Anywhere Else

Total word count: 1842

Anywhere Else

by

Angela C Wood

The rain tapped on the open window pain. Lightening streaked across the red sky dancing into the shadows of the setting sun. Alegna sat on the window seat reading the ‘Enhanced Spirit of Alegna Doow.’ Her mission should she choose to accept it. Was to write a short story on the planes of no-where. She had always been interested in the no-where places. The ones most fear to tread. Nowhere leading to new beginnings but most would fear what they didn’t understand.

Closing the book with a crease of the corner. Her bookmark lost on the train journey to the small village of Arri-val. A quiet place, her writer’s retreat. A small two bed cottage on the lake Rhea. She reluctantly put down her book, stood up and slowly stretched. The old bones creaked and cracked. Walking over to the refrigerator she selected an orange juice and walked over to the door. Opening into the misty wet garden. Alegna stood for a while breathing in the rain’s magic coolness as she drank. Placing the bottle on the outside window-ledge she stepped into the rain now a drizzle. The wooden flooring collapsed and she found she was falling, so suddenly she didn’t even have time to shout. Hearing herself gasp she went into survival mode.

Crouching she waited for eyes to adjust to the dim dusty atmosphere. Grateful that she hadn’t taken her boots off before she sat down to read. The weather change had been sudden. There were more rainy days since she had come down for her retreat. Not that rain bothered her, she was an all weather girl. Zipping up her purple fleece she stood.

The space under the cottage was vast. Alegna had intended to check it out in the Summer, visiting more often. Searching her pockets she located her lighter and put it into action. Illuminating a small enough space to see the floor. Following a southern direction she began to walk cautiously.

Moments later she a hawk sound, ‘didn’t know there were hawks here,’ she thought. Seeing a dull light she focussed on moving there. The light got bigger as she approached. A warm breeze came through the opening making her shiver. It was raining when she fell through the floor.

Alegna heard a squeal, she stopped and waited, the squeal turned into laughter. The sound turned into voices. Approaching the opening she realized she was in a cave. She waited a while longer to get her bearings. The sounds moved away and Alegna stepped out. Sunshine enveloped her. She felt the sense of calm.

Standing for a few seconds she steadied herself with a hand. The view was something like a fantasy novel. The colours were vibrant, the sounds were clear and the air was fresh. Trees were dancing in the breeze. Birds were singing merrily and water was falling from the rocks that surrounded her cave. Grasses bowed there heads as she looked over to the wisps of smoke. Immediately, she could smell food cooking, suddenly she felt hungry. Walking across the meadow in front of her she felt drawn to the sounds, the smell and the music now playing. Slow, mid tone climbing high and spiralling down. Alegna was spell bound.

At the edge of the meadow the ground opened up into a small village. The people moving around were tall, slim and graceful. She crouched and watched for a while. Noticing how friendly they interacted with each other. Their clothes shimmered in the sunlight and changed to the surrounding. Making them appear like environmental ghosts. She turned around when she heard a footstep behind her. To find a gentle man smiling at her from a few feet away. Startled she fell backwards into the grass, fumbling awkwardly she managed to sit up.

Offering her his hand he leaned forward to help her.

She grasped his hand. ‘Thank you, ‘I am called Alegna. Sorry I fell over, you startled me, I wasn’t expecting company.’

His golden eyes sparkled in the sunlight, ‘I am called Beneath, my friends call me Ben.’

Still holding his hand, she noticed how soft his speech was. Barely moving his lips but she could hear him clearly. Now noticing his graceful movements, almost minute but significant. Getting the closer look she saw high cheekbones, a playful smile and solid strength.

Realising she was staring, ‘I didn’t mean to stare but you are like nothing I have ever seen before.’

‘It would appear you have stumbled upon the great between,’ He smiled. Revealing pearly white teeth, soft shaped eye lines and soothing tones to his voice.

‘Great between?’ she asked.

‘This is where people come when they are between worlds.’ He replied, ‘they are either visiting, as I think you are. Or they have come to wait for the next reincarnation. Not everyone comes here, only the ones that believe they will become someone else in another life. Sometimes we have travellers like you.’

Still holding his hand she realized she was reluctant to let go. So she didn’t, she would wait until he would. He noticed her looking at the hands holding each other and smiled. Continuing to hold her hand as he did.

