"Keanu don't be an idiot!" My less than ideal plea fell on deaf (crazy!) ears and he kept walking directly in the path of the hulking eyesore.I desperately wanted to go after him but my feet were frozen in place,such was the overwhelming power of my fear.Something hit me and stuck to the back of my neck and I whirled around, reflexively reaching for the offended spot.My fingers came into contact with something hard yet slightly flexible at the same time that my eyes registered a now earless Nazir Hound that lay a few feet away from me.
Oh please God no.
My feet started to do a little anxious dance,as they would if I really needed to pee,while I removed the object (be a twig,or a stone,or even a glob of mud, please God) and slowly brought it around to my face.God must have thought it would be funnier for him if he ignored my fervent prayer since the thing dangling from my index finger and thumb was indeed the severed,grey,half rotted ear of the fallen hound.
Needles
The darkness is all encompassing and infinite,a vast and eternal thing that swallows us whole.We dangle in it's midst for a fraction of a second before we descend into free fall.As before,I can see myself and those around me clearly,despite being enclosed in inky blackness.We're falling through time and space,with no end or destination in sight.We're in The Deep again."Aaaaahhhhh!!" A scream pierces the dark and echoes thinly,then is absorbed by the void.Keanu is to my left,clutching at the air,kicking his feet and looking around wildly.His wail peters out then starts up again,even louder than before.Ulrik is to my right,glowing contentedly purple with his arms and legs folded in the lotus position.He gives Keanu an indolent glance then faces forward and closes his eyes,as if entering a deep meditation,utterly unaffected by my best friend's obvious terror.Jerk."Keen,chill," I
Keanu and I were beside him in an instant.I tried to shake him but it was like trying to move a mountain."Ulrik!"No response."Yo,Yo!.....wake up man," Keanu slapped his chest twice,wincing each time but his concern negated the pain.I frantically searched his exposed skin for an injury we hadn't noticed,a snake bite,anything.His eyes were closed and his body completely still.I bent and put my face an inch away from his nose and felt the air leaving his nostrils.He was breathing but it was shallow and well paced,as if he had fallen into deep slumber.His skin was unbroken and unmarred.Keanu tried to find a pulse point but his skin was hard and impenetrable and he fell back on his haunches,stared at the door that had opened into a wide foyer.I was trying to move Ulrik's hundred pound head from side to side but it proved to be as futile as trying to move his body.Dammit, weren't there supposed to be people in this place?
"Your fellow Globites,now sit," Glob said,his tone commanding and final, before they could answer.Keanu and I looked at eachother again and he nudged me forward.I pulled out the second gilded chair beside the woman,leaving an empty seat between us.Stranger danger right?I descended into butt heaven.My bruised and weary backside sank into plush cushiony goodness and I let out a little thankful sigh.I wasn't as quiet as I thought because the red head beside me smiled knowingly then raised her eyes to watch Keanu take the seat next to me."Hi,I'm Logan," she said with a faint Irish twang and a crooked smile,extending her hand.She was pale in a way that made me seem tan,with fine bones and pixie features in a heart shaped face.Her fiery red hair was barely held back by an elastic band that struggled to contain her riotous corkscrew curls.Green eyes smiled into mine and I shook her hand,ignoring the spark of fema
I cupped my throat,focused on gulping down air and stifling the reflexive coughing.Glob walked past me and my eyes followed him inexorably,as if he was a magnet and I was iron.Keanu lay sprawled on the floor,with his chair now on it's side, where he had been thrown.Glob offered him a hand and he looked at it like it was something he wanted to kill (I'm surprised it didn't shrivel up,turn black and fall off) for a moment,then rose to his feet unassisted and came to my side."Are you ok?" He pulled my hand gently from my throat and rubbed my back while examining the bruise that had no doubt formed.Logan advanced in my periphery,clutching a napkin."I've never seen anyone choke like that," she almost whispered,reaching out a hand as if to stroke my face,then snatching it back when she became aware of the action."Yeah well," I coughed to clear my throat,my voice was scratchy and uneven," there's a first tim
I all but melted into the fragrant,warm water.I went completely under and stayed for a full minute before I broke the surface,wiping wet hair and water from my face.I had a moment to wish I had conjured a loofah or a washcloth but I let the errant thought slide away, taking pleasure in lathering myself with my fingers.I worked through my hair,detangling and scrubbing until I was satisfied,and ducked my head to rinse it.I grabbed the coconut and vanilla body wash I used at home and was overcome with a wave of homesickness.I thought of my parents and lecturers and smiled as I imagined the opposite reactions they'd each have to me being missing.My parents would call the national guard and offer a reward for my safe return and my college instructors would throw a party in honor of my absence.I wasn't exactly the best student.I did love my mom and dad though.Oh how I wish I'd had the presence of mind to grab my phone.I guess I can cut myself some slack since I went from bei
I floated on a soft cloud,naked and unbothered with my legs crossed,counting the dancing Freia trees above me as they hopped off the burgundy hill.One fell and veered out of the que and made a beline for my mouth.I opened wide instantly,somehow certain that it would reduce in size and fit snugly inside.I groaned in ecstasy as the rich chocolaty goodness filled my mouth and slid thickly down my throat.Oh yeah.I lifted my hand to run through the red hair on top of the head that rested on my pubic bone,caressing the tight curls in a bid to comfort as the unidentifiable person sobbed into the juncture of my thighs."Aaaw, don't cry Keanu, it's ok," I said softly,staring at the orange-pink sky,strangely unaffected by the wrenching sobbs drenching my pubes though my words were sympathetic.Red rimmed green eyes lifted and pooled,tears spilling in rivulets down a pixie like heart shaped face.
