TOUCHED

TOUCHED - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I was already past the ability to speak let alone move of my own will or I would have ripped his hands off of his arms. A prisoner in my own body I’d had no choice but to listen to every word as my breathing slowed and I slipped further into total helplessness. He was nice but he was as lost as I was. It was the nice part I hated most.

Nice people made me want things, things I was not meant to have. I wanted to keep hating him, to rage at the unfairness of it all but I couldn’t. I couldn’t because the feeling of his hand on my neck was like water in the desert. It was so warm and heavy on my skin and without understanding it, my muscles were relaxing.

Within a few more breaths my body was almost still again, only my hands still twitched. With great effort I turned my fallen head to the side, looking him in the eyes, and kind of truce passed between us.

“Maybe there is something to this whole human touch thing after all?” His words were quiet, nervous, as if afraid to break the spell.

“Why do you say that?” My words had a slight slur to them, as if I had been in a deep sleep only moments before. It was still an effort to hold up my head but I refused to take my eyes off of his.

“Results…Has anyone been able to stop it before…for you I mean?”

“No” I whispered. Why would they? I wanted to add.

“Well, do we go all the way? See if they knew something we didn’t? What’s the worst than can happen right?”

“I think this is plenty-” I started to croak.

“I am not the kind of person you need to be afraid of, I swear it. That’s you remember?” He added with a smirk. “I guarantee that I will still fear and loathe you in the morning.”

I hesitated a moment longer, considering my options before nodding my permission. I had none. I closed my eyes to hide my humiliation as he pulled my useless body over until I was lying with my head in his lap. I made a feeble attempt to unbutton the top of my shirt but the muscles in my arm went rigid before I could even undo a single button. Another convulsion pulled at my muscles, quickly sucking me back into my prison.

He waited until my body relaxed again before reaching for the top of my shirt. I instinctively held my breath as I felt his hands tugging at the buttons. I was acutely aware of his breath on my now exposed collar bones, my head in his lap, and tried to think about anything other than the last time I had been this vulnerable. Why couldn’t I just shrivel up and die on command?

Eric finished unbuttoning the top of my shirt, only going just far enough so that his bare palm could rest over my heart. With his other hand back on the back of my neck the effect was almost instantaneous. My eyes popped open in shock as feeling rushed back to my extremities. I gasped deep breaths until my lungs were satisfied again. Without thinking I tried to sit up and failed miserably. I could feel my arms again but they wouldn’t hold me.

“Hold on now.” said Eric, gently pushing me back down. “We don’t know how long this will last. Let’s just sit tight for a little bit. I don’t have anywhere else to be tonight, do you?” Seeming to sense my continued embarrassment he began studying the wall across from us before adding. “I told you about me, how about you introduce yourself now.”

The silence had a different meaning this time.

“I’m Renee Johnson. I grew up in a little town just east of Tahoe…”