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To Have and to Hold

  • Posted on November 30, 2025 at 2:33 pm

 

By JetBoy

This is the first new non-collaborative story I’ve posted here in, oh, ages. I finished it a few months ago, but what with the various lengthy works we’ve been running over the last year, there was always something else that needed to be posted first. So I stashed this one in the vault until the time was right — namely, right now. Like many of my stories, this is based on something I saw in another piece of erotic fiction (no idea what) that stuck in my head and wanted to be a story of its own. Hope you like it. 

***

I’ll keep the memory of it forever. The way she spoke that one word. “Please?” Only six letters, but oh, what a universe of meaning they contained.

My sister wanted it that badly. She needed me that much. Strange how good it feels, to be needed like that.

I don’t have much to say about the wedding itself. Sure, the groom is handsome. Full of potential, everyone says, with a bright future waiting for him. Perhaps I should be jealous, but no matter how rich he will be, no matter how wonderful everyone says he is, there’s something inside me that refuses to be impressed. Can you understand that?

I lost my temper once at the reception. It was one of the best man’s friends who set me off. I suppose he wasn’t ugly, not exactly. His hair was shiny, I remember that. I pictured him standing before a cabinet filled to bursting with hair care products, and had to conceal a smile. I’m also sure he’d had too much to drink.

“Do you know,” he said to me, his glass tipped at a precarious angle, “Do you know, I think the bridesmaid is even prettier than the bride!” He topped that with an insipid smile.

Perhaps I overreacted, but at that moment, I was so angry, just so, so angry, I looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then stuck my tongue out at him. And what did he do? He laughed. I turned my back on him so abruptly that my dress nearly cracked like a whip.

I suppose some girls would have been flattered by his words. Even I might have been under any other circumstance. But it was utterly tasteless to say such a thing at that time. To feed me compliments on my sister’s day! It’s like pinching the widow’s bottom at a funeral. Why are men so completely clueless?

I’m going to have to explain. I can’t tell this story backwards, can I? You’ll have to forgive me. My thoughts are somewhat tangled at the moment.

I need to explain this properly. Otherwise I’ll simply end up going round in circles like water swirling down the sink.

So where do I start? Not when my sister first met the man who would become her husband – it wasn’t a particularly memorable event, to hear her tell it. Nor when she went away to college, although I remember that day all too well.

No, I have to go back to one special night, when I was twelve. My sister and I had just climbed into our beds and settled in when she suddenly sat up and looked at me, and even though I was engrossed in my book, I knew she needed to talk. So I marked my place and put the book down.

It’s funny; I can no longer recall what that book was, or who wrote it. Strange, really, because I remember everything else as if it happened five minutes ago.

It’s good for me, you know, telling you this. It isn’t easy, keeping such a juicy secret to myself Secrets want to be shared, even the dark ones.

Anyhow, this is what she said: “Hey, sis. I’ve really got to show you something.”

I could easily have replied with, “Do tell,” or something equally disdainful. We could be like that, my sister and I, playing at being snarky, even rude to one another. In truth, we were closer than close, best friends as much as siblings. Then as now, I would cheerfully throttle anyone who hurt my sister.

There was a certain urgency to her expression, as if she’d been waiting for days to share this with me.

That was enough to rouse my curiosity. “What is it?” I asked. I expected her to show me a CD she’d bought, or a cool photo in a magazine. Maybe a new move she’d learned in her dance class. Something like that.

Instead, she got out of bed and padded over to me. Tugging my blanket and sheet down, she climbed in and snuggled up close.

I was taken aback, to say the least. “What are you doing?”

“Hitch up your nightie,” she told me. Her voice was all warm and breathy.

I meekly obeyed, pulling my nightgown up to just below my chest. I wasn’t wearing anything underneath, but that wasn’t a big deal. She’d seen me naked hundreds of times.

She placed a hand on my thigh. To this day, I remember the warmth of that hand. “Close your eyes.”

“What are you doing?” I asked again.

“I’m going to show you, silly. Shut your eyes.”

Her voice was so gentle, her eyes so tender, that I did what she told me. And when she began to caress my thighs, moving from one to the other, I seemed to drift off into space.

No one had ever touched me like that. Heck, I’d never even been kissed, not for real. But it did feel nice.

“Do you like this?” she asked me, resting her chin on my shoulder.

“Sure, I guess.”

“Just you wait!” she said. “I’m only getting started.”

Her hand continued its journey upward. And then she touched me there – you know where I mean. Of course, that had been her goal all along.

Her lips grazed my cheek. “What about this?”

I nodded, struck speechless. Just having her fingers there at all was doing extraordinary things to me. But then, very slowly, she began to rub my slit, and from that moment, every imperceptible movement she made felt like I was doing a loop-the loop in an airplane.

Soon I was moaning helplessly, lost in a world of unfamiliar pleasure. Several times she had to hush me, but it was all but impossible to stifle feelings as enormous as those. It was exhilarating, frightening and beautiful, all at once.

Then it became too much, too fast, totally overwhelming, a merry-go-round out of control. I was gulping for breath, wanting her to stop, but she was saying, “Yes, yes, yes,” over and over again, as if cheering me on, and that calmed me just enough. Her face was only a few inches from mine, and those big, round eyes seemed to be peering into my very soul.

That throbbing beneath my belly grew and grew until I wanted to scream. As it is, I was about to shove my sister’s hand away, but then those intense sensations began to wane. I paused to assure myself that this wild ride had reached its end, then sank back into the pillow with a sigh of relief.

I didn’t know what to make of it. One moment, I’d been in a huge, scary but pleasurable place – and the next, it was as if nothing had happened, except for my being out of breath.

“See?” she said. “Wasn’t that wonderful?”

To tell the truth, I wasn’t sure. I’d really liked it to start with, but well… in a lot of ways I was still a kid, unable to deal with something that powerful. Still, she’d meant well, and I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, so I just nodded. “Yeah,” I mumbled, trying to sound grown-up. “Wonderful.”

“Good,” she said, touching her lips to my cheek. “G’night, sis.”

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. And it was one of those deep, profound slumbers in which all the knots in your brain unravel, and the next day you wake up as if nothing has ever gone wrong in your life, everything around you new and exciting.

In the days that followed, I tried not to think back to that night. I didn’t even question what had happened. Eventually, I came to half-believe the whole thing was a weird dream I’d had after a slice of pepperoni pizza too many.

Then, a week or so later, when I got into bed and turned to the page where I’d left off, my sister came over and sat beside me. She placed a finger on the corner of my book – not quite interrupting, mind you, just letting me know she had something to say.

I gave her a questioning look, and she met me with a big smile. “Want to do it again?”

I saw something there that made me tremble inside. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about the way my sister had touched my private place, but that look of hers touched me in a different way, making me eager to take what she had to give.

Putting the book down, I readied myself, took a deep breath and parted my legs.

Even before she touched me, I knew this time was going to be different. My heart was buoyant, lighter than air, and I didn’t even know why. Then her fingers were exploring my lightly-downed slit, and it felt amazing.

I struggled to maintain eye contact with my sister, awed by the tenderness I saw there, but the waves of pleasure that ebbed and flowed through me made it all but impossible to focus. I must have gasped or moaned, because she started hushing me, whispering things like, “Isn’t this good?” and, “It feels so much better when someone else does this for you, don’t you think?” and, “I love touching you this way, baby sister.” The uncertainty and confusion of our first time had vanished, and I yielded completely, gave myself over to her as she brought me to orgasm.

I don’t know what I said in those moments of helpless exhilaration, but I remember that my sister was cradling me to her as my consciousness gradually drifted back. I felt so content in her arms; at peace with everything.

She seemed so glad for me. Honestly, I’d never seen such joy in her smile.

Playfully rubbing her nose against mine, she murmured, “You liked it that time, didn’t you?”

I didn’t have to answer. My blissful expression said it all.

It wasn’t long before I was yearning to experience that piercing pleasure again. The next night, in fact. And I didn’t even have to tell my sister what I wanted. I just put down my book, and she glanced up at me. Without a word, she got up and came over to my bed. She knew. And in her eyes, I saw that same warmth she’d shown me the previous night. Without a word, she raised my nightshirt, pausing for a moment to look, then applied her fingers to me, toying with my slit until I came.

After that night, we shared that special time regularly. Sometimes I’d give her the look, sometimes her eyes met mine – but what followed was always the same. I’d stretch out on the bed, naked from the waist down, heart thumping as I waited for that sweet, sweet caress.

It wasn’t long before I got the idea of touching her the same way, feeling silly that it had taken so long for the notion to occur. I was awkward at first, but my sister was amazingly patient, gently showing me what she liked best. It made me happier than I can say to see her savoring those delectable sensations, knowing I was causing them. When she finally rolled over with a contented sigh and smiled at me, I was beside myself with happiness.

After that night, those special times became a frequent occurrence. We never teased one another. It went without saying that my sister and I always brought each other to orgasm as quickly and reliably as possible.

Having said that, I don’t think the orgasm itself was the most important thing to us — at least, it wasn’t for me. Rather, it was about the closeness we shared; a sweet secret that existed for us and no one else. A way for my sister and me to show love for one another without getting soppy about it. Despite the sexual nature of what we did in bed, we never thought of ourselves as lovers, just siblings who were closer than most. We never discussed it, but I know she felt the same.

If I asked to borrow a pen, or take a page of her notepaper, my sister would roll her eyes. When she chose to wear a low cut top to school, I’d tease her mercilessly about flashing her tits at the boys. If I asked for help with my homework, she’d throw a cushion at my head. In most respects, you see, we were perfectly normal sisters. But if either of us gave the other that yearning look, there was never any question of what happened next. It cut through everything.

Our private time was something solemn, a bond, an almost sacred duty. Never once did either of us show the least reluctance to indulge. In fact, sometimes my sister offered it to me when she sensed I was in need, and I did the same for her. Those moments of shared pleasure kept us on an even keel. Our sisterly relationship always had a rock-solid foundation to sustain it.

We weren’t avid socialites. We’d usually go out when invited, and more often than not, enjoyed ourselves when we did. Nor did we cling together. But later, once we were back home, that was our time.

I suppose that was our pattern: fiercely independent during the day, busy with our separate lives, our varied interests, our own circles of friends; but in our room it all fell away like discarded clothes, with that magical tenderness, that secret solidarity there to comfort and strengthen us.

Our parents were baffled by our insistence on continuing to share a bedroom. Once I started high school, Dad offered to fix up the spare room for me. “So you two can finally have your own space after all these years,” was how he put it. Imagine his and Mum’s astonishment when we both refused. My sister said, “She’s fine where she is,” I wholeheartedly agreed, and that’s the last we heard of it.

By the time I was fifteen, I’d never masturbated, save perhaps the odd experimental grope. Nor, I’m sure, did she. If either of us wanted it, we had only to exchange that special look.

But then my sister went away to college, and I was left alone. And when my time of longing came, and I glanced up to see her empty bed, it was like falling on a hard stone floor. I wanted her: I wanted her fingers, I wanted her face above mine, I wanted the scent of her skin, I wanted her tender, loving gaze. I wanted all of it. But she was miles and miles away.

I knew what to do, of course. I reached down and fingered my slit until I got off. But it wasn’t the same. That first night, I did it again and again and again, trying to find that same satisfaction, but to no avail. It must have been nearly dawn before I fell asleep, exhausted.

Of course, I was thrilled by my sister’s academic achievements. She was attending school on a full scholarship, and never failed to make the Dean’s list. I read her occasional letters over and over again, taking enormous pride at seeing her grow into a confident, assured woman, ready to take on the world. I knew my craving for her was pure selfishness, and it left me feeling ashamed.

I tried to extinguish that desperate hunger by repeated indulgence in self-induced pleasure. I went from being a complete novice at masturbation to a seasoned expert in less than two weeks. After a while, I began to feel a kind of rebellious thrill at my ability to bring myself to climax after climax. Even when I was still trembling with the aftershocks of the last, I’d be fondling myself, gently reawakening that lovely, seductive inner tickle that once begun, demands to be satisfied with yet another sweating, shivering finale of mindless, frenetic rubbing.

But I soon grew dissatisfied. Why was it that for years, my dear sister had been able to satisfy me with just a few light caresses? Yet there I was, burning up half the night engaged in relentless masturbation, driving my body, making myself sore… only to end up tired, angry with myself, angry with my sister, angry at the world. Something had to give.

For a while, I tried to deny myself. At night, I lay tossing and turning, refusing to acknowledge that deep-banked hunger. It was hopeless, but at least it kindled my imagination and helped me to think.

I began to dwell less on me and more on my sister. I pictured us lying together, playing together. I wondered if she thought of me as often as I thought of her.

I wanted to know what my sister saw in me. Stripping naked, I studied myself in the mirror, taking in the view of my bare body. I began to excite myself; seduce myself. Instead of furiously masturbating in bed, I began to stroke and tease my sex in front of the mirror, admiring what I saw, seeing who I was through her eyes. I liked watching myself climax. It was more final, more fulfilled, more self-accepting.

When my sister came home for Christmas break, I found out that she’d longed for our private time every bit as much as I had. Those intimate moments now came alive with a new intensity, and we went at each other like animals in heat. Like before, it never went further than mutual masturbation. That seemed to be an unspoken agreement between us, to leave certain lines uncrossed.

Deep inside, I wanted to do more than just touch, but that would be too much like sex. Whoever heard of sisters engaging in lesbian intimacy? At that age, I much preferred my imagination to pornography, so the concept of sex between female siblings simply didn’t register as a possibility. Let’s just say that I was far less worldly than I thought.

During my sister’s time away at school, my solitary exploration, borne out of desperation and necessity, had taught me a few things. Hitherto, I always got her off quickly and efficiently. Now I began to toy with her, deliberately setting out to drive her crazy before I let her come. The orgasms she had were beyond belief, reducing her to a quivering mess. Mind you, there was a purpose behind my teasing. When my sister returned to college, I wanted her to miss me more than ever.

It’s funny: however much my sister and I yearned for each other when we were apart, it was a subject we never discussed. When we were alone together, our eyes said everything that we needed to know.

But as time passed, she got more and more involved with her college friends. She began to date boys; even went steady with one for most of her junior year. Her letters home became fewer and further between, though we did continue to exchange phone calls.

As for me, I tentatively began to explore the idea of a relationship with someone other than my big sister. It took a couple of extremely awkward dates to convince me I had no interest in boys. Then I began to hang out with a cute, whip-smart punk girl who called herself Spike. We became fast friends — then after a few weeks, our friendship became something more.

We were hanging out by the swing set in a neighborhood park, sharing a bottle of schnapps I’d pilfered from the back of Dad’s liquor cabinet. It was late, no one was around, and that was when Spike kissed me. I was startled, but not for long. Soon we were making out, feeling each other up while we kissed over and over again.

I ended up taking her home with me and sneaking her into my room. Mom and Dad were always in bed and lost to the world by ten, so I wasn’t worried about them catching me in the act. We got naked, and I experienced full-on lesbian sex for the first time. She’d done it before, having realized her true sexuality early on. “I knew I was queer by the time I turned ten,” was how she put it.

Spike got me off first. She spent a good long while on my budding breasts, teasing the nipples with her mouth and fingers until I was ready to scream. It was no use trying to masturbate, either – every time I tried to reach between my legs, she gave my hand a sharp slap, cooing, “Naughty, naughty.”

I was on far more familiar ground when her fingers found my pussy, though she knew a few tricks my sister had yet to learn. But when Spike kissed a pathway down between my legs and put her hot, sucking mouth to the opening of my vagina… I nearly began to cry, it felt so lovely. She brought me to a rapturous orgasm, leaving me dazed and very, very content.

Once recovered, I was determined to give my friend the same pleasure she’d bestowed on me. Needless to say, Spike was happy to be of service, spreading out on my bed to offer me what she had.

What an experience! I had no idea what it would be like to go down on a girl, but from the very first lick, I was hooked on the scent, flavor and juiciness of pussy. Soon my face was dripping with Spike’s thick, warm essence, and she was pressing a throw pillow into her face to muffle her cries.

We had sex a few more times in the following weeks, but she was too much of a free spirit to confine herself to a single partner, and I thought of her as more of a friend anyhow. We still keep in touch; she changed her name back to Patti, became the manager of a local boutique and found love with a girl named Gina who, of all things, had been head cheerleader at my high school.

The pleasures I shared with Spike were more than enough to convince me I was a lesbian, and I quickly decided that life in the closet wasn’t for me. Coming out to Mom and Dad was awkward at first, but they couldn’t have been more supportive. My sister was just the same. “I get it, believe me,” she said when I phoned to tell her. “You’re too awesome to get stuck with a boy. Me, I’ve got lower standards.” She laughed when she said it, but I knew she’d been going through some stressful times with her boyfriend.

Once I was officially gay, I indulged in a bit of casual dating with a few queer or curious girls at my school. Nothing serious; some kissing and touching, occasional sex. One girl wanted a full-time relationship, but I wasn’t in a mood to settle down. That’s what I told myself, anyhow.

When my sister returned home for the summer, we resumed our private time, exchanging pleasure as if we’d never been apart. Now, though, there was a certain awkwardness lurking between us. Oh, we still did it, more often than ever: it was an unspoken necessity, and I know that in a way we were both glad for that shared foundation. But we were more distant in our everyday dealings, blushing whenever we found ourselves alone together, our conversations somehow tentative. We were like Christians who lost their faith, but still insisted on attending church every week.

But there lay the paradox: that awkwardness, that little tremor of uncertainty, seemed to make our intimate moments that much more exciting… and intense. In my determination to give her as much pleasure as she could possibly bear, I’d driven my sister to heights of ecstasy I’d never even dreamed possible. On one or two occasions, she fell on me afterward, kissing me like a lover, frantic with a kind of emotional overload. Sometimes I had to do her again right away, just to calm her down.

It’s strange, I know. She’d never kissed me like that before, just as we never needed to resort to words when we had our private time. Just a glance, a tender caress, and then down to business. I loved kissing her, but it still felt strange to do that with my own sister. Was she trying to tell me something?

A few months later, she met The Man… and before the year was out, they were engaged. That, for us, was the end of our secret games – or so I assumed.

Mom and Dad were overjoyed, of course. And by the time the wedding date was announced, I’d let go of my jealousy enough to be genuinely happy for her – for them, even. It was just a matter of putting my needs aside and focusing on my sister’s happiness.

I was pleased and very flattered when she asked me to be her bridesmaid, to help her choose the wedding gown, and even to help her dress on the Great Day. I think Mum was a bit put out by that last request, but she didn’t make a fuss. I must admit, it felt a little strange for me to be so intimate with my sister again, to be applying her makeup, doing her hair, fussing over her. It had been weeks since our last private time.

I’d just got her dressed, all perfect, in plenty of time. They’d done a lovely job with her hair. I’d just got the veil nicely pinned up when I glanced at her face in the mirror.

And there was that look.

“No!” I cried. “Are you crazy? We can’t, not now!”

And then my sister said it. She’d never asked out loud – at least, not since that very first time. “Please?” My God, the longing I saw in her eyes!

I was at once furious with her, completely melted by her desire, and more aroused than I’d ever been in my life. My sister needed me once more; wanted the closeness we’d shared so many times before. Perhaps it was her way of saying goodbye, of putting a seal on what we had before her new life began.

It was too tempting to resist, even if I’d possessed the strength to refuse. I unzipped her dress, and she shrugged out of it, kicked it away and tore her panties off. She looked positively luscious, standing there nude but for her bra and veil.

She went to lie down on the sofa, but I wouldn’t let her. That flawless hairdo would be ruined. Instead, I made her lean over the dressing table. Seeing her mostly naked made me want to finish the job, so I unhooked and removed her bra. There she was, flushed, panting, looking at me in the dressing-table mirror, her breasts dangling enticingly.

I did my sister from behind, my eyes locked with hers. I couldn’t help but gasp when I realized how wet she was – absolutely dripping! I pressed two fingers into her, and it felt like a kiss.

You have to understand that in all the times my sister and I touched each other, we’d never indulged in vaginal penetration. Just fondling and caresses, sometimes gentle, sometimes firm. Now I was fucking her, deftly working my fingers in and out, forward and back. What I noticed most was how easily she took me inside, her pussy welcoming my loving invasion.

I could have made her come in a minute or two, the way we usually did it. But this time, I was bound and determined to give my sister an experience she’d never, ever forget.

During my long nocturnal experiments with self-pleasure while my sister was away, I discovered this certain place in my vagina where you can tickle and tease yourself for long stretches of time. And although it doesn’t make you come quickly, it does send your body drifting off into this warm, delicious emptiness. And once you’ve pleasured yourself that way long enough, you can go off in an orgasm for the ages, one that seems to last for an eternity. It requires patience and stamina, but the payoff is worth it and then some.

That’s what I chose to do to her.

After about five minutes, Mom was banging on the door. “What’s taking you two so long? Our limousine is waiting!”

“We’re nearly done,” I cheerfully lied. I didn’t even slow my movements. I was still being gentle, fucking my sister with unimaginable tenderness, the fire inside her rising by degrees. She was swaying, eyes closed, floating in that blissful limbo. The calm before the storm.

“Oh, God!” my sister gasped in her delirium, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Luckily, Mom didn’t hear her. “Well, get a move on, all right? We’ve got a wedding to get to!”

“No kidding,” I muttered as our mother stomped away. My arm was still moving, my sister just starting to moan. Getting closer…

She came a couple of minutes later. When it finally hit, I thought she was going to wreck the room. As it was, she knocked a lot of her things off the dressing table. I’ve never seen her go off like that before. It was almost frightening. But then she let out this lovely, lovely sigh, trembling as if she had a fever.

That’s when something strange came over me and I found myself kissing her from behind, raining kisses on her ass, her back, anywhere I could reach. I was a woman possessed, craving my sister like never before. I spun her around, pushed her against the table and plunged my face between her thighs to lick her sweet, juicy cunt. Never mind that I’d spent half an hour painstakingly applying makeup — I had to do this for her. Had to.

“Oh, fuck!” she gasped. “Oh, yes, lick me!”

I went down on my sister with more passion than I’d ever shown any other girl. She came quickly, then tugged me up to face her, where we shared a deep, passionate kiss.

“That was beautiful,” she whispered. “God, I love you.”

I had to give her a wipe with a wet-nap, then myself – she’d come all over my face. While I got her back into the gown, she was dazed, like a roused sleepwalker, meekly allowing me to dress her. I took a moment to hastily fix my makeup, then led my sister out to face the world. She didn’t really come to herself until we were in the Rolls. Then her eyes met mine, and we both blushed.

But I turned away, pretending to fiddle with my hair, refusing to look at her. It was my sister’s special day, she was more beautiful than words could express, and as for me… I was head over heels in love with her.

