Chapter 1: Out Of The Blue

I opened my eyes and tried to take in my surroundings. When my vision cleared, I could tell I was in a hospital bed and could see wires and tubes attached to my body. A blood pressure cuff was wrapped around one arm. Much of my body, including my head, was covered in bandages.

I saw a fairly attractive blonde nurse at the station next to my bed. She looked down at me when she finished typing on her keyboard and saw I was awake.

“Mr. Drake, can you hear me?” she asked. I tried to talk but couldn’t since there was something in my throat. So I simply nodded my head. “Hang on, I’ll go get the doctor.”

Right, I thought as I watched her sway to the door. Like I’m actually going to go anywhere. I heard her call out.

“Dr. Simpson! Mr. Drake is waking up,” she said. That’s me, by the way – Cameron Drake. “Cam” to my friends and family, including the treacherous slut, Ginger, my soon-to-be ex-wife. An older man in medical garb appeared at the door and looked at me before coming in.

“Ah, Mr. Drake, good to see you back with us,” he said with a smile. “Don’t try to talk, there’s a tube in your throat. I’m Dr. Simpson, and I’ve been assigned to your case. Relax for a moment, okay? I’m just going to examine you for a bit, then we’ll see about getting that tube out of you.” He looked me over for a while and consulted my chart.

Then he unwrapped some of the bandages and examined the skin underneath. He smiled as he nodded his head.

“You seem to be recovering faster than I would have expected,” he said. “Let’s go ahead and get that tube out of your throat.” He and the nurse worked for a while and pulled the long tube out of me. I was surprised when I saw how long the thing was. They also removed the catheter and the feeding tube. I felt tremendous relief when they were out and I tried to talk, but my mouth and throat were very dry.

The nurse, whose name tag read, “Judy,” gave me an ice chip to suck on and I eagerly accepted it. When it had melted I looked at her and she gave me another with a smile. Eventually, my throat had sufficiently moistened to the point that I could actually speak.

“How long?” I asked. “What happened?” Dr. Simpson took a seat next to my bed and consulted his chart before speaking.

“You’re currently at Mercy General Hospital, Mr. Drake,” he said. “You’ve been with us for the last four days.”

“Four days?” I asked, shocked.

“Yes,” he said. “According to witnesses, you were struck by some kind of lightning. Strange thing, though, since there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. You were unconscious when the paramedics brought you in. You had severe burns over most of your body. We weren’t sure you were going to make it. Frankly, I’d say your recovery to this point has far exceeded our expectations. If I were a religious man, I’d say it was almost miraculous.”

“Does my wife know?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “She came by once, stayed for a few minutes. Just long enough for me to tell her your condition.” Of course, I thought to myself. “She hasn’t been back. But you’ve had lots of other visitors – friends, co-workers, parents.”

“How long will I be here?” I asked.

“That depends on you,” he said. “If your recovery continues as it has been, I’d say a day, maybe two.” I nodded my head. “Are you up for a real meal?”

“Yes,” I told him.

“Alright, I’ll have Judy get you a menu and you can order something. In the meantime, relax and just take it easy. After you’ve had something to eat, Judy will take you for a walk if you’re up to it. Any questions?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. He turned to Judy before speaking.

“Why don’t you change his dressings and get him a menu,” he said, standing up. “I’ll check in on you later today, Mr. Drake,” he said before he left.

“I’ll be back in about 15 or 20 minutes,” Judy said. I nodded my head and watched her leave. While she was gone, my thoughts turned to my life and the state of my five-year marriage to Ginger.

Let me start by saying that I’m basically your average “Joe.” I graduated from high school and went straight to college. I never played sports in school, never took martial arts and never spent a day in uniform. I’m one of those guys you can look at but not really see, if you know what I mean.

I met Ginger in college. I won’t bore you with all the details of our courtship. We dated for a couple years, fell in love, then got married after we graduated. She got her business degree and went to work for a large financial services firm in town.

I got my degree in information technology – read, computers and networks – and went to work for Apex Tech Solutions, a large IT firm headquartered in my hometown. I started as a field service engineer and worked my way up the ladder. I now supervise other techs and oversee installations and upgrades. The money is good and the benefits are fantastic.

