Page 32 of Uprooted

Elowen

I’m swallowing the last of my protein bar when Aro strides into my room.

He’s wearing that black button-down shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, tucked into perfectly tailored black slacks.

It’s the same thing he wore on our date, and it still takes my breath away.

The contrast of his rich blue skin and the black clothes—it does something for me.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks.

“Yep, I’m sure,” I say, trying to sound confident. A small part of me still wants to bolt from the room and hide.

“Okay, here’s the plan. We’re gonna go to the Northeast Rec room.

That corner of the muradome is usually empty this time of night.

Once we get there, I’ll make the tea and it will take effect pretty quickly.

That will get you high for about four hours or so.

We’ll hang out there until you’re back to reality and I’ll walk you back to your bunk.

I’ll run interference if anyone comes around.

No one will suspect a thing.” He walks me through the plan with military precision.

“Sounds good to me.” I carefully pick up the flower and hand it to Aro. He tucks it away and grabs my hand.

* * *

He is right about this side being empty. Light sensors flicker on, evidence that no one has been here in a while.

“Here we are.” Placing his hand on my lower back he ushers me into the quiet rec room .

From the couch I watch Aro tap a few pollen granules into a mug filled with steaming hot water. “Remind me what’s going to happen once I drink that.” I stop biting my lip when he turns to face me, not wanting him to see that I’m nervous.

“It’s different for everyone. Some people feel really peaceful and relaxed, others have hallucinations.

When I did it all my thoughts and emotions were amplified.

Time would stop and stand still then rush forward.

I still don’t fully understand some of what I saw,” Aro explains while making the tea.

“Apparently, thousands of years ago our ancestors would drink this tea as a rite of passage. This is one part of an ancient ceremony that would mark a Tilak’s ascension to full adulthood.

The tea would help them tap into their subconscious and provide clarity or reveal their life’s purpose.

Occasionally, the experience will take a dark turn, but I won’t let that happen to you. Only good vibes tonight.”

I take a deep breath, and nod. “I’m ready.”

Aro passed me the steaming mug and I cup it in both hands. I use it to ground myself through my nerves. I take a small sip and try to relax as it goes down my throat. Its vaguely sweet, a hint of flowers and citrus. I take a few more sips. “How much should I drink?” I ask.

“That’s probably good for now. You’ll know in a few minutes.”

I sink deeper into the couch and fold my legs up to my chest. My face feels numb and fuzzy right away.

I’m vaguely aware of a smile plastered on my face.

My hearing is muted, like I was plunged underwater.

Aro’s back is to me while operating the coffee machine across the room.

I unabashedly stare at his muscular back and thick legs.

I imagine what it would feel like to run my hands up his arms and over his shoulders.

Aro faces back to me with a knowing smile. “How’s it going over there?” He caught me staring again. Those black slacks are going to kill me.

“Good!” My voice comes out an octave higher than I intended. “I mean, I feel good, just a little numb.” I go to extra lengths to lower the pitch of my voice and sound relaxed.

Aro sits down next to me on the couch. “Good. Ride the wave wherever it takes you. ”

I lean back and relax my body a little. Aro is taking up most of the couch with his legs spread out and his arms across the back rest. He softly blows into his steaming cup of synthetic coffee and takes a sip.

An untold amount of time passes while I watch his mouth.

I realize I’m biting my lower lip again, and not from nerves this time.

My fingers ache to reach out to him as my body gets warmer and warmer.

I fan my chest. “It’s so hot in here.”

Aro chuckles. “Yeah, I think it’s kicking in.” He tosses me a stainless-steel water bottle that appeared out of nowhere.

The cool water touches my lips. It coats my mouth then my throat and everything on the way down to my stomach.

It tastes amazing. I look down at my hands and they're leaving trails of colorful light as I move them across my field of vision. I stretch out my legs and drop my feet onto Aro’s lap.

Our touch reverberates up my legs into the pit of my stomach.

I am suddenly aware of my clothes rubbing between my thighs.

I clench my legs together to ease the sensation.

My body feels feverish and I shudder. Aro rubs the soles of my feet, sending shots of colorful light up my legs.

