A Ghost Tale CH. 03 BOXES
Charles slept in his bed, and the lights from a nearby building glowed softly through the window. He was listening to an ASMR artist. It was one of his favorite artists who was particularly talented with whispers, tapping, and mouth sounds. He could send tingles down his spine and his brain. It was so good. He had already fallen asleep.
Was he dreaming? He walked through a department store. Charles wandered about. This? Why would he dream about a store? He found himself standing before a series of boxes. Puzzled, he opened one; inside lay the fool card…? Tarot?
A journey/ quest… He wondered. He opened the second box inside lay the death card. A sudden change? Transformation? Charles pondered. He opened the third box inside lay the temperance card… The blend of two things… Balance. The fourth box contained the star card. Success, luck. The fifth box had the devil card, oppression, and black magic.
Charles hadn't even thought of black magic as a possibility. He pondered the cards. He opened the sixth box- the world reversed. This… was really, dangerous. He felt a chill on his back. There was a seventh box he opened, to find a red string. When he picked up the string, it tied itself on his wrist. The string seemed to be connected to something. He pulled the string; following the string, it led him to a garden. Inside the garden, he found a hot spring. A thick fog was rolling off the water, and someone was inside bathing. It was the man with the blind fold.
Charles swallowed, trying not to make a sound. He was desperately figuring out how to extricate himself from this embarrassing situation. When he heard the man say, "You're here." Charles swallowed again, blushing. This man could get people pregnant just by talking to them. This… was he supposed to respond? He didn't know where to put his eyes. He checked his nose. He felt slightly relieved that there was no blood…yet wasn't he blind? Could he see him? Oh, he must have heard his footsteps wandering through the garden. How should he respond… "Ahem, hello?"
Charles froze, turned around, and pulled the string; the string pulled back, and he felt himself fly. He was flying straight into the hot spring! Oh, nooo! He watched in horror as he flew right into the blind man's arms, knocking him down. They were nose to nose… He blinked.
"Hello, Charles." The blind man whispered low.
Charles swallowed hard. He was lying all over him. At least it wasn't deep in the hot spring. He wasn't a ghost, but a flesh-and-blood man! He, he, he was alive. Charles gulped, "Hi!" He tried to get up, but that seemed to make things worse. He slipped, and their lips met. His eyes widened. He pulled back, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it." Charles' heart was racing. No, no, no, what was he saying? This man was his soul mate. They shared a connection. A bond.
"Hmmm, then how long are you going to keep lying on me?" The blind folded man asked him. His lips quirked into a naughty smirk. "Or do you want to kiss?" He asked. His hand touched his hair, moving it from his eyes delicately.
Charles didn't know how to respond. If he said no, he would know he was lying. He did want him to kiss him. What was he thinking? When did this happen? Why was he so lustful? Just one kiss, an innocent smacking of lips, turned him into… Ahhhh, what happened to him? Should he give in, noooo, what I'm thinking, I don't even know his name. The last time they met, he thought he was a gorgeous specter.
Charles had rarely thought of the opposite sex, nor did he think of his own gender. Even he felt a pull towards this man. Some kind of magnetic pull that drew him in. He tried not to look at the man's chest or his eight-pack abs. His eyes fell on the blind folded man's lips, full and glistening…. Wait, why was he acting like a man dying of thirst? As if I'm starving? Get it together, Charles! Quit drooling. Focus on work, right, that's what I live for! Don't get distracted… He got up and helped the blind folded man up. His eyes fell on his v- marked hips, and he averted his eyes quickly… There was a towel on his hips that had magically stayed wrapped on him even after they fell. He tried not to hide his disappointment. Was he a pervert?! He was disappointed?!!!!
"You're staring." The blind fold man. He could feel his heated gaze on him, touching him. This was their third meeting, and he couldn't stop looking at him. Was there something on his face and body?