Notopia

by Michael Vallimont

  In a thatched hut, Roger laid comfortably on a woven grass mattress. He thought others could be as content as he was at this moment, except that their minds were preoccupied with dreams and goals that were counterproductive to achieving peace and tranquility. They thought of profits and new-fangled things to sell, and too often without any regard as to the long-term consequences these products had on the earth. If only those dreams could be redirected to a more overall beneficial purpose. If the poorly conceptualized dreams could be deleted, then things could get better for the earth and everyone.

  A dream to delete dreams! It’s brilliant, the collective must let it in, and I can ride on its coat-tails. This was Urkabis’ ticket into Notopia, and once he was established there, he would need a way to protect himself from the defenses Enoch conceived. This was going to take some cunning ingenuity, but he was up to the task.

  Chapter 10

  Delilah returned home from her evening with Gwen and left her keys and coat by the door. “Paul, that girl is thinking just too darn much. She needs to get out and enjoy living a bit more. Either that or we need to find her a mate.” Delilah had grown used to talking to Paul, even if he didn’t answer right away. “Paul? Paul? Did you hear me? Where are you?”

  She was used to finding him in the living room at this time of the night where he would usually be reading or using the computer. Hmm, not here. She headed upstairs with the belief that he might have gone to bed early when she noticed light shining from under the bathroom door. She tapped lightly on the door. “Paul? You in there?” She opened the door slowly. They had a spacious bathroom, as it was something Paul had insisted upon. Paul was soaking in the large tub, eyes closed and earphones on. Delilah hadn’t known many men that liked an occasional bath soaking, but she did like seeing him floating naked in front of her. She figured she had two choices. One, slip out quietly and let him finish his alone time, or two, slip into the tub with him. Quietly as she could, she lifted her yellow-flowered sundress up and over her head.

  She watched his eyes while the water gently rippled against him as she stepped gingerly into the tub. One foot in and the eyelids hadn’t so much as twitched. He could be asleep, she thought.

  Paul opened his eyes and said, “You made the right choice, love. I have been desiring you all evening.” The smile in his eyes was all Delilah needed to understand.

  Paul shifted himself up higher in the tub and parted open his legs, making room for Delilah to lie against him. They loved being naked together. Something about having as much skin as possible being in contact with each other was not just extremely comforting, but it also seemed to feed their inner essence. Often, it led to a sexually satisfying lovemaking session, but lately, it had developed into more of an intimate fondling of each other physically, mentally, and emotionally.

  Just because Paul got physically aroused didn’t mean he had to display his manhood like some hormone-enraged teenager. It was exhilarating for Delilah to know that her presence excited Paul, and it was equally exciting to know that Paul made love to her when they both were amorous and not just when he sported an erection.

  Feeling in love and enjoying the natural wonders and sensations of skin was stimulating to Paul and Delilah alike; it opened their minds to new thoughts and emotions. Paul called it pillow talk without the heavy breathing. Pillow talk is more than just the endless “I love you,” it is also a time when minds can merge with each other. Thoughts become one, and new understandings develop that a single mind is not capable of achieving. This was what Paul wanted—to go beyond his mind, join with another mind, and see what wonders they could experience.

  “You feel wonderful, Delilah,” Paul whispered. He took his headphones off and laid them aside. Her breasts were soft to touch, and she sighed while she held his hand on top of them, not wanting him to let go. “You and Gwen enjoy your time together?”

  “We did, Paul. That Notopia place she talks about sure gets her mind stirred up.”

  “How so, dear?”

  “That place is becoming a mini soap opera to her. She likes some guy named Leo and is getting anxious to see him.”

  “Leo?” Paul asked. But inside he knew Leo. He had spent much time teaching Leo about Notopia, and Leo nearly didn’t make the adjustment. In real life, Leo had been emotionally crushed by a fall from love that thrust him into depression. Paul was glad to hear Leo was alive but a bit disheartened to know he was still in Notopia looking for his dream.