“I’m glad you decided to do this. It’s a completely unique experience. You might even be the first non-Tilak to do it.” Aro’s voice sounds gravelly and incredibly sexy.

“Hm,” I say as I lean in toward him.

The movement shifts my perspective and all of a sudden, I’m weightlessly drifting through space, watching Elowen and Aro from above with a calm disconnect. Levitating above, I see Elowen nuzzle up to Aro’s ear and whisper.

“And you’re the lucky bastard who gets to supervise, but don’t get too attached. I’ll be sent back to Earth soon.” And then she taps the end of his nose with her index finger.

“I like you, Aro,” she says and leans back against the couch.

“I like you too,” he says, eyeing her suspiciously. He is trying to gauge how much of this conversation is her true feelings and how much of it is the tea.

“Oh, now you decide to play it cool?” she playfully asks.

“I believe I have made my feelings toward you pretty clear from day one,” he tells Elowen.

“Yes, you have. What’s that all about anyways?” she asks him .

“When you know, you know.”

“And what is it that you think you know?” She pushes him a little further.

“What I know with one-hundred-percent certainty is that I am at your mercy. Whatever it is you decide to do with me, I am powerless to resist, and I wouldn’t even want to. I know that the moment I laid eyes on you, everything else just faded into the background.” Elowen smiles at his confession.

Now she is the one sizing him up about his sincerity. He matches her eye contact, refusing to look away, daring her to say something. She is finally the one to break eye contact.

She says, “I have the best idea. Follow me.” He’s surprised at her quick change of subject.

I float above as she moves through the rec room with Aro following close behind. Elowen grabs Aro and drags him down the hallway. She makes an abrupt turn and goes into the pool room.

Elowen strips off her clothes. She pulls her shirt over her head and drops her pants down to the floor before kicking them away. She slides her underwear down her hips and lets them fall while unhooking her bra behind her back.

“Get naked. We’re going for a swim.” She walks to the edge of the pool and gracefully dives in.

Aro holds himself still, like he doesn’t trust himself to move. “Nope. I’m staying right here. You have no idea how dangerous you are to me right now,” he says and sits down on a bench facing the water.

My perspective shifts, and I’m seeing things through my eyes again as I come to the surface.

The water is swirling around me like whirlpool.

Soft feather-like touches tickle my entire body.

The water transforms into the tiny green sprouts from the greenhouse and they brush against me.

The ceiling pulses up and down with my breathing.

I float for a long time, letting my hair spread out along the surface.

The greens make way for yellows and then pinks.

I am in the center of a giant tie-dye pool, colors spreading out from underneath me.

The ceiling contorts into something menacing, so I dive back under the water to feel the peaceful weightlessness that welcomed me.

It feels like I can hold my breath forever.

Eventually the familiar burn in my lungs brings me back up to the surface.

I take a moment to catch my breath and look over at Aro.

The sight of him pushes all my fear away.

My vision fades and comes back into focus as I’m walking through the muradome.

I hear a low din of activity around me and occasionally a friendly voice greets me just outside of my eyeline.

I walk through the familiar hallways, smiling to myself as I wander through.

There is an odd itch on my left hand, and I look down.

I see a jagged cut on the flesh below my thumb.

I bring it up to my face and when I can finally see it clearly, it looks like I had a long-jagged cut along my palm, but it’s healed and replaced by a tidy white line, a scar with a slightly raised edge.

I open a door expecting to enter the mess hall. When I step through, I’m back on Earth. I walk along a valley framed with golden rolling hills.

I crest a hill and come to a rushing river.

Water swirls around rocks in colorful waves.

When I step into the water, chills run up my legs.

I step farther into the river and eventually find myself floating along the moving current.

The water speeds up and slows down, rushing me past rocks and around bends.

Stars permeate the dark night sky. A brilliant red flower pulses open and closed against the dimly lit background.

The flower is barely out of reach. It slips past my fingertips every time I reach for it. The petals vibrate with each beat from the center of the flower. I give up trying to touch it and just watch it, consumed by the beautiful rhythmic motion.