Eldorado

It’s been a little while since I posted anything. The quarantine blues had me in their clutches and I didn’t really have much that I felt comfortable posting in the last two months. However this came across my desk and I was pretty proud of it. The client asked for a reverse Harem story where the woman has the harem and it’s set on an oil rig out in the ocean or Gulf of Mexico, I pictured the Gulf of Mexico so that’s pretty much how I wrote it. Any way, here’s some fun hopefully female empowering erotica about a woman taking control of her sexuality. It should be a fun read.

Please enjoy,

They left at dawn. The glow of the rig as the sun rose made it shimmer like a dream. To Melanie Flores it reminded her of Eldorado with the shimmering glow of the rising sun reflected off the water. Smoke rose from the platform that only added to the hazy illusory quality of the place.

Two days before she had a kind of going away party with a few of her girlfriends. Sarah sprung to mind as they got closer to the platform. “You know they’re dirty, right?”

“Yes, of course,” she shook her head as the buzz of the vodka hit her. “They drill for oil. It’s bound to get dirty. I’m just there to make sure everything is up to code.”

“For a month?” She was astounded at the time it took to do a full inspection but Melanie reminded her that there was a long list of things she needed to look over. “With a bunch of sweaty gross men,” she stuck out her tongue at the thought then shrugged. “Actually, come to think of it maybe I should chaperon,” she gotta a dreamy look in her eyes. “Statistically speaking there’s at least one hot guy on there.”

“I’m there for work. It would be a breach of protocol for me to fraternize with the roughnecks.”

“Ooh, roughnecks, you know I was skeptical but I find myself warming to the idea,” Sarah quipped. Seriously when was the last time you got laid?”

Melanie’s mouth fell open and then twisted into a grimace of realization before finally admitting, “It’s been awhile.”

“It shows, Mel.”

“I’m not really looking forward to it. I have to oversee a full rotation so I’m going to be there for longer than most. Except maybe the Rig Manager.”

She landed and saw him as he emerged from a bulkhead door. She’d seen from the file his name was Colin Boucher. He was bigger than she expected. Tall, broad at the shoulders, and his dark brown hair made his deep blue eyes pop against his chiseled face. He looked like he could break her in half. The wind swept up by the blades whipped his hair away from his face as the pilot descended.

“He’ll be there the whole time?” Sarah asked.

“Yes but I don’t even know why we’re talking about this because the plan is to work. Just work,” she put her hand down and accidentally tipped her glass. Sarah’s eyes popped as she reached for the drink but it was too late. The pink liquid inside poured across the bar. When she saw the guilty look on Melanie’s face she erupted in laughter which started Melanie laughing.

She reached out her hand to shake Colin’s, “Melanie Flores, I’ll be supervising the inspection,” she smiled at him and tried very hard not to be taken in by his eyes.

“Colin Boucher,” he shook her hand cordially, “I think you’ll find I run a tight rig,” She could hear his voice clear as a bell despite the helicopter sounds.

She felt a momentary shiver run down her spine as his hand lingered maybe a second longer than was professional. In er head she could hear Sarah’s voice say, “Just work?”

“Absolutely,” she answered the internal question out loud. He cocked his head but seemed to ignore the statement.

An hour later he’d given her a tour of the facility. Melanie was in awe of the place it was like a city on the water with every amenity a person could want. While Melanie was well-versed in all the procedures and functions of everything she passed on the tour it was a different thing to be on one. This was her first. The men worked in twelve hour shifts with two crews total. This was one of the smaller rigs Colin had worked on with only a crew of fifty total.

He introduced her while the men were just sitting down to breakfast. The mess hall was set up like a cafeteria but with small lounge areas set out at the perimeter with television screens for watching whatever was available. It looked more like a college then the rig she was just walking along, “This is Melanie Flores,” she heard catcalls and whistles which raised her hackles instantly. She looked to Colin and expected he would put a stop to it but he kept talking over the whistles, “she will be inspecting the rig and all our procedures. I want you to extend her every courtesy,” he looked to her and saws the ferocious look on her face. “There aren’t any women on the rig and some of these men are at the ed of two weeks without companionship,” he explained.

“They look to you for how they are supposed to behave,” she fumed.

“I should’ve warned you,” he said.

“You should’ve reprimanded them,”

A flash of anger crossed his face, “Did you have anything else you wanted to add?”

“No, short of a striptease I doubt they’d pay attention to anything I say. Show me to my quarters,” she demanded.

“Alright,” she heard the tone of his voice shift and knew she had ruffled his feathers. She wasn’t sorry she was right to voice her frustration.

“I’ll be starting my preliminary work shortly but I would like to organize my objectives before I start.”

He nodded and silently as he led her to her quarters. Once inside she opened her briefcase and set to work. Only an hour in and already she was feeling friction around her. It was going to be a long month, she thought to herself as she looked over her itinerary for the day. As she stepped onto the main deck she saw men hoisted by ropes working high above her. That alone wasn’t unusual but the method he was using was clearly dangerous. “Get that man down!” She yelled as the hanged man started welding a steel plate.

The man below shrugged and shook his head but she was unsatisfied with that reaction. Her dark Latina eyes were flashing rage as she got in the technician’s spotter’s face. “I can’t just get him down, lady,” he barked back.

She shifted her neck ready for a fight. He was just a little taller than her but his bare arms were corded with tight muscles. “I have the power to fire you,” she said with venom.

Colin stepped behind the man and Melanie turned her gaze to him. “That man is not secured properly,” she explained as she stepped around the spotter.

Colin cast a glance up, “That’s Squirrel, he’s fine,” he said curtly.

Melanie seethed, “Do you like your job?” she asked Colin.

He looked at her eyes and tapped the spotter on the shoulder, “Tim, get Squirrel down and take five,” he instructed then looked Melanie dead in the eyes, “My office, now!”

He didn’t wait for a response but instead turned on his heels and walked away. Melanie looked up as Squirrel began his decent. She took a breath to compose herself before following.

His office door was at the top of a series of grated steps. The door hung open for her as she climbed the grating. She entered confidently but startled when he slammed the door with a ferocity she hadn’t yet seen in him. “Don’t you dare emasculate me in front of my men!” he bellowed.

“You’re not doing your job!” Melanie yelled back. Her heart was beating a tattoo against her sternum. He terrified her. His size alone made her feel like a little girl again but she was never one to back down from a man and she wasn’t about to start now.

“You have a problem wit how I do things, that’s fine we can discuss it but we do it privately. On this rig I am the final word and anything else makes my job harder. Men second guess me and men die.” She could feel the passion in his words and her breath caught in her throat. Her cheeks and neck blushed involuntarily and he saw her eyes dilate. He broke away from her and closed the door.

Melanie’s throat was dry but she managed to speak, “I would prefer that stay open,” The words didn’t come with the confidence she wanted.

“Is that what you want?” He asked as he got close to her.

She could smell his musk as he got close. Too close. She couldn’t think with him this close. She looked down at the ground but one strong hand touched her chin and lifted her to look in his eyes. The dreamy quality she felt when she arrived returned. She felt like she couldn’t catch her breath and that words wouldn’t come even if she wanted to say something. Se wanted to tell him to stop but she held his face in her eyes. His deep blue eyes drew her in and she understood suddenly what it felt like to be hypnotized. Her chest was heaving and in those endless seconds she was transfixed.

“Kiss me,” he said and she did. The words rattled in her head like a new law. His lips were softer than she expected and when his tongue pressed against her lips her eyes closed and she let him in.

His desk was behind her and just high enough that she could rest her bottom on it. Their mouths moved in sync and she was lost in a sea of lust. It was like her body was moving on instinct. She felt his hand on the small of her back as the other held the arm that was holding her up. Her legs wrapped around his just under his firm ass. Her one free and rested on his hip as they kept making out on his desk. She let her body fall across the top of his desk. She could feel files and papers on her back but she was past caring.

His pelvis gyrated into her and caused little spasms of pleasure that beat her brain into constant arousal. She broke away long enough to look at him. His eyes still had her in their power. She moved into him and pushed him away to get at his belt. Her hands worked furiously as she got him free and then tore at her panties. She couldn’t get him inside her fast enough. As the head slid into her folds she gasped. She couldn’t remember the last time it felt like that. He started gently and she was momentarily relieved. She hadn’t seen his rod but judging from the entrance it was big. Then without warning he thrust home and her brain exploded into spasms of color and light as her brain struggled to contain all the sensations her body was feeling.

She heard herself screaming in ecstasy but it was like she was hearing someone else’s voice. He moved so intensely into her that he displaced her soul and left her nothing but this carnal beast rutting against his desk as he pounded deeper into her. Their mouths were kissing and his spear was thrusting into her. His face was the picture of control. He knew exactly what he was doing to her body. Fast, slow, fast fast, slow, deeper, deeper, deeper. He ripped her top away and left her heavy chest exposed to the air. It was a welcome sensation as they were starting to feel restrictive and she suddenly wanted him to see all of her.

She was topless with only her skirt bunched around her waist. His shirt was gone and she could see his rippling chest working as he played her body like a fiddle. She felt her emotions ripple through her as she wanted him closer somehow.

He pulled himself away and for a moment she felt confused until his hands hefted her at the waist and flipped her onto her belly.

She lifted her perfect round ass into him as he worked his way back in and again she was howling. It felt like an eternity but her stomach tightened and the her inner walls were squeezing against his manhood. She felt a wave rising in her as he kept on with his rhythm. Her eyes crossed as wave after wave crested into his magnificent organ. The sounds that came from her mouth could almost constitute as a language given the range and variation of sounds.

“Do you want more?” His voice was ragged as he asked.

“Yes,” she hissed as he flipped her again and held her close to him. She let her hands play with his magnificent spear working it back into it’s full rigidity. His hands wrapped around her waist and she lifted him onto her shoulders, pivoted in place and leaned her back against one of his walls knocking down an old centerfold calendar. His tongue darted out into her sex as er hands worked through his dark hair. He circled her bean with his tongue before lapping at the folds. She was still coming down from er orgasm on the desk as another crested in her body. One hand shot up and grabbed some kind of pipe while the other pulled at is hair. He hummed into her body and she could feel it vibrate through her sex and up into her brain.

His tongue flicked, circled, and hummed into her body and she was wracked with orgasms one after the other in succession until her brain was pulverized with pleasure. “Down, down,” she panted and he initially didn’t seem to hear her as he intoned another orgasm in her quaking body. Finally he did lower her into a chair. All but naked and spent. He knelt down and kissed her again. She smiled as they kissed. “I should,” she was out of breath. “I should work,” she finally managed.

“You should,” he agreed and kissed her a final time before standing.

Several distracted minutes later Melanie managed to out her outfit back together in a semblance of professionalism. “That can’t happen again,” she said as she headed for the door.

“I see,” he said as he re-organized the mess on his desk.

She saw the look on his face and felt like she’d insulted him, “No, it was great. Mind blowing really but I need to work and this could be a distraction,” she reiterated as she felt the sudden urge to jump him again. “a major distraction.”

“Got it, no strings, just work,” he said.

“Just work,” she repeated and walked out of his office. It was only as she got to the main deck that she realized they hadn’t discussed the safety violation at all. She looked back at the stairs and decided to address it later.

The day moved slowly. Melanie found herself daydreaming about Colin and his stuffy office. A shiver ran down her spine every time she thought of the orgasms that bombarded her body and cleared away any rational thought. She admonished herself each time her mind drifted back to the encounter. She would straighten up and readdress whatever she was previously occupied by. “Hey,” a voice behind her spoke and she didn’t recognize the speaker. He was a tall lank black man with dark skin and a nice smile that split his wide face.

“Hello?” She reached out her hand to shake hers.

“Name’s Jamal Derby but the guys call me Squirrel around here,” he said as he took her hand.

“Oh, right, you were up on ropes when I first got here,” she recalled out loud.

“Yes ma’am,” he said still with his smile lighting up his face. “I was wondering if you might accompany me for dinner?”

She thought about the offer and her first instinct was to say no but he had warm eyes and the infectious smile that subconsciously made her own smile emerge. She hadn’t seen Colin since their meeting that morning which stung a little more then she wanted to admit. “You know what? I would like that.”

“Right this way,” he ushered her.

“Let me freshen up in my quarters for just a little and I’ll meet you there,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Your terms are acceptable,” he said as they parted ways.

She walked into the mess hall and Squirrel swooped in as she she entered with his elbow cocked out. She giggled at his gesture and put her hand on his arm. “What would you like for dinner evening. Tonight they are serving Chicken Cordon Bleu and salmon fillets or we could go ala carte.”

“I do enjoy salmon but I think I would prefer something light this evening,” she answered as the made there way through the room. She could feel the eyes on her in the room as Squirrel led her to deli section for sandwiches, salads, and soups. She grabbed a quick salad and e a sandwich and a soft drink.

“How has your first day been?” Squirrel asked as they sat at a small circular table.

“Well it was touch and go there for a minute this morning but once I got going it was good,” she answered.

“I saw the Chief lay into you,” he acknowledged.

“Chief?” she questioned.

“Boucher, the Rig Manager, we call him Chief around here,” he explained.

She nodded and was met with a lurid memory of their meeting in his office, “He really laid into me,” she said and saw him across the room. Their eyes met but the look on his face was unreadable.

“He’s a teddy bear once you get to know him,” Squirrel added and took a bite out of his sandwich.

“Are you done for the day?”

“Yes ma’am, the second shift starts after dinner. Everybody eats together its just for some this is breakfast and for others its dinner. You get used to it.”

“I bet,” her eyes were still trying to follow Colin as he moved through the room but she lost track of him as she spoke to Squirrel. “Would you excuse me for just a moment?”

She made her way to where she assumed bathrooms were while also watching for Colin. She gripped the door handle just as he stepped in next to her. “Squirrel,” he said idly.

“Do you mind?” She asked.

“He’s a charmer,” Colin looked over at Squirrel before dropping his gaze back to Melanie. “Are you sure you can handle him?”

“He was just talking to me,” she said defensively.

“Really?”

“Yes,” she bit back. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“It isn’t, it’s just you talking with Squirrel will get the men wondering,” he let the statement hang in the air.

“What for?” She cursed herself for taking his bait.

“He’s known for his prodigious talents,” He answered.

“Are you jealous?”

“Why would I be jealous? I already had you,” he said matter-of-factly.

Part of her was seething at him but another part felt the same spell that came over her that morning. A flash image of her face down on the desk moaning like a harlot hit her brain like the back draft of a fire. Her face flushed and she covered it with anger. “I’ll be damned if you think you and your men can just trade me around like the village bike,” she pulled at the door and he closed it. She shot him a look with malice in it.

“What I’m saying is that you should feel free to do whatever comes naturally to you,” he explained. His deep blue eyes bored into her, “A month out here is a long time.”

She called is bluff, “No strings attached, remember?”

“I do,” he nodded.

She tried to read his face but she couldn’t find anything. There wasn’t jealousy, mockery, or even anger in his face. The only thing she could feel from him was more akin to a dare. “What would you say if I did sleep with him?”

He shrugged, “My men and I share everything.”

She pulled at the door and expected him to block her again but he just left. Melanie splashed water on her face and looked herself in the mirror. She wouldn’t be traded from one man to the other but even as she worked the thought over in her mind she couldn’t find fault in the idea. Her love life on land had been filled with bad dates and the occasional one night stand. The last real relationship she had was before she got the job with the oil company. For three years she became a workaholic and home body. It was part of the reason she took the assignment. She needed to be shaken from her status quo.

She sat back down with Squirrel, “I thought maybe you had left,” he said as he finished up his meal.

She shook her head, “no, I ran into Colin.”

“Not bad news, I hope?” He said with a smile.

“No, not bad news. I’m just not sure how I want to proceed.”

“Maybe I can help,” he touched her arm and she could feel the warmth of his hand through the fabric.

“I don’t know, it could be risky. There are two ways of doing this job,” she explained as she locked eyes with him. He had such an expressive face, it was beautiful even under the florescent light of the mess hall. She went on, “There is the traditional model which is good, productive, appropriate. On the other hand I could try something unorthodox and maybe come away better in the long run.”

“Without risk there’s no reward,” he said without skipping a beat. “That’s how we get innovation,” again his smile killed her.

Melanie couldn’t help but smile when she looked at him. “What if it doesn’t work? What if it destroys everything?” she asked with concern.

“Oil rig is like its own little world. Get right with Colin and he’ll go the distance for you,” He said with a wave of his hand. “Hey, you want to go for a walk on deck?” he asked.

She was already nodding before she answered, “Yeah, someplace quiet and away from the action would be good.”

“Tricky, there’s always men around but I have a few ideas were we could go that’s quiet. It’s like a harbor,” he explained.

“Perfect,” she said as she stood up.

They walked and talked as they left the mess hall. After a fifteen minute stroll past the next crew setting to work. Bright light blazed against the surface of the deck and made the air feel hotter. Squirrel led her to small circular door in the flooring with a wheel on top. It reminded her of a something out of a submarine. “Is this safe?” She asked as he cranked against the wheel.

“Not completely but this leads to a lower platform closer to the water and without the intense light.”

She nodded as he grunted and torqued the wheel until it gave easily. She caught a glimpse of his wiry pectoral muscles and felt heat in her core. She wasn’t sure what she planned once they got down there but her body definitely had ideas.

The ladder led to a catwalk that zig-zagged between faded girding. Melanie spotted several stairwells leading down. There was still light down here but it was much more subdued and had shadowed corners a plenty. She realized the reason he picked this ladder was because it was in one of those pools. The air below was still hot but a constant breeze snaked through the underbelly of the rig. “Do you like it?” Squirrel asked as he put his arms around her from behind. It was a bold move but it payed off in his favor. She melted into his warmth and relished the heated contact of his body with the cool breeze that whispered across the back of her neck.

“It’s perfect,” Melanie said as she turned to him. Even in the gloom below the rig she could see his eyes gleam. He leaned in and kissed her. She didn’t pull away. All at once she realized what everyone else seemed to already know. She needed this. Colin and now Squirrel, Jamal, she rolled the name over in her mind, Jamal. She preferred it to Squirrel. Her heat was rising and his hands were moving over her body exploring her exposed skin. She followed his lead and found her hands reaching around his waist before sliding down to his toned ass. He smelled like coal and wood fire and his mouth tasted like honey as they made out. Her tongue licked at his lips before darting into his mouth.

His hands found her breasts and squeezed gently as she moaned. She was gushing below and wanted more out of this. The strange sway of the catwalk made her head swoon more and made the movements of his hands seem more gentle or forceful at equal intervals. She cursed herself that she was in jeans instead of the skirt she arrived in.

She felt bold and suddenly brand new as her hands reached into his pants to find his throbbing manhood. It was not a difficult search. She found his thick mushroom just below his belt as her fingered gracefully brushed against his sensitive flesh. He pressed into her in response and for a moment she thought she would fall over the railing but he grabbed her by the back of her head and kissed her hard. His other hand unzipped his fly and let himself free. She called out as e sprang free. And let both her hands stroke at his magnificent organ. “I want you inside,” she gasped.

