by Matthew Fish
“Seems kinda…well, silly now,” Mark said as he began to laugh. “I mean, it’s just as simple as pointing?” Mark added as he grabbed another nail and placed it in his palm. He sent the nail high into the air and gestured just as before—only this time he ended it with his middle finger pointed out to the wall. The nail flew wildly past the concrete slab and into one of the large mirrors at the corner of the ballroom, shattering it.
“Well, maybe not that simple,” Maddie said as she shook her head and let a short giggle before turning to Mark and allowing a more serious look to wear upon her face.“You have to take it seriously. That’s important—I know it’s funny now and it’s okay to mess around with it. Just remember…this is life and death stuff we are playing with.”
“Yeah…” Mark said as he nodded. He felt a bit guilty for trying something so silly—it was just that he was so amused that he finally figured something out. “It’s just been a long day and…yeah I’m so happy we figured it out—I just was having a bit of fun.”
“Which,” Maddie said as she smiled once more. “Is perfectly fine in this setting…I just, mean in the future—don’t even try that out in the field. Which is just me being me, I know you really wouldn’t. It’s just the whole teacher side of me being pointless strict. Anyway, I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you,” Mark said as his eyes met Maddie’s remarkably blue eyes. As they shimmered under the lights of the crystal chandeliers, for a moment Mark felt as though he had fallen under some kind of strange enchantment.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” Maddie asked as she blushed and turned away from Mark. She looked down to the nearly empty box of nails that sat upon a chair.
“Sorry…I umm, I don’t,” Mark stumbled once more. He let out a short sigh and decided to just attempt to be a bit more confident with the people around him. “Your eyes look really pretty in this light—with the shimmering from the…lights. Didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable or to stare. It’s just a really pretty blue.”
“Thank…thank you,” Maddie said shortly as though she was both equal parts embarrassed and taken off guard. “Thank you for the nice compliment.”
“How fares my favorite ducklings this fine evening?” Caesar asked as he broke the awkward silence that filled the room.
“We umm,” Mark said as he turned to Caesar, happy for the distraction. “We figured out how to throw a nail…”
“Mark figured it out, actually,” Maddie said as she placed her left hand upon Mark’s shoulder. “I’ll get him caught up on how to properly focus and get more nails in the air and we should be perfect.”
“Oh what a dreadful mess,” Caesar said as he looked upon all the damage around the room. “No bother, my duckies, many congratulations on your success today. Now if you are done for the day I have quite the feast ready for you in the dining room—I bade that you both hurry, lest that unmannered Emily eats everything before I retrieve you.”
“This looks great,” Mark said as he looked at the many boxes of pizza piled upon the table. “No problems with the car this time?”
“That little scrape earlier was naught but bit of relearning an old talent,” Caesar said as a gestured for Mark and Maddie to sit in their respective seats.
“You get that whole nail thing down, Vesty?” Emily said as she chewed on a piece of pepperoni and jalapeno pizza.
“Yes…I actually did—just a bit ago,” Mark said as he nodded. “How was you walk today?”
“Not bad,” Emily said as she shrugged. “The area is pretty, if you like nature and all that shit. I practiced my projecting. I think I can do a bit further than I could before. Don’t know though. I’ll need to practice with you…it’s a lot different than doing it just by myself. I mean I can get the job done perfectly fine on my own, but it just doesn’t feel the same.”
Mark coughed loudly as he choked on his own saliva. He didn’t exactly know if Emily was trying to sound in any way sexual—however it did sound a little bit that way.
“Are you alright, Mark?” Maddie asked.
“Yeah,” Mark said shortly as he turned his attention to the food. He was starving.
“I’m happy to hear that your projecting went well today,” Maddie said as she turned her attention to Emily in an attempt to be friendly. “It seems like we were all lucky today.”
“Some of us were lucky last night…” Emily muttered with a mouthful of food.
“What?” Maddie asked, not exactly catching what Emily had said but mostly passing it off as probably something snide or an attempt at wit.
