Unknown

I descended deeply beyond relaxation into meditative unconsciousness. The world around me disappeared, my energy melded with the natural energy of the earth. I escaped from my know world onto a band of energy propelling me past sights I knew to sights my mind's eye could not comprehend. No, this was not some kind of drug-induced trip.

A distant voice softly spoke the words that would bring me back to my conscious state. The energy band began reversing as reality returned. I noticed the time, five minutes had passed. Then my eyes focused on the lack of sun light in the room. Finally and fully back from my meditative unconsciousness, the "shenim" bade me welcome back with hot Jobe's Tears tea.

With recorders running to capture video and audio, the "shenim" asked me relate where I went and what I saw. The more I talked, the less sense I made. I was in my trance state for about a day and a half.

"You had a rare and beautiful journey that few experience," shenim said. "Your confusion is normal although you make sense of it, you cannot express it in words."

I felt no hunger or thirst and sipped my tea. When invited to stand, my legs would not obey my brain signals; I stumbled and teetered until my legs rediscovered their purpose. Shenim helped me disrobe for the ritualistic cleansing bath. Afterward, I dressed in my clothing for a light repast. My weekend was over, I was prepared to face a world of unknowns but with the knowledge that unknown is not really unknown.

**********

I came home to a household I no longer recognized. I knew I had changed while those around me had not. I was taught, indoctrinated, by society that I should follow a path leading to years of indentured servitude to work and to dream of retirement. It was time to escape.

My first day back to work was the best day of my life; phase one of my escape began with a trip to supply for boxes and tape. I packed my personal belongings, stepped into the boss?s office with a simple, "I quit."

With my car packed and only enough room for me to safely drive, I headed toward the unknown without a map. My life is in my hands not someone else. I knew what I would miss and that knowledge made my conviction stronger. I also knew what I wanted and that knowledge affirmed my conviction.

**********

My drive took me to ocean beaches, mountain retreats, desert oasis, and then I found a small town, ghost town really, in the foothills of the Southwest. What was left of the sign-entering town announced, "You have reached Oblivion."

A resident rattle snake greeted me with its rattle and tight coil as if ready to strike at this person who just disturbed its sunbathing. I smiled saying, "I'm not your enemy, Mister Snake. I may want to be your neighbor."

As if satisfied, the snake relaxed its coil and seemed to point me toward the only building in town that looked habitable. It became my destination for the moment.

Outside, I heard a gas powered motor churning away and realized it was an electric generator providing a little power to some lights in the building. A hand written note on the wall read, "Its open - come on in." I did.

The inside was just barely livable with sparse pieces of furniture, an ice chest, a small fan, and a single bed in a corner. Yet it was the resident of the place who surprised me. A smiling young woman greeted me with an outstretched hand for a handshake.

"Welcome to Oblivion, the last stop of your journey." Her voice was pleasant and her smile seemed genuine. "My name is Charlene, call me Charlie."

The last stop on my journey were her words, how could she presume that, I wondered. "Charlie, thank you, I am, ready, Charles, also know as Charlie. How is it that you think this is the last stop of my journey?"

"I watched you stop at the town line. I watched you get out, saw you react to the rattler, and watched as you waved your hand to calm it. You're home."

I had to admit, Charlie was attractive and, I guessed, in her early thirties. I wondered why she was alone in a ghost town.

"Is Oblivion your home, Charlie?" I asked the question thinking I knew the answer.

Charlie looked at me before beginning her answer. I sensed she didn't want to tell the whole story but then the floodgates opened; she began crying and pent up emotion boiled over.

I had a hard time following her story; however, I learned she had been married to a guy who only wanted her to use her body to win him favors. When she was done telling her story, she finished with, "So, Oblivion is my home. And you are the first man to enter my home in three years. You are almost the only person to enter my home in three years."

I recalled my thoughts as I drove into town, recalled telling the snake I may want to be a neighbor. After meeting Charlie, I felt that thought being cemented.

"What's your story, Charlie," she asked as calm began to return.

My story of the shenim, my journey into deep trance, and my return to the present was not the story she told; yet she seemed to hold on to each morsel. "My life changed and here I am in Oblivion."

