Chapter 113
Once again, he and Kyle took the invisible formula just in case and carefully left the cave to get the hidden SUV and headed towards the chosen rendezvous.
Jim and Suzanne arrived and waited.
- Where’s the mill? - Suzanne wondered with curiosity.
- There. - Jim pointed to the remains of a wooden foundation. - It used to be there. -
They were blinded by a pair of headlights right in front of them, blinking a couple of times before turning down low. Even after her eyes got used, Suzanne could only see the weak headlights and nothing else. She was rarely surprised at anything lately, but this was a little too much. Where was the car?
- It’s them, c’mon! - Jim said, jumping out of the van.
She climbed down and followed him, not sure of where he was going. She saw Jim disappear behind the low headlights and began to get nervous. Then his head and arm reappeared and waved her over.
- C’mon, quick! - Jim insisted.
She obeyed not knowing what was expected from her and felt Jim’s hand pulling her up into nothingness that suddenly became the back of a large SUV. Now she was really scared. She saw Jim was sitting at the passenger’s seat window but there was no one else, and still the van started moving and the steering wheel turned to the left.
- It’s ok, Max and my son Kyle are here but they’re not visible for their safety. Don’t be afraid, they are going to talk to you. They’re right here beside me, Max is driving. - Jim calmed her down.
- We can’t risk being seen until we’re back at the cave, that’s why we must hurry before the effect is over. - Max’s voice said.
The SUV took off at a very high speed and didn’t stop until it was beside the hill. Jim helped her down and finally the silence was broken.
- Take Kyle’s hands so you won’t be seen either while I hide the van. Be right back. - Max said.
Suzanne felt a hand taking hers and she was finally able to see Kyle.
- How can you do this? - She asked, mystified.
- Alien magic, - Kyle smiled back and Suzanne felt another hand on her free one as Max appeared at her side.
- Hurry up, we barely have a minute or so! - He said urgently.
Kyle and Max had them racing up the hill and the latter opened the door pushing them in as Kyle jumped behind them now fully materialized too with Max in front of them. Suzanne hated to look stupid but forgot about it as they all came to greet her. Without her suspecting what they were about to do, they surreptitiously pulled her into the circle connection and briefed her to the last detail. When they let go, Suzanne gasped and they had to help her sit down slowly on the floor. She was already used to Isabel’s dreamwalking but this was just awesome!
- How did you…what…? - She couldn’t find the right words to ask what she wanted to.
Isabel sat beside her and took her hands smiling, knowing she trusted her.
- Sorry but this was faster, and time is definitely an issue, because otherwise it would have probably taken up most of the night. -
Suzanne could only nod as she slowly got up and scanned the place, stopping in shock when her eyes found Michael.
- Oh my god! - She exclaimed and rushed to him dropping on her knees beside him.
They hadn’t been able to put even shorts on Michael because of the tube coming out of him though the vision had already warned her about it. She gently placed her hand on his back and her heart broke when she heard him moan.
- You poor child! I hope those two bastards are frying in hell! - She ended in a sob as the tears overflowed from her eyes.
Serena brought her some tea and she was able to give them her account of what she had witnessed at the office that morning until she had arrived there at the cave. They told her they were glad it hadn’t been necessary for her to take any direct action to help them with possible risk to her safety. Thankfully, their protector’s manipulation through the press had been all that was needed without endangering either her or Jim Valenti. They hadn’t realized how late it was until Amaru made his appearance, leaving Suzanne gaping at him, unable to believe she was actually seeing the Shaman right there in the flesh. She truly suspected some kind of hallucination until the man approached her and took her hand in both of his, warmly expressing his thanks. She could only nod, with an uncertain smile, squeezing back the man’s small hand before he let go of hers to approach Michael.
He scanned the whole healed area, from his shoulders to his thighs, making sure nothing had changed since his last visit. He watched the last drops leave the vial into the tube to detach it and pinch it with his thumb and index, guiding the dark fluid downwards into the boy and then slowly pulling out the tube without letting go of it until he was sure the last drop was inside Michael to finish taking it out of him completely empty. Michael’s whimpers and moans started to subside as the stinging medicine stopped dripping into him. Amaru patted the boy’s ass to get some reaction from him and smiled when Michael whispered his name.
“Amaru?”
“Yes my prince, you’re healed now.” He said, satisfied.
“It still hurts…” Michael’s voice was husky with sleep and…pain?
“No my lord, you’re still half asleep, open your eyes, wake up, and you’ll see the pain is gone.” The Shaman ordered.
“Alright then…” Michael accepted, not to offend the Shaman with his failure, but they could see his smirk didn’t quite hide the wince.
“Open your eyes.” Amaru insisted.
Michael opened his eyes and met Suzanne’s chocolate brown ones, at first thinking it was Liz and then gradually recognizing her, but she was looking at him as if she didn’t know him. He reached out for her and she took his hand seeing the question in his eyes which were the reason for her reaction. Amaru knew what was wrong.
“The Gandarium is still in his eyes. He needs to know what has happened today and he will believe you.” He told Suzanne.
She used her other hand to cover Michael’s in hers and explained.
“Michael, you’re safe now. Your protector used his influence to put the whole truth about your attacks in the front pages of the most important newspapers today and the FBI came and took Jesse and his partner down. They’re dead, I saw them myself. The snipers shot them both between the eyes. They’ve all gone now, you can go back home.”
And there, right in front of their eyes, specially Suzanne’s amazed ones, the electric blue of the Gandarium started receeding until it was only covering his irises and not the whole eye as before. Then only the streaks were left for a few seconds until the honey colour returned free of alien influence. But the pain didn’t leave them and Amaru had to accept it.
“Why are you still hurting? You shouldn’t, not after all the herbs I’ve given you, six vials! That’s twice the strongest dose; you shouldn’t be hurting at all!” The old Shaman shook his head in defeat.
“Something’s wrong, but I don’t know what…It’s me…It’s something in me. I can’t explain it but I feel it. You can’t help me, I’m sorry, don’t feel bad.” Michael sent only to him, then he jerked and gasped, knowing he desperately needed the relief that only sex with Max, Kyle and Stuart could give him.
They immediately sensed it and their thirst for the Antares water was back along with the lust. Max got one of his vials and feeling the same reaction coming from the other two, tossed them a vial each. Jim began to sense Michael’s need and knew he had to get Suzanne away so they could ease his pain. Michael also sensed Suzanne’s concern for him and thought he had to put her at ease so she could go in peace. He forced a smile and pulled her hand to his lips, kissing it.
“I just need to sleep. That’s all, I’ll be fine.” He smirked and felt her melting.
“You’re right, it’s quite late and I should be going back to find a hotel to spend the night. I still have to record a fake interview with Jim so I can fly back to the Bureau Headquarters tomorrow. I’m glad you’re no longer in danger.” Suzanne leant over and kissed his cheek.
As she moved back, she couldn’t take her eyes away from his. She could recognize lust in a man’s eyes but this was much too intense, of a kind that was new to her in spite of being so much older than him. It had to be alien, how else could she explain it? She heard Jim’s voice as if he were miles away.
“No way! You’re staying with us. Our guest room is very comfortable, it used to be Kyle’s and you’re welcome to it. That way we can do the interview just how we want it to be in full privacy. Let’s go, Amy must be worried.”
Hearing her mother’s name, Maria went to Jim and hugged him.
“Send all my love to my mother; tell her I love her so much and that I’m fine, very happy with Michael.” She was tempted to tell him she would make Amy a grandmother soon, but she preferred to tell her herself, if she got the chance.
“Don’t tell her he’s been in so much danger and hurt so badly because she won’t believe I wasn’t at risk too and it will only worry her. Kiss her for me, please?”
She felt this sudden burst of love for this man who had finally made her mother feel safe and ended her loneliness and need for a family, because though their children couldn’t be with them, they knew they loved them. Yes, Jim was a good man. He kissed her forehead and she let go of him to embrace Suzanne and thank her for bringing them the good news. Suzanne hugged her back and said her goodbyes to all of them, one by one.
“We’ll take you back.” Max and Kyle took out their vials saving a last one for next day when they would bring the group down, under the cover of their invisibility, to leave on their way back home.
Suzanne and Jim went to Amaru and thanked him for his presence and his help. Then they turned to find Max and Kyle gone as they had hidden to make their transition away from the traumatic experience it would be for their visitors. Their voices guided them to the door where they were now standing and took their hands making them disappear with them as they opened the door and they were gone.
Amaru took Michael’s hands in farewell, and the comprehension that passed between their eyes escaped even Serena. Only they knew the seriousness of what was going on but until some solution was found, it would stay between them. Michael felt how hard Amaru and Nicholas were working to help him, and he wished they could find what was making it happen and what it was, because right now their worst enemy was the lack of knowledge of not only the source, but also of the true nature of the problem. At least now, that the pain of the attacks had stopped, he might be able to see if his warrior’s instincts could come to his help. Amaru nodded, agreeing with him and told him they would need him there so they would summon him when the time came. Michael was getting a severe case of blue balls and Amaru nodded and smiled knowingly a second before he was gone.
- Stuart…- Michael turned to his human doctor and watched him stop drinking from his vial of Antares water to go to him. - I need you. -
- Alright! Girls’ ice cream time! - Serena said tactfully and herded the female group through Isabel’s pod to the area behind it that had lately become the ‘kitchen’, to give them the privacy they needed.
Michael couldn’t wait to feel Stuart inside him, and reaching back, he waved the doctor’s fly open as he kept fumbling clumsily in his haste to free his straining cock and bury it where they both wanted it to be. Lacking whatever could pass for a lubricant there at hand, Stuart took his cock where it was pressed against his stomach and summoned what he could of his new powers to feel his precum gush out of him so abundantly that he thought he had screwed up and had come. He looked down to see the slippery substance bathing his cock almost to the base and knew it was alright. He forced it down and placed it against Michael’s tight ass, slowly easing it in, his hands holding Michael down, not allowing him to buck as he usually did. Not this time, he had just been healed and he wanted him to stay that way.
- No, let me. I’ll make it worth it, I promise. Just feel me going in as I feel it too. Relax and let it happen. You don’t need any more pain, I want you to feel just pleasure. Ok, some initial pain, but not as bad as you usually like it. For me, please? - Stuart pleaded.
Michael growled his compliance and squeezed just enough to have it rub the itch he had inside. But it didn’t ease it completely, just kept it coming in waves that made him writhe and moan in the search for relief. He craved to buck and start a killer motion, but he wanted to please Stuart too, and the slow pace was starting to feel so good, easing the itch on the way in and making it worse on the way out. It was sweet torture while it lasted but then a couple of squirms got his lover’s balls bouncing against the piercing as his cock kept skimming his g-spot so effectively that he began to come. He couldn’t help clenching so hard that Stuart was there in a second and his need had him ramming like Michael had wanted all along making his orgasm unending as Stuart kept coming in spurts, making it as good as it was for Michael. Stuart had barely slipped out of him after their aftermath when the door rolled open and Max and Kyle stepped in, still invisible, but already hard, from the vibes they had been getting from Michael as Stuart fucked him.
- Guys? - Stuart asked, hoping nothing was wrong.
- We’re back, everything ok. Felt you had a great time! - Max said sarcastically.
- Hey! I needed it and Stuart was here! - Michael growled.
- Ok, ok, but Stuart has finished and we’re here now…- Max teased.
- So what are you waiting for…- Michael’s voice was husky, feeling again the sexual itch with nothing inside him ease to it.
There were some hushed whispers behind him and then Michael felt the warm body kneeling between his thighs and the fingers digging into his butt, spreading him as the hard cock pressed against him, and the precum started to flow.
- How do you want it? - The voice whispered so Stuart didn’t know who it was.
But Michael knew him immediately as he answered:
- Hard, Buddha boy! - He chuckled recognizing the way he touched him.
- Alright, hard but careful. - Kyle showed that like Stuart, he didn’t want to get him hurt again.
- That’s why Max let you come first, so he can fuck me and heal me so save the careful for a chick, and fuck me like a man! - Michael demanded, bucking and getting the slick head inside him, as Kyle materialized with a jerk which made Michael go: - Oh, yeah! -
Michael felt Kyle’s fluids easing the way into him with a strong non stop motion until it was all inside, making him grunt with pleasure. But the second Kyle stopped to give Michael a breather to adjust, the itch was back and Michael wiggled his hips as he moaned to get him moving. Kyle complied and gave Michael what he wanted. As Kyle began a steady rhythm Stuart noticed an again visible Max sitting beside him and chugging thirstily the alien water. There was an empty vial by the wall where the entrance to the cave was, and Stuart guessed Kyle had dropped it on the way in as he finished drinking its contents. Kyle kept shoving steadily into Michael and the way the warrior grunted and shuddered as he met each thrust, showed the jolts the chains of the piercings were giving him with each one. He had no way of knowing that the vibes from the chains stimulated the parasites into action, and Michael couldn’t wait for Kyle to back up and ram into him again, bringing a temporary relief. Michael was now angling his body to have his g-spot prodded on the way in, meaning he couldn’t hold back any longer and was ready to come. Watching Michael’s ecstatic orgasm, had Max and Stuart drooling to think they did that to him too. He writhed, bucked, rocked, moaned, grunted, whimpered and winced to have his breath then come in gasps as he was finishing. The fresh parasites in the sperm injection found their way into him momentarily adapting, until the adrenalin levels steadied again and their hunger kicked in. Kyle slid out and the itch began, each time a little worse than the last one.
- Max…- Michael groaned, and his lover and healer went to him.
As Max penetrated him, he used his powers to make his precum keep spurting out of him, bubbling inside Michael and together with the itching, it drove Michael wild.
- Max…Max…- He sobbed. - Fuck me hard! Please, I need it! You’ll heal me, so just fuck me hard! -
- Yes, baby, yes…everything you want! Anything you want! - Max droned on and on, giving it to him as rough as he wanted.
His knees kept Michael’s thighs apart as his hands kept him spread so he could watch what he was doing to him. He ploughed into Michael’s prostate and slapped his balls against the piercings feeling Michael jerk and clench with each trick, expertly keeping him right there, but not quite until Michael was begging for release and shivering with such need that it was actually hurting. Max knew it was enough so he pounded unmercifully on Michael’s gland and then crashed their bodies together, making his balls keep bouncing against the chains a few times before he pulled back and went for it again and again until Michael came, squeezing it out of him. He felt his fingers were bruising his warrior’s buttocks, tinting the silver brands into a different hue under each digit, but he would heal that too when it was over. Max would enjoy feeling Michael tense every time he gave his ass a squeeze right over the sore spots and watch him wince and bite his lip. He knew it gave both of them one hell of a high! The sadist and the masochist, yes, they were definitely made for each other! Just like in him, Michael brought out in his other lovers, both male and female, that same sadistic side and it was all Max could do to hide his jealousy. But he could tolerate it not to lose him. Michael’s ass was made for his cock; there were no doubts about it, though he knew what Michael needed now: Maria.
Lately, it had become a pattern. The three of them would have him, one after the other, and them he would bring Maria to him, do his duty with her, as her toy hummed up his ass. That kept the itch in check, as the steady vibes soothed the parasites and curbed their appetite. He would ask Maria to leave it inside him turning it down to low, because during their lovemaking, it was either turned on high or pulse, depending on his mood. Maria was surprised how it kept him sleeping like a baby, actually, they all were.
As the three satisfied lovers went to join the ice cream party, Maria was already going to Michael and they stepped aside to let her pass before they entered the other ‘room’.
Maria was glad to have Michael back. These last days had been hell and of course, sex had been totally out of the question until tonight. Michael was her usual sweet and gentle lover, and she pleased him as she knew he liked. By the time he lay sleeping with the vibrator humming inside him, she heard them all returning to get ready for the rest of the night. They would start the journey back home without any real haste, when they felt like it and free of any threat. Michael lay in Maria’s arms but that didn’t stop them from having all the others make some kind of contact with him during their resting hours. Finally, there were no nightmares and they woke up relaxed and refreshed. Isabel, Serena and Max were chatting in the place they had used as a kitchen, and the rest of the human group made themselves busy preparing their breakfast. No one worried about the time, waiting patiently for Michael to wake up, so Isabel could heat up the cocoa with marshmallows that Maria had prepared for him. By the time they were ready and eager to leave, Michael was still sleeping and they were beginning to get worried. Stuart went to check him out but couldn’t find anything wrong with him except from the fact that he was totally relaxed, no REM or any indication that he was even dreaming. He was simply fast asleep and apparently, not planning on waking up anytime soon.
- I think we should wake him up and then he can sleep in the van all the way home if he feels like it. - Max suggested and they all had to agree.
Stuart and Kyle gave him a hand and they started rolling him towards them on his side tentatively, hoping it worked just there. Michael whimpered and winced when his hip made contact with the thick sleeping bag he was lying on but did nothing to stop them. Max held him there, not understanding. Under usual circumstances, Michael would be struggling to stop them and make them let go of him, but he was just voicing a weak protest, very unlike him.
- It won’t work. - Max said, gently returning him to his original position.
- Something’s not right. -
- Let’s flip him over, that’ll do the trick! - Kyle insisted enthusiastically and forcibly got Michael back on his side taking it a step further.
Michael gasped and his teeth drew blood from his lip, with no other sign of movement or resistance to what they were doing to him.
- NO! - Shouted Max, startling not only Kyle but everyone else with his unexpected outburst. - You’re hurting him and he seems to be unable to move! -
Kyle let go and Michael flopped back on his belly with a relieved sigh.
Stuart took one of his arms bending it at the elbow and them did the same with one of his legs. He grabbed his hand and squeezed but Michael didn’t squeeze back as he should have done, not even when Stuart scratched at his palm to get him to react.
- His muscle tone is normal, but they’re not responding to my stimulus and they don’t seem to be getting any from him either. Let me try something else. - He leant over and kissed Michael’s parted lips: nothing, apart from a soft sigh which sent Stuart a weak signal that he was enjoying the contact. - Wait, if this doesn’t do it, then…-
Stuart slid his finger between Michael’s buttocks and pressed it at his opening. Michael purred showing he could feel it but he wasn’t clenching or bucking. Then Stuart used his thumb to wiggle the chains of the piercings as a last resort, and nothing happened apart from a low moan of pleasure. Stuart shrugged.
- He feels but can’t or won’t move. This is weird. If he were totally paralyzed he wouldn’t be able to utter a sound or feel what I’m doing at all, and if he were unconscious, he wouldn’t be able to show he’s feeling it in any way, which obviously isn’t the case either. - He got a Vaseline jar from his bag and lubricated his finger to slowly insert it into Michael.
- Ahhh!…ungh!...- Michael went, soft as a whisper but still audible.
- He definitely feels, he just doesn’t react and I have no way of knowing if it’s voluntary or not. It has to be alien, because it makes no sense as far as I know. We need Amaru. - Stuart concluded.
- I’ll get him. - Serena offered and went into her typical trance.
They waited but she wasn’t coming out of it and now they were faced with two disabled aliens.
The Calm Before the Storm - Epilogue - 10/24/07
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ñusta
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the calm before the storm
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ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Chapter 114
- What is going on? - Isabel sounded absolutely exasperated, ready to lose it.
Then Serena began to move and her eyes came back into focus.
- We have a problem. Amaru and Nicholas are in the middle of a ritual to find out what’s wrong with Michael and they have summoned just the parts of him that they need to make it work. That’s why he’s unresponsive until they send the rest of him back. - She said in an anxious tone.
- Well I hope it does, but they should have warned us, or at least Michael so he could tell us what was going to happen. - Ava came out of her silence.
- Michael knew. - Serena shook her head sadly, her anguished vibes had everyone stiffening with apprehension. - It’s something they found out after the death of Khivar, before Michael returned to us. He has kept it to himself not to worry us, just as he did about the trystels. Michael had no way of knowing when it would happen and how long it will take. He hoped it would just pass as if he were sleeping and go unnoticed but it hasn’t. It’s now in Amaru and Nicholas’ hands, so we better let them do their thing but they need his Royal blood to get it right. We must take care of his body and whatever parts of his mind that are here with us. Oh, before I forget, Derek and I have decided it it’s better for them to stay home and get things ready for our arrival. He and Wayne send everyone their love and they’re so glad that things turned out the way they did, for your safety. -
- Well then, since apparently we shall be staying here a little longer anyway, I’ll go on with my programme. - Isabel said seriously.
-What do you mean? - Serena wondered.
- When we arrived here hoping we would just stay a few days at the most with the help Amaru had suggested, I found that underground river running along the left wall and got only the toilet cubicle working because the alien showers would be enough until we left. But we’ve had enough of that so I’m placing a real shower right beside it, ok with everyone? - She got the answer she expected and left to carry on with her plan.
Max got in touch with Jim Valenti informing him they were still staying at the cave, Michael was alright but something had come up with him and they had had to stay. Jim got Max’s message but he was kind of busy so it took him some time to get back at Max using the cell phone that Suzanne had left behind.
- Max, what happened? - He asked worriedly.
- It’s kind of complicated, maybe if you come over? - Max suggested, thinking of Jim as one of the family.
- Sure, later on, ok? I still have to go check on the Masons so I’ll do it and then pay you a visit. Would it be alright if I take Amy with me? She’s driving me nuts wanting to see Maria. I can understand her, and anyway, as you can imagine, I’ve had to tell her about you guys because after you left, the FBI was all over her as with your parents and the Parkers. Amy kept going over to them to find out what they knew about you guys and some things accidentally kept slipping out so of course Amy started suspecting. Your parents and Liz’s had a hard time holding back in front of her so I thought it was fair for her to know too. I hope it’s ok with you, but what else could I do? I didn’t want her to feel left out, specially since we got so close when you left and now that we’re together. - Jim felt kind of guilty.
- No Jim, it’s fine. Maria wants to see her too, but we were worried about how Amy would react to some alien things we would not be able to hide from her. I’m glad she knows and of course, bring her by all means. It will be a surprise for Maria, she really needs it. Let us know when you’re on your way here to have everything ready for her. -
Max sent Jim this last part mentally to keep the surprise element and wondered if Maria would be the one surprising Amy with her pregnancy if she chose to tell her, since it wasn’t really obvious yet. He suddenly felt thirsty and went to the ‘kitchen’ area to find Stuart and Kyle already there with their vials in their hands.
- Cheers! - Went Kyle and toasted with the other two as he tossed Max a vial.
They had been sitting there, drinking quietly when the voices on the other side got a little louder.
- Max?...Stuart?...Will you come here, please? - Isabel’s shaky voice had them running over to them.
- What? What is it? - Stuart shouted, approaching them.
- Well, Michael’s been moaning and whimpering every now and then but now he’s doing it without stopping. - Liz explained.
The two healers knelt by Michael on either side of him and confirmed what they had told them. They both put their hands on Michael’s back reflexively and simultaneously and felt the sexual vibes coursing up their arms. They raised their heads locking their eyes as they heard Kyle echo their thoughts.
- Hey, I felt that too! - And they turned to find Kyle had his hand on Michael’s thigh.
- He’s horny! - Liz voiced for them.
- You’ve been sensing him? - The three men sent her accusingly in different words but similar ones, conveying the same idea.
- Not until right now, and just a tickle when Stuart…probed him. - Liz confessed with a giggle.
Michael moaned and grunted just like he had when Stuart had done that to him and their eyes opened wide.
- He wants you now, all of you! - Liz said, and saw she wasn’t the only one that had got Michael’s message.
The three men blushed, feeling the tent in their pants.
- Alright girls, this is definitely a guy thing, if there ever was one. - Serena said and got them all moving to go fix some lunch.
It was the weirdest experience they had had with Michael, as he just lay there and took it from them, one after the other. They could sense his pleasure, though different than the one he was used to, but he was not frustrated or demanding, it just happened, as his orgasm when it came. When they had all finished, Maria came walking quietly and announced:
- He wants the toy. -
She proceeded to do what he needed, carefully and lovingly, and received his love and gratitude when she leant down and kissed his still lips.
- I know, baby, I know. I love you too, please come back soon, I miss you too much. - She whispered, as she left hurriedly, wiping her tears.
When she arrived at the ‘kitchen’, Isabel received her in her arms and they had a good cry together, as the rest of the women looked on them with sadness in their eyes but left them alone, respecting their grief. Lunch was ready by then and they took it to the guys who didn’t want to leave Michael’s side so they all ate there together.
The low humming vibration kept Michael quietly resting most of the afternoon but then it didn’t seem to be enough and his need was felt by his lovers. The whole ordeal was repeated and just in time because he had just received the toy again and was resting quietly when Jim called saying they were on their way.
Part of Michael’s essence materialized in the small cave where Amaru and Nicholas were in full concentration, bringing them out of it when he toppled on the floor. The two men jumped and opened their eyes to find Michael on his hands and knees struggling to get up.
“No, no, lie down, this is only part of you, mostly your mind, the small part of the physical you isn’t enough to hold you up.” Amaru told him and pushed him down on the floor where he stretched out on his side with his back against the wall.
“Michael, Michael…” Chanted Nicholas, as he reached around the fire to touch his hair.
Michael managed very slowly to raise his arm and their fingers clasped together, in a silent greeting.
“What’s going on here? Why do you need me?” Michael asked.
“Remember we wanted to summon Khivar to demand some answers but the witch didn’t recommend it because it would have to be you, and if you invited him, he would then be able to use his last contact rite on you. We’ve found a way to do it through a shortcut, indirectly, limiting his possibilities, just blood to blood, that way he won’t stand a chance against your Royal one. He’s dead and you’re alive, so you’re not on the same stage, another advantage on your side so there’s no way he can reach out to you. We hold his blood but he doesn’t have yours. He did, but he used it to on the trystels to home them on you so he has nothing to hold you to him anymore. Just a small part of your physical essence is here, enough to form your shape, and only part of your mind which has no solid matter, so it’s not enough to retain you, it would be like trying to get a hold of water, or wind or light, the three elements that saved you from the trystels. There’s nothing he can do with just a fraction of you, but your Royal blood can question his lesser one, you’ve got the right, in spite of the different worlds. Only in this case, his being dead has him at a disadvantage, because your whole essence is not inviting him, just your Royal blood questioning him.” Amaru nodded, satisfied. “It doesn’t mean he has to answer truthfully, but he cannot lie, so he can only refuse to speak.”
“And what good is that then?” Michael wondered.
“He may not speak but what he still has of his mind in death will be active and my powers of divination joined with your Royal blood may enable us to perceive his thoughts. And Nicholas, your ritual to summon the dead may come in handy too. There’s nothing he can do to us with Michael’s Royal blood present to neutralize his attempts to reach out to the living. He’s already chosen Michael but he will not receive his full invitation so he is doomed in that area. Michael?” Amaru noticed the boy had suddenly lost his concentration and seemed to be in pain, but Nicholas knew better.
“What are they doing to you back on Earth, Michael?” He chuckled.
“Ungh!” Michael grunted and bit his lip until it bled.
“Alright, I specifically left behind the physical and mental parts of you that deal with your libido to keep them busy there and the ones I brought here focused in our ritual with no interaction between them, but I’m afraid that side of you is even stronger than I thought. Well, this is just what I needed and was about to ask you for it.” Amaru reached out and scooped a drop of blood with his fingertip. “Now, let go of your Earth side, and make this part of you concentrate in what we are doing here. Michael? Michael!” z
Amaru raised his voice but it didn’t work. He realized that the present part of Michael’s mind that wasn’t able to allow his physical movement back on Earth was quite active with what he had brought of him to Antar instead of staying behind, but it was too late to do anything about it. The boy was moaning and writhing and Nicholas wished there was enough space to fit behind Michael and hold him in his arms during his pleasure. He used his powers to summon the illusion and shivered when he felt Michael’s firm ass grounding into his lap. The Shaman stared at them as they gasped with closed eyes, shaking his head and waiting because it was all he was left to do until Michael’s sexual encounter was over. Finally Michael’s panting breathing started to relax as his eyes began to open, still a little glazed, and his slight wince slowly disappeared. He shuddered and lay still.
“What exactly was that?” Nicholas asked.
Michael grinned wickedly, sending Nicholas a mental image.
“Wow! Vibrating butt plug! You should be bouncing!” Nicholas giggled.
“No, it’s turned down low, to relax me.” Michael confided and winked.
Amaru cleared his throat, beginning to lose his patience and they both turned to the Shaman, looking guilty.
“Can I have your attention now?” Amaru was struggling to control his exasperation.
“Sorry, I’m ready now.” Michael apologized.
“About time!” Nicholas scolded teasingly.
Max opened the door of the cave to receive Jim Valenti and Maria’s eyes doubled their size when she saw her mother stepping in after him. She ran into her arms while Jim and Max calmed the other down telling them it was ok, that Amy already knew, so they could relax and be themselves. It took mother and daughter a full minute to be able to let go of one another and Isabel went to Max asking him if he could go and get some more ice cream because they were running low.
- It’s safe, right? - She asked Jim.
- Yes, totally, there’s no one except from us in this area. I can go with you if you want. - Jim volunteered.
- No dad, you stay here with Amy, Max and I will get it. Our ride is still ‘out of sight’, you know? So we’ll just have to be careful not to make close encounters of any type against anything that can’t see us. - Kyle giggled. - We’ll be back in half and hour tops. -
- Get pistachio and rocky road, they’re Michael’s favourites, and lots of chunky monkey for all of us and whatever else you want. - Isabel ordered.
- Aye aye sir! - Max saluted mockingly.
Amy finally let go of Maria and came to greet the others as Max and Kyle gave her a quick hug and headed for the door. As they were leaving, what Max heard made him glad they were out of there and hoped the issue would be gone and forgotten by the time they got back as they hurriedly closed the door and raced down the slope pushing each other down and laughing.
- Liz, I heard you and Max married, so…any surprises? - Amy smiled as she hugged her daughter’s best friend.
Liz felt a little uncomfortable to have Amy expecting her to be pregnant when she wasn’t and Maria was, though Amy didn’t know.
- No, not yet, we’re going to wait a little. - Liz said shyly.
- That’s smart. Take your time, no need to hurry. - Amy’s words made Maria’s heart skip a beat, knowing the chance to tell her mother the ‘good news’ had been lost with her comment.
- Amy, this is Serena. She arrived on the ship that brought Max, Isabel and Michael but she lost touch and married a very good man here on Earth. He came here with us but now he has gone back to their home in Tucson, which is next door to Laurie’s, Michael’s sister. This is Laurie. - Jim introduced her and then Ava. - This is Ava. She came in the same ship too but was raised somewhere else. She has now been able to join them. -
- Ava? No, this is Tess! - Amy said, alarmed because of what she has heard of her.
- There were two sets, mum, Ava was with the original one but was switched. She’s finally back where she should be. Tess didn’t belong with them. Anyway, Laurie’s twin sister died at birth and her DNA was used to create Ava and Tess, so she also shares Michael’s DNA. She’s really their family too. - Maria explained.
- I see. And by the way where is Michael? - Amy asked and it was obvious Jim hadn’t told her anything about him not to worry her as Maria wanted.
- He was badly hurt, but Max and Stuart have healed him. He was the only one in danger because the attacks were focused on him by alien predators posing as the two FBI’s that were killed today. - Maria calmed her down.
- Oh, yes! I saw it on the news! He was…oh my god, Isabel, Jesse was your husband, I’m so sorry! - She turned to Isabel and hugged her.
- It’s alright, Mrs. DeLuca, it was all over between us, from the moment he turned against Michael. - Isabel said.
- Just call me Amy, please, and yes, I know you and Michael were a couple before and Maria is alright with it. - Amy gave Isabel a doubtful look, thinking she shouldn’t have mentioned it, so she decided to go in another direction. - May I see Michael? Is he alright? -
- Sure, just wait a sec…Isabel, make him decent, ok? - Maria smiled at the alien girl.
Amy realized that could only mean he was…unclothed? She couldn’t believe what Maria had just asked Isabel to do, without any jealousy! What had happened to her daughter? That was so unlike her! Maybe the alien influence wasn’t so bad, or was it?
- It’s ok now. - Maria said and took her mother’s hand leading her to where Michael was.
‘That was fast! How did she know?’ Amy thought as she allowed Maria to lead her where Michael lay with Isabel covering him with a sheet up to his shoulders.
- Michael? - Amy said in a shaky voice as she fell on her knees beside him and before Isabel could stop her, she pulled the sheet off him.
- What happened to him? - She shouted, covering her mouth in shock with her other hand.
Just as fast, Isabel grabbed Amy’s hand still holding the sheet and showed her everything that had happened since Michael was shot while riding till he fell into this state, leaving out all the sex, of course. When Isabel let go of her, Amy had gone so pale, she thought she was passing out. Her eyes filled with tears as she placed her hand on Michael’s back, touching as many scars as she could before she pulled back.
- This has been going on for a very long time, right? Since he was a kid with that bastard, of course, Jim should have adopted him…I should have adopted him…how could they allow this to happen? You were so lucky with the Evans! - Amy shook her head and frowned.
She patted Michael’s cheek and gave his hair a tug, with a sad smile.
- Where is he now? - Amy asked Isabel.
- On our home planet, trying to find a way to stop his dead enemy from killing him. - Isabel couldn’t lie to her.
- But if he’s dead, how can he…- Amy began.
- It’s different there, he can. He had those predators possess Jesse and his partner while he was still alive, but he had something else planned to be his revenge if he was defeated. Michael’s feeling something’s wrong with him but he doesn’t know what it is or what’s causing it. He knows it’s going to kill him, and knowing how much Khivar hated him, it will be real bad. - Isabel gulped.
- I know how he died that last time, and that you were there with him. - Amy whispered, squeezing Isabel’s hands sympathetically. - Jim told me and I can’t imagine anything worse than that. -
Amy felt Maria’s hands on her shoulders as her daughter stood behind her.
Michael moaned and Maria and Isabel tensed, suspecting what it meant.
The interview with the deceased Khivar had gone much like they had expected it to. Khivar simply refused to talk, so they were ready for him. But Khivar was no fool either, he guessed what was going on and he preferred to back out, losing everything that was due to him, to make sure Michael received his revenge, although he was gone for good.
“Damn!” Nicholas shouted. “Did you get anything sensible, cause what I got is just…rubbish.
“What did you get?” Michael asked.
“He was just laughing at us…I got water, you probably got, wind and light, right? The three elements we said he wouldn’t be able to hold on to.” Nicholas scoffed.
“No, I got water too.” - Michael said.
“So did I, maybe he was about to go on to the other two elements but realized then that we were on to his thoughts and decided to terminate it.” Amaru said, disappointed.
“Just in case, I suggest you stay away from the sea or rivers or lakes or even swimming pools.” Nicholas recommended.
“Don’t you think drowning is too bland after the way he had me killed the last time?” Michael smirked.
“Maybe there is something else in the water…sharks? Ewww!” Nicholas made a face.
“What is a shark?” The Shaman asked.
“It’s a big fish, very aggressive, with huge sharp teeth that can tear you into pieces.” Nicholas shuddered.
“Could be. Follow Nicholas’ advice just in case and stay away from dangerous water on Earth. It came right away, perhaps before he had time to disguise it, so I think that could be it. That’s why he preferred to end it, before he got more specific and we could get the whole picture.”
“Ok then, I’ll stay away from water, except for the shower. I still think he was just baiting us to throw us off, though we were quite fast, but still…nah! I better go back, it’s not that nice being split in two!” Michael shuddered.
The last thing Michael saw was Amaru and Nicholas with a look of frustration in their eyes and when his two separate parts were forced back together, it hurt.
- What is going on? - Isabel sounded absolutely exasperated, ready to lose it.
Then Serena began to move and her eyes came back into focus.
- We have a problem. Amaru and Nicholas are in the middle of a ritual to find out what’s wrong with Michael and they have summoned just the parts of him that they need to make it work. That’s why he’s unresponsive until they send the rest of him back. - She said in an anxious tone.
- Well I hope it does, but they should have warned us, or at least Michael so he could tell us what was going to happen. - Ava came out of her silence.
- Michael knew. - Serena shook her head sadly, her anguished vibes had everyone stiffening with apprehension. - It’s something they found out after the death of Khivar, before Michael returned to us. He has kept it to himself not to worry us, just as he did about the trystels. Michael had no way of knowing when it would happen and how long it will take. He hoped it would just pass as if he were sleeping and go unnoticed but it hasn’t. It’s now in Amaru and Nicholas’ hands, so we better let them do their thing but they need his Royal blood to get it right. We must take care of his body and whatever parts of his mind that are here with us. Oh, before I forget, Derek and I have decided it it’s better for them to stay home and get things ready for our arrival. He and Wayne send everyone their love and they’re so glad that things turned out the way they did, for your safety. -
- Well then, since apparently we shall be staying here a little longer anyway, I’ll go on with my programme. - Isabel said seriously.
-What do you mean? - Serena wondered.
- When we arrived here hoping we would just stay a few days at the most with the help Amaru had suggested, I found that underground river running along the left wall and got only the toilet cubicle working because the alien showers would be enough until we left. But we’ve had enough of that so I’m placing a real shower right beside it, ok with everyone? - She got the answer she expected and left to carry on with her plan.
Max got in touch with Jim Valenti informing him they were still staying at the cave, Michael was alright but something had come up with him and they had had to stay. Jim got Max’s message but he was kind of busy so it took him some time to get back at Max using the cell phone that Suzanne had left behind.
- Max, what happened? - He asked worriedly.
- It’s kind of complicated, maybe if you come over? - Max suggested, thinking of Jim as one of the family.
