Rodney B. Harrington, Associate Director of Cheshire Labs,
sat at his desk, looking at the large black cat that was parked on
the other side of the chess board. The remnants of a box lunch
from Donati's sat on the sideboard, waiting to be finished. He
had just been checkmated for the second time that day.
"Something bothering you, Rod? You're generally a better
challenge." said the cat, named Salem. Salem is the laboratory's
self-appointed morale officer, preventing the staff from becoming
too serious about their work, pushing the frontiers of genetic
engineering.
"Salem, I'm worried about Allison." he said, referring to the
director of the lab, Allison Somers. "She hasn't been in for four
days now, and I haven't been able to get hold of her. This is not
like her at all."
Salem caused the chessboard and pieces to put themselves
back in the box. Everyone, Rod included, thought that Salem is a
man who is locked in the form of a cat, who could speak, use
telekinesis, and appear anywhere. The truth was something
different. He thought carefully before he spoke.
"Rod, this is not easy for me to say. You know how much of
a flirt Allison is." Rod nodded. His boss is a 6 foot, nine and a
half inch tall, 235 pound 'glamazon', stunningly beautiful, and,
in her off time, likes to go out wearing a daringly cut leather
outfit that displayed her body in an extremely provocative way. If
someone tried to get fresh with her, she would display her
telepathic power, warning the sex-craved men that they could
look all they want, but not touch. She is, in addition to being
very intelligent, has a PSR rating of 50, and, before opening the
lab, was interim chairman of the Bonded Telepaths Organization.
Rod found her attractive, but knew enough not to try to force
himself on her, as did the other men in the lab.
"Something happen?" he asked the cat.
"She was assaulted, raped, and left for dead by a psi-muffler
Saturday night. Not even her strength of mind could break
through the muffling during the attack. In fact, it seemed to
increase the muffling. If she hadn't been able to get help, she
probably would have died. She's at home, recovering." Salem
said quietly.
Rod listened with horror at the tale. "Is there anything we
can do for her?" he asked, worried about his friend and boss.
"When I can convince her to come back to the lab, just be
her friend. Don't tell anyone else here about it. Right now, she's
about recovered physically, but she is still emotionally shaken.
She needs support and love now. Her family, and I, are helping
her, but she's still scared to leave the house."
Rod got up from his desk. "Tell her that I'm coming to see
her. Maybe I can convince her to come back here- work is good
therapy, and I can tell her of the work we've done this week." he
told Salem.
The cat looked down at the grain of the polished oak
desktop. "Okay. I told her." he said slowly. "She doesn't want to
see anyone, but she knows that you can be as stubborn as she
is. You know the booth number?"
"Yes, I do." Rod said as he put on his kaleidoscopic-
patterned lab coat. "Remember, I picked her up at home to go
to a baseball game last month." He headed out, to the transfer
booth outside the laboratory.
Rod flicked in outside Ravencroft Manor. He walked up to
the imposing, 15' tall double front doors, and knocked hard, not
using the intercom. A moment later, one door swung open,
revealing an attractive teenage girl, about his height. This, he
knew, was Allison's younger sister, Jade.
"Hello, Doctor Harrington. Allie's in her room upstairs. I'll
take you there." she said.
"How is she?" he asked.
"Scared. She doesn't want anyone near her, but, she can't
hide all the time. Now, she feels that she's ugly and dirty, and
doesn't think she's worthy to be wanted for anything more than
her body." Jade answered.
"She's a beautiful woman in many more respects than that."
"We know that, but, she's locked in a thought loop that she
doesn't want to break. We've tried to help her, but right now she
doesn't want help." Jade said as they climbed the staircase.
"Well, maybe I can get her out of her shell enough to come
back to the lab, at least for a time."
"We can hope." Jade said, stopping outside a door. "She's
in here. Don't be surprised at what you see." She opened the
door.
Rod entered the room, closing the door behind him. He
looked around, trying to find Allison.
"Up here, Rod." he heard. When he looked up, all he saw
was a huge pink balloon floating over the bed. He looked closer,
and saw that Allison was the balloon!
"What happened to you, Allie?" he asked, totally surprised.
"It's a property of my pajamas. Floating while I'm sleeping
helps me relax. Climb on the bed and touch the white button on
the suit to deflate me." she said reluctantly. He did so, and the
suit shrank to skin-tight size, revealing her beautiful body. She
was still floating, though.
"Rod, could you just hold me for a while? I don't want to
stop floating, but we can talk." she said, in a tone of voice that
worried Rod. It was the tones of a scared little girl, full of fear
and uncertainty, totally unlike her normally dynamic, energetic
voice.
Rod pulled Allison down, seating her next to him on the bed.
It felt like he was holding a large, warm balloon, one that was
trying to rise up out of his grip. She wrapped an arm around his
shoulders as well, to help hold herself down.
For over an hour they talked, about work and other things.