He responded assertively and instantly. His strong hands unzipped and pushed down the unneeded pants along with her panties. She pushed herself onto the railing so he had a better vantage. He was adept and swift in his execution. He found her willing folds like their sex was magnetized together. There was a moments resistance then he thrust home. She felt herself spasm around him and she cried out.

She thought someone might hear her but the thrum of machinery above and around her drowned out almost all sound. He kept going and moving into even as she felt another orgasm coming. She didn’t remember ever being such a hair trigger but it was like her body was screaming out its need for release. All her libidinous urges swept through her since she touched down like some ancient roman god of lust she felt possessed and couldn’t seem to control herself around men anymore. Minutes stretched into eternity and in the darkness Jamal’s body took on legendary proportions. He wasn’t mortal in her mind’s eye and as he turned her and lined his head up to her ass. She shook her head slightly.

“We’ll go slow,” he growled into her ear. She felt him press into her and she couldn’t deny the pleasure as he pushed against her tiny bud.

Melanie felt him enter and she thought she would burst but instead she howled with lust. Centimeter by centimeter his entered and as she looked across the water through heavily lidded eyes she saw Colin watching as she was bent over the catwalk railing.

Her first instinct was to stop but she didn’t want to stop. She wanted Jamal to go on forever. She found the strength to seek out Colin’s blue eyes and lock onto them. He didn’t flinch but instead watched her. She closed her eyes as she felt each vein of Jamal’s erection pass through her taut rectum. She didn’t believe it was possible but he was inside her and it was heaven. Finally after deliciously slow entry and retreat he poured into her. Jamal fell on top of her for a moment before pulling out. She turned and kissed him.

It was her turn to take charge. She wasn’t finished with him and she wanted to feel in control for once. She pushed him against the railing and stroked him back to full strength as she lowered her eyes to him. For a moment Jamal could see the predator in her. She kissed him one last time before she pull her top from her body, glanced at Colin. He was still there.

“Fuck me,” she said and she climbed up his lank body and impaled herself on him. He held her up easily enough. The catwalk rails acted as the perfect footholds as she rocked into his erection. When she looked up again Colin was gone. She wasn’t sure why but she felt disappointed.

“Let’s go to your room,” Jamal suggested. “I need some water and ten minutes if we’re gonna keep this up.

She smiled and kissed him, “I, should go.”

“You don’t want more?” He cradled her ass.

“I do but I still need to work and I have a feeling if I spent the night with you I wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow.”

“Damn,” he smiled again, “that’s the nicest way anyone’s ever shot me down.”

“I aim to please,” she kissed him again and rocked against him slowly while they made out.

By the time she got back to her room she was physically exhausted but her mind was on fire with the events of the day. Two different men in one day. It was like a fantasy come to life but when would the other shoe drop. Thoughts of sex filled her mind and cycled until they lost all solvency and became absurd. Minutes later sleep claimed her.

Word spread quickly of Melanie’s romantic liaisons. It wasn’t that anybody said anything explicitly but she could feel the eyes on her as she had her morning coffee and worked trough her day. She didn’t see Squirrel at breakfast but spotted him later. Cheerful as ever he waved to her from high above the rigging.

She grumbled that Jamal still wasn’t secured properly and realized that the problem was never discussed. Her day was packed and this was minor but she was livid that she wasn’t being taken seriously. She was just there as a concubine she surmised from Colin’s actions. She stormed through his office door but found it empty. Still fuming she resolved to find him later.

Her path back down was blocked by a short roughneck with the blondest hair she had ever seen. His skin was deeply tanned from days out on the rig. Despite his height we was stacked with muscle and looked like he could fill in for a He-Man action figure, “Excuse me!” she snapped.

“Sorry ma’am,” he said and tried to get out of her way as best he could. “Is there anything I can help you with?” he asked sincerely.

“I’m looking for the Chief,” she tried to calm herself.

“Yeah, I was just with the Chief. I’ll be heading right back to him,” he explained.

“Thank you,” she said, “That would be helpful,” he finished is business quickly and returned to her.

“I’m Ross,” he said and offered her his hand to shake.

“Hi Ross, sorry I snapped at you,” she acknowledged.

Ross led her past a series of red pumps and a menagerie of meters, tubes, and wires. She heard weird clanking noises from the drill and saw Colin worked with several men pulling thin pipes from the well. Colin was barking orders as the men moved quickly. “Turn it off!” he yelled from the well as he waved his arms to a man in a small booth nearby. The action was frenetic and seamless. Melanie wanted to confront him but her fears seemed small compared to what was happening at the well. She knew enough to know that the drill head was blown and needed to be replaced quickly. This was one of the things she had read about or heard described but never witnessed herself.

The men she spoke to always referred to the crew aboard the rig as a second family. They talked about teamwork and synchronicity and it sounded almost mystical at times. She touched a guardrail with her hand and could feel the hum of machinery through the metal. This was a city on the water. It was a living breathing thing and watching Colin she started to understand his talk of being obeyed without question. Any pause or loss of momentum could result in death at any moment for him and everyone around him. Her rage fizzled as she watched the men work tirelessly. An hour passed and the intensity stayed near the same level. Ross moved around the well himself next to Colin. She saw him put a hand on his shoulder before moving off from the drill.

He stopped in front of her, “Is there something you wanted to discuss?” He asked.

“Safety,” she said with some irritation.

“Squirrel?”

“Yeah, Squirrel,” he looked her in the eye and said, “I’ll get it sorted.”

“Thank you,” she still wanted to tell him off but he had a quiet dominance to him.

“Was there anything else?” He asked. His eyes were working their magic again.

Melanie didn’t say anything for awhile and he moved around her. He didn’t have time to chat, she could already hear him in her head. She yelled to his back as he was about to turn a corner. “Last night!” she yelled.

He stopped and turned to her, “What about last night?”

“Did you like the show?”

He didn’t say anything and instead turned and walked away. The lack of answer was infuriating. What did he want from her? She wracked her brain searching for the answer. The only thing that surfaced was him in the mess hall telling her to do what came naturally. The words echoed like a mantra.

She went back to the monitor station she ended with before she went on her mad search for Colin. Over an hour wasted. She went back to her checklists and diagnostic workbooks. Everything would need to be filled out. The problem was her brain wanted to marry her sudden urges to her desire to get her job done. She couldn’t seem to get both on the same page. Work or pleasure and never the two shall meet.

Time crawled forward. She felt antsy like she needed a cigarette but she hadn’t smoked in years but it was the same kind of dread that rose up in her. The words came again, “do what comes naturally,” She turned and found Ross behind her. “Can I help you?”

“Is it true?” He asked innocently. Maybe it was his height but he seemed younger than Colin and Jamal. Was he younger than her?

“Jamal?” she returned the question. He nodded, “What will you do if the answer is yes?” He shrugged. He looked innocent but there was a hidden edge there. Like he had a secret. “Will you try to seduce me? Ask me to dinner? Come to my room? What will you do Ross?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s not particularly creative and you look like a very creative man,” she moved towards him like a predatory cat. If she was going to be a party favor she should be in control, she decided. “What would you do to get me?” she was inches from him but he was still.

He reached out his hand and she swatted it away. He took a step back unsure of himself. He screamed country boy and he was thick with muscle. She found herself rooting for him. Finally, he spoke, “What would you like me to do? I mean, what do you like?” He was nervous and she found herself liking it.

“I like sex, Ross,” she said confidently, “work it through, what would you do to get me? Use your words,” she instructed. He probably only ever had one girlfriend but she bet he got lots of play without trying too hard. He was definitely pretty and probably played football in High School. She guessed defense from the muscle.

It was dark. Shift change was coming at any minute. Ross had a short window before the window closed. “Ms.,” he stopped himself and shook his head. The thoughtful look on his face was adorable. “I’ve wanted you ever since I saw you,” he said, “I like that you take what you want and I find that real attractive in a woman.”

The thought entranced her. Ross thought she chose Jamal instead of him coming onto her. What stories these men must tell when she’s not around? She laughed internally but it came out as a smile and Ross relaxed when he saw her smile. “Not bad,” she answered. “Meet me in my room in fifteen minutes,” she ordered and left him there.

Back in her quarters she pulled her sweaty clothes off and stepped into the shower stall. The water didn’t heat very well but after the eat of the long day the room temperature water cooled her skin and washed away the sweat and grime from the day. She worked through the equation in her head. She could be anything she wanted on the rig, it was Eldorado to be sure but what would you do if you had a city made of gold?

She toweled off and heard a knock at her door. Her heart stopped. “Come in,” she said walking out with nothing but a towel wrapped on her head. “Give me just a minute, Ross,” she said as she dried her hair with her towel and dropped it onto her small bed.

“Ross, huh?” Colin’s voice boomed through the room and she raised her head to meet him.

“Just doing what comes natural,” she said. “What do you want?”

“You,” he said as he leaned against her bedroom wall.

“You already had me,” she said bitingly, “no need to be jealous,” she walked to him still glistening from the shower.

He looked her in the eyes. “You get me wrong, I told you I share everything with my men…”

“But you want control,” she finished his statement. “I’m not a resource, a tool, or a pipe casing. I am a woman who knows what she wants.”

“Has so much changed in twenty four hours?” He asked.

She thought about the question. The answer came back, yes. When she arrived she wanted to work and little else but Colin made the move. “You opened this Pandora’s box,” she said as she took his hand and brought it to her glistening labia. “I am my own woman. If you want to have me again you just have to say the magic words.” She moaned enticingly as is fingers explored her outer lips and found the nub of her clitoris.

“What are those?” He tried to kiss her but she moved her head away.

“Please,” she stated. He brooded and bored into her soul with his eyes. “You can’t say it, can you?” A knock came at the door. She turned her eyes to the door and said, “come in.”

Ross entered with his sweet innocent face and saw Colin with his hand moving into her body. “Should I go?” He asked.

“No,” she ordered. “Don’t pay any attention to the Chief,” she smiled at Ross and turned her attention to him. She took Ross by the hand and Colin stayed where he was. She worked at his shirt as they got to the small bed. He looked stunned but seeing her naked body emboldened him to touch her. He kissed her as she brought his shirt down his shoulders. Melanie knelt on the bed and started on his pants. He wasn’t as long as Colin or Jamal but he had girth on his side as his erection materialized. She pulled him onto the bed by his pants and swallowed him whole.

Ross leaned back and steadied himself on his arms as she bobbed her head. His eyes crossed as her tongue swirled around his flesh. She always enjoyed giving blow jobs. There was an inherently dirty quality to the act but on the other side she had him under control. His prized possession was vulnerable, exposed, and it made her feel powerful to feel their will crumble from her skill.

Melanie’s eyes darted over to Colin whose eyes were glued to her performance. She darted her eyes towards her upturned rear then back to Colin. He took a step forward and her expression changed to fiery anger. He stopped and puzzled over the meaning while she slurped and sucked at Ross. “Please,” she heard Colin say and she moaned. Ross was panting as his fingers curled around her hair with one hand while his other tried to keep him upright.

Colin stepped in behind her and she smacked er own ass as he unsheathed. He filled her with his manhood and she felt her stomach flop as he entered. The sudden pressure in her pussy made her gag and she lifted off Ross’s dick with a pop. She grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss as a cock-drunk haze washed over her.

Melanie tilted up as Colin pulsed in her. Ross’s hand groped her heavy breasts while one of her hands stroked him to orgasm. Ross broke away and howled as he came on her chest. She pressed her tongue into his mouth as Colin increased his speed. “Don’t stop,” she panted.

Colin’s head was thrown back as his finished inside her, “Fuck!” he yelled and pulled free.

The sudden absence was almost painful to Melanie. Her dark hair was plastered to her forehead as she broke her kiss with Ross to kiss Colin. They were both panting. As they stared into each other.

Confusion flitted across Ross’s face and he started to move from the bed but was stopped when Melanie grabbed his cock and turned to him. “We’re not finished,” She pulled Ross on top of her while Colin panted just above her head now. “Keep going.”

Ross nodded and move into her. She was warm, wet, and tighter then he had felt in years. She snarled as she pulled him deeper. Her legs wrapped around him and pulled him closer. He cast a milliseconds glance at Colin before sucking on Melanie’s erect nipple. She whimpered softly and looked up at Colin who watched her as Ross fucked her slowly. Se had a blissful glaze across her face as she reached up and caressed his vein with her delicate fingers. She dabbled at the shaft then his balls before wrapping her fingers around his sword.

Ross flipped her legs onto his shoulders and continued with hard thrusts to her vulva as he increased his tempo. His stamina felt limitless as Melanie closed her eyes. She brought Colin’s amazing organ to her mouth and licked the head before pulling him into her mouth. Her hands clutched at Ross’s back and arms as she screwed her neck towards Colin. She felt so full. The knowledge that she was the conductor of this passion play laid out before her stoked her passion further.

Her abdomen tightened and she was forced to release Colin from her ministrations as an orgasm swept over her. Her world melted away like water color and she saw the world fresh and new. Eldorado was hers now and she would bring it with her when she left. Her eyes closed and she saw the men around her as automatons built for her pleasure. In her mind their skin was replaced with chrome and silicon. The heat they generated was electric in nature and made for her. As she clawed the secret name of god in Ross’s back her eyes flashed open and she could only smile and laugh.

There was a sudden sense of liberation that filled her core and she saw all of it flash before her eyes. Sarah would comment on her poise and confidence. The men at the bar would become a candy shop that she could peruse at her leisure. She had heard the term sexual awakening but all she every felt before was disappointment and shame but now she understood she was in control. She had what they wanted and it was hers to dispense. She would make them say, please. The door once opened would never be closed again. Men like Colin saw her as some babe in the woods unaware of her own effect on the men around her. She was always a fighter but it felt as tough she had grown some teeth.

She pushed Ross away from her as she moved off the bed. She kissed Colin on his chest then trailed the kisses towards his neck before finally arriving at his lovely mouth. She felt stoned as she looked at Colin. “It’s time for me to sleep.”

She stepped off the bed and her dumbfounded suitors stayed where they were naked and waiting for orders. She padded to the bathroom naked. Ross turned his head to Colin and opened his mouth but decided to not speak. Colin was stony faced as he stared forward digesting what had just happened. “What happens now?” Colin asked as she emerged from the bathroom.

“Now you two should get dressed, give me a kiss, and I’ll let you know if I require your services tomorrow,” she answered demurely.

Ross went about collecting his clothes as Colin asked, “Services?”

She fell back onto her bed and played with Colin’s penis with her foot, “I’ve decided Ross can stay. He was the one who asked me out. If you want to stay?” She asked Ross. He nodded and she turned her gaze on Colin, “we’ll have fun again but it will be on my terms. No strings attached, no jealousy, and if you can avoid spying on me that would be nice as well.”

Ross stood stock still unsure of how to proceed. He was locked between loyalty to the Chief and his desire to stay with the beautiful woman longer and alone. “I can live with that,” he said as he stepped away from Melanie.

“I’m very glad to hear it,” Melanie said as she bit her lower lip. “It’s going to be a long month.”

Colin left and Ross remained. She beckoned Ross over with a finger and she giggled as he fell onto her kissing her. She pressed his head gently down towards her sex. He gave her another peck and moved to her abdomen. What Ross lacked in experience he made up for with enthusiasm. She started moaning when he was in the right neighborhood and made lower less orchestrated sounds when he was in the wrong locale. Her Pavlovian moans helped direct him into a nice rest from the gymnastics of the past two days. Soon she was rested and ready for more. The rest of the night was a flash of lust and flesh merging. His stamina was incredible but as the dawn peaked through the small window in her wall she fell into a deep sleep. Ross left as she fell asleep but kissed her on the forehead before he left.

Colin approached her the next day and smiled at her, “You are something else,” he said.

“This is a lot easier then trying to jockey fifty different egos while I stay here. You did say you share everything.”

“True but usually I have a say in how I share it.”

“Not this time. Are you going to be okay with this because I would hate to stop fucking you?” She asked as she took his hand.

“I can,” he said and kissed her on the lips.

As they broke away she whispered into Colin’s ear, “Could you do me one little teensy favor?”

“Name it,” he laughed a little. There was a little pang of joy at that small victory over the brooding man’s man.

“Please get Squirrel a fucking harness,” She laughed and kissed him again.

The End

Mumblecore Romance

Now for something completely different. For the first time I was asked to write a romance without vampires or superheroes or weird pig obsessed priests. I am kind of fond of this story, for starters, it’s written from a first-person perspective from the perspective of the two main characters Penelope and Boris. I dug the names. Penelope is a filmmaker who works mostly on commercial productions and Boris is a stagehand and musician. They were really normal and self-aware which is something I do a lot with my characters but for once there were no fistfights, gunfights, or even a hint of murder. I’m glad I finished it but I’m not looking forward to having to continue the saga of Penelope and Boris unless I can add a few more characters to the mix.

Read and enjoy,

Penelope:

After a break-up people look different to you. Some more attractive, some less but the change is in how the equation works. You look at potential partners in terms of time. How long before they leave me. It’s a nihilistic stance and one I rather hate. It comes reflexively when I see them for the first time. It isn’t the game: marry, have sex with, or kill, it’s a cost to benefit ratio. It is exhausting and my job is already exhausting enough, I direct commercials for television, I had made one feature film a million years ago but I never quite got back into that meat grinder, instead I put my effort into something people call work-life balance. Little did I know that the route I took would actually be more time consuming and stressful. I don’t work one commercial at a time, at least not often, there are usually three or four projects rotating at any given time. It was a factor in our demise, but it was just a factor.

I can’t quite remember when it went wrong but there had to be a moment. Roald and I had six years together and there was a struggle with where to go next. He shied away from commitment, never wanted to marry but I did. I wanted to have the party, the ceremony, the fantasy, and all of it. I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else for the rest of my life. It just never worked, he was too distant and wanted to be secure, or something, his reasoning was always nebulous and vague. The process left me in a weird state. I always found myself looking in the mirror, I definitely got older and I could clearly see the signs of age on my face. He never seemed to care about any of that, always complimented me on my good genetics. Roald laughed at me whenever I got carded at the bar. I was fifteen years past legal age. Good genetics I always said.

Then inexplicably we were strangers. It was like a slow-growing cancer, we rarely saw each other due to work, never talked, and certainly didn’t make love. We were roommates for almost a year when it happened. The argument, the note, and then silence so much history that felt like wasted effort all of a sudden. I didn’t take it well, not at first. I buried myself in work, I was a huge bitch to everybody I worked with. I almost lost my job. I was drinking more and I didn’t speak to any friends or family for months.

I made myself go out at night. It didn’t start right away, there were a lot of lonely nights by myself re-watching the old sitcoms that we would watch together and trying to pinpoint what I could have done to make it all work. I didn’t trust myself, not remotely. He didn’t intentionally damage me, I don’t believe, but the way he was with me re-wired my expectations. I felt like my instincts were flawed and I didn’t know positive from negative, good attention from bad, or passive aggression for establishing boundaries. I felt weak and mistaken more than anything and even as I got ready to go out he still drifted through my thoughts subtly dictating how I applied my make-up. The pattern was always the same, I got tired of it and rejected the notion that I was somehow damaged.