- Sure, later on, ok? I still have to go check on the Masons so I’ll do it and then pay you a visit. Would it be alright if I take Amy with me? She’s driving me nuts wanting to see Maria. I can understand her, and anyway, as you can imagine, I’ve had to tell her about you guys because after you left, the FBI was all over her as with your parents and the Parkers. Amy kept going over to them to find out what they knew about you guys and some things accidentally kept slipping out so of course Amy started suspecting. Your parents and Liz’s had a hard time holding back in front of her so I thought it was fair for her to know too. I hope it’s ok with you, but what else could I do? I didn’t want her to feel left out, specially since we got so close when you left and now that we’re together. - Jim felt kind of guilty.
- No Jim, it’s fine. Maria wants to see her too, but we were worried about how Amy would react to some alien things we would not be able to hide from her. I’m glad she knows and of course, bring her by all means. It will be a surprise for Maria, she really needs it. Let us know when you’re on your way here to have everything ready for her. -
Max sent Jim this last part mentally to keep the surprise element and wondered if Maria would be the one surprising Amy with her pregnancy if she chose to tell her, since it wasn’t really obvious yet. He suddenly felt thirsty and went to the ‘kitchen’ area to find Stuart and Kyle already there with their vials in their hands.
- Cheers! - Went Kyle and toasted with the other two as he tossed Max a vial.
They had been sitting there, drinking quietly when the voices on the other side got a little louder.
- Max?...Stuart?...Will you come here, please? - Isabel’s shaky voice had them running over to them.
- What? What is it? - Stuart shouted, approaching them.
- Well, Michael’s been moaning and whimpering every now and then but now he’s doing it without stopping. - Liz explained.
The two healers knelt by Michael on either side of him and confirmed what they had told them. They both put their hands on Michael’s back reflexively and simultaneously and felt the sexual vibes coursing up their arms. They raised their heads locking their eyes as they heard Kyle echo their thoughts.
- Hey, I felt that too! - And they turned to find Kyle had his hand on Michael’s thigh.
- He’s horny! - Liz voiced for them.
- You’ve been sensing him? - The three men sent her accusingly in different words but similar ones, conveying the same idea.
- Not until right now, and just a tickle when Stuart…probed him. - Liz confessed with a giggle.
Michael moaned and grunted just like he had when Stuart had done that to him and their eyes opened wide.
- He wants you now, all of you! - Liz said, and saw she wasn’t the only one that had got Michael’s message.
The three men blushed, feeling the tent in their pants.
- Alright girls, this is definitely a guy thing, if there ever was one. - Serena said and got them all moving to go fix some lunch.
It was the weirdest experience they had had with Michael, as he just lay there and took it from them, one after the other. They could sense his pleasure, though different than the one he was used to, but he was not frustrated or demanding, it just happened, as his orgasm when it came. When they had all finished, Maria came walking quietly and announced:
- He wants the toy. -
She proceeded to do what he needed, carefully and lovingly, and received his love and gratitude when she leant down and kissed his still lips.
- I know, baby, I know. I love you too, please come back soon, I miss you too much. - She whispered, as she left hurriedly, wiping her tears.
When she arrived at the ‘kitchen’, Isabel received her in her arms and they had a good cry together, as the rest of the women looked on them with sadness in their eyes but left them alone, respecting their grief. Lunch was ready by then and they took it to the guys who didn’t want to leave Michael’s side so they all ate there together.
The low humming vibration kept Michael quietly resting most of the afternoon but then it didn’t seem to be enough and his need was felt by his lovers. The whole ordeal was repeated and just in time because he had just received the toy again and was resting quietly when Jim called saying they were on their way.
Part of Michael’s essence materialized in the small cave where Amaru and Nicholas were in full concentration, bringing them out of it when he toppled on the floor. The two men jumped and opened their eyes to find Michael on his hands and knees struggling to get up.
“No, no, lie down, this is only part of you, mostly your mind, the small part of the physical you isn’t enough to hold you up.” Amaru told him and pushed him down on the floor where he stretched out on his side with his back against the wall.
“Michael, Michael…” Chanted Nicholas, as he reached around the fire to touch his hair.
Michael managed very slowly to raise his arm and their fingers clasped together, in a silent greeting.
“What’s going on here? Why do you need me?” Michael asked.
“Remember we wanted to summon Khivar to demand some answers but the witch didn’t recommend it because it would have to be you, and if you invited him, he would then be able to use his last contact rite on you. We’ve found a way to do it through a shortcut, indirectly, limiting his possibilities, just blood to blood, that way he won’t stand a chance against your Royal one. He’s dead and you’re alive, so you’re not on the same stage, another advantage on your side so there’s no way he can reach out to you. We hold his blood but he doesn’t have yours. He did, but he used it to on the trystels to home them on you so he has nothing to hold you to him anymore. Just a small part of your physical essence is here, enough to form your shape, and only part of your mind which has no solid matter, so it’s not enough to retain you, it would be like trying to get a hold of water, or wind or light, the three elements that saved you from the trystels. There’s nothing he can do with just a fraction of you, but your Royal blood can question his lesser one, you’ve got the right, in spite of the different worlds. Only in this case, his being dead has him at a disadvantage, because your whole essence is not inviting him, just your Royal blood questioning him.” Amaru nodded, satisfied. “It doesn’t mean he has to answer truthfully, but he cannot lie, so he can only refuse to speak.”
“And what good is that then?” Michael wondered.
“He may not speak but what he still has of his mind in death will be active and my powers of divination joined with your Royal blood may enable us to perceive his thoughts. And Nicholas, your ritual to summon the dead may come in handy too. There’s nothing he can do to us with Michael’s Royal blood present to neutralize his attempts to reach out to the living. He’s already chosen Michael but he will not receive his full invitation so he is doomed in that area. Michael?” Amaru noticed the boy had suddenly lost his concentration and seemed to be in pain, but Nicholas knew better.
“What are they doing to you back on Earth, Michael?” He chuckled.
“Ungh!” Michael grunted and bit his lip until it bled.
“Alright, I specifically left behind the physical and mental parts of you that deal with your libido to keep them busy there and the ones I brought here focused in our ritual with no interaction between them, but I’m afraid that side of you is even stronger than I thought. Well, this is just what I needed and was about to ask you for it.” Amaru reached out and scooped a drop of blood with his fingertip. “Now, let go of your Earth side, and make this part of you concentrate in what we are doing here. Michael? Michael!” z
Amaru raised his voice but it didn’t work. He realized that the present part of Michael’s mind that wasn’t able to allow his physical movement back on Earth was quite active with what he had brought of him to Antar instead of staying behind, but it was too late to do anything about it. The boy was moaning and writhing and Nicholas wished there was enough space to fit behind Michael and hold him in his arms during his pleasure. He used his powers to summon the illusion and shivered when he felt Michael’s firm ass grounding into his lap. The Shaman stared at them as they gasped with closed eyes, shaking his head and waiting because it was all he was left to do until Michael’s sexual encounter was over. Finally Michael’s panting breathing started to relax as his eyes began to open, still a little glazed, and his slight wince slowly disappeared. He shuddered and lay still.
“What exactly was that?” Nicholas asked.
Michael grinned wickedly, sending Nicholas a mental image.
“Wow! Vibrating butt plug! You should be bouncing!” Nicholas giggled.
“No, it’s turned down low, to relax me.” Michael confided and winked.
Amaru cleared his throat, beginning to lose his patience and they both turned to the Shaman, looking guilty.
“Can I have your attention now?” Amaru was struggling to control his exasperation.
“Sorry, I’m ready now.” Michael apologized.
“About time!” Nicholas scolded teasingly.
Max opened the door of the cave to receive Jim Valenti and Maria’s eyes doubled their size when she saw her mother stepping in after him. She ran into her arms while Jim and Max calmed the other down telling them it was ok, that Amy already knew, so they could relax and be themselves. It took mother and daughter a full minute to be able to let go of one another and Isabel went to Max asking him if he could go and get some more ice cream because they were running low.
- It’s safe, right? - She asked Jim.
- Yes, totally, there’s no one except from us in this area. I can go with you if you want. - Jim volunteered.
- No dad, you stay here with Amy, Max and I will get it. Our ride is still ‘out of sight’, you know? So we’ll just have to be careful not to make close encounters of any type against anything that can’t see us. - Kyle giggled. - We’ll be back in half and hour tops. -
- Get pistachio and rocky road, they’re Michael’s favourites, and lots of chunky monkey for all of us and whatever else you want. - Isabel ordered.
- Aye aye sir! - Max saluted mockingly.
Amy finally let go of Maria and came to greet the others as Max and Kyle gave her a quick hug and headed for the door. As they were leaving, what Max heard made him glad they were out of there and hoped the issue would be gone and forgotten by the time they got back as they hurriedly closed the door and raced down the slope pushing each other down and laughing.
- Liz, I heard you and Max married, so…any surprises? - Amy smiled as she hugged her daughter’s best friend.
Liz felt a little uncomfortable to have Amy expecting her to be pregnant when she wasn’t and Maria was, though Amy didn’t know.
- No, not yet, we’re going to wait a little. - Liz said shyly.
- That’s smart. Take your time, no need to hurry. - Amy’s words made Maria’s heart skip a beat, knowing the chance to tell her mother the ‘good news’ had been lost with her comment.
- Amy, this is Serena. She arrived on the ship that brought Max, Isabel and Michael but she lost touch and married a very good man here on Earth. He came here with us but now he has gone back to their home in Tucson, which is next door to Laurie’s, Michael’s sister. This is Laurie. - Jim introduced her and then Ava. - This is Ava. She came in the same ship too but was raised somewhere else. She has now been able to join them. -
- Ava? No, this is Tess! - Amy said, alarmed because of what she has heard of her.
- There were two sets, mum, Ava was with the original one but was switched. She’s finally back where she should be. Tess didn’t belong with them. Anyway, Laurie’s twin sister died at birth and her DNA was used to create Ava and Tess, so she also shares Michael’s DNA. She’s really their family too. - Maria explained.
- I see. And by the way where is Michael? - Amy asked and it was obvious Jim hadn’t told her anything about him not to worry her as Maria wanted.
- He was badly hurt, but Max and Stuart have healed him. He was the only one in danger because the attacks were focused on him by alien predators posing as the two FBI’s that were killed today. - Maria calmed her down.
- Oh, yes! I saw it on the news! He was…oh my god, Isabel, Jesse was your husband, I’m so sorry! - She turned to Isabel and hugged her.
- It’s alright, Mrs. DeLuca, it was all over between us, from the moment he turned against Michael. - Isabel said.
- Just call me Amy, please, and yes, I know you and Michael were a couple before and Maria is alright with it. - Amy gave Isabel a doubtful look, thinking she shouldn’t have mentioned it, so she decided to go in another direction. - May I see Michael? Is he alright? -
- Sure, just wait a sec…Isabel, make him decent, ok? - Maria smiled at the alien girl.
Amy realized that could only mean he was…unclothed? She couldn’t believe what Maria had just asked Isabel to do, without any jealousy! What had happened to her daughter? That was so unlike her! Maybe the alien influence wasn’t so bad, or was it?
- It’s ok now. - Maria said and took her mother’s hand leading her to where Michael was.
‘That was fast! How did she know?’ Amy thought as she allowed Maria to lead her where Michael lay with Isabel covering him with a sheet up to his shoulders.
- Michael? - Amy said in a shaky voice as she fell on her knees beside him and before Isabel could stop her, she pulled the sheet off him.
- What happened to him? - She shouted, covering her mouth in shock with her other hand.
Just as fast, Isabel grabbed Amy’s hand still holding the sheet and showed her everything that had happened since Michael was shot while riding till he fell into this state, leaving out all the sex, of course. When Isabel let go of her, Amy had gone so pale, she thought she was passing out. Her eyes filled with tears as she placed her hand on Michael’s back, touching as many scars as she could before she pulled back.
- This has been going on for a very long time, right? Since he was a kid with that bastard, of course, Jim should have adopted him…I should have adopted him…how could they allow this to happen? You were so lucky with the Evans! - Amy shook her head and frowned.
She patted Michael’s cheek and gave his hair a tug, with a sad smile.
- Where is he now? - Amy asked Isabel.
- On our home planet, trying to find a way to stop his dead enemy from killing him. - Isabel couldn’t lie to her.
- But if he’s dead, how can he…- Amy began.
- It’s different there, he can. He had those predators possess Jesse and his partner while he was still alive, but he had something else planned to be his revenge if he was defeated. Michael’s feeling something’s wrong with him but he doesn’t know what it is or what’s causing it. He knows it’s going to kill him, and knowing how much Khivar hated him, it will be real bad. - Isabel gulped.
- I know how he died that last time, and that you were there with him. - Amy whispered, squeezing Isabel’s hands sympathetically. - Jim told me and I can’t imagine anything worse than that. -
Amy felt Maria’s hands on her shoulders as her daughter stood behind her.
Michael moaned and Maria and Isabel tensed, suspecting what it meant.
The interview with the deceased Khivar had gone much like they had expected it to. Khivar simply refused to talk, so they were ready for him. But Khivar was no fool either, he guessed what was going on and he preferred to back out, losing everything that was due to him, to make sure Michael received his revenge, although he was gone for good.
“Damn!” Nicholas shouted. “Did you get anything sensible, cause what I got is just…rubbish.
“What did you get?” Michael asked.
“He was just laughing at us…I got water, you probably got, wind and light, right? The three elements we said he wouldn’t be able to hold on to.” Nicholas scoffed.
“No, I got water too.” - Michael said.
“So did I, maybe he was about to go on to the other two elements but realized then that we were on to his thoughts and decided to terminate it.” Amaru said, disappointed.
“Just in case, I suggest you stay away from the sea or rivers or lakes or even swimming pools.” Nicholas recommended.
“Don’t you think drowning is too bland after the way he had me killed the last time?” Michael smirked.
“Maybe there is something else in the water…sharks? Ewww!” Nicholas made a face.
“What is a shark?” The Shaman asked.
“It’s a big fish, very aggressive, with huge sharp teeth that can tear you into pieces.” Nicholas shuddered.
“Could be. Follow Nicholas’ advice just in case and stay away from dangerous water on Earth. It came right away, perhaps before he had time to disguise it, so I think that could be it. That’s why he preferred to end it, before he got more specific and we could get the whole picture.”
“Ok then, I’ll stay away from water, except for the shower. I still think he was just baiting us to throw us off, though we were quite fast, but still…nah! I better go back, it’s not that nice being split in two!” Michael shuddered.
The last thing Michael saw was Amaru and Nicholas with a look of frustration in their eyes and when his two separate parts were forced back together, it hurt.
ALIENS FULL TILT!
-
ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Back after the frightening experience of the earthquake that shook a good part of the country, thankfully safe and sound.
ALIENS FULL TILT!
-
ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Chapter 115
Michael opened his eyes slowly and he knew he was hallucinating because he could swear he saw Amy DeLuca looking back at him worriedly as she knelt beside him.
- Maria? That thing up my ass is making me see things. - He said huskily.
- MICHAEL! - That was Maria and Isabel together.
- Michael! What are they doing to you? - Amy said, shocked.
‘Uh uh! That really sounded like Amy DeLuca!’ Michael blinked and she was still there.
- It’s just a…thermometer that stays inside and we…can read his temperature… without having to keep doing it. - Isabel improvised, hoping it had sounded convincing enough.
She reached between Michael’s thighs and retrieved the vibrator using her powers to really make it look like a thermometer. Amy looked grossed out as she asked what his temperature was. Isabel pretended to read it and said it was 102º, making Amy gasp.
- Don’t worry, it’s not as bad in aliens. - Isabel shrugged, making it sound unimportant. - His normal temperature is almost 100º -
- What? No, my dear. This boy is sick! - Amy said, quite determined.
- No mum, no. Michael’s been sick before and we know how to deal with it, that’s why Max and Stuart are here to take care of him. - Maria assured her.
- Well, I don’t see Max here! - Amy was raising her voice and Maria knew it meant trouble.
- But Stuart’s here! Stuart? - Maria was getting nervous and loud too.
- Here! What is it? - Stuart came out of the ‘kitchen’ where he and Jim had fled to, avoiding the female chattering.
- Mum here is worried about Michael’s temperature of 102º and wants to do something about it. - She sent him the details mentally.
- Amy, Maria’s right, Michael reacts different not only from his human side but from his alien one too because of his special blood. Trust me, I’ve had a lot of practice with him in the rather short time I know him. At first, although I knew who he was, I could hardly believe it even if it was there right in front of my eyes. I hate to say the boy has willingly taken a lot of pain from me to convince me and I’ve had to torture him until I finally worked out the way he really is. And yes, he is very special. I doubt anyone else could take what he has suffered, done what he has, or love as intensely as he does. We are all very lucky to know him and have him with us, actually the word to describe it should be ‘honoured’. Let me see what I can do, please? - Stuart could tell he had Amy in the palm of his hand.
- Of course, you are the expert…yes, my daughter is very lucky to have someone who would give his life to protect her. I know she’s safe with him but I still miss her. - Her face softened as she met Maria’s eyes.
- Michael, how did it go? - Stuart asked.
- Khivar refused to speak, but we all got a silly idea that he planned to drown me. I think he was just playing with us, not like him to be so merciful. Still, both Amaru and Nicholas have asked me to stay away from the sea, lakes and rivers, even swimming pools as a precaution. I think they’re overreacting. It was just stupid nonsense to throw us off. - Michael shrugged.
- From what you tell me, I think so too. How do you feel? - Stuart asked him.
- Getting back my two parts together hurt a lot. Most of my physical side and a small part of my mind were left here and the rest was taken to Antar. I’m almost used to being one again. - He smirked. - I’m feeling better now. -
- Well Amy, you have your answer from the very patient. He just needs to rest, that’s all. - Stuart smiled.
- What is that about two parts of him? - Amy was baffled by the conversation she had just heard.
- Only a part of him travelled to his planet, that’s what he meant. - Stuart explained.
- Oh, right, I just need to speak to my daughter and Michael, if you don’t mind. - Amy said softly.
So they all got up and left them alone as they went to the ‘kitchen’ to give them privacy.
Once alone, Amy took Maria’s and Michael’s hands in hers.
- I just want to be a part of you, because I can feel how close you two are. I’m happy for you, I love you. - She squeezed their hands and the silence that followed meant more than words could.
Max and Kyle arrived and went in quietly. As they passed the ‘kitchen’, they could hear the talking and the activity going on, thinking they were all there, so Max sent the ice cream into the cooler they had brought the day before with his powers and they continued towards the part of the cave where Michael was. The silence made them think he was alone and still asleep, so as they were rounding the corner to see how he was doing, the words that came out of their mouths were just their usual way of teasing Michael:
- Your tight ass better be ready for me, Michael, cause I have one hell of a hard on just as you like it…- Max said as Kyle went on:
- And I’ll fill you up as soon as Max has…- The words died in his mouth as their eyes got used to the barely lit place and realized Michael wasn’t alone, but Maria and her mother were right there with him.
Kyle and Max wished the ground would swallow them, or that they could vanish before Amy could see who they were or better still, they wished they could turn back time and start all over again, making sure Michael was alone before they uttered a sound. But it was too late, and the two women’s faces went in seconds through stages of surprise, awareness and shock, in that order. Maria kept staring at them, unable to believe they could be so stupid, while Amy’s eyes went from them to Michael, watching him wince and shut his eyes tight, which along with the furious way Max and Kyle were blushing, confirmed their guilt more than an actual confession would.
- So this is how much you love him, huh? That’s how special he is to you too? Hasn’t he been abused enough in his life to have to submit to those who should be his friends? And I was beginning to think aliens were better than us, but you, Kyle? What have you become? -
Amy began to get up but Michael held on tight to her hand, showing her what he had been forced to do in his other life and why that dark side had been encoded in his genes so he could deal with it. How it had also helped him survive his childhood with Hank here on Earth, although it had been exclusively an alien trait.
Amy slumped beside Michael and wrapped her arms around him, crying noisily into his shoulder. Michael couldn’t understand how Amy could touch him with the revulsion he was sure she was feeling, but what he began to sense coming from her was totally different, it was pity. What he had always dreaded, was welcome now, assuring him it wouldn’t put Amy against his relationship with Maria.
It brought everyone running from the other room, watching the scene and not knowing what to make of it, until they saw Max and Kyle. Michael had blocked out Liz automatically but she only needed one look at her husband and ex boyfriend to put two and two together.
- What did you two do? - She said accusingly.
Max sent her mentally the whole scene and Liz paled with shock. Jim got it too, accidentally, and preferred to ignore his son and Max for the moment and went to Amy. He reached for her and tried to pull her away from Michael but she was clinging to him desperately in her grief, so Jim gently pried her hands off the boy and took her in his arms.
- You knew? - Amy gasped, pulling away from her husband as much as she could. - No, Jim, not you too! -
- No Amy, of course not, Michael’s like a son to me! How can you think that of me? - Jim threw at her, angry at her assumption.
- But you knew! - She insisted, angrily.
- I found out just like you did, no worse! I found him in bed under Kyle, in the very act! Believe me, you had it easy! - Jim shuddered, recalling the scene, realizing too late in his fury that somehow his new powers had sent her the flash of his own discovery.
She began to cry all over again, this time on her husband’s shoulder.
- Get me out of here Jim, please, get me out! Maria, Michael, I want you to come with us and have a normal life, I don’t want you to stay here! Let us become your family! - Amy sobbed.
- Amy…- Michael whispered, sorry to see her like that, and feeling sick at being the cause.
Amy pulled away from Jim and was drawn to Michael like a magnet. She crouched by him and their eyes locked. The look that passed between them had such intensity, that to them, there was no one else, but those who were watching, knew how deep it was when Michael let his feelings out, and that was what he was doing. Though Amy’s face was expressionless, tears were running freely down her cheeks. When Michael closed his eyes, letting go of her, she held his face with her hands, smiling at him sweetly, then kissing both his cheeks and his lips in a motherly way. She got up slowly, looking at peace with herself and the world she had to live in, and went to stand beside Jim. Turning towards the rest, she apologized:
- I’m sorry, I didn’t understand, now I do. We better go, Jim. Michael needs them, they know what to do to make him feel better. - She went to Maria and hugged her. - Take care of him, for me. -
Serena whispered in Ava’s ear and the girl went to Amy, mindwarping her into forgetting the Michael issues to give Jim a break. They knew they would have to come up again anyway, but this was the best for the time being.
Jim nodded to Ava, silently thanking her, and led his wife towards the entrance of the cave as Max opened the door with his powers, preferring to stay away. Amy stepped outside and Jim rushed back, dropping on his knees beside Michael, kissing his cheek.
- Take care, son. I’ll always be here for you. - He squeezed his shoulder and watched Michael smirk fondly.
Jim walked backwards to join Amy, wanting to see Michael for as long as he could and once outside, he shuddered with the premonition that he might not see him alive much longer. He shook it off, considering it ridiculous, because Michael looked fine and he had both Max and Stuart there for him, but mostly because all his enemies were already gone, so Jim kept telling himself there was no reason for feeling so negative. He forced a smile and helped Amy down the slope. Serena had stayed behind and out of the way through the whole thing, filtering and digesting every single feeling that came from each of them, and the last ones she got from Jim left her shivering.
They watched the car disappear in the distance and they went back in, listening to the slab closing. It was obvious to everyone without the need of words, that they could just leave right away, protected by the night, but by some obscure reason, they preferred not to, in spite of knowing it would be the best option, and they would have to wait for the next evening, but their nerves were on edge from the unexpected visit and issues that had ensued. Maria, still shaky, went to Michael, finding him relaxed but awake.
- Hey babe, thanks for setting my mother straight. I’m still not quite sure how you did it but she really took it well. - She said, sitting beside him and leaning to kiss his lips. - Thanks also for not telling her yet about the babies. -
- Yeah, that has to be you. I’m not risking any part of my anatomy falling prey to her rage, no matter how she now feels about me. - Michael smirked.
- I’m sorry I got in your way. - Liz said, sitting at Michael’s other side. - I wasn’t expecting your mother to question me about my wedding like that, I came out with the first thing I could think. -
- Not your fault, bestfriend. No one saw that coming, but when she considered your waiting very wise, there was no way I could tell her I was pregnant and not even married. At least not the way she would want me to be. Antares ways don’t count for her and never will when it comes to marriage, you can be sure of that. - Maria scoffed.
- Maria, we could get married right away and give her the news, no need to tell her we just did it. - Michael suggested.
- Say, like, tomorrow? And visit her before we leave? I love you for it, Michael, but no, it wouldn’t feel right to me. It will happen when it has to, not before. -
- We need Amaru! - Max said, facing Serena as he rushed into the kitchen area where they were all having a nightcap.
- Is something wrong with Michael? - She said, alarmed.
- No, we can’t leave anyway because the SUV is still under the invisibility spell! - He reminded her.
- He probably will come by himself, but if he doesn’t until tomorrow, I promise I’ll get in touch with him. - Serena assured him, but she saw him frown.
Max never took it kindly when they didn’t agree with him, very much like Zan, but the trait was somehow very pronounced tonight and Serena didn’t like it either.
- Shit, I’m thirsty! - He grabbed one of his vials and tossed one to Kyle who signaled to him for one too.
Stuart got up and got one himself. A few seconds later, as if on cue, they heard Maria’s voice:
- Michael? Michael? - Both questions in a different tone, one teasing, one demanding, then…- Guys? -
- Uh oh, porno…sorry, duty time! - Kyle tried to hide a grin, beating Max and Stuart to reach Michael’s side. The remaining females just exchanged a significant look, preferring not to comment on it and got another mug ready for Maria who joined them as Isabel was setting it on her place.
Michael had noticed that a slight stinging had begun to develop inside him during lovemaking with the guys just as with their sperm and tonight it was definitely getting worse. Ironically, the only thing that eased it momentarily was the next fucking session but then came back soon after, leaving him worse that before.
- Kyle…what lube…are you using? - Michael winced as his lover slid his slick cock into him.
- None, luv, just my precum which lately is incredibly abundant. Isn’t it enough? - Kyle wondered, but kept shoving into Michael.
- Yeah sure…kind of stings…nice though…- Michael gasped between phrases.
Kyle had noticed Michael was clenching a little harder each time since they had arrived at the cave and that it made fucking Michael every time better than the last. Max and Stuart had noticed it too, but this time it was more evident. They had to agree with Kyle’s appreciation of each experience and with the increase in their natural lubrication. They had all privately thought it was probably an alien boost of the Antares water, which was welcome and enjoyed, just glad that they had it, but now Michael’s question had got them thinking.
Max and Stuart unsuspectingly hoped theirs would be as good for Michael too. And yes, when their turn came, they also noticed the difference in Michael’s reactions to each penetration and sperm injection, and weren’t disappointed.
By then, Michael’s insides were flooded with the hungry things, going deeper and higher with every new rush of them unwittingly flushed into him. It was a busy night, with Michael getting restless and needing his lovers five hours later, then every three hours and by mid afternoon, he was ready for them in just two hours; the toy seemed to hasten his craving for sex which left him quite hungry after every bout, making him look and seem, deceivingly, absolutely healthy. Amaru had been completely forgotten until Serena seemed to wake up from some kind of stupor and realized they needed him badly. She asked them to stay with Michael and left for the ‘kitchen’ to summon the Shaman in private, her instincts telling her something was terribly wrong. When he appeared, he sported the same concern as Serena on his wrinkled face. To everyone’s surprise, Nicholas materialized right after him.
“We need him.” Amaru explained simply. “We are both getting Khivar’s last thought now over and over in his mocking voice, and we realize he was not taunting us, just making us believe he was. But it was the truth, as he couldn’t lie, so he disguised it in the most cunning way possible, making us think he was just teasing us with a false clue. He did say and mean ‘water’.”
“But the sea isn’t anywhere near here, and lakes and rivers large enough to be dangerous are also too far. Oh no! How could we be so blind? Haven’t the guys noticed how they get so thirsty and keep chugging down that Antares water just before Michael needs them? It has to be related!” Serena felt incredibly stupid and could see the Shaman and Nicholas did too. “Amaru, how can we be sure I’m right?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore, because if it is, it means it’s already too late, or Khivar wouldn’t have let us find out yet. That was his curse. Now we shall have no problems solving the mystery. I need to see that water.”
Serena went to get it for him, but to her horror, when she handed him the vial, she watched him raise the bottle to his lips.
“NO!” She almost screamed but Amaru used his hand to silence her.
He tasted a mouthful of water and spat it on the ground.
“It’s not harmful if you drink it. Michael hasn’t been drinking it, has he?” He asked her, knowing he was right. “It’s full of microorganisms of a kind I’ve never seen. They have ‘Khivar’ and ‘Sinchi’ written all over them, so I guess Khivar had Sinchi create them for him. As we know, they will be the ones to break the bubble that has become Sinchi’s prison, but of course, he won’t live to see his freedom, drowned in the water surrounding it. Ironically what will kill him will be the same element he used to send the cause of Michael’s death. I need to perform a ritual right away. Where can I do it? I need to find an appropriate place…” Amaru said.
“I know one: right behind our ‘kitchen’. It’s where the Granilith was hidden before it left with Tess. I think it will do.” Isabel startled them standing by the entrance of the small room, very pale, so they knew she had heard everything.
“Isabel, dear, we will have to inform everyone what we have found out, they need to know, we can’t keep it from them, specially Michael, it wouldn’t be fair to him as Max, Stuart and Kyle will have to stop having sex with him, because the last thing he needs is having more of these killers in his body. Let me be the one to tell them when everything is ready for the ritual. Now go and make sure Michael is as comfortable as possible. Just tell them Amaru says no sex at all. He will explain later.” Serena said gently.
“What about Michael? He will need them…and the water?” Isabel could barely hide her tears.
“Use the toy, whatever, except…you know. We’ll take care of the water. Do they have any with them?” Serena whispered.
Isabel said they didn’t and Serena assured her their thirst would disappear the moment they knew they couldn’t have sex with Michael, so Isabel led them to the Granilith room.
“Perfect! I need to go back and get what I will need. Nicholas, get the place ready, you know what we have to do.” Amaru ordered the other small man.
“What good will it do to free this Sinchi if it will also kill him?” Isabel asked.
“We can summon him in death and make him use his privilege to give us the information we need, though anyway he is doomed for having dared attempt against the life of a Royal blooded. Our people will never forgive him but this way, he will always be remembered as a traitor who at least repented and tried to make things right in the end. That’s all we can do for him. We can’t lose time!”
He was gone before he finished speaking, letting his last words floating in the air.
Nicholas was left alone with Serena to prepare the place for the ritual as Amaru had asked him to and they waved all the vials of Antares water away.
Amaru was back ten minutes later carrying a pouch bursting with stuff and went straight to where Nicholas and Serena were. Isabel told the whole group what Serena had asked her to and that she, Amaru and Nicholas were going to perform a very important ritual for Michael and they didn’t want to be interrupted. Thankfully, Michael was still asleep and neither of the guys even mentioned the water. The Shaman and Nicholas were able to send the minute creatures of the vial of water Amaru had tasted and kept for that purpose, to gnaw undetected through the magic whip surrounding the prison. They were able to sense Sinchi’s last breaths and Nicholas summoned him in death, then letting Amaru take over as he was Andes too. Sinchi asked for Amaru’s forgiveness, telling him exactly what the creatures had been mutated from: piranhas, leeches and uxuru. The first ones gave them their razor sharp teeth and aggressiveness, the leeches, their appetite for blood and hunger, and the uxuru, their minute size and preference for the intestinal tissue. Then he had given the original resulting ones a first taste of Michael’s Royal blood from the sample Khivar had taken at his brothel, so that the new species would only crave and search for that in the tissues they invaded to make sure they wouldn’t lose time attacking anyone else by mistake and be discovered in time to be destroyed before they could carry on their mission. Finally they were programmed to home on the urinary system of the males who drank the infested water, finding their way into the seminal vesicles to be flushed out in their semen. If a female drank it, or had sex with a male containing them, the organisms would just leave in the urine with no effect on her whatsoever, like it had happened with Liz. Their only enemy would be the ‘green and blue striped serpent’, which was found in the underground canals used for watering the crops, because it was thin and sleek enough to enter places other snakes couldn’t and its mouth was simply a round sucker which housed a ring of long needlelike barbed teeth, enabling it to gouge the uxuru’s out of the flesh, being its favourite meal. Of course these were mutated beings, but this snake would just home on the uxuru side of them, not caring what else they were made of. It was their only chance, though Sinchi had also warned them of the massive destruction the victim would suffer with the removal of the organisms, so they had to hope Max would be able to heal it. One snake could engulf hundreds of organisms in one session, but they would have to be able to check out the rate at which it was bloating with food, so it could be retrieved without tearing its way out. These serpents were abundant and left alone, as they would clean the water from the feared uxurus making it good for the crops and even for drinking, so Amaru’s next hurried trip back to Antar was to bring the reptiles he would need to try and save Michael’s life.
Michael opened his eyes slowly and he knew he was hallucinating because he could swear he saw Amy DeLuca looking back at him worriedly as she knelt beside him.
- Maria? That thing up my ass is making me see things. - He said huskily.
- MICHAEL! - That was Maria and Isabel together.
- Michael! What are they doing to you? - Amy said, shocked.
‘Uh uh! That really sounded like Amy DeLuca!’ Michael blinked and she was still there.
- It’s just a…thermometer that stays inside and we…can read his temperature… without having to keep doing it. - Isabel improvised, hoping it had sounded convincing enough.
She reached between Michael’s thighs and retrieved the vibrator using her powers to really make it look like a thermometer. Amy looked grossed out as she asked what his temperature was. Isabel pretended to read it and said it was 102º, making Amy gasp.
- Don’t worry, it’s not as bad in aliens. - Isabel shrugged, making it sound unimportant. - His normal temperature is almost 100º -
- What? No, my dear. This boy is sick! - Amy said, quite determined.
- No mum, no. Michael’s been sick before and we know how to deal with it, that’s why Max and Stuart are here to take care of him. - Maria assured her.
- Well, I don’t see Max here! - Amy was raising her voice and Maria knew it meant trouble.
- But Stuart’s here! Stuart? - Maria was getting nervous and loud too.
- Here! What is it? - Stuart came out of the ‘kitchen’ where he and Jim had fled to, avoiding the female chattering.
- Mum here is worried about Michael’s temperature of 102º and wants to do something about it. - She sent him the details mentally.
- Amy, Maria’s right, Michael reacts different not only from his human side but from his alien one too because of his special blood. Trust me, I’ve had a lot of practice with him in the rather short time I know him. At first, although I knew who he was, I could hardly believe it even if it was there right in front of my eyes. I hate to say the boy has willingly taken a lot of pain from me to convince me and I’ve had to torture him until I finally worked out the way he really is. And yes, he is very special. I doubt anyone else could take what he has suffered, done what he has, or love as intensely as he does. We are all very lucky to know him and have him with us, actually the word to describe it should be ‘honoured’. Let me see what I can do, please? - Stuart could tell he had Amy in the palm of his hand.
- Of course, you are the expert…yes, my daughter is very lucky to have someone who would give his life to protect her. I know she’s safe with him but I still miss her. - Her face softened as she met Maria’s eyes.
- Michael, how did it go? - Stuart asked.
- Khivar refused to speak, but we all got a silly idea that he planned to drown me. I think he was just playing with us, not like him to be so merciful. Still, both Amaru and Nicholas have asked me to stay away from the sea, lakes and rivers, even swimming pools as a precaution. I think they’re overreacting. It was just stupid nonsense to throw us off. - Michael shrugged.
- From what you tell me, I think so too. How do you feel? - Stuart asked him.
- Getting back my two parts together hurt a lot. Most of my physical side and a small part of my mind were left here and the rest was taken to Antar. I’m almost used to being one again. - He smirked. - I’m feeling better now. -
- Well Amy, you have your answer from the very patient. He just needs to rest, that’s all. - Stuart smiled.
- What is that about two parts of him? - Amy was baffled by the conversation she had just heard.
- Only a part of him travelled to his planet, that’s what he meant. - Stuart explained.
- Oh, right, I just need to speak to my daughter and Michael, if you don’t mind. - Amy said softly.
So they all got up and left them alone as they went to the ‘kitchen’ to give them privacy.
Once alone, Amy took Maria’s and Michael’s hands in hers.
- I just want to be a part of you, because I can feel how close you two are. I’m happy for you, I love you. - She squeezed their hands and the silence that followed meant more than words could.
Max and Kyle arrived and went in quietly. As they passed the ‘kitchen’, they could hear the talking and the activity going on, thinking they were all there, so Max sent the ice cream into the cooler they had brought the day before with his powers and they continued towards the part of the cave where Michael was. The silence made them think he was alone and still asleep, so as they were rounding the corner to see how he was doing, the words that came out of their mouths were just their usual way of teasing Michael:
- Your tight ass better be ready for me, Michael, cause I have one hell of a hard on just as you like it…- Max said as Kyle went on:
- And I’ll fill you up as soon as Max has…- The words died in his mouth as their eyes got used to the barely lit place and realized Michael wasn’t alone, but Maria and her mother were right there with him.
Kyle and Max wished the ground would swallow them, or that they could vanish before Amy could see who they were or better still, they wished they could turn back time and start all over again, making sure Michael was alone before they uttered a sound. But it was too late, and the two women’s faces went in seconds through stages of surprise, awareness and shock, in that order. Maria kept staring at them, unable to believe they could be so stupid, while Amy’s eyes went from them to Michael, watching him wince and shut his eyes tight, which along with the furious way Max and Kyle were blushing, confirmed their guilt more than an actual confession would.
- So this is how much you love him, huh? That’s how special he is to you too? Hasn’t he been abused enough in his life to have to submit to those who should be his friends? And I was beginning to think aliens were better than us, but you, Kyle? What have you become? -
Amy began to get up but Michael held on tight to her hand, showing her what he had been forced to do in his other life and why that dark side had been encoded in his genes so he could deal with it. How it had also helped him survive his childhood with Hank here on Earth, although it had been exclusively an alien trait.
