"Shamir, I'm so tired I don't think I can even make it back to the cottage. Is there somewhere I can lie down for a while?" he whispered in the wizard's ear.
"Of course, I'm surprised you've lasted this long to be quite honest. I've been in awe of your stamina," he replied.
"Well, my batteries are totally drained now. Is it okay if we go right now, because I've just hit a wall of tiredness that I cannot go round?"
"That's fine, let's go right away," said Shamir, reacting immediately by standing up from his seat. "I'll tell Ayou where you are," he said, before Charlie could ask. Charlie just nodded, he was far too beat to really argue, so he followed Shamir to the sleeping tent. The floor in the huge marquee was covered with numerous doonas and pillows, which seemed like heaven to Charlie right now. He crawled under the comfiest one he could find and was asleep before the doona had even warmed up around him.
When Charlie woke up the following morning, it was very early and the first light was emerging from the shadows between the trees. The air was cold in the tent and twenty or thirty elves of various ages were dotted around the place. What made him feel wonderful was the feeling of having a beautiful warm body nestled into his. It was Ayou, and she was breathing gently as she lay in the calmness of dawn sleep. No one else was awake and Charlie lay quietly for a while, enjoying the blissful contrast between the warmth of his body and the chill of the cold morning air on his face. A few minutes passed like this, until he was brought out of his reverie by the movement of the body next to him. As he focused on what was happening, Ayou turned over so that she was now facing him, with her nose just about touching his. She smiled contentedly and Charlie lay there for a second without being able to draw breath. In some way, she sensed his need and gently reached out her hand to touch his face, before kissing him on the lips. She tasted divine, like honey, and the only coherent thought Charlie had was that his tongue must taste awful to her by comparison. Such thoughts passed quickly as she offered her mouth without reservation and when they finally took breath, it was most reluctantly on her part. For what seemed like an age, they lay with their heads facing each other on one pillow and, when they weren't smiling, they were kissing.
"You make me feel so special," whispered Ayou, when they took a break.
"I can't believe this is happening to me, you're so beautiful," he replied.
"Have you ever made love to someone?" asked Ayou timidly.
"No, I haven't, not yet."
"Would you like to now," she whispered cheekily.
"Yes, but do you think it's okay?" he asked.
"Yes, it's okay and don't worry, I know what to do," she said, smiling and sliding her petite body on top of him.
For a brief moment, Charlie felt doubt surface in him, and it made him shudder, but then it was blown away like a cloud by the rising passion in him. The sense of being inside her totally overwhelmed Charlie, and as they rocked gently backwards and forwards in rhythm with each other, he thought he would faint with enjoyment. Ayou had her eyes closed for some of the time, but Charlie watched her face as she let the energy of their union flood through her body and it was clear that she was in a blissful state. He had been dying to lose his virginity and he was pleased that, even as their passion grew, he hadn't lost control too quickly. It felt amazing to hold her bum in his hands and feel her tremble as he pushed himself into her. Then, gradually, he felt his orgasm rising and he wanted to scream out as it soared through his body, bringing its wild sense of tension and relief with it. But he couldn't say anything, through fear of waking anyone, so he pressed his face into her breasts as the feeling washed over him. Ayou rode its wave as well and collapsed in a heap on top of him as the feeling released them and subsided. She lay there, totally still for a while, as they both melded in the blissful descent from such a lovely high.
"Let's get out of here and go for a walk," whispered Ayou.
"Okay, I'd love that," said Charlie simply.
It was still very early as they slipped out of the makeshift camping ground. The air was cold and they could see their breath quite clearly as they scampered passed the Great Fig and onto one of the paths that led away through the forest. For quite a while, they stumbled along the path, sharing the large warm doona that they'd brought with them from the tent. They whispered and chatted about nothing very much as they went, lost in the world of young lovers that nothing can seemingly touch. They made love again by the side of the stream as the desire grew in them both. This time, Charlie was more confident and the intensity of feeling that was upon him while they touched each other was almost painful it was so good. Afterwards, they lay panting under the doona and giggling at the glistening sweat that covered both of their bodies and which made them stick together like a couple of melted biscuits. Moments later, Charlie began to feel strange, as he lay on his back by the side of the stream with Ayou in his arms. A dark feeling of disquiet began to grip him and images of Marie surged through his brain. His body was sweating, but he was suddenly cold through to his bones and the blackest fear imaginable was beginning to envelop him. In a matter of seconds, it felt like he might die.
"Help me, Ayou," was all he could utter, as he fell into the terror that now beckoned him.
"What's the matter, Charlie?" pleaded Ayou, nursing him in her arms and feeling the coldness gripping his body. Her words were lost on him, as his body became engulfed by some maniacal spasm. His eyes were open, but they stared madly away from something within and didn't register her presence at all.
"HELP ME," she shouted, "WILL SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME," she bellowed, so hard that her own body started shaking. "AYAAARRRGHHH," she screamed, with every ounce of her strength. Tears poured down her cheeks as she rocked backwards and forwards trying to comfort Charlie who was now contorted by the darkness of some deathly dream.
"What have we done, Charlie, what have we done?" she whispered.
