Tired of sitting quietly, waiting for some monstrous creature to descend on them from the darkness, Jack rose from his perch at the edge of a small camp. His thoughts went to Nicole, where had she gone, and what did she think she was doing? Hadn’t they had enough excitement for one day? Grabbing his sword, Jack headed in the direction he had seen her disappear. One glance at Hopper and Sarah’s sleeping forms, and he vanished into the shadows. He was determined to find the sexy imp and return her to camp, over his shoulder if necessary. She had been gone for nearly an hour. “Dr. Strong said to stay together,” Jack mumbled under his breath as his foot struck a small rock. It was impossible to predict what could be lurking in the darkness surrounding the camp. Nicole was foolish to assume their adventure would only take place during the daylight hours. Anyone of them could be easily captured in the darkness and spirited away to lead the others on a chase far from their goal. Jack smiled wickedly as a vision came to him of Nicole’s shapely legs sticking out of the jaws of some hideous creature.
His smile vanished. If there were a monster, it would more than likely spit out Nicole’s dead body and challenge him to fight to the death. Another kill, another notch on his bloody sword. If he had to kill, then so be it. Still, he would prefer to slay a dragon than another elf. Their deaths seemed too real.
“I won’t kill another elf,” Jack announced to the darkness. It was only a game, an illusion. The whole idea of this hypnotic adventure was to ensure the experience felt as real as possible. However, the way those elves died was too real, too harsh. It took the fun out of the game. He was not one to revel in the blood and guts of horror movies. He enjoyed the suspense or action, and shapely females always helped the lack of a plot.
Jack forced himself to slow his pace. His eyes searched the darkness spotting a white-faced owl as it took flight deep into the woods. He succumbed to an overwhelming urge to follow the bird and moved silently through the trees tracking its flight. Hearing the sound of rushing water, Jack hesitated, listening for any sign of activity. Jack took deliberate, slow steps toward the water. The small brook was nothing like the pounding falls that had nearly ended his journey earlier. How had Dr. Strong managed to give him such a complete sensation of diving? The feelings of cold water on his skin, the pounding of the falls from beneath the surface were just too real. He’d even felt the pressure change as he swam to the base of the pond. There must be a pool somewhere in the compound. Strong must have led them to it and allowed Jack to dive into the water.
The panic and pain, when his lungs drew in the water, came back to Jack as he breathed in the moist air surrounding the brook. Dr. Strong was no fool. He would not risk a lawsuit by the family of a drowned client. Jack doubted that Dr. Strong could have described the feeling of drowning to someone unless he had experienced it himself. It was highly unlikely that two out of the seven people involved in this adventure would have experienced the terror of drowning and lived to tell about it. Although it was not something that would come up in ordinary conversation, Jack knew, he knew how it felt.
He had nearly died with his father when they were on vacation one summer. The long stretch of white sandy beach seemed so peaceful and safe. His father allowed him to wander too far out into the waves. He was yanked off his feet by a strong undertow and was swept away from the shore. Away from the people, he loved. His father had found him, deep beneath the salty water and pushed him to the surface, away from the pull of the ocean. A lifeguard arrived in time to drag Jack to shore. However, his father never made it back to the surface. Jack had lost him forever.
Jack’s father was his hero, the one who convinced him to make the most of his life before it slipped from his grasp. Perhaps Strong somehow managed to tap into that memory and used it. Was he at this very moment exploring their memories for parallels in which to heighten their adventure?
When the game was over, Jack was going to find out what actually happened. If Dr. Strong took liberties with his psyche, the prestigious psychologist would be the first to know if hypnotically induced battle skills carried over to the real world. Shaking off the barbarian persona that sought to overwhelm him with its angry brutality, Jack adjusted the sword in his belt and continued toward the brook. He spotted movement near a fallen log. His hand went to the hilt of his sword only to relax when he realized it was Nicole.
