Chapter 8
Unfortunately for me, this sleep didn't last long. It felt as though as soon as I closed my eyes, I opened them again. On the red mountain. It was as if the dream had picked up where the woman and I had left off last time. We were still most of the way up on the mountain on a level ridge that stuck straight out from the mountain like a shelf. She was still gazing at Earth with a sad look on her face. It was while she was gazing at my world, I had a sudden flash of recognition. It seems my Art History classes were good for something after all. It was in this moment of recognition that it finally clicked in my head. It was like putting a puzzle together when you didn't know what it was supposed to look like. You're thinking it's a picture of a dog, then a few pieces fit together and suddenly you're looking at Albert Einstein. That was how I felt when I opened my mouth to speak.
"You figured it out then, did you?" The woman asked with a smile on her face.
I paused a moment after she said this, mouth still hanging open. Her comment threw me off for a second, "Wait... You didn't call me "it". You called me you." I said, confused.
She turned her gaze back to me. "Yes. I did."
I waited to let her finish that sentence. When it became obvious she wouldn't, I asked her the previously unspoken question. "And WHY did you do that?"
"Because you are beginning to understand. To believe. There is much power in names, and simply by thinking mine you have earned acknowledgement." She said with a very slight bow of her head.
"So you really are Fortuna, then. As in, Fortuna, the Roman Goddess of Luck?" I asked, unwilling to believe what I was saying.
"I am called many things, that is one. Yes." she made a casual gesture towards Earth, "What your kind does not understand, is that the people called Romans may be gone, but the Gods still remain. We have always been here, even before Mortals existed. The Romans, and other mortals of times long past, were aware of us and gave thanks for our favors. Through their worship we gained power."
"THE Goddess of Luck?" I was still a little hung-up on that thought. "Able to manipulate the lives of people through chance?"
"There is no chance, mortal. There is only the Will of the Gods." she said, her voice rumbling like thunder. Literally.
I didn't pay it any mind, I mean, this is a dream... right? I was beginning to have doubts about that, actually. It felt so real, being on this mountain. All my senses functioning at full capacity, able to think clearly, not showing any signs of my normal "dream-state". But what I was experiencing was clearly impossible. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, I would sort it out later. At the moment, I had a bone to pick.
I balled my hands into fists, squeezing hard, trying to keep a level head. "You mean to tell me, that all the bad "Will of the Gods," I sneered, "in my life, was your doing? Everything that has gone wrong, is your fault?"
With a calm, bland expression, one that surprisingly reminded me of Frenchie, she said, "Yes."
The words blurted out with no particular emphasis, skipping the brain and headed straight for the exit. "You fucking cunt." Oops.
She took it well, I suppose. She only seethed with rage, grew another ten feet, and fire formed around her hands. The ground shook with her anger, making me brace myself or I would fall over. She pulled one flaming hand back in what would amount to a godly haymaker that would mash me into pulp, and held for a moment before bringing down her godly wrath. I didn't cower, or flinch. I didn't weep or make futile attempts to shield myself from the blow. Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely terrified, which might explain my lack of reaction, but I didn't regret what I had said. Given the chance, I would not change a thing.
Her mighty fist swung down at me. Out of normal human reaction, I closed my eyes, accepting my fate. A deafening sound of impact, and an intense crushing pressure on my body was the last thing I felt.
I'm not much into religion, I believe that when you die, you're dead. Done with, over, caput, the end of, no more. No heaven, no hell. Just gone. So when I became concious again, you could say I was more than a little surprised. I was lying on my back on some coarse, gritty material, my eyes still closed. A part of me wondered if I would go to Heaven in the same state that I had left Earth, meaning I was wondering if I was a pancake. A moment of moving my legs and arms suggested I wasn't. Dazed, my vision blurry, I stood up on shaky legs, nearly falling over. My first glimpse of heaven was a major disappointment. I slowly turned, taking in my surroundings. With a groan, I realized I was still on the red mountain. I stopped my turn when I was facing Fortuna again. I was twenty yards further away from her than I had previously been, a giant crater where I had been standing.
