Chapter 59
Fright
John sat bolt upright in bed.
What just happened?
Something happened. He 'felt' it had.
John jumped up. He looked around in the darkness. It was quiet, empty and cold.
He turned on the light.
The room was empty.
John looked around again. Something wasn't right. He thought about arming himself. After what almost happened with Cameron's Glock, he wasn't so sure it was a good idea. Look at the condition he was in right now.
He could tell there was a cold 'metallic' feel about him. It was nothing he could explain.
John wiped his arms, but the feeling didn't go away.
He looked at his hands. There was nothing on them.
John opened and closed his fingers. He went to wipe his hands on his pants.
He noticed he was unclad. He was naked.
John didn't remember being naked. He at least usually wore under shorts.
He went to his door. He stood there and listened. The only sound he heard was silence. Even the silence seemed cold.
John checked the door. It was still locked from the inside. He shook the door. It didn't move or open.
He looked back at his bed. It was empty. It produced a new feeling of sadness. Maybe it would always be empty. He shook the feeling off. There was something here and now he needed to deal with. As to exactly what it was, he didn't know. It seemed there was a lot he didn't know right now.
John thought what he experienced must have been some type of 'dream'. If it was, it was a dream like he never experienced before.
It was too real. It was more than a dream. He was sure of it.
He looked around again. He was in a locked room, alone, with nothing but his thoughts.
John wiped his arms and body with his hands again. He couldn't make the cold metallic feeling go away.
He thought about what happened during the 'dream'. He couldn't move or wake up.
It was like he was 'trapped'.
His entire body seemed encased, or 'surrounded'. It was like he was in a cocoon.
John felt violated. He couldn't fully explain it. He felt 'used' somehow.
He got dressed and went to his mother's room. He wanted some comfort and reassurance.
It sounded like Sarah and Kyle were sharing with each other. They appeared to be busy. He didn't want to ruin anything for them with his 'fear'. Maybe it was fear of the unknown.
He left. They would think it was because Cameron was gone, and it was just another bad dream.
Strangely enough, he thought of going to see Savannah. He needed her positive optimism right now. She could find the brightness in the darkness. He thought it would be a bad optic if someone spotted him enter or leave her room. He didn't want to give anyone the wrong impression.
It left Vanna and Allison.
The girls would understand. It was what he hoped anyway. Maybe they could shed some insight on what happened.
He went to Allison and Vanna's room. He was about to knock, but paused. He decided to listen to make sure they weren't busy. He would actually like to see it in person. He'd watched enough of it on the internet. It was always one of his favorite searches.
There was nothing but total silence as he stood alone outside the room.
He knocked.
Nothing happened.
He knocked again. It was a little harder. He briefly wondered if he might have overdone it. Maybe he should turn around and go back to his room.
He heard some stirring inside. There was a 'thump' sound, followed by a curse.
Allison answered the door. She looked sleepy. She pulled a long top over her naked figure as she stood there. It was all she wore and nothing else.
John saw 'everything'. He would be very excited about it under different circumstances. There was still a lot of uncertainty and worry in his mind. He felt there was something wrong. He wasn't really sure how to explain himself. Somehow, he felt like an intruder. He wanted to be around other humans right now.
"Can I come in, please?" John asked.
Allison looked at John for a long moment. She wondered if things were going to take a different note. She was sleepy. She was also filled with a sense of anticipation. Maybe this was the day, or night, or whatever time it was, something would happen. She moved silently aside.
John walked in.
A light by the bed came on.
John looked over at Vanna. She looked even more disheveled than Allison did. He was sure they must have shared a love session before they fell asleep. He knew it was always love with them. It wasn't sex. The girls were able to connect with each other at every level, in every way.
Vanna heard the conversation between John and Allison at the door to the room. She was a little surprised when John asked to come in. She wondered if today was the day. If it was, she was dressed for the occasion. She was naked. She concentrated on John's appearance. He didn't look so hot.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Vanna said as she looked up from the bed on one elbow.
Allison could see it too now. She'd been too busy thinking about what could happen in the bedroom. She took another look at John. John didn't look good. She instantly thought of the other 'incident', but didn't mention it. She was somewhat relieved to see he wasn't carrying a firearm at any type. It would have caused her a lot of concern. She'd been thinking about John's 'gun' when she opened the door and saw him standing there. She was fairly certain her body already started to respond to what she anticipated earlier. She pushed all the other thoughts out of her mind. John looked like he needed some type of assistance.
"What's wrong, John?" Allison asked. "What happened?"
Allison was very worried. She moved her head forward and looked in both directions down the hall. She didn't spot anyone else. She hoped they hadn't received some type of bad news about Cameron. Maybe one of the Restorators was back. She took another long look at John. It seemed to be something of a more personal nature. She couldn't shake the image of John with Cameron's Glock against the side of his head. She knew what almost happened. She never told anyone about it. Maybe she should have. Now, if something happened, it would be HER fault for not saying anything.
