Chapter 40: Vickie

Friday, May 28, 1971

The morning sky was overcast, I noticed as I started scanning for everyone. I could sense that most of the others were awake and moving around. However, Nicky, Randi, and Jenny were all still asleep where I had left them last night.

Catherine and Liz were talking as Catherine packed her things. Sarah and John were also talking as John packed. Jeff must have been packed because he was sitting on the bed moaning as Debbie worked up and down on his manhood.

“One more for the road!” I thought.

Candy and Mandy were still asleep, and Grace was in the shower. Natalie was dressing and packing a small bag. I hadn’t seen her dressed in a while, and wondered why. Then I remembered they were flying back to attend their graduation.

It took me a moment to find Julie. She was already at the Dining Hall, sitting on the balcony over the water. She was sitting very still, and I finally figured out she was posing. There was a young guy there, focused on drawing her and marveling shyly at her beauty.

“Interesting!” I thought.

I decided to go for a swim instead of running, and so I made my way to the lake, careful to stay as far from the Dining Hall balcony as possible.

I was drying myself off and putting on my shoes when I heard the scream.

Sensing two people, maybe 500 yards to the west, I took off running, scanning as I ran. The scream was originating from the younger of the two, and was continuing almost nonstop. The other, her mother I guessed was trying to quite her.

I ran through the meadow covered with knee high flowers to where they stood rooted, and surveyed the scene. Upon seeing the remains, I immediately scanned for Anna and connected.

“Anna, I’m sorry to disturb you. You need to get a security detail up here as soon as you can. A guest has discovered a dead body!” I reported.

Anna assumed her professional aura and immediately started asking questions.

“Are you safe?”

“Yes.”

“Was anyone else injured?”

“No. The remains look to be older, picked clean by animals I figure, the clothing tattered. The two guests that found the remains are females. Mother and daughter I would guess, and are pretty upset, but unharmed.”

“Okay. I’m calling Security. Where are you?” Anna asked.

“Go west from the Pavilion, about 500 yards, about 50 feet north of the trail that goes towards the warm springs,” I said.

“Okay. I’m on my way,” Anna replied. “Stay there and you can guide us.”

“Okay.”

I was reading the two women as I approached them. Then, explaining that the authorities were on the way, I led them away from their gruesome discovery, back to the trail. I had them sit on an old log as I introduced myself.

The mother introduced herself as Helen Wilson and her daughter as Vickie, from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Helen was an artist and part-time nurse. She had come for the art classes and to check out the institute. Her daughter Vickie, who had just turned nineteen, had agreed to come with her so she wouldn’t have to travel alone. It was also Vickie’s first time at a nude resort.

They had arrived Wednesday for the class, and had decided to take a walk this morning, before breakfast. They had ventured into the field to look at some wildflowers mentioned in yesterday’s class, when they stumbled, literally, across the remains.

Vickie was calmer now, and slightly embarrassed at her nakedness.

“I guess some people take longer to adjust to the nudity than others,” I thought to myself.

Her mother did not seem to have the same problem, as she immediately started recounting the experience of finding the body. I tried to reassure them, especially Vickie, by pushing calming thoughts to her. As I did, I discovered she had an unusual receptivity to my efforts, for she calmed down much faster than anyone I had ever seen before.

“We’re passing the beach,” Anna thought to me.

“Take the fork towards the warm springs. We’re beside the trail. Did you bring someone to help with the women?” I asked.

“I’ll handle it. We left too quickly and I don’t have anyone with me that’s trained,” she thought back.

Meanwhile, Helen babbled on, recounting the tale again. I pushed some more calm to her as I heard Anna’s group approaching. As Anna arrived, she asked out loud, “Which way?”

“About 20 yards,” I said as I pointed. The security team, all in fatigues, headed that way, as Anna remained with the women.

“Anna, this is Helen Wilson from Santa Fe, and her daughter Vickie. Ladies this is Dr. Anna Carter. She is my personal doctor, but if necessary, I might be persuaded to share.”

Helen and Vickie smiled as Helen said, “It’s good to meet you. I don’t know what we would have done if this young man hadn’t come along. It was all very unsettling.”

Anna asked, so Helen retold the story of finding the body. Vickie sat silently on the log. When I scanned her, I did a mental double-take. It seems the young Ms. Wilson was horny!”

“They don’t seem too distraught,” Anna thought to me while Helen went on with the story.

“I know. There’s something weird going on. We probably need to talk about it later,” I thought back to her.

One of the soldiers came back and spoke with Anna, then returned to the squad.

Anna turned to the ladies and said “It appears the remains are quite old, probably a poacher. We’ve had trouble with them in the past. My guess would be he was bitten by a snake and tried to get to the ranch. But it looks like he didn’t make it. The Army will take care of contacting the authorities.”

“That’s awful!” said Helen as she shuddered.

“Well, the Army seems to have things under control, why don’t we head back? Are you okay to walk, or would you prefer I send for transportation?”

“I think we’re fine to walk,” Helen answered, falling in step beside Anna. I waited as Vickie rose from the log and then walked beside her, several paces behind Anna and Helen. Vickie still hadn’t said another word since I had calmed her.

“Michael! Where are you?” came the panic stricken cry. It was Nicky. She had gone looking for me.

“I’m here, Sis,” I thought. “With Anna and two other ladies. We are headed to the Dining Hall, I think. We should be there in five minutes or less. Other than me making you worry again, how are you this morning?”

“You were too good last night! And now I’m sad because I will have to wait while the other girls get their turn. And I’m not sure if I can wait that long!” she thought, laughing. “I’ve got to shower. I’ll meet you down there in a little while. Okay?”