"If this is Heaven, I want to file a complaint." I slurred.
Fortuna, now back to her previous size of fifteen feet, showing no signs of anger, laughed. It's hard to describe the incredible sound of a Goddess's laugh, but it was beautiful. A sound no human could make, it was literally music for the soul. I felt better, refreshed, after her laugh. My head cleared of it's fuzziness. Taking a closer look, it appeared that Fortuna had not smashed me into pulp, but had struck her first at the ground right in front of where I had been standing, causing me to get hurled through the air.
She laughed for a few more moments, before saying, "I like you, mortal. I am glad to have chosen you." she shook her head as she smiled, "It is a rare day indeed that anything can insult me, and live to tell about it."
I slowly walked back to the goddess, who I now truly believed was a goddess. That ground slam thing she did really hurt. If I was dreaming, I would have woken up or something, or atleast it wouldn't hurt so damn much. I shuffled up to the impressive crater and tried not to imagine what would have happened had she actually hit me.
"So why am I still here, then?" I refrained from adding, Bitch, to the end of the sentence. I didn't want to push my luck. Heh. Heh. Get it? Luck? Anyways, I was curious as to why I had not been crushed.
"Fortis fortuna adiuvat," Fortuna said, "Some might consider your action as one of stupidity. It is a good thing for you that I am not one of them."
"Fortune favors the bold, huh?" It seemed to add up now. My whole life, all my rotten, shitty luck, explained. I would joke that the universe had it out for me, but I was wrong. It was a goddess who did. "I honestly don't feel favored much, besides that 'Not turning me into dust' thing just now, which I appreciate."
"But are you not favored?" she queried, "You have no responsibilities imposed on you, no need to work or toil under another's whip, and you have more wealth than you could possibly use in your life-time." She raised her hand in a gesture to silence me, when I opened my mouth to interrupt her. "And your most fortuitous meeting with a girl whom you have fallen in love with."
That made me pause and think for a moment. I put a few more pieces together before I said, "You're the Wizard, aren't you?" Fortuna nodded. This almost made me blurt out another insult, but I caught myself in time. I doubted I would be able to insult her a second time and live.
"Why? Why did you do this to Amy? To me?" I said, "I don't understand. You said Amy and I were a part of your preperations against some great evil, or whatever. There's been nothing on the news about that, no indication of the 'End Time'. You'd think someone would have noticed by now."
"Mortal, you are not meant to understand. Only obey." Fortuna spoke with an authority that only a god could. "I assure you, the evil has been released."
I interrupted her, "What evil, damnit?"
Fortuna made an obvious effort to stop herself from smiting me. She seemed to relax, and explained to me in an even tone, "There is no true name for it. In the history of your kind, it's name has changed, it's meaning, it's capabilities. It has been imprisoned within the Earth by the gods for countless eons. Some called this place Tartarus, The Underworld, Hades, Gehenna, Hell, it matters not. The evil is Chaos, the Void. Before there was anything, before the gods, before the universe, there was only the Void. There is no clear answer on how the universe began or where life came from, but it is known that Chaos has constantly sought to destroy it, to return everything to the Void. Chaos is a subtle and devious enemy. Never acting directly, always through minions and pawns. It will strike only when it can deal its deathblow, when its victory is certain. Even now, as we speak, it gathers its forces."
That was not what I was expecting. I was hoping for something simple like, Godzilla is smashing Tokyo, or something. I figured it best not to try to comprehend what Chaos was, for my own sanity. Just accept it and move on.
I found that accepting this as truth, to believe, was easier than I thought. I nodded, "Alright. What is Chaos planning to do to Earth, and how can I stop it?"
Fortuna smiled sweetly at me, "I knew I would not regret choosing you as our champion." She looked up at Earth, squinting a little, as if she could see exactly what was going on up there. "I do not know exactly what the evil is doing, but I know it will need an army. In the days since Chaos was released, it has undoubtly unleashed its breeders. Horrid creatures. They are able to impregnate human females with their seed, causing rapid pregnancy that takes a day, possibly up to a week, to produce offspring. These abominations rapidly mature into adulthood and either join the ranks of the army, or continue on as breeders."
