Ram

CHAPTER ONE

They’re called irises. Not pupils. Shala had been trying to grasp the word but it slipped away. Just like the woman who approached her in the grocery store. The woman, gypsy – whatever, had thoroughly crept her out. Not so much her appearance (except for the irises) as the way she appeared out of nowhere and disappeared into the same wrinkle in space, it seemed. Then again, it was Wal-Mart.

After work Shala had stopped to pick up some last minute items for the camping trip she and Dawn were beginning tomorrow. Cruising down the paper goods aisle, the woman had practically given Shala a heart attack. One minute, she was alone and the next, the space directly to Shala’s right was occupied by what appeared to be a four foot tall pile of rags. Then it turned and a face appeared. Not an unkind one but definitely what you would call “wizened.” Shala was startled but struck by the color of the eyes – the irises, rather. They were a shade of blue normally not seen in nature and almost seemed to flow and move, shifting into an iridescent gold. Shala was so transfixed that any alarm she felt was delayed until much later. During the encounter, she may have been convinced of anything being so drawn in by the woman’s eyes.

Even now, in the safety of her home, Shala couldn’t quite remember the words she exchanged with the woman and the only proof she even had that the encounter occurred was the necklace and a slight feeling of confusion. Looking at it now, Shala marveled at even accepting it. The thing was hideous and nothing like the delicately understated pieces she normally wore. This thing was heavy. And chunky. If she had to guess, Shala would have to say it was made by some insane jeweler with a morbid sense of humor. The chain was a gold box link, not too thick but definitely a bit masculine with an old fashioned appearance. Shala held the chain in front of her and gazed at the pendant in all its horrific glory. The ram stared back. Its dark ruby eyes made her uncomfortable. Horns thrusting out to form the familiar curly shape gave the ram’s head a powerful, menacing look.

“Why didn’t I throw this thing out of my car window on the way home?” Blinking and forfeiting the staring contest with the hunk of metal, Shala dropped it on the kitchen table and went to finish packing.

CHAPTER TWO

Finally satisfied that she had packed for anything nature may throw at her camping in a semi-natural state park, Shala decided she deserved a nice, long shower. She pulled off the t-shirt and sleeping pants she had put on after work revealing a well maintained body. It was both a blessing and a curse that the company she worked for offered paid memberships for employees to the gym around the corner from her office. A blessing in that she didn’t have to pay for it out of her own pocket and a curse because while she didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, it took a lot of willpower to breeze past the sandwich shop between her office and spin class. Still, glancing at her firm round ass in the mirror, she had to admit it was worth it.

On her way down the hall, her cell began to chime. Running to grab it, she already knew who it was: Dawn. Leaping across the bed, she landed on her stomach and answered the phone just before it went to voicemail, “What’s up, buttercup?”

“Wow! You’re still awake! Must be as excited as I am to get away from this place for a while,” Dawn said, her tone effervescent.

“Huh? What time is it?” Glancing at the clock, Shala was surprised to see it was almost midnight. “Holy shit! I thought it was like 8 at the latest.”

“Uhhhh…what have you been doing all evening? Rubbing off to JT’s music videos?” Dawn loved teasing her best friend about having a crush on Justin Timberlake. They both knew Shala wasn’t into the singer but since she had once dated a guy who looked eerily similar to him, Dawn never missed the opportunity to taunt her about it.

“Oh yeah! But I kick it old school, ya know? N’Sync was when he did his best work, I feel,” Shala said, playing along. “What are you doing calling me so late anyway? Just want to hear my sweet voice before bed?”

“You know it! I just got really excited about tomorrow and remembered you were going to Wal-Mart after work. Did you remember to get…”

“Yup,” Shala responded before Dawn could finish. “I got you stuff to make s’mores.”

“Hooray! I love you! See you in the morning then!”

“Good night, sweaty cheeks! I’ll pick you up around 9.” Shala hung up the phone and marveled that she seemed to have lost track of four hours. What the hell? Dawn hadn’t seemed too concerned for her even though she had always been the punctual and meticulous one since their friendship had developed in college. Losing track of time was just not something Shala did.

Forgetting about her bath for the moment, Shala rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She let her thoughts go back to the encounter with the woman in the supermarket. Her eyes had been so beautiful. And the way they glowed…wait, glowed? Eyes don’t glow, she thought. But this woman’s eyes did. Or at least they seemed to when she spoke and handed her the necklace. What had she said? Shala concentrated and tried to remember. The woman held the necklace by the chain in front of Shala’s face, the ram’s eyes glittered, and the woman said, “…your destiny…” or something. Damn! It was right there at the front of her mind but slipped away. And in any case, what would some old woman in Wal-Mart know about my “destiny”, she thought.

Shala went to the dining room and picked up the ram’s head. Staring at it now, it didn’t seem so menacing. Still pretty ugly but that could just be its crude construction. It was all bumps and grooves combined to describe a very detailed hairy head of a ram. Something about the shape of it pulled at her mind and gave her the impression that she had seen it before. Shala, thinking only half-way straight, slipped the necklace over her head. The head of the ram lay perfectly nestled between her breasts. It was quite cool at first but soon became warm and comforting. “Odd,” she thought, “it should be uncomfortable with all those spiky protrusions but it feels OK… almost like it’s not there.”

Heading back to her bedroom for the night, Shala stopped in the bathroom to look in the mirror. The sight of herself naked wearing nothing but a heavy gold necklace with the large pendant nestling between her breasts aroused her for some reason. Her long hair, which normally seemed mousy brown to her, suddenly became a wild mane of luscious dark chocolate brown. It cascaded down her back and around her shoulders in silky waves that seemed to seek to occupy the space around her in the bathroom. Her skin had a bronzed sheen almost as if reflecting firelight. Staring at her face in the mirror, Shala noted that her face was flushed and her lips were fuller than normal.

“What the hell is going on? Why am I so hot?” Shala felt fevered and ran her hands over her body feeling the heat it was radiating. She felt like she was sitting too close to a fire and her skin was responding to it naturally by sweating. Shala slid her hands over breasts and let her fingers capture her nipples between them as she cupped herself.

