I did manage to convince them that I am right about them having time alone, just the two of them. I explained that it does not need to be for sex. I want them to go out to the shops, cook together and even watch tv on their own. As I think they’ve understood, those little intimacies are precious and give more depth to all relationships.

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PART EIGHT

Chapter Thirty Two

I feel so sorry for those who work just for the cheque at the end of the month. Sometimes it can be like that for me, but all I need is one interesting job requiring something new, creative, and I am excited like a child again. Then I love my job and I don’t care if I have to stay without sleep for the entire night - well, as long as I can have a stream of coffees. Dommi, as thoughtful as ever, bought and installed an espresso/cappuccino machine in my office so that I won’t keep having to leave my work to go to the kitchen. If I make a cappuccino while Cherine is awake, she is instantly by me to suck up the foam and I can sense that when she does so, she thinks of my allowing her to have the foam, as evidence of how much I love her. I wish it could be this easy all the time.

This was such a time of excitement and flying high for me. I was inspired, creating a plethora of images and new ways of presenting the information, also using my imagination to create new templates for future sites, I even created another Kaleidoscope World. Then I settled down and concentrated on my work for Nicko, re-designing the site, as I was not happy with what I had created for him. I spent time examining the existing ISPs and search engines. I looked to create something fresh, a happy page that also creates a sense of being in a safe quality place, but above all a place of beauty. I tried to avoid those ‘cute’ tricks some designers add to their pages, but still, Alki made me remove some of the beauty, saying it is not commercial and will distract the visitors. Our compromises I thought were mutilating my work, but it soon achieved a simpler beauty which is ideal for its purposes.

Once I felt I had created something I could be proud of, I called Nicko and gave him the reserve page on our server where he can see my handiwork and get the approval of his partners. “Nicko, I know that most ISPs don’t have a search engine, or if they do, they use a very basic one, but if yours does, it will help make your ISP stick out, just like the very big companies. It also means you will not have to provide a link to a search engine, sending your visitor out of your page. Have you found yourself a good search engine? Another point to keep in mind, if it is a success, it can earn you more money than the ISP side of the business, from advertising. But, it must be faster and more efficient than what is currently available. There is little point in using the same algorithms others use, to draw customers yours must be more efficient, more intelligent, almost intuitive, and faster.”

“Since you first mentioned the idea I’ve searched and I think I’ve got a good one worth considering, made by someone called Ifti, but it is not exceptional. I can’t afford anything much better.”

“Sorry, Niko, the truth is, you cannot afford anything that is not the best. Do you want me to call Ifti, I know him. He and his team have created a number of search engines for other companies, but I think he has not been used for anything new for nearly a year. If he has any improvements it would be worth grabbing his latest search engine. If we also give him carte blanche, I am certain he’ll astound us - and the market. That guy is magic at seeing new and unusual ways of solving problems.”

“If you would Robert, I’d appreciate it. I’d even pay extra for something special. Don’t worry, I’ll find the money, even if I have to beg for it.”

I laughed at the image. “Do not go offering until it is asked for. It is more likely, if he has something exceptional available, he will prefer stock in your company so that he benefits when you list. Let me see what I can do, but keep in mind, he will not agree to losing any of his independence, he will not be an employee, however good the terms. Nicko, don’t even try to tempt him; he is the kind of person who would lose his keen edge if he is employed. As long as you treat him fairly, he will be happy to give you first option on everything he creates. By the way, I have built in the framework for offering your customers a free email service, as I have certain ideas for improving on what is currently offered. Can I get a programmer to try his hand at it?”

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“You ask! Of course. Robert, thank you. You are being a real friend. By the way, my parents told me Dominique is expecting your child. Congratulations.”

“They are with you?”

“Yes. They are both happy they are becoming grandparents. I think they feel this is their only chance of having any - I do not have, well, I have not found anyone I would want to marry and have babies with. I do not think I ever will. It is so much better to have the pleasure without all those responsibilities and nagging.” He laughed, obviously amused by their reactions.