"Breeders?" I asked incredulously. "They're using women to breed?"
"Yes, to breed." Fortuna confirmed. "And I expect you to do the same."
I arched an eyebrow at her after that comment. I didn't know what she meant by that, but I had a feeling it was something I'd like. "How do you expect me to breed an army for you? I'm only one man, and as much as I'd like to boast, I can only get off so many times in a day before I need to recuperate. Not to mention the whole nine months and eighteen years to wait for an adult."
Fortuna was silent for a moment, looking at Earth. Eventually she said, "You will need to gather your comrades. They play an integral role in what is to come. When you have gathered them all, I shall call upon you again." She began to turn away from me, then hesitated. Speaking over her shoulder, she said, "Be warned mortal. The evil is an incredibly powerful and dangerous enemy. It knows the gods intend to imprison it again, and how." She turned around to face me, "And it knows you and your comrades are a part of our plan to stop it. Be wary."
Nothing like an ominous warning from a goddess to set you at ease, right? I frowned at Fortuna, in response to her warning. "But you still haven't told me where to begin, how can I breed an army?" I felt a little stupid asking that question. It sounded like a really corny line from some awful B-movie.
The goddess smirked at me, "Ah, but you already have begun, mortal."
As I was about to ask my next question after that cryptic message, I seemed to blank out for a moment, everything going dark, as if I passed out. I sat up quickly and yelled at my desk, "Wvagh dsh dt mnn?!?" I realized I was waking from my slumber on my couch, back in my office, pointing and yelling at my desk. The morning sun flooded in through the open blinds, causing me to blink and shield my eyes. I was confused, bewildered. What the hell was going on? The line between reality and this dream-reality was becoming blurred. During the dream... no, I can't call it a dream anymore, it was too real, it was something else entirely. Maybe a vision? The possibility of it being real, of me being on a different world speaking with a goddess, was something I didn't want to consider at the moment. I blinked several times as I tried focusing my eyes. Amy seemed undisturbed by my outburst. I sat up and put my feet on the floor as I yawned. Giving myself a moment to become somewhat awake, I stood up and stretched, my body feeling tight and cramped after spending all night on the couch. It's a comfortable couch to rest on, but not to sleep for several hours on. After my stretch, I turned around to see if Amy was awake, and noticed she wasn't there.
My thoughts instantly went to the last time I had woken up and found Amy missing. Thinking about scantily clad Amy making me breakfast had me drooling as I left the office. I stumbled down the hall for a bit, zigging and zagging, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, when I heard something. At first, I couldn't tell what it was, only that my brain had registered a sound, which set off an alarm. I paused and listened. The sound came from further down the hall, towards my bedroom and the stairs down. I slowly made my way, trying to hear where the faint sound was coming from. I passed my bedroom door and continued for a few steps when I noticed the sound getting softer. Playing a sleepy version of Hot-Cold by myself eventually led me to my bedroom bathroom. As I approached the door, I could make out the sounds from within. Amy was crying softly.
I knocked on the door gently, "Amy?" The crying stopped immediately. I didn't hear any sounds from within. She must have frozen, thinking if she didn't make a sound I would go away. I tried the door handle, it was locked. I knocked again.
"Go away. I'm... I'm... I'll be down in a minute." she said.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing! Now just go, I'll be down in a minute." The tone of her voice betrayed her words. Something was definitely not right.
"Amy, can I come in?" I tried the handle again, knowing it was still locked. I could hear Amy stumble across the bathroom and throw herself against the door to prevent me from entering. "Amy, you're starting to scare me. Cmon, open the door, please."
I could hear her slide down the door, ending up sitting on the ground with her back against the door. Her voice sounded tense, worried, "Where did you go last night?"
My brain did a loop-de-loop. "I didn't go anywhere, I was with you all night."
I heard her sniffle slightly, "No, I woke up last night, and I was alone on the couch. I searched the house for you, and you weren't there. Where did you go?"