I marched into the dining hall that doubled as the conference room and snarled at Glob's perfect face."I want to go home."He was seated at the head of the table,with Keanu and Logan on either side of him."Ms.Bishop,please sit." he asked in a tone that made me feel like a little girl that was barely tolerated.I folded my hands and stared him down,wishing I could use one of his beautiful horns to give him an enema.Wayne walked past me and took a seat beside Keanu who conspicuously avoided meeting my eyes.Which added fuel to the flames of my anger.Make it an enema and a prostate exam.Wait,why is there now an image of two perfectly proportioned butt cheeks in my head.You're angry Judah! Keep it together!"Who the hell do you think you are? Commanding us like a herd of sheep,keeping us here against our will and wooing us with you
I chose to ignore Glob's subtly mocking challenge and asked a question that had been nagging me since my earlier talks with Ulrik."How old are you exactly?"He blinked in reaction to the abrupt change of subject,his sly smirk falling off his face."How is that relevant?" He questioned,leaning back in his deep seated,high-backed chair."That old,huh?"He eyed me carefully and stroked his chin absently."Why do I feel as if I'm being mocked?"I shrugged."Why don't you want to answer?""And what time is it? I haven't seen a clock since I've got here," Keanu interrupted."Reminds me of a casino,"Wayne commented and Logan nodded in agreement,rubbing her stomach."I am two years short of seven hundred and in your world it would be half past eleven." Glob answered,prompting a brief, con
"Is this a joke to you? Cast the birds away this instant and summon your rodent companion!" Glob was saying, presumably to Keanu,though,who else could he be talking to?Ulrik must have smacked into my head harder than I thought.That cloud looked like a chicken leg.My stomach rumbled and I licked my chapped lips,rested a hand on my middle and rubbed comfortingly."You are thinking about food in a time like this? Look at the mayhem that you have caused!" Ulrik yelled at me,standing in all his arrogant,stick up the but glory,hands fisted at his hips,glowering at me and blocking out the sun.At least he made good shade.I sighed and struggled to my feet,wincing as my body moved painfully.I rolled my shoulders in an attempt to get rid of the kinks,preparing myself for the bloody verbal sparring that was now inevitable."You were going
Like survivors after a natural disaster,we helped eachother up from whatever sprawled position we had found ourselves in after our profoundly satisfying laughing session and made our way after Sir Gorgeous and Mr.Tightwad.The air was crisp,clean and refreshing;the sun a burning ball of light that warmed my skin and glinted off dewed leaves.Vividly colored butterflies and flying insects flitted among blooms and fruit,danced around my head and made me smile.The birds I'd moments ago found so tiresome were now endearing to my ears.Funny how a belly full of food and laughter can change one's perspective.I came out of my contented reverie long enough to notice that we were close to the circle and this was to be our training ground.I tried to crick my neck like they do in the movies and popped something I'm pretty sure was meant to be left alone.Need to stop doing that.Thankfully noone noticed my pitif
She tasted like peaches and she had tiny freckles on her eyelids.That's the first thing my brain registered when it rebooted.That,and her lips were soft and alien, especially since she was trying to slip her tongue into my mouth.I shoved her and she stumbled back,her eyes flying open,her face a mask of shocked confusion."What are you doing?" I demanded,wiping my mouth."Um,I think it was pretty obvious," she responded,watching me warily."Yeah,but why? Why in the name of coke would you think I'd want you to kiss me?"The thumping heart seemed to resonate up through the soles of my feet and expand within my cranium,forcing me to narrow my eyes in concentration.I'd just been kissed by girl.Wasn't as bad as I thought but still."I just...." She approached me and started to reach for my face but I recoiled and backed away.Her hands fell."I just wanted you to be sure you didn't want to try it," she finished with
"Am I the only one who finds that creepy?" Wayne,Keanu,Logan and I were lounging on the porch,watching the night approach. With it came the interminable sound of the beating heart and the fog like red haze.Smelling like jasmine and summer,the air was cool and soft,with pinpricks of stars begining to appear in the eerie twilight sky.Keanu and I shared a cushioned love seat,though we were careful not to touch.I wanted to punch him in the face.Then knock myself out while I was at it.After we rut like rabbits in heat of course.Though I had tried to take out my sexual frustration and confused feelings on dinner,I was still pretty wound up.I shifted my attention to Logan who was in a corner of the porch,trailing her fingers in a flowering plant that brushed the top of the embellished wooden enclosure.Her hair stood out boldly in the fading light and her profile was almost ethereal
