The Nightmare Game (37 page)

“This can’t be,” I protested.

“But it is,” Ben assured me.

“So what’s all in here?” I asked, still trying to
wrap my mind around the impossibility in which I stood.

“Let me just skip a few and give you the condensed
version for now,” Ben stated very matter-of-factly. “We have several incredibly
large music rooms containing every kind of instrument you imagine and many that
I can assure you that you have never heard of before, because nobody has. Along
those lines, we also have several recording studios. Within the last year,
Arrosha added a nightclub right over there,” he pointed to the first room
across the hall to our right. “Most of the time, we provide our own
entertainment because I have to confess that a few Karaoke addicts live amongst
us. Occasionally, though, we pull out a couple of the disappearing doors, as
you call them, and wall off the hall at either end to mask its special
features. It’s then that Arrosha brings in singers and back-up bands from the
outside world for us to enjoy. You’ll like that. She even gets Max in here to bartend
and we get to enjoy the special cocktails we usually only get at our private
club in the city.”

“Who’s Max?”

“He does odd jobs for Arrosha. He’s also the
bartender at our club, The Crypt. We’ll have to go there soon. It’s our little
haven, always our first and last stop in the city.”

“That sounds good. So what else is here?”

“Lots of things. We have a two-story library,
several huge indoor pools, saunas and steam rooms, full gyms with complete
workout facilities and racquetball courts to start with.”

“That’s impressive.”

“But wait, there’s more. A lot more. We also have
our own pool halls, bowling alleys, running tracks, movie theaters, hiking
trails, and that’s just to name a few. The list goes on and on.”

“Wow, this isn’t just a mansion, it’s a resort,” I
said, stunned by a level of wealth and indulgence which I had never not only
ever experienced but did not even know existed.

“It’s like I told you before, Ashley, Arrosha is
very, very good to us because we are her children. She loves to indulge us. You
see, when I first came to live here, this hallway itself was here, but none of
the rooms were because it was up to me to decide what I wanted from her. Then
she added what I wanted whenever I wanted it. When the others came with new
desires, new rooms became available for all of us to use.”

“You mean the rooms keep getting built into this
hallway?” I asked, trying to understand.

“Not exactly built. You see, there’s never been
any actual construction. It might be more accurate to say that the rooms are
grown as needed. Whenever any of us long for an activity that we don’t have
yet, we state our desire for it and when we wake up the next day, a new room
containing that desire has simply appeared, ready for use. It’s almost
plantlike, really, as if this part of the mansion just grows overnight to suit
our needs. It’s quite nice, actually.”

“I’ll bet. So if I decide to stay here and realize
that I want an internet cafe, it’ll just show up? I know my personal memory
might have gone the way of the passenger pigeon, but I still have a sneaking
suspicion that I might need to check my e-mail.”

“Not exactly. Internet service, televisions,
radios and telephones are actually among the few things that we don’t have
here,” Ben answered.

“You’re kidding,” I said. “You have everything
else and you don’t have the basics?”

“No. And you’ll find you won’t miss them, either.”

“But why don’t you have them?”

“On a purely practical level, we just can’t get
those services out here. Any kind of live streaming just isn’t available. From
time to time we’ve all tried to bring in electronic devices like cell phones
from the city, but they just won’t work. We can’t get signals. I used to think
it was because we were too far removed from civilization, but there are very
few areas left that aren’t hooked up to at least something these days. Besides,
nothing electrical that we bring in from the outside will work. We have
electricity, but unless it’s a battery-operated device, it blows out the minute
we plug it in and turn it on. Everything is on a different system, on some
unusual voltage that’s totally incompatible with outside devices. I think that
the mansion must have its own generator. Not only that, but even batteries go
completely DOA within a couple of minutes of being brought in. If it’s
something that Arrosha doesn’t supply us with, it just won’t work here.
Besides, Arrosha just doesn’t want us to have those things, anyway, and I must
say that I agree with her reasons.”

“So are you’re telling me that you’re okay with
being completely out of touch with the modern world?” I asked, beginning to
feel uneasy.

“Oh, no, Ashley, far from it, actually. Perish the
thought. We can log on to everything in the city and we visit there quite
often. Arrosha has a large town home in the French Quarter to which we have
complete access. When we visit the city, we stay there and indulge in TV, the
internet, you name it. When we’re in New Orleans, we go clubbing, take in
concerts, the theatre, gambling. Nothing is forbidden to us there, nothing is
denied us.

