Incubus Love

Fulfillment

    Five days had passed since the garden tea party. The eleventh day without Cofer was coming to an end. Josey was  at a point in her life where she counted her days based on whether Cofer was within or outside of her reach. She had not seen him since that day. Her bonds with her colleagues were growing stronger. While their daily routine remained the same, she now had five people to walk and talk with. Lizah, Crema, and Solvain [of all people] had joined their daily regimen. Solvain was the Grand Duke of Lichter. Since he was still young and learning the ropes, there was a counsel that did most of the work in his stead. One day though, Josey wouldn’t be able to be within 100 yards of him, without written permission. Even now, his body was protected by re-dime particles that made his skin able to repel any enemy. So he feared nothing or anyone for that matter. Solvain was also quite handsome. Many of the ladies on campus swooned over him constantly, so Josey had to be ready to move around at a moment's notice. Josey believed the attraction to him lied within his light gray eyes. They looked like they held many grand secrets. Secrets that would require one to stop existing upon hearing them. Josey might have been the only person that saw it. While he treated her kindly, her heart was unsteady around him. Crema and Lizah had introduced Josey to "girl talk". Their obsession with boys and holding hands had taught her how the people of Nethersigh perceived love and romance. “If they knew what I have already done, they would probably die from excessive blushing.” Josey giggled at the thought.

   Her walk home had been permeating with thoughts of her new found friendships. Even though she was not sure how real they were, she wanted to believe in them. 

 The feeling of being followed snatched her out of her thoughts. "Who's there??" Josey snapped back at the shadows.

[I wish I hadn't waited so late to leave the campus.] The Duchess had asked Josey to stay and chat with her while she waited for her chauffeur. Fear prompted Josey to increase her pace. She could feel something strange happening. The moment she felt like she was in danger, Josey could scream for a para-dime assist. The assistant would  generate in order to alter the dimension of  the criminal; subsequently removing her from harm's way. Para-dime assistants also gauged the level of criminal intent and passed judgement. It was rare to need that type of assistance in Nethersigh. In fact, using it was newsworthy. Josey’s face and her story would be plastered all over dimensional devices before she reached her door steps. [Whatever is following me, please don't be real] 

Her home soon came into view. When she stepped onto the first step, she could feel a hand grabbing her ankle. Josey quickly looked down. “A shadow shaped like a hand? When did I fall asleep? What the hell!”, Josey  quickly shook the hand loose from her leg and ran into the house. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she fell to the ground, continuously pinching herself. "This isn't real. This isn't real." she frantically repeated to herself. 

She felt a hand grab her shoulder."Josey! What's wrong?" said her dad.

"Are you real? I am not dreaming right?" Josey could see the fear and sadness forming on his face. 

"I'm real honey. You are not dreaming. Do you remember your focal point?" her dad asked.

"Yes. yes. okay. okay" she felt like her lungs would collapse from the stress. Dr. Keller said that she should think of something in the real world that made her not only happy but made her want to exist. If she thought  of that one thing and it appeared then she was dreaming. Cofer was her focal point. She steadied her breathing as much as she  could and closed her eyes. Cofer's image came easily to her. He was all that she yearned for those days. When she opened her eyes, only her dad stood before her.

"Are you dreaming, Josey?" He asked to check her faculties.

"No I am not." she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Dad. I must be suffering from lack of sleep" her words did not put his worried face at ease.

"How long has it been since you last slept?"

"Maybe 4 days? Nights have been quickly becoming mornings. I just don't know, Daddy." her voice trembled as she tried to hold in her tears. She didn't want to sleep. Josey didn't want to go to a world that seemed to be eating at her soul like a drink-less buffet. Bellies full of her despair, yearning and mouths gaping, lips dry, missing the one thing that would make life perfect.

Her dad gathered her tired body from the floor and walked her to her room. 

"You are home early?" Josey wondered. Her parents had not been home in the evening for a month or two.