“Mmmm…this feels so good,” she moaned as she pushed her large boobs together they captured the ram’s head between them. It felt hotter but not painfully so.

Overcome by an urge that was a bit abnormal for her, Shala climbed onto the oversize bathroom counter and sat facing the mirror. She bent her knees toward her chest and spread her legs as wide as possible. Getting in this position, she was proud of her flexibility and all those hours she spent on the yoga mat. Her eyes were drawn to her throbbing sex and her fingers followed. As soon as she got near her glistening lips, Shala let out a small whimper. She was very close to climax already and the sight of her body: perfect, sweaty and pulled into an odd position, gazing at her reflection almost sent her over the edge.

Shala slowly trailed her fingers along the edge of her labia, relishing the tingle it created in the pink bud that was just beginning to peek out of its shelter. Using one hand to pinch and caress her nipples, the other to spread her lips, it seemed like she was looking at someone else in the mirror. It definitely looked like her, but there was a distinct difference in the way this reflection made her feel as opposed to when she had seen her reflection in the past. Shala considered herself to be a cute girl but this bitch was hot. Smoking hot. Shala could almost see the steam rising off her in the mirror as she moaned and played with herself.

“Aahh! Ooohh…shit!” Shala couldn’t control herself as her fingers ministrations continued their manipulation of her pussy. She slipped two fingers inside and pressed on the slightly rough patch just inside her vagina while her thumb pressed on her clit. “Mmmm…oooohhh yaaa!!” She had found the perfect rhythm and staring at herself in the mirror as her pussy loosed it’s liquid gifts, Shala came harder than she had ever before. “Uhhnnn….oooohhh…fuck yaaa!!” She screamed as her tight hole pulsed and contracted, clenching her fingers in an attempt to milk them for seed like a penis.

As her orgasmic sensitivity faded, Shala pulled her fingers out of herself and was astounded to see how much fluid had built up around her ass. “Geez…I’ve never came like that before. Of course, it’s been quite a while since I came at all,” Shala said to herself as an odd wave of depression descended onto her. She suddenly felt embarrassed at her behavior and as she cleaned up the mess she had made, she wept and refused to even glance in the mirror. “What the fuck is wrong with me?” Shala wondered as she finally lay down in her bed. She looked over at the clock and it was only 12:15 am. It felt like it should be much later. Her performance in the bathroom seemed to have lasted at least 45 minutes and then the cleaning and weeping….where had that even come from?

Shala let the cool air from the fan blow away her concern for her behavior and accepted the tryst with the other Shala, the one in the mirror, as a gift. From whom she did not know.

xxxxx

It’s here.

No, not it…He is here. But it’s so dark, thought Shala. Where is here even? I can’t see shit.

A humming noise began to sound behind her. Shala turned and woke up to the sound of her phone’s vibrations on the night stand.

“Shit!” It was Dawn on the phone and way past dawn outdoors. Sliding her thumb across the phone’s screen to answer the call from her probably distressed friend, Shala spoke “Just woke up…on my way!” and hung up.

Leaping from the bed to her walk-in closet, Shala began to hurriedly dress herself in some casual shorts and a denim shirt with long sleeves. While putting her feet into hiking boots, Shala caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the back of the closet door. The ram was still there. He appeared to have lost some of his luster in the morning light and looked less menacing. His ruby eyes were dull and his horns looked even more sloppily constructed. Realizing she had been evaluating the pendant’s appearance as though it (HE) was a living thing, she jerked it off her neck and winced as the clasp dug into her neck. Gently grazing the tender skin with her finger, she noticed it came away slightly bloody. Ignoring the blood and pain, Shala jammed the necklace into her duffel bag, grabbed the rest of her stuff and headed out the door.

CHAPTER THREE

On the short drive to pick up Dawn, Shala struggled with a feeling of loss and despondency. Confused by a wave of submissive thought and emotion that was totally abnormal, she cranked up the radio in an effort to dampen the unwelcome fire she could feel welling up from somewhere in the bottom of her mind’s chasms and resolved to lighten up before seeing Dawn whose presence would be sure to put her in a better mood.

The muffled sound of Joan Jett’s voice screaming in her driveway was Dawn’s cue to pull herself out of the lawn chair and lug her large pleasing form and gear over to Shala’s SUV. The loud music grew louder as Shala opened her door and ran around the car to help her friend load her luggage into the storage area.

“You know, I’ve been thinking,” Dawn began but the look on Shala’s face caused the joke to fizzle in her throat. Instead, she asked, “Hey, are you ok? You look like someone took your last Nutter Butter.”

Shala’s face broke into a grin despite the odd feeling that was creeping back into her mind. She began to chuckle and with a sly grin implied, “Maybe I just need some Nutter Butter.” They both cracked up at the bawdy joke and got in the vehicle.

Getting comfy, Dawn turned off the radio and turned to her friend. “Seriously, Shay, what’s up? Did you meet someone? You did, didn’t you! It’s all over your face! Who is he?!”

Giggling with an uncharacteristic girlish mirth, Shala denied the playful accusation. “No, I didn’t meet anyone…of course. I just feel, I don’t know, happy or something. Just excited to get away for a while and dance naked in the forest!”

Dawn laughed. “Right. Thanks for bringing that up, friend.” Both girls laughed. Shala pantomimed a silly seductive dance while Dawn chuckled and tried to bat her friend’s arms away. It was an old joke between them stemming from an incident back in college.

They had met in freshman orientation and became fast friends. Shala was intelligent with a sardonic wit that Dawn appreciated. Where Shala was a bit more cerebral and studious, Dawn was an extrovert and loved to experience everything life had to offer. Despite their differences, the two were inseparable. So when Dawn approached Shala about a “back to nature” experience with a group of naturists, she agreed to go even though she was nervous.

During the weekend, they had meditated with the sunrises and sunsets, sang, danced, enjoyed the company of other participants, and learned how to appreciate the feeling of the sun on their skin – sans clothing.