Amy slumped beside Michael and wrapped her arms around him, crying noisily into his shoulder. Michael couldn’t understand how Amy could touch him with the revulsion he was sure she was feeling, but what he began to sense coming from her was totally different, it was pity. What he had always dreaded, was welcome now, assuring him it wouldn’t put Amy against his relationship with Maria.
It brought everyone running from the other room, watching the scene and not knowing what to make of it, until they saw Max and Kyle. Michael had blocked out Liz automatically but she only needed one look at her husband and ex boyfriend to put two and two together.
- What did you two do? - She said accusingly.
Max sent her mentally the whole scene and Liz paled with shock. Jim got it too, accidentally, and preferred to ignore his son and Max for the moment and went to Amy. He reached for her and tried to pull her away from Michael but she was clinging to him desperately in her grief, so Jim gently pried her hands off the boy and took her in his arms.
- You knew? - Amy gasped, pulling away from her husband as much as she could. - No, Jim, not you too! -
- No Amy, of course not, Michael’s like a son to me! How can you think that of me? - Jim threw at her, angry at her assumption.
- But you knew! - She insisted, angrily.
- I found out just like you did, no worse! I found him in bed under Kyle, in the very act! Believe me, you had it easy! - Jim shuddered, recalling the scene, realizing too late in his fury that somehow his new powers had sent her the flash of his own discovery.
She began to cry all over again, this time on her husband’s shoulder.
- Get me out of here Jim, please, get me out! Maria, Michael, I want you to come with us and have a normal life, I don’t want you to stay here! Let us become your family! - Amy sobbed.
- Amy…- Michael whispered, sorry to see her like that, and feeling sick at being the cause.
Amy pulled away from Jim and was drawn to Michael like a magnet. She crouched by him and their eyes locked. The look that passed between them had such intensity, that to them, there was no one else, but those who were watching, knew how deep it was when Michael let his feelings out, and that was what he was doing. Though Amy’s face was expressionless, tears were running freely down her cheeks. When Michael closed his eyes, letting go of her, she held his face with her hands, smiling at him sweetly, then kissing both his cheeks and his lips in a motherly way. She got up slowly, looking at peace with herself and the world she had to live in, and went to stand beside Jim. Turning towards the rest, she apologized:
- I’m sorry, I didn’t understand, now I do. We better go, Jim. Michael needs them, they know what to do to make him feel better. - She went to Maria and hugged her. - Take care of him, for me. -
Serena whispered in Ava’s ear and the girl went to Amy, mindwarping her into forgetting the Michael issues to give Jim a break. They knew they would have to come up again anyway, but this was the best for the time being.
Jim nodded to Ava, silently thanking her, and led his wife towards the entrance of the cave as Max opened the door with his powers, preferring to stay away. Amy stepped outside and Jim rushed back, dropping on his knees beside Michael, kissing his cheek.
- Take care, son. I’ll always be here for you. - He squeezed his shoulder and watched Michael smirk fondly.
Jim walked backwards to join Amy, wanting to see Michael for as long as he could and once outside, he shuddered with the premonition that he might not see him alive much longer. He shook it off, considering it ridiculous, because Michael looked fine and he had both Max and Stuart there for him, but mostly because all his enemies were already gone, so Jim kept telling himself there was no reason for feeling so negative. He forced a smile and helped Amy down the slope. Serena had stayed behind and out of the way through the whole thing, filtering and digesting every single feeling that came from each of them, and the last ones she got from Jim left her shivering.
They watched the car disappear in the distance and they went back in, listening to the slab closing. It was obvious to everyone without the need of words, that they could just leave right away, protected by the night, but by some obscure reason, they preferred not to, in spite of knowing it would be the best option, and they would have to wait for the next evening, but their nerves were on edge from the unexpected visit and issues that had ensued. Maria, still shaky, went to Michael, finding him relaxed but awake.
- Hey babe, thanks for setting my mother straight. I’m still not quite sure how you did it but she really took it well. - She said, sitting beside him and leaning to kiss his lips. - Thanks also for not telling her yet about the babies. -
- Yeah, that has to be you. I’m not risking any part of my anatomy falling prey to her rage, no matter how she now feels about me. - Michael smirked.
- I’m sorry I got in your way. - Liz said, sitting at Michael’s other side. - I wasn’t expecting your mother to question me about my wedding like that, I came out with the first thing I could think. -
- Not your fault, bestfriend. No one saw that coming, but when she considered your waiting very wise, there was no way I could tell her I was pregnant and not even married. At least not the way she would want me to be. Antares ways don’t count for her and never will when it comes to marriage, you can be sure of that. - Maria scoffed.
- Maria, we could get married right away and give her the news, no need to tell her we just did it. - Michael suggested.
- Say, like, tomorrow? And visit her before we leave? I love you for it, Michael, but no, it wouldn’t feel right to me. It will happen when it has to, not before. -
- We need Amaru! - Max said, facing Serena as he rushed into the kitchen area where they were all having a nightcap.
- Is something wrong with Michael? - She said, alarmed.
- No, we can’t leave anyway because the SUV is still under the invisibility spell! - He reminded her.
- He probably will come by himself, but if he doesn’t until tomorrow, I promise I’ll get in touch with him. - Serena assured him, but she saw him frown.
Max never took it kindly when they didn’t agree with him, very much like Zan, but the trait was somehow very pronounced tonight and Serena didn’t like it either.
- Shit, I’m thirsty! - He grabbed one of his vials and tossed one to Kyle who signaled to him for one too.
Stuart got up and got one himself. A few seconds later, as if on cue, they heard Maria’s voice:
- Michael? Michael? - Both questions in a different tone, one teasing, one demanding, then…- Guys? -
- Uh oh, porno…sorry, duty time! - Kyle tried to hide a grin, beating Max and Stuart to reach Michael’s side. The remaining females just exchanged a significant look, preferring not to comment on it and got another mug ready for Maria who joined them as Isabel was setting it on her place.
Michael had noticed that a slight stinging had begun to develop inside him during lovemaking with the guys just as with their sperm and tonight it was definitely getting worse. Ironically, the only thing that eased it momentarily was the next fucking session but then came back soon after, leaving him worse that before.
- Kyle…what lube…are you using? - Michael winced as his lover slid his slick cock into him.
- None, luv, just my precum which lately is incredibly abundant. Isn’t it enough? - Kyle wondered, but kept shoving into Michael.
- Yeah sure…kind of stings…nice though…- Michael gasped between phrases.
Kyle had noticed Michael was clenching a little harder each time since they had arrived at the cave and that it made fucking Michael every time better than the last. Max and Stuart had noticed it too, but this time it was more evident. They had to agree with Kyle’s appreciation of each experience and with the increase in their natural lubrication. They had all privately thought it was probably an alien boost of the Antares water, which was welcome and enjoyed, just glad that they had it, but now Michael’s question had got them thinking.
Max and Stuart unsuspectingly hoped theirs would be as good for Michael too. And yes, when their turn came, they also noticed the difference in Michael’s reactions to each penetration and sperm injection, and weren’t disappointed.
By then, Michael’s insides were flooded with the hungry things, going deeper and higher with every new rush of them unwittingly flushed into him. It was a busy night, with Michael getting restless and needing his lovers five hours later, then every three hours and by mid afternoon, he was ready for them in just two hours; the toy seemed to hasten his craving for sex which left him quite hungry after every bout, making him look and seem, deceivingly, absolutely healthy. Amaru had been completely forgotten until Serena seemed to wake up from some kind of stupor and realized they needed him badly. She asked them to stay with Michael and left for the ‘kitchen’ to summon the Shaman in private, her instincts telling her something was terribly wrong. When he appeared, he sported the same concern as Serena on his wrinkled face. To everyone’s surprise, Nicholas materialized right after him.
“We need him.” Amaru explained simply. “We are both getting Khivar’s last thought now over and over in his mocking voice, and we realize he was not taunting us, just making us believe he was. But it was the truth, as he couldn’t lie, so he disguised it in the most cunning way possible, making us think he was just teasing us with a false clue. He did say and mean ‘water’.”
“But the sea isn’t anywhere near here, and lakes and rivers large enough to be dangerous are also too far. Oh no! How could we be so blind? Haven’t the guys noticed how they get so thirsty and keep chugging down that Antares water just before Michael needs them? It has to be related!” Serena felt incredibly stupid and could see the Shaman and Nicholas did too. “Amaru, how can we be sure I’m right?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore, because if it is, it means it’s already too late, or Khivar wouldn’t have let us find out yet. That was his curse. Now we shall have no problems solving the mystery. I need to see that water.”
Serena went to get it for him, but to her horror, when she handed him the vial, she watched him raise the bottle to his lips.
“NO!” She almost screamed but Amaru used his hand to silence her.
He tasted a mouthful of water and spat it on the ground.
“It’s not harmful if you drink it. Michael hasn’t been drinking it, has he?” He asked her, knowing he was right. “It’s full of microorganisms of a kind I’ve never seen. They have ‘Khivar’ and ‘Sinchi’ written all over them, so I guess Khivar had Sinchi create them for him. As we know, they will be the ones to break the bubble that has become Sinchi’s prison, but of course, he won’t live to see his freedom, drowned in the water surrounding it. Ironically what will kill him will be the same element he used to send the cause of Michael’s death. I need to perform a ritual right away. Where can I do it? I need to find an appropriate place…” Amaru said.
“I know one: right behind our ‘kitchen’. It’s where the Granilith was hidden before it left with Tess. I think it will do.” Isabel startled them standing by the entrance of the small room, very pale, so they knew she had heard everything.
“Isabel, dear, we will have to inform everyone what we have found out, they need to know, we can’t keep it from them, specially Michael, it wouldn’t be fair to him as Max, Stuart and Kyle will have to stop having sex with him, because the last thing he needs is having more of these killers in his body. Let me be the one to tell them when everything is ready for the ritual. Now go and make sure Michael is as comfortable as possible. Just tell them Amaru says no sex at all. He will explain later.” Serena said gently.
“What about Michael? He will need them…and the water?” Isabel could barely hide her tears.
“Use the toy, whatever, except…you know. We’ll take care of the water. Do they have any with them?” Serena whispered.
Isabel said they didn’t and Serena assured her their thirst would disappear the moment they knew they couldn’t have sex with Michael, so Isabel led them to the Granilith room.
“Perfect! I need to go back and get what I will need. Nicholas, get the place ready, you know what we have to do.” Amaru ordered the other small man.
“What good will it do to free this Sinchi if it will also kill him?” Isabel asked.
“We can summon him in death and make him use his privilege to give us the information we need, though anyway he is doomed for having dared attempt against the life of a Royal blooded. Our people will never forgive him but this way, he will always be remembered as a traitor who at least repented and tried to make things right in the end. That’s all we can do for him. We can’t lose time!”
He was gone before he finished speaking, letting his last words floating in the air.
Nicholas was left alone with Serena to prepare the place for the ritual as Amaru had asked him to and they waved all the vials of Antares water away.
Amaru was back ten minutes later carrying a pouch bursting with stuff and went straight to where Nicholas and Serena were. Isabel told the whole group what Serena had asked her to and that she, Amaru and Nicholas were going to perform a very important ritual for Michael and they didn’t want to be interrupted. Thankfully, Michael was still asleep and neither of the guys even mentioned the water. The Shaman and Nicholas were able to send the minute creatures of the vial of water Amaru had tasted and kept for that purpose, to gnaw undetected through the magic whip surrounding the prison. They were able to sense Sinchi’s last breaths and Nicholas summoned him in death, then letting Amaru take over as he was Andes too. Sinchi asked for Amaru’s forgiveness, telling him exactly what the creatures had been mutated from: piranhas, leeches and uxuru. The first ones gave them their razor sharp teeth and aggressiveness, the leeches, their appetite for blood and hunger, and the uxuru, their minute size and preference for the intestinal tissue. Then he had given the original resulting ones a first taste of Michael’s Royal blood from the sample Khivar had taken at his brothel, so that the new species would only crave and search for that in the tissues they invaded to make sure they wouldn’t lose time attacking anyone else by mistake and be discovered in time to be destroyed before they could carry on their mission. Finally they were programmed to home on the urinary system of the males who drank the infested water, finding their way into the seminal vesicles to be flushed out in their semen. If a female drank it, or had sex with a male containing them, the organisms would just leave in the urine with no effect on her whatsoever, like it had happened with Liz. Their only enemy would be the ‘green and blue striped serpent’, which was found in the underground canals used for watering the crops, because it was thin and sleek enough to enter places other snakes couldn’t and its mouth was simply a round sucker which housed a ring of long needlelike barbed teeth, enabling it to gouge the uxuru’s out of the flesh, being its favourite meal. Of course these were mutated beings, but this snake would just home on the uxuru side of them, not caring what else they were made of. It was their only chance, though Sinchi had also warned them of the massive destruction the victim would suffer with the removal of the organisms, so they had to hope Max would be able to heal it. One snake could engulf hundreds of organisms in one session, but they would have to be able to check out the rate at which it was bloating with food, so it could be retrieved without tearing its way out. These serpents were abundant and left alone, as they would clean the water from the feared uxurus making it good for the crops and even for drinking, so Amaru’s next hurried trip back to Antar was to bring the reptiles he would need to try and save Michael’s life.
ALIENS FULL TILT!
-
ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Chapter 116
Serena felt it was time to inform the ignorant ones what was going on, sensing it was all Isabel could do to hold them back denying them any answers, and she had to be the one. Amaru had a lot in his hands and Nicholas was definitely not the most appropriate one, so she left him to do what he had to, and went to her new ‘family’. They were ready for her as she arrived, having sensed her coming, worried to feel that she had blocked them out the second she left the room, knowing her apprehension would be contagious and no good at such a time. They all started asking their many questions at the same time but went silent when they saw they weren’t getting anywhere that way. Serena sat beside Michael, who just went on sleeping, as the faint sound of the humming told her the reason for it.
- Alright, come here so I can brief you, but I’m warning you, it’s very serious. - She could sense and see the fear in their faces as the sadness in Isabel’s, who already knew. They connected and Serena tried to be as gentle as possible, wishing she could also be hopeful, but she preferred not to, so she wouldn’t have to hate herself for giving them false illusions if things didn’t come out the way they wanted. When she let go of them, they looked pale and defeated and Serena remembered that both Amaru and Nicholas had looked the same too. Maria and Isabel wept in each others’ arms as did Laurie and Ava. Stuart and Kyle just kept shaking their heads in denial but it was Max the one that exploded.
- NO! Amaru will know how to do it, right now I even trust Nicholas will do everything in his hands to save Michael. I don’t give a damn if I have to share Michael with him too! I just want him alive with me, I can’t lose him! We can’t! - He corrected himself when he saw the shock in the girls’ faces.
Serena realized there was a small hand in hers and turned to see Liz was hardly staying on her feet, clinging to her.
- Michael knows…he’s scared for us…for us! Not for him! - She scoffed, making it sound more like a discouraged small laugh.
Maria and Isabel opened their arms for her and she rushed to them, sobbing. Laurie and Ava joined them too. Kyle and Stuart were now shamelessly losing a battle with their tears but Max kept insisting, trying to convince himself:
- No, NO! It’s not going to happen. I can’t accept it! I won’t let it! We just won’t, so stop crying! -
Serena could tell he was about to lose it so she mentally begged them all to stop crying for Max’s sake. It was a massive effort but they did it. That’s when Amaru’s voice rang in the cave.
“I need him here, we’re ready, I’m bringing him over!”
And Michael was gone, leaving them empty and scared. Then the Shaman’s voice rang again, answering their silent question:
“Yes, you may come and be with him, he needs you too but doesn’t want you to have to go through it if you can be spared. Yes, we know you don’t.” He answered also mentally to the collective answer that rang back in his head: ‘We don’t want to be spared, we want to be with him!’
Amaru nodded, accepting, but found it necessary to warn them.
“He was healed by a snake before, but they were just a few slivers in his tail bone, nothing even close to this. It’s going to be bloody and messy, very unpleasant for all of us and mostly for him, as you can well imagine. I know how much pain he can take, but I’m begging that he passes out as soon as possible. Knowing him as I do, I don’t think it’s likely, Vilandra here knows what I mean, she’s lived it before, so brace yourselves, and when it’s too much, close your eyes and just think of him as you like to see him, that will be the best you can do for him.” The Shaman knew he had all their attention and that they were ready to do anything he asked them to. “I’m sorry to tell you I doubt it will work, but we have to give it a try…for him, just as he wants to…for you.”
They arrived at his side to find Michael was desperately trying to stay blocked away from them, but the effort to do it, also dealing with the pain at the same time, was too much and he needed all his energy for the latter. It hit them all at once and they jumped with their heads shooting up and back, as if they had received and uppercut punch under the chin. Of course, they couldn’t actually feel his pain, but they could sense the intensity and it made them sick.
The Shaman had been forced to make the drastic decision by the way Michael’s condition started to develop: at an amazing speed, the stinging had turned into burning, and then into a searing pain that kept Michael still as even a slighty deeper breath made it worse. It was caused by the amount of damage to his internal tissues, gnawed and chewed by the microorganisms’ razor sharp teeth. These came from the piraña mutation as the leeches that had been used were not the kind that have teeth, because they just needed the ones with the proboscis that was inserted in the flesh and inoculated the antibiotic they produced, preventing infection as well as the anticoagulant agents called hementin and hirudin, that by keeping the wounds bleeding, prevented swelling and the extra trauma to the area. Max’s healing had taken care of of all of it, anyway, and the itching caused by their uxuru side was also immediately rinsed away in the bleeding, so it never happened. With time, though, the extensive damage had to result in the severe discomfort he was by then experiencing. It had come to the point where he needed someone inside him on a constant basis, as the movement stopped the microorganisms’ feeding spree, so the solution so far had been the toy which had the same effect on them and kept Michael safely on a gentle pleasure never reaching a climax and even allowing him to sleep.
But the tiny beings had by then got used to the soothing hum and were taking random chomps in spite of it, as the slow movement allowed them, making the pain peak without any expected relief. The Shaman, in his wisdom, had foreseen this, and had brought several doses of a drug produced in a rush by the Antares scientists, that would back up the lulling effect of the toy and at the same time, keep Michael still, because his involuntary muscular movements in response to the pain of the then even few and seldom bites, would only make the microorganisms search for deeper feeding areas, trying to get away from the apparent danger and make the damage of their retrieval by the snake more severe. It was now up to Stuart, as Amaru knew he had done it before, so he explained his plan to him. Stuart had to accept that if the Antares scientists had assured the Shaman that the human doctor could inject it into Michael’s muscles and blood vessels with the expected results, it had to work. The scientists had told Amaru it worked very fast and was absorbed into the bloodstream in a very short time, so maybe it would also paralyze the microorganisms for the snakes to have their fill with even less damage than was expected. Stuart suspected the composition was very similar if not identical to what had immobilized Michael during his first contact with the boy, so he went to get his bag and what he would need to give it to him. Once he had the syringe ready, Amaru had another recommendation.
“Where are you going to administer it?” He asked, very profesional.
Stuart pointed to Michael’s ass.
“No, first, because he’s already hurting too much in that area, and second, because it might act as a warning and make the microorganisms do just what we are trying to prevent them from doing.” Amaru said wisely.
“Right, I’ll give it high in his thigh then. There’s just as much muscle there too and the area it should cover will be quite enough.” Stuart decided, as the Shaman nodded, agreeing with him.
Stuart gently squeezed Michael’s thigh and mentally told the boy to keep still. He didn’t know how much the drug would hurt. He knew the human kind he was familiar with was painful, so probably this one would be too. He jabbed the needle in and watched Michael wince but his eyes remained close. He started pushing the plunger slowly and his other hand holding the thigh still, felt it tense confirming what he was thinking. Stuart pulled out the needle and now they only had to wait.
“I need a source of water and I feel there’s one here.” Amaru said.
“I’ll take you to it, come with me.” Isabel guided him to the left end of the cave and showed him where the underground river ran, allowing her to provide them with the bathroom-like facilities. There was still some space between the makeshift shower stall in the middle and the corner so Amaru used his powers to make a small pool, with an entrance for the water to fill it and another one at the other end to allow the water to continue its course not to overflow it. He made sure the pool was covered in a solid cement-like structure and both entrances had strong close knitted mesh. Then he took the bag he was carrying, and to Isabel’s shock, emptied nine snakes into the pool and returned one to his bag.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have those things all over the place!” She said, in fright and disgust.
“No, they’re water creatures, that’s why I’ve limited the two ways they could escape and made sure they won’t be able to dig their way out of it. Any dry surface is too rough for them as their bodies are smooth like eels so they will stay in their natural environment. Don’t worry, they eat the parasites that dwell in the water, too small for you to see, so they’ll stay here until I need them.”
They returned to Michael and the Shaman immediately took over.
“This isn’t helping him anymore and anyway I have to take it out to allow the serpent to reach its goal. The lack of movement will make the initial biting worse until they settle down to it, but it shouldn’t last too long.” Amaru warned Michael mentally too, as he wasn’t still totally awake. He watched him wince and nod, so the Shaman, in the slowlest motion possible to make the transition as imperceptible as he could, removed the toy. Michael woke up with a jerk, and buried his face in his arm. He tensed and shuddered for almost a minute as Amaru held the eager snake that was already aware of its prey, waiting for the right moment. When he noticed Michael’s breathing begin to slow down, he knew the drug was kicking in, so he scooped a transparent grease from a jar-like container he had brought and rimmed Michael’s opening with it, not to compromise the snake’s eyes right in front and low on its tapered snout, typical of its species, which enabled it to slide through even the narrowest cracks of the irrigation ditches. Its body had no problems adapting to the shape of the place it would invade and it had no scent at all, which made it perfect for taking its prey by surprise. It was just what Michael needed in the present situation, so his minute enemy wouldn’t see it coming. Amaru held on to the protruding tail of the snake, using his powers to feel how much it was swelling as it fed with furious speed. Stuart could sense that just like the human drug, Michael couldn’t move where it counted but could definitely feel the pain, courtesy of his Royal blood, as his teeth drew blood from his lip and the nails of his fisted hands dug into his palms.
“This one’s had enough!” The Shaman announced and carefully pulled the reluctant snake out of the boy. It was bloated, and just a hairline away from ripping Michael as it came out. Amaru used the grease again and eased another snake in and then another. By then, Michael was burning with a steady fever caused by the constant excrucianting pain which his amazing resistance to it due to his Royal blood allowed him to endure. It was mostly though, because of his stubbornness to pass out just to make sure everyone was alright although he could feel they were through the touch of all their hands on him. Still, he was worried by their concern over him, hating to put them through it as well, but he couldn’t keep them away, knowing they would freak out not knowing how he was doing.
As Amaru removed the third snake, he decided to give Michael a break, as this time the bleeding that followed was considerably more abundant than the other two times.
“Max, use your healing powers.” Amaru demanded and wondered why Max stalled looking doubtful. “Well, do it!”
“What if I come? I’ll give him more of those things!” Max whined.
“When did you last drink the water?” Amaru asked him.
“Before the last time I was with him, I haven’t been thirsty for it anymore.” Max observed.
“Then your system is clean. You unload all the microorganisms inside you in one ‘session’ if we can call it that way. That’s why you get thirsty for the water when lust kicks in, to charge you with them. There’s no danger if you don’t drink before you do it, trust me. Now heal him, he’s bleeding too much!”
Max proceeded to heal Michael gently connecting to him, and once he was in, he was shocked to see the state of tissue destruction in which the removal of the microorganisms by the snake had left him in. He healed all he could until his energy failed him in spite of the boost of Michael’s own, and he wasn’t anywhere near halfway yet! He couldn’t keep it up and slid out of Michael. The patient sighed but he was still in too much pain.
“Here, drink this; you’ll be ready again in a few minutes. I brought it for Michael but I’ve decided not to use it as the microorganisms might also find it nourishing and go for it too before it can do any good to him.” The Shaman handed Max a vial of a greenish brown liquid which tasted as foul as the invisibility formula but Max felt immediately how his energy began to return. “Now, that takes care of your alien side but you’ll need a lot of food for your human one, and Stuart, can you give Michael something for the fever that doesn’t require using his damaged area? Oh, and something for the pain? I hate to remind you that pain can actually have lethal effects on his human side.”
Amaru knew the fastest and most efective way would be flushing him in cold water, but he wasn’t sure what that effect would have in the invaders. He feared it would most likely also send them deeper to get away from the cold and he wasn’t risking that.
“I have something that takes care of both.” Stuart nodded and injected Michael again on the thigh, finding a vein to have a quick effect and shooting the rest in the muscle for the longer one. In about five minutes, Michael began to cool down and his breathing stabilized.
“I’m thirsty…” Michael whispered, and Amaru turned him a little sideways to help him drink some water.
“You must have been very thirsty with the fever, why didn’t you ask for water before?” Maria said gently.
“I kept asking Amaru but he kept saying ‘not yet’.” Michael whispered again.
“You can’t give water when there is such heavy bleeding like he was having inside as the snakes did their job because it makes it worse.” Amaru answered to Maria’s outraged glare. “He has a constant internal bleeding from the parasites’ feeding, but his Royal blood takes care of it, absorbing it back into the blood vessels through the still healthy tissues as a defense mechanism to keep him alive.”
“I’m sorry, you know what you’re doing.” Maria apologized and kissed Michael’s cracked lips before she applied on them some soothing shea butter she kept in her purse.
“Stuart, I still need your help here, can you get Michael on parenteral feeding to keep him strong?” The Shaman wanted to make sure Michael’s human side would not fail him.
“Of course, Kyle and I can go and do some shopping, he can take care of the food for Max and all of us in the outskirts stores and stay in the van out of trouble while I get my stuff. I’m not so well known in Roswell, so I’ll have no problems. Let’s go!” They rushed out of the cave as soon as Max opened the door for them.
Half an hour later, Max carried on with the healing and came very near to get halfway this time, but he could feel the little bastards feeding away and he knew it was a losing battle. He told Amaru it would be a good idea to use the toy to stop them as long as they could and maybe Michael could get some sleep too, which he badly needed. The Shaman totally agreed and Michael was able to rest until Max was ready for him again. Kyle and Stuart took more than two hours to get everything but their constant mental communication told them everything was going alright. What had them fooled was that Michael was looking fine, his Royal blood immediately made up for what was taken from him, so he hadn’t lost any weight and he wasn’t pale or gave any signs of what was going on inside him. That’s why his murderers were so effective. Amaru took some time to return to Antar to bring more of the vials to keep Max’s alien side going and returned with an unexpected visit: Ramthis and Wyteeah. They rushed to Michael’s side and both placed their hands on his spine, feeling his energy was still strong. After sighing in relief they turned to the others, looking a little guilty for not having greeted them on arrival, as courtesy called for. Wyteeah took both her children in her arms together and felt the life inside Isabel.
“They’ll look just like both of you!” She said with a sad look and Isabel could just nod, her face a mirror image of her mother’s.
“Come, child.” Ramthis said gently, taking Maria in his arms, and smiling as he got the same that Wyteeah had got from Isabel. “The boys will be half brothers but they’ll look like twins! But the girls will each look like their mothers.” He smiled and Maria couldn’t help smiling too, though she really felt like crying.
Michael whimpered, feeling the presence of his Antar family and slowly opened his eyes.
“Father…Ahmee…” He whispered and they were right there beside them, Ramthis kissing his hair and Wyteeah his cheek.
“Your children are safe Michael; they will lack nothing, just as your wives, if they decide to come with us.” Both their voices came together, with alien coordination.
“Of course we will, right Maria?” Isabel said, holding Maria’s hand.
“Will my mother be able to see my children?” Maria said in a shaky voice.
“Of course, child, she can visit us anytime she wants, as well as her husband who is changing too.” Wyteeah said, taking Maria in her arms as she had her own daughter.
“Amaru, is that necessary?” Wyteeah asked doubtfully and disgusted, so the Shaman guessed she meant the toy inside Michael.
“I’m afraid so, my lady. We are doing everything we can to have him comfortable and make him well.” He answered, and went on to explain the positive effect it had on the parasites
“We must go now. There’s someone arriving.” Ramthis said hurriedly, and they were gone before they could be stopped, just as Max was about to open the door for Stuart and Kyle.
“What happened?” Stuart almost shouted, seeing the look on their faces as Kyle went deathly pale, expecting the worst.
“It’s ok, my uncle and my mother came back with Amaru to be with Michael but they just left, that’s all. Michael was glad to see them, he’s awake.”
They sighed, looking as if they had just come back to life and went into action: Kyle took the food to the ‘kitchen’ with the girls in tow ready to cook something up, and Stuart went to take care of Michael’s human side.
With Amaru and Max beside him, he expertly fixed an i.v. to Michael’s thigh finding a blood vessel much faster with the Shaman’s guidance and started it right away as Max got the stand ready with a wave of his hand.
Max connected with Michael and when it was over, he assured them he was a little over halfway in the snakes’ wake. By midnight, it was all healed so Amaru brought the next three snakes. After using the first, Max stopped him.
- I have and idea. Let me heal him after you use each snake. That way the damage won’t be so bad and I might be able to do more healing than if we wait for the three snakes to leave him so badly ripped inside. The bleeding will be less too. What do you think? - Max looked eagerly at Amaru.
- Yes, you’re right, we may as well try it and see how it goes. -
When Max finished healing Michael, Amaru had to admit he had been right. His energy had managed to heal most of the damage so they began doing it like that. Still three times per session were traumatizing enough for Michael and he needed to rest and get back his strength badly after each one.
They kept it up for one whole week, but the rate at which the remaining parasites fed, were no match for the speed at which the snakes could get rid of them and Max could heal the resulting wounds. Still, they were not about to give up. The parenteral feeding kept Michael strong and the vibes of the toy allowed him to sleep, but the repressed hunger it caused the parasites, made them ravenous by the time they fed again, making them easily three times more voracious than before. And as it had happened with the toy, they soon got used to the drug and created a gradual resistance to it until it had no effect in them after a few days. Jim came everyday, dreading his premonitions and once, talking with his son and Max, he remembered that time when Michael had cut his hip and side with a broken bottle and Kyle had been able to stop the bleeding, hoping he was getting healing powers, but that was as far as he went, and since he didn’t mention it again, Jim hadn’t done so either, understanding Kyle’s disappointment. That weekend, Amy insisted on coming again so Jim made sure it would be alright with them, knowing how exhausting her visit had turned out last time. Michael said he wanted to see her so she came and went straight to him, as Jim had told her Michael had specifically asked for her. She knelt beside him and took his hand in hers. Michael was sleeping but he felt her there with him and hoping he wouldn’t scare her, he communicated directly with her.
Serena felt it was time to inform the ignorant ones what was going on, sensing it was all Isabel could do to hold them back denying them any answers, and she had to be the one. Amaru had a lot in his hands and Nicholas was definitely not the most appropriate one, so she left him to do what he had to, and went to her new ‘family’. They were ready for her as she arrived, having sensed her coming, worried to feel that she had blocked them out the second she left the room, knowing her apprehension would be contagious and no good at such a time. They all started asking their many questions at the same time but went silent when they saw they weren’t getting anywhere that way. Serena sat beside Michael, who just went on sleeping, as the faint sound of the humming told her the reason for it.
- Alright, come here so I can brief you, but I’m warning you, it’s very serious. - She could sense and see the fear in their faces as the sadness in Isabel’s, who already knew. They connected and Serena tried to be as gentle as possible, wishing she could also be hopeful, but she preferred not to, so she wouldn’t have to hate herself for giving them false illusions if things didn’t come out the way they wanted. When she let go of them, they looked pale and defeated and Serena remembered that both Amaru and Nicholas had looked the same too. Maria and Isabel wept in each others’ arms as did Laurie and Ava. Stuart and Kyle just kept shaking their heads in denial but it was Max the one that exploded.
- NO! Amaru will know how to do it, right now I even trust Nicholas will do everything in his hands to save Michael. I don’t give a damn if I have to share Michael with him too! I just want him alive with me, I can’t lose him! We can’t! - He corrected himself when he saw the shock in the girls’ faces.
Serena realized there was a small hand in hers and turned to see Liz was hardly staying on her feet, clinging to her.
- Michael knows…he’s scared for us…for us! Not for him! - She scoffed, making it sound more like a discouraged small laugh.
Maria and Isabel opened their arms for her and she rushed to them, sobbing. Laurie and Ava joined them too. Kyle and Stuart were now shamelessly losing a battle with their tears but Max kept insisting, trying to convince himself:
- No, NO! It’s not going to happen. I can’t accept it! I won’t let it! We just won’t, so stop crying! -
Serena could tell he was about to lose it so she mentally begged them all to stop crying for Max’s sake. It was a massive effort but they did it. That’s when Amaru’s voice rang in the cave.
“I need him here, we’re ready, I’m bringing him over!”
And Michael was gone, leaving them empty and scared. Then the Shaman’s voice rang again, answering their silent question:
“Yes, you may come and be with him, he needs you too but doesn’t want you to have to go through it if you can be spared. Yes, we know you don’t.” He answered also mentally to the collective answer that rang back in his head: ‘We don’t want to be spared, we want to be with him!’
Amaru nodded, accepting, but found it necessary to warn them.
“He was healed by a snake before, but they were just a few slivers in his tail bone, nothing even close to this. It’s going to be bloody and messy, very unpleasant for all of us and mostly for him, as you can well imagine. I know how much pain he can take, but I’m begging that he passes out as soon as possible. Knowing him as I do, I don’t think it’s likely, Vilandra here knows what I mean, she’s lived it before, so brace yourselves, and when it’s too much, close your eyes and just think of him as you like to see him, that will be the best you can do for him.” The Shaman knew he had all their attention and that they were ready to do anything he asked them to. “I’m sorry to tell you I doubt it will work, but we have to give it a try…for him, just as he wants to…for you.”
They arrived at his side to find Michael was desperately trying to stay blocked away from them, but the effort to do it, also dealing with the pain at the same time, was too much and he needed all his energy for the latter. It hit them all at once and they jumped with their heads shooting up and back, as if they had received and uppercut punch under the chin. Of course, they couldn’t actually feel his pain, but they could sense the intensity and it made them sick.
The Shaman had been forced to make the drastic decision by the way Michael’s condition started to develop: at an amazing speed, the stinging had turned into burning, and then into a searing pain that kept Michael still as even a slighty deeper breath made it worse. It was caused by the amount of damage to his internal tissues, gnawed and chewed by the microorganisms’ razor sharp teeth. These came from the piraña mutation as the leeches that had been used were not the kind that have teeth, because they just needed the ones with the proboscis that was inserted in the flesh and inoculated the antibiotic they produced, preventing infection as well as the anticoagulant agents called hementin and hirudin, that by keeping the wounds bleeding, prevented swelling and the extra trauma to the area. Max’s healing had taken care of of all of it, anyway, and the itching caused by their uxuru side was also immediately rinsed away in the bleeding, so it never happened. With time, though, the extensive damage had to result in the severe discomfort he was by then experiencing. It had come to the point where he needed someone inside him on a constant basis, as the movement stopped the microorganisms’ feeding spree, so the solution so far had been the toy which had the same effect on them and kept Michael safely on a gentle pleasure never reaching a climax and even allowing him to sleep.
But the tiny beings had by then got used to the soothing hum and were taking random chomps in spite of it, as the slow movement allowed them, making the pain peak without any expected relief. The Shaman, in his wisdom, had foreseen this, and had brought several doses of a drug produced in a rush by the Antares scientists, that would back up the lulling effect of the toy and at the same time, keep Michael still, because his involuntary muscular movements in response to the pain of the then even few and seldom bites, would only make the microorganisms search for deeper feeding areas, trying to get away from the apparent danger and make the damage of their retrieval by the snake more severe. It was now up to Stuart, as Amaru knew he had done it before, so he explained his plan to him. Stuart had to accept that if the Antares scientists had assured the Shaman that the human doctor could inject it into Michael’s muscles and blood vessels with the expected results, it had to work. The scientists had told Amaru it worked very fast and was absorbed into the bloodstream in a very short time, so maybe it would also paralyze the microorganisms for the snakes to have their fill with even less damage than was expected. Stuart suspected the composition was very similar if not identical to what had immobilized Michael during his first contact with the boy, so he went to get his bag and what he would need to give it to him. Once he had the syringe ready, Amaru had another recommendation.
“Where are you going to administer it?” He asked, very profesional.
Stuart pointed to Michael’s ass.
“No, first, because he’s already hurting too much in that area, and second, because it might act as a warning and make the microorganisms do just what we are trying to prevent them from doing.” Amaru said wisely.
“Right, I’ll give it high in his thigh then. There’s just as much muscle there too and the area it should cover will be quite enough.” Stuart decided, as the Shaman nodded, agreeing with him.
Stuart gently squeezed Michael’s thigh and mentally told the boy to keep still. He didn’t know how much the drug would hurt. He knew the human kind he was familiar with was painful, so probably this one would be too. He jabbed the needle in and watched Michael wince but his eyes remained close. He started pushing the plunger slowly and his other hand holding the thigh still, felt it tense confirming what he was thinking. Stuart pulled out the needle and now they only had to wait.
“I need a source of water and I feel there’s one here.” Amaru said.
“I’ll take you to it, come with me.” Isabel guided him to the left end of the cave and showed him where the underground river ran, allowing her to provide them with the bathroom-like facilities. There was still some space between the makeshift shower stall in the middle and the corner so Amaru used his powers to make a small pool, with an entrance for the water to fill it and another one at the other end to allow the water to continue its course not to overflow it. He made sure the pool was covered in a solid cement-like structure and both entrances had strong close knitted mesh. Then he took the bag he was carrying, and to Isabel’s shock, emptied nine snakes into the pool and returned one to his bag.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have those things all over the place!” She said, in fright and disgust.
