Atlantis (24 page)

His eyes searched me over, making his own assessment. Then he gave me one of the looks that penetrated into the depths of my soul, probably searching for my cry-o-meter. I had been driven to tears from less than this before. But to my surprise, I couldn’t even sense tears attempting to well up. My ducts were dry. I wasn’t sure how I was keeping myself under such control, but I was thankful that I was.

“
Well,” he began. “I’m not sure how you have done it. Completely crossed planes without knowing, but you have.” He just looked at me, waiting for my reaction.

“
I have no idea what any of that means.”

“
How to explain. . .” he pondered. “Well, do you remember that first day we met, here, not in Italy. You zoned out and later I got you to confess your little epiphany about mind power.”

I was hesitant as I answered. “Yeah.”

“
This place can only be accessed by using your mind. Tapping into some of the latent power.”

I was quiet as I thought about that. I guess it made some sense. But he still didn’t explain
where
we were.

I decided to guess. “We’re not
in
my mind are we?”

“
No. But you can only get here
through
your mind.”

“
I don’t think I understand. Did I get here through my dream?” Or is this a dream?

“
It appears that way, though I’ve never seen a complete plane crossing while dreaming. It is supposed to be rare.”

“
How does one normally cross planes?” I tried to sound conversational. Like I was buying it. I might be crazy, but the word
normal
didn’t seem like it fit in this context. I smiled at the thought.

Elliott didn’t immediately answer me. I quit looking at his features and focused on his eyes. Only when our eyes were locked did he answer me. It was as if he were waiting for my complete attention. “Astrally.”

What the hell did that mean? “So. . .How do I get here on purpose?” The sudden thought of me leaving and not being able to get back to see him sent a crushing sensation to my heart. It beat heavy and fast at the monstrous idea.

Elliott stood up and held his hands down for me to take them. “Let’s walk, and I’ll try to explain,” he said.

I took his hands and he pulled me up in a flash. I saw the muscles on his forearm flex. The rest of his muscles lay hidden beneath the light grey sweater that clung to his body. Hand in hand we walked around this sensory intense world.

I didn’t notice anything else different about where I was. But I did notice that the act of walking around this place, crossing through energy fields, was energizing. I wasn’t taking away from them, or them from me; it was more like all the electricity in the air re-charged each other. I felt great.

“
Usually, to astrally project yourself onto another plane, you need to find a safe, quiet place where you will not be disturbed.” Elliott looked me in the eyes to make sure I was getting all the information.

“
Okay. What else?” I nodded.

He smirked at the eagerness in my voice. He stopped walking and turned to face me. Taking my face gently in his hands, looking me straight in the eyes, he spoke, “Then you lay down and get comfortable Miele.” He nibbled my bottom lip and my heart began to race. “You have to relax your body from your head to your toes.” He kissed me again. “Every muscle, every stress, every worry; let them dissolve away.”

I was putty in his hands. Putty that couldn’t remember how to breath properly. I was about to hyperventilate. My heart raced, and so did my breathing, as I tried to take in his words and his kisses at the same time. He was making it difficult to concentrate. I shut my eyes briefly to clear my head. I took a deep breath of the sweet smelling air and opened my eyes to his stare. “What then?” I asked.

“
You have to hold real still. Now your body will fight you on this. Your nose will tickle, or something will itch. Ignore it and focus on relaxing.” Elliott cocked his head and smiled. “Then you let go.”

I had no idea how to do that.
Then I let go
, what did that mean? “How?” I asked. A lightbulb clicked on in my head. I think I know what he was trying to tell me. “Wait just a minute. You want me to leave my body!”

Calm as a cucumber he answered. “It really can only be learned by trial and error. Just don’t be afraid. People have been doing this for centuries. And remember, you’re doing it right now.” He winked at me.

Elliott must be crazier than me. I
knew
we were the perfect couple.