That’s why I had a one night stand. I didn’t set out to sleep with anyone. I had been celibate for almost a year. My toys untouched for months. My sexuality had stalled out. I didn’t even notice. I worked my job, went through my daily routine, watched my favorite shows but gave no thought as to my physical needs. It sneaked up on me like an assassin. I went to the bar that night to watch a local band. I drank, danced, and sang along with the band as they covered classic rock standards.

He was playing on stage and I noticed him. It was impossible not to notice him in all his rock and roll glory. He had a mop of long curly hair on top of his head and he was wearing sunglasses at night. It was a forgivable offense, he was kind of a rock star, at least for tonight, he was. He had wiry muscular arms and was a little thicker in the chest underneath his GnR tank-top. Overall he looked svelte. He wasn’t the singer but he was the lead guitarist and I fantasized about him the way any girl fantasizes about a rock star on stage. It’s always hypothetical and would only happen under the absolute right circumstances. I was sweaty and working on a third gin and tonic when I went out for a cigarette. I didn’t really smoke unless I was drinking and that night I was craving one badly. I stepped out to the patio with my drink and tried to bum a cigarette from the first person I saw. There was a man in front of me with a black Guns and Roses t-shirt that was cut into a makeshift tank-top. He turned and smiled down at me, he was almost a foot taller than me, and he said hello. It only occurred to me at that moment that he was the lead guitarist.

Boris:

We always got a huge crowd at Coop’s on a Friday night so, it was easy money. I mean, I wanted to be a professional musician and we made a decent amount but there were sometimes months between gigs, especially in the winter. Summer it was almost a full-time job. Our band was called The Scalawags and we did about ninety percent covers with maybe a handful of original songs that we only played at certain select venues. Coop’s wasn’t one of those bars. Their stage and sound system were great and we always put on a kick-ass show there.

I saw a girl out in front of the stage and I’m not sure why she caught my eye. Time didn’t slow down or anything but the way she held herself gave her a kind of swagger I didn’t see in many women. I mean, she was hot too but that wasn’t an uncommon thing to see at a show. A single attractive white girl dancing by herself is kind of a dime a dozen but I kept spotting her in the front. She kept checking me out, that much was obvious. She wore glasses and had her t-shirt tied to make it into a bare midriff-like crop top. Her hair was braided into twin ponytails on either side of her head. When she danced they would swing wildly around her.

I had been dating off and on but hadn’t been involved in anything serious and it didn’t really even occur to me to ask her on a date. I was just enjoying watching her dance. I remember having the thought as we started into the intro to You Can’t Always Get What You Want that I wanted t meet her. I just always had this policy, I can’t go look for a girl right off. I know from past mistakes that when a guy my height walks up to you it is almost always intimidating.

We announced our break and I needed some fresh air so I grabbed my beer from the foot of the stage and headed out to the smoking patio. I quit smoking over a year before, but I still enjoyed the atmosphere on the patio. I have discovered over the years that the most interesting people are usually found in the smoking patio. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned and there she was as if I had summoned her. Her lips cracked into a smile and her laugh lines crinkled. She made me smile.

“I’m Boris,” I said and a reached out my to shake hers. She gladly shook my hand. She smiled again. She made me feel good just from looking at her. She was closer to my age than most of the girls that showed up to see us play.

“Penny, it’s short for Penelope,” She giggled. “Is there any way I could bum a cigarette?”

“Oh, I don’t smoke. I just get really overheated on the stage but I could, hey Chuck,” I tapped the drummer, “Can I get a cig,” he handed it over without a word and I made the transfer, “There you go.”

“Thanks, I don’t really smoke except when I’m drinking,” she explained. She looked lit the cigarette and looked around the patio like she was looking for a friend.

“Are you here by yourself tonight?” I asked.

“I am,” She nodded, “Is it that obvious?” I paused a little too long and she groaned, “I must look fucking desperate.”

“Not at all. You look great actually.” She scrunched her nose at that.

“With a name like Boris you must have some Russian in your background?” She asked.

“Polish and Scandinavian actually, with a little bit of Irish, and you?”

“French and Italian actually,” and after that we were off. We talked through the break. It wasn’t anything too deep, just about my band and what we mutually did for a living. I told her about my work with the stagehand union and she explained that she was a director. After that I went in for another set but I kept an eye on her in the crowd without looking like I was keeping an eye on her. We busted into a Warren Zevon song, Lawyers, Guns, and Money, and she loved it just hooting and dancing. I played to her as she danced at the foot of the stage. I bent down closer to her and she took my sunglasses and put them on. She hit me with a cheeky grin and I headed into the bridge without the glasses. That was the moment I knew I was hooked. I was going to ask her out when the show was over. We finished our set strong and I didn’t see her anywhere and for a moment I had a mini panic attack. My exodus was upended by bar patrons shaking my hand and thanking me for the show. I searched the bar and smoking patio but didn’t spot her anywhere and I was bummed out and then I remembered she still had my sunglasses and I got more bummed out.

Penelope:

There was a coffee shop open until five in the morning a few blocks from the bar and I needed to get a coffee and some quesadillas in me before I headed home. The coffee shop was a grungy little dive with mismatched chairs and ancient tables that had been carved into by several generations of college students that haunted the coffee shop at all hours of the day and night. It was at the front of the line when I realized I still had the Boris’s sunglasses. I smiled to myself and I was about to order when I thought I should return them. I had this quiet wish that maybe he would come back to the coffee shop with me, but I also steeled myself to the idea that he had already hooked up with a groupie.

I rushed back to the bar which had closed by the time I got back. I saw some bartenders cleaning through the window. I felt a little defeated but also a little relieved that I wouldn’t fall into the sinkhole of dealing with a crush. That was the first time my brain had consciously called me out about how I felt. I was shoving it into the back of my brain. It was part of the reason I left as quickly as I did. Those old pro versus con habits were cropping up while I talked to him on the break.

I thought back to the conversation as I milled my way back to the coffee shop. He seemed a little basic but it was more earnest than anything. I hadn’t met anybody who was so optimistic in a while. It was refreshing.

I was lost in thought when I heard his voice. He said, “Hey.”

I waved back and handed him his sunglasses, “I kinda walked off with your sunglasses. Sorry.”

His face lit up when he saw them, “That’s awesome, I wrote them off.”

I looked up at him and felt frozen even though it was a warm summer night. It felt like a moment, like there was significance, and I knew if I chose wrong I would regret it, “Do you want some coffee?” I asked, I stammered really.

“I don’t drink coffee,” he frowned like he would offend me and it made me genuinely laugh.

“They have other things. Would you like to hang out?”

He perked up, “Yes. Ah, let me load gear into the van but I really, really want to, yes.”

It was funny to watch him stumble. His band-mates looked me over and I felt a little exposed. Was I the groupie? Was I being a groupie right now? My drunk paranoia didn’t last long as he broke away from his band and filed in next to me.

Boris:

I felt my face light up when I saw her. I thought she walked off into the night and maybe I would see her again down the road a few weeks or months later but there she was. Leon grumbled next to me, “I’ve seen that look before.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just, don’t get too invested brother. I know you, you go all in, get really intense, and then you get crushed.” He said it with sincerity and he wasn’t entirely wrong. There’s this phrase, he wears his heart on his sleeve, I’m that man and I just dive in with all my cards on the table and it ends up ripping me up. I consider not calling out to her for maybe a second but I hear my voice say hey before I could stop myself.

She invited me out and I thought I almost screwed it up, “Yes. Ah, let me load gear into the van but I really, really want to, yes.” I walk back over and lift a tote bag full of drum gear into the van. I say, “Chuck, Leon, I’m gonna go get coffee with Penny.”

Leon looks her over, turns back to me, and nods, “alright dude just be careful, okay?”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said to Leon and Chuck and then got back to Penny as quick as I can and we take off right away. The walk is short but we start the conversation where we left off. “I’ve been listening to The Ramones again lately.”

“I love the Ramones, that was the soundtrack to my life while I was writing my first feature.”

“Feature?”

“Feature film. I wrote and directed one pretty much right after film school ended.”

“I do remember you mentioned the filmmaking. Do you have a copy?”

She shook her head, “No, it was kind of a pile of steaming shit,” she laughed when she said it.

“I doubt that you’re probably being way too hard on yourself.” I was trying to bolster which was pretty much my go-to move with people in general. I went on saying, “You made a movie and that alone is inspiring. I’ve never done that. I worked as a P.A. On one commercial…”

“Really, that’s what I do, commercials. Lots of them Verizon, Minnesota Tourism, Best Buy, it’s not as creative but it keeps the rent paid and food in my mouth. I love that I made a movie its just my first movie and I was over-confident but I also didn’t control the crew very well and the DP walked all over me.”

“That’s awesome. You’re awesome,” I was totally doing it again. “What was the title of your film?”

“It was called Urban Mosaic, it was a hokey thriller about a psychic who gets stalked by a serial killer…”

“That sounds rad!”

“It does, it sounds great on paper. Our execution wasn’t quite where I wanted it to be and I didn’t have the wherewithal to get it right. It’s still a sore point for me but I have a good career and it’s not like Hollywood is going anywhere.”

“Truth.” and then we were out front of the coffee shop. We stood outside staring at each other for what felt like a long time and then out of the blue she just kissed me. She kissed me. I couldn’t do anything but kiss back.

Penelope:

He was looking down at me with his big brown eyes and I just fell into them. It was like a hypnotic spell. When I say it sneaked up on me like an assassin it’s because it did just that. I was overwhelmed with the desire to be closer to him. I pressed myself so close that I was hoping to enter him on the molecular level and become one person. I couldn’t fathom anything but to keep kissing his soft masculine lips. They were soft and warm and the first lips I kissed since Roald left. The kissing got more intense and suddenly I was just feverish for it. I wanted him. I hadn’t felt like that in literally years. I remembered the beginning with Roald, like three years of this before it even started to taper off. He was getting me hot and he hadn’t even gotten to the touching and caressing. It came. We got a cab and it felt like my mouth was magnetized to his and my hands to his body. I kept brushing my fingers along him and thrilled when I heard him moan.

The clothes were stripped and gone within seconds of getting through the door. We didn’t make it to the bedroom. I pulled him onto the couch on top of me. His left hand had callouses carved into the fingertips. In my mind I imagined him leaving prints on my body pressed in and made permanent by his passion. I kicked my legs around his backside and pulled him into me. It was like liquid fire. Sticky wet heat gaining and gaining as he moved into me. Other mouths worked in perfect rhythm as my tongue and his danced between our mouths and then a thrust would come and I was forced to break away in delight. The moan came out closer to a howl as I felt the tension in my stomach rise. It was building as I knocked him to the floor and got on top. I found him with my hand and impaled myself on him.

It was like time stood still and I felt his hands on my hips as I rocked on him. My eyes rolled back as a cried and screamed. I moved back in to kiss him and he grabbed me by the back and gently rolled me over onto my back. He stayed inside as he performed the maneuver and thrust again. My fingernails were carving the secret name of God in his back as he held himself up on his arms and looked into my eyes.

We fell asleep wrapped together on the floor in front of the couch. A ribbon of sunlight found my eyes in the morning and I panicked for a split second. The whole terrain in front of me wasn’t what I was used to seeing when I opened my eyes in the morning. Memories of the night flooded back into me and I calmed myself but it was an interesting feeling. I laid on the floor with his lank limb draped over me as he spooned me from behind. I could almost see it in my head the slow tracking shot above us over our sleeping form. The light was bright but early enough in the day to keep a sultry quality. I luxuriated in the contrast between the warmth in my core and the coll windy breeze that crawled over my ankle as I laid on the floor in Boris’s embrace.

I don’t hate pleasure. Who does? I just have a hard time accepting pleasure. Large or small I always feel guilty about feeling good. When I do feel good my brain rejects it like an infection. You just get used to being slightly uncomfortable at all times and the absence of discomfort suddenly feels alien.

I was on the floor trying to absorb all the details and commit them to memory so that when it all went to hell I at least had this moment of peace and intimacy. That was just how my brain worked. It’s a transactional apparatus that was always waiting for the bill. I padded around the kitchen and made coffee, eggs, and toast. Boris was still asleep on the floor, but I made a plate for him anyway. It was the smell of coffee that roused him.

“I love the smell of coffee, it’s just too bad it tastes like human suffering.”

Those were the first words out of his mouth and I heard them crystal clear. That didn’t stop me from asking, “What was that?”

He stood on his knees and I eyed up his glorious chest. It was just visible over the couch, “I was just saying I wished coffee tasted better.”

“I love it bitter and black, like my soul.” I raised my coffee mug to him.

He rose from his spot still naked and the light on his body made me feel tingly. There was no self-consciousness as he walked towards me and leaned across from me against the island that separated the kitchen from the living room. “Good morning.” He said and leaned in for a kiss. I wanted to take him all over again but stopped myself I had some things to do at the office and had to leave eventually.

“I made you a plate.” I put it in front of him.

“Oh my God, you are a saint.” He immediately set to his meal sans clothes but again, I wasn’t complaining. Roald was always a little chaste about casual nudity. I think I was a nudist in a previous life. I tried to change his mind on it, he looked fantastic naked but gave up the ghost pretty quick. Roald was always resolute, he would say it and it would be done. It was an admirable trait that could also be infuriating. “What are your plans for the day?” He asked.

I was shaken from my thoughts but still answered, “I have to go into the office for a bit. We’re starting a production Monday and I have a few loose ends to tie up.”

He nodded, “Yeah, cool.”

I didn’t expect to see him again when he finished his breakfast and got dressed we kissed again as I led him to the door. I forgot this part. I liked it but I intellectualized the absurdity of getting involved with the first sexual encounter since a long term monogamous relationship. It seemed foolhardy to want anything else.

Boris:

Whoever called it a walk of shame was out of their mind. I was ecstatic. I walked onto the street and hopped a bus. I couldn’t tell you how long I waited because I didn’t feel the passage of time, just the previous night’s events replayed on a loop in his mind. By the time I walked through the front door the memories had receded enough for me to focus on the inevitable barrage of questions I would get from Leon. Leon didn’t believe in relationships and never stayed with a girl for more than a few weeks. One way or another they always rubbed each other the wrong way and it was done. He never seemed to pine for anyone or really give them a second thought once they were out the door.

“Dude,” he said as I walked past the living room to the stairwell. I stopped and ducked my head into the living room. “We have a rehearsal at seven. Dorothy is going to be there.”

“Dorothy?” I couldn’t place the name.

“She’s that one chick with the mesh shirt and gold bra from the VFW show two weeks ago. She’s a bassist.” The description conjured the image of the girl, she was tall, hot, but she was always lit up when he talked to her, which he was too, but he remembered her grabbing his face and kissing him after a show one night. She bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood.

“We don’t need a bassist, we have Kirk.”

Leon shook his head, “He’s moving to Colorado with his girlfriend.”

I didn’t have anything to respond with so I just said, “Okay,” and headed back up the stairs.

He followed after, “How did it go with Pippi Longstockings?”

“Penny,” I corrected, “It went really well.”

“What, no details, divulge the deets.”

“Really?”

“It’s been a minute, I’m living vicariously.” I looked at him and he instantly spun on his heel back to the living room. “I knew it!” he came back to the hallway. “You got bit,” he pointed at me.

“Maybe, but, I’ve learned my lesson. I’m gonna play it cool.”

“Dude, you were born with zero chill.”

“I got this. I’m going to be…”

“Cool?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

“Alright but when you’re head deep in a pitcher of IPA I’m going to remember this conversation.”

“7pm?”

He nodded, “Yup, hot bassist, it’s a game-changer.”

I walked up the stairs, closed my door, and collapsed onto the bed. I wasn’t tired but I was still wading through the memory of the previous night. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her face. She was sweaty and her breathing was ragged from exertion. Her face and chest were speckled with the signs of arousal.

I got up and got myself together and was downstairs early for practice. Dorothy sat on the couch and waved to me as I came in. “Hey,” I said as I headed to the kitchen to get some food in me. I grabbed something from the fridge and came back out. “Where is Leon?” I asked.

“I don’t know. He was here when I got here but then he went outside.”

“He didn’t say anything?” She shook her head. I went out to the porch to see if he was smoking but he was nowhere to be found.

She came outside after me and lit a cigarette as she walked onto the patio. She was wearing leggings and a black Voivod t-shirt someone altered into a crop top. She had recently shaved her head and rubbed her hand against it as she ignored me. I felt like I was being set up. I looked at her again and she smiled.

Penelope:

I couldn’t focus. I was emailing the assistant director and director of photography last-minute changes to the script which were sent by the client that morning. The only reason I saw them was because I came in, otherwise, they would have been sprung on us on set. After that initial anxiety-inducing moment the rest was really just busy work which I should have pawned off on the AD but I wanted her to have her weekend to herself. She was always more of a workaholic than I was. My motivation just wasn’t there once the crisis was over. Every time I was productive for ten minutes I spent the next twenty watching a video on YouTube or responding to a social media post. It was like pulling teeth to get anything done. It was fine because I planned on staying until I finished no matter how much time it took but it was exacerbated when Trevor showed up at the office.

Trevor was a large white-haired man whose resemblance to Santa Claus had been brought up so often that it had become a sore spot for him. He ran the studio and generally he was easy to work with but recently had been grumbling about productivity. It was my day off so in all actuality I could use the time any way I wanted but I always felt a little watched when he showed up.

I looked at him and said hello as I turned my computer back to shot lists and storyboards. I glazed over staring at the same screen for four minutes trying to make sense of what I was looking at. Apparently, Trevor noticed as well because he was suddenly standing behind me and cleared his throat to announce his presence. “Hi,” I said sheepishly.

“Are you doing okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

He shrugged and then pointed out, “You’ve been staring at the screen for quite a long time without moving. For a moment I thought you were asleep.”

“I didn’t sleep very well last night,” I admitted.

“Bad night?”

“No, no, quite the opposite, it was great. I met someone.”

“That’s fantastic!”

“It was.”

“When do I get to meet him?” He asked with some enthusiasm. He liked to be involved in his employee’s lives which was simultaneously nice and frustrating because it led to some less than appropriate work conversations at times.

“I don’t think you will. It was kind of a spontaneous thing,”

He flustered, “Oh, well, I’m glad to see you getting back on the horse.”

“Yeah, I mean I wouldn’t want to jump into a rebound,” He didn’t ask, I just included that. My mouth worked against me frequently. It was the curse of my family, we were far too honest for our own good, often with regard to unwarranted criticism or advice. Never a fun time when you tell your boyfriend’s mother her turkey was too dry without being asked. We were not invited to Christmas, or rather I was not invited to Christmas. I wasn’t made aware of that until months later. Roald took the higher road and hid the lack of an invite with a sudden desire to meet my family.