Shala had never quite gotten comfortable with the nudity but had been a good sport. Dawn had reveled in it. Not surprising really considering the environment her parents had fostered during her upbringing.

Dawn’s parents had both been Naval officers. Being the free spirit that she was had not always been easy. Both parents had died in an accident and since their deaths, Dawn had been experimenting with different religious paths seeking one that fit her firmly rooted natural inclinations toward free thought and expression. While sometimes she seemed to be adrift, even aloof, she was always thankful for her rock: Shala. She could always count on her friend to be the beacon that called her back to reality and the comfort it provided. Their friendship meant everything to her.

Shala’s teasing dance finished, she pulled out of the drive and pointed the car towards the highway and the natural campground that would be their home for the next three days and nights.

CHAPTER FOUR

“What is this thing?” Dawn did little to hide her disgust at the hideous visage hanging from the end of the gold chain.

Turning her attention to her friend, Shala felt an instant of white hot jealousy that surprised her. It vanished as quickly as it had manifested. She strode over to where Dawn was setting up the wood camp style shelter they preferred to tents and took the necklace out of her hands.

“Yeah,” she remarked. “I meant to tell you about this crazy experience I had last night at Wal-Mart.”

Dawn laughed. “Big shock there, buddy. That place is full of crazy. What kind did you pick up? You know generic is just as good as name brand.” Dawn continued chuckling. Shala was once again mesmerized by the eyes of the ram. She gazed into them as she held the head in her hand. Lifting only her eyes, she asked Dawn, “In your um, religious studies, did you maybe ever read anything about rams or goats or….”

“Or that hideous thing?” Dawn teased. Seeing the blissful and strangely desperate look on Shay’s face, Dawn got serious. “Well, the ram or goat is usually understood to represent the demon Baphomet. The Knights Templar were accused of worshiping Baphomet but more recently, the Satanic Church adopted him as their symbol. So…I guess if your, um, pendant is supposed to be him…then”

Shay cut her off. “Him? You referred to Baphomet as Him? Why not her?”

“Well, from what I’ve read the physical manifestation of Baphomet is the form of a male goat humanoid type thing. Why do you have that thing anyway? It’s a bit gaudy for you, isn’t it?”

Getting defensive, Shala said, “Well, it was a gift!”

“Geez…from who? A witch? Mwaahahahaha!” joked Dawn.

Shala could feel a tug in her subconscious. She wrestled for control of her emotions and despite a small part of her wanting to submit to physically retaliating against her friend for her joking, Shay was able to shut down the outburst that threatened to cut her weekend short. She felt something like hope and something like an assurance that this weekend was very important to them both.

“Hey…you alright?” Shala snapped out of her reverie and gave Dawn a wounded look. “I’m sorry, Shay. I was just kidding around. Is that some kind of family heirloom or something? It looks…old,” Dawn offered, trying to smooth over the agitation they were both feeling.

“No, some lady in Wal-Mart gave it to me. She was kind of…weird,” Shala said. It struck her that Dawn must think she was losing her mind. Taking anything from a stranger was more than a little uncharacteristic of Shala. Laughing at this realization, she stowed the necklace in her shorts pocket and both girls began earnestly setting up the rest of the campsite.

An hour later, marveling at a job well done, Dawn and Shala decided it was time for a deserved break – in the form of a dip in the nearby river. Disrobing in front of Dawn was no big deal for Shala and Dawn would have lived her life naked if she could. As Shala picked up her shorts to put them away, they felt heavy. The ram. She pulled out the necklace and without a thought, slipped it over her head. It’s familiar nubs and spikes nestled between her breasts that had been pushed together by the swimsuit top. Feeling suddenly more at ease and strong, she turned to Dawn to urge her to hurry before the sun set.

Dawn was grappling with her suit top, as usual. The girl’s ample bosom always resisted containment even in the loosest of clothing. Shala stepped toward Dawn to help her. She slowly pushed Dawn’s arms to her sides and began easing the girl’s breasts into the stressed cups of the suit.

“Ha ha…um…what are you doing?” asked a very confused Dawn.

“Just helping out a friend,” Shala answered with a seductive smile, flashing her white teeth between her dark pink lips. Her hair was a deep shiny brown haloed in gold from the light of the sun. Dawn began to protest, but her arguments were swiftly silenced by Shala’s soft pillowy lips. The kiss was warm, hot even. Dawn felt it…everywhere. It melted every ounce of doubt she may have previously had regarding the love between them. This was a kiss that left no room for anything but utter adoration of Dawn for Shala. It shot a spike of buttery warmth from the top of her head to the soles of her feet causing instant arousal and elation. In spite of herself, Dawn let out a weak moan.

Woah! What am I doing?! Shala thought as she regained control of her actions and pulled her lips away from Dawn’s. She smiled at Dawn who was standing stock still, eyes closed, lips parted and flushed. Laughing as Dawn recovered from the unexpected kiss, Shala pulled the straps of Dawn’s top over her shoulders and grabbed her friend’s hand, pulling her toward the path to the river.

CHAPTER FIVE

As the girls made their way down the path, the river’s slow progress through the forest churned the water forming a rich bubbling and gurgling sound that enticed and excited them both. The path led them to a wide sandy bank bathed in the afternoon sun. Pushing her chair into the sandy soil, Shala sat heavily and breathed deep. The air was thick with the scent of cold water, honeysuckle and greenery and Dawn’s enticing aroma of cocoa butter and sweat. Closing her eyes, Shala marveled at her heightened sense of smell. Must be the clean smog-free air out here, she thought. She relaxed and imagined pushing her head between Dawn’s breasts and sucking on her tiny nipples while running her hands all over Dawn’s hourglass curves.

“Um, Shay?”

Shala opened her eyes slowly, taking in Dawn’s luscious form. She looked worried.

“Hmmm?” Shay replied, as if waking.

“Hey space cadet, I’m going swimming. You coming? And stop looking at me like that! It’s…odd,” Dawn joked. “You’re making me feel like a piece of meat.”

