by Josie Walker
I scream in alarm as something clamps down over my right arm, encasing it like a manacle. I whip the light around to see what has me in this death grip. One of the massive flowers on the bush has my hand squeezed tightly inside it.
I feel a strange sensation as something on the inside of the flower starts to suck and pull against my fingers. I scream in terror as sharp teeth pierce the skin on my wrist. I’m going to die because of a vampiric, bloodsucking plant!
What a terrible way to go! In total freakout mode, I pull my arm as hard as I can. The monster plant just won’t let it go. I jerk frantically, which increases the biting sensation in my arm. Horrifying visions of pulling back a stump instead of a hand fill my mind.
“No way are you getting my hand, you overgrown weed!” I shout.
I toss my light to the ground, and pin it with my foot so it doesn’t roll away. With my free hand I reach behind my back and slip my fingers into the pack. I feel around the inside and locate my knife.
Pulling it out it’s all I can do to hold back a bark of insane laughter. I think the plant is drugging me or something, because I feel weird. It has speared a piece of the meat that was also in the pack. This monster plant has a big appetite.
Something tells me it won’t be content with just my hand. It’s going to want all of me. I can’t let that happen. I fling the rest of the meat toward the bush. I struggle to get it off the knife so I can upgrade it from kitchen implement to weapon. A dozen of the maniac bell flowers strain against their branches, snapping and lunging for the meat.
“You are some scary freak of nature,” I tell the plant as I start sawing.
My knife is sharp, but the material of the bell flower is tough, like cartilage. I can hardly see because the light is on the ground and not facing up. But this doesn’t stop me. I continue to drag the knife back and forth at the base of the long flower.
I’m terrified of it grabbing my other hand. I grip the handle of the knife as far away from the plant as possible. A gooey liquid, which makes me think of blood, runs down my arm as I cut. I start to hyperventilate, but I don’t think it’s my blood because my hand doesn’t hurt that bad.
Then again, I feel a bit tipsy and I don’t know if that’s from being drugged or blood loss. With the next sawing motion I cut through the bottom of the plant where it attaches to the branch. It still doesn’t release my hand, as if even in death it’s unwilling to let go of its victim.
I use the tip of the knife to pry open the teeth of the strange plant, and at last I manage to free myself from its manacle grip. I stumble backwards and fall to my knees, panting. I scoot back on my rear end to put more distance between myself and the plant from hell.
Then I carefully inspect my hand. There are some cuts from what looks like teeth marks, but I can move all of my fingers, so I think it will be okay. I wish I had antiseptic, or even some alcohol to disinfect my hand. But I’m not that lucky.
I shine the light on the plant and see a dozen of the flower monsters straining on the branches snapping and pulling toward me, but I’m too far away for it to catch me again. I study it for a few moments while I catch my breath, then decide I’m ready to get moving again. I briefly consider going back to the relative safety of Bocc-d’ar’s castle. But I know that’s not really an option. I will not give up on my friends.
I must be losing my mind because part of me actually believes that I’d be safer as the alien’s prisoner than out here on my own. At least out here I can think clearly, an action which seems impossible whenever Bocc-d’ar is naked. Let’s be honest here, the guy is naked most of the time, unless he’s in his metal form. And even that is starting to look good to me, because I know what’s underneath it all.
“No!” I berate myself when I sense that I’m starting to cave. “I will not go back.”
Stubbornness is all I have working for me as I force myself to stand up and continue down the mountain. I have got to keep moving before I change my mind. It doesn’t matter if I am relatively safe at the castle. I will not abandon my friends.
The terrain has changed again, it’s not quite as steep, and there is a soft grassy groundcover which is much more comfortable on my feet than the rock. I shine the light down and see that it is the swirly grass blades that wrap themselves around my ankles. I start walking faster, afraid that the blades will capture my ankles and pin me in place like the plant plant did.