“You see, Arrosha wants us to keep in touch with
the world; she realizes that it would be interminably boring for us not to
receive outside stimulation. It’s just that she doesn’t want us immersing
ourselves in popular culture on a daily basis; she doesn’t want us become
inundated with it, to structure our entire lives around it. She says the world
has become far too corrupting an influence; I’m old enough now to see her point
and I must say that agree with her. I don’t miss being bombarded by those things
constantly. I think our way is better, more balanced.”

“Yeah, I can see the sense in that,” I said.
“You’re right. I guess this way is more sane.”

“Well, let’s see, I think that’s enough of an
introduction to this area. We’ve covered just about everything that I wanted to
cover here for today,” Ben said. “Ready to see the grounds now?”

“Oh, yes,” I answered enthusiastically. “I am so
ready to go outside.”

“All right, then. Let’s take in the great
outdoors.”

We crossed the hall, continuing for a short way
until we reached an inside patio, which contained the rear exit, a set of
French doors.

“This is the mansion’s main rear exit,” he
explained.

“The main one? Okay, just so I don’t get confused,
how many doors leading out are there?”

Ben smiled. “Don’t worry, it’s easy. There are
only three into the house that just anybody can see: this door, the front door,
and one at the side for the old servants quarters.”

“Only three exits for a mansion this size?

“Oh, no, there are several more, but, like doors
for the gallery and the hookah room, they’re hidden from view. The three that
I’ve mentioned can be seen and used by any visitor, not just us. I’ll show you
where the others are another day.”

He led me to a row of comfortable-looking
moccasins that sat by the door. “C’mon over here,” he said. “These are where we
keep our outside shoes. Here are yours, the ones nearest to the door on this
side. They’re in your size. Leave your slippers by the door and put on your
outside shoes. We do this to help keep the mansion clean. Arrosha doesn’t want
any dirt getting inside. We’ll switch back when we come inside again later.”

I did as I was told and followed Ben out of one
side of the French doors, which he closed again immediately behind us.

“Arrosha likes us to keep the doors, windows and
curtains shut,” he explained.

“To protect the antiquities, I know, Geoffrey told
me.” I had a slight edge to my voice, thinking back upon that conversation.
“Don’t you ever get tired of not getting any fresh air inside?”

“Not really. The air in the mansion is quite
rarefied, haven’t you noticed? It’s always fresh, just without the dust and
pollen.”

We had stepped out onto a large, wide wooden porch
that seemed to run almost the entire length of the rear wall of the mansion’s
lovely, yet more modest antebellum exterior.

“I’m glad we came out today,” I remarked, happy to
be outdoors. “It’s absolutely gorgeous. We couldn’t have asked for a more
beautiful day.”

It was true, for the day was perfect, sunny and
mild with puffy little white clouds dotting the sky. When I took in a deep
breath, the air smelled sweet and was rich with oxygen. Despite Ben’s claim, I
could tell the difference.

“I knew you’d feel better if you got out a little.
You’ll probably sleep better tonight for it, too,” he said.

“Ben,” I asked, “didn’t you say that we’re
somewhere in southwestern Louisiana?”

“Yep.”

“It doesn’t feel like it. What is it, one of those
rare fall days when the humidity drops for a change?”

“Not at all,” he replied. “It’s always like this,
except when we’re not in the mood for it.”

“What?” I thought I’d misunderstood his answer.

“Yeah, believe it or not, every once in a blue
moon, constantly perfect weather can get boring. Sometimes a rainy day, or a
foggy, drizzly day suits our spirits better, breaks things up a bit. And
sometimes, especially around Christmas, it’s just nice to see a landscape
filled with snow.”

“Snow? In this part of the country?”

“Of course, but only when we’re in the mood for
it.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you have a choice
about the weather? Ben, nobody can choose what the weather’s going to be like.”

“We do. All the time. That’s why it’s pleasant
like this almost always.”

“That’s impossible,” I protested.

“Ashley, you’ve seen our endless hallway. Why must
you still insist that certain things are impossible? Anything we want is
possible if Arrosha wants us to have it. I told you that she was the true
Goddess. What more proof do you need? Sweety, if you’re going to stay here,
you’ve got to ditch ordinary thinking.”

“Ordinary thinking. Like the laws of physics, you
mean?”

“Sure, some of them at least. Arrosha bends them
for our pleasure. It makes her happy.”

“Okay, let’s assume that’s even possible. So
you’re telling me that any weather you want just shows up.”

“Yes, if we ask for it and provided that it’s not
destructive or harmful. If I wished for a tornado or hurricane, for instance,
Arrosha certainly would never provide that. But if I were feeling particularly
dreary and wanted a nice, garden variety thunderstorm to help me sleep, she
would arrange that.”