The realization hit me like a freight train. I’d never understood my true feelings, and now they seemed childishly obvious. If she looked into my eyes, she’d know, and I didn’t want that. I was a welter of confused emotions – happy for my sister, heartbroken for myself. How could I not have known? I wondered. It’s always been there, and I never saw it until now.

Somehow, I managed to get a grip on my feelings. Mustn’t be selfish. This is her day. Her happiness, that’s what matters. Finally, I managed to look up and give my sister a smile. “You look beautiful,” I whispered, touching her knee.

“Thanks,” she murmured, giving my hand a squeeze.

Just then, we were pulling into the chapel parking lot, so that’s where we left things. In mere minutes, she would be married, and a chapter of my life would come to a close.

Everyone was waiting, so we started the ceremony right away. And when my sister floated up the aisle, all rosy-cheeked, there was this lovely “aah” from everybody in the church. She was an angel, descended from paradise. All that anxiety, all those hours and hours of “will it ever happen?” and “how will it be when it happens?” melted away into a kind of lovely, floating serenity.

There was an instant as she reached the altar step where my sister glanced at me – a special smile on her lips, a hint of pink in her cheeks. Her look made me weak inside. When she said, “I will,” it came out in this funny, far-away tone, as if her mind was elsewhere. I don’t know what, if anything, was going on in her mind, but the deed was done. My sister was married. The Man looked so proud! And she was just glowing. I hated to admit it, but they looked wonderful together.

The reception was something of a trial for me. What with Mom weeping, Dad slapping perfect strangers on the back, and that shiny-haired young man I told you about earlier, I was ready to bite someone’s head off.

At the same time I was fighting to keep my emotions bottled up, grappling with these unexpected, yet oddly familiar feelings for my sister. I’m in love with her. My mind kept saying it, and I kept telling my mind to shut the hell up. I just had to hold it together until we got back home, and I could creep off to my room for a good cry.

I’d just fended off the attention of yet another young man, this one a frat boy with a crewcut, when my sister grasped my arm. “There you are!” she exclaimed. A lock or her hair was askew, and it managed to make her even lovelier. “I’ve been looking for you. Come with me.” She seized my hand, then led me into a nearby corridor, moving briskly.

“Wh-where are we going?” I asked, confused.

“Shhh. You’ll see,” was all she said.

We came to a large metal door. She opened it, then guided me through and down a staircase, her hand still clutching mine, as if she thought I might try to get away.

Another door a flight down led to a much smaller hallway. By then, I was utterly bewildered, but meekly allowed myself to be led. Grasping a doorknob, she hustled us into a darkened room.

What the…? It was a small bathroom, nothing there but a sink and a toilet. She shut and locked the door while I waited for an explanation. This better be good, I thought.

Oh, it was. Without a word, my sister took me in her arms, claiming my mouth in a deep lover’s kiss. I gave a tiny squeak of surprise, then responded, melting into her sweet embrace.

We kissed for a long time. Nothing else existed; the rest of the world forgotten for the moment. Her tongue engaged mine, drawing it into a lewd dance. Her hands slid down my back until she was cupping my ass, groping it in a most unsisterly way.

Abruptly breaking away, my sister knelt before me, reaching up under my gown to grasp the waistband of my sodden panties, impatiently yanking them down, then she took a handful of the skirt and raised it, exposing my vulva. “Here, hold this up,” she said.

“You – you shouldn’t!” I stammered, though it didn’t stop me from doing as she said.

“Oh, yes, I should. No way am I gonna leave you like this,” she said, tracing my slit with a finger. “God, you’re sooo fucking wet. I knew you would be.” She flashed me a bad-girl smile. “Now, baby sister… tell me to eat your cunt.”

That threw me for a loop. “I – I, um…” See, I’d never been one for using swear words in those days. That kind of thing seemed so vulgar to me – like playing beer pong, or wearing Daisy Dukes.

My sister’s sapphire-blue eyes transfixed me. “Say the words, and I’ll do it.” Her finger paused, resting lightly on my clitoris.

I was trembling like a leaf in a breeze, knowing this was crossing a line. Half an hour earlier, my sister was a free agent. Now she was a married woman, offering to go down on me? And yet I wanted this, oh my God, I wanted it more than anything in the world.

Putting an exclamation mark on my frantic longing, she teased my clit with the lightest of caresses – and it reverberated through my body with the force of a hurricane.

I wanted to scream. Instead, I clapped a hand over my mouth until the moment passed, then mumbled, “Eat my cunt.”

My sister held a hand to her ear. “What’s that? Can’t hear you.”

“Stop… messing with me!” I blurted. “Eat my cunt, you fucking bitch!”

She looked so amused that I wanted to smack her face. Actually, I wanted to smack it anyway. Luckily for her, she said, “Happy to,” and buried her mouth in my throbbing pussy, seeking and finding entrance with a probing tongue.

“Oh, God,” I whispered as my sister ate me. “Oh God oh God oh God…”

It was incredible. By then, I’d had oral from at least half a dozen girls, but never like this. My sister was writing a love poem on my body, transformed into beautiful music accentuated by the cries and whimpers that spilled from my lips.

I was already so aroused that she had me coming before a minute had passed. I’m sure my nails were biting into her scalp as the storm raged inside me, but my sister didn’t stop; didn’t even pause until I was left a quivering wreck, barely able to stay on my feet.

She bid farewell to my mons with a tender kiss. “God, your pussy tastes so good,” she murmured, then rose to embrace me. Her mouth was smeared with my essence, and she fed it to me with her tongue.

I could have kissed my sister for hours, but we had a wedding reception to get back to. Not to mention Mom and Dad, who were probably scouring the place for us at that very moment.

“We need to go–” I began, but my sister cut me off.

“Listen to me,” she said, her eyes burning into mine. “We’re not done here.”

I could only stare. What was she getting at?

“I might be married now,” she continued, “but I have no intention of giving this up. What we have. You and me, baby sister. For always.”

Once again, she kissed me, her tongue darting between my parted lips, then broke away just as abruptly.

“I’ll be a good wife,” she continued. “I’ll make him happy. But you, my sweet, wonderful sister… it’s you I really love. I’m just sorry… well, that it took me so damned long to figure out.”

I stared at her, baffled. Surely she couldn’t mean…

“Wh-what are you saying?” I stammered, my heart thudding helplessly.

Her smile could have illuminated the Eastern seaboard. “We’re more than just sisters, you and me. It’s been that way for ages, only we didn’t see it. You’re in love with me, and I am with you. Don’t even try to tell me I’m wrong, ‘cause we both know I’m not.”

What could I say? She was right. I’d known my true feelings for her before she led me down to this closet bathroom for a hurried fuck. And she felt the same way!

“You’re n-not wrong,” I mumbled, dizzy from the sheer enormity of this moment. “I – I am in love with you!” Then I began to cry.

My sister held me to her as I wept, whispering sweet words to soothe me. Then she outlined her plans for the two of us. As it happened, her new husband would be leaving on a business trip the day after they returned from their honeymoon. “You’re gonna spend that night with me,” she said. “We’ll make love for real. And then… we’re gonna fuck.”

Silly me – I nearly asked her what the difference was. I knew, though, and picturing it made me tremble inside.

“But you’re married now,” I protested. “I mean, won’t it be weird, cheating on him with your own sister?”

“Not at all,” she said. “My husband and I have an arrangement. He’s gonna be on the road for the company two-thirds of the year, so he’s allowed to, um, take care of his needs.” She grinned. “As am I.”

My mouth dropped. “Seriously?” I admit it; that shocked me.

My sister shrugged. “C’mon, the guy’s been a ladies’ man ever since he hit puberty. There’s no goddamn way he could keep it in his pants for weeks at a time. This keeps things honest between us. We both get what we want… and what I want is my sexy little sis.”

She drew in to nuzzle my neck, then hastened to add, “Not to worry; he doesn’t know about you. Far as my hubby’s concerned, I’m one hundred percent straight. Don’t want him trying to get us both in bed.”

“Ooh, ick!” It just slipped out.

We shared a laugh, then our eyes met again – and I felt their pull, drawing me in. “So, you’ve been awful quiet, sister mine,” she said. “What do you think? We gonna do this?”

If this had been a movie, that’s when the strings would swell on the soundtrack as I pondered my future, weighing the pros and cons of becoming my sister’s lover. Of course, we’d also have been outdoors on the lawn, our bodies limned by the mellow autumn moon – not in a tiny bathroom reeking of disinfectant and pussy, under a buzzing fluorescent light with my panties on the floor.

I didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” I told her. “I want this. I want you.” And this time, it was my turn to initiate the kiss. It was soft, deep and smoldering with desire.

Finally, she broke away. “Okay, now we really have to get back. Mom and Dad are probably about to file a Missing Persons report.”

I bent to retrieve my panties, but my sister snatched them up first. “I’ll hang on to these,” she murmured. “Mmmm, still damp. Something to remember you by while I’m away.” She slipped them into the sleeve of her bridal gown.

We tidied ourselves up at the sink, taking turns washing our faces, then applying fresh lipstick. I fished a box of Tic-Tacs out of my purse for our breath. Exchanging smiles, we made a quick exit and hastened back upstairs to rejoin the festivities.

As it turned out, our parents weren’t freaking out at all. Dad was out back, puffing on a cigar and talking football with the groom’s father, and all we got from Mom was, “Oh, where’d you go, sweetie? Aunt Natalie wanted to take a picture…” Then she got all choked up again.

My sister scowled at me when I silently withdrew, giving her a playful wink as I made my escape.

I didn’t get any more time alone with her that day. She and The Man had a plane to catch, jetting to Ibiza for the honeymoon. She caught my eye just before climbing in the car, flashing me a smile that spoke volumes.

It was almost painful to see them drive away, the words JUST MARRIED emblazoned on the car in white shoe polish, my body already aching for more of her.

Once we’d trudged back indoors to polish off the last of the champagne, things got a little easier. I had a bit to drink, but not too much. I didn’t want to lose my dignity. Unfortunately, Mom made up for my restraint and then some with this overblown display of cheer – talking, talking, talking loudly to anyone who would listen about “my baby girl,” then lapsing into tears again. Spare me.

The event wound down about an hour later. Dad tipped what members of the staff he could find, and he and I got Mom bundled into the car before she could drag Dad back onto the dance floor again when the DJ spun some old disco record she liked.

We got home at about six-thirty. By then, the happy couple was on a plane crossing the Atlantic. In a few hours, they’d be tucked up in their hotel room, with The Man about to have the time of his life. Huh.

As for me, I made my excuses and retreated to my room, where I tore off my clothes, stretched out on the bed and fingered myself to at least three massive orgasms. Now I’m lying here, naked, glowing, my mind abuzz with excitement.

The day before, I thought the relationship I had with my sister was changed forever, the last chapter of a closed book. Now I know that will never happen. We need it too much – the pleasure, the joy, the love we share. No man on earth can drive that need away.

I will continue to seek out sex with other women, of course. Perhaps one day I’ll find a lover who will mean more to me than the occasional friendly hookup, and we’ll enter into a steady relationship. Never say never, that’s my motto. But what my sister and I have will also be there.

She and I will meet, and exchange pleasantries, bringing each other up to speed with the details of our lives. But then, perhaps after a drink or two, one of us will give the other a certain look. And when that happens, I will be ready to love her again.

I’ll come to her, our mouths will drift together, and we will kiss. Gently at first, then our lips part, our tongues meet. My hand finds its way beneath her skirt to find her pussy, uncovered, moist and ready for me. I penetrate her easily, my fingers slipping into her like a knife into warm butter. And I’ll whisper into my sister’s ear, “I want you.”

She moans, scissoring my nipple between her fingers. A sharp jolt of ecstasy reverberates through me; a cry breaks from my lips.

Then we will stand, link hands and wander to the bedroom. The afternoon is ours, and we have all the time in the world.

My sister and I will undress each other, then come together in a ravenous kiss. We will slip into bed together and join our bodies in carnal abandon, making love over and over again.

And she will know true passion in my arms. Her husband may have my sister’s hand, but I will have her heart, her soul, her being.

The End

 

The Beekeeper’s Lament, Chapter 13

  • Posted on November 25, 2025 at 3:00 pm

For a list of the many characters who populate this saga, check out Dramatis Personae.

Thus far in our story…

Prologue: Hailey Ellis has returned to Morcant-On-Sea after several years away, only to find the coastal town is a shadow of its former self. Amidst this decline, Hailey navigates her various relationships, but a shocking encounter with her selkie aunt foreshadows a chain of events that will change all their lives forever.

Ch1: Several months later in the village of Derwold, the summer holidays begin for the Newton girls. Eleven-year-old Freya struggles to cope with the changes that adolescence brings, and wonders why she feels so angry and alone. To add to her unhappiness, she experiences her first period. 

Ch2: The next day, Freya has a chance meeting with Elsa Hart, wife of the new lord of Derwold Manor. A little later, Freya joins Sadie and her sister Millie for a lesson in alchemy, but things don’t quite go as planned when Millie inadvertently amplifies the potency of the love potion they’ve brewed. After the effects have worn off, Millie visits the churchyard to pay her respects to an old friend. Whilst there, she has an encounter with a black panther, and discovers she can communicate with the creature.

Ch3: Several days later, Simon and Elsa host a housewarming party in the grounds of the old manor. Elsa treats Freya to a tour of the recent restoration efforts, and the seeds are sown for a burgeoning friendship. Meanwhile, post mistress Sally Jeffries has a few too many drinks and ends up accidentally setting fire to pompous druid Bernard, then has a few choice words for Simon Derwold, who she remembers from decades before. Georgia, Sadie and Millie make their way home, where they indulge in a night of passion in the lounge, only to be interrupted by Elsa and Freya. Elsa comes to suspect her new neighbours are not all that they seem.

Ch4: The vicar of Derwold has been murdered by an unknown assailant. Unaware of the events that are about to unfold, Sadie tries to fathom the mysteries of the ancient standing stone near her cottage with the help of Freya and Millie. Later, Freya pays a visit to Derwold Manor, and she and Elsa enjoy an afternoon of passion. It turns out Elsa is using Freya for her own ends, and the eleven-year-old is tricked into revealing all their secrets.

Ch5: Sadie receives a concerning call from Vivaan Dinesh, Derwold’s resident doctor. At the surgery, she is confronted with the murdered vicar. Meanwhile, Millie rescues Bernard from the mysterious black panther, and the traumatised man confesses he’s not a real druid at all. 

Sadie sets out to investigate the vicar’s murder, and discovers that someone has set an arcane wall around the village, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. In the woods that surround Derwold, she meets Astris the dryad.

Ch6: Astris tells Sadie that Elsa is the one who has sealed off the village, though for what purpose she doesn’t know. The dryad also hints that Elsa is a witch, and that she harbours great power. Sadie researches the Derwold family and discovers they have a troubled history. She also discovers Elsa changed her name to conceal her past, and is inexplicably older than she seems. 

At the post office, Sally Jeffries tells Sadie a disturbing childhood story, in which an eight-year-old Simon tortured and killed his pet dog. Suspecting the vicar’s murder may have been Simon’s doing, Sadie hastens to Beekeeper Cottage to make sure everyone’s safe, but Freya has already gone to the manor to meet with Elsa. Sadie races to retrieve her.

Ch7: At Derwold Manor, stark truths are revealed. Elsa has sealed the village off to protect Simon. More than that, she intends to set the stage for a new world order, one where women rule and men are consigned to history. She asks Sadie and Millie to join her, but Sadie refuses. She and Freya arrive back at Beekeeper Cottage only to find Georgia and Millie missing. They are captured by Elsa’s thugs, and reunited with Georgia and Millie, the four of them are imprisoned in the manor. 

Discovering the large rock in the cellar where they are confined is actually an ancient standing stone, Millie manages to tap into its magic, and she and Sadie are transported to an unknown location. 

Ch8: Enraged, Elsa threatens to kill Georgia if Freya doesn’t tell her where Sadie and Millie have gone, but Freya manages to convince her they know nothing of their whereabouts. Taking no chances, Elsa locks them in a room full of taxidermy specimens. Freya opens up to her mother, expressing her fears and doubts.

Meanwhile, in the Cornish town of Morcant-On-Sea, a tribe of Selkie rescue a near-drowned Sadie and Millie, then point them in the direction of the lighthouse. Sadie hopes that whoever lives up there can help them get back home. Having reached their destination, they discover a strange cocoon-like object. Before they have time to consider exactly what it is or what it means, they realise someone has followed them into the lighthouse.

Ch9: Elsa uses the menhir to determine Sadie and Millie’s whereabouts. Having discovered they are in the town where she spent her childhood, the enraged woman prepares to recapture them. 

Meanwhile, Sadie and Millie meet Hailey and Derek. Hailey tells them that whatever’s sleeping inside the cocoon was once her selkie aunt, Rita. Sadie explains that she needs to get back to Derwold to rescue Georgia and Freya, but with no easy way back to the mainland, they will need to wait until morning. Meanwhile, Sadie’s cat familiar, Billy Buckham, sneaks into Derwold Manor with plans of his own.

Some time later, Millie is awakened by a strange voice summoning her to the top of the lighthouse. There she meets a spectral version of Rita, and the two of them enjoy a moment of intimacy, culminating in an exchange of old magics. Over on the mainland, Elsa makes her way towards the coast to prepare an invasion.

Ch10: Elsa raises an army of the dead and invades Morcant-On-Sea. Sadie does her best to protect Hailey and Derek, but Millie is trapped in the lighthouse and they must get to her with all haste. Fighting their way to the top, they find a very angry Elsa. Revealing her true power, the dark witch threatens to kill them all, but she has invoked the wrath of the creature slumbering inside the cocoon. It bursts free, revealing itself to be a Siren. Amidst the ensuing chaos, the creature flies off with Elsa in its grasp, and Sadie, Millie, Hailey and Derek make their escape from the destroyed town.

Safely on board Derek’s trawler and bound for Derwold, Hailey discovers the sexual nature of Sadie and Millie’s relationship. The four of them part ways in the border town of Lydney. Hailey and Derek return to Morcant to help with rescue efforts, and Sadie and Millie head home, unaware of whatever awaits them there.

Ch11: Sadie and Bernard rally the entire village to march on Derwold Manor and rescue Georgia and Freya. Meanwhile, Georgia and Freya, with the help of Billy, manage to incapacitate Simon and escape. Finally reunited, Sadie, Georgia and the girls can only watch as the manor is consumed by flames. Simon chooses to perish in his home, rather than face the music.

Some days later, with life in Derwold having returned to normal, Georgia and the girls visit Sadie at her home. Sadie reveals she must leave the village and seek out the fate of the covens and her Wiccan sisters. To mark her departure, Sadie, Georgia and the girls enjoy an intimate picnic at the waterfall glade. But watching from the trees is a mysterious figure.

Ch12: Elsa Hart lives! Having been spirited away from the lighthouse by the siren several days before, we learn how Elsa came to survive the encounter. 

Amidst an epic battle between dark witch and mythical sea creature, Elsa remembers her childhood friendship with Reeta of the Selkie, unsure why her suppressed memories choose to make themselves known now. Finally, with her power all but exhausted and her magpie familiar dead, Elsa realises with horror that the siren is Reeta, though how her old friend came to be this monster, she has no idea. If that wasn’t enough, the siren appears to be pregnant. Unable to end its life, Elsa lets the creature go.

Poisoned, and severely wounded, Elsa comes under the care of a kindly old hermit who nurses her back to health. When she is well enough to travel again, she makes a detour to a destroyed Morcant-On-Sea to find a very old, very precious clock. There she buries Minerva, her beloved familiar, and makes a tentative peace with her past. It is a greatly diminished but more reflective Elsa that returns to Derwold.

And now, dear readers, we make our way into the final installment. Read on…

by BlueJean

1

They found Rita on the eighth day of searching, floating on the surface of the water like so much flotsam, her membranous wings bent at awkward angles. She was dead. And perhaps that was a blessing.

After ferrying Sadie and Millie to the mainland, Hailey and Derek made their way back to Morcant, or whatever was left of it. The rescue teams were already there, digging through rubble and detritus. Twenty-three people had been pulled out alive. Seven more hadn’t been so lucky.

Hailey and her uncle offered what help they could, but once all of Morcant’s residents had been accounted for and ushered onto boats for evacuation, the two of them stayed behind, clambering up the collapsed cliffside to their cottage. They packed what little belongings they had room to carry, then cautiously made their way back down to the boat. The trawler wasn’t large, but it had a cabin with bunks, a working shower and toilet, and a small stove. They could live there in relative comfort for as long as need demanded.

Then they set out to search for Rita, if indeed there was any remnant of her left inside that terrible creature.

The siren’s call guided them ever onwards, but she remained frustratingly elusive. Often, Derek was certain they were heading in the right direction, only to find empty water or an abandoned spit of rocks. Other days the sound was so faint they had no chance of pinpointing its location.

Two days passed without them hearing the call at all, and they were sure the trail was lost until Derek swore blind the large shape he had seen in the sky off in the distance was Rita. They picked up the call of the siren once more. The search continued.

On the sixth day, the call became weak and sporadic, not simply the sound itself, but the glamour it held over Derek and Hailey. By the seventh day, it was even fainter, and far less frequent. By the eighth, there was nothing but the sound of water lapping against the hull of the boat, and the occasional seabird overhead.

By some miracle they found her anyway.

They dragged Rita aboard and laid her on deck. Hailey reached out to let a hand hover over the corpse for a hesitant moment before resting it on a grey, mottled shoulder. “So cold,” she said in a faint voice.

Derek balanced on his haunches and afforded the siren a fisherman’s appraisal. “Don’t think she’s been dead for long,” he said. “No sign of scavengers gettin’ at her, anyroad.“

“What about all this?“ Hailey said, pointing to the myriad cuts and lesions that mapped the creature’s body. “And… Christ, one of her eyes has been gouged out.“

“I’m thinkin’ all that happened when she was still alive. Most of her injuries show signs of healin’.“

“Do you think Elsa did this?”

“Aye, could be. Had to ‘ave been one hell of a fight.“ Derek shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Rita. You didn’t deserve this.“

“What’re we going to do with her?“

“Find somewhere to bury her, I s’pose. I’m glad it was us what found her – elsewise, she’d prob’ly end up bein’ dissected in a lab somewhere.“

“I should call Sadie,” Hailey said.

Derek looked at his niece blankly. “Eh?“

“Elsa may still be alive. They might be in danger.“

“Oh. Hard to say. We can only hope she’s lyin’ at the bottom of the sea. Couldn’t happen to a nicer woman.“

To make sense of death was hard enough, but to process this… It was too much to bear. The strangeness of it. Hailey couldn’t decide if it was sorrow or horror she felt. “I wish I’d never come back to Morcant,” she murmured.

“Don’t say that, girl,” Derek told her. He choked out a single sob, then put a fist to his mouth to stifle any further anguish.