“
Is it dangerous?” I asked, worried at his answer. “What if I leave my body and can’t get back to it? What if I can’t get back tonight.” I started to really fret at the thought.

His hazel green eyes penetrated my soul, and somehow quieted my fears. Elliott nibbled my mouth, and kissed along my jaw to my ear. His mouth breathing warm breath on my ear, he whispered, “It’s really not that difficult, Lilly. The hardest part is letting go. Getting back is easy, too easy. Usually the only thing that stops people from projecting is their own self doubt and control issues. As for danger, the only thing I fear is being without you.” He pulled me close and hugged me tight as he finished my instructions.

“
I’ll be back as soon as I figure it out,” I whispered back. “Or maybe I’ll stumble in again through a dream.”

“
I hope so.”

Another worry crept into my mind. “If I somehow do this, and get wherever we are. . .”

“
Si, mia amore?”

“
How do I find you?” My eyebrows furrowed with worry, but he just smiled.

“
I’ll find you. I always do.” He winked. “Even when you manage to get very, very lost.”

My eyes were bewildered as I racked my brain. “When was I lost Elliott?” I couldn’t recall ever getting lost.

“
Draper, Miele. You got lost there.”

My eyes lit up with understanding. “But you found me.”

He kissed me again. “I always do,” he repeated, then added in a hurry. “I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again soon. Hurry back my love.” He hugged me tight right before I fell through oblivion.

I had felt this free falling sensation before. Again, I couldn’t make out any of the blurred shapes that blew past my eyes. The speed of the fall was dizzying. But less than a second later, the falling stopped. There was no light. Just darkness. Slowly I remembered how to move. I twitched my fingers and opened my eyes.

I was in the same position I had fallen asleep in, upside down on my bed with my head in Nicholas’s lap. His hand still moved through my hair, and I wondered if he was awake, too. My mind felt muddled, and cloudy. I couldn’t remember dreaming. The last thing I could recall was falling asleep as I tried to tell Nicholas something. I think.

I noticed it was morning. The sun shone bright through my open window. A fresh warm summer breeze blew in, energizing the room with the smell of fresh cut grass. That’s when I saw a spider drop down and land on the windowsill. All the thoughts and memories of last night came flooding back.

Doubt crept into my mind, also. What had happened last night? It was too real, too sensory, to be a dream. Sleepwalking was out. Nicholas would have noticed, being as how he was
still
here. Even my thoughts sounded annoyed. I was going to have to do something about him.

So, if it wasn’t a dream, and I didn’t somehow sleepwalk to my meadow while on some type of mind altering medication, the only thing left that made sense was that it
had
happened. It was
real
. But if that was true, then all Elliott had told me was real, too.

My heart raced at the thought of
him
. Remembering his brilliant smile and how happy he had been to see me. My heart skipped a beat before starting to race for a different reason.

Could I really unlock my mind? It didn’t sound hard, but it did sound a little scary. Elliott’s hazel green eyes flashed into my mind, and I knew that whatever my thoughts on this astral travel, I would try it if it would let me be with him.

My mind raced through multiple subjects almost simultaneously. Elliott. Astral. Nicholas. I wasn’t sure if I should move. I wanted to, but I couldn’t tell if Nicholas would push for a more in depth explanation regarding last night. I lay still as a statue as I deliberated my options. I bit my lip as I contemplated.

Just then my stomach growled and gave me away. A slight groan escaped my mouth, and it began. “You awake hoe?”

“
Mmm hmm.”

He sounded happy again. Too happy.

Damn it
, I thought. Why, oh why, must I be so irresistible? My sarcastic thoughts were even a bit thick for me. I’d have to do something about Nicholas. But he was still my best friend. Correction, my only friend, after the little tiff with Charlotte. I was going to have to word things just right. That was the problem. I had never been particularly verbose, so this would be tricky.

“
How are you feeling honey?”

“
Nitch-o-lus, I really wish you wouldn’t call me that.”