“Whhhhaaatt?” Emily said in a drawn out sing-song tone as she swallowed her food. “Twat did I just say?”
“Why can’t you ever just be…normal…?” Maddie asked as she let out a sigh and placed a few pieces of pizza onto her paper plate. “Just for one evening…”
“Pay her no unnecessary attention,” Caesar said as he daintily wiped away some fat from the pizza with a white paper napkin. “The creature thrives on attention and giving her any only stirs her ravenous appetite for more.”
“Yes,” Emily said in a short flat tone. “Just ignore me…It’s better for everyone that way.”
“Are you alright?” Mark asked, noticing that Emily had not come back with something witty or insulting.
“In other words, boy—don’t feed the troll,” Caesar said as he let out a sigh. “My dear Madeline, the water today was quite wonderful. I would suggest that you have a swim. After such a taxing day such a swim would be a tonic on the soul.”
“I would love too,” Maddie said as she gestured towards her shoulder. “Not a good idea just yet though.”
“How thoughtless of me,” Caesar said as he let a sour look pass over his lips. “You know, for a second there, I had all but forgotten that you were not one of my kind. Do remind me that I need to attend to your dressing before you retire for the evening. The wound is healing up nicely. I suspect you will be ready for the pool in a mere few weeks, especially with my special medicine.”
“Thank you,” Maddie said as she smiled. “I wouldn’t mind putting my feet in though, Mark…Emily, would you like to accompany me?”
“I wouldn’t mind,” Mark said as he nodded once.
“I’m good,” Emily said sharply as she did not even take her attention away from her dinner. “I went into the hot tub this morning when you were all asleep—well right before Mr. Mysterio here was showing Mark whatever was in the basement.”
“How many hours do you sleep exactly?” Mark asked. He knew that she did not sleep much…but given that she was rather busy the night before—it could not have left too much time to sleep.
“A few hours…I guess,” Emily said as she continued to look down to her plate.
“Every night…?” Caesar asked.
“Yes…every night…”
“That is not good for the mind,” Caesar said as he turned his attention to the girl that seemed to be quite keen to ignore him. “One of our kind should get at least a good eight hours of sleep to keep the mind in tip-top shape. After all, mental acuity should not be squandered. Even by a…”
“A Zampa…I get it…what does it matter?”
“Well now I almost prefer the little girl that makes silly remarks about the way I talk or called me…what was it? The night before…ahh…yes, dickfingers, that was it. Where is that girl this evening? She seemed to be here but a moment ago,” Caesar said as he mockingly looked beneath the tablecloth and searched around the pizza boxes.
“On that note,” Emily said as she got up from her chair and started to walk out the room. “Maybe I’m due for some sleep. Tomorrow, Mark—if you have some time. I do really need to work on my projecting with you. I didn’t get us very far last time…just outside the door. It won’t do next time.”
“Alright,” Mark said as he looked at Emily and bit the corner of his lip. “Goodnight, Emily.”
“Yeah,” Emily said as she nodded.
“I think you were
being too hard on her,” Maddie said quietly as she waited until Emily had exited the room and was out of earshot.
Caesar let a short laugh out as he placed his hands upon the table and shook his head at Maddie. “My dear Madeline, do not waste your pity on that girl—I daresay she would not dish out an ounce of her own upon you. Let me be brilliantly clear—the only reason she is even here, is because the two of you are here. I would never allow such ill company to sully the walls of my own home otherwise.”
“She’s not a bad person,” Mark said. He wanted to say a bit more—he felt rather insulted. However, he did not want to give away too much about what had happened the other night. After all, he still did not understand it. He wondered if her odd behavior had something to do with what happened last night. She seemed fine…maybe the Zampa comparison was getting to her in some way.
“So she would have you think, boy,” Caesar said as he let out an exhausted sigh and rolled his eyes. “Your trust in her is admirable, but I feel it is sorely misplaced. Surely the department could find you a more suitable replacement.”
“We’ve been through a lot, we all have,” Maddie added. “I trust her.”
