Published via Ecency

Part 1/3 can be found here

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Todd felt the moisture prick before a solitary bead formed and escaped down the nape of his neck. He had been repeatedly pushing down on the red button for five minutes... to no avail. He paused to consider the options.

Some sort of response would have been nice! Perhaps the radios weren't the only thing faulty out here?

He picked up the red button, turning it over in his hands. It was then that he noticed that it wasn't connected to anything... at all. It was just a red button, sitting on a table... with a sign, waiting to be pressed. It invited interaction but never promised a response. Now... the manual? That said NOT to push the red button. Was it all part of some sardonic ploy, he pondered, designed to make a mockery of his efforts?

He looked around... hopeful... but saw no saviour coming to rescue him. And then he saw her... still standing, waiting, and he was reminded of the enormity of his predicament.

I don't mean to be negative... but I don't think that is accomplishing anything...

Her appearance was disheveled, however, she was quietly spoken and didn't look perturbed in the least. Todd could not understand why she wasn't as freaked out as he was!

His eyes were once again drawn to her beauty; her wet clothing clinging tightly to and accentuating her shape. He averted his eyes quickly, catching her catching him, staring. Noticing that she was starting to shiver, he made an awkward attempt to engage and proferred up his warm hoodie, which she accepted gracefully.

Do you have any idea how I got here and why I am still here?

Her eyes flitted around the panorama of the space that they shared, in this small part of the realm, purposely avoiding eye contact while she spoke, as if mindful of his enduring discomfort.

But now, he was confused.

If she didn't know the how or why of being here, how on Earth was he supposed to know?

I... um... I'm not quite sure yet!

He stammered.

... I'm still working on it!

It felt like a dozen thoughts were competing for real estate inside his head, and then one came to the surface and lingered. It occurred to him that if he was to have any chance of restoring things back to their right natural order, he would need to find out as much as he could about her. He stepped back from the table, and walking over to the oasis, beckoned her to follow him, before sitting down at the water's edge.

He picked up a few smooth flat pebbles and skimmed them, one by one, across the surface of the pool. He counted... three skips, five skips, seven, nine... Skipping stones helped him to calm down; it enabled him to think.

What's the last thing you remember before arriving here?

He inquired gently.

Dangling her feet beside his, just above the water, she chewed the corner of her lower lip, glancing at him sideways.

He seemed to have a plan. She liked that.

I remember falling... falling backward into the water. It felt peaceful, intentional. My eyes were open. The light scattered above my head and I found myself fully immersed in the moment. And then I closed my eyes... and the light was still there, warm, welcoming, inviting... it felt like it was guiding me somewhere... and so I allowed myself to follow. And then... then I was opening my eyes in a field of wildflowers, whose beauty and presence took my breath away. And a little butterfly landed on my hand, a precious spirit, and just sat there watching me... a mix of curiosity and adoration.

He hadn't said a word. Not interrupted her once, and appeared to be deep in thought. She wondered if something had struck a note with him.