannie had noticed the last month or two. Previously, she hadn't wanted to believe they could actually read someone else's thoughts; all of them kept attributing the occasional intrusions into their minds as just a more intense working of their mirror neurons like Bailey had explained on numerous occasions. Now there was simply no denying it. She sat in bed for a while longer with her chin propped on her knees, wondering how often she would experience other people's emotions, the very inner workings of their minds. It might be interesting and informative at times, but even as young as she was, Amber knew it could be dangerous. She knew she wouldn't want anyone reading her mind and knew she would resent it horribly if anyone did. Well, maybe not Jimmy, but even with him there were a few things she wouldn't want him to know. How would she feel if the L Creeper could tell what she was thinking? Or ... she didn't want to think about it any more. Not now. Finally, she got up, showered, and dressed in jeans and a top.
For the first time in her life, Amber felt hesitant about facing her mother and Bailey. Would they know? She didn't think so; they had been so involved, she doubted if a train wreck would have caught their attention, but she still felt something like embarrassment when she came into the living room.
"G'morning Lumpkin. You slept in this morning,” Bailey said from his easy chair where he was reading the morning paper.
"I guess I was tired,” Amber answered. “Where's Mom?"
"She went to the bedroom to lie back down for a little while. We had more to drink last night than usual. Want me to fix breakfast?"
Amber had a hard time facing him as she leaned down to his chair to give him her usual morning hug. “I'll get some cereal. I need to run over and talk to Jimmy about something we can't do on the phone."
"My word, I didn't know there was anything short of taking a bath you couldn't do on the phone these days,” Bailey grinned. “It must be important."
Amber nodded and smiled feebly at his joke.
Bailey noticed the reticence but let it pass. He knew there had to be things his stepdaughter didn't talk about, just like all teenagers, but he also knew how good Amber was about expressing herself when she had problems. If it was worrisome enough, she would come to him or Pat. He went back to his paper.
Pat came into the living room just as Amber was leaving. She also noticed that her daughter wasn't as ebullient as usual for a Saturday morning with no homework in sight, but the lingering headache caused her to let it go without questioning her.
Amber hugged her mother, told her she would be over at Jimmy's house for a while, and hurried outside.
* * * *
"Good morning, Amber,” Melissa greeted her. “Jimmy's in the game room.” She smiled. “I assume you came to see him instead of me?"
"Yes'm.” Amber had to smile back at Jimmy's mother. She liked her and her friendly banter, the same kind Bailey liked to engage in. It was easy to tell that she was troubled, though. She thought it had something to do with Mr. Gomez, who was gone so much, and Jimmy's perceptive sense, but she made no attempt to discover the exact cause. This morning there were more important things to consider.
The moment Amber stepped into the game room, another assault on her senses occurred; it was just like the one the night before but different in content. Jimmy! She would have thought he was in mortal danger had it not been for the experience last night. He was straining, heart beating rapidly and emotions
running wild as he tried mightily to escape the mandibles of a huge threatening creature. She shook her head, trying to blot out the fear and danger from the threatening monster that seemed to be trying to overwhelm her and Jimmy both. It was like a roller coaster ride; Jimmy's sensational fight with the creature sending him to awesome heights of fear and terror and dropping suddenly as he narrowly escaped and up as he was threatened again. Then, suddenly, a crescendo of triumphant enthusiasm seemed to surround her in an explosion of emotional sensation. It held for a moment then the whole episode faded and vanished like a speeded up twilight turning into darkness.
Amber blew out the breath she had been holding and cautiously stepped down into the sunken room, not wanting another sudden rush of stimulation to cause her to lose her footing. By then, Jimmy was standing up, clasping his hands over his head. He grinned hugely when he saw her. “Hey, I beat it! I ran the zilk out of Alien Planet! First time!” His grin faded when he saw that Amber wasn't congratulating him.
"What's wrong?"
Amber stood still. “Jimmy, I ... I felt you playing. It was like I ... like I was in your mind."
Jimmy walked the short distance to her. They stared at each other, and, suddenly, Amber knew he had experienced something like she had.
"Oh, God. Manny Maloosa, Amber, I was going to tell you. Last night...” He halted, embarrassed.
"Last night what?"
"I woke up and thought I was dreaming about Bailey and your mom.” That was as far as he took it.
Amber grabbed his hand. “It wasn't a dream. You thought they were having sex, didn't you?"
The young man blushed. “I didn't mean to. Honest!"
Amber needed to sit down. Still holding his hand, she looked behind her and pulled him down to the little couch in the room. “It wasn't your fault. It happened to me, too. It woke me up. It was so real. Like I was in their minds or something."
"Has it happened to you before?"
"No, except last night and just now. Not like that, anyway."
"Yeah, same here. Mom and I went to a movie last night. I thought something was wrong with me when it got to the real exciting parts. I kept thinking I was going crazy when I was experiencing what all the people around us felt. I had to go outside a few times, and Mom kept asking me what was wrong. It was scary."
"It must have been. Jimmy, last night when you woke up, was it ... like real, real intense? Like the best thing that ever happened to you?"
Jimmy squirmed under Amber's intense gaze. “Well, maybe not quite like that, but they were all wrapped up with it. Does that make sense?"
"Maybe distance has something to do with it."
"How ‘bout excitement? I was really revin’ with the game when you came in. Did you feel that in me?"
Amber slumped down in the seat. “It was almost like I was you. What I'm worried about is ... what if it keeps happening. What do we do then? What it happened in class, say?"
Jimmy forced smile. “Maybe they'd think we were hyper, like the kids that take the autie pills."
Amber had to laugh a little. Trust Jimmy to make a joke.
Jimmy suddenly looked very serious. “I wonder if we could do it with each other if we tried?"
