The Crimson Z

by Robert Cloud, Lee Rush, Richard Savage

  "Oh god, it's happening again.” She thought to herself frantically as she surveyed her surroundings. She was in a place that looked ... well ... like a romance novel set for lack of a better explanation. There were exotic flowers and trees as far as the eye could see. The air was permeated with their spicy fragrance. In the background, the ocean lapped lazily at the shore as the sun was just setting over the horizon. A picture perfect scene if she ever did see one.

  "Well, at least I'm not in a cold, dark basement this time.” She smiled wryly to herself as she turned around to see the view behind her. She gasped as her mind adjusted to what she was seeing. It was the woman from the grocery store, only she didn't look unkempt and harried any longer. She looked ... stunning ... and totally relaxed. As well she should with a line of men surrounding her, seemingly at her beck and call!

  They were in a semi-circle around her, all bare-chested and delicious, in an assortment of delectable flavors.

  For cripe sakes, she didn't think she was in a romance novel anymore, she was in one! She watched, utterly spellbound, as one of the young men who suspiciously resembled a certain muscular blond who couldn't believe his butter was not really butter, lounged beside her and fed her plump purple grapes, one at a time. Another hottie fanned her from behind and still yet another, this one with straight raven hair down to his waist and the tightest ass she'd ever seen massaged her dainty little feet. Terran noticed that her toenails were painted a juicy red apple color as they glinted in the light. The other men just stood around her, gazing with rapt adoration, as they waited their turn to please her highness.

  Terran could tell that the woman was absolutely in heaven. Her dark hair hung loose around her bare shoulders, blowing lightly in the breeze.

  Wait a minute, breeze? Terran looked around her, noticing that none of the trees were blowing. It was as if the wind was blowing only for the other woman and her harem, as if a fan was strategically placed somewhere out of sight to produce just the right effect. In fact, it all looked a little too perfect. It was as if she had been pulled right into one of those cheesy daytime soap operas, or ‘stories’ as her grandmother used to call them. She was in this woman's own personal version of a romance novel and it was almost like she was in her dreams or maybe even...

  She felt as if a light had just gone off above her head. That's it! She was seeing other people's fantasies ... but how could this be? She had never experienced anything like this before, she thought as images began to race through her mind. The lumberjack reaching out to introduce himself and the feel of his hairy knuckles against her palm, the woman in the grocery store brushing against her hand and the ... the RING!

  It had to be the ring. It was the only explanation, the only thing that had changed since she had awakened early this morning. She looked down at her finger, but the ring didn't appear any different to her than it had when she had found it.

  It looked like a normal ring, albeit a very beautiful and unusual one. Her mind began to spin and she just couldn't seem to focus on one thought or another. They spun around in her mind like a rampant meteor shower.

  A magic ring?

  Impossible! How could this be? And why here, why now, why ... her? This had to be some sort of mistake. Maybe she was just going crazy? Yeah, right, that was all, just going crazy. Or maybe...

  A high pitched giggle cut off her train of thought and she looked up to see one of the men leaning over to nibble on grocery woman's ear, no doubt whispering something delectably naughty. Terran turned around again to look out at the sunset, her head feeling a little dizzy. She reached out to steady herself on a nearby palm tree and found herself back in the grocery store, staring into the eyes of the woman. Terran shook her head as if to clear it and the woman, now back in her ill-fitting clothes and disheveled hair, looked at her with growing concern.

  "Are you sure you're okay?” the other woman raised an eyebrow at her.

  "I'm fine ... probably just a little overwhelmed with all I have to do today.” Terran brushed some non-existent dust from her pants and smiled back at the woman. “Really, I'm fine; you have a wonderful day ... and good luck with the rest of your shopping.” Terran smiled absently and made a bee line for the checkout counter.

  * * * *

  She left the grocery store without any further incidents and began her trek home. As she walked, she studied the ring on her finger, turning it this way and that. The sun caught in its depths, making the color glow. The crescent shape inside remained dark however and she turned it again, hoping to see what caused the strange effect.

  She sighed as she lowered her hand and began to take notice of her surroundings. She admired the town's impressive array of plant life. There were trees that appeared to be eons old, their trunks wider than she was, their arms twisting and reaching for the sun. Unique flowers in every color of the rainbow filled her senses with a mixture of musk and spices. She spotted some beautiful red roses and hydrangeas in a multitude of colors. Some weeping wisteria draped a breathtaking Victorian house across the street, and ... ahhh, a lavender bush! Heavenly! She walked up next to it and picked a sprig, inhaling deeply. Mmmm, she was in a small town paradise! She absently tucked the flowers behind her ear and started humming a little tune.

  As she continued on her way home, children played in the streets, rode bikes, giggled around every corner. She smiled as she heard a little girl and boy bickering over whose turn it was to play their video game system as they went inside. The sound of their little voices hit home with her, making her feel a twinge of long-buried sadness.

  The little boy, with grass stained blue jeans and shaggy hair hanging in his eyes reminded her of her brother Liam when he was that age. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of him. He had been not only her brother, but her closest friend and she missed him terribly.