Sitting quietly, stroking the soft fur on the back of a small fox, the dark elf turned slowly and smiled up at Jack. Entranced by her sparkling smile and seductive green eyes, Jack sat down in the tall grass at her feet. Allowing his eyes to wander, Jack traced the outline of her small leather vest admiring her large breasts and velvet skin. His eyes rose to meet hers, fighting the urge to reach out to feel the softness of her skin. He followed her gaze toward the treetops. A small break in the canopy allowed them a breathtaking view of the star-filled sky. A sense of calm came over Jack as he relaxed on the bank beside her. Following her lead, he removed his boots and sank his feet into the icy water.
“How did you find me?” Nicole asked. Studying his face, she allowed their shoulders to rub against each other.
“I followed an owl.” Jack smiled softly, feeling the exhaustion wash over him. Nicole smiled, her dark eyes twinkling in the pale light. “Who’s your friend?” Jack continued, reaching toward the fox.
Springing from her lap, the small animal scurried off and disappeared into the brush. Nicole’s eyes followed it filled with silent laughter. “I guess he isn’t in a social mood,” she whispered, turning toward him and reaching out to caress his wavy brown hair.
“But you have been, all day.” Jack reached out to take her hand in his. Jack felt the warmth of her palm brush against his ear as Nicole ran her fingers through his hair.
Her eyes met his. Realizing for the first time how deep blue they were. She could easily become lost in those round sapphire pools.
“Have I?” she asked, studying his face.
“I’ve never seen you so... relaxed, so carefree.”
“Carefree, that’s the perfect word for how I feel,” Nicole answered, her hand exploring the contours of his back as she moved down onto the grass beside him. “All the tension and stress I’ve carried with me for so long has vanished. I don’t feel that surging force inside me. I have always felt driven, impatient for what the next step is supposed to be. As if I should be accomplishing something, striving to better myself, to make a difference every moment. I actually can’t remember a time when I wasn’t compelled to be the best at everything. Now, just because I am here, in this world, I am free. Free of my anger, free of my inhibitions, free from the life I’ve worked so hard to build.” Nicole stared up at the stars, shaking her head in wonder. “For the life of me Jack I can’t even remember why I was so driven.” Nicole leaned closer and nuzzled his neck, “Why is that Jack? What is it about Dr. Strong and this imaginary world that has finally allowed me to forget all the crap I insisted on building my life around?”
“Are you so sure Dr. Strong did that?” Jack’s eyes narrowed.
“You think I liberated myself? That I’m taking liberties with my psyche under the mask of this elfin personality?” Nicole smiled at him. “Very deductive, Jack.”
“Not at all Nicole. You think this is some fantastic game where anything goes,” Jack snapped, fighting his attraction to her. Tom was his friend, he could not betray him. “You haven’t escaped from anything. You’re so hyped on turning this into a million dollar investment; you’ve forgotten that we return to reality in a few hours.”
“Relax, Jack.” The corners of her lips turned up in response to his feisty retort softly as she leaned back against the log.
“Reality, Nicole. You remember it. It’s where you’ll have to explain to Tom what you were doing ten seconds ago.”
“Tom was a mistake, Jack. A big one for both of us.” Nicole turned and stared at him. “I wanted him because he was stable, well-educated and had connections in places I couldn’
t reach. He wants me because I’m old money and he needs the prestige.” She gazed into his eyes, her face softening. “But why am I explaining this to you? You had known that before I did.”
“I never said anything...”
“You didn’t have to, Jack. Deep down inside, we both knew.”
The crickets filled the silence between them as they stared into the shadows. The wind rushed over the treetops, bringing with it a dampness that settled over the forest like a cold mist.
“I have liberated myself, Jack,” she finished.
“You’ve always been in control of every aspect of your life. I find it hard to believe you’re lost it now. Dr. Strong may be guiding this journey, but he can’t control every emotion we feel, not for seventy-two hours straight. He has to take a break sometimes. Our sleeping periods would be the perfect time for him to rest. So, the way I figure it, we are on our own for the next hour or so. What we are feeling now are your own emotions, free from his influence.” His eyes met hers. He knew deep in his heart Tom, and Nicole were not in love. There was no spark between them. Yet he found himself shifting further from her, Tom was still his friend.
