Chapter 10

Welcome back, readers! I know I left you with quite the cliffhanger in the last chapter, so I tried to get this one out pretty quickly. Just so you know, this chapter is very light on sex, being more focused on story development from the aforementioned cliffhanger. Please enjoy!

Ch. 10 song titles

For Unto Us a Child is Born (Handel)

An Unforgettable Melody Ch. 10

“NO!!!” Melody screamed, scaring herself awake. Gasping and panting, she soon felt Mike’s arms around her.

“Melody! What happened? What’s wrong?” Mike asked, flipping on the lamp.

“Noth ... Nothing. Just a bad dream ... that’s all,” she said.

Looking at her with skepticism, he replied, “That was most definitely not nothing. You’re sweating. And running a fever,” he said, placing his hand on her forehead.

“I ... I don’t know...” she sighed.

“Umm ... I wish to give you a relaxing backrub that will make you calm, healthy, and put your mind at ease,” Mike said after thinking a moment.

Tingle. Flash.

Melody breathed deep, calming herself. Still keeping her wrapped in his arms, Mike could feel her body temperature return to normal and her heartbeat slow. He motioned for her to lie on her stomach, and he began to run his hands and fingers across her naked back. Sitting up on his knees, he began applying more weight and pressure to her milky white skin, eliciting a contented, relaxed purr from Melody. For ten minutes, he worked his hands up and down her back, seeking only to relax her, rather than initiate any sexual activity. At last, she rolled over onto her back with a pleasant look on her face.

“Thank you, Mike. You always know how to spoil me.”

Kissing her lips, he pulled her to sit up on the bed so that they could be face-to-face. “Now, please tell me about this dream.” His voice was firm, yet calm and determined to help her in any way he could.

She took his hands in hers and began to recount the voices she had heard. The angry man’s voice, the reassuring sounds of the elderly man, and the cries of despair from the woman were all still fresh in her mind. Explaining that the dream had ended with a final scream from the woman as Melody had tried and failed to find her and help her, Mike rubbed his chin with his fingers as he pondered the situation.

“So, you couldn’t see the source of the voices at all?” he asked.

Shaking her head, she said, “No, it was nothing but darkness all around me. I could hear where they were coming from, but as I ran toward them, they seemed to fade into the distance.”

“Hmm ... and nothing else at all? No clues about the context of the dream?”

Hesitating, she said, “There was ... one other thing. After the woman’s final scream, I attempted to get back up to go to her. As I did so, I heard another voice, a different woman. She said, ‘This wish is your destiny’. I have no idea what that means though.”

Mike sat in silence for several minutes, considering everything Melody had told him.

“At first, I was thinking that you were right, that all this could just be a random dream. But with that voice you heard at the end, clearly that has to be something related to magic or your jinn origins, don’t you think?”

Nodding, Melody replied, “The more I think about it, the more I realize that you’ve got to be right. Still, there are too many unanswered questions. Is this dream a vision of things to come? Who are the people in the dream?”

“Did any of the voices sound familiar at all?” Mike inquired.

“No, though I suppose that may not mean anything. The mere fact that there was such pain and suffering occurring is alarming in and of itself, no matter who the voices may belong to.”

“So, since this has to be related in some way to magic, what could have triggered it?” Mike wondered. Hesitating as he remembered the events of the previous evening, he asked, “I mean ... it wouldn’t have anything to do with us becoming engaged yesterday ... would it?”

“I suppose anything is possible, but I doubt it,” Melody replied. “I wonder ... do you think the locket might have something to do with it?”

“I thought you said that it no longer possessed any magical qualities?”

“I did, and it doesn’t,” she said, examining the locket in her hand. “Um ... could it has something to do with the engraving?”

“Hmm ... well, you did read the verse it mentions right before bed, although that wasn’t the first time you’ve read that verse, and this never happened before. Had you ever read that other verse before? The one from Isaiah?”

“No, now that you mention it. In fact, I haven’t even touched the Book of Isaiah yet in my research.”