Ginger and I held off on having children, and I’m now glad we did. We currently live in a nice two-bedroom condo, and had talked about buying a larger place so we could start our family. That’s about as far as it went, though.

I may be just your average guy, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. Over the last few months, I’ve noticed some changes in Ginger. She’s been spending more time at work, plus going out with “the girls” two or even three times a week, not getting home until midnight or later, reeking of booze, cigarette smoke and sometimes other things I didn’t even want to contemplate at the time.

We normally have sex four or five times a week, but lately, that’s dropped off. It seems she’s been having a lot of “headaches” these days. And her attitude has changed a bit. She used to be bubbly, fun and playful, but lately, she’s been more than just a bit short-tempered and snippy with me.

On top of that, she’s been starting arguments over practically nothing. The end result is no sex. At least for me. Now, we’re little more than room mates, and not even close ones at that.

I began to wonder if she was having an affair. I thought about confronting her, but the way she’s been lately, I knew it would cause the mother of all fights. So I started watching her as close as I could. I knew I would need proof if I was to confront her, so I considered hiring a private investigator.

That was when I found out how much it would cost me. Sure, Ginger and I made fairly decent money, but you could have knocked me over with a feather when I learned how much a PI would cost. There was no way I could absorb that kind of money.

A co-worker suggested I use an audio recorder to get evidence. He had one he used when he caught his wife cheating on him, so he let me use it. It looks and functions just like a regular ball-point pen, but includes a sound-activated audio recorder. Just charge it up and put it in her purse, he told me. Then hook it up to a USB port and download the audio, Sounds simple, right?

It seemed simple, at least in theory, but Ginger’s purse is something of a black hole. It seems she has a bad habit of cramming stuff in it, and whatever is there ends up getting lost somewhere in the bottom. That’s what happened to the audio recorder.

When I retrieved it from her purse, I found it in the bottom, covered with a bunch of paper and tissue she had crammed in the bag. I could only hope there was nothing communicable on the tissues when I reached inside.

I plugged the recorder into a USB port and listened. There was a lot of background noise, but any actual communication was muffled so bad I couldn’t understand what was being said or by whom. I charged the pen back up and placed it in her purse, hoping I could hear something the next time I listened.

But that didn’t happen. I downloaded the audio every day, but got the same result. I could hear a lot of background noise, and I could tell when she was at a club with “the girls,” but was unable to understand anything that was being said. After two weeks of this, I decided to bite the bullet and hire a PI. But I never got a chance to actually do it.

The next day I was at the intersection of Third and Main Streets in a company truck – a Ford F250 4X4. I looked next to me and saw an extremely sporty car. I didn’t what it was, but it looked foreign and very expensive. It had an open sunroof and I could see right into the car.

Sitting in the passenger seat was Ginger, her short dress hiked up to her waist, exposing her shaved pussy to whomever might want to look. In the driver’s seat was a man I vaguely recognized as someone she worked with, his hand working furiously on her smooth mound.

They didn’t see me, since I had the window up and it was tinted. Besides, she was far too engrossed in what he was doing to care who was next to her. I pulled out my cell phone and grabbed some video before the light turned green. The car sped off and turned left at the next intersection. I continued to my job site, knowing that our marriage was over.

When I got to the client’s building, I called Ginger’s office and spoke to Carla, the receptionist.

“I’m sorry, Cam, but she took some comp time this afternoon,” Carla said. “Said she had some errands to run this afternoon.”

“Okay, thanks, Carla,” I said. “Could you please leave a note and tell her I called?”

“Sure, Cam,” she said. I thanked her and ended the call. I tried calling Ginger’s cell phone, but the call went straight to voicemail. I pulled up my browser and searched for divorce lawyers. I found one and called, making an appointment for the next afternoon. I had plenty of comp time coming, so I made a note to take the afternoon off.

I completed my work at the site and went back to the office, where I told Ryan, my supervisor, what was going on. He had been through a divorce himself, so he gave me the comp time I needed. I grabbed my keys, jumped in my truck and headed home.

Ginger came in about 6:30 and headed to the bedroom with little more than a wave of her hand. I noticed she was wearing a different dress than the one I saw her in earlier. I went into the bedroom and saw that she was changing into one of her club dresses.

