His belly aching from so many pancakes, Roberto drove Lynette to the cemetery and parked.
"Come Querida," said Roberto, opening the passenger door for Lynette. She looked up at him, eyes unfocused, her face slack.
"I want to stay here. You go," she said.
"Just let me kiss you then," he said, reaching in to press his lips to her forehead. Before she could protest, he had her seat belt undone, lifted her into his arms, and started carrying her across the field. Soon, he was at the foot of the Great Tree.
"I brought blankets so we can lie down together."
Reverently, he set her body onto its ancient roots. She looked up at him through lidded eyes.
Well done, said a deep voice in Roberto's head. Now lie down beside her so we may all be united.
Roberto did as he was told, cuddling up to Lynette and nuzzling her neck. Later, they would merge into the cold Entity, but for now, why not enjoy her warmth?
She had been wrong to rescue him yesterday, but he didn't blame her. Even he had screamed and cried for help at first, but after the breaking of ribs and passing out, he had eventually felt no pain. The voices in his head were not grieving or angry. They were a chorus, welcoming him to join something larger.
It reminded him of being a small boy inside the Cathedral of Lima, awestruck by the sheer height of the vaulted roof, the beauty of walls and carvings glowing with gold. To be one with something mighty, to be part of a community on Earth and beyond; such things had once made made him happy. Joining the Entity reminded him of that childlike exhilaration, but it was different. This new 'being' linked him to minds he had never met. Its commands were absolute. It intoxicated, but also trapped Roberto, caught between life and death for as long as the Entity wished.
He ran a thumb over Lynette's cheek and gave her a smile of encouragement. The Entity's rootlets were nearly surfacing. He could hear them worming up with a high-pitched burble in his mind's ear. She would try to fight when they first embraced her, but Roberto would hold her still. He wrapped the blankets around her body then lay back down on the leaves, so close to her warmth, he felt almost alive.
Memories of Lynette dancing filled his mind, in defiance of the Entity, but in vain. There was no resisting thoughts and commands inside Roberto's own head.
How different were his prospects now, compared to college pleasures, and boyhood expectations that had once seemed so simple and right.
Today he was a man, and such promises belonged to another world. Innocent no more, he was nevertheless part of something profound. The Entity was bigger than anyone knew. It grew in strength daily, and Lynette would join him in partaking its power.
Hair-like roots poked up through the leaves, expanding and fattening as they wormed into the air. Roberto held her tight. "Don't be afraid. It'll be over soon."
And we shall be united forever.
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