Scandalous ACT II

Sunlight stabbed insistently at her closed eyes, forcing Rose to roll away. She sighed, slowly sat up, drawing her knees up and rubbing at her face and head.

OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! OH-MY-GOD!

Wow. So real. So bloody real! How do I ever look her in the face again!?! Shit! Never mind her face, how do I ever look at her again, without seeing her in that chair? Like she was...last night...Jesus, Mary and Joseph! How do I stop seeing her like that?

She moaned, hugging her knees tightly now as she laid her head upon them and rocked herself gently from side to side. Silent tears of misery and distress slid down her cheeks and into her hair unnoticed. Yet still the images came. Flowing like water and drenching her mind again with each and every vivid detail.

She felt strange. Like she were hanging over the edge of a precipice, without a safety net or rope to cling to, waiting to fall. So many changes had happened; were occurring, too many, too fast...until she felt dizzy.

Rose could feel the power growing.

It had happened again.

Her first thought upon waking.

It grew exponentially. Scaring her senseless with the force and rapidity of the strength and power that radiated throughout her body. Her alarm increasing day by day, as like a living, breathing force, it hammered insistently with the threat of its presence, until it took on a life of its own. She could no longer tell where she began and it ended.

Some days, it felt like a snake in her belly where it uncoiled to slither up her spine; surreptitious and sly, perfectly poised to strike. Some days, it was like stepping out of herself and into something, so beautiful, so mesmerizing and enthralling that she found herself hopelessly transfixed in place, utterly helpless to do anything other than experience the moment for what it was.

A bit like last night.

But the enormity of it overshadowed everything else. It was still too much. Way too much!
No matter the firm denials she told herself, or the stoic stubbornness of which she and her family were known for, life as she knew it, was over.
God...what a joke that was!

As the span between reality and the extraordinary, grew infinitely wider each day until there was no longer any point denying what was happening to her.
Especially after last night, besides, she was an O’Neill, damn it!

Suck it up Rosie baby! Time to end the poor ole’ pitiful me party. Or as big brother Ty would say, “Shit or get off the pot!”

Her family line had furnished Kings and High Kings of Ireland who ruled the territories of Tir Eoghan.
I’m a bloody descendant of the ancient royal family of Tara no less, damn it! With the oldest traceable genealogy in Europe from as far back as 360AD.
And there’d been numerous leaders throughout the centuries; fearless chieftains and outstanding men of the Irish Brigade and French Army who were men of honor, known for their courage and daring. They’d led by example and fought with their men, in legendary battles and won many a victory—annihilating and crushing with deadly efficiency, all those who would dare stand against them.
My blood may be diluted by the centuries, but by God, it once ran in the veins of...
the most famous ‘Niall of the Nine Hostages’ from the clan of Aoidh Bhuidhe, who settled in County Antrim in the fourteenth century.

Indeed, the O’Neill’s were men and women who in the sixteenth century proved too tough for even the English to eradicate.
Tough old bastards! Too bloody stubborn to know when to give up is all!

Even with the sheer unrelenting brutality and violence carried out by Essex and others, with a ferocity and treachery seldom, if ever, equaled during those savage times. They were unsuccessful in the attempt, with many O’Neill’s like rabbits, surviving today to spread their seed as far and wide as the four winds.

Oh she was good! 
She could laugh through bitter tears as her mind beat at her. What use was it if she could recite reams of facts that were useless bloody crap, pertaining to the family hierarchy and history, as taught to her by her own dear Da?
Yeah...I’m real good at that, so what, doesn’t help much does it? What bloody use was it all? And who cares anyway? Lot of ancient good-for-nothing bullshit that’s all.

Besides, not once in all her seventeen years had she ever heard or discovered anything strange or unusual in the family archives. No latent talents had appeared or were attributed to anyone that she could find, that had manifested in some way as to further an already legendary reputation. At least not where she had searched.

Her people had been fighters for sure and valiant defenders of the land, their livelihood, their blood, kith and kin. They were about honor and integrity and were a hardy folk who survived, prospered and multiplied. Some by staying in Ireland, and others by leaving the home of their birth, beginning again on foreign shores.

There had been no hint of magic or historical accounts of the Fae, and whilst fantastic and mythical, it might have made sense to her! If only. It all seemed somehow irrelevant now.
Silly and childish compared with the ‘wild and wacky’ things that are happening to me in real life!
So she found herself without reference. Without guidance and completely bereft, alone and at a loss, as events beyond her control came on more frequently. Each more disturbing than the last. She wanted to talk to Da about it and had even approached him several times to do just that. But the sexual nature and feelings that went along with the events of late, simply made it impossible to discuss such an intimate matter with him. Even her brothers had seemed to sense she needed them more lately, though always protective of the only girl in the family and the ‘baby’ too, it almost seemed like they were ‘closing ranks.’ Protecting her. Aye, but from what exactly? The thought comforting yet disturbing all at once. The pendulum swing of indecision drove her mad.