“I hope you are only saying that to make their situation with us more palatable. I’d hate to think of you growing into a lonely old man.”

“Not a chance, I’m going to die young and happy.”

Ifti saw my designs and agreed, saying he would be flattered to have his work on a site I’ve designed. I pushed him for improvements and listed a few problems I see in his existing work. Since his is currently the most advanced search engine, I did not have to insult him by comparing and he accepted my ideas as being just that. When I told him about my ideas for email improvements, including some security ideas, he asked to handle it also. He told me it would be a challenge and he would like to extend his reputation in that direction. Satisfied I left him to it. He has always felt he will never have an opportunity to benefit from his talent because he is a Pakistani immigrant, living in the U.K., so he was more than glad to accept most of his fees in stock, only asking for cash to pay those who work for him.

On the weekend before school started again, Dommi and I decided to make it memorable for Cherine and took her out both days. We went to the amusement park where Cherine refused to ride the childish offerings, like the silly looking one of cups that go around and around while you sit in them waiting for the ride to end. She only wanted those that give an adrenaline rush, so Dommi gave a miss to most of them. I did wonder how the sudden changes in gravity felt for her baby.

On Sunday afternoon we went to Kefalari, taking Maria-Elena with us. Dommi grabbed the chance to visit her parents while we went window shopping. By the time I was on my own at a coffee shop, I could feel Dommi felt like crying when they showed her the baby clothes they’ve already started buying. Her bed was covered with them! They are being optimistic, hoping they’ll get what they want and a lot of it is blue.

I often see kids on their own, girls from nine upwards, walking around without any adults supervising them. I’ve wondered where their parents get the courage to allow them to spread their wings. I can sense how the kids love their freedom and the way it makes them feel grown up. Even when boys (or adult men) try to chat them up, because they are in a group, they feel safe and laugh between themselves, usually embarrassing the males.

I bought a computer magazine, gave both girls an equal amount of cash and told them to vamoose, go off on their own and have some fun while I have my coffee and read. Cherine knew I would be ‘watching’ her so she felt safe, but was also excited by the novelty. Maria-Elena must have been experienced at being allowed on her own with friends, so she was only as excited as any normal girl, wondering what she will find to buy.

I did not concentrate on my magazine, watching the girls with pleasure as they entered shops, giggling and gaily chatting (I was careful not to listen). They could not seem to decide how to spend their cash, always feeling they just might find something nicer in another shop. When they’d seen everything and discussed what they should buy, Cherine made plans to buy this and then that, just like her friend was doing, and then she realised that what her friend really wants costs more than she has. With pretended boredom she handed over her money, claiming she had not seen anything she wants.

As expected, both girls being so pretty, an adult did try to chat to them. He could not try anything unpleasant with so many people around and to tell the truth, I did not sense any threat in him, he just enjoyed their beauty and giggles as he talked to them and left with a yearning he had no intention of trying to satisfy. Cherine was pleased that I had not interfered and shown my trust. I thought to myself, replaying how the girls had handled the man. Em-e had whispered to Cherine and giggled, aware of the power she has over the man and, at first, trying to embarrass him. My sweet Cherine felt the goodness and loneliness in the man and did all she could to make their chat pleasant for him, allowing him to leave them feeling good about his meeting them. I was surprised that she did not seem to mind his thoughts, his imagining himself kissing her and running his hands over her legs as he cuddles her. She sent to me that he made her feel a little bit sad.

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Dommi came to me and I blocked off my sharing with Cherine after Dommi shared for a while, amusing me by the way she watched and shared their feelings like a protective older sister.

“Aren’t the differences amazing?”

She gave me a puzzled look. “Between the girls?”

“Yes. Our Cherine is growing into a lovely person.”

“So is Maria-Elena, Cherine’s gifts make her more empathic, that’s all.”

I laughed. “That’s all? Dommi, you were supposed to answer that I’ve been a great father, helping to turn our little girl into a perfect daughter - you really are showing an abominable lack of empathy for me!”

She pretended to give my teasing, serious thought. “I can see how I’ve helped her in that direction. In which ways have you helped her become so nice? You treat her more like an adult.”