  What she wouldn't do to have him with her now. She closed her eyes briefly at the horrible memory that always crushed her when she thought of him...

  * * * *

  The phone rang shrilly throughout the dark house.

  Terran crammed the pillow down onto her head and tried to ignore the shrill ringing. She rolled over and pulled the covers to her chin, doing her best to block it out. Finally, the sound died and she sighed in relief, sleep overcoming her quickly.

  It wasn't much later that she heard the creaking of someone walking down the stairs and she lifted her head to see who it was, bleary eyed.

  "Terran, Terran are you awake?” her father said softly. Something was wrong. She could tell it in his voice. She was definitely awake now.

  "Yes, what's going on?” she asked as she glanced at the clock. It was 4:30 in the morning. She was staying overnight at her dad's house and was sleeping on the couch. A chill had begun to creep up her back and into her neck, making her feel cold and clammy all at the same time.

  "Terran, come here.” Her father said from the archway in the dining room. Terran fought with the covers a moment, stumbling in her haste to escape them. She walked towards her father and he rushed to her, no longer able to wait. He grabbed her to him and squeezed tightly, his breath coming out in ragged gasps.

  "Liam's dead, he was killed in a drunk driving accident late last night.” His arms tightened around her as if he would never let go. She went limp in his arms as his words began to sink in.

  Dead? Liam dead?

  It wasn't possible. He was only 18! No way, no freaking way!

  They stood that way for a while, his arms so tight they were almost crushing her. She could feel him trembling softly. He finally let go of her and she sank to the floor.

  "Are you okay honey?” he said with despair deeply etched into his face.

  Okay? Was she okay? How could she be okay? How could she ever be okay? He seemed to understand that she couldn't talk and shambled away with glossy eyes into the kitchen to make some coffee. She knew he was just doing that to calm his nerves. She also knew it wouldn't work.

  She was going numb. She couldn't talk, she
couldn't move, she couldn't feel ... she couldn't even think. What was wrong with her?

  Her brother had just died and she couldn't even cry! She rose to her feet and stumbled into the bathroom, where she looked at her face in the mirror.

  "Okay Terran, this is a very, very bad dream and you're going to wake up any second,” she whispered to her ghostly image in the mirror. Her face, white and emotionless, stared back at her. Her blue eyes shone out at her feverishly. She looked around her, everything looking surreal and strange, as if it were happening in a movie or a dream, cloudy grayness kept trying to creep in around the edges. She took a deep breath. Why can't I cry? She was trembling harshly and she clasped her hands in front of her to steady them as she slid limply down the dryer to land on the floor again.

  Her mind scrambled to make sense of her surroundings. She pulled herself to her feet with the aid of the bathroom sink and stared at her image in the mirror. Somehow, the ghostly vision her face had become brought her to the harsh reality and the tears seared her face as they fell. Great sobs wracked her body. It wasn't fair!

  Oh sweet Jesus, Liam!

  How could this have happened? It's impossible ... she had just talked to her brother last week over the phone and they had made plans to meet and have a night of fun together.

  Her brain seemed to be working a thousand miles a minute, flashing over all the good times she'd had with him. She remembered giggling under the covers as their parents told them to be quiet for the hundredth time, she remembered them creeping around in the dark pretending to be animals when everyone was asleep ... she and Liam against the world, through the tough and the happy times.

  As tears cascaded down her face, she recalled the first time Liam had visited her after she'd left home to go to college. They'd never been a real touchy feely brother and sister. Giving hugs was something they reserved for mom and dad. When the day came for Liam to go back home though, he stood there with tears swimming in his eyes and when she stood before him he rushed forward to give her one of the sweetest hugs ever. When he finally released her his voice cracked as he said goodbye. She'd watched him look, back at her as he walked to his vehicle, tears still shining in his eyes. That moment would always be burned into her memory. It was one of the last times she saw him.

  * * * *

  Terran jerked back to the present as a ball whizzed past her head.

  "Heads up!” a little voice shouted.

  Terran bent down to retrieve the ball for them and threw it back.

  "Thanks!” they shouted to her as they went back to their game.

  She wiped the tears from her eyes and rounded the corner to her new home.

  Chapter Five

  That night she dreamed again....

  She was back in the forest. She was standing in a clearing of the tallest evergreen and birch trees she had ever seen. The sunlight was filtered here, dappling the leaves of the trees and her skin with bright spots and shadows. She looked down to find herself dressed in shades of green and lavender. The material was iridescent, layered with the appearance of leaves as the skirt ended in points that came just below her knees. She blended into her surroundings, almost seeming to be a part of them.

  She smiled and looked around her again. The breeze was light and moist, as if it had just rained, bringing the scent of fresh pine and rich earth. She breathed deeply of it, thinking it just had to be the most delectable smell she had ever experienced. She lifted her arms and danced in a circle, her face raised to the sky, eyes closed and her skirt billowing out around her. She felt so alive ... so free.

  Suddenly she felt she was no longer alone and she spun around, expecting there to be someone or worse, something directly behind her. However, no one was there.

  She froze, her hands clasped in front of her, listening to all the sounds of the forest. She heard the breeze through the trees, a bird singing in the distance, and ... there! She heard something! She turned around again, peering into the trees.