“No, they’re water creatures, that’s why I’ve limited the two ways they could escape and made sure they won’t be able to dig their way out of it. Any dry surface is too rough for them as their bodies are smooth like eels so they will stay in their natural environment. Don’t worry, they eat the parasites that dwell in the water, too small for you to see, so they’ll stay here until I need them.”
They returned to Michael and the Shaman immediately took over.
“This isn’t helping him anymore and anyway I have to take it out to allow the serpent to reach its goal. The lack of movement will make the initial biting worse until they settle down to it, but it shouldn’t last too long.” Amaru warned Michael mentally too, as he wasn’t still totally awake. He watched him wince and nod, so the Shaman, in the slowlest motion possible to make the transition as imperceptible as he could, removed the toy. Michael woke up with a jerk, and buried his face in his arm. He tensed and shuddered for almost a minute as Amaru held the eager snake that was already aware of its prey, waiting for the right moment. When he noticed Michael’s breathing begin to slow down, he knew the drug was kicking in, so he scooped a transparent grease from a jar-like container he had brought and rimmed Michael’s opening with it, not to compromise the snake’s eyes right in front and low on its tapered snout, typical of its species, which enabled it to slide through even the narrowest cracks of the irrigation ditches. Its body had no problems adapting to the shape of the place it would invade and it had no scent at all, which made it perfect for taking its prey by surprise. It was just what Michael needed in the present situation, so his minute enemy wouldn’t see it coming. Amaru held on to the protruding tail of the snake, using his powers to feel how much it was swelling as it fed with furious speed. Stuart could sense that just like the human drug, Michael couldn’t move where it counted but could definitely feel the pain, courtesy of his Royal blood, as his teeth drew blood from his lip and the nails of his fisted hands dug into his palms.
“This one’s had enough!” The Shaman announced and carefully pulled the reluctant snake out of the boy. It was bloated, and just a hairline away from ripping Michael as it came out. Amaru used the grease again and eased another snake in and then another. By then, Michael was burning with a steady fever caused by the constant excrucianting pain which his amazing resistance to it due to his Royal blood allowed him to endure. It was mostly though, because of his stubbornness to pass out just to make sure everyone was alright although he could feel they were through the touch of all their hands on him. Still, he was worried by their concern over him, hating to put them through it as well, but he couldn’t keep them away, knowing they would freak out not knowing how he was doing.
As Amaru removed the third snake, he decided to give Michael a break, as this time the bleeding that followed was considerably more abundant than the other two times.
“Max, use your healing powers.” Amaru demanded and wondered why Max stalled looking doubtful. “Well, do it!”
“What if I come? I’ll give him more of those things!” Max whined.
“When did you last drink the water?” Amaru asked him.
“Before the last time I was with him, I haven’t been thirsty for it anymore.” Max observed.
“Then your system is clean. You unload all the microorganisms inside you in one ‘session’ if we can call it that way. That’s why you get thirsty for the water when lust kicks in, to charge you with them. There’s no danger if you don’t drink before you do it, trust me. Now heal him, he’s bleeding too much!”
Max proceeded to heal Michael gently connecting to him, and once he was in, he was shocked to see the state of tissue destruction in which the removal of the microorganisms by the snake had left him in. He healed all he could until his energy failed him in spite of the boost of Michael’s own, and he wasn’t anywhere near halfway yet! He couldn’t keep it up and slid out of Michael. The patient sighed but he was still in too much pain.
“Here, drink this; you’ll be ready again in a few minutes. I brought it for Michael but I’ve decided not to use it as the microorganisms might also find it nourishing and go for it too before it can do any good to him.” The Shaman handed Max a vial of a greenish brown liquid which tasted as foul as the invisibility formula but Max felt immediately how his energy began to return. “Now, that takes care of your alien side but you’ll need a lot of food for your human one, and Stuart, can you give Michael something for the fever that doesn’t require using his damaged area? Oh, and something for the pain? I hate to remind you that pain can actually have lethal effects on his human side.”
Amaru knew the fastest and most efective way would be flushing him in cold water, but he wasn’t sure what that effect would have in the invaders. He feared it would most likely also send them deeper to get away from the cold and he wasn’t risking that.
“I have something that takes care of both.” Stuart nodded and injected Michael again on the thigh, finding a vein to have a quick effect and shooting the rest in the muscle for the longer one. In about five minutes, Michael began to cool down and his breathing stabilized.
“I’m thirsty…” Michael whispered, and Amaru turned him a little sideways to help him drink some water.
“You must have been very thirsty with the fever, why didn’t you ask for water before?” Maria said gently.
“I kept asking Amaru but he kept saying ‘not yet’.” Michael whispered again.
“You can’t give water when there is such heavy bleeding like he was having inside as the snakes did their job because it makes it worse.” Amaru answered to Maria’s outraged glare. “He has a constant internal bleeding from the parasites’ feeding, but his Royal blood takes care of it, absorbing it back into the blood vessels through the still healthy tissues as a defense mechanism to keep him alive.”
“I’m sorry, you know what you’re doing.” Maria apologized and kissed Michael’s cracked lips before she applied on them some soothing shea butter she kept in her purse.
“Stuart, I still need your help here, can you get Michael on parenteral feeding to keep him strong?” The Shaman wanted to make sure Michael’s human side would not fail him.
“Of course, Kyle and I can go and do some shopping, he can take care of the food for Max and all of us in the outskirts stores and stay in the van out of trouble while I get my stuff. I’m not so well known in Roswell, so I’ll have no problems. Let’s go!” They rushed out of the cave as soon as Max opened the door for them.
Half an hour later, Max carried on with the healing and came very near to get halfway this time, but he could feel the little bastards feeding away and he knew it was a losing battle. He told Amaru it would be a good idea to use the toy to stop them as long as they could and maybe Michael could get some sleep too, which he badly needed. The Shaman totally agreed and Michael was able to rest until Max was ready for him again. Kyle and Stuart took more than two hours to get everything but their constant mental communication told them everything was going alright. What had them fooled was that Michael was looking fine, his Royal blood immediately made up for what was taken from him, so he hadn’t lost any weight and he wasn’t pale or gave any signs of what was going on inside him. That’s why his murderers were so effective. Amaru took some time to return to Antar to bring more of the vials to keep Max’s alien side going and returned with an unexpected visit: Ramthis and Wyteeah. They rushed to Michael’s side and both placed their hands on his spine, feeling his energy was still strong. After sighing in relief they turned to the others, looking a little guilty for not having greeted them on arrival, as courtesy called for. Wyteeah took both her children in her arms together and felt the life inside Isabel.
“They’ll look just like both of you!” She said with a sad look and Isabel could just nod, her face a mirror image of her mother’s.
“Come, child.” Ramthis said gently, taking Maria in his arms, and smiling as he got the same that Wyteeah had got from Isabel. “The boys will be half brothers but they’ll look like twins! But the girls will each look like their mothers.” He smiled and Maria couldn’t help smiling too, though she really felt like crying.
Michael whimpered, feeling the presence of his Antar family and slowly opened his eyes.
“Father…Ahmee…” He whispered and they were right there beside them, Ramthis kissing his hair and Wyteeah his cheek.
“Your children are safe Michael; they will lack nothing, just as your wives, if they decide to come with us.” Both their voices came together, with alien coordination.
“Of course we will, right Maria?” Isabel said, holding Maria’s hand.
“Will my mother be able to see my children?” Maria said in a shaky voice.
“Of course, child, she can visit us anytime she wants, as well as her husband who is changing too.” Wyteeah said, taking Maria in her arms as she had her own daughter.
“Amaru, is that necessary?” Wyteeah asked doubtfully and disgusted, so the Shaman guessed she meant the toy inside Michael.
“I’m afraid so, my lady. We are doing everything we can to have him comfortable and make him well.” He answered, and went on to explain the positive effect it had on the parasites
“We must go now. There’s someone arriving.” Ramthis said hurriedly, and they were gone before they could be stopped, just as Max was about to open the door for Stuart and Kyle.
“What happened?” Stuart almost shouted, seeing the look on their faces as Kyle went deathly pale, expecting the worst.
“It’s ok, my uncle and my mother came back with Amaru to be with Michael but they just left, that’s all. Michael was glad to see them, he’s awake.”
They sighed, looking as if they had just come back to life and went into action: Kyle took the food to the ‘kitchen’ with the girls in tow ready to cook something up, and Stuart went to take care of Michael’s human side.
With Amaru and Max beside him, he expertly fixed an i.v. to Michael’s thigh finding a blood vessel much faster with the Shaman’s guidance and started it right away as Max got the stand ready with a wave of his hand.
Max connected with Michael and when it was over, he assured them he was a little over halfway in the snakes’ wake. By midnight, it was all healed so Amaru brought the next three snakes. After using the first, Max stopped him.
- I have and idea. Let me heal him after you use each snake. That way the damage won’t be so bad and I might be able to do more healing than if we wait for the three snakes to leave him so badly ripped inside. The bleeding will be less too. What do you think? - Max looked eagerly at Amaru.
- Yes, you’re right, we may as well try it and see how it goes. -
When Max finished healing Michael, Amaru had to admit he had been right. His energy had managed to heal most of the damage so they began doing it like that. Still three times per session were traumatizing enough for Michael and he needed to rest and get back his strength badly after each one.
They kept it up for one whole week, but the rate at which the remaining parasites fed, were no match for the speed at which the snakes could get rid of them and Max could heal the resulting wounds. Still, they were not about to give up. The parenteral feeding kept Michael strong and the vibes of the toy allowed him to sleep, but the repressed hunger it caused the parasites, made them ravenous by the time they fed again, making them easily three times more voracious than before. And as it had happened with the toy, they soon got used to the drug and created a gradual resistance to it until it had no effect in them after a few days. Jim came everyday, dreading his premonitions and once, talking with his son and Max, he remembered that time when Michael had cut his hip and side with a broken bottle and Kyle had been able to stop the bleeding, hoping he was getting healing powers, but that was as far as he went, and since he didn’t mention it again, Jim hadn’t done so either, understanding Kyle’s disappointment. That weekend, Amy insisted on coming again so Jim made sure it would be alright with them, knowing how exhausting her visit had turned out last time. Michael said he wanted to see her so she came and went straight to him, as Jim had told her Michael had specifically asked for her. She knelt beside him and took his hand in hers. Michael was sleeping but he felt her there with him and hoping he wouldn’t scare her, he communicated directly with her.
ALIENS FULL TILT!
-
ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Chapter 116
Serena felt it was time to inform the ignorant ones what was going on, sensing it was all Isabel could do to hold them back denying them any answers, and she had to be the one. Amaru had a lot in his hands and Nicholas was definitely not the most appropriate one, so she left him to do what he had to, and went to her new ‘family’. They were ready for her as she arrived, having sensed her coming, worried to feel that she had blocked them out the second she left the room, knowing her apprehension would be contagious and no good at such a time. They all started asking their many questions at the same time but went silent when they saw they weren’t getting anywhere that way. Serena sat beside Michael, who just went on sleeping, as the faint sound of the humming told her the reason for it.
- Alright, come here so I can brief you, but I’m warning you, it’s very serious. - She could sense and see the fear in their faces as the sadness in Isabel’s, who already knew. They connected and Serena tried to be as gentle as possible, wishing she could also be hopeful, but she preferred not to, so she wouldn’t have to hate herself for giving them false illusions if things didn’t come out the way they wanted. When she let go of them, they looked pale and defeated and Serena remembered that both Amaru and Nicholas had looked the same too. Maria and Isabel wept in each others’ arms as did Laurie and Ava. Stuart and Kyle just kept shaking their heads in denial but it was Max the one that exploded.
- NO! Amaru will know how to do it, right now I even trust Nicholas will do everything in his hands to save Michael. I don’t give a damn if I have to share Michael with him too! I just want him alive with me, I can’t lose him! We can’t! - He corrected himself when he saw the shock in the girls’ faces.
Serena realized there was a small hand in hers and turned to see Liz was hardly staying on her feet, clinging to her.
- Michael knows…he’s scared for us…for us! Not for him! - She scoffed, making it sound more like a discouraged small laugh.
Maria and Isabel opened their arms for her and she rushed to them, sobbing. Laurie and Ava joined them too. Kyle and Stuart were now shamelessly losing a battle with their tears but Max kept insisting, trying to convince himself:
- No, NO! It’s not going to happen. I can’t accept it! I won’t let it! We just won’t, so stop crying! -
Serena could tell he was about to lose it so she mentally begged them all to stop crying for Max’s sake. It was a massive effort but they did it. That’s when Amaru’s voice rang in the cave.
“I need him here, we’re ready, I’m bringing him over!”
And Michael was gone, leaving them empty and scared. Then the Shaman’s voice rang again, answering their silent question:
“Yes, you may come and be with him, he needs you too but doesn’t want you to have to go through it if you can be spared. Yes, we know you don’t.” He answered also mentally to the collective answer that rang back in his head: ‘We don’t want to be spared, we want to be with him!’
Amaru nodded, accepting, but found it necessary to warn them.
“He was healed by a snake before, but they were just a few slivers in his tail bone, nothing even close to this. It’s going to be bloody and messy, very unpleasant for all of us and mostly for him, as you can well imagine. I know how much pain he can take, but I’m begging that he passes out as soon as possible. Knowing him as I do, I don’t think it’s likely, Vilandra here knows what I mean, she’s lived it before, so brace yourselves, and when it’s too much, close your eyes and just think of him as you like to see him, that will be the best you can do for him.” The Shaman knew he had all their attention and that they were ready to do anything he asked them to. “I’m sorry to tell you I doubt it will work, but we have to give it a try…for him, just as he wants to…for you.”
They arrived at his side to find Michael was desperately trying to stay blocked away from them, but the effort to do it, also dealing with the pain at the same time, was too much and he needed all his energy for the latter. It hit them all at once and they jumped with their heads shooting up and back, as if they had received and uppercut punch under the chin. Of course, they couldn’t actually feel his pain, but they could sense the intensity and it made them sick.
The Shaman had been forced to make the drastic decision by the way Michael’s condition started to develop: at an amazing speed, the stinging had turned into burning, and then into a searing pain that kept Michael still as even a slighty deeper breath made it worse. It was caused by the amount of damage to his internal tissues, gnawed and chewed by the microorganisms’ razor sharp teeth. These came from the piraña mutation as the leeches that had been used were not the kind that have teeth, because they just needed the ones with the proboscis that was inserted in the flesh and inoculated the antibiotic they produced, preventing infection as well as the anticoagulant agents called hementin and hirudin, that by keeping the wounds bleeding, prevented swelling and the extra trauma to the area. Max’s healing had taken care of of all of it, anyway, and the itching caused by their uxuru side was also immediately rinsed away in the bleeding, so it never happened. With time, though, the extensive damage had to result in the severe discomfort he was by then experiencing. It had come to the point where he needed someone inside him on a constant basis, as the movement stopped the microorganisms’ feeding spree, so the solution so far had been the toy which had the same effect on them and kept Michael safely on a gentle pleasure never reaching a climax and even allowing him to sleep.
But the tiny beings had by then got used to the soothing hum and were taking random chomps in spite of it, as the slow movement allowed them, making the pain peak without any expected relief. The Shaman, in his wisdom, had foreseen this, and had brought several doses of a drug produced in a rush by the Antares scientists, that would back up the lulling effect of the toy and at the same time, keep Michael still, because his involuntary muscular movements in response to the pain of the then even few and seldom bites, would only make the microorganisms search for deeper feeding areas, trying to get away from the apparent danger and make the damage of their retrieval by the snake more severe. It was now up to Stuart, as Amaru knew he had done it before, so he explained his plan to him. Stuart had to accept that if the Antares scientists had assured the Shaman that the human doctor could inject it into Michael’s muscles and blood vessels with the expected results, it had to work. The scientists had told Amaru it worked very fast and was absorbed into the bloodstream in a very short time, so maybe it would also paralyze the microorganisms for the snakes to have their fill with even less damage than was expected. Stuart suspected the composition was very similar if not identical to what had immobilized Michael during his first contact with the boy, so he went to get his bag and what he would need to give it to him. Once he had the syringe ready, Amaru had another recommendation.
“Where are you going to administer it?” He asked, very profesional.
Stuart pointed to Michael’s ass.
“No, first, because he’s already hurting too much in that area, and second, because it might act as a warning and make the microorganisms do just what we are trying to prevent them from doing.” Amaru said wisely.
“Right, I’ll give it high in his thigh then. There’s just as much muscle there too and the area it should cover will be quite enough.” Stuart decided, as the Shaman nodded, agreeing with him.
Stuart gently squeezed Michael’s thigh and mentally told the boy to keep still. He didn’t know how much the drug would hurt. He knew the human kind he was familiar with was painful, so probably this one would be too. He jabbed the needle in and watched Michael wince but his eyes remained close. He started pushing the plunger slowly and his other hand holding the thigh still, felt it tense confirming what he was thinking. Stuart pulled out the needle and now they only had to wait.
“I need a source of water and I feel there’s one here.” Amaru said.
“I’ll take you to it, come with me.” Isabel guided him to the left end of the cave and showed him where the underground river ran, allowing her to provide them with the bathroom-like facilities. There was still some space between the makeshift shower stall in the middle and the corner so Amaru used his powers to make a small pool, with an entrance for the water to fill it and another one at the other end to allow the water to continue its course not to overflow it. He made sure the pool was covered in a solid cement-like structure and both entrances had strong close knitted mesh. Then he took the bag he was carrying, and to Isabel’s shock, emptied nine snakes into the pool and returned one to his bag.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have those things all over the place!” She said, in fright and disgust.
“No, they’re water creatures, that’s why I’ve limited the two ways they could escape and made sure they won’t be able to dig their way out of it. Any dry surface is too rough for them as their bodies are smooth like eels so they will stay in their natural environment. Don’t worry, they eat the parasites that dwell in the water, too small for you to see, so they’ll stay here until I need them.”
They returned to Michael and the Shaman immediately took over.
“This isn’t helping him anymore and anyway I have to take it out to allow the serpent to reach its goal. The lack of movement will make the initial biting worse until they settle down to it, but it shouldn’t last too long.” Amaru warned Michael mentally too, as he wasn’t still totally awake. He watched him wince and nod, so the Shaman, in the slowlest motion possible to make the transition as imperceptible as he could, removed the toy. Michael woke up with a jerk, and buried his face in his arm. He tensed and shuddered for almost a minute as Amaru held the eager snake that was already aware of its prey, waiting for the right moment. When he noticed Michael’s breathing begin to slow down, he knew the drug was kicking in, so he scooped a transparent grease from a jar-like container he had brought and rimmed Michael’s opening with it, not to compromise the snake’s eyes right in front and low on its tapered snout, typical of its species, which enabled it to slide through even the narrowest cracks of the irrigation ditches. Its body had no problems adapting to the shape of the place it would invade and it had no scent at all, which made it perfect for taking its prey by surprise. It was just what Michael needed in the present situation, so his minute enemy wouldn’t see it coming. Amaru held on to the protruding tail of the snake, using his powers to feel how much it was swelling as it fed with furious speed. Stuart could sense that just like the human drug, Michael couldn’t move where it counted but could definitely feel the pain, courtesy of his Royal blood, as his teeth drew blood from his lip and the nails of his fisted hands dug into his palms.
“This one’s had enough!” The Shaman announced and carefully pulled the reluctant snake out of the boy. It was bloated, and just a hairline away from ripping Michael as it came out. Amaru used the grease again and eased another snake in and then another. By then, Michael was burning with a steady fever caused by the constant excrucianting pain which his amazing resistance to it due to his Royal blood allowed him to endure. It was mostly though, because of his stubbornness to pass out just to make sure everyone was alright although he could feel they were through the touch of all their hands on him. Still, he was worried by their concern over him, hating to put them through it as well, but he couldn’t keep them away, knowing they would freak out not knowing how he was doing.
As Amaru removed the third snake, he decided to give Michael a break, as this time the bleeding that followed was considerably more abundant than the other two times.
“Max, use your healing powers.” Amaru demanded and wondered why Max stalled looking doubtful. “Well, do it!”
“What if I come? I’ll give him more of those things!” Max whined.
“When did you last drink the water?” Amaru asked him.
“Before the last time I was with him, I haven’t been thirsty for it anymore.” Max observed.
“Then your system is clean. You unload all the microorganisms inside you in one ‘session’ if we can call it that way. That’s why you get thirsty for the water when lust kicks in, to charge you with them. There’s no danger if you don’t drink before you do it, trust me. Now heal him, he’s bleeding too much!”
Max proceeded to heal Michael gently connecting to him, and once he was in, he was shocked to see the state of tissue destruction in which the removal of the microorganisms by the snake had left him in. He healed all he could until his energy failed him in spite of the boost of Michael’s own, and he wasn’t anywhere near halfway yet! He couldn’t keep it up and slid out of Michael. The patient sighed but he was still in too much pain.
“Here, drink this; you’ll be ready again in a few minutes. I brought it for Michael but I’ve decided not to use it as the microorganisms might also find it nourishing and go for it too before it can do any good to him.” The Shaman handed Max a vial of a greenish brown liquid which tasted as foul as the invisibility formula but Max felt immediately how his energy began to return. “Now, that takes care of your alien side but you’ll need a lot of food for your human one, and Stuart, can you give Michael something for the fever that doesn’t require using his damaged area? Oh, and something for the pain? I hate to remind you that pain can actually have lethal effects on his human side.”
Amaru knew the fastest and most efective way would be flushing him in cold water, but he wasn’t sure what that effect would have in the invaders. He feared it would most likely also send them deeper to get away from the cold and he wasn’t risking that.
“I have something that takes care of both.” Stuart nodded and injected Michael again on the thigh, finding a vein to have a quick effect and shooting the rest in the muscle for the longer one. In about five minutes, Michael began to cool down and his breathing stabilized.
“I’m thirsty…” Michael whispered, and Amaru turned him a little sideways to help him drink some water.
“You must have been very thirsty with the fever, why didn’t you ask for water before?” Maria said gently.
“I kept asking Amaru but he kept saying ‘not yet’.” Michael whispered again.
“You can’t give water when there is such heavy bleeding like he was having inside as the snakes did their job because it makes it worse.” Amaru answered to Maria’s outraged glare. “He has a constant internal bleeding from the parasites’ feeding, but his Royal blood takes care of it, absorbing it back into the blood vessels through the still healthy tissues as a defense mechanism to keep him alive.”
“I’m sorry, you know what you’re doing.” Maria apologized and kissed Michael’s cracked lips before she applied on them some soothing shea butter she kept in her purse.
“Stuart, I still need your help here, can you get Michael on parenteral feeding to keep him strong?” The Shaman wanted to make sure Michael’s human side would not fail him.
“Of course, Kyle and I can go and do some shopping, he can take care of the food for Max and all of us in the outskirts stores and stay in the van out of trouble while I get my stuff. I’m not so well known in Roswell, so I’ll have no problems. Let’s go!” They rushed out of the cave as soon as Max opened the door for them.
Half an hour later, Max carried on with the healing and came very near to get halfway this time, but he could feel the little bastards feeding away and he knew it was a losing battle. He told Amaru it would be a good idea to use the toy to stop them as long as they could and maybe Michael could get some sleep too, which he badly needed. The Shaman totally agreed and Michael was able to rest until Max was ready for him again. Kyle and Stuart took more than two hours to get everything but their constant mental communication told them everything was going alright. What had them fooled was that Michael was looking fine, his Royal blood immediately made up for what was taken from him, so he hadn’t lost any weight and he wasn’t pale or gave any signs of what was going on inside him. That’s why his murderers were so effective. Amaru took some time to return to Antar to bring more of the vials to keep Max’s alien side going and returned with an unexpected visit: Ramthis and Wyteeah. They rushed to Michael’s side and both placed their hands on his spine, feeling his energy was still strong. After sighing in relief they turned to the others, looking a little guilty for not having greeted them on arrival, as courtesy called for. Wyteeah took both her children in her arms together and felt the life inside Isabel.
“They’ll look just like both of you!” She said with a sad look and Isabel could just nod, her face a mirror image of her mother’s.
“Come, child.” Ramthis said gently, taking Maria in his arms, and smiling as he got the same that Wyteeah had got from Isabel. “The boys will be half brothers but they’ll look like twins! But the girls will each look like their mothers.” He smiled and Maria couldn’t help smiling too, though she really felt like crying.
Michael whimpered, feeling the presence of his Antar family and slowly opened his eyes.
“Father…Ahmee…” He whispered and they were right there beside them, Ramthis kissing his hair and Wyteeah his cheek.
“Your children are safe Michael; they will lack nothing, just as your wives, if they decide to come with us.” Both their voices came together, with alien coordination.
“Of course we will, right Maria?” Isabel said, holding Maria’s hand.
“Will my mother be able to see my children?” Maria said in a shaky voice.
“Of course, child, she can visit us anytime she wants, as well as her husband who is changing too.” Wyteeah said, taking Maria in her arms as she had her own daughter.
“Amaru, is that necessary?” Wyteeah asked doubtfully and disgusted, so the Shaman guessed she meant the toy inside Michael.
“I’m afraid so, my lady. We are doing everything we can to have him comfortable and make him well.” He answered, and went on to explain the positive effect it had on the parasites
“We must go now. There’s someone arriving.” Ramthis said hurriedly, and they were gone before they could be stopped, just as Max was about to open the door for Stuart and Kyle.
“What happened?” Stuart almost shouted, seeing the look on their faces as Kyle went deathly pale, expecting the worst.
“It’s ok, my uncle and my mother came back with Amaru to be with Michael but they just left, that’s all. Michael was glad to see them, he’s awake.”
They sighed, looking as if they had just come back to life and went into action: Kyle took the food to the ‘kitchen’ with the girls in tow ready to cook something up, and Stuart went to take care of Michael’s human side.
With Amaru and Max beside him, he expertly fixed an i.v. to Michael’s thigh finding a blood vessel much faster with the Shaman’s guidance and started it right away as Max got the stand ready with a wave of his hand.
Max connected with Michael and when it was over, he assured them he was a little over halfway in the snakes’ wake. By midnight, it was all healed so Amaru brought the next three snakes. After using the first, Max stopped him.
- I have and idea. Let me heal him after you use each snake. That way the damage won’t be so bad and I might be able to do more healing than if we wait for the three snakes to leave him so badly ripped inside. The bleeding will be less too. What do you think? - Max looked eagerly at Amaru.
- Yes, you’re right, we may as well try it and see how it goes. -
When Max finished healing Michael, Amaru had to admit he had been right. His energy had managed to heal most of the damage so they began doing it like that. Still three times per session were traumatizing enough for Michael and he needed to rest and get back his strength badly after each one.
They kept it up for one whole week, but the rate at which the remaining parasites fed, were no match for the speed at which the snakes could get rid of them and Max could heal the resulting wounds. Still, they were not about to give up. The parenteral feeding kept Michael strong and the vibes of the toy allowed him to sleep, but the repressed hunger it caused the parasites, made them ravenous by the time they fed again, making them easily three times more voracious than before. And as it had happened with the toy, they soon got used to the drug and created a gradual resistance to it until it had no effect in them after a few days. Jim came everyday, dreading his premonitions and once, talking with his son and Max, he remembered that time when Michael had cut his hip and side with a broken bottle and Kyle had been able to stop the bleeding, hoping he was getting healing powers, but that was as far as he went, and since he didn’t mention it again, Jim hadn’t done so either, understanding Kyle’s disappointment. That weekend, Amy insisted on coming again so Jim made sure it would be alright with them, knowing how exhausting her visit had turned out last time. Michael said he wanted to see her so she came and went straight to him, as Jim had told her Michael had specifically asked for her. She knelt beside him and took his hand in hers. Michael was sleeping but he felt her there with him and hoping he wouldn’t scare her, he communicated directly with her.
Serena felt it was time to inform the ignorant ones what was going on, sensing it was all Isabel could do to hold them back denying them any answers, and she had to be the one. Amaru had a lot in his hands and Nicholas was definitely not the most appropriate one, so she left him to do what he had to, and went to her new ‘family’. They were ready for her as she arrived, having sensed her coming, worried to feel that she had blocked them out the second she left the room, knowing her apprehension would be contagious and no good at such a time. They all started asking their many questions at the same time but went silent when they saw they weren’t getting anywhere that way. Serena sat beside Michael, who just went on sleeping, as the faint sound of the humming told her the reason for it.
- Alright, come here so I can brief you, but I’m warning you, it’s very serious. - She could sense and see the fear in their faces as the sadness in Isabel’s, who already knew. They connected and Serena tried to be as gentle as possible, wishing she could also be hopeful, but she preferred not to, so she wouldn’t have to hate herself for giving them false illusions if things didn’t come out the way they wanted. When she let go of them, they looked pale and defeated and Serena remembered that both Amaru and Nicholas had looked the same too. Maria and Isabel wept in each others’ arms as did Laurie and Ava. Stuart and Kyle just kept shaking their heads in denial but it was Max the one that exploded.
- NO! Amaru will know how to do it, right now I even trust Nicholas will do everything in his hands to save Michael. I don’t give a damn if I have to share Michael with him too! I just want him alive with me, I can’t lose him! We can’t! - He corrected himself when he saw the shock in the girls’ faces.
Serena realized there was a small hand in hers and turned to see Liz was hardly staying on her feet, clinging to her.
- Michael knows…he’s scared for us…for us! Not for him! - She scoffed, making it sound more like a discouraged small laugh.
Maria and Isabel opened their arms for her and she rushed to them, sobbing. Laurie and Ava joined them too. Kyle and Stuart were now shamelessly losing a battle with their tears but Max kept insisting, trying to convince himself:
- No, NO! It’s not going to happen. I can’t accept it! I won’t let it! We just won’t, so stop crying! -
Serena could tell he was about to lose it so she mentally begged them all to stop crying for Max’s sake. It was a massive effort but they did it. That’s when Amaru’s voice rang in the cave.
“I need him here, we’re ready, I’m bringing him over!”
And Michael was gone, leaving them empty and scared. Then the Shaman’s voice rang again, answering their silent question:
“Yes, you may come and be with him, he needs you too but doesn’t want you to have to go through it if you can be spared. Yes, we know you don’t.” He answered also mentally to the collective answer that rang back in his head: ‘We don’t want to be spared, we want to be with him!’
Amaru nodded, accepting, but found it necessary to warn them.
“He was healed by a snake before, but they were just a few slivers in his tail bone, nothing even close to this. It’s going to be bloody and messy, very unpleasant for all of us and mostly for him, as you can well imagine. I know how much pain he can take, but I’m begging that he passes out as soon as possible. Knowing him as I do, I don’t think it’s likely, Vilandra here knows what I mean, she’s lived it before, so brace yourselves, and when it’s too much, close your eyes and just think of him as you like to see him, that will be the best you can do for him.” The Shaman knew he had all their attention and that they were ready to do anything he asked them to. “I’m sorry to tell you I doubt it will work, but we have to give it a try…for him, just as he wants to…for you.”
They arrived at his side to find Michael was desperately trying to stay blocked away from them, but the effort to do it, also dealing with the pain at the same time, was too much and he needed all his energy for the latter. It hit them all at once and they jumped with their heads shooting up and back, as if they had received and uppercut punch under the chin. Of course, they couldn’t actually feel his pain, but they could sense the intensity and it made them sick.
The Shaman had been forced to make the drastic decision by the way Michael’s condition started to develop: at an amazing speed, the stinging had turned into burning, and then into a searing pain that kept Michael still as even a slighty deeper breath made it worse. It was caused by the amount of damage to his internal tissues, gnawed and chewed by the microorganisms’ razor sharp teeth. These came from the piraña mutation as the leeches that had been used were not the kind that have teeth, because they just needed the ones with the proboscis that was inserted in the flesh and inoculated the antibiotic they produced, preventing infection as well as the anticoagulant agents called hementin and hirudin, that by keeping the wounds bleeding, prevented swelling and the extra trauma to the area. Max’s healing had taken care of of all of it, anyway, and the itching caused by their uxuru side was also immediately rinsed away in the bleeding, so it never happened. With time, though, the extensive damage had to result in the severe discomfort he was by then experiencing. It had come to the point where he needed someone inside him on a constant basis, as the movement stopped the microorganisms’ feeding spree, so the solution so far had been the toy which had the same effect on them and kept Michael safely on a gentle pleasure never reaching a climax and even allowing him to sleep.
But the tiny beings had by then got used to the soothing hum and were taking random chomps in spite of it, as the slow movement allowed them, making the pain peak without any expected relief. The Shaman, in his wisdom, had foreseen this, and had brought several doses of a drug produced in a rush by the Antares scientists, that would back up the lulling effect of the toy and at the same time, keep Michael still, because his involuntary muscular movements in response to the pain of the then even few and seldom bites, would only make the microorganisms search for deeper feeding areas, trying to get away from the apparent danger and make the damage of their retrieval by the snake more severe. It was now up to Stuart, as Amaru knew he had done it before, so he explained his plan to him. Stuart had to accept that if the Antares scientists had assured the Shaman that the human doctor could inject it into Michael’s muscles and blood vessels with the expected results, it had to work. The scientists had told Amaru it worked very fast and was absorbed into the bloodstream in a very short time, so maybe it would also paralyze the microorganisms for the snakes to have their fill with even less damage than was expected. Stuart suspected the composition was very similar if not identical to what had immobilized Michael during his first contact with the boy, so he went to get his bag and what he would need to give it to him. Once he had the syringe ready, Amaru had another recommendation.
“Where are you going to administer it?” He asked, very profesional.
Stuart pointed to Michael’s ass.
“No, first, because he’s already hurting too much in that area, and second, because it might act as a warning and make the microorganisms do just what we are trying to prevent them from doing.” Amaru said wisely.
“Right, I’ll give it high in his thigh then. There’s just as much muscle there too and the area it should cover will be quite enough.” Stuart decided, as the Shaman nodded, agreeing with him.
Stuart gently squeezed Michael’s thigh and mentally told the boy to keep still. He didn’t know how much the drug would hurt. He knew the human kind he was familiar with was painful, so probably this one would be too. He jabbed the needle in and watched Michael wince but his eyes remained close. He started pushing the plunger slowly and his other hand holding the thigh still, felt it tense confirming what he was thinking. Stuart pulled out the needle and now they only had to wait.
“I need a source of water and I feel there’s one here.” Amaru said.
“I’ll take you to it, come with me.” Isabel guided him to the left end of the cave and showed him where the underground river ran, allowing her to provide them with the bathroom-like facilities. There was still some space between the makeshift shower stall in the middle and the corner so Amaru used his powers to make a small pool, with an entrance for the water to fill it and another one at the other end to allow the water to continue its course not to overflow it. He made sure the pool was covered in a solid cement-like structure and both entrances had strong close knitted mesh. Then he took the bag he was carrying, and to Isabel’s shock, emptied nine snakes into the pool and returned one to his bag.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have those things all over the place!” She said, in fright and disgust.
“No, they’re water creatures, that’s why I’ve limited the two ways they could escape and made sure they won’t be able to dig their way out of it. Any dry surface is too rough for them as their bodies are smooth like eels so they will stay in their natural environment. Don’t worry, they eat the parasites that dwell in the water, too small for you to see, so they’ll stay here until I need them.”
They returned to Michael and the Shaman immediately took over.
“This isn’t helping him anymore and anyway I have to take it out to allow the serpent to reach its goal. The lack of movement will make the initial biting worse until they settle down to it, but it shouldn’t last too long.” Amaru warned Michael mentally too, as he wasn’t still totally awake. He watched him wince and nod, so the Shaman, in the slowlest motion possible to make the transition as imperceptible as he could, removed the toy. Michael woke up with a jerk, and buried his face in his arm. He tensed and shuddered for almost a minute as Amaru held the eager snake that was already aware of its prey, waiting for the right moment. When he noticed Michael’s breathing begin to slow down, he knew the drug was kicking in, so he scooped a transparent grease from a jar-like container he had brought and rimmed Michael’s opening with it, not to compromise the snake’s eyes right in front and low on its tapered snout, typical of its species, which enabled it to slide through even the narrowest cracks of the irrigation ditches. Its body had no problems adapting to the shape of the place it would invade and it had no scent at all, which made it perfect for taking its prey by surprise. It was just what Michael needed in the present situation, so his minute enemy wouldn’t see it coming. Amaru held on to the protruding tail of the snake, using his powers to feel how much it was swelling as it fed with furious speed. Stuart could sense that just like the human drug, Michael couldn’t move where it counted but could definitely feel the pain, courtesy of his Royal blood, as his teeth drew blood from his lip and the nails of his fisted hands dug into his palms.
“This one’s had enough!” The Shaman announced and carefully pulled the reluctant snake out of the boy. It was bloated, and just a hairline away from ripping Michael as it came out. Amaru used the grease again and eased another snake in and then another. By then, Michael was burning with a steady fever caused by the constant excrucianting pain which his amazing resistance to it due to his Royal blood allowed him to endure. It was mostly though, because of his stubbornness to pass out just to make sure everyone was alright although he could feel they were through the touch of all their hands on him. Still, he was worried by their concern over him, hating to put them through it as well, but he couldn’t keep them away, knowing they would freak out not knowing how he was doing.
As Amaru removed the third snake, he decided to give Michael a break, as this time the bleeding that followed was considerably more abundant than the other two times.
“Max, use your healing powers.” Amaru demanded and wondered why Max stalled looking doubtful. “Well, do it!”
“What if I come? I’ll give him more of those things!” Max whined.
