Duo

Part Three

Music breathes life into words. Love breathes life into music.

This is a continuation of the "Songstress" series. If you've not yet read the previous chapters please go back and read "Songstress", "DUO" parts one and two.

A huge thank you to tool1952 for his masterful editing, being both timely and amazingly attentive to detail. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a good editor.

I was surrounded by endless greyness, with a diffused gentle light whose source I could not determine. This soft grey stretched out forever all around me. There were no features, no hills or valleys, no horizon. Yet despite these featureless surroundings, it felt warm, inviting. It seemed to say, 'stay awhile.'

Yes, I felt like staying. I left something bad behind, but I couldn't remember what. Here, I felt like I could float. I had a profound sense of serenity and peace.

'Am I dead, is this what death feels like?'

I heard music and it sounded familiar. I started towards it and realized that I was floating. As I got closer to the source of the singing, my surroundings coalesced into a small pale blue room with three chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs was my dear musical friend Karl. He was singing gently and beautifully as always. Except, Karl was dead. He had passed two years ago from brain cancer. I sat and said:

"Karl, you're here? I must be dead."

Karl paused his playing and smiled at me.

"Not quite, old friend. I'm here because I'm still here." As he leaned over and tapped me gently on the forehead.

"Then, if I'm not dead, where am I? Why am I here?"

Karl smiled schematically,

"Ah, the age-old question! Let's just say you're 'in-between', hovering somewhere between life and The Beyond. You took quite a beating Joel."

Suddenly it all came flooding back; the confrontation with Billy Blake, the brutal beating I had taken. My body must be struggling somewhere to stay alive.

"What are you doing here Karl?"

Karl chuckled,

"What did you always say to me when I was sick? Music heals, music gets us through the darkest days of our lives. Well, my friend, I'm just here to play some music with you, until you're ready."

"Ready for what?"

"You'll find out soon enough." was all he would say.

"Meantime, why don't you pick up your guitar and let's just play awhile."

I suddenly noticed my trusty 'Takie' on a guitar stand beside me. I smiled and picked it up and was about to tune up.

"Nah, don't bother, nothing gets out of tune here." Karl smiled.

Sighing at the wonder of it all, I asked, "So, what do you want to play?"

"Whatever you want. But let's start with this one." As he began with the intro to Fields of Gold.

So we played and sang and harmonized for what seemed to be hours. I didn't feel tired nor were my fingers sore.

'Boy, I could use some of this in-between in the real world!' I thought to myself

"Yeah, for sure!" Karl said nonchalantly.

When I looked at him in surprise, he pointed to my head.

"I'm in there, remember?"

Of course.

During this pause, I asked: "Who's the other chair for?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" came another familiar voice from beside me.

I'd recognize that raspy voice anywhere. It was another musical buddy, Ross, who had also passed from cancer. Both had died during the COVID pandemic and I never hat a proper chance to say goodbye to either of them.

I was getting used to this scenario by now.

"Hey Ross! Ready for a little 'Wagon Wheel'?"

Ross guffawed, "Now is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"Don't get all uppity on me," I smiled at him. "I know you didn't really hate that song. So just get your ass over here and join us!"

And so, the three of us played, often singing three-part harmonies. Karl and Ross had never met, it was me who was the common thread. Yet, we played and sang, sounding suspiciously like Crosby, Stills and Nash. What a sound we made! It was how I always imagined we would have sounded, had the three of us ever gotten together. Those sweet harmonies rang on that last note of 'Suite Judy Blue Eyes'.

I thought suddenly,

'Blue eyes! Oh my God, my Beth, my heart of hearts! How could I have forgotten her? Where is she, is she still with me?'

Karl smiled as he said gently,

"She'll always be with you, Joel. You didn't forget her. You needed to not be so desperate to go to her before you were ready. You're still not ready, but there are other ways of being with her..."

Karl and Ross faded from view, and then I was in a bedroom with white-washed walls. Diaphanous cream-coloured curtains billowed with a salty breeze blowing through an open window overlooking crystal clear waters. I was in swimming trunks feeling the flush of a long day in the sun.