Holy shit. Did that mean... Was I really... Holy shit. I stalled for time as my brain scrambled trying to come up with a better answer than, I was on a different planet with a Goddess.
I spoke a partial truth. "There's a place on the roof I go to sometimes. I go out there to listen to the city, to think." I cringed a little, hoping Amy hadn't checked the roof.
Apparently she hadn't because she didn't refute my claim, but suddenly shifted course. "Micah, why do you like me?"
I wasn't expecting her to say that, it left me confused for a second as my brain shifted gears, trying to catch up to where Amy was headed. "Amy, it's ok. Just open the door and we can talk."
"No! Answer me first. Why do you like me?"
I hated questions like this, they were the kind I always ended up answering in the worst possible way. I tried thinking of some answer that would get her to open the door, but none came to mind. With a sigh, I gave in and just answered her as honestly as I knew how, "Honestly Amy, I don't know how to explain why. Just being near you makes my head spin and my heart race. The way you look at me after we make love, the feel of your skin under my hands, your beautiful sincere laugh that is music to my ears. Every little part of you. I'm crazy about you."
Amy sniffled a little as I spoke. She was quiet for a moment after I had finished. "Amy?" I checked to make sure she was still ok.
"Yeah." she said softly, "I'm ok." I heard the door lock click open, and Amy walking away from the door. I hesitated for a moment before entering.
My bathroom is rather spacious and luxurious. Entering the bathroom you see the sink a few feet straight ahead, with a small medicine cabinet and mirror above it. To the left is some towel racks and other shelves to store my toiletries, and to the right is the shower and toilet. The toilet is attatched to the near wall, and it was where I found Amy. Her back was to me, she was sitting sideways on the toilet, with its lid down. She was still wearing her sky blue top, and had put on some of my boxers. She was leaning away from the door, her shoulders slouched, her head bowed.
"Amy?" I asked gingerly, "Are you ok?" I began to approach her, but was still a few feet away from her when she turned around.
Teary eyed, she asked me, "Would you still like me even if some parts went missing?" She turned fully around. She looked exactly the same. Except for the obvious lack of her belly.
Unfortunately for me, this sleep didn't last long. It felt as though as soon as I closed my eyes, I opened them again. On the red mountain. It was as if the dream had picked up where the woman and I had left off last time. We were still most of the way up on the mountain on a level ridge that stuck straight out from the mountain like a shelf. She was still gazing at Earth with a sad look on her face. It was while she was gazing at my world, I had a sudden flash of recognition. It seems my Art History classes were good for something after all. It was in this moment of recognition that it finally clicked in my head. It was like putting a puzzle together when you didn't know what it was supposed to look like. You're thinking it's a picture of a dog, then a few pieces fit together and suddenly you're looking at Albert Einstein. That was how I felt when I opened my mouth to speak.
"You figured it out then, did you?" The woman asked with a smile on her face.
I paused a moment after she said this, mouth still hanging open. Her comment threw me off for a second, "Wait... You didn't call me "it". You called me you." I said, confused.
She turned her gaze back to me. "Yes. I did."
I waited to let her finish that sentence. When it became obvious she wouldn't, I asked her the previously unspoken question. "And WHY did you do that?"
"Because you are beginning to understand. To believe. There is much power in names, and simply by thinking mine you have earned acknowledgement." She said with a very slight bow of her head.
"So you really are Fortuna, then. As in, Fortuna, the Roman Goddess of Luck?" I asked, unwilling to believe what I was saying.
"I am called many things, that is one. Yes." she made a casual gesture towards Earth, "What your kind does not understand, is that the people called Romans may be gone, but the Gods still remain. We have always been here, even before Mortals existed. The Romans, and other mortals of times long past, were aware of us and gave thanks for our favors. Through their worship we gained power."
"THE Goddess of Luck?" I was still a little hung-up on that thought. "Able to manipulate the lives of people through chance?"
"There is no chance, mortal. There is only the Will of the Gods." she said, her voice rumbling like thunder. Literally.
