Flashback

by Dawn Carter

  Against the wall, Anai ran her fingers over swollen lips, and felt the heat rise in her center as Yiara pulled Anai’s fingers into her mouth, sucking hard. “My love, your body tempts mine.”

  In a husky voice, “We only have this moment in time, Anai, and my body wants you to ravish it.”

  Covering Yiara’s mouth with her own, Anai cupped her backside, lifting her, wrapping the long legs around her waist, before laying her gently on the sarcophagus. Climbing beside her on the hard surface, Anai kissed along the delicate skin of her neck, all the while pulling away the strange material that stood in the way of devouring her tender flesh beneath. Like a savage, she ripped at the strange clothing until it came lose.

  Anai moaned when she took a swollen nipple into her mouth.

  “Take me, Anai.”

  Obliging her lover, Anai lowered herself, until she was again standing, Yiara’s legs draped over her shoulders. She thought it strange that the tender flesh beneath her tongue was without hair, but at the same time, it excited her. “You’re so wet.”

  “Don’t stop, my body needs your touch.”

  In the damp, cold tomb, they made love, ravishing one another’s bodies for hours, until they each collapsed, basking in what was to be their last moment in human form.

  Anai became serious as she looked into Yiara’s eyes. “I don’t want to give this up. We can stay, we don’t have to leave.”

  Yiara listened to what she was saying, but refused to entertain what was being asked. “We cannot, my Love.”

  “Why not? They are us, we are them. They already share all our memories.”

  “That is true, but we do not share theirs.” Tears streamed from Yiara’s eyes. “We had our chance, this is theirs.”

  “This is a cruel deed bestowed upon us. I’m sure the gods will agree with our decision to remain.”

  “Oh, Anai, there’s nothing more my heart wants.”

  “Then it’s settled, we stay.”

  Yiara lowered her eyes. They had waited, for what felt like eternity to be reunited, and now they were, the curse broken, with the chance to hold onto their duplicates’ bodies and live happily together until those bodies grew old and frail. There was nothing saying they had to leave. “Yes.” She heard herself agree, yet her mind screamed no. She couldn’t do it. Holding her eyes shut tight, she scooted away, tears spilling over. “NO!” her voice echoed inside the chamber.

  Anai looked on in horror as Spencer’s body collapsed and Yiara appeared in her translucent form. “Yiara, no…”

  “Join me in the heavens, Anai.”

  ●●●

  Anai watched as the dazed body her lover had just abandoned came alive.

  Spencer’s eyes flashed between the two, then down to her naked torso. Flushed, she rushed to gather the clothes on the floor and covered herself.

  “It’s time, Anai, we must go,” Yiara’s voice echoed, holding up a hand for her to follow.

  Anai closed her eyes as they swelled with tears. “As you bid, my Queen.”

  The transformation was quick. Claire’s body collapsed to the floor, and Anai stood next to Yiara. “Farewell, love and be happy.” Yiara said as they stepped through a glowing portal, vanishing therein.

  They were gone from view, but in Spencer’s mind, they were alive and well. She would never forget them, and she never wanted to.

  The glow within the room faded, and each of the candles mysteriously blew out. Claire was still naked and unconscious. Spencer knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t help admiring the sleeping perfection. As she rolled her eyes up over the bronzed skin, her gaze met Claire’s.

  “What happened?”

  “They’re gone.” She flushed when it registered that Claire had seen her looking. Quickly Claire looked down at the clothes clutched in her hand and pressed them against her.

  ●●●

  Once dressed, Claire stepped back, then stepped forward, unaware that her body was making the sudden movements. Their role in completing the prophecy was complete, the scroll made sense now; it was not a death sentence, but the beginning of an end, the birth or death of what could be. As she turned her head and looked at Spencer, she could see from the look upon her face that she realized the same thing.