Hailey wrapped her arms around her uncle’s waist, and the two of them held each other close for a span.

“I should get us to land,” Derek mumbled when they’d parted. He gave Hailey a rough pat on the shoulder, then made for the wheelhouse.

Hailey wiped away the last residue of tears from her eyes, then sank to her knees next to the creature. “Were you still you when the end came?“ she asked of the pale thing. “Or did you die in that cocoon? It’s easier for me to believe you did, you know?“

Some vague sense of movement drew Hailey’s eye to the thing’s belly. Had its stomach always been that distended? True, the chaos inside the lighthouse had not exactly given Hailey an opportunity to scrutinise the creature’s anatomy in any great detail, and it was possible the thing had gorged since then.

“I hope that’s you in there, Elsa,” Hailey said, surprised by the level of vehemence in her voice. “You deserve it.“

But wait. Something was moving beneath that pale grey skin. A jerk. A spasm. Hailey stared in horrified fascination. Then a larger, more violent convulsion, like something… something trying to get out?

Hailey’s hands flew to her mouth in shock. “Uncle Derek! Something’s happening!“

Derek rushed over. “Eh?“

“I think she’s still alive! Look!“

Derek loomed over the siren. His eyes went wide, and then he was rushing to the wheelhouse.

“What’s happening?“ Hailey cried.

When Derek returned a few moments later, he held a large gutting knife in his hand, its blade keen and unyielding.

Hailey regarded it for an instant before sudden realisation kicked in. “Whoa, wait! Let’s think this through. We don’t know what’s happening here!“

Derek hunkered down and readied the sharp implement, his face set grim. “I’ve seen my fair share of dead things, Hailey. I know what dead looks like. She definitely ain’t alive, but somethin‘ is.“

“Oh, God…” Hailey groaned, turning away from the inevitable. “When will it end? She’s like a set of Russian dolls.“

Derek steeled himself, then cut into the meat of the thing’s belly, slicing carefully through each layer of flesh so as not to damage whatever was moving inside.

Hailey rocked back and forth on her haunches, the knuckles of one hand trapped between her teeth. It’s just a fish, that’s all. A fish swallowed whole. An eel, maybe.

But eels didn’t sound like human babies, did they? No. Only human babies sounded like human babies. Hailey turned to the unexpected noise, her hands flying to her mouth in utter shock and disbelief.

“Look,” Derek said, his face gone pale. “Look what I found.“

Hailey stared at the mucky newborn he held aloft, unable to fully make sense of what she was seeing. “It’s a baby,” she said dumbly. “It’s a baby girl.“

“Hold her for me,” Derek said with a quivering voice. “I need to cut the, er…”

“Umbilical.“

“Aye. Hold her.“

Hailey took the babe with shaking hands. She wiped mucus from its brow and face while Derek took hold of the cord tethering it to the dead siren. “Not sure where to cut,“ he said.

“It’s a baby…” Hailey kept murmuring.

“Need some help here, girl. Do you know the best place to cut the cord?“

Hailey peered up at her uncle with wide, blinking eyes. “Don’t think it matters. Uh… leave a couple of inches, then tie it off with some thread or something. It’ll bleed otherwise.“

“All right.“

Hailey turned her attention back to the tiny miracle in her arms, the babe’s wails now turned to soft mewls. There was already a sparse smattering of red hair on her head, and her eyes were a familiar green. Her tiny limbs paddled the air, and if that was notable, it was only because they were limbs – human limbs, not the reptilian tail of a siren or the flipper of a selkie.

“It’s Rita,” Hailey said in amazement. “Isn’t it? It looks like her, at least.“

“Aye,” Derek said as he worked at the umbilical. “She came back to us. Millie said summit strange, summit about Rita bein’ inside a belly. Didn’t pay it much heed at the time.“

“Look at you,” Hailey murmured, her pinky finger caught in the babe’s grip. It peered up at her with bright eyes, and Hailey could’ve sworn there was something resembling recognition in them. Or perhaps that was just wishful thinking.

Hailey couldn’t have failed to recognise Rita in those features, not simply a passing resemblance, but a sense that this might actually be Rita, that somehow this strange alien life cycle had come full circle and delivered her aunt back to her.

But had Georgia been on that boat, she might have recognised something different – the button-shaped nose, the soft dimples at the corners of the mouth. For there was undeniably something of Millie in the infant’s appearance, too, though Hailey was understandably oblivious to the notion that the babe might be the progeny of a mythical sea creature and an eight-year-old girl. Right now, this was more than enough for the sane mind to process.

Derek cut a woolen thread from his jumper and used it to tie off the umbilical. They took the newborn down to the living quarters to get her cleaned up.

2

“Stay here,” Sadie told the others, her eyes never leaving the dark figure standing at the edge of the forest. She wrapped her sarong skirt around her waist, slipped her top on, then slowly walked out to meet the newcomer.

Elsa pulled back her hood to reveal the ruination of her face. Her once wild red hair had been cropped short against her scalp, and Sadie guessed she must have recently shaved it to better treat the wounds that mapped her face and skull. Where her right ear had been, there was naught but a raw, bloody hole, the tissue there angry and barely healed.

Sadie peered down to briefly see the fingers of a hand reduced to bandaged stumps before Elsa slipped it back inside her cloak.

“Hello, Sadie.“

Sadie said nothing for a long moment. Even greatly diminished, it would be a grave mistake to underestimate Elsa, but she couldn’t help feel some measure of pity for the woman. Perhaps that was a mistake too. Finally, she spoke. “Why have you come back?“

“It was my home, wasn’t it? For a brief time, at least. And yet, all I find is charred timbers and a new gravestone. I’ll assume you had something to do with that.“

“Simon was the author of his own demise. Some of the responsibility lies with you, though. People died in Morcant, Elsa. Buried in their own homes. Did you mean to raze an entire town to the ground?“

Elsa was smiling bitterly. “I thought destroying my past would cut that part of me away. Naïve, wasn’t it?“

“How can you not see how wrong all this is? Don’t you understand the pain you’ve caused?“

Elsa jabbed herself in the chest with her fingerless hand. “What about my pain?! I’m not the villain! I’m not! I just… I just wanted to build a better world for us.”

“Oh, not like this, Elsa! Not like this. This wasn’t the right way to do it.“

Elsa absentmindedly reached out to touch her right shoulder, as if she were expecting to find something there. When her hand found nothing but the dark fabric of her cloak, she winced, grief etched into her disfigured face.

The bird, Sadie thought. Elsa’s lost her familiar. She’d never seen someone so beaten, so racked by despair.

“Back at the lighthouse,” Elsa said, “you said you’d be a friend to me if I needed one.“ She met Sadie’s gaze, and for a brief moment Sadie thought she saw someone else staring back at her, someone frightened and alone. A little girl called Frances Mooney, perhaps. “Did you mean it?“

“You killed people, Elsa. You would’ve killed us if you’d had the chance. I’m scared of what you might do next. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can be your friend.“

Elsa gave a resigned nod. “Yes, you’re quite right. I’ve been a monster for so long I don’t think I’m able to be anything else now.“

Her eyes turned cold and flinty. Any vulnerability that might once have been there melted away. She was terrible to behold, her injuries lending her a new, monstrous form that was every bit equal to the dark soul beneath.

Sadie stood with her heart in her throat, ready to pull her ward up at a moment’s notice.

But Elsa’s attention had shifted beyond Sadie. Sadie turned to see Millie walking towards them, closely trailed by Georgia and Freya.

“Go back, Millie,” Sadie told her apprentice, fighting to keep her voice steady.

“Millie, come here!“ Georgia hollered.

“The Dryad are here,” Millie said. “Can’t you see them?“

Sadie carefully surveyed the glade, peering through trees and foliage. Her eyes quickly adjusted to make better sense of her surroundings.

The Dryad were indeed amongst them, so close that Sadie wondered how she had not seen them in the first place. Now that she was aware of their presence, the thick magic of their being flooded her senses, almost overwhelming in its intensity.

Six of them there were, including Astris herself, and yet no two dryad were alike. One had the silver skin of a birch tree, her hair ashen. Another had the dark skin of mahogany. The remaining three were green like Astris, but wildly different shades, from sage to olive to shamrock.

Elsa had seen them too. Her eyes went wide, and she stumbled towards the nearest dryad, a slender nymph with bright eyes of jade. “Blessed Danu! Can it be true? Dryad? Dryad! Might you be Astris?“

“I am Astris,” Astris said. “But my name is not yours to utter.“

Elsa scurried over to Derwold’s protector. “Astris! My name is Elsa. I’m—

“I know who you are, child. And what you are.“

“I’ve searched so long for your kind! I have so many questions.“ Elsa turned this way and that, regarding the Dryad with childlike wonder. “I have questions for all of you.“

“You’ll get no answers from us, sister,” the silver dryad said. Her voice was like a harsh wind.

Elsa was now still amongst them, her smile turned to confusion. “Why?“

“You are dangerous,” the dark-skinned dryad said without malice. She reached out and placed a hand upon Elsa’s ruined one. “You have strayed.“

Elsa pulled her hand away. “No, no. I’m Old Blood. I’ve come to learn. That’s why you made us, wasn’t it? To lead? To shape the world?“

“I think it would be a very foolish thing to grant you more power than you already wield, witchling,” Astris said. “You have allowed your rage and your insecurities to govern you. You have marched into this forest like a spoilt, petulant child, thrashing and wailing. You have snuffed out life as if it were nothing. But you speak true of one thing – you are of the Tuatha. You are one of ours. And so we will teach you. But it is not power you will learn from us. We will teach you humility, compassion, sacrifice. And to learn those things, you must unlearn all the lessons you have taught yourself, this poison you have mistaken for wisdom.“ Astris stepped silently towards Elsa and regarded the woman solemnly. Elsa seemed to shrink under her scrutiny. “Will you learn the lessons we have to teach, child? Do you want to learn?“

“I don’t have time to learn those things! I’m trying to save the world here! I need to know how to breed without males. I have to set us on the right path before it’s too late. I only have a few decades left to lay a foundation others of our kind can follow. Sooner or later, men will destroy the world, you must see that!“

“Men will destroy themselves,” said another dryad. “The world will continue turning as it ever has.“

“They’ll destroy everything else along with them!“ screamed Elsa.

“Poor thing,” the silver dryad said. “Have you such little faith in nature? The change is already underway. It does not require your assistance.“

What change? Cancer? Some new pandemic? Anything nature throws at us, we just bat right back. Have you been hiding away in your forests so long you don’t see what’s happening around you?“

“If you are not willing to learn from us, then you must leave this place,” Astris said. “Whatever it is you seek is not here. Will you let us heal some of your wounds before you go?“

Elsa screwed her face up, and for one moment Sadie thought she might throw herself to the ground and bawl like a child. “What a disappointment,” Elsa hissed. “You wait your whole life to meet your gods, only to discover they’re a bunch of fucking morons! And I’ll keep my scars, if it’s all the same to you. I earned them.”

“We were never gods, silly girl,” said the dark dryad.

Astris gestured towards the edge of the glade and the trees beyond. “Leave the Oak Wood now, sister. Do not think to stand against us – you are powerful, but even a child of the Tuatha cannot hope to prevail against this many Dryad. I hope you find peace.“

Elsa made some effort to compose herself. “Don’t worry, I’m leaving. There’s nothing left for me here.“ She strode past the Dryad, then stopped short where Millie stood. “Come find me when you’re old enough,” she said. “I’ll be waiting.“

Georgia put a protective arm around her daughter’s shoulder.

Millie shook her head morosely. “I don’t want to be like you.“

“I’ll be waiting,” Elsa said once more. She turned to Freya, and seemed ready to offer some words before thinking better of it. Finally, she disappeared through the trees.

Sadie let out a relieved breath. “She’s too dangerous to let live, Astris.“

Astris gave the young witch a surprised look. “Oh! Should we have killed her, Sadie Laine? The Dryad do not take life easily, but perhaps we should have restrained her for you so you could administer the killing blow. What is your preferred method of execution? A sharp blade across the throat? To hang her from a tree? Perhaps to hold her head beneath the water until she drowns?“

Sadie looked down at her feet, suddenly unable to meet the dryad’s penetrating gaze.

“No, indeed. Do not speak of killing unless your hands and heart are equal to your words.“

“Is this the other one, Astris?“ the silver dryad asked, leaning down to carefully inspect Millie.

“It is. This is Millie Newton.“

“She doesn’t kill people, though!“ Georgia said with a nervous laugh, her arms around Millie. “She’s normal. Mostly. Just in case you were thinking of doing something… dramatic. Hi, I’m Georgia! I keep bees.“

Georgia stuck her hand out, and the silver dryad recoiled from it. Astris laughed.

“It’s okay, Georgia,” Sadie said, looking embarrassed. “They’re not going to hurt her.“

Freya peered up at the dark skinned dryad with her mouth ajar. The nymph was tall, her limbs strong and wiry. “Uh… hi. I didn’t think there were this many dryads in Derwold.“

The dryad gave her a cursory glance, then chose to ignore her entirely.

“My sisters have travelled through the stones from their own forests,” said Astris. “I needed their aid in unraveling the wall around the Oak Wood, and if there had been violence, I could not have stood up to Elsa alone. We have not been together like this for almost two millennia. There are few of us left now.“

“Aww. It’s nice to catch up with family, isn’t it?“ Georgia said, resisting the urge to click her heels together and murmur, There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home!

While Georgia, Freya and Millie finally found a dryad who would deign to speak to them, Astris took Sadie to one side.

“Sadie Laine, there is something I wish to know.“

“I’ll answer if I can, Astris.“

“What is a ‘fucking moron’?“

3

When the Dryad had retreated back into the forest, and Sadie and the Newtons were gathering their things together to head home, Freya happened upon a crimson shape laid out on the surface of one of the larger rocks.

On closer inspection, she saw it was a rose. A blood rose from the grounds of Derwold Manor.

She reached out a hand to pick it up, then stopped herself.

“No,” she murmured. “I don’t think so.”

The stem was all thorns, and she would not allow it to draw any more blood than it already had.

She turned and ran to catch up with the others.

4

The remainder of the summer holidays passed without incident. Georgia, Sadie and the girls spent several days busying themselves harvesting and bottling the year’s first bounty of honey, and Georgia was grateful for the distraction. After everything that had happened, she needed her children close at hand, at least for the time being.

Sadie divided her remaining time in Derwold between preparations to depart the village and conversing with Astris at the waterfall glade.

The other Dryad had returned to their forests, but Astris explained that the long-severed bond with her sisters had been renewed after so many centuries. It was not the confederation it had once been, and most likely never would be, but it was something.

Sadie asked about the fate of the covens, but Astris told her the Dryad had not been involved with human affairs since the Roman legions invaded their forests two millennia before and drove the Tuatha into hiding. Nevertheless, after much consideration, she gave Sadie the locations of her sisters and suggested she seek them out in their forests for any information they might be able to share.

“What if they won’t speak to me?“ Sadie said.

“Do you still have my acorn?“ asked Astris.

Sadie told her she did. Astris had left them the large green seed several months before, a symbol of gratitude for freeing her from Isabel’s malevolence.

“Take it with you and show it to any of my sisters. Still they may not speak with you, but they will know you have my favour, at least.“

Then Sadie broached the subject of the Old Blood, girls born touched by the power of the Tuatha Dé Danann, like Millie and Elsa. How had they come to be?

“It was our great mistake,“ Astris said after such a long period of silence Sadie thought the dryad would not speak of it at all. “Many ages ago, when your ancestors were still hunter-gatherers, we selected the most gifted amongst your females and planted seeds within them. The children that grew from those seeds were powerful and long-lived, as much Dryad as Human. We nurtured them, primed them for leadership, for your people are headstrong and reckless, and we believed blending a part of ourselves into your gene pool would temper such shortcomings.

“Centuries and millennia passed, and on occasion our power would manifest in your newborn, and though it remained undiluted, with each new generation their physical selves lost more and more of their dryad characteristics until eventually they appeared fully human.

“Then the Legion came from across the sea. We had heard whispers of them, of their cruelty and brutality, how they would swarm like ants, slaughtering anything in their path. They cut down our oldest trees and killed our kind, not just Dryad, but others of the Tuatha too – Giantkin and Fae, Selkie and Merrow. Those that survived fled into the Highlands with the Pictish tribes, but others of our kind stayed and hid in what remained of our forests. Gwenaëlle was the last Old Blood we ever nurtured. Your chroniclers know her as Boudica.“

Sadie’s mouth dropped open. “Boudica?! The Boudica?“

Astris gave a single haughty nod. “She feigned an alliance with the Legion to protect her people. When her husband died, Gwenaëlle was flogged and her two daughters raped.“

“If I remember my history, the Romans took her husband’s lands for themselves,” said Sadie.

“It was her kingdom. Gwenaëlle was queen of the Iceni even then, despite what your chronicles say. Though the Legion must have thought her husband was her protector.“

Sadie pondered that. “They thought it would be easy pickings with her husband out of the way.“

“Just so. They thought it inconceivable that a woman could command a military force. But Gwenaëlle did just that. She gathered the tribes to her cause and set about waging war. Her Dryad mentor Andrasta beseeched her to take her people north instead, where the Legion would not venture. But Gwenaëlle was bent on vengeance. She marched across the land with her armies, slaughtering Legion and Briton alike.“

“It’s hard to blame her, after everything she suffered.“

“Perhaps so. But I saw her during those last days of the uprising. I looked into her eyes and saw what she had become. Vengeance can twist a person beyond all recognition, Sadie Laine. Your chronicles speak of the noble and fierce Queen Boudica of the Iceni, but there is little romance in seeing men boiled alive in their armour, or strung up while…” Astris looked off into the distance. Into the past, Sadie thought. “Such a terrible way to use nature.”

The dryad seemed to come back to herself. She ran her hands through her long, walnut hair. “And so, scattered and diminished, the Tuatha drifted away from Humanity. And from each other. Without our guidance, many of those touched by our power became dangerous and unpredictable. Like Elsa.“

“Could you not have sought them out? Found a way to guide them in secret?“

Astris dipped her hand into the cool, clear waters of the pool, swirling it to and fro. “Humans have a tendency to organise themselves into factions. You segregate yourselves by culture, race, geography, spiritual belief. What you must understand is that the Tuatha only ever saw you as a single people.

“When one army waged war on another, it was naught but humans killing humans to us. We tried to protect you from yourselves, but ultimately, we failed. Nothing will strip you of your primate tendencies. We were foolish to think otherwise. Yes, perhaps the few of us that remained could have intercepted those born touched, and set them back on the path, but who’s to say allowing them to realise the full extent of their power would not have made things worse? Imagine the damage someone like Elsa could have caused if she had been fully nurtured by the Dryad.

“The world has changed. Humans have multiplied exponentially, and few of my kind remain. There are too many unknown variables in taking humans under our wing once more. Too much latitude for catastrophe.“

“What about Millie? Do you think she’ll become another Elsa, then?“

“The child is strange. She is a thing that doesn’t fit. She is… elusive.“

“I don’t understand.“

“Nor I, not fully. But that day when Millie first touched the tree where I dwelled, I had a sense that it was not the first time we had met. Regardless, when her menstrual cycle begins, we will get some measure of her true potential.“

“I hate the thought of not being here for her.“

Astris cupped water in the palm of her green hand, then brought it to her lips. When she was done drinking, she met Sadie’s gaze. “Of that I would speak further. Listen well, witchling.“

5

Sadie and Georgia lay atop the quilt on Georgia’s bed, the breeze from an electric fan delightfully cool against their sweaty skin. Their breaths came in short, laboured bursts.

“You’re one hell of a fuck, Sadie Laine,” Georgia opined.

“Thanks for saying so,” Sadie replied. “You’re not so bad yourself.“

Georgia turned onto her side and regarded her friend and lover. “Why do I get the feeling I’m never going to see you again?“

Sadie cupped her friend’s cheek. “I’ll come back. I will. I’ll come back because I love you. I love the girls.“

“I wish… I wish we could just be a normal family,” Georgia said, and for a moment it was all she could do to keep from crying. “All this magic business. It’s like a thorn in our sides.“

“It’s a part of who I am, Georgia. It’s a part of who Millie is. Nothing can change that.“

They lay in comfortable silence for a while, until Georgia spoke again. “Do you ever think Elsa might have been right?”

Sadie looked surprised. “About what?”

“A world without men. Would it be a better place, do you think?”

“Not with women like Elsa in charge,” said Sadie, then after a moment of consideration added, “I’ve never really had any problems with men. Have you?”

Georgia thought about it. “You say that, but haven’t all women had to put up with crap from men at some point in their lives? Are you telling me you’ve never had unwanted advances from guys, never been leered at in the street, never been treated differently because you have a pair of tits?”

“Of course I have. But that’s hardly a reason to snap my fingers and erase the entire male population, is it? And they’re not all arseholes. What about Mr. Dalliard? And your husband? He was a good man, wasn’t he?”

“I’m just saying.” Georgia gave a half-amused huff. “When I worked in the city, I used to walk down to the coffee shop at the end of the street on my lunch breaks. I remember some builders were working up on scaffolding nearby. Every time I went by I got the usual crap – wolf whistling, crude remarks. In the end I started taking a detour to avoid them. Took me another ten minutes to get my coffee but at least I didn’t have to put up with all the abuse. But I remember feeling so fucking angry that I had to do that, that I had to give way to their bullshit.”

“It’s a woman’s lot in life, isn’t it?”

Georgia bristled. “But it shouldn’t have to be. And some idiot shouting, ‘Oi, show us yer tits, luv!’ is the least of it. What about women in Iran or Afghanistan? Forced to cover themselves from head to toe, never allowed to go to school or university, not even allowed to speak to each other in public. They’re treated like animals. It’s horrific.”

Sadie had no way to counter the truth of that argument. In every society, women and girls had been pushed down in some way. The specter of male dominance loomed over all of them, always had. But Elsa had tried to push back. It was surely the fantasy of a madwoman, but God knows she had tried. And the world had punished her for stepping out of line, as it did so many women, for having the audacity to want change.

Perhaps it was too much of a stretch to blame men for Elsa’s downfall. She’d brought this on herself, hadn’t she?

Isn’t that what they’ve always said about women? Sadie thought. That we bring it on ourselves? That we freely invite everything that comes our way? 

Elsa had been shaped by the world she lived in, same as all of them. A man’s world.

“I don’t know, Georgia. I don’t know if a world like that is even possible, but I do know one thing: if we want to build a better one, genocide isn’t a particularly sound foundation.”

Georgia heaved a great sigh. “I know. I just wonder what that world might look like, that’s all. We’re lucky, I suppose. Derwold’s a good place to live, a hidden place. We can be who we want to be here. Mostly.”

“Mmm. I’ll miss it.”