Shala joined Dawn next to the water. It was a fair and warm day but the water was cold. Just dipping their toes in made them shiver. Deciding it was now or never, Shala ran into the water with a wild splash. Dawn stood, the breath knocked out of her from the icy water Shala kicked up. As she witnessed her friend’s joyful movement through the water, her body began to respond. She ran into the water until it was waist deep then dove in and swam toward the opposite bank.

Here the water was deeper and there was a large boulder on the bank that looked perfect for lounging. Dawn climbed up on the bank and stepped onto the warm boulder luxuriating in the warmth it held from the sun’s rays. She sat down then stretched out to gain maximum exposure to the deep azure sky. Well, as maximum as you could get while wearing a swimsuit. Of course, she could remedy that. What would it matter anyway? There was no one around for miles and Shay wouldn’t care. Shay. She had been acting so weird. It wasn’t like her to be so, well, affectionate. These thoughts discouraged Dawn from removing her top. Tan lines weren’t the end of the world so she pushed her black hair into a loose bun, closed her green eyes and lay there concentrating on the sounds of the water and the warmth of the day.

Close to sleep, Dawn began to get cold. It was growing cloudy but when she opened her eyes she realized it wasn’t a cloud. It was Shala standing over her and staring down with a playful look on her face. Shala had taken off her swimsuit. What the hell is she doing? Dawn wondered.

Sitting up, Dawn gazed up at Shala and noted that her friend was still wearing that weird necklace. “Enjoying the sun?” Shala quizzed.

“Well, I was,” Dawn replied irritably. “What are you doing?”

Shala sat down on the warm boulder next to her friend and said, “Nothing much. You’ve been asleep here awhile. Ready to head back?”

Dawn looked around in confusion. “How long was I out?”

Shala shrugged then dove into the water and swam to the shore. Following her friend’s cue, Dawn met up with Shala on the opposite bank. “Where is your swimsuit?”

“I’m not sure. I took it off near the bank. Guess it floated away,” Shala replied with indifference.

CHAPTER SIX

Dusk fell upon the campsite quickly. Neither girl spoke as they poked around the site getting dressed and arranging the kindling and logs for their campfire. Shala got the fire going and before long, it was dark. Dinner was a simple affair of roasted hot dogs and s’mores for dessert. Dawn was quiet as she studied Shala’s movements around the fire. Something was definitely up with her friend. Ever since they returned from their swim, Shala wore a grin and not much else. The evening was cooler than expected with the breeze blowing off of the river and Dawn had changed into flannel pants and a hoodie. Shala appeared to be quite warm even though she only had on shorts and a tank top that barely covered her chest, the pendant nestled in her cleavage. Finally, the curiosity overtook her and Dawn decided she had to say something.

“Wow! It’s gotten chilly out here. Aren’t you cold?” Shala looked up from her crouch next to the flames and giggled.

“No, not at all. It’s pretty warm next to this fire. Come sit by me!” She patted the blanket next to her and cast Dawn a look that put her at ease. Seemed she was the same old Shala after all. Convincing herself that Shala was just tired or relaxed or relieved to be outdoors, Dawn carried herself over to the blanket and sat down.

“So, finish telling me about the lady in Wal-Mart that gave you your new favorite accessory,” Dawn implored. Shala stared into the fire and after a few moments she described the encounter and left out no detail. She described the woman’s odd colored irises, her strange face and how she seemed to lose track of time somewhere between the occurrence and the phone call from Dawn. Becoming a bit embarrassed about sharing the incident in her bathroom, she decided to leave that part out for now. It was still too hard to put into words how it made her feel.

When she had finished, Shala got up and went to the back of the SUV. Pulling out a bottle of wine and two glasses, she grinned at Dawn and did a little dip twist dance. Dawn couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Though she could be pretty serious and thoughtful, Shala was also often silly and playful to the point of seeming childish or immature to those that didn’t know her well. Probably why she hadn’t maintained any long term romantic relationships. Guys seemed to not get her sense of humor and expected someone who looked as good as she did to be something she was not.

Returning to the blanket, Shala pulled out her wine key, opened the bottle and poured a glass of wine. Handing this to Dawn, she said in a deeply seductive voice, “Drink of me and be free.” Dawn laughed but gave her friend a strange look. “Where did that come from?”

Shala poured her own glass and took a sip. “Don’t know. It just came out.” She turned her face toward Dawn and laughed. “Okay, weirdo,” said Dawn, laughing too.

“How did your trip go?” Shala realized she hadn’t heard any details of her friend’s trip to Sedona, Arizona and was eager to learn what it had been like. Dawn was known for spending her considerable inherited wealth on visits to spiritual places in an effort to uncover what she believed to be hidden truths within reality.

At the question, Dawn’s face lit up in addition to the light of the now roaring fire. Growing warm from the flames, the wine and her excitement about sharing her experiences with her friend, Dawn began to take off her hoodie to reveal the thin camisole she typically wore to sleep in. Her breasts bounced as she struggled to remove the hoodie’s arms and put it away. Shala gazed at her friend’s body tussling with the garment and grew excited. She was unable to control an urge to touch Dawn so she feigned an offer of assistance and dragged her fingers along the soft skin of her friend’s arms as she pulled the hoodie down and away. Either not noticing the intimate touch or not caring, Dawn seemed relieved at the cool breeze on her skin and began describing the drive in to Sedona on 89A: the beauty of the natural slides in Slide Rock State Park, the smell of the juniper and the dry desert air. To Dawn, the area had an almost tangible magical quality that made her feel like she was coming home. Though she never witnessed anything spectacular on her excursions to visit the famed vortices in the area, she did thoroughly enjoy the locals and the drop dead gorgeous sunsets. All in all, she counted the trip as a victory if for nothing else but the recharge it provided her soul.

“When I go back, you have to come with me, Shay! You would love it!” Dawn seemed to be caught in her own vortex of memory as Shala rose and said, “I’d love to! For now, I really need to see a man about a horse.” Giddy and tipsy, they both laughed as Shala took a path away from camp to answer the call of nature.