  The prophecy was not just to bring the two lost souls together, but to allow them to come together. She remembered everything, including Anai’s struggle with letting go. If Yiara had agreed, she and Spencer would no longer be. Claire didn’t know how to feel about that. That was not the only thing that had her mind reeling. It was the lovemaking, even though it was not her touching, tasting and feeling the curves and crevices of Spencer, in a way it was. She could still taste Spencer on her lips and smell the sweet nectar that flowed from within her.

  They had allowed Yiara and Anai to use their bodies, and they’d lost so much by doing so. How could she look at Spencer the same now?

  “I need to get you back into the city,” Claire finally said, averting her gaze.

  The button on Spencer’s shorts was torn off, and when she spun on her heels to answer Claire, the zipper gave way. “Don’t you want to talk about what happened?”

  “Not now, I need time to digest everything.”

  Spencer said nothing as she followed closely behind Claire. All she could see was the dark silhouette of her back as they made their way up the shaft.

  Claire stopped, holding her hand up. “Don’t say anything.” She listened to a familiar sound, then her heart found its home in her throat. “Shit!” The walls around them began to rumble, it sounded as if they were caving in upon themselves. Claire knew the sound well, and without thought, she grabbed Spencer’s hand and pulled her forward. “Run!”

  They climbed as fast as they could. It was hard and tiring. Claire was sure they would not make it when she heard crashing sounds coming from behind them.

  Up ahead, a light flickered; it was the torch she had lit earlier that day. That signaled they were five hundred yards from the surface. It made no difference, the walls around them began to crumble in, and dust and sand filled the air, making it hard to see. Within seconds, the ceiling came crashing down upon them.

  “Spencer!” Claire yelled as she scrambled to her feet and stared through the cloud of dust in a wild panic. “Answer me! Are you okay?”

  “What the hell was that?” Spencer choked from somewhere amidst the dust cloud.

  Slowly her figure emerged from the mess. She was dusting herself off and coughing, her pretty face covered in sand mixed with sweat, making her look as if she was wearing odd war paint.

  “Are you okay? I thought…” Claire froze, her eyes widening through the settling dust.

  Before Spencer could respond, there was more crackling from above, then the rest of the ceiling came tumbling down. She lay struggling to breathe. She heard Claire’s muffled squeals as the dust obscured her vision.

  “Shit.” Claire madly stumbled backwards and clumsily fumbled her way through the rubble, searching blindly. Beneath the rubble, Spencer’s hand emerged. “Push yourself up,” Claire cried as she tugged hard on the limb.

  Bruised and battered, they made their way from the tunnel into the open air. Spencer fell to her knees coughing, trying to catch her breath. When she arched her head up, Claire stood above her, tears streaming down her sand-covered face. “Thank you.”

  A smile stretched across Claire’s lips. “That was close, I thought we were both goners.”

  Chapter 19

  After the dust had settled and the ground became stable, Claire had a new team flown in to help dig their way back down to the tomb. The only things left were the sarcophagi and the carvings on the walls. She refused to leave any of it. With the right tools, they could cut sections out and carefully construct them back together.

  She hadn’t reached out to Spencer. She needed time and space. Since Anai was gone, she felt empty. It was a sadness and void she needed to understand. She was sure Spencer was going through the same thing, and wouldn�
�t be surprised if she had returned home. She had her contact information and, when she was ready, it would be easy to reach out to her.

  “Only a fool gives up on what the gods have gifted you with.”

  Claire spun around. “Shamod, it’s so good to see you.”

  “Has your heart hardened?”

  Claire didn’t know how to answer. She had been so tied up with excavating the site, she’d thought about nothing else.

  “She still waits for you in the city, but I cannot say for how much longer.”

  Pain filled her heart at the thought of never seeing Spencer again, but she was not ready, she still needed time. “I have another day of work here, then I will go to her.” It was times like this she wished her father was still alive, she could ask him anything, he would not judge her and he would help her figure it out.