**********

For the better part of a week, we explored the town trying to find a suitable place for me to set up camp. I was more concerned for finding us a place.

One old house seemed in reasonably good condition, it was wired and had plumbing. It had an old well and older pump handle that began working after being primed several times. The water was hard, as is the case with wells, yet it was good water and drinkable with purification tablets. I set down my first new roots and began cleaning the old house.

There were surprises throughout that old house. The kitchen was more modern than I expected, had a gas stove connected to an old LP tank and there was gas in the tank. There was also an old refrigerator I hoped still had some cooling power. The kitchen became first priority.

Charlie was always near. Though she hadn't left her run down shack, she wasn't in it much.

Rooms in this old house still had bits of furniture that cleaned up pretty well although dust always flew every time someone sat. There were three bedrooms and in one was a full size double bed, the mattress protected in plastic wrap as if the resident had just bought it.

"Charlie," I asked, "why didn't you take this place? It is much nicer than the one you are staying in now."

She smiled, "I guess I was waiting for you to get it cleaned up."

"Waiting for three years?"

"Charlie," she began, "do you think my little generator can run the refrigerator?" She sat next to me on the dusty sofa as a plume of dust swirled about us. "Yes, waiting three years."

There was a new familiarity in her voice as we both waved our hands in an attempt to clear the dust. Charlie swept her hand left as my swept right. Our hands touched and in a reflex action either she grasped my hand or I grasped hers; our fingers interlaced holding hands.

I had a list of things I needed to make this old house more livable suddenly realizing the list was for two, not one.

"Your generator won't push out the watts needed for that old refrigerator but I'm thinking it is about time for me to go to town and order supplies. I need gas for the stove, a heavy-duty generator, and a vacuum to really attack all the dust in the furniture. It would be nice if you came with me."

"Yes, Charles, it would be nice to come with you." Her double meaning was not missed; I leaned in and kissed her dusty cheek. "Would you mind letting me use your bathtub for a real bath?"

"Not much hot water for a real soaking bath, but you are welcome to anything I have." Charlie leaned into me and returned a kiss on my dusty stubble beard cheek. Why was she being formal, calling me Charles?

**********

Charlie and I loaded into her pickup truck. The camper shell over the bed would offer some protection from dust and dirt getting into our purchases and we could haul much more than in my car. We had a big shopping list.

One thing on my agenda was visiting the courthouse and research property records for our little town. Court records produced no known owners for any of the properties in Oblivion and listed each as blighted and unsafe.

The recorder of deeds found an original builders name for the house I occupied and found an original blue print plan. I asked for copies and set off to find a Realtor to begin inquiries into buying property in Oblivion.

Charlie was taking care of groceries and personal shopping while I was off to make some major purchases. Top of the list was a generator that could carry a whole house that would take weeks to arrive and install. I rented a small 10,000-watt generator. I ordered a new 1500-gallon LP gas tank and fuel for delivery tomorrow. A whole house water filtering system was on the list as well.

I thought about the dusty old mattress in the old house and decided to buy a new queen size bed and frame. Of course, new bedding was a must. Was I buying all this for me, or was I thinking ahead?

My phone rang and I noticed it was the Realtor I visited calling me. "Charlie," she said, "Oblivion is for sale, the whole town."

That sentence sent my mind into overdrive. In a complete spur of the moment decision, I bought Oblivion.

Charlie and I reconnected after our day of shopping. With her pickup loaded, we headed back to the town I just bought. "Charlie," I began with just a bit of hesitance in my voice, "I have what I hope is a surprise."

She turned away from driving to glance my way, "What kind of surprise?"

"I bought Oblivion. I bought the whole damn thing. If you want to take permanent residence, the population of Oblivion just doubled."

Charlie asked a simple question that had far reaching implications, "Do I stay in my little shack or can I live in the manner house? I notice you bought some new furnishings." Clearly, she referred to the queen size bed.

We had not been sexual at all in these first few days and couple weeks. We did not sleep in the same house but Charlie was never far from my side. "There may be room in the manner house and an open invitation."