I didn't pay it any mind, I mean, this is a dream... right? I was beginning to have doubts about that, actually. It felt so real, being on this mountain. All my senses functioning at full capacity, able to think clearly, not showing any signs of my normal "dream-state". But what I was experiencing was clearly impossible. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, I would sort it out later. At the moment, I had a bone to pick.
I balled my hands into fists, squeezing hard, trying to keep a level head. "You mean to tell me, that all the bad "Will of the Gods," I sneered, "in my life, was your doing? Everything that has gone wrong, is your fault?"
With a calm, bland expression, one that surprisingly reminded me of Frenchie, she said, "Yes."
The words blurted out with no particular emphasis, skipping the brain and headed straight for the exit. "You fucking cunt." Oops.
She took it well, I suppose. She only seethed with rage, grew another ten feet, and fire formed around her hands. The ground shook with her anger, making me brace myself or I would fall over. She pulled one flaming hand back in what would amount to a godly haymaker that would mash me into pulp, and held for a moment before bringing down her godly wrath. I didn't cower, or flinch. I didn't weep or make futile attempts to shield myself from the blow. Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely terrified, which might explain my lack of reaction, but I didn't regret what I had said. Given the chance, I would not change a thing.
Her mighty fist swung down at me. Out of normal human reaction, I closed my eyes, accepting my fate. A deafening sound of impact, and an intense crushing pressure on my body was the last thing I felt.
I'm not much into religion, I believe that when you die, you're dead. Done with, over, caput, the end of, no more. No heaven, no hell. Just gone. So when I became concious again, you could say I was more than a little surprised. I was lying on my back on some coarse, gritty material, my eyes still closed. A part of me wondered if I would go to Heaven in the same state that I had left Earth, meaning I was wondering if I was a pancake. A moment of moving my legs and arms suggested I wasn't. Dazed, my vision blurry, I stood up on shaky legs, nearly falling over. My first glimpse of heaven was a major disappointment. I slowly turned, taking in my surroundings. With a groan, I realized I was still on the red mountain. I stopped my turn when I was facing Fortuna again. I was twenty yards further away from her than I had previously been, a giant crater where I had been standing.
"If this is Heaven, I want to file a complaint." I slurred.
Fortuna, now back to her previous size of fifteen feet, showing no signs of anger, laughed. It's hard to describe the incredible sound of a Goddess's laugh, but it was beautiful. A sound no human could make, it was literally music for the soul. I felt better, refreshed, after her laugh. My head cleared of it's fuzziness. Taking a closer look, it appeared that Fortuna had not smashed me into pulp, but had struck her first at the ground right in front of where I had been standing, causing me to get hurled through the air.
She laughed for a few more moments, before saying, "I like you, mortal. I am glad to have chosen you." she shook her head as she smiled, "It is a rare day indeed that anything can insult me, and live to tell about it."
I slowly walked back to the goddess, who I now truly believed was a goddess. That ground slam thing she did really hurt. If I was dreaming, I would have woken up or something, or atleast it wouldn't hurt so damn much. I shuffled up to the impressive crater and tried not to imagine what would have happened had she actually hit me.
"So why am I still here, then?" I refrained from adding, Bitch, to the end of the sentence. I didn't want to push my luck. Heh. Heh. Get it? Luck? Anyways, I was curious as to why I had not been crushed.
"Fortis fortuna adiuvat," Fortuna said, "Some might consider your action as one of stupidity. It is a good thing for you that I am not one of them."
"Fortune favors the bold, huh?" It seemed to add up now. My whole life, all my rotten, shitty luck, explained. I would joke that the universe had it out for me, but I was wrong. It was a goddess who did. "I honestly don't feel favored much, besides that 'Not turning me into dust' thing just now, which I appreciate."
"But are you not favored?" she queried, "You have no responsibilities imposed on you, no need to work or toil under another's whip, and you have more wealth than you could possibly use in your life-time." She raised her hand in a gesture to silence me, when I opened my mouth to interrupt her. "And your most fortuitous meeting with a girl whom you have fallen in love with."
That made me pause and think for a moment. I put a few more pieces together before I said, "You're the Wizard, aren't you?" Fortuna nodded. This almost made me blurt out another insult, but I caught myself in time. I doubted I would be able to insult her a second time and live.
