The Tenth Performance

In retrospect, maybe The Spell made the right choice by saving Micah's performance for last? When I'd first met Micah, their tall, broad stature had seemed to contrast with the soft curves of their cheeks and chin, and their gentle, unassuming voice. Micah always seemed to carry themself gingerly through the world - to me, they'd come across as exceptionally quiet and shy (although, between their ongoing relationship with Quinn and the box of condoms in their bedroom, perhaps Micah was a bit less shy than I'd assumed?). Micah was also devoutly Jewish, open-minded, and extremely well-versed in a wide variety of religious scholarship.

I'd asked Micah once whether it felt weird to grow up amid cultural expectations of bat mitzvahs and bar mitzvahs and the like, and Micah cheerfully explained to me: "In the Talmud, there are actually six categories for human sexes, and even though none of those quite fit my brain, either - they're more about physical ambiguity than inner identity - it felt nice to be connected to a tradition where even the ancient scholars were trying to expand their view of the world when people didn't fit into easy categories."

Another time, when for some weird reason I'd made a disparaging remark about "UFO-worshiping cults" while we were all studying in the library - no, I have zero recollection about why this topic had come up - Micah patiently explained to me that there aren't many meaningful distinctions between the belief systems that most people think of as religions and the ones that people often call cults. In that moment, I'd felt chagrined, although I definitely appreciate that now I can sound less mean! Micah was just deeply invested in treating all people with dignity and respect.

And now Micah's deep well of compassion would help bring our evening to a marvelous close.

But I didn't know that yet. At the time, I just watched while Micah walked up to the front. I watched Micah put their hands on the crystal ball. I watched as the flickering lights from within the crystal ball cast Micah's plush lips, soft chin, and tentative smile in elegant display.

I mean, I watched distractedly, what with Ravi's body beneath my hands and Noah's finger in me, but I was watching. Enough that I noticed Micah cast a curious glance in Cora's direction before they stepped back and pulled their hands from the surface of the sphere.

And, the next fantasy?

When shadows first gathered to form the image of a standing figure stroking its erect penis, it felt momentarily as though we were watching a repeat of the previous performance. But then, even while masturbating, the figure beckoned with its free hand, first to the left, then to the right, and a whole bevy of other shadow figures formed, a whole group of masculine-bodied shadows all stroking their own erect penises.

And as the first figure organized the others, directing all the shadows to stand in a semicircle, masturbating, getting themselves ready, I noticed one more figure on the stage, feminine and kneeling ... expectant ... and, for a moment, I felt my body tense, because it seemed that the spell had finally given someone my fantasy ... and Noah must have felt me tense, because he placed a reassuring hand upon my shoulder ... but then I realized that this fantasy wasn't quite mine (or at least, not only mine), because my fantasy was to be at the center of a group, whereas this person's fantasy, which Micah might enact, was to have someone organize, to orchestrate ...

And when we saw the shadows start to come - probably much more synchronized than any group of people would be in real life - well, with a bit of giggling and some half-swallowed laughter from here and there throughout the room, that's when we all began to realize that the kneeling figure, again, was meant to be Cora.

One of our classmates had gotten so riled up by Quinn's performance that they thought it would be hot to have somebody organize a whole group of people to do that with her. And now our classmate's desire had been broadcast to us all by The Spell.

I mean, to be totally fair, I'd been thinking something similar about Cora just a few minutes ago, and I don't even have the anatomical equipment that generally makes somebody want to do that with someone, so ...

All of us turned to look at Cora.

Again, she was blushing bright red. And she slowly turned her head from side to side, taking us all in - all our staring faces - and then she totally burst out laughing. Like, she was flushed - embarrassed? Excited? Both? - and her nipples were obviously standing at attention - she still hadn't even finished getting dressed after her last encounter! - but, also, she was laughing.

And then, after giving rick a quick squeeze on the arm, Cora said, "Sure, yeah, why not do this too! If, I mean ... if you all want ... with me ..."

As soon as Cora said yes, she'd started to glow again, that soft moonlight glow of helping with a performance. Which she had sported so often that evening! And then, after her question, one by one other people in the room started glowing, too: first Eddie, then Trevor and Rick, then Sebastian, then Ravi (glowing beneath the touch of my hands), and Noah (with the light from his forearm illuminating my spread legs), and even Quinn, again.