Rod managed to get her to talk about the assault, what the man
did to her, and, to his surprise, what happened to him. [He
seldom read the papers or watched the news, so he missed the
coverage of the finding of the rapist.]
Allison came to a decision. "Rod, I'll come back to the lab
for a while. I'll just put something on over this, because the suit
makes me relax, and it feels good to wear." she said.
"You need me to hold you down, you beautiful balloon?" he
laughed.
"No, the clothes and shoes will give me enough weight. I
know you won't get fresh, because Marie would not only castrate
you, she'll scratch my face up!" she laughed in return. "But,
thanks for the offer." Marie is Rod's girlfriend, who is attending
McGill University in Montreal. Sometimes, she comes out to
Sagania for visits.
The afternoon at the lab did do wonders for Allison, making
her feel much better. The whole staff were her friends, who did
care about her, she realized. The next day, she happily returned
to work, wearing her pink fuzzy underneath her clothes, because
she still felt that she needed the additional support of the good
feelings the suit provided.
The next Friday, Allison, Rod, and Salem were gathered in
Allison's office for lunch. The three were discussing loneliness-
how to deal with it, and what to do about it.
"Speaking of loneliness, Allie, what are you doing tonight?"
Rod asked.
"Nothing. Since you two won't let me work past 7 PM, I just
planned on maybe a little sparring practice with Jade and my
mother."
"How would you like to meet someone tonight?"
"Who, and why?"
"His name is Garrett Hampton. He's a friend of mine, a
talented artist, and very, very lonely." Rod explained.
This got Allie's curiosity up. "Why is he so lonely?"
"When he manifested at puberty, it caused him to take on
an appearance that, while not ugly, is repulsive to most women.
I've known him for a few years, since I came to Sagania from
Toronto, and he could use some more friends. His gifts make
him somewhat sluggish during the day, so he works by night,
producing some exquisite artwork. Interested in helping a lonely
soul?" Rod asked seriously after his explanation.
Salem spoke up. "You haven't been out of the house for
anything but work since the attack. While I've been busting my
whiskers making this place a fun place to work, it is still work.
Try this tonight- who knows, you can make a new friend. You
can use friends that are different from you, young lady!"
Allison scooped Salem up and started petting him. "You
think I should?" she asked.
"Yes, I do! You've been hiding now for two weeks! Time to
come out and live a little! I've heard you at night while you've
been sleeping. You need to get out and not be afraid anymore.
Besides, Bradley made you a new leather suit, one that's not so
provocative. Try it tonight, little one. Ooh, a little higher, please.
That's it." Salem concluded as Allie switched from petting to
scratching.
"Will somebody be watching, in case I need help?" Allie
asked.
"Allison, Garrett is not that type of person. He can fight and
fight well, but it takes a powerful reason for him to do so. He's
afraid that he's repulsive enough, and he doesn't want to give
people another reason to fear and hate him." Rod said.
Allison looked at Rod, then down to Salem, still in her arms.
Salem was purring loudly, and a purr from an 18-pound black
tomcat can be loud indeed. She knew that his purr meant either
approval, confirmation, or something else. Picking the second
option, she asked Rod, "Where and when will I meet this
person?"
"Murphy Glen Park, on the north edge of DuQuesne City."
Taking up her scratch pad, he wrote down a number. "This is
the booth number of the park. Be by the pond at 9 tonight. He'll
be there. I'll leave a message for him." Rod said, giving her the
pad.
"Okay. I'll do it." Allison said. She put Salem on the desk
and stood. "Time to check on the latest culture series I'm
running." She left her office at a brisk pace.
Rod looked at Salem. "I hope this works." he said.
"Don't worry. It will. I have it on the best authority." Salem
replied.
That night, at ten minutes before nine, Allison flicked in to
the booth at Murphy Glen Park. She was wearing the new leather
outfit that Bradley had made for her- it was comfortable, and it
did flatter her figure without being provocative, as promised.
Bradley had also enchanted the leather so that it would turn a
knife blade, leaving only a small bruise which would rapidly fade,
because he also put a healing spell on the suit.
Allison walked with confidence, because she had confided in
Jade about this date, and she agreed to come if Allison called
her. She arrived at the pond and waited.
Allison heard footsteps approaching from the side, out of
the woods. She turned, and gasped with surprise. The man who
was standing there, at the edge of the walk, stood over 7' tall.
He was wearing what looked like a gray cloak, clasped at his
chest with an unusual hook arrangement. The cloak hid what
appeared to be a massive build, like her brother Ethan, but not
as bulky. His face was very handsome indeed, strong and
rugged. His eyes showed his hesitancy and shyness, however.
Allison wondered about the cloak, because it was a warm
evening in mid-June.
"Excuse me, are you Allison?" he asked. His voice matched
his build, but there was the traces of shyness in it as well.
"That's me. You're Garrett?" she said, also shyly.
