*
I spent the next few weeks meditating as much as possible, when I wasn’t at work, and then taking long walks in the park. A couple of times, I thought I saw Erick jogging along the far side by the parallel street, but then I would lose sight of him and that would be it. He never came around to my side. I even went out of my way once to turn and go towards where I thought he should be coming from, but I didn’t meet up with him. In fact, I didn’t see him at all then.
Did I want to see him so badly that I was imagining glimpses of him? Or was it something else? Was he more than human as I had suspected on several occasions? I’d shake my head then and tell myself that I was being silly – but then I remembered Cal. Cal was definitely no ordinary human. But he was real! Very real! So maybe Erick was of an otherworldly origin? Whatever he was, I missed his friendship.
Now that I had had time to settle in my apartment and work myself into somewhat of a normal routine, I realized that I was lonely… Very lonely. It hit me more when watching television. I found I couldn’t watch romantic movies at all. I searched for comedies or documentaries and ended up watching a lot of shows on the History channel. And I definitely wasn’t going to watch any religious shows. No way at all!
Even though I had no intentions of going back to Greg, I still kind of missed what we once had. Or, at least, what I thought we had. I missed being held and I missed being made love to. As much as I hated to admit it, I missed having a sexual relationship. I was a young woman with normal needs. But there was no way I was going to go back to Greg. Besides, the romance had gone out of our love-making some time ago. It was mostly his being satisfied and my being left high and dry and very frustrated. That was definitely not what I was looking for or what I needed.
I needed to feel loved and cherished, and wanted to love and cherish back. There was no way I could do that with a controlling, insensitive husband. But what was I to do? I didn’t want to date yet. I wasn’t divorced. In fact, to my knowledge, no divorce had been filed. I certainly hadn’t sought one.
I’d been surfing through the channels and not finding anything I was interested in, I turned my television off. The time on the cable box said ten-thirty. I had to work the morning shift the next day, so I decided to just go take my shower and call it a night.
I went to my bedroom and stood in front of my dresser drawers, thinking to grab my light blue, shortie pajamas, when I suddenly had a warm sensation on both shoulders from behind. Not sure what it was, I thought perhaps I was imagining it. I went to open the drawer but the sensation grew stronger – felt like two strong hands resting on my shoulders. My heart skipped a beat. “What the heck?” Had someone broken into my apartment? I spun around. No one there… Or so I first thought. I stood there puzzled for only a moment and turned back to get my pajamas. “You’re losing it, Brenda,” I told myself. “Really losing it!” I grabbed my pajamas and went on to the bathroom and took my shower, doing my best not to think about what had happened.
Showered and ready for bed, I set my alarm for seven-thirty and then grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and set it by my clock radio. I slipped into bed and turned out the light.
I have to admit, that I was a little uneasy, wondering if the sensation of hands on my shoulders had been supernatural, but I didn’t want to address it. Paul and Nancy had told me not to ever show fear when dealing with the supernatural; that fear was the only thing to fear. So, I said it to myself several times and closed my eyes. I wanted only to sleep. I didn’t want to think about anything.
I lay there for some time and finally fell into blessed sleep. Then, in the middle of the night, I sensed what I believed to be a strong arm around my waist, holding me lovingly. In my dreamy state I believed myself to be back in bed with Greg, and he had his arm wrapped around me. I automatically placed my hand on his and felt him snuggle closer to me.
My eyes popped open. I lay there frozen for several seconds before gasping, “Oh my God!”
I leapt out of bed and quickly turned my lamp on. No one there! My heart was racing at this point. “Shit! Oh shit!”
Then, clear as a bell in my head, I heard, “It’s okay, Brenda. I will never hurt you.”
“…What? Where are you?” I frantically scanned my surroundings. I saw no one!
“I sensed your loneliness and came,” he said, speaking in a wonderful euphonic voice.
“I don’t see you! Where are you?”
“I’m right here in front of you. Just relax and try to focus. You should be able to see something of me.”
“…Ah… yeah.” I blew out air and waited for my heart to slow down. Then I ever so carefully tried to focus on the air in front of me. “I don’t see anything but my bed and the room,” I confessed.
“Relax. Look at the air! Focus on the air!”
That sounded crazy to me, but I did what he said. I stood there doing my best to see something – anything – in the air. Then I saw a bluish-white flickering light forming a curved line only a couple of feet away from me. Then another luminous, curved line formed a little to the left, and again, one slightly to the right, and then many appeared, and they began to coalesque for me.
Suddenly, I could make out the image of a man! At least, he was shaped like a man, but he was bluish-white, see-through, and very tall. I guessed him to be well over six feet. His head was smooth and perfectly shaped. I did not get any impression of hair.
“Well?” he said. “You do see me now, don’t you?”
I bobbed my head yes. “Sort of.”
I do believe he chuckled then. “You’re doing well. Most humans do not see us that well at first. You are very open to supernatural presence.”
I think that was a compliment. I just muttered, “Uh-huh.”
“I did not mean to frighten you. Only to comfort you.”
“I appreciate that,” I replied. I kept remembering all I had been told, and what I had read about being respectful to any supernatural beings, and they would be respectful to you. That is, if they were from Father Satan. I remembered then to ask, “Are you from Father Satan?”
He hesitated not, “Yes! You need not worry. I have come to comfort you. However, if you wish me to leave, I will.”