“I’ve felt different from the moment we arrived here. Maybe it is the elf character or the expectations of the adventure. I don’t know, and I don’t care. I just hope I can carry this back with me.” Nicole closed the distance between them, leaning closer to him. “For the first time in my life, I can relax. I have night vision which allows me to see the animals that roam through the night. My hearing is acute; I can sit and listen, to the crickets, the water, the wind as if I were one of them. It doesn’t matter where I am, what I am doing, I hear them all. But, the most important thing right now is, that I am sitting still, perfectly still. No impatient, wiggling, twitching or tapping. I wish I could stay here, forever.”
Jack’s laughter filled the small clearing silencing the night sounds around them. “You and I have never been in sync. Here you are talking about harmony and contentment, and all I feel is skepticism.” Jack shook his head sadly. “Dr. Strong’s made this seem too real for me. I am having a hard time dealing with all the bloodshed... and your turnabout. I think we are running around the countryside like a band of psychotic killers, slashing and laughing.” Jack’s smile faded as he leaned forward to snatch a small rock from the bubbling water. “I think we’ve lost sight of the real adventure.”
“We’ve reversed roles.” Nicole giggled. She took hold of his shoulder and pushed him down onto the grass as she lay down beside him and glanced up at the stars. “I was the cautious, dedicated leader and you were the carefree adventurer. Now I am rushing into unknown encounters, throwing caution aside and you are the one hollering for us to stay on target. “
Jack sighed, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt and ruin the adventure. If you and Hopper keep running off...”
“Okay, no more charging into the face of danger unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Nicole agreed.
Chuckling at her daughterly tone, Jack conceded and changed the subject. “Do you realize this is the first conversation we’ve had without arguing?”
“You mean without insulting each other,” Nicole corrected, grinning back at him in the darkness.
“I’ve never insulted you,” Jack whispered, rolling onto his side and looking into her dark green eyes.
Nicole’s heart raced. There was more than mere lust in his eyes. “You’re right, I guess. I have a habit of considering whatever you say to be an insult because your comments are always so close to the mark. I am here to invest.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I know.” Nicole ran her fingers down his bare sculptured arm. “Do you think we can be friends when we get back to reality?”
“What are you going to tell Tom?”
“The truth, not like the last time. When you kissed me that night, I convinced myself it was because you were drunk.”
“Then I think we might have a chance.” Jack grinned.
Nicole’s eyes fell to the ground. “I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with.”
“Well, that’s certainly true.” Jack winked, and placed his hand on her hip.
She glanced up at him, searching his eyes, “I think people should stop whining about their lives and get to work making their life into what they want it to be.”
“Instead of treating your life like a big vacation,” Jack cut in.
Nicole sighed and sat up. “You completely frustrate me, Jack. You have no goals, no direction you just float around the world and enjoy yourself. Your life is completely unstructured. Even so, you’ve always had everything you wanted. You are also careless at times because you have a close group of friends who care deeply about you and are always willing to bail you out of any situation you get yourself into. It infuriates me, and at this moment I have no idea why.”
Jack sat up next to her, staring at her in silence. She had no idea how beautiful she was, or how much he wanted her. How much he’d always wanted her that night at a Christmas party. He drank too much trying to forget how sexy she looked in that burgundy dress. It hugged her body like she’d been poured into it. She’d let her hair hang loosely around her bare shoulders. It was more than Jack could handle. He had to kiss her, just once, no matter what the price.
The pair of adventurers sat quietly on the bank of the narrow brook, listening to the distant cry of the night. A raccoon appeared across the water carrying a small object in its paws. Carefully, it danced across the rocks on the brook toward them. Stopping a few feet away, it surveyed them, then walked up to Nicole, placed the object in her lap and scampered off. Jack reached over, picked up the delicate oval and examined it.
“It’s an egg,” he frowned, glancing up at Nicole.
“Breakfast,” She declared, her eyes sparkling in the darkness.
“You’ll need a few dozen more to make a decent omelet. It’s not big enough to feed a mouse.”
