One Great Year by Tamara Veitch, Rene DeFazio Page A

rather than in a cool underground cave. The water tempted him, but he felt as though he must not go in. Something inside warned him: a voice, an instinct. Marcus suddenly noticed that there was a water jug dripping with condensation across the beckoning pool.
    He was dry with thirst and heat, and finally he stripped down, the muscles of his dark body glistening with sweat. Marcus jumped into the water and felt relief and coolness. As he reached for the jug and brought it to his parched lips, he felt the touch of a gentle hand on his shoulder. In his dream state he did not need to turn to know—he knew it was Theron, it was the beautiful girl he loved.
    Marcus continued to drink, unquenchable, the jug ever full. Then he felt a hand on his other shoulder that did not quite make sense. He became confused as one can only in a dream and his unconscious struggled to sort it out, but he could not stop drinking the water to look. Finally he turned and there were three of them. Three beautiful women, each one more beautiful than the next. They were naked and smiling, and there was not a freckled nose or a crooked smile among them. The women were perfect.
    Their breasts moved seductively as they surrounded him, laughing and smiling, and Marcus could hear music in the distance, his favorite song, and the heat and the thirst that had plagued him was all focused and centered now in his first and second chakras, and his groin felt as though it was on fire, and the women were caressing him and kissing him. Marcus ached with desire.
    â€œStop,” he tried to say, but the words failed to come. He felt the softness of the tiny feminine hands on his body, and they teased him, touching his thighs, his buttocks, and his naval. Coming so close to his tortured organ but never taking hold.
    â€œDo you want us?” one of the women whispered sweetly as she kissed his neck and rubbed her breasts against his arm. He felt them on all sides of him, and he felt their skin, their erect nipples, their bodies so soft and willing. He thought of Theron and his unconscious urged him on: It’s just a dream, she’ll never know , it said.
    Marcus battled with himself and knew that he could have them, all of them, if he just stopped resisting, if he just reached out and stroked the soft warm place between her legs, any of them, the beautiful naked girls in the cenote would be his.
    Marcus remembered his dream of astral travel and the soul connection he had experienced with Theron.
    â€œI have chosen Theron,” he said, but the women still clung to him.
    â€œShe’ll never know,” they purred.
    â€œI’ll know,” Marcus replied.
    The scene changed, suddenly and without reason as is the way in dreams. Marcus found himself once again walking into the cenote, but this time Theron stood in the distance, removing her filmy robe, her naked body resplendent in the glowing light as she lowered herself into the water. It was just as she had been only hours before and Marcus was anxious to join her.
    Wait! Something was wrong. There was a deep voice, a husky laugh. She was in the arms of a man. A jealous rage welled up in him. Marcus saw Theron lifted up in the water; her legs and arms wrapped lovingly around … him? He saw himself holding her, his dark head shifted to the side as the couple kissed passionately. It didn’t make sense; his emotions surged and burned within him uncontrollably. The dreamer was stunned, his mind scrambling to understand what he was seeing as he inched toward the water’s edge. His stomach churned as fury swelled within him.
    In the water he saw himself, no longer himself. He saw the pale face of Helghul looking back at him from his reflection. Confusion. He heard her voice, a faint whisper.
    â€œNow,” she said, and Marcus’s mind exploded in outrage.
    â€œSTOP!” he shouted. Pain, excruciating betrayal was all he felt. There was no logic, no recollection or understanding that