That surprised me. “I…” I played my eyes over his very beautiful but otherworldly frame. His shape was perfect!
He asked me again, “Do you wish me to leave? For I will, if you are uncomfortable with my being here. Just say the word, Brenda. I will go.”
“No! No! Don’t go.”
I think he smiled, but I couldn’t tell exactly. I just sensed it. “Good. For I like you and I hope to be your friend.”
The question had been in my head for several seconds, but I had not asked.
He knew, though. “Yes! I am a demon.”
“But you’re pretty!” I blurted, not thinking.
I know he smiled then. I could barely make out the edges of his mouth turning up at the corners. “Thank you!” There was a low chuckle.
“Nancy and Paul told me that demons weren’t ugly… that that was just a bunch of bull shit.”
“So, now you know,” he said, now with a smile in his voice.
He sat down on the bed and patted it with his hand. “Sit down with me.”
So I did.
“Anything you want to know about me, just ask.”
“Well, you are a demon, but there’s this dwarf by the name of Cal. He saved me from being attacked in the park one night, but he’s very mischievous.”
“Yes. The little guys are very playful.”
“He’s a demon too?”
“Yes. We come in a number of varieties,” he said.
“What…What kind of demon are you?”
“I knew you were going to ask. Well, I am a couple of things. I am a soldier. I spend a lot of time fighting in the ongoing spiritual war that has raged practically since the beginning of time… and,” he said, holding my gaze, “I’m also an incubus.”
That I real
ly had not even considered, but I don’t know why. “Oh?” I said with great surprise, and my mouth must have dropped open, for he reached up with his forefinger and pushed my chin up, closing my mouth.
“You’re surprised?”
I nodded yes. “I suppose I am.”
“Again, expected something a bit more homely?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It takes a while to get over all the brainwashing.”
“So… Ah… Not sure how to ask this—.”
“You want to know if I came to have sex with you?”
“I guess that’s what I wanted to ask.”
“Only if you want to, Brenda. It is your choice. I sensed your loneliness, and I’ve been looking for a human female to have a relationship with. Not many of your kind who are open to my kind, especially with all the lies about us available.”
“Yes. Considering all the crap people are taught… not only in Christianity but Judaism and Islam… I can see where there might not be many.”
“It’s not the only factor. I’m not human. Most women want a human mate. That narrows it down considerably more.” He turned slightly more towards me. “When I sensed your loneliness and your… desire… I didn’t waste a second in coming. For I desire a mate very much. But I am willing to merely be your friend, if you do not wish for a sexual relationship with me.”
I could not help but wonder what that would be like. “Would it be monogamous? And would it be permanent?”
“If you wish to remain open to the possibility of a future human partner, I can be very open with that. As long as I understand that, there would not be a problem. Or if you wish to be with only me, then it will be with only me. And I would expect you to keep your promise on that. I would be faithful to you in the same respect.”
“That’s really cool,” I replied, but I wasn’t sure at that moment whether I wanted to have sex with him or not. I wouldn’t want to have sex with a human man that I’d just met either. There were too many questions as yet to be answered.
Knowing my thoughts, he said, “Don’t worry. I have no intentions of having sex with you until and unless you want it and are ready. I just want to be here for you to comfort you for now. I am here to be your friend.”
I stared into what I could now clearly see were brilliant, indigo eyes that danced with little sparkles. Though his face was bluish-white, I could now see his body pretty visibly. It looked to me as though he was wearing some kind of amour. For some reason, a King Arthur Knight came to my mind. Although I know that wasn’t the case. “You’re really very sweet.”
“I try to be.” He seemed pleased that I said that.
I suddenly realized that I was tingly all over, even itching in spots. I scratched the fold of my left arm.
He smiled.
“What?” I asked, staring up at him inquisitively.
“My energy is getting to you.”
“Oh! Is that what it is? Itches!” It was growing more intense by the second.
“Sorry about that. Demons have that effect on humans, especially when we are close.”
Now I was really itching. “Is there anything I can do?”
“For the moment, go take a hot shower. As hot as you can stand it. It will help regulate your body’s energy with mine. Then put lotion all over your body. I understand that helps with the itching too. But tomorrow when you meditate, concentrate on power meditations to not only raise but also to boost your energy. Otherwise, it will be rough on you when you are close to demons. Especially me, if we make love.”
“Cal didn’t affect me this way.”
“You weren’t this close to him, were you?”
“No,” I replied.
“Besides, chances are, he will never get as close to you as I am.”
“Okay!” I jumped up, now scratching wildly.
“Tell you what. I’ll leave for now. But I’ll be back in a few days after you do some power meditations to raise your energy. But if you need me for any reason, any reason at all, just think real hard and I will come.”
“Okay… But what is your name?”
“Paleo. Just call me Paleo.”
“Okay. Is that your real name? Or a nickname?” I considered my question for a second, and then asked, “Do demons have nicknames.”
“Sometimes. For humans, anyway. Paleo is my ‘nickname’. I doubt if you could pronounce my real name,” he said and then vanished.
I was clawing at myself now and couldn’t wait to get in the hot shower. And he was right. When I stepped out, I felt much better. I remembered the lotion too and applied that quickly. There was still some residual energy, but I was able to stand it and went right to sleep.