“What about the rest of the group? What if they
don’t want a thunderstorm that night?”

“Then they don’t have to have one. This is an
issue we generally don’t need to deal with because, as a group, we’re all
pretty accommodating and usually on the same page as far as the weather’s
concerned. But once in a while we differ in opinion. For instance, let’s just
say that you’re reading something like ‘Wuthering Heights’ and it gets you in
the mood for an overcast, blustery evening, so you could curl up with in the
library and look out upon from the comfort of a nice warm day bed. Just because
it’s rainy, cold and windy outside from your vantage point doesn’t mean it
can’t be sunny and dry on another side of the house.”

“Different weather in different areas of the same
mansion? You have to joking.”

“Not at all. It can even be cold and snowing in
the front yard while it’s tropically balmy out here in the back. I told you,
Arrosha gives us what we want. She likes to make us happy. Pretty neat huh?”

“That’s quite the understatement.”

“So what do think about this place now?”

“I think, Ben, that I’m not in Kansas any more.”

 As we stood upon the white porch with its shiny,
neutral green wood floor, I was able to see the exterior of the manor for the
very first time. At least it was the first time that I could remember. Judging
from its interior, the mansion seemed somehow smaller from this vantage point
than I was expecting, for I had imagined it to be a grand palace. While the
lion’s share of this impression arose from mere bewilderment, I had to admit
that a tiny portion of my brain registered minor disappointment, an emotion
which made me wince. Had I become that jaded already, I questioned. Had I so
soon become used to a level of luxury that, before yesterday, I’d never even
known existed? No sooner had I formulated these questions than my attitude did
a complete one-eighty. So what, I reasoned. Why not allow myself to get used to
thinking about life on a grander scale? After all, these people wanted me to
stay and this would most likely become my new home. No longer ashamed of lofty
expectations, I decided to embrace them. I took in another deep breath of clean
air, reveling in the unaccustomed sensation of being magnificently spoiled. I
was finally beginning to feel comfortable here and there was no shame in that.
I had Ben to thank for it, didn’t I, for it was only his warm hospitality that
had made me feel so welcome and wanted in the first place. I wondered if this was
where I really belonged. I’d certainly never find a better deal anywhere else,
that was for sure. Maybe I
should
stay here
permanently. At the very least, I decided, it was something I should very
seriously consider.

I sauntered up to the porch railing to get a
better view of the beautifully manicured formal garden. All about, the love of
art that dominated the inside of the mansion was evident here as well, for
everywhere I looked there was statuary. Iron and stone gargoyles, angels and
cherubs kept company with creatures of myth and fantasy, all dotting the lush
landscape liberally. Dominating the garden was a large, grassy round, girded by
a circular stone pathway from which five straight paths emanated. Within the
middle of this circle stood the garden’s focal point, a large, ornate fountain,
from whose center arose a tall pedestal. Upon the peak of that pedestal perched
a bronze kingfisher bird displaying in triumph a fish it had just captured, a
fish doomed to be grasped within its beak forever. At the bird’s feet the
pedestal widened to become a ring of many stone fish, from whose mouths water
flowed and bubbled as it rained down into the fountain’s basin. This fountain
captivated my attention, although I could not figure out why I identified so
much with the poor fish that would, in perpetuity, be about to become the
kingfisher’s dinner.

“How do you like our garden?” Ben asked, snapping
me out of my morbid fascination.

“I love it. It’s very serene out here.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “I usually come out here
to do most of my thinking. Listen, while we’re standing on this porch, let me
point out to you where we’re going. Do you see those sidewalks extending out
from that main circular one?”

“Yeah,” I said, looking at the five straight stone
pathways that reminded me somewhat of the spokes of a pentagram, because while
three headed out, only two returned to the mansion. Of the two paths coming in,
one led to the steps of the verandah near where we stood and the other to the
second back door at the far end of the porch to our distant right. Of the three
outgoing pathways, one bore to the right and one to the left, while the third
aimed straight ahead. Each outward bound path disappeared at its far end into
the tall, well manicured hedges which hemmed the garden and gave it a more cozy
appearance than a space this large would normally have.

“Okay,” he continued. “That right one goes to the
game arenas, the left to the swimming pools, and the center one leads to the
reflecting pool. So how about it, let’s say we take in the grounds now.”

I followed him down the stairs and off the porch,
onto the neat flagstone path leading to the fountain.