  “Yeah, some guy she met there who is showing her around. Tonight, she was talking about how our existence was some sort of cycle. Something like “we” as independent entities flowed from spiritual existence to physical existence and back to spiritual again. The back and forth motion is the impetus or the engine that powers the universe and generates all that we see and discover around us. Notopia is where the entities dream newness into existence, and that’s what makes discoveries happen.”

  “So, true discoveries are merely the recognition of an entity’s dream in real life?”

  “Well, yeah. I guess that would be correct.”

  “She does have a creative imagination, Delilah.”

  Delilah shifted in the tub and put her hand on his partially enlarged penis and kissed his chest. “I love that you listen to me, Paul. And that you think with me.”

  “And I you, Delilah.”

  She hesitated to say this, but she went ahead. “She asked me what my dream was Paul.”

  Paul was thrilled inside to know that this had come up again. He hoped the more it got talked about, the sooner Delilah would accept Notopia and her journey there. “And what did you tell her?”

  “I said I would like to know that I won’t ever be alone. That someone will be there to love me now and in every phase of my existence.”

  “A psychiatrist might see that as a yearning for stability and perhaps even a fear of loneliness.”

  “Well, I suppose all that is true.” She ran her fingernails gently over his chest and around his nipple. “Paul … I want you.”

  “I noticed. Take what you want.”

  “I noticed that you noticed,” she arched up, giving him a deep kiss while being held in his strong arms.

  Chapter 11

  Gwen pressed the button for the doorbell a second time. The porch light was on, and she hoped Leo was inside. She leaned against the door and listened carefully. She was sure she heard voices.

  “Leo, are you there? I can come back if you’d rather,” she called out.

  The door swung open. “No, I’m here. I had the TV on and wasn’t sure it was the doorbell at first. I’m sorry, you haven’t been waiting long have you?” He said, knowing full well how long it was. The firemen in the basement remained there, and he needed to take her away before she saw anything.

  “I was hoping we could talk. I have a few questions.”

  “Sure, Gwen. How about you let me get changed and I will be right over. Won’t take even five minutes.”

  “Oh, good,” she smiled. “Coffee or wine?”

  “Wine … but let me bring some this time. My turn.”

  “Okay. See you soon, don’t keep me waiting,” she said before scurrying back to her house.

  Leo returned to the basement. “Okay, she is gone. I need to go over and talk with her, I will learn what I can. You guys should go out the back.”

  “Leo, we need to know everything we can. I am getting very nervous about all this,” Enrique said.

  Leo nodded in agreement and headed up the stairs. He refreshed his deodorant, slipped on a clean shirt, and added a light splash of cologne. He then secured a bottle of wine and crossed the street. Somehow, he suddenly felt like his mission had transformed into a date; so much so that he chuckled as he knocked on her door.

  Gwen opened the door. “I heard you laughing. What’s so funny?”

  Not knowing what to say, he resorted to the truth. “Well, I feel like I am on a date. You know, I freshened up, put on a
clean shirt, and opened the bottle of wine.”

  “You think this is a booty call or something?” she replied sternly.

  “No. No. I didn’t mean it like that Gwen. I… I.”

  Gwen broke into laughter, “you should see your face right now. Get in here.” He was downright cute in that “what did I do now look” that only a man who truly felt he had mistakenly insinuated the wrong thing could have. Truly precious, she told herself.

  They sat on the couch with their wine. The TV was on, but the sound was not audible. They exchanged pleasantries about the wine, and Leo asked, “You mentioned you had questions?”

  “Yes. I’ve been giving things a lot of thought,” Gwen said. “And although there are some holes in my theory, I wanted to run them by you. You recall me telling you about seeing Roger here, and then seeing him in real life?”

  “Yes, you said you returned before he did by a few hours, I believe.”