“Such is the folly of Mortals,” Caesar said as he returned his attention to his meal. “I’m sure you trusted Bradley just as much…”
“I think you shouldn’t call Emily a Zampa,” Mark said plainly as he cut Caesar off.
“So the boy does have a little bit of spine,” Caesar said as he met eyes with Mark. “I shall indulge your desire—this time. Still, she does not have my respect…she has to earn that.”
“Fair enough,” Mark said as he continued to match Caesar’s gaze.
“Now, my ducklings,” Caesar said as he finally turned his eyes away and put a big smile back upon his face. “Let’s talk of fun things—no more negativity. It makes one feel so…unclean. Did you know that our very own President Lincoln once sat at this very table?”
“Did he have the pizza or the Chinese?” Mark asked as Caesar let out a hearty laugh.
Mark searched through his dressers until he came upon a red and white hibiscus printed pair of swimming trunks. He stripped down and climbed into his shorts. He grabbed a towel from a separate drawer and headed out the door. He stopped outside of Emily’s door and for a moment he thought of knocking. He figured that she was not in the mood to be around anyone at the moment.
The smell of chlorine filled Mark’s nostrils as he opened the door to the pool room. Maddie sat at the edge of the long pool, her legs dangling into the water. She was wearing a tight fitting red bikini bottom. Mark could make out the outline of her breasts through the thinly knitted white fabric she wore that barely covered her bikini top. Her shoulder length curly hair was pulled back into a red bow.
“Caesar tied the bow,” Maddie said as she noticed Mark staring. “It was a little…awkward, but I can’t do everything with one hand. I mean…he tied my top as well.”
“You look beautiful,” Mark said as he nervously sat down next to her and inched his feet into the cool water. He could not keep his eyes off of the curves of her body through the thin fabric. The smoothness of her legs, bare until they reached her bikini bottom—which clung to her delicate form. Her nipples could be seen as small raised bumps against the raised fabric of the red and white bikini top that was just as revealing and form fitting as her bottoms.
“You look…good,” Maddie said as she blushed. “I mean, you do look like you mean it.”
Terribly embarrassed, Mark attempted to cover up his erection as Maddie pushed him into the water with a laugh. The cool water felt good against Mark’s skin as he bobbed up and down in the pool—his feet could barely reach the tiles, it was a lot deeper than he expected it to be. He allowed himself to calm down a little, or at least, not be so visibly turned on. Once able to compose himself, he finally found the ability to speak, “I’m sorry…about that. I just…”
“It’s okay,” Maddie said as she let out another short laugh. “It’s nice to know that someone finds me attractive, every now and then.”
“I’ve always thought you were attractive,” Mark added. “I just…never really saw you with so little clothing on? My mind kinda…just goes where it wants to.”
“You certainly don’t hide you’re appreciation for it well,” Maddie said as she blushed once more. “I do appreciate you telling me though—I was wondering, honestly. I mean, before now. Until I started working overseas I’d not really been around guys much and even then the interactions were very military like. My life has been very strict and because of that I didn’t know how to act with you, so I decided to be strict. I know you needed it, with only three days before your first time actually doing a Conductor’s job. I just didn’t want to be too strict. That’s not really who I am. Today was more like…who I really am. I laugh, and I want to have fun. I just know we have things we have to do.”
“I appreciate that you were strict,” Mark said as he pulled himself out of the pool and sat next to Maddie. He ran a hand through his short hair and wrapped a towel around his chest. “Without your help I wouldn’t have survived. If you hadn’t been there Bradley would have probably gotten both me and Emily killed or taken…or who knows. I don’t even know what they want with me.”
“I’m glad I decided to take the assignment,” Maddie said as she smiled. “Our situations have improved—it’s different, but that doesn’t always mean bad. Did you know that I was home schooled? Probably explains a lot, I suppose. I just mean that this kind of interaction isn’t exactly anything I’ve ever trained for.”
