“Let me see.” Abella’s face disappeared. Gazing into the gap, Beth saw her put both hands on the ground and push. The pile shifted slightly, but the gargoyle wasn’t strong enough. Her face reappeared. “No, not yet.”
“I’ve got time.” Beth’s stomach growled, and she put her hand against it. When was the last time she had felt so hungry? “I don’t suppose you have food?”
Abella shook her head. “We didn’t plan on being here this long, and I don’t eat.”
“Damn.” Beth rubbed her stomach and promised herself a big meal later. Scowling, she climbed on the pile of stones again. “I guess I’ll just keep on keeping on.”
“Beth!” Abella shouted as the pile shifted beneath Beth’s feet. “Run!”
“Run? From what?” Turning to face in the only direction Abella could see, Beth saw the Minotaur step out from behind one of the pillars. Clutching a giant ax in his hands, he snorted and came toward her.
“Oh. Fuck.” Beth lifted her spear. She had nowhere to run.
In the darkness, Dana could hear the ocean crashing against the sand, gentle pulses that threatened to lull her back to sleep. If not for the sudden sound of the heavy glass door sliding in its track behind her, she would have let the ocean carry her mind away, just another cloud of thought drifting over the horizon.
“Hey there, Sparks.”
Dana heard the can of beer touch down on the glass end table, followed by the stretching of canvas when Alex sprawled out on the lounge chair next to her. From her seat, she could smell Alex’s skin, a combination of sunscreen, seawater, and the grilled burgers they had eaten earlier.
“Mmh.” Dana reached over, quickly finding Alex’s fingers with her own.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“I’m afraid to open my eyes. I’m afraid that if I open my eyes, this will all go away.”
“And why would it go away?”
“Because you…you…” The oxygen left Dana’s lungs, the sudden inability to speak bringing back a flood of memories of the crash, the memorial service, and everything else. Taking a deep breath, she let her mind drift among the waves for a moment. “You’re dead.”
“I don’t feel dead.” Dana could hear the smile in Alex’s voice. “How did I die?”
“Motorcycle crash. Road was wet, and a car lost control, hitting you head-on.”
“Wow. Sounds awful.”
“It was.” Dana was waiting for the world to pop, to take her back to reality. When it didn’t happen, she opened her eyes and stared off the balcony, watching the water crash onto itself, erasing footprints from the sand. The sun had just set, and the world was vanishing from sight. “This is just a dream, you know? From our trip to the coast. This is the little apartment we rented, overlooking the ocean. Tomorrow morning, you’re going to spill waffle mix all over the floor, and we’re going to go out to breakfast instead.”
“I hope we go somewhere good.”
“We do, but…” Dana couldn’t bear it any longer. She closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again, wiping away the tears that had formed. Turning in her chair, she looked at Alex, praying that the beach wouldn’t turn into the road where Alex had died, a cross pinned to the guardrail where the bike had skidded into it and gotten stuck.
Alex Winters was sitting sideways on the lounge chair, her legs crossed in front of her. She had tossed on a long white tank top after her shower, and her tight curls had been pulled up into a bun. Her skin was brown with warm orange-red undertones, and her dark eyes reflected the glow from the porch light that hung above them.
“Alex,” Dana whispered. It was the first time Alex had come to her in a dream fully intact without triggering a sequence of nightmares.
“Someone makes a comment,” Alex finished for her. “A guy at one of the tables calls us a pair of dykes. You get pissed and slam his face into his eggs. The cops get called but not before we get the hell out of there.”
“You remember?”
Alex laughed. It was the same laugh that had attracted Dana to Alex when they’d first met and when Dana had accidentally shorted a circuit they had been building together for the class robots. Seeing those sparks reflected in the dark pools of Alex’s eyes had made Dana’s heart skip several beats, the moment only interrupted when the circuit board had caught on fire.
“Of course I remember. I was there.” Alex winked.
“You were, but…now you’re not.”