“I love you, Nicky. See you in a few minutes.”

“Me too!” thought Jenny loudly. “I love you too!”

“I love you too, Jenny!” I thought.

“Randi says she loves you too, Michael,” Jenny told me.

“Tell her I love her, too,” I thought to Jenny.

We had rounded the edge of the lake and could see the Dining Hall. Anna and Helen were now ten paces or more ahead of us. So I turned my attention to Vickie, who still hadn’t said anything.

I was just about to ask her how she was enjoying the ranch when...

“Turn for what?” came the thought into my head.

I was so surprised, I stumbled.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you to stumble. It’s just that the one you called Sis said she hated to wait for her turn, and I was wondering what she liked so much, she hated waiting for it again.”

“You could hear that?” I thought to Vickie.

“Obviously. I’ve heard everything since you wondered about me adjusting to the nudity,” Vickie replied. “And what makes you feel something is weird?”

“Is this the first time you’ve done this?” I thought to her.

“Ever since I was little, I could tell what people were feeling. Sometimes, I thought I could hear what they were thinking. But when I told my mom, she kept taking me to doctors and psychiatrists. Finally, I told her I couldn’t hear them anymore. I didn’t like her thinking I was crazy. I eventually figured out how to block them out, but I have to be concentrating to do it. I guess seeing that man’s body shook me up, because when you started doing it, I could hear you. It was very clear. I became really fascinated when I realized you were actually using it to talk to someone all the way back at the ranch. Then the others were using it to talk to you too. I want to learn how to do that too. Will you teach me?”

I thought for a moment, being very careful to shield my thoughts as the Old One had taught me. Finally, I asked her if I could scan her.

“Scan me?” she asked.“Will it hurt?”

“No. But it will allow me to know if you’re telling me everything,” I thought to her.

“You think I’m lying? About this?” she suddenly became scared.

“No, Vickie. But if you want me to teach you, I need to know as much as I can about your ability.”

“Uh ... okay,” she said. “And you’re sure it won’t hurt?”

“Positive. But if you feel uncomfortable, you can step away from me,” I thought with a smile.

Stopping on the beach within sight of the Dining Hall, I took both her hands in mine. Anna and Helen were on the porch when they turned to look at us. Helen was telling Anna that I must really be a special young man, because it was the first time she had ever seen Vickie holding hands with a boy.

“You have no idea just how special he is,” Anna told Helen as they went inside.

Meanwhile, I scanned Vickie.

Vickie Wilson was an amazing and complex young lady. I sensed an above average intelligence and a very submissive nature. Without any assistance, she had learned a primitive way to ‘block’ other people’s emotions. But she had never developed her ability.

She found some security in doing as her mother wished, but she also had hormones that had been raging for years with no outlet. I suspected she was a late bloomer, and very shy around strangers. It had taken every ounce of courage she had to let me know she had heard me. She felt like a bird in a cage, in that no one understood what she was able to feel when she felt the emotions of those around her. She felt trapped and alone, and wanted her freedom. Yet, she was scared to venture out without the protection of someone who loved her. And although she had graduated high school with above average grades, she never went to college. Instead, she worked as a teller in a neighborhood bank.

“You,” I said out loud to her, “are one amazing young lady! I do not think I would have been able to make it like you have. I mean without friends and family to help me.”

“Your family knows?” she asked with amazement. “Are they ... like this too?”

“It’s called being empathic. And you and I are called Empaths,” I explained. “It means we have the ability to sense what others are feeling. If there are thoughts attached to those feelings, we can usually sense them too. I have heard some things about others that might have this gift, but you are the first one I’ve met. Up until last week when I woke up, I wasn’t like this according to my family. And no, none of them are Empaths. They just use my abilities to communicate with me.

“What do you mean, you woke up?” Vickie asked.

“I was in a coma, from a car accident. When I woke up last week, I could do all these things I couldn’t do before. I’ve been like this for less than two weeks. I also have amnesia and can’t remember what happened before the accident. If you’d like, I’ll share what memories I have, with you,” I offered.

“You can do that?” she asked.

“Watch,” I said as I replayed my memory of waking up. Then several scenes from the hospital, and the part about the Russians, and bits of each of my family.

“Wow!” she said. “They must really love you.”

“Why don’t you come eat breakfast with us and find out for yourself,” I suggested. “But I’ll warn you. The girls can be pretty risqué at times.”

“That sounds like fun!” she laughed.

Her laughter fell on my ears like tiny drops of heaven on my heart.

“Danger! Will Robinson. Danger!” echoed in my suddenly empty brain as my common sense seemed to fly out the window when she laughed.

“Oh! I liked that show. What is it called?” she said merrily. “Oh yeah, ‘Lost in Space’. I love the Robot!”

I grinned like a lost puppy finding its way home.

“I’m not going to be able to hide anything from this one either!” I thought.

“No. I don’t suppose you will!” she thought, grinning.

Helen was already seated with Catherine, Liz, and Anna. Her breakfast was growing cold as she was retelling the events of the morning to Catherine and Liz and Anna as we approached. I could already tell it had grown in epic proportions as to my contribution. Nonetheless, I decided to suck it up, knowing that I would be ribbed about it later, when the girls found out.

I stood by their table, and waited on Helen to finish. Then before they could say anything, I said, “Grandmother, Aunt Liz. This is Vickie Wilson. Vickie, this is my Grandmother, Catherine Wagner, and her sister, Elizabeth Randall. You’ve already met Doctor Carter.