Sensational Min (2)

"Mph!" Tommy's breath came in short gasps, his heart racing as if trying to outrun those visions. 

He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, in a futile attempt to anchor himself in the present and shake off the all-consuming presence of Benjamin… 

Jeez! Why was this happening? It was just one day, one day! Today! ..that he met Benjamin, as in, talk and all that…!

Cedric's eyes narrowed, his expression softening with concern. "Tommy, you're pale as a ghost. What's going on?" 

Tommy forced a weak smile, his lips trembling. "I'm cool, man... just a little woozy, that's all." 

Cedric's skeptical gaze lingered, but he mercifully didn't press the issue. He wasn't convinced at all but decided to give Tommy some space. 

"Alright, alright! Let's not get too crazy here. How about we just take it one step at a time and see what happens," he mocked, moving to the piano. "Want to do some finger exercises to get warmed up?"

Tommy took a deep breath and sat down at the piano, his fingers trembling slightly as he placed them on the keys. 

Tommy didn't know the piano at all. He played a cacophony of random notes, having never touched one before. 

Cedric was using this exercise to help him ease his tension, but Tommy knew he was barely scratching the surface. Benjamin wouldn't leave his head. 

Tommy's fingers stumbled across the keys, producing a jarring medley of notes that echoed through the room. 

He had never played the piano before, and his awkward attempts at music-making were a far cry from the soothing melodies Cedric had likely intended. 

But Tommy's mind was elsewhere, consumed by the haunting presence of Benjamin. 

He could almost feel Benjamin's hands on his shoulders, his hot breath whispering in his ear, "You belong to me, remember? You're not trying to bail on me, are you?" 

The voice in his head was a dark, twisted version of Benjamin's, both captivating and terrifying. Tommy's skin crawled, his heart racing as he struggled to shake all these off.

'This can't be happening, man… but it's feeling mighty real. Like what's going on?' Tommy thought, his fingers stumbling across the keys. 'Or is he the only dude with a crazy-cool spiritual kind of self?' 

He tapped out a discordant rhythm, his mind reeling. 

And then, in the blink of an eye, Benjamin was kneeling before him, his piercing rare eyes gleaming with a mischievous intensity. 

Tommy's breath caught in his throat. How was this possible? 

The piano bench was tucked tight against the instrument, leaving barely enough room for Tommy's own legs, let alone Benjamin's imposing frame. Yet, there he was, his presence as vivid as if he'd materialized from thin air. 

Sensational Benjamin's hands slid onto Tommy's knees, his fingers tracing tantalizing paths upward. 

Tommy's fingers faltered on the keys, the discordant notes echoing through the room as he became transfixed by Benjamin's gaze. 

He was paralyzed, his breath caught in his throat, his body responding to Benjamin's touch as if on autopilot. 

"Mph!" With a sharp intake of breath, Tommy's eyes snapped shut when the sensational hands of Benjamin slowly crawled like a crawler up to his thighs. 

It felt like a whispered promise. 

The world around him melted away, leaving only the two of them, himself and sensational Benjamin, lost in a sea of forbidden desire.

"Hey, black boy! Hey!" Cedric's voice pierced the air, shaking Tommy back to reality. He opened his eyes to find sensational Benjamin vanished, replaced by Cedric's exasperated face. 

"Hey, man, what's wrong? You've been staring at that piano like it's some kind of spooky thing! I thought you wanted to jam, but… wow." Cedric's gaze dropped to Tommy's lap, his eyebrows shooting up. "You're... um... Pretty fired up, aren't you?" 

Tommy's face flushed as he followed Cedric's gaze, his eyes widening in horror at the noticeable bulge in his pants.

"Lord, have mercy!" Tommy's eyes went wide, and he hastily crossed his legs, his face ablaze with shame. 

"What's up with you, boy? You're not into pianos or something, are you?!" Cedric's voice was laced with disbelief and frustration. 

Tommy's embarrassment deepened, his face burning like a wildfire. 

"No way, that's not it, man," he muttered, struggling to find the words to explain the inexplicable sensation that had just overwhelmed him. "It's just...I don't know, man, you dig?" 

He shook his head, feeling like he was drowning in his own confusion.

Cedric sighed, rubbing his temples. "Listen, whatever's eating at you, you need to get a hold of yourself. This isn't the time or place to be carrying on those inappropriate acts." 

Tommy nodded, feeling the weight of Cedric's disappointment. 

He couldn't even begin to explain the strange sensations and visions that had overwhelmed him. 

All he knew was that he needed to find a way to control them before they got him into more trouble.

He was really frustrated right now. He was ashamed. 

'Benjamin's the one who done me wrong, man! He must be a devil in disguise! Ah, I'm so humiliated, ya hear me? Lord have mercy, I wish the ground would swallow me up! How did I let him fool me like this?! That Benjamin, he's a real slickster, ain't he? Ugh, I can't believe I fell for his tricks!'

With a surge of anger and frustration, Tommy swept up his bag and stormed out of the music room, his emotions boiling over like a pot about to overflow. 

He wasn't angry at Cedric - how could he be? Cedric had only spoken the truth. In fact, he barely said anything compared to what others would have.

Tommy's anger was directed squarely at himself, for losing control and succumbing to the strange and overwhelming forces that seemed to be consuming him. 

He clutched his bag in front of him, using it as a shield to hide his shame as he walked away, unsure of where he was headed, only knowing he had to escape. 

'I'm through,' he thought bitterly, the words echoing in his mind like a surrender. 'Momma, I'm sorry to admit it, but they won this round.'

Meanwhile, in the music room, Cedric watched as Tommy stormed out, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and frustration. 

He shook his head, sighing deeply, and muttered to himself, "This is really tragic. The poor kid's got a tough road ahead of him. It seems like he's under the devil's influence, and it's going to take a lot of effort to break free from his grasp."