In Another Dimension

Parallel Dimensions

Jake Barlow looked at the dark storm clouds overhead as yet another flash of lightening lit up the sky. Pulling the collar of his coat up to protect his neck from the cold wind and rain he scurried down the street before turning gratefully into the small antique shop that was his destination. It was not a day to be out in the weather but he had left it late, as usual, to buy his wife's birthday gift.

Muttering to himself he brushed some raindrops from his sleeve as he strolled through the antique shop looking for that elusive "must have" gift that would melt his wife Charlotte's heart for her birthday. She always liked antiques with a penchant for odd shaped vases or lamps. Jake knew what he wanted, should have bought it earlier, so he went straight to an old, unusually shaped celestial clock which reminded him of the renowned clock in the town square in Prague.

It was dark; getting darker by the minute. The combination of the solar eclipse and the gathering thunder storm created an eerie darkness in the late morning. It would pass, but Jake looked at the sky with wary eyes.

Hurrying back to his office he unwrapped the clock. 11.30, it was out by almost a half hour. Jake was a perfectionist and wanted this to be perfect so he opened the front of the clock and pushed the big hand to 12.00 o'clock. At precisely the same time the building lit up as a bolt of lightning struck and the office reverberated to a deafening clap of thunder. Jake's body was wracked with intense pain, his back arched and his body spasmed in agony. For the briefest moment he felt the building shake, saw the ornaments rattle and heard the clock strike repeatedly. But in seconds it was gone. He leaned over placing a hand on his desk to support himself as he gasped for breath, his body wracked with pain. He was bathed in perspiration as he gingerly straightened up.

Moments later his door opened and his PA Melissa Knowles looked in.

"My god, what happened, what was that?" she stammered. "Are you alright?" she said as he looked at her strangely.

Jake was having trouble focussing. Melissa seemed to be flickering and for brief moments he seemed to be seeing her double. He put his hands on the table to steady himself and shook his head. Gradually his vision of Melissa steadied.

"I ... I don't know. Must have been a reaction to the lightning," he muttered uncertainly.

His body was sore as he stretched and faced her. But he felt different, he couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was something, and the feeling stayed with him the rest of the day.

Friday, end of the week. He knew his wife would love the clock, they had a party tonight and the weekend off: brilliant.

Arriving home Jake waved to his neighbour as he turned his car into the driveway, pressed the electronic control for the door and drove his car into the garage. Picking up his briefcase he unlocked the door into the house. He walked into the kitchen area and stopped as the woman in front of him turned, her face lit up as she gave him a warm smile.

"Wow," he thought smiling as he looked at her with admiration. Average height around 5'6", her long bleached blond hair trailing down her back and tied in a pony tail, her clear green eyes sparkled with happiness and her pert nose was just right for the shapely pout of her full lips. As pretty as her face was it was the fullness of her breasts, barely contained at that moment by a low cut top, the slimness of her body and bare midriff, tight ass squeezed into a pair of mini crutch shorts and the long shapely legs that attracted his admiring appraisal. He felt a flush of embarrassment as he knew his eyes had lingered too long on her legs and breasts. Conscious of being caught staring and of the powerful surge of arousal in his groin he gave her an awkward, embarrassed smile.

"Um ... hi, ah ... I'm Jake, is ah Charlotte out the back? Ah, look I'm sorry but I was expecting to see Charlotte pardon me but who are you?" he asked trying to recover his composure as he dragged his eyes from her breasts.

The woman gave a slight shake of her head and her forehead wrinkled as she pursed her lips in a questioning manner.

"Who am I? Who am I? Well who do you think I am?" she asked in a bemused tone. "And who is Charlotte?" she asked somewhat more intensely.

She turned to face him. Tilting her head slightly she leaned back against the work bench and placed one hand on her hip waiting for an answer.

For a long moment they both stood motionless, staring at each other. Jake was totally confused, surprised by her answer. He ran his fingers through his hair, unsure of how to respond.

"Charlotte... Charlotte my wife. I'm sorry but I, ah, I think I'm missing something here but I don't think we have met, I'm sure I would remember. I've got no idea who you are. Should I know you? I'm sorry if I've forgotten you but Charlotte didn't tell me anyone was coming."

