Transcendent Ch. 01

Delilah turned back to him. "Are you hungry?"

"You know, I thought I would be by now, because I can't remember the last time I ate, but I'm not. I'd love something to drink, though."

"Ruby, bring Sean one of your night time specials! On me."

The woman dropped what she was doing and nodded to her patron. She stalked off, her heels clacking against the tile kitchen floor with each step.

"She's not much of a talker."

"So it seems. Thanks."

"Don't mention it" she responded with a wide smile before taking another sip of her drink.

"Say, you don't happen to have a phone on you?"

"A mobile?"

"Yeah. I'd love to make a call."

"Sorry. Nobody carries one in Chrysalis."

"What?" he asked, puzzled. "Why???"

"Can't get a signal here. Never been able to. Unless you're gonna use it to take pictures you can't send to anyone, a cell phone's as useless as a cock in a cage."

His eyes opened wide at her use of the unusual simile, but he didn't balk. Delilah seemed encouraged. She chuckled at his tense reaction. "Oh, do I have your attention now?"

"You've had it since I walked in."

"I'm glad" she purred before reaching down into her pocket. Her hand reappeared and she slid a business card across the table. Sean picked it up, his astonishment growing.

It featured a darkened female figure in thigh high boots holding a whip. 'Mistress Delilah -- Adult Entertainer' it said across the top. Several services were listed with bullets points along the bottom. 'Erotic dance. Sensual Massage. Discipline. Slave training. Your wildest dreams come true.'

"Wow" he said, looking up. His expression could only read as flabbergasted. "You certainly do offer a wide range of... options."

"You have no idea" she retorted, her shining, jet black eyes piercing his very being.

*CLANG*

The appearance of Sean's drink and a whiff of cigarette smoke announced Ruby's arrival and departure. He turned to thank her, but she was already on her way back to the kitchen. He took hold of the steamy cup, the warmth filling his hands and enticing him. Sean brought it to his lips and took a long sip.

His eyes bulged and his throat shuddered. His reaction was visceral. Not to the heat, but the strength of the beverage. He coughed, setting the cup down as he tried to process what he'd just imbibed.

"Jesus, what the hell is that stuff?"

"Ovaltine and 130 proof bourbon" she answered with a smirk. "Everything you need to get ready for dreamland."

Delilah flipped her head to the side and her wall of black hair followed, cascading over to the other side of her face. He realized, suddenly, that she was shaved on both sides. It was just down the center of her head that all that black hair was stemming from. Now her hair leaned the other way, which gave her a somewhat different look, obscuring her black teardrop from view.

He realized something else in that moment. It had been nagging him since he walked in. The idea that she somehow looked familiar. And now that he studied her closer, the pieces were falling into place.

'Melissa?!?'

Yes. It was unmistakable now. Delilah was fifteen years older, give or take. She had a completely different look, but her facial features were remarkably similar to the first steady girlfriend he'd had in high school. Melissa was his sweetheart for the entire junior year. It didn't last, of course, but he had many fond memories of her. Why hadn't he realized it sooner?

"Speaking of which" she interjected, snapping him from his musings. "Where are you staying tonight? You got no money, right? So that means a hotel is out."

"I don't know" he answered before taking a long swig of the warm beverage. The alcohol stung his throat and stomach, but it was followed by the warm embrace of the milky, malt flavored mixture. After he got used to the drink's initial bite, he couldn't deny, it was helping him to relax. "I was hoping I could catch some shut-eye here, if Ruby will let me."

"Pfffft, fuck that" Delilah shot back. "I mean, I'm sure she'd let you stay, but you're not going to have a pleasant night here. Not on these shitty old seats."

"Then what would you recommend?"

Her grin returned. "You can stay at my place until you find your own." She joined him in taking another swig. "Maybe we'll even have a little fun."

Sean was bewildered. "Are you sure? You don't even know me."

The dark-haired temptress leaned in. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm not usually out at this time of night. It's not safe, you know? This town can be rough. But something told me to go to the diner tonight. So I did. And now... here you are."

He nodded, finding that he was suddenly a little woozy. "Ok. That's an interesssttinng coinnciideennce, I abbmitt." His eyes fluttered.

"Hey? Are you okay?" Delilah looked concerned.