“You mean I expect too much of her? Maybe I do, I don’t know…I hope not. Dommi, I don’t really think so, not all little girls are the same and she is special, Cherine has to be treated according to her own personality.”

“You mean because of her gifts?”

“There is always that, but I was talking of her as a normal child, a very special one in ways that have little to do with her gifts.” I was silent a moment and then asked her, “What do you think of the way we tease each other all the time?”

Dommi nodded, “I know what you mean, most kids would not have her self confidence to survive that - especially the way you tease, you sometimes get quite vicious.”

I laughed. “Cherine, self confident? She has her fears love and I think, or hope, she also is as she is, because she does not want to give in to her fears - it was not what I was talking about.”

“What then?”

“I’m not certain I can find the words to explain what I feel. Perhaps the best word to describe her is to say that she is passionate. I’m not talking sexually, I mean her attitude to life. She is passionate about what she believes in, about whatever she does, she usually gives it her best shot and only very rarely allows her fears to hold her back. Without those qualities, she would not have been so cheeky and adorable, making our teasing of each other so wonderful. She has also learnt something I consider important. She has learnt to recognise the fine line between cheeky teasing and being insolent or nasty. Sometimes she is a Vincent Van Gogh painting, her mind a swirl of colours that make me see the world in a new way, sometimes she is a Dali, layer upon layer of meanings that make her impossible to know and get bored of, filling my mind with crazy images.

It is her passion, her zest that makes her so special Dommi, her gifts should have turned her into a grey little mouse, filled with fear or too much sweetness as she tries to compensate for the pains of the world. You might laugh, but even when I first met her and did not know of her gifts, I still thought of her as someone I would willingly depend on if I needed someone to stand by me through my problems. Now of course, I feel that way more than ever.” I grinned. “So do you.”

“With my life Roberto. You speak about her spirit, please, you must never forget that you are the only one who can destroy her spirit; as long as you love and treasure her, as long as you need her, nobody else can break it. You are her only weakness.”

“You too love.”

“No, she loves me, but she needs you for her to be who she is.”

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I’d sensed Cherine listening again, so I was not surprised when she added her comment. *You too Dommi, Alki also. I think I need all my family, not just Robert. Even without my mother I could not be as I am - not that I understand why Robert loves me being like this, I keep fighting with him.*

“It is a part of what I love about you love.” I sent her a grin, knowing how I would be provoking Dommi. “Just as I love the way Dommi gives in to me and lets me boss her around. I adore her sweetness.” As Cherine felt Dommi (knowing my thoughts and purpose in saying what I did) she had a good laugh, irritating Dommi even more. I guess I’m in for some wonderful days until she calms down again.

Monday morning arrived too fast. Early morning wake up calls again.

Chapter Thirty Three

Cherine was not long at school that first day, at about the time for her first break, when we sensed something had disturbed her deeply. She shut it off from us, promising to tell us when she returns home. Both of us went to collect her, anxious to find out what is her problem.

“Baby what was it?”

“I want to get home first.” She spent the rest of the trip in glum silence. Her mind and emoting wrapped in gray clouds.

We would have guessed just from that how serious it is. She is hardly ever reticent or moody unless something has deeply upset her - it is usually only I who would upset her to such a degree. We had to be patient.

When we got home, I suggested she first eat her food with her glass of milk, then we will talk. Her appetite was gone and she soon gave up trying to nibble.

Dommi encouraged her, “You better tell us now. What happened?”

“It is not what happened.” Tears began to roll from her eyes, falling from her bent head into her lap. As is my custom, at such moments I do not hug her, treating her as an adult. Dommi was fighting her motherly instincts so as to follow my example. We were both worried; what could have changed our happy little girl into such a miserable little girl? There was a knock at the door and Cherine ran to open it and fell into her mother’s arms. Dommi gave me a look that said it all. She had been right, she had needed to be held.