  It was darker further in, as the trees grew together in a tightly knit group. As she squinted her eyes and opened her ears, her finger began to tingle.

  She looked down to find her ring glowing ... not just from the sunlight hitting it, but actually glowing. Rays of aquamarine light shone out around the edges. The crescent moon within seemed to be the source of it all, filling the jewel with a white hot light.

  She heard soft giggling and she looked up, her eyes wide and searching. She saw a small shadow, about the size of a hawk, flit from behind a tree off to her left. To her right, a twig snapped and leaves floated to the ground. She looked up as she heard more of the eerie giggles as yet another small shadow darted up into a nearby tree. The breeze picked up gusting the leaves up from the ground, making them spiral around her and catch in her hair.

  "Terran."

  She drew in her breath to scream as she began to turn and a hand covered her mouth. A hard body pressed against hers from behind. Her scream came out muffled and short. She caught her breath, inhaling the scent of the hand covering her mouth.

  The hand was so warm ... almost hot, a curious combination of rough yet soft and smelling of rich earth and all things green and alive. Her heart pounded furiously within, trying to escape to no avail.

  "I've waited so long for you to come to me.” A low masculine voice whispered seductively into her ear. A shiver went through her, causing her body to tremble. “Do not be afraid my love. Well ... maybe a little if you will, I love the way your body feels, trembling against me...” his voice seemed to touch every part of her at once, traveling from her toes to the top of her head, seeming to touch her very core.

  The ring glowed brighter with each shiver of emotion coursing through her. He ran his hands down her arms and back up, cupping her chin and turning her face towards his own. Inhaling deeply, he ran his lips lightly from her shoulder to just underneath her chin. She moaned softly as his tongue flicked out and slid across her lower lip.

  "You smell of sweet, spicy cinnamon, taste of wild, sensual musk and...” his voice trailed off for a moment as he pondered wickedly before he roughly pulled her back against him, growling his words across her lips. “You feel like ... mine."

  He ran his hands down her sides, leaving a searing trail of heat in their wake. She could feel his need pounding through her, primal in its ferocity. Her body jerked against him, molding to him in perfect fusion and they gasped out in unison, her neck bending back as she found the soft lobe of his ear and took it gently between her teeth.

  "Terran...” he moaned breathlessly into the soft arch of her ivory neck. She could feel his control slipping and just the thought of it caused her knees to go weak as liquid heat flared between her legs. She turned to him as he wrapped her tightly in his arms and she lifted her face to his. The sun shone from behind him, creating an aura of golden light and cloaking his face in shadows.

  She leaned into him, “Who are you?"

  He began to lower his face to hers. “Look for me ... I am near ... ” and he kissed her eyelids tenderly as the dream spiraled into long wispy clouds, accepting her into the deepest realm of sleep where dreams are abandoned and true rest is found.

  * * * *

  Terran awoke to find her body tingling with anticipation, which quickly turned to irritation as she realized she was not in the dream anymore. Nope, she was on a hard wooden floor, tangled in a sleeping bag that was just a bit too hot to be truly comfortable. Great, juuuust great. Today she was going to work on her bedroom and she knew just the place to start ... the bed! She'd had enough of the hard wooden floor.

  She pushed her hair out of her eyes with a huff and kicked the offending sleeping bag across the floor so that it landed in a heap by the wall. It didn't make a near satisfying enough thump.

  She grumbled under her breath, stomping off to the bathroom. It was bad enough that she had a hard time getting to know guys, let alone dating them, but now her dreams were going to start torturing her too?

  Fan-freakin-tastic!
/>   Chapter Six

  Terran spent the entire day unpacking boxes and hanging up her knick knacks, the bed taking up her entire morning as she struggled with the stubborn frame. She stepped back to admire her fantasy art.

  Dragon sculptures over here, fairies statues over there, numerous paintings hung meticulously and with care ... she pursed her lips, squinting her eyes and turning her head this way and that, until finally a slow smile spread across her face, making her eyes twinkle. Perfect! The place was finally starting to feel like home. She smiled again and dusted her hands off on her jeans as if to say ‘that's that!'

  She was tired and sore and she held her lower back as she shuffled her way to the kitchen for an early dinner. She'd earned it by golly and she intended to enjoy every minute of her meal. She began rummaging through her cupboards, sliding cans around and pushing boxes back. Yeck! Everything looked positively grotesque to her right now. She needed some real food.... Something with substance!

  She smiled to herself as she said those words to herself. Her older brother Eugene used to say that all the time. “Mom, I don't want soup for dinner, I want something with substance!"

  Terran giggled to herself as she imagined the look on her brother's face, all scrunched up with teeny pinched eyes. Ahhh, brothers. She knew them well. She grew up with three of them after all ... and no sisters.

  So why did she have so much trouble finding a man?? She was comfortable with them, friendly ... just one of the guys so to speak.

  When it came down to it though, intimacy scared the hell out of her. There always came a time when her guy friends wanted more from her than she was willing to give. She became closed, scared and ... dare she say it, cold. She couldn't help it; there must be something wrong with her.