"Yeayah..." Sean exhaled, his body slumping forward. His left arm sprawled across the table and he set his head down in the crook of it. "Soorrry. I'm just... reeaaallly tired." He got a last, sideways glimpse of Delilah as his vision began to swirl. His eyelids were anchors he could no longer deny the depths of sleep.

"Hey Ruby! What the hell did you put in that?!?"

Her words echoed in his mind as the abyss took him.

* * * * *

*Tock Tock Tock Tock Tock*

"Can you hear me, Sean?"

A new voice reverberated in the blackness. It slid around his mind, soothing him with gentle words. A soft but persistent striking sound could be heard in the background.

"You are in a deep sleep. Your body is relaxed. Very relaxed. It feels like you're floating on a cloud. Every bit of tension has now left your limbs. I'm going to ask you some questions, Sean. Answer me if you can..."

He jolted awake and the sound of clanking metal rattled outward. He blinked several times as his vision cleared. He was on a couch, staring up at the ceiling. Sean looked down the length of his body. His hands were cuffed and his feet were tightly shackled.

"Hmmm, naughty boy. I was just getting started."

Sean's gaze leapt to his right. Sitting close by was a woman on a black leather barrel-arm chair. Her luscious brunette hair was tied back tightly into an elegant bun. Her angular face was framed by a pair of black rim glasses that shined in the pale light coming from the room's windows. She reached over and stopped the metronome ticking away on the end table beside her.

'Daylight... Have I been out that long?'

Her billowy, white dress-shirt and tight, navy blue skirt led down to brown, heeled knee-high leather boots. Her legs were crossed, one over the other. Deep red lips completed her professional, yet undeniably sexy look. She studied him, seemingly as puzzled as he was.

"Where am I? Why am I cuffed?!?"

"Take it easy, Sean. You're under my care."

"Neat. Who the fuck are you?"

"My name is Lena. Dr. Lena Solomon."

"Doctor of what?"

"Psychology."

"Ok... Feel free to fill in the blanks, before I get pissed."

The haughty brunette sighed. "You passed out. We don't know why. Ruby swears there was nothing but a bit of liquor in your drink. Delilah went and fetched the town doctor. She couldn't find anything wrong with you, physically. So you were brought to me."

"And why would they bring me to a shrink?"

Lena reached over to the table again, this time grabbing up a black leather crop. She reached out and snapped it down on his midsection sharply.

*SWAT*

"OWWW!!!" He turned his body to the side, holding up his tightly bound hands as an ineffective shield.

She pointed the instrument of pain at him insistently. "First of all, I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm a psychoanalyst."

"You're psycho, alright."

*SWAT*

The business end of her leather wand slapped down on his right thigh, stinging him again.

"Second, it's very important you take this seriously. My time is valuable and we have so much to uncover."

"What are you talking about?"

"There's a reason you came here, Sean. To Chrysalis, I mean. We all come here for a reason. Mine is to do... this." She gestured outwardly, at her office. "But you don't know why you're here, do you?"

"No. And I doubt talking to you is gonna change that."

Her eyes narrowed. Sean could tell she wanted to lash him again, but she restrained herself, setting the crop aside.

"Your conscious mind doesn't know, but your subconscious does. We can learn the truth together."

"That still doesn't explain why I'm cuffed and shackled."

Lena smiled broadly. "It's symbolic, but an important element to beginning your therapy. You must surrender to my treatments completely. You must submit."

The silence was deafening as Sean eyed her suspiciously. Lena looked at her watch before her steely gray gaze shifted back to him.

"Do you want to learn the truth or not?"

He sucked in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled loudly from his mouth. "Fine" he grunted, shuffling his body back into a comfortable position on the sofa. His gaze returned to the ceiling. Like everything else in this town, it was cracked and dirty.

"Say it" she commanded.

"Say what?"

"I submit to you, Dr. Lena."

His metal restraints rattled as he shifted slightly. His eyes darted around as he mulled over his nonexistent options. Even if he walked out now, he had no idea where to go or how to begin looking for exactly what she was offering. "I submit to you, Dr. Lena" he repeated, reluctantly.

"And I consent to your full range of treatments."

He craned his neck and locked eyes with her again. She was the proverbial cat that ate the canary. The domineering doctor wore a smug grin.