Georgia traced the curve of Sadie’s breast with a finger. “When do you leave?“

“In a few days. I have a couple of loose ends to tie up first. My replacement at the school will need bringing up to speed, for one.“

“Oh, you found someone?“

“Yeah. She’s never taught before, and she’s awfully young, but I have a good feeling about her.“

Georgia was smirking.

“What?“ said Sadie. “I know that glint in your eye.”

“You have a key for the school, yeah?“

“I do.“

“No one goes in there during the summer holidays, right?“

“No. I’m the only one with a key. What are you up to, Georgia Newton?“

Georgia’s smile widened. “How would you like to play teacher one last time?“

6

Derwold’s school was really nothing more than a large hut with a single classroom, a small staff office, and a cloakroom. It sat on the plot next to the church, the classroom facing out onto a small playing field and the woods beyond. This was good. Because what Georgia had planned for that early Sunday evening, when most of the village’s other residents were sitting down to enjoy a traditional roast dinner, was not something for the eyes of unbelievers.

Georgia told Sadie to meet her at the school at 4 o’clock. She also told her to dress in her work attire, emphasising the importance of stockings and lacy panties. Not so strange – Sadie had always enjoyed wearing naughty lingerie at school, a fact of which Georgia was well aware.

Sadie played along, of course. When she pulled up in the school’s small carpark at a quarter to four, Georgia was already there, leaning on her own car with her arms folded. Freya and Millie were kicking a football around. They were wearing their school uniforms.

“Hello,” Sadie said wryly when she’d got out of her car and met up with Georgia.

“Hello, Miss Laine,” Georgia replied huskily. The beekeeper looked like she was all dressed up for a night on the town. A tight-fitting cream dress clung to her body, and she’d put on her white strappy heels.

“So… what are we all doing here?“ Sadie asked.

“I thought we could all indulge in a little… roleplay.“

“Oh, I see. And what ‘roles’ might we all be playing?“

Georgia played coy, the tip of a finger poised at one corner of her mouth. “Well… you’ll be the teacher. Obviously. Freya and Millie are your students, of course.“

“Of course. And you are?“

“Oh. I’m… the school inspector! I’ll be making sure everything’s, er, ship-shape. And generally just… you know, inspectoring.“

“I don’t think ‘inspectoring’ is a word.“

“I’ll be the judge of that if you don’t mind, Miss Laine.“

“I don’t like school inspectors much. Nobody likes school inspectors much.“

“Yes, well, I’m a very nice school inspector. I’ll just be observing from the sidelines while you go about your business. You won’t even know I’m there.“

“Very well. But I must warn you— sorry, I didn’t catch your name.“

“Miss Newton.“

“I must warn you, Miss Newton, my teaching methods are somewhat… unorthodox.“

“Oh, I’ve heard the rumours, Miss Laine. I’m afraid we’ve all heard the rumours back at the school inspector’s, uh, guild. Department. Headquarters?“

Sadie fished a key from her pocket and held it up. “Perhaps we should go inside and make a start, then.“

Georgia nodded gravely. “I think that would be best, yes.“

7

Inside the classroom, Sadie switched the light on, then closed the blinds. Freya and Millie took their seats at the front of the class, wearing coy little smirks.

Georgia sat in a chair just off to one side. She folded one leg across the other and rested both hands in her lap.

Sadie took her place behind her desk. “Well, here we are,” she said, drumming her fingers upon the varnished wood surface. She afforded Freya and Millie a stern appraisal. “Extra lessons for two very naughty girls. Do you know why you’re here?“

Freya and Millie looked at each other. They shook their heads.

“You were caught in the cloakroom with your knickers round your knees, weren’t you? Well, weren’t you?“

“Er… I suppose so?” said Freya.

“Yes, actually,” said Millie with an enthusiastic nod. “We were fingering each other. Weren’t we, Freya?“

“Oh. Yeah.“

Sadie gestured to Georgia. “This is Miss Newton. She’s a school inspector. She’ll be—”

“Inspecting?“ Freya ventured.

“Exactly. Say hello to the nice lady.“

Millie waved at her mother. “Hello, Miss Newton. It’s lovely to meet you.“

“Hi!” Freya said in a silly voice, sweeping a hand in a slow, wide arc in front of her.

“Hello, children,” Georgia cooed. “My, what pretty girls.“

“Well, then,” said Sadie. “Seeing as you both seem to think it’s appropriate to diddle each other in the cloakroom, I think a little sex education lesson might be in order. Now, come up here and stand in front of my desk.“

Freya and Millie pushed back their chairs and got to their feet. As they approached Sadie’s desk, Freya lifted the back of her skirt and flashed Georgia her knickers. She offered her mother a sassy pout.

“What an ill-mannered child,” Georgia opined.

Sadie circumnavigated her desk, her heels click click clicking upon the polished herringbone floor. “Bend over my desk,” she told the girls, and they complied. She lifted their skirts, leaving the plaid fabric draped across their backs. She gave each of their bums a light swat.

“Ow!“ Freya groused halfheartedly.

Millie peered back at her teacher with a naughty grin. “I quite like that. Do it again.“

Sadie gave Millie another spank, only this time she pulled her knickers to one side and slapped a bare arse cheek.

“How am I doing so far, Miss Newton?“ Sadie asked.

Georgia had allowed a hand to wander up to a breast, kneading it through the material of her smart dress. “I certainly don’t remember this being a part of the curriculum. But carry on, Miss Laine.“

“I told you my methods were rather unusual,” Sadie said. She gave the girls one last swat, then snaked a hand down between Freya’s thighs, rubbing the girl through her panties. When it was Millie’s turn, Sadie pulled the eight-year-old’s knickers high around her waist, the brilliant white cotton moulded tightly around her plump mons. Sadie locked eyes with Georgia as she trailed a finger through the narrow crease before bringing the offending digit to her nose to smell unashamedly.

Georgia hiked her dress up round her waist and spread her knees apart. Her knickers were lacy and semi-transparent. She dragged two fingers back and forth through the lips of her pussy.

“You’ll make a mess of those nice panties,” Sadie warned.

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” Georgia replied huskily.

“Can we take our knickers off now?“ Millie asked, her fingers already poised at the waistband.

“You can take your skirts off,” Sadie told them. “I’ll deal with your panties myself.“

The girls unclasped their plaid skirts, then stepped out of them. Sadie dropped to her knees and peeled Freya’s knickers down until they hung round her legs. She prised open her bum cheeks, moving to the side so Georgia could see the bright pink interior of her daughter’s cunt. She planted a single kiss on Freya’s arse, then sidled across to where Millie waited.

While Sadie tugged Millie’s knickers down, Georgia unhooked the top few buttons of her dress and scooped out her pillowy breasts. She dipped several fingers beneath her panties and into her cunt, then smeared the wetness across her nipples. She loved the smell of her own arousal. She loved watching her best friend do wicked things to her children, too.

Sadie squatted at Millie’s rear and spread the child’s arse open, peering back at Georgia with husky conviction. She snaked her tongue through the raw crease of Millie’s pussy and arse, leaving them glistening with saliva. She afforded Freya the same treatment, flicking her tongue through the delicate folds, then probing the girl’s arsehole.

Georgia pressed fingers into her sex, stuffing the crotch of her knickers inside. “Oh, you’re a dirty lady, Miss Laine,” she hissed. “Such a filthy, filthy teacher. I can see why my superiors were so concerned now.“

Sadie flashed her eyes at her lover, teeth bared in a wicked grin while her tongue flickered back and forth. This was the fantasy. The one that’d left so many pairs of her lacy knickers soaked through at the end of each day. Two little girls bent over her desk, panties round their knees. But that was only part of the fantasy, wasn’t it? There was more to act out.

“You can take your knickers off now,” Sadie told the girls, and while they eagerly tugged down their undies, she unbuttoned her blouse and slipped free of it, then pushed her skirt to the floor. Her lingerie was white and sheer. “Now that you’ve taken your own panties off,” she told her students, “you can remove mine for me.“

Freya and Millie folded to their knees at either side of Sadie and peeled the gossamer panties down her smooth, toned legs. Sadie stepped out of them, then sat back on her desk. She brought her heels (slutty pumps, Georgia liked to call them) up onto the wooden surface, and spread her legs to their limit. If that wasn’t a lewd enough invitation, she prised herself open like a curtain, the rose-coloured flesh of her sex taut and glistening.

Millie looked back at her mother and smirked, while Freya regarded Sadie’s open sex with unconcealed lust.

“Both of you… get down here and eat my cunt,” Sadie growled.

By now, Georgia had removed her own panties and was scrubbing them back and forth through her moist folds.

Freya and Millie drew closer to get at the rare treat proffered so wantonly by their teacher. They lapped at the musky flesh, tongues working as one as they moved up and down, up and down.

Sadie scooped out her breasts and lubricated her rubbery nipples with saliva. “Fuck yeah,” she snarled, then peered over at her students’ mother frigging herself on the chair. “How’d you like that, Miss Newton?“ she recited in a sing-song voice. “This is how we do it out here in the sticks.“

“It’s a very unusual method of teaching, Miss Laine,” Georgia replied. “But I approve wholeheartedly. Carry on.“

“You hear that, children?“ Sadie said, stroking the girls’ hair. “Miss Newton thinks we’re doing splendid work at our little school. If you show her how well you can make your teacher come, I’m sure she’ll give us an excellent rating.“

Millie stuffed her tongue into Sadie’s cunt. Freya nursed on Sadie’s clit. Moments later, Sadie came hard, pressing herself into the girls’ faces.

“Oh, fuck,” Georgia muttered as the first of her orgasms hit. “That has to be better than an apple on your desk.“

Freya turned to her mother, a hand toying between her legs. Her lips and chin were coated with Sadie’s nectar.

Georgia held up her knickers, the fabric sodden and creamy. “Want these?“

Freya nodded, so Georgia found her feet and brought the messy gift to her eldest, pressing them to her face. Freya sank back onto the desktop and closed her eyes, strumming her slit while she breathed in her mother’s rich scent.

Sadie climbed from the desk, nudged Millie back onto it, then took one of the youngster’s legs between her thighs, rubbing herself on a long, white pelerine sock, leaving it smeared with her juices.

Gazing lovingly at her teacher, Millie eased a finger into her own bum and worked it back and forth.

Georgia leaned across and kissed Sadie on the mouth.

“I love you, Georgia Newton,” Sadie groaned as they parted. “Fuck, how I love you.“

“I know,” Georgia replied. “And I’m worth every ounce of it.“

There were more climaxes that day in the humble little hut that served as Derwold’s only school. When the four of them finally reinstated their clothing and crept out of the building, all they left behind was the sweet scent of their lovemaking.

8

Two days before the new school term was due to begin, Georgia, Sadie, Freya and Millie were gathered in a forest clearing not far from the waterfall glade. Georgia stood behind Millie, hands resting on her youngest daughter’s shoulders. Freya and Sadie stood off to one side in respectful reverence, hands laced in front of them.

Astris, the Green Lady of Derwold, stood a short distance away.

“Do you remember the words?“ Sadie asked Georgia in a low voice. Her face was serious, her jaw set firm.

Georgia nodded.

“Then speak them.“

All of this flew in the face of Georgia’s better judgement. Allowing Sadie to instruct Millie in the ways of witchcraft had been one thing, but this… this was something else entirely. This was a fucking escalation. But what choice did she have as a mother? Sadie was leaving, and her youngest daughter needed guidance, the kind a mere beekeeper simply wasn’t equipped to offer.

But by God, if it needed to be done, it would be done on her terms.

Georgia cleared her throat and spoke. “I bring my daughter before the Dryad. I offer a mother’s consent. I grant you permission to instruct her, to nurture her as you have nurtured others before her. If this is the will of the Tuatha Dé Danann, then let it be done.“

Then, to Sadie’s horror, Georgia added a few amendments of her own. “Except on Sundays, birthdays, Christmas, dental appointments, and days when we’ve made other arrangements. Also, make sure she’s home by a reasonable time, because she has to get up early for school. Oh, and I’d prefer you didn’t teach my daughter anything especially dangerous. If she comes home missing any fingers or toes, you and I will be having words. Okay?“

“Omigod…” hissed Sadie. She closed her eyes and shook her head in despair. One simply did not talk to an ancient forest spirit like that.

Astris padded forward like an animal stalking its prey, her face like thunder. She afforded Georgia a scathing look. “Your terms are outrageous, Georgia Newton,“ she growled before her face softened by small degrees, “but I will agree to them.“

Then the dryad peered down at Millie. “You are the first we have nurtured in two millennia, and I suspect you will be the last. I will not make it easy for you, Millie Newton. Will you listen well to my instruction? Will you work hard?“

Millie gave her most enthusiastic nod. “I was Sadie’s best student, actually. And I’m definitely the cleverest in class.“

Freya rolled her eyes. She was trying hard to stop doing it, really she was, but bloody hell, if that didn’t deserve an eye-roll, nothing did.

Astris folded her arms and considered the child carefully. “We shall see.“

9

There was an atmosphere of anticipation in the classroom that went beyond the usual excited chatter that accompanied the first day of any new term.

Millie pulled out various bits of paraphernalia from her school rucksack, placing each item neatly on her desk. Pencil case. Ruler. Notepad. Calculator.

Her phone was vibrating in her pocket. They were supposed to turn their devices off in class, but Millie had promised Freya she’d leave it on. She pulled it out under the desk and saw her sister had left a message.

They’d seen Freya onto the bus earlier that morning, on her way to her new school just across the border into Wales. There’d been some talk of her boarding there, but it was only an hour’s journey, and Freya said she’d prefer to remain home and commute for now.

Millie read the text.

Well? Who’s your new teacher?

She typed a reply.

Dunno yet. What’s your new school like?

Big! Kind of scary, I guess, but exciting, too.

Okay. Sadie’s coming into the classroom now. I better go. See you tonight. Love you.

Love you too. Good luck!

Sadie entered the classroom to a chorus of, “Hello, Miss Laine! We thought you’d gone, Miss Laine! Did you change your mind about leaving, Miss Laine?!“

Sadie raised a hand. “All right, all right, settle down. I’m just here to introduce your new teacher. Everyone take your seats, please.“

The children parked themselves in place behind their respective desks. Several of them craned their necks in vain attempts to see who was waiting outside in the dark corridor.

“Boys and girls,” Sadie said. “I hope you’ll all be on your very best behaviour for my successor. If you’re not…” At this, Sadie wagged a finger, “…rest assured, I’ll be back to give you all a very stern talking to. Make me proud. And always remember to present the best version of yourselves.“

Sadie gestured to the open door. “Please welcome Derwold’s new teacher – Miss Ellis!“

Hailey came through the door and presented herself to the class, leaving Millie absolutely flabbergasted. If that wasn’t shock enough, there was also the fact that Hailey had a baby strapped to her chest.

Where on earth did she get a baby from? Millie knew enough about human procreation to be absolutely certain infants didn’t reach full term and emerge into the world in a few short weeks. There had been no baby when Millie had last seen Hailey, not even any talk of one. Was she looking after it for a friend?

Everyone was making cooing noises at the babe. Millie caught Hailey’s eye and gave her a discreet little wave. Hailey mouthed hi from across the classroom, accompanied by a knowing smile that left the child light-headed.

Millie tapped out a covert text message to her sister under the table.

Omigod, you’ll never guess who my new teacher is!

10

Sadie Laine packed the last of her belongings into the boot of her car – the essentials, at least. Hailey would look after the rest. In particular, she’d been at great pains to stress the need for proper care of her beloved books.

“You’re welcome to read them, but don’t bend the covers back, it damages the spine,” she had told Hailey. “And never put mugs of hot liquid on them, that’s a big no-no. Oh, and dust them now and again. Books like to be dusted.“

There were several more things to consider:

“If the boiler starts clunking, you have to run the hot water tap for a few minutes. If you don’t, there’s a good chance the cottage will blow up. If you hear scratching noises in the eaves, it’s just birds nesting up there, maybe the odd rat or two. Cows sometimes find their way into the garden from the farm next door. Just shooing them away usually works. And don’t fall down the well!“

Now Georgia was peering into the boot of the car with the thorough scrutiny only a mother can command. “Have you got everything you need?”

“Yes, Georgia.”

“A warm jumper?”

“Yes, Georgia.”

“Enough pillows?”

“Yes, Georgia.”

“Plenty of knickers?”

Yes, Georgia.”

The two of them regarded each other in silence for a few moments, then burst into laughter.

Sadie pulled her friend and lover into a warm embrace. “I love you, Georgia Newton.”

Georgia nodded solemnly. “Come back to us,” she whispered.

“Always.”

When they’d parted, Georgia gestured discreetly to Hailey, who was standing near the cottage bouncing baby Rita in her arms. “Can she be trusted?”

“Absolutely,” Sadie said.

“What’s going on with that baby, anyway? I’m sure she’s doubled in size since yesterday.”

“Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but yeah, she does seem to be quite the grower.”

“And they found her inside a dead mermaid, you say?” Georgia screwed her face up. “Are you sure this new teacher isn’t having you on? My nan used to tell me they found me in a cabbage patch when I was a baby.”

Sadie shook her head matter-of-factly. “No, no, she’s telling the truth. But it was a siren, not a mermaid. I’ve explained the difference between mermaids and sirens. Several times.”

“I don’t like it,” Georgia decided. “It’s weird.”

“Be nice. Hailey might need some help in the future.”

Freya and Millie were saying their goodbyes to Billy Buckham, who didn’t seem fussed one way or the other. Sadie wandered over and folded to her knees.

“You’re going to tell us to be good, aren’t you?” Freya said with a wry smile.

“Oh, aren’t you the smart arse,” Sadie retorted. “Actually, I have a task for you both.”

“A task?” Millie said.

Sadie glanced back at Hailey and the babe for a moment. When she turned back to Freya and Millie all her humour had gone. “Look out for Rita. I’m assigning you both as her guardians.”

Freya made a face. “Uh, we don’t really know much about babies.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” said Sadie. “I have a feeling she won’t be a baby for long. Just… just be there for her, okay? I can’t trust anyone else with this.”

Millie was regarding the infant with interest. She bunched a fist against her chest. “I will train the child,” she declared. “She will become a great warrior under my mastery!”

Sadie got to her feet. “Right. Good. Or maybe just read her bedtime stories. Whatever works for you.” She kissed the girls on their brows. “Anyway, we can all keep in touch on our phones. It’s not as if I’m going to the Antarctic.”

Sadie slammed the boot of her car shut, then peered back at the little roundhouse with a tear in her eye. She’d been happy here, but had come to realise that happiness wasn’t always enough. Sometimes there needed to be a measure of struggle in life, a little hardship to help us discover who we are and what we’re truly capable of.

Leaving was hard. But staying would only eat away at her.

Besides, there was work to be done. She needed to find out what happened to the covens, why they were so suddenly abandoned. And if there were others like her out there, those of her lineage, Sadie would seek them out.

But you already cast one of your own aside, didn’t you? a voice in her head reminded her. Elsa reached out to you and what did you tell her? “I can’t be your friend.“ Are you sure you made the right decision?

She’d vowed to take responsibility for Elsa, but what did that actually mean? To drive Elsa off? Maybe even to end her life?

No. It meant taking her under your wing, and you know it. That’s why you feel like such a coward, isn’t it? You offered her friendship, then took it back because the prospect of taking responsibility for someone like Elsa was too frightening, too complicated. You wanted a nice neat ending. One where the wicked witch gets her comeuppance and the good guys live happily ever after.

Well, nothing to be done about it now. Elsa was gone. But there might be other Elsas out there. Sadie wasn’t so naïve to believe all witches were pretty schoolteachers who brewed love potions. It was time to step up, to start thinking about what was needed, instead of wanted. There might very well be tough decisions to be made.

Hadn’t Elsa said something like that once?

But I’m not Elsa. I’ll never be Elsa. I’m Sadie Laine.

Sadie pulled the acorn from her coat pocket. Its weight was reassuring in the palm of her hand. She turned it this way and that, then slipped it back inside her coat.

She climbed into her car. Billy Buckham regarded her stoically from the passenger seat.

“Here we go then, grumpy boy. Onwards and upwards.“

Sadie Laine keyed the ignition and drove away from the village of Derwold.

11

Millie Newton stands alone in the forest.

Her eyes are shut tightly. She reaches out and allows the cool breeze to caress the palms of her hands. Shutting everything else out, she pinpoints her senses on the rustling leaves in the trees. But when she listens, she really listens.

Because the trees whisper memories. The trees remember. And Millie Newton understands the subtle language of trees, for she is of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The currents of the world are shifting, the trees tell her. A monumental change is underway. More and more, women begin to turn away from men and look to each other for comfort and intimacy. Fewer children are born, and of those, nature begins to favour female offspring. Of those born male, an increasing number are sterile and will be unable to father children of their own. Nature is fighting back. The world is unravelling.

The trees whisper other secrets: The last of the Tuatha are out there somewhere, scattered and alone. They must be brought back together, for the knowledge they keep will be much needed in the years to come.

Millie opens her eyes and walks on. A dark shape emerges from the trees and takes its place by her side. She lets her hand wander across its black fur. They’ve been meeting in the forest for some time now. They have an understanding.

“Hello, Serene,” Millie says, because that is the panther’s name in the human tongue.

Together, the young witch and her familiar head towards the waterfall glade where the dryad awaits.

The End

 

The Evil That Men Do, Chapter 6

  • Posted on November 19, 2025 at 3:06 pm

The Story Thus Far

Chapter One: Mallory Kalvornek and her lover Julie Hanson have returned to Bronning, Minnesota, for the first time in years to catch up with friends and family. Meanwhile, their old friend (and occasional sex partner) paramedic Nettie Hastings fights to save a life, her lover Hannah drops by with an unexpected surprise, Terry Wilder grapples with writer’s block… and two little girls living in a trailer park named Heather and Gina are being carefully observed by a hidden stranger.

Chapter Two: Mallory and Julie get together at Nettie’s home with Nettie and her lover Hannah, Nettie’s friend Terry Wilder, Terry’s teen daughter Halee, and Mallory and Julie’s friend (and occasional sex partner) Cindy. Gossip is exchanged, memories shared, and an unexpected attraction between Mallory and Terry Wilder reveals itself. Meanwhile, the mother of the two trailer park girls Heather and Gina goes out for a night on the town, oblivious to the presence of the man spying on her home.

Chapter Three: At Nettie’s place, Nettie and Hannah leave the others to indulge in a bit of romantic pleasure, while Julie and her old friend Cindy get it on with Terry’s teen daughter Halee. As for Mallory, she has repaired to Terry’s place for one of her occasional bouts of heterosexual action. Appetites are indulged, confidences shared. Meanwhile, Heather and Gina are abducted from their trailer home by a mysterious and very scary man.