Now, as she sat on her mothers lap, our little Cherine found herself able to explain. “It was so horrible. I saw one of the new girls in the playground and she looked so sad and alone and just stood without moving, not interested in anything, so I tried to see what she was feeling. I thought maybe she was unhappy because she had no friends, but it did not feel right, since she did not look at any of the other kids. It was too strong, but also not strong. I could not understand. I tried to feel her. There was nothing there!” She looked up at us in horror.

I asked, “You mean she was blocking you?”

“No! There just was nothing there!”

“How can that be?” wondered Dommi.

I had a suspicion. “The only way…Cherine, was it at all like when I got sick and turned into myself. Got lost there?”

She looked at me with surprise, startled by the idea, her eyes saucers. Finally she whispered, “Yes.”

I was perplexed. “How can she do that and be conscious? What could have hurt a child so much?”

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“Robert we are going in with Cherine tomorrow. We all try together, see if we can find out what is wrong.” Cherine looked so gratefully at Dommi that I knew this was the right thing to do, even though we normally try to respect the privacy of strangers.

Both Dommi and I felt Cherine wanted to spend the night with her mum, so we reminded her she’ll need a nightie (νυχτικό) and let her go with Marian - after we first kissed and kissed her. We stopped when Marian laughed and told us, “You’ll have her back in the morning - I promise I won’t steal her from you.”

I looked at Dommi. “Do you believe her? She now has a husband with enough money to buy a jet plane and disappear.” Cherine spoilt my joke for me by looking up at her mother and when their eyes met, she giggled. Even when they were gone, we could still feel the happiness of Marian…and it made me feel I have been selfish.

The next morning, after dropping Cherine at school, we sat at a coffee shop nearby in case we need to get to Cherine in a hurry. Marian had become piqued by the previous days’ conversation and sat with us, her eyes examining us, wondering and waiting. We realised and Dommi helped her share the monitoring of Cherine through her.

At first break, Cherine went looking for the child. As she came to her we saw a child of about six or seven. She was extremely thin. Her face was slight and would have been pretty if there was not something about it that spoke of death having touched her. Just from seeing her through the eyes of Cherine I was disturbed, while Dommi was already crying. Cherine tried again to reach her. Nothing. We joined with her and tried again. Still nothing.

Dommi said to me, “Roberto you are the best of us all, take us into her mind.”

I gathered myself, linked them to me and reached for her. We sank into a blankness, a darkness of the void. Vaguely we sensed shadows, evil that was reaching out to destroy us. I would have withdrawn, but Dommi stopped me. She told me I am seeing it wrong. They are not trying to destroy us. They are feeding off the child.

We had tried to enter surreptitiously and had dampened our presence. I told them to let themselves shine in all their natural beauty and we will send our love while Dommi uses her gift to bring some peace to this suffering soul. As we glowed in our various shapes and lights, the shadows retreated. Through Cherine’s eyes we saw her look up, startled, she cried “oh” and fainted.

I refused to withdraw. For any soul to react to our joyous light this way is unnatural. I spread myself looking for her essence, her mind. As she was not conscious, I managed to penetrate what I realised were her defences. In amazement I pulled the others in. What there was of her was shattered, shred and torn. I stopped Dommi/Marian, explaining it would be better if she can identify with another child. Cherine infused herself with a wonderful warmth and love and gathered the tortured child into her. She held her and tried to get her healer to help her. She was shocked when it would not. I called mine in, demanding as healer/protector it help Cherine. It went to her and joined with her. When they let her go, her mind was no longer tattered quite the way it had been, but was no more than a quarter of the size of a normal soul.

She began to come out of her faint. I showed Cherine how I thought she can imprint her face as that of a friend and we hastily withdrew. Cherine rushed over to her, so that as she opened her eyes the first face she saw was Cherine’s. Her face was a glow of wonder for a moment then she was gone, back into her private hell. The bell rang and Cherine helped her to her classroom.