'I'm going to regret this, aren't I?'

"And I consent to your full range of treatments."

She clapped her hands together. "Very good! Let's get back to it then." Lena reached over and restarted the metronome.

*Tock Tock Tock Tock Tock*

The constant metal knocking sound enveloped the room.

"Close your eyes, Sean, and focus on the metronome. Listen to it tap away steadily. That sound is your beacon. It will always be there, ready to guide you back at any time."

She was silent for a while. Lena watched his limbs begin to ease as Sean did what she instructed.

"And now, the sound of the metronome fades into the background. You are feeling very relaxed and you will focus only on the sound of my voice."

* * * * *

*SQUAWK*

Sean's eyes opened. He was sitting upright, but leaning against something hard. The massive roots splitting out on either side of his legs clued him in that it was a giant oak tree. An eerie orange glow was cast on all things. It was dusk on the horizon.

*SQUAWK*

The feathered annoyance had returned. The raven strutted about just a dozen feet away. Its head bobbed and weaved, keeping its gleaming black eyes on Sean.

"Thanks for the wake-up call, I guess" he said gingerly, rubbing his head.

What had happened this time? He'd had his session with Dr. Lena and then... he'd been looking for something. He got tired again and had to rest. Yes, that was it. He'd wandered into this park and, though his back probably wouldn't thank him for it, he'd chosen the tree over the park ben--

His train of thought ground to an instant halt. On the bench in the distance, he saw several more ravens. They were perched on the seat, all looking in his direction. They weren't alone.

Sean looked around and started noticing them everywhere. On the old, junked cars lining the road. Sitting in tree branches. Dotting the grass of the park, surrounding him. The ringleader, his old acquaintance, hopped a little closer and took a more menacing pose.

*SQUAWK*

Sean shot upward from his sitting position, his back scraping against the tree as he grasped it behind him. He stared back at the temperamental black bird. Its eyes glowed in the waning light. His and a couple hundred of his friends.

"Hey. I don't want any trouble, alright..." He felt like a fucking moron talking to a bird, but you do silly things when you're scared shitless. "I'm just gonna go."

*SQUAWK*

The leader of the pack jumped closer. Sean could see the dark wings of dozens of birds extending in the distance, preparing to take flight.

'Shit!!!'

They call it fight or flight, but there was no doubt this time. He bolted for the exit to the park as countless ravens jumped into the sky and aimed their beaks and talons at him. Sean put up his arms to defend himself, though he knew it'd be futile. Several birds were already pecking and clawing at his back as he took off at top speed.

He fought his way through the waves of cawing, jabbing, scratching vermin, swatting them away whenever one got too close to his face. His jean jacket was decent protection for the top half of his body, but Sean's hands and legs were bleeding in no time. His adrenaline kicked into overdrive and be tore through the entrance and turned onto the sidewalk. He jetted through the black mass of swirling, squawking laceration as fast as he'd ever moved in his life.

The further he got away from the park, the fewer birds kept up. They continued diving, jumping and pecking at him, but their ranks diminished with every block that flew by. He eyed the buildings along the sidewalk as he ran, looking for a place he might take shelter. He found once entrance that didn't look too run down and ran up its short set of stairs. Sean grasped the handle and wrenched it with all his strength. Nothing. Locked tight.

*SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK*

He swatted his pursuers away and took off with renewed haste. His lungs burned as he looked for anything that might help him in the distance. Finally, on the horizon, he saw one of the entrances was bathed in the soft glow of an outdoor light. One doorway among a series of rundown duplexes and apartment buildings indicated it might have a living occupant.

'Please don't be locked! Please don't be locked!'

The closer he grew to the door, the less he felt the pecking and scratching attacks of ravens around him. The birds broke off, flying back from where they came as he entered the housing unit's lot. That didn't slow Sean's pace one bit. He jetted up the short staircase to the illuminated porch.

He turned the handle. It was locked, of course.

*POUND POUND POUND POUND*

"HELLO?!? IS ANYONE IN THERE??? PLEASE!"

Sean turned and looked back the way he came. His new nemesis was sitting pretty, perched on the gate at the perimeter of the property. It squawked at him one final time and took off, gliding into the orange and red hue of the sunset.