Shala wandered away from camp scouting for a reasonably good spot to take care of her urgent need to urinate. About 25 yards from camp the ridgeline dropped slowly to the river valley. Shala squatted behind a tree, did her thing and was about to rise to head back to camp when she heard a noise. Behind her and just beyond the opposite bank of the river from her vantage point seemed to be coming a low roaring sound. Almost like a breeze, it flowed along growing in intensity before settling down into low susurrations that sounded like voices. That’s pretty cool, she thought. She figured it was wind blowing through a natural rock formation and made a note to let Dawn know so she wouldn’t be frightened.

Returning to camp, she found Dawn dozing on the blanket next to the fire. They had finished the bottle of wine and were both exhausted. Shala rubbed Dawn’s shoulder and roused her enough to get her to come to the shelter to sleep. As they lay, Dawn softly snoring, Shala stared up at the stars, clasping the ram’s head pendant in her fist. It was warm and comforting. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

xxxxx

Walking. How long have I been walking? Shala asks herself as she stumbles in the dark. The darkness feels large, empty. Definitely not in an enclosed area, she thinks as she continues on in her bare feet. Bare feet?! At this moment she realizes her feet aren’t the only thing bare on her form. She’s nude. And tired. When will this darkness end, she wonders and just then she spies a light in the distance. It looks like a bonfire.

xxxxx

Startled awake, Shala lay still and quiet trying to determine where the noise had come from. It had sounded like a voice – a man’s voice. But she had to have been dreaming, right? Not wanting to wake Dawn, she slowly disentangled herself from her blanket and got up to go stoke the fire that had almost burned out.

Shala placed another log on the fire and crouched on her knees on the blanket next to it. Behind her, a whisper caused her to whip her body around and stare into the blackness of the trees at the edge of the camp. No one – nothing – was there. But she had definitely heard…what? Well, something she was certain. It must have been the wind she had heard earlier. There didn’t seem to be any breeze right now, but that had to be what she had heard. A thought prodded and threatened to take form: hadn’t she had some weird dream last night about a dark room or something? She shivered despite the warm fire and grasped the pendant. For some reason she couldn’t understand or didn’t want to understand, the feel of it on her chest calmed her. She stood and stared into the trees. When nothing presented itself, she turned and went back to her sleeping pad. Shala lay for a few minutes, listening to the woods and the gurgle of the nearby river. Finally calm and sure nothing was stalking their campsite, she fell into a deep restful sleep.

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was getting harder for Dawn to ignore or explain the weird behavior of her best friend. Since her unexpected kiss yesterday, Shala had been quiet and boisterous in turns. Dawn realized people could be moody but Shala often operated on an even keel. While she was outgoing and usually quite happy, Shala was never one for such open exploration of sexuality. It worried Dawn as she sat by the low fire and waited for Shala to wake up.

Speaking of waking up, Shala was usually the early riser of the two. It was now almost 9 am and Shala was snoring peacefully on her sleeping pad. What the hell was going on with her? Was she on drugs or something? But that wasn’t like her either.

Dawn decided to ask her outright as soon as Shala woke up. She began making breakfast on the small campfire grill they had brought with them. Shala’s father had constructed it and given it to her as a gift.

The smell of breakfast roused Shala and she woke up just as Dawn had finished plating their eggs and sausages.

“Wakey, wakey, eggs and…uh, sausage,” Dawn joked. Shala grinned as she took her plate and sat in the camp chair next to her friend. “Rough night, homie?” Dawn’s joking seemed to be having a positive effect on Shala who chuckled. “I guess so. My legs feel like I spent the night doing squats instead of sleeping,” Shala responded.

As they ate, Dawn studied Shala. She ate with relish and went back for seconds looking in Dawn’s direction questioningly to indicate she wanted to eat the remaining food if Dawn wasn’t interested. Dawn wasn’t and Shala polished off the rest of the food quickly.

Cleaning the cookware and putting it away was done in comfortable silence and Dawn felt it was time to probe Shala for information. “Shala, is everything OK? You seem to be, I don’t know, distracted,” she began. “I’m not trying to be accusatory or anything, but you’ve been acting like, well, not like yourself. Are you on something or something? Ha ha.”

Shala grew quiet. The look she gave Dawn almost broke her heart. Dawn immediately went to Shala and put her arms around her to offer comfort. Shala sighed. She gently pushed Dawn away and explained, “I’m not on drugs, you nut. I do feel pretty weird but I’ve been chalking it up to exhaustion and stress,” she explained. “Plus, these dreams I keep having are so…real and so dark. I can’t see anything but feel like I’m not alone in a dark place. Last night, something woke me up.”

“Something woke you up? Like an animal?” Dawn questioned.

“No, I don’t think so.” Laughing lightly, Shala continued, “I thought it was a voice. A man’s voice. But I was dreaming about this weird place. I woke up and stoked the fire and thought I heard whispering but that was probably just the wind. It sounds pretty weird coming off the river.”

Dawn tried to hide her worry and assured Shala her fright just came from having a strange dream and waking up startled in a strange place.

“Don’t worry. It’s probably just your spirit guide trying to communicate and fucking it up royally!” Dawn joked. “Wanna check out that vista before lunch?”

“Definitely!” Excited, Shala and Dawn got ready for their hike. Checking their maps and making sure they had supplies for their trek, they set off into the woods.

xxxxx

It was gorgeous. The first word that came to mind for Shala was breathtaking. But maybe that was the altitude.

Sunning themselves on the boulder jutting out into space above the river valley below, Dawn and Shala enjoyed the view in silence. It was Dawn who spoke first about the weird markings they had spotted on a couple of the trees as they climbed the trail to this scenic spot.

“Who do you think made those? They were so strange.”

“Probably just some kids going through their Goth phase,” Shala offered, referring to the obvious occult feel the markings conveyed. One had been topped with a weird soft of pentagram and some rune-like characters beneath it. The other made up of only the same rune-like characters.