At that very moment my phone rang and none other than Roald appeared on the ID line. My heart was in my throat, “Hello,” I said tentatively.

Boris:

I couldn’t deny that she was good. Kirk showed up and showed her the base lines and the cheats he used with them. For her part she was letting him but I could tell by the look on her face that he wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. “You’re seriously leaving?” I asked Kirk.

“Yeah, I need a change of scenery and she’s gt a good job out there.”

“Does it involve weed?” Chuck asked from behind the drums.

“No, she’s a nurse but there is also legal weed which was a very chink in my armor during the negotiation phase.”

“It’s still a fucking mistake man,” Leon added as the resident cynic, “you guys are gonna last a year maybe especially if you don’t find work, like, right away.”

“What is it with you about relationships, dude?” I asked. I knew the answer but I was getting really tired of hearing it. He had been throwing in little jabs at both Kirk and I and I was about fed up.

“What relationships are bullshit. They always end in fights and hurt feelings. I say screw it, just have sex with women, and forget about all those social stigmas that tell us we’re supposed to be monogamous and only meant for one person. Divorce rate is at an all-time high and the signs are clear marriage is a passe institution designed for marketing purposes.”

“We’re not talking about marriage,” I stood up at that point. “Dating, being with someone is great even if it does end it’s better than being alone.”

“How?” He fired point-blank.

“I like being with someone. I like all of it, even the shitty parts. It’s amazing to share yourself with someone.”

“Not intrinsically, it’s a lie we tell ourselves.”

There was tension between us and it was because he was telling me I couldn’t date the girl I met. I wasn’t allowed because he believed it was a lie and if I went down that path he would not be with me. It was a terrible feeling of loneliness in that moment.

Dorothy had been quiet through the argument and finally she laughed. She smiled at me and at Leon and then she laughed again. “This is gonna be great.”

“What is your take on this?” I asked her.

“I don’t have an opinion on it, I take the world as it comes to me. You two aren’t arguing about whether or not romantic relationships are good or bad. Leon’s jealous of you because you have something he doesn’t,” she pointed to me.

“What’s that?”

“a skill he doesn’t have. He can’t make connections like you do. I mean, I’m kind of the same way but it looks like he’s jealous because he doesn’t have what you have. That’s just my two cents on it though. I could be wrong.”

“That’s it, you’re fired,” Leon said immediately after.

Penelope:

Roald asked if I could meet him and my heart thudded in my chest so loudly that it threatened to burst through the bone. A year’s worth of grief attacked like some horror movie monster and I didn’t feel like I could draw a breath.

“I can’t do this right now,” I said to Roald.

“Have you met someone?”

Boris’s smile flashed into my head but I had to pause. I didn’t know how to answer. So I said, “No, it’s just really confusing.”

“I just want to talk, get some perspective.”

“Are you seeing someone?” I asked.

“No, I’m not. I miss you, please, just coffee. I’m not, um, trying to do anything. There’s no con here.”

I held the phone to my forehead and closed my eyes. If he’d asked this just two months before I would’ve said yes in a heartbeat and at that moment I just hated myself for even considering it. “I can’t,” and I hung up.

Almost as if on cue Boris called. I hit the decline button and headed out of the office. Trevor watched me take off and I should’ve said something but I didn’t know what to tell him. I got in the car and drove home. I didn’t know what I hoped to accomplish there but I couldn’t be in public like this and I was so angry at myself for breaking apart like this off of a phone call from Roald but there was no fighting it. My heart swelled with hurt and my eyes were burning from tears and I just wanted it all to stop.

She laid on the couch and stared at the blank wall for an hour without moving. I was in shock and I couldn’t force myself to do anything but wait until the world stopped spinning.

Somewhere in the storm my brain conjured I closed my eyes and fell asleep. When I opened them again the sun was down and I wasn’t sure what day it was. I could’ve slept through an entire day and it wouldn’t have surprised me.

There was a knock at my door. I answered it and there he was, Boris with his hands behind his back, and his infectious smile plastered across his face. “Hello, Boris.”

“Penny,” He said and pulled a single rose from behind his back.

I almost wept in the moment. “That’s so sweet.”

“Cheesy, I know, and probably bad form coming to your place without calling first but I wanted to talk to you for just a minute. I promise I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Come in Boris,” I said and opened the door.

Boris sat down and git right to the point, “I felt like we clicked last night and I just didn’t want you to think I intended last night as a one night stand. I mean, or maybe you want it to be that and I’m okay with it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m interested and if you are interested too we could see where this goes.”

“No,” I said with a shake of my head. I was completely numb and I didn’t know what else to say in that moment so I added, “I’m sorry.”

He hung his head and for a moment I could see I had hurt him. I was about to say something as consolation but he nodded his head and looked up at me, “It’s cool. I had a feeling that would be your answer,” his smile dimmed a little but it was still there.

Boris:

I wasn’t expecting to see Dorothy but I walked into a bar after Penny shot me down and she was there, Dorothy. She looked great and in her glory. Se ad a guy catting her up and he looked like he was going for the gold from how he leered over her impressive form. I sat down and said, “Hi.”

The look on her face when I sat was priceless, it said, I’m so glad you’re here. She didn’t express any of that, she just said, “Hi.”

There were drinks. It started tame, a beer and a conversation. We talked about rehearsal and the weird tension between Leon and I but then she said, “I think you’re sexy.”

“Thank you,” I answered but I knew what was coming and I felt a pang of regret. I thought maybe I did get too invested too quickly but you have moments in your life where the universe opens up and shows you what’s up. I intellectualized myself into a corner where Dorothy was the destination. The drunk brain does a lot of things in the moment and rationalization is at the top of the list. I was rejected and it physically hurt but I had a new opportunity in front of me and sure it was maybe not the best idea but we did find ourselves in her car making out. She was more aggressive than Penny but it was welcome in my self-loathing.

I couldn’t help but think my neediness brought me to Dorothy who was clearly thirsty. So I let her kiss me and I kissed her. She wasn’t alone in her affection. My sober mind knew she was trouble but my drunk mind just wanted to be consoled so I put my hand against her cheek and pulled her into a kiss. She moved into me and suddenly it was like a battle of wills. My mind conjured the image of Penny and juxtaposed it against the current situation. Like split screen I looked over the evidence. Dorothy knew what she wanted at least by the way her hands pressed against my hips and made the slow migration to my lap. They stayed there for a long time as our lips and tongues worked together. Saliva and sweat made us more wanton. I could smell her arousal and her hands could feel the evidence of my intentions. I felt my pants getting tighter and the desire that was rising clouded the previous night’s adventure for minutes or hours, my brain couldn’t regulate the time.

“Come back to my place,” the words were like music to my ears.

I had my hand on her breast playing with a nipple through her bra. I wanted to say yes but I didn’t. I looked at her lidded eyes and thought of Penny. I saw them together side by side and they both had their glory. Dorothy was brazen and knew what she wanted and Penny was reserved but passionate. Penny had mentioned an ex-boyfriend and it was possible that their night together had stirred something that made her question herself. He was reacting out of rejection and while his body was screaming at him to say yes he knew the answer to her insistence. “Do you want to play with us?” I asked in a moment of clarity.

“Leon fired me…”

“He’s fired me dozens of times.”

“Really?”

“It’s his thing. I can get you back in if you want.”

“I want to but I want this too,” she stretched and laid her palms against my abdomen with the fingertips of her hands against the top of my jeans and let them sink below the waistline tantalizingly close to my manhood.

I groaned but against my inebriated brain took her hands from my pants, “If we play together we shouldn’t do this, it can get complicated really fast.”

She hung back and looked deep in thought, “You really like her, don’t you?”

“I do but this isn’t about that. It’s actually important.”

“I want to play. I’m a musician,” she said like a mantra. “Do you think I’ll work in the band?”

“I do but I’ll admit I was reluctant.”

“You’re a charmer, you are,” she said sarcastically.

“You’re a good musician and I think we would be better with you than without you.”

“Thank you for that.”

“It’s true but tonight I can’t do this. I don’t think it would be good for either of us. I want to but I want you to be in the band more,” I hoped that would offer some consolation.

She leaned back against the glove compartment and rolled down the manual window as she lit a cigarette. She was still on my lap but didn’t seem angry, just contemplative. She blew out a stream of smoke and for the first time in months I wanted a drag off a cigarette. Especially with her plush emotive lips wrapped around the filter. It was filling my head with the images of what I just declined. “You’re a good guy, Boris.”

I felt like a sack of shit but I still asked, “Why would you say that?”

“You let me down in a way that didn’t make me feel like an asshole.”

“I would never want you to feel like an asshole.”

“I get that, thank you, really. You’re very sweet,” she kissed me on the lips which I was more than happy to accommodate. She did look ferociously hot and it took all my willpower to say, no to her.

“I’m not sweet. I just want the band to work, now if we go on tour and make something of this all bets are off but I want to give us the best chance for success. You’re going to launch us and as Leon says. You’re a game-changer.”

“He said that?”

“Yeah, he didn’t tell you?”

She shook her head, “He just said I was auditioning. I didn’t even play a song, how can you be so sure I’ll work?”

“Instinct and I saw you and Kirk working through the base lines. I’d give it two rehearsals to get in rhythm with us but I’ve seen enough musicians to know someone who knows their shit from a wannabe.”

She smiled again, “You know just what to say to a girl don’t you?”

“No. Not even close, I’m just a guitarist and a guy who pushes heavy shit around for a living.”

She laughed a tiny laugh and dropped her finished cigarette through the small gap in the window. “Can I give you a ride home?” she asked with a renewed vigor.

I shook my head, “No, I don’t trust my resolve,” she laughed, “Besides I want to clear my head.”

Penelope:

I tried to blot Boris out of my head but it seemed a futile effort. The look on his face and the feeling that I had made a terrible mistake loomed over my mood and eventually I was exhausted by the effort and slept. What would be so wrong about giving him a try? The word rebound rattled around my head.

I tried to quantify what a rebound was in what was left of my rational mind. The rebound is a state of desperation, it’s the fear of being left alone. A rebound is predicated on the fear of death, there is little else to it. Boris and I did click but the fear of dying alone felt like it was shading my decision. Roald called and in his weird way put that fear in perspective. Did I want to get back together with him? The answer was no but the answer was also yes. There is no way to get out of a long-term relationship without the fear that you will never find another to fill those shoes. He was a chapter of my life. It was a chapter filled with loving moments and deep satisfaction but it was also filled with conflict and stress. It was a yin and yang that typifies all relationships so the question remains, what if I was wrong? Can I fix it? Can it be something better? All these questions swirled around in my head for months after he left and now they were swirling around again.

Boris got under my skin in a way I never encountered before. He was an honest soul and couldn’t hide any of his intentions. He committed a sin when he showed up at my door but I couldn’t really blame him. I hadn’t responded and the natural inclination of our time is that it indicates a lack of interest but that wasn’t the case. Had he called before Roald I may not have declined an invite to pursue a relationship past that initial one night stand but the stigma was already attached. Boris was made temporary by my dismissal of the rebound. I did want him. At that moment alone in my apartment I remembered his arms around me as we woke up. It was a wonderful place to exist and if I could dwell in one moment for all time that moment would certainly top the list.

I felt broken all of a sudden. All of the strides I had made to become something new and I turned away the one thing that could possibly have been my absolution. I wanted to call him and I did look at my phone but he hadn’t sent anything since he came over. I was suddenly sad and I wanted to call or text but I didn’t. I held off. Instead I did the thing I should not have done. I called Roald.

He was sleeping. I could tell from the sleepy voice when he answered, “Hello.”

“Okay,” I said without preamble.

“Penny?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, hey,” I heard movement on the other side of the phone. “I was asleep. What’s up?”

“I was thinking about our conversation earlier and I would like to meet up.”

“Yeah, okay, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Nothing.”

“Meet me at the coffee shop on Pleasant at two, if that’s good for you?”

“Coffee shop on Pleasant,” He grunted to the affirmative. “Two o’clock, I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay, sweet dreams, love,” he said and hung up the phone.

It was dark and still in my bedroom. My eyes were re-adjusting to the gloom after I turned off my phone and set it on the end table next to my bed. I couldn’t sleep so I got up and went to the fridge. I brought my phone into the kitchen with me and watched it as I reheated my left-overs. I kept hoping that Boris would text or call but the phone refused to ring.

I got dressed and got out of the house. There was no use in hanging around the apartment. I needed fresh air and a change of scenery. I got in the car and initially didn’t know where I wanted to go but I found myself in front of the coffee shop where she first kissed Boris. The thought brought a smile to her face and she decided it was where she should go after all she never did get her quesadillas the previous evening.

Boris:

I passed by the coffee shop, we stopped at the night before wallowing in my own mental funk. It was a sobering feeling of inadequacy never mind that I had the tongue of a gorgeous woman probing my mouth not quite thirty minutes before. It didn’t quite fit the bill though. It was that wanting that killed me every time.

I stammered when I saw her and I expected her to be angry. Odd that it was my first reaction. “Hi,” I said.

She said, “Hi.”

The room was busy, people at the counter, and the shuffling sounds of customer service and idle chit-chat all around him but all he could see was her. Her glasses slid partially down her nose. She pushed them up and smiled as I drifted to her. I sat down half expecting her to run away. Again, the negative reaction was the first place my mind went and it was distressing me. I don’t feel uncomfortable often. I had gotten used to being the eternal odd-ball and in fact relished my otherness.

“I promise not to run.”

“Can you read minds,” I said with a laugh.

“Yeah, kinda, no. It was written all over your face.”

I nodded, “I have that tendency.”

“I’m sorry about before…”
“It’s okay…”

“He called. My ex-boyfriend called me at work today and it made me panic. I like you Boris. I would like to like you more I just need to take it slowly. In a lot of ways I still feel like a woman out of time. While I was with Roald the world just moved around me and I didn’t really notice until we were done and now I don’t trust myself.”

“I get that and I do not want to create more pressure, it’s just that when I feel something as strongly as I did with you. I have to pay attention to that.”
“I do not begrudge you that instinct by any account but the timing just made me feel under the gun.”

“Do you want to get back together with him?”

“That is the million-dollar question isn’t it?” She paused for a second and I wanted to say something but I felt like I should hold off. “Part of me wants to get back with him,” she looked like she was looking for the right words, “part of me wants to go down this rabbit hole with you.”

“You feel stuck.”

She nodded, “Very.”

“I know I can be intense,” I started in with my confession. “When I fall, I fall deep, and as much as I tell myself this time is going to be different I fall just as hard. I’m going to try and give you the time and the space to do whatever it is you need to do.”

“I appreciate that.”

I bought a coffee and we continued talking for another hour. When she realized how late it was she asked if I wanted a ride. I steeled myself to the previous answer and said no but instead walked her to her car.

Penelope:

Let me start by saying I wasn’t going to kiss him. It was how it worked out. I don’t feel like I’ve been in control so much as being drawn by the current. I left the coffee shop with Boris and he walked me to my car. There was electricity in the air and we had both just aired everything out I felt better than I had all day, the confusion was gone and it felt as though there was a massive weight lifted from my shoulders. Boris was such a gentleman and very considerate about my needs and by the time we got to the car parked two blocks from the coffee shop I was just giddy. Sure it was quarter to four in the morning but I was free in a way that I hadn’t been when I left the house.

I did have a passing thought for Roald and the proposed meeting. He was going to try and come back to me. He was going to try and mend fences and get back to what we had before. I was over it, for the first time in my active memory since the break-up I was actively ad completely over it. I didn’t have to commit to Boris forever. I just had to commit to the moment and that was something that I hadn’t been allowing myself to do. I was prepping for a six-year relationship in the first forty-eight hours. I was putting the cart before the horse when it came to me that I could just enjoy this man moment to moment I was overwhelmed with desire.

This was what was in my mind as he explained the musical artistry of Lou Reed. Personally I am a huge fan of Lou Reed but I didn’t hear a single word Boris had said. One moment he was explaining something about Take a Walk on the Wild Side and the next I was making out with him on the sidewalk next to my car. Two nights in a row I found myself with this man kissing on the street.

I am not a fan of public displays of affection and the fact that it happened two nights in a row and I initiated it both times seemed strangely significant. I pulled his head down to mine. I was physically aggressive about my need. His sentence whatever it was was stuffed into his mouth with my kiss. To his credit he switched gears with smooth poise. He picked me up and sat me on the hood of my car as he continued kissing me. My arms wrapped around his neck and my legs around his waist. I could feel his pelvis grinding into me. I broke away and looked him square in the eyes and said, “Come home with me.”

He did and we made it to the bed this time. I felt overclocked my the physical stimulation coupled with the emotional freedom I was feeling kept me heightened throughout the entire process. He was changing his rhythm periodically but it was like he was reading my mind. I would moan and he reciprocated by holding and then slowly pulling away and continue luxuriously at that speed. When I started panting he would speed up and power into me. I felt my eyes literally cross just before I erupted onto his pelvis. I felt like every negative emotion I was yet harboring had been dumped there in that explosive moment.

I wasn’t finished with him we maneuvered and shifted and at some point I went to the restroom and when I returned I saw sunlight streaming into my room and his gorgeous rod looking up at me. I laughed when I saw it cast a shadow against his leg and said, “Look, it’s a sundial.”

He cackled and sat up into a kiss as I moved to the bed. His hand on the small of my back pulling me closer. He gently bit my lower lip as he broke away. “Don’t you need sleep?”

I looked at the beautiful sunny day out and thought about it for just a moment before I went to find my phone. He asked what I was doing and I said, “I need the AD’s phone number. I’m taking today off.” I smiled at him as I picked up my phone and moved to the living room. I texted her as I opened my fridge to find something to eat or drink. I was dizzy with excitement and I quite literally felt like staying in bed and doing just this until we both passed out and then some more later today. All of which would require caloric intake.

He came to the kitchen to join me and grabbed my breast from behind as he pulled me closer. I tilted my head back and he kissed me before asking, “What are you looking for?”

“Sustenance,” I turned to him and wrapped my hand delicately around his length. “We’re gonna need it with all this exercise.” I stroked him and he groaned before pulling me into another kiss. I kicked the refrigerator door closed and leaned against it as his hands moved into my folds. Now it was my turn to moan.

We didn’t make it into the bedroom again for some time.

Roald:

Penelope was the love of y life and it took until she was gone to realize what I had lost. Few things fit together so well that for years it was effortless. I got wrapped up in my own head and started thinking of all the things I was missing out on. That feeling soon became resentment and that resentment made me run away. After it was over I didn’t run to other women, not right away at any rate and while there were a few they never lasted as long or worked quite as well as my time with Penny. I never put much stock in the idea of soulmates but it was a phrase that ad been recurring recently. That and the dreams. She was showing up frequently and it was messing me up.

I was getting worried. The previous night’s phone call and then for her to not answer my calls. I went to the coffee shop and didn’t see her anywhere. My initial thought was that I had gotten there before her but after a half-hour I decided I should call. The phone went straight to voice mail and I was not panicked so much as concerned. It wasn’t like Penny to not answer her phone.