“Yeah.” Alex’s smile vanished, and she stared into the darkness. “It’s amazing how quickly your future vanishes when you die. Death swallows everything up in an instant. People will tell you that your life passes before your eyes when you go. Those are the people who survive, the ones who talk about all your old regrets. Nobody tells you that the worst part is watching your future vanish, seeing all your hopes and dreams become a whisper of smoke you can no longer hold on to.” Alex pulled her legs up against her body and put her chin on her knees. “You get to see bits and pieces before they bury you. It’s almost like having a shitty internet connection, and the video skips. Until you told me, I wasn’t entirely sure how I died.” Her face darkened. “My parents. They were not kind.”
“They still couldn’t accept you. Even at the end.”
“Not true. It was you they couldn’t accept. That’s why they didn’t let you come to the funeral. You were a reminder of what I was and what I wasn’t. In death, I was simply a wayward angel who may have someday come back to the fold, met a nice guy, had some babies. But now I was dead, my legacy forever tarnished by some white girl who came along and corrupted my poor soul.” Alex chuckled. “Death isn’t at all what anybody expects, by the way. Sure, some parts are how they say, but I promise you this—their version of eternity is going to be a lot less peaceful than mine.”
“You’re…you’re at peace?” A flood of emotion welled up behind Dana’s eyes, threatening to burst through the dam.
“Almost.” Alex stood. “There is something I miss very much.” She stepped across the gap and sat down next to Dana. Each lounge chair was just wide enough for both of them. “You see, one of the things you learn when you are dead is that you can’t replace some people. I’ve met some interesting beings, but none of them hold a candle to you, Sparks.”
“I miss you so much,” Dana said, gazing into Alex’s eyes. From here, she could barely make out the dark freckles on her cheeks.
“I miss you too.” Alex placed a gentle hand on the side of Dana’s neck, then moved it to her cheek.
“Is this real?” Dana asked. “Is this a dream?”
“Doesn’t matter what I say. Either you’ll stay with me forever or you’ll wake up.” Alex pulled Dana to her, her thick lips gently touching Dana’s. Dana let out a sigh of relief, then slid her arms around Alex’s torso, holding her tight against her. She could feel Alex’s hot breath on her face, smell the grease on her fingers from cooking, sensations that should have been impossible in a dream. She kept waiting for it to end, keeping her fingers crossed that it wouldn’t. She didn’t care if that meant she had died—truth be told, she was dead already.
“Alex, I—”
Alex placed a finger against Dana’s lips, her other hand running down the side of Dana’s arm. Gentle hands moved across the bare skin of Dana’s stomach, tracing shapes on her flesh that made goose bumps rise on Dana’s arms.
“I saw that you fixed up my bike,” Alex said, her lips by Dana’s ear. Tender kisses landed on Dana’s neck and moved lower to find her collarbone. Alex’s fingers slid up Dana’s stomach, pushing aside the fabric of her bathing suit and finding the soft flesh of her breasts.
“I wanted it to remember you,” Dana said, her voice little more than a whisper.
“Do you remember what happened on this night?” Alex asked her.
“We started making out on the balcony.” Dana’s hand was on Alex’s
hip. “Things got hot, but I chickened out. I was afraid someone would see us out here, so we went inside and made love in our room.”
“Not this time.” Alex snapped her fingers, and the porch light went out. Starlight illuminated the beach below, the clouds evaporating in the ghostly glow of the sky. “This time, no regrets.”
“Alex.” Dana said her girlfriend’s name as if it was a prayer.
Alex pressed her lips to Dana’s, a soft touch that was immediately familiar yet still exciting. Dana ran one hand up Alex’s stomach and realized that she wore nothing beneath the tank top. She caressed the underside of Alex’s breast, generating a slight moan of contentment. Alex’s breasts were super sensitive—she wore bras with extra padding if she had to wear anything heavy like a sweater. Dana placed her palm against the base of Alex’s left breast, her fingers and thumb resting perfectly beneath its curve. She could feel it faintly, the heart that had stopped so long ago beating gently in her chest.
“It’s beating,” Dana said, tears filling her eyes. “It’s really beating in there.”