Picking up her Bible from the nightstand, Melody again studied the passage that she had read before bed. She closed her eyes as she read the words in her mind a second time, listening for any potential triggers, yet nothing seemed to be happening. Continuing to read a few passages ahead, Melody listened for any sign of her dream returning, but to no avail. Sighing in frustration, she closed her Bible and slipped on her black robe, unable to go back to sleep in her current state of mind. The couple headed downstairs for a change of scenery, relaxing on the sofa as they continued to ponder Melody’s dream.

“Mike, didn’t you say that the verse I read last night was part of the Messiah, like the song that released me?”

“It is,” he replied. “Hang on a sec.” Pulling his phone out of his gym shorts pocket, he started scrolling through the music he had loaded onto it. “Ok, here we go,” he said as he found the selection.

Walking over to the plugin for the speaker system, the joyous sounds of For Unto Us a Child is Born were soon reverberating through the house. Mike kept a close eye on Melody the entire time, intent on lending any help he could should something supernatural happen. At first, there appeared to be no reaction, but Melody’s eyes soon glazed over, as if she had entered a trance.

Immediately worried, Mike nudged her shoulder. “Melody? You ok?”

“Shh,” she said, stroking his hand with her fingers. He breathed a sigh of relief that she was still conscious, and sat next to her on the sofa, remaining in constant contact with her. Melody’s eyes fluttered closed, as she seemed to concentrate with intensity on something, only opening them again upon the conclusion of the piece.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m ok. But ... I heard them again, the same voices. They were softer this time, more distant and difficult to hear. Still, there was no mistaking those screams.”

“Wow, ok ... clearly this verse and this music has some connection to whatever it is that you’re experiencing. Did you still hear the second woman’s voice at the end?”

“It was faint, but yes, I did.” After a few moments of silence, Melody could hold herself back no more, falling against Mike and sobbing into his chest. “I ... I’m scared, Mike. What if this is something that will happen in the future? What if ... the woman screaming in pain ... turns out to be me?”

Tilting her head up, Mike looked Melody straight in the eyes and said, “It won’t be. Not as long as I’m around. Nothing bad can happen to you if I don’t want it to. Nothing can harm you if I don’t wish it. You yourself said that, remember?” He placed a reassuring kiss on her lips. “Yesterday, I made a commitment. I am committing myself to you. It’s now you and me against the world. Anything that wants to hurt you has to go through me, no matter what. Nothing will ever change that. Understand?”

Nodding in reply, Melody was amazed by his fiery response, knowing full well that he meant every word of it. “Thank you. I love you,” was all she could say.

“I love you too, Melody. And I always will.”

As morning approached, Mike put on a playlist of soothing classical music, helping to quiet Melody’s mind. For the next hour, they spooned together on the sofa, relaxing and making love, never needing to utter a word. As the sun began to peek out from the horizon, the couple climaxed together, experiencing a wave of relief washing over them. Slipping out of her pussy, Mike suggested they get some food to help reenergize them. After dressing themselves, the pair walked to the Waffle House across the street from the townhouse complex for breakfast. Their food helped brighten their moods, and they laughed and joked on the short walk back home. After spending the rest of the day watching movies, swimming in the pool, and lounging on the beach, they slept well through the night, waking up the next day feeling rested and ready for anything life threw at them.

Relaxing on the sofa, Melody picked up her Bible for the first time since her dream. “Mike, I want you to know that I’m not afraid anymore. I know nothing bad will happen to me as long as you’re around. I ... I’m ready. I want to delve into whatever this is. I want to tackle this dream head-on and find out what it means.”

Smiling, Mike replied, “I’m right there with you. Where do you think we should start?”

“To be honest, I think a fresh set of eyes and ears might shed some light on this mystery,” she said. “Would you be willing to experience what I experienced two nights ago? My powers would allow me to show you.”

“You mean as a fantasy?”

“No, not a true fantasy. This would be ... more akin to instant replay. You would not fall asleep, and would be aware of your surroundings. In essence, you will experience the real world while your eyes are open, but the dream while they are closed.”

Thinking for a moment, he asked, “Is there any potential danger?”

“No,” she replied. “You would be under my constant watch and protection. With your permission, I will monitor your thoughts and emotions so that I can end the vision if it becomes too much for you to handle.”