Among the many effects that The Spell was having upon us, it seemed to be accelerating people's resumption of desire ... to an extent that I'd understand much more clearly by the end of this next performance.

Just then, though, I mostly found myself wondering how much longer The Spell could keep going. Over by the stairwell, there were already eleven capes hanging from the pegboard on the wall - presumably everyone's but Micah's and Eddie's - because by then, either as a performer or a helper, everyone else had taken a turn up on the stage.

And now both Micah and Eddie were glowing, too.

After this performance, I realized, we'll probably be done. There were thirteen of us in that room, but some people had performed in pairs or groups, and surely a few of the fantasies had been shared by several of us, too: this fantasy hewed so close to my desires that it may well have come from me.

I considered speaking up.

But didn't. Not yet. Instead, I leaned back into Noah. I rolled my hips, pleasuring myself against his hand.

"But, wait," Nicole said, sitting up (with her hair delightfully mussed). She'd noticed the clear pattern between those of us who were glowing and those of us who weren't. "What about the rest of us? Is this really going to be, you all go up there, and the rest of us sit here and watch?"

Eddie still had an arm around Nicole. He said, "maybe you could ride along with Cora, inside her mind again?"

Nicole nodded. Apparently placated.

So it seemed that we had a plan. There would be a dramatic conclusion to our night's festivities.

Everyone was onboard.

Well, almost everyone.

Just ... everyone but me.

And so that, dear reader, is when I finally spoke up.

"But, Cora never got to feel it," I said. "The ... Eddie's spell. Being inside someone else's body. Do you think that maybe, if Cora were inside me, well ... then she would get to try it, too. And we'd still be doing the performance, right? The ... the ... all of you coming on her. Right?"

Micah smiled, gently, actually looking quite happy about my proposal. A light flush spread over Micah's cherubic cheeks. I mean, if you're going to do this sort of thing, it's probably way more fun when everybody involved is feeling super enthusiastic. Like if, for instance, the person who's going to be kneeling at the center your circle is actually proposing the idea.

But just to make sure, Micah asked, with a little tilt of their head, "So ... you want for all of us ... to come on you?"

For a moment, Noah's hand stopped moving. Everyone had turned to look at me, which meant that they were looking at us, catching us quite clearly in flagrante delicto. I mean, Noah, Ravi and I weren't the only one's canoodling in the audience. But we were, perhaps, the people canoodling most brazenly.

With all their eyes on me - and with my proposition just dangling in the air - I opened my mouth to speak, perhaps to say again that, well, yes, if Cora wants ... or yes, if you all would be fine with me being ... or some other such thing that might partially obscure my eagerness. But the words felt caught in my throat. I didn't say anything.

I nodded, though.

Blushing, sweating, and breathing hard, I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded. Enthusiastically bobbing my head up and down.

From the stage, I heard Micah's calm, reassuring voice. "Then, of course. Yes, I think we have a plan. You're beautiful. And I think that if you invite Cora inside your mind, then, yes, that would fulfill the fantasy that I'm supposed to conduct."

And indeed, by the time I opened my eyes, Cora's glow had dimmed a little - but only slightly! - and also, my own body was glowing, too.

Cora smiled at me. "If you go up to the stage and invite me in, I'll be happy to join you. Or ..." Cora said, glancing at Yvonne, "... maybe several of us will join you?"

Yvonne made eye contact with Cora ... and then she smirked. "That might be fun," Yvonne said, chortling a little, "being with you. But, actually, I'd rather be on the other team. Ravi, would you let me join you?"

Ravi straightened up in front of me. "I would be honored to have you inside my head!"

And, across the room, Nicole murmured, "Ohhhhh, that would be something. Eddie, could I join you?"

Eddie - whose arm was still slung around her waist - was only too happy to invite her in. And Sebastian welcomed Shane. So it seemed that everyone in the room would get to play. But only Cora would be riding along with me.

Noah leaned in and lightly kissed the side of my head before he slid his finger from me, releasing me from his embrace so that I could stand up and walk toward the stage.