  “Exactly and thank you for listening. You also told me that people in Notopia don’t always recall being here when their subconscious returns to real life. That some people recall being here but don’t recall meeting familiar faces back in real life.”

  “Yes, that is what I was told, and I find it to be consistent. However, some people do eventually remember this place, and it is believed they eventually remember seeing familiar faces.”

  “Okay, well that ties in nicely with my theory. Timelines, Leo—suppose we live in several different timelines simultaneously. Don’t ask me how or why but suppose these timelines progress at different rates. This might be evidenced by what we call déjà vu. I think that whenever a person’s timeline overtakes another, that moment of déjà vu occurs. As for Notopia, perhaps it is when people are in, or near, the same timeline both in real life and Notopia that they are able to remember each other.”

  Leo nodded. “That makes sense. I can see that.”

  “Now, in addition to that, it is possible that the collective is somehow aware of the dreams in your subconscious, and when a dream has the potential to enhance humanity, the collective grabs hold of it by starting the formation of a frame in the museum. That would explain why your frame begins to form in the Museum before you or your dream arrives. I think the collective consciousness needs a consensus, or evaluation of some type from real life minds before it can initiate the formation of your portal painting. Once the portal painting is established, they then have access to all the information they need to create your home and all the furnishings just to your liking. Then, when it has enough of a consensus, the momentum of it all expels your dream via the rainbow to here.”

  “I must say, Gwen. You sure sound a lot like my mentor, but how do you explain my painting then? The misty clouds you fly through? It has been that way for over a year and never settles anywhere.”

  “You don’t see it, do you?”

  “See what?”

  “It is not going to settle Leo. Your painting is the excitement of the journey, the thrill of being all on your own with the whole world below you. It is living your life on earth with only the encumbrances of gravity keeping you inside the atmosphere. Your dream symbolizes the release of the entire mind and body. To me, Leo, it screams the complete unabated pursuit of happiness. Not just for you, Leo, but for everyone.”

  Leo sat quietly.

  Gwen continued. “I’m right, aren’t I? Inside you truly desire for everyone to be happy. It’s not merely giving lip service to the idea, and not just cordial either; you want bubbly, smiley, and hug-inducing happy.” Gwen stopped herself. She could see there was more.

  “Yes, Gwen. I do want that, but sometimes it seems like such a silly idea. Similar to something a little kid would say. It’s just not reality. Gwen, remember the dream that died just the other day outside on the street? She was the fourth one I came to know. She was full of joyous song and poetry. We talked about reaching people with a message of love, but it wasn’t to be.”

  She could see the sadness in his eyes.

  “I have to stop looking, Gwen. Every time I fail to connect with a dream, it vanishes. It means that dream was meant for someone else and now I have deprived someone of their dream.”

  “Leo, you can’t just quit—if you did, you would not be here now, and the world needs your dream. I don’t know where these dreams come from, but they seem to spring into existence from a consensus of need. Such a concept as powerful as complete happiness must have been sparked by a deep sadness; sadness not just felt by you, but by many people. Today, many people who visit Notopia must either need this happiness or agree it is hugely important to the world.”

  “But how many times do I try Gwen? How many dreams do I ruin? How many others do I deprive?”

  “I would say it is just like real life Leo. So long as you breathe, you live, and so long as you are here, you must find your dream,” Gwen hugged Leo, and this time she was comforting him.

  Leo pulled back a little and looked Gwen in the eye. “You are extraordinary, Gwen.” And he kissed her.

  The moment was lovely, awkward, wondrous, and impossible all at once. Gwen’s mind bounced and soared in a thousand directions as their lips met. Leo had no real explanation for his actions. It felt right as rain and ten times more exhilarating as any first breath of fresh mountain air.

  “Gwen, perhaps I should not have done that. I don’t know what to say. I’m not sorry I did, and I hope you felt as much or more than I did.”

  Gwen kissed Leo.

  “I’m sure you understand that I am not sorry you did either,” Gwen said.

