The Music of the Mind

This is Chapter two of the Music of the Mind Series. I am afraid you will be rather lost if you don't read the first chapter, so you may want to take a look at it. As always, comments and constructive criticism welcome. Thank you to LadyCibelle for her hard work editing this series. S.T.

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Chapter 2: The Temptation of the Notes

They released me from the hospital the next day, and I spent most of it sleeping at home. My head seemed to always be filled with static, and I found it hard to concentrate. When evening time rolled around I found I couldn't sleep anymore so I sat in front of my computer trying to focus to read my email, but I couldn't concentrate.

"Damn my head!" I yelled at no one in particular as I rubbed my temples.

'Tune it out...' the soft voice echoed in my head.

I knew that voice, and the hair rose on the back on my neck. I spun around, but I was alone. 'Tune it out. What the hell does that mean?' I thought.

I sat there in my desk chair and I thought what the hell. You ever try to tune out a noise that is bothering you? Like a dripping faucet, or an air conditioning unit? This was like that, but it came easily, almost naturally.

I concentrated and the noise began to take on form, to have almost a visual substance in my mind's eye. I could feel how close it was to me, as if a great plane of thought stretched before me. I tried to push the noise into that vast distance, and all the noise fell into the background. It receded, fading with the distance as I pushed it away.

It was still there, but it did not bother me. Suddenly I felt that same clear headedness I had when I had done my research on the genie. A great thrill of exhilaration raced through me. I found I was sick of being cooped up. I needed to get out of the house, to do something fun.

I dressed quickly, and began to rummage through the clothing I had worn home from the hospital for my wallet. In my pants pocket I found a wallet, but it didn't look like mine. It was leather, with beautiful designs that looked Arabic or Mediterranean on the side.

I have to admit I know little of these cultures, but the design definitely invoked a feel like that. When I looked in it though, all my ID's and credit cards were inside. I looked in the cash pouch, and found it full of cash. I pulled it out counting it. A thousand in hundreds, eighty in twenties, one ten, one five, and four ones.

'What the hell?' I though confused.

I looked down to put it back in the wallet, and the cash pouch was full. Puzzled I set down the cash in my hand, and pulled the cash out of the wallet. The amount I removed was the same as what I had first counted, and when I looked down in the wallet, once again the cash pouch was full.

I began to grin and started pulling the cash out as fast as I could, dropping it on the floor. Every time my hand returned to the wallet I found the same bunch of notes waiting to be removed. A soft laugh rippled through my mind and I stopped cold.

Apparently the genie had decided to give me a gift after all. Grinning like a fool I stuffed the wallet into my pants, scooped up the pile of cash I had made and stuck it in my desk drawer and headed out to the local coffee house I frequented.

The night was beautiful when I walked out, a cool evening with a clear sky. I walked down to Pearl Street mall which was not too busy at 9:00 PM on a week night. About halfway to The Daily Grind I began to notice something strange.

Every person that passed me caused the buzzing in my head to become a little more intense. As they approached me it grew, and as they walked away it faded. Like the buzzing of a bug in my ear, but I found with a little more effort I could tune it out like the other noise, though it puzzled me.

The coffee shop was almost empty except for a couple of college guys playing chess, and Wendy the cute girl behind the counter. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back. I had always liked Wendy, and she seemed to like to flirt with me. Though she had to be in her early twenties, and being in my mid thirties I had ruled out asking her out long ago.

"Hey stranger, thought you had decided to cheat on me and drink your coffee elsewhere." She said with a cute smile as I walked to the counter.

"Cheat on you, the best coffee, and smile, in town." I said, feeling like a complete dork, but Wendy just smiled.

"Well good, one usual coming right up, and it is on the house," she said smiling. I waited till she turned to run the espresso machine then stuffed the wad of money from my wallet into the tip jar without her seeing. I figured that would make her night. I noticed that buzzing again now, much more insistent, and I could almost swear it was coming from Wendy, that she was causing it.

She turned back to me and handed me my iced mocha smiling. As she handed it to me her hand brushed mine and the buzzing in my head seemed to chime, and I got the strangest feeling. It was as though for a second I could feel Wendy's affection for me. I can't explain it better then that. It shook me and I thanked her and took my table by the door.

What was that? The buzzing was there as insistent as ever, but when I looked at Wendy it was as though I could hear a tone, a single note, a chime. I could see that great plane of thought in my mind again; the wall of sound far away still, but closer was a single string of sound. I pulled it to me, and it raced to my mind's eye, quivering before me.

It was like watching the notes dance at the beginning of the original Fantasia movie, but in 3D, and with far greater complexity. Curiously I listened to it and it grew louder, it seemed to fill my mind. Then, as if driven by instinct I reached out and embraced it. Suddenly it snapped into place, like a picture on a movie screen that had just been focused and framed, and I could feel her, Wendy.

It was like listening to her mood, I was somehow in her head, or at least feeling her. She liked me, quite a lot in fact. I could feel she was quite attracted to me. I sat there stunned, what was happening. I pushed the note away and immediately her feelings vanished, and the buzzing returned. My breathing was rapid, and I felt a trill of both excitement and fear.

I sat there, my drink untouched and a tall red-headed woman walked into the shop heading for the counter. She was quite pretty, and I felt the buzz in my head jump as she walked by and a single note stood out in my mind. I embraced it, and she snapped into my head.

There was nothing terribly exciting there, she was tired and in a hurry. The things I could feel were not thoughts, not what she was thinking but what she was feeling. She turned and glanced at me and saw me staring at her, suddenly I got a wave of apprehension and irritation at a stranger looking at her. I suddenly felt very self-conscious, I didn't want her to feel upset.