"Why? Why did you do this to Amy? To me?" I said, "I don't understand. You said Amy and I were a part of your preperations against some great evil, or whatever. There's been nothing on the news about that, no indication of the 'End Time'. You'd think someone would have noticed by now."
"Mortal, you are not meant to understand. Only obey." Fortuna spoke with an authority that only a god could. "I assure you, the evil has been released."
I interrupted her, "What evil, damnit?"
Fortuna made an obvious effort to stop herself from smiting me. She seemed to relax, and explained to me in an even tone, "There is no true name for it. In the history of your kind, it's name has changed, it's meaning, it's capabilities. It has been imprisoned within the Earth by the gods for countless eons. Some called this place Tartarus, The Underworld, Hades, Gehenna, Hell, it matters not. The evil is Chaos, the Void. Before there was anything, before the gods, before the universe, there was only the Void. There is no clear answer on how the universe began or where life came from, but it is known that Chaos has constantly sought to destroy it, to return everything to the Void. Chaos is a subtle and devious enemy. Never acting directly, always through minions and pawns. It will strike only when it can deal its deathblow, when its victory is certain. Even now, as we speak, it gathers its forces."
That was not what I was expecting. I was hoping for something simple like, Godzilla is smashing Tokyo, or something. I figured it best not to try to comprehend what Chaos was, for my own sanity. Just accept it and move on.
I found that accepting this as truth, to believe, was easier than I thought. I nodded, "Alright. What is Chaos planning to do to Earth, and how can I stop it?"
Fortuna smiled sweetly at me, "I knew I would not regret choosing you as our champion." She looked up at Earth, squinting a little, as if she could see exactly what was going on up there. "I do not know exactly what the evil is doing, but I know it will need an army. In the days since Chaos was released, it has undoubtly unleashed its breeders. Horrid creatures. They are able to impregnate human females with their seed, causing rapid pregnancy that takes a day, possibly up to a week, to produce offspring. These abominations rapidly mature into adulthood and either join the ranks of the army, or continue on as breeders."
"Breeders?" I asked incredulously. "They're using women to breed?"
"Yes, to breed." Fortuna confirmed. "And I expect you to do the same."
I arched an eyebrow at her after that comment. I didn't know what she meant by that, but I had a feeling it was something I'd like. "How do you expect me to breed an army for you? I'm only one man, and as much as I'd like to boast, I can only get off so many times in a day before I need to recuperate. Not to mention the whole nine months and eighteen years to wait for an adult."
Fortuna was silent for a moment, looking at Earth. Eventually she said, "You will need to gather your comrades. They play an integral role in what is to come. When you have gathered them all, I shall call upon you again." She began to turn away from me, then hesitated. Speaking over her shoulder, she said, "Be warned mortal. The evil is an incredibly powerful and dangerous enemy. It knows the gods intend to imprison it again, and how." She turned around to face me, "And it knows you and your comrades are a part of our plan to stop it. Be wary."
Nothing like an ominous warning from a goddess to set you at ease, right? I frowned at Fortuna, in response to her warning. "But you still haven't told me where to begin, how can I breed an army?" I felt a little stupid asking that question. It sounded like a really corny line from some awful B-movie.
The goddess smirked at me, "Ah, but you already have begun, mortal."
As I was about to ask my next question after that cryptic message, I seemed to blank out for a moment, everything going dark, as if I passed out. I sat up quickly and yelled at my desk, "Wvagh dsh dt mnn?!?" I realized I was waking from my slumber on my couch, back in my office, pointing and yelling at my desk. The morning sun flooded in through the open blinds, causing me to blink and shield my eyes. I was confused, bewildered. What the hell was going on? The line between reality and this dream-reality was becoming blurred. During the dream... no, I can't call it a dream anymore, it was too real, it was something else entirely. Maybe a vision? The possibility of it being real, of me being on a different world speaking with a goddess, was something I didn't want to consider at the moment. I blinked several times as I tried focusing my eyes. Amy seemed undisturbed by my outburst. I sat up and put my feet on the floor as I yawned. Giving myself a moment to become somewhat awake, I stood up and stretched, my body feeling tight and cramped after spending all night on the couch. It's a comfortable couch to rest on, but not to sleep for several hours on. After my stretch, I turned around to see if Amy was awake, and noticed she wasn't there.