We all knew we could not leave now. We sat in the coffee shop the rest of the morning waiting for school to end. I was sickened and had closed myself to all. My healer had explained, using imagery and emotions. From my scanty knowledge of the ills of Man, I was able to understand it. What it saw as a virulent death in her body, I was able to identify as Aids. The girl is HIV positive. She is dying. The tiny body is not only ravaged by the disease, it has been viciously abused, molested in every way, torn and scarred. As terrible as the damage to the body, is the damage to her mind. It has been so abused that the will to live has gone. Totally!

Even Marian was able to pick up my distress, try as I did to hide it from the girls. They kept on hammering at me and I had to verbally ask them to stop.

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“We must wait for school to end and we’ll talk about it once we are home. We can’t talk now, not in public, this is going to be very emotional and we might give ourselves away.”

Dommi looked like she would hit me. “That means we cannot do anything to help her until tomorrow. If you think I am going to leave that child another day like this, you must be totally…insensitive!”

“Dommi. I am truly frightened. Terrified of the effect of this on Cherine. Yes, I know you heard that Cherine. You think you are strong enough, but I promise you, there is not one human, young or old, who is strong enough for this. My soul has been poisoned by this.”

Marian asked, “What do you mean? How can you be poisoned?”

“By hate. Pure hate. Cherine you said there is no hate in me. There never was, till now. I am sick with such hate it is eating at me.”

“You are terrifying them and me. Talk to us, tell us. The girls are stronger than you think. They are females.” Marian gave me a weak grin.

“All I will say now is that she is dying. She is active. Sorry, I mean she has Aids and it is positive. She will be dead within weeks or months.” I could not help myself, as Dommi held me I sobbed in such a grief as I had never felt before.

When I looked up, Cherine was by me, still panting from running. She had jumped up in class and run out, straight to me, without asking permission or worrying about the heavy traffic as she crossed the road. She threw herself onto me and held me, trembling with her fear.

“You guys never listen to me. You just won’t trust me. I asked for you to wait until after school. Now Cherine will be in trouble, how do we explain this?”

“How can you worry about that now!?” Dommi was shocked.

“Always. I can’t help it, my first worry is for her.”

Cherine took my face in her hands. “Robert tell us now. I know you. Let us in. If you were so hurt about her being sick, you would be planning to or even have already cured her. Just like those men we keep visiting. Let us share this with you. I have seen a lot of horrible things you know, and I am still alright aren’t I?”

“Are you sweetheart? Truly? What about that rape you felt, that you lived through?”

“That was bad. You did make it better for me.”

Marian misunderstood, thought we were talking about Cherine being raped and her face turned a pasty white. We had to explain to her. I’d thought we had already told her. Perhaps if we had, she had not been in a condition to assimilate it.

“This child has been raped. Not one time, not two. Many, many times.”

“Good god man, who could have done such a thing?” Marian only asked what they all were asking.

“Her father.”

My answer shattered Cherine, just as I had feared. If just being told about it had this effect, I was glad I had not allowed her to see all that is inside me. I forgot that there is one person who knows me better than I know myself, who has seen into my depths, who knows my strengths and weaknesses. Cherine battled her pain by turning to me, reaching out to soothe me.

Dommi asked, “What are we going to do? We must save her.”

“I don’t think we can. Both of you tried to send your healers to help her. They refused. Mine only went as the protector because of Cherine. It was not the Aids that terrified them. I think it is her mind. There is very little left.”

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Dommi stood up, her face pale from anger. “How dare you give up on a child. Whatever we can do, we do. Now!”

“If Cherine agrees to stay out of both of our minds I’ll open to you. Then you tell me what we should do. Whatever it costs I will not allow Cherine to see this.”

“But you will need me to help.” She was looking at me earnestly as she spoke and I sensed it was a matter of fact statement, not a childish rebellion.

“Dommi help me please. I will not allow a child to see this ugliness. No child should.”

“Cherine you are not helping. If Robert says no, then it is no. Stop insisting to always get your own way. Make the promise Robert wants. We know you cannot force your way into his mind, but can see through mine. If we are to help this girl you must promise.”

Deflated, she answered, “I promise.” She’d given in too easily, so I guessed what she planned.

Fear made my voice harsh. “No Cherine, you are transparent. You stay out of that child’s mind - unless I take you with me.”