He heard a set of locks unfasten and the door opened behind him. The battered and bleeding man turned and breathed an incredible sigh of relief when he saw Delilah in the doorway.

"Sean! OH MY GOD!!! What happened to you?!?"

He waved one bleeding hand at the air behind him. "Fuckin... birds... attacked me" he gasped through ragged breaths. His lungs struggled to catch up as Delilah waved him in.

"Cmon! Get in here!"

He stumbled in and bent over, bloody palms ruining what was left of his pants. The stunning goth re-secured each lock, then placed her hands on his shoulders and guided him in. There were candles glowing brightly all along the hallway leading into her dwelling. Either electricity was expensive in Chrysalis or she simply liked the mood and natural light.

"Those bastards are always picking on new people" Delilah shared as she led him to the bathroom. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Yeah, that makes two of us" he winced, trying not to touch anything while he was bleeding.

She reached in and flicked on the light, illuminating her extremely grungy and cluttered all-purpose bath. The sink and toilet had streaks of black running along the filth encrusted porcelain. There were stacks of hair products, baskets of cosmetics, accessories and other junk covering every available surface.

Delilah gave his ripped and torn form a quick appraisal before offering him a flirtatious smile. "In any case, I'm glad you came. You found my little note on the card, hmmm?"

"Card?" he asked in befuddlement.

"Yeah, the card I gave you. I wrote my address on the back. That's how you found me, right?"

Sean stared back for a few seconds, entranced by the contrast of her snow white skin and jet black hair. Her purple lips and shadowed eyes called out to him. Tearing his gaze away was an effort.

"Yeah, exactly" he nodded as he moved into the bathroom. "Thanks for that."

"Don't mention it. There's bandages and antiseptic cream behind the mirror, but you should probably take a shower first. When you're done, my bedroom's just down the hall. I'll be waiting."

Delilah offered an excited wink and closed the door.

Sean wiped his bloody hand off on the remnants of his pants and reached into his pocket gingerly. He fished out her business card and turned it over. There was a message on the back.

'168 Highwater St. See ya soon! XOXO'

* * * * *

Cool air nipped at Sean's body as he walked down the candle lit hall. When he exited the shower he'd found that his clothes were gone. Now he had nothing but a towel wrapped around his nude form. His hands and much of his legs were bandaged up. It had taken a while to clean up all the cuts and scrapes, but he felt surprisingly good in the aftermath.

They were difficult to make out in the dim light of the hallway, but Sean studied the various pictures lining the walls. There were shots of Delilah and pictures of the town, but no family members or even friends. The frames were dusty and the floor creaked as he made his way through her apartment.

"Delilah?"

"I'm in here!" she called from the furthest bedroom. The flickering glow from the doorway was an intense yellowish orange.

Sean made his way to the end of the hall and turned into the surprisingly large bedroom. The place looked like a cathedral during a night-time service. The entire room was ringed with lit candles. They lined fixtures on the walls and every piece of furniture. Delilah was waiting in her leather corset and fishnet stockings. Her thigh high boots gleamed in the firelight.

She took a drag from her blunt, held the potent cloud in her lungs for three seconds and then exhaled slowly. The entire room smelled of leather, marijuana and sex. Her hand rested on her hip and her wave of jet black hair tumbled down the right side of head.

"Welcome to my lair" she said with a grin before setting the fat cigar on an ashtray atop her dresser.

"Hey" Sean replied, unsure of how to respond to such odd, yet fortunate circumstances. He was simultaneously aroused and dumbfounded. Also somewhat concerned that he was about to get lucky in what looked like a giant fire hazard.

"Your jacket will be fine after a wash, but your pants are done for and the blood is never coming out of that t-shirt. I tossed them."

Vague concern spread over his face. He hadn't exactly packed a suitcase.

"Don't worry" she continued. "I have some men's clothes you can borrow. I keep some on hand in case I get a little too wild with one of my clients. Accidents happen, you know."

Sean swallowed. He didn't know, but he could imagine. "Thanks. Where am I sleeping tonight?"

"Right there" Delilah responded, nodding to the large bed taking up a quarter of the room. The shiny, black bedding was striking in the bright candle light. The bed frame had several metal anchor points embedded at each side and corner. Sex toys and bondage gear were strewn all about her private little fetish heaven.