"It is as I told you Glob,she is not well in the head," Ulrik said almost gleefully behind me,as if his long argued conspiracy theory was finally being proven to be true. I pictured him pointing to his own head for emphasis and almost turned to see if my imagery was correct.I decided to let that little comment rest for now though, since I had more pressing matters at hand. I had a wolf to subdue. Or a Hispanic looking British dude to contain. Same difference. Sorta. "Be careful," Logan urged and I turned to give her a reassuring smile,wishing my stomach wasn't all tied up in knots,wishing for some Freia to boost my confidence. I've got to find a way to get back to Godis,and with that huge basket Glob brought to the circle. My gluttonous belly did a little happy dance at the idea then growled a threat if I didn't follow throu
I've never been good at uncomfortable silences.Even more so now since it's with Keanu,whom I've never had one of those with.I've never had a steamy make out session with him either so I guess it's apt.Still,I needed to say something to relieve this weird awkward tension or I'd start pulling out my hair.I peeked at him through the curtain of my hair as he drained his side of the sink."Did you notice how everyone was lit like the fourth of July except Wayne when we were out there?"He wiped down the counter before answering and I moved away,careful not to touch him."Yeah.I wonder what his power is....we know what everyone can do except him."I took a bunch of grapes from the refrigerator and started popping them into my mouth in twos."Maybe he really IS like batman.Didn't he mention something about self defense?"I broke off a cluster a
I forgot how to think,how to breathe.I could only drown in the ocean of feelings that bombarded my senses.I was like a long dormant volcano that suddenly, violently errupted and I gloried in it. Belatedly,I recalled my ache to be devoured and Keanu did so wonderfully.I was being feasted upon.Consumed.His mouth was hot,hungry and searing.Teeth scraped across my lips,his tongue invaded my mouth again and again as his lips slanted over mine.I was lost,swept up in the current of raw desire,primal lust and insatiable need.I was dimly aware of the hand that was now fisted in my hair,of a damp,wide palm running eagerly up and down my side.He was rough,fast and ardent.I couldn't get enough and responded in kind.I moaned when his hand cupped my breast and it was immediately swallowed by his mouth.My hands were trapped against his chest and they instinctively curled in his shirt,desperate for a touch of sk
When the world stopped spinning and we could walk without falling flat on our faces again we wound our way back through the knot of fruit trees and the vegetable garden then back in the house.Poor Logan was still nauseous and said she needed to lie down but wouldn't mind some company.Of course she stared right at me when she was saying this and added a very conspicuous lash fluttering but Wayne swooped in to the rescue and said he wouldn't mind staying with her for a while.Scheming Logan is more like it.She pouted in a way that made me wonder if she was really feeling ill or just trying to get me alone in a room.Thank heavens for Wayne.My hero.I'd always been a fan of batman.Glob and Ulrik wandered off,heads together like two guys lost in the throes of bromance.Wouldn't it be something though if holier than thou Ulrik preferred the
We wove through the idyllic garden and my mouth watered at the sight of the heavily laden fruit trees,some of which looked too exotic for me to identify.I had to remind myself that I'd just eaten but promised my belly we'd be back.I heard a snatch of muted conversation between Glob and Logan and dragged Keanu with me as I edged closer so we could eavesdrop."Being in Opa brings forth your abilities,as this is a land of energy and magic,where all your abilities were formed," Glob was saying and Logan pressed a hand to her stomach,as if she were feeling pain,or remembering it."So that's why it was so hard for me to control the lightening and keep it in?" She asked,looking up at him with her curls now brilliantly auburn in the sunlight."Yes and no.Your power and your ability to control it is tied up in your emotions so if you've been trying to suppress anything,if any feeling has been buried in your