"Charlie," she tentatively began, "I haven't slept with a man or anyone for three years. Don't expect too much. I live in Oblivion to escape a bad relationship and starting a new one frightens me."

"Charlie, in case you hadn't noticed, you are already in a new relationship and I am part of it. I haven't moved on you except for a kiss on the cheek that you returned. And, I haven't misinterpreted some of your double meanings, have I?"

Charlie gave her head a shake, "No you haven't."

**********

Charlie drove us to my house and we set about getting things unloaded. The top priority was the generator and setting it up was easier than I expected. With it running at full power, I plugged in the refrigerator and flipped the switch. Almost immediately the compressor kicked in and the refrigerator was working. Now, the all-important test, is it cooling?

I strung some more wires for lights and got the house reasonably comfortable. The freezer compartment was frosting up in the refrigerator and the interior temperature was falling. A new refrigerator was in need soon but for now, I had fresh food storage.

I bought one of those advertised vacuums that is supposed to clean without losing power, Charlie had already emptied the dust bin three times and about to dump a fourth.

I wasn't sure, however, Charlie seemed happy as she worked around the house. With some power on, it was time to set up the bed. "Hey, Charlie, I'm setting up the bed, where do you think I should put it?"

She appeared in the frame of the door and replied, "Bedroom is the obvious place." The grin on her face was infectious, brightened the room, and had me under her spell.

"Okay, then! I'll be more specific. Placement. Where shall I place it in the bedroom?"

I thought I had covered the bases, yet Charlie was not to be bested. "On the floor," she giggled with complete abandon and thorough enjoyment.

"This is getting no where," I shared her laugh. "If you were sleeping in this room and in this bed, Charlie, where would you like it positioned - in the bedroom on the floor?"

Charlie paused deep in reflective thought before saying anything else. The pause was longer than I suspected it should take, I held my breath.

Charlie's continence changed, she was on the verge of speaking when I noticed a quiver on her lips. "Charlie," she began with tentative words forming one at a time. "If was sleeping in this bedroom in this bed, I'd place it where I could share it with you."

It was said, out in the open, no denial, share it with you, she said. There was no more hesitation on her part or mine, we leapt into the others embrace and kissed our first lovers kiss.

As I held her tightly savoring the word share, I whispered, "Thank you for saying what I've wanted to say days ago. We share, tonight and many more nights to come."

We redoubled our cleaning efforts getting the house into an almost acceptable state. One task I had to undertake was the hot water heater. It was small and surely needing a thorough draining and cleaning. A new water heater was on the list with a new refrigerator.

After almost ninety minutes of flushing, the water in the water heater ran clean. I restarted the pilot light and soon water was heating. Maybe I could have a hot shower and Charlie a hot soaking bath.

It dawned on me; Charlie shopped in town but hadn't mentioned anything about her purchases. She had shopping bags neatly stacked by the front door and now moved to them, ready to put them away. She carried them to 'our' bedroom.

Our first kiss lead us many more kisses and touches throughout the afternoon and evening. Every time we glimpsed the other it was hands touching hands, smiles, little pecks of kisses, and a few very deep and foretelling kisses and gropes. There is no way in the world she could mistake my hard cock for a tool in my pocket. There was no way I could mistake her sighs for anything else but her own excitement.

We reached a point in our housework that little more could be done; Charlie set about making us a light dinner. In the refrigerator was a six-pack of beer and we each took one. The cold brew washed down the day?s activities and the supper filled our hungry void. When all was done, we collapsed on the dusty couch, less dusty from a deep vacuuming and reflected.

"Seriously, I bought this whole town?" It was more of an exclamation than question.

Charlie looked at me as if to ask, "Buyers remorse?"

It was an unspoken question and with a smile on my face, "I haven't met all the neighbors but I have met the most attractive neighbor."

Charlie slapped the leg of her dusty dirty jeans and a plume of dust rose. "Attractive? I'm dust and dirt from head to toe. No make up, hair a mess," sniffing at herself she concluded, "and I smell!"

"I bet you clean up nice. There is hot water for a soaking bath if you want. I'll shower after you."

