Chapter 7

It was just after 1:40 PM when Jim and Cindy returned from his car to their grass picnic area by the sound barrier. "I checked the batteries." Jim commented. "They're 80% charged now. At least the magic is still with us."

"Uh huh..." Cindy said idly. She was carrying her flute from the car, and she walked over and sat down on the picnic blanket, taking off her sneakers and socks. She lifted her head up and gazed at the white clouds above her. The weather was delightfully cool, 53F, very unusual for a sunny August afternoon in Nebraska. But the cool weather went almost unnoticed as they pondered their situation.

Jim looked down at Cindy and thought she looked stunningly beautiful, curling her bare calves and feet around her as she sat. Jim took off his shoes and socks and joined Cindy being barefoot, and lay down on the blanket to join her watching the clouds. His head was on the blanket just touching the sides of her hip and thigh through her skirt. Cindy looked down and smiled at him for a moment, and lightly caressed the side of his head, holding it to her body. The time passed quietly.

Jim closed his eyes and rested, thinking of their situation. After a while he heard Cindy open her flute case, and a moment afterwards sweet music began to fill the Freeway. Jim was enchanted with the quality and artistry of her play, and sighed heavily when it ended. "That was Debussey, wasn't it? The Girl with Flaxen Hair..."

"Yes... It's one of my favorites. La fille aux cheveux de lin... A perfect piece for an alto flute... It would sound even better with the piano..."

Jim laughed. "It was so beautiful just as you played it..." He rubbed his head against her thigh and lightly kissed her hip though the plaid skirt.

Cindy giggled and lay down beside him and snuggled, lightly stroking his bare foot with hers, and laying her arm across his chest. In the cool of the afternoon breeze, the warmth of their bodies felt delightful to each other. They shared a brief kiss, and then Cindy rested her head, using Jim's arm as a pillow.

Eventually Cindy sighed and her thoughts returned to their predicament. "Even with full batteries, I don't think we should go anywhere."

Jim had been delightfully drifting in the warmth and feel of Cindy's body. He opened his eyes and considered. "Yeah. If nothing happens for a few days, we might want to rethink this, but for now, yeah..."

Jim had one arm under her head and the other under her breasts and around her shoulders, cuddling with her. Cindy's hand came up and reached for his. They stared into each other's eyes, both of them enjoying the peacefulness and tenderness of the moment. Cindy moved her hand down holding Jim's hand until it was centered low on her stomach. Then she sighed and closed her eyes, an expectant smile on her face.

Jim was lying on his side, holding Cindy in his arms, his hand held between her hand and her stomach. Gazing at her, he began to pet her, light lazy circles around her stomach and ribs. Cindy sighed and pressed her body closer to him. His hand found her rib cage and he held her firmly. Cindy cooed and turned her head and with both their eyes closed they shared a kiss that seemed to last forever. Jim could feel the beat of Cindy's young heart in the palm of his hand.

Jim broke the kiss and looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed and she was still smiling in expectation. His hand drifted up. Cindy's body shuddered but she kept still as his hand slowly surrounded her breast. It was so soft and warm to the touch, filled with magic and mystery. He had a brief pang of worry that he might be pushing things too fast, but Cindy only shivered and nodded her head as his hand caressed from one breast to the other. Cindy leaned up and soon they were kissing again. Jim's hand drifted down and rested on the soft fabric of her skirt over her hipbone, holding her body closely to his. The quiet moment seemed to linger forever.

Eventually Cindy broke the kiss and opened her eyes. "I feel so peaceful... Peaceful and excited and relaxed and eager... all at the same time. I had no idea... being aroused... wanting you... wanting to hold you so fiercely... I had no idea how peaceful it would be... I had no idea... how strong the feelings would be... how much I would want you..." Cindy gasped as she whispered, "want you inside me..."

Jim opened his eyes and gazed at her in love. "Cindy..." he whispered. He was almost crying tears and the words just wouldn't come.

"Hush. I know. It's okay..." Cindy smiled and sat up and petted his head for a moment. "You know, the all-powerful monsters could probably be making this a lot more painful for us... Jim?"

Jim smiled at Cindy and curled his arm around her butt as she sat, his open hand pressing against her bare outer thigh just below where the skirt ended. "Hmm? Yeah?"

"I can sort of see your point, about wanting to believe that the monsters don't exist. I'm not being forced to love you. My affections for you, my desires... They're all real, all internal... I think..." Cindy took a deep breath and then blew the air from her cheeks. "But, how could we ever dream the same dream? You obviously seeing something here that I'm not. You're not suggesting that both of us calling our dream daughter Charlotte is a coincidence, are you?"

"No, I'm not..." Jim paused for a moment, staring upward and watching the clouds, collecting his thoughts. "This may sound wacky, but it's no wackier than assuming aliens are feeding thoughts into our minds. My idea is, what if our ids are communicating with each other while we sleep?"

Cindy laughed at the idea. "You mean, like telepathy?!"

"Well, yeah... I guess..."

Cindy just smiled for a moment but then started to consider the idea seriously. "What you're suggesting should be an observable phenomenon. Want to try an experiment?"

"Wow! Spoken like a true physicist! Sure. Want to go first?"

"Okay. I'm thinking of a number between one and a hundred..."

"Yikes..." Jim tried to guess what number Cindy might have picked. He playfully buried his head into her skirt, pushing into the side of her hip. "Uh, thirty-four?"

Cindy laughed and caressed his head. "Ha! Eighty-nine. Try again! I'll kiss you if you're right! Maybe anywhere you want!"

"Wow!" came the muffled reply from inside her skirt. Jim felt he was making a wild guess. "Uh, thirteen?"

Cindy laughed again. "No, thirty-one! Here, why don't you try?"

"Okay." Jim pulled his head from her hip and thought for a second. "I've got a number from one to ten."

Cindy smirked at him. "What a chicken! Only ten possibilities! Let's see... Six? No, maybe seven."

"Well, pick one or the other."

"Seven?"

"Nuts. It was six." Jim sighed. "This isn't very impressive. Let's try something else."

"Okay. Like what?"

"Let's try to read emotions, not abstract concepts like numbers. Think of a scene where you had a lot of emotions."

Cindy nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. For this kind of experiment, let's not be touching each other. Close your eyes. I'll close mine too."

Jim nodded and then let go on his hug on her butt after kissing her. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Wow. My choice seems obvious. Pride and happiness, as if I've just accomplished something tremendous."

"Wow! Great guess! I was thinking of getting my admissions letter, learning I passed the entrance auditions at Julliard. You try something..." A quiet moment passed. "Ouch! Primal fear, mixed in with abandonment. What the hell happened to you?"

"I was with two people who should never have been foster parents. The State social workers found out just in time. I'll tell you about it sometime. It was pretty scary stuff. I was seven at the time..."

"My gosh Jim! What have we just done?!"

"Yeah... Let's keep going."

"Okay. My turn..."

Jim paused for a moment. "Guilt? No... Embarrassment. Embarrassment and anger. I get the impression you were a lot younger too. Pre-teen?"

"Yep! I had just turned eleven. I was being teased at school by a bunch of boys. It was the day I entered puberty, and I had an accident during history class. The boys were merciless. Your turn now..." Cindy laughed. "This one's easy! Sexy desire. Wow! Lots of sexy desire, and then bliss!" She laughed again. "Let me guess, the first time you scored with Susan?"