by Ju Ephraime
Actually, the only reason I noticed was because the other woman was very friendly and cheerful. This new one just looked through you. So I got my food, paid my bill, and left. That very night, I had the strange dream about a woman making love to me. The dream was so vivid, it woke me, but when I awoke, there was no one there. Still, my body felt satiated. It then went from the dream to almost real, but I was never able to do anything but lie there. Sometimes, I’d catch a glimpse of an outline of a woman’s breasts, but nothing concrete to hold on to. But I kept feeling as if I was coming down with a fever because I was not getting enough sleep.
“That made you think it was the woman at Josephine’s?”
“No, but as you know, it went from dream to full-blown rape very quickly. I didn’t know what was happening, so I went home to you, but you and I know what happened with that.”
“You poor baby. I thought you were going to die when you couldn’t get it up. But you told me it was a medical condition.”
“I didn’t know what it was at the time. It was when I went to Josephine’s on my return that I began putting two and two together.”
“You still haven’t told me what happened,” she said again.
“When I returned, as I said, I went to Josephine’s, and this same woman, Nora, came to wait on me. As soon as she was standing next to me, I got such a powerful erection it was painful. It was strange because I was not thinking about her in that way. It was as if my penis had a mind of its own. I went there again to test my theory, and the rest, as you know, is history.”
“Oh, darling, I’m so sorry I doubted you. I should have known better.”
“You should have. I’ll need a whole lot of loving to make up for the pain and agony you put me through the past couple of days.”
“I spoke a little to Josephine yesterday, and from what she said, I believe you have your work cut out for you with this woman. According to Josephine, who admitted to having known her for more years than she could remember, this woman appeared to be ageless. Josephine looked every bit of her age, seventy or thereabout. I’m sure you’ll agree. Yet, this woman appeared to be in her early twenties. To be able to maintain her youthful appearance to such a degree is the mark of a very powerful witch.”
“With you helping me, I will succeed. We have to believe that.”
Just then they heard the voices of Gloria and Joan in the kitchen. They had to get to the master bedroom. She was still naked. He wrapped her up in the sheet and made a mad dash to their room. They were both out of breath when they got to the room, she holding her breath to keep from laughing and he from the exertion of running while carrying her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
They went into the shower and had fun bathing each other. He carried her back to the bed and massaged her with scented oil. It took a long time for him to get done oiling her body. He was a very thorough oiler; he left no spot untouched. By the time he was done, she was all a quiver again.
She returned the favor and loved every inch of his gorgeous body with her hands and her mouth. He had a delicious flavor to him. She was addicted to it.
It was the most hysterical thing when Todd took a sheet of paper and wrote “Do not disturb” on it and posted it on the doorknob. She was laughing so hard she couldn’t stop.
“What do you intend to do, stay in the room all day? You’ll give the women a bad impression about us.”
“What do you care? We’ll soon be away from these people. Speaking of which, we have two days left to prepare before the new moon.”
“Oh, darling, I’ve been trying to forget about this until that night arrives.”
“That just it. I have to go over the entire thing with you. The part I haven’t told you about yet involves me being naked.”
“What do you mean, darling?”
“Well, remember when I told you I had to find the witch’s skin and rub salt on it? What I didn’t tell you is I have to be naked doing it. After you’ve wrapped your head around this, I’ll tell you how we have to go about getting it done.”
“Please tell me you’re not serious, darling,” she said, almost in tears.
“I wish I wasn’t, but your papino said it had to be done that way, and you have to be there with me, in the event anything goes wrong and I am left standing on the street naked with a hard-on. Keep in mind, we don’t know where she would have left her skin.”
“Todd, darling, how are we going to get this done?”
“We’ll do it together. Otherwise, we are really not going to get our lives back. Trust me, it has to work.”
“What exactly do we have to do?”
“I’ll tell you that night, but I wanted to prepare you so you don’t react like you did when you found out I knew who the witch was. You’ll have to trust me.”
“I will, darling. It’s scary. But I trust you all the way.”
“Good,” he said, leaning over to give her a kiss that left her breathing hard. She wondered when this powerful effect he had on her would wane.
She was trying not to picture Todd naked next to the woman she’d seen at Josephine’s. She wanted Todd far away from that woman, especially when she was in the form of an evil spirit. This would mean all her faculties would still be intact and enhanced. So, that woman would be seeing Todd in all his naked glory, and he was a glorious sight to behold naked. She hoped he didn’t have to be sporting an erection. Then she would die. She couldn’t help remembering the dream. She wanted this over with.
She would go into town to purchase more coarse salt since they’d only purchased five pounds. She would get double that amount, to err on the side of caution. The last thing she wanted to happen would be to run out of salt when they needed it most.
She was so scared for Todd. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. She shuddered to think what would happen if he should fail. She suspected that he would reveal the last part of the plan on the night of the new moon.
After Todd left to go to the lab, she spent the morning teaching Gloria how to prepare two of Todd’s favorite dishes. She was a smart woman, and in no time, she was able to create a good rendition of an Aussie’s meat pie.