Suddenly it felt as if the note that was her in my mind changed, like I had plucked a string on a musical instrument. Then I could feel her, she looked at me again and smiled. She felt I was okay, that I was nothing to worry about. Stunned I pushed her note away and she snapped out of my mind. She got her drink, and turned to leave. As she passed my table she smiled at me and said "Hi there." Then she was gone. Had I done that? Had I changed her mood?

Wendy looked at me and raised her eyebrows at me smiling slightly. I pulled her note to me, and suddenly she was there again, and I could feel her. She was irritated that the woman had flirted with me. Carefully, very gently I thought at her; don't be irritated, it doesn't matter. Again the note rang out and I felt her irritation vanish and she smiled at me bigger. The attraction was still there, it felt warm and enveloping. Then she wondered to herself what I would be like in bed. I could feel the thought, not just her feeling it. For some reason this thought rang through, and I could feel it more clearly.

Then she turned away cleaning the counter and I could tell she was fantasizing about me, what I might look like naked, what the size of my cock was. I pushed her away, and sat with the buzzing in my mind again. Suddenly I was scared, what was this? Then I heard it again, the soft powerful laugh ring through my mind and again I felt chilled.

I rose and thanked Wendy feeling her note call to me as I did, but I pushed it away and walked quickly back up to my condo. I was afraid, but I was also exhilarated. I needed time to figure this out, but not in a coffee shop. I walked in and shut the door locking it. I sat on the couch then, my mind spinning.

So somehow, I could hear people's emotions, and maybe some thoughts. Or at least something almost like a thought. But not only that, I could influence their moods. How much? What could I do to someone? What would I want to do? The fear returned, stronger then ever.

Someone banged on my door and I nearly fell off the couch. I just sat there and they knocked again. Then I heard a key in the lock and the door opened and Jill's head appeared looking at me. She saw me on the couch and smiled.

"You shouldn't give me a key if you want to pretend you're not home." She said coming in. I didn't know what to say. I could feel the note of her in my mind now. It was a deep low full note, but I pushed it away. Suddenly the smile faded from her face, I felt her note give a strong thrum.

"Mike, what's wrong? Are you okay you're really pale?"

"I don't know...I think something happened to me in the store, I can..."

"You can what Mike, what is it?" She sat next to me on the couch, and began to run her hand up and down my back. It took all my control to push her note away, to keep myself out of her mind. I needed to tell her, I had to tell someone.

"It's like, well I can.." Suddenly there was a low rumble in my mind, like a warning or a threat, or a deep growl. Apparently some things were to remain my secret. Jill looked at me with concern, listening, waiting.

"I just feel very strange, maybe it was just the time I was out or something, I feel kinda disconnected." I lied.

"Hey, it is okay. You're okay, you just need to settle in again." She smiled "I know what you would like, lets watch "Office space." That always cheers you up." I thought for a minute and nodded, sounded like a good idea. Maybe I did just need to not worry about it.

"Okay, sounds good. " Jill leapt up and found the DVD and popped it in the machine. Normally when she watched movies at my place she sat in the chair to my right instead of on the couch with me, but tonight she came back and sat next to me. I assumed she felt worried about me, but I knew I could find out exactly how she felt if I wanted to. I pushed the thought from my mind.

The movie let me relax. I sat watching for a while, then the love scene between Jennifer Aniston and the guy came on and I felt a powerful thrum from Jill's note in my mind. Almost before I knew what I was doing I allowed her note to snap in my mind. There she was, my best friend. She was a little apprehensive sitting next to me, but she was denying it. She cared for me a great deal, and that warmed my heart, but under all her other emotions there was a deep attraction for me. I felt my breathing quicken, and I pushed her out of my mind. I watched the rest of the movie and let her keep her thoughts to herself.

"Hey, why don't you come over to my place tomorrow for dinner? It's Friday night, I am going to invite the girls over. You could tag along and be the sole guy in a group of four beautiful women?" She was smiling but I really wanted to know what she was feeling. I resisted the urge to find out.

"That would be great, see you at 7?"

"Seven it is!" She leaned over and hugged me and it took absolute control not to let her note ring in my mind.

After she left I sat on my couch thinking. I could still feel her note, though fainter now. She was right next door after all. Great, like I needed the temptation. I wondered what the range was on this. It thought of Wendy, and suddenly there was her note in all the noise. It was distant, but I could cast out into that sea of thought and call it out of the noise. It emerged and raced to me, vibrating its beautiful song. I embraced it, curious and tempted.

As she filled my mind I did fall off the couch this time. Her mind was filled with lust and arousal. I had to sit for a minute before I realized she was at home now, and she must be masturbating. There was a strong longing for contact with someone, anyone, but she was clearly arousing herself. I thought for a moment and thought what the heck, it is harmless. I gently plucked a note

'Wouldn't it be great if Mike was doing this to you...'

I felt it reverberate through her, and she immediately began to strongly fantasize about me. These were more thoughts then feeling. I could almost feel her desire for my cock in her, the need to be fucked. I could feel her approaching orgasm; it was like another note ringing along with hers in my mind. Suddenly I wondered...I reached out just as she climaxed and plucked that note. It rang through her like a hurricane. I felt the overwhelming power of her climax, it ripped though her like a tidal wave.

Then she fell away from it and her thoughts became jumbled them confused, then almost nothing. She had blacked out, I don't know how I could tell, but she had. I pushed her away and looked down at the hard-on tenting my slacks. I pulled it out and took care of it. At least that was still normal! I wondered what it would be like to buy coffee from Wendy tomorrow. With that I went to bed, and there, softly humming, Jill's rich deep note humming in my mind.