"Yes. Me and your mom noticed that you have also been skipping meals.And not just one." Her dad looked her over, full of uncertainty. [How did he know I wasn't eating?]

"We also received a medical alert, which prompted us to check for food disposal." 

"I just haven't been feeling up to eating after school, that's all." she proclaimed.

"The medical alert says you have lost 2 lbs over the course of this week. Considering you don't have an ounce of fat on your body..." His words trailed off when they arrived at her room.

"Josey go to sleep. I will watch you until you doze off, okay?"

"Yes Dad. I will get washed..."

"No. Just change into something comfortable and get in the bed." Her dad spoke again more stern than before. "We will have the help come in and do laundry once you wake up."

Once she changed into her night clothes, Josey climbed into bed. Her dad sat at her desk across the room. [I guess he wasn't joking.] Before she could defy him, by pretending to sleep, she was fully immersed in her dreams.

There was no doubt that she was dreaming. The sky looked like it was colored with a gray crayon. The buildings were the same. She could feel the texture of crayon on the buildings. Looking down, she noticed her hands and fingers were made of metal and robots filled the streets of this Nethersigh. She was just like them. They greeted her in their mechanical voices. Josey started to walk towards the old cafe. At the crosswalk, There were two robots that met up with her. It was Leon and Collin. Even though everyone’s robot bodies were identical, men and women alike, she could tell those two were her friends. She greeted them. The sound of her voice shocked her. [I sound like them too] 

Her short greeting caused the two robot Leon and Collin to look at each other.

"Do you require additional fluids?" They asked in sync.

"No I do not. Please let's proceed." she stated.

Josey followed Leon and Collin at a distance like she would in any other public setting.

"Catch up! We are going to be tardy." Collinbot exclaimed. [I can walk next to them?] She quickly caught up to them. No one was watching her. There were no murmurs. No one was shooting glares of daggers at her. She was just like them. [I fit in?] She didn't realize how much she had wanted, no, deeply and utterly desired to "fit" in. This was a first. A dream in which she was happy. She felt full to the brim with sunshine. These crayon colored skies were as beautiful as the sunny painting of Sambofah, hanging in their living area. 

Josey, Collinbot, and Leonbot finally arrived at their destination. It was the small cafe that Josey had seen from afar while walking to school. When they walked in, they were greeted by Lizahbot, Cremabot, and Solvainbot.

They sat at the table and ordered different grades of oil. They talked about school and challenges, even family. Deep within Josey, she could feel a burning desire, like there was a sun seeking to be released from her chest. Looking at these identical bodies with these slightly varying faces accepting her into their world, into their lives, brought her immeasurable pleasure. 

"Different!!!" Josey was pulled from her happy place by a passing robot.

Her table of friends turned towards her all at once. 

"Why are you different?" Solvainbot asked. 

"Different? I am not different. I am just like you." she stated quickly. 

"You have a glowing function, that is not a part of your factory settings." Lizahbot stated.

"Different! Different!" Collinbot started to yell.

All of her friends stood up and moved away from her. They stood with the mob of robots in the cafe, yelling "Different! Different!" Over and over again.

Josey got up from the table terrified. As she reached the door an unknown robot grabbed her. "We must take her a part and remove the virus" the robot stated. [Take me a part? What?]

Before she could rebuke the statement her left arm was ripped from its socket. The shock wave of pain reverberated throughout her body. Josey fell to her knees unable to scream, with fluid fluttering in the air. Then her right arm was torn from her without one care for the pain they were putting her through. [Please stop!]

The mob was pulling her apart in a frenzy to reconcile her differences. After they removed and examined her ear. She could no longer feel or keep her eyes open. The pain of being torn apart and the pain of losing all of her friends, tossed her raggedly into a pit of bottomless despair.

In the struggle to exist happily among the people of this Nethersigh, she had forgotten who she was. [Maybe I am forgettable…...Cofer...]