After this was done, Simonia left Gloria alone in the kitchen while she sat in the garden thinking how her life seemed to be hanging in the balance as they waited on the new moon. She wished Todd didn’t have to travel so much with his job. This was not healthy for any relationship, and it was doubly hard on her and Todd. They had a healthy sexual appetite, and the forced separation imposed by his job was not helping. She would talk to Todd about seeking a spot in New South Wales when they were through here.
She decided she would take the public transportation to the gym she’d seen on her trip to Josephine’s yesterday. She didn’t think there would be any dancing like the kind she was used to, but beggars can’t be choosers.
She packed her gym bag, and she was gone. Her heart was beating fast. She always got excited before she did any dancing. She hoped she wouldn’t be disappointed.
She was in luck. There were several Zumba classes going on at the gym. She had to wait thirty minutes for the next class. She was game. She did some warm-up exercises to kill some time. In no time, the class started. It was not the kind of disciplined dancing she did, but she enjoyed every minute. She ended up taking three Zumba classes. She returned home just fifteen minutes before Todd. She was feeling pumped and ready for him.
***
As soon as he saw Simonia, he knew something was different about her from when he’d left earlier in the day.
“There’s something different about you. What is it?” he asked.
“I found a gym and did three Zumba classes. It was great. I feel wonderful.”
“That’s it; you are glowing. Your inactivity over the past several days was dimming your inner glow.”
“I don’t know about my inner glow, but I know I feel wonderful.”
“That’s a good thing. I love it when you are happy. Don’t forget we are
taking the trip around the island tomorrow. I booked the tour rather than put myself behind the wheel on those hairpin bends and twisty roads.”
“Oh, darling, I thought you’d forgotten, but then we weren’t communicating for two days. I didn’t want to bring it up. Thanks for not forgetting,” she said, giving him a kiss on the lips.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The trip round the island was wonderful. They met quite a few charming people. The tour guide was excellent. He was quite well informed about the island and its history.
The tour took them to St. Lucia's scenic west coast, where they explored a banana plantation and saw the spectacular Pitons. They visited a drive-in, bubbling and steaming, underground spring from a now dormant volcano. They were captivated by the beauty of the lush hills and quaint fishing villages.
After lunch of local food and fresh fruits in the village of Choiseul, they went on a four-mile hike to explore the Gros Piton, the tallest mountain on the island. They got a chance to see the tropical birds, gorgeous vegetation, and stunning panorama that literally took her breath away. It was an exhausting day, but well worth the trip.
They got back to the house just in time for dinner. She was pleased to see that Gloria was getting better at preparing Todd’s favorite dishes. She’d even baked him a chocolate cake, with island flavor of course.
They went to bed exhausted, but, as they reached for each other, for once, they were asleep before their heads hit the pillows.
She was awakened by Todd in his usual manner. They fooled around for a bit then he went to the lab for a couple of hours. She went to the gym, where she spent the entire morning dancing. She must have taken four Zumba classes that day.
She got home, took a long bath, and sat down to wait for Todd.
She didn’t have long to wait. He came in and was carrying an additional bag of salt. Immediately the mood in the house became gloomy.
After he had his dinner, he sat with her in the living room and waited until Gloria and Joan had gone for the day. As soon as the women left, Todd turned to her and reminded her that, in four hours, they would embark on an adventure that might possibly change them forever.
“Are you ready?” he wanted to know.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied.
“Okay, listen well to the final step in our fight. Remember, I told you that I don’t intend to do the rice thing to catch the witch because I believe she will only come after me and possibly hurt us both. I don’t intend to give her that option. I intend to destroy her, which means killing her. So, I ask you again, are you ready for this?”
“I am,” she answered again. Todd was scaring her.
“Here’s what we have to do. At 11:00 P.M., I’ll begin preparing myself. I have something your papino gave me that I have to bathe with. When I walk out of the bath, I need you to rub these three oils over my body. Every inch of my body needs to be covered. Don’t leave any spot untouched, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.
“I’ll be the bait for the witch. I need you to stand to my right with the salt. I have to take one hundred steps from the front door to the location where she would have her skin hidden in the mortar. I need you to be strong because she might engage me. You will have to close your eyes and ears to anything you may hear and see. Focus on the mortar and the skin.”
“How will I see the mortar? Is it big? How big is it?”
“From what your papino said, the mortar is quite large, so you’ll see it easily. That’s why we need to work together. Seeing that we don’t know the exact location of this mortar, I’ll look to the right, you to the left. The witch may kill us if she becomes aware of our intent before we hit her skin with the salt.”
“God, Todd.”
“You’ll be fine, sweetheart. I have a lot of confidence in you. Don’t be afraid. The minute one drop of salt touches the skin, we’ve got her. Even if we never get an opportunity to put another piece of salt on the skin, one piece is enough to destroy her, although at a much slower pace. She’ll be able to return to her home to rot and die there.