"That I am. May I come closer? Under the light, maybe?"
Allison nodded approval, and moved toward one of the
lampposts. Garrett did as well. When they both stood under the
light, Allison clearly saw two things- he was grey all over, like
weathered stone, and he wasn't wearing a cloak- he had wings!
Garrett looked at Allison as closely as she was looking at
him. "You are tall, like Dr. Rodney said you were. I like looking at
people without getting a pain in my neck." he said.
"And I like looking up at a man, not down! If I may ask, are
those wings functional?" she asked, curiosity fighting with
politeness.
"They are. I can fly all night long, at speeds up to 200 miles
an hour. I can carry loads as well, if I can hold them in my
arms." he replied.
"How much of a load?"
"More than you weigh." he said, a shy smile on his lips.
Allison found she was beginning to like this big grey man.
Still looking at him, she sent to her sister, "Jade, I think you can
back off a bit. Thanks for the backup."
"No problem. Have fun, big sister"
Without indicating that she had paused, she said, "How
about dinner someplace? Donati's, maybe?"
Garrett twitched at the suggestion. "I've never been there-
it's always crowded. I don't like being in crowds, because people
stare at me like I'm a freak, or pitied because of a bad
manifestation." he said with a worried tone.
"Don't worry- I can get one of the private dining rooms, and
we can eat and talk in peace and quiet."
"How can you get a dining room in one of the most popular
restaurants in Sagania?" he asked, totally confused.
"Simple- my father owns the place. Let me call the
headwaiter and tell her to get a room ready for us." She pulled
out her phone and quickly made the arrangements.
They flicked over to Donati's and were quickly seated in a
room. There, they discovered one thing they had in common-
appetites that matched their sizes! They ate and talked for
hours, learning much about each other. Since the attack, Allison
didn't have much of an appetite, but that problem went away
that night.
Garrett [please, call me Gary] told Allison about his growing
up in Suncoast City. His parents are artists, and they were
pleased that he followed them. When he manifested at 14,
changing into what he is now, his parents were the only people
that did not react with fear, disgust, or pity. During the day, he
becomes sluggish and dull- in bright sunlight, he practically
petrifies until dusk or heavy clouds roll in. The ostracism drove
him to be a virtual recluse, especially when he reached full size.
He said that he regards himself as just a talented freak of
nature, condemned to isolation from humanity.
Allison told Gary about being a powerful telepath, growing
up in a big, loving, and rather weird family. She described the
feeling of social isolation she felt as she aged rapidly, and grew
taller and taller. She explained about the troubles she had at
school, when the deans refused to grant her a doctoral thesis
because they felt threatened by her rapid development. Sure,
she's bright, beautiful, and powerful, but she still felt somewhat
on the outside, looking in.
At closing time, Gary asked Allie if she would like to come to
his studio, so she could see his artwork. "I'd love to, but you're
going to have to help me up! I'm stuffed!" she exclaimed.
Gently, he helped her up out of her chair. His hands were
warm, yet hard, like flexible stone or hard clay. His touch,
combined with her relaxed state, caused her to involuntarily
peek into his mind. Before she could shut it off, she felt the
intense pain of rejection and loneliness that was within him, the
intense yearning for a friend, someone he could touch and hold
and care for, to give his life some meaning. She felt also his
hope that she could be the one, because she was so friendly
and open with him, unafraid of his deformities. She fell in love
with him at that point, because his pain matched hers, and she
felt they could help each other.
At his studio, she marveled at the artwork displayed there.
He told her that he could mold stone and clay to whatever shape
he wished. He could also fire the clay without a kiln. He
preferred working with clay, because it was easier for him to
shape, but stone and marble would yield to his will, just slower.
By 3 AM, Allison was fighting to stay awake- a stuffed
tummy and a long day was catching up with her. When he
hugged her, she loved the feeling of his arms around her, as
well as his wings enveloping her. On impulse, she kissed him,
feeling that she should. They held the kiss for a long time,
feeling each other soften in their grip. Gary walked her to the
nearest transfer booth. "Call me when you want to get together
again." he said.
"How about tonight?" she asked sleepily.
"Okay. Call when you're ready." he said.
As Allison made her way up the stairs of her home to her
bedroom, she did not travel unobserved. From the shadows near
the ceiling, Jade hovered and watched her big sister. She looked
at the black kitty she held. "Looks like we worked a wonder
tonight, Aurora." she sent.
"Yeah, we did. Two broken souls mended. They're both
happy now. We were right about this one. Good thing Grandpa
told me about him. Can we go out and hunt now? I'm hungry!"
Aurora sent plaintively.
"Of course we can. Rabbits?"
"Rabbits!" The pair quietly drifted down and out the kitchen
door, where Jade watched her friend and familiar [and Salem's
granddaughter] chase rabbits around the yard. That night,
Allison slept peacefully without the aid of her fuzzy, in her bed
instead of over it.