Odyessy

The door swung open silently into the unlit courtyard, covered in a glass ceiling and encircling a large pool, easily a hundred feet on the longest side. Around the pull marble columns  held the ceiling aloft which was decorated in a mosiac of small tiles, showing scenes of ancient macedonia, greece and rome. The floors were likewise decorated in tile in geometric patterns tracing a circuit around the circumferance of the large room. Scattered about the indoor patio were luxrious seats, divas, small tables and clusters of pillows. The area was easily large enough to hold a couple hundred people, though no one was there except the two figures, one hesitantly looking from the entrance while one behind patiently allowed the first to get their bearings. "Go ahead Kinsey, you're home."

  That voice. It sent shivers down her spine and at the same time made her feel reassured, like all was right in the world. She set her small suitcase down, take a few steps in and looking around. Behind her a taller figure moved close, resting his delicate hands on her shoulders.

"I want you to feel welcome, this is all yours..." She smiled despite herself, the last few days had been a blur, the midnight ride to the airport and flight on a private jet almost a dream.

  She scanned the room, taking it end. Strong mediterian influnce, like something out of the movies, but lamps and other modern fixtures broke the illusion though the blended well with the decour. The only light came from a few underwaterlights reflecting into erie patterns of lights against the ceiling and the full moon passing through the large domed glass ceiling, held in a lattice work of wrought iron the visage of grapvines.

  The man approached her again, his hands on her shoulders and running down her arms, slipping down her sides to her waist. He embraced her tenderly, his hands coming together around her middle, over the small bump that had already started to develop there. "You're very important to me Kinsey, and its my deepest desire that you are left without want." Again that voice tickled her ears, making her shiver. Involunatarily she found herself leaning back, pressing agains this warmth. "Adrian..."

  He hushed her, kissing her below her ear where her jaw met her neck. "I know, you're afraid, please don't be." Her ears felt like they were burning and she knew her face was beet red in a blush. "Please, dont' be afraid, you're safe here."

  "Come." he said. "Let me show you to your room, I know you must be tired." She did, she felt sap, she could barely remember meeting him after she had tracked him down to his second performance. About how important she was...what he was...what she was even now feeling inside her.

"You said there were others?"

  They stopped in what looked to be bare wall, but she almost giggled with child like delight as Adrian made a show out of showing her where an almost invisible seam ran on the wall. With a push it swung open, into a short hallway. There were five sets of doors, two on each side and a large ornate double door at the far end.

"This is your bath, that your dressing room, over there a study, the fourth is unfurnished, you may use it for what you like...and here..." he opened the double door, large oak ornately carved in woodland scene. Inside, the first thing she saw as a huge four post canopy bed. There was rich wood furnishings around the room, a small table with a pair of chairs, dressers, a bookshelf, stocked with books. To her left, along the wall was what looked to be a balcony, with the curtains drawn shut. Adrain reached beside the door, toggling a dimmer switch to produce a low light. The room was opulent to the extreme, Kinsey hadn't seen its like, not even in the high class hotel they had been spending the last few nights. She took her coat off, which Adrian took, walking over to a set of doors that revealed a walk in closet nearly as big as her apartment.

  She looked down, still wearing the same blouse and jeans she had gone out with...freshly laundered of course. As she smoothed it over absentmindedly while Adrian retrieved something from the closet...her closet she corrected herself, her hands once again stoppd over her middle. There a bump pressed out, firm under her palms below the skin. "Pregnant..." she whispered to herself. And though it had only been a few days, visibly so. Already her jeans were tight. Adrian returned now, with that smile on his face again as he watched her. In his hands he had a silk robe and slippers. He held it open before her and she blushed as she got what the gesture meant, turning aside. He chuckled softly.

"Kinsey, you are so charming..." He turned aside, closing his eyes. True, they may had been...rather close the last few days, but it was embarassing now, in these unfamiliar surroundings. She quickly discarded her clothings, and for a second felt the unnerving feeling she had likewise taken the final step in removing herself from her old life and put on the robes, and Adrian, being the gentleman only opened his eyes when she was done.