I got to her apartment and knocked on the door and she answered. She was wearing a robe, her hair was disheveled and her eyes were lidded as if she had just woken up, “Roald.”

“We were going to meet for coffee, I got worried.”

“I have company over,” she said as she stepped outside into the hallway.

“I’m sorry, it’s just not like you to go missing like this.” She looked me over with that familiar look. It was the look that said I have said something wrong. She was wearing that look the moment I spoke but she was fully awake.

“I’m not missing Roald.”

“A call would’ve been nice is all I’m saying.”

“Hold on, I don’t hear from you for a year. All of a sudden you call out of the blue mind you and I’m sorry something came up but you’ve got no right to come to my house.”

“I was worried about you.”

“That is a privilege you lost a year ago.”

“I’m not the bad guy here. I have been working on myself and thinking about the mistakes I had made and the things that I regret but I am here now.”

There was a long silence between us. This wasn’t going the way I intended but she hadn’t run yet. She was still talking to me. “I love you,” I blurted.

Her face softened, “I love you too,” She took my hand and looked me in the eyes, “you hurt me very badly and I don’t have any answers for you right now.”

“That’s valid,” I could feel my face frown as I was trying to get the right words out. “I’ve made mistakes and there is nothing I can do to change that but I want the opportunity to try.”

She paused and I drew the small package from my pocket, “Do not tell me that is what I think it is.”

I opened the box and the ring inside was a simple silver band with a small diamond at the center. It was understated and beautiful, like Penny. “I know I hurt you but I am done hurting you Penny and I promise that my every waking moment will be to make up the hurt I caused you and to make you love me again.”

 

Cops and Vampires part 2; A Night at Scooters

So I was told to write a sequel to the first story, and I did that, but I kind of hope they let me write a third because this is my Empir Strikes Back. I have enjoyed short stories for their momentary look at a subject, a person, or a moment in time, but with these stories, I keep feeling like I’m building something, but I never know if they want a sequel or will hire me for that sequel so I would rather a longer form in that case (novella, or novel). Anyway here is a sequel, I was trying to do some different things, introduce some new characters, and create a contrast between this and the first story while maintaining a cohesive world.

As always read and enjoy, 

 