“When did you last drink the water?” Amaru asked him.
“Before the last time I was with him, I haven’t been thirsty for it anymore.” Max observed.
“Then your system is clean. You unload all the microorganisms inside you in one ‘session’ if we can call it that way. That’s why you get thirsty for the water when lust kicks in, to charge you with them. There’s no danger if you don’t drink before you do it, trust me. Now heal him, he’s bleeding too much!”
Max proceeded to heal Michael gently connecting to him, and once he was in, he was shocked to see the state of tissue destruction in which the removal of the microorganisms by the snake had left him in. He healed all he could until his energy failed him in spite of the boost of Michael’s own, and he wasn’t anywhere near halfway yet! He couldn’t keep it up and slid out of Michael. The patient sighed but he was still in too much pain.
“Here, drink this; you’ll be ready again in a few minutes. I brought it for Michael but I’ve decided not to use it as the microorganisms might also find it nourishing and go for it too before it can do any good to him.” The Shaman handed Max a vial of a greenish brown liquid which tasted as foul as the invisibility formula but Max felt immediately how his energy began to return. “Now, that takes care of your alien side but you’ll need a lot of food for your human one, and Stuart, can you give Michael something for the fever that doesn’t require using his damaged area? Oh, and something for the pain? I hate to remind you that pain can actually have lethal effects on his human side.”
Amaru knew the fastest and most efective way would be flushing him in cold water, but he wasn’t sure what that effect would have in the invaders. He feared it would most likely also send them deeper to get away from the cold and he wasn’t risking that.
“I have something that takes care of both.” Stuart nodded and injected Michael again on the thigh, finding a vein to have a quick effect and shooting the rest in the muscle for the longer one. In about five minutes, Michael began to cool down and his breathing stabilized.
“I’m thirsty…” Michael whispered, and Amaru turned him a little sideways to help him drink some water.
“You must have been very thirsty with the fever, why didn’t you ask for water before?” Maria said gently.
“I kept asking Amaru but he kept saying ‘not yet’.” Michael whispered again.
“You can’t give water when there is such heavy bleeding like he was having inside as the snakes did their job because it makes it worse.” Amaru answered to Maria’s outraged glare. “He has a constant internal bleeding from the parasites’ feeding, but his Royal blood takes care of it, absorbing it back into the blood vessels through the still healthy tissues as a defense mechanism to keep him alive.”
“I’m sorry, you know what you’re doing.” Maria apologized and kissed Michael’s cracked lips before she applied on them some soothing shea butter she kept in her purse.
“Stuart, I still need your help here, can you get Michael on parenteral feeding to keep him strong?” The Shaman wanted to make sure Michael’s human side would not fail him.
“Of course, Kyle and I can go and do some shopping, he can take care of the food for Max and all of us in the outskirts stores and stay in the van out of trouble while I get my stuff. I’m not so well known in Roswell, so I’ll have no problems. Let’s go!” They rushed out of the cave as soon as Max opened the door for them.
Half an hour later, Max carried on with the healing and came very near to get halfway this time, but he could feel the little bastards feeding away and he knew it was a losing battle. He told Amaru it would be a good idea to use the toy to stop them as long as they could and maybe Michael could get some sleep too, which he badly needed. The Shaman totally agreed and Michael was able to rest until Max was ready for him again. Kyle and Stuart took more than two hours to get everything but their constant mental communication told them everything was going alright. What had them fooled was that Michael was looking fine, his Royal blood immediately made up for what was taken from him, so he hadn’t lost any weight and he wasn’t pale or gave any signs of what was going on inside him. That’s why his murderers were so effective. Amaru took some time to return to Antar to bring more of the vials to keep Max’s alien side going and returned with an unexpected visit: Ramthis and Wyteeah. They rushed to Michael’s side and both placed their hands on his spine, feeling his energy was still strong. After sighing in relief they turned to the others, looking a little guilty for not having greeted them on arrival, as courtesy called for. Wyteeah took both her children in her arms together and felt the life inside Isabel.
“They’ll look just like both of you!” She said with a sad look and Isabel could just nod, her face a mirror image of her mother’s.
“Come, child.” Ramthis said gently, taking Maria in his arms, and smiling as he got the same that Wyteeah had got from Isabel. “The boys will be half brothers but they’ll look like twins! But the girls will each look like their mothers.” He smiled and Maria couldn’t help smiling too, though she really felt like crying.
Michael whimpered, feeling the presence of his Antar family and slowly opened his eyes.
“Father…Ahmee…” He whispered and they were right there beside them, Ramthis kissing his hair and Wyteeah his cheek.
“Your children are safe Michael; they will lack nothing, just as your wives, if they decide to come with us.” Both their voices came together, with alien coordination.
“Of course we will, right Maria?” Isabel said, holding Maria’s hand.
“Will my mother be able to see my children?” Maria said in a shaky voice.
“Of course, child, she can visit us anytime she wants, as well as her husband who is changing too.” Wyteeah said, taking Maria in her arms as she had her own daughter.
“Amaru, is that necessary?” Wyteeah asked doubtfully and disgusted, so the Shaman guessed she meant the toy inside Michael.
“I’m afraid so, my lady. We are doing everything we can to have him comfortable and make him well.” He answered, and went on to explain the positive effect it had on the parasites
“We must go now. There’s someone arriving.” Ramthis said hurriedly, and they were gone before they could be stopped, just as Max was about to open the door for Stuart and Kyle.
“What happened?” Stuart almost shouted, seeing the look on their faces as Kyle went deathly pale, expecting the worst.
“It’s ok, my uncle and my mother came back with Amaru to be with Michael but they just left, that’s all. Michael was glad to see them, he’s awake.”
They sighed, looking as if they had just come back to life and went into action: Kyle took the food to the ‘kitchen’ with the girls in tow ready to cook something up, and Stuart went to take care of Michael’s human side.
With Amaru and Max beside him, he expertly fixed an i.v. to Michael’s thigh finding a blood vessel much faster with the Shaman’s guidance and started it right away as Max got the stand ready with a wave of his hand.
Max connected with Michael and when it was over, he assured them he was a little over halfway in the snakes’ wake. By midnight, it was all healed so Amaru brought the next three snakes. After using the first, Max stopped him.
- I have and idea. Let me heal him after you use each snake. That way the damage won’t be so bad and I might be able to do more healing than if we wait for the three snakes to leave him so badly ripped inside. The bleeding will be less too. What do you think? - Max looked eagerly at Amaru.
- Yes, you’re right, we may as well try it and see how it goes. -
When Max finished healing Michael, Amaru had to admit he had been right. His energy had managed to heal most of the damage so they began doing it like that. Still three times per session were traumatizing enough for Michael and he needed to rest and get back his strength badly after each one.
They kept it up for one whole week, but the rate at which the remaining parasites fed, were no match for the speed at which the snakes could get rid of them and Max could heal the resulting wounds. Still, they were not about to give up. The parenteral feeding kept Michael strong and the vibes of the toy allowed him to sleep, but the repressed hunger it caused the parasites, made them ravenous by the time they fed again, making them easily three times more voracious than before. And as it had happened with the toy, they soon got used to the drug and created a gradual resistance to it until it had no effect in them after a few days. Jim came everyday, dreading his premonitions and once, talking with his son and Max, he remembered that time when Michael had cut his hip and side with a broken bottle and Kyle had been able to stop the bleeding, hoping he was getting healing powers, but that was as far as he went, and since he didn’t mention it again, Jim hadn’t done so either, understanding Kyle’s disappointment. That weekend, Amy insisted on coming again so Jim made sure it would be alright with them, knowing how exhausting her visit had turned out last time. Michael said he wanted to see her so she came and went straight to him, as Jim had told her Michael had specifically asked for her. She knelt beside him and took his hand in hers. Michael was sleeping but he felt her there with him and hoping he wouldn’t scare her, he communicated directly with her.
ALIENS FULL TILT!
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ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Chapter 116
Serena felt it was time to inform the ignorant ones what was going on, sensing it was all Isabel could do to hold them back denying them any answers, and she had to be the one. Amaru had a lot in his hands and Nicholas was definitely not the most appropriate one, so she left him to do what he had to, and went to her new ‘family’. They were ready for her as she arrived, having sensed her coming, worried to feel that she had blocked them out the second she left the room, knowing her apprehension would be contagious and no good at such a time. They all started asking their many questions at the same time but went silent when they saw they weren’t getting anywhere that way. Serena sat beside Michael, who just went on sleeping, as the faint sound of the humming told her the reason for it.
- Alright, come here so I can brief you, but I’m warning you, it’s very serious. - She could sense and see the fear in their faces as the sadness in Isabel’s, who already knew. They connected and Serena tried to be as gentle as possible, wishing she could also be hopeful, but she preferred not to, so she wouldn’t have to hate herself for giving them false illusions if things didn’t come out the way they wanted. When she let go of them, they looked pale and defeated and Serena remembered that both Amaru and Nicholas had looked the same too. Maria and Isabel wept in each others’ arms as did Laurie and Ava. Stuart and Kyle just kept shaking their heads in denial but it was Max the one that exploded.
- NO! Amaru will know how to do it, right now I even trust Nicholas will do everything in his hands to save Michael. I don’t give a damn if I have to share Michael with him too! I just want him alive with me, I can’t lose him! We can’t! - He corrected himself when he saw the shock in the girls’ faces.
Serena realized there was a small hand in hers and turned to see Liz was hardly staying on her feet, clinging to her.
- Michael knows…he’s scared for us…for us! Not for him! - She scoffed, making it sound more like a discouraged small laugh.
Maria and Isabel opened their arms for her and she rushed to them, sobbing. Laurie and Ava joined them too. Kyle and Stuart were now shamelessly losing a battle with their tears but Max kept insisting, trying to convince himself:
- No, NO! It’s not going to happen. I can’t accept it! I won’t let it! We just won’t, so stop crying! -
Serena could tell he was about to lose it so she mentally begged them all to stop crying for Max’s sake. It was a massive effort but they did it. That’s when Amaru’s voice rang in the cave.
“I need him here, we’re ready, I’m bringing him over!”
And Michael was gone, leaving them empty and scared. Then the Shaman’s voice rang again, answering their silent question:
“Yes, you may come and be with him, he needs you too but doesn’t want you to have to go through it if you can be spared. Yes, we know you don’t.” He answered also mentally to the collective answer that rang back in his head: ‘We don’t want to be spared, we want to be with him!’
Amaru nodded, accepting, but found it necessary to warn them.
“He was healed by a snake before, but they were just a few slivers in his tail bone, nothing even close to this. It’s going to be bloody and messy, very unpleasant for all of us and mostly for him, as you can well imagine. I know how much pain he can take, but I’m begging that he passes out as soon as possible. Knowing him as I do, I don’t think it’s likely, Vilandra here knows what I mean, she’s lived it before, so brace yourselves, and when it’s too much, close your eyes and just think of him as you like to see him, that will be the best you can do for him.” The Shaman knew he had all their attention and that they were ready to do anything he asked them to. “I’m sorry to tell you I doubt it will work, but we have to give it a try…for him, just as he wants to…for you.”
They arrived at his side to find Michael was desperately trying to stay blocked away from them, but the effort to do it, also dealing with the pain at the same time, was too much and he needed all his energy for the latter. It hit them all at once and they jumped with their heads shooting up and back, as if they had received and uppercut punch under the chin. Of course, they couldn’t actually feel his pain, but they could sense the intensity and it made them sick.
The Shaman had been forced to make the drastic decision by the way Michael’s condition started to develop: at an amazing speed, the stinging had turned into burning, and then into a searing pain that kept Michael still as even a slighty deeper breath made it worse. It was caused by the amount of damage to his internal tissues, gnawed and chewed by the microorganisms’ razor sharp teeth. These came from the piraña mutation as the leeches that had been used were not the kind that have teeth, because they just needed the ones with the proboscis that was inserted in the flesh and inoculated the antibiotic they produced, preventing infection as well as the anticoagulant agents called hementin and hirudin, that by keeping the wounds bleeding, prevented swelling and the extra trauma to the area. Max’s healing had taken care of of all of it, anyway, and the itching caused by their uxuru side was also immediately rinsed away in the bleeding, so it never happened. With time, though, the extensive damage had to result in the severe discomfort he was by then experiencing. It had come to the point where he needed someone inside him on a constant basis, as the movement stopped the microorganisms’ feeding spree, so the solution so far had been the toy which had the same effect on them and kept Michael safely on a gentle pleasure never reaching a climax and even allowing him to sleep.
But the tiny beings had by then got used to the soothing hum and were taking random chomps in spite of it, as the slow movement allowed them, making the pain peak without any expected relief. The Shaman, in his wisdom, had foreseen this, and had brought several doses of a drug produced in a rush by the Antares scientists, that would back up the lulling effect of the toy and at the same time, keep Michael still, because his involuntary muscular movements in response to the pain of the then even few and seldom bites, would only make the microorganisms search for deeper feeding areas, trying to get away from the apparent danger and make the damage of their retrieval by the snake more severe. It was now up to Stuart, as Amaru knew he had done it before, so he explained his plan to him. Stuart had to accept that if the Antares scientists had assured the Shaman that the human doctor could inject it into Michael’s muscles and blood vessels with the expected results, it had to work. The scientists had told Amaru it worked very fast and was absorbed into the bloodstream in a very short time, so maybe it would also paralyze the microorganisms for the snakes to have their fill with even less damage than was expected. Stuart suspected the composition was very similar if not identical to what had immobilized Michael during his first contact with the boy, so he went to get his bag and what he would need to give it to him. Once he had the syringe ready, Amaru had another recommendation.
“Where are you going to administer it?” He asked, very profesional.
Stuart pointed to Michael’s ass.
“No, first, because he’s already hurting too much in that area, and second, because it might act as a warning and make the microorganisms do just what we are trying to prevent them from doing.” Amaru said wisely.
“Right, I’ll give it high in his thigh then. There’s just as much muscle there too and the area it should cover will be quite enough.” Stuart decided, as the Shaman nodded, agreeing with him.
Stuart gently squeezed Michael’s thigh and mentally told the boy to keep still. He didn’t know how much the drug would hurt. He knew the human kind he was familiar with was painful, so probably this one would be too. He jabbed the needle in and watched Michael wince but his eyes remained close. He started pushing the plunger slowly and his other hand holding the thigh still, felt it tense confirming what he was thinking. Stuart pulled out the needle and now they only had to wait.
“I need a source of water and I feel there’s one here.” Amaru said.
“I’ll take you to it, come with me.” Isabel guided him to the left end of the cave and showed him where the underground river ran, allowing her to provide them with the bathroom-like facilities. There was still some space between the makeshift shower stall in the middle and the corner so Amaru used his powers to make a small pool, with an entrance for the water to fill it and another one at the other end to allow the water to continue its course not to overflow it. He made sure the pool was covered in a solid cement-like structure and both entrances had strong close knitted mesh. Then he took the bag he was carrying, and to Isabel’s shock, emptied nine snakes into the pool and returned one to his bag.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have those things all over the place!” She said, in fright and disgust.
“No, they’re water creatures, that’s why I’ve limited the two ways they could escape and made sure they won’t be able to dig their way out of it. Any dry surface is too rough for them as their bodies are smooth like eels so they will stay in their natural environment. Don’t worry, they eat the parasites that dwell in the water, too small for you to see, so they’ll stay here until I need them.”
They returned to Michael and the Shaman immediately took over.
“This isn’t helping him anymore and anyway I have to take it out to allow the serpent to reach its goal. The lack of movement will make the initial biting worse until they settle down to it, but it shouldn’t last too long.” Amaru warned Michael mentally too, as he wasn’t still totally awake. He watched him wince and nod, so the Shaman, in the slowlest motion possible to make the transition as imperceptible as he could, removed the toy. Michael woke up with a jerk, and buried his face in his arm. He tensed and shuddered for almost a minute as Amaru held the eager snake that was already aware of its prey, waiting for the right moment. When he noticed Michael’s breathing begin to slow down, he knew the drug was kicking in, so he scooped a transparent grease from a jar-like container he had brought and rimmed Michael’s opening with it, not to compromise the snake’s eyes right in front and low on its tapered snout, typical of its species, which enabled it to slide through even the narrowest cracks of the irrigation ditches. Its body had no problems adapting to the shape of the place it would invade and it had no scent at all, which made it perfect for taking its prey by surprise. It was just what Michael needed in the present situation, so his minute enemy wouldn’t see it coming. Amaru held on to the protruding tail of the snake, using his powers to feel how much it was swelling as it fed with furious speed. Stuart could sense that just like the human drug, Michael couldn’t move where it counted but could definitely feel the pain, courtesy of his Royal blood, as his teeth drew blood from his lip and the nails of his fisted hands dug into his palms.
“This one’s had enough!” The Shaman announced and carefully pulled the reluctant snake out of the boy. It was bloated, and just a hairline away from ripping Michael as it came out. Amaru used the grease again and eased another snake in and then another. By then, Michael was burning with a steady fever caused by the constant excrucianting pain which his amazing resistance to it due to his Royal blood allowed him to endure. It was mostly though, because of his stubbornness to pass out just to make sure everyone was alright although he could feel they were through the touch of all their hands on him. Still, he was worried by their concern over him, hating to put them through it as well, but he couldn’t keep them away, knowing they would freak out not knowing how he was doing.
As Amaru removed the third snake, he decided to give Michael a break, as this time the bleeding that followed was considerably more abundant than the other two times.
“Max, use your healing powers.” Amaru demanded and wondered why Max stalled looking doubtful. “Well, do it!”
“What if I come? I’ll give him more of those things!” Max whined.
“When did you last drink the water?” Amaru asked him.
“Before the last time I was with him, I haven’t been thirsty for it anymore.” Max observed.
“Then your system is clean. You unload all the microorganisms inside you in one ‘session’ if we can call it that way. That’s why you get thirsty for the water when lust kicks in, to charge you with them. There’s no danger if you don’t drink before you do it, trust me. Now heal him, he’s bleeding too much!”
Max proceeded to heal Michael gently connecting to him, and once he was in, he was shocked to see the state of tissue destruction in which the removal of the microorganisms by the snake had left him in. He healed all he could until his energy failed him in spite of the boost of Michael’s own, and he wasn’t anywhere near halfway yet! He couldn’t keep it up and slid out of Michael. The patient sighed but he was still in too much pain.
“Here, drink this; you’ll be ready again in a few minutes. I brought it for Michael but I’ve decided not to use it as the microorganisms might also find it nourishing and go for it too before it can do any good to him.” The Shaman handed Max a vial of a greenish brown liquid which tasted as foul as the invisibility formula but Max felt immediately how his energy began to return. “Now, that takes care of your alien side but you’ll need a lot of food for your human one, and Stuart, can you give Michael something for the fever that doesn’t require using his damaged area? Oh, and something for the pain? I hate to remind you that pain can actually have lethal effects on his human side.”
Amaru knew the fastest and most efective way would be flushing him in cold water, but he wasn’t sure what that effect would have in the invaders. He feared it would most likely also send them deeper to get away from the cold and he wasn’t risking that.
“I have something that takes care of both.” Stuart nodded and injected Michael again on the thigh, finding a vein to have a quick effect and shooting the rest in the muscle for the longer one. In about five minutes, Michael began to cool down and his breathing stabilized.
“I’m thirsty…” Michael whispered, and Amaru turned him a little sideways to help him drink some water.
“You must have been very thirsty with the fever, why didn’t you ask for water before?” Maria said gently.
“I kept asking Amaru but he kept saying ‘not yet’.” Michael whispered again.
“You can’t give water when there is such heavy bleeding like he was having inside as the snakes did their job because it makes it worse.” Amaru answered to Maria’s outraged glare. “He has a constant internal bleeding from the parasites’ feeding, but his Royal blood takes care of it, absorbing it back into the blood vessels through the still healthy tissues as a defense mechanism to keep him alive.”
“I’m sorry, you know what you’re doing.” Maria apologized and kissed Michael’s cracked lips before she applied on them some soothing shea butter she kept in her purse.
“Stuart, I still need your help here, can you get Michael on parenteral feeding to keep him strong?” The Shaman wanted to make sure Michael’s human side would not fail him.
“Of course, Kyle and I can go and do some shopping, he can take care of the food for Max and all of us in the outskirts stores and stay in the van out of trouble while I get my stuff. I’m not so well known in Roswell, so I’ll have no problems. Let’s go!” They rushed out of the cave as soon as Max opened the door for them.
Half an hour later, Max carried on with the healing and came very near to get halfway this time, but he could feel the little bastards feeding away and he knew it was a losing battle. He told Amaru it would be a good idea to use the toy to stop them as long as they could and maybe Michael could get some sleep too, which he badly needed. The Shaman totally agreed and Michael was able to rest until Max was ready for him again. Kyle and Stuart took more than two hours to get everything but their constant mental communication told them everything was going alright. What had them fooled was that Michael was looking fine, his Royal blood immediately made up for what was taken from him, so he hadn’t lost any weight and he wasn’t pale or gave any signs of what was going on inside him. That’s why his murderers were so effective. Amaru took some time to return to Antar to bring more of the vials to keep Max’s alien side going and returned with an unexpected visit: Ramthis and Wyteeah. They rushed to Michael’s side and both placed their hands on his spine, feeling his energy was still strong. After sighing in relief they turned to the others, looking a little guilty for not having greeted them on arrival, as courtesy called for. Wyteeah took both her children in her arms together and felt the life inside Isabel.
“They’ll look just like both of you!” She said with a sad look and Isabel could just nod, her face a mirror image of her mother’s.
“Come, child.” Ramthis said gently, taking Maria in his arms, and smiling as he got the same that Wyteeah had got from Isabel. “The boys will be half brothers but they’ll look like twins! But the girls will each look like their mothers.” He smiled and Maria couldn’t help smiling too, though she really felt like crying.
Michael whimpered, feeling the presence of his Antar family and slowly opened his eyes.
“Father…Ahmee…” He whispered and they were right there beside them, Ramthis kissing his hair and Wyteeah his cheek.
“Your children are safe Michael; they will lack nothing, just as your wives, if they decide to come with us.” Both their voices came together, with alien coordination.
“Of course we will, right Maria?” Isabel said, holding Maria’s hand.
“Will my mother be able to see my children?” Maria said in a shaky voice.
“Of course, child, she can visit us anytime she wants, as well as her husband who is changing too.” Wyteeah said, taking Maria in her arms as she had her own daughter.
“Amaru, is that necessary?” Wyteeah asked doubtfully and disgusted, so the Shaman guessed she meant the toy inside Michael.
“I’m afraid so, my lady. We are doing everything we can to have him comfortable and make him well.” He answered, and went on to explain the positive effect it had on the parasites
“We must go now. There’s someone arriving.” Ramthis said hurriedly, and they were gone before they could be stopped, just as Max was about to open the door for Stuart and Kyle.
“What happened?” Stuart almost shouted, seeing the look on their faces as Kyle went deathly pale, expecting the worst.
“It’s ok, my uncle and my mother came back with Amaru to be with Michael but they just left, that’s all. Michael was glad to see them, he’s awake.”
They sighed, looking as if they had just come back to life and went into action: Kyle took the food to the ‘kitchen’ with the girls in tow ready to cook something up, and Stuart went to take care of Michael’s human side.
With Amaru and Max beside him, he expertly fixed an i.v. to Michael’s thigh finding a blood vessel much faster with the Shaman’s guidance and started it right away as Max got the stand ready with a wave of his hand.
Max connected with Michael and when it was over, he assured them he was a little over halfway in the snakes’ wake. By midnight, it was all healed so Amaru brought the next three snakes. After using the first, Max stopped him.
- I have and idea. Let me heal him after you use each snake. That way the damage won’t be so bad and I might be able to do more healing than if we wait for the three snakes to leave him so badly ripped inside. The bleeding will be less too. What do you think? - Max looked eagerly at Amaru.
- Yes, you’re right, we may as well try it and see how it goes. -
When Max finished healing Michael, Amaru had to admit he had been right. His energy had managed to heal most of the damage so they began doing it like that. Still three times per session were traumatizing enough for Michael and he needed to rest and get back his strength badly after each one.
They kept it up for one whole week, but the rate at which the remaining parasites fed, were no match for the speed at which the snakes could get rid of them and Max could heal the resulting wounds. Still, they were not about to give up. The parenteral feeding kept Michael strong and the vibes of the toy allowed him to sleep, but the repressed hunger it caused the parasites, made them ravenous by the time they fed again, making them easily three times more voracious than before. And as it had happened with the toy, they soon got used to the drug and created a gradual resistance to it until it had no effect in them after a few days. Jim came everyday, dreading his premonitions and once, talking with his son and Max, he remembered that time when Michael had cut his hip and side with a broken bottle and Kyle had been able to stop the bleeding, hoping he was getting healing powers, but that was as far as he went, and since he didn’t mention it again, Jim hadn’t done so either, understanding Kyle’s disappointment. That weekend, Amy insisted on coming again so Jim made sure it would be alright with them, knowing how exhausting her visit had turned out last time. Michael said he wanted to see her so she came and went straight to him, as Jim had told her Michael had specifically asked for her. She knelt beside him and took his hand in hers. Michael was sleeping but he felt her there with him and hoping he wouldn’t scare her, he communicated directly with her.
Serena felt it was time to inform the ignorant ones what was going on, sensing it was all Isabel could do to hold them back denying them any answers, and she had to be the one. Amaru had a lot in his hands and Nicholas was definitely not the most appropriate one, so she left him to do what he had to, and went to her new ‘family’. They were ready for her as she arrived, having sensed her coming, worried to feel that she had blocked them out the second she left the room, knowing her apprehension would be contagious and no good at such a time. They all started asking their many questions at the same time but went silent when they saw they weren’t getting anywhere that way. Serena sat beside Michael, who just went on sleeping, as the faint sound of the humming told her the reason for it.
- Alright, come here so I can brief you, but I’m warning you, it’s very serious. - She could sense and see the fear in their faces as the sadness in Isabel’s, who already knew. They connected and Serena tried to be as gentle as possible, wishing she could also be hopeful, but she preferred not to, so she wouldn’t have to hate herself for giving them false illusions if things didn’t come out the way they wanted. When she let go of them, they looked pale and defeated and Serena remembered that both Amaru and Nicholas had looked the same too. Maria and Isabel wept in each others’ arms as did Laurie and Ava. Stuart and Kyle just kept shaking their heads in denial but it was Max the one that exploded.
- NO! Amaru will know how to do it, right now I even trust Nicholas will do everything in his hands to save Michael. I don’t give a damn if I have to share Michael with him too! I just want him alive with me, I can’t lose him! We can’t! - He corrected himself when he saw the shock in the girls’ faces.
Serena realized there was a small hand in hers and turned to see Liz was hardly staying on her feet, clinging to her.
- Michael knows…he’s scared for us…for us! Not for him! - She scoffed, making it sound more like a discouraged small laugh.
Maria and Isabel opened their arms for her and she rushed to them, sobbing. Laurie and Ava joined them too. Kyle and Stuart were now shamelessly losing a battle with their tears but Max kept insisting, trying to convince himself:
- No, NO! It’s not going to happen. I can’t accept it! I won’t let it! We just won’t, so stop crying! -
Serena could tell he was about to lose it so she mentally begged them all to stop crying for Max’s sake. It was a massive effort but they did it. That’s when Amaru’s voice rang in the cave.
“I need him here, we’re ready, I’m bringing him over!”
And Michael was gone, leaving them empty and scared. Then the Shaman’s voice rang again, answering their silent question:
“Yes, you may come and be with him, he needs you too but doesn’t want you to have to go through it if you can be spared. Yes, we know you don’t.” He answered also mentally to the collective answer that rang back in his head: ‘We don’t want to be spared, we want to be with him!’
Amaru nodded, accepting, but found it necessary to warn them.
“He was healed by a snake before, but they were just a few slivers in his tail bone, nothing even close to this. It’s going to be bloody and messy, very unpleasant for all of us and mostly for him, as you can well imagine. I know how much pain he can take, but I’m begging that he passes out as soon as possible. Knowing him as I do, I don’t think it’s likely, Vilandra here knows what I mean, she’s lived it before, so brace yourselves, and when it’s too much, close your eyes and just think of him as you like to see him, that will be the best you can do for him.” The Shaman knew he had all their attention and that they were ready to do anything he asked them to. “I’m sorry to tell you I doubt it will work, but we have to give it a try…for him, just as he wants to…for you.”
They arrived at his side to find Michael was desperately trying to stay blocked away from them, but the effort to do it, also dealing with the pain at the same time, was too much and he needed all his energy for the latter. It hit them all at once and they jumped with their heads shooting up and back, as if they had received and uppercut punch under the chin. Of course, they couldn’t actually feel his pain, but they could sense the intensity and it made them sick.
The Shaman had been forced to make the drastic decision by the way Michael’s condition started to develop: at an amazing speed, the stinging had turned into burning, and then into a searing pain that kept Michael still as even a slighty deeper breath made it worse. It was caused by the amount of damage to his internal tissues, gnawed and chewed by the microorganisms’ razor sharp teeth. These came from the piraña mutation as the leeches that had been used were not the kind that have teeth, because they just needed the ones with the proboscis that was inserted in the flesh and inoculated the antibiotic they produced, preventing infection as well as the anticoagulant agents called hementin and hirudin, that by keeping the wounds bleeding, prevented swelling and the extra trauma to the area. Max’s healing had taken care of of all of it, anyway, and the itching caused by their uxuru side was also immediately rinsed away in the bleeding, so it never happened. With time, though, the extensive damage had to result in the severe discomfort he was by then experiencing. It had come to the point where he needed someone inside him on a constant basis, as the movement stopped the microorganisms’ feeding spree, so the solution so far had been the toy which had the same effect on them and kept Michael safely on a gentle pleasure never reaching a climax and even allowing him to sleep.
But the tiny beings had by then got used to the soothing hum and were taking random chomps in spite of it, as the slow movement allowed them, making the pain peak without any expected relief. The Shaman, in his wisdom, had foreseen this, and had brought several doses of a drug produced in a rush by the Antares scientists, that would back up the lulling effect of the toy and at the same time, keep Michael still, because his involuntary muscular movements in response to the pain of the then even few and seldom bites, would only make the microorganisms search for deeper feeding areas, trying to get away from the apparent danger and make the damage of their retrieval by the snake more severe. It was now up to Stuart, as Amaru knew he had done it before, so he explained his plan to him. Stuart had to accept that if the Antares scientists had assured the Shaman that the human doctor could inject it into Michael’s muscles and blood vessels with the expected results, it had to work. The scientists had told Amaru it worked very fast and was absorbed into the bloodstream in a very short time, so maybe it would also paralyze the microorganisms for the snakes to have their fill with even less damage than was expected. Stuart suspected the composition was very similar if not identical to what had immobilized Michael during his first contact with the boy, so he went to get his bag and what he would need to give it to him. Once he had the syringe ready, Amaru had another recommendation.
“Where are you going to administer it?” He asked, very profesional.
Stuart pointed to Michael’s ass.
“No, first, because he’s already hurting too much in that area, and second, because it might act as a warning and make the microorganisms do just what we are trying to prevent them from doing.” Amaru said wisely.
“Right, I’ll give it high in his thigh then. There’s just as much muscle there too and the area it should cover will be quite enough.” Stuart decided, as the Shaman nodded, agreeing with him.
Stuart gently squeezed Michael’s thigh and mentally told the boy to keep still. He didn’t know how much the drug would hurt. He knew the human kind he was familiar with was painful, so probably this one would be too. He jabbed the needle in and watched Michael wince but his eyes remained close. He started pushing the plunger slowly and his other hand holding the thigh still, felt it tense confirming what he was thinking. Stuart pulled out the needle and now they only had to wait.
“I need a source of water and I feel there’s one here.” Amaru said.
“I’ll take you to it, come with me.” Isabel guided him to the left end of the cave and showed him where the underground river ran, allowing her to provide them with the bathroom-like facilities. There was still some space between the makeshift shower stall in the middle and the corner so Amaru used his powers to make a small pool, with an entrance for the water to fill it and another one at the other end to allow the water to continue its course not to overflow it. He made sure the pool was covered in a solid cement-like structure and both entrances had strong close knitted mesh. Then he took the bag he was carrying, and to Isabel’s shock, emptied nine snakes into the pool and returned one to his bag.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have those things all over the place!” She said, in fright and disgust.
“No, they’re water creatures, that’s why I’ve limited the two ways they could escape and made sure they won’t be able to dig their way out of it. Any dry surface is too rough for them as their bodies are smooth like eels so they will stay in their natural environment. Don’t worry, they eat the parasites that dwell in the water, too small for you to see, so they’ll stay here until I need them.”
They returned to Michael and the Shaman immediately took over.
“This isn’t helping him anymore and anyway I have to take it out to allow the serpent to reach its goal. The lack of movement will make the initial biting worse until they settle down to it, but it shouldn’t last too long.” Amaru warned Michael mentally too, as he wasn’t still totally awake. He watched him wince and nod, so the Shaman, in the slowlest motion possible to make the transition as imperceptible as he could, removed the toy. Michael woke up with a jerk, and buried his face in his arm. He tensed and shuddered for almost a minute as Amaru held the eager snake that was already aware of its prey, waiting for the right moment. When he noticed Michael’s breathing begin to slow down, he knew the drug was kicking in, so he scooped a transparent grease from a jar-like container he had brought and rimmed Michael’s opening with it, not to compromise the snake’s eyes right in front and low on its tapered snout, typical of its species, which enabled it to slide through even the narrowest cracks of the irrigation ditches. Its body had no problems adapting to the shape of the place it would invade and it had no scent at all, which made it perfect for taking its prey by surprise. It was just what Michael needed in the present situation, so his minute enemy wouldn’t see it coming. Amaru held on to the protruding tail of the snake, using his powers to feel how much it was swelling as it fed with furious speed. Stuart could sense that just like the human drug, Michael couldn’t move where it counted but could definitely feel the pain, courtesy of his Royal blood, as his teeth drew blood from his lip and the nails of his fisted hands dug into his palms.
“This one’s had enough!” The Shaman announced and carefully pulled the reluctant snake out of the boy. It was bloated, and just a hairline away from ripping Michael as it came out. Amaru used the grease again and eased another snake in and then another. By then, Michael was burning with a steady fever caused by the constant excrucianting pain which his amazing resistance to it due to his Royal blood allowed him to endure. It was mostly though, because of his stubbornness to pass out just to make sure everyone was alright although he could feel they were through the touch of all their hands on him. Still, he was worried by their concern over him, hating to put them through it as well, but he couldn’t keep them away, knowing they would freak out not knowing how he was doing.
As Amaru removed the third snake, he decided to give Michael a break, as this time the bleeding that followed was considerably more abundant than the other two times.
“Max, use your healing powers.” Amaru demanded and wondered why Max stalled looking doubtful. “Well, do it!”
“What if I come? I’ll give him more of those things!” Max whined.
“When did you last drink the water?” Amaru asked him.
“Before the last time I was with him, I haven’t been thirsty for it anymore.” Max observed.
“Then your system is clean. You unload all the microorganisms inside you in one ‘session’ if we can call it that way. That’s why you get thirsty for the water when lust kicks in, to charge you with them. There’s no danger if you don’t drink before you do it, trust me. Now heal him, he’s bleeding too much!”
Max proceeded to heal Michael gently connecting to him, and once he was in, he was shocked to see the state of tissue destruction in which the removal of the microorganisms by the snake had left him in. He healed all he could until his energy failed him in spite of the boost of Michael’s own, and he wasn’t anywhere near halfway yet! He couldn’t keep it up and slid out of Michael. The patient sighed but he was still in too much pain.
“Here, drink this; you’ll be ready again in a few minutes. I brought it for Michael but I’ve decided not to use it as the microorganisms might also find it nourishing and go for it too before it can do any good to him.” The Shaman handed Max a vial of a greenish brown liquid which tasted as foul as the invisibility formula but Max felt immediately how his energy began to return. “Now, that takes care of your alien side but you’ll need a lot of food for your human one, and Stuart, can you give Michael something for the fever that doesn’t require using his damaged area? Oh, and something for the pain? I hate to remind you that pain can actually have lethal effects on his human side.”
Amaru knew the fastest and most efective way would be flushing him in cold water, but he wasn’t sure what that effect would have in the invaders. He feared it would most likely also send them deeper to get away from the cold and he wasn’t risking that.
“I have something that takes care of both.” Stuart nodded and injected Michael again on the thigh, finding a vein to have a quick effect and shooting the rest in the muscle for the longer one. In about five minutes, Michael began to cool down and his breathing stabilized.
“I’m thirsty…” Michael whispered, and Amaru turned him a little sideways to help him drink some water.
“You must have been very thirsty with the fever, why didn’t you ask for water before?” Maria said gently.
“I kept asking Amaru but he kept saying ‘not yet’.” Michael whispered again.
“You can’t give water when there is such heavy bleeding like he was having inside as the snakes did their job because it makes it worse.” Amaru answered to Maria’s outraged glare. “He has a constant internal bleeding from the parasites’ feeding, but his Royal blood takes care of it, absorbing it back into the blood vessels through the still healthy tissues as a defense mechanism to keep him alive.”
“I’m sorry, you know what you’re doing.” Maria apologized and kissed Michael’s cracked lips before she applied on them some soothing shea butter she kept in her purse.
“Stuart, I still need your help here, can you get Michael on parenteral feeding to keep him strong?” The Shaman wanted to make sure Michael’s human side would not fail him.
“Of course, Kyle and I can go and do some shopping, he can take care of the food for Max and all of us in the outskirts stores and stay in the van out of trouble while I get my stuff. I’m not so well known in Roswell, so I’ll have no problems. Let’s go!” They rushed out of the cave as soon as Max opened the door for them.