  They held hands and looked into each other’s eyes as newfound lovers always do. After a short time, Leo said. “Gwen, let’s slow down just a bit. You said you had questions. Let’s focus on that for now.”

  “Okay,” she replied as she stood up and began to walk away. She got to the doorway and turned back toward Leo, smiling. “If you are going to help me with my questions you have to follow me to the bedroom,” and with that, she ducked into the hallway. Leo laughed and followed.

  Leo stopped in the hallway looking at the photos on the wall. There he was, seated at a table with Gwen at a restaurant of some kind he speculated. “Are we going to dinner?” he half asked, half stated.

  “Dinner?” Gwen said making her way to the hall. “What are you talking about?” She examined the photo, and sure enough, it was of Leo and her. “Well, you certainly work fast, mister. That looks like a breakfast table to me.”

  “Quite a few blank frames here, Gwen. It looks like you are going to be here a while.” Leo then looked at some of the other photos. “This must be your mom. I can see the resemblance instantly.”

  “Yep. These are my parents, and this was the house we lived in where I grew up in California.”

  “California? Oh, wow, I never even thought to ask that. I’m from Paris, France.”

  “Nice, and I think your English is impeccable.”

  Leo laughed heartily. “And your French, mademoiselle, is perfect as well.”

  Gwen thought for a moment. “You don’t speak English, do you?”

  “Outside of singing a few Rock ‘n’ Roll songs, none.”

  “This place never ceases to amaze me as it is seamless in every facet of its operation.” She now realized it was Notopia that endowed people with a universal translator of sorts. That made perfect sense for a place like this.

  Gwen continued. “This is my sister, Samantha. She passed away several years ago in a vehicle accident.”

  “I’m sorry, Gwen.”

  “Thank you, but I’m okay with it; it has been a long time now.” She pulled another photo from the wall. “Here is Samantha and I on vacation at our favorite campground.”

  Leo looked carefully at the group photo and background. “This looks a bit familiar.”

  “It should,” Gwen said. “It is the same as the painting in my room. My room, remember? The place we were going to, so I could ask questions.”

/>   “Yes, I remember,” he laughed handing back the photo.

  “Oh, look,” she said pointing to the photo. “Look at the guy on the far right, standing on that log. It’s Roger.”

  “Roger Tremon?”

  “Yes. That was where we met.”

  “Gwen, you say this Roger is your friend in real life. You know all about him?”

  “Yes. We don’t date or anything if that’s what you mean. Roger is a bit of a nature fanatic. He thinks people shouldn’t live in buildings and houses, but rather they should live in caves or grass huts. Just live on the planet, with the world. It’s a beautiful dream for him, but I like technology.”

  “It still bothers me about what he told you about looking in your house and closing up, but it sounds like you trust him.”

  “Yes, I do. Roger would never harm anyone. Maybe I heard him wrong.” She hung up the photo and leaned into Leo’s chest. “Now, if you are done talking about Roger, can we move into the bedroom?” she paused and tilted her head, “or, is there something else I should know that you aren’t telling me?”

  Leo kept a smile on his face and maintained his stare into her eyes all the while thinking. How does she sense these things? I don’t dare tell her about Roger. “Lead the way, Mademoiselle.”

  ***

  Outside, a dream-delivering rainbow began like all the others. A small cumulus cloud appeared and gave birth to a multi-colored arch that extended to the ground. Several familiar shaped bulges appeared as the dreams began their descent. A fifth bulge popped into the rainbow in a noticeably different fashion. Within seconds, it began to accelerate and collided with the closest one to it. The bulges rotated a bit, and then a blue fire burst from the rainbow. However, this time, both bulges did not vanish into the sky as one appeared to yank itself back into the rainbow. Once inside, it accelerated again and collided with the next one in line. Again, the blue fire emerged from the rainbow, pulling the bulges out. Again, one bulge broke free, and a partial glimpse of a black figure flailed about ever so briefly.