‘Ben? Would it be presumptuous to think I know you, like I've been here before. That we have a connection I can not describe?’

‘Yes, this place will show you who you have been in previous coronations. It has brought you here because there is something you need to see. Come, I will take you to the healer.’

Still holding his hand she walked alongside him, no words needed to be passed. He was her guide, her spirit and her soul mate. They approached a cabin, the cabin was bigger inside than it appeared to be. Well lit with natural light, drawn into a mirror then reflected back into the room. Engulfing the furniture so nothing was in darkness.

‘Welcome Alegna, you are here as was prophesized, I am Percy.’

Alegna nodded not quite knowing where to look, he was naked to the eye. There was no genitalia, to signify he was male. She just assumed because the voice was too deep a tone for it to be a female.

‘That’s right I am what you would consider a male in your understanding of genders. Very perceptive,’ He smiled. ‘You are here because there is a need for you to be introduced to your twin flame,’ nodding to Ben. ‘He is your whole self, your soul came here because where your body is cannot come. You must leave before sunset or you will not leave at all.’

Alegna nodded, ‘ What is it I need to know?’

Percy continued, ‘ You have Ben for this day, you will spend the three hours left with him and you will learn from him. What you will learn is totally of your own accord, there will be a conception of sorts. It is what your mind decides what the conception will be. Now please eat something, drink something and start your journey.’

With that he just disappeared! Alegna thought she had imagined him to be there. Holding tighter to Ben’s hand she looked up at him.

‘Conception, interesting word for learning,’ she smiled. ‘What I would like to know is, why am I compelled to want to lye with you?…. I don’t have these kind of urges, in the real world.’

Ben stepped forward and put his arms around her waist. ‘That is because we have attraction, we have intelligence and a need to be accepted by the other.’

She wasn’t expecting that, he let go of her hand, she let it fall to her side. His lips touched hers lightly, the wanting in the brush. He guided her to a lounge seat, big and deep. She let him lower her down at the same time he lay next to her. His hands pleasuring her body, as he undressed her. Releasing her breasts into his mouth, she gasped. The sensation of pleasure escaping her mouth, he smiled. His clothes disappeared as soon as hers did, his body beautiful in the light.

His fingers caressed her body, she responded in breathless gasps, his lips found hers. Moving down her body so slowly, feeling her naked soft skin with his mouth, tongue and lips. Moving with his touch she let him in, the energy transparent in the world of no-where.

Cupping her face in his hands he kissed her eagerly on the mouth. Responding to his call she kissed him back. She stroked his energy gently feeling his pulse in her hand. Pushing him down on the lounge seat her wetness brushing his fingers. She moved over him and gently pushed down on his pulse. Air escaped his mouth in a whisper, when she began to gyrate his energy filling her with warmth. The moments lingering in the warmth of the sun touching their naked bodies.

Climax coming together, they breathlessly moaned their pleasure. Touching their bodies with soft strokes of their fingers. Alegna lay down next to him, his breath short and shallow. For a few moments they lay there, they lay there for a few moments.

‘The sun is going down.’ Ben whispered. ‘You should be getting ready to go back.’

‘I don’t want to go back,’ she responded.

Ben leaned up on his arm and looked her in the eyes, ‘you must otherwise I can not come back to you. In nine moon’s time I will find you in your world. This day has been made by you, your love for me and our souls combined. With what we have opened is a portal of sense to each other. I will come and find you in your world, that is how it works.’

‘Nine moons, that’s a lifetime,’ there was a catch in her voice. ‘But if I am to have this again I will wait for you, I will wait.’

She heard his last words as she felt her mind cloud over and then there was darkness. ‘I will find you.’

Alegna awoke with a gentle tapping on the door, the rain had stopped. She sighed, only a dream then, disappointed that Ben had only been a dream. The clouds had moved over the horizon and the sun was setting over the lake. A glorious time to reflect on the days adventure, only she would have to wait for reflection because there was someone at the door.

Checking her hair in the mirror and straightening her cardigan she went to the door. Curious as who would be there, she wasn’t expecting anyone. In fact no-one knew she was here, maybe one of the locals passing to say hello, she thought.

When she reached the door a familiar feeling overwhelmed her. Eager to see if her intuition was right she grasped the lock and twisted quickly. The face of Ben stood on the other side.

‘I told you I would find you, nine moons for me is nine seconds in this world.’