  “Can I tell her you will be there tomorrow?”

  Thinking about what he was asking, she decided to nip it in the bud. If she didn’t feel any different when she saw Spencer again, she would tell her so. “Yes. I should be there around dinnertime.”

  She had her back to him now, and as he walked off, she closed her eyes tightly. Visions of Spencer in her arms, making love to her, were all she could see. It infuriated her. She felt cheated. How dare they take a moment I can never get back? Even though the way Anai and Yiara had made love was different from what she and Spencer would, they would always remember that first time, and that time was not theirs.

  ●●●

  In the corner of the alley, Claire sat perched on the edge of her jeep, trying to get the courage to join Spencer. She wanted to, but she couldn’t. She’d come into the city each evening after the team had finished, but that was as far as she could go. Now, she watched from the dark, as Spencer walked along the street in front of the hotel. Why can’t I go to her? What’s wrong with me? So many questions ran through her mind, and no answers followed.

  The rational side of her knew that she and Spencer had not made love in the chamber, but the emotional side was angry. She was angry with herself, angry with Spencer for offering to let them take over their bodies. Claire had no idea what she would do, but whatever it was, this was not the right time.

  ●●●

  It was almost time; Spencer paused on the walkway across from the hotel and studied the windows. She had no idea what she would say to Claire when they did talk. She had stepped back into the street and started to walk when a group of women rounded the corner and nodded as they trotted passed her. Dinner had come and gone, and Claire had never showed. Spencer managed to get through most of the night without Claire crossing her mind, but now the image of her crashed into her head unbidden. Damn it! This had to stop. Spencer made several excuses for her. She got stuck at the dig, she could not make it back; she even imagined her jeep getting stuck in the sand again.

  Unable to sleep, Spencer sat up for the rest of that night. This time when evening fell, she resolved to stay awake. The full moon rose and illuminated everything around her; she welcomed it, to drive off the darkness. She felt comfortable while it was there, but still too on edge to close her eyes for long. She sat with her back against a tree and scoured the river and the land around her, looking back over her shoulder once in a while at the desert.

  Nothing moved but the occasional night animal, which was to be expected. That didn't mean they didn't startle her every time she heard or saw them. By about the sixth or seventh scare, she'd hugged her knees to her chest and darted furtive glances about the clearing, staring at every noise. By the time dawn climbed over the horizon, she was both exhausted and feeling foolish.

  Maybe this place is cursed. She shivered, and her large eyes flicked left to right and back again, pupils widely dilated. The question was cut short when she felt something cool and yet warm, envelop her feet. Without looking she knew what it was—the morning sun glimmering down through the trees, sliding up her legs as it rose within the sky. She shivered and shut her eyes. Patterns swirled behind her eyelids as she felt the glow cover her body, warming and cooling her, drying the water from her skin. She sighed. It was like being held within someone's arms. She could almost imagine the bearer of the heavens wrapping her in a warm cloth, smiling at her, and holding her close. A shy, thankful smile came to her face, and the barest wisp of something brushed against her cheek.

  As the glows receded, Spencer could feel the chill of the morning air against her skin, and shivered harder. She opened her eyes and sat up, reaching out for her sweater, slipping it on over her head. She rubbed her arms as the morning light fell upon them, and she lowered her hands.

  She sensed a pause. The light drew away from her a bit. She knew already that this was how it teased her, within the pale light—come morning, when the sun would completely rise, the chill and loneliness would leave her.

  This was the twelfth day, the notion of sleep shouted from the back of her mind, and she tried to suppress a yawn. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. They burned now; she shut them for a moment and sighed. One more night is all she would wait. If Claire didn’t show up by the next evening, then she would head back home. There was no use staying here.

  Resigned to little sleep, Spencer blinked and yawned. She thought about the dark-haired woman from her dream, then about Claire. Her smile faded, and instead of exhaustion, she sensed sadness, drawing away from her. She blinked again and sat up with some confusion, looking around.

