Please, Don't Leave Me Alone

(Cont.)

Blurb from the previous episode: Markus was the most wanted college student in this prestigious academy, studying physics. He was the apple of most girls' eyes and a top stud. He was, by all standards of today's society, living the life. But then, at the school cafeteria, he met Althea, a woman who would turn his world upside down.

Literally and figuratively. He couldn't have enough of her, and vice versa.

Exotic, gorgeous, and smart, she eventually disclosed her reasons for being where she was. But by the time she did so, he was already hooked on her; almost bewitched. He has never been the same after that encounter.

This is their story.

~o~

What happened next would make Ray Bradbury envious.

Althea slowly started displaying abilities that only a different human species could. Smartly, she introduced Markus gradually to what she could do in order for him not to panic.

Not small deeds either, but enough to realize he was in the presence of a very special woman beyond what he already knew.

She decided to come clean and explained that she owned ancient abilities that all humans had in a distant past, including telekinesis, telepathy, and magnetic levitation.

Markus tilted his head and smirked. A smirk with marked sarcasm.

“Babe", she said. "Either you want to know, or you don’t, but don’t dismiss this knowledge too soon. Your face will stay red in embarrassment for quite a long time.”

“I’m listening, love, but you can't blame me for being skeptical. I’m not saying it to you, but my head wonders, ‘What in the world is she talking about?’"

“That’s why I’m explaining it to you the best way I can. I’ll show you, slowly, proof that what i’m saying is true. All I ask of you is to please don’t freak out and, most importantly, keep an open mind. Also, know that humans today are blind to these effects because of collective amnesia. I’ll explain how that happened at another time. But first things first.”

“Althea, you have my full attention. You know I’m open-minded already, and you know I’m overly curious, and being with you is an experience I've never had before with anyone else.”

“Great, I love to hear that! Let’s begin.”

Althea gets up, closes her eyes, and says to Markus: “Do you see the 75-gallon fish tank over there? Watch carefully,”

To his bewilderment, Markus observed the whole thing move from its stationary space across the room to the other side, but not before stopping in mid-air, spinning a few times, and continuing to its designed destination. Slowly descending to the now empty table where his computer used to be and landing on it without spilling one drop of aquarium water.

Only then, Althea opened her eyes, smiled, and looked at Markus, who by now had his hand on his mouth in amazement and disbelief.

“How did you do that?!?” he asked, half freaking out.

"Babe, you could do it too, if the world hadn't been taken over by the Shadow Lords." I'll get to that later. Now watch this.

“Go by the window and look outside,” She said, “Remember you telling me that the rose plants in the garden failed to recover from the last freeze you had a year ago?”

"Of course. It was terrible."

"Alright. Watch this."

Right before his eyes, the plants slowly started to turn green, and before too long, they were flowering with huge red roses, bigger than the time he remembered them. Way bigger.

“Holy Camoley! They came alive again in less than a minute!”

“Intention,” she said. “That’s all you need.”

“Intention? Wait. what does that mean? I intend to get ten million out of the bank. How would that work, then?

“Hahah! Maybe that's how you guys lost the ability. I’m unfamiliar with the details, but greed, gluttony, and avarice were part of what doomed your present race, babe.”

“Well, I’m beyond impressed, but answer my question. Can that be done?”

“Are you willing to pay the consequences, hun? Everything has a price, a cause and effect. You know that.”

“So, it’s possible, but I will get caught. Is that it?”

“I don’t know that. But the price might not be what you think; a punishable offense by the laws of men. It might easily be a form of karma brought on by yourself. Think of it as a guilty conscience, a term your race is familiar with.”

“Hm. Better not, then. I think I understand what you’re trying to tell me.

“I’m happy to know that, babe,” Althea said with a fresh smile on her face.

“Intention is paramount; this gift that is not in your nature any longer is partly because your race misused it for all the wrong reasons; warring between yourselves, forgetting that you are all the same, and other aggravations that were, truthfully, self-punishing.”

“Why did we do that? Why weren't we told?; where was the guidance?”

“I believe the problem was your people just weren’t ready. It was a mistake by the ancients to provide you all with these abilities. No one thought you could be so ruthless with each other. Not to such extent.”

“What else did we have that we’ve lost?” a curious Markus asked.

“I’ll show you. Come with me.”

They walked into the garden, now a paradise of nature with everything blooming, and went to the center of it.

“I’m hot and dizzy, ‘Thea. Is this normal?

“Not sure, but probably. It’ll pass. Most importantly, don’t attract it; ignore it."

A light breeze caressed their faces and increased as soon as he finished manifesting his complaint.

The sun wasn’t as strong as clouds began to cover it.

“Wow! It’s gone! I feel fine again. Althea, did you do that?

“Oh, no, did not. You must have done it, like I said, by disengaging from the thought. Well done, man! You’re learning quickly!” Althea said, grinning.

“OK, we are standing here. What for?”

“How many things needed fixing here in the garden,” asked Althea

“Improvement, you mean? Not much, the garden is fine.”

“Is it? How about the fountain that stopped working, the birds’ bath? And the fence that has seen better days or the neglected pool full of leaves from two years ago? Shall I notice more?

“Ok, you got me there. That is true. I suppose I could have done a better job, but I procrastinated and was all alone. Then you showed up, and you know what happened.” Markus said with a flirty expression.

“So, the garden isn’t fine. Recognition, not pretension, is key. Let’s fix it, shall we? Althea retorted.

“Yes, ma’am, responded Markus. You can do that?!?”

Without replying, Althea again closed her eyes, grabbed Markus's hand, and stood there.

Nothing happened for a minute, and Markus didn’t dare break the silence, so he waited and surveyed her face.

He hadn’t seen such splendor in a woman’s face ever. It was like she had an interior light surfacing unannounced, but amazingly evident.

Her exotic looks were prevalent as the wind blew strands of hair on her cheeks and forehead, and in that silence, Markus felt completely stunned by such natural beauty. It was the first time he noticed her features for that length of time in the outdoors. He could hardly contain himself from kissing her and making love to her there, in this magic garden, for a complete and glorious experience.

And then, just as she predicted, all the things that a minute ago were dysfunctional or broken started coming to life again, like sorcery.

Althea opened her eyes and looked around, marveling at the change.

“Oh, wow!!!” she said excitedly.

Markus felt sad that his beautiful, silent, and magical moment ended.

But then, she turned and hugged him tightly, almost as if it was all his doing.

“Thank you, babe!” Look at what we did!”

“What did I do?”

“Without your intention, it wouldn’t have been possible!”

“But it wasn’t me. All I did was stand here, holding your hand. I had no idea why. I was just following what you said we’d be doing.”

“We held hands, and the power of affection and the intent of our thoughts made it all possible. Look at the results! Everything is working beautifully again!” she said euphorically.

“How could it be possible? How does that work?”

“It’s a bit complicated, and I don’t have all the perfect terminology to be able to explain it; I can hardly understand it myself, but I know it’s got to do with part-time travel, part telekinesis, and magnetic levitation. Your kind would be more familiar with the term teleportation," she continued, laughing.

“Wait, who are you then, a visitor from the future? An advanced being for us in this timeframe, and despite that, a visitor from a different dimension? You mention ‘your kind’. Why?”

“Yep. I’m your favorite tourist! Any complaints? No? Then, let’s go inside and make wild, altered senses, kinetic love. All that fixing up put me in the mood.”

Markus was left speechless at this point.

~o~