  Her eyes were still cast down as she felt a finger beneath her chin lift her head up, her green eyes locked onto his own blue. He kissed her gently on the forehead, then softly on the lips. Slipping his hand around the small of her back, he led her to her bed, pulling the covers aside and picking her up, gently placing her head down on the pillow. He slid next to her, laying on his side. A strange song started in his mouth, her eyes shutting as she felt his voice resonate through her. She didnt' understand what he sang, but understood the meaning behind them as she felt her body relax

  He kissed her, the song still humming in his throat as he worked his way down her neck, her chest, and resting over her belly, which she felt buzz in counternote to the rhytmn of his song. Her heart raced, she felt her pulse in her ears as she lay, feeling a warmth of pleasure run through her, and a tightening growing at her abdomen where the sensation running through her was focused as she drifted off into a heavenly sleep...

  Kinsey awoke the next morning feeling alive. She stretched with a smile, rolling over. Her eyes opened, Adrian wasn't there...was it a dream? A quick look around the room confirmed that it hadn't been, and looking down to her waist, the second part was true too. She parted the folds of her robe, exposing her belly. Sure enough, below her navel there was a distinct bump, tender as she felt it. "What have I gotten myself into?" She smiled, even though she shouldn't. She just felt so good, so alive. She cinched the belt shut, getting out of bed, her feet landing neatly where the sandals have been left...where was Adrian? She looked around and found a piece of paper...no parchement she realized to her amazement, on the table with a single red rose laying upon it. She walked over, taking a moment to stretch as she did. "My dearest Kinsey, I have a small matter to attend to, please have breakfast, I'll be back in the afternoon."

  She frowned, not wanting to be apart from him, especially in this new place, but felt he wouldn't have left if it was not important. She sniffed the nose for a second, then heard a knock on her door. "Um....come in?"

  The door opened up, admiting what seemed to be a maid, an ederly woman that reminded her of her great aunt, with a cart covered in a silver lid.

"Good morning miss Kinsey, my name is Ms. Pearl". Ms. Pearl looked to the table, Kinsey taking a moment to realize what she meant and nodded, sitting down. Ms. Pearl reached under the cart, arranging a setting for Kinsey and then offering her a full breakfast from the cart. Kinsey found it all very embaressing, but the friendly matronly woman reassured her. "Come now Ms. Kinsey, Master Adrian insists that you have a healthy breakfast." She settled on eggs and a muffin, some ice cold milk and some orange juice. It was only after she insisted that she didn't want more, the jet lag and all that Ms. Pearl relented. "You may reach me at anytime with the phone, just pick it up and I or one of the other help will answer." Wow, Kinsey thought, I have help? She giggled to herself, as Ms. Pearl picked up her clothing from the night before.

  "Ms. Pearl? When will Adrian be here?" She asked between bites. She didnt' realize she was so hungry. The maid smiled at her, chuckling softly. "He should be here for lunch miss, dont' worry." Having gathered up her clothing, she turned back to Kinsey.

"Now, your things are being cleaned, shall I put them in the dresser." Kinsey started to tell her no, "Ma'am, please, it's my pleasure and my profession, you wouldn't want Master Adrian terminating my services, would you?" They bothed laugh. "You'll find some clothing in the closet, Dr. Dyson, he would like to see you when you're ready, just to introduce himself.

  Kinsey nodded as Ms. Pearl let herself out, curtseying to her as she closed the doors. "I could get used to this." Kinsey thought looking around the room. Once she finished breakfast, she wandered into the closet, counting off the steps to the end in an uncharacteristic fit of avarice. "Wow..." she said softly. Picking through the clothing on the racks, she picked a comfortable blue jersey and linen pants. She tied the pants off, checking herself in the mirror...her condition wasn't noticable in the baggy clothing. At this point she had no clue how she was suppose to meet this doctor, so went to the phone. It rang once and was answered by a man's voice.

"How may I be of service Miss Kinsey, I'm Claiborne, the butler." Butler, holy crap.

"Um...I was suppose to meet Dr. Dyson?"

"Very well madam, shall I have him meet you in your room or would you like to go to his office?" She'd only seen the large patio outside.