“For you, it never stopped.” Their lips met again, and Dana tumbled back onto her chair, Alex straddling her hips. Alex sat up, pulling her tank top over her head to reveal her small breasts, breasts that Dana had kissed hundreds of times. It wasn’t so much the thrill of burying her face in a beautiful bosom but rather the reaction of the woman who owned them that made them Dana’s favorite body part. Leaning down, Alex kissed her way down Dana’s neck, running her hands across Dana’s stomach, then up her ribs. Dana kissed her back, hyperaware of Alex’s fingers as they slid beneath her, undoing her bikini top. The cold night air of the afterlife made Dana’s nipples stand at attention. Alex and Dana being roughly the same height, Alex’s nipples would occasionally rub across Dana’s when they kissed, causing Alex to gasp.
Dana squeezed Alex’s ass, then moved her hands upward and onto Alex’s lower back. Alex moved off-center, lightly gyrating her hips on Dana’s hipbone. The contact was minimal, but with her nipples being flicked, Dana hungered for more sexual contact of any kind. Dana pulled Alex down, their breasts pushing together until Alex could change positions to where they were both comfortable. Dana lifted her left leg, and Alex slid herself onto it, grinding her crotch into Dana’s upper thigh. Dana watched Alex’s face as she stirred herself into a small frenzy.
“I love you,” Dana said, grabbing Alex’s hips and pulling her closer, allowing her to grind even harder. “I never stopped loving you.”
“I love you too, Sparks.” Alex closed her eyes, biting her lip and letting out a long moan. One of her hands found its way onto Dana’s stomach, then slid down to the top of Dana’s shorts. “I’ll always love you.” She unsnapped the button, making enough room for her hand to disappear beneath the fabric. Exploratory fingers slid along the sides of Dana’s vulva, then stroked her expertly. Alex had gotten one of her scholarships for her talent on the piano, a skill with her fingers that had carried forward into her sex life.
Dana closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of those fingers moving in circles over her hairless folds. Alex had always loved her clean-shaven, a habit she had kept up with. Dana’s natural lubrication allowed Alex to manipulate her expertly, Dana’s clit standing at full attention while Alex worked the skin around it.
“More,” Dana whispered, so Alex obliged. After lifting off Dana, Alex grabbed her shorts and slid them free, exposing Dana’s hairless pussy to the stars. Alex undid her bikini bottom and resumed her spot on Dana’s thigh. She sat up straight now, holding on to Dana’s leg with one hand and fingering her with the other. Her thumb circled Dana’s clit while her fingers gently worked their way inside, curling and uncurling against her inner walls.
Dana smiled and pulled Alex down for another kiss. Their tongues touched briefly, swirling against each other before parting once more. Dana bit her way down Alex’s neck, eventually reaching the tops of her breasts. Alex rolled her hips in tight circles while Dana licked and nibbled at her breasts, teasing her nipples indirectly before sucking them into her mouth. Alex was grunting, a flood of sexual fluids coating Dana’s upper thigh. In response, Alex fingered Dana more vigorously, forcing her fingers in even deeper.
“Come up here,” Dana commanded, pulling on Alex’s hips.
Not one to argue, Alex scooted forward while Dana slid down the chair, her legs hanging off the bottom. Alex’s pussy smelled of sunscreen, the beach, and something else that ignited a primal urge in Dana. Licking gently around Alex’s large, wet folds, Dana lost herself in the flavor of her pussy, a delicacy that had been far too long coming.
“Oh fuck. Oh shit, mmh!” Alex clutched at her own thighs now, her hands moving up to the chair to brace herself. “Mmh. Mmh!”
In response, Dana grabbed Alex’s thighs and held her down, moving her tongue in circles. Alex’s clit popped out of the folds, and Dana sucked it into her mouth, pushing her chin upward into Alex’s vagina, forcing her to open up even more. Alex grunted, sending an additional flood of juices onto Dana’s face. Dana responded by tilting Alex forward to expose her opening just enough that Dana could finger her from behind.
“Oh shit!” Alex grunted as two of Dana’s fingers slid in all the way to the knuckles. Dana didn’t have to do much; Alex was rocking her hips just right that she was effectively fucking herself on Dana’s digits while her clit got sucked. Dana savored Alex’s musky flavor, holding her tight against her mouth when her cries grew louder. Alex was pinching her own nipples now, her cries coming faster.