She withdrew, her alarm plain to see. “You have never talked to me so cold and hard, except that time you did not love me.”

“This time it is because I love you.”

“I promise.” I felt she meant it this time.

I felt a great reluctance to allow Dommi in, but I needed her to understand so that we can find a way to help the child without damaging Cherine. I trusted her mothering instincts to strengthen her. After she sat down again, I took her in and showed her. She shot out of my mind, cutting the link.

She just had time to lean over and she was throwing up. The waiters rushed over. I handled them, explaining loud enough for everyone to hear that she is pregnant, while Cherine and her mother took care of Dommi. She was shivering and crying and everyone must have wondered why she is so upset about being pregnant, but at least the atmosphere remained sympathetic. I paid the waiters something extra and we moved tables for them to mop up. Luckily the place was not busy, as it was, everybody was staring at us, but luckily most people had heard me talk about her pregnancy which was responsible. That damn observer sitting in the back of my mind always just watching me, noted that Dommi turned to Cherine and Marian, was holding them for comfort. I could understand why she would not want to hold a man at this particular moment. Once Dommi was calmer Cherine turned haunted eyes to me.

“Thank you Robert. I should have listened. Anything that could do this to her must be really horrible.”

Dommi sat up. Her face, her eyes, ice cold. “We are getting that girl now. I will not allow her to go back to him.”

“What do we tell the father. We cannot take her by force and he can tell us to get lost, he has all the legal might on his side.”

Dommi refused to hear me, laws and legalities meant nothing to her at this moment, for her mothering instincts were ready to draw blood. “I will not let him take her, if we have to, we expose him to the police.”

I sighed. What was I to do. I felt the same way, but how to stop him taking her from us. The police would… “Dommi, if the police learn of this, they’ll hand her over to a social worker and then we will not be able to heal her. We must think of another way.”

I waited, but they did not make any suggestions, obviously leaving it to me. “Okay, we take her. Marian, you’ll have to go home, I cannot project for you. Maybe you should ask Alki to come home early. My loves, the two of you, find a stranger, fix that person in your mind. Cherine, choose a man. Someone big and rough looking. The two of you take the girl away while I handle her father. Girls, be on standby. If he tries to resist me, you hit him the same way we attacked those men spying on us. Just focus on him this time, be extra careful, we do not want to hurt others again - especially our babies. Dommi keep the child soothed if you can.”

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I recognised him, despite the distorted way his daughter sees him. He is of medium height, slight, his face gentle. A very mild person. On the outside. I projected and waited until his daughter came to him before confronting him. “Good day. This is your daughter?”

“Yes. You have your girl here too?” He smiled at me, a soft gentle smile. He was seeing a tall, blonde and blue-eyed Englishman of obvious good breeding with an upper class accent - someone I used to dislike when I lived in London.

In that obnoxious way the upper class have of speaking, I told him, “That is right. My daughter wants your girl to stay with us. I’ve come to collect her.”

He was puzzled, I felt his dislike of me and I saw a glint in his eyes, but he answered mildly. “I do not allow my daughter to go to anybody’s house. Her mother died...”

“I am sorry, I was not asking you, I am telling you. She is coming with us now. If you prefer I will call the police and we can get a doctor to examine her. The mutilations and molesting will be all the proof they need. When they test and find her HIV positive and you are also tested, well, let’s just say they do not take kindly to people like you in this country.”

I turned to the girls (bad looking men). “Take her with you now.”

“Like hell you will. Wendy you stay here.”

I reached out and put her into a deep sleep. As she folded at the knees, Dommi grabbed and took her in her arms.

“What have you done to my little girl? I’m going to kill you for this you bastard.”

“I am not a little girl you can terrorise. If anybody is going to kill anybody it is more likely I will kill you. I desperately want to. Now let me tell you a few things, so that you know I am deadly earnest about this. You are a first engineer working for a Greek shipping company. You recently got a position as the port engineer because your wife died and you had a little girl to look after. You gave your wife Aids. She disgusted you because she had Aids, so you began to molest your daughter. You tore her up, gave her Aids. You hurt her in many other ways, scarring her body and mind. She is dying, has only a few months to live. You want me to continue?”