  “Where are you?” She felt like she’d lost her best friend. Spencer opened her eyes. Minutes, maybe seconds later, she dozed off.

  She gasped and sat up abruptly, her head whipping around. The early morning sun glinted over the horizon now, glaring in her eyes—she had to shield them as she looked about. She was still sitting upright with her back against the tree, as she'd been before she'd dozed off. She didn't remember falling asleep—all she remembered was seeing the image of a woman in her mind.

  She knew her, no matter what her memories were showing her now. She continued to wrack her brain, trying to remember, but the lack of sleep stole her memories, and the images were fading rapidly. Before she lost them all, she held on to one. In it, she had her head on Claire’s chest; she had never felt as content as she had at that moment. Smiling, she let out a breath. She put her hand to the ground to push herself up, the lonely feeling growing inside her again. She rubbed at her eyes as she turned around toward the desert.

  The why was obvious. She was not Anai, she was Claire...she was in love with her. Her face flushed and she felt her ears burn as soon as she realized it. Her heart beat a little bit faster as well. The comforting, calming presence she'd felt when with her...even if it were a dream—did that mean she would now only exist in shadows? Her heart ached in her chest the longer she thought about it. She wished the sun would actually set, just to see if she would appear again.

  The longer she dwelled on the memories, the more her anger receded, and she found herself missing her, though she had no idea why. Claire had abandoned her, and she did not deserve the devotion Spencer offered. Her emotions were all over the place. Lack of sleep has a way of playing with your mind, she reminded herself. The irony of the situation was that before she had laid eyes upon Claire, she’d already heard her voice, felt her touch, sensed her feelings, and yet she'd never once seen her. The real her. Claire, she blinked. Tears welled in her eyes. Have you forgotten about me?

  The sound of music came from her back pocket. Spencer tried to ignore it, but remembered her mother was supposed to call. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Spencer?”

  The voice on the other end sounded familiar. “Yes…” Her voice dragged.

  “This is Claire, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it for dinner, but I was hoping you would like to join me for dinner tonight?” There was a muffled sound. “I’ll meet you in the restaurant of your hotel.”

  The biggest smile broke out on Spencer’s face. She put her hand up to her mouth so any sound of delight would not be carried into the
phone. She felt an excitement that she had thought was gone. “Sure, I’d like that. Say about six. I’ll be waiting for you at the bar.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  When the call ended, Spencer stared at the phone and sighed. She didn’t know why she was so excited, she should be upset, but since the day she’d met Claire, she had thought of nothing else. The whole ordeal was strange. If asked if she would do it all over again, she wouldn’t hesitate to say, ‘Yes’.

  Dear Diary,

  It’s been a while since we talked. Everything has been such a mess. I can’t think, I can’t sleep. I don’t know what I’m doing from one moment to the next. A lot has happened, so much so, I don’t know where to begin.

  I guess I will start with Yiara and Anai. They were reunited, and are gone. But, it was not as easy as I thought. They took over our bodies, and when they did, they made love. I can’t get it out of my mind. I feel terrible about it, and I know Claire does too. I hadn’t heard anything from her until an hour ago. It’s been almost two weeks. She didn’t sound the same either. Her tender voice sounded hard and matter-of-fact. I have a feeling she’s going to tell me that she doesn’t see a future with me. I wouldn’t blame her at this point.

  At first, I thought she didn’t contact me because she had to work harder to get back into the dig site. Oh, that’s another story in itself. When we were leaving, the support beam walls came undone and collapsed. I thought for a moment that was it, but, it really wasn’t that bad.

  Back to Claire, I don’t know what to do about her. I was thinking that maybe if I just went back home, if she really wanted to see me, she would make the effort. God, I sound like a whiny little girl. I think I need to put my big girl panties on. Now, what did I do with them? Ha, I’m still funny. More tomorrow.