“Going out again tonight?” I asked.

“Yeah, just a few of us girls blowing off some steam,” she said. I’m sure that wasn’t all she would be blowing.

“How was your day?” I asked.

“Pretty boring. Stuck in the office all day. You know how it is,” she said. I couldn’t believe the bitch just lied to me.

“Uh huh. I tried calling you earlier.” She stopped for a moment and gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look. Busted! “Carla told me you took the afternoon off. Where were you?”

“I had a few errands to run,” she said, recovering. “I didn’t think I needed to consult you.”

“So you weren’t stuck in the office all day?”

“Alright, you caught me. I was out doing some shopping, okay? Mom’s birthday is coming up and I was looking for a present,” she said, irritation in her voice. Another lie. I knew her mother’s birthday wasn’t for another five months. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish getting ready. The girls are expecting me.”

“You plan to be home at a decent hour?”

“I’ll be home when I get home. Assuming I decide to come home at all,” she said in a snippy tone of voice. “Who knows, I just might meet a guy and spend the night getting my brains fucked out,” she added sarcastically.

“Well, if you do, don’t bother coming back,” I told her. “Just send me a text so I’ll know where to have you served with divorce papers. I’ll have your crap out in the front yard.” That seemed to get her attention. She looked at me, her face red. After a few moments, she cooled off and tried to smooth-talk her way back into my good graces.

“I’m sorry, Cam, I shouldn’t have said that,” she told me. “I’ve just been under a lot of stress lately. I’ll be home at a decent hour, promise. Now, no more talk about divorce, okay?” I said nothing, but nodded my head. She smiled and kissed me on the cheek. “Maybe this weekend we can go out and do something special, just the two of us. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, it would,” I said. “It’s been a while since we’ve had any fun together. I was beginning to think you were getting ready to trade me in for a newer, richer model.”

“I would never do that,” she said. “You mean too much to me. Besides, I’m just getting you broken in good.” I chuckled at that, but still, I was seething inside after what I saw earlier. She finished dressing and headed out, giving me a kiss on the lips.

“Be careful out there,” I told her.

“I will,” she said. To my surprise, she did get home at a fairly decent hour. It was 10:15 when she came in the front door, about two hours earlier than normal. She gave me a hug and a kiss, and I could smell the cigarette smoke and the alcohol on her breath, but nothing else. Not even a hint of cologne. Maybe it was a boring night after all.

She showered, knowing how much I hate the smell of cigarettes, and came to bed. Naked, for a change. She spread her legs and ran a finger through her shaved slit while looking at me with lust in her eyes. I wasn’t one to turn down sex with my wife, especially since it had been a while since we had done anything, but I wasn’t stupid. Besides, after tonight, I didn’t know if we would ever have sex again.

I undressed, my average-sized cock at full mast, and got between her legs. I kissed the inside of her thighs while checking out her wet pussy. I didn’t see or smell anything that suggested she had been with another man, so I decided to take the plunge. Like I said, I may be “average,” but I’m not stupid.

After giving her two orgasms with my tongue, I kissed my way up her body. I had always enjoyed tasting her soft, smooth skin and I wanted to give her a memorable experience. I suckled on her C-cup breasts, flicking her nipples with my tongue. That always got a positive reaction from her and tonight was no exception.

I finally kissed my way up her neck and was looking at her, face to face, my cock poised to penetrate her. She looked up at me with lust in her eyes.

“Fuck me,” she moaned. “Please. No more teasing.” I smiled as I worked my cock inside her and began fucking her, slowly at first. She was just as tight and wet as normal, so I continued as she moaned. I felt my own climax begin, so I picked up the pace, determined to give her the fucking of her life.

“Ahh, ahh, ahh,” she moaned with each thrust. My pace quickened as I worked to fuck her through the mattress. Finally, I exploded inside her, and she screamed out as her orgasm hit. I felt her pussy clench around my cock as I shot my seed into her. After we calmed down, I laid in the bed next to her. She turned to me and put an arm over my chest.

“I’m sorry about what I said earlier,” she told me quietly. “It was mean, cruel and uncalled for. Can you forgive me?” Her tone of voice indicated she was serious, but I still had a hard time reconciling her lies and her actions in her co-worker’s car.