“You know, hoboes place marks on buildings and things to convey information to other ‘boes that might make their way to that spot,” Dawn explained. Shala laughed. Dawn always had some interesting bit of information tucked away. Unable to quell her compulsion to share esoteric knowledge, Dawn continued.

“Yeah, it’s like a road map. They have symbols for things like, ‘mean dog lives here’ or ‘nice lady, free meal.’ If you don’t know the difference, I guess you could end up being the meal,” Dawn laughed at her own joke.

Shala was smiling but staring down into the forest below. Following her friend’s line of sight, Dawn was easily able to pick out what had caught Shala’s attention. Near the river and just upstream from where they had swam the day before, was a small clearing. Well, small from their vantage point. If they had been standing in the middle of it, they would be in the center of a 50 foot circle. Within the circle was a rock or structure of some kind. From their height and distance, it was hard to tell. It was kind of rectangular but other than that, the details were unclear.

Both girls stared at this landmark that was previously hidden from them. Shala stood quickly and put her hand out to help Dawn to her feet. “Let’s go check it out,” she said and took off toward the path.

xxxxx

It had taken the rest of the morning to hike back down toward camp. Looking for a shallow spot upstream to cross, Shala and Dawn were surprised to find a makeshift path of large stones leading across the river directly toward the area of the woods where their directional senses told them the clearing should be.

Stepping onto the bank and heading toward the face of the tree line, Shala didn’t notice Dawn’s hesitation. With effort and a visible shrug to discard her concern, Dawn stepped in line behind Shala and they continued toward the forest. She wasn’t so worried about the woods themselves, or even the possibility of encountering wildlife. Dawn was, however, supremely concerned about engaging with the creator of the circle. Who had constructed it? And why so far out in the middle of this forest?

It wasn’t a popular camping spot for families due to the remote location and lack of facilities of any sort. In fact, if she hadn’t come out here with her father, the survivalist, when she was young, Dawn would not have picked it for their little getaway. It frightened most people to be this far away from civilization, excepting Shala. Shala was different from most people in most every aspect. Camping and by extension, the forest, was practically a second home for Shala and her family. Her dad was an accomplished woodsman and her mother was a back to nature hippie type with whom Dawn had felt an instant kinship. Both girls were quite happy and comfortable to be in the deep forest together.

Shala, breath heavy from the humidity and activity, pushed through the brushy foliage and almost frantically scanned for the clearing she felt should be directly ahead of her. Her mind was thrumming with a flood of excitement and the thrill of discovering the secrets of the circle. It felt like coming home for her…or like boarding a plane to head home after a long trip. Not questioning her feelings or showing any concern for her friend panting to keep up behind her, Shala stepped over a low stone wall and into the circle.

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was windy.

Shala couldn’t stand so she remained on the ground but struggled to push her upper body off of the warm stone beneath her. Shala tried to make out where she was but a black mist surrounding her form made it difficult to see more than four feet. Looking up, she was able to see roiling clouds high in the sky. They appeared to be backlit by flames whose source was indiscernible and impossible anyway.

“Dawn!” Shala yelled. “Dawn, where the hell are you?!” They must have been caught up in some weird dust storm or…what? A bombing? Dismissing the latter as unlikely, Shala determined it must be some kind of storm or mini-cyclone. Too bad she had left her ruby slippers at home, Shala thought and chuckled in an effort to comfort herself and quell her mounting fear both for her safety and Dawn’s. Her skin began to sting from being buffeted by the tiny particles of dust blown at her from the weird mist that rose only a few feet around her and above her head.

“Oh, I’m naked,” she said aloud. “What the hell is going on here?!” Shala began to become angry.

This storm was weird and scary but mostly it pissed her off in a primal way that she wasn’t used to and made her feel some sense of power given her current predicament. Harnessing this weak surge of confidence, Shala pushed herself off the ground and stood. As she did, the black mist dissipated. The sight that greeted her was so unexpected she nearly dropped back to her knees.

She was in Hell. That was the only explanation. Her mind wrestled the instant fear that slithered up, threatening to take her sanity, and stowed it away. Directly before her and as far as she could see, the landscape was aflame. Jagged peaks rose in the distance. Between Shala and those peaks, the land was dotted with tower-like structures. In a way, the soot blackened landscape riven with fissures within which flaming lava ran was beautiful. Damn scary. But beautiful.

Shala started to take a step forward when the ground in front of her dropped away. In its place a set of rough-hewn steps formed from the broken earth. Figuring she should check this place out since she was clearly dead and in Hell which meant an eternity of this, Shala began descending the crude staircase at a careful pace. She was just about to alight from the stairs to the ground when another black mist quickly enveloped her. The last thing she saw was the sky and those horrifying red clouds.

xxxxx

A cool breeze passed through Shala’s hair and across her face. Her eyes fluttered and opened, and instantly closed in the dazzling sun. She could hear Dawn’s weeping and exclamations of relief that she had awoken.

Groaning, Shala tried to sit up but was admonished by Dawn for moving too quickly. Not that she could have moved with ease. Her whole body was prickling like she’d rolled through a cactus patch. Dawn cradled Shala’s head in her lap and helped her take a sip from a water bottle. Recovering somewhat, Shala opened her eyes and looked up into Dawn’s worried face. “Thank goodness you woke up! I was about to start CPR!” Dawn wasn’t kidding. Shala’s top was off and the she craned her neck downward to see the ram’s glittering eyes sparkle in the sun as it lay between her breasts.

“You know, you’re really supposed to remove jewelry before you begin compressions,” Shala said groggily. Her throat was sore so she opened her mouth and Dawn poured more water into it. Feeling better by the second, she rolled onto her side and took a few deep breaths. Once her head was mostly clear, she stood and looked around the clearing. All at once, a memory of the vision she experienced pushed itself to the surface of her mind and her face broke into confusion and fear. Seeing that her friend was still not quite OK, Dawn picked up Shala’s top and began to help her into it, speaking to her in soothing tones. “Let’s head back to camp and get some food, ok? I think we may have overdone it today,” she urged.