“Since Geoffrey’s playing tennis with Antonio,
Kenny and Timothy,” Ben said, “let’s get that over with first, just in case Geoff
decides to be a little butt again today. I do want you to see the area, but we
won’t stay long. Now, if you’re into sports at all, you’ll love it there. It’s
got everything from a baseball diamond and a golf course to a shooting range
and an auto racing track. And, if you’d rather be just a spectator, we’ve got
lots of covered seating from which to watch. You name it, we’ve got it. Even a
full amusement park complete with Ferris wheels, roller coasters, the works.”

“And that’s on top of the stuff that’s inside,
right?” I asked, feeling a little like a kid lost in a candy store.

“Of course. You’ll find that we have multiple
amenities, both inside and outside, so you’ll never, ever have to wait even a
second for someone else to finish. And for variety’s sake, none of our
facilities are exact duplicates. For instance, if you want to ride a bicycle in
a landscape that looks like the south of France or go skiing in the Alps,
you’ll find that only in the rooms off the hall. So you see, sunshine, if you
want to stay here, you’re going to have to forget that you ever heard of the
word ‘limits’. You’re living in the land of plenty now and I want you to get
used to this lifestyle. Hey, you deserve it as much as anybody else does,
right?”

“Sure, I suppose,” I answered tentatively.

“I want you to become accustomed to this luxury
and it’s my job to make sure that you love getting spoiled rotten. In fact, the
main reason that I’m showing you all of this, Ashley, is to sway your decision,
to tempt you into remaining with us.”

“So that’s your ulterior motive, Ben.”

“You caught me red-handed. I have to confess that
I really don’t want you to leave and I know I speak for most of the others. We
think you fit in well with our little group. Since it is your choice, I figured
that I’d do what I could to sway you. I hope that doesn’t offend you.”

“Not at all. Actually, before now, I’ve never been
courted to join any organization. It’s nice to be wanted; it feels good.”

“Fabulous. I was hoping you would say that.”

We took the right walkway, following it until we
reached a stone archway set in a well-manicured pass in the hedges. We
continued onward until we came to the game area. It was far too large for me to
see everything it had to offer, but I was able to spot the tennis and basketball
courts and something that looked like a boxing ring. Departing from the theme
of a well-manicured English garden, this sports area seemed to exist in an
island resort, vegetated as it was by huge banana plants, elephant ears and an
assortment of other tropicals, including large, lush palm trees. The hedges
that had obstructed the view of what lay beyond them may have been tall, but
they were still far shorter than the palm trees behind them. By all logic, the
taller trees should have been visible from the verandah and only for a split
second did I wonder why I had not seen their tops peeking out above the hedges.
I reminded myself once again that the normal rules of logic did not apply at
this estate, where nothing seemed impossible.

We walked up to the court where the four men
dressed in white tennis outfits were playing doubles. I slowed my gait once I
spotted Geoffrey.

Ben noticed this and said, “Don’t worry, he was
sweet as a kitten this morning. If he acts up, I’ll put him in his place.”

We stood by the court, watching the men play until
Kenny hit a ball hard and low that failed to clear the net. Once they came to
this stopping point, they waved to us, picked up their towels and strolled over
to the fence, smiling and mopping their sweat as they walked.

“Hey, hey,” said Antonio. “Don’t you look great,
Ashley. That essence really agreed with you.”

Timothy wolf-whistled.

“Yeah, really, Ashley. What an incredible
improvement. You look positively fabulous today,” Kenny added.

Geoffrey came closest to the fence.

“Good afternoon, my sweet,” he said to Ben warmly
before giving me the once-over. “It is an incredible improvement, I must say,
although you’re not as nearly as impressive as you will be once Arrosha
transforms you. But still, I have to admit that it is a miraculous betterment,
given what was there to start with, of course.” The snideness in his tone had
softened considerably but not completely, so I supposed that this backhanded
compliment would be the best I could expect from him, at least for the time
being. “I have to say, Ashley, that I would not be embarrassed to be seen with
you in public now. I could not have said the same yesterday.”

I simply looked at Ben, who just smiled and
shrugged, and said, “What did I tell you, Ashley?”

“What, my love, did you tell her?” Geoffrey
insisted, sensing he was out of the loop.

“Oh, nothing, Geoff,” Ben dodged his question, “I
just told Ashley to be ready for the compliments today.”

“You certainly deserve them, Ashley,” Timothy
said.

“You look gorgeous,” Antonio added.

“You sure do,” Kenny agreed.