Chapter Four: At Nettie’s place, four women and Halee Wilder greet the morning after an evening of lesbian abandon. Later that day, Mallory rejoins Julie, Nettie, Cindy and Hannah for a day of fishing. Halee returns home and spends the day upgrading her internet in preparation for promised to be a fun night of video chat sex with her girlfriend Bethany. Meanwhile, Grace and Heather are in the custody of the mysterious man, who seems to takes delight in terrorizing them.

Chapter Five: After their day of fishing, Nettie, Julie, Cindy, Mallory & Hannah engage in a five-woman sexfest inside a tent… and with the use of Cindy’s phone, their old friend and occasional bedmate Emma attends the orgy virtually. In the midst of their abandon, Nettie has a weird, vague memory flashback that leaves her shaken, but she conceals it from the others. Back home, Halee and her new love interest Bethany (Hannah’s daughter) are having long-distance sex via their laptops. 

For a list of the characters from the story you are now reading, visit this page. 

For a list of the characters from the previous two stories that you will encounter here as well, visit this page.

And now, dear readers, we make our way into the next installment. Read on…

by Rachael Yukey

You’ll never know
My life means everything
Still I scream because
There’s nothing left to do until the end
The world goes on
With all that I’ve become
And still I scream inside
Though all the pain I’ve taken hasn’t changed

Halford, 2001

Hannah let out a deep sigh of relief as her eyes fell upon Nettie. Her tall, dark-haired lover was seated on the river bank, bare toes in the icy water, idly flipping rocks at the placid surface. Nettie turned her head at the sound of approaching footsteps, squinting in the glare of the sun, which was still making its ascent through the haze of the dawning sky.

There you are,” said Hannah. “Everyone was kind of wondering where you’d got off to.” Lowering herself to the ground, she slipped an arm around Nettie’s waist.

Nettie shrugged. “Thought I’d watch the sun rise from here.”

Hannah snorted, the corners of her mouth curling upwards. “The sun is behind you, dummy. And your toes are gonna freeze off if you leave ’em in there much longer.”

“It feels good.” Nettie turned to face her, the ghost of a smile on her lips. But there was no real humor in it, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

The smile faded from Hannah’s lips. “Antoinette—talk to me. I know there’s something bothering you. Will you let me help?”

Nettie turned her gaze back towards the river, spinning another rock out across the sun-dappled surface. It struck about halfway across, disappearing with a slash of water and a dull plopping sound.

“I can’t make ‘em skip anymore,” Nettie lamented. “When I was eight or so, I used to come out here all the time with—you know, a friend. We’d skip rocks for hours. Can’t do it now.”

“Antoinette.”

Nettie sighed heavily. “I’m okay, Hannah. I… I just didn’t sleep that well last night. It happens sometimes. I—” And then she was weeping, sobs wracking her body with explosive force.

“Whoa—hey.” Caught completely off-guard, Hannah moved her arm from Nettie’s waist to her shoulders, pulling her in tight. Nettie buried her face in Hannah’s flaming red hair. “Hey—I’m here.”

“Yo, Hannah, where’d you go?” Cindy’s voice. “Don’t wander too far, these woods go deep! I’m sure Nettie’s right along the river somewhere.”

“I’m good!” Hannah quickly called back. “I’m with Antoinette now. We’ll be along in a few.”

Cindy seemed to catch the hint. “Um, okay, then.”

“Shhh,” Hannah whispered, stroking Nettie’s hair. “It’s okay, just let it out. I’m here.”

Nettie’s head lifted, a hand impatiently dashing tears from her face. Her cheeks were still wet. “Hannah, I’m sorry.” Her voice was just barely above a whisper.

“For what?”

“You didn’t sign up for this. I’m damaged goods, Hannah, and I didn’t tell you that. This isn’t— it’s not fair to you.” She doubled over in a fresh fury of weeping.

“You can just take that idiotic notion and bury it at sea,” Hannah said firmly, squeezing Nettie’s heaving shoulders. “You think I didn’t know you’ve got skeletons? You think I’m any different? I was suicidal when I was pregnant with Bethany.”

Nettie’s head lifted, her tear-streaked face turned towards Hannah’s drawn, serious one. “Wait— what?”

Hannah shifted her gaze to the treeline on the opposite side of the river, bright with the fresh green of spring. “I was a fifteen-year-old, pregnant, in-denial lesbian. My dad was furious that I was knocked up, and threatening to kick me out of the house. My mom hated it, but wouldn’t intervene. Even worse, I’d just ended up getting myself off front of my younger cousin, then helping her do the same. I was a hundred percent sure I was going to hell for that.”

She released a shuddering breath, close to tears herself. “Add that to some fucked-up pregnancy hormones, and I used to lie awake at night, crying, going over a hundred different ways to just end it all. I couldn’t turn it off. The only thing that stopped me from doing it was a sense of responsibility to that little life growing inside of me.”

Nettie was still sniffling, but the worst of the crying fit appeared to have run its course. She was looking at Hannah as if seeing her for the first time. “Hannah—I’m sorry. That’s the worst thing ever.”

A single, humorless laugh escaped Hannah’s throat. “No. No it isn’t. Whatever happened to you—that’s worse. Somehow I know that, even if you won’t tell me what it is.” Nettie gazed back into the murky depths of the river, saying nothing.

“Whatever,” Hannah said after a moment’s silence. “If you don’t want to talk right now, that’s okay. I’m going to have to find out eventually—I think you know that. But Antoinette: don’t ever think you know what is or isn’t fair to me. Because we’re all fucked up. Life is short, pain is everywhere, and if we’re not here to hold onto each other and help each other through it, I don’t even want to know what it’s all for. You hear me?” There was deep sorrow in her voice, though her eyes remained dry.

“Come on, now. I want you in the car with the heat blowing. All it takes is a glance to know you didn’t sleep a wink last night, and I don’t even want to know how long you’ve been sitting out here. I’ll tell the girls you’re not feeling good—that’s true, in its way. I’ll help them pack up.”

Lurching to her feet, she tugged on Nettie’s hands. Nettie rose, swaying like a zombie, and allowed Hannah to lead her back towards the camp.

***

The monster hovers over the two girls, gazing down at them with the barest hint of a grin. He’s been standing there like that, motionless, for almost two full minutes. Gina is sobbing uncontrollably. Tears track Heather’s cheeks, tears she can’t restrain, but she refuses to squirm, flinch, or make a sound. This evil bastard wants them afraid. She is afraid, mortally so, but does everything in her power to avoid letting him see it.

***

Diary of Malory Kalvornek, June 6th, 2022

Of course, I slept way later than everyone else—it’s what I do. I’m alone in the tent. I can hear voices and movement from outside, but can’t make out what anyone is saying. I should probably drag my ass out of the sleeping bag and go help tear down the camp, but I’m enjoying these few moments of peace and solitude.

The past two days have been a whirlwind. The drive to Bronning, the party, the party AFTER the party, the fishing/camping expedition—and oh my God, the sex.

Julie and I don’t step out sexually as much as we used to. It’s been over a year since we’ve participated in group activities of any description, and better than two years since I’ve had sex with a man. And now both of those things have happened, in the space of only two nights! I kind of missed it, letting my freak flag fly like that.

I’m pumped and eager to take on the rest of the summer! Even though our sojourn to Bronning was unplanned and not what we really wanted to do for the first few days of our vacation, it turned out to be exactly what Julie and I needed. Sequestered in the ivory tower of university life, you don’t realize how much you miss the simple things. Camping with the girls, fresh fish over an open fire. Vodka and Sprite!

On the flip side of the coin: I’m worried about Nettie. My post-coital conversation with Terry Wilder made it clear that she still isn’t over the traumatic events of her childhood, and then last night—she was out of sorts in some weird way, after Emma signed off and we were getting settled in. I’m not the only one who noticed; I overheard Hannah ask if she was okay. Nettie said she was, but I’m not sold.

I’d love to spend another day and night on the river, but it’s not going to happen that way. Cindy goes on two weeks of night shift starting this evening, and Hannah has to be at the hospital for surgery this afternoon. We’re gonna go back to Nettie’s place, get cleaned up, and then decide if we’re sticking around Bronning for one more night or heading out.

Speaking of which: it’s time to get my lazy ass moving. It won’t be long until the girls want to start tearing down the tent, and I know from experience that Julie and Cindy are not above doing so with me still inside if they get fed up waiting for the little blonde butterfly to emerge from her cocoon.

***

“Hey, sweetie, we’re heading out.” It was just after noon. Julie stood in the doorway to Nettie’s bedroom, her tall frame silhouetted by the hallway light, arm outstretched with a hand on the doorframe. Hannah had left for the hospital half an hour earlier.

Nettie forced a smile. “Thanks for coming,” she said. “I had a great time.” That much was true, at least until the previous night’s sudden rush of long-suppressed memory overloaded every synapse in her brain.

“Sorry you got sick,” Julie ventured, her voice tentative. There were all manner of things unsaid in that voice.

“It happens,” said Nettie. She really was sick, too. Several nights of poor sleep combined with the previous evening’s alcohol had caught up with her. She’d already hurled once, and her stomach was still doing lazy barrel rolls.

“I cleaned the rest of the fish,” Julie went on, “and Mal bagged ‘em up and put ‘em in your freezer. I’ll catch more later this week with Dad, so enjoy.”

Mallory came up behind Julie, ducking nimbly under her arm to enter the room. “Nettie,” she said. “Listen. I know we haven’t been in touch all that often over the past few years. But we’re still here for you if you need us—you know that, right? Nothing’s changed.”

A smile came to Nettie’s lips; a real one this time. “Thanks. But I’m okay; I just need to get some rest.”

Slipping past Mallory, Julie came to the side of the bed, leaning down to kiss Nettie’s forehead. “Be well, hon. We’ll be seeing you.”

Mallory came forward, sat on the edge of the bed, and looped her arms gently over Nettie’s shoulders. “We love you. Don’t forget that.”

Exiting the room just behind Julie, Mallory paused, then turned. “Nettie, I’m just going to say it. You should open up to Hannah. She really cares about you, I can tell.” She gave a hesitant smile, then closed the door behind her.

Nettie allowed her head to collapse onto the pillow, wincing at the bolt of pain that lanced from one end of her cranium to the other. “Fuck,” she grunted. She was grateful to finally be alone, and unsure what she wanted to do more: sift through the welter of recovered memories, or shove them so far back into her subconscious they never resurfaced again.

Then her phone chimed. Managing to be both annoyed at the intrusion and grateful for the distraction, she plucked it from the nightstand. The text message was from DEA agent Bridgett Ramscone. Call me when you have a moment, please.

This was how her loose association with the DEA had gone thus far. Bridgett contacted her when she ran into something her regular agents couldn’t figure out, then Nettie pored over the evidence. She’d discovered a heretofore untapped detective’s instinct; an ability to separate the wheat from the chaff, and once in a while strike gold.

Bridgett had offered her a more active, full-time role, but Nettie had refused. EMS was less a job than a mission to her, and much as she hated some aspects of the work, she was nowhere near ready to walk away from it.

Nettie almost let it go; she was tired, sick to her stomach, and her head hurt. Then it dawned on her that Bridgett usually used email rather than text to discuss assignments. Intrigued, she hit the call button, putting the phone on speaker and setting it back on the bedside table. Right then, the effort of holding it to her ear seemed more than she could handle.

“Hello, Nettie.” Bridgett’s voice was brisk and businesslike. When they had personal matters to discuss, she used terms of endearment and a casual tone. “Got time today to look something over for me?”

Nettie sighed. “Time I’ve got, but it’s not a great day for it, Bridgett. I’ve got a touch of some bug or other.”

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” said Bridgett, her tone softening a little. “That sucks. But, well—this one is kind of hot. Time-sensitive. We’re participating with the FBI on this because there’s a drug angle that goes with it, but I’m not in charge, and I had to go through eight different kinds of hell to get clearance to show it to you.”

Nettie let out a heavy sigh. “Okay—fine. But I’ll tell you straight-out I’m not on top of my game at the moment. What’ve you got?”

There was a long silence on the other end, a hesitation that wasn’t like Bridgett Ramscone at all. Nettie was just about to ask if everything was all right when the DEA agent finally spoke again. “Before I send you the files,” said Bridgett, “there’s a reason I wanted to talk to you on the phone first. This one might be—well—a little triggering.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning—Nettie, I delved all the way into your background as soon as I learned you had an association with Terry Wilder, before that first interview we had. Which means that among other things, I’m aware of a pretty horrible incident that took place when you were ten years old. This case—it looks very much like that one. Almost frighteningly so. Which is why I bent over so far backwards to get you access to the evidence. But if you can’t do it, if you want to skip over this one, I completely understand.”

Nettie was aware of her hands balling into tight fists, nails digging into her palms. This was a place she simply. Did not. Go. The only times she ever talked about her dead sister Annamarie was with her mother, and they never, ever discussed the incident that had taken her life. She wasn’t trying to bury Anna’s memory, but she couldn’t bear to face the curiosity of others. It always brought back horrible flashes of incomplete memories, and unleashed terrifying nightmares.

She finally found her voice, but couldn’t quite keep it steady. “And what makes you think I’d have some special insight?”

“Because the case we’re on now looks a lot like that one—enough so that I have to wonder if they’re somehow related. I mean, it obviously wasn’t carried out by the original perp; Jacob Brentshaw was murdered in prison a little over a year ago. But we have the same situation: two little girls and their babysitter gone missing while their parents are out. The babysitter is then found dead. House left tidy and untouched, nothing stolen or damaged. Rural environment, ample surrounding woodlands.

“That was Brentshaw’s MO, after all. Always two girls close in age, always alone with a babysitter who was murdered out of hand, always a rural setting. The murder was even conducted the same way Brentshaw always killed the sitter; a knife through the pericardium from behind.”

Nettie’s heart thumped in her ears. Beads of sweat were breaking out on her forehead.

“Bridgett, I—how could you even ask me?”

“I wouldn’t have, except that the girls went missing only about thirty hours ago. You and Annamarie were missing for over a week, and still alive when you were located. The only break in the MO is that the perp did a sloppy job of hiding the sitter’s body; they found her right away. Listen to me, Nettie: those girls might very well still be alive, so if we can figure out where this asshole has gone to ground, we might be able to save them both. I wouldn’t have even thought about laying this on you otherwise.”

“Jesus.” Nettie let out a shaky breath.

“Nettie, I’m sorry, but I have to ask. You were borderline catatonic when you were found, and drowning in pneumonia to boot. You ended up in the hospital with a tube down your throat, and afterwards nobody was able to get anything resembling a proper statement out of you. Understandable enough, given your age and what you went through. But what I need to know now is how much you remember.”

Nettie rested her fingertips on her aching forehead. “If we know it isn’t the same guy, how will my fucking memories matter? Even if it’s a copycat crime, the perp will only know what was released in the press, and can only copy that much of it. Right?”

“Well—” Bridgett hesitated. “Not necessarily. One idea that’s been proposed is that it’s someone who knew Brentshaw. The other—” Nettie could hear her blowing her breath out, then taking another. “What I’m really wondering is if there may have been another party involved in the previous crimes. I’m hesitant to even tell you this, but one of the last things your sister said was ‘those bad people’. People, plural. But she was delirious, and no other evidence of a second person was ever found. Brentshaw denied it when asked. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the case.”

Nettie’s whole body was shaking. Part of her wanted to cry, needed the release, but the tears refused to come. Just this horrible tightening of her stomach and chest, and tremors that gripped her from head to toe. “I—” It was all she could manage to get out.

“Please, Nettie,” said Bridgett. “I know this is the worst thing I could possibly do to you, and I’ll understand if we never hear from you again. But if these cases are by some slim chance connected, and you can dredge up any memories that might help us find that connection, it’s not impossible that we can save two lives. Young lives, girls who deserve what was stolen from Annamarie—and from you, for that matter. Anything you remember might help.”

“Gimme a second.” Nettie pressed both palms against her eyes as she searched her mind, trying to conjure up memories she’d spent a lifetime doing her damnedest to suppress. It seemed, now that she actively thought about it, that the wellspring of unlocked remembrances that flooded her mind the previous evening only included her time in Dickson, not the horror show that had preceded it. All that remained were the terrifying flashes of imagery that still plagued her nightmares.

“I—I honestly don’t remember much,” she said, her voice little more than a harsh whisper. “Just, you know, fragments of things. I can’t even really put a face on that fucker anymore, you know? I remember the son of a bitch in our house, knocking Anna down and threatening to beat her with something if I didn’t cooperate. Then I remember us in a different place, a kind of rundown one.”

“The abandoned mobile home you were found in,” said Bridgett.

“Right, okay. I remember a lot of screaming—Anna, I think. Blood. I remember being hit, and someone’s face right in mine, telling me to shut the fuck up. More than once, I’m pretty sure. And then—” she hesitated, desperately racking her brain for details. She couldn’t shake the thought of those two little girls out there, held captive by some creepy sadist. For the first time in her life, she wanted those repressed memories.

She pressed both fists to her forehead. “Fuck—I’m just getting different versions of those same things, like they happened more than once in different ways. Nothing’s very clear, Bridgett. I do have a vague image of the SWAT team busting in, and I remember Anna getting loaded onto the ambulance. That’s the one thing—” she hesitated, sniffling. Now the tears were close, and she didn’t want to start bawling her head off while still on the phone with Bridgett.

“Fuck,” she said again, getting some semblance of a grip on herself. “That’s the one part of it that’s always been crystal clear. But that doesn’t matter, does it? It was over by then.”

“No, that part’s well-documented,” Bridgett replied, her tone gentle. Nettie clenched her jaw, hating the pity she could hear in that voice. “I do have an immediate question. When he was in your house, knocking Anna down and threatening her to make you cooperate, where was your babysitter? Had he already been killed? Do you remember any of that?”

Nettie searched her mind, but that part remained stubbornly blank. “No. I see where you’re going with that—you’re wondering if, maybe, a second person took care of the sitter?”

“Exactly.”

“I—I’m sorry, Bridgett. I can’t remember.” Then a thought struck her. “You said there’s a drug angle here. What’s that about?”

“Oh—the sitter had cannabis and psychedelics in her system, is all. Most likely completely unrelated to the kidnapping and murder, but it’s the only reason I’m even aware of the case. We’re supposed to be just looking into that aspect, but when I saw what we were dealing with—”

Bridgett trailed off, then took another deep breath. “Nettie, will you look at the case files if I send them to you? Also—and I’m even more hesitant to ask this—the files surrounding your own kidnapping, and Anna’s death. I’ll redact the pictures of her body, because you really don’t need to see those, but the rest of it might spark some memories that could help. I’d like to send you that, along with the files for Brentshaw’s other crimes. It’s a horrible thing to ask of you for a pretty slim chance at a result, I know that, but it’s the only thing I can think to do.”

Nettie trailed her fingernails down her cheeks. Her shivering had ceased, and the horrible, unhinged feeling of being cut adrift was fading. Deep within, like a lump in her gut, was the steely surge of something darker. It was hard, cold anger, and she welcomed it.

“Send it,” she said, her voice still husky, but now with an undertone of iron. “All of it. Including Anna’s postmortems.”

“Nettie—those pictures are not pleasant. Are you sure?”

“If I see her injuries, maybe I’ll be reminded of how she got them.”

“Okay.” Was there a tremor in Bridgett’s voice? Nettie had never known the DEA agent to be anything other than calm, competent, and utterly poised when on duty. “I’m so sorry, Nettie. But we have to take our best shot at saving those two missing girls. Thank you.”

“Just send them along, okay? I’ll go over all of it, and get back to you with what I think, whether I remember anything or not.” Reaching over to where the phone lay, Nettie swiped the red button to break the connection, then batted the device with the edge of her hand, sending it sailing off the nightstand to land facedown on the carpet.

Then the tears came, hot, violent and full of vitriol. Not tears of sorrow, but of rage. Rage for what had been taken from her, from her precious sister, and from all the other girls whose lives that fucking monster had taken over the years. Rage for the two who were now missing, and the teen babysitter whose body was most likely being wept over by devastated parents at this very moment.

Then she got hold of herself. Those two little girls are out there this very minute, suffering who knows what. You don’t get to have a crisis right now, bitch. Ignoring the throbbing in her temples, she got to unsteady feet, snatched up her glasses, and made her way into the living room. Sinking into her dad’s old recliner, she took her laptop from the end table, rested it on her thighs and opened the lid. She fired up the browser.

There was an email from Bridgett, sent less than thirty seconds ago. She pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose, nudging the glasses up her forehead as she steeled herself for the worst. Taking a deep breath, she clicked on the link.

***

Callused, thick-veined hands rest on Heather’s shoulders, those dead blue eyes boring into hers. Heather is trembling violently, but wills herself to display no other overt signs of fear. Even the tears have ceased to fall. The touch is light at first, but then the fingers begin to squeeze. Her eyes begin to tear from pain as the pressure increases. She bites her tongue to keep from crying out.

Then a cellphone chimes. The horrid pressure continues for another moment, then the beast lets go and backs away, his eyes never wavering from hers. Resisting the urge to sag against the wall, Heather stares right back at him. Finally he tips her a wink, plucks his cellphone from his pocket, and turns away. After the shed door has closed and the padlock clicks into place, Heather curls up in a ball on the cold, dirty floor and sobs.

***

“You might as well stop reading, love,” said Mallory. “I can’t focus right now.”

Plucking a bookmark from the dash, Julie tucked it into the paperback and laid it on the console between them. She rested a hand on her partner’s thigh, watching the pine forest flash by on either side as they cruised down the freshly-paved but remote stretch of county highway.

Then she shifted her gaze to Mallory. “You okay?”

Mallory pursed her lips. “Yeah.” Signaling left, she tapped the brakes, decelerating into the curve immediately preceding her next turn. As she swung the Buick Encore onto the wider, well-shouldered asphalt of State Highway 210, she spared a glance at Julie, flashing her a wan smile. “I’m kinda worried about Nettie, is all.”

“You and me both. But I think you more than me. Is there something I don’t know yet?”

“It’s not anything I know, exactly. But I had a drink and a chat with Terry Wilder right after, you know—”

“Right after you had your brains fucked out? How was that, by the way?”

Mallory grinned. “Let’s just say that that man has the right tool for the job, and he knows exactly how to use it. Was Halee fun?”

“You missed out, sweetie. She was a treat. But you were saying? After the invasion of the almighty weiner?”

Mallory’s grin faded. “We talked a little about what happened to Nettie when she was ten. Terry knows about it, but not from her. They’ve been friends for three years, but she’s never once brought it up.”

The back end of a rusty seed drill loomed ahead on the road, towed at a sedate pace by an antiquated Allis-Chalmers. Letting off the gas, Mallory let the car drift a little to the left, craning her neck to see around the slow-moving machinery. Then she gunned the engine, pulling out into the other lane and accelerating smoothly.

Julie waved at the farmer on the open-platform tractor as they flashed by, getting a wave in return. Then she turned her attention back to Mallory. “You said ‘friends’. Woman’s intuition tells me there’s more to it than that.”