"Um, here I guess...I mean my room."

"Very well ma'am, I'll let him know."

  She called for him to call in and was greeted by a tall black man, wearing glasses and white lab coat. He even had a sterphoscope around his neck.
"Good morning, I'm Michael Dyson, the house doctor." He held his out which she shook. "How are you feeling this morning?" Kinsey nodded,

"Fine...I feel fine."

"Good, good. You may feel some light headedness, perhaps some sensitively to light, but it usually passes in a couple days." He placed the earpieces in his ears, "If you dont' mind, I'd like to give you a basic exam, nothing invasive..." He smiled, she chuckled nervously. In a few minutes he concluded. "Blood pressure good, strong heart, everything looks great. I normally do check ups biweekly, but if you feel at all unusual..." Kinsey coughed, working up the nerve to ask as the doctor paused.
"Um...well..."

Dr. Dyson gave her a knowing smile. "Yes, I know. Yes, you're going to advance through your pregnancy fairly swiftly, you might start to show in the next couple of days, it's perfectly normal...well, as normal as anything is with Mr. Odessi." He started to laugh, clearing his throat, still smiling at her to reassure her. "It's not something anyone would say is normal, but trust me, you're going to be perfectly healthy, don't worry, I'm only here to monitor things."

  He continued. "Mostly I'm here to attend to the rest of the staff, you and the others are poor patients, you won't get so much as the sniffles during your pregnancy."

She started to ask a question. "How? Magic?"

He shrugged. "You'll have nothing but perfect health, though some parts may be a bit...disorienting at times."

Kinsey nodded. "Others, Adrian said there were others also."

Dr. Dyson smiled. "Yes, there are, would you like to meet them now? I believe everyone is awake."

Kinsey nodded again, no time like the present, and she could just stay in her room all day. She stood, following the doctor out.

"Oh, and Ms. Kinsey...just Kinsey? Okay, Kinsey then. Kinsey, no matter what, remember that while you all are helping Mr. Odessi...you he needs the most." Kinsey knew that...though something about how the doctor say it nagged at her...almost like it seemed rehearsed. She dismissed the thought, curious to meet her housemates.

  Kinsey followed Dyson out the hall to the main courtyard. He opened the doors before her, stepping to the side to let her pass. Imediately what struck Kinsey first was...well it in the loosest definination of the word she supposed it was music. It was a braying electric guitar with a woman's voice screeching something that sounded violent over a speaker. She stepped out wincing, looking around. In the corner of the room, where the she had seen the instruments, there was an asian girl, japanesse it seemed, wailing into the microphone while she spastically played guitar. She was dressed in a sleeveless black misfits tshirt, her hair was gelled out into spikes and she had what seemed like the black paint under her eyes she'd seen the football team wear. It took her a moment, but she noticed that the girl was obvisiously pregnant as she lifted the guitar up to give it the jimi hendrix treatment to with her teeth. Away towards the center of the room near the pool there were some others. Laying sprawled out on her side was a woman in a white silk robe similiar to the one Adrian had got from her closet the night before. She was casually flipping through a magazine, seemingly oblivious to the racket. The cause became apparent as Kinsey saw a pair of headphone wires snake out from the woman's shoulder length brown hair to the table nearby where sat an ipod (tm). She had a healthy tan and looked to be in her mid twenties, in comparison to the younger girl, maybe 18, that sat in a chair reading a hardbound book and sipping on some orange juice periodically. She flipped her blonde hair aside, adjusting her glasses. Both of them were also in their late pregnancy. The blonde noticed her over the rim of her glasses, turning to the woman on the couch and shaking the woman's foot. She looked to her and then to where she pointed, putting on a warm smile. The both stood, the older one taking a moment to preen as the other put a bookmark between some pages and set it delicately down on the table. They started towards her as Kinsey took a breath and smiled, heading towards them. The woman turned to the girl on the guitar, still deep in her mayhem. She heard her yell something over the noise.