I hear something off to my right and shine the light in that direction to see what it is. My heart stops beating when I see a dozen red eyes glowing in the darkness. I continue to move downward, but keep my gaze trained on the pack of animals trailing after me.
They are about twenty feet off to my side. As far as I’m concerned that’s not near enough distance. All I have is a knife and, unless it’s a single creature with way too many eyes, there are a lot of them.
There isn’t enough light for me to see clearly. All I can make out is the vague outline of their shape. They are somewhere between the size of a huge dog or a small horse. I suppose it’s too much to hope for that they might be gentle herbivores. When I hear them begin to snarl deep in their throats I give up all hopes of them being plant eaters. Their menacing growls sound predatory, like wolves.
“Go away!” I scream at them, waving my knife.
I do my best not to show fear, but my bravado is naught but a thin veneer over the terror that threatens to consume me. I continue my downward path, keeping my eyes on the pack of beasts. More monsters join their ranks, and I spin around to confirm that I am now surrounded on three sides. I’m up shit creek without a paddle here.
The only place void of snarling beasts is right in front of me. It’s almost like they’re herding me in this direction. Too bad I have no choice but to keep moving exactly where they want me to. I’m not going to rush into their arms, and I don’t like my odds of winning in a fight.
That’s when I hear it . . . the thunderous crash of water. The cacophony fills my ears, becoming progressively louder with each step I take. I halt in my tracks. It’s the waterfall I saw when we were flying.
I feel the spray from its powerful force reaching me, even here on the edge of the precipice. Memories of Niagara Falls crowd my brain, filling in the gaps of what this looks like, even though the dark night doesn’t allow me to see it clearly. The way I see it, I have two options, and both of them wind up with me dead at the end. So do I want to drown, or be torn apart by wild animals?
I hear the beasts’ throaty growls, and spin around to see that the pack has closed the gap. I count at least twenty shapes now, running in unison, closer and closer. They are within the light of my sconce, and I scream in terror at the sight of them. The reality is worse than any nightmare my brain could have conjured.
Their hairless skin is a mottled gray and beige. Silver spikes run the entire length of their backs, starting between their huge almond shaped crimson eyes and running down all the way to the tips of their long hairless tails. Their mouths are formed by a full circle of sharp-pointed teeth.
Most of them move on all fours like wolves. But one of them is standing on its hind legs, almost like a man. It’s creepy, like he’s studying me. He leans his head back and lifts his head high, howling into the night sky. Then he turns his devilish red eyes back on me.
That was a signal. My screams fill the air as the first one strikes. It snarls and I stab at it with my short knife. My blade hits its mark, an eye glowing like an ember. The sharp blade pierces the soft flesh of the eyeball, and saliva sprays from the monster’s feral snout as it howls in pain.
I stumble as I wrench my arm back. I just barely manage to keep my grip on the knife, but my sconce slips from my other hand, and falls over the ledge. In a daze I watch as it tumbles end over end into the abyss. The drop is so steep that it appears to happen in slow motion.
Finally, it sinks in to the river and I see it no more. My arm is on fire
where the beast’s spittle came in contact with it. It burns like fire, like acid.
Once again, I’m plunged into darkness. The only light comes from the gleaming red eyes that surround me like a wall. They press in closer, moving as one. I can no longer see it, but I hear the force of the water as it crashes behind me.
The same question from earlier repeats in my brain: Do I want to drown, or be torn apart by wild animals? My breath escapes in a hiss as I make my decision. I’m such a fool. I should never have left the castle. I can’t help the other women if I’m dead. But it’s too late to do anything about that now.
CHAPTER NINE
Sarah
Time passes slowly as our ship travels toward Krina. I can’t help but resent that each day of our journey takes us further from Tessa and the other women who were abducted by the metal aliens. I understand the council’s decision, which forced us to leave without trying to rescue them. I agree that it was the right choice, which makes me feel even worse for leaving Tessa and the others to their fate.
