Eventually she gave up and sat there, trying to think through the headache. She let her mind drift, remembering the dreams she’d had the night before, especially the last one that was so vivid. She didn’t have any trouble recalling that one. She felt her face go hot. Even though the dreams were strange, she felt oddly comforted, as though the two men really knew her. As though she knew them. As though they were her friends and she could turn to them for comfort. She grimaced. Her mind had obviously cracked from the migraine or whatever the hell was wrong with her. A sudden stab in her temples made her gasp, and her arms began to throb, not itching any longer but burning. She almost cried out, trying not to throw up, and then as suddenly as the pain began, it stopped.
Emma sat up, disoriented. She felt a flash of confusion then a cool stillness washed over her. She closed her eyes and saw Duncan looking at her worriedly. When she looked down, Jake’s arms were spread out on a table and both forearms had the same tattoos that had suddenly etched themselves on her skin. Duncan gripped Jake’s arms, the feel of his skin warm and reassuring. Emma didn’t know how it was possible, but she knew without a doubt that she was seeing through Jake’s eyes, right now. Suddenly, Jake breathed deep and flexed his hands, making the tattoos ripple, and Emma was back in her own head, confused and exhausted. Except, she wasn’t alone anymore. She could feel them both at the back of her consciousness, as though the pain and tattoos were the catalyst that finally connected the three of them together. She frowned, sensing the men’s worry for her. It was weird. She was obviously losing her mind. Emma wondered what to do next. Should she go home? She didn’t want to miss class and throw the rest of the afternoon into chaos by going home sick, so she shook her head, deciding to stay. The headache was better now, anyway.
Emma stood up and left the bathroom, happy to see that the office had cleared out. Everyone probably went to lunch, she thought as she retrieved the salad she’d left in the office refrigerator a few days ago. Some of the leaves were a bit limp, but it was mostly okay to eat. She wasn’t up to dealing with the school cafeteria or even the faculty lounge today. She settled into her chair and swiveled around to flick on the small television she kept on the shelf behind her desk, idly flipping to the local news. After a few bites of her lunch, she abruptly sat up. On the television, the anchor was detailing the surge of people posting on the internet about the sudden development of unexplained headaches and marks appearing on their arms. Emma frowned. She wasn’t the only one experiencing this?
“Twitter is still trending the rash of unexplained headaches and tattoos that people all over the world seem to be experiencing. According to reports, the incidence of this phenomenon seems to be holding steady, with maybe one person in five hundred thousand over the past week developing headaches, strange hallucinations or dreams, and the sudden appearance of tattoos on one arm. Physicians have been unable to explain what is causing these symptoms, but anecdotal reports show that, generally, couples are experiencing the symptoms together. This suggests that the transmission may be sexual in nature, although the rarity of the phenomenon has most experts stumped. No one seems to be experiencing any severe problems aside from persistent headaches. In fact, most patients report heightened feelings of empathy towards their partner, especially once the headaches subside. Some couples have begun calling the phenomenon an emotional ‘bond’ although most reputable medical doctors feel that something physiological must certainly be causing the symptoms. As yet, no one understands how the marks on the skin occur, though they seem to be caused by a sudden surge of excess melatonin, possibly as a result of hormonal fluctuations. What has most experts stumped is that each couple’s tattoos are identical.”
After broadcasting a few interviews with people who’d been affected by the mysterious “bond,” the show cut to commercial. Emma turned off the television and chewed mechanically. She wasn’t the only one experiencing this weirdness, but why did she have two tattoos instead of one? And she wasn’t involved with anyone. She hadn’t dated seriously since college, yet all the other victims were part of a couple. Absently, she fished the limp croutons from her lunch and tossed them in the trash. She knew her tattoos had something to do with Duncan and Jake. She could feel her bond to them. To both of them. That was probably why she had two tattoos. Emma sighed. She was bonded to two people at the same time? How was this going to work? She set her salad aside and dropped her face in her hands, not even flinching when the door to the office opened and Julie walked in.
“Hey, you feeling any better?” Julie asked, setting her purse on the desk next to Emma’s.
Emma looked up and then grabbed her lunch again, spearing a few more limp pieces of lettuce as she nodded. “I’m okay, I think.” She took a few more bites, forcing herself to swallow the lettuce, then gave up, dropping her fork with a huff. “Okay, okay, I’m a little freaked out, actually.”
“Freaked out? Why? What’s wrong?” Julie sat in an empty chair near Emma. “You just have a bad headache, right?”
Emma sighed then rolled her sleeves up. “Look.”
Julie frowned and leaned over. “Hey, those look like those tattoos that people are getting. I saw it on the news last night.”
Emma nodded.
“Except, wait, why do you have two?” Julie asked, confused. “And I heard that only couples are getting them, and you’re not dating anyone.”
“I don’t know why I have two.” Emma let her arms drop to her lap, uneasy about explaining her suspicions to Julie. “Between the headaches and then this, I don’t really know what’s going on at all.”
“I wonder if more people are getting the tattoos than are coming forward and talking about them,” Julie speculated. She eyed Emma’s arms, looking at her friend curiously. “Are you dreaming about anyone?”
“You know who I dreamed about, Julie. But that’s crazy. I’ve never even listened to his music.”
“What about Jake?” Julie asked.
“What about him?” Emma deliberately avoided the question.
“Did you dream about him, too?” Julie pressed. Emma shrugged and looked away from Julie’s eager face. “Oh my God, you did!” Julie said, voice rising. “Seriously?”
Emma sighed. “Yeah. And I could swear that I hallucinated about them today, while I was awake.”
“While you were awake? What do you mean?” Julie looked increasingly excited.
“I was in the bathroom and my head hurt, so I closed my eyes and tried to relax. Suddenly, I saw Duncan looking at me, but when I looked down, I wasn’t myself. I was Jake. I could tell by the hands.” Emma shook her head then looked at her friend. Julie’s eyes were wide. “And when I opened my eyes again, the scene faded, but I can still feel something. It’s like they’re in the back of my head.” Emma sighed. “I can’t really explain it.” She looked at Julie. Her friend was perched on the edge of her seat. “It’s probably nothing, I’m sure I’m imagining—” Emma tried to say, but Julie burst out before she could continue.