“But let’s finish this discussion. The last piece of information I have to give you is this. I’ll be naked and erect. Don’t let my erection confuse you. It will be as the result of the concoction that I have to drink, which your papino prepared for me.”
She began to tremble for no reason. She had to get a hold of herself. She wished this could have been avoided, but it couldn’t be helped.
CHAPTER THIRTY
At 11:30 P.M., Simonia and Todd returned to the old home he used to occupy when he was alone. When they stepped inside, the house was quiet and still, as if waiting. He stripped off his clothes until he was wearing only the amulet Simonia’s papino had given him. He had no clue what was in the amulet, but vibrated with a life of its own. When he’d first put it around his neck, it was cold against his skin, now it was generating heat, as if it had taken on the heat of his body. It pulsed as if something alive.
Simonia removed the glass bottle that contained the oils and the ritualistic herbs. The scent was strong and filled her senses. She was beginning to feel light-headed from the scent, but she shook it off and proceeded to rub the mixture into his body as he had instructed her. When she got to his genital area, he sprang to life as she touched him, erect and as stiff as a board. An answering surge of heat swept through her, pooling between her thighs. But this was not for her. She had to go about this with the concentration of a surgeon.
***
He took a deep breath and let himself enjoy the feel of her hands on him. She massaged the oils into his back, from his shoulders to his thighs, going all the way down to his heels. Then her palm glided to the strong muscles of his ass. She massaged deep with her fingers, rubbing the oils into the cleft of his ass. When she was certain no spot was left untouched, she stood back up and moved to his front. Her fingers lingered over the muscles of his chest and stomach, going over this area again and again, delaying the moment when she had to move to his genitals.
His breath stilled in his body as she moved to stand in front of him to begin working the oils into his front.
God, he hoped he could survive this and not ruin the entire thing by coming in her hands. It was important that he be primed when he met the witch. Simonia had to hurry if he were to survive this.
Her fingers were magic, sliding over his erect penis as she massaged the oil into his skin. His body heated up to a fever pitch. The warmth of the oil, the strong herbal scent, and her total concentration on loving his body with her hands and eyes added to the heat of the moment.
By the time she got to his arms, which was the last part of the ritual, she rubbed his arms down and out toward his fingertips, massaging one finger at a time as his body heated up a notch further.
His heart was beating a strange rhythm, racing for her as it had done the first time he’d seen her dancing at that fundraiser back home. He wanted to taste her in his mouth, breathe her into his lungs, sink his stiff cock into her and never leave. To hell with the witch. Simonia’s hands were driving him to distraction, making him full to bursting. He was desperate to find something to divert himself from the foregone conclusion of what would happen if he didn’t distract himself.
Not a moment too soon, as if on cue, she stepped away from him and walked out of the house. She made her way to the left side of the house, and retreated into the shadows to wait for him to emerge.
She couldn’t help think, he was indeed a sight to behold, as she left him lying there. She believed he was as ready as he’d ever be. It was now only minutes before midnight.
At midnight, everything was hushed and quiet. She stood way back in the dark shadows outside of the house, carrying Todd’s clothes in one hand, in the event the entire thing fell through. They had no idea how long it would take to find the witch’s skin, and if they couldn’t find it, then Todd would have to walk back to their rented house. He couldn’t walk back naked. It would be difficult to explain s
hould he be spotted, hence her presence. In addition to carrying his clothes, she also had to carry the bag of salt, so she tied the pants around her waist to keep her hands free while she waited.
They didn’t have long to wait; the witch was on time. Tonight she made no effort to disguise herself. She didn’t look anything like Nora. She was dressed in a voluminous black veil, which covered her from head to toe. The only thing visible was the pale skin of her face, but her features were indistinguishable.
Todd was a bit put off by her appearance. This was the first time he was able to see anything but an outline of her body. Simonia’s papinio had told him the new moon made the witch stronger. This could explain her boldness in showing herself to him tonight.
He watched her through slitted eyes as she walked into the room, where he lay on the bed, as if waiting for her. She hesitated before approaching him, and then she gave a crackling laugh, as she reached out to touch him. Though her hand made contact with his body, the herbs and oil prevented her from getting a grip on him. After her third attempt to touch him and not being able to, she began chanting in a Creole dialect, trying to use it to fuel her power.
Her power was strong, and the air around him became charged with energy as her rage and anger at being denied his body made her less cautious. But the power of the amulet Todd was wearing, together with the herbs in the oils on his body, had her buckling under the stronger power pitted against hers in this test of strength.
He prayed to God that Simonia did not come to his aid because he needed all his attention focused on the witch to trick her into leading them to the location where she had her skin.
She came at him again, this time with renewed vigor. He was lying there wide-awake, untouched by her witchcraft. She was unable to put him to sleep because of the power of the amulet he was wearing. She couldn’t violate his body while he was wide-awake. She had a second problem as well. If she couldn’t do what she’d entered the house to do, she would have to return to her skin and her evil master.