Prior to this initial dream he had experienced some concern over the distant black hole forming in the clouds. But when this beginning of an oncoming storm soon dispersed and allowed sudden clarity to a void beyond the gloomy clouds, it startled him. He worried he would witness the onset of the end of all humanity. God had finally descended upon the Earth, come to reap the souls of all those who had sinned, just as Christians had professed would happen for centuries prior to this day. He considered running, to seek shelter in the basement of this facility and wait this out. Upon further inspection, he observed how the rest of the sky remained untouched by any threat this darkness posed. When it later faded, a strange emptiness shrouded him and he stared longingly out his window for several hours.
As a precaution, after work the following day, he had stopped to purchase the best telescope his funds would allow. He then returned to his window, eager to scrutinize the hole should it reappear. When it did rematerialize it was twice as large. Then it occurred to him the cloud was not larger, but that it was closer. And within the terrifying void at its core, he glimpsed something unexpected, a distant but obvious shape. It was a feminine figure dissimilar to that of any woman he had ever laid eyes on.
That night he sat beside the plain window, surrounded by bricks whose years stretched back far beyond his own, and gazed down at the street. A few vagrants stood below in the dampened streets, their pasty faces turned up as they studied him through thinned eyes, curious of what he saw. Was it possible that they, too, could see what had been revealed to him? He thought it more plausible they saw a middle-aged man who enjoyed gazing up at the sky with wide eyes; perhaps thought him intrigued by the moon or stars. He hoped that was all they saw, because he did not want to share her with anyone, wanted this for his benefit only. This notion excited him.
He sat and contemplated the woman caught within the dark mass that night, considered the likelihood he had gone mad. He hoped this was not the case, as already he longed for her to return. He wished she would come closer, near enough they might touch and perhaps fulfill his most passionate yearnings. He sneered with lust filled eyes at the empty sky.
When she arrived that night, he no longer troubled himself with the disquiet of being crazy. What mattered most was the need to satisfy his most primal cravings. For all he cared, they could lock him away in a straightjacket and cast him into a padded room for the rest of eternity, as long as he got to touch this woman, be with her before they carted him away. And this dusky night she loomed closer to his window, although still too far away to distinguish without the help of the scope. He focused on her and filled the eyepiece with her physique. He became enamored with her slender torso, her beautiful breasts, the furry mound he longed to plunge into. And she seemed to sense this excitement, reacted to his probing eyes and laid back on some unseen surface. There, she pleasured herself for his enjoyment, and he found himself drooling.
He engaged himself, studied her gyrating hips and seeking tentacles. Caught in the middle of this self-gratifying moment, he wished he had splurged for a stronger-powered scope. Then again, his wallet had failed him, and he could no sooner afford such a scope than he could a fine meal. Having already spent most of his budget, he would have to scrape to get by. He squinted, tried to focus on the eroticism unfolding in the sky, but his thoughts wavered.
What will those bums think of me if they look up and see what I’m doing now?
But even as the thought occurred, he realized he did not care. He was oblivious to them and felt no humiliation in his actions. His only concern was the woman in his telescope and his wish for her to come closer.
As if sensing his difficulty in seeing her, the woman’s actions became more animated. As he neared completion, his thoughts waned once more, this time to work and the fact he would have to leave in the morning. The sheer frustration of this denied him an end to his ecstasy, and the irritation of its sudden interruption persisted long after the woman vanished for the night.
* * *
The following morning while he spoke with his wife, he attempted to mask the desperation in his voice. It would be the first in a small string of lies. While Sarah’s displeasure was evident in her voice, she tolerated his choice. She no doubt deemed it necessary. He never thought she would give in so easy, but perhaps she too enjoyed their time apart.