“I can,” I told her.

“You do know I love you, right?” she asked.

“So you say. But I’ve begun to wonder about that lately,” I said. Her eyes fell for a moment, but then she looked back up at me.

“I do love you,” she said. “I know I’ve been a real bitch to you lately, and I’m sorry. Things have been real stressful at work.”

“I understand that, but I wish you would’ve talked to me,” I said. “I was beginning to think you’d maybe found someone else and was getting ready to trade up.”

“No, of course not,” she said. “And you’re right, I should’ve talked to you. You do still love me, don’t you?”

“Of course,” I said. “If I didn’t, I would’ve been gone a long time ago. Tell me, honestly, have you ever cheated on me?” She looked at me, shocked.

“No, never,” she said.

“I hope not, because that’s the one thing I won’t stand for. Have you ever let another man touch you where he shouldn’t?”

“I’ve danced with a few guys on the nights I go out with the girls, but that’s it,” she said. I couldn’t believe she just lied to my face – again. I thought about confronting her with the pictures on my phone, but decided not to, at least for now.

“I know. I’ve smelled their cologne on you when you got back,” I said.

“Sorry,” she said. “I sometimes forget how sensitive your nose is.”

“That’s alright,” I said. I kissed her on the forehead and thought for a moment. I realized it wouldn’t do any good to press further – she would probably just lie to me. “Why don’t we get some sleep,” I told her. “I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said. “I love you. Don’t ever forget that.”

“And I love you too,” I said, keeping my anger in check. The next day I got hit with even more bad news.

“Basically, you’re screwed no matter what you do,” Drew Henson, the lawyer I had taken off work to see, told me. “This happens to be a no-fault state and the law precludes any mention of adultery.”

“But what if I have proof?” I asked.

“Doesn’t matter. She could screw the entire Third Marine Division on live television and the court would simply ignore it. The bottom line is that you would lose half of everything – all your assets, retirement, savings, everything, would be split in two and she would get it. On top of that, she would get your condo while you get to keep making payments and you would get hit with paying alimony for at least the next two years, unless she remarries. The only thing in your favor is the fact that you have no children, so there’s no child support,” he said.

“What if I just leave?” I asked.

“After a year, she could file for divorce, say you abandoned her, and you’d still lose half of everything. Possibly more, since you left her,” he explained.

“So, I’m royally screwed, aren’t I?”

“Pretty much. That’s why they say divorce is the screwing you get for the screwing you got,” he added with a smile.

“Trying to be a comedian or something?” I asked. He chuckled at that. “So, what do I do?”

“You could just put up with it, at least for now,” he said.

“You mean, be a willing cuckold?” I asked, shocked. “No way. I refuse to do that. I’d rather just leave her and take my chances.”

“There is one alternative,” he said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“We could put together a post-nuptial agreement that spells out what happens if one spouse cheats. If she agrees to it, then you’ll have something you can use in case she strays again. Does that sound agreeable to you?”

“I suppose it’s better than nothing,” I said. “Go ahead and start putting it together.”

“It’ll take me a few days. I’ll be in touch,” he said. I thanked him, left a retainer and headed home, angrier than I was before. It pissed me off to think that she could screw around on me, then effectively rape me financially like that.

Ginger was still at work when I got home, and I really didn’t feel like hanging around the house, so I changed clothes, grabbed my golf clubs and headed to the golf course to take my frustrations out on some golf balls.

I hadn’t been there very long when it happened. I was in the middle of a swing when I was suddenly enveloped in a strange green light. My whole body was in sheer agony. It felt as if every molecule in me was about to fly apart. I don’t even remember falling to the ground. The next thing I knew, I woke up here, in the hospital.

A tap on the door brought me back to reality. I looked up and saw Judy, the nurse, walking into the room, pushing a cart. I looked at the clock and saw she had been gone for nearly a half-hour.

“Sorry I’m running late,” she said. “We’re just a bit short-handed today and I got sidetracked.”

“No problem,” I told her. “I was lost in my own thoughts anyway.” She handed me a menu and I looked it over. Everything looked tasty, and I couldn’t make up my mind so I asked Judy what she recommended.