Who am I kidding? I’m just going stark raving bonkers,-that’s all it is! Time to wake up and smell the roses Rosie girl...
And back again, willing her to fight back and rid herself of the problem, or failing that, learn all she could about it and take control of it. Discover a way to master what was happening, yeah, before it masters me! And perhaps even make it do her bidding instead...now, wouldn’t that be interesting...

Either way, no point hanging around here wasting time.
Taking in the little she wore, seeing I’m sitting here practically starkers, she
looked for her nightclothes.
The still partially folded belt from her robe was lying on the bed near the pillow where it must have fallen. The discarded nightshirt and robe on the floor near the door. Throwing her legs out of bed, she made it quickly, put her clothing back on and left to go back to Henry’s room, to shower and dress. After tidying the nursery, she gathered her things, tossed them in her backpack, and followed the cheerful racket to the kitchen.

Henry was such a cutie at nearly two.
He sat like the little lord he no doubt thought he was, perched in his high chair with his face covered in green mush. He shared his breakfast with the cat by dropping wet spoonfuls of the greenish muck, down to the linoleum below. Babbling his litany of nonsense and pealing loudly with delighted giggles, especially when he spied Rose. Merris, the cat, didn’t seem particularly amused and after sniffing about haughtily and nearly ending up with a lump of goo on her head, decided to take herself off somewhere else. Cozy in the warm kitchen. Music blared, something techno, sort of...thought Rose, but good, she wondered who it was.

Anna was at the table, sipping on her coffee. The one and only cup a day she allowed herself while munching on toast and reading the paper.

Did anyone besides Anna, still read about news in a newspaper? Good grief, it’d be yesterday’s news before she’d even gotten it out of the mail slot! And how can she read, let alone think in all this noise? I’m never having kids!
Anna glanced up, saw Rose and beamed that familiar, cheerful smile and pointed at the other setting on the table.
Still looks like Anna...
Duh! Who do you expect? Who else would she look like?
“There you are sleepyhead... Did you sleep well?”
Wow. Sleep...yeah...Loaded question that.
“What would you like to eat? Do you want some cereal?” She started to get up, “There’s yogurt in the fridge and some fresh berries, or I could scramble you a couple of eggs if you’d rather have that?”


Rose looked at Anna and saw the thick red hair, now braided into a single heavy plait. She was dressed in her yoga clothes, looking bright-eyed and bushy- tailed. Everything normal. All as usual and honky dory! Still the same plain-in- the-light-of-day Anna she’d known for the last year...
Not the sex kitten, splayed in the chair of last night, getting herself off...and doing it so well...

Jeez, did I just imagine it?

Dunno, is it easier to think that? Give me a break!
But what if...
God! What a crock!

“Uh-huh, just fine thanks. I’m gonna skip breakfast though, thanks anyway Anna, but I really need to get going. I’ve---I’ve got some things to do and stuff. You know...”
Rose felt the heat color her cheeks, but covered it by walking over to Henry as she spoke, “Look at you! You’re a mess kiddo,” she laughed. He gave her a thoroughly unselfconscious, toothy grin in response before going back to banging his spoon and attacking the food in his bowl again.
Splatters of the remains went flying. She had reached for some paper towels to clean up, but Anna was behind her, “I’ll get that Rose, don’t worry about it, besides, there’s never any point till he’s finished.” She’d already taken the towels from Rose and had dipped to wipe some food from the side of the cupboard nearest him.

“But if you wouldn’t mind getting my purse for me, it’s on the floor by my bed, I’ll give you what I owe you for last night and you can take off.”

“Sure, I need to grab my backpack anyway.”

Rose went to retrieve the purse and thought about how good it would be to escape the house.
She felt anxious. Strung tight and over-wound.

Maybe she’d go straight to the beach and clear her head out. Drown out the thoughts, in the crash of breakers against the shore, draw in the smell, that salty tang of fresh sea air and lose herself in the screeching of the gulls. When nothing else soothed, when nothing else could calm the dramas in her life, going to the beach and walking the long, often deserted shores always did the trick. Even just sitting in the sand with her back braced by a tree, did it. And nothing worked better than getting in or on the water—swimming riding the waves, or skimming across the surface, it didn’t matter, for there she found her sanctuary.

She’d been in Anna’s room lots of times. Anna had even let her try on a couple of her things, though they’d hung on her! And she’d even done Rose’s hair and make-up for her once too.
So Rose knew that Anna had a dresser, like the one from last night.

