Synopsis:

Scott was on his way west to meet up with his friends to start a new life in L A. What he came across in the desert after his car broke down would change him forever. He wondered if his friends would recognise him once they finally met again. He didn’t think this was what his friend’s intended when they said, "start a new life."

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Cindy drove through the outskirts of a storm, as she neared Syracuse. Somehow, she knew the storm was connected to the increasing feeling of imminent danger, which had her planting her foot harder on the accelerator.

She drove on, eventually reaching her destination. The rain had slowed to a few spits, but she knew it was soon going to be coming down in buckets, as it came up behind her. She drove down the driveway of Bob's place, parking next to the pickup, where the drive opened up to the back lawn.

Cindy got out of the car, intending to walk to the house, but whatever it was, that was sending the urgent message of danger, made her turn to the rear of the property, where an array of antenna's stood. She looked at the tallest, some 60 feet high and saw a man at the top...it was Bob. She could see him look behind her, his eyes looking towards the oncoming storm, before he started to make his descent.

Instinctively, she knew she had to warn him to be careful, as she felt the ominous portent of disaster looming. As she moved forward, she called to him, but her words were blown away in the increasing wind, and he never heard her. Cindy felt a chill, as her hair started rising and crackling with static electricity. She was still 30 feet away when the lightening struck the mast. Cindy saw a brilliant flash and suddenly things got very strange.

It seemed as if time slowed to a crawl, at least to her heightened senses. She could see the surge of lightening flash down the mast, covering Bob's body in an instant. She heard the detonation as air filled the vacuum left behind by the lightening strike deafening her as she saw Bob flung away from the mast and start arcing down towards her.

"BOOOOoooooob," she screamed, seemingly in slow motion, as she felt the earth leap up around her. The lightening dissipated its millions of joules of energy into the extensive earthing mesh laid by Bob for this exact purpose. Cindy could see steam rising from the damp ground as the energy converted to heat. At the same time, her eyes followed the falling figure. She screamed, and lifted her hands as if to stop Bob's fall by sheer will.

Whether it was the stress of the moment, or seeing what she believed was her soul mates imminent death, she couldn't say, but something awoke at that moment. She felt power flowing along her arms and she swore afterward, that she thought see saw a faint nimbus in the air reaching out to Bob. Her mind staggered, as she felt the strain of lifting something... even though she had nothing in her arms. Bob's fall slowed...dramatically, as he neared the ground. Cindy heard the soggy thump as Bob hit the ground as if from a four-foot fall. Cindy raced to the blackened form, as it lay curled in a foetal position.

Cindy could smell the acrid stench of burned hair, as she fell to her knees next to Bob. Unmindful of the increasing rain, she gingerly touched Bob, seeking a sign of life. Most of Bob's clothes were charred and were hanging loose. His skin seemed charred too, but some of it proved to be the ash from his clothes, as the rain started washing his skin clean. Apart from his hair and some scorch marks on his hands, Bob seemed relatively unmarked.

Cindy felt for a pulse, knowing electrical shock can stop the heart. She couldn't feel anything, and Bob didn't seem to be breathing either. As she laid her hands on Bob's chest, she noticed a glow coming from her hands. Putting them over his heart, she saw the glow intensify, and she felt something flowing from her to Bob. Just she was about to give a heart compression, she felt his heart kick, once...twice. Until a regular rhythm resumed, even above the increasing wind noise, she heard a gasp as Bob began to breathe again. Not knowing what the glow represented exactly, but knowing that it seemed to have a healing effect, Cindy ran her hands over any scorching she find, before attempting to wake Bob.

Shivering from the chill of soaked clothes, Cindy was glad when Bob woke up.

"Bob are you feeling okay?" she asked, her lips trembling with emotion and the chill.

"Uhuh?" Bob answered vaguely, wondering who the angel he saw bending over him was.

"Am I dead?" he asked, seeing the mast he'd fallen off, from his position on the ground.

"Do you want to be?" asked Cindy, giggling inanely from relief.

"Only if I get to have an angel like you at my side," Bob replied with a grin.

After checking that Bob was in no pain, Cindy allowed him to sit up.

"I know I was hit by lightening," muttered Bob, looking down at the charred remains of his clothes. "I remember falling from near the top, what I don't understand, is how come I'm still alive?" he asked, as he stood and patted himself down. "Did you somehow catch me?" he asked Cindy, knowing as soon as he said it, how stupid that idea was. No way could this slim somewhat rain bedraggled woman have caught his near 200kilos travelling at near terminal velocity. The guy wires that kept the tower stable were also in the wrong position to be responsible for saving his life.