With all our classmates' eyes on me, I stood, holding an arm across my chest, and stooped to gather up the gray blanket Cora had conjured for me. I slung the blanket over my shoulders like a big cloak, wrapping it around myself ... and then, well, I almost broke out in a laugh. Because there I was, re-enacting this ritual of modesty, despite everything we'd been through so far together that evening, and everything that we all knew would happen soon.

So I just let the blanket fall. Naked, I strolled toward the stage. Somebody let out a little wolf-whistle. (I think that somebody was Nicole.)

I felt good, walking up there. So much more confident than the last time I'd approached the stage, even though only an hour or so had passed. And yet, somehow, so much had changed!

When I stepped onto the stage, Micah reached out and took my hand. They led me toward the floating blue blanket ... which was already redolent with the scent of sex and cum from everything Cora had done. It was a titillating scent; it was titillating, also, to think that soon our classmates would gather around my body in the place where she'd just been. That I was settling my bare bottom atop the same fabric where Cora had just had sex.

"As your master of ceremonies," Micah said, "I really feel like it's my duty to make you comfortable. Anything else you need?"

"I think I'm good?" I said, lowering myself to sit at the edge of the floating blanket. (At first I sat demurely, with my legs together, but then I thought, fuck it, and spread my legs apart, letting myself take up space, and also flashing all my classmates). "Although ... Cora? Ready to join me?"

Cora's eyes locked with mine for an intense second ... then two seconds, then three ... and her smile shifted into a devious little grin. What was she thinking? I didn't yet know. "I'm ready," Cora said, and then she closed her eyes.

I said, "I'm welcoming you in, Cora, so we can do this together," and then I closed my eyes, too.

The way you cast the spell to open a door for someone else's mind to enter you is a little different from projecting yourself toward another person's body. The mental imagery includes the sound of footsteps crunching through a thin layer of snow, the sight of fresh green shoots in springtime, the feel of unlatching and swinging wide a wooden gate on a hot summer day, the sense of huddling together near a bonfire on a chilly autumn evening. Togetherness through all the seasons - my memory palace was conjuring a friendly, welcoming place inside of me.

And, as the spell unfolded within me, there was no strange transition like when I'd gone from being myself to suddenly being Rick or Cora. I had started to cast the spell as me, and then, when the conjuration ended, I no less myself than I'd been before.

The difference was that Cora was me now, also.

Hi, she whispered, inside my mind.

Hi, I whispered back, suddenly feeling very shy.

Ha, she whispered inside me, you're right, this IS very strange.

It feels different, being me?

It feels nice, Cora thought. And then she thought, Hey, could I ask you for a favor? Rick thought it was fun, seeing his own body, and ...

So I opened my eyes for us and looked toward where Rick had lain Cora's body gently on the floor, at which point Cora squealed inside my mind, Oh my god you think I'm hot!

Um, Cora ...? I thought.

What?

Literally EVERYONE thinks you're hot!

Oh ..., she thought, as if for some weird reason this might be news to her. And I mean, I guess it's theoretically possible that Cora had never noticed, but if so, then, damn, somebody really ought to have told her before now!

I mean, I thought to her, surely you've noticed the way we've all been fixated on you tonight, right?

Inside my head, Cora laughed. Well, yes, tonight I noticed.

And Rick must tell you that you're beautiful.

But Rick is so niiiiiice, Cora thought, really drawling out the word. It always felt like he might just be saying that.

Nope, I thought back. Or, well, sure. Maybe he's nice. But also, he's not just saying that. You're hot.

And then, just like I had seen her and Rick do when we were all inside of Cora, her mind was kissing me. Like a full-on, deep-throated, pull-your-face-to-mine-and-then-snog-till-we're-out-of-breath absolute banger of a kiss. Except that it was transpiring entirely inside my head. So instead of tasting Cora on my lips, it was like she was fluttering her tongue directly over the pleasure center of my brain.

Fuck, Cora, I thought, once I could finally think coherent thoughts again.

Was that too much?, she asked.

Fuck, no, that was awesome, I thought. I just hadn't expected it.

It's just, you're being so nice, Cora thought. I wanted to do something for you, and ... ohhhhh ....