He would also have to persuade his boss that he required an extension to finish up business here, persuade the man that he’d been too sick to call until now. He made a convincing plea with sniffles and coughing noises, a moment of dizziness, and through it all he maintained a constant concern that dealings with their latest acquisition had not yet been finalized. His panicked call brought a sense of urgency to his boss. It became apparent the man held more concern for leaving matters unsettled than the depleted expenses that had been allotted for the business trip. The man’s sole interest could be defined by monthly figures and whether they had seen a significant increase. So as long as the individuals at Global Securities did not contact his employer, he would be in the clear for another few days.
With his thoughts consumed with ogling his evening visitor for three more nights without interruption, he had not planned on any need to barter with the front desk manager to retain his room. He pleaded with the man, pointed out what a hassle changing rooms would be for the both of them. He resorted to begging, even felt the urge to cry at one point when he was certain the manager would still deny him this request. In the end, the manager accommodated Seth only when Benjamin Franklin made an unexpected appearance. This would be the expense to drain his wallet.
If he withdrew any more money, his wife would become suspicious and he did not want to deal with that. She would not share in his impulsive enthusiasm for space after discovering the bill for the scope. But this was none of his concern right now; might not even bother to explain the purchase at all. And he would go without eating if he needed to, as long as it meant he could see the hole in the sky again, behold the beauty that existed within its murky depths.
Although he once more considered buying a larger scope, he did not have the resources left to obtain one. But he also wasn’t so sure he would need one. Each night, when she appeared, she had been closer to his window. He was somewhat optimistic he might soon get his wish to touch this dream woman. He tossed his guilt aside, knew if the opportunity presented itself he would indulge himself.
When night cloaked the small New England town, he waited by his window, tapping an impatient finger on the sill. She suddenly blinked into existence very close and any guilt he’d fraught over washed away the second one of her tantalizing tentacles breached his window. The glorious scent of her perfumed feeler teased at his nostrils and he drew it in deeply. A bulge formed in his pants, assured him that he would refuse her nothing. He breathed heavy as a second tentacle entered the room and began to disrobe him with delicate precision. Then, she prepared to pleasure both herself and he simultaneously.
He caressed her tentacles with gentle fingers, unsure of what to do and disregarding the foreign texture. He had all but forgotten his wife’s tender skin, entranced by the probing appendages. They crept across his naked body, the peculiar suction cups sticking to his flesh and then pulling away with light kissing sounds. The daunting teeth at the ends of each limb nibbled suggestively at his flesh.
His eyes oozed with passion, and he could not keep from gawking at her pulsating body, his mouth agape with awe. She gleamed with the sweat of love and he yearned to lap up every last drop from her naval, taste her passion. The urge to take her, whether real or imaginary and quench his thirst, frustrated him. One cool feeler squeezed and another slithered up to his lips. He kissed and licked the appendage as she let her teeth drag across his tender flesh, and they soon climaxed together. Then she was gone, left his soul vacant. He barely slept that night, overanxious for her arrival the next day.
* * *
He dared not leave his room for fear of missing her. He took a quick shower, but was carefu
l to make himself presentable afterward. He ate a melted candy bar and some crushed crackers, both of which he demanded the front desk deliver to his room. He drank water from the sink like a dog, each time hurrying back to the window. With passion overwhelming him, his wife ended up the farthest thing from his mind. Both she and his work had called several times, but he neglected their every call. They would have only one reason to bother him. No doubt they had contacted Global and discovered his absence, but none of that mattered anymore.
When she arrived, darkness clouded his window. It thrilled him when she slithered into his room, a coy smile pressed upon her lips. He rushed to undress, never let his eyes fall from her as she climbed into the bed. She braced herself, coiled four of her tentacles around the bedposts and offered herself to him, free for the taking. The other four feelers coaxed him with some urgency, explored his naked form. They tugged him along as he finished removing his garments. He crawled on top of her with eagerness and they made love. He had never tasted sex so sweet, taken part in acts of such pure carnal desire. And now that he’d tasted such satisfaction, he found himself
obsessed and wanting more. There could be no one else.