Mallory chuckled. “Yeah, I asked him about that. Terry said they’ve been more than friends off and on, but that it’s permanently behind them now. He described her as a difficult person to maintain a relationship with, and I kind of believe that. He also seems worried that she’s going to mess up the thing with Hannah.”

Julie nodded slowly. “I don’t think Hannah knows about Annamarie.”

“I don’t either. Like I said, Nettie’s never once told Terry about it, and she’s known him for quite a while now. He learned about it from other sources.”

Julie snorted. “How could he not? Bronning is pretty much exactly like Dickson.”

“Yeah. But did you see Nettie this morning? I don’t think she’s really sick. She looked like she hadn’t slept at all, and I’m pretty sure she’d been crying.”

“I noticed that, too. Are you thinking maybe hanging out with us and Cindy, then throwing Emma into the mix—I don’t know—”

“Triggered something? That’s exactly what I think. She was fine all day, but she got kinda weird when we were bedding down for the night. Hannah saw it too; I overheard her asking if everything was okay. And of course, Nettie brushed it off. But yeah—she hasn’t been with all of us together since she went home to Bronning all those years ago. I think it sparked something, and she’s having a hard time dealing with it.” She gave a wistful sigh. “I guess what I’m struggling with is the thought that we should have tried to do more after she left, and maybe should try to do more now.”

Julie made a face. “I’ve had that thought myself—hell, we’ve discussed it, you and me. But I also know there’s only so much we could do, then or now. We’re not here, y’know?”

That sad little smile had returned to Mallory’s face. “I do know. Terry told me the same thing, when I said some of this to him the other night. But I still feel bad. We’ve been so blessed, Julie. It kills me that Nettie is still dealing with this after all these years.”

Julie gave Mallory’s shoulder a squeeze. “I know. I feel the same. But I get the idea Terry said something that has you more worried than usual.”

“He says Nettie still has nightmares, really bad ones. That when she’s having them, she drinks a lot more. And that’s when she starts pushing people away. I get the idea it’s what nuked their relationship.”

Mallory heaved a shuddering sigh. “I know what you’re going to say—the hour is late, and our tools are limited. And I know you’re right. There’s not much we can do for Nettie right now. But I think we should make it a point to see her a couple more times before the summer is over. What do you say?”

“Sounds like a great idea. Speaking of which—did you get in touch with your mom?”

Mallory rolled her eyes. “She finally texted me back, just before we got rolling. Think we can make lunch in Alexandria tomorrow? She said she’d treat us at Longtrees, but if you’d rather hang out with your folks, I get it. It’s not like she gave us a lot of notice.”

“Actually—” Julie hesitated a moment. “I think you should go alone.”

“Not sure I want to.”

“You’ll never find out what’s up if you don’t talk to her. And she’s less likely to open up with an extra there. Whatever happened between you two, it might be your best chance to find out what it is and fix it.”

Mallory snorted. “Because I’m sure gonna do that in a restaurant, at lunch hour.”

“Get a corner booth. Maybe you can even make arrangements to hang out somewhere more private. She’s your mother; she can’t avoid you forever unless you let her.”

“I know it, I just—I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Fine. I’m kind of pissed. Whatever this is, she’s just turned all bitchy instead of talking to me about it.”

“Hmmm—maybe I should go along. I’m kind of pissed on your behalf. Maybe I’ll throw a little bit of my own bitchiness at her.”

That elicited a smile. Chuckling, Mallory shook her head. “Fine, damn you. I’ll go by myself. Last thing I need is you throwing the Patented Julie Hansen Bitchslap down on Mom.”

Now there was laughter in the car, draining away most of the tension. Julie was slow to anger, but when her temper finally blew, the results could be epic indeed. Her full-fury childhood assault on Floyd Peterson had been something of a local legend.

“You better now?” she inquired.

“Yeah, I think so,” Mallory replied. “You can read to me some more. Just be a dear and back up a paragraph.”

On to Chapter Seven!

 

Ripples, Chapter 44

  • Posted on November 14, 2025 at 3:13 pm

Note from JetBoy: Apologies to all for the damnably long wait for this chapter. Writer’s block, the ins and outs of running this site, earning my daily bread, the ravages of age… these are my excuses — um, reasons for the long hiatus between chapters. I swear by all things holy that the next installment will not take nearly so much time to appear.

 

A (formerly) brief summary of what has transpired thus far. (To get a more detailed breakdown of the story, please see the Ripples Chapter Links… and for a list of the many characters who populate this saga, check out The Women and Girls of Ripples.)

Divorced mother Jessica has found a new identity as a lesbian, becoming the lover of her friend Rachel, as well as her three daughters Alice (12), Katie (9), and Poppy (7). At the same time, Rachel has found sexual intimacy with her own girls Bella (12) and Cindy (10), and they have all elected to come together as one big incestuous family.

Not long after that, Jessica’s younger sister Laura pays an unexpected visit and catches them all in the midst of their first family orgy. Despite her shock at what she saw, Laura was seduced later that night by the three youngest daughters, and eventually ends up joining in the family festivities.

Jess has an openly gay friend named Stella. She has twin daughters named Sienna and Lacey (both fourteen) who have flirted shamelessly with Jessica and her oldest daughter Alice. Alice suspects that the twins are sexually involved with their mother Stella, who she is very much attracted to herself.

As it transpires, Stella and her daughters are members of a secret society of local women who enjoy lesbian sex — especially with younger girls, including their daughters. Now that Jess has officially come out in her relationship with Rachel, Stella is looking to bring her, Rachel and both their families into the Society.

Stella lays her cards on the table: she suspects Jess and Rachel of having incestuous relations with one or more of their girls, and proposes bringing their combined families together for a sex party (though she has yet to tell Jess anything about the Society just yet). Jess is open to the idea, and tentative plans are made.

In the meantime, Jess and Laura’s mother Ann has just returned from a lengthy sea cruise. Laura informs her sister of a secret their mum told her: that she herself has recently explored lesbian sex with a much younger woman. This gets Jess thinking about the possibility of getting Ann to join in their incestuous relationship. She, Laura and Rachel discuss the idea, where they are overheard by Jessica’s seven-year-old daughter Poppy, who is intrigued by the possibility of sex with her grandmother.

When Ann arrives, Jess informs her mother that she is in a committed relationship with Rachel, and now considers herself gay. Ann is delighted for her daughter, especially since she already knows and likes Rachel. Later that night, Ann tells Jess about her night of passion with Gina, a woman in her twenties who she met online by accidentally visiting the Woman Seeking Woman page at on online dating site.

Later, when she is tucked up in bed, Ann masturbates while remembering her sexual encounter with Gina. But we soon learn that she later had a second sexual encounter with a woman, one she has yet to speak of to her daughters, with a French woman named Colette who she’d met on her ocean cruise.

Ann recalls one very special encounter with Colette. They were in bed and making love when Ann glanced up to see her partner’s eleven-year-old daughter Coralie standing in the entrance, watching them fuck. Colette didn’t notice the girl’s presence, but Ann was mesmerized — and turned on, in spite of herself.

The next day, Ann was approached by Coralie, who briefly exposed herself, then admitted that she was attracted to women, especially her own mother. Ann was shocked, but promised to keep the girl’s secret. Later, Ann brings herself to orgasm remembering that time with Colette – and Coralie.

The next morning, Ann is awakened by her granddaughter Poppy, who she will be looking after that day while Jess takes Alice and Katie to the dentist. After awhile, Ann notices the seven-year-old behaving in a very strange way. First, while reading, she notices that the child is naked beneath her skirt and surreptitiously rubbing her bare slit. Taken aback, she decides to take a bath, which is interrupted by Poppy, who insists on sharing the tub with her grandmother and soaping her breasts.

When Jess returns with the older girls, she has a stern chat with Poppy after Ann mentions having bathed with her. But when Poppy asks for a kiss, Jess can’t resist the chance to go down on her little girl.

Later that night, Jess phones her sister Laura, asking her to keep an eye on Poppy the next day. Laura will be looking after the girls while Jess and Rachel are on a one-night trip to London. The sisters end up having a very stimulating round of phone sex before turning in for the night.

The London trip is a rousing success for Rachel and Jess. During their stay in a posh hotel, they end up having a sex party with Dominique, an Asian friend of Rachel’s who runs a sex shop and loves to demonstrate the toys she sells, and Valentina, a Slovenian immigrant who works as a maid in the hotel. She delivers a bottle of champagne to the room and is subsequently enticed into her first lesbian experience.

Meanwhile, back home, Ann and her daughter Laura are having a frank late night discussion about lesbian sex. They both turn in, and a very aroused Ann is about to fondle herself to orgasm when Laura knocks. She doesn’t feel like being alone, and asks if they can share a bed. Ann agrees, but is surprised when Laura strips naked before getting beneath the blanket, claiming she always sleeps that way.

Ann awakens a few hours later. Laura is sleeping soundly, so Ann takes the opportunity to masturbate. But in spite of her efforts to avoid waking her daughter, she gets a shock when Laura takes over and begins to finger her. Ann is so overwhelmed by arousal and surprise that she allows herself to be seduced. Giving in to impulse, Ann lets Laura go down on her, then returns the favor.

Afterwards, Ann is more confused than ever, but can’t deny how good the sex was. In fact, they are on the verge of making love again when they are interrupted by a certain girl of seven. It’s Poppy, who is thrilled to bits to see her aunt and grandmother naked and in bed together. Quickly removing her nightie, the nude child asks permission to join them.

Now that Poppy has let the cat out of the bag, Laura is forced to confess everything to her mother — all the incestuous activities Jess and Rachel’s families have been indulging in for the last few months. Ann is appalled, yet fascinated, and can’t help but stay and watch as Poppy performs oral on her aunt. Then, before Ann knows it, Poppy is between her legs, licking her to a massive orgasm. Afterwards, Laura hints that Ann should pleasure her granddaughter the same way, but Ann can’t bring herself to go that far.

They settle down, the three of them… and though Ann is buffeted by all kinds of crazy, confused emotions, she somehow manages to fall asleep.

Upon awakening, Ann is confronted by the sight of her naked granddaughter, dozing beside her. Feeling a twinge of guilt for not having returned the pleasure she received from Poppy a few hours earlier, Ann impulsively decides to make love to the seven-year-old. She touches Poppy until the girl awakens, then shyly offers to go down on her. Needless to say, Poppy is all too eager to accept.

So Ann lays her granddaughter down and performs oral sex on the child. Laura wakes just in time to see Poppy come in her gran’s face. But Ann isn’t finished. She intends to make love to Laura again — this time, because she genuinely wants to. Poppy is unable to resist joining in, licking Ann from behind while her grandmother licks Laura.

By then, Ann is willing to admit that she has become part of the incestuous doings in the Matthews household. Poppy’s response is to jump out of bed and race down the hall to awaken the rest of the girls. They enter the guest room to find Ann, Laura and Poppy naked and in bed together.

Soon they all know Ann has made the decision to become part of the family doings… and when Poppy instructs the other girls to undress, a family orgy soon begins. Ann makes love to Katie and Cindy, while Laura has it off with Alice and Bella. 

Later, Jess and Rachel return from their overnight stay in London, and are flabbergasted to learn the wonderful news. Ann takes Jess upstairs, determined to make the first time with her eldest daughter a special one.

And that, dear readers, is where this installment kicks off. Read on…

by Sapphmore and  JetBoy

Jess allowed Ann to lead her upstairs. She made to enter her own bedroom, but her mother passed the door and, perhaps wanting to make love in more familiar surroundings, continued to her guest room.

As they entered, Ann turned and closed the door, then sat on the bed, gesturing for Jess to join her. Taking her daughter’s hand, she said, “Sorry about all but dragging you upstairs, but I wanted to strike while the iron’s hot, as they say.” She laughed. “Must admit, I’m feeling pretty hot after everything that’s happened since last night.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Jess said. “I have to admit… this happened much faster than I could ever have imagined. Honestly, Mum, I didn’t think we had the slightest chance of getting you into bed, especially with the girls!”

“Well, there’s one thing I’ve yet to tell anyone, your sister included… something that happened to me on the cruise, after I first made love with my friend Colette. It’s where I first encountered the idea of mums and daughters having sex.”

Jess gawped at her mother. “You mean…”

“No, I never actually saw such a thing. Do you remember me mentioning that Colette has a daughter? Her name’s Coralie. She’s eleven, a real charmer. You saw her in a few of my vacation snaps.”

“Oh, yes, I remember. You didn’t have sex with her, did you?”

“No, no, of course not. But one night while Colette and I were in bed, I caught Coralie touching herself while she watched us fuck – oddly enough, I found it a very arousing sight. Her mum didn’t notice, and I didn’t give Coralie away.

“The next day she and I were alone together, and we discussed what she’d watched us do. Coralie told me she was gay herself, then she – well, she lifted her skirt and exposed herself to me. No knickers. She was a beautiful child… but still, I was far more shocked than aroused.”

“My goodness,” Jess breathed.

“That was when she really dropped a bombshell. Coralie told me she was mostly attracted to older women… and the one she wanted most of all was her mother.”

Jessica’s eyes widened. “She said that?”

“She did, yes. It seems that Coralie had watched her mother with other women before, and it excited her enormously. She wanted to join us.” Reflecting for a moment, Ann added, “I wonder… what would Colette have done if her daughter had taken her nightie off and got into bed with us? At the time, I didn’t know what to make of Coralie lusting after her mum. Now, it excites me.”

“I understand, Mum. Not only are you officially into women, you’re okay with, um, sex in the family…”

“You can say “incest,” dear. That word doesn’t intimidate me, not any more.”

“But how do you feel about — well, the things we’ve been up to outside the family? With Stella? My God, when she finds out about you…” Jess trailed off. Not just Stella – there’s the twins, too. Just thinking about what those two hellions will get up to with Mum

“Well, Jess, we’ll discuss that some other time. I think we should do what we came up here for, before I get cold feet.” Despite Ann’s words, the twinkle in her eyes made it clear that she had no intention of leaving this room without getting fucked.

Jess felt fairly ridiculous, wondering what her next move should be. An hour ago, I was a confident, experienced lesbian. Now I’m a child waiting for Mummy to tell her what to do.

Luckily, her mother was prepared to seize the initiative. Rising to face Jess, Ann undid the belt on her dress and began to slowly unfasten each button, remembering Colette’s helpful hints in the fine art of seduction, a skill she’d not drawn on since the early days of her marriage.

Ann had prepared for her daughter’s return, taking a long bath, slipping into her sexiest lingerie and adding a touch of fragrance here and there. She knew Jess wanted her, but Ann was determined to drive her eldest child frantic with lust. I‘ll make her cunt drip, she thought, delighted by her boldness.

Now she stood half naked before Jess, her dress pooling on the floor. Reaching out to cup her daughter’s face in both hands, she leaned down to kiss her.

The kiss was a feather-light caress, then Ann slipped her tongue into Jessica’s mouth.

Jess responded, though her response was somewhat tentative compared to the lustful fervour she usually brought to lovemaking. Somehow, sex with her mother seemed more dangerous than it was with her sister or daughters. Doesn’t make sense, but I’ll get over it soon enough. In the meantime, she allowed herself to fall back on the bed, Mum’s body topping hers. Their kiss was growing increasingly passionate.

Gently breaking away, Ann stood, smiling down at Jess as she reached behind and undid the clasp on her bra, letting it drop forward, to bare her breasts. She grasped the waistband of her panties and slid them down to the floor, then stepped out, pausing to put her nudity on display.

Jess could only stare, her cunt throbbing with anticipation. “Crikey, Mum… you have been taking care of yourself. I see why you’ve been getting so much play from other women.”

“Yourself included?” Ann cooed, cupping her breasts, lightly teasing the nipples.

“Very much included.” Jess studied Ann’s pubic triangle, already dreaming of how her mum’s cunt would taste. What uncertainty she’d felt had been swept away, leaving her desire at a peak. Well, that didn’t take long. “I want this, Mum. I want you to fuck me.”

Ann leaned down to grasp the zip of Jessica’s dress, pulling it down with exaggerated slowness until her bra was on show, then the waistband of her knickers. As she pushed the dress aside, she was surprised to see her daughter was wearing nude hold-up stockings. Jess undid her bra, then shuffled back on the bed to stretch out, resting her head on the plumped pillows.

Kneeling on the bed, Anne moved between her daughter’s legs, paused to take a good long look at the younger woman’s statuesque body. “Oh, sweetheart, you are exquisite,” she murmured. “Even lovelier than I expected.” She placed both hands on Jess’s shins, then allowed them to glide upward, over her knees, then her stocking-clad thighs. The sound of the nylon as Ann’s hands slid over it only added to the erotic mood.

As her hands moved onto her daughter’s bare flesh, Ann slowed for a moment, her attention captured by the transparent material of Jessica’s panties. “You shave,” she said.

“Do you like it?” Jess asked, then whimpered as Ann traced the cleft of her sex.

“Very much, dear. You have a lovely cunt, and I can’t wait to taste it.”

“Oh my God, Mum!” Jess gasped, a shiver racing through her. “You have no idea how much It turns me on, hearing you use words like that.”

“I do seem to have become something of a wanton woman,” Ann murmured. She grasped the waistband of her daughter’s knickers, then slowly tugged them down to bare Jessica’s vulva. “If I’m going to do these kinds of things, I ought to say exactly what I mean when I’m doing them. Poppy told me that, and she’s right.”

As Jess’ knickers slid past her knees, she raised both legs so her mum could finish taking them off. As the skimpy material came away, Ann held one ankle high, running her hands up and down its length, then nuzzling the nylon-covered toes before gently lowering her daughter’s foot to the bed. Bending down, Ann kissed the swollen nipples, then licked a circle round each one.

Jess was delirious with joy. The mother-daughter fantasy she’d role-played with her sister during their recent phone sex session was now a reality, and she was already anticipating the delights to come.

Ann left a pathway of gentle kisses as she made her way downward, over the terrace of the rib cage and lower, nuzzling the softness of her daughter’s belly until she was close enough to feel the warmth of Jessica’s cunt without touching it. Glancing up, she saw Jess craning her head to watch.

Ann slid one finger along the folds of glistening labia before slowly pushing it into the hot, dripping interior of Jessica’s vagina. It slid in easily, so she added a second finger, triggering a whimper from her daughter, then a third finger to turn the whimper into a moan.

Much as she loved penetrating Jess, Anne was eager for a taste of cunt, so she dipped her head to take that first luscious lick, then paused to savour it. Mmm, lovely. Who’d have thought I’d learn to love the flavour of a woman at my age? Wanting more, she pressed her mouth to the baby-smooth opening, entering Jess with a probing tongue.

Jessica couldn’t suppress a long, drawn-out cry as Ann expertly tongue-fucked her, then took the clitoral nubbin between her lips to suck. A flame was flickering beneath her belly, and her mum fed it, nursed it, coaxed it into a merry blaze. Did my girls feel like this when I first went down on them? Jess wondered as she hurtled toward meltdown… and seconds later, she was coming.

Ann continued to please her daughter, using the lessons Colette taught her to prolong Jessica’s climax, then gave her a glorious finale – pistoning two fingers into her cunt as far as they could go, lightly nibbling at the younger woman’s clitoris. Jess gave a violent, convulsive jerk, then went completely limp.

Sitting back on her haunches, Ann watched as her first born came down from orgasm, something she’d never expected to see for herself, not until earlier that same morning. It was quite a view, to say the least.

As Jess regained her breath, she slowly pulled herself up, then wrapped both arms around Ann. They hugged for a long while, then drifted together in a kiss. Jessica purred with pleasure as she licked circles around her mum’s cunt-smeared mouth.

Finally they parted, their foreheads resting together as Jess cooed, “Fucking hell, Mum… I’d say this Colette woman was a damned fine teacher.”

“She was, believe me… but you mustn’t forget your sister and the girls. They’ve become quite skilled at making love. I’ve learned from them, too.”

“Me too, Mum.” She leaned in for another, more tender kiss, then said, “This is the icing on the cake, the whole family together. Now, the question is, do I return the favour and go down on you right now, or do I get the others?”

Ann mulled it over. “I‘ve kept Alice and Bella waiting all day, and of course there’s Rachel… so I suppose we should make this a group affair. You stay here and rest a bit, and I’ll assemble the crowd.” She reached for her dress, then tossed it on a nearby chair. “Not much point in putting this back on,” she said, then made her way toward the bedroom door.

“Let’s meet in my room, Mum – we’re going to need a bigger bed!”

With a wink, Ann opened the door and padded out into the hallway naked, basking in her daughter’s appreciative gaze.

Quietly descending the stairs, she heard conversation in the living room and paused to listen. Rachel was telling everyone about their hotel adventures with the maid they’d enticed into stripping off and joining them between the sheets.

“If you can imagine it, Valentina had never been with a woman before. Well, we all worked on her together… and when she came, I swear she nearly threw us onto the carpet!”

“Did she have hair down there?” Ann heard Katie ask.

“Yes, she did. A fairly generous bush, too. Dark blonde.”

“Nice,” the young girl sighed. “I love hairy pussies.”

With that, Ann stepped into the doorway, and seven heads swivelled round, women and girls alike, drinking in the view. She smiled. “Well, girls, we’ve decided you’ve been patient enough, so let’s all get upstairs and carry on where we left off.”

She stepped to one side as the children raced past, followed by Rachel and Laura, who gave her mum a tender kiss as she passed.

Rachel paused to admire the bare body of her lover’s mother. “I must say, Ann, you’ve taken very good care of yourself.” She reached up to cup one of Ann’s breasts.

“Thank you, Rachel. Still, I’ll need to go to the gym more regularly, just to hold the forces of gravity at bay.”

“I should join you,” Rachel said as she mounted the stairs, then stopped. Turning back, she went over to the front door, where she picked up one of the bags she and Jess had brought back from London.

Ann arched an eyebrow. “What’s that, dear?”

“Just a few things that we picked up at my friend’s shop,” Rachel murmured, a wicked smile on her lips. Gesturing up the stairs, she added, “After you.” And as Ann made her way up to the bedrooms, Rachel feasted her eyes on the older woman’s bare bum. Crikey, she’s got a smashing arse for her age. Wonder if she’s done anal before? If not, I’d love to be her first.

As Ann entered Jessica’s bedroom, Laura and the girls were stripping off as a nude Jess watched from the bed. Rachel followed, setting her bag on the floor near the dressing table, while Ann paused to admire the lithe, lovely bodies, and the way the girls undressed without a trace of self-consciousness.

Then there was her younger daughter Laura, who radiated a relaxed confidence that Ann found intensely arousing. Jessica was the more beautiful of the two, but Laura was sexier. Just watching her casually fondle both breasts had Ann’s cunt throbbing, as if she hadn’t already come three times that day.