"Kiki! Kiki! KIKI!!" The woman seemed to give up as the girl, Kiki apparently, didn't seem to notice and kept on playing. She shook her head and seemed to be muttering something as she came to Kinsey, holding her hand out. "You must be Kinsey."

  Kinsey nodded, taking the woman's hand who took it in both hands, shaking it warmly.

"This is Samantha," she gestured to the blonde girl beside her that shook hands with her also. She seemed shy, smiling but keeping her eyes downcast or to the woman beside her. "My name is Kassandra, but you can just call me Kas hon." Her eye's crinkled with a genuine look of affection. She turned her attention to Dr. Dyson, still standing behind and to the side of Kinsey. "What's shaking Mikey, how's the new kid?"

The doctor gave her a wry smile, "Good morning Ms. Kass. Ms. Kinsey is fine, a little jet lagged perhaps."

Kas nodded, turning her attention back to Kinsey. She put her hands on Kinsey's shoulders, taking half a step back to examine her at arms length. "Let's take a look at you, shall we?" Kas looked her up and down. Kinsey felt her cheeks start to burn, a little intimadated. Kas was taller than her, by a head or so at least, and had a presense to her that projected authority. "Well, not bad..." She didn't know how to take that. Kas started staring her in her eyes, making her cringe back as she leaned forward. "Are those contacts?" she said with curious look. Kinsey had to think for a second,

"No." she said simply.

"Wow, they're beautiful!" She turned Kinsey towards her companion. "Sam, aren't they the loveliest shade of green?"

  Samantha seemed to be as embaressed as Kinsey, turning aside and using the excuse to adjust her glasses to hide her face. "Um yeah.."

Kas suddenly let Kinsey go, spinning on her heals and yelling back at the girl on the guitar. "KIKI! WILL YOU KNOCK THAT SHIT OFF ALREADY?!?!" This time the girl heard her, stopping suddenly and looking up at them. She said...something, holding her hand to her ear. "Come here and meet the new girl."

Kiki frowned and stomped her foot, taking the guitar off and tossing it to the side with a clank and yelp of reverb through the speakers since she didn't even bother to unplug. She walked over quickly, walking a complete circuit around Kinsey then taking a place beside Kas. She said something, again in japanesse. It sounded like a question.

"Her name is Kinsey." answered Samantha.

Kiki gave her a final look over and turned with a snort. She looked annoyed more than anything. If it wasn't for her being even shorter than Kinsey by a few inches, she might have been scared. Though there was something about her that Kinsey found a little unnerving.

  Kas chuckled, "Don't worry about her Kiki is..." Kas seemed to be searching for words.

"An anti-social borderline pyschotic?" offered Samantha, looking back as Kiki walked to the pool, casting her shirt to the side which she had a swimsuit under that looked like someone vomited a neon rainbow on it and jumped into the pool with a loud splash. "I was going to say'a troubled youth' but that will do. Don't worry, she's all bark, ignore her.

  Kinsey blinked. "...hi." Her eyes went to the two girls bellies.

"Yes." Kas said answering her silent questions. "We are too, they're Adrian's like yours."

  "It's kind of hard to get used to, I know." Samantha added. "But, given what Adrian's trying to do..."

Kinsey knew. Adrian was one of the last, if not last, member of an ancient race, one who possibly inspired the tales of sirens. Their pregnancies weee the precious hope of the continuation of his species.

"It's only logical that he find as many of us that are receptive..." Samantha trailed off as she noticed she had the attention of Kinsey, Kas and Dr. Dyson. He continued for her as Samantha retreated back to Kas's side. "Yes, there's only one in a rare few women who are compatiable with Adrian's people. It's a matter of survival that he find as many who are willing to help him." Kinsey had heard all this before, when Adrian had explained it all to her shortly after they first met. How he had been searching for her for months, knowing in his heart that he would. She never doubted it for a second, his voice told her it was true.

  "I"ll leave you girl's to get aquainted." Dyson continued. He nodded to them, giving Kinsey a reasurring squeeze on the shoulder. "I'm also the consoluler, so if you ever need someone to talk in confidence, please feel free to call upon me." he said more quietly to her. "Ladies." he nodded, walking out the far end of glass doors.