"Jake, you've had your fun now cut the silly games," she said sharply, the tone of her voice showing the first signs of annoyance.

Jake was stunned. He quickly looked around the room.

"I'm sorry, but this is my house and really, I don't know who you are or what you are doing here. Where is Charlotte? Is she home? Are you the babysitter?"

"What! Am I what? The babysitter!" she retorted angrily, her demeanour and body language changing noticeably. "That's it. Jake I don't know what you think you're playing at but I've had enough of this stupid game. No more, that's it, no more do you hear me," she growled bristling with anger.

The moment was broken as a little girl came running up to him.

"Daddy, daddy," she cried happily.

Jake just stared, mouth open in shock.

"Who, what?"

"Jake, for goodness sake, you've had your stupid fun, now that's enough of these ridiculous games. For heaven's sake pick up your daughter. Please!"

"But, she's not my ... I've never seen," he said his voice tailing off, holding his hands out helplessly.

"Oh for god sake Jake, enough. Pick her up and give her a hug," she said almost in tears. "She's your daughter. Please just do it".

"Daddy, daddy, look what I've done," the little girl said holding out a colour drawing for his appraisal.

Jake looked from one to the other in stunned disbelief. Slowly and unsurely he bent down and picked up the little girl.

"See daddy," she said proudly smiling as she showed him her drawing. "There's you, and there's mummy and there's me."

Jake struggled to think, his mind reeling in complete turmoil unable to comprehend what was happening.

"And just in case you still want to play silly buggers, she's your daughter, her name is Cherry and seeing as how you can't remember me, who am I? oh yeah, I'm just your wife, you know, the woman you've been living with for the last couple of years. My name is Myra, but for you I answer to honey, sweetheart, darling, baby, babe, gorgeous: pretty much anything other than who are you!" she retorted.

Jake's mouth dropped open as he stared at her in disbelief.

Myra stepped to him. "Come on baby," she cooed taking their daughter Cherry from him. "Come and play in your room while mummy speaks to daddy. Angie will be along soon to look after you while mummy and daddy get dressed to go out."

Jake could only stand and stare as Myra bounced Cherry on her hip as she carried her through to her room. But the look on her face was like thunder as she headed straight back to him.

"Ok Jake, what do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Look Myra, it was Myra wasn't it."

"Jesus Christ Jake, yes it's Myra, it was Myra yesterday and it was Myra when we got married, just the surname changed, Myra Barlow for your interest. Yeah, pleased to meet you after all these years," she said her voice rising in anger and frustration as she spoke.

"Sorry, sorry but I'm not playing games with you. Look, this is as hard for me as it appears for you. This is my house, this is where I live. But I'm married to Charlotte, Charlotte Barlow. I've got a daughter, must be about the same age as yours and her name is Chris, Christy. I honestly don't know who you are, I don't know what's happening," he said helplessly.

A look of fear came over Myra's face. She took a small step back and a hand went to her heart. "Oh god Jake, you're not having an affair are you, it's not with this Charlotte is it, please don't tell me you're having an affair, please no Jake, we have a little child."

"Me? What, an affair, no, never. God, nothing like that, I, it's just that I've got no idea what's going on. I'm married to Charlotte."

Myra grabbed Jake's hand. "Come with me," she said dragging him to another room. Stopping in front of a wall of pictures she pointed. "Here's us on our wedding day, here's me in hospital with our lovely daughter, here's you holding her, here's us with your parents, here's a copy of our marriage certificate, here's ..." and with that she broke down in tears. Gaining control she looked at him through teary eyes. "Jake, I don't know whether I'm getting angry or worried. I'm your wife, Cherry is your daughter, we have been married for three years, our daughter is two and a half - do I need to go into the maths on that for you? Trust me, you were there and you sure as hell knew who I was that night. And it wasn't Charlotte!"

Jake could only stare at the pictures. He rubbed the nagging pain in his chest.

"Can we sit down please," he said shakily.

"Myra, I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. I see the pictures but I have no memory of them. I have all the same memories of the events but ... they were with ... when I left here this morning I was married to Charlotte. She's a beautiful woman and a beautiful person. And right now I'm scared because I don't know what's happening to me, I don't know what has happened to her or my daughter. And as much as I want to, I have no recollection of you or Cherry. I honestly don't know what's going on," he said holding his hands out wide as they stared at each other.