Half an hour later, Max carried on with the healing and came very near to get halfway this time, but he could feel the little bastards feeding away and he knew it was a losing battle. He told Amaru it would be a good idea to use the toy to stop them as long as they could and maybe Michael could get some sleep too, which he badly needed. The Shaman totally agreed and Michael was able to rest until Max was ready for him again. Kyle and Stuart took more than two hours to get everything but their constant mental communication told them everything was going alright. What had them fooled was that Michael was looking fine, his Royal blood immediately made up for what was taken from him, so he hadn’t lost any weight and he wasn’t pale or gave any signs of what was going on inside him. That’s why his murderers were so effective. Amaru took some time to return to Antar to bring more of the vials to keep Max’s alien side going and returned with an unexpected visit: Ramthis and Wyteeah. They rushed to Michael’s side and both placed their hands on his spine, feeling his energy was still strong. After sighing in relief they turned to the others, looking a little guilty for not having greeted them on arrival, as courtesy called for. Wyteeah took both her children in her arms together and felt the life inside Isabel.
“They’ll look just like both of you!” She said with a sad look and Isabel could just nod, her face a mirror image of her mother’s.
“Come, child.” Ramthis said gently, taking Maria in his arms, and smiling as he got the same that Wyteeah had got from Isabel. “The boys will be half brothers but they’ll look like twins! But the girls will each look like their mothers.” He smiled and Maria couldn’t help smiling too, though she really felt like crying.
Michael whimpered, feeling the presence of his Antar family and slowly opened his eyes.
“Father…Ahmee…” He whispered and they were right there beside them, Ramthis kissing his hair and Wyteeah his cheek.
“Your children are safe Michael; they will lack nothing, just as your wives, if they decide to come with us.” Both their voices came together, with alien coordination.
“Of course we will, right Maria?” Isabel said, holding Maria’s hand.
“Will my mother be able to see my children?” Maria said in a shaky voice.
“Of course, child, she can visit us anytime she wants, as well as her husband who is changing too.” Wyteeah said, taking Maria in her arms as she had her own daughter.
“Amaru, is that necessary?” Wyteeah asked doubtfully and disgusted, so the Shaman guessed she meant the toy inside Michael.
“I’m afraid so, my lady. We are doing everything we can to have him comfortable and make him well.” He answered, and went on to explain the positive effect it had on the parasites
“We must go now. There’s someone arriving.” Ramthis said hurriedly, and they were gone before they could be stopped, just as Max was about to open the door for Stuart and Kyle.
“What happened?” Stuart almost shouted, seeing the look on their faces as Kyle went deathly pale, expecting the worst.
“It’s ok, my uncle and my mother came back with Amaru to be with Michael but they just left, that’s all. Michael was glad to see them, he’s awake.”
They sighed, looking as if they had just come back to life and went into action: Kyle took the food to the ‘kitchen’ with the girls in tow ready to cook something up, and Stuart went to take care of Michael’s human side.
With Amaru and Max beside him, he expertly fixed an i.v. to Michael’s thigh finding a blood vessel much faster with the Shaman’s guidance and started it right away as Max got the stand ready with a wave of his hand.
Max connected with Michael and when it was over, he assured them he was a little over halfway in the snakes’ wake. By midnight, it was all healed so Amaru brought the next three snakes. After using the first, Max stopped him.
- I have and idea. Let me heal him after you use each snake. That way the damage won’t be so bad and I might be able to do more healing than if we wait for the three snakes to leave him so badly ripped inside. The bleeding will be less too. What do you think? - Max looked eagerly at Amaru.
- Yes, you’re right, we may as well try it and see how it goes. -
When Max finished healing Michael, Amaru had to admit he had been right. His energy had managed to heal most of the damage so they began doing it like that. Still three times per session were traumatizing enough for Michael and he needed to rest and get back his strength badly after each one.
They kept it up for one whole week, but the rate at which the remaining parasites fed, were no match for the speed at which the snakes could get rid of them and Max could heal the resulting wounds. Still, they were not about to give up. The parenteral feeding kept Michael strong and the vibes of the toy allowed him to sleep, but the repressed hunger it caused the parasites, made them ravenous by the time they fed again, making them easily three times more voracious than before. And as it had happened with the toy, they soon got used to the drug and created a gradual resistance to it until it had no effect in them after a few days. Jim came everyday, dreading his premonitions and once, talking with his son and Max, he remembered that time when Michael had cut his hip and side with a broken bottle and Kyle had been able to stop the bleeding, hoping he was getting healing powers, but that was as far as he went, and since he didn’t mention it again, Jim hadn’t done so either, understanding Kyle’s disappointment. That weekend, Amy insisted on coming again so Jim made sure it would be alright with them, knowing how exhausting her visit had turned out last time. Michael said he wanted to see her so she came and went straight to him, as Jim had told her Michael had specifically asked for her. She knelt beside him and took his hand in hers. Michael was sleeping but he felt her there with him and hoping he wouldn’t scare her, he communicated directly with her.
ALIENS FULL TILT!
-
ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Chapter 116
Serena felt it was time to inform the ignorant ones what was going on, sensing it was all Isabel could do to hold them back denying them any answers, and she had to be the one. Amaru had a lot in his hands and Nicholas was definitely not the most appropriate one, so she left him to do what he had to, and went to her new ‘family’. They were ready for her as she arrived, having sensed her coming, worried to feel that she had blocked them out the second she left the room, knowing her apprehension would be contagious and no good at such a time. They all started asking their many questions at the same time but went silent when they saw they weren’t getting anywhere that way. Serena sat beside Michael, who just went on sleeping, as the faint sound of the humming told her the reason for it.
- Alright, come here so I can brief you, but I’m warning you, it’s very serious. - She could sense and see the fear in their faces as the sadness in Isabel’s, who already knew. They connected and Serena tried to be as gentle as possible, wishing she could also be hopeful, but she preferred not to, so she wouldn’t have to hate herself for giving them false illusions if things didn’t come out the way they wanted. When she let go of them, they looked pale and defeated and Serena remembered that both Amaru and Nicholas had looked the same too. Maria and Isabel wept in each others’ arms as did Laurie and Ava. Stuart and Kyle just kept shaking their heads in denial but it was Max the one that exploded.
- NO! Amaru will know how to do it, right now I even trust Nicholas will do everything in his hands to save Michael. I don’t give a damn if I have to share Michael with him too! I just want him alive with me, I can’t lose him! We can’t! - He corrected himself when he saw the shock in the girls’ faces.
Serena realized there was a small hand in hers and turned to see Liz was hardly staying on her feet, clinging to her.
- Michael knows…he’s scared for us…for us! Not for him! - She scoffed, making it sound more like a discouraged small laugh.
Maria and Isabel opened their arms for her and she rushed to them, sobbing. Laurie and Ava joined them too. Kyle and Stuart were now shamelessly losing a battle with their tears but Max kept insisting, trying to convince himself:
- No, NO! It’s not going to happen. I can’t accept it! I won’t let it! We just won’t, so stop crying! -
Serena could tell he was about to lose it so she mentally begged them all to stop crying for Max’s sake. It was a massive effort but they did it. That’s when Amaru’s voice rang in the cave.
“I need him here, we’re ready, I’m bringing him over!”
And Michael was gone, leaving them empty and scared. Then the Shaman’s voice rang again, answering their silent question:
“Yes, you may come and be with him, he needs you too but doesn’t want you to have to go through it if you can be spared. Yes, we know you don’t.” He answered also mentally to the collective answer that rang back in his head: ‘We don’t want to be spared, we want to be with him!’
Amaru nodded, accepting, but found it necessary to warn them.
“He was healed by a snake before, but they were just a few slivers in his tail bone, nothing even close to this. It’s going to be bloody and messy, very unpleasant for all of us and mostly for him, as you can well imagine. I know how much pain he can take, but I’m begging that he passes out as soon as possible. Knowing him as I do, I don’t think it’s likely, Vilandra here knows what I mean, she’s lived it before, so brace yourselves, and when it’s too much, close your eyes and just think of him as you like to see him, that will be the best you can do for him.” The Shaman knew he had all their attention and that they were ready to do anything he asked them to. “I’m sorry to tell you I doubt it will work, but we have to give it a try…for him, just as he wants to…for you.”
They arrived at his side to find Michael was desperately trying to stay blocked away from them, but the effort to do it, also dealing with the pain at the same time, was too much and he needed all his energy for the latter. It hit them all at once and they jumped with their heads shooting up and back, as if they had received and uppercut punch under the chin. Of course, they couldn’t actually feel his pain, but they could sense the intensity and it made them sick.
The Shaman had been forced to make the drastic decision by the way Michael’s condition started to develop: at an amazing speed, the stinging had turned into burning, and then into a searing pain that kept Michael still as even a slighty deeper breath made it worse. It was caused by the amount of damage to his internal tissues, gnawed and chewed by the microorganisms’ razor sharp teeth. These came from the piraña mutation as the leeches that had been used were not the kind that have teeth, because they just needed the ones with the proboscis that was inserted in the flesh and inoculated the antibiotic they produced, preventing infection as well as the anticoagulant agents called hementin and hirudin, that by keeping the wounds bleeding, prevented swelling and the extra trauma to the area. Max’s healing had taken care of of all of it, anyway, and the itching caused by their uxuru side was also immediately rinsed away in the bleeding, so it never happened. With time, though, the extensive damage had to result in the severe discomfort he was by then experiencing. It had come to the point where he needed someone inside him on a constant basis, as the movement stopped the microorganisms’ feeding spree, so the solution so far had been the toy which had the same effect on them and kept Michael safely on a gentle pleasure never reaching a climax and even allowing him to sleep.
But the tiny beings had by then got used to the soothing hum and were taking random chomps in spite of it, as the slow movement allowed them, making the pain peak without any expected relief. The Shaman, in his wisdom, had foreseen this, and had brought several doses of a drug produced in a rush by the Antares scientists, that would back up the lulling effect of the toy and at the same time, keep Michael still, because his involuntary muscular movements in response to the pain of the then even few and seldom bites, would only make the microorganisms search for deeper feeding areas, trying to get away from the apparent danger and make the damage of their retrieval by the snake more severe. It was now up to Stuart, as Amaru knew he had done it before, so he explained his plan to him. Stuart had to accept that if the Antares scientists had assured the Shaman that the human doctor could inject it into Michael’s muscles and blood vessels with the expected results, it had to work. The scientists had told Amaru it worked very fast and was absorbed into the bloodstream in a very short time, so maybe it would also paralyze the microorganisms for the snakes to have their fill with even less damage than was expected. Stuart suspected the composition was very similar if not identical to what had immobilized Michael during his first contact with the boy, so he went to get his bag and what he would need to give it to him. Once he had the syringe ready, Amaru had another recommendation.
“Where are you going to administer it?” He asked, very profesional.
Stuart pointed to Michael’s ass.
“No, first, because he’s already hurting too much in that area, and second, because it might act as a warning and make the microorganisms do just what we are trying to prevent them from doing.” Amaru said wisely.
“Right, I’ll give it high in his thigh then. There’s just as much muscle there too and the area it should cover will be quite enough.” Stuart decided, as the Shaman nodded, agreeing with him.
Stuart gently squeezed Michael’s thigh and mentally told the boy to keep still. He didn’t know how much the drug would hurt. He knew the human kind he was familiar with was painful, so probably this one would be too. He jabbed the needle in and watched Michael wince but his eyes remained close. He started pushing the plunger slowly and his other hand holding the thigh still, felt it tense confirming what he was thinking. Stuart pulled out the needle and now they only had to wait.
“I need a source of water and I feel there’s one here.” Amaru said.
“I’ll take you to it, come with me.” Isabel guided him to the left end of the cave and showed him where the underground river ran, allowing her to provide them with the bathroom-like facilities. There was still some space between the makeshift shower stall in the middle and the corner so Amaru used his powers to make a small pool, with an entrance for the water to fill it and another one at the other end to allow the water to continue its course not to overflow it. He made sure the pool was covered in a solid cement-like structure and both entrances had strong close knitted mesh. Then he took the bag he was carrying, and to Isabel’s shock, emptied nine snakes into the pool and returned one to his bag.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have those things all over the place!” She said, in fright and disgust.
“No, they’re water creatures, that’s why I’ve limited the two ways they could escape and made sure they won’t be able to dig their way out of it. Any dry surface is too rough for them as their bodies are smooth like eels so they will stay in their natural environment. Don’t worry, they eat the parasites that dwell in the water, too small for you to see, so they’ll stay here until I need them.”
They returned to Michael and the Shaman immediately took over.
“This isn’t helping him anymore and anyway I have to take it out to allow the serpent to reach its goal. The lack of movement will make the initial biting worse until they settle down to it, but it shouldn’t last too long.” Amaru warned Michael mentally too, as he wasn’t still totally awake. He watched him wince and nod, so the Shaman, in the slowlest motion possible to make the transition as imperceptible as he could, removed the toy. Michael woke up with a jerk, and buried his face in his arm. He tensed and shuddered for almost a minute as Amaru held the eager snake that was already aware of its prey, waiting for the right moment. When he noticed Michael’s breathing begin to slow down, he knew the drug was kicking in, so he scooped a transparent grease from a jar-like container he had brought and rimmed Michael’s opening with it, not to compromise the snake’s eyes right in front and low on its tapered snout, typical of its species, which enabled it to slide through even the narrowest cracks of the irrigation ditches. Its body had no problems adapting to the shape of the place it would invade and it had no scent at all, which made it perfect for taking its prey by surprise. It was just what Michael needed in the present situation, so his minute enemy wouldn’t see it coming. Amaru held on to the protruding tail of the snake, using his powers to feel how much it was swelling as it fed with furious speed. Stuart could sense that just like the human drug, Michael couldn’t move where it counted but could definitely feel the pain, courtesy of his Royal blood, as his teeth drew blood from his lip and the nails of his fisted hands dug into his palms.
“This one’s had enough!” The Shaman announced and carefully pulled the reluctant snake out of the boy. It was bloated, and just a hairline away from ripping Michael as it came out. Amaru used the grease again and eased another snake in and then another. By then, Michael was burning with a steady fever caused by the constant excrucianting pain which his amazing resistance to it due to his Royal blood allowed him to endure. It was mostly though, because of his stubbornness to pass out just to make sure everyone was alright although he could feel they were through the touch of all their hands on him. Still, he was worried by their concern over him, hating to put them through it as well, but he couldn’t keep them away, knowing they would freak out not knowing how he was doing.
As Amaru removed the third snake, he decided to give Michael a break, as this time the bleeding that followed was considerably more abundant than the other two times.
“Max, use your healing powers.” Amaru demanded and wondered why Max stalled looking doubtful. “Well, do it!”
“What if I come? I’ll give him more of those things!” Max whined.
“When did you last drink the water?” Amaru asked him.
“Before the last time I was with him, I haven’t been thirsty for it anymore.” Max observed.
“Then your system is clean. You unload all the microorganisms inside you in one ‘session’ if we can call it that way. That’s why you get thirsty for the water when lust kicks in, to charge you with them. There’s no danger if you don’t drink before you do it, trust me. Now heal him, he’s bleeding too much!”
Max proceeded to heal Michael gently connecting to him, and once he was in, he was shocked to see the state of tissue destruction in which the removal of the microorganisms by the snake had left him in. He healed all he could until his energy failed him in spite of the boost of Michael’s own, and he wasn’t anywhere near halfway yet! He couldn’t keep it up and slid out of Michael. The patient sighed but he was still in too much pain.
“Here, drink this; you’ll be ready again in a few minutes. I brought it for Michael but I’ve decided not to use it as the microorganisms might also find it nourishing and go for it too before it can do any good to him.” The Shaman handed Max a vial of a greenish brown liquid which tasted as foul as the invisibility formula but Max felt immediately how his energy began to return. “Now, that takes care of your alien side but you’ll need a lot of food for your human one, and Stuart, can you give Michael something for the fever that doesn’t require using his damaged area? Oh, and something for the pain? I hate to remind you that pain can actually have lethal effects on his human side.”
Amaru knew the fastest and most efective way would be flushing him in cold water, but he wasn’t sure what that effect would have in the invaders. He feared it would most likely also send them deeper to get away from the cold and he wasn’t risking that.
“I have something that takes care of both.” Stuart nodded and injected Michael again on the thigh, finding a vein to have a quick effect and shooting the rest in the muscle for the longer one. In about five minutes, Michael began to cool down and his breathing stabilized.
“I’m thirsty…” Michael whispered, and Amaru turned him a little sideways to help him drink some water.
“You must have been very thirsty with the fever, why didn’t you ask for water before?” Maria said gently.
“I kept asking Amaru but he kept saying ‘not yet’.” Michael whispered again.
“You can’t give water when there is such heavy bleeding like he was having inside as the snakes did their job because it makes it worse.” Amaru answered to Maria’s outraged glare. “He has a constant internal bleeding from the parasites’ feeding, but his Royal blood takes care of it, absorbing it back into the blood vessels through the still healthy tissues as a defense mechanism to keep him alive.”
“I’m sorry, you know what you’re doing.” Maria apologized and kissed Michael’s cracked lips before she applied on them some soothing shea butter she kept in her purse.
“Stuart, I still need your help here, can you get Michael on parenteral feeding to keep him strong?” The Shaman wanted to make sure Michael’s human side would not fail him.
“Of course, Kyle and I can go and do some shopping, he can take care of the food for Max and all of us in the outskirts stores and stay in the van out of trouble while I get my stuff. I’m not so well known in Roswell, so I’ll have no problems. Let’s go!” They rushed out of the cave as soon as Max opened the door for them.
Half an hour later, Max carried on with the healing and came very near to get halfway this time, but he could feel the little bastards feeding away and he knew it was a losing battle. He told Amaru it would be a good idea to use the toy to stop them as long as they could and maybe Michael could get some sleep too, which he badly needed. The Shaman totally agreed and Michael was able to rest until Max was ready for him again. Kyle and Stuart took more than two hours to get everything but their constant mental communication told them everything was going alright. What had them fooled was that Michael was looking fine, his Royal blood immediately made up for what was taken from him, so he hadn’t lost any weight and he wasn’t pale or gave any signs of what was going on inside him. That’s why his murderers were so effective. Amaru took some time to return to Antar to bring more of the vials to keep Max’s alien side going and returned with an unexpected visit: Ramthis and Wyteeah. They rushed to Michael’s side and both placed their hands on his spine, feeling his energy was still strong. After sighing in relief they turned to the others, looking a little guilty for not having greeted them on arrival, as courtesy called for. Wyteeah took both her children in her arms together and felt the life inside Isabel.
“They’ll look just like both of you!” She said with a sad look and Isabel could just nod, her face a mirror image of her mother’s.
“Come, child.” Ramthis said gently, taking Maria in his arms, and smiling as he got the same that Wyteeah had got from Isabel. “The boys will be half brothers but they’ll look like twins! But the girls will each look like their mothers.” He smiled and Maria couldn’t help smiling too, though she really felt like crying.
Michael whimpered, feeling the presence of his Antar family and slowly opened his eyes.
“Father…Ahmee…” He whispered and they were right there beside them, Ramthis kissing his hair and Wyteeah his cheek.
“Your children are safe Michael; they will lack nothing, just as your wives, if they decide to come with us.” Both their voices came together, with alien coordination.
“Of course we will, right Maria?” Isabel said, holding Maria’s hand.
“Will my mother be able to see my children?” Maria said in a shaky voice.
“Of course, child, she can visit us anytime she wants, as well as her husband who is changing too.” Wyteeah said, taking Maria in her arms as she had her own daughter.
“Amaru, is that necessary?” Wyteeah asked doubtfully and disgusted, so the Shaman guessed she meant the toy inside Michael.
“I’m afraid so, my lady. We are doing everything we can to have him comfortable and make him well.” He answered, and went on to explain the positive effect it had on the parasites
“We must go now. There’s someone arriving.” Ramthis said hurriedly, and they were gone before they could be stopped, just as Max was about to open the door for Stuart and Kyle.
“What happened?” Stuart almost shouted, seeing the look on their faces as Kyle went deathly pale, expecting the worst.
“It’s ok, my uncle and my mother came back with Amaru to be with Michael but they just left, that’s all. Michael was glad to see them, he’s awake.”
They sighed, looking as if they had just come back to life and went into action: Kyle took the food to the ‘kitchen’ with the girls in tow ready to cook something up, and Stuart went to take care of Michael’s human side.
With Amaru and Max beside him, he expertly fixed an i.v. to Michael’s thigh finding a blood vessel much faster with the Shaman’s guidance and started it right away as Max got the stand ready with a wave of his hand.
Max connected with Michael and when it was over, he assured them he was a little over halfway in the snakes’ wake. By midnight, it was all healed so Amaru brought the next three snakes. After using the first, Max stopped him.
- I have and idea. Let me heal him after you use each snake. That way the damage won’t be so bad and I might be able to do more healing than if we wait for the three snakes to leave him so badly ripped inside. The bleeding will be less too. What do you think? - Max looked eagerly at Amaru.
- Yes, you’re right, we may as well try it and see how it goes. -
When Max finished healing Michael, Amaru had to admit he had been right. His energy had managed to heal most of the damage so they began doing it like that. Still three times per session were traumatizing enough for Michael and he needed to rest and get back his strength badly after each one.
They kept it up for one whole week, but the rate at which the remaining parasites fed, were no match for the speed at which the snakes could get rid of them and Max could heal the resulting wounds. Still, they were not about to give up. The parenteral feeding kept Michael strong and the vibes of the toy allowed him to sleep, but the repressed hunger it caused the parasites, made them ravenous by the time they fed again, making them easily three times more voracious than before. And as it had happened with the toy, they soon got used to the drug and created a gradual resistance to it until it had no effect in them after a few days. Jim came everyday, dreading his premonitions and once, talking with his son and Max, he remembered that time when Michael had cut his hip and side with a broken bottle and Kyle had been able to stop the bleeding, hoping he was getting healing powers, but that was as far as he went, and since he didn’t mention it again, Jim hadn’t done so either, understanding Kyle’s disappointment. That weekend, Amy insisted on coming again so Jim made sure it would be alright with them, knowing how exhausting her visit had turned out last time. Michael said he wanted to see her so she came and went straight to him, as Jim had told her Michael had specifically asked for her. She knelt beside him and took his hand in hers. Michael was sleeping but he felt her there with him and hoping he wouldn’t scare her, he communicated directly with her.
Serena felt it was time to inform the ignorant ones what was going on, sensing it was all Isabel could do to hold them back denying them any answers, and she had to be the one. Amaru had a lot in his hands and Nicholas was definitely not the most appropriate one, so she left him to do what he had to, and went to her new ‘family’. They were ready for her as she arrived, having sensed her coming, worried to feel that she had blocked them out the second she left the room, knowing her apprehension would be contagious and no good at such a time. They all started asking their many questions at the same time but went silent when they saw they weren’t getting anywhere that way. Serena sat beside Michael, who just went on sleeping, as the faint sound of the humming told her the reason for it.
- Alright, come here so I can brief you, but I’m warning you, it’s very serious. - She could sense and see the fear in their faces as the sadness in Isabel’s, who already knew. They connected and Serena tried to be as gentle as possible, wishing she could also be hopeful, but she preferred not to, so she wouldn’t have to hate herself for giving them false illusions if things didn’t come out the way they wanted. When she let go of them, they looked pale and defeated and Serena remembered that both Amaru and Nicholas had looked the same too. Maria and Isabel wept in each others’ arms as did Laurie and Ava. Stuart and Kyle just kept shaking their heads in denial but it was Max the one that exploded.
- NO! Amaru will know how to do it, right now I even trust Nicholas will do everything in his hands to save Michael. I don’t give a damn if I have to share Michael with him too! I just want him alive with me, I can’t lose him! We can’t! - He corrected himself when he saw the shock in the girls’ faces.
Serena realized there was a small hand in hers and turned to see Liz was hardly staying on her feet, clinging to her.
- Michael knows…he’s scared for us…for us! Not for him! - She scoffed, making it sound more like a discouraged small laugh.
Maria and Isabel opened their arms for her and she rushed to them, sobbing. Laurie and Ava joined them too. Kyle and Stuart were now shamelessly losing a battle with their tears but Max kept insisting, trying to convince himself:
- No, NO! It’s not going to happen. I can’t accept it! I won’t let it! We just won’t, so stop crying! -
Serena could tell he was about to lose it so she mentally begged them all to stop crying for Max’s sake. It was a massive effort but they did it. That’s when Amaru’s voice rang in the cave.
“I need him here, we’re ready, I’m bringing him over!”
And Michael was gone, leaving them empty and scared. Then the Shaman’s voice rang again, answering their silent question:
“Yes, you may come and be with him, he needs you too but doesn’t want you to have to go through it if you can be spared. Yes, we know you don’t.” He answered also mentally to the collective answer that rang back in his head: ‘We don’t want to be spared, we want to be with him!’
Amaru nodded, accepting, but found it necessary to warn them.
“He was healed by a snake before, but they were just a few slivers in his tail bone, nothing even close to this. It’s going to be bloody and messy, very unpleasant for all of us and mostly for him, as you can well imagine. I know how much pain he can take, but I’m begging that he passes out as soon as possible. Knowing him as I do, I don’t think it’s likely, Vilandra here knows what I mean, she’s lived it before, so brace yourselves, and when it’s too much, close your eyes and just think of him as you like to see him, that will be the best you can do for him.” The Shaman knew he had all their attention and that they were ready to do anything he asked them to. “I’m sorry to tell you I doubt it will work, but we have to give it a try…for him, just as he wants to…for you.”
They arrived at his side to find Michael was desperately trying to stay blocked away from them, but the effort to do it, also dealing with the pain at the same time, was too much and he needed all his energy for the latter. It hit them all at once and they jumped with their heads shooting up and back, as if they had received and uppercut punch under the chin. Of course, they couldn’t actually feel his pain, but they could sense the intensity and it made them sick.
The Shaman had been forced to make the drastic decision by the way Michael’s condition started to develop: at an amazing speed, the stinging had turned into burning, and then into a searing pain that kept Michael still as even a slighty deeper breath made it worse. It was caused by the amount of damage to his internal tissues, gnawed and chewed by the microorganisms’ razor sharp teeth. These came from the piraña mutation as the leeches that had been used were not the kind that have teeth, because they just needed the ones with the proboscis that was inserted in the flesh and inoculated the antibiotic they produced, preventing infection as well as the anticoagulant agents called hementin and hirudin, that by keeping the wounds bleeding, prevented swelling and the extra trauma to the area. Max’s healing had taken care of of all of it, anyway, and the itching caused by their uxuru side was also immediately rinsed away in the bleeding, so it never happened. With time, though, the extensive damage had to result in the severe discomfort he was by then experiencing. It had come to the point where he needed someone inside him on a constant basis, as the movement stopped the microorganisms’ feeding spree, so the solution so far had been the toy which had the same effect on them and kept Michael safely on a gentle pleasure never reaching a climax and even allowing him to sleep.
But the tiny beings had by then got used to the soothing hum and were taking random chomps in spite of it, as the slow movement allowed them, making the pain peak without any expected relief. The Shaman, in his wisdom, had foreseen this, and had brought several doses of a drug produced in a rush by the Antares scientists, that would back up the lulling effect of the toy and at the same time, keep Michael still, because his involuntary muscular movements in response to the pain of the then even few and seldom bites, would only make the microorganisms search for deeper feeding areas, trying to get away from the apparent danger and make the damage of their retrieval by the snake more severe. It was now up to Stuart, as Amaru knew he had done it before, so he explained his plan to him. Stuart had to accept that if the Antares scientists had assured the Shaman that the human doctor could inject it into Michael’s muscles and blood vessels with the expected results, it had to work. The scientists had told Amaru it worked very fast and was absorbed into the bloodstream in a very short time, so maybe it would also paralyze the microorganisms for the snakes to have their fill with even less damage than was expected. Stuart suspected the composition was very similar if not identical to what had immobilized Michael during his first contact with the boy, so he went to get his bag and what he would need to give it to him. Once he had the syringe ready, Amaru had another recommendation.
“Where are you going to administer it?” He asked, very profesional.
Stuart pointed to Michael’s ass.
“No, first, because he’s already hurting too much in that area, and second, because it might act as a warning and make the microorganisms do just what we are trying to prevent them from doing.” Amaru said wisely.
“Right, I’ll give it high in his thigh then. There’s just as much muscle there too and the area it should cover will be quite enough.” Stuart decided, as the Shaman nodded, agreeing with him.
Stuart gently squeezed Michael’s thigh and mentally told the boy to keep still. He didn’t know how much the drug would hurt. He knew the human kind he was familiar with was painful, so probably this one would be too. He jabbed the needle in and watched Michael wince but his eyes remained close. He started pushing the plunger slowly and his other hand holding the thigh still, felt it tense confirming what he was thinking. Stuart pulled out the needle and now they only had to wait.
“I need a source of water and I feel there’s one here.” Amaru said.
“I’ll take you to it, come with me.” Isabel guided him to the left end of the cave and showed him where the underground river ran, allowing her to provide them with the bathroom-like facilities. There was still some space between the makeshift shower stall in the middle and the corner so Amaru used his powers to make a small pool, with an entrance for the water to fill it and another one at the other end to allow the water to continue its course not to overflow it. He made sure the pool was covered in a solid cement-like structure and both entrances had strong close knitted mesh. Then he took the bag he was carrying, and to Isabel’s shock, emptied nine snakes into the pool and returned one to his bag.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have those things all over the place!” She said, in fright and disgust.
“No, they’re water creatures, that’s why I’ve limited the two ways they could escape and made sure they won’t be able to dig their way out of it. Any dry surface is too rough for them as their bodies are smooth like eels so they will stay in their natural environment. Don’t worry, they eat the parasites that dwell in the water, too small for you to see, so they’ll stay here until I need them.”
They returned to Michael and the Shaman immediately took over.
“This isn’t helping him anymore and anyway I have to take it out to allow the serpent to reach its goal. The lack of movement will make the initial biting worse until they settle down to it, but it shouldn’t last too long.” Amaru warned Michael mentally too, as he wasn’t still totally awake. He watched him wince and nod, so the Shaman, in the slowlest motion possible to make the transition as imperceptible as he could, removed the toy. Michael woke up with a jerk, and buried his face in his arm. He tensed and shuddered for almost a minute as Amaru held the eager snake that was already aware of its prey, waiting for the right moment. When he noticed Michael’s breathing begin to slow down, he knew the drug was kicking in, so he scooped a transparent grease from a jar-like container he had brought and rimmed Michael’s opening with it, not to compromise the snake’s eyes right in front and low on its tapered snout, typical of its species, which enabled it to slide through even the narrowest cracks of the irrigation ditches. Its body had no problems adapting to the shape of the place it would invade and it had no scent at all, which made it perfect for taking its prey by surprise. It was just what Michael needed in the present situation, so his minute enemy wouldn’t see it coming. Amaru held on to the protruding tail of the snake, using his powers to feel how much it was swelling as it fed with furious speed. Stuart could sense that just like the human drug, Michael couldn’t move where it counted but could definitely feel the pain, courtesy of his Royal blood, as his teeth drew blood from his lip and the nails of his fisted hands dug into his palms.
“This one’s had enough!” The Shaman announced and carefully pulled the reluctant snake out of the boy. It was bloated, and just a hairline away from ripping Michael as it came out. Amaru used the grease again and eased another snake in and then another. By then, Michael was burning with a steady fever caused by the constant excrucianting pain which his amazing resistance to it due to his Royal blood allowed him to endure. It was mostly though, because of his stubbornness to pass out just to make sure everyone was alright although he could feel they were through the touch of all their hands on him. Still, he was worried by their concern over him, hating to put them through it as well, but he couldn’t keep them away, knowing they would freak out not knowing how he was doing.
As Amaru removed the third snake, he decided to give Michael a break, as this time the bleeding that followed was considerably more abundant than the other two times.
“Max, use your healing powers.” Amaru demanded and wondered why Max stalled looking doubtful. “Well, do it!”
“What if I come? I’ll give him more of those things!” Max whined.
“When did you last drink the water?” Amaru asked him.
“Before the last time I was with him, I haven’t been thirsty for it anymore.” Max observed.
“Then your system is clean. You unload all the microorganisms inside you in one ‘session’ if we can call it that way. That’s why you get thirsty for the water when lust kicks in, to charge you with them. There’s no danger if you don’t drink before you do it, trust me. Now heal him, he’s bleeding too much!”
Max proceeded to heal Michael gently connecting to him, and once he was in, he was shocked to see the state of tissue destruction in which the removal of the microorganisms by the snake had left him in. He healed all he could until his energy failed him in spite of the boost of Michael’s own, and he wasn’t anywhere near halfway yet! He couldn’t keep it up and slid out of Michael. The patient sighed but he was still in too much pain.
“Here, drink this; you’ll be ready again in a few minutes. I brought it for Michael but I’ve decided not to use it as the microorganisms might also find it nourishing and go for it too before it can do any good to him.” The Shaman handed Max a vial of a greenish brown liquid which tasted as foul as the invisibility formula but Max felt immediately how his energy began to return. “Now, that takes care of your alien side but you’ll need a lot of food for your human one, and Stuart, can you give Michael something for the fever that doesn’t require using his damaged area? Oh, and something for the pain? I hate to remind you that pain can actually have lethal effects on his human side.”
Amaru knew the fastest and most efective way would be flushing him in cold water, but he wasn’t sure what that effect would have in the invaders. He feared it would most likely also send them deeper to get away from the cold and he wasn’t risking that.
“I have something that takes care of both.” Stuart nodded and injected Michael again on the thigh, finding a vein to have a quick effect and shooting the rest in the muscle for the longer one. In about five minutes, Michael began to cool down and his breathing stabilized.
“I’m thirsty…” Michael whispered, and Amaru turned him a little sideways to help him drink some water.
“You must have been very thirsty with the fever, why didn’t you ask for water before?” Maria said gently.
“I kept asking Amaru but he kept saying ‘not yet’.” Michael whispered again.
“You can’t give water when there is such heavy bleeding like he was having inside as the snakes did their job because it makes it worse.” Amaru answered to Maria’s outraged glare. “He has a constant internal bleeding from the parasites’ feeding, but his Royal blood takes care of it, absorbing it back into the blood vessels through the still healthy tissues as a defense mechanism to keep him alive.”
“I’m sorry, you know what you’re doing.” Maria apologized and kissed Michael’s cracked lips before she applied on them some soothing shea butter she kept in her purse.
“Stuart, I still need your help here, can you get Michael on parenteral feeding to keep him strong?” The Shaman wanted to make sure Michael’s human side would not fail him.
“Of course, Kyle and I can go and do some shopping, he can take care of the food for Max and all of us in the outskirts stores and stay in the van out of trouble while I get my stuff. I’m not so well known in Roswell, so I’ll have no problems. Let’s go!” They rushed out of the cave as soon as Max opened the door for them.
Half an hour later, Max carried on with the healing and came very near to get halfway this time, but he could feel the little bastards feeding away and he knew it was a losing battle. He told Amaru it would be a good idea to use the toy to stop them as long as they could and maybe Michael could get some sleep too, which he badly needed. The Shaman totally agreed and Michael was able to rest until Max was ready for him again. Kyle and Stuart took more than two hours to get everything but their constant mental communication told them everything was going alright. What had them fooled was that Michael was looking fine, his Royal blood immediately made up for what was taken from him, so he hadn’t lost any weight and he wasn’t pale or gave any signs of what was going on inside him. That’s why his murderers were so effective. Amaru took some time to return to Antar to bring more of the vials to keep Max’s alien side going and returned with an unexpected visit: Ramthis and Wyteeah. They rushed to Michael’s side and both placed their hands on his spine, feeling his energy was still strong. After sighing in relief they turned to the others, looking a little guilty for not having greeted them on arrival, as courtesy called for. Wyteeah took both her children in her arms together and felt the life inside Isabel.
“They’ll look just like both of you!” She said with a sad look and Isabel could just nod, her face a mirror image of her mother’s.
“Come, child.” Ramthis said gently, taking Maria in his arms, and smiling as he got the same that Wyteeah had got from Isabel. “The boys will be half brothers but they’ll look like twins! But the girls will each look like their mothers.” He smiled and Maria couldn’t help smiling too, though she really felt like crying.
Michael whimpered, feeling the presence of his Antar family and slowly opened his eyes.
“Father…Ahmee…” He whispered and they were right there beside them, Ramthis kissing his hair and Wyteeah his cheek.
“Your children are safe Michael; they will lack nothing, just as your wives, if they decide to come with us.” Both their voices came together, with alien coordination.
“Of course we will, right Maria?” Isabel said, holding Maria’s hand.
“Will my mother be able to see my children?” Maria said in a shaky voice.
“Of course, child, she can visit us anytime she wants, as well as her husband who is changing too.” Wyteeah said, taking Maria in her arms as she had her own daughter.
“Amaru, is that necessary?” Wyteeah asked doubtfully and disgusted, so the Shaman guessed she meant the toy inside Michael.
“I’m afraid so, my lady. We are doing everything we can to have him comfortable and make him well.” He answered, and went on to explain the positive effect it had on the parasites
“We must go now. There’s someone arriving.” Ramthis said hurriedly, and they were gone before they could be stopped, just as Max was about to open the door for Stuart and Kyle.
“What happened?” Stuart almost shouted, seeing the look on their faces as Kyle went deathly pale, expecting the worst.
“It’s ok, my uncle and my mother came back with Amaru to be with Michael but they just left, that’s all. Michael was glad to see them, he’s awake.”