“The grilled chicken breast is really quite good,” she said. “It also comes with garlic green beans and garlic mashed potatoes.”

“That sounds good,” I said as I picked up the hospital phone to place my order. After I finished, she began changing my bandages.

“You know, everyone is really amazed at how well and how fast you’re healing,” she said as she removed the bandages.

“Thanks,” I said.

“God, what beautiful blue eyes he has. I’ve never seen such piercing blue eyes before,” I heard her say. There was only one problem, though. Her lips never moved. And what does she mean, blue eyes, I asked myself. My eyes are brown.

“What was that about my eyes?” I asked. She looked at me, surprise on her face.

“I ... didn’t say anything about your eyes,” she said. “Oh, my God. I thought about how piercing your eyes are. So ... blue. But I didn’t say anything. At least, not out loud.” I let that sink in for a moment before continuing.

“But my eyes are brown, not blue,” I said. She shook her head.

“Oh no, they’re blue alright. With a tiny gold speck on one side. Here, take a look,” she said, grabbing a small mirror from the counter. She handed it to me and I looked. Sure enough, they were a piercing sky blue and had a tiny gold speck next to the pupil, on the outboard side. What the hell, I asked myself. I handed the mirror back.

“Is my driver’s license here?” I asked her.

“If it’s in your wallet, sure,” she said.

“Can you get it, please?” I asked. She went to the wardrobe and pulled my wallet out of my trousers. I grabbed my license and showed it to her. It clearly indicated the color of my eyes: brown.

“Oh my God,” she said. “I’d better tell Dr. Simpson about this.” By then, my food had arrived, and I was starving, so Judy let the orderly place my meal on the bed tray and left me to eat in peace. I had just finished my pudding when Judy and Dr. Simpson came into the room. He immediately came to my side and looked down at me for a moment.

“Judy told me about your eyes, Mr. Drake. Mind if I take a quick look?” he asked.

“Not at all,” I said. He sat down and flashed his light into my eyes and looked at them carefully. “Is it possible for a person’s eyes to change color?” I asked when he sat back.

“I have heard of cases where eyes have changed hues,” he said. “But I’ve never known anyone to have such a drastic change like yours. And I don’t recall seeing the specks of gold before. I think it would be best if we have a specialist take a look.” I looked and saw Judy had left the room, so I told the doctor how I had heard her thinking about my eyes. He said nothing for a few minutes but a frown crossed his face. I could tell what he was thinking.

“I assure you, doc, I’m not making this up and I certainly don’t want attention. I just want to get back to my life,” I said. He seemed a bit shocked when I repeated his unspoken concerns back to him.

“Alright, Mr. Drake,” he said. “You had a pretty unnerving experience and your brain has absorbed a great deal of energy. I’ll schedule some tests tomorrow and have someone speak with you about this ... phenomenon.”

“Thank you, Dr. Simpson,” I said as he stood up. Judy came in as the doctor left the room.

“Do you need anything before I head out for the day?” she asked.

“I was wondering if anyone called my wife to let her know I’m awake,” I said.

“Yes, I called her earlier. She said she would come see you when she could break free,” she said. I could sense the sadness in her voice. And in her mind. This was unnerving, I thought. I nodded my head.

“Thanks,” I said.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said.

“I’ll see you then,” I told her. She smiled before turning away. I tried to watch some television, hoping that Battlestar Gallactica reruns would help take my mind off my problems. They didn’t, however. I ordered dinner and had just finished when I heard a tapping at the door – it was Ginger.

I looked up and got the shock of my life. She looked ... different. It was like looking at one of those 3-D anaglyph pictures where the red and cyan are offset somewhat. I rubbed my eyes, hoping I could focus on her but I couldn’t. I looked at other objects and people, but they appeared normal. What the hell is going on, I asked myself. I tired looking back at her, but it was difficult.

“I heard you woke up, sweetheart,” she said. “I just got off work so I thought I’d stop by and see you before I went home. Are you okay? What’s the matter?”

“It’s my ... eyes,” I said. “They’re playing tricks on me.”

“Your eyes?” she asked. “Oh, my. They’re blue. And they have this strange gold speck in them. How did that happen?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “They’re gonna have a specialist come and check them out.”