John turned around and looked behind him. He looked nervously around the room where he was at. He didn't have any explanation to offer.
"I don't know." John said.
The two girls looked at each other.
John wasn't sure how to explain it, since he didn't know what actually happened or how. It seemed right now he didn't know much of anything.
"Something happened to me. I don't know what." John said. "I just know something happened."
Vanna and Allison looked at him in silence.
John looked confused to them. It was very unsettling in itself.
Vanna wanted to offer him some encouragement.
"Just take a moment." Vanna said. "Think it through a little bit. Maybe you need to start at the beginning."
John thought how sleepy both of the girls looked when he arrived. Now he felt a little guilty about disturbing them. Based upon how they looked, he was sure they'd both been in their room, in the bed together, sleeping. He wanted to make sure first.
"Have both of you been here all night?" John asked.
John hoped it was one of them.
The two girls looked at each other again. It didn't seem like a question which needed an answer. They thought it was obvious where they'd been.
Vanna wanted to make a joke about it. She didn't because she could see the seriousness of the situation. Something was clearly wrong. She didn't want to get too descriptive as to what occurred, since they were in bed naked earlier.
"We've been with each other all night, John." Vanna said. "We've been in this bed together, and nowhere else since we turned in."
Allison was glad Vanna left out the part they'd made love with each other three times before they fell asleep. It was what usually happened every night. It usually put both of them to sleep, with a smile on their face.
John could tell Vanna was naked under the covers as he glimpsed a firm breast, with a very pink nipple as she stirred. She made no effort to cover it.
Allison noticed what John looked at on Vanna.
"I just put this on right now." Allison said as she looked at her shirt. "Look, it's even on backwards."
Vanna needed a further explanation from John at this point. She felt they needed to know more. It seemed like they needed to know it now.
"What happened?" Vanna asked. "Can you tell us?"
Allison pulled off her shirt. She turned it the correct direction, and put it back on. Her completely nude form was briefly visible. She thought nothing of the act. There was a lot of nudity in the future. The tunnels and bunkers were cramped and crowded places. Everyone saw everyone naked at times. It was no big deal. Everyone had a body. It was only the details which were different. There was no privacy.
John couldn't help but look at Allison. She was right in front of him.
'Oh – Cameron….' John thought.
John felt a chill. He couldn't help but wipe his arms with his hands again.
"I can't go back to my room." John said.
Allison looked through a pile of clothes on the floor. She fished out her underwear and slid them on. She threw Vanna hers and a shirt. They disappeared under the covers as Vanna put the underwear on. The covers slid off as she put her shirt on.
John caught a glimpse of her perfect topless form. Wow, her nipples were really pink!
He knew the girls presented him with a 'taste' of what was 'available'. They tried to refocus his mind, in a not so subtle way.
Allison thought John looked way too nervous. She wanted him to relax a little. It made her think about the incident the other day in his room with Cameron's Glock.
"Sit down, John." Allison told him.
John looked around. He looked back towards the door. Maybe he did need to sit down.
Allison was on one side. Vanna moved to the other side of him.
It was much like the time they'd spent with Cameron, when she experienced a 'melt down' before. The fact wasn't lost on any of them.
Vanna felt they needed to know more. Depending upon what it was, it might raise some type of alarm.
"Start from the beginning and tell us what happened." Vanna said.
Both girls could tell something was terribly wrong.
Allison wasn't about to let him walk out and do something 'foolish'. The incident with Cameron's Glock was forever burnt into her mind. Wherever John went tonight, she decided she was going to go with him, 'just in case'. John was too close to the edge and it looked like he was slipping….
John took a moment to look each girl in the eyes before he started. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He told the story.
Vanna and Allison looked at each other when he finished. It was a very disturbing story.
"Do you think this is because you miss Cameron so much?" Allison asked.
It seemed like something more than a dream to John. It wasn't a nightmare either, even if it was.
"No. It was something different." John said. "It was - real."
The two girls were worried about John. They could see he believed it was real. It didn't look like he should be alone.
Vanna looked at Allison and nodded.
Allison wanted to make an offer of compassion, rather than of copulation. The incident the other day in John's room, still bothered her.
"We'd like for you to stay here with us tonight, John. It'll be nothing more than just staying here. We promise." Allison said. "You don't need to be alone right now. You shouldn't be alone right now."
John and Allison shared a knowing look. Neither one of them mentioned the previous incident.
Both of them were ready to offer John more if he wanted it. They knew what Cameron asked of them. It was what they wanted too at this point.
John was afraid he would want more. He was somewhat relieved the girls put some clothes on. If they were both still naked, he knew where his mind would go.
"I don't know." John said.
Vanna yawned. She wanted to wrap things up.
"I do, let's go back to sleep. I'm tired." Vanna said.
John looked at the bed. There was a small sofa in the room.
"Let me sleep on the sofa." John said.