They sighed, looking as if they had just come back to life and went into action: Kyle took the food to the ‘kitchen’ with the girls in tow ready to cook something up, and Stuart went to take care of Michael’s human side.
With Amaru and Max beside him, he expertly fixed an i.v. to Michael’s thigh finding a blood vessel much faster with the Shaman’s guidance and started it right away as Max got the stand ready with a wave of his hand.
Max connected with Michael and when it was over, he assured them he was a little over halfway in the snakes’ wake. By midnight, it was all healed so Amaru brought the next three snakes. After using the first, Max stopped him.
- I have and idea. Let me heal him after you use each snake. That way the damage won’t be so bad and I might be able to do more healing than if we wait for the three snakes to leave him so badly ripped inside. The bleeding will be less too. What do you think? - Max looked eagerly at Amaru.
- Yes, you’re right, we may as well try it and see how it goes. -
When Max finished healing Michael, Amaru had to admit he had been right. His energy had managed to heal most of the damage so they began doing it like that. Still three times per session were traumatizing enough for Michael and he needed to rest and get back his strength badly after each one.
They kept it up for one whole week, but the rate at which the remaining parasites fed, were no match for the speed at which the snakes could get rid of them and Max could heal the resulting wounds. Still, they were not about to give up. The parenteral feeding kept Michael strong and the vibes of the toy allowed him to sleep, but the repressed hunger it caused the parasites, made them ravenous by the time they fed again, making them easily three times more voracious than before. And as it had happened with the toy, they soon got used to the drug and created a gradual resistance to it until it had no effect in them after a few days. Jim came everyday, dreading his premonitions and once, talking with his son and Max, he remembered that time when Michael had cut his hip and side with a broken bottle and Kyle had been able to stop the bleeding, hoping he was getting healing powers, but that was as far as he went, and since he didn’t mention it again, Jim hadn’t done so either, understanding Kyle’s disappointment. That weekend, Amy insisted on coming again so Jim made sure it would be alright with them, knowing how exhausting her visit had turned out last time. Michael said he wanted to see her so she came and went straight to him, as Jim had told her Michael had specifically asked for her. She knelt beside him and took his hand in hers. Michael was sleeping but he felt her there with him and hoping he wouldn’t scare her, he communicated directly with her.
ALIENS FULL TILT!
-
ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Chapter 117
“Amy, you know how much I love Maria, don’t you?”
“I know, Michael, I know.”
“We aren’t married according to human status, but we are, in the Antares way. We had no time for the other one, though now I wish we had. Please don’t be angry with Maria, blame it on me, she wanted to tell you the other time you were here but what you said to Liz about waiting made her decide not to do it. She is expecting twins, a boy and a girl. Let her be the one to tell you, I’ll talk her into it. She musn’t know I told you. They will have my blood, and she wants to raise them on Antar, where they will be Royal and will lack nothing. My father and aunt have a way to take you there anytime you want to and even stay if you wish. I want her to have them there, cause it is faster and she will do it in her sleep. She wants so too, though if she were to have them here, I could take the pain for her so she would feel nothing, but I don’t think I will be here by then…” Michael stalled, not sure of how to continue.
“Michael, you’re not going away and leave her here until her time is up! You can’t do that to her if she’s your wife no matter how!”
“No Amy, I…I don’t think I will live long enough…that’s why I want her on Antar right away if I don’t make it…”
“Michael, Jim says the Andes man and Max are healing you, it’s just a matter of time…”
“No, Amy, I can’t lie to you. They also know it’s not working. It is, but not fast enough. I’m trusting you to keep it to yourself, because Maria might lose it and the children. Time space is different on Antar, if she left by next weekend, when I’m gone, her time would be up in a week at the most there, and she wouldn’t miss me so much if she had them with her taking all her time. We aliens have the privilege of being able to choose someone to say our last goodbye after we die, but I know my Royal blood has a better choice though I’m still not sure how it is. I’ve gone through this before, so I know how it feels, and though I hate to admit it again, the pain is getting to be too much. It will get so much worse during next week and I won’t be able to take it. There’s nothing I can do, but make sure the ones I love will be alright without me and I will make my father promise me he will take them all away to Antar with me when it’s over, so they’ll be safe. You and Jim can come too, and I hope you will, for Maria and Kyle’s sake.”
“No Michael, please! You must keep on fighting, you can’t give up!”
“That’s what I’m doing, Amy, you bet I’m not giving up, I’ll fight all the way, but you can’t imagine how much it hurts!”
“Oh god, Michael! I wish there was something I could do to help you!”
Amy wrapped her arms around Michael and laid her cheek on his shoulder, flooding it with her tears.
“Don’t let Maria see you crying Amy, please? For me? If you love me just a little?”
“Oh Michael, I love you so much, I know you’ve always been there for my daughter and how protective of her you’ve always been even if neither her nor I understood it at first, but I have a mother’s instinct and deep inside, I knew she was safe with you, because somehow, I could feel how much you cared for her. But Michael…isn’t now Maria kind of connected with you? She must be aware of what you’re telling me.”
“I can block myself out from everyone, don’t worry, no one knows what we are talking about. Think about it, but I would really want you to be with us. Come here anytime you want, ok? Maria needs you…Amy, I’m about to wake up and the pain is beginning again. I don’t want you to see this, go to Maria. Go, Amy, now!”
The microorganisms could be lulled by the drone of the vibrator for a maximum of seven hours, but by then their hunger peaked and the effect was reversed. Then the pain would wake up Michael and that’s what was beginning to happen.
Amy understood the urgency on Michael’s command and got up to go to Maria. Michael began to moan and writhe, bringing the men rushing to him. Serena and the girls stayed in the ‘kitchen’, knowing they would be in the way. Jim had taken it for granted that they knew Amy had come with him and where she was, so he didn’t mention that she had gone straight to Michael, since no one asked about her. She was walking away from him apparently heading for the ‘kitchen’ when the men passed her, going in the opposite direction, and barely acknowledged her with a fast greeting. They didn’t notice her stopping and turning in curiosity to see what they were going to do to him. She watched, dumb with horror, as the small Andes man pulled out the toy out of him, lubricated and guided the snake into him. Amy was sure she was seeing things, as she stood clinging to the corner of the rocky wall. Stuart filled a large syringe and waited, as the Shaman held on to the other end of the snake which seemed to be very busy inside Michael. Some minutes later, the man nodded and pulled the bloody bloated snake out, tossing it into a bag. Then Max knelt between Michael’s legs but both Jim and Kyle were kind of in the way, so she could see he was doing something but not clear enough. When he got up, Amy could have sworn she saw him zip up his fly and then Stuart injected Michael high up on his thigh but all the time, the boy’s face was hidden from her buried in his arm. She could hear his gasps and whimpers and even from where she stood, she could distinctly notice the tension in his muscles. Amy felt herself beginning to slump when a hand under her arm held her up and she turned to find it was Liz.
- Amy! We didn’t know you were here! Are you alright? - Liz saw she was very pale.
- I just spoke with Michael. Liz, do you know what’s really going on? - Amy didn’t want to betray Michael’s trust.
- Come with me. - Liz took her to the door and she closed her eyes for a few seconds before the slab opened for them.
- You did that? - Amy said, surprised.
- No, I asked Max to do it. We’re connected, as husband and wife. - She told her.
They stepped out and went down to sit in Jim’s van where they could speak in privacy. Once there, Liz’s eyes filled with tears and the brave front she had been managing was gone.
- Liz, dear, Michael told you too? Because I just can’t believe he’s…- Amy couldn’t bring herself to say it.
- He’s dying, Amy! - Liz sobbed. - We can all feel it but Michael’s keeps himself blocked out from Maria so she can still hope it won’t happen, and we’re doing our best not to let it show in front of her. –
Liz knew Ava’s mindwarp kept Amy once again ignorant of what she had inadvertently found out last time she was there, and wondered if it was better that way, but some things had to be clarified.
- Give me your hands. - Liz asked but took them before Amy could move.
She closed her eyes and got from her all her conversation with Michael. She sobbed before she opened her eyes and Amy guessed what she had done.
- Amy, I know this is going to be very hard to understand, that’s why Michael didn't tell you so let me try to explain it and promise me you’ll make sense out of it. -
Liz explained to Amy that although Isabel was now with Stuart, according to Antares laws, she was still betrothed to Michael as Vilandra, and she was expected by their people to have Royal heirs by him. Stuart had accepted it as long as he could stay as Isabel’s mate, once she complied with that issue, so now both she and Maria were pregnant with Michael’s twins. Yes, Isabel was also having a boy and a girl and Maria was very happy with the situation, believe it or not. She and Isabel were now closer than sisters. Isabel was devastated by what Michael was going through because she had held him as he died on their previous life, when she chose to be with him for her farewell privilege, after she hanged herself when she saw how they were torturing him. At least they were able to take it a step further this time, that’s why Maria accepted it, realizing it was Isabel the one who should be jealous of her, more than the other way round. She knew they couldn’t help what they were before and that their love never died like they did. Liz told Amy how Vilandra, being three years older, had received her baby cousin and had been mother, sister, friend and then lover so she could imagine how close they were bonded. That was impossible to forget! Yes, and also the fact that Michael was this time about two years younger than they thought; he was also big for his age in his other life but very precocious too. Liz chose not to go into the homosexual issues because it would mean reversing Ava’s mindwarp and Liz knew Amy would not be up to it again yet. Jim would probably explain that better on a more appropriate occasion so she left it there which was a lot.
- We better go back before they miss me and Maria will be happy to see you. - Liz squeezed her hands.
- Yes, that’s exactly what Michael said. Will he be any better now? I can’t believe what that man did to him with that snake! Is that doing any good to him? - Amy said, doubtfully.
So Liz explained about the microorganisms in Michael’s body but of course not how they got into him, just saying they had come in the Antares water without further explanation, which was in part true. She went on explaining how the snakes ate the parasites but caused a lot of damage when they did so.
- But Max is healing him, right? - Amy sounded doubtful again.
- You just saw him doing it. - Liz answered, now wondering if Amy was aware of what Max had actually been doing.
- Yes, I guess, I saw him going to him but Jim and Kyle were on the way…wait…I think I saw him zip up when he backed away…what exactly did he do? - Amy’s eyes started getting this weird look and Liz feared the warning she had thought would not come. - Liz, what did Max do to Michael? And don’t you dare lie to me! You hear! Don’t you dare! -
Liz realized that Amy had guessed what Max had done to Michael but she simply refused to believe it, unlike last time when she had actually heard it directly from his mouth and Kyle’s. And now Amy would have none of it, she wanted the whole truth once again no matter how shocking it would be.
- Mum? - Maria peeked out of the entrance to the cave and jumped out, running down to them. - Jim told me you had come with him but I couldn’t find you anywhere so you had to be out here. -
She reached them and wrapped her arms around her mother as she sat in the shotgun side with the door wide open, finding her stiff and rather reluctant. She stepped back, quite perplexed, and didn’t like the way Amy was looking at her.
- Mum? What is it? What’s wrong, Liz? - Maria turned to her bestfriend whom she was sure wouldn’t hide anything from her.
- She saw Max healing Michael. - Liz said succinctly.
- Is that how he heals? Is that how he healed you? - Amy shot at Liz.
It wasn’t a question, it was more an accusation.
- No Amy! That’s only with Michael, from their previous life! - Liz grabbed again Amy’s hands, hanging on to them hard when she tried to pull away.
She sent her everything related to the issue, not caring any longer how she would take it, just giving her the whole truth. When she finished, she noticed Amy wasn’t struggling to free herself anymore. She just let Liz grip her limp hands in hers. Her expression was beyond explanation, having at first been understandably astounded to go through dread at what she was witnessing and end up totally blank.
- Amy? - - Mum? - Liz and Maria tried to get her to react in any way but Amy just sat there as if lightning had just struck her.
Then her eyes found her daughter and life came back to them full force.
- And you are alright with that? How can he allow such perversions done to him? I don’t know you anymore, Maria! You can love him knowing what he is? What they do to him? - Amy’s face was now a mask of disgust.
- Oh no mother, don’t you dare judge Michael! - Maria exploded, sounding very much like Amy when she had demanded the truth from Liz. - Don’t you dare judge him for what he had encoded in his genes so he could suffer how he did for his people in his other life! And if it weren’t for that he wouldn’t have been able to make it in this one either with what that bastard Hank did to him! He wasn’t as lucky as Max and Isabel to get nice, decent and normal parents to love and guide him, and in case you don’t remember, you were one of those who could’ve made the difference, just as Jim was! I don’t care what they do to his body! I love his body, so I can understand what they feel for him, because I feel it too, just like they do! I don’t know why, because I am a woman! Why should I want him as another man would? - Maria covered her face with her hands and sobbed.
- I’m sorry, Maria, I’m truly sorry! There are so many things I don’t understand and are so strange to me! You’re right, it’s not Michael’s fault and I have no right to judge him for wanting the best for his people or for being of another culture with such different customs. I’m just curious about what they’re doing to help him and of course what Max did shocked me, what did you expect? It’s the first time I’ve seen two men doing it and not in a film but right in front of my eyes, no wonder I couldn’t take it! - It was now Amy the one hugging Maria and apologizing to her daughter.
- I’m sorry too, mum, for reacting like I did but I’m so worried about Michael. Just ask Liz anything you want because she seems to have all the answers. I love you! - Maria smiled and wiped her eyes.
So Amy then asked about the vibrator and Liz didn’t lie when she said it stopped the parasites’ hunger as it massaged Michael’s hurt insides allowing him to sleep. And about Stuart’s participation, which was Amy’s next question, Liz confirmed that the injections kept his fever and pain in check along with the toy so he could at least sleep a few hours to keep his strength. All this was followed by the parenteral feeding which was about to come out of Amy’s mouth, having missed to ask about it before. That seemed to calm her down some and they went back up to the cave.
They found Michael surrounded by everyone else there. It seemed the bleeding after the second snake had been worse than the other times for some reason they couldn’t find out, so they had given Michael a break and Stuart provided a mild sedative to give him a half hour rest before the last snake was brought to him. Amy turned to Serena knowing she would understand and nodded, asking for her permission. Serena nodded back and moved just enough to give her some space to kneel beside her, yielding Michael’s hand to hers. Amy’s face was filled with compassion as she joined in the vigil, noticing the boy’s not too peaceful sleep was constantly interrupted by a wince and whimper, a gasp followed by a moan, or a hiss with a sob right after.
- He is in such pain! How can he take so much suffering? -
The question didn’t seem meant to be heard, probably Amy didn’t realize she had actually spoken her thoughts, but though it was obviously rhetorical, Maria chose to answer it as if her mother didn’t already know she would say.
- Because he’s Michael, mum, he’ll do anything for us, no matter how much it hurts him. -
The sadness and resignation in her voice were heartbreaking, because it meant she could sense what Michael was blocking away from her with everyone else’s help.
“Maria…I’m so sorry…” Michael’s voice in Maria’s head sounded very tired.
“Michael, no, please! I need you so much, I can’t live without you, you can’t leave me! Don’t you dare leave me, Michael Guerin…Dupree…whatever! If you do, it will kill me! You don’t want to do that, do you?” She shouted back the same way.
“No Maria, you’re practically a mother, our children need you. You’ll have me again as you wished you had. Just please, don’t name him Michael. I don’t believe in curses but just in case. Promise me, anything else but that.” Michael begged.
Maria broke into tears, and everyone else understood, except for Amy who wasn’t aware of the exact reason for the daughter’s sudden outburst. Liz took her hand and Amy got it from her, turning to look at Michael in disbelief.
- He looks fine to me! What is he talking about? - She exploded.
“Amy…” Her mouth dropped open as she heard again Michael’s voice inside her head. “The pain’s getting worse like I told you. I know I can only take it for just another week; I don’t care how bad it is, if I can hang on for as long as I can with all of you.”
- It’s not fair! It’s not fair! - Amy wept and Jim took her in his arms.
Michael started waking up and Amy could see he had been telling her the truth. He was fighting with all he had as Amaru, Stuart and Max prepared for another healing session. Isabel was reminded of Michael’s torture at the end of his previous life, only this time, although it was also masterminded by Khivar, Nicholas had nothing to do with it. Quite the contrary, he was desperately hanging on to Michael’s hand, sending him what energy he could to try helping him bear the agony, his eyes flooded with tears of helplessness.
Three healing sessions before, the girls had decided they simply couldn’t take it anymore, as instead of being able to send Michael their energy to help keeping up his strength, they were just sending him their despair, which they were finding impossible to control and making it worse for him, who couldn’t stand seeing them like that. So they now left him in the men’s hands, Nicholas actually taking their place, and doing for him what they couldn’t any longer. The women would retire to the ‘kitchen’ where they made a circle connection led by Serena, who would have them rise above all adversity, and find a place where they could experiment an amazing peace of mind, lost to the world they were escaping from. Serena knew Michael could feel their relaxed vibes in spite of the agony he was enduring, and that this helped him more than anything else would. The second Serena felt the halted healing was at last over and Michael was finally asleep, she would bring them back and they would all go to stay with him until he woke up again. Isabel would dreamwalk him and they would spend as long as they could with him free of most of the pain, not all, but at least it was bearable, until the parasites started eating him again and he woke up once more in agonizing torment. That’s what Michael’s life had become, torturous healing sessions and drugged sleep, and they had begun to think that his brave stand to be with them as long as he could was not worth what he was suffering. It stood out in their haunted eyes, but no one dared voice it, they would rather turn away from each other’s eyes than face their obvious thoughts.
A day after the second week had started, Laurie’s celphone rang and she was surprised to see it came from her home. She picked up thinking it was Wayne or Derek who were constantly in touch and would be arriving the day after, but it was Anita, worried not to hear from her. Laurie felt she had to warn her about what to expect so she went for the successful half truths. She told her Michael had been hurt and as a consequence had taken ill, being infected with these parasites that had lodged in his lower intestine. Stuart and a close colleague were fighting to get him rid of them. She told her it was very serious and the doctors had little hope of recovery because he was suffering too much pain as a result of the massive damage that had been caused inside him. Anita reacted just as Laurie expected, breaking down and crying.
- Ay dios mio, dios mio, no puede ser! Como puede algo asi estar pasando? - (Oh my god, my god, it can’t be! How can such a thing be happening?) She hiccoughed and sobbed. - Tienen que haberse equivocado! Si es un muchacho tan fuerte! Donde estan? Quiero ir a verlo! - (They must have made a mistake! He’s such a strong boy! Where are you? I want to go and see him!)
- No Anita, he wouldn’t like you to see him like this! - Laurie told her.
- Pobrecito, tan mal esta? (Poor kid, is it so bad?) - She sniffed.
- Yes Anita, though he looks alright. But Stuart and his friend keep pulling out as many parasites as they can with an ‘unusual instrument’ which is working but not fast enough, unfortunately though neither Michael nor the doctors are giving up. The worst part is that the treatment is just too painful so he has to be drugged right after to put him to sleep and rest, getting him ready for the next one. We’re devastated, Anita, we just want to be with him. - Laurie’s voice broke.
- Send him my love, our love, from all of us and kiss him for me…- Laurie could tell from what she heard at the other end before she hanged up, that Sylvia had been there too.
Laurie had felt Serena’s hand on her arm so she knew she had sent it to all of them. She went and kissed Michael’s cheek, as Anita would have done. Michael smirked in his sleep, and whispered: “Gracias…(thank you…)”, so Laurie knew he had got the message clearly, knowing who it came from.
The call had interrupted their concentration as Isabel was about to dreamwalk Michael, who slept dreamlessly as a result of the Antares drug, and made it easier for her with Serena’s help, to take him to a dreamland of their choice. They went back to the comfortable life they had been having at their new home with Laurie, where Michael lacked nothing, slept late, loved the food Anita prepared and the ones they had at the mall, enjoyed having Serena just next door, also being able to visit his Antares family by just calling on his father, had all the sex possibly with all his lovers, spent quality time by the pool and at either of the Jacuzzis and went riding all he wanted. They knew that had been the best time of his young life, so that’s where they took him, absolutely sure that it would have been his choice too. That’s what they had been doing since the first time Isabel dreamwalked him during the treatment and found out his current sleeping status. She discussed the possibility she had on her mind with everyone there, and Serena accepted it, gladly lending a hand to make it happen. For once, it was a ‘girl thing’, with them mostly in charge, as the males took a well deserved rest after the exhausing healing session, but that didn’t mean Michael couldn’t bring in any lover he felt like, giving them some participation not to feel totally left out, unlike their ‘boy things’ where the girls were completely excluded. They really were teaching the guys a lesson in respect and people skills they badly needed.
This time, Isabel surprised everyone by asking Nicholas to join them. The small man was the most surprised, obviously touched and grateful, but when he said he didn’t want to intrude, he couldn’t believe it when they all insisted. Cautiously, not wanting them to change their mind, he approached the group and felt Isabel put his hand in Michael’s, which she had just let go, and take Nicholas’ free one in hers instead. Nicholas practically glowed with the honour, beside himself to be treated like one of Michael’s Earth family, the powerful seer included.
Amaru, like he had been doing lately when Michael was finally asleep and in the capable hands of Serena making Isabel’s pleasant dreamwalking possible, made a quick return to Antar to keep Ramthis and Wyteeah informed, and bring whatever was necessary and impossible to get on Earth.
Then two visits arrived at the Pod Chamber: an expected one from Earth and an unexpected one from Antar.
“Amy, you know how much I love Maria, don’t you?”
“I know, Michael, I know.”
“We aren’t married according to human status, but we are, in the Antares way. We had no time for the other one, though now I wish we had. Please don’t be angry with Maria, blame it on me, she wanted to tell you the other time you were here but what you said to Liz about waiting made her decide not to do it. She is expecting twins, a boy and a girl. Let her be the one to tell you, I’ll talk her into it. She musn’t know I told you. They will have my blood, and she wants to raise them on Antar, where they will be Royal and will lack nothing. My father and aunt have a way to take you there anytime you want to and even stay if you wish. I want her to have them there, cause it is faster and she will do it in her sleep. She wants so too, though if she were to have them here, I could take the pain for her so she would feel nothing, but I don’t think I will be here by then…” Michael stalled, not sure of how to continue.
“Michael, you’re not going away and leave her here until her time is up! You can’t do that to her if she’s your wife no matter how!”
“No Amy, I…I don’t think I will live long enough…that’s why I want her on Antar right away if I don’t make it…”
“Michael, Jim says the Andes man and Max are healing you, it’s just a matter of time…”
“No, Amy, I can’t lie to you. They also know it’s not working. It is, but not fast enough. I’m trusting you to keep it to yourself, because Maria might lose it and the children. Time space is different on Antar, if she left by next weekend, when I’m gone, her time would be up in a week at the most there, and she wouldn’t miss me so much if she had them with her taking all her time. We aliens have the privilege of being able to choose someone to say our last goodbye after we die, but I know my Royal blood has a better choice though I’m still not sure how it is. I’ve gone through this before, so I know how it feels, and though I hate to admit it again, the pain is getting to be too much. It will get so much worse during next week and I won’t be able to take it. There’s nothing I can do, but make sure the ones I love will be alright without me and I will make my father promise me he will take them all away to Antar with me when it’s over, so they’ll be safe. You and Jim can come too, and I hope you will, for Maria and Kyle’s sake.”
“No Michael, please! You must keep on fighting, you can’t give up!”
“That’s what I’m doing, Amy, you bet I’m not giving up, I’ll fight all the way, but you can’t imagine how much it hurts!”
“Oh god, Michael! I wish there was something I could do to help you!”
Amy wrapped her arms around Michael and laid her cheek on his shoulder, flooding it with her tears.
“Don’t let Maria see you crying Amy, please? For me? If you love me just a little?”
“Oh Michael, I love you so much, I know you’ve always been there for my daughter and how protective of her you’ve always been even if neither her nor I understood it at first, but I have a mother’s instinct and deep inside, I knew she was safe with you, because somehow, I could feel how much you cared for her. But Michael…isn’t now Maria kind of connected with you? She must be aware of what you’re telling me.”
“I can block myself out from everyone, don’t worry, no one knows what we are talking about. Think about it, but I would really want you to be with us. Come here anytime you want, ok? Maria needs you…Amy, I’m about to wake up and the pain is beginning again. I don’t want you to see this, go to Maria. Go, Amy, now!”
The microorganisms could be lulled by the drone of the vibrator for a maximum of seven hours, but by then their hunger peaked and the effect was reversed. Then the pain would wake up Michael and that’s what was beginning to happen.
Amy understood the urgency on Michael’s command and got up to go to Maria. Michael began to moan and writhe, bringing the men rushing to him. Serena and the girls stayed in the ‘kitchen’, knowing they would be in the way. Jim had taken it for granted that they knew Amy had come with him and where she was, so he didn’t mention that she had gone straight to Michael, since no one asked about her. She was walking away from him apparently heading for the ‘kitchen’ when the men passed her, going in the opposite direction, and barely acknowledged her with a fast greeting. They didn’t notice her stopping and turning in curiosity to see what they were going to do to him. She watched, dumb with horror, as the small Andes man pulled out the toy out of him, lubricated and guided the snake into him. Amy was sure she was seeing things, as she stood clinging to the corner of the rocky wall. Stuart filled a large syringe and waited, as the Shaman held on to the other end of the snake which seemed to be very busy inside Michael. Some minutes later, the man nodded and pulled the bloody bloated snake out, tossing it into a bag. Then Max knelt between Michael’s legs but both Jim and Kyle were kind of in the way, so she could see he was doing something but not clear enough. When he got up, Amy could have sworn she saw him zip up his fly and then Stuart injected Michael high up on his thigh but all the time, the boy’s face was hidden from her buried in his arm. She could hear his gasps and whimpers and even from where she stood, she could distinctly notice the tension in his muscles. Amy felt herself beginning to slump when a hand under her arm held her up and she turned to find it was Liz.
- Amy! We didn’t know you were here! Are you alright? - Liz saw she was very pale.
- I just spoke with Michael. Liz, do you know what’s really going on? - Amy didn’t want to betray Michael’s trust.
- Come with me. - Liz took her to the door and she closed her eyes for a few seconds before the slab opened for them.
- You did that? - Amy said, surprised.
- No, I asked Max to do it. We’re connected, as husband and wife. - She told her.
They stepped out and went down to sit in Jim’s van where they could speak in privacy. Once there, Liz’s eyes filled with tears and the brave front she had been managing was gone.
- Liz, dear, Michael told you too? Because I just can’t believe he’s…- Amy couldn’t bring herself to say it.
- He’s dying, Amy! - Liz sobbed. - We can all feel it but Michael’s keeps himself blocked out from Maria so she can still hope it won’t happen, and we’re doing our best not to let it show in front of her. –
Liz knew Ava’s mindwarp kept Amy once again ignorant of what she had inadvertently found out last time she was there, and wondered if it was better that way, but some things had to be clarified.
- Give me your hands. - Liz asked but took them before Amy could move.
She closed her eyes and got from her all her conversation with Michael. She sobbed before she opened her eyes and Amy guessed what she had done.
- Amy, I know this is going to be very hard to understand, that’s why Michael didn't tell you so let me try to explain it and promise me you’ll make sense out of it. -
Liz explained to Amy that although Isabel was now with Stuart, according to Antares laws, she was still betrothed to Michael as Vilandra, and she was expected by their people to have Royal heirs by him. Stuart had accepted it as long as he could stay as Isabel’s mate, once she complied with that issue, so now both she and Maria were pregnant with Michael’s twins. Yes, Isabel was also having a boy and a girl and Maria was very happy with the situation, believe it or not. She and Isabel were now closer than sisters. Isabel was devastated by what Michael was going through because she had held him as he died on their previous life, when she chose to be with him for her farewell privilege, after she hanged herself when she saw how they were torturing him. At least they were able to take it a step further this time, that’s why Maria accepted it, realizing it was Isabel the one who should be jealous of her, more than the other way round. She knew they couldn’t help what they were before and that their love never died like they did. Liz told Amy how Vilandra, being three years older, had received her baby cousin and had been mother, sister, friend and then lover so she could imagine how close they were bonded. That was impossible to forget! Yes, and also the fact that Michael was this time about two years younger than they thought; he was also big for his age in his other life but very precocious too. Liz chose not to go into the homosexual issues because it would mean reversing Ava’s mindwarp and Liz knew Amy would not be up to it again yet. Jim would probably explain that better on a more appropriate occasion so she left it there which was a lot.
- We better go back before they miss me and Maria will be happy to see you. - Liz squeezed her hands.
- Yes, that’s exactly what Michael said. Will he be any better now? I can’t believe what that man did to him with that snake! Is that doing any good to him? - Amy said, doubtfully.
So Liz explained about the microorganisms in Michael’s body but of course not how they got into him, just saying they had come in the Antares water without further explanation, which was in part true. She went on explaining how the snakes ate the parasites but caused a lot of damage when they did so.
- But Max is healing him, right? - Amy sounded doubtful again.
- You just saw him doing it. - Liz answered, now wondering if Amy was aware of what Max had actually been doing.
- Yes, I guess, I saw him going to him but Jim and Kyle were on the way…wait…I think I saw him zip up when he backed away…what exactly did he do? - Amy’s eyes started getting this weird look and Liz feared the warning she had thought would not come. - Liz, what did Max do to Michael? And don’t you dare lie to me! You hear! Don’t you dare! -
Liz realized that Amy had guessed what Max had done to Michael but she simply refused to believe it, unlike last time when she had actually heard it directly from his mouth and Kyle’s. And now Amy would have none of it, she wanted the whole truth once again no matter how shocking it would be.
- Mum? - Maria peeked out of the entrance to the cave and jumped out, running down to them. - Jim told me you had come with him but I couldn’t find you anywhere so you had to be out here. -
She reached them and wrapped her arms around her mother as she sat in the shotgun side with the door wide open, finding her stiff and rather reluctant. She stepped back, quite perplexed, and didn’t like the way Amy was looking at her.
- Mum? What is it? What’s wrong, Liz? - Maria turned to her bestfriend whom she was sure wouldn’t hide anything from her.
- She saw Max healing Michael. - Liz said succinctly.
- Is that how he heals? Is that how he healed you? - Amy shot at Liz.
It wasn’t a question, it was more an accusation.
- No Amy! That’s only with Michael, from their previous life! - Liz grabbed again Amy’s hands, hanging on to them hard when she tried to pull away.
She sent her everything related to the issue, not caring any longer how she would take it, just giving her the whole truth. When she finished, she noticed Amy wasn’t struggling to free herself anymore. She just let Liz grip her limp hands in hers. Her expression was beyond explanation, having at first been understandably astounded to go through dread at what she was witnessing and end up totally blank.
- Amy? - - Mum? - Liz and Maria tried to get her to react in any way but Amy just sat there as if lightning had just struck her.
Then her eyes found her daughter and life came back to them full force.
- And you are alright with that? How can he allow such perversions done to him? I don’t know you anymore, Maria! You can love him knowing what he is? What they do to him? - Amy’s face was now a mask of disgust.
- Oh no mother, don’t you dare judge Michael! - Maria exploded, sounding very much like Amy when she had demanded the truth from Liz. - Don’t you dare judge him for what he had encoded in his genes so he could suffer how he did for his people in his other life! And if it weren’t for that he wouldn’t have been able to make it in this one either with what that bastard Hank did to him! He wasn’t as lucky as Max and Isabel to get nice, decent and normal parents to love and guide him, and in case you don’t remember, you were one of those who could’ve made the difference, just as Jim was! I don’t care what they do to his body! I love his body, so I can understand what they feel for him, because I feel it too, just like they do! I don’t know why, because I am a woman! Why should I want him as another man would? - Maria covered her face with her hands and sobbed.
- I’m sorry, Maria, I’m truly sorry! There are so many things I don’t understand and are so strange to me! You’re right, it’s not Michael’s fault and I have no right to judge him for wanting the best for his people or for being of another culture with such different customs. I’m just curious about what they’re doing to help him and of course what Max did shocked me, what did you expect? It’s the first time I’ve seen two men doing it and not in a film but right in front of my eyes, no wonder I couldn’t take it! - It was now Amy the one hugging Maria and apologizing to her daughter.
- I’m sorry too, mum, for reacting like I did but I’m so worried about Michael. Just ask Liz anything you want because she seems to have all the answers. I love you! - Maria smiled and wiped her eyes.
So Amy then asked about the vibrator and Liz didn’t lie when she said it stopped the parasites’ hunger as it massaged Michael’s hurt insides allowing him to sleep. And about Stuart’s participation, which was Amy’s next question, Liz confirmed that the injections kept his fever and pain in check along with the toy so he could at least sleep a few hours to keep his strength. All this was followed by the parenteral feeding which was about to come out of Amy’s mouth, having missed to ask about it before. That seemed to calm her down some and they went back up to the cave.
They found Michael surrounded by everyone else there. It seemed the bleeding after the second snake had been worse than the other times for some reason they couldn’t find out, so they had given Michael a break and Stuart provided a mild sedative to give him a half hour rest before the last snake was brought to him. Amy turned to Serena knowing she would understand and nodded, asking for her permission. Serena nodded back and moved just enough to give her some space to kneel beside her, yielding Michael’s hand to hers. Amy’s face was filled with compassion as she joined in the vigil, noticing the boy’s not too peaceful sleep was constantly interrupted by a wince and whimper, a gasp followed by a moan, or a hiss with a sob right after.
- He is in such pain! How can he take so much suffering? -
The question didn’t seem meant to be heard, probably Amy didn’t realize she had actually spoken her thoughts, but though it was obviously rhetorical, Maria chose to answer it as if her mother didn’t already know she would say.
- Because he’s Michael, mum, he’ll do anything for us, no matter how much it hurts him. -
The sadness and resignation in her voice were heartbreaking, because it meant she could sense what Michael was blocking away from her with everyone else’s help.
“Maria…I’m so sorry…” Michael’s voice in Maria’s head sounded very tired.
“Michael, no, please! I need you so much, I can’t live without you, you can’t leave me! Don’t you dare leave me, Michael Guerin…Dupree…whatever! If you do, it will kill me! You don’t want to do that, do you?” She shouted back the same way.
“No Maria, you’re practically a mother, our children need you. You’ll have me again as you wished you had. Just please, don’t name him Michael. I don’t believe in curses but just in case. Promise me, anything else but that.” Michael begged.
Maria broke into tears, and everyone else understood, except for Amy who wasn’t aware of the exact reason for the daughter’s sudden outburst. Liz took her hand and Amy got it from her, turning to look at Michael in disbelief.
- He looks fine to me! What is he talking about? - She exploded.
“Amy…” Her mouth dropped open as she heard again Michael’s voice inside her head. “The pain’s getting worse like I told you. I know I can only take it for just another week; I don’t care how bad it is, if I can hang on for as long as I can with all of you.”
- It’s not fair! It’s not fair! - Amy wept and Jim took her in his arms.
Michael started waking up and Amy could see he had been telling her the truth. He was fighting with all he had as Amaru, Stuart and Max prepared for another healing session. Isabel was reminded of Michael’s torture at the end of his previous life, only this time, although it was also masterminded by Khivar, Nicholas had nothing to do with it. Quite the contrary, he was desperately hanging on to Michael’s hand, sending him what energy he could to try helping him bear the agony, his eyes flooded with tears of helplessness.
Three healing sessions before, the girls had decided they simply couldn’t take it anymore, as instead of being able to send Michael their energy to help keeping up his strength, they were just sending him their despair, which they were finding impossible to control and making it worse for him, who couldn’t stand seeing them like that. So they now left him in the men’s hands, Nicholas actually taking their place, and doing for him what they couldn’t any longer. The women would retire to the ‘kitchen’ where they made a circle connection led by Serena, who would have them rise above all adversity, and find a place where they could experiment an amazing peace of mind, lost to the world they were escaping from. Serena knew Michael could feel their relaxed vibes in spite of the agony he was enduring, and that this helped him more than anything else would. The second Serena felt the halted healing was at last over and Michael was finally asleep, she would bring them back and they would all go to stay with him until he woke up again. Isabel would dreamwalk him and they would spend as long as they could with him free of most of the pain, not all, but at least it was bearable, until the parasites started eating him again and he woke up once more in agonizing torment. That’s what Michael’s life had become, torturous healing sessions and drugged sleep, and they had begun to think that his brave stand to be with them as long as he could was not worth what he was suffering. It stood out in their haunted eyes, but no one dared voice it, they would rather turn away from each other’s eyes than face their obvious thoughts.
A day after the second week had started, Laurie’s celphone rang and she was surprised to see it came from her home. She picked up thinking it was Wayne or Derek who were constantly in touch and would be arriving the day after, but it was Anita, worried not to hear from her. Laurie felt she had to warn her about what to expect so she went for the successful half truths. She told her Michael had been hurt and as a consequence had taken ill, being infected with these parasites that had lodged in his lower intestine. Stuart and a close colleague were fighting to get him rid of them. She told her it was very serious and the doctors had little hope of recovery because he was suffering too much pain as a result of the massive damage that had been caused inside him. Anita reacted just as Laurie expected, breaking down and crying.
- Ay dios mio, dios mio, no puede ser! Como puede algo asi estar pasando? - (Oh my god, my god, it can’t be! How can such a thing be happening?) She hiccoughed and sobbed. - Tienen que haberse equivocado! Si es un muchacho tan fuerte! Donde estan? Quiero ir a verlo! - (They must have made a mistake! He’s such a strong boy! Where are you? I want to go and see him!)
- No Anita, he wouldn’t like you to see him like this! - Laurie told her.
- Pobrecito, tan mal esta? (Poor kid, is it so bad?) - She sniffed.
