The Slave of Pleasure
Chapter 102

Rachel

As the plane gained altitude, I watched the Italian landscape slowly disappear beneath the clouds. There was a strange, almost melancholic beauty in watching Italy fade into a blur of colors and shapes, falling behind us as we moved away. I leaned my head back against the seat, feeling the tiredness finally overcome me. The sky was a serene, deep blue, almost mesmerizing. A temporary peace began to envelop me, a respite from the emotional rollercoaster of the last few days. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and letting the soft sound of the plane's engines serve as a sort of lull. Maybe I could get some sleep and let my mind rest, try to escape from it all for just a few hours. I almost succeeded, sleep finally dragging me into a state of lethargy...

But then, a familiar, repetitive sound began to echo beside me, breaking the silence I so craved. A sound of rapid clicking, followed by the soft sound of buttons being pressed in sequence. At first, I thought it was a child playing some kind of video game, but after a few seconds I heard Nancy exclaim excitedly:

"Yes! I got you, you horrible zombie!"

I slowly opened my eyes, turning my head toward Nancy, and the scene I found made me sigh between surprise and skepticism. There she was, with a portable video game in her hands, completely immersed in the game, celebrating every point she got as if she were in an arena.

"You... are you playing a video game?" I asked, incredulous.

She looked at me for a moment, surprised that I was awake, and then shrugged as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "What is it? It's a long trip. I need to keep myself entertained."

I looked at the bags we had packed minutes before. "I saw you packing everything. How did you manage to get this up here?"

Nancy gave a mischievous smile and whispered, as if she were revealing an important secret: "I put it in my pants!"

I stared at her for a moment, looking her up and down. "Nancy... your pants don't even have pockets." She stopped playing, looked at me, and we stared at each other in silence. There was something absurd and hilarious about it, a mixture of bewilderment and sheer disbelief. The silence between us grew so heavy that I could barely contain my laughter. Finally, I was the first to break it. "That's why you're so popular with the guys, you know?" I said, stifling a smile. Nancy arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" I leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, "That talent of yours for smuggling things into unlikely places." She let out a laugh so loud that it made some of the passengers around us look up, but Nancy didn't care. She was too busy laughing, and I let myself get carried away, feeling the laughter explode from within me too. Laughing like that, after so much time of tension and pain, was almost therapeutic. We were there, in the middle of the plane, surrounded by strangers and curious looks, but nothing seemed to matter. Still laughing, Nancy looked at the video game and went back to playing it with the same determination, now more relaxed. I tried to watch the screen, trying to understand what, exactly, was making her so excited. "I have to say, Nancy... I can't imagine you playing something that involves zombies and explosions. That seems more like you than you let on," I commented, with genuine curiosity. Nancy laughed, without taking her eyes off the screen. "Oh, Rachel, you only know one side of my personality. That's my adventurous side." She gave me an amused look. "You should see me playing." I sat up a little straighter, crossing my arms and staring at her. "Okay, convince me. How come you're so entertained by this?"

Nancy handed me the video game and showed me the controls enthusiastically. "Here, try to kill this zombie. He's the boss, a little more difficult. Concentrate, use the arrow keys to dodge and the big button to attack. Easy!"

I held the game console hesitantly, not really knowing what to expect. But Nancy, patient and funny, guided me, giving me tips and cheering me on with each attack I managed to land. I didn't realize how much time passed as I tried to defeat the "boss." Eventually, I managed to hit it and saw a victory animation. Nancy applauded, exaggeratedly, as if I had accomplished some heroic feat.

"See? It's not that hard to get carried away by the fun," she said, with a proud smile.

I handed the console back to her, still laughing. "I can't believe you made me enjoy killing zombies. That was exactly the opposite of what I imagined I would do during the flight."

"Rachel, my dear, the key is to let yourself go," she replied, leaning over to give me a playful nudge. "Let yourself have a little fun and be wild every now and then. Not everything has to be so... serious."

There was something refreshing about her words. It was true; I had spent so much time worrying, analyzing every choice, every step. I thought I would, that I had forgotten what it was like to simply live in the moment, laugh, and have fun without fear.

I looked out the window and realized that we were already far from Italy, flying over the ocean. The clouds below us looked like a cotton carpet that stretched as far as the eye could see, like a reminder that the world was vast and there was always something new to discover. I leaned back again, feeling a lightness that I hadn't experienced in a long time.

Nancy went back to her game, talking about the next levels and how each one had a zombie that was harder than the last. Between laughter and carefree conversation, I lost track of time. It was as if, in that small space between the airplane seats, we had created our own refuge, where worries and sadness were just distant memories.

Suddenly, Nancy paused and looked at me, her gaze more serious. "Rachel, do you think we'll be able to overcome all of this? You know, all the chaos we left behind?"

I looked at her, and for the first time I noticed a vulnerability in her. That incessant glow that Nancy had always carried had softened a bit. The reality of our journey, of what we were leaving behind, seemed to weigh on her too, even if she hid it very well.

"I hope so, Nancy," I replied sincerely. "And I think with you by my side, everything seems a little easier. Thank you... really. For being here with me."

She smiled, touching my hand lightly. "We're in this together, Rachel. Really. And we'll help each other, whenever we need it. Even if I have to carry a video game in my waistband to make you laugh."

We laughed together once more, and I felt as if, little by little, I was reconnecting with a version of myself that I had forgotten. A Rachel who still had room to laugh, to dream, to have fun, even after everything.

With Nancy by my side, things seemed less bleak. There was a subtle hope, like a flame that refused to go out. She had the uncanny ability to make anything seem possible, and I knew that no matter how uncertain the future was, I was not alone.