Shamir was working in the garden when he heard the scream. He wished for wings, as he charged along the path in the direction of the cry. Suddenly, from nowhere, a young elf called Spira appeared breathless and shaken.
"They're up by the river, about two hundred metres away," was all he said. No sooner had his feet touched the ground, than he was off again, whipping through the trees to report on Shamir's arrival to those gathered at the river. By the time Shamir sped into the gathering, there were three elves already in attendance. Two of them were cradling Charlie in their arms in an attempt to calm him and the other one was trying to comfort Ayou, who was kneeling and sobbing uncontrollably on the grass.
"Ayaar," whispered Shamir to himself, as he appraised the scene in front of him. He needed to act quickly if Charlie was to be saved. He had seen this happen once before and they had lost the young girl that time. She hadn't made anything like the contact that Charlie had managed, but she had surfaced briefly, raising their hopes of completion. It had all been lost on the second day when young Madelaine had fallen unconscious in a similar way to Charlie. Just then, Kanook came flying into the clearing still wearing his nightgown. He came running straight over to Shamir.
"We need to get him back to the cottage quickly. I'm going to need some mint, ginger, rosehip and two young leaves from the Great Fig," said Shamir quietly. Kanook just nodded. "I'll make my way back now to prepare the cottage," continued Shamir. "You follow on with Charlie and however many it takes to carry him safely. Make sure you keep talking to him, he knows your voice and he must trust that we're still here for him. The dark energies are at work again, my friend and we must balance them with absolute lightness. We have a closer connection with him than Maddie and we're not going to lose him."
"I know," was all Kanook said, before spinning on his heels and grabbing two young elves that were nearby.
"Look after Ayou, she's close to the edge," shouted Shamir, as he ran backwards towards the path home, but his friend didn't hear him, as he was already immersed in conversation. Shamir toyed with the idea of running back but he felt such urgency to ge
t home that he decided against it. He was intensely focused on the magic he would need if he were to stand any chance of bringing Charlie back from the darkness where he now lay.
Back at the house, he washed himself and put on the white robes of his family clan before lighting a stick of incense and sitting quietly in meditation in his favourite chair.
Charlie's body suddenly started to shake uncontrollably and the monitors on the bedhead started bleeping wildly. One of the nurses on night duty came rushing into the room, having been alerted to the situation by a monitor on her desk.
"Get the doctor, quickly," she shouted to one of the junior nurses, as she ran to Charlie's bedside. "His temperature is rising and he's having trouble breathing," she continued. Within minutes, there were a team of doctors around his bed, all immersed in synchronistic movements, perfected through endless experience. They wouldn't let Trevor or Evelyn into the room when they arrived about ten minutes later. The head nurse explained that the doctors were concerned about fluid on his brain and were still with him until the immediate danger had passed.
"If he doesn't improve soon, we may have to take him into theatre and try to release some of the pressure that's built up in his skull," said the nurse, touching Evelyn on the arm. "But try not to give up hope, our very best neurosurgeon is with him now," she added.
"When will we know?" asked Trevor, concernedly.
"Very soon, I think. They're going to have to make a decision if his condition doesn't stablise," she answered. At that moment, the door swung open and a harried-looking doctor in his fifties came wearily into the corridor.
"We've decided not to operate for now. We think the stress of it might cause more harm than good at the moment. His condition has stablised, but we'll be keeping a very close watch over him," he said, edging away from Charlie's parents. "But, I'm sorry, we've just had four people come in from a car accident and I must attend to them. There's a fine doctor still with him and he'll keep me informed on an hour to hour basis," he added, breaking into a fast walk towards the door.
"Don't worry, we'll do all we can for him," said the nurse. Evelyn bowed her head and Trevor guided her to a nearby sofa, where she slumped down in an aggrieved heap.
"Rap. Rap," went the front door, pulling Shamir out of his meditation.
"Damn it," he muttered, wishing that he had been given more time. He stumbled off the chair and headed towards the door.
"Rap. Rap," it went impatiently again.
"All right, all right, I'm coming as fast as I can," he said, reaching for the handle of the door. When he pulled it open, a young elf came falling into the room in a great heap.
"The others are coming," he panted from where he lay on the floor.
"Thank you, Sita, I know," said Shamir, trying very hard not to get angry at the young elf. However, before either of them could say anything else, Charlie arrived on the shoulders of four elves who carried him straight across to the bed. One of them was Kanook, who was singing softly into the young man's ear as they went and he continued to do so even after he had been put down. Shamir and Kanook started by gently taking off his soaking wet clothes and slipping on a pair of Shamir's comfiest pyjamas, before levering his limp body under the doona.
"I'm going to need you to watch over him while I complete my preparations. Now, where are those herbs I asked for and where's Ayou?" said Shamir, looking around the room. "We're going to need her help," said Shamir quietly.
"We'll find her," replied Kanook, heading for the door.