What kind of friend am I? Oh yeah, I’m the worst kind. The kind that’s potentially leaving her BFF to die. I’m having a hard time living with myself. My guilt, combined with my morning sickness, is making it hard for me to want to eat.
I’m a bad friend and a worse mother. What little food I do manage to put in for the sake of the baby, typically comes back up again. When I share my concerns with Quella she assures me that the baby’s nutritional needs are very minimal to begin with. She tells me to drink lots of fluids, and I take comfort in the fact that all of us women are taking the Krinar equivalent of prenatal vitamins.
Vorek recognizes my depression, and assures me at every opportunity that the council is working on a rescue plan. I try to keep myself occupied, but it’s going to be a long voyage. What has caught my interest the most is learning more about pregnancy in general. And Krinar pregnancy specifically. The more I read, the more I realize what a miracle all these pregnancies are. Especially mine.
The fact that I, as a human, was able to conceive without the help of a fertility specialist is unprecedented. Often I find my hand hovering over my abdomen. What’s inside of me is so special. I vow to be a better mother, even if it makes me feel disloyal to Tessa and the others.
Each day I try to keep myself busy when Vorek’s duties keep him elsewhere on the ship. Recently I’ve taken up yoga. I read that it’s a great healthy exercise for pregnant mothers, so I decided to give it a try. I’ve kept this to myself so far, but the pose demonstration pictures I ran across earlier today featured partner yoga. I know Vorek is busy, but there’s something about the idea of practicing these poses with Vorek that really appeals to me.
I’m a little bored and decide that I need some attention from my cheren. So, like a good little charl I send a message to his communicator. The ship is way too big for me to walk around searching for him. Especially when I feel the constant need to pee thanks to the little miracle pressing down on my bladder.
“I need you to come up to our apartment.”
“Is something wrong?”
“I have something to show you.”
“Can it wait? Zalken is showing me the results of the plant experiments he’s been conducting.”
I don’t want to wait to see my man, so I decide to play hard ball. Of course I don’t tell him I want him to come up to do yoga. I do have a brain after all. “No. Can’t wait. You need to come now.”
That should do the trick, I think closing my computer screen. I should feel guilty for manipulating him like that, but pregnancy hormones have been turning me into someone I don’t even recognize. My assertiveness pays off, and sure enough Vorek comes crashing through the door in under two minutes.
“Sarah, what is it?” he asks. The concern lacing his voice turns to confusion as he looks at me in my cute yoga outfit. I used Vorek’s fabricator to make it and it turned out perfectly. The pants are gray with a pattern of pink vines and roses. There is even a pink stretchy band for my expanding belly. I folded the waistband down to showcase my cute baby bump.
The yoga pants fit like a second skin, and I’ve opted to go sans underwear to prevent unsightly panty lines. I can tell by the mirrors on the side walls that my ass looks awesome when I do down dog, if I do say so myself. The top is a snug gray jog bra with decorative pink and gray straps that crisscross my back.
I spent way too much time designing my clothes, and honestly I can’t decide if I enjoy exercising more or getting dolled up. I’m planning something in yellow with butterflies for tomorrow. I can tell I have his full attention when he comes in and locks the door behind him.
“I want to do partner yoga,” I announce. “I’ve been practicing by myself, but I just learned that it’s an awesome bonding experience for the mother and father to do yoga together. I have an instructional lesson all cued up.”
I eagerly point to the large screen on the wall. Sadly, my plan seems to be backfiring. Vorek has a pained expression on his face, and I’m afraid he’s going to bolt, cute yoga outfit or no. So, I decide to play dirty.
I have two yoga mats positioned next to each other. I lay down on my back on one of them. I slip the fingers of each hand around both of my big toes, then spread my legs out wide to the sides, basically doing the upside down splits. My crotch is now on vivid display for his perusal, with no unsightly panty lines to mar the view.