What?, I thought.

I can feel your body, she thought back to me. Quite cryptically, honestly.

So?, I thought.

And I can feel some of your thoughts, she replied. I mean, it's like I can HEAR the conscious ones, but I can feel some of the others ...

Um, Cora ...?

Instead of answering, Cora thought another question: Could I maybe use your voice for a minute, to ask them something? And she went on, And if it's not something you want ... you can always contradict me, right?

What are you going to ask?, I thought. Suddenly I found myself wondering how long we'd been sitting there, and whether everyone else was waiting on us.

Please?, she thought again, and, honestly, because it was Cora, and also because she had just full-on kissed me inside my brain, I let her have her way.

Go on, I thought, you can speak for me.

For us, she thought, and then, You can always contradict me, but it feels like this will make you pretty happy. And then I felt my lips moving. My body was speaking, even though I had no idea yet what I was about to say.

"Hi," I felt myself say, with my voice sounding a little embarrassed at first, but also purposeful. "This is Cora speaking," my body said, "and, well, I just realized that, well, before Quinn came on my face, I'd, well ... I had gotten to have a lot of sex, and I think that's what made it so fun for me. So just, maybe, before we all get to the part when you're all coming ... would you be willing to make love to us? First? So we could build up to it and have a good time too?"

"Wait," Micah asked, making sure to clarify since they were directing our experience, "you want for all eight of us ..."

"Twelve," somebody said, speaking with Nicole's cadence but Eddie's voice.

"... to fuck you first?"

In response to Micah's question, while sitting at the edge of the blanket, with my legs spread wide, and looking out at my gathered classmates - some of their bodies apparently sleeping, like Cora's and Nicole's, and some clearly up and eager - well, I just blushed. I blushed so, so hard. And then I waited. Waiting, and hoping that Cora would answer for me. (For us?). But Cora had totally relinquished control over my body. Whatever we said now, I would have to be the one to say it.

So, iffff you waaaannt ..., Cora thought inside me, her words a little sing-song.

She could feel our heart pounding. And she knew how wet we were between our legs. Perched naked and aroused at the edge of that levitating blanket.

And, dear reader, given everything you know about what I'd been thinking that evening ... well, I'm fairly certain you know what I was about to do.

I took a long, deep, shuddering breath in. And then I nodded. Yes. This was something that I wanted.

"Wait," Rick said, "is that you, or is that Cora nodding?"

I forced our body to breathe again. Obviously, to arrange something like this, I was going to have to spell it out with actual words. To own up to my desires, right there in front of everyone.

"It's me," I said. "I mean, I didn't know what Cora was planning to say. But ..." I went on. I was so nervous, saying this, that our legs were shaking. "... but ... well, yes. I mean, it'd be fun. To start. If you all ... mmmm ... if any of you, um, wanted to fuck me first."

But! Cora thought, inside me. Please tell him that I'd be nodding, too!

"But, um ..." I said, hesitantly. "Cora wants for you to know that she wants you all to fuck me, too."

Fuck us!, thought Cora, jovially. They'll all be having me too, right?

"Fuck us," I corrected. "I mean, shit. Yeah. Cora wants for you all to fuck her, too."

Rick glanced down at Cora's apparently sleeping body, then back up at me. I could feel Cora's distinctive smile forming with my lips, and my head was nodding. Rick chuckled, shaking his head. And also, now that her mind was inside of me, every time I looked at Rick I felt this overwhelming surge of love. God, they were an adorable couple.

But also, I'd noticed that each and every time I glanced toward Trevor, now that Cora was inside me, I felt another spicy little zing of lust. So that was something, too.

"Well, then," said Micah, serious about their role in organizing a smooth and pleasurable performance, "we'll probably need something a little more ... accessible? ... than this blanket near the floor. Right?"

"Oh, hey, I gotcha," said Trevor, and then he closed his eyes with one arm held out to the side and the other high above his head, like a sacrificial priest. After a few seconds, Cora and I felt our levitating blanket start to slowly rise, lifting higher, higher, higher. Soon it was chair height. Then my feet parted with the floor. I was still sitting at the blanket's edge, my legs dangling over the side.