They left tracks in the snow outside and burst through the door. Their hands seemed to be magnetized to each other as they peeled clothes from their bodies. His cold hands moved to her naked skin and she felt electric. Each new touch and position lit a circuit in her mind. By the time her lips found his again her cold undead skin was on fire with lust. She curled wrapped her fingers around his length and coaxed at least that part of him back to life. “Do I have to kill?” She said softly as he teased one of her nipples. He shook his head as he found her warmth and moved into her. She almost purred when he filled her. “It’s never felt like this before.” She said as he pushed her against the wall and she covered him with her body.
“It can feel like this forever.” He said as he kissed her neck. “Let me show you.” His canine teeth pierced the skin above her breast and she moaned. He only drank for a moment before lifting his head up. “Bite me.” He said as he looked into her eyes.
A smile curled at the corner of her lips. She bit into his neck with clean white teeth. She’d never experienced anything like it in her life. She had always heard the term ambrosia and thought of the jello concoction, but for the first time she understood the flavor. It was beyond indescribable. Nothing in her life compared, not sex, not liquor, not cocaine, or marijuana. Nothing prepared her for what would happen when she tasted vampiric blood as a vampire. She still loved the act of sex and loved the feeling of him penetrated her, but as she bit into him she felt like an Ouroboros, a snake swallowing its own tail. She could feel what he felt. She felt herself biting into his skin and felt the nerves on his thick penis as it thrust in and out of her. She also felt him filling her with each long stroke and she let out a moan that she swore they could hear in the twin cities. “This is impossible.” As soon as she pulled her mouth away she lost the connection, but that did next to nothing to diminish the ecstasy running through her body. She set out to form words, but each syllable she spoke turned into a howl, or a sigh, or a grunt. The language centers of her brain were rendered monosyllabic while he kept at her. Her back was against a wall and her fingers managed to put ten small holes into the sheetrock above her head as she tried to think of anything but his inhuman genitalia. It was occupying every corner of her mind. Even her name was lost. “Bed! Bed!” She finally grunted. He hefted her by her ass and carried her to the bed and sat her down while continuing his ministrations.
She pushed him over and got on top. She thrilled at the new strength that seemed to come from an endless reservoir of energy. She slammed herself into him and felt like she could go on forever and they probably could if not for the day coming.
Bram stopped suddenly and looked to the door. He pulled her over onto the opposite floor as bullets exploded through the door. Men dressed in black military-style uniforms and ski masks kicked through the door. The laser sights from their rifles crisscrossed through the room. Two men inside and two at the door. Bram jumped at one of the men, lifted him off the floor, and bashed the back of his head through the wall behind him. The other three targeted him and raised their rifles to fire as Mallory grabbed another mercenary around the neck with her forearm and pulled him deeper into the room. The men outside fired and bullets hit Bram on his back and leg. He dropped the man he held and turned his attention to the men in the hallway firing on him.
Mallory punched her man in the face and threw him out the window in one swift motion. He landed on a metal fence outside and folded him in half at the middle of his spine. Mallory heard more gunshots, but couldn’t see Bram or the other men until one of them crashed through the wall adjacent to the door. She moved to the all as he bit into the last mercenary. She admired his stark naked ass in the dark hallway. His skin was so pale it almost glowed in the gloom. He dropped the mercenary and turned back to her. She rushed him kissing and pulling him closer. She lapped at the excess blood around his mouth and sucked the warm stick fluid from his chin as he pressed on her pubis with his hand and let his fingers explore her vulva and her clitoris. She pushed him against the wall and stroked at his cock as he worked her overheated pussy.
“Don’t you ever stop?” Lysander shouted from down the hall. She had an annoyed look on her face as she held her bag over her shoulder. “We don’t have much time to find a new place. This one got burned.” They were still pressed against each other, but they otherwise stopped their actions.
“Yeah boss,” Bram said.
“And get out of the hallway, you’re both buck ass naked.” She pointed at them with the sternest mom look Mallory ad ever seen on a twelve-year-old looking girl. Lysander was closer to two hundred then she was to twelve at that point in her unlife.
Mallory Edy was a detective with the Minneapolis Police Department before Bram made her a vampire like him. She was angry, but her anger didn’t last long. She would be dead now if Bram hadn’t acted. It took the two of them ten minutes to get themselves back together and out the door.
“I checked the car for any transponders and got squat so I figure someone put out a reward. So, there’s only one place left to go.”
“Shit,” Bram grumbled as he got back in the car.
“What?” Mallory asked.
“We’re going to Eau Claire Wisconsin.”
“Where is that?”
Lysander answered, “It’s close enough that we can get there before the sun rises and far enough that the vampires in the Twin Cities will have less sway.”
“I hate Eau Claire,” Bram said as he put the car in drive and pulled out of the hotel parking lot.
* * *
Jim Kroger did as he was told, but he was still having a difficult time adjusting to the new world he found himself in. He had to admit he felt better than ever. His bones no longer creaked and he felt like he could run a marathon. Not going out during the day was by far the worst adjustment he had to make. He could live with a liquid diet he been more or less doing that already. It was the morning jog he missed most. His train of thought was interrupted by the entrance of a tall well dressed black man. His skin was exceptionally dark and is proportions and features were so symmetrical he looked almost like a statue carved from ebony. Straight to the point he said, “You need to bring more over to our side.” He sounded English from his accent and Jim felt dizzy when he spoke, but it was nothing compared to when he made eye contact. The man’s dark almost black eyes had flecks of gold that reflected the light in the room and drew you in. Jim was a conservative man in his 60s, but he felt butterflies in his stomach when he looked him in the eye.
“Why?”
“Does it matter? You have connections in the city we find useful and we need you to get started immediately. This club will be our base of operations for the indeterminate future. Once your friends, business partners, adversaries, et cetera.”
“I don’t understand. Where is Kimberly?”
“She’s not here. I am, now to avoid the obvious follow-up questions I represent Sacri Sanguinis, an organization devoted to putting our kind in power all across the country and fulfilling our destiny as the apex predator of the planet. You’re one of the lucky ones, your wealth and standing will allow our organization access to the power structure of this frozen wasteland. In return and apart from never aging, getting sick, or dying we will give you wealth and power beyond your wildest imaginings if you follow my instructions. Do you have any other questions?” Jim shook his head. “Good, you will throw a party, convert as many as you can. They will be bound to you as you are now to your daughter, they will do whatever they are told.”
“I can do that. It may take a few days to arrange.”
He nodded, “That was to be expected, however, expedience is necessary.”
“I can do it, for my daughter.” He stood and as he moved to leave he turned back, “Who are you?”
“I am Lux Manta. I will be your contact with the Sacri Sanguinis until you have proven your loyalty. Now please I am very busy.” Jim left and Lux moved to reorganize the desk as someone knocked at the door. “Come in.” A man in black military fatigues entered the room and stood at attention. “Report.”
“Bram and Detective Mallory Edy escaped and the trail has gone cold.”
“They were in Hudson, right off of 94, to my understanding there are only two directions those roads go in.”
“Sir?”
“check population centers along the way. They won’t be going far I don’t suspect so I think they would be somewhere close enough to get back, but far enough to hide.” The man still looked confused, “They won’t go further than Madison on 94 I don’t believe so check the population centers along that corridor. Bram is many things, but subtle is not one of them.” Lux sat behind the desk and leaned back against his chair. “Please get me a Heineken from the bar and let me know when the Lady arrives.”
* * *
Bram pulled into a gas station on the outskirts of Eau Claire and Mallory stepped out. It looked cold. Indeed it felt cold, but while she registered the temperature it didn’t hurt her face like it used to. It wasn’t even an inconvenience it was just normal, her body was at the same temperature which helped her acclimate to the temperature almost instantly. She wondered idly if she was still a Magi, now that she was a vampire. Bram told her that she could bend the universe to her will and control the chaos around her and tune it like a radio. She felt something happen when she confronted that monster. It could have been coincidence, deus ex machina, but when she needed firepower it arrived in the form of MPD and assault weapons. She thought about that moment frequently since it happened and wondered if she shaped reality or they just happened to be there as she thought about it.
She walked through the small convenience store. She didn’t need anything and in fact, she didn’t need to eat or drink if she didn’t want to ever again. It was like being lactose intolerant, she could eat and drink and it would taste amazing, but her body processed food much differently than it did before and it created something akin to heartburn which was more of a nuisance than an actual problem. She had been made into a monster that she didn’t believe existed a week ago. Things were fresh and new, but she wondered when it would become mundane. How many centuries will pass before she no longer cares about physical contact, fucking, eating, and drinking? There again she had watched her father fade away as his youthful passions became his daily labor. He loved fixing up cars and she grew up going to car shows at the State Fair, then he started a body shop and year after year their trips to the car shows became less frequent.
She realized she had been walking around the convenience store for minutes while she was lost in her thoughts. Lysander came in and broke her from her musings. She didn’t even say anything, she just cocked her hip, “Did you find it?”
“What?”
“I don’t know? Whatever you were looking for?”
She stammered and said, “No, they don’t have it here.”
“Alright, well let’s go. The sun is rising soon.”
She nodded and waved to the attendant who only lifted his chin slightly at her acknowledgment, but went back to his phone as soon as they left.
“Try to avoid lingering like that. It draws attention especially if they look back on the security camera and see nothing. Where there was a person.”
“I’m sorry I was just lost in my thoughts.” She said as she got into the car.
“I get it. It takes a minute to adjust.”
As they got into the car Mallory asked, “Am I still a Magi?”
“That is a tricky question,” Bram said from the driver’s seat. “Because it’s never happened before to my knowledge.”
“There are only a handful of true Magi alive today. Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and Damien Echols come to mind and are probably the only ones you could find on a Google search. Mostly men now, but there were women in the past. Oneida Toops and Marie Laveau come to mind, and there are indeed witches[-a-plenty especially in this area of the country, but they have varying degrees of talent and ability.” Lysander explained from the back seat.
“How do I harness that power, or at least find out if it’s still inside me?” Mallory asked.
“We’ll see my child, we’ll see. Elton will know.”
“Elton?”
“We’ve set up a little meet and greet. While you and I were tackling the albino hulk Lysander was calling people.”
“Where are we meeting them?”
“A gay bar called Scooters. You’re gonna love this.”
Chapter 2
Scooters was quiet for a Friday night, but the cold kept most away. Only the regulars and the barflies hovered around the place. Bram and Mallory walked in through the back entrance at the parking lot. A single man was dancing and singing to Alicia Keys as she sang about New York. Across the large room, there was another door leading out to a sidewalk. It was unabashedly a gay bar in every aspect of its personality flamboyant and maybe a little sleazy. Mallory fell for the place as she crossed the threshold. It reminded her of a sample size of the Gay 90s in the Twin Cities. With her new vampiric senses everything seemed new again. She remembered her youth watching drag shows in the upper level and if you knew where to go the male strippers working poles all night in a hidden bar in a back hallway. Two cute twinkie looking men dispensed beer and liquor as customers huddled around the bar. The purple neon gave the place a kind of black-light feel, but overall it was like any dive Mallory had walked into over the years. The pool table was covered in purple felt, but apart from that novelty the trappings were all in place. Bram sidled up to the bar, “A martini would be great.”
The man behind the bar looked confused by the request. The last time anyone ordered a martini at that bar it was a different bar under different ownership. He simply said, “We don’t have any of that.”
“Vermouth?” Bram questioned.
“Yep, keep it, simple honey. Liquor and a mixer work best.”
He rolled his eyes, “Vodka soda, with a twist of lime.”
“So bougie.” Mallory chastised him, “I’ll have Jameson rocks and a bottle of cider.” The bartender nodded at her and set about making the drinks.
He looked at her like she was crazy.
“It looks weird if you don’t have a drink in your hand at all times.” She explained. “You look like a creeper.”
“That’s why I ordered the vodka soda. It’s not like you can get drunk unless you drink from a very drunk person. It can be pleasant at times, but other times it is not pleasant.”
She looked over at him and her body swelled and heaved. It was a horrible distraction being so turned on at all times. “Will I always be this turned on?” She asked as the wandered over to an empty booth.
“It’s part of this, your senses are all heightened.”
“That’s what I thought, it’s like being high forever.”
“What?”
She shook her head, “It just reminds me of smoking weed. I always got super horny and loved dancing. Right now all I want to do is get on that dance floor. It’s amazing.”
They waited and watched. Lysander had to stay at the safe house which was conveniently located immediately above the bar in an apartment that was furnished with bean bag chairs and a single futon mattress on the floor.
Elton was first to enter. He was a bald black man that stood 5’7” by Mallory’s estimation. He said hello to nearly everyone at the bar. Most of the conversations were short, but others took time as he explained himself, he laughed loudly, like he wanted the establishment to know he was there and important. Mallory suggested an introduction, but Bram refuted her suggestion, “Let him do his thing. He’s important for you to meet.”
“He’s a Magi?”
Bram answered, “Not quite. There isn’t much he does that’s accidental. He saw us, he knows we’re here and he’s testing the waters. Traps are everywhere and that man is especially sensitive to them.”
“What is he?” She felt bad about the phrasing but didn’t know how to correct herself without digging a bigger hole. “He is a Leprechaun.”
“Really? How?”
“Leprechaun is just a place holder really. They’re tricksters that devote their lives to avoiding traps. He’s important to our mission,” Bram explained.
Finally he wandered over to their booth after smoking a blunt with a few younger men outside. He slid into the booth and all but ignored Bram, “I’ve seen you before.” He said, his voice was honey-covered gravel.
“No, I don’t think so.” She said. She would’ve remembered this man covered in pins and buttons and not a small amount of military medals. His outfit was a red beret, a leather vest cluttered with what looked like hundreds of buttons and pins, black Dickie’s, and some brown work boots.
“I live in Minneapolis I’ve seen you.”
“I’m sorry I don’t recall, what area? Where do you live?”
“Never tell a man all your business.” He intoned, “but believe me I’ve seen you.”
“Okay. I believe you.”
“You think too much. Keep it down inside, don’t let all that shit out.”
The rest of the interaction was easy. Elton seemed to need to impart messages from time to time, but they were not timed, they came up as he felt them. He acknowledged Bram after and their exchange seemed almost banal. Elton worked for IATSE setting up lighting, moving equipment, and other aspects of live shows and performances. He would talk your ear off about the various concerts he helped put together, but Bram would eventually undercut the story with what they were endeavoring to do. Elton wasn’t a Vampire so he drank, on Bram’s dime, until he hit a point where he was edging complete drunken oblivion. It was the most amazing thing Mallory had seen. After two pitchers of beer and several shots that Elton alone drank he set to business.
“I know about these Sacri Sanguinis fucks. They’re fascists and they think the time is nigh since the world seems to be turning that direction anyway. The rise of authoritarianism is evident and this is why they’ve chosen this time to strike. The populace will accept a loss of freedom if it means safety and security.” Elton kept on, “I would ignore it, but without dreams my people will become sick and eventually wither away and die.”
“Is that happening?”
“Honey, it’s been happening. The world is a maelstrom of ideas, but very few of them revolve around more than paying bills and basic sustenance. For every inspired artist there are a thousand men and women just trying to pay their bills. Our battle is for the soul.” His plea was passionate and she recognized the face of desperation as she saw it so many times in her career. Most people worried about the death of their spouse, mother, father, sibling, lover, but the first thought on their minds was ‘How am I going to go on without their income.’ which always diminished them in her eyes. She wondered why they didn’t care/mourn more for their relative/spouse, but what he said made sense. There was a prevailing sense that money was the only power worth focusing on.
“What do we do about it?” She asked as she sipped at her warm after an hour and a half cider.
“Nothing, but Sacri Sanguinis don’t care about belief or security, they believe they are the apex predators in this population and should therefore rule, but I reject that.” He said as the alcohol was starting to kick in. “I believe we exist on the fringes for a reason. We sway. We cajole, but we do not bully society. We won’t ever get involved. Sacri Sanguinis believe in the servitude of humanity, that has been their goal from the beginning.” Elton said.
He drifted off at that point. The alcohol caught up with him and he drifted away. Bram for his part indicated Elton was always an anarchist at heart and they waited for the other team members to arrive. Bram was fidgeting as he waited. “This won’t work without the others,” Bram said as he sipped at his drink.
“The others will come,” Mallory believed.
As the night progressed Mallory watched the bar fill with a humanity that she was now separate from. She watched them as they toiled in their struggles. “Why do you do that?” Bram asked.
“What? Watch them?” She considered the question. “A day ago I was with them.”
“It was five days now.”
“It will take me some time to fully extricate myself from ‘Them’.” She said. “The analogy stays the same. Less then a week ago I was them and as I don’t age anymore I would say a day. Time is more a construct of decay than an active measurement of anything.”
“You’re getting pedantic. Let go.” He said.
“Let’s be clear, I didn’t ask for this.” Her demeanor changed subtly, but Bram watched the shift.
“I wasn’t trying to be insulting.”
“You weren’t trying, but you were insulting just there. Whatever their short time is still relevant. Humanity is still relevant. We all exist here and it isn’t just a change in paradigm we’re talking about.”
He said “No.”
“Because I want to be clear, the people we’re fighting want to turn humanity into cattle. Apart from your apparent political affiliation, how does it affect you?”
“It doesn’t, you’re not wrong, but despite my seeming callousness I do not want humanity to be subjugated. We all came from them. Indeed all these magical creatures were born from a human dream. We couldn’t exist without them.”
“ I sense some resentment.”
“Some. When I became a vampire the United States was still killing farmers in Viet Nam. Their humanity was coming into question even then. This new world is almost dystopian by comparison.”
Their conversation was cut short by a commotion by the pool table. The bar had filled up since they arrived and by now it was filled with bodies. Elton was sitting in the corner smiling to himself, but Bram and Mallory noticed the girl with the pink mohawk by the pool table. She was staring down a frat guy and was surrounded by his friends. “You’re in a fucking gay bar bro.” She put emphasis on the bro, “Why do you think in your neanderthal brain it would be okay to touch my ass.”
“That’s Naomi. Weapons specialist and really just tech overall, she’s a hacker.” Bram pointed out.
“Should we do something?” Mallory asked. Bram shook his head and Elton laughed as he raised a glass. Mallory turned her attention back to the tiny girl with an impressive bust and a pink mohawk. She was wearing a pink tank top and her arms were weighed down with leather bracelets and her hands were decked out in large rings that looked like they would tear up the face that was punched with them.
The dude behind her grabbed her and Mallory jerked forward, but she saw her leg raise and tag the dude behind her in the forehead. He fell back as she shot her hand out at the guy she was yelling at. She caught him in the throat faster than lightning and he fell towards the dance floor holding his throat. She turned to his other friend and gave them a look that dared them to come at her. The bouncer came up to her tentatively and politely asked her to leave, she raised her hands in protest, but made her way towards the door all the same. “It’s time to go,” Bram stated as he moved from the booth and beckoned Elton to come with him.
“Isn’t there a third?”
“Yeah, They’re not here yet.”
Outside approached the firebrand. She was still angry, but she smiled when she saw Bram. “Oh my God! I haven’t seen you in so long.” She shrieked and launched at him with a hug that almost took him down.
A Native American man with close-cropped hair approached the group and said “Naomi.” She detached from Bram and the glee on her face as she saw the other told Mallory that he was the other member. She attacked him with equal veracity.
Bram stood next to Mallory and said, “Thomas Crying Hawk.”
“Hey Bram.” Thomas slapped at Bram’s hand.
“Let’s adjourn upstairs.” He said to the assembly.
“I’m Mallory.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” He said and hugged her much to her surprise.
She followed up the stairs last and heard a siren in the distance. For a split second she reached for her phone assuming it would ring at any moment, but stopped herself and continued up the stairs.
* * *
Trevor Conroy was frustrated with the assignment, but there wasn’t much he could do about it, never mind that it was good money. Tonight his job was to look for three people in a town of 50,000. There were two main bar districts in town, Water Street and Downtown. He started his search on Water Street, but the search turned out to be useless. It was predominantly college students. his search became tedious he decided on a break for himself. It was still technically working since he would be in a bar. He hated working solo, it made him feel isolated, he preferred combat and people around him working towards a mutual goal. He walked into a gay bar to unwind a bit before continuing on his search. The purple felted pool table and the Peaches playing told him he was in the right place. The crowd was picking up and the dance floor was sparse, but people were dancing. He ordered a beer and took in the scene. The first sip went straight to his back as he felt all his muscles unwind in a pleasant wave from the top to the bottom. He wasn’t sure why he had been tense since he got into Eau Claire, but something about this assignment made him wary.
He scanned the bar and had to do a double-take when he saw them. Bram and Mallory sitting at a booth talking with an older black man. He looked back at the photos he was given and it was definitely them. He dialed the number and turned his back to them. “Go.” The voice on the other end said.
“I’ve found them.”
“Where?”
“Eau Claire, Wisconsin. A bar called Scooters currently.”
“Stay on their trail. Lux is coming with a crew.”
“Lux Manta is coming?” Trevor asked.
“Yes. Stay on their trail Conroy. Don’t disappoint me.”
“No sir. I won’t.”
It was rare for the employer to come to the sight. Trevor shrugged and watched as a pink-haired girl took apart a larger man without breaking a sweat. He raised his glass to her by way of a cheer.
Chapter 3
This was the first time Mallory had seen Bram with anyone she could call his peers, but the way they socialized it was like they had done this a million times before. Mallory wasn’t really sure what to say and how to even engage with them. They were all so alien. Thomas was a werewolf who mostly stuck to his reservation in Northern Wisconsin. Elton said he was a country boy from Louisiana, but he’s lived in Minnesota for thirty years. Naomi was a wanderer, originally from New York, but preferred the nomadic lifestyle like Bram. She thought about her own future and where she wanted to go. Would she be a nomad too?
It hadn’t been much more than two hours when they heard the door below busted down with a battering ram by tye sound of it. “Fuck that was fast,” Naomi said as she moved for the door.
Mallory looked to Bram he didn’t look surprised. None of them looked surprised. “I can see the confusion on your face,” he said. “This was inevitable and that is why I was in such a rush. We are on the radar, there isn’t many places we can go where we won’t be discovered.”
Elton watched out the window. “They got a lot of guys out there.”
Thomas stood on the other side of the apartment door. Elton took Mallory to the back. “You were asking about magic. No time like the present.” He showed her to a room in the back. Lysander was finishing up a circle and strange-looking arcane symbols with corn-meal. “Get inside the circle and focus your mind on manifesting your wishes.”
“What are those?” She asked feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the sudden spike in activity.
“Really. I would say in the immediate future your wishes should be pretty straight forward.” He lead her into the circle careful not to break any of the lines or symbols. Lysander stood to the side as the stood face to face in the circle.
“Shouldn’t we light candles and incense or something?”
He shook his head. “Everything you need is right here, A sacred space and your mind. Now focus.”
Thomas and Naomi moved into the stairwell. At the bottom there was a group of four mercenaries dressed in black fatigues. Thomas dove from the top step down on top of them. They fired their weapons catching him solidly in the chest, as well as his arms, and legs, but he seemed unfazed by the attack as he landed with his foot on one of their chests while he knocked a man out with a punch. Another decked him with the butt of his rifle. Thomas grabbed him by the throat and pummeled his face with the other hand. He was getting larger by the moment as his face twisted and changed. Hair sprouted and his nose grew into a snout. Another mercenary fired at him at point-blank range.
One of them got around the massive black-furred werewolf and moved up the stairs into the waiting kick of Naomi who lifted her leg into a nice arch and essentially slapped his face with the instep of her Doc Martin’s. She descended down the steps as Thomas made a path for her.
* * *
Lux waited and watched as the werewolf and vampire took apart a crew of ten men in less than a minute. He sighed and turned to the woman behind him. “What do you say we separate the dynamic duo?”
Yvonne lit a cigarette and took a long drag. The cherry lit her exquisite face. She blew the smoke out and spoke, “I am enjoying the show, but you’re right. We can end the fight quicker and retire for more engaging activities. This is a college town after all.”
He stepped out of the vehicle and opened her door for her. She stood up slowly and dropped her cigarette on the snowy ground. “I’ll take the werewolf. You take the vampire.”
“Excellent.”
* * *
Bram stepped into the room with the others. “Has anything happened yet?”
Lysander shook her head. “How are they faring out there?” She asked.
“They’ve got it under control.”
Elton and Mallory’s eyes were both closed. Elton had his left hand pressed against her forehead. She pictured herself standing outside in the parking lot and tried to visualize every aspect she could remember. Every inch of snow, the river nearby. The streets on either side of the parking lot where the fight was currently happening. She could see the ghost-like images of Thomas the terrifying werewolf and Naomi. She saw the hazy images of mercenaries scattered around them struggling to stay alive against the monsters that were tearing them apart. She could see other people an attractive tall black man with an immaculately tailored suit. The woman at his side was as inhumanly beautiful as he was. The most curious thing happened when she looked at the woman. She looked back and smiled at her. “She can see me?”
“Who?” Bram asked.
“A woman, absolutely gorgeous. I’ve never seen anyone as attractive as her. It’s almost dizzying.” She said in an almost whisper.
“Yvonne,” Lysander said. “Is there anyone else out there?”
She nodded, “A black man. He’s just as beautiful as she is.”
Lysander looked at Bram, “Get Naomi and Thomas back in here now! They are in serious danger!” Bram headed out of the room. Lysander followed and quickly added. “Yvonne and Lux are charmers, don’t let them talk to you at all.” She warned and he nodded.
* * *
Yvonne stepped up to the wolf and touched him on the shoulder. He lashed out with is claws, but she caught his hand. “Sleep.” She said with her perfectly inflected voice. He shook his head and backed away from her. Se said it again, “Sleep.” and he stumbled against a wall.
Naomi looked towards Thomas and yelled out his name as she grabbed a mercenary by the lapel. There was a woman next to him dressed in a silver gown. Thomas dropped to his knees and Naomi moved to help him, but a man stepped in her way.
Naomi watched as he moved closer to her. She wanted to run, but she was frozen to the spot. “Drop him.” He said with a milk chocolate voice and she dropped the man to the ground. He addressed the mercenary. “Go find the others.” The man rushed from the alley. He moved closer to Naomi. She put her fists up in front of her ready to fight him. “I don’t want to fight you,” Lux said as he opened his palms and dropped his arms to his side. “Do you know me?” He asked.
“I’ve heard of you, Lux Manta. You’re in the inner circle.” She said and cursed herself. She didn’t want to do as she was told, but each time he asked her to do something she complied without resistance. She should be attacking him right now. Instead they were talking. She hated talking.
“I am. Part of the reason I have risen so quickly is my unique ability to negotiate. The tone of my voice. The color of my eyes. Everything about me is attractive and hypnotic. You agree.” It wasn’t a question she did agree. He was attractive and hypnotic. Everything about him was perfect and she couldn’t bring herself to strike such a beautiful creature. “Put your hands down.” She did. He was a foot from her now. She couldn’t do anything, but stare in his beautiful face. “Naomi is your name, correct?”
She nodded, “Yes.”
“You are a member of Sacri Sanguinis.” He said.
She shook her head. Something felt wrong and she couldn’t put her finger on what. “I don’t.” She was trying to resist something, but it was so hard to remember what.
“You do because we are lovers.” She shook her head and backed away from him. This is what happened to Thomas she thought and turned to run, but he said, “Don’t run away.” She stood still, “Turn around Naomi.” She did “You want me.” She realized it was true, she wanted him. “You’ll do anything to be close to me.” He said and they were inches apart. She nodded and her eyes were filled with adoration for the man in front of her. She felt her body reacting to him. Her hand reached out and touched his and it was the most wonderful moment she ever had. “I’m everything you want.” She stared up at him. “Kiss me.” Her lips pressed against his and she was in heaven. Her fervor increased and she parted his lips with her tongue. She lifted his hand and moved it to her breast.
It was a curious sensation to have her entire life rewritten. The words he said were the truth, they had to be the truth so her mind reshaped her into his lover. Her time with Bram was a ruse, she lead them here and betrayed them and it was a torment to be away from Lux. Her relationship with Lux was born from pure lust. He was powerful and she wanted to be at the table with that power. Her mind was being filled with images of them fucking in every conceivable position. He filled her with longing and desire and their every touch was electric. Her personality altered to suit her new position as a member of Sacri Sanguinis. She abhorred humanity and wanted nothing more than to have humans served up to her. She had a new memory of relishing her first kill of devouring the blood of a man she seduced. She now used her sex to get what she needed from the men around her. She liked it when they watched because she knew if they wanted her she was in control. Some called her a slut, but it was an unwelcome word. Better than being a prude.
“Touch me baby.” Her voice changed, became more sultry.
“You are in Sacri Sanguinis.” She nodded emphatically. “These aren’t your friends. They’re your enemies.” She nodded again.
“Of course they are.” She smiled up at him. “Fuck me.” She said.
“Tell me who you are.” He said as he held her in his arms.
“I’m Naomi, I’m the best fuck you’ve ever had and I am Sacri Sanguinis body and soul. Their goals are my goals. Now, please baby. Please. I need you inside me.” She was on fire with lust. His arm around her was almost enough to make her scream and she couldn’t wait until they were alone. “Bram is here.” She said with anger.
“As soon as you’ve finished with him you and I can be alone.” He said with a smile.
She kissed him and let her hand slide up his amazing cock. She bull-rushed Bram. “Naomi!” He said as he spotted her. He was taken by surprise and her attack was savage. She lashed out with a combination of punches at his face then dropped to his body. An elbow to his throat, and a knee to his balls dropped him to the ground. He dropped and she stomped on his head.
“Meet me at Ground Zero,” Lux said as he grabbed Naomi from behind. She squealed with delight and turned to kiss him and ended by licking his upper lip.
“Can we please fuck now.” She pouted.
“Yes we can.”
* * *
“Bram!” Mallory screamed and ran from the room leaving Elton and Lysander in the dust. She raced down the stairs and held him in her arms. His face was swollen and bleeding and his skull looked like it was caved in. “Please. Oh please don’t be dead.” She cried.
Elton and Lysander finally made it outside. Lysander gasped at what she saw.
“It was Naomi. He changed her.” Mallory said as she cradled Bram’s head.
“It’s what Lux does, He and Yvette have a special gift that allows them to alter people, but they’re just vampires. They have the same weaknesses. I’m just confused as to why they didn’t just kill us off?” She asked.
Elton dropped down next to Bram and Mallory. “Listen, he’s hurt bad, but he’ll heal. He just needs blood.”
* * *
Naomi peeled her shirt off her body and let heavy heavy tits bounce in front of him. Lux smiled at her. This wasn’t the first lover he had gotten with is power, but she had been the most enjoyable by far. The change was so dramatic. Gone was the spitfire punk girl. This Naomi was sex on legs. She pulled her pants down seductively over her ass and bent at the waist so that he could drink in every curve of her body. She crawled over him as she undid his pants. His long thick cock sprang out and she giggled with joy as she grabbed it with both hands and brought her mouth down to the shaft. She licked it longingly and then pierced the center vein and she relished as she heard him moan with delight. He grabbed her head in his hands and ran his fingers through her pink hair. “God damn lover, I am obsessed with your cock. How is every inch of you so beautiful.” She looked at him with pride swelling inside her, but as she admired his body she wanted something else swelling inside. “I need it inside me.”
He pivoted on top of her and slid in with ease. She wanted him more than any man she had ever met in her life. His body was like an addiction to her. She moaned loudly as she felt every vein, every inch reach deep inside of her touching places she hadn’t been touched since she was alive. She heard Yvonne come in, but she didn’t care, and luckily neither did he as he pulled that amazing rod back out before slowly agonizingly moving back in. “Oh my god!” She screamed.
“Don’t you two look amazing together,” Yvonne said as she let her own gown fall.
Naomi had always loved women’s bodies, but Yvonne was simply divine. Her white flesh was flawless and the sensual curves of her magnificent ass and mouthwatering tits made Naomi’s jaw drop. “Baby,” Naomi said as Lux plowed back into her kissing her neck then her mouth as he moved in deeper with each new thrust. “Can Yvonne join us.”
“If she wants.” He said and pulled away from Naomi.
“I didn’t tell you to stop.” She whined.
Yvonne knelt on the bed and delicately licked Naomi’s lips before probing into her mouth. Naomi let her tongue in and was pleased by the smooth texture as it swirled around her own tongue. Naomi’s right hand reached for Yvonne’s pussy as her left hand brushed over her breasts. Yvonne smiled down at Naomi, “You are lovely aren’t you?”
“You should kiss me some more,” Naomi said and Yvonne indulged and they made out as Lux watched. Yvonne finally made her way to Naomi’s pubis and licked and gently nibbled at her clitoris. Lux moved behind Yvonne and let himself in. Yvonne wasn’t expecting but still loved his meat inside her. Yvonne wanted blood and soon tired of giving Naomi head so she took her dexterous tongue out of Naomi’s snatch and bit her inner thigh. Naomi howled with pleasure. Lux bent over Yvonne and bit into her neck which made Yvonne detach. The blood from Naomi’s inner thigh washed over her leg and the bed. Naomi smiled wickedly as she dabbed her fingers into her own blood and smeared it across Yvonne’s bosom.
It was near dawn when the three of them stopped their orgy. Naomi’s newfound love of fucking was going to get her in trouble someday, but tonight she was treating herself, she beat the ever-loving shit out of Bram. She smiled to herself knowing that she caused him pain.
Chapter 4
They stood in the snow in a line outside of Ground Zero. Snow was falling and there were few cars on the road. Bram rubbed his hands together and looked at his assembled friends. “She’s here.”
“I know,” Thomas said. His fists were clenched and his eyes were pools of rage and regret. “I will handle her.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Mallory asked.
Bram nodded. “Fast and hard and don’t give them a chance to speak. The headphones will help, but it works through a combination of their voice and their eyes. They’re strong, but we can beat them.”
“Who are you trying to convince?” Elton asked. “look here, there is an entrance through the back that goes right into the back bar. Mallory and I will be there waiting for you. Get the knife and get out, Thom. We ain’t trying to settle scores yet. Just leveling the playing field.”
Thomas nodded and lifted his rifle at the door and Bram followed suit. Mallory set a charge on the door and waved at them before moving with Elton to the escape location. The thought kept circling in her mind, why did they let them live. With their backs against the wall, Bram and Thomas out of action they could’ve easily finished the job, but in the four days it took to heal it dawned on her they needed a magus to use the knife. It was one of the first things Bram said he needed when they met which meant they needed her. She shivered at the thought of what would happen if Lux had gotten to her first. “Elton, can someone come back from Lux’s power?” She asked.
“Yeah, but it’s a process. It’s not easy, but you have an advantage over most. The magic can insulate you.”
She nodded as they ducked into the alley by the back entrance.
* * *
The charge blew the door open and they moved in. The place was empty of people. There were no mercenaries, just Naomi standing in front of the door to the back bar.
The mohawk was gone, she had a shaved head with the beginnings of growth and instead of her previous punk attire she wore a corset, leather panties, and stiletto knee high heel boots. There was a whip hanging loosely from her hand “Hey baby.” She said seductively. “Are you guys gonna shoot me?” She said and stuck out her bottom lip and bent slightly at the waist displaying her cleavage.
“Wow,” Bram said reflexively.
“Dude,” Thomas said back.
“It slipped out.” They refocused on Naomi. “We don’t want to shoot you and we won’t if you don’t make us.”
With superhuman speed she rushed Thomas and he fired as she flipped over him and kicked him in the back of the head. Thomas went flying and the rifle skittered across the floor. He changed almost instantly as Bram tried to locate her. Bram moved for the door but was kicked in the face as he reached for the handle. He fell on his ass as Naomi laughed at him. Thomas was on her slashing and trying to bite her. Bram put on his headphones and started the music. Seven Nation Army blasted into his ears as he moved again for the door. He pulled it open and the second bar was also empty. He moved through the office door and nearly had his head taken off as a white claw slashed at his head. He fired as he looked up at Drox as big and gnarly as ever. The bone ridges on his chest and head looked like they increased in size, but he was otherwise the same and just as big as ever. The assault rifle caught him on the chest and blasted clear trough to the wall behind him.
Lux sat behind the desk and looked like he was laughing. Bram went low and shot at his knees dropping him to the ground and then fired three shots through is head. It wouldn’t put him down for good, but it would temporarily. He turned back to Lux who was out from behind his desk and on top of him. He punched him in the face and reached for the headphones. Bram dodged him and returned with a jab and cross to his face. He lowered the rifle and caught Lux through the chest. The force of the shot knocked him onto his desk. He kept shooting until the clip was empty. Drox was unfortunately back in action.
* * *
Thomas slashed at her stomach, ripped through the leather corset and her abdomen. The strike stunned her and he grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the opposite wall. She fell to the ground in a heap. Thomas returned to his human form. “I loved you God damn it!” He yelled and pointed at her.
Naomi’s eyes opened up as he got closer. “Aw, poor baby.” She cracked her neck and back into place and stood up. “Thomas Crying Hawk. I don’t remember ever liking you. I was all a cover for my work with Sacri Sanguinis.”
“No, that’s a lie. Lux changed you, made you something you’re not.” Thomas’ heart was breaking as he looked at the girl he loved and she wasn’t there anymore. This was somebody else.
She put out her arms to give Thomas a hug. He swatted at her and that’s when she bit into his neck.and wrapped herself around him. He shifted and tried to pull her off clawing at her back, but the werewolf blood was making her stronger as he lost blood. She remembered they had fought together, but she remembered him being much better at it. She drained his corpse dry and dropped got off of him. She wiped her mouth with her forearm and headed for the back. Her corset was shredded so she pulled it off and dropped it to the floor. She liked being topless better anyway. She picked up her whip a skipped into the back bar. Bram had managed to get behind Drox and was elbowing him in the head as Drox knocked him into the bar and the wall and finally he jumped and landed on his back with Bram hitting the ground first. Naomi smiled at the scene and moved to find her man.
“Lux.” She yelled and straddled him. She ripped open her wrist and fed it to Lux. He twitched and then grabbed her wrist drinking it in. he smiled up at her and pulled her into a kiss.
* * *
“It’s taking too long. Something is wrong.” She reached for the door, but Elton grabbed her by the shoulders shaking his head.
“Don’t do that,” He pleaded. “Help him with what’s up here.” He tapped her forehead.
She nodded and leaned against the wall. “Okay.” She focused on Bram and found it much easier than the first time. She saw him fighting Drox. “Drox is alive.”
“Okay. Focus on the knife.” Elton said.
She pushed her mind out to the rest of the bar and the office. She could see all of it. She could almost feel it like it was skin. She saw Naomi making out with Lux while Bram was fighting for his life and she saw a tabernacle in the office. She saw it open and the knife was laid in it on a pillow. She could feel the physical space. Then she saw Lux standing next to the tabernacle and he seemed to look at her. “Hello Mallory.” He said like he could see her.
“How can he see me?”
“Because I’m telepathic.” He said with a smile.
Naomi came around and put her arms around him. “Who are you talking to baby?”
“Come out of there Mallory,” Elton said.
She wanted the door to the tabernacle to open and it did. She wanted the knife to move and it started to shake. Lux watched it curiously. It shot out of its enclosure and Lux caught it. “That is amazing. You are a Magi after all.”
“Mallory.” Elton said, “Don’t do this, come back out.”
“Shut up Elton.” A rich feminine voice behind Elton spoke and he turned to Yvonne. “You disappoint me Elton. You fell into a trap.
“Mallory,” Lux said. “I have you trapped. Bram will be dead soon. Join us and I will let them both go.”
Mallory’s thoughts were swirling. They were going to mind fuck her like they did to Naomi. She didn’t want to be important, she just wanted Bram safe and back with her. “I’m scared Elton.” She said out loud.
“There is nothing to be afraid of child.” The woman next to her spoke and the fear evaporated.
Mallory thought a little clearer and pushed her mind towards Bram and Drox. Drox had him pinned to the wall with his claw raised for a killed strike. She thought to herself and focus on his limb. Focused on it and where she wanted it to go. He struck and missed Bram’s head, but sunk into the wall next to him. The lights flickered and Drox’s muscles seized as electricity shot through his body.
Lux and Naomi came out to see the display and Lux clapped. Bram was beaten and bloodied and kneeling on one knee as he tried to stand and fell back against the wall. Drox collapsed with his and still in the wall. “I will ask you one last time Mallory. You in exchange for the lives of Bram and Elton.”
“The knife requires a Magi to use it doesn’t it?”
“To unlock its full potential yes, but it is still a knife.” He said.
Bram no longer had his headphones on. “Bram, stand up, but otherwise don’t move.” He did so and handed him the knife. “Do not attack me with the knife.” Bram did as he was told he held the knife in his hand. “Mallory on the count of three Bram is going to stab himself through the heart, which I am fairly certain will kill him.”
Bloody tears were streaming down her face as she watched Bram holding the knife. “Please.”
“What was that, One.” Drox roused for a moment, but a stray pulse of electricity put him back down. “That was unexpected. Two. Mallory, Th…
“Stop! I’ll do it, I’ll do it, please just stop.”
“Excellent. Bram go outside and tell Mallory to come in, then stay with Elton.”
He nodded and moved to the back door. He opened it and said “Mallory come inside.” His words were slow and cold. Almost robotic. She put her arms around Bram, hugged, and kissed him.”
Elton shook his head as Mallory went inside.
Mallory created a little room in her mind and she locked herself inside with a password to open it. She pictured it as a solid room, her old apartment. She pictured every stick of furniture, every morsel of food in the fridge, and every DVD she refused to sell or get rid of and she locked it all away deep in her mind with the single word, “tabernacle,” to open it.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Mallory Edy.” He put out his and to shake. “how do you like the new Naomi?”
“She looks a little slutty.” She said as she wiped her eyes.
“I don’t take it as an insult,” Naomi said. She was still hanging on Lux running her hands up and down his chest and his pants and occasionally stroking his dick.
“Mallory. Forget about Bram.” He said and he was gone, just gone. It was extraordinary how powerful his words were. “Now I feel slutty would be a very accurate description of you.” She shook her head and pictured the last sex she had. She couldn’t remember him or his name, but he knew they were naked and fucking in the hallway which certainly sounded slutty. She couldn’t help but agree and she felt her posture shift. Every thought in her head revolved around that single premise. She wanted cock. “You are very attracted to me aren’t you?” She nodded emphatically and really wished she was in Naomi’s place right now.
* * *
Kimberly Kroger and her boyfriend Randall were arm in arm as they entered Ground Zero for the most unusual gala. The place was packed with older men and women as well as waiters and waitresses in black ties and white shirts which seemed strangely out of place with the goth décor. She spotted her father and waved at him. “Hi Daddy.” He beckoned her over.
“This is really weird, huh,” Kimberly said.
“A little, but it’s finally happening. The men and women in this room are the power brokers of the city. If they want something to happen it happens.” her Daddy seemed nervous, but she wasn’t sure why. She put the thought away and decided to ask him about it after the party.
“Cool,” Kimberly said. She spotted a tall handsome black man flanked by two gorgeous women who were dressed in skintight black dresses that clung to their bodies like they were painted on. She recognized the one woman, her hair was dyed platinum blonde since she last saw her. She wanted to say hello to him so she advised Randall to take her that way.
“Hello, My name is Lux Manta.” He said with a smile as he shook her hand his voice made her legs go weak at the knees.
“I’m Kimberly Kroger and this is my boyfriend Randall.” He waved curtly. He was clearly staring at the two women who seemed to be completely obsessed with Lux. The platinum blonde whispered something in his ear as she shoved her hand down his front pants pocket. Kimberly could clearly see the outline of the erection she was working with her hand.
“Randall, I can see you clearly staring at Mallory here. Please take her for a spin. Kimberly you don’t mind.” he said.
Kimberly blinked and realized what e just said was true. “What should I do?” She asked Lux.
“See how many men you can make into a vampire in this room tonight.” He said.
“Okay,” She said and marched off to find someone to make into a vampire.
Mallory removed her hand from his pocket as he whispered in her ear. “Give him head in the bathroom.” She seemed pleased with the order as she took Randall by the hand.
“I’m Randall.” He said sheepishly.
“That’s a nice name.” She turned to him and kissed him on the lips, “Listen Randall, I’m going to suck your cock so well you’re not gonna remember your girlfriend’s name.”
It was a strange sensation to have two minds. Mallory knew what the other was thinking and it was hot, but deep inside her mind in the room marked Tabernacle Mallory paced in her old apartment and hated pretty much everything that was happening, but soon he would need her to use the knife and then she was going to come back and kill him in his fucking sleep. She just had to be patient. In the little apartment in her mind she wrote down Bram and underneath she wrote remember Bram.