I lift my head and stare at him through my open legs. I can tell that he is not unaffected by my prowess because there’s a telltale bulge in his pants. Maybe I should have made him some tights. I get hot just thinking about it. He’d be like a sexy ballet dancer.
Did I mention yet that pregnancy has made me super horny? Yup, my emotions are basically all over the place. It’s no doubt exhausting my mate trying to keep up with the roller coaster of ups and downs.
“I need you to tell me if my legs are even,” I practically purr.
“Uh, they look great to me,” he says taking a step closer, just to be sure.
“Oh good.” I rock up to a seated position. “Why don’t you take some of those clothes off and join me?
“Uh, sure,” he murmurs, as he speedily jerks the shirt over his head, then steps out of his pants. “Underwear okay?” he asks.
“Perfect.” I turn my head so he doesn’t see my smile of triumph as I press play to start the yoga session. Honestly I’m surprised he was even wearing underwear. Half the time he doesn’t.
The movement starts with both of us in ‘Warrior II’. We face the screen in order to see what we’re supposed to do. Then, I put out my right foot, and he places his left foot with his toes pointing toward mine. Our arms lift outward, and we clasp hands around each other’s arms as we stare into each other’s eyes.
“I love you.”
“I love you double,” he counters.
“I love you triple,” I shoot back, enjoying our playful banter.
As the session progresses, we find ways to make the poses more and more inappropriate at every opportunity. We go into ‘double down dog’. I press my hands and feet hip distance apart and press my rear end up into the air.
“You’re killing me,” he says, as he climbs over me and also goes into ‘downward facing dog’. He is so much taller; he easily does the posture over me. I decide to be a bit naughty, and I wiggle my bottom and it comes in contact with a definite bulge straining through his underwear. I wiggle my hips as bait.
“Just wagging my tail,” I explain naughtily.
He thrusts his pelvis forward. “This has some definite possibilities,” he says.
The instructor in the video cues ‘upward facing dog’ and I lower my hips to the mat and press up with my arms straight. He lowers his hips down and I feel his hard-on pressing against my ass.
“Yoga is a lot more fun than I thought it would be,” he announces, his breath hot against my ear.
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br /> “It sure is,” I agree. We both come out of the pose and sit down on our mats. “Don’t you think it’s hot in here though?” I ask as I strip off my jog bra. He licks his lips, and I shimmy out of my yoga pants.
“It is kind of hot,” he agrees as he takes off his underwear, his cock standing at full attention.
The instructor is demonstrating partners straddle stretch, so we sit facing each other with our legs stretched as wide as possible, and our feet touching. He’s taller, but I’m more flexible, so it works. We join hands and he pulls me forward, which gives me an even deeper inner thigh stretch. My head comes toward him, and I have an up close and personal view of his magnificent manhood.
“I can’t quite reach it, but I’m trying,” I complain.
Of course, this naked foreplay is not demonstrated on the video. But I like our version of partner yoga much better. I’m glad we’re not in a live class, that wouldn’t be half as much fun. I flick my long dark hair and it brushes against his manly wares.
“Sarah, you’re killing me,” he groans.
It’s his turn to stretch his inner thigh muscles, so I pull him toward me. He’s taller, so I wonder if his face will reach the target, but he grunts in disappointment when he realizes he’s falling short. Then he cheats, bending his knees and totally coming out of the posture. He kneels right in front of me, and his mouth is headed straight for my sweet spot.
The angle isn’t quite right, so I decide to be more accommodating. I lay on my back and grab my big toes with the fingers of both hands, pulling my bent knees along my sides. My feminine mound is on full display. Neither of us are paying attention to the video anymore.
“This position is called ‘happy baby’,” I tell him as his mouth presses to my core, which is begging for him to taste it. His tongue swirls around my clit and then he sucks me into his mouth. I’m so turned on by our yoga foreplay that I almost come the instant I feel that sweet pull on my pearl. I wriggle my slick center against his face, panting for more.