Before Myra could answer they heard a knock at the door. "Hello" a voice called out.

"Hi Angie, we're in here," Myra responded.

A young freckle faced girl bounced into the room, back pack carried loosely over her shoulder.

"Hi Mrs Barlow, Hi Mr Barlow," she said in greeting. "Is Cherry in her room? I'll just go and get her," she said smiling. Myra looked at Jake, her eye brows raised questioningly.

"Jake, come on," said Myra quietly. "We've got a party tonight, god only knows how we are going to get through that, but we have to get dressed."

Jake followed Myra numbly.

Jake had a moment of panic as Myra started to lay out her clothes on the bed realising that she was going to shower.

"I'll, I'll just," he said awkwardly, obviously embarrassed.

"No. No," she said firmly. "Don't you dare. You are my husband. I am your wife. I get undressed every day in front of you and you do the same for me. I'm not hiding from you and you can watch, look, touch. Everything you see is yours, don't you dare pull away from me. I love you Jake. I don't know what is happening but we will see it through," and with that she took her top off revealing her magnificent breasts to him. She took the couple of steps between them.

"Hold me baby. Please hold me," she pleaded.

Tentatively Jake placed his arms around her, his hands tingling in the smoothness of her skin. She reached around him and pulled him to her and he was conscious of the press of her naked breasts against him. He couldn't help the overwhelming feeling that he was betraying Charlotte as he held Myra in his embrace.

Not wanting to lose the moment she slowly lowered herself to her knees. Suddenly Jake was both excited and terrified as she pulled his zip down, her intention obvious. In spite of himself, he couldn't help the erection that was in her face.

Myra lowered her mouth to tentatively brush her lips over the head of his cock, her fist clasping his shaft before gently sliding up and down its length. He watched her dark shape as she opened her mouth around him, her hair spilling tantalisingly over his thighs. Her tongue nervously touched the sensitive underside of his cock before swirling around the helmet. When he sucked in his breath and arched his back she gained confidence, stroking more surely with her tongue and hand. She took a deep breath and opened wider to take more of him in the hot cavern of her mouth but her early flirtation with deep throat couldn't get past the gagging stage.

She dropped a hand to roll his balls and was rewarded as he moaned audibly in pleasure. To her surprise she found that the taste was not unpleasant and she was enjoying giving him pleasure. She closed her lips around his cock as she started to slowly bob her head up and down his shaft, occasionally stopping to rub her hand over the length of his cock. With her nail she gently scratched the base of his balls between his sac and his ass. As his muscles tightened his hand went to the back of her head following her movements.

"Oh my god, I'm going to cum," he warned her but she had gone this far and she determined to go the rest of the way for him. It was all he could do not to push the back of her head and jamb his cock into her as his balls tightened. Every sinew in his body was strained as he tried to hold onto the exquisite feelings until with a roar his sperm gushed into her willing mouth.

She fought the initial urge to back off him before she stopped herself and closed her mouth around him, swallowing his seed.

His entire body tingled as she sat back on her knees, lips swollen and glistening, eyes dark with womanly pleasure. He helped her to her feet and she leaned into him, pulling his head down as she gave him a passionate kiss.

In spite of his situation he couldn't help but be struck by Myra's beauty and sexuality as she finished undressing and stepped into the shower. She had no inhibitions at being naked in front of him.

He was torn between his feelings of betrayal and his lust for this beautiful woman as he stripped off to shower. He rationalised his feelings based on her desire.

Myra laid out his jeans and shirt for him but as hard as she tried to keep things normal it was an awkward period as they skirted around each other.

"Do I look ok?" she inquired posing in front of him.

For a few moments he simply stared. She stood before him, turning slightly left then right. She was dressed in a micro mini dress: a sexy red halter neck with plunging neck line exposing the curve of her shapely breasts: just enough to excite the imagination, the points of her nipples standing out proudly. The hem of her dress tightly hugged the curve of her ass with just enough cloth to cover her modesty. Her nails painted red to match the dress and her feet in open sandals.