My God, Ann thought, I could see myself falling in love with her. My own daughter.

Breaking into her reverie, Rachel spoke. “Ann, could you unzip me?”

Eager to see her daughter’s lover in the altogether, Ann obligingly tugged the zipper of Rachel’s sapphire-blue dress down until the garment slipped to the floor. Under the circumstances, Ann was less surprised than she might have been to see Rachel completely nude underneath.

Rachel stepped out of the dress, bent to pick it up and threw it on a nearby chaise, then turned to face Ann. “You’ve no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this,” she said, then claimed the older woman’s mouth in a ravenous kiss, drawing her close until their generous breasts were pressed snugly together.

Abruptly breaking away, Rachel led Ann toward the bed. By now, everyone was naked and ready for action. Katie and Cindy were nestled together on the chaise, while the rest had taken up positions on Jessica’s bed. Poppy was sitting astride her mum’s legs.

Rachel was first to speak. “As you can see, Ann, you have a smorgasbord of lovers to choose from. Perhaps we ought to have a lottery system for when we’re all together.”

“Actually, I promised to make love with Alice and Bella first,” Ann replied. “You’ll be next, Rachel. At least, you will if I have any energy left when I’m done with these two.”

Happy for the chance to be with her gran, Alice seized Ann’s hand and pulled her onto the bed as Jess and Poppy shifted aside to make room. Ann settled on her knees, then Alice and Bella moved to either side of her.

Ann glanced from one to the other, smiling hugely. “My precious girls,” she whispered. Cupping Alice’s face in both hands, she kissed her passionately, did the same to Bella, then said, “So… who’s doing what to whom?”

Alice was quick to speak up. “Bel, you lay down and Gran can lick your cunt… and Gran, I’ll do the same to you from behind.”

Bella crawled to the headboard, stretched out and spread her legs, pulling both knees apart to open her sparsely downed slit. Ann’s eyes were dreamy with desire as she began to touch Rachel’s eldest, stroking her thighs, then her belly, then her budding breasts. She teased the taut nipples between her fingers, then bent down to kiss each one before murmuring, “Such a lovely girl. You remind me of your mother.”

Getting down on her belly, she paused to admire the delicate folds of Bella’s slit before moving in to trail her tongue through the rosy cleft. “Ohhhhh,” the twelve-year-old moaned, a shiver rippling through her slender frame.

Meanwhile, Alice positioned herself behind her gran, spreading Ann’s buttocks apart with both hands before swiping her tongue up through the fleshy labia once, twice, three times. Inserting two fingers into Ann’s creamy tunnel, she began to lick her gran’s anus.

Already feeling the onset of renewed desire, Jess laid Poppy down next to Bella, then moved in until the girl’s thighs framed her head, dipping down to claim the tasty morsel in between.

Ann glanced sideways, thrilling to the sight of her daughter feasting on her granddaughter. So happy. They look so wonderfully happy. Of course, so was she – Bella’s pussy tasted amazing, and Alice’s mouth, tongue and fingers were working magic on her cunt and arse.

Rachel turned to Laura. “It’s time we turned this little party into a real orgy.” Extending a hand to Katie, she said, “Come make me happy, sweetheart.” She led the young girl to the chaise and sat with her legs akimbo. As a grinning Katie dropped to her knees and got to work, Laura sat down next to Rachel, giving Cindy a glance that spoke volumes. Cindy didn’t need asking, just got into position and copied Katie. As they watched the two little girls go down on them, Rachel and Laura turned to each other and met in a torrid kiss.

After several minutes of giving and receiving oral pleasure, Ann was on the precipice of a wall-shaking climax, and when Alice inserted a finger in her rectum, she closed her eyes and tipped over into the void..

A few seconds later, Poppy squealed in delight as Jess brought her to orgasm. The child barely paused to draw breath before leaping up and guiding Jessica onto her back, then scampering down to bury her mouth in Mum’s cunt, licking for all she was worth. It was a fervent yet loving assault, and Jess found herself getting off before a full minute had passed.

As the participants on the bed recovered, they watched as Katie and Cindy coaxed orgasms from their grownup lovers. Rachel and Laura held hands as they came, then invited the girls into their laps to reward them with kisses and caresses.

Ann hugged Alice and Bella to her. “Thank you, girls. That was incredible. I hope you enjoyed it, too.”

In response, they wrapped their arms around her. “Thanks, Gran,” said Alice. “We’re so happy that you’re making love with us.”

Gently transferring Katie from her lap to the chaise, Rachel got to her feet, “So, Ann… it seems I’m the only one yet to have the pleasure of sampling your womanly delights. Are you up for it, or have you had your fill of sex for one day?”

Surprising herself, Ann answered, “Well, it has been quite the workout, but it wouldn’t be fair to neglect my daughter’s lover. I’d be happy to fuck you, Rachel.”

The girls giggled, delighted to hear their gran use such rude words.

Rachel was delighted, too. “In that case, I think it’s time to dig into Jessica’s goody bag.”

Rachel picked up the large bag she’d brought along and placed it on the bed. “Jess and I did get some rather raunchy outfits… we’ll model them for you some other time. We also did some toy shopping, and I’m happy to tell you that Jess can finally bin that relic of a vibrator she keeps in her bedside drawer. But for right now, we got some surprises for you girls.”

Murmuring their approval, the youngsters gathered around Rachel, who took two slender boxes from the bag. “Alice, Bella… these are for you.” It was a pair of five-inch dildos. “These definitely aren’t as big as that monster of mine, but they’re good as starters, and they’re USB rechargeable batteries so you don’t ever have to replace them. Katie, Cindy, Poppy… these aren’t for you to use, not until we say, or you could do yourselves an injury.”

Jess interrupted. “And Poppy, we’re serious about that, so no breaking the rules this time. We can’t have doctors asking awkward questions, and we certainly don’t want the police alerted.”

Rachel carried on. “However, we got some very special toys you younger girls can use.” She produced three more packages from the bag and handed them out.

“What is it?” Cindy wondered, studying hers. “It looks like a… a microphone.”

“This is called a wand,” Rachel said. “You don’t put this inside the vagina. Just turn the vibrating part on and touch yourself with it. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.”

Reaching back into the bag, she pulled out a jumble of straps and a handful of dildos of varying sizes. These were received with wide-eyed stares from the girls, but a smile from Laura, who was very well-versed when it came to sex gear. “Now these are for the grownups only, but they are available for you girls to use on us.”

“Oh, wow!” Poppy exclaimed, stroking a thick pink strap-on. “I want to use this one!” She glanced over at her mother. “Can I fuck you with it, Mum?”

Down, girl,” Jess replied, but with a smile. “You absolutely can, but let’s wait until your mum’s not quite so shagged out.”

Rachel held up a jelly-like tube about 18 inches long with a raised ridge in the middle, then a much smaller version that was solid and curved with different-sized bulbous ends. “No true lesbian should be without a double dong or a feeldoe. And here’s something I particularly like.” She displayed a box with a photo of what looked like an egg and a remote control.

Alice moved to Rachel and took the box. “What’s this?”

Laura spoke up. “I’ve got one of those. It’s a vibrating egg. You put the egg into your cunt, then control the vibrations with the remote. There’s also a Bluetooth app as well so you can control it with your phone. But the really cool part is that one person can wear it while another controls it from somewhere else.”

Katie spoke up. “That sounds like fun. Mum could wear it when she does the shopping in Sainsbury’s, and we could control it.”

Jess pursed her lips. “I’m not sure how I feel about having an orgasm in public, thanks ever so.”

Rachel flashed her eyes at Jess. “Where’s your sense of adventure, lover?” Before Jess could reply, she quickly said, “Well, let’s save the egg for another day. In the meantime,” she brandished a strap-on with two latex cocks attached, one considerably larger than the other, “I’d like to give this bad boy a workout. What say you, Ann?”

Ann was staring at the sex toy in Rachel’s grasp. She’d never pleasured herself with anything but her fingers and once or twice a hairbrush, especially since her husband’s passing. And though it seemed fairly obvious what the rubbery penis was intended for, she couldn’t work out why the device had two of them. She certainly hadn’t seen anything like it in the handful of lesbian sex videos she’d watched online.

Finally, she shrugged. “This is new to me, Rachel… but I’m game if you are.”

“Wonderful. What’s your pleasure, then? Top or bottom? Single or DP?”

Utterly baffled, Ann could only say, “I… I’m sorry? What on earth does all that mean?”

Honestly, Rachel!” Laura protested. “Mum, she’s teasing you. ‘DP’ means double penetration, getting your cunt and arse fucked at the same time. That’s what the second, smaller cock is for. ‘Top or bottom’, is a way of asking if you want to fuck or be fucked.”

Ann was blushing slightly, but determined to keep her cool. Giving a shrug, she said,  “Oh, you know what they say, it’s better to give than to receive.” Ann reached out for the toy, brow furrowed as she studied it for a moment. “I’ll probably need help getting into this.”

“Here, let me,” said Jessica, getting to her feet. “How do you want it, Rachel? With Mum on top, or doing you from behind?”

“Oh, from behind,” Rachel replied. “I prefer being arse-up when I’m getting it in the bum. Also, it’s a better view for our audience.” She winked at the girls, who were already seated around the room, ready for what promised to be a cracking show.

Jess untangled the straps, then fastened the device round her mum’s waist. One of the dildos was generously proportioned, but not what Ann would have thought of as large, while the other was smaller and positioned above the larger one. Once the straps were in place, Jess moved to the side so everyone could see.

Ann looked down to see two phalluses protruding from her loins. Spotting the full length mirror, she moved to it and stood in profile, marvelling at the bizarre image. Now she could clearly see how it worked: the larger phallus was meant for vaginal sex, the smaller one for anal. She’d never been done in the arse before, and was already wondering what it was like. I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough, she thought.

“Look! Gran has two willies!” Poppy piped, hugging herself with glee.

Rachel smiled at the girls. “Yes, she does. Normally, if you’re having a threesome, two women would wear one strap-on each. But with this, one person can roger you in both holes. You can also switch the dildos around, depending on whether the receiver is in the missionary or doggy position.”

“So… ‘missionary’, is with Gran on top, and you’re facing each other, right?” asked Alice. “How come it’s called that, anyway?”

“I can answer that,” Laura said. “You see, when missionaries first went to Africa to quote-unquote ‘save the heathens’, the natives there only had sex front-to-back, or doggy style. Somehow, the Africans figured out right away that the white couples only did it man-on-top, which they thought was utterly ridiculous. No animals coupled that way, after all. So they called it ‘the missionary position’, and the term caught on.”

“You’re ready to rumble, Mum,” said Jess, approvingly studying Ann. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Why not?” Ann answered. “Everything I’ve done since midnight has been new to me, so I might as well give this a try.” She turned to Rachel. “What about you, dear?”

“Oh, I’m definitely ready. I’d better get some lube, though.”

Rachel rummaged in the bag and pulled out a bottle with a small plunger. Breaking the seal, she knelt in front of Ann and squirted some of the contents on each dildo, then used her hands to make sure they were liberally coated. Finally satisfied, Rachel put the bottle on the dresser and climbed the bed, offering her arse to Ann..

Jess turned to Laura. “Hey, sis, why don’t you lick Rachel, just to make sure she’s nice and wet?”

“Leave that to me,” Ann said, before Laura could respond. “After all, I’ve not tasted her yet.”

Kneeling behind Rachel, Ann bent to apply her mouth to the younger woman’s sex, purring with pleasure as she bathed the vaginal opening with long, lusty swipes of the tongue. Then, taking a long lick upward, she centred her attention on Rachel’s anus. Colette had introduced Ann to the pleasures of rimming during their time together on the ocean cruise, and now she was in a mood to show off her skills. It was working, too; the girls were watching raptly, a couple of them fondling themselves.

Straightening up, Ann smiled. “Your cunt tastes lovely, Rachel. I’m very much looking forward to fucking you senseless.”

Rachel was trembling. “Mmmmm, yes… do it, Ann; fuck me. I’m panting for it.”

“My pleasure.” She carefully placed the larger of the phalluses against Rachel’s cunt, then positioned the smaller one against the rosebud. Easing her hips forward, she slowly penetrated her daughter’s lover.

“Ohhhhhh my GOD. That’s it, Ann – go deeper, f-fill me up…”

Once she’d gained full entry, her belly touching Rachel’s arse, Ann began to pump her hips, getting a steady rhythm going, then gradually accelerating her thrusts.

“Y-you can go harder than that, Ann,” Rachel panted. “Don’t worry, you w-won’t hurt me.”

Clutching her partner’s hips, Ann plunged both dildos in and out of Rachel’s holes. The liquid sounds of cock against cunt filled the room, punctuated by the slap of two bodies meeting again and again. It gave her a sense of power that felt positively intoxicating, having this beautiful lesbian woman – her daughter’s lover, no less! – at her mercy

Ann pondered what it was like to be on the receiving end of this monster, being filled like she’d never been before, but for the moment, rogering Rachel was exactly what she needed. Like everything sexual that had happened to her since that evening with Gina, this felt utterly, completely right.

As if in agreement, Rachel moaned breathlessly from below. “Oh m-my God … this is so, so, SO good!”

Kneeling next to the bed, Jess gave her lover a brief but very heated kiss. Breaking away, she murmured, “Christ, this is turning me on, Rachel. You’ve already fucked my daughters… now you’re fucking my mum. What a hot, sexy bitch you are, my love. I adore you.”

“I… I love you t-too!” Rachel blurted, her head bobbing in time with each thrust.

Ann was enthralled by the sight of the two latex cocks as she worked them in and out of her partner’s cunt and arsehole. Rachel was so wet that she was squishing with every stroke, and Ann’s upper thighs were spattered with her essence.

Can this really be me doing these things? Ann asked herself. To answer, she drove deep into Rachel, then rolled her pelvis like a belly dancer, shifting from side to side..

Fuck!” Rachel howled, her body jackknifing.

In her peripheral vision, Ann saw a figure moving her way. Stealing a quick look, she saw it was Alice. The teen kissed her sweetly, then clambered onto the bed. She pressed her lithe body to Ann’s, reaching round to cup her gran’s tits.

Soon Alice was moving in time with Ann, grinding against the woman, helping her fuck Rachel.

So fucking wild, Ann mused, gasping as Alice bit her neck, still . So fucking kinky. I’ve turned into a lesbian sex fiend with a whole family for my lovers, most of them children. Two months ago, I’d have been horrified; now I’m ecstatic. Without missing a stroke, she twisted round to meet Alice’s mouth with hers, sucking on the girl’s tongue.

Over on the chaise, Laura had drawn Katie, Cindy and Poppy into a foursome. Katie was feasting on her aunt’s cunt while Poppy ate her sister from behind. Cindy was perched on Laura’s face, cooing blissfully as her bare slit was nibbled and licked.

Bella was seated in a nearby vanity chair, frantically masturbating as she took in the show. She made eye contact with Jess, who was seated next to Ann and Rachel, also pleasuring herself.

Jess smiled at her lover’s eldest daughter. She was well aware that Bella had a huge crush on her, and always took care to make their lovemaking extra special when they got together. Beckoning the girl to her with an index finger, Jessica spread her thighs, putting her vulva on full display. “See anything you like, Bel?” she murmured.

Almost leaping from the chair, Bella quickly joined Jess on the bed, and they shared a long, smouldering kiss. When their lips finally parted, Bella began to nuzzle her way down to her new mum’s breasts, but Jess stopped her. “I love kissing you, Bella,” she whispered, cupping the twelve-year-old’s face in both hands. “Let’s do more of that while we touch each other’s cunts.”

“Okay!” a thrilled Bella exclaimed. Alice was her girlfriend, and they adored one another as best friends and lovers… but something about Alice’s mum made Bella’s heartbeat quicken. Even before realising she was gay, she found herself drawn to Jessica, enjoying the woman’s company whenever she visited. Alice used to tease her about it, saying, “Wow, you’ve really got a crush on my mum, huh?” Now Bella actually got to have sex with Jess now and again, and it was the absolute best.

Their mouths met again, and Bella slipped a hand between Jessica’s thighs to stroke her mound. Jess sought out Bella’s downy slit, and they began to fondle one another.

Ann was growing a bit short of breath, but determined to set Rachel off in a big way. It wouldn’t take much, she suspected – the younger woman was trembling helplessly, unable to speak or do much more than groan. And Alice was doing everything she could to help her gran fuck Rachel – thrusting her hips against Ann’s, their bodies pressed snugly together.

A low keening sound issued from Rachel’s lips, swiftly rising to a feral cry. It was plain to see that her release was imminent. Seized by a wicked impulse, Ann raised her hand, then brought it down on the younger woman’s bum with a resounding crack.

Rachel seized up instantly, her cry mounting into a scream. Ann managed to get in one more deep thrust, then held herself stock-still as Rachel’s orgasm roiled and churned through her for almost a minute. Through unfocused eyes, Ann noticed that Laura, Cindy, Poppy and Katie had paused in their own lovemaking to watch the show, then returned to their oral games when a spent Rachel finally went limp.

As Ann felt Rachel’s body sag, she carefully withdrew the twinned cocks, then bent to soothe her partner’s ravaged cunt and anus with soft kisses and licks, savouring the warm, thick honey that still flowed from the vaginal cleft. Meanwhile, Alice quickly lay on her back, scooted beneath her grandmother and took the larger dildo into her mouth, not wanting to waste the essence of Auntie Rachel that coated its length.

Over on the chaise, Poppy was the only one who had yet to come, She was nestling against Laura, who toyed with the preteen’s clit while Cindy licked her and Katie sucked her tiny nipples. Soon she began to pant, shuddering in her aunt’s arms, finally gasping, “Okay, okay. I’m g-good.” Laura kissed her, circling Poppy’s parted lips with her tongue.

Suddenly Jess blurted, “Oh, yes, yes! Fuck me, Bel. FUCK me!”

Everyone’s attention shifted to Bella and Jess, who were hard at it. Jessica’s legs were spread wide, while Bella, brow furrowed in concentration, was pumping her whole hand in and out of the woman’s cunt.

“Crikey!” said a hoarse Rachel, turning onto her side to watch her daughter fist her lover.

“Oh, Bella, th-that’s lovely, ohhhhhh yes, oh, yes, d-don’t fucking stop…”

“What’s Bel doing?” asked Poppy, clutching Laura’s arm. “Is she… oh, wow!”

“She’s fisting your mum, yes,” Laura said. “Something else on the list of things you girls aren’t allowed to do… to yourselves, anyroad. That’s strictly for grownups only.”

“I – I love you, Bella, oooohhhh YES…”

“But can I do it to you? Or Gran?”

Laura laughed, tousling the child’s hair. “You can do it to me, love. I’m not sure your grandmother is quite ready for something like that. If she is, though, rest assured we’ll find out.”

“Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh my G-GOD! OHHHHH!” Jess cried, then went iron-rigid. Seizing Bella’s wrist, she held it in place, the girl’s hand completely buried in her vagina. Her body remained rigid, but tiny tremors shook her from head to toe. After about thirty seconds, with a long, drawn-out sigh, she relaxed, her head sinking into the pillow. Patting her young lover’s wrist, she mumbled, “That was amazing, Bella.”

The girl’s cheeks were flushed. “Aw, thanks. Um… should I take my hand out now?”

With a weary laugh, Jess nodded. “Go ahead, dearest… but do it slowly.”

Biting her lower lip, Bella carefully withdrew, then smelled her glistening hand. “Yum,” she cooed, then began to lick her fingers as Jess drew the youngster into her arms.

Ann was fanning herself with a magazine she’d plucked from the bedside table. “I must say, this is much more exciting than playing bridge with a glass of sherry at the Chamber of Commerce club. Do you lot indulge in this sort of thing all the time?”

“Only on special occasions,” said Jess. “Most of the time, it’s two or three of us together.”

“Mmm, I see. So when do I get to hook up with Stella… and these twins of hers I’ve been hearing about?”

“Goodness! Already hungry for more, Mum? To be honest, I’m not sure you’re ready for the twins just yet. If you think Poppy is a handful, wait until those two get hold of you. Just ask Alice.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Alice said. “They’re pretty wild, Gran, but I bet you could handle them.”

“Only one way to find out,” Ann said, idly cupping her breasts. “If I’m going to embrace the queer life, there’s no point in being half-arsed about it.”

Poppy applauded. “Good for you, Nonna!”

***

An hour or so later, after everyone showered and slipped into nighttime wear, Jess and Rachel sorted out their purchases, then relayed some of the exploits of their night in London. No one felt like cooking, and on a vote the family decided to order Chinese takeaway from the Golden Lotus.

While waiting for their order to arrive, the girls trooped into the living room to watch TV or fiddle with their cell phones, while the adults adjourned to the kitchen.

“I’d like to discuss something with the three of you,” Ann said, once they were seated round the table with glasses of wine. “Jessica, do you remember our chat the other day, when I asked if you and Rachel planned to move in together?”

“Yes, why?”

“This morning while we were waiting for you to get home, I did a few searches online to look for houses that were big enough for both our families, so I could help you acquire it. I want to spend more time with you and the girls, now that I intend to retire. And if I’m around more often to lend a hand, you and Rachel will be able to spend more time on your businesses. Mind you, I had this idea before I knew the facts about your… family situation, but now that I do, it makes even more sense.

I instructed my legal and finance people a few days ago to start the process for marketing the business. I actually had offers last year, so I should have no trouble finding a buyer. They are confident I can get twenty to twenty-five million quid if I sell up completely. I might put some shares in trust for the girls, but otherwise I intend to cash in.”

She paused, smiling as she noted their stunned faces.

“Anyway, I was looking for something spacious enough, and I think I’ve hit on just the thing. It’s Cole Manor House – you know, the big Elizabethan mansion in the little hamlet round the corner, where we walk sometimes? Well, it’s up for sale. It has eight double bedrooms, enough for the girls to have one each, one for you two and one each for Laura and me, four receptions, a huge kitchen and one of those baronial dining rooms, an enormous library and more… oh, and there’s also six acres of gardens, a stable and an indoor pool.

“They’re asking over five million, but selling up my place will cover nearly half that. I’ll put it in all our names. You can either sell your current homes, or keep them to rent out… even put them in the girls’ names when they come of age. I’m guessing you’ll want to keep your place, Laura, as it’s nearer to Oxford. Either way, I’ll be able to pay off all your mortgages and still have more than enough in cash and assets to last a few lifetimes.” She looked around the table. “Well, what do you think?”

After a brief silence, Jess was first to respond. “I don’t know what to say, Mum. I mean, I knew you were thinking of selling up, and we told you to do whatever makes you happy, but this is… massive. I’ll have to talk it over with Rach before we tell the girls, though I’ve no doubt they’ll be thrilled to bits. Honestly, I can’t think of any reason to say no.”