* * *
In the morning he woke alone, the sweet smell of her still on him. He rolled to his side and stared at the empty place on the bed she had warmed the previous night. When the hotel staff broke in, he resisted, but still they forced him outside, and tossed his possessions into the street behind him. He wandered below the window, his only alternative to linger about outside the hotel, stare up and dream of seeing her.
He thought to call work, try to make amends. He was certain it would prove pointless. Although he felt somewhat guilty for cheating, he could not bring himself to contact Sarah. Nor did he want to. Only his mysterious mistress mattered. Yet without any source of income, he would not be able to secure the room he required in order to visit with her.
For fear he might miss her, he dared not leave these streets. And then, looking around, he became aware of the other men surrounding him. Many of them also stared up at the window, faces gaunt and eyes glazed over. When the man who had taken over his room appeared in the window later that night, he observed the way the man stared off into the stars as if startled, and then saw the man’s expression ease and become curious. He envied this man for what he no doubt saw, for the woman that would soon seduce him. But even in his jealous rage one thought continued to infect his thoughts, I will not rest until I can be with her again.
Acknowledgements
Claude Lalumière’s story ‘Our Love’ was originally published by Infinity Plus in Nocturnes and Other Nocturnes (2013)
Jenn Loring’s story ‘A Taste For It’ was originally published in Project M-Zine
Lucy Taylor’s story ‘Prenuptials’ was originally published by Mammoth Books in The Mammoth Book of International Erotica (1996)
Maynard Sim’s story ‘Sliding Down the Slippery Slip’ was originally published by Sarob Press in Falling into Heaven (2004)
Stacey Turner’s story ‘Martin’ was originally published in Rymfire Erotica (2011)
Taylor Grant’s story ‘Masks’ was originally published by The Horror Zine Books in A Feast of Frights from the Horror Zine (2012)
Graham Masterton’s story ‘Camelot’ was originally published by Hard Gore Press/MHB Press in Grease Monkey (2011)
John McIlveen’s story ‘Succumb’ was originally published by St. Martin’s Press in The Monster’s Corner (2010)
Aaron J. French’s story ‘The Devil: A Love Story’ was originally published in Cover of Darkness (2011)
Graham Masterton is mainly recognized for his horror novels but he has also been a prolific writer of thrillers, disaster novels and historical epics, as well as one of the world’s most influential series of sex instruction books. He became a newspaper reporter at the age of 17 and was appointed editor of Penthouse magazine at only 24. His first horror novel The Manitou was filmed with Tony Curtis playing the lead. Walkers was recently optioned by Jules Stewart for Libertine Films. Last year Graham turned his hand to crime novels and White Bones , set in Ireland, was a Kindle phenomenon, selling over 140,000 copies in a month. This has been followed by Broken Angels. Graham’s horror novels were introduced to Poland in 1989 by his late wife Wiescka and he is now one of the country’s most celebrated authors, winning numerous awards. He is now working on new horror and crime novels.
Kenzie Mathews lives in rural Alaska and writes erotica, science fiction, gothic fairytales and dark fantasy. Her erotica stories have appeared in “Lesbian Lust”, “Lesbian Cops”, “Rumpledsilksheets: Lesbian Fairy Tales”, “Best Lesbian Erotica: 2011.” One of her dark fantasy stories was included within “The Big Book of Bizarro.”
Taylor Grant is a professional screenwriter, author, actor, award-winning filmmaker and copywriter. His work has been seen on network television, the big screen, the stage, newspapers, comic books, national magazines, anthologies, the web, and heard on the radio. He is co-author of the critically acclaimed, bestselling horror comic Evil Jester Presents, along with horror luminaries Jack Ketchum, Jonathan Maberry, Joe McKinney, and William F. Nolan. His dark fiction has been published in two Bram Stoker Award nominated anthologies: Horror Library Vol. 5 and Horror For Good, as well as Cemetery Dance Magazine. Fear the Reaper, Blood Type: An Anthology of Vampire SF, Nightscapes Vol. 1, Box of Delights, Night Terrors III, Tales from the Lake Vol. 1., and A Feast of Frights from the Horror Zine.