My thoughts instantly went to the last time I had woken up and found Amy missing. Thinking about scantily clad Amy making me breakfast had me drooling as I left the office. I stumbled down the hall for a bit, zigging and zagging, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, when I heard something. At first, I couldn't tell what it was, only that my brain had registered a sound, which set off an alarm. I paused and listened. The sound came from further down the hall, towards my bedroom and the stairs down. I slowly made my way, trying to hear where the faint sound was coming from. I passed my bedroom door and continued for a few steps when I noticed the sound getting softer. Playing a sleepy version of Hot-Cold by myself eventually led me to my bedroom bathroom. As I approached the door, I could make out the sounds from within. Amy was crying softly.
I knocked on the door gently, "Amy?" The crying stopped immediately. I didn't hear any sounds from within. She must have frozen, thinking if she didn't make a sound I would go away. I tried the door handle, it was locked. I knocked again.
"Go away. I'm... I'm... I'll be down in a minute." she said.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing! Now just go, I'll be down in a minute." The tone of her voice betrayed her words. Something was definitely not right.
"Amy, can I come in?" I tried the handle again, knowing it was still locked. I could hear Amy stumble across the bathroom and throw herself against the door to prevent me from entering. "Amy, you're starting to scare me. Cmon, open the door, please."
I could hear her slide down the door, ending up sitting on the ground with her back against the door. Her voice sounded tense, worried, "Where did you go last night?"
My brain did a loop-de-loop. "I didn't go anywhere, I was with you all night."
I heard her sniffle slightly, "No, I woke up last night, and I was alone on the couch. I searched the house for you, and you weren't there. Where did you go?"
Holy shit. Did that mean... Was I really... Holy shit. I stalled for time as my brain scrambled trying to come up with a better answer than, I was on a different planet with a Goddess.
I spoke a partial truth. "There's a place on the roof I go to sometimes. I go out there to listen to the city, to think." I cringed a little, hoping Amy hadn't checked the roof.
Apparently she hadn't because she didn't refute my claim, but suddenly shifted course. "Micah, why do you like me?"
I wasn't expecting her to say that, it left me confused for a second as my brain shifted gears, trying to catch up to where Amy was headed. "Amy, it's ok. Just open the door and we can talk."
"No! Answer me first. Why do you like me?"
I hated questions like this, they were the kind I always ended up answering in the worst possible way. I tried thinking of some answer that would get her to open the door, but none came to mind. With a sigh, I gave in and just answered her as honestly as I knew how, "Honestly Amy, I don't know how to explain why. Just being near you makes my head spin and my heart race. The way you look at me after we make love, the feel of your skin under my hands, your beautiful sincere laugh that is music to my ears. Every little part of you. I'm crazy about you."
Amy sniffled a little as I spoke. She was quiet for a moment after I had finished. "Amy?" I checked to make sure she was still ok.
"Yeah." she said softly, "I'm ok." I heard the door lock click open, and Amy walking away from the door. I hesitated for a moment before entering.
My bathroom is rather spacious and luxurious. Entering the bathroom you see the sink a few feet straight ahead, with a small medicine cabinet and mirror above it. To the left is some towel racks and other shelves to store my toiletries, and to the right is the shower and toilet. The toilet is attatched to the near wall, and it was where I found Amy. Her back was to me, she was sitting sideways on the toilet, with its lid down. She was still wearing her sky blue top, and had put on some of my boxers. She was leaning away from the door, her shoulders slouched, her head bowed.
"Amy?" I asked gingerly, "Are you ok?" I began to approach her, but was still a few feet away from her when she turned around.
Teary eyed, she asked me, "Would you still like me even if some parts went missing?" She turned fully around. She looked exactly the same. Except for the obvious lack of her belly.