"You could say that, in a manner of speaking," stuttered Cindy in reply. Her teeth chattered, as the wind whipped past her, plastering her thoroughly wet dress against her now standing body, as she helped Bob to stand. "Let's get you inside, where I can explain," she added.

"Of course, you must be freezing," lamented Bob, belatedly. "I'd offer you my coat or a shirt, if I had one, he tried gallantly, as he discarded the shreds of his burnt shirt.

Cindy laughed, as they stumbled towards the house. "I think I should be the one offering you my clothes," she shouted over the wind noise.

She saw him glance at her attire, where it clung wetly against her and exposed the shape and hue of her bra and panties.

"I might accept, if it wasn't for the fact that I know yellow clashes with my complexion," he quipped with a grin.

Once inside Bob went and grabbed towels from the bathroom and handed both to Cindy, while he stood empty handed and just dripped there, his eyes intent on his visitor.

Cindy threw a towel back at Bob, with a look at the pool that was forming beneath him. She turned and went in the direction of the bathroom to get out of her wet things. Bob shook himself, wondering what was wrong with him. Ogling wet women that may have saved his life wasn't like him, but something about her sent his heart beating hard and made it difficult to think straight.

He dabbed at himself while waiting for Cindy to emerge again. He heard the shower going then shut off shortly after. Cindy came out wearing nothing but a towel tucked around her breasts with another that she was rubbing her hair with.

"Better get a shower yourself," suggested Cindy, seeming unaware of Bob's surprised look.

Bob nodded, and went to the bathroom where he stood in shock. There in full view were Cindy's clothes, all of them. He saw that her dress was draped over a towel depleted rail while her stocking, bra and panties, were hanging off the shower rail, making the bathroom look very domestic. Stripping of his burnt pants and vest, he threw them in a corner to be binned later. He showered, ridding his body of the carbon and the acrid smell of burnt hair. As he showered, he wondered whom the woman was, having not asked for her name yet. He knew somehow that his life was going to inexplicitly changed from now on.

While Bob was cleaning up, Cindy rang Kim, using Bob's phone, finding that she could recall the number from memory without any trouble. She started making a hot drink for them both, while she told Kim about what happened to Bob and her new abilities. Kim told Cindy that she'd pass the information along, and then hung up, after wishing Cindy good luck with her burgeoning relationship with Bob.

Sara sighed, as she opened the door to her condo in Half Moon Bay. It was good to get back to what she considered home. Travelling was fun, but after driving many thousands of miles, some fraught with danger, it was good to just plant ones feet on the couch and vegetate for a few hours, without worrying what the next bend in the road would reveal.

Sara's skirt was brushed aside as Maggie ducked past her in her haste to explore the new house. Sara grinned and moved out of the doorway, where she'd been holding up proceedings, lost in thought.

She watched Maggie scamper around, trying to see everything all at once. Maggie's excited exclamations, as she spotted something new and wonderful, made Sara's heart, fill with happiness. This is what every home needed, the joyous sound of excited children filling the rooms with happy cries of delight.

"Where's my room?" Maggie asked, as she found the stairs and climbed them like a monkey after free bananas.

"Try the first door on the left," Sara called to her, thinking of the smaller room that looked out over the ocean.

The squeals of delight, that emanated forthwith, confirmed that Maggie approved of the choice. Sara walked up the stairs, hearing Kevin entering the house with the first of the luggage. She was still several feet from the top of the stairs, when Maggie galloped out of her room and flung herself from the top of the landing into Sara's arms.

"Oof! Careful there hon, you nearly sent me flying," chided Sara with a smile.

"MOMMY, I LOVE IT," Maggie screamed, hugging on to Sara tight.

Sara's heart filled with a wondrous feeling, and tears threatened, as Maggie's heartfelt words, filled her with joy.

"Up here Kevin, first door on the left is going to be Maggie's room," Sara pre-empted the question Kevin was about to ask.

Kevin wondered if Sara knew every thought in his mind, as he shook his head, and started to bring Maggie's stuff upstairs.

"Just the nice ones," Sara laughed, startling him once more.

"You scare me sometimes," he joked, not meaning it at all. In fact, it was kind of comforting that she could get into his thoughts. It meant that there would be no misunderstandings between them, which could occur when using only the spoken word. Words could often be misinterpreted, without knowing the thoughts that went along with them.

"Be very afraid," quipped Sara, with a grin. She took one of the bags that Kevin had brought upstairs, and went into the room destined to be Maggie's. She laid the bag on the bed, as Maggie hovered impatiently nearby. Opening it, Sara pulled out the first stuffed animal and handed it to Maggie. Sara then stepped back, allowing Maggie to find homes for all her friends, which were quickly pulled from the bag and arranged neatly on the bed by the pillow. Smiling at Maggie, Sara left to check on Kevin, to see where he was putting the clothes bought for Anita.