Charlie began to move as if rising then she quickly straddled my lap settling down on my crotch. "Charlie, remember, it been a long time for me," her voice cooed. "I'm anxious and afraid that when you get the wrapping off, you won't like what you see."

Charlie was referring to her naked body and, of course, we had never gone far enough to catch even a glimpse. "Charlene, I've kissed you with passion and felt your body against mine. I'm sure you've felt my reaction to your body. I'll pass on the dusty dirty you but I won't pass on you."

Charlie reacted as I suspected she might. Our lips met as we kissed more passionately than I had ever kissed a woman. She ground her hips against mine as my hands trailed down her back, to her waist, and over the curves of her hips. Her butt was encased in her jeans yet the fullness and softness of her hips told me she was not hiding anything unattractive.

Charlie's breath became deeper until she pressed hard into me and gave a moan. I wasn't sure if she had an orgasm, but she quickly got up and ran to the bathroom. The toilet flushed and I heard water running in the tub.

After her bath, Charlie called out, "Charlie, there is a pink bag from town in the bedroom. Bring it to me, please."

I found the boutique bag and delivered it, "I didn't peek." I hadn't peeked in the bag but I tried to peek through the crack opened bathroom door. Charlie must have anticipated I might and his behind the door sticking out her hand.

"Charlie," she admonished, "you'll get your view when I'm ready to let you see. Promise you will obey me."

Charlie's voice was in part sultry and in part apprehensive with apprehension dominant. "I'll obey, no looks until I'm told to open my eyes." I started to realize Charlie wanted to really present her feminine side to me and in three years, she hasn't felt feminine.

With tentative words escaping me, "Charlie," I said still at the bathroom door, "I am anxious to see you."

I was ordered away from the door.

Some time later, Charlie called out again, "Charlie, get what you need from the bedroom and go away again." My excitement built even higher as time passed. I convinced myself that when Charlie finally let's me look, I?d see a beautiful Charlene. I obeyed this order also.

"Where are you Charlie," she called out again. I answered and she answered, "Stay there." I heard the bathroom door open as she dashed for the bedroom. When she was safely behind the bedroom door I received the okay to go to the bathroom to shower.

Fortunately, Charlie took so much time in the bath; I had plenty of hot water for my shower. Middle of the night and I started with a shave. My shower concluded and I began dressing.

Not sure what Charlie wore, I put on simple boxers, a button down shirt and comfortable pleated pants. I wanted Charlie to see me as prepared to see her as she took time preparing herself.

**********

It was my turn to call out from the bathroom. I received the okay to come out and go directly to the living room. I stopped in my tracks as Charlene came into my view and, she was beautiful.

She stood in the center of the room with her hair immaculately set, she wore make up although not over done, and she wore the world's sexiest little black dress. I was stunned beyond expectation. The curves of her body were magnificent, her legs extended from her perfect hips. I could see her smooth was smooth and flat. Her breasts were perfect for her size; I guessed a 34B or maybe a 36A. From where I stood, from what I saw, Charlie was gone and Charlene was present.

Charlene must have known that she completely dumbfounded me with her absolute radiance. I was immovable but surely could have been knocked over by a feather. "Beautiful."

"Come hold me Charlie."

I slowly strode the few paces to where she stood with her arms reaching out. I took her hands in mine as I took the next step into her waiting arms. I held her as I hoped she wanted me to hold her. I felt her head on my shoulder, warm breath on my neck, and little kisses followed.

We swayed side to side in our embrace. No words spoken, none needed. Then in slow deliberate steps, Charlene began moving me toward the bedroom. If I was in bliss now, I expected rapture behind the bedroom door.

Charlene cooed, "Charlie, you know when were making out before my bath," her sentence went in finished. I looked into her eyes and on her attractive face and simply nodded. "You know, you gave me an orgasm."

My job was to continue obeying until told otherwise. Again, I nodded.

"Charlie, make love with me."

Her lips met mine and we exploded into list filled passion. Our bodies ground against the others. Charlie's nipples almost burst through the fabric of her dress telling me she was braless. I had to presume she was panties also.

Charlene worked the buttons of my shirt and gasped as her hands touched my bare skin. I pressed my now very erect cock against her and she rewarded me by grasping it through my pants.