Frowning, she came into the room and walked up to the bed. She reached out and touched my arm, and I felt a shock, the kind you get when you touch metal after walking across a carpet. We both jerked back momentarily.

“That was ... shocking,” she said as she held her hand. I looked at her face and tried to focus on her, but it was difficult.

“I guess it’s just residual energy from the lightning strike,” I said. I didn’t know if that was true or not, but it sounded good in my head and I hoped she bought it. She smiled as she looked back at me, but her smile actually revolted me. I felt like I was in the presence of something ... evil.

“What’s wrong, dear?” she asked, concerned. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“Of course,” I said. “They told me you only came by once for a short visit while I was out.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was so upset when I first saw you. You looked pretty bad when they brought you in. You look pretty good now, though.”

“They said I’m healing up faster than they expected.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “How much longer are you going to be in here?”

“I don’t know,” I told her. “Maybe a few more days depending on how well I heal up.”

“Good. That will give me at least another day or two with Chad,” I heard her say. But, like with Judy, her mouth never moved. Was I hearing her thoughts as well? Then she actually spoke.

“That’s good,” she said. “I can’t wait to have you back home. It’s been so lonely without you.” I’ll just bet, I thought.

“So, what have you been doing with yourself?” I asked.

“Oh, not much. Just working, then sitting in front of the television, thinking about you, then going to bed,” she said.

“Sounds pretty boring,” I said.

“Only until Chad comes by. Then we spend the night fucking each other’s brains out,” I heard her say. “God, I can’t wait to get that monster cock of his inside me tonight.” I looked up at her, and saw her mouth had never moved. This is getting scary, I thought.

“It is pretty boring,” she said. “I’m just glad you’re doing better, though.”

“Yeah, I’m doing better,” I said half-heartedly. My body might be healing, but my heart was breaking as I realized what kind of a monster I had married.

“Well, look, I’m going to head on out,” she said.

“You just got here,” I said.

“I’m feeling pretty grungy and I really need a shower,” she said. “Plus, I’m kinda hungry.” I heard more, but her mouth never moved. “And horny as hell. Chad is probably halfway to the house by now.”

“So, you don’t have anything planned? No visitors or anything? Not even another girl’s night out?” I asked. “I figured you’d be out almost every night since I’m not home.” Her face paled for a moment but she recovered quickly.

“No, nothing planned for tonight,” she lied. “I might go out for a bit tomorrow. Of course, I’ll stop by and see you first.”

“Yeah, that might be nice,” I said. “By the way, who’s Chad?” She looked at me, surprised. “I’ve heard you mention him a couple times now.”

“Chad?” she asked. “I ... don’t know. I don’t recall mentioning him. There is a guy at the office named Chad. Chad Wheeler. He’s one of the guys who runs the office.”

“Drives a fancy sports car? One of those European models?”

“I think so. Why?” I heard her say something after that, but her lips never moved. “Does he know about Chad? Oh, shit.” Busted, I thought to myself.

“Nothing. Just wondering,” I said. I heard her breathe a sigh of relief at that. “So, you’ll come by after work tomorrow?”

“Of course,” she said with a smile. “You know I love you, don’t you?”

“So you’ve said,” I told her. She leaned down and gave me a patronizing kiss on the top of my head.

“Well, I’d better get going. See you tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” I told her. I watched as she left the room. My heart was broken, but I wasn’t about to let her get me down. I had a lot to think about. Namely, how to get out of this farce of a marriage with my balls – and as much of my bank account as I could – intact.

I turned the television on and tried to watch, but I just couldn’t get into it. Finally, I turned the television off and fell asleep.

I woke up sometime in the night and heard low whispers in the room. I couldn’t make out what was being said, but I clearly heard two separate voices. It was quite dark, with the only light coming from the equipment next to my bed. I looked around and thought I saw two shadowy figures at the foot of my bed.

“Hello?” I asked quietly. They turned their heads to look at me and I saw two sets of strangely-shaped yellow eyes staring back. I felt a strange chill go up my spine. “Who are you?” I asked. I never got an answer as the figures dissolved into thin air right before me. Startled, I hit the call button. A nurse came in a few seconds later.