“Okay,” Shala started. “Wait, what exactly happened? I mean, I guess I passed out but, I don’t remember feeling weak or out of breath.”

“I’m not sure. You were booking it pretty fast through the forest. I was about fifteen feet behind you when you stepped into the clearing. You took a few steps then collapsed. I ran over to you and you weren’t breathing so I took off your shirt to start compressions and that’s when you woke up. The whole thing couldn’t have lasted more than a minute at most,” Dawn explained.

“That’s impossible. I was there for almost half an hour…or it seemed like it was that long,” Shala said quietly.

“Don’t think so, dear. You had only taken a few steps into the clearing before you went down and came to almost as soon as I got to you. Scared the shit out of me.”

Shala looked at the ground and shrugged. “Well, it was scary for me, too.”

Seeing the tears forming in Shala’s eyes, Dawn took her hand and began leading her back the way they had come. “It’s OK. Once you eat you’ll feel better. Maybe we can take a swim later, OK?”

Shala smiled and nodded as she followed Dawn back toward camp.

xxxxx

The pair was famished from the morning’s hike and adrenaline rush caused by Shala’s fainting episode. Consequently, they totally annihilated the fruit salad and grilled chicken sandwiches Dawn prepared for their lunch. Hunger sated, they now decided to don their suits and head down to the river bank for a swim.

“Uh, Dawn? I can’t find my suit,” Shala complained. “Did you hang it somewhere to dry?”

Dawn laughed but her laughter caught when she saw Shala’s serious face. “Are you joking?” she asked. “You said it floated away yesterday but didn’t seem too concerned about it. I just thought you were either kidding or brought another one.”

Shala pepped up at this realization. “Oh yeah! I did take it off. Hmm…oh well. I’ll just swim au naturel,” she stated playfully. Dawn considered this and deciding it sounded great to her, disrobed and left her clothes in a pile on the blankets in the shelter.

Strutting toward Shala with an exaggerated swing in her hips, she offered her elbow which Shala took with a graceful curtsy and the two started toward the river.

At the edge of the water, Shala hesitated and turned toward Dawn. Her smile glittered like a sharp blade and she pulled Dawn toward her locking them in an embrace of lustful urgency. Dawn was startled then enthralled by Shala’s aggressively sexual behavior but what surprised her more was the glow emanating from her friend’s eyes. Before she could question the shift from gold to purple light within Shala’s irises, Dawn’s mouth was covered in a deep kiss that threatened to uproot her very soul and instead imbued her with a feeling of glowing passion. It sent her mind soaring.

Seemingly of their own accord, Dawn’s hands roamed over Shala’s supple frame and massaged the flesh of her backside. Satisfied she had won Dawn’s approval to continue, Shala released her friend’s mouth from their kiss and began exploring Dawn’s neck with her tongue and lips. As she reached Dawn’s ear with her mouth, the girl gasped in approval prompting Shala to begin an earnest exploration of her friend’s soft body with her hands. Sensing no apprehension at this unprecedented action, she continued by massaging Dawn’s globe-like breasts while running her thumbs over their tiny pink nipples. Dawn’s milky white skin yielded, quivering, to Shala’s expert touch as her friend proceeded to thoroughly investigate all areas previously hidden from her.

Sudden awareness of their vulnerability caused Dawn to gently push away from Shala. She stepped away and turned to run into the river followed closely by Shala. Both girls eagerly dove in, relishing the cooling effects of the water on their steamy skin. The river washed away the heat from their surprising foreplay and Dawn led the way to the boulder on the opposite bank.

Lying on the warm rock, Shala considered the motivation for her advances toward Dawn. She loved her friend like, well, like a best friend and sister. So why was she so hot for her suddenly? It was true that Dawn’s body was feminine and attractive with her soft skin, heavy yet perky breasts and small waist that swelled to an ample backside. Hell, she envied Dawn’s ass if the truth be told. Kim Kardashian would be green with envy to witness its perfect form.

Still, there had never been any sexual tension between them and even though Dawn may be fluid in her sexuality, Shala was not. Usually. At least until this weekend. She felt confused and a little worried she would hurt Dawn with her weird advances and that was the last thing she ever wanted. Putting her anxiety out of her mind, Shala clutched the pendant that lay between her full bare breasts still wet from the river. Feeling instantly at ease, she dozed alongside Dawn’s prostrate form and enjoyed her close proximity.

Dawn stirred. She felt warm and sat up to examine her body for a sun burn. Seeing her skin slightly tanned but still mostly pale, she marveled at the great job her sunblock had done. She looked to her side to see Shala waking from their short nap. Without speaking, they both rose and jumped into the water to head back to camp and dinner.

Once back at camp, they grilled the lamb kebobs Dawn had prepared at home and transported in the cooler. Dinner thus complete, the friends relaxed by the fire and acknowledging an unvoiced command heard by both their minds and hearts, they waited.

CHAPTER NINE

It was well past dark when they began to hear the voices. Dawn was instantly alert and hesitant while Shala seemed groggy yet compelled to move. They looked at one another across the fire as they stood and without a word began walking toward the river and the stones that led to the strange clearing in the forest.

Following Shala toward the river, Dawn wanted to ask her why they were going into the forest in the middle of the night but found herself unable to do anything but put one foot in front of the other and be led further away from the relative safety of their campsite. Shala’s pace wasn’t hurried but it wasn’t hesitant either. She seemed to be moving as though whatever important event lay ahead, it wouldn’t begin without their presence.

As the naked (except for Shala’s necklace) pair stepped onto the bank and headed in the direction of the clearing, the noises Dawn assumed were voices began to shape themselves into identifiable syllables spoken in a halting flow that rose and fell in rhythmic patterns. If she weren’t in the middle of the woods, she would have guessed they were near some kind of monastery the cadences sounded so like chants. But stepping into the trees circling the clearing revealed without question the source of the odd sound-offs. Surrounding the odd stone slab in the middle of the clearing stood a crowd of chanting figures.