“Who the fuck are you? Who told you all this garbage. You tell those men to bring her back right now.”

“Either I take her and you keep away from her forever, or else I kill you. Which is it to be?”

“You will kill me here, now, in front of everyone?” He laughed, the gloating in his eyes, his face still wearing that gentle smile - which made me want to use my fist to get rid of it.

“Yes. I’ll be quite happy to show you how it will be done.”

“You better. And then I’m taking her home. If any of you come near her again I will lay charges against you and your Greek hooligans for molesting my daughter.” I could see he liked the idea and was weighing up the risks, wondering whether the advantages were in his favour. He was aware his daughter does not have long to live and he had been worried about the authorities discovering the reason and arresting him.

Having taken all the information I needed from him, I looked in his mind searching for some good. There was nothing, there was no sense of right and wrong. Whatever he wants is right. There was no empathy for other people. I looked for love for his daughter, any remorse for destroying her, giving her the death sentence. There was only anger at her; her sickness, her death will be an inconvenience and poses a possible danger to him.

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I saw he was considering finding a remote area to bury her once she cannot walk. He had even been considering the idea of buying a small boat for cash and rowing her out to sea and dumping her body…while she is alive, so that she is found with water in her lungs. He had even got himself a map showing the currents so as to have her body only come to shore far away from Athens. I was puzzled as to why had he brought her to this school and found out his boss had kindly enrolled her without asking him when he asked for a job in the office, using his daughter as the reason.

I shut away what I had learnt and linking to my loves, we viciously hit him as powerfully as we could. He collapsed. I walked away without looking back, for I feared that if I did, I might give in to my rage and kill him.

I had intended putting her in the guest bedroom. The girls insisted she sleep in our bed. I gave in, as wives this was their right to decide. Cherine started to undress her and both Dommi and I shouted at her to stop. This awakened her curiosity, a fatal condition at the best of times. She blocked us and when we moved to stop her, we found ourselves sitting on the carpet.

As Cherine undressed the tortured little body her tears were flowing. The scars, mutilations, cigarette burns, they sickened her, but she was able to handle it.

“Cherine baby, please stop. You have seen enough.”

She ignored me. She soon had her totally stripped. The tiny body, skin and bone was a sight to break any heart. Cherine realised she has missed out on something, else why did I want her to stop. So it is that our own fears betray us. She turned her over onto her stomach. Even the scars could not hold the eyes. Between her thin cheeks a wound that oozed a mixture of pus and watery faeces.

Cherine turned to look at us, hers and our eyes streaming. She still held us down, determination and anger twisting her face. I nodded and she turned Wendy over again and opening her legs took a look. She moaned, let us go and fled to the bathroom to throw up. Dommi went to her while I stood over Wendy. It was infinitely worse to see in real life. Her organs were totally mutilated, torn, even now caked with blood from a recent tear. Sickly yellow mucous filled her, the sweet sickly smell of corruption filling the room.

I saw Wendy open her eyes as I knelt on the bed. I sensed she expects me to do what her father does.

I lay next to her as Marian walked in. Pure horror grew on her face. I asked her to go to the bathroom, to Cherine. She just stood there, frozen by her horror. I closed my eyes, calling my healer. It flowed from me. I took hold of her tiny skeletal hand.

Vaguely I heard myself gasp. I felt myself being drained. That has never happened before. I felt the girls as they rushed in and lay by me, touching, reinforcing. It took hours. Their healers helped by drawing energy to help my healer. We felt her body change. The healer did not first repair the outward damage. It fought the poison in her body, repairing cells, cleansing and purifying her organs of the sepsis. Once the urgency, the immediate threat to life was removed, the healer returned. I felt the exhaustion, it’s bright glow dimmed. I thanked it and asked it to re-energise as we still have a lot to repair. For the first time ever I felt an elation in it, the death darkness had been removed. Although it had drawn my energy from me already, the only way I could show it my happiness and gratitude was to send it a further small burst. It sank out of view and I opened my eyes.