Ghost Dance

In Minneapolis, it is raining. The weather has cooled from the mid-nineties to the low sixties. I’m feeling a bit thoughtful today and have since last night when I started posting strange nonsequiturs on Instagram and Twitter. They read well but were symptomatic of the shift in my mood from aggressive pursuit of financial security to the more easy going thoughtfulness that comes with the achievement of my goals. I still have more work to do and not to rely on cliche, but I feel a weight has been lifted.

Today’s story is a piece of erotica I wrote in New Orleans around Halloween last year. It is short, strange and a lot of fun to write. Please enjoy Ghost Dance.

Sleeping_with_ghosts

“The house is haunted. That’s apparently a selling point.” My potential landlord said in a perky tone.

“Really?” I repeated.

“Surprisingly yes. A lot of people enjoy the thrill of living with a ghost. I don’t believe it myself, but it’s definitely been brought up by more than a few tenants.” she went on as she moved through the house.

“I’ll take it.” I found myself warming to the idea of a supernatural roommate. She smiled and brought me to the kitchen to fill out some paperwork and worked through the details of the lease. I nodded absently and found myself already looking for signs of a presence other than our own. I felt nothing. Saw nothing and felt hustled by the absurd pitch.

The apartment was definitely worn. The walls were painted spirit blue and the floors were hardwood. The bedroom and primary room had what looked like an ancient fireplace caked in decades old white paint. It had apparently never functioned as anything more than sound insulation according to the landlord. The apartment had a balcony, a fairly large kitchen, and a spacious bathroom. The place had the smell of age. I stood in the bedroom as she left waiting to see the mysterious wraith. I half expected the walls to bleed the moment she closed the door. Still nothing.

I wanted to believe. I wanted to see something of this hidden world others claimed to have experienced. My grandmother showed me pictures of fairies in the garden and ghosts in her hallway as I grew up. I believed, but only because I was a child. As a grown man, I saw nothing that supported her claims and those pictures never resurfaced in any photo albums and she never spoke of them.

I moved in. Days passed and still my specter refused to appear. I all but forgot about the dubious selling point.

I crept into bed on a chilly night. The sheets chilled me as pulled them over me. After the heat of the previous month, the drop was a welcome change, but it still sent a shiver down my spine. My mind was releasing the work of the day and shedding the last of my tension.

I felt something lightly catch on the hem of my sheet. I shifted and pulled the sheet closer to my chin. Again the sheet shifted and a breeze flowed down over my chest. I pulled it up again and settled onto my side gripping the covering. Something gently touched my cheek and I swatted at it. I opened my eyes to the darkness. The ceiling above was bare and there were no insects buzzing. I shifted upright and sat against the wall. A hand touched my shoulder from behind. I felt a thrill pass through me. My ghost. I let the touch linger tried to focus on it. Every detail. I wanted to remember and tell people later about my haunting.

The touch stayed and moved gingerly down my back and crept over my flank. I let the sheet fall from my chest. Another hand touched my chest and I felt pressure on my lap. A whisper touch on my lips and a flush warmth rose through me. I reached my hands out hoping to find something. I felt skin. The smooth slope of an ass and the crush of invisible breasts on my chest. The ghost’s hands moved down my torso and reached into my briefs.

I held my breath. The world stood still. Nothing in my life had prepared me for this meeting. My eyes opened and closed in rapid succession trying to find my unexpected lover. Feathery hands pulled my penis free. Hot and cold laced together as her phantom hands stroked me.

There was weight and mass, but no image. Nothing for my eyes to focus on, but the spirit blue walls and the foot of my bed. Whatever demon form she took I wanted to see her face. The image must’ve been absurd. My hands hanging in the thin air caressing curves that couldn’t be perceived. My mind filled in her form from the braille of her exquisite body. Sharp shoulder blades. The fan of her hair became clear with my eyes closed.

Her tongue swirled with mine. My hips were bucking against what felt like her thigh. Her hands guiding me into her and I felt the warmth engulf me. There was nothing in my world that could tear me from that moment. The traffic sounds outside dimmed. The dull monotone of the refrigerator. I was still in the waking world. This wasn’t a dream. Her weight shifted and pieces of my will evaporated and I began moaning. Making sounds I hadn’t made since I discovered and explored sex with Becky back in high school.

Spectral nails raked my back. I could hear the slapping sound of our thighs smacking each other over and over again until there was a shudder and the pace had to be started again. Her smell. Her moaning and finally her form materializing like a wash of watercolor in front of my eyes. Her eyes were such an absolute black that it pulled in all light. Her skin was alabaster. Her hair was black and stuck to her forehead from her exertion. She shuddered once more and she smiled before her weight was suddenly gone. Nothing remained.

“Now I believe.” I smiled and drifted off to sleep.

As always, thank you for reading. Please submit a story.

Kristopher Bishop 

note: Image was lifted from a Placebo album cover. I found it on a google search for public use images. I claim no rights to the image.

Malia

It has certainly been a while. I had aspirations for this site, but time and tide swept them away. However I have decided to resurrect Neon Rabbit to showcase my writing and the creative process in general. I have recently moved to New Orleans, Louisiana to pursue film production and other potentially lucrative activities. It has been an incredible journey so far and I look forward to all the new adventures I will have in the coming months and years.

The story that follows is the first creative piece of fiction I have written since arriving in New Orleans. It is part experiment and part love letter to the two things that have inspired me most. My new home and the woman I left behind. 

As always, enjoy.

The French Quarter is hidden away. An anachronism surrounded by the trappings of the modern world, but turn one street and you could see the past with each lonely step. The asphalt was always mounded at the middle and the doors all had the rumpled quality of a hobo. I wanted nothing more than to leave, but I was pinned to a bar by celebrants. The bar was indistinguishable from the other dozen bars I passed on my walk along Bourbon Street. It was a song that drew me in, but the tone of the bar changed as soon as my drink was ordered and by then I was trapped. Outside the constant flow of tourists pushed through the street armed with daiquiris and plastic beads. I resigned myself to my whiskey and the unrelenting beat of the speakers. My gaze scanned the room for an escape route. That’s when she caught my eye. She was a tiny thing and her glasses were too big for her beautiful face. There was a sheen of sweat coating her skin. Her body moved to the rhythm of the music and I was transfixed. The entirety of the bar bled into a frame for this girl who danced alone.

Liquor made me courageous so I approached. She smiled instantly. Tiny crows feet webbed from her eyes when she smiled. Her shirt was damp and nearly translucent under the neon and blacklight. I smiled back awkwardly and beckoned her closer. She came close. The smell of sweat and rum was heady and her body pressed delicately against mine. I said nothing and smiled.

“My name is Malia.” She spoke into my ear. “First time in the Quarter?” Her smile was warm, inviting.

I nodded. “Can I talk with you outside?” I yelled back.

She took my hand and lead me through the crowd. Outside my heart was overwhelming all other sound. I didn’t know what I wanted to say. She looked me over with her perfect face. “What’s your name?” She offered her hand and I gladly took it.

“John. I’m new.” I held her hand longer than I should have. I didn’t want to let go. In this girl who didn’t exist five minutes ago I saw my future. I saw my mistakes and my shortcomings too, but I stuffed those thoughts back.

“Do you want to go somewhere with me?” She offered.

I felt a pang of doubt. She had only just met me. A stranger in a bar and she wants me to follow her to parts unknown. My paranoia flooded and all the horror stories I ever heard pulsed with a new life. “I don’t have any money.” I said before I could stop myself.

She giggled,“Come on.” She moved down the street and didn’t look back. I was offered a choice. Go with her into the unknown or stay and continue my trivial evening with strangers. I resigned myself to the loss of a kidney and ran ahead with Malia.

I was doomed from the start. There was nothing she could say or do that would dissuade me from my adoration.

Malia lead me through the labyrinthine streets of the Quarter. She opened a gate and lead me through with a grin. “Where are we?” I asked and felt simple.

“I live here.” She answered as we continued. Her door was below a wrought iron stairwell. She opened the door and lead me inside. Her furnishings were spartan, a bed and a metal folding chair were the only furniture in her room. She produced a small bottle of whiskey and two mismatched glasses. “have a seat.” She ordered and flopped onto the bed.

“I’m confused.” I confessed.

“Why?” Her eyelids fluttered as she handed me a glass.

“I could be…” My mind raced.

There was more to her than just a body. There was a spark in her that I seldom saw, but perhaps that was the swirling cocktail of hormones and booze needling at my rational brain. I could see her in the flourescent light of her room. She was imperfect. Acne was speckled on her chin and there were a million tiny imperfections that were now made readily apparent in the light. None of these made her any less attractive to me. On the contrary the fact that she was suddenly more real made her irresistible. “My body is my own.” she stated, “If I want you to come to my bed that is my choice. If I told you to leave would you?” I said yes. “So drink and sit.” She patted the bed.

She talked, I listened. She explained how I had been lost, but was begging to be found and I had to agree. We were looking for each other. Not endlessly, not like soul mates and maybe not even after that night. When we found each other in our mutual state of need she assured me of her intentions and of what she would allow.

I moved in for a kiss. She stopped me with a light press against my chest, “I haven’t said yes.” There was no malice in her words, only the understanding.

I sat up and straightened my back, felt awkward for the attempt. She pressed her hand on my shoulder and straddled my lap delicately. She pressed against my chest again and I laid back on her bed. She hovered over me and smiled. Her glasses had slid down her nose and I focused on the point where they had stopped. They were about to fall and my impulse was to move them from the precipice of her nose. I reached up asked, “May I?” she nodded and I carefully removed her glasses.

Her face was a foot above mine. I could feel it when I closed my eyes. I remember she kissed me first. It was gentle, her soft tongue probed through my lips and found mine. I kissed in return. I held my arms above the bed between her delicate flesh and the soft sheets of her bed. To touch her would be a sin, like touching a butterfly’s wings. If I touched her arm would she still be able to fly. My hesitation was noted and she placed my hands on her shoulders looked me in the eye and said, “Yes.”