All looked pretty ordinary this morning.
The bed was neatly made, curtains stirring gently in the cool breeze coming through the partially open slider. Dresser looked much the same as it always did, lightly cluttered with trays of perfume bottles and make-up, books in a stack, lots of pictures in frames, most of them Henry...

And not one fancy candle holder, anywhere in sight!

The mirrors three, were upright and flush together and no chair to be seen either. She felt something inside her relax. Certainly there was no chair in the house that she’d ever seen that looked like the one from last night...Perhaps...A dream after all...
As more of the tension, tension she hadn’t even realized she held, slowly eased and loosened in her shoulders.

Just a stupid, really graphic...really weird...sex dream...but a dream nonetheless.

She grabbed Anna’s purse off the floor, her backpack from just inside the door of Henry’s room, returned to the kitchen, and waited while Anna got her babysitting money together. Anna noted the dark circles under her eyes, “You okay pet?”
Rose was quick to answer, “Uh-huh, sure, just thinking. Stuff on my mind, you know.”
“I worry about you sometimes Rose.” She took the proffered purse and searched for her wallet, drawing it out and counting the money she owed her as she spoke. “You’re way too serious for eighteen. You know I’m only six years older than you, but I swear you seem older than me at times!”

You have no idea! Rose thought and listened as Anna continued.
“You need to get out more...be with kids your own age, instead of always having your nose stuck in a book or hanging out with old fogies or all by yourself at the beach! Go have some fun! Seriously, do something fun or even a little scary.”

You’ve no bloody idea just how scary my life is right now Anna.
“Cut loose and live a little Rose.”

She paused considering, “Just don’t be dumb and get pregnant like I did. Be careful and always protect yourself, don’t believe a guy if he tells you, he’s got it covered.” She laughed then and gave Rose’s hand a quick squeeze...
“You know what I mean. Lighten up a little Blossom...you know? Live a little.”


Rose gave her a reluctant half-smile and a hug before going to Henry and giving him a swift kiss on the top of his head, since that appeared to be the only spot relatively free of food. Turning with a last smile for Anna and a cheery wave, she left them in the kitchen and headed off down the hallway to the front door.

Past the formal dining room, noting the new dining suite that filled the once empty space and was almost to the lounge before she stopped short, dropped her bag, and retraced her steps...

Rose stood silently by the chair at the head of the table and stared for long moments at the elegant, solid dark wood of the new suite. She had no idea what type of wood it was made from, but could appreciate the quality of the furniture with the eight, equally elegant chairs placed neatly around the table. Slim, slightly unsteady fingers reached out reluctantly to graze the top frame of the stunning Captain’s chair before her.
Dark, aged wood, almost ebony in the gloom of this room. Gooseflesh broke out over her body, her scalp prickling uneasily...
Beautifully made and comfortable in appearance, the chair all but invited one to sit and relax. There were heavy curved slats in the back of the chair that would mold to a back, giving support and comfort. The top of the chair where she gently traced was framed by an intricately carved header...
Not too high to arch back over. Easy as pie...shaped seat, and I bet there’s even a dark water spot still drying if I checked...and don’t forget the thickly padded armrests—all the better to spread your legs over...

“I thought you’d gone already, what do you think of it? I got it for a great price at the auction last week, isn’t that chair just amazing! A song I tell you, I’m so thrilled with it! And there’s another one too just like it, only smaller at the other end...”

Yet though Rose’s eyes had gone to Anna’s mouth, followed the movement of her lips as she spoke, she’d have been hard pressed to repeat whatever it was Anna was saying...

How long have I been standing here gawking?
How much bloody proof do you need!?!
It wasn’t a freaking dream. Oh God...Oh my God!

Anna stood in the doorway, with a slightly cleaner Henry in her arms, excited words tumbling one after another from her mouth, a mile a minute.
Rose turned tail and simply fled.
Flew past a startled Anna and a just as startled Henry, who squawked in indignation as she darted past.
Barely pausing, she grabbed her bag from the floor in the hallway, and was out the front door and gone, with the finality of it banging shut behind her.

*****

Anna had leaned back into the hallway to watch, wondering what on earth was wrong with the girl now. She shook her head, hoisted Henry a little higher on her hip, and turned back to the chair Rose had been staring at.

Moving forward she reached out to trail a finger across the wood, a shiver rippling through her as she recalled the pleasure.
No...she couldn’t have seen anything. Surely not, it didn’t bare thinking about! She’d been asleep after all. Rose and Henry both when she’d checked on the way past to her room, besides, she’d locked the door and after all... Henry was getting antsy, no point worrying about it now.

Time to get on with the day.