Incubus Love

Regrouping

Josey sat up quickly in bed, gasping for air, reaching for Cofer. 

"Josey!" Her mom and dad yelled.

Dr. Keller was sitting with her parents. Her mom looked like she had been crying for days.

"How long was I asleep?"

"It has been 3 days, Josey." The Doctor explained. "You have been in a sleep coma. If you hadn't awakened we were preparing to transfer you to the nearest sleep study center."

"Sleep study center? No! I don't want to go there!" Josey screamed anxiously. “That place makes my skin crawl. The smell. The screams coming from other patients. If someone asked why Nethersigh was so dark and gloomy, I would say all the fear and darkness radiated from that hospital.”

"It's okay Josey. Let's talk about it later on. Are you hungry?" Her father asked in an attempt to diffuse the tension in the room.

"I'm starving, Daddy." Those words brought tears to her eyes. She reached out and wrapped her arms around her father. [I was so hungry in the abyss. I constantly thought when I get out of here I am going to eat everything in the house.]

Josey's dad lead her out of the bed. She gasped with embarrassment when she remembered she only had on panties. When she looked down, she was fully clothed in pajamas.

"Don't worry, honey. Mommy took care of you." her mom said with a reassuring smile.

Josey continued to hold her Dad's arm as they walked to the kitchen. 

She sat at the table and drifted off into her thoughts. 

[As soon as Cofer appeared in the abyss, My hunger immediately subsided. He was all I needed to feel full. Goodness. I can't believe how my body moves on its own around him, even in my dreams. I want to please him. I want to see him make that face again and again.]

"Josey?" her dad called out.

"Yes Dad?" she snapped out of her thoughts. 

Her dad placed some onion soup with toast in front of her. 

"My favorite." Josey smiled and dug in. Her  dad paced like he wanted to talk to her about something.  

"Dad. I think I am falling in love." She said while looking down at her soup.

"Oh really? I think it's time we talk a little about love in our heritage. When you finish eating, meet me in the garden, okay?"

"Okay will do." He  kissed her forehead and walked off towards the garden area.

Josey focused on completing her meal. She was really anxious to find out what he had to say. Soon she left the kitchen and walked towards the back of the house. As she walked by the mirrors in the back hallway, she could see her figure was somehow slightly distorted. She  hurried to open the door to the garden in fear that she had once again fallen asleep. [NO!]

"Honey! What's wrong?" He asked with a concerned look on his face.

"It's nothing. I'm okay. I think. You know dad --" she stopped speaking. She wasn't sure how her next words would sound to her father. [ I couldn't bear to see him sad again.]

"Josey take a seat." He motioned to the gray wicker bench in front of him.

He took a deep breath as if what he had to say had been weighing heavy on his heart for a while.

"Do you know why people hate us?"

Before she could answer he started telling her. 

"The people of Sambofah are considered tempters or temptresses. When we turn 21, we acquire a gift, or a curse, that reflects our carnal desires onto other people. Our desires are strong. Every one of our senses were built for the sole purpose of giving or receiving pleasure of the utmost profound. Our purple eyes glow and the rays act almost like pollen fertilizing the seed of love in the other person's heart. We have many kin who have used this gift to win over love interests, kingdoms, or to create love slaves. Slaves that cannot live without our kin's touch or interactions. When you were asleep, I sensed your gift awakening." her dad became quiet momentarily. Josey looked on  in disbelief.

"But I'm only 20." The words trailed from her lips.

After taking a deep breath he continued, "We are also classified as a different species from humans. Our DNA cannot combine with humans. If there is a baby between a human and a Sambofahn, the baby will be Sambofahn. He will not carry any traits related to the human parent, basically a clone. There is only about 1 % of humans on this planet that have a genetic makeup that can combine with a Sambofahn's. Whoever you choose has a partner will need to be ready to have kids that will never resemble them. Also because we are not humans, any love interest acquired after your awakening is not legal in Nethersigh or anywhere else. There are laws prohibiting us from being with humans after our awakening. My hopes were, since you had not fallen in love, that after you graduated you would go back to Sambofah." 

Josey’s heart felt like it would burst. Tears streamed down her face. 

"So do you think this guy may not like me of his own accord?" she said. Her face flushed with anger and sadness.

"Yes. There is a chance. But there is also a chance it is true love. If you can prove to me before your 21st birthday that this person is the one, then me and your mom will stand firm behind your relationship. It has to be registered as a mutual love before you turn 21, though." He said with a tremble in his voice. 

"I know what I feel for this guy is real. I will try to be patient, though 3 months to realize love, is  cutting things a little close. You think?" She said with a smirk on her face. The tears may have dried up but her pain ran deep. She had to hide it. Cover it in the darkness that also hid her lustful shames. There are so many things that could go wrong. So much to lose in such a short period of time.

Her father waited with bated breath, as if waiting for her to implode. Instead she placed her hand on his cheek,"Dad, don't worry. Things will turn out fine."

He finally exhaled, "You have always been tough. I thought you would hate me." His partial smile was full of sorrow.

"No tears, Dad. I could never hate you." she hugged her father until he felt secure.

"I'm going to head in and try to get some work done. I will leave first." she walked back down the hallway of mirrors. Lost in thought..Or just lost. [How do I figure out if "we"  are real?] 

The walk to her room seemed long. The hallway echoed with her every foot step. Time seemed to slow and pace itself with her every breath. Before long, she unconsciously arrived at the room's entrance.  

Different algorithms raced through her mind. [One has to lead to Cofer loving me].. She tried to shake this want, no,need  for him to be a part of my life. She NEEDED to remove him, if only for one night.

She took out her  portable display. The 3 dimensional images filled her sight in all directions.  She read through her notes, re-read documentation, researched gaps in her hypotheses. [This will be my escape.]