“She was making a gesture of friendship,” the dark-eyed elf explained.
“Have you received many of these gifts?” Jack chuckled, handing Nicole the tiny blue egg.
“The birds bring me flowers.”
“That’s useful.”
Nicole smiled and glanced around, “Look, there through the trees.”
“What?” Jack sat upright, reaching for his sword.
Touching his arm, Nicole added, “It’s the doe that helped us escape.”
Seeing the faint image of a deer in the shadows, Jack relaxed back against the log. The crickets continued their serenade. Nicole pointed out the night creatures as they rushed to fulfill their needs. A sudden flutter caught their attention as the white-faced owl lit on the hollow log behind them.
“That’s my buddy,” Jack pointed out.
The small owl cocked its head to one side and dropped a dead field mouse into Jack’s lap then flew into the darkness.
Jack lifted the small sacrifice up by the tail and waited patiently for Nicole to stop laughing.
“A token of my esteem, My Lady.” He handed her the mouse. Accepting the gift, Nicole tossed it high into the air. The owl swept out from the trees, snatched it up, and disappeared.
She stared at the small predator as it vanished into the darkness; Nicole’s thoughts went to her past personality as an attorney. She turned back to Jack and smiled, softly. She knew why she was angry with him. That night at a Christmas party his eyes sparkled with mischief. His arm brushed against her breasts as he slipped past her to chase a doe-eyed blonde. Nicole found it difficult to concentrate on business each time Jack’s boisterous laugh rang through the room. Yet, while Tom was busy making connections, it was Jack that saved her from the District Attorneys advances. He somehow sensed her discomfort when the DA’s arm slipped around her waist. Jack appeared out of nowhere to whisk her onto the dance floor. She couldn’t even remember what light-hearted excuse he used to steal her from her bosses grasp. The trut
h was, Nicole wanted him to kiss her. His infectious smile and quick wit were exactly what she needed, but foolishly had not wanted. She cooed softly, reaching out to caress his bare shoulder. “Did you ever wonder what it would be like to kiss a woodland elf?”
“What?” His eyebrows furrowed and his head tilted with curiosity. He was the one who made the first move that night. He was the one who took the risk and threw all caution aside. Jack could still feel her warm, moist lips on his and the pause of surprise, when she hesitated before pulling away. He would never forget how his heart raced. He didn’t think he could stop at just a kiss this time. Not if she returned his passion.
Nicole whispered, “Woodland elves are sisters to the forest nymphs. Wouldn’t you like to experience the kiss of a magical nymph?”
He searched her eyes, “I’m not sure what you’re asking...”
Nicole leaned against him in the darkness. The wind blew softly, flowing through her long silky hair. It flowed and billowed around him. “The thought has crossed your mind, hasn’t it, Jack?” she whispered, slipping her arms around his muscled waist. “Tell me, Jack.”
“Nicole...” Jack growled, stiffening from her breath on his ear.
“I’ve thought about it, Jack. I never would have admitted it as Nicole Waters. However, here in this world, Nicole Waters doesn’t exist. She’s been replaced by a woodland elf who wants to feel the warmth of your body close to hers.” Nicole nestled against him, brushing her lips across his throat.
“Remember reality, Nicole?” Jack cautioned.
She ignored him and whispered, “Didn’t you wonder, just once what it would be like to make love to me, Jack?”
Jack grabbed Nicole’s arms by the wrists and pushed her back from him. “Reality,” he growled.
“I haven’t forgotten it, Jack.” She met his angry gaze, “It’s over with Tom. I’m done pretending.”
Jack’s arms surrounded her as he pulled her against him.
An uncontrollable shiver ran through Nicole’s small form. They fell back onto the grass clinging to one another. Jack’s lips traced the outline of her throat moving down to the softness of her breasts as he unbuttoned her vest. Nicole arched her back and pulled him closer.
“Stay with me tonight, Jack,” she whispered, breathlessly.
Jack gazed into her eyes as he brushed a strand of ebony hair from her cheek and whispered, “I’m not going anywhere.”