“Oh, come now, boys,” Geoffrey objected in a tone
more matter of fact than snide. Apparently these compliments had pushed him
beyond his tolerance limit. “Let’s not go too much overboard. Ashley has
improved, I’ll give her that, and so very much for the better. But fabulous,
gorgeous? No, I wouldn’t go that far. Pretty, yes, attractive, undoubtedly, but
not beautiful, certainly, at least not yet. I’m sorry my dear, but I must be
truthful. Until Arrosha transforms you, as she has us, I’m afraid to say that
you will never be perfect in form the way we are. It’s an impossibility and I’m
afraid that no amount of compliments can or will ever change that.”

“Geoffrey!” Ben snapped. It was the first time I
had heard any hint of actual anger in his voice.

“Oh, Ben, don’t go all mother lioness on me,
protecting your young,” Geoffrey remarked. “I’m just being honest. We don’t
want Ashley getting a swelled head where none is warranted, now do we?”

“That’s enough, Geoff,” Ben whispered in a tone
that told Geoffrey he wasn’t kidding. “It’s uncalled for.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right, Ben. And I’m wrong as
usual. Terribly sorry, Ashley. Sometimes I’m just too honest for my own good.
Like I said before, your improvements are marvelous and if you stay with us,
now that Arrosha has approved you, I’m certain that she will transform you as
well. Who knows, you may even become the fairest of us all then.”

“I’d rather just be accepted,” I told him bluntly.

“Of course, dear girl, of course,” Geoffrey
backpedaled.

“So can I trust you to be civil from now on?”
Ben’s question was more of a demand.

“I’ll be better than civil, Bensy, if it’ll make
you happy.”

“It will.”

“But really, my sweet, can you blame me?” Geoffrey
turned coy and cranked up the charm. “You have to look at it from my point of
view, darling. I can’t help but resent her. You’ve been spending almost all of
your time with her ever since she showed up. You’ve been neglecting me terribly
and I’ve been ever so lonely. I thought that maybe you were starting to like
her more than you like me. I guess I just got jealous.”

Ben sighed. “Oh, please, Geoffrey. Don’t be
ridiculous. Besides, you’re certainly not one to talk.”

“I know, Bensy,” Geoff went on, attempting to woo
Ben back into his good graces. He stuck his fingers through openings in the
chain link fence surrounding the tennis court and stroked Ben’s forearm
tenderly. “But you’re not the jealous type. I am. You know I wish that I could
be more like you; I’ve often said that. You’re so good and so strong and so
patient. I’m just weak and foolish. I know I can be petty and mean sometimes
and I know that I’m just a little slut. What did I ever do to deserve someone
as good as you? I don’t know why you’ve put up with me all these years, I
really don’t, but I’m so glad you have. I don’t know what I would do without
you.”

“Oh, Geoffrey, what am I ever going to do with
you?”

“Forgive me?”

“Do you promise to watch your manners from now on
and play nice?”

“I promise, Bensy. Anything you ask. Unless I have
real reason to do otherwise, I’ll be as sweet as puppy for you.”

“Oh, why can’t I ever stay angry with you, Geoff?”
Ben replied softly, an accepting frustration in his voice.

“Because you love me too much,” Geoffrey answered,
satisfied that he had worked his way back into Ben’s good graces. “And once
again, Ashley,” he directed toward me, “my total apologies for allowing my
little green-eyed monster out of its closet.”

I said nothing, for Geoffrey had not won me over
as easily as he had Ben, but for manner’s sake, I smiled weakly and nodded.

“Great!” said Geoffrey. “We’re all one big, happy
family again.”

“Alright. Geoff, guys,” Ben said to the entire
group of men, “we’re going to go now. I’ve got to finish showing Ashley around
the grounds. Later, okay?”

“Bye,” I said, waving as they waved back.

“Oh, Bensy?” Geoffrey interjected. “Before you go?
Kiss?”

Ben leaned close to Geoffrey and through the fence
gave him a warm peck on the lips. Ben’s body language told me, however, that
Geoffrey was not as much in Ben’s good graces as he assumed.

We began to walk away as the men made their way
back to the net to resume their game.

As Ben and I retraced our steps, he said in an
attempt to put a positive spin on the situation, “I think that Geoff’s finally beginning
to get over himself.”

“You think so?” I asked, unconvinced.

“Sure. Besides, it’s not like he really has a
choice. Arrosha’s official blessing of you this morning clinched your status
and that’s not something he can ignore. She wants us all to get along and there
is no way that he can go against her will. I’m sure she’ll give him a little
time to adjust and to come around, but when push comes to shove, she simply
won’t stand for any of us causing discord on her turf.”