Shamir asked everyone to leave the room, apart from Lantor, who kept singing to Charlie while Shamir brewed the potion needed for his healing work. While Lantor sat quietly at the side of Charlie's bed, chanting as many songs as he could remember and holding his friend's hand, Shamir ground the herbs into a smooth paste that he then applied to Charlie's chest. The smell was rich and sweet, filling the room with fresh hope. Shamir knelt down beside the young elf and stroked him on the shoulders.
"We need your sister here to help us now," whispered Shamir. Just as he said this, the front door opened.
"We can't find her anywhere, we've got the whole village hunting for her, but she's completely vanished," said Kanook, striding into the room. Shamir stood quietly for a moment then suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he clicked his fingers in delight.
"Ahaa, I think I know where she's gone," he said, scampering towards the front door. "Wait here with Charlie, I'll be back in a minute and keep singing," he said, disappearing. He charged straight across the lawn in the direction of the cottage garden. There was no one around as he entered the gate, because everyone else was searching further afield. As he approached the potting shed, he heard some faint scuffling noises that were definitely too big to be a mouse. He stopped as he reached the door and a small croaky little voice spoke.
"How did you know I would be here?" it squeaked.
"Ah well," said Shamir, crouching down on his haunches by the door. "You see, I couldn't think of where my friend had gone. Then, I had a sudden memory of a very young elf, who I found hiding in my shed when she had broken her father's sacred staff, while trying to use it as half of a ladder she was making," said Shamir, laughing slightly. There was a moment of silence and then he could hear someone approaching the door.
"He was so angry about that," sniffled Ayou, emerging timidly from the shadows.
"He sure was," said Shamir, opening his arms to the young elf. "But no one is angry now, for you have done nothing wrong," he said, grasping her to his chest and holding her while she sobbed. Then he held her away from him and dried her blotchy face with his sleeve.
"What happened to Charlie has nothing to do with you. He is trapped between the two worlds. Far from your connection, with him being a problem, it is possibly the best chance we have of saving his life. He has to know this valley is real. At the moment, he is in a place where he thinks it might still be a dream. He knows we are real though and he particularly knows his feelings for you are real, but I need your help to call to him, will you help me?"
Ayou just nodded.
"We'll get through this, you'll see," he said, grabbing her hand. "Now, come on, we have work to do," he continued, stepping off in the direction of the cottage. As soon as they were inside, Shamir asked for all the elves to leave.
"What do you want me to do? " said Ayou, standing at the end of the wizard's bed.
"I want you to get in to bed with him and cuddle him like you did last night," said Shamir without hesitation.
"Are you sure?" she replied with surprise.
"Ayou, your love for him is not wrong. It is special and you should be proud of it," he whispered. "Now hop in and let the feeling of love flow between you, so he knows you're here and I will meditate in my chair and disrupt the confusion of the dreams which are engulfing him. This will hopefully give him the clarity to get home."
"Is there a chance that he might return to his own world?" asked Ayou, as she disrobed and slipped, still quite bashfully, under the sheets.
"No, it has gone beyond that possibility now, he must return here first, or he will die in both places," said Shamir plainly.
"But why, is he too sick to go back or something?" asked Ayou shakily.
"No, it's not that, he's not in the least bit sick. He is in the precarious position of transit where he is not anchored in either world sufficiently and this is why the fear has an exaggerated influence over him. By opening himself up to you, he has accepted the reality of this place far more than he had before. But in doing so, he has created a conflict in himself about where he belongs."
"Oh," said Ayou deciding not to ask any more. She was too tired and shaken to speak, so she just did as she had been asked and snuggled up to Charlie, who was now sleeping quite peacefully. The cabin was dark all around her apart from half a dozen candles that were dotted around the place. It felt so beautiful to lie with Charlie again, even with the possibility of losing him. It made her heart skip to feel his skin against her own and she
craved for him to wake up and make love to her again. Her thoughts ended pretty much there, as a blanket of sleep lay across her and warmed her with its presence. When she woke up a little later, the dawn light was streaming through the window and Shamir was nowhere to be seen. Charlie was still fast asleep by the looks of it, so she decided to get up for a while.
"Where do you think you're going?" said a quiet voice from beside her.
"Ah," said Ayou as her startled breath left her body. She turned around to see Charlie propped up on his elbow smiling at her broadly.
"Oh, my God, are you okay?" she asked, slumping back down on the edge of the bed.
"I will be when you get back in here and give me a kiss. I've been waiting for you to wake up for ages," he said, with a grin that lit up his face.
"Ayaargh," said Ayou, launching herself across the bed and pinning him to it with her legs on either side of his chest.
"Do you know what I went through last night? I thought you were going to die," she said, before bursting into tears and kissing him all over his face.
"Wait, where's Shamir, does he know what's happened? He's been sitting up all night trying to help you return."
"Well, he obviously succeeded, but I haven't seen him this morning."
"We must go and find him straight away. Are you up to it, or should I just go?" asked Ayou, slipping off his chest.
"Couldn't we go and find him in a minute," said Charlie, reaching across to stop her descent from the bed. He caught her arms and held her playfully down so that their faces were right together.
"I could feel you last night you know. I think it saved me from falling between the two worlds and dying," he said, before kissing her tenderly on the lips and wiping the tears from her cheeks.
Charlie's Dream Page 13
