1999
"Your eyes," Mellissa gasped. "They just flickered?"
She put her palms on his chest and lifted her weight off him. He was burning hot. His body felt like it was about to burst into flames. This was not normal. Something was wrong with Morgan.
"Morgan, do you have a condition?" she pressed harder. She lowered herself closer to his chest. She brushed her breasts against him. The heat was too much. He had to be sick.
"Stop talking," Morgan went for her lips. "Talking too much might just turn me off."
"No. stop." Mellissa pushed him off. "you are not okay. Your body is burning up,"
"What is wrong with you? You said you were ready. Are getting scared?" he was getting upset. Heat rose in his body.
"You are burning up. And your eyes just flickered," she insisted. "I saw it. Look at how drenched you are. What is going on Morgan? Did you take a pill?"
"No. I did not take any pills, babe. I am just hot for you. I want you. There was no flame. You saw your own thing, Melly. Come-on. Don't live me like this," he was begging. His arousal was hurting him. He did not know it was going to be like this. He had read about sex, watched porn severally, and even tried self-pleasure. He had never felt pain. The desire in his body was crippling. It was driving him crazy. The more Melisa spoke, the crazier it got.
His body was fully aroused. He was desperate for her. He was in love. He wanted all of her. Her cute little nose, her thick lips, her wild eyes. He wanted to cup her full breasts and feel them bounce in his hand. The thought of it all burned him inside.
"Melisa, please," he growled like an animal.
"I can't do this. You are scaring me. you need to get out."
She was pulling sheets around herself. There was fear in her eyes. She lips trembled when she spoke. He had to control himself. He was not going to let her first time be forceful. He sat up and sighed.
"Get me some cold drinking water please," he said. His voice was raspy and his throat felt dry. His mouth burned. He did not feel sick but his body was in waves of fire. It felt like his blood was boiling.
"you need to control yourself. You might be getting sick or something." There was worry in her voice. She handed him a tall glass of water and started dressing up. She looked lovely, standing over the dressing table, stark naked. His blood churned.
Mellissa was sure she had seen flames in his eyes. They had rolled back and there were tiny tongues of fire in them. She was on top of him and she was sure there was something in his eyes. He might not have noticed. His body temperature was escalating. As a nursing student, she knew what normal body temperature felt like. His was not normal, even if he acted like it was.
"I am burning for you," Morgan joked. He felt the fire in his body subside as he drank the water Melisa had given him., she had thrown some ice cubes in the water,
"come on Melly. I am fine. You are just too hot for me. and I guess I am madly in love with you," Morgan said.
Melisa gave him a long look. She was trying to figure out whatever was going on with him. He was the same man she thought she loved. It was their first night together. She had never been with a man before but she had read and checked online about what to expect. The fire was not part of what she read.
"Maybe you are just scared," he tried. The silence was getting too weird. He did not know what else to say. He could not explain what Melisa thought he saw. He, Morgan, had never been with a woman before. And he felt just fine. His body was hot yes, but not the kind of hot that burnt. He could swear he felt normal. Only thirsty.
"I don't know. Maybe this is not the right time. Maybe it is a sign… we should not be doing this now."
"There is never the right time Melisa. Please. I want you," he moved closer to her. Smelled her hair. It smelled of rose water. Her skin was supple and glossy. He kissed her neck. She rolled her head back and closed her eyes. This was an invitation he was not going to waste. Whatever was burning his body, was love. And if it was meant to consume her, then so be it. He wanted her and he wasn't going to stop at anything.
He went for her lips. His mouth was still cool with after taking the iced water. Her lips parted to invite his tongue. She was breathing heavily. Inviting him. Her eyes were closed. He slowly pushed her onto the bed and lay onto of her. Her body was relaxed beneath him. He felt her skin against his. His body was flaming up again. This time he felt it. He felt his skin grow sticky. She did not open her eyes.
"Melisa," he whispered in her ears. "I love you so much. Please let me make love to you."
Her eyes were shut tight. She breathed softly. He searched her thighs. Her eyes remained closed.
"Melisa, are you okay?" he whispered again. She did not open her eyes.
There was a gentle breeze outside. The window banged against the wall. Papers flew from the desk.
"Melisa," he called her again.
This time her eyes, shot open. They were very blue. He pushed himself off her and watched her from arm's length. Her hair turned silky black.
His body went limp.
"what is wrong, Melisa?"
"Call me Melissa again and I will break your neck!" it was a ragged whisper. Like the wind.
He wanted to jump off the bed. He wanted to run. He wanted to scream. But his body was limp. There was no voice in his throat.
"you have no fire left for me?" she whispered
"what are you?" he found his tongue.
"Oh, you forget so fast, Xumba." She moved close to him.
"get the hell off me. whatever you are. I am not Xumba and I don't know who that is please," he was almost screaming. He is trembling.
"Xumba, it is me. your goddess."
His head was spinning. He was sweating. The wind whistled by. Papers went flying. Lights went out for a second.
"Morgan, what is going on,"
"Melisa?"
"Yes. What did you do to me? I can't feel my legs. Did you drug me Morgan?" her voice was feeble.
Lights go back on. Her small nose is back. Her hair is braided. Her eyes are brown with worry. The black coal that was flowing from her head is gone.
"Get away from me," Morgan said picking up his car keys.
Melisa is mortified. She doesn't understand whatever is going on. Her whole body is aching. She feels like she has just been run over.
"Morgan, what is going on? What did you do to me?"
She tries sitting up but she can't.
Morgan walked to the door. He did not even look back to confirm that she was okay. There was something wrong with him and it was extending to Melisa. He wanted to be away from her.
"Please don't leave me like this," Melisa begged him.
He wanted to go home. He wanted to be alone in his room. He was terrified. His heart was racing. His mind was full of questions he had no idea how to answer. There was only one way of getting his answers. His parents.
He needed to see his dad. He thought of driving all the way to the hospital but thought against it. What would his father say? What was he doing chasing girls instead of focusing on his studies? He had just been in college for 2months. He wondered if is da was going to understand what he was going through.
"That thing called me Xumba," said to himself. "who is Xumba.? Is that even a name? Am I some sort of freak? Why did Melisa say she saw fire in my eyes? Is she the one seeing thing?"
He was driving like a maniac. He could hear the engine of his sports car humming. Tires were burning. He did not care if he got pulled over. He was not going to stop. He wanted to get away. Far away. He thought of his mother.
"Yes, mom will listen to me. dad is too harsh. I should talk to mom," he went on talking to himself.
"Gosh, I am losing my mind. What was that thing? Is Melisa the Illuminati?"
He had heard stories about girls on campus. Some were out to get into the pockets of rich kids like him, some were out to spread diseases. He was not sure about those that were said to be in cults. He thought it was a way o the preachers trying to create fear in people so that they stay hooked to their preaching and pay them for prayers. His parents went to church. He was baptized. But still, he was skeptical about religion. He thought he needed to find something solid to believe in.
But this very moment, he was praying fervently. He was telling God to let whoever was after him to disappear.