He laughed softly as he stretched out beside her and once more gathered her close to him. “You’re mixing up your stories.” His fingertips slid over her beloved face, tracing each delicate bone, every classical curve.
“It’s so beautiful here.” Corinne’s eyes were closed and her voice was drowsily contented. “I knew it would be like this. I used to dream about exploring new worlds. I wanted to swim in the ocean and see the coral reefs.” Her fingers rubbed at his hair. ‘You’ve given me so much in so short a time, Dayan. Thank you. I’ve flown through the sky like a bird. I was able to go beneath the ground and see crystals and gems.’ A smile tugged intriguingly at the corners of her mouth. “I met some very famous musicians – my life’s dream, you know.”
Dayan closed his eyes tightly, felt a hand squeezing his heart like a vise. His chest burned with terror. She was slipping out of their mind merge and using her voice, entirely unaware of it. “I love you, Corinne,” he whispered aloud.
‘I love you too.’ She was drifting in his arms. ‘Show me what it’s like to be you, Dayan, to run and fly and have such wonderful freedom.’ She felt his terrible sorrow and instinctively wanted to ease his burden. Her fingers tugged gently at his hair, willing him to take her with him on an incredible journey through time and space.
“I can’t take you traveling,” he said softly, aching to give her anything she wanted, wishing he could cradle her in his arms and fly across the night sky with her. “The weather is turning cold and a storm is approaching. It wouldn’t be safe.”
“Where is your imagination tonight, Dayan? Where is my poet? Sing for me and let me see your memories. I want the wild ones, of running and jumping, things I could never dare to imagine for myself. Share that with me.” She didn’t open her eyes to look at him, yet he felt her inside him, deep where it mattered.
Dayan leaned closer, put his hand over her daughter, their daughter, John’s daughter, to include her, to show her his world of the night. He felt the baby move in answer and he found himself smiling. Corinne slipped her hand over Dayan’s, threading her fingers through his larger ones. He blocked out his fear, his terror of losing both of them to death, and he merged his mind fully with Corinne’s.
She allowed his memories to sweep through her, to carry her off so she could feel the power coursing through her body as he shifted shape. Fur rippled across his skin, and his muscles became sinewy ropes stretching over his body. They merged together deep within the leopard’s body. The cat padded slowly, confidently through the jungle, moving through dense vegetation almost lazily. It was amazing – she could feel the wind ruffling the leopard’s fur, smell the scents in the air; she knew what was happening all around her from the tips of its whiskers.
‘It’s like radar!’
Dayan was happy he was delighting her. The leopard leapt casually from the forest floor to a tree branch six feet above its head. It was effortless, an easy movement of sleek muscles, similar to a casual shrug. All around was the dense jungle, the huge leaves and swordlike fronds reaching toward the sky. The overhead canopy was swaying with the breeze allowing banded rays of light to cast dancing shadows over the ground below. Corinne was amazed at the leopard’s piercing intelligence. At first she thought it was because Dayan was occupying the large cat’s body, but then she realized his mind remained hidden deep while the animal moved and hunted.
‘You and the leopard coexist in its body.’
‘This is a memory from my childhood. I needed to learn skills. Leopards are truly amazing creatures. They are quick and cunning, wary and always difficult to detect. They adapt well to various environments, from the jungle to the desert. We explored the various habitats in order to gain more knowledge. Animals provide tremendous knowledge of our world.’
Corinne found the subject fascinating, and was greatly impressed by his deep appreciation and respect for animals. ‘Show me more.’