I looked out at the lush tropical forest growing up to a sparkling white beach. I was in an exotic, luxurious hut, standing on stilts right on the water. I knew I was in the Maldives, a place where I was going to take Beth on our honeymoon.

I felt her hands come around me as she hugged me from behind, the side of her head resting on my back.

"Is it not just beautiful and perfect, my love?" she whispered, "It's where I've always wanted to go. And being here with you, makes it more than just a paradise, it's heaven on earth!"

My eyes closed in delight as I revelled in her touch, her scent, and her sultry voice. Placing my hands over hers, with my eyes still closed, I whispered back, "But I wanted to surprise you with this trip."

"You will my wonderful man, you will. But first, how about a taste of that heaven?"

I turned in Beth's arms and looked into those azure eyes that seemed to reflect the sky and ocean outside our window. They were shining with an inner glow of love, passion, need and want. Eternity with this woman would not be enough for me.

We kissed, gently, lovingly at first, then turning fiercely passionate. Our tongues danced against each other as if to a hidden song. Our hands roamed over each other's bodies and suddenly our beach clothes vanished.

This wasn't a rushed fucking, this was a slow, tender coupling of two people deeply, madly in love. I wished that we were on the pristine beach under the stars, and then we were. I sat cross legged on the blanket, and Beth sat on me, her legs wrapped around my waist. I entered her and we both sighed in bliss. We were home once again.

Moving together in gentle unison, I once again marvelled at our perfect fit. My cock fit her tunnel that was so incredibly tight but yielding. Her slickness made the friction even more pleasurable.

We began to rise into the air together, weightless. This ethereal lovemaking seemed endless. We changed positions multiple times in mid-air, even doing a 69, our tongues and mouths delighting in the taste and feel of each other.

Returning to our original position, we continued, suspended and floating and we came together. Our cries went silent, as if the very air itself was feeding on our love and passion.

Our orgasms went on forever. I held onto to Beth in desperation, as if this would be my last time with her. We began slowly descending to the beach, still in the throes of exquisite passion.

Beth suddenly vanished, and I looked around in panic. I cried out frantically,

"Beth? BETH, WHERE ARE YOU? PLEASE DON'T GO AWAY!"

Behind me, out on the water, I heard her call,

"I'm out here, and I'm not going anywhere silly. Come join me!"

I turned to see her about 20 feet offshore, waving gaily at me. She then dove into the water, her tail flipping up in the air. Wait, what?! A tail? She's a mermaid! No fucking way!

I knew this was all in my mind, but what the hell, I decided to go with it. I ran to the water and dove into the crashing surf. I felt my legs fuse together and I knew I was sporting a lower body tail. I was swimming under the surface at impossible speeds, propelled by a tail, and a myth. I was breathing water as naturally as breathing air.

Beth was suddenly at my side, and reaching out, she grasped my hand. With a grin, her words came into my mind,

'Isn't this fun?!'

'This is incredible!' I thought back to her.

Night had swiftly turned into day. We swam for miles, looking about in wonder at the explosion of colour in exotic sea life around us: the vibrant multicoloured coral reefs, the schools of beautiful blue line snappers, the fluorescent orange/yellow Maldivian anemonefish. It was breathtaking, and I knew this is the place we had to be, if I ever survived.

Beth turned to me with a mischievous smile,

'Ever wonder how merpeople do it?'

'Now that you mention it...'

We stopped swimming and kissed; a kiss no less hot than on land. Our tongues dueled, and I realize that mine had morphed and elongated, reaching down to back of Beth's mouth. Did that ever give an me idea!

Kissing my way down her body, I wrapped my long tongue around a nipple and pulled. Beth, in her usual fashion when I adored her nipples, gave a bubbly gasp, and came instantly. Glad to see some things don't change whether above ground or underwater.

It was then I noticed a vertical slit that opened where the 'Y' juncture of her legs would have been. It was glistening, and I was guessing her juices were water resistant. I dove down to her opening and thrust my merman's tongue deep into her, rolling it all around inside her as Beth exploded into multiple seismic orgasms.