Sara smiled and snuck a kiss, as Kevin stood looking at the gown he was holding in his hands.

"Does Anita want to join us?" She chuckled, pulling another dress from the opened case, and admiring it in the mirror holding it against herself.

"I was just remembering wearing this and the fun we had," Kevin replied, with a smile.

"Well the fun doesn't have to stop, in fact, Anita is going to be a regular member of this family," Sara insisted, draping the dress she held over Kevin's shoulder.

"Does she get her own room?" laughed Kevin, before giving Sara a deep kiss.

"I can guarantee that you will be away when she is here, so she can sleep with me," smirked Sara, returning the kiss with fervour.

"Um, as much as I'd love to continue this, there's more to bring in from the car, and it's nearly lunch time, Maggie will need feeding," sighed Kevin, regretfully pulling away.

Kevin said, "Hold that thought," cocking his finger at her, before retreating downstairs. She heard him laugh, then yell up, "yeah baby yeah!" as she opened her mind to his, allowing him to see what she was thinking. Sara grinned to herself as she made her way down into the kitchen. 'Men were so easily led by their libidos, she thought, remembering that she'd been just the same when she was Scott. She vowed never to abuse her power over Kevin, not wanting to ever betray his trust in her.

As much as she loved him as Anita, he had to only to say no to her, if he refused to become her. She realised he'd always concede to her wishes in that regard, but ultimately it would be his decision to comply.

Looking in the fridge, she realised they needed to do some shopping. She found a frozen pizza, so she popped it in the oven. She opened a tin of spaghetti, knowing it was one of Maggie's favourites, plus she didn't feel like making pikelets at the moment, even if she had all the ingredients.

A call to Maggie soon had her scampering into the kitchen in search of lunch. She grinned, as she smelt her favourite food.

"Yum, can I eats all the sketti?" she asked hopefully.

Sara laughed, saying, "sure honey, just don't miss you mouth, remember it’s not as big as it once was," she reminded Miss Scoffalot.

"I won'ts, I prwomise." Came a half mumbled reply. Maggie, her mouth trailing a strand of spaghetti already, made her way to the table, eating on the way.

Kevin wandered in, looking for the two most favourite women in his life. He chuckled at the sight of Maggie's red stained mouth, as she tried to get the angle right for her mouth to snare the dangling tails of the spaghetti, held up by her fork. He brushed her hair in passing, as he entered the kitchen, where the smell of pizza was beginning to emanate.

"Hope there's enough for all of us," Kevin prompted, seeing Sara bent over the half open oven.

"Just save a sliver for Maggie, and be thankful I had the idea of filling her up on spaghetti," laughed Sara, as she closed the oven and straightened up. Kevin's kiss for Sara was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Being used to the strident chirps of cell phones, the ordinariness of a phone ringing jolted then in surprise. Acting like any child would, Maggie ran to the phone, chirping out, "I's gets it, mommy."

Kevin's arm tightened around Sara, knowing just how much that, "mommy," affected her. He knew because, he felt it too, when Maggie, lost in the child, gave them both her unconditional love. They both walked to where Maggie was holding the phone, and shyly telling the person on the other end, her name. Maggie's few wordless nods, as she listened to the questions, looked so cute, as the tongue tied Maggie, failed to realise the caller couldn't see her nods. Looking up, Maggie saw Sara, and her face lit up.

"It's awntie Julie, mommy, I thinks she wands to talk wid you," she called out excitedly.

Sara grinned, knowing Julie would have heard that auntie comment, as she took the phone from Maggie's outstretched hand.

"Hello auntie Julie," opened Sara, with a smile in her voice.

"She's cute, I can't wait to meet her," answered a chuckling Julie. "I just rang to let you know we will be there for dinner, so cook something nice, oh and Kim will be with us."

"Okay, one banquet coming up, will you want fries with that," Sara replied facetiously, before giggling.

"Sure, I'll have fries with everything... even ice cream," Julie giggled back.

"Ewwwh, you sure you're not pregnant," Sara shuddered, thinking of that combination.

"Hey! I'm not the one with 'child,' was Julie's riposte, meaning Maggie.

"Unfair, anyway I'm glad you'll be back, I might need a baby sitter." Sara issued this mock threat, knowing Julie would volunteer for that job. "Why is Kim coming here, I thought she'd be busy elsewhere?"

Kim got a call from Cindy, there's been some developments she wants to discuss."

To be continued.

  

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 © 2005 by Prudence Walker. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without the express written consent of the copyright holder.