He spoke softly and slowly, pausing between each word. "I know we are going through a difficult time but beyond all that, you are a very beautiful woman," he said.

And she smiled warmly at him and held him tightly.

"Just remember Jake, I'm yours and I love you."

And he could see her eyes watering as she looked at him.

As Jake showered he heard Myra speaking on the phone.

"That was Jan," she said. "You've met Jan before but probably don't remember. Jan is a psychologist, I've asked her to speak with you at the party. Will you do that for me please?" she asked tentatively. And he agreed.

***

"Ok Jake, Myra has told me your story and it's a bit unusual but very interesting."

"Look Jan, I know Myra thinks I'm making this up or playing games but honestly, do you think I could forget someone like Myra? She is gorgeous; far and away the prettiest girl here. Trust me, there is no way I would do this to anyone let alone her."

"Gorgeous yes but insecure, very insecure too."

"Huh."

"Look, who is the hottest looking guy here?"

And Jake started looking around hesitantly.

"Stop looking, you are Jake, and every girl knows it. What, 6'3", athletic - sexy body, square jaw, straight nose and a sense of humour - well up until today - so what's not to like. Myra is gorgeous but like many pretty girls she sees the flaws not the beauty. If a girl has a face full of freckles she has freckles, if she has one she has a flaw, that's the way it is. She knows that a few girls have tried the come on with you, fuck it even happens when she is around, so she is always worried that you might have a moment of weakness if the opportunity presents itself."

"But I haven't. That's not what this is about."

"I don't doubt you, but that's not the point. Anyway, let's start at the start. Tell me the truth, don't lie to me on this, you're not doing drugs are you?"

"No, I've never done drugs," he commented.

"I didn't think so. Now did you have a trauma at all that day, car crash? Fall over?"

"No, yes, sort of." And he told her the story of the electrical strike.

"Hmm, it was really stormy as I recall. Jake, you have obviously heard of amnesia. People with amnesia can lose all or part of their memory. Generally it's only temporary. It's more rare but not unheard of for people to have memory blocks or substitute other experiences or dreams for fact. Now you were touching metal so it may well have been a lightning strike that hit you, it could be that you were the conductor, so perhaps you've just had a partial memory lapse substituting these other people for what is most dear to you. Let's face it, everyone here knows you and knows you as Myra's husband. Your daughter had to know her own father wouldn't you think? The baby sitter knew you. That should strike you as odd. She told me that all the other events in your life coincide with her life, wedding day, birth of your daughter etc it's a big line of coincidences don't you think? With all that you want to trust in a memory of someone else when there is no other evidence of this Charlotte."

Jake pondered what Jan said and it seemed to make sense. "Well, I don't know but nothing else makes sense. There is no other explanation," he thought looking around forlornly.

"I... but it just seems so real. If you walked in your front door and someone else was standing there telling you that he was your husband how would you feel? But when you put it like that I guess I can see where you're coming from. There just doesn't seem to be an alternative. Shit, It's frightening Jan and it must be equally frightening for Myra. God knows what I've put her through. How do I put aside the feelings for Charlotte, they are so real, how do I approach Myra?"

"The feelings you will just have to live with but recognise that they are a type of amnesia. She may be a figment of your imagination, may be someone you saw wandering around the shops, even someone from your school days, it could be anyone or no one. Now Myra, she's easy, you're a lucky guy, she loves you so just give her any encouragement and she will fall all over you. Just don't push her away or you might never get her back."

Jake leaned forward and gave Jan a kiss on the cheek. She could see that he was still uncertain. "You are Jake and Myra is your wife. She is real, you are real, don't fight it for a dream Jake."

"No, I won't, or at least I will try not to. Thanks Jan," he said giving her a weak smile and they re-joined the party.

He could see the concern behind Myra's smile as her eyes went from one to the other, questioning each. Jake went straight to her, stopped for a moment and her heart skipped a beat in joy as he circled her with his arms and pulled her to him. He could see the wetness of unshed tears in her eyes as she looked adoringly at him and his heart went out to her.

"Jan has no doubt explained to you her theory and I have to accept that it is most likely what happened. It all seems so real on one hand and so unreal on the other, but what other explanation is there? What can I say? I'm sorry Myra but that seems so inadequate."