Amber wondered if she really wanted to and decided that if they were going to be mind readers, they had better find out something about it before they got into trouble. “I guess there's only one way to find out. Let's try it and see."
For a long minute or two they stared at each other. Finally, an image of two persons trying to hypnotize each other flashed into Amber's mind and she tittered. Jimmy laughed. She laughed. Suddenly they were hugging each other, roaring with laughter, unable to stop.
"What on earth is so funny?” Melissa asked. She was holding two glasses of lemonade.
"We were having a staring contest, and it got funny,” Jimmy explained.
That made Amber laugh again. It felt good to let go after worrying so much during the night and again when she first came over to see Jimmy and found herself immersed in his game.
"Well, that's some pretty cheap entertainment. Keep it up, and it'll save us money. Jimmy can just stare at his friends, and I won't have to buy him any more gamepods."
That got the two of them going again, and this time, Melissa laughed with them, glad to see them enjoying themselves like normal children. She only half believed they were different from their peers, despite what some of the middle school teachers were saying. She set the glasses of lemonade on the coffee table in front of the couch. “I have to run to the store for a moment. I'll lock behind me. Don't let anyone else in until I'm back. Comprende?"
"Yes'm,” they both answered.
As soon as she heard the front door close, Amber scrooched closer to Jimmy, ignoring the lemonade.
Jimmy knew she wanted the same thing he did; a chance to kiss while no grownups could see. He put his arm around Amber's shoulder. Their lips met. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Amber's body pressing against him and her arm around him. It excited him even more than usual.
Amber could sense Jimmy's longing, even with her eyes closed, a vague but very strong desire to continue with what they were doing. She remembered her thoughts of what it would be like for him to touch her in front, and almost as if she were willing it, Jimmy's hand rose from her waist to cover her breast, just like she had secretly wanted him to. The sensation was electric, even through her top and thin bra. She parted her lips, wanting to kiss him more deeply. Before she knew what was happening, she felt herself being swept into a sensuous, all enveloping rush of desire. She had felt it before, but never so strongly and never so directly. She could feel her breath coming faster as Jimmy's hand moved on her body. She clutched him more tightly, suddenly wanting to experience what she had unintentionally participated in the night before. Almost imperceptibly, she felt her mind interacting with Jimmy's, like two hands coming into intimate contact and the fingers lacing together to keep them there.
It was Jimmy who broke the kiss though she could plainly sense his reluctance.
"Whittikers, Amber. We better stop before Mom gets back.” But he kept his hand where it was.
Amber took a deep gulp of air, trying to calm her racing heart. She reached up and pressed Jimmy's hand to her for an instant longer then leaned away from him. She could tell he had an erection and a continuing desire for release. She could feel it!
"Jimmy..."
"I think we're mind readers,” he said.
Amber hugged herself, just as she had done during the night. Where was this going to lead? What were they going to do? Maybe it would be all right if it was just her and Jimmy, but...
"As long as it's just you and me, it's okay,” Jimmy ventured, then his mouth dropped open in surprise. “You didn't say that!"
Amber nodded. “No. I thought it."
They sat together but not touching, getting the hang of letting their minds intermingle and talking about what was happening. They were discussing what they should do about it when they both turned toward the door. A moment later they heard it open as Melissa returned. They had sensed her presence before she made a sound.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Amber thought it would be best if they talked to Jeannie before doing anything else about their newly discovered talent. They made a hasty plea to parents and got permission for her to spend the night with Amber. She came over Saturday afternoon.
The three of them spend all the time they could together over the weekend. It came as no great surprise when Amber perceived Jeannie was showing signs of the same ability that they were. In fact, she showed more enthusiasm for the development than she and Jimmy did once some experiments among the three showed her she could do it at will, just as Amber and Jimmy could now. She began thinking more about the benefits and discounting the drawbacks, despite everything Amber said to convince her otherwise. Amber perceived that she had experienced an episode similar to what she and Jimmy had but wasn't mentioning it for some reason. All s
he admitted to was catching occasional thoughts from the group.
"Bailey says people would hate mind readers if they found out. Do you want to be hated?” Amber asked her during their first conversational spurt.
Jeannie shrugged. “How can anyone hate us if they don't know we can do it? Besides, who cares?"
"I care, and they'll find out somehow,” Amber warned. “You know the L Creeper is fooling with that nasty FBI agent again. What about that?"
"Yeah, I passed the old creeper in the hall. She about knocked me over with her attitude. They still can't prove anything. Besides, maybe it just happens with us three, and maybe it's just, you know, an occasional thing."
"You know it's not,” Amber said, not wanting to mention the incident of her mother and Bailey. Instead, in the momentary silence, she thought suddenly of how good it had felt when she and Jimmy had kissed and touched.
Jeannie grinned, having caught the thought. “You've been gravitizing, haven't you? How did it feel? Never mind, I can tell. Great, huh?” Amber was glad she had caught the memory of her and Jimmy rather then the one that had been on her mind the moment before.
"That's ... Jeannie, we shouldn't try to see inside each other without permission."
"Yeah, but it doesn't take much of a mind reader to tell you two are magnetizing each other."
The conversations went this way and that but never strayed far from the subject, and, while they talked, it gradually became apparent that deliberate attempts to see each other's thoughts made succeeding attempts easier—and sometimes embarrassing. By Sunday evening when Jeannie had to return home, they had worked out silent signals and expressions they could use for communication without much concentration, almost like holding up signs for various responses such as “privacy area” or “think more.” Amber also thought she had finally convinced Jeannie to play it safe and to quit her teasing of boys, but it was hard to be sure. Jeannie's mind flitted here and there like a bat in daylight as she kept thinking about their talent.