The Mind Control Telepath

by Evelyn Lederman

  Although it nearly killed him, Koel ended the kiss and released his soul mate.

  “What?” JoAnna questioned at the loss of his touch. She seemed lost without him to support her.

  Darden handed her a card. “Give this man a call when you are ready to start your true life.”

  Koel walked away from his soul mate. Now was not the time to force her to come with him. She needed to want to join him, to be with him body and soul. He turned to see JoAnna staring at the card, a frown on her face. Koel knew Benko Jarlyn’s contact information was on it.

  Koel would give her one week to come to terms with all she had learned this evening. After that time, he would muster his tactical talents in a campaign to win his soul mate.

  Chapter 2

  How do you go back to ground chuck after tasting filet mignon? Enjoy a glass from a four dollar bottle of wine, after you sipped Chateau Margaux? That was what JoAnna thought as her fiancé gyrated above her. As usual, when Blake made love to her, she felt nothing, as if she were dead inside. But tonight she knew what was possible.

  Blake rolled off her and onto his back. She was covered in his sweat. JoAnna desperately wanted to shower, to wash him from her skin. Not being able to stand it another minute, she got up and headed for the master bath.

  “You can’t bother to fake it anymore?” her fiancé sneered at her back. He wasn’t altogether wrong. Generally, she attempted to act out some type of passion when he touched her. Most of the time she provided Academy Award worthy reactions to his attempts to bring her to an orgasm.

  Not bothering to respond, JoAnna walked into the bathroom and went directly into the shower. Although the water was steaming hot, she did not trouble herself to regulate the temperature. The scalding liquid made her feel alive as it tinted her body red. Images of Koel continued to assault her mind. She imagined he was in the stall with her. Koel touched her places Blake never dared.

  By the time she dressed, Blake was in the kitchen working on his second cup of coffee. The man was addicted to the stuff. She always made sure the condo was stocked with his favorite blends. JoAnna walked past him and grabbed a diet soda from the refrigerator. She could use a little caffeine to jump start her fatigued body.

  “We have to talk,” Blake said. Those were the four words you never wanted to hear. It did not take a genius to figure out what was coming next. “This is not working for me anymore. I figured eventually you would thaw out, but you are as cold as the day we met.”

  JoAnna continued to drink her beverage, she enjoyed the sensation the carbonation made on the back of her throat. The damn soda gave her more physical pleasure than the man standing before her. How she let this charade continue so long was a mystery to her.

  She knew this day would come and a sense of relief washed over her. It was exhausting pretending, continually telling herself there was nothing wrong with her. Now she knew the truth and could move forward with a clear conscience.

  “We were always better friends and work associates than lovers,” JoAnna admitted. “The first time we had sex should have been the last. It was just not an investment which would have paid dividends in the long run.”

  A smile crossed his face in response to her words. It had been a while since something she said or did outside of their investment strategies generated such a positive reaction. This was the devastatingly handsome, charming man she had longed to have feelings for.

  “I will always wonder why we could not reproduce the high we generate together after a successful investment comes in when we are together in bed. Well, at least we still have that.”

  JoAnna leaned against the kitchen counter. If she verbalized the plans germinating in her mind, she would be more likely to make them happen. By telling Blake, she would be committed to a new path in life.

  “I’m going to take off for a while and travel,” Joanna said. “This evening I received a new lead about where my biological parents came from.” She had shared her quest to find where she was born with Blake. He always listened intently, as she planned each trip and when she returned home.

  This time around, she was not mentioning her destination. If she told him she was going to a parallel universe, it would get her a one-way ticket to the funny farm.

  “The man you talked to this evening?” He looked at her with an intensity he had not shown in a very long while. Under different circumstances, she would have thought he was jealous.

  “How did you know?”

  “There was a vitality about you when you were with him I had not witnessed before. Even across the room, I could feel the heat the two of you generated. That kiss he gave you was scorching hot. Originally, I had not planned to accompany you home from the party, but I finally thought we could generate some heat of our own.” There was a sadness to his admission.

  JoAnna walked to her former fiancé and placed her arms around his shoulder. “I wish I could have been that woman for you.” As she held her friend, JoAnna wondered if she could become the very thing Koel claimed they were.

  JoAnna stared at the business card Koel’s companion had given her. She had taken it out of her evening bag shortly after Blake departed. For something she had searched for with a vigor on insanity, JoAnna could not understand what was holding her back from calling the phone number.

  Had she ever expected to find answers? The prospect of traveling to a parallel dimension was daunting. Honestly, she was not sure what made her more nervous, the journey or seeing Koel again. He disturbed her on so many levels.

  “For God sake,” JoAnna muttered to herself, “stop being a wuss.” She grabbed her cell phone and punched the numbers indicated on the card. She held off hitting the call button, just stared at the digits on the display. If she made the call, her life would never be the same.

