Flashback

Candy had walked on a few feet before she realized that Matt had stopped. She turned to see him frowning around.

"What happened, Mr. – Matt?" Candy asked, surprised.

"I don't know…I just had – have the strangest feeling that there should have been something else here…" Matt stared at the rose garden that had been planted there, a fine sheen of sweat on his brow.

Crap! She shouldn't have risked bringing him down this path, Candy thought in dismay, seeing his expression.

"Th-there's nothing else here, Matt, just – just the rose garden," she said now, quickly. "Let's go back if you aren't feeling well -"

"There used to be something else here, I'm sure…" he said, almost to himself. He closed his eyes, his breathing uneven as fleeting images flashed through his mind, black and white pictures like the negatives of a film. He heard her giggle, a cute, girlish sound as she ran down the path.

"Minx!" The boy called, setting off after her, his laughter ringing through the air.

Who were they? Matt wondered desperately. Was it – he, himself? A younger, carefree Matt Kane? Who was she then, the girl he had pursued down the curving path? Or was it some random rambling of his restless mind?

"Caught you!" The boy kissed her hungrily, and Matt felt the passion of the kiss as clearly as if it were his lips crashing against hers.

"There used to be a summerhouse here!" Matt exclaimed suddenly, making Sarah jump. "I'm almost sure – there was a summerhouse here earlier!" Before she could say anything, more images flooded his mind, but these were strong, vivid images that carried the strength of sensation with them, making him FEEL rather than just see them.

The girl scooted forward to rub herself on the boy's clothed cock, making them both gasp. Matt felt like both voyeur and participant, the one intruding on such a private, intimate moment and the other, experiencing and savoring every contact. He groaned as she nuzzled the boy's neck, feeling her warm, sweet breath on his own neck. The boy gripped her ass firmly, moving her against him. Matt's breathing grew harsher as the boy thrust at her, his tongue flicking over her tight, pink nipples.

"Matt? Is – is everything okay?"

Matt returned to the present with a start at Sarah's tentative question. He realized suddenly that he had a raging hard-on, and that Sarah was staring at him in near-panic.

"I – I –" He wiped the sweat off his brow, trying to control his body's reaction to what he had seen.

"Are you okay?" Sarah whispered, her eyes huge and worried.

"I'm – I'm fine, Sarah, don't worry."

"I want you…fuck me…" He ignored the girl's fading whispers of encouragement, the only thought in his mind now to reassure Sarah and remove the concern in her eyes that he was responsible for.

"I thought that I maybe – maybe glimpsed something from – from…" His voice trailed off, not sure anymore of what he had seen, or whether he had seen anything at all. He felt the familiar steel bands tighten around his head and winced.

"Matt, I'm so sorry…is it your head? I'm so sorry…" Sarah said softly, guilt and regret swirling in her eyes. Why did she look as though she was responsible for his reaction? Matt wondered, but as before, the foremost thought in his mind was to somehow make her feel better and see that shy smile on her face again. With an effort, he pushed the threatening pain aside.

"I'm okay, Sarah, I'm sorry if I worried you…please, I'm fine now – just – don't worry," he reassured her earnestly. She looked at him, trying to read whether he was telling the truth or just lying for her benefit. Then slowly, relief spread across her face and she smiled at him, a luminous smile that drove the last of his pain away.