“Just give it some thought, dearest.” Ann turned to Rachel. “I hope I’m not putting any pressure on you to move in with us, but I believe you two are meant to be together, and so are the girls. It would be wonderful for us to come together as one big family.”

Rising from her chair, Rachel moved to wrap both arms around Ann. “Thank you, Ann. This is… I don’t have the words for it.” She reached for a napkin, dabbed her eyes.

“Don’t you dare cry, Rachel Thomas,” Laura said. “You’ll set us all off in a sodding blubberfest.” She sniffled. “As it is, I tend to get all emotional after a good fuck.”

The four women were still laughing when the doorbell rang, signalling the arrival of their takeout. Jess got up to fetch her purse.

The family assembled to feast, then spent a couple of hours unwinding. Ann played cards with the youngest girls, and Alice and Bella immersed themselves in video games. Meanwhile, Jess, Rachel and Laura were in the kitchen, emptying another bottle of Bordeaux while discussing Ann’s offer.

By ten PM, the girls had all gone to bed. The grownups were relaxing in the living room, outlining the pros and cons of moving their families into Cole Manor House. Needless to say, the former far outweighed the latter, and that wasn’t even taking into account how the girls would react when they got the news.

“I can tell you exactly what they’ll do,” said Rachel. “They’ll scream their heads off, do a crazy dance around the room, then dash upstairs to start packing.”

Just then, the phone rang.

Startled, Jess glanced up at the wall clock. “Who could be calling at this time of the evening?” She picked up her phone; accepted the call. “Hello?”

Hello, Jessica. Blanche Turner here. Sorry to ring you so late, but I’ve just got in.”

“Not a problem, Blanche. What can I do for you?”

“Do you recall when you picked up the girls from the party; I said I might be interested in helping expand your business?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“Oh, good. I was wondering if you were free sometime this week. I have a proposition for you, so I’d like to meet up for coffee to discuss it.”

“Erm, yes, I’d be happy to. I can meet you tomorrow, if that’s all right.”

“Splendid! How does 11 o’clock sound?”

“That would be fine.”

“I look forward to seeing you, Jessica. Good night.”

“Good night, Blanche.” She broke the connection; set her phone aside.

Ann gave Jess a quizzical look. ”Was that Blanche Turner? She wants to meet up with you?”

“I guess this must be a day where ladies with money make me offers. Blanche offered to help expand my business a few weeks ago – remember me mentioning that?” Ann nodded. “Well, she now has some kind of proposition for me.”

“When it rains, it pours,” said Rachel. “Only in your case, it seems to be raining champagne, Jess. Time to stock up on buckets!”

“It’s a lovely gesture,” said Ann. “But I can help if you’re looking for an investment. Wouldn’t it be better to keep that sort of thing in the family if you can?”

“Something tells me this is about more than her putting money into the shop. Maybe she has a property available for a second location. Anyway, I ought to hear her out.”

“Well if you’re sure, dear.” She broke into a deep yawn, then shook her head. “Oh, my.” She slowly got to her feet.  I think I’ll turn in a bit early tonight. It’s been a very… eventful day.”

Laura also stood. “I’m feeling sleepy, too. I’ll bunk with you tonight, Mum.”

Ann responded with a pleased smile. “I’d like that, dearest.” She reached out to take her daughter’s hand.

Giving her mum a sidelong glance, Laura murmured, “Are you planning on getting frisky with me, then?”

Leading Laura toward the stairs, Ann laughed. “You’re the one who opened Pandora’s Box, dear… so you have to live with the consequences!”

“That’s what I thought,” Laura said, all smiles. Turning to Rachel and Jess, she said, “Um, we’ll try to keep the noise down.” With that, mother and daughter climbed the stairs, still hand in hand.

Exchanging a glance, Jessica and Rachel shared a quiet laugh. “Well, that’s those two sorted,” Jess said. “Now… what about us?”

“Got something in mind?” Rachel said, arching an eyebrow.

Stretching out on the couch, Jess wriggled out of her pyjama bottoms and panties, then threw them to the carpet. She placed one foot on the floor, lewdly displaying her cunt. “Why don’t you come over here and put that sexy mouth of yours to work?”

“Bloody hell, haven’t you had enough?” Rachel teased. “I’m beginning to think my chosen soul mate might be, well, I hate to say it… a bit of a slag.”

“Takes one to know one. So get over here, you fucking slut, and let’s shag tobacco.”

Rachel rose, reached for the hem of her nightshirt, then paused. “‘Shag tobacco’? I like that. Did you make it up just now?”

“Heard it in a song the other day. Hold on now, love – are we going to discuss pop lyrics, or are we going to fuck?”

“Definitely the latter,” Rachel declared, then cast off the extra large t-shirt, the only stitch of clothing she wore. Now naked, she went to her knees before Jess. Bending until her lips were nearly grazing her lover’s labia, she glanced up. “My God, Jess… this is paradise. Our own version of heaven. We’ll all be living together. A family of lovers. A dream come true.”

“I know, Rach. I’m still asking myself how it happened. When I think about what we’re doing, it seems, well, utterly mental.”

“It does, it really does,” Rachel murmured.

“But when I’m lying between my Katie’s legs, kissing that pretty pink slit… or when Mum’s tongue is in my mouth… it makes perfect sense. It feels right.”

“Annnnnd speaking of feeling something, I believe there was some talk of me using my quote-unquote ‘sexy mouth’, on you…?”

“Oh, Christ, yes. Carry on, love.”

Rachel got right to it, covering Jessica’s cunt with her parted lips, then plunging her tongue into the juicy opening.

Gazing at the ceiling, Jess relaxed back into her pillow, already dreamy-eyed with bliss.

Soon to come (a hell of a lot sooner than THIS took, by God!): Chapter Forty-Five!

 

The Beekeeper’s Lament, Chapter 12: What Elsa Takes With Her

  • Posted on November 10, 2025 at 4:31 pm

For a list of the many characters who populate this saga, check out Dramatis Personae.

Thus far in our story…

Prologue: Hailey Ellis has returned to Morcant-On-Sea after several years away, only to find the coastal town is a shadow of its former self. Amidst this decline, Hailey navigates her various relationships, but a shocking encounter with her selkie aunt foreshadows a chain of events that will change all their lives forever.

Ch1: Several months later in the village of Derwold, the summer holidays begin for the Newton girls. Eleven-year-old Freya struggles to cope with the changes that adolescence brings, and wonders why she feels so angry and alone. To add to her unhappiness, she experiences her first period. 

Ch2: The next day, Freya has a chance meeting with Elsa Hart, wife of the new lord of Derwold Manor. A little later, Freya joins Sadie and her sister Millie for a lesson in alchemy, but things don’t quite go as planned when Millie inadvertently amplifies the potency of the love potion they’ve brewed. After the effects have worn off, Millie visits the churchyard to pay her respects to an old friend. Whilst there, she has an encounter with a black panther, and discovers she can communicate with the creature.

Ch3: Several days later, Simon and Elsa host a housewarming party in the grounds of the old manor. Elsa treats Freya to a tour of the recent restoration efforts, and the seeds are sown for a burgeoning friendship. Meanwhile, post mistress Sally Jeffries has a few too many drinks and ends up accidentally setting fire to pompous druid Bernard, then has a few choice words for Simon Derwold, who she remembers from decades before. Georgia, Sadie and Millie make their way home, where they indulge in a night of passion in the lounge, only to be interrupted by Elsa and Freya. Elsa comes to suspect her new neighbours are not all that they seem.

Ch4: The vicar of Derwold has been murdered by an unknown assailant. Unaware of the events that are about to unfold, Sadie tries to fathom the mysteries of the ancient standing stone near her cottage with the help of Freya and Millie. Later, Freya pays a visit to Derwold Manor, and she and Elsa enjoy an afternoon of passion. It turns out Elsa is using Freya for her own ends, and the eleven-year-old is tricked into revealing all their secrets.

Ch5: Sadie receives a concerning call from Vivaan Dinesh, Derwold’s resident doctor. At the surgery, she is confronted with the murdered vicar. Meanwhile, Millie rescues Bernard from the mysterious black panther, and the traumatised man confesses he’s not a real druid at all. 

Sadie sets out to investigate the vicar’s murder, and discovers that someone has set an arcane wall around the village, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. In the woods that surround Derwold, she meets Astris the dryad.

Ch6: Astris tells Sadie that Elsa is the one who has sealed off the village, though for what purpose she doesn’t know. The dryad also hints that Elsa is a witch, and that she harbours great power. Sadie researches the Derwold family and discovers they have a troubled history. She also discovers Elsa changed her name to conceal her past, and is inexplicably older than she seems. 

At the post office, Sally Jeffries tells Sadie a disturbing childhood story, in which an eight-year-old Simon tortured and killed his pet dog. Suspecting the vicar’s murder may have been Simon’s doing, Sadie hastens to Beekeeper Cottage to make sure everyone’s safe, but Freya has already gone to the manor to meet with Elsa. Sadie races to retrieve her.

Ch7: At Derwold Manor, stark truths are revealed. Elsa has sealed the village off to protect Simon. More than that, she intends to set the stage for a new world order, one where women rule and men are consigned to history. She asks Sadie and Millie to join her, but Sadie refuses. She and Freya arrive back at Beekeeper Cottage only to find Georgia and Millie missing. They are captured by Elsa’s thugs, and reunited with Georgia and Millie, the four of them are imprisoned in the manor. 

Discovering the large rock in the cellar where they are confined is actually an ancient standing stone, Millie manages to tap into its magic, and she and Sadie are transported to an unknown location. 

Ch8: Enraged, Elsa threatens to kill Georgia if Freya doesn’t tell her where Sadie and Millie have gone, but Freya manages to convince her they know nothing of their whereabouts. Taking no chances, Elsa locks them in a room full of taxidermy specimens. Freya opens up to her mother, expressing her fears and doubts.

Meanwhile, in the Cornish town of Morcant-On-Sea, a tribe of Selkie rescue a near-drowned Sadie and Millie, then point them in the direction of the lighthouse. Sadie hopes that whoever lives up there can help them get back home. Having reached their destination, they discover a strange cocoon-like object. Before they have time to consider exactly what it is or what it means, they realise someone has followed them into the lighthouse.

Ch9: Elsa uses the menhir to determine Sadie and Millie’s whereabouts. Having discovered they are in the town where she spent her childhood, the enraged woman prepares to recapture them. 

Meanwhile, Sadie and Millie meet Hailey and Derek. Hailey tells them that whatever’s sleeping inside the cocoon was once her selkie aunt, Rita. Sadie explains that she needs to get back to Derwold to rescue Georgia and Freya, but with no easy way back to the mainland, they will need to wait until morning. Meanwhile, Sadie’s cat familiar, Billy Buckham, sneaks into Derwold Manor with plans of his own.

Some time later, Millie is awakened by a strange voice summoning her to the top of the lighthouse. There she meets a spectral version of Rita, and the two of them enjoy a moment of intimacy, culminating in an exchange of old magics. Over on the mainland, Elsa makes her way towards the coast to prepare an invasion.

Ch10: Elsa raises an army of the dead and invades Morcant-On-Sea. Sadie does her best to protect Hailey and Derek, but Millie is trapped in the lighthouse and they must get to her with all haste. Fighting their way to the top, they find a very angry Elsa. Revealing her true power, the dark witch threatens to kill them all, but she has invoked the wrath of the creature slumbering inside the cocoon. It bursts free, revealing itself to be a Siren. Amidst the ensuing chaos, the creature flies off with Elsa in its grasp, and Sadie, Millie, Hailey and Derek make their escape from the destroyed town.

Safely on board Derek’s trawler and bound for Derwold, Hailey discovers the sexual nature of Sadie and Millie’s relationship. The four of them part ways in the border town of Lydney. Hailey and Derek return to Morcant to help with rescue efforts, and Sadie and Millie head home, unaware of whatever awaits them there.

Ch11: Sadie and Bernard rally the entire village to march on Derwold Manor and rescue Georgia and Freya. Meanwhile, Georgia and Freya, with the help of Billy, manage to incapacitate Simon and escape. Finally reunited, Sadie, Georgia and the girls can only watch as the manor is consumed by flames. Simon chooses to perish in his home, rather than face the music.

Some days later, with life in Derwold having returned to normal, Georgia and the girls visit Sadie at her home. Sadie reveals she must leave the village and seek out the fate of the covens and her Wiccan sisters. To mark her departure, Sadie, Georgia and the girls enjoy an intimate picnic at the waterfall glade. But watching from the trees is a mysterious figure.

And now, dear readers, we make our way into the next installment. Read on…

by BlueJean

Several days before, in the aftermath of the Battle of Morcant, Hailey, Derek, Sadie and Millie have escaped the lighthouse and are on their way down to the harbour. Elsa Hart has been abducted by the Siren and is presumed dead.

Elsa/Siren

Elsa drifted in and out of consciousness. The right side of her head roared with pain. She tried to bring a hand up to assess the damage, but both arms were pinned against her body. There was more pain in her back, something cold and sharp embedded in the flesh there.

Claws.

A sudden jolt of comprehension hit her. The creature. The thing that had emerged from the cocoon. Whatever it was, it had taken her from the lighthouse. Taken her up. Even now, she could hear the beating of its wings.

Pressed tightly against her abductor’s body, Elsa managed to turn her head just enough to take in her surroundings. The dark of the night was beginning to give way to the first rays of morning, enough to see land off in the distance, and ocean far below. Her stomach lurched.

We’re in flight! By the Gods, whatever happens, I mustn’t struggle! If it drops me, I’m done for. Keep still, now. Keep…

In spite of her best efforts, Elsa faded back into unconsciousness.

Frances/Reeta

The girl on the beach.

Why do I think about her now, after so much time has passed?

I’d forgotten her, like all the other things about this place, filed them away in some dark corner of my mind where they couldn’t trouble me.

The selkie girl with the wooden clock.

She had red hair, just like me. I hated my red hair. The other children made fun of me for it. Hers was thick and flowing. Mine was frizzy and wild. But at least we had that much in common.

How long had it taken to pluck up the courage to talk to her? A month? Six months? A year? I can’t remember. But I did eventually talk to her.

No, that’s not quite right. She spoke to me first.

“Look see!“

She was playing on the beach, down by the old seahenge. I was loitering up on the bank where the sand gave way to sea grass and scrub, pretending to look for fossils. I turned and peered behind me, thinking maybe she was calling out to someone else. I gestured to myself. “Huh? Me?“

“Look see, girl!“

It was the first time I’d heard her speak. She had a strange accent, and she never seemed to wear any clothes. I thought she might be feral. Or worse – one of those gypsy girls. Mother always told me the gypsies couldn’t be trusted.

“Come look at my clock!“ the naked girl cried. “I will show you how it works.“

The clock was made entirely of wood. It was a wondrous, impossible thing, a multi-faceted network of complex parts inlaid with carved depictions of trees and unknown animals. It was shaped like an intricate leaf, and its etched numerals – if indeed they were numerals – were of a design I had never seen before. I wonder now how much of that detail was real, and how much my memory has embellished over the long years since I last laid eyes on it.

I watched as the girl took the clock apart piece by piece, until the small flat rock where she worked was strewn with little wooden cogs and springs, dowels and dials and pegs.

“Why are you breaking it up?“ I asked.

The girl paused in her task. “Breaking? No, no, not breaking. I separate the bits and bobs, then put them all back together. Over and over again.“

“Why?“

“I like to understand how it works. It is a puzzle.“

“It’s a clock, not a puzzle.“

“It is both, human girl,” she told me. “If even one single piece is put in the wrong place, the clock will not work.“ She looked off wistfully towards the town above, its brightly painted houses barely visible above the cliff line. “I would like something new to play with, but I just have this. The Elders say there are many strange machines in your village, but I am not allowed to go there.“

“What’s your name?“

“Reeta of the Selkie,“ she said proudly.

I felt a little shiver ripple through me at the way she pronounced her name, the ‘R’ rolling off her tongue in a liquid, throaty trill.

Reeta of the Selkie slotted a delicately carved cog into place. “This wheel goes here, see? We will use one of the little sticks to secure it. Now we can put this smaller wheel to the first. When we spin one wheel, the other will move too. Do you see, human girl?“

“I’m called Frances. Why don’t you have anything on?“

“Hmm?“

“You’re always naked when I see you. Don’t you wear clothes?“

Reeta of the Selkie gestured sheepishly to the animal skin lying next to her, as if unsure such a thing qualified as clothing. “Um… I wear this when I swim.“

“Oh. All right.“

She gave me her full regard for the first time. Her eyes were the colour of dusky emeralds. “Did someone hurt you, Frances?“

My hand went instinctively to my bruised cheek. “N-no. I… I hit my head.“

“Your aura is so bright! Will you sit with me awhile? We can build the clock together.“

Reeta of the Selkie. How could I ever have forgotten her?

Because I left her there. I left everything there. Everything that was weakness, everything that was pain. Everything that was love.

But I was fool enough to come back.

Elsa/Siren

Elsa opened her eyes to find herself atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea, seemingly stranded on one of the small islets that dotted the coast.

The creature sat poised a few feet away, its serpentine tail coiled beneath it. It cocked its head from one side to the other, as if trying to take measure of its quarry. A tremulous pulsing sound resonated from its throat, and from the way it thrummed through Elsa’s body, it seemed likely to be some kind of sensory apparatus.

“Harpy, is it?“ Elsa asked of the thing. “Siren, maybe? The only visual reference I have is a medieval bestiary, and they were terrible artists back then.“

She slowly drew herself into a kneeling position, careful not to alarm the creature. The pain rushed up to meet her, and when she brought a hand up to feel for the source, she knew for sure her right ear had gone. Whatever remained was raw and bloody.

Elsa gave her immediate surroundings a cursory survey, trying to determine a quick escape route. There was none, save the obvious.

The creature peeled back its lips into a rictus grin, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. It swept its hair back behind its shoulders in a gesture that was somehow mocking.

Red hair like mine.

“I’m afraid you’ve made a rather foolish mistake, creature,” Elsa said. “You think I’m trapped up here with you? No. You’re trapped up here with me!“

She thrust a hand out and directed her sorcery at the monster, dark energy seeking flesh to feed on. The siren screeched in surprise as a gash opened up below its pale breasts, blood spraying from the wound. In the blink of an eye, it uncoiled and launched itself at Elsa.

Not expecting the creature to move with such startling speed, Elsa barely managed to pull up her ward in time. The siren recoiled from the disorientating magic, shaking its head in confusion.

“Serves you right for biting my ear off, bitch! Now fucking die!“

The witch stumbled to her feet and reached out with both hands, hurling energy at the siren with terrifying ferocity. More lacerations began to erupt across its pale body, and all at once Elsa was twelve years old again, back in the living room of that house of horrors with her mother and her mother’s brutish man.

Frances! Frances, please! She’s killing us, Samuel!

“I’m not your victim, monster!“ Elsa roared. “I’m not anyone’s victim! I was done with that a long time ago! Do you hear me?! Do you—”

In one swift movement, the siren unfolded its great wings and used them to close the distance in a heartbeat. Too late, Elsa realised her error. She tried to snatch her arms back inside the protective membrane of the ward, but the creature caught her left hand between its teeth, biting down with a sickening crunch of bone and sinew.

In Elsa’s adrenaline-fuelled state, the pain was not immediately apparent. Instead, it was the sight of her hand reduced to thumb and four bloody stumps that made her scream, as much rage as it was shocked despair. “Stop biting bits off me, you repulsive thing!“ She grabbed hold of the creature by its hair – red hair like mine – and dragged it inside the boundaries of the ward.

The siren screeched in terror, doing all it could to pull itself free. Elsa held on with all her might, laughing hysterically, all rationality pushed aside in favour of blind rage.

Frances! Frances, please!

“Do you see now, creature? You’re trapped up here with me! I win! I fucking w—”

And then she was falling. They were both falling. Siren and witch tangled together, tumbling down to the water below.

Frances/Reeta

When I wasn’t at school I’d spend all the daylight hours playing with Reeta on the beach. I knew my reclusive mother would never venture out of the house to look for me, and her disgusting boyfriend spent most of his time at the pub down by the harbour, drinking himself into a stupor. Eventually, I would have to go home and face the music, but there was some respite in that secluded cove, for a time, at least.

Reeta and I would dismantle and reassemble the clock until we grew bored of it, then simply occupy our time playing together or talking about inconsequential things.

I suppose by then I must have been aware of what Reeta was. I’m sure she had an inkling that I was not quite the normal human girl I appeared to be. I don’t recall that we made much of our distinctions. We accepted one another, as children often do, and like our red hair, perhaps that otherworldliness we shared was another thing to cement our friendship.

Reeta showed me where she stashed the clock. It had its own box made from the same dense wood, and she would bury it between two large rocks up by the cliff. “If I am not here, you can still play with the clock,” she told me. “But you mustn’t tell anyone, Frances. It was gifted to us long ago by the Dryad. It is very old and precious, and a great honour for me to be its custodian. But if it is stolen I will be in big trouble. I would probably be exiled, and it is a terrible thing for a selkie to be alone!“

“I won’t tell anyone,” I promised.

“Good. Shall we kiss now?“

I looked at her dumbly. “What?“

“A kiss. You know what a kiss is, yes? I want to, and I think you want to because you keep looking at me that way. So we should kiss.“

So we kissed. And it was the single most wonderful thing I’d ever experienced in all my eleven short years. I fell in love without a second thought. Because I needed it. I needed it to keep the dark from swallowing me up.

I turned twelve that summer. Reeta taught me how to breathe the oxygen in the water, and how to use echolocation to see what my eyes could not. I took to it easily, if only because I was capable of so much more than the average human.

My own gifts were beginning to make themselves known, threads of kinetic energy primed in my fingertips, the ability to kindle heat and manipulate blood.

I remember the day I foolishly decided to give Reeta a demonstration of my new powers. My mother had been particularly cruel to me that morning, pinching my nipples beneath my jumper and pulling my hair until I cried out for her to stop. After one too many visits from welfare officials, she had learnt not to leave any marks.

I was angry, and abuse has a tendency to become circular, so I decided to pick on a little red crab.

Reeta had found it minding its own business in a small rock pool. I pulled it from the water and set in down on the pale sand.

“Watch this,” I said with a grin, then directed heat towards the little creature. It immediately adopted an aggressive posture, reaching out with its claws.

“What are you doing?“ Reeta asked me with a concerned look.

Tendrils of steam began drifting up from the crab. It fell onto its back, pincers working in futile gestures until finally it became still.

“Frances, stop it. Stop it!“

Reeta barrelled into me, knocking me aside.

“What did you do that for?!“ I yelled.

“You killed it!“

“So? It’s just a bloody crab! You kill fish all the time, I’ve seen you!“

“For food, not for fun!“

I screwed my face up in fury. “You told me you enjoyed the hunt! You said so!“

Yes, I enjoy the hunt, but what you just did wasn’