“Well, I’ve been regular schooled—and I was not prepared for any of this,” Mark said as he looked down and watched the surface of the water dance beneath his feet. “I was actually quite surprised that today I did something without you having to repeatedly attempt to teach me to do it.”
“Soon you won’t even need me,” Maddie said with a sad tone.
“I don’t have friends,” Mark admitted. “I used to—then high school ended. You and Emily are my friends…and I suppose Caesar. I’ll always need you.”
“Then do me one favor?”
“Of course,” Mark said unquestioningly. After everything that Maddie had taught him and had done for him, nothing could be out of the question.
“Have you kissed Emily?”
Mark thought for a moment, during their encounter—they did not ever actually kiss. A little unsure with just how honest his answer was, he replied, “No…”
“Will you kiss me?”
Mark looked into Maddie’s deep blue eyes; it was mesmerizing next to the light of the pool. He nodded once and placed her lips against her soft, wet red lips as they embraced. He allowed himself to linger for quite a while before slowly pulling away.
“That was quite wonderful,” Maddie whispered as she placed her left arm around Mark and ran her fingers against his chest.
“It was,” Mark said as he went in one more time. Mark felt that strange familiar warmth as their lips met and his body tingled wildly.
“Twice,” Maddie whispered as she let out a short sigh. “Was just as wonderful...I want more—but, maybe we could wait to when things are calmed down, when I’m healed up a bit.”
“Of course,” Mark said as he nodded vehemently, “I’m not trying to push you into doing…more—I just, you asked. Not that I didn’t enjoy it.”
“You don’t have to explain,” Maddie said as she gestured downward. “I know you enjoyed it. I know you want more. It’s a little obvious with you.”
“Shit,” Mark muttered as he placed his towel over his lap.
“I hate to leave you like this,” Maddie said as she giggled. “I have to get my dressings changed—before I get some sleep. I don’t want to keep Caesar waiting.”
“I’ll be fine,” Mark said as he looked away and off into the pool. “Sorry…again…”
“No apologies,” Maddie said as she got to her feet and reached her head down and kissed Mark on the forehe
ad. “A little swim should help you work out a bit of…your issues there.”
“Of course,” Mark said as he looked to Maddie and smiled. He shook his head and let out a laugh as he heard the door close behind her. He then looked down to the bulge in his swim trunks and muttered. “You get me in an awful lot of trouble, you know?”
Mark did a few laps in the pool before returning to his room.
That night, as I lay in bed, I had a strange mix of feelings. I had half anticipated Emily to project into my room that night…to be with me for a time and then disappear. However, she did not show up. I felt guilty. After all, I had slept with Emily and I had kissed Maddie. That was what Emily said she wanted though. She did not want to be with me…at least, not in a real way. She had said so herself. She wanted me to go after Maddie. Emily had made that clear after the whole mortality issue. I couldn’t explain why I felt so guilty over the subject. Emily had a point—it made more sense for me and Maddie to be together, we were both Conductors…we would both grow old and die at some point. Or at least…a hell of a lot sooner than Emily would. Then there was Caesar’s warning. How such relationships were often looked down upon and ended up messily. I don’t know how much weight I put into his opinion at the time. I trusted him, even if I did not like the way he treated Emily. I wondered how much of his disdain for Emily played into his opinion of a potential relationship. Then again, I was letting too many opinions and new feelings get in the way. I had to think this out clearly, I could not just rush into this kind of judgment. Given the chance, I would have probably been with Maddie that night. In a way, I was glad that I hadn’t. It wasn’t that I didn’t want her. I definitely wanted her—I just felt that it would make things even more…confusing. Besides, I had to train—we all did.
Chapter 7
Maddie and I trained that morning. It went well. We laughed; we intentionally found reasons to be close as she trained me to keep more than a single nail in the air. After a while, it became easy. She taught me to keep focused on my coins or nails but at the same time remain open to what was happening around me. To always be weary of danger—there could be someone with a gun, or a Perpetual could be rushing me from behind. I got a little better. There was one thing that I could not do however…I could not do coins and nails at the same time. For some reason, it had to be one or the other.