“The Aids is gone. She has been fixed inside. Give me some rest and the chance to eat and drink something and I will return to fix the rest.”

We ate and then the three of us slept while Marian waited. When Alki arrived she held him as she wept and told him of what happened. He could still see the mutilations and was sickened also. He suggested she make us some chicken soup with kritharaki (a Greek pasta which looks like rice) and freshly squeezed lemon juice to strengthen us.

When I awoke, Wendy’s hand was still in mine. I turned my face to her and smiled. Her eyes were blank as she stared back.

“Don’t worry sweetie. You will soon be well and happy again.” She did not react.

270

We got up and walked around to stretch our muscles. I hugged the girls to thank them for rushing to my side. Our love swirled around us, filling us as Cherine kept on bouncing it between us. As it reached to the point we could not bear to contain so much love, she sent it all to Wendy.

It bounced off her, disappearing into a blackness…or should I say, blankness, a kind of void.

It was like a hard physical blow. All three of us collapsed. Wendy just lay there looking at me, the only one unaffected. I got up and went to her. As I stood over her she turned onto her stomach and raised herself onto her knees, offering her body to me. I cried out in pain. I picked her up and holding her tightly to me, sobbed my heart out.

Her tiny hand, so dainty in it’s thinness, touched my tears. She held her wet finger close to her face, staring at it. For the first time her eyes saw me as she looked at me.

When I looked around to see if everyone had seen, I found them all silently weeping. I took her from face to face, let her see their tears.

“They are all crying for you my baby. We all see you. We see you.” I don’t know why I kept repeating that, but it seemed to comfort her and resting her head on me she slept. I kept walking the room, holding her and aching for this poor lost little girl. My heart felt it would burst with love. And that was without the help of Cherine. They obviously felt my love for this piteous remnant of a child and their eyes glowed as they also let me feel their love.

I lay down gently, trying not to waken her. I closed my eyes and the healer came. The repairs took a long time, the evening went by and in the early hours of morning, still before dawn, we all stirred. The girls had lain next to me, holding me, Marian and Alki had joined them, holding on to us, in the hope their energy and love helps.

We all turned and looked at Wendy. I had lived through the changes and yet I was still overcome at the sight. My little Wendy was whole, not a blemish, not a scar remained. I did not need to open her legs or turn her over to know she is whole again, a virgin child. The need to see was far stronger in Cherine, she needed the comfort of seeing. Tenderly they examined her, their joy, expressed by sobbing, a light in our souls. As they turned her over she moaned in her sleep for the first time.

“When she cries I will be happy.”

Knowingly, Cherine said, “Like with me?”

“It is even more difficult for her. He has killed that part of her. We have to rebuild her in the void. Can we take her with us?”

“I cannot link to her.”

“I’d forgotten. What do we do then?”

Wendy opened her eyes, searching. The girls went to hold her, but as her eyes found me she turned from them and placed herself at my side, her arm lying on my chest. She shut her eyes again and slept. I had to spend the rest of the hours unmoving, still dressed. The girls had wanted to make me more comfortable by removing my pants, but I silently told them not to, the sight of a man without trousers might, through association, frighten her again.

Cherine bunked school next day and none of us had the heart to insist she goes. She refused to leave Wendy, and since we all share her anxiety, we empathise with her need to stay home. I also need to know for certain that Wendy’s father is out of action before I let Cherine go to school.

Wendy woke up at the normal time for going to school. She got up, went to the bathroom, unconscious of her nudity, or perhaps she is used to it. We silently waited, in case she needs help, but allowing her the privacy we thought she needs. Marian rushed off to prepare breakfast as soon as Wendy came out; Cherine took her hand and led her to a mirror before we could help her dress.

“Look Wendy.” She took Wendy’s hand and ran it over her body. “Robert fixed you.”

Next Post 026

I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love.

Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου

(Alexander Zenon Eustace)
^{19th March, 2019}

* posted on Steemit: 19th March, 2019



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