Feeling familiar strains of an erection, I looked down and saw my cock had emerged from a sheath, pointing straight out at 90 degrees from my mer-body. My balls were nowhere to be seen. Ah well, when in Rome...

I moved toward my gorgeous mermaid, no, siren, and slipped into her effortlessly. It was that same familiar tight but yielding tunnel of love I couldn't get enough of.

'Mystery solved!' I thought to her.

'Then let's show these poor creatures what love over instinct can do!' she giggled back. I'm not exactly sure how one giggles underwater, but if anyone could find a way, Beth could.

We swam as one, our tails in complete unison. We danced, swirling though the waters in a loving ballet, rendered even more graceful by the sea. This pas-de-deux gave new meaning to the term ethereal.

Our dance amour and now our underwater cries cut through the depths like sonar. The nearby sea life stopped what they were doing and joined in our dance, swirling around us. Fish, sharks, dolphins swam in harmony and solidarity, all predator/prey instincts put aside.

As our orgasms overtook us, the sunlight penetrating the crystal-clear waters, hit us, and reflected out in prism-like rays. Everywhere the light touched, new life was born. Our love spawned hope, beauty, tranquility, and joy.

Then we were back on the beach, human and naked; standing still, locked in a tight embrace. Beth smiled gently at me,

"My love, as wonderful as this has been, we have only been together in spirit. It's time you came back to me in body. You are ready."

I looked at Beth with concern,

"How? How do I come back to you, my angel? What must I do?"

She began to slowly fade,

"Just follow the music Joel, it has always been our salvation..."

Beth was gone.

Follow the music? What music? Karl and Ross were gone, I thought that the music was over.

'Joel, stop and just listen!' I thought to myself.

At first it was faint, the strains seemed to come from everywhere. Then I realized I'd been hearing this in the background, ever so softly, all this time. As I concentrated on the source, I could hear it. It was simple, just a voice. It was my Beth. Her singing seemed to be emanating from the tropical forest in front of me. It was her siren call, urging me on, to follow her, to come to her.

I floated into the forest, following the voice of my beloved, weaving in and out of the trees. I felt that if she stopped singing, I would be irretrievably lost. I was desperate now to find the source to where my songstress was urging me. She was closer now, her song getting stronger. I could make out what she was singing:

Come back to me with all your heart

Don't let fear keep us apart...

I smiled; it was a song I had taught her. I was compelled to find her now, I had to, I needed to. Her singing led me to a clearing where a single door stood all on its own. It was open with a bleached white light emanating from within. My Beth's golden voice flowed out from there.

Without hesitation I sped through and found myself in what was obviously a hospital corridor. I knew this is where she was with my physical body. I floated rapidly down the hall, past the monitoring station to ICU bay 2.

There she was, sitting beside a body I wouldn't recognize as me if not for Beth's presence. She was totally disheveled, looking completely exhausted, eyes red from crying and lack of sleep, yet still singing. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

It was time.

'I'm here my precious one, I'm back.'

I stood beside us and willed myself back into my body. Suddenly I felt myself numb with drugs, tubes of all kinds sticking out of me. Pain, deep pain, wracked my body where the drugs could not reach. Fortunately, I was not on a ventilator (I later found out that I began breathing on my own relatively shortly after Beth began singing to me - a miracle in the eyes of the hospital staff).

My body felt incredibly weak. It was a struggle of massive proportions to try and open my eyes, but I'd be damned if the first thing I didn't see was the beautiful countenance of my beloved. My eyelid flickered and Beth stopped singing as she gasped in anticipation.

I finally was able to open just one eye, wondering what happened to my other one. I looked at my gorgeous Beth and managed a weak smile. She was crying silently, tears of joy running down her face but with those dazzling blue eyes shining with happiness and undying love. She whispered, "You came back to me!"

I nodded as best I could, and the first words I managed to croak out were,

"Marry me."

Beth, somewhere between a laugh and a sob, choked out the words I longed to hear,

"At once and forever!"

Con amore sostenuto...

The love song continues...