Forming a triangle that enclosed circle of the figures were three stacks of wood, violently aflame. The light from the fires illuminated the back of the darkly robed figures but lent no spark to penetrate the hoods covering their heads. Dawn stopped and nearly stumbled but didn’t enter the clearing. Her feet wouldn’t allow her to travel any farther though Shala’s form proceeded without hesitation toward the figures who parted smoothly to let her pass into the center of their circle before closing again, partially obscuring Dawn’s view of her friend.

xxxxx

Under, between and around the surface of everyday existence are forces working for and against humanity. If someone had told Shala a week ago that she would be abruptly introduced to this reality and would learn her place within the hierarchy of a supremely malevolent cabal of said forces, she would have laughed and dismissed the notion as conspiracy nut bullshit. Now trembling under the weight of such a revelation, she was nowhere near laughing.

Her beautiful tanned smooth skin was drenched in acrid sweat. The smell of fear was permeating the air around her. Fear and excitement. The sensations intertwined in her gut to cause an arousal unlike anything she had felt before. HE was here. She knew it but a blank, dark space filled her mind at the moment it tried to form a memory of who He might be.

At this point, it occurred to Shala that she was bound. Her body was on all fours and positioned on a saddle like structure which supported her torso, spread her legs and prevented much movement. Glancing down, she saw her wrists were secured to cushioned handles attached to the device’s base and she could feel her ankles bound in similar fashion. Marveling at her lack of fear being so immobile, she was thankful that whoever or whatever saw fit to imprison her thought of her comfort since the base where her knees rested was well cushioned.

Able only to move her head slightly left and right, Shala glanced around to get an idea of who these people were. It was pointless. She could only see the robes they wore from their waists down to where the robes met the ground, covering even their feet in inky black fabric. Their chanting began to take on an urgent tone as the flames of the pyres surrounding the figures were fanned by an otherworldly wind that threatened to engulf the forest in hellish fire.

With an unspoken cue, the chants evolved into a deep hum and Shala felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and calm. Her backside began to grow warm as she felt a presence she could not see from her prone position. As the warmth intensified, her arousal morphed into ravenous need expressed in her loins as nectar that dripped from her inflamed pussy. A low chuckle sounded from behind her as she felt a warm hand palm her sex, kneading it and teasing as she writhed and groaned with want. It was obvious to Shala that this presence was the one she had felt in her dreams and was returning to a physical form to claim her in some way. It was confusing for her but felt right. Then He spoke.

“Shala, I am overcome with happiness that you have once again joined me, my bride,” He said. His voice felt like a deeply vibrating rhythm in her body. It was so comforting she nearly burst into tears feeling like she had been reunited with a lover from another lifetime.

Shala moaned as she felt a hot, wet tongue caress her from her clit to her ass. Its slow progress seared her sensitive skin leaving an only slightly cooler trail that begged to be burned again. A low mewl escaped her throat as the tongue probed the folds of her cunt and circled the entrance to her vagina, lapping up the fluids threatening to gush forth. As the tongue concentrated on her anus, she felt a finger slide over her clit in a slow circle, its pressure increasing in similar speed to her building orgasm.

“Oh my delicious, Shala. The gift of your sweet cunt is one I have sorely missed these long millennia,” groaned her Master. As Shala accepted this still unknown presence as the Master whose absence she had felt but unvoiced, He moaned and teased her aching pussy with the tip of his engorged member.

Shala felt the girth of the tip as it probed her entrance and was alarmed but excited to feel once again her Master’s gift within her. The memories of their past couplings rushed back to her as He fully sheathed Himself within her burning hot sex. To Shala, it seemed as though her internal organs shifted to accommodate the massive size of her Master’s member as her vagina struggled to envelope it and massage its equine-like length. As His horse like member massaged the walls of her vagina, she felt the base of his length rest against her backside and clit.

Short coarse hair stimulated her nub and the backs of her thighs, rubbing against her like a thousand tiny fingers. His large bulbous testicles were covered in this fur and as He bottomed out in her pussy, they slowly teased her clit, threatening to drive her insane. She moaned and panted as her first orgasm flooded the miniscule space surrounding his shaft and her honey flowed down her legs to be lapped up by the firm hot tongue…wait, whose tongue is that? Shala wondered.

In her head she heard, Do not be alarmed, my sweet. In time, you will remember the other gifts of my physical form that you have enjoyed over countless nights in our kingdom. Her Master’s words within her mind calmed her and she felt the tongue wind its way up her legs, around her pussy as His cock thrust deeply and slowly within her, to her anus where it busily went to work stimulating her hole. It slowly worked as her asshole puckered and pulsed in time with His deep and quickening explorations and threatened to send her over the edge into bliss once again when it entered her rectum. Growing in intensity, her arousal had maddened her to the point that all thought abandoned her mind to allow it to focus on only one thing: her impending orgasm.

The Master’s cock swelled and pulsed as her pussy flexed to make room for the flood of his seed that was sure to be deposited forcefully within her womb. She screamed as her cunt stroked His muscle. Shala’s climax ripped her mind apart when her juices overflowed to lubricate the final plunge of His shaft, its release buffeting her tunnel with hot sticky liquid. He continued to work his cock in and out in a slow rhythm, prolonging Shala’s stimulation and driving her to the edge again and again. Exhausted, she allowed her body to relax on the saddle and enjoy the full feeling of the Master’s shaft within her tired, sensitive pussy. She felt the tongue begin its retreat from deep within her bowels and giggled as it exited with an audible pop.

“Your ass is still as tight as ever, I see,” He said. Still rock hard, He began to spread her ass cheeks with the length of his cock. It slid easily between them, covered as it was in their liquids. The ass fucking Shala had received concurrent to the assault on her cunt had loosened her up somewhat, though being one not prone to anal play, her hole was still tight enough to close fully on its own and she now eagerly awaited the feeling of The Master’s gift opening her once again.

THE END