When Alex came, she wrapped her hands around Dana’s head and pulled, cutting off Dana’s oxygen supply. Dana’s body flushed with heat while she continued licking, Alex going completely rigid against her. Dana let go of Alex’s thigh, her hungry fingers finding their way along her own belly to her swollen labia and pinching the folds together around her clit. She squeezed herself, her fingers now wet with her own fluids.
“Ooooooh fuuuuuuuck.” Alex relaxed, lifting her mound off Dana’s face. Dana sucked in air, briefly wondering if she even needed to breathe in this place. Alex was gently rubbing her own breasts, her cheeks glowing with postorgasmic bliss. “Fuck, I missed that so much.”
“Well, I’ve missed something too.” Dana narrowed her eyes at the heavenly body on top of her. “And I expect you to deliver.”
“Ooh. I love it when you’re bossy.” Alex shifted, moving down along Dana’s torso. “But it’s my turn to be in charge now.”
Alex lifted one of Dana’s legs, placing her own leg beneath. Dana sat up and pulled the chair into an upright position. Alex wrapped her legs around Dana, and both of them tightened their legs, pulling their hips together. Alex started slow, grinding her hairy lips against Dana’s smooth ones. Dana gasped, grabbing Alex’s hips and pulling her close.
Dana leaned forward as they scissored, kissing her way along Alex’s chest, feeling the body that she had been so long denied. Both women were sweaty now, the humidity trapping beads of moisture against their skin, salty drops that they licked off each other with exploratory tongues. How long had it been, Dana asked herself, her soul finally at peace. An eternity of Alex lay before her, an infinite number of nights on the beach, of exploring each other’s bodies. She had so many questions but could only focus on the warm body pressed against hers, that moaning shadow that threatened to press into her, finally making her complete. Closing her eyes, she felt her own orgasm building, the first of many to come.
“Dana,” Alex whispered, and then she was gone.
“Alex?” Dana opened her eyes. Alex was nowhere to be seen. She picked up her bikini top and held it against her chest, standing up to stare off the balcony. The beach was empty, and the crashing waves had gone still. The universe had come to a halt.
“Alex? Alex!” Dana screamed into the night. The horizon had vanished, and the ocean was receding. Dana watched in horror as the water disappeared, revealing that th
e world had a crumbling edge. The earth broke away in chunks, falling only God knew where, and Dana ran through the apartment before shoving her way through the front door.
Dana screamed. The world was caving in, and the parking lot in front of the building had swallowed up all the cars. Looking down into the void, Dana could see distant stars beneath, shimmering dimly.
“Oh, God no!” Dana ran back out to the balcony, screaming Alex’s name, hoping to find her. The room fell apart behind her, and soon only the balcony was left. The world crumbled like sand around her, the building breaking into dust and blowing away. Floating in the void, she saw a sky full of stars. One by one, they vanished, cosmic matches being snuffed out. Cold terror formed in her gut, and she clung to the railing as the final star was extinguished and she fell into the void.
She sat up, a scream frozen in her throat. She clawed at the air, eventually grabbing onto the edge of the table she appeared to be lying on. Inhaling deeply, she looked around, trying to figure out where she was.
“I see you’re back.” It was the man in the suit. He was perusing an old paperback that still had the used bookstore sticker on the cover. “How was it?”
“How was…huh?” Dana put her face in her hands, fighting back tears. What had just happened?
“Being dead.” He turned the page, then folded the corner neatly before closing the book. “You’ve been dead for…” He checked his watch. “About two hours now.”
“Dead? Me?” Dana looked at her hands. They were paler than normal. Rubbing her fingers together, she realized that they felt slightly numb. Her sense of touch had been muted.
“Yep. You’re dead.” He stood, then moved closer to her. “I spent quite a bit of time on you. You see, you are here to serve a purpose, and I need you in perfect condition. Well, with one exception.” He tapped himself on the chest. “No heartbeat. Not anymore.”
“You…took my heart?” Dana placed her fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing was there. As she moved her fingers around, panic set in.
Radley's Labyrinth for Horny Monsters Page 22