From last episode:Embarrassed, Brandon could feel Lorene and Jacob's attention focused on him, and he glanced up in time to see the couple smile and nod imperceptibly at each other. But Jeb had more questions, "An' whut does 'four into two becomes one,' mean...that sounds stupid...how can four into two make one?"
The images of Jacob and Lorene wavered, grew unstable. Again they seemed to melt together for a moment, but they were quickly solid individuals again.
Lorene spoke this time. "We understand what the message means now...why we are all here...and if you let us, Jacob and I can finally go on to where we belong and find some peace... but you will have to trust us.... and help us on the way.... it all depends upon you."
Part 5
“So... whut do you want us to do?” asked Jeb. Jacob stood quiet waiting for the ghostly pair to speak again.
“Well, all you have to do is what you were already doing,” said Lorene.
Brandon frowned, “You mean...”
“Yes, we interrupted you, but you must consummate your love. Jacob and I never got to do that so you will have to do it for us.”
“Do it FOR you? How can we do that?” Jeb was totally confused.
The ghostly pair moved even closer to the boys than they were before. Brandon clutched Jeb’s hand tighter. He could almost feel the dampness exuding from the couple. He could smell that vaguely repulsive sweetness of things left too long in water, but he held his ground and didn’t move away from the boy and girl, after all, dead or not, these children were their kin.
“I still don’t unnerstand ... whut? How....?” Jeb’s voice trailed off as the two young ghosts focused on him.
“Do you trust us? You will have to trust us if this is to work ... if we are to be released.” And this time the tears were on Lorene’s pale cheeks.
“O.k. we’ll do whatever we have to do, just tell us.” Brandon was afraid but he was so sorry for the pair... he could imagine how awful it must be to spend hundreds of years in a swampy pond when they could be... that other nice place.
Jacob spoke: “Remember what the drums said? Four into two becomes one, a sweet consummation...
Becomes the gate of ecstasy, the key to freedom?”
“Yes, I remember.” Brandon closed his oriental eyes in concentration and finished the verse: ‘within the white light of eternity that patiently waits."
“Well,” continued Jacob, “We four CAN become two ...” And for a moment the forms of Lorene and Jacob glistened like sparkling mist and merged together... then abruptly were separate persons again.
“But WE’re not ghosts.” protested Jeb.
“No, you’re not... but if you allow us to ... to possess your bodies we four shall be two ...”
“What!? Possess us?
“Only borrow your bodies for a little while Jeb... just until our love is consummated... and we are ... released.”
“Aaahhh....“ Brandon understood now. “When people make love they kinda become one.... so if you possess us we four become two, and then when we make love together we two will become one.”
The boy and girl didn’t answer, didn’t need to. They seemed somehow less substantial now, and just flickered there waiting for an answer.
“Ah’m scared Bran, suppose they like bein’ in us so much they don’t wanna leave or somethin’.”
Jeb moved into Brandon’s arms for comfort. The feeling of that warm skin pressed against his own tender flesh abruptly reminded Brandon that they were still totally naked, just like the ghosts.
The drums grew louder and once again, their hearts, it seemed, were pounding helplessly in time to the alien rhythms. Jacob looked back toward the center of the creek where a disturbance was beginning to form again. “It has to be now cousins. You have to trust us, or send us back to the deep green darkness, to the deep waters forever. “
Brandon wrapped Jeb tightly into his arms, “Alright, do it... NOW!”
The boys squeezed their eyes shut and so didn’t see the images of their ancient cousins flare momentarily into nothingness and then expand to envelope them all in pure blue energy. But they did hear a sigh and the moaning sound of relief as all were caught up in a coruscating mini-tornado of protoplasmic fire that sought entrance everywhere it was not meant to be; it prodded and pushed into the physical and psychic spaces of each boy where there was usually only room for one being.
At the end of the brief struggle the children lay flat, cushioned on their bed of thick grass. Brandon/Jacob stirred and sat up, “Ohhh.. I FEEL!!” He stumbled to his feet, and then almost fell back. It was overwhelming for Jacob, this vital body he occupied, so filled with life. Sensations he had not experienced in centuries came rushing back filling him up with ecstasy... he felt like shouting, and did.
A handful of alarmed black birds tossed themselves from the top of the nearest tree into the darkening sky. And Jeb sat up; his stunned blue eyes wide open. This doubling of intensity, of sensation, was even more perplexing for him than for Brandon as the entity that possessed him was female. It was as if all that was once individual male and female were braided together so that now the one personality was barely distinct from ‘the other.’
——— To be continued...