Taylor is the Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of publishing company Evil Jester Comics, and is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association.
Learn more about Taylor’s dark imaginings at: http://www.taylorgrant.com
Jeff Gardiner is a UK author and editor. His acclaimed collection of short stories, A Glimpse of the Numinous, published by Eibonvale Press, contains horror, slipstream and humour. Many of his short stories have appeared in anthologies, magazines and websites. Jeff is also the author of three novels: Myopia, which explores bullying and prejudice; Igboland, set in Nigeria during the Biafran War; and Treading On Dreams, a tale of obsession and unrequited love. His work of non-fiction, The Law of Chaos: the Multiverse of Michael Moorcock, is being revised, extended and republished later in 2014
For more information, please see his website at www.jeffgardiner.com and his blog:
http://jeffgardiner.wordpress.com
Claude Lalumière (claudepages.info) is the author of the collections Objects of Worship and Nocturnes and Other Nocturnes and of the mosaic novella The Door to Lost Pages. He's the co-creator of the multimedia cryptomythology project Lost Myths (lostmyths.net), and he has edited twelve anthologies, the most recent of which is Super Stories of Heroes & Villains; he's currently working on his thirteenth, The Exile Book of New Canadian Noir.
2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the first professional sale from Len Maynard & Mick Sims who write together as Maynard Sims. Both born in London, and friends for 50 years, they began with short stories and have nine collections, five novellas and numerous magazine and anthology credits. They ran a small press where they edited several acclaimed titles under the Enigmatic brand, before being asked to edit several Darkness Rising anthologies.
2006 saw their first novel published and since then they have had ten novels published with a further six scheduled. These include the Department 18 series, and the Bahamas series. They have won awards for screenplays; have written children’s stories, essays, romances and mainstream stories. They also ghost write.
They write full time, having held down day jobs for the entire time they have been writing together. Each currently lives in Hertfordshire, with two children between them, and two grandchildren, one each. They do like symmetry.
All the fun can be found at their website www.maynard-sims.com
They have an Author Amazon page. You can also find Maynard Sims on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, and Twitter.
Ralph Robert Moore’s fiction has been publishe
d in a wide variety of genre and literary magazines and anthologies in America, Canada, England, Ireland, India and Australia, including Black Static, Shadows & Tall Trees, Midnight Street, ChiZine, and others. His short story "The Machine of a Religious Man" was in Ellen Datlow's nineteenth edition of The Year's Best Horror and Fantasy. His story “Our Island” was nominated in 2013 for Best Story by The British Fantasy Society. His story “The Dead Leave Small Bones” is scheduled for an upcoming issue of Cemetery Dance.
His books include the short story collections Remove the Eyes and I Smell Blood, and the novels Father Figure and As Dead As Me. His website SENTENCE at www.ralphrobertmoore.com features a wide selection of his writings, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as the complete text of Father Figure available as a free PDF download.
“Moore's work is consistently fascinating, original and devastating. His characters speak to you from whatever hell they inhabit, with clear, unambiguous voices.” - Trevor Denyer
Adam Howe is a British writer of fiction and screenplays. He lives in Greater London with his partner and their hellhound, Gino. His featured story “Stiletto” pays homage to Bill Lustig’s sleaze-fest “Maniac,” and is dedicated to that movie’s inimitable star, the late Joe Spinell. Writing as Garrett Addams, his short story “Jumper” was chosen by Stephen King as the winner of the On Writing contest and was published in the UK paperback edition of King’s book. His fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Nightmare Magazine, FEARnet, Horror Library Volume 5, Plan B Magazine, Beware the Dark, One Buck Horror, and Bete Noire. He has recently completed a trio of bizarro noir novellas: “Of Badgers & Porn Dwarfs,” “Jesus In A Dog’s Ass,” and “Frank, The Snake, & The Snake.” He’s pretty sure he’s going to hell for at least one of them. You can save his soul by tweeting him @Adam_G_Howe.
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