  Everything money could buy had been at her disposal from the day she discovered her gift. But her existence was empty, filled with objects which held no meaning. To this day, with the exception of her father, the closest bond she ever forged was with the girls she could barely remember from the orphanage. She had been close to her adoptive mother and had been devastated when she died two years ago.

  “Screw it,” she said to herself as she placed the call.

  It seemed an eternity until she finally got a ringtone. Her life was about to change and she was impatient to get started. After just two rings, a female answered.

  “Hello,” a cheerful voice greeted her.

  JoAnna was momentarily stunned, she expected Ben Clark to answer. After all this time, she had to wait for answers a little longer.

  “I am trying to reach Ben Clark,” JoAnna finally replied.

  “I’m his daughter, Cassie,” the girl responded. “He is not here right now, can I take a message?”

  Why couldn’t he be in the other room? There was no telling how long she would have to wait to talk to him, assuming Cassie gave him the message. JoAnna had no idea if the girl was trustworthy.

  “Can you tell him JoAnna Carlson called?”

  “Holy shit!” Cassie screamed into the phone, cutting JoAnna off. “How quickly can you get to Phoenix, Arizona?”

  JoAnna rubbed her forehead, trying to figure out what the girl on the other end of the call wanted. Cassie rattled on about them traveling to Sedona. In the back of her mind the small town held some relevance. She just could not determine how with Cassie continuing to yammer.

  “Cassie,” JoAnna finally cut her off. “I don’t understand why you just can’t get a message to your father and have him return my call.”

  “Dad is off world,” Cassie explained. “We need to get you home to the Troyk universe. My soul mate, Darden, is expected to return through the portal tomorrow.”

  Darden was the name of the man who traveled with Koel. All the nonsense Cassie had said finally made sense.

 
“I’ll be on the next flight,” JoAnna replied.

  JoAnna massaged her temple, the girl’s constant talking had given her a raging headache. She sat back, making contact with the car’s headrest, trying to block out the constant chatter. JoAnna was tempted to ask if they could make a restroom stop, just to get a few minutes of peace.

  “Those will go away, once you are in the Troyk Universe.”

  “What?” It amazed JoAnna how Cassie could change from topic to topic, with no transitional sentence to help prepare the poor listener. The girl was overwhelming.

  “The headaches,” Cassie replied. “Our atmosphere is toxic to the telepathic brain.” The girl placed her right hand on JoAnna’s arm. “That was how your father died, a brain embolism. Your mother would have met the same fate, had she not died in the car crash.”

  Although she knew about the headaches from her mother’s letter and later from Koel, she had never confirmed how her mother died. She knew her mother was immune to the headaches from reading the letter. How different her life would have been if her mother had not taken that fateful ride.

  Thoughts of a woman who only lived in her memories evaporated as they drove into the parking lot for the Boynton Canyon’s hiking trails. Although JoAnna had enjoyed the scenery since they had entered the outskirts of Sedona, she thought they would meet Darden in a restaurant or some other public place. JoAnna looked at her high-heeled sandals, she kicked herself for not wearing more practical shoes.

  “Let’s go,” Cassie ordered as soon as she turned off the ignition. “The portal is about a twenty minute hike.” The girl bounced out of the car, leaving JoAnna behind, still staring at her sandals. “Come on, he may be on his way down the trail by now.”

  “Cassie, I am not going anywhere in these shoes.” To prove her point, JoAnna pulled off one of her sandals and presented it to her. “How about I pull another pair from my suitcase.” She could see the look of frustration on Cassie’s face. “The time we lose while I change out of these fashionable torture instruments will be easily made up when I am walking up the trail in more appropriate shoes.”

  JoAnna got out of the car and pulled her suitcase from the backseat. Noticing only she and Cassie were in the parking lot, JoAnna also changed into a sleeveless cotton top. She was now ready to conquer the mountain. She hoped the physical activity in climbing would shut up her chatty traveling companion.

  They gingerly made their way up the trail. JoAnna had one eye on the breathtaking surroundings and with the other she looked for snakes. She wished she had been wearing a pair of boots and heavy denim jeans. Considering how strange the last few days had been, it would not have surprised her if some viper came out and introduced himself.

  There was noise farther up the trail and Cassie took off running. When JoAnna caught up, it was to find Cassie in Darden’s arms. They were kissing as if they had not seen each other in months. Considering Darden was from a parallel universe, it may have been that long. They brought a whole new meaning to the term “long-distance relationship.”

  “You need to return to the Troyk universe. JoAnna has a headache,” Cassie managed to get out between kisses. It never dawned on the girl that she had created the headache. Darden released his grasp on Cassie and glanced at JoAnna.

  “Thank the Supreme Being,” Darden said. “Koel has been impossible to live with since he returned without you. Are you finally ready to return to your true home?”

  Two pairs of eyes fell on her, as they waited for her answer. She had traveled all this way, it would be cowardly to turn back now. JoAnna was many things, but a coward was not one of them.

  “Let me just get my suitcase,” JoAnna answered, “then we can head out.”

