Later that same day, the parties in Trotondown began in earnest as the late afternoon sun disappeared behind the trees. The Library stood open as the various listers and their clones adjourned from their writing duties and made their weekly—or in some cases daily—pilgrimage to the welcome diversions of Trotondown, flooding the small village with laughter and music.
Anissa and MM headed down the long hallway to Mich’s room. Neither felt like partying but didn’t want to be alone, either. After stopping by Cin’s room and finding ‘MamaCin’ gone they headed to Mich’s room.
“I don’t think she’s home,” MM said. “It’s awful quiet in there—Mich is usually noisier than this.”
Anissa shrugged. “Well, let’s see, shall we?” She reached out and knocked on the door; after a few moments a tired voice said “Who is it?”
“Colonel Dolenz here!” MM shouted. “Dodo Dolenz, you remembah! We fought at Normandy!”
“Come on in, guys.”
MM shook his head. “Damn—I must be getting too predictable.” Anissa patted his shoulder as they entered.
Nev was sitting on the couch, gazing dully at the floor. Anissa couldn’t remember the Mike clone ever looking more ragged and sickly, but she shrugged it off, chalking it up to excessive partying. Nameh was in his bunk, tightly wrapped in blankets, his light brown eyes staring out from just above the covers.
Mich was sitting in her armchair, idly strumming her guitar. She looked up at Anissa and gave her cybersis a wan smile.
“Hi, Mich,” Anissa said. “It’s so quiet in here.”
“Well, I’ve had a hell of a day,” Mich said, stretching.
“Don’t you just hate those?”
Mich snorted. “Yeah—havin’ a Mike clone wake up next to you screaming bloody murder is enough to put anyone on edge.” She darted a quick look at Nev, who didn’t move.
Anissa stopped, her jaw dropping open. “What???”
Mich sighed and rubbed her brow, the beginnings of a headache—her fourth for the day—already stirring within her skull. “Nev woke me up at two o’clock in the morning screaming like he was being killed—freaked Nameh out something awful.” From within his alcove Nameh made a quiet sound of assent.
“Nightmare?” Anissa surmised, glancing at Nev and his haunted eyes.
Mich shrugged. “I guess—he managed to get his sheets twisted around his neck and I guess it was that and whatever he was dreaming about . . . he hasn’t been right all day and I’m starting to worry . . . ” She looked over at Nev, who sighed and rested his head on the back of the couch. After sobbing until he was spent, at daybreak Nev had crawled from the loft to the couch, where he’d remained for the rest of the day, wrapped in his own nightmares and memories.
“Hey Nev! Wanna come over here and have a little chat with Aunt Ani and MM?” Anissa said.
Nev looked up at her with red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes. “No . . . just wanna b’left alone. ”
Anissa tipped her head back and sniffed the air, noticing the scent of alcohol in the air for the first time. “Is he . . . drunk?”
Mich nodded. “As a skunk.”
Anissa turned to Nameh. It wasn’t like Nev to drink that much—at least, not since his hellraising days with his twin. “Nameh, has he said anything to you?
Nameh shook his head. “No, which is really strange. He usually tells me things he won’t tell anyone else—not even Mich.”
“Personally I think he was dreaming about his past but he won’t tell me,” Mich murmured.
That raised Anissa’s internal alarm. If Nev wouldn’t tell either Nameh or Mich then it was something either too private or too disturbing for Nev to feel comfortable sharing. “Well MM, this calls for Plan C.”
MM’s hands flew up to his face and he gave a horrified gasp. “Not Plan C! He’ll never be able to take it!”
Anissa shrugged. “Still, it’s the only thing appropriate.” She bounded over to Nev with a sickeningly cheerful “Up With People” smile and jumped onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Hiya!!”
“Um, hi,” Nev said, startled by her sudden friendliness.
“Isn’t it a lovely evening?” Anissa said, still wearing the “UWP” grin.
“I s’pose so . . . personally I don’ give a shit,” Nev muttered.
“Awww . . . you wanna talk about what’s bugging you?”
Nev’s dull eyes widened slightly. “Now how’m I gonna do that when I can’t even remember anythin’ . . . ”
“Well, is it the not remembering that’s bugging you, or is what you’re starting to remember unconsciously in your dreams, babe?”
Nev pursed his lips stubbornly and remained silent.
Mich stood, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring steadily at Nev. “Nev, this is one time you’re not going to be obstinate. If you don’t tell us then you’d better find somewhere else to live.”
Nev glared back at Mich. “You’re bluffin’.”
Mich raised an eyebrow. “Am I?”
Nev heaved a long sigh. Mich might have been bluffing but he wasn’t going to chance it. “All right, all right. It’s the not rememberin’, but most of all it’s . . . bein’ scared by what I DO remember . . . ”
“What are you remembering, babe? Tell us, and maybe we can figure it out and see what we can do to help,” Anissa said.
Nev shook his head. “It’s just images, really . . . hands grabbin’ me, and . . . somethin’ around my neck, stranglin’ me . . . ” He stopped, his already pallid face paling even further.
Anissa slipped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. “Aww, babe—that would be scary. But you know you’ve got Mich and me and Cin and all our clones—and we’ll never let anyone hurt you.” She took a deep breath. “Have you thought about hypnotism?”
Mich sat down next to them. “I already tried that. He panicked and damn near knocked me through the wall.”
Anissa bit her lip thoughtfully. “Well, how about trying it while you have your lovely fellow Femme holding him still with her TK?”
Nev suddenly went rigid, his breath coming in sharp, quick gasps. “No! I don’t want to! I can’t handle that again!” He turned to Mich, clinging to her like a small child to his mother. “Don’t let her, please!”
Anissa reached out with a comforting hand—she’d obviously struck a nerve. “I won’t, Nev—if it upsets you that much, no way.” She gave Mich a slightly startled look—it was beyond disturbing to see Nev acting that way.
As Nev relaxed into her arms Mich heard Anissa’s voice in her head. ::There is another way, if you want me to do it.::
::What?::
::I can, with your permission, link our minds telepathically, and then let me be the one hypnotized::
::Will he know what’s going on?:: Mich asked.
::He’ll know that I’m in his mind, and he’ll be able to “talk” with the conscious me, but it will be his unconscious and my unconscious linked, so he shouldn’t know.::
Mich bit her lip, feeling the tremble of Nev’s hands through her own. ::Are there any risks to either one of you—more so than would reasonably be expected?:: She was not about to let Anissa endanger herself.
::About the only risk is more mine than anything—I may be “reliving” his experience, so I may feel the same fears or pain he is feeling, but I’m willing to chance it, for his sake and yours:: Anissa’s mental voice said.
Mich was stunned by the generous offer; however, it still made her uncomfortable. Nev suddenly sighed and rested his head on her shoulder—his naked vulnerability sealed her decision. ::Well, only if you’re sure . . . from what I was able to gather it has a lot to do with physical pain—in particular his fear of being strangled. How severe those experiences were . . . :: She suppressed an inward shudder. ::I’m afraid I don’t know.::
She heard Anissa take a deep mental breath. ::I’ll let it be your call—I’m ready and willing.::
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