Taking a deep breath, Mike said, “Ok. Let’s do it.”

The couple sat cross-legged on the sofa, facing each other. Melody placed her hands on Mike’s temples, instructing him to relax and close his eyes. As he did so, the effects of Melody’s dream were revealed, and he heard the voices she described loud and clear. Listening with intent, he worked to distinguish the different people she mentioned. He heard the words of anger, followed by the words of encouragement, the cries of anguish, and finally the mysterious woman at the end of the dream. Opening his eyes, Mike drew Melody close, embracing her with all the love and support he could muster.

“I’m so sorry you went through all that,” he whispered.

She said nothing, but smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

“Ok, my thoughts ... I could distinguish the voices you described. None of them sounded familiar, though, and I think it’s clear that the woman’s screams are not yours. Call it gut instinct, but I’m positive that wasn’t you screaming,” Mike explained.

“I’m glad you think so. Listening to it again, I don’t believe the angry man’s voice was yours, which was one of my initial fears, so that’s of some relief.”

“Agreed,” he said. “One other thing ... the woman’s voice at the end of the dream, it sounded ... somehow familiar. I couldn’t tell from where, but I can’t shake this feeling that I’ve heard her voice somewhere before. Can you play back that part once more?”

“Sure,” she said. Placing her hands back on Mike’s temples again, they both heard the mysterious voice in their minds.

“Hmm ... this wish is your destiny ... any idea what it could mean?” Mike mused.

“No clue. I suppose it could refer to a wish I may grant one day, or even a wish I’ve already granted. There’s no real way of knowing right now...”

Continuing to ponder, Mike thought aloud, “I still can’t figure out what connection all this has to Isaiah. Clearly that was the trigger, but why?”

Seeming to hit a brick wall, the couple left their thoughts on the matter for a while, relaxing out at the pool through the rest of the morning. After finishing off the last of the pizza for lunch, curiosity once again crept into Melody’s mind. Deciding to read the entire book of Isaiah from start to finish, she collected her Bible and stretched out on the sofa. She read methodically, paying close attention to every word on the pages. By midafternoon, she had finished, and closed her eyes to try and piece together any possible connections. She had occasionally heard the voices again as she read, as faint as they had appeared from the music yesterday, but was still unable to draw any conclusions from her studies. Sensing her growing frustration, Mike sat next to her and rubbed her shoulders.

“Take a break. Don’t think about it the rest of the day. It won’t do anything but make you more frustrated, and that won’t solve anything.”

Sighing, she replied, “I guess so. Sorry I’m so obsessed, I just feel like I have to figure this out.”

“You will, give it time,” he reassured her. “I actually had an idea that might help us on this.”

“Really?”

“Yep,” he said smiling. “It started when I called Ashley, asking her to officiate our wedding. There’s nobody I’d rather have marry us than her, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Definitely,” she replied, her eyes lighting up.

“After I hung up with her, I remembered what you said about being able to trust her with your true nature. She might be able to shed some light on this situation, that is, after she gets over the shock of my marrying a genie,” he said, eliciting a giggle from Melody. “My thought is that, before she marries us, we would go through premarital counseling sessions with her, which is standard for any engaged couple. After all, she also has a job to do, in knowing that the people she’s marrying are doing so for the right reasons. I’m thinking that those counseling sessions would also serve as a prime opportunity for us to delve into your dreams with her. What do you say?”

Smiling, she said, “You think of everything.”

Mike spent the next several minutes texting with Ashley, setting up the counseling sessions and informing her that the couple wanted to talk about something important with her in confidence. They spent the rest of their last day on vacation lounging in bed, watching movies and fooling around at every opportunity. After wearing themselves out from their multiple orgasms, the pair turned in for an early bedtime before beginning their trip home bright and early the next day.

Ashley entered her office that afternoon in quite a good mood. One week previous, Mike and Melody had called her to announce their engagement, and asked her to perform the ceremony. Naturally, she was ecstatic at being able to marry her childhood friend, but even more so that he had finally found the perfect girl for him.