Hotspur

Note: Another story about the exploits of Martin Tyrone Key, metaphysical detective. This one involves a sex cult with all the graphic detail you would expect from such a story.

Enjoy.

On a cracked and dusty asphalt street in a desert town Martin Tyrone Key ran his fingers through his mohawk as he looked at the picture of Elise her parents had given him. A decrepit building gaped at the boarded up houses that surrounded it. All told thirteen people had entered in the past two hours. Key perused the file; Elise Wilson disappeared two weeks ago with her boyfriend Cody Wilkes. The two had hooked with a sex cult called “Fornicatio Solemnitas” lead by a man called Hotspur.

Key waited until dark to get out of his car. He slipped casually to the side of the building, pulled a silver flask from his coat and took a long swig, capping the flask he took two deep breaths and headed in.

Incense billowed in a massive protean cloud over the congregation. The chamber was vast and candlelit, despite the heat from the thousand little flames a damp chill still hung on every atom of the room. The members of the congregation were all dressed in red robes and masks. Each mask was unique and represented something of the individual who wore it. Some had old plastic Halloween masks others had ornate filigreed treasures. Underneath the robes each celebrant was naked, flashes of genitalia were as common as handshakes and hugs among them.

The congregation swarmed around the altar at the center of the room, oblivious to everything but each other. Key perched himself on a massive boarded windowsill away from the reunion of worshippers. He winced as he took another swig of the sickly sweet Crème de Cocoa in his flask. The liquor did little to warm him against the chill so he stuffed his hands under his armpits and focused his attention on the simple concrete altar.

A young girl, no more than eighteen, stepped into the room while at the opposite side a teenage boy mirrored her entrance. The girl’s robe was red like the others but hers was shorter and only hung to her thigh, additionally it hung open to give a teasing look as to what lay beneath. A hint of breast, a shock of pubic hair, and a flash of muscle along her stomach as she walked. She wore a mask made in the image of a moon. The boy dressed identically save for the sun that adorned his face. The girl was the right age and height for Elise and she had a dirty blue party tattoo of a butterfly on the top of her foot, which fully identified her, leaving Key to surmise that the boy was Cody.

They strode across the floor towards the altar. Members of the congregation began groping each other as the teenagers passed. The congregation was shortly a symphony of hands jerking, kneading, and probing with hedonistic abandon. Some solitary souls merely masturbated as they watched the long journey to the altar.

Elise and Cody ascended the altar to a choir of carnality. The teenagers kneeled in front of each other with mere inches between them. Elise’s palms were sweaty, her mouth was dry, and she felt dizzy. She worried that she might fall into Cody, they were forbidden to touch at this part of the ceremony, and disrupt the proceedings.
The priest entered the room and quickly moved to the altar. He kissed the palms of his hands lightly and touched both of them on the forehead. Then he raised his hands to the ceiling and began chanting.

The congregation’s fervor amplified when he began chanting. One woman obscured by a baby doll mask straddled a man’s cock while she jerked another one off. Beads of cum shot at her like buckshot and she groaned ecstatically and bucked harder against the lover below her. On the opposite side of the altar a man thrust slowly into the ass of another man, both grunting softly with each long stroke. The altar was crackling with energy as the priest continued chanting.

Elise could feel the energy rising up through the altar and pulsing fiercely through her body. She could feel heat sweeping off of Cody. She wanted so badly to touch him, to feel his arms around her. Her arms would not obey; they were two pieces of lumber hanging stubbornly from her shoulders. Her breathing was becoming labored and she felt her muscles twitching as if in a spasm. Cody’s head was swaying lightly and his mouth was moving. His dick, which was exposed through his robe, was rigid and tall. Elise wanted to take it, to touch it, lick it, straddle it, she wanted to feed off of his cock. The impulse was already irresistible and growing more feverish with each moment, but her body was paralyzed by the spasms.

Key lifted himself off the windowsill and crouched behind a bundle of rusted pipes. He saw runes on the altar begin glowing around the lovers. They were arcane symbols whose origins had gone to time and tide. Key pulled a notebook from one of his many pockets and copied them down as best he could.

Elise saw the symbols too. They glowed a putrid blue color and made her head swoon when she tried to look at them. Sweat was pouring down Cody’s body. The priest was screaming and thin ribbons of blood pulsed from his eyes, nose, and ears. His tongue was swollen and splitting like a cooked sausage making the strange language he was speaking come out in wet sloppy consonants. Cody was reeling, his body was shaking and his eyes were rolled back in his head. The sound of sex was reverberating off the walls and it mixed with the low snarls that were coming from Cody. The cacophony was deafening.
Elise felt her need rising, the strain of it was unbearable. Cody, who was no more than twelve inches from her, was heaving and growing. His muscles were flexing and straining. Cody’s raw sexuality was hitting Elise in waves. She could see the fornication around her and she was cherry picking the positions she could try from the menu at her peripherals. She could feel an orgasm rising in her just from looking at him. Then as the cacophony became a din, it was all halted by a loud crack.
The force of Key’s blow sent ripples of force through the clouds of incense. The priest fell to the ground. His face was wet and pulpy from the ritual and slid against the concrete. “Enough!” Key bellowed to the celebrants. The tribal tattoos that gilded Key’s face all but glowed next to the pale blue of the altar and the yellow light of the candles. He stood over the priest with a gun drawn and pointed out in front of him.

“What have you done?” Yelled one worshipper. The group surrounded him boners pointing like spears.

Key fired a shot off into the ceiling. The crowd stood in silence as he grabbed Elise around the waist and eased her off the pedestal. The baby doll stepped forward, her breasts still heaving. “You shouldn’t be here. The rectory is sanctified and there will be retribution from Hotspur.”

Key put his gun in his waistband. “I don’t think he’ll be causing any trouble for me.” He kicked the priest lightly as he hefted Elise into his arms.

“That’s not Hotspur.” She retorted as she pointed at the altar.

Key turned to Cody. Cody fell forward his body steaming from the moisture in the air. His musculature was impressive and preternatural. His mask fell away from his face; his eyes beneath were crusted in blood and his lips were pulled back in a wicked snarl. His head cocked and he looked at Key leaving with his mate. Fury erupted in him, he howled and launched himself at Key.

Key moved as quickly as he could, but Cody become Hotspur was on him. Key and Elise went sprawling across the floor. Hotspur grabbed him by the ankle and pulled him back towards the altar. He threw Key into the concrete block like one would throw a child. Key’s head cracked against the hard altar, which sent flashes of pain through his skull. Hotspur pounced on Key and jammed his thumbs into Key’s eyes. Key’s face was throbbing in white-hot pain; he bellowed as his hands fumbled for his pockets. He gripped a small sack and smashed it against Hotspur’s face.

The pouch erupted in a crystalline cloud; Hotspur released his grip on Key and scratched at his burning face. Key pulled a lighter and a vial from another pocket, a small glass tube with thick reddish liquid, and quickly poured the contents into his mouth, flicked the lighter and spat the substance back at Hotspur in a ball of flame. He forced himself to his feet. Hotspur howled and rubbed his face into the grime-covered floor. Key fell against the altar and weakly pulled the gun from his waistband. His eyes were still pulsing from the attack and his head pounded with jackhammer force.

Key cocked the gun. Hotspur was recovering quickly from the salt and the flame. With sudden ferocity three of the masked celebrants tackled Key, knocking him against the altar again. Key pressed the gun against one of the reveler’s heads held the head firm with the off hand and yelled, “Back! Get back!” They stopped their assault and stepped away. Key pushed the hostage away with the barrel and turned his attention back to Hotspur. The Demon was up and on him. Key fired a shot, but Hotspur pushed his hand away and the shot went wild. The following punch knocked Key across the room. His shoulder hit the ground hard and he thought he felt something snap. Key rolled onto his back as Hotspur raced after him. He leveled the gun again and the barrel sang as a bullet ejected from the gun. The shot tore through Hotspur’s chest and exploded out the back in a spray of red gore.

The creature fell twitching on the ground. Key pulled himself up and staggered over to Elise. Key dropped the gun, kneeled next to Elise, then almost lovingly he lifted and cradled her; she was still unconscious. He pulled a small strange looking rattle from an inside pocket and began methodically rattling and chanting in a sing-songy voice. The congregation did nothing but watch.

The police arrived some time later. The worshippers stories varied wildly as the police questioned each of them about what had happened. The police didn’t charge Martin Tyrone Key with assault or murder. Cody’s body disappeared and the priest, one Harold Kasee, was assumed to be the leader of a vile sex cult that was trying to marry these teenagers in an orgiastic ritual with satanic overtones. He would be convicted of multiple sexual offenses. In prison two years later he would be murdered in the middle of the night by a white supremacist.

Key received medical attention for a dislocated shoulder and concussion, but was released of his own recognizance. He stiffly got into his car with Elise. She turned to him as he slid into the driver’s seat. “What happened?” She asked.

Key silently started the car and drove onto the highway. For thirty minutes he said nothing. He thought very long about what he was going to tell her. He thought about explaining everything that had happened, what the ritual was meant to accomplish, and how her boyfriend had been possessed and murdered by the demon that now inhabited him. Elise tried in vain to get him to answer her questions. Finally he said, “They conjured a demon. You were supposed to be its bride.” It seemed direct.

She mulled over his answer for a moment then retorted, “Bullshit.”
Key simply shrugged and drained the remnants of crème de cocoa from his flask. The ride was long and quiet after that.

FireEater

Dusty paths routed through the carnival, throngs of people moving like a river through the thoroughfare. Milo moved deftly through the crowd, weaving between the bodies. there was a kind of dance to it, but his quiet need made him clumsy and he bumped more than he slid. He hadn’t seen her in a year and only just heard she was here, their meetings were always brief, but the life had its price.
Milo entered the darkened tent, and saw her form. She was naked from the waist down. Her stomach was taut and adorned with an intricate Celtic cross off set from the ends with intricate cursive script. He couldn’t make out the words, but his eyes had no trouble tracing the loops and twists in the cross. Her pubis was shaved bare, he grinned looking at her face “What are you doing to me?” He asked coquettish. She bit her lower lip, her pixie cut hair framed her gorgeous face, her eyes took him in hungrily. He put his arm around her waist. she was light, he lifted her up and supported her ass with his other hand. They fell against the wall, she bit into his neck, he felt the sting of her teeth as his flesh was pierced. His eyes went wide for a moment, but he settled in and ground against her pelvis. She reached for his pants, pulled ineffectually against the denim in a quiet pleading way. “I have to go.” he said trying to pull himself away. She whimpered.
“You’ll come back?” She said.
“No one could stop me.” he responded. The stage waited for him.
Fire grew lazily on the torch. The red glow of the wick shimmered like a phantom beneath the flame. Wispy tendrils of yellow lit the Fire eater’s face from below. he pulled another torch from the decanter, whipped off the excess fluid with a flourish and lit it off the first torch, held them over his head and lowered both into his mouth extinguishing them. He smiled at the audience and held the torches casually at his side before lifting the first torch and igniting it from the fumes in his mouth. He repeated the routine and played the fire against his arms, stroking it lovingly with his hands until finally he dropped both torches on the stage, still lit and lifted the decanter to his mouth and took a hefty swig. He dropped to all fours on the stage and let the fluid loose, atomizing it in a fine mist. the mist ignited from the torch-flame and a fireball erupted. He moved like a beast , slow lumbering movements as he took another pull from the decanter, lifted a torch and blew another fireball out over the audience. They shrieked in delight, he finished the act with a series of fireballs each one from the same mouthful and each one bigger than the one the preceded it.
“Jekyll and Hyde. Beast and man, the primal nature of fire. that’s what I’m trying to get at.” He answered the reporter, the showman hadn’t left from him yet, not with the crowd still lingering. He belched under his breath the non taste of paraffin and the subsequent smell of petrol in his nostrils nauseated him as he tried to make his escape backstage.
“What about the possibility of being burnt or the carcinogenic nature of the oil?” The journalist pressed.
“Risk is the nature of life, I just take it a step further than most, but really my job isn’t as dangerous as a police officer, a fire fighter or even a bike messenger. jobs with inherent risk are the most satisfying I find.” he let off a smile that had coaxed more than a few women into bed.
He left quickly. No more showman, no more talking today, he had another appointment. Dusk was heady at the carnival, the games were louder, the smells of fried food more inviting. the day was for children, but night was when the lovers came. He wove behind tents and moved back into the crowd at varied intervals. As he stepped back behind a tent for the final leg of his walk he stepped into a man. he was big and very strong, Milo fell back from the force, but the man didn’t budge. He stared at Milo, “Sorry about that.” Milo said as he got to his feet.
Milo brushed himself off and was moving to continue his trek, but the strange man wasn’t quite finished with him. He reached out and stopped Milo from his path. The man was strangely still, his suit was purple save for the sleeves which were dark with moisture, his hands were coated with something gummy and his chest didn’t rise or fall. Milo was suddenly very aware of his own heartbeat. A chill fell over him in spite of the summer heat. “Listen,” He said, “I’ve got to get going.” The man gripped Milo by the throat, lifted him off the ground and opened his mouth wider then any human mouth Milo had ever seen. Milo tried to yell, but the grip on his throat was already draining him of oxygen. His vision flickered as his eyelids struggled to stay open. The purple man’s teeth grew sharp in his maw, black, yellow eyes boring into him, black. He pushed at him with whatever feeble strength he could muster and fumbled at his pouch with the other, reached his hand in. no knife, just a flask, pack of cigarettes and a lighter. In a wave of fear he grabbed at the flask, pulled a mouth full and dowsed the man with the rest. The creature’s teeth were closing in a half grin at the corners of his jagged mouth. Milo almost lost consciousness as he pulled the lighter, but managed a burst of strength, brought the lighter to his mouth and blew with as much force as he could. A conflagration burst to life between them.
Milo’s face was lit as well, but the purple man dropped him and he dove into the dirt face first patting his face in a flurry. He turned to the creature who was screaming through the crackle of flame. The creature ran through the carnival lighting tents and people on fire as he passed. Milo released a deep breath and grabbed at his throat. He finished his walk to his girl’s tent slowly and in partial shock.
He heard her weeping gently. he was weary, but quickly moved to her side, “what’s wrong baby?” He said quietly as pulled her into a hug.
“It’s, ah, it’s my brother…” she sobbed.
“What happened?”
“He’s dead. Tonight, he died. Somebody lit him on fire…” She looked up at him through teary eyes. “What happened to your face?”

The Tea

The jungle howled as light crept through the trees. Out of the thickest portion of foliage Melri, a Felarin girl burst through the branches, followed closely by a hoard of Olgri, creatures that appeared to be a marriage of man and boar. Chirping and snorting, they trampled the undergrowth in their pursuit of Melri.
Melri was a slight girl elfin in feature her skin mottled in greens and browns. She was sticky with sweat and her pert breasts heaved as her lungs grasped at the rapidly thinning air. The jungle grew darker as she headed further into the canopy. She knew in her heart that escape was nearly impossible, but the light of the moon shown one possibility, a volcano lay some miles ahead of her indicated by the hazy red mist that shrouded the moonlight. If she could make it there she might be able to find a cave and evade her pursuers.
She was heading for her homestead but she instead found herself lost among the twisting jungle when the Olgri horde came upon her. The Olgri were said to be vicious creatures that cavorted in blood and played malicious games with their prey. The Felarin were raised to watch for signs of Olgri encampments from a very young age. Melri’s people were enlightened but weak in the field of war. The Felarin’s lithe bodies were no matches for the brute strength of Olgri warriors. So they learned to hide themselves among the trees, this coupled with their natural camouflage were their sole defenses against the amoral Olgri.
Melri reached the volcanic rock and forced herself up. Her body bled from a thousand tiny wounds and her muscles screamed for rest, but she pressed herself forward. She reached a high flat plateau and stood for a moment unable to feel anything but the buzzing of her overworked form. She looked back and saw the hoard below, they were quicker than she anticipated, before she was able to turn and run they were two short strides from her. With nothing left to run on and no escape in sight her limbs gave out and the Olgri were on her.
Melri woke on a bed of soft loose feathers. She was in a small hut lit by a cooking fire in the center. Melri sensed a presence; someone else was in the room. The world spun as she tried to lift her head forcing her back down. “Who is here?” She groaned.
“Do not be afraid child.” The voice was soft and inviting. Melri turned very slowly to see another Felarin girl. The girl was a collection of ruddy red and purple hues, She beamed at Melri. “The Olgri are gentle, they will treat you well.”
Melri tried to rise again, “I have to get out of here, my mother…” She fought against the dizziness but was again overcome.
“They will come for you soon. For now you should rest, you’ll need it for tonight.” She giggled at this.
Melri, becoming more resigned, spoke. “Who are you?”
“My name is Illin. I was taken some time ago, I too was afraid at first, but that will soon go away when you see the Olgri generosity.” Illin giggled again amused by her own innuendo.
As the throbbing in Melri’s head began to subside she fell back into a dozing sleep. Illin massaged her shoulders and back lightly, the ministrations were initially unwelcome, but Melri didn’t have the strength to resist and soon enjoyed the relaxing heat of her new companion’s touch.
After a blissful hour the flap of the hut opened and a large Olgri brute entered accompanied by an ancient woman. “Wake yourself child.” The woman hissed.
Melri opened her eyes. The old woman held a cup of steaming liquid she kneeled next to the girl and with surprising strength lifted Melri to a sitting position. “Drink this.” She forced the cup into Melri’s hands. The Olgri watched intently, his head swayed and his muscles were taut. Melri wondered in that moment if they were always ready for war. His bulk was immense, intimidating. She was quietly preparing herself for death. Melri tipped the drink back it was thick and sticky as it touched her lips. The bitterness of the drink made her wince, but as it reached her belly she felt warmed by it and noted idly that the drink had a sweet aftertaste.
Melri’s appetite for the drink grew more voracious until she emptied it and greedily lapped up the remainder at the bottom of the cup. The ancient woman spat at the Olgri “Oonog! Come take this girl.”
Melri’s head swooned from the drink and as she looked up at the creature she saw him with new eyes. He was not so brutish as she remembered, Oonog, was what the woman called him, was strong and lean. He pulled her close. Melri couldn’t help but smile, he smelled musky and strong, like a warrior should smell. What happened here? He was brutish and ugly before, but now as she felt his cock rise against her belly she wanted nothing more than to impale herself on him.
Oonog bit at her neck and she arched her back. Melri was suddenly aware that her hands, acting of their own spirit, began stroking and messaging his thick penis. She looked on it her eyes widening at the prospect of what was about to happen. He breathed heavy and pulled her back by her hair. “You belong to me now.” Melri moaned and swallowed his tongue as she climbed on top of him. She had no idea why she felt the way she did, but more importantly she lost all capacity to care as she pounded herself against him. Five screaming, panting, and scratching hours later she fell back against the feathers and drifted to sleep next to her lover, her master, and her protector.