  A wide smile graced Darden’s face. JoAnna could see why Cassie was head over heels in love with the guy. Hell, if they had a fraction of the chemistry she had with Koel, Cassie was one lucky girl.

  “Our mode of dress is quite different from what you are used to,” Darden responded. JoAnna’s eyes ran down his physique. He wore the same tunic and leggings he did the other night.

  “Don’t tell me women wear the same unattractive outfits?” JoAnna addressed her question to Cassie.

  “How would I know?” the girl said impatiently. “I have never left this dimensional realm.” From the edge in Cassie’s voice and the way she glared at Darden, it was clear the girl was not happy being left behind.

  Although silence met Cassie’s remarks, from the body language, both displayed, they were involved in quite a telepathic argument. It was awkward standing beside the battling couple. It felt similar to hearing the murmurs of whispers, where you want to get close enough to hear what was being said. Paranoia set in, JoAnna wondered if she was the topic of their discussion.

  Ultimately, Darden took Cassie in his arms and gave her a type of kiss that would quiet any girl’s mind. JoAnna could almost feel Koel’s lips on hers, giving her the same type of treatment if she said something he did not want to hear. A longing she had never experienced descended on her. An invisible force pulled JoAnna forward, as she continued her journey up the mountain.

  JoAnna heard footsteps behind her, but continued her trek. She did not know where the portal was, but she could feel the power drive her forward. She came to a dead stop in front of a mass of shimmering air. Although a part of her was ready to walk through the portal, she had enough sense to know Darden was required to navigate the energy force. She turned to see him standing behind her, the amethyst in the necklace he wore glowed with power.

  “A crystal telepath,” JoAnna muttered. Once again aspects of her mother’s letter were proving true. This man had brought her soul mate to Earth and now would return her to the parallel world of her mother’s birth. Without a doubt in her mind, she was ready to enter the event horizon.

  She held her breath as she stepped into the unknown, not sure what she would find on the other side.

  Chapter 3

  The Troyk Universe

  JoAnna pried her eyes open. She knew in a blink, she would miss the opportunity of seeing within the portal. There was stillness and darkness, but in the distance, she caught electrical currents which created momentary light. Some type of force protected her and Darden from the elements she sensed swirling in the air.

  The instant within the portal somehow expanded, as if time stood still. It was said your life flashed before you at the time of death, but this was different. Without knowing how, JoAnna knew her mind had linked with Darden and it was his perception of the portal she picked up.

  A slight breeze caught a wisp of hair as JoAnna stepped onto solid ground. Her eyes adjusted to the light as if she only blinked. She felt she would forget the sensations she felt within the portal, as one forgets a dream upon waking. How she wished she could store the incredible experience in her mind.

  “Welcome to the Troyk universe,” Darden said.

  Her eyes shifted to where he stood and saw a city nestled in the valley below. They were on a mountain trail, but she could tell they were no longer outside Sedona. She had to be dreaming; no place like this could exist in reality.

  “The sky is purple,” JoAnna commented. “How is that possible?” A momentary terror consumed her, as she wondered if the air was safe to breathe. She was afraid to take a breath. On top of everything else, there was a buzzing in her head, which kept getting louder.

  Cool hands grabbed her arms, as she placed her hands over her ears. She struggled not to take another breath. How could she be so stupid to enter the portal with no understanding of what was on the other side?

  “Pollen has discolored our sky,” Darden informed her. “You need to take in air before you pass out. I do not want to carry you off this mountain.” Although the noise in her head increased in volume, his words came in loud and clear. JoAnna gasped, as she took in oxygen to feed her deprived cells.

>   “There is terrible static in my head,” JoAnna cried. She could feel perspiration run down her nose. Her hand brushed her upper lip. She was horrified to see her hand covered with blood.

  “The communal pathways are trying to connect with your telepathic brain,” Darden tried to reason her out of the panic which grew steadily within. “The blood is normal, just try to relax.”

  JoAnna looked at him as if he were insane. She had entered his mind, then was in a world with a violet sky, and now she was bleeding. Hysterics seemed a normal reaction to what was happening.

  “Your friend Candy’s boyfriend, Tolfer, will be able to help you manage the impact the telepathic channels have on your brain.”

  Memories of a ferocious little girl from the orphanage came to her mind. Candy was two years younger than she was, but she wanted to be included in all the games they played. As JoAnna continued to concentrate on remembering Candy, the pressure in her head lessened. She focused on the times they had together years ago, continually reducing the static.

  “Good, the color in your cheeks has returned,” Darden observed. “Whatever you are doing, keep it up. The closer we get to Aster Province, the more the pathways will try to connect with your mind.”

  Great, JoAnna thought. She was not sure how long she would be able to bring up memories of a girl she was separated from when she was six. Although JoAnna had thought her time in the children’s home as the low point in her life, only positive memories came back to her. The four little girls had created their own family, the strongest ties she had ever formed.