Allison knew the sofa was uncomfortable for sleep. It was too small anyway. She also wanted to keep a better eye on John tonight. If he was between Vanna and her, he wasn't going anywhere without them knowing it.
"There's room in the bed. We won't 'attack', or 'bother' you, John. I promise." Allison said. "We can see something is clearly troubling you. I don't want you to be 'alone'."
John and Allison shared a 'knowing look' about what almost happened with Cameron's Glock.
John didn't want to go back to his room. He didn't want to impose on the girls either. He felt like an interloper.
"Let me try the sofa. If it won't work, then maybe I can join you." John said.
John didn't want to be alone. He wanted to be with other people, not machines tonight. A total feeling of uneasiness possessed him. It haunted him.
He noticed his hands shook. In fact his entire body shook.
He looked at the two sleepy girls. They both noticed it too.
Vanna was a little more alarmed now than she was earlier.
"You're shaking really bad. Are you sick?" Vanna asked.
When she asked John the question, he seemed to look even worse.
Now Vanna was really worried.
John didn't know what to say, other than what he felt.
"No, I'm scared. I think." John said. "I think I'm shaking with fright."
Allison was worried about a thousand times more than Vanna was at this point. She wanted John by her side to 'watch' him tonight. She planned to keep him there tonight no matter what she needed to do.
"Crawl in between us. We won't touch you or do anything." Allison said. "We promise."
John did. He spent the entire night looking at the ceiling in the darkness as the two girls slept. Their warmth was comforting to him. Their presence was reassuring. He felt 'protected'. He knew what was on both sides of him now, is what was waiting for him when he was ready to accept it. It was something which could be very beautiful for the three of them.
In the morning, John looked over at Allison. She looked back at him. He turned the other way. Vanna looked back at him as well.
"How was your sleep?" Vanna asked.
John remembered he tried to stay awake. He was afraid the 'event' would happen again if he fell asleep.
"I don't think I slept any." John said.
Allison giggled a little.
"Well, you snore pretty well when you're not asleep then." Allison said.
John felt a little embarrassed.
"Maybe I dozed off. I don't know. I don't remember." John said.
Allison wanted to make it clear to John.
"We all know what is going to happen sooner or later. It's just a matter of time. We're always here, John. We're 'available'." Allison said. "We're 'ready'."
Vanna wanted John to know comfort was waiting for him.
"Both of us are ready and willing." Vanna added. "You don't need to be 'alone'."
Allison wanted to give him some options.
"One of us can come and visit you, or you can come here and visit us." Allison said with a wink. "We can be together, or alone, for whatever you want."
Vanna touched his face. John looked over at her.
"It's time to move forward, John. We're here for you. Whatever you need or want." Vanna said. "We all need to move on. We're both hurting too. We can all help each other."
Allison knew it was bad to dwell in the past. It never produced anything good. They all needed to take the next step.
"John, it's time…." Allison said. "I think we all need and want 'more'."
The word 'more' startled John. The fear was back.
"I better go." John said.
Allison wanted him to leave on a light note.
"Well, if nothing else, you can say you slept with two girls at the same time, even if you didn't 'sleep' with them." Allison joked.
Vanna playfully slapped Allison's rear end.
John didn't know everything.
When he was asleep, Vanna and Allison both whispered in his ear they were ready for more. Neither one knew the other one did the same thing.
John turned to leave. He smiled and thanked both of them as he headed for the door.
He stopped at the door. There was something he needed to know. He turned and faced Allison.
"Allison, when we were in the future, did you ever go to my room and wait naked in my bed?" John asked.
Vanna quickly looked at Allison. Maybe there were a few things Allison 'forgot' to tell her.
"No, I never did. You asked me about it before." Allison said. "I swear I never did."
Vanna wasn't so sure. Maybe Allison needed to come clean.
"It sounds like you, Allison." Vanna added. "You know how to get what you want."
"I never did. I swear. I only kissed him a half a dozen times and put his hands on my breasts twice. It's all I ever did. He never responded back once to my 'invitations'." Allison said sadly. "It was before I knew about Cameron. I never did it again after I understood John's priorities. It's not my fault I didn't know before."
John swallowed very hard. He remembered 'Allison's' breasts got larger and her figure turned shapelier. It was all so clear now. How did he not put it all together back then? He'd almost 'taken' 'Allison' then. It was so tempting. It was what he wanted. It was clear now it wasn't Allison, even if it looked like Allison.
He felt very sick.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Fright
Things aren't always what they appear
There could be some delight
It seems more often than not
That the unknown causes fright
The chances we take in life
Are seldom concise and finite
Our actions and reactions
May cause a riot of trouble to incite
Often our fate is left to dreams
We conger up our own White Knight
It all soon ends as we wake
Leaving us with the darkness of the night
We can think about it all
With the advantage of hindsight
We wondered where it was at
When we needed true insight
We all want something
That's shiny and bright
How much will we give
For what will we fight
Nobody