- Yes Anita, though he looks alright. But Stuart and his friend keep pulling out as many parasites as they can with an ‘unusual instrument’ which is working but not fast enough, unfortunately though neither Michael nor the doctors are giving up. The worst part is that the treatment is just too painful so he has to be drugged right after to put him to sleep and rest, getting him ready for the next one. We’re devastated, Anita, we just want to be with him. - Laurie’s voice broke.
- Send him my love, our love, from all of us and kiss him for me…- Laurie could tell from what she heard at the other end before she hanged up, that Sylvia had been there too.
Laurie had felt Serena’s hand on her arm so she knew she had sent it to all of them. She went and kissed Michael’s cheek, as Anita would have done. Michael smirked in his sleep, and whispered: “Gracias…(thank you…)”, so Laurie knew he had got the message clearly, knowing who it came from.
The call had interrupted their concentration as Isabel was about to dreamwalk Michael, who slept dreamlessly as a result of the Antares drug, and made it easier for her with Serena’s help, to take him to a dreamland of their choice. They went back to the comfortable life they had been having at their new home with Laurie, where Michael lacked nothing, slept late, loved the food Anita prepared and the ones they had at the mall, enjoyed having Serena just next door, also being able to visit his Antares family by just calling on his father, had all the sex possibly with all his lovers, spent quality time by the pool and at either of the Jacuzzis and went riding all he wanted. They knew that had been the best time of his young life, so that’s where they took him, absolutely sure that it would have been his choice too. That’s what they had been doing since the first time Isabel dreamwalked him during the treatment and found out his current sleeping status. She discussed the possibility she had on her mind with everyone there, and Serena accepted it, gladly lending a hand to make it happen. For once, it was a ‘girl thing’, with them mostly in charge, as the males took a well deserved rest after the exhausing healing session, but that didn’t mean Michael couldn’t bring in any lover he felt like, giving them some participation not to feel totally left out, unlike their ‘boy things’ where the girls were completely excluded. They really were teaching the guys a lesson in respect and people skills they badly needed.
This time, Isabel surprised everyone by asking Nicholas to join them. The small man was the most surprised, obviously touched and grateful, but when he said he didn’t want to intrude, he couldn’t believe it when they all insisted. Cautiously, not wanting them to change their mind, he approached the group and felt Isabel put his hand in Michael’s, which she had just let go, and take Nicholas’ free one in hers instead. Nicholas practically glowed with the honour, beside himself to be treated like one of Michael’s Earth family, the powerful seer included.
Amaru, like he had been doing lately when Michael was finally asleep and in the capable hands of Serena making Isabel’s pleasant dreamwalking possible, made a quick return to Antar to keep Ramthis and Wyteeah informed, and bring whatever was necessary and impossible to get on Earth.
Then two visits arrived at the Pod Chamber: an expected one from Earth and an unexpected one from Antar.
ALIENS FULL TILT!
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ñusta
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:52 pm
- Location: heights of Machu Picchu
the calm before the storm
Chapter 118
Serena was pleasantly awakened as she got her short daily sleep by her husband’s voice in her head:
“Serena, love, Wayne and I will be landing in about twenty minutes at the airport. We could have landed right there, but I don’t want to have my pilots involved in this, though I trust them. Can someone pick us up?”
“I’m so glad to hear you! Yes, you can be sure there will be someone there to bring you over. I’ll make the arrangements right away! Can’t wait to see you guys!”
She jumped up and told them the news, so it was arranged for Kyle to drive her over, since no one in Roswell knew her, and Kyle would stay in the van, safe behind the polarized windows. They had barely left when the Shaman was compelled to stay on Earth as Ramthis and Wyteeah made their appearance. They had no need for dreamwalking skills communicating directly with Michael.
“Son, your sister and Larek wish to come to you, but we wanted to make sure it was alright with you before we brought them with us.”
Michael made a quick rewind to the first visits he paid his planet and found out that since his previous death, O’Sheeah had taken to her room and would hardly eat or speak. When Larek paid them a sympathy visit, he insisted on seeing her and she allowed it. They had become close friends as Larek kept his frequent visits through the safe neutrality his planet had embraced during the conflict and that was respected and understood by both Ramthis and Wyteeah. When his father died and he had to take charge of his planet, he had asked for O’Sheeah’s hand and they were soon married. She went home with Larek, so when Michael had asked about her when he arrived on Antar, during a family talk with his father and his aunt, he had been informed about the issue and had been very glad for her. Still, things had been hectic and he had been sad that he hadn’t had a chance to see her. He had wondered many times why he hadn’t insisted on seeing her, and Ramthis had explained that his having Laurie with him, who was O’Sheeah’s counterpart on Earth, was as if his Antar sister was with him, that’s why he had not missed her.
“Yes please! I’d love to see her! She doesn’t need to ask and neither does Larek! What’s wrong with him?” Michael desperately needed a break from the tedious, trying routine and this was the best thing that could have happened.
With a wave of his hand, Ramthis had them standing beside him. The look in their eyes made it obvious they were aware of what was going on with Michael and they fell on their knees beside him, O’Sheeah kissing his cheek, playing with his hair as her husband took hold of his hand with one of his and massaged his back with the other.
“My lord, Prince Rath-Michael, I was on my way to Antar to congratulate you for your victory and thank you for our freedom but I missed you for just a few minutes! I’m so sorry, I thought you were going to stay much longer…”
“Well, first of all, just Michael, please, and I’m sorry I missed you too. You have nothing to thank me for, the whole galaxy deserved their freedom, it was the least I could do, and anyway, it was expected of me. How are you treating my sister, cause I’m sure I can take you with one arm tied behind my back!” Michael teased him.
“Ask her yourself…” Larek smiled, glad to have given O’Sheeah something to speak about, as she was finding it hard to find something to say in such dire occasion.
Michael turned and gave O’Sheeah’s lips a brotherly kiss, backing just enough after it to question her with his eyes.
“He’s a wonderful husband, Rath-Michael, but then you are the best of brothers!”
She had to stop to gulp down a sob. “I’ve missed you so much! I should have visited you on Antar but I knew that for my safety, you didn’t want me there while there was still fighting going on. I love you so much!”
“Come here…” Michael whispered and pushed up to take her in his arms. Larek wrapped his arms around Michael from behind, burying his face in his hair.
“Please forgive me for our stupid games and what Zan and I did to you…” He said, his voice shaking and breaking.
“Hey, c’mon, we were just kids…” Michael chuckled.
“But we were much older than you and took advantage of it. It wasn’t fair or right. You should have told your father!” Larek fought for control.
“He would have skinned you alive and left me with no boys to play with! Hey man, get a grip, I don’t want my sister married to a wuzz.” Michael found the Antares translation for the last word and finally made Larek laugh.
“I’ve been a ‘wuzz’ during the whole war, or I would’ve been there fighting with you.” Larek scoffed.
“No, you had to be with O’Sheeah, making sure she was alright. I would’ve sent you right back if you had tried to take part in the fighting. You bet I would’ve done it!”
“Rath-Michael! I don’t want to lose you again!” He sobbed.
“It’s not in my hands, you know that.” Michael sighed.
“Rath-Michael, Rath Michael!” O’Sheeah cried against his shoulder, not wanting to, knowing how bad her brother felt about it, but unable to stop herself.
“Hey sis, I want you to visit Isabel, that’s Vilandra, and Maria, my Earth wife as often as you can to help them with the twins. Yes, both of them are having twins, a boy and a girl, so just like Maria, you’ll have me all over again, on the double and from the beginning! Great, huh?” He knew he was failing at making her feel better, but he had to try.
And then the pain started, subtly, but unfailing as the parasites began to feed again. Michael jerked and gasped, wincing.
“Michael! What is it? Are you alright?” O’Sheeah raised her voice.
Ramthis was familiar with Michael’s plight from Amaru’s descriptions, so he took his daughter out of Michael’s arms and nodded to Larek.
“We must go. Michael needs his doctors and they need privacy. Let’s give it to them. We shall be back.” And they were gone, leaving Michael already missing his sister and his friend.
The girls left Michael in the Shaman, the doctor and his healer’s able hands, going to do their thing so they could help Michael the best way they could.
As they arrived at the path leading to the cave, Serena knew they were right in the middle of a healing session, so allowing Kyle to go to Michael, she held Derek and Wayne with her in the van until she was sure it was over. She explained the mechanics or the treatment without visual aids, knowing they would never be quite ready to actually see it, but they would have to eventually.
- That’s so cruel, Serena, I know they’re not giving up on him and he wants them to keep him going as long as they can, but it’s…inhuman…it’s not the appropriate word, but I don’t know how else to put it! - Derek sighed.
Wayne sat behind them, pale as a ghost, just shaking his head in disbelief. Serena had Derek briefing her on everything he had been about since he left, and Wayne managed to put a word in, here and there, not very enthusiastic, but at least breaking his silence. Finally, Serena relaxed, finding it hard to realize how tense she had been, and nodded.
“It’s alright, we can go up now.” She got down and started climbing to the cave with her husband and ‘son’ on her heels.
They arrived just as Stuart was drawing out the needle from Michael’s thigh so he was still awake but struggling to stabilize his breathing.
- Michael, Derek and Wayne are here, they want to be with you, if you don’t mind…-
- Hey guys…how’s business? - Michael managed, with just a small pause in the middle.
- Fine, Michael, I’m glad we’re back. - Derek squatted and tousled Michael’s hair as he reached for him and the boy took his hand.
- Me too, but not if it’s keeping you away from important stuff. - Michael said fluently now, as the drug was kicking in.
- Nothing’s more important than you, kid. - Derek squeezed his hand.
- Michael? - Wayne knelt by his father as Serena helped him up.
- Hey! - Michael rolled a little sideways and smiled at the pale thin young man.
Wayne sat beside him and took him in his arms, hugging him as close as he could.
- Michael! - He exclaimed as he felt the boy relaxing.
- It’s the drug Stuart shot into me. It makes me sleep. Bad timing, sorry…-
- No Michael, you need to sleep, we’ll be right here beside you. - Wayne let go of him and gently eased him back on the comfortable mattress that had been materialized for him when the sleeping bag was not enough.
- Thanks…- Michael said, his eyes already closing.
Derek took Max aside and demanded to know what they were doing for Michael, so Max had to be quite explicit about the whole thing, giving him a detailed description of the lately established schedule: Michael needed three seven hours sleep bouts daily to prepare him for the healing sessions. It took each snake ten minutes to do their job and be able to be retrieved without causing the patient too much damage on the way out. Then Max used a full five minutes to heal what the snake had left in its wake. Then another snake and a second healing was followed by a third set of the same. That left Stuart fifteen minutes to medicate Michael, check his vitals to make sure he was holding up, and insert the toy before he went to sleep. Five minutes before the seven hours were up, Michael would start stirring as the parasites hunger brought them out of the hypnotic effect of the vibrator and by the seventh hour, on the spot, Michael would wake up with the hideous pain of their feeding spree. This was so far, successfully controlling the continuing damage to his inside tissues, but by no means were they managing to gain the upper hand as the infestation of the microorganisms was too massive for their efforts. All they were doing is making his agony as long as they possibly could on Michael’s request to stay with them as long as he could bear it. They were beginning to hate doing it, but at the same time, they would feel worse giving up and letting him die without fighting. Derek heard a sob behind him and turned to find a red eyed Wayne, realizing he had been there long enough to hear the whole truth. Max gulped, apologetically and had to leave when Wayne fell into his ‘father’s’ arms and they wept together. Serena passed him by on her way to share her family’s sorrow.
Max went to join the Stuart and Kyle as they took a snooze in the sleeping bags. He was rationing his three hours using just one each time, racking his brains out to try to find a way to save Michael’s life and desperately finding it useless. Stuart and Kyle would sit and lay back, almost already asleep on the way down from helplessness and exhaustion. The second their heads touched down, they were automatically out. Uncannily they would both awake simultaneously six hours later and go to the kitchen to eat all they could, to keep up their strength too, specially Max who would join them there and who most needed the food as he was doing a good part of the healing himself. Since they rarely had anything important to say, they usually ate in silence.
Michael fell asleep knowing his girls would be right there for him, to take back to his Earth home in Tucson, the place he missed most right now. Isabel started the dreamwalking session as she had been doing three time a day lately but something was interfering and she wasn’t getting there. Her frustration was present in everyone’s mind there, and Serena was struggling to identify the source of the inconvenience. But to their surprise, it was Michael who found it faster and more accurately than any of them would have been able to, because it came from inside him…Rath!
“Hey bro, you have nothing to worry about. Trust me. Remember when ‘we’ died that last time? ‘We’ didn’t really use ‘our’ privileges…”
“Of course ‘we’ did, ‘we’ pulled Zan out to spare him from his death and stayed together, that’s what ‘we’ chose…” Michael interrupted the Rath part of him to be in time interrupted too.
“That’s the typical Antares privilege. It applied to Zan and Vilandra but not to ‘us’. We’re Royal, baby! There’s a lot more to it!”
“Then why didn’t ‘we’ use it?” Michael wondered.
“Because ‘we’ weren’t dead long enough to find out about it, that’s why. ‘We’ were cloned, so we lived again and our full privilege was put on hold.” Rath scoffed.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, I don’t want to leave them yet, not now when I’m finally free of my…‘our’ enemies and finally can live the life ‘we’ want! This sucks big!” Michael protested.
“Wrong, bro, you’re in for a big surprise: I’ve had an awesome preview, as you know, I already died in this lousy planet as well as my part of Rath-Michael on Antar, that makes really twice, so I’m the most indicated one to tell you about it.” Rath smirked, just like Michael would in his place.
“Why did you get just a preview and not the whole thing? You’re Royal too!”
“But I’m part of you and of Rath-Michael. Two of us may be dead but you’re still alive so you’re holding it back. You’re just a third part of our whole essence so we need you to make it happen, it’s the only way.”
“Well, spit it out!” Michael growled impatiently.
“Sorry, bro, all I can tell you is that it’s the best you could possibly hope for and you won’t be disappointed in spite of the ‘dead’ status.”
“No! Wait! I need to know! Damn you Rath!” Michael yelled in frustration, but Rath was definitely not there anymore. “Isabel? Are you all there?”
“All the girls, yes Michael, Amaru is on Antar reporting to your father and my mother, he’ll be back in time, you know that, and the guys are snoozing it of, I can hear Stuart and Kyle snoring all the way here. Max is sitting like a Mexican at his siesta, hugging his knees and I can also hear him thinking, trying to find a way to keep you alive. We heard Rath, and I trust him, Michael, because he’s part of you, he wouldn’t lie about something so important to you. You’re alive Michael, so come live with us, anywhere you want, whatever you want, you chose, you know we’re waiting to please you. Talk to us baby.”
“I’ve always wanted to go to one of those spas with a steam bath and sauna, the jacuzzi is no longer in the list, but of course, I wasn’t able to afford it and anyway they’re so full of fat, sweaty middle aged freaks…” He smirked.
“Oh yes, I can picture you there, all wet and naked getting whisked into one of those tricky nooks and crannies all over those places to get the daylights fucked out of you with a queue outside waiting for their turns.” Maria said, shaking her head.
“Wow, Maria, sex is always on your mind, huh?” Michael teased.
“Don’t tell me it wasn’t on yours!” She challenged him.
“Well, you know…kind of…I’d be kicked out of the place right away, no matter if I was the one getting fucked because as usual, the blame would be on me. And how many of those places could you find in Roswell? I’d be banned from all of them in less than a week!” He shrugged.
“I can assure you no one will kick you out or ban you from this one!” Isabel announced and with a wave of her hand, they were transported to the most luxurious and exquisite spa they could have imagined.
“Is it by the seaside?” Michael asked, hopeful.
“Didn’t I say you only had to ask?” Isabel beamed and pointed towards the huge window.
“Ok then, beach until sunset and then we can come and warm up in here! C’mon.”
Michael took Maria’s hand and headed for the door with everyone else behind them. Once outside, the sand was crystalline and Michael turned it golden and thick, like brown sugar.
“This one’s better, it doesn’t stick to you so much.” He said, sprawling and rubbing his stomach on the warm sand.
“Come here with me.” He patted the spot beside him, looking up at Maria.
“I want a soft fuzzy towel…” She made a face.
Michael waved one just like she wanted and she lay back beside him, welcoming his lips on hers. The laughter coming from the direction of the shore made them look over and watch the female group splashing and playing around.
“Want to join them?” He asked her, as he caressed her hair.
She just had to nod and he was up faster than she had expected, picking her up in his arms very gently and just walking, not to jolt the babies. He stopped when the water was up to his waist and eased her down slowly, though the water was comfortably warm. Then he took her hand and kept going in until the water covered Maria’s breasts. They fell into each other’s arms and kissed until the whistles and teasing made them stop. Maria said she wanted to sit down and watch the sea so Michael obliged, materializing a beach chair for her. The sea was too calm, the water kissing the sand with barely a ripple so Michael made waves appear, not dangerous ones but the kind you could duck under and have some fun. And Michael did just that, rising dripping wet and shaking the water out of his hair. He came out with the white foam of a wave until he was stranded at Maria’s feet, noticing Isabel had joined her in her own chair. The others were looking for shells along the shoreline. Michael crawled to lie in the space between the two chairs and felt both Maria and Isabel’s hands massaging his wet back, as it was warmed by the sun.
“You ok?” Maria asked him softly, already knowing the answer.
“Sure, this is so cool!” He sighed.
“Are you missing the guys?” Her voice sounded a little wistful, knowing she had been the one who implied an orgy at the spa.
“Probably later, at the spa. Shouldn’t I be asking that to you and the other girls?” He took Isabel’s hand, sending the question to her.
“Yes, later would be fine.” Isabel agreed, enjoying the intimacy of just the three of them.
Michael looked up so could see Serena with Laurie and Ava in the distance, having their own kind of fun, and with the utmost care, he had the two chairs vanish so Maria and Isabel were snuggling against his sides with both his arms wrapped around them pulling them to him. He turned his face to kiss first one and then the other while their nails scratched his back gently and their lips took turns kissing and then licking the salt off his skin. Michael loved their touch and their attentions to his body. Being an illusion, their beach wear appeared when they needed it, which wasn’t the case right now, so the girls’ hands could touch him anywhere they wanted too, as he spread his thighs for them. Their feather-like touch had him squirming and moaning with pleasure until they reached the piercing and the subtle touch of their thumbs on the chains had him going wild, as Isabel slicked him up and slid her index finger into him, followed by Maria’s. Their giggling and ministrations had him coming in seconds and before they knew it, Michael was over Maria, doing it with her as Isabel played with him and then the other way round. It was a lazy, gentle lovemaking, as Michael created an inch thick vaccuum between his body and his partners’ because of their condition, so his weight wouldn’t press on their stomachs. They understood and thanked his concern and care for them, but they would have liked to feel his firm body on them. Michael knew this wasn’t real, it was just a dreamwalk, but it was so realistic that he wasn’t risking either Isabel and Maria or their babies.
By the time the other three arrived, they were already resting in an awesome aftermath, so Serena took the time, with Laurie and Ava’s help in suggestions, to create a great picnic basket. The food was great and Michael just loved it after so many days on the parenteral feeding. Isabel sensed that by then, Michael was craving for the spa, so she brought an awesome sunset and off they went, back to their starting point to find the guys sitting at the lobby, joking around as they waited for them. In the blink of an eye, they were wearing towels wrapped around their bodies, waist high for the guys, covering the girl’s breasts, and down to mid thighs for all of them. Then Isabel giggled locking eyes with Max, who nodded back to her, and Michael felt his towel was behaving in a funny way: it seemed to be shrinking! He looked down and it sure had shrunk, becoming a triangle in front and a thong at the back!
“Hey! My sisters are here!” Michael protested jokingly.
“Oh, go on baby bro, have some fun!” Laurie quipped. “We girls are dying for a jacuzzi, right?”
Serena and Ava readily agreed and surprisingly, Maria and Isabel joined them.
“We just don’t feel like scorching in a sauna or a steam bath.” Isabel said, meaning Maria and her but the other three females confirmed that neither did them.
They followed the sound of the bubbling water and disappeared behind a big opaque glass door, leaving the boys to their own kind of fun.
“Where first?” Asked Kyle. “The sauna or the steam bath?”
“According to a Swedish doctor who is an expert, you’re supposed to go to the steam bath first to open up your pores and then straight to the sauna to sweat it out.” Stuart informed them, leading them to the adventure.
Serena was pleasantly awakened as she got her short daily sleep by her husband’s voice in her head:
“Serena, love, Wayne and I will be landing in about twenty minutes at the airport. We could have landed right there, but I don’t want to have my pilots involved in this, though I trust them. Can someone pick us up?”
“I’m so glad to hear you! Yes, you can be sure there will be someone there to bring you over. I’ll make the arrangements right away! Can’t wait to see you guys!”
She jumped up and told them the news, so it was arranged for Kyle to drive her over, since no one in Roswell knew her, and Kyle would stay in the van, safe behind the polarized windows. They had barely left when the Shaman was compelled to stay on Earth as Ramthis and Wyteeah made their appearance. They had no need for dreamwalking skills communicating directly with Michael.
“Son, your sister and Larek wish to come to you, but we wanted to make sure it was alright with you before we brought them with us.”
Michael made a quick rewind to the first visits he paid his planet and found out that since his previous death, O’Sheeah had taken to her room and would hardly eat or speak. When Larek paid them a sympathy visit, he insisted on seeing her and she allowed it. They had become close friends as Larek kept his frequent visits through the safe neutrality his planet had embraced during the conflict and that was respected and understood by both Ramthis and Wyteeah. When his father died and he had to take charge of his planet, he had asked for O’Sheeah’s hand and they were soon married. She went home with Larek, so when Michael had asked about her when he arrived on Antar, during a family talk with his father and his aunt, he had been informed about the issue and had been very glad for her. Still, things had been hectic and he had been sad that he hadn’t had a chance to see her. He had wondered many times why he hadn’t insisted on seeing her, and Ramthis had explained that his having Laurie with him, who was O’Sheeah’s counterpart on Earth, was as if his Antar sister was with him, that’s why he had not missed her.
“Yes please! I’d love to see her! She doesn’t need to ask and neither does Larek! What’s wrong with him?” Michael desperately needed a break from the tedious, trying routine and this was the best thing that could have happened.
With a wave of his hand, Ramthis had them standing beside him. The look in their eyes made it obvious they were aware of what was going on with Michael and they fell on their knees beside him, O’Sheeah kissing his cheek, playing with his hair as her husband took hold of his hand with one of his and massaged his back with the other.
“My lord, Prince Rath-Michael, I was on my way to Antar to congratulate you for your victory and thank you for our freedom but I missed you for just a few minutes! I’m so sorry, I thought you were going to stay much longer…”
“Well, first of all, just Michael, please, and I’m sorry I missed you too. You have nothing to thank me for, the whole galaxy deserved their freedom, it was the least I could do, and anyway, it was expected of me. How are you treating my sister, cause I’m sure I can take you with one arm tied behind my back!” Michael teased him.
“Ask her yourself…” Larek smiled, glad to have given O’Sheeah something to speak about, as she was finding it hard to find something to say in such dire occasion.
Michael turned and gave O’Sheeah’s lips a brotherly kiss, backing just enough after it to question her with his eyes.
“He’s a wonderful husband, Rath-Michael, but then you are the best of brothers!”
She had to stop to gulp down a sob. “I’ve missed you so much! I should have visited you on Antar but I knew that for my safety, you didn’t want me there while there was still fighting going on. I love you so much!”
“Come here…” Michael whispered and pushed up to take her in his arms. Larek wrapped his arms around Michael from behind, burying his face in his hair.
“Please forgive me for our stupid games and what Zan and I did to you…” He said, his voice shaking and breaking.
“Hey, c’mon, we were just kids…” Michael chuckled.
“But we were much older than you and took advantage of it. It wasn’t fair or right. You should have told your father!” Larek fought for control.
“He would have skinned you alive and left me with no boys to play with! Hey man, get a grip, I don’t want my sister married to a wuzz.” Michael found the Antares translation for the last word and finally made Larek laugh.
“I’ve been a ‘wuzz’ during the whole war, or I would’ve been there fighting with you.” Larek scoffed.
“No, you had to be with O’Sheeah, making sure she was alright. I would’ve sent you right back if you had tried to take part in the fighting. You bet I would’ve done it!”
“Rath-Michael! I don’t want to lose you again!” He sobbed.
“It’s not in my hands, you know that.” Michael sighed.
“Rath-Michael, Rath Michael!” O’Sheeah cried against his shoulder, not wanting to, knowing how bad her brother felt about it, but unable to stop herself.
“Hey sis, I want you to visit Isabel, that’s Vilandra, and Maria, my Earth wife as often as you can to help them with the twins. Yes, both of them are having twins, a boy and a girl, so just like Maria, you’ll have me all over again, on the double and from the beginning! Great, huh?” He knew he was failing at making her feel better, but he had to try.
And then the pain started, subtly, but unfailing as the parasites began to feed again. Michael jerked and gasped, wincing.
“Michael! What is it? Are you alright?” O’Sheeah raised her voice.
Ramthis was familiar with Michael’s plight from Amaru’s descriptions, so he took his daughter out of Michael’s arms and nodded to Larek.
“We must go. Michael needs his doctors and they need privacy. Let’s give it to them. We shall be back.” And they were gone, leaving Michael already missing his sister and his friend.
The girls left Michael in the Shaman, the doctor and his healer’s able hands, going to do their thing so they could help Michael the best way they could.
As they arrived at the path leading to the cave, Serena knew they were right in the middle of a healing session, so allowing Kyle to go to Michael, she held Derek and Wayne with her in the van until she was sure it was over. She explained the mechanics or the treatment without visual aids, knowing they would never be quite ready to actually see it, but they would have to eventually.
- That’s so cruel, Serena, I know they’re not giving up on him and he wants them to keep him going as long as they can, but it’s…inhuman…it’s not the appropriate word, but I don’t know how else to put it! - Derek sighed.
Wayne sat behind them, pale as a ghost, just shaking his head in disbelief. Serena had Derek briefing her on everything he had been about since he left, and Wayne managed to put a word in, here and there, not very enthusiastic, but at least breaking his silence. Finally, Serena relaxed, finding it hard to realize how tense she had been, and nodded.
“It’s alright, we can go up now.” She got down and started climbing to the cave with her husband and ‘son’ on her heels.
They arrived just as Stuart was drawing out the needle from Michael’s thigh so he was still awake but struggling to stabilize his breathing.
- Michael, Derek and Wayne are here, they want to be with you, if you don’t mind…-
- Hey guys…how’s business? - Michael managed, with just a small pause in the middle.
- Fine, Michael, I’m glad we’re back. - Derek squatted and tousled Michael’s hair as he reached for him and the boy took his hand.
- Me too, but not if it’s keeping you away from important stuff. - Michael said fluently now, as the drug was kicking in.
- Nothing’s more important than you, kid. - Derek squeezed his hand.
- Michael? - Wayne knelt by his father as Serena helped him up.
- Hey! - Michael rolled a little sideways and smiled at the pale thin young man.
Wayne sat beside him and took him in his arms, hugging him as close as he could.
- Michael! - He exclaimed as he felt the boy relaxing.
- It’s the drug Stuart shot into me. It makes me sleep. Bad timing, sorry…-
- No Michael, you need to sleep, we’ll be right here beside you. - Wayne let go of him and gently eased him back on the comfortable mattress that had been materialized for him when the sleeping bag was not enough.
- Thanks…- Michael said, his eyes already closing.
Derek took Max aside and demanded to know what they were doing for Michael, so Max had to be quite explicit about the whole thing, giving him a detailed description of the lately established schedule: Michael needed three seven hours sleep bouts daily to prepare him for the healing sessions. It took each snake ten minutes to do their job and be able to be retrieved without causing the patient too much damage on the way out. Then Max used a full five minutes to heal what the snake had left in its wake. Then another snake and a second healing was followed by a third set of the same. That left Stuart fifteen minutes to medicate Michael, check his vitals to make sure he was holding up, and insert the toy before he went to sleep. Five minutes before the seven hours were up, Michael would start stirring as the parasites hunger brought them out of the hypnotic effect of the vibrator and by the seventh hour, on the spot, Michael would wake up with the hideous pain of their feeding spree. This was so far, successfully controlling the continuing damage to his inside tissues, but by no means were they managing to gain the upper hand as the infestation of the microorganisms was too massive for their efforts. All they were doing is making his agony as long as they possibly could on Michael’s request to stay with them as long as he could bear it. They were beginning to hate doing it, but at the same time, they would feel worse giving up and letting him die without fighting. Derek heard a sob behind him and turned to find a red eyed Wayne, realizing he had been there long enough to hear the whole truth. Max gulped, apologetically and had to leave when Wayne fell into his ‘father’s’ arms and they wept together. Serena passed him by on her way to share her family’s sorrow.
Max went to join the Stuart and Kyle as they took a snooze in the sleeping bags. He was rationing his three hours using just one each time, racking his brains out to try to find a way to save Michael’s life and desperately finding it useless. Stuart and Kyle would sit and lay back, almost already asleep on the way down from helplessness and exhaustion. The second their heads touched down, they were automatically out. Uncannily they would both awake simultaneously six hours later and go to the kitchen to eat all they could, to keep up their strength too, specially Max who would join them there and who most needed the food as he was doing a good part of the healing himself. Since they rarely had anything important to say, they usually ate in silence.
Michael fell asleep knowing his girls would be right there for him, to take back to his Earth home in Tucson, the place he missed most right now. Isabel started the dreamwalking session as she had been doing three time a day lately but something was interfering and she wasn’t getting there. Her frustration was present in everyone’s mind there, and Serena was struggling to identify the source of the inconvenience. But to their surprise, it was Michael who found it faster and more accurately than any of them would have been able to, because it came from inside him…Rath!
“Hey bro, you have nothing to worry about. Trust me. Remember when ‘we’ died that last time? ‘We’ didn’t really use ‘our’ privileges…”
“Of course ‘we’ did, ‘we’ pulled Zan out to spare him from his death and stayed together, that’s what ‘we’ chose…” Michael interrupted the Rath part of him to be in time interrupted too.
“That’s the typical Antares privilege. It applied to Zan and Vilandra but not to ‘us’. We’re Royal, baby! There’s a lot more to it!”
“Then why didn’t ‘we’ use it?” Michael wondered.
“Because ‘we’ weren’t dead long enough to find out about it, that’s why. ‘We’ were cloned, so we lived again and our full privilege was put on hold.” Rath scoffed.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, I don’t want to leave them yet, not now when I’m finally free of my…‘our’ enemies and finally can live the life ‘we’ want! This sucks big!” Michael protested.
“Wrong, bro, you’re in for a big surprise: I’ve had an awesome preview, as you know, I already died in this lousy planet as well as my part of Rath-Michael on Antar, that makes really twice, so I’m the most indicated one to tell you about it.” Rath smirked, just like Michael would in his place.
“Why did you get just a preview and not the whole thing? You’re Royal too!”
“But I’m part of you and of Rath-Michael. Two of us may be dead but you’re still alive so you’re holding it back. You’re just a third part of our whole essence so we need you to make it happen, it’s the only way.”
“Well, spit it out!” Michael growled impatiently.
“Sorry, bro, all I can tell you is that it’s the best you could possibly hope for and you won’t be disappointed in spite of the ‘dead’ status.”
“No! Wait! I need to know! Damn you Rath!” Michael yelled in frustration, but Rath was definitely not there anymore. “Isabel? Are you all there?”
“All the girls, yes Michael, Amaru is on Antar reporting to your father and my mother, he’ll be back in time, you know that, and the guys are snoozing it of, I can hear Stuart and Kyle snoring all the way here. Max is sitting like a Mexican at his siesta, hugging his knees and I can also hear him thinking, trying to find a way to keep you alive. We heard Rath, and I trust him, Michael, because he’s part of you, he wouldn’t lie about something so important to you. You’re alive Michael, so come live with us, anywhere you want, whatever you want, you chose, you know we’re waiting to please you. Talk to us baby.”
“I’ve always wanted to go to one of those spas with a steam bath and sauna, the jacuzzi is no longer in the list, but of course, I wasn’t able to afford it and anyway they’re so full of fat, sweaty middle aged freaks…” He smirked.
“Oh yes, I can picture you there, all wet and naked getting whisked into one of those tricky nooks and crannies all over those places to get the daylights fucked out of you with a queue outside waiting for their turns.” Maria said, shaking her head.
“Wow, Maria, sex is always on your mind, huh?” Michael teased.
“Don’t tell me it wasn’t on yours!” She challenged him.
“Well, you know…kind of…I’d be kicked out of the place right away, no matter if I was the one getting fucked because as usual, the blame would be on me. And how many of those places could you find in Roswell? I’d be banned from all of them in less than a week!” He shrugged.
“I can assure you no one will kick you out or ban you from this one!” Isabel announced and with a wave of her hand, they were transported to the most luxurious and exquisite spa they could have imagined.
“Is it by the seaside?” Michael asked, hopeful.
“Didn’t I say you only had to ask?” Isabel beamed and pointed towards the huge window.
“Ok then, beach until sunset and then we can come and warm up in here! C’mon.”
Michael took Maria’s hand and headed for the door with everyone else behind them. Once outside, the sand was crystalline and Michael turned it golden and thick, like brown sugar.
“This one’s better, it doesn’t stick to you so much.” He said, sprawling and rubbing his stomach on the warm sand.
“Come here with me.” He patted the spot beside him, looking up at Maria.
“I want a soft fuzzy towel…” She made a face.
Michael waved one just like she wanted and she lay back beside him, welcoming his lips on hers. The laughter coming from the direction of the shore made them look over and watch the female group splashing and playing around.
“Want to join them?” He asked her, as he caressed her hair.
She just had to nod and he was up faster than she had expected, picking her up in his arms very gently and just walking, not to jolt the babies. He stopped when the water was up to his waist and eased her down slowly, though the water was comfortably warm. Then he took her hand and kept going in until the water covered Maria’s breasts. They fell into each other’s arms and kissed until the whistles and teasing made them stop. Maria said she wanted to sit down and watch the sea so Michael obliged, materializing a beach chair for her. The sea was too calm, the water kissing the sand with barely a ripple so Michael made waves appear, not dangerous ones but the kind you could duck under and have some fun. And Michael did just that, rising dripping wet and shaking the water out of his hair. He came out with the white foam of a wave until he was stranded at Maria’s feet, noticing Isabel had joined her in her own chair. The others were looking for shells along the shoreline. Michael crawled to lie in the space between the two chairs and felt both Maria and Isabel’s hands massaging his wet back, as it was warmed by the sun.
“You ok?” Maria asked him softly, already knowing the answer.
“Sure, this is so cool!” He sighed.
“Are you missing the guys?” Her voice sounded a little wistful, knowing she had been the one who implied an orgy at the spa.
“Probably later, at the spa. Shouldn’t I be asking that to you and the other girls?” He took Isabel’s hand, sending the question to her.
“Yes, later would be fine.” Isabel agreed, enjoying the intimacy of just the three of them.
Michael looked up so could see Serena with Laurie and Ava in the distance, having their own kind of fun, and with the utmost care, he had the two chairs vanish so Maria and Isabel were snuggling against his sides with both his arms wrapped around them pulling them to him. He turned his face to kiss first one and then the other while their nails scratched his back gently and their lips took turns kissing and then licking the salt off his skin. Michael loved their touch and their attentions to his body. Being an illusion, their beach wear appeared when they needed it, which wasn’t the case right now, so the girls’ hands could touch him anywhere they wanted too, as he spread his thighs for them. Their feather-like touch had him squirming and moaning with pleasure until they reached the piercing and the subtle touch of their thumbs on the chains had him going wild, as Isabel slicked him up and slid her index finger into him, followed by Maria’s. Their giggling and ministrations had him coming in seconds and before they knew it, Michael was over Maria, doing it with her as Isabel played with him and then the other way round. It was a lazy, gentle lovemaking, as Michael created an inch thick vaccuum between his body and his partners’ because of their condition, so his weight wouldn’t press on their stomachs. They understood and thanked his concern and care for them, but they would have liked to feel his firm body on them. Michael knew this wasn’t real, it was just a dreamwalk, but it was so realistic that he wasn’t risking either Isabel and Maria or their babies.
By the time the other three arrived, they were already resting in an awesome aftermath, so Serena took the time, with Laurie and Ava’s help in suggestions, to create a great picnic basket. The food was great and Michael just loved it after so many days on the parenteral feeding. Isabel sensed that by then, Michael was craving for the spa, so she brought an awesome sunset and off they went, back to their starting point to find the guys sitting at the lobby, joking around as they waited for them. In the blink of an eye, they were wearing towels wrapped around their bodies, waist high for the guys, covering the girl’s breasts, and down to mid thighs for all of them. Then Isabel giggled locking eyes with Max, who nodded back to her, and Michael felt his towel was behaving in a funny way: it seemed to be shrinking! He looked down and it sure had shrunk, becoming a triangle in front and a thong at the back!
“Hey! My sisters are here!” Michael protested jokingly.
“Oh, go on baby bro, have some fun!” Laurie quipped. “We girls are dying for a jacuzzi, right?”
Serena and Ava readily agreed and surprisingly, Maria and Isabel joined them.
“We just don’t feel like scorching in a sauna or a steam bath.” Isabel said, meaning Maria and her but the other three females confirmed that neither did them.
They followed the sound of the bubbling water and disappeared behind a big opaque glass door, leaving the boys to their own kind of fun.
“Where first?” Asked Kyle. “The sauna or the steam bath?”
“According to a Swedish doctor who is an expert, you’re supposed to go to the steam bath first to open up your pores and then straight to the sauna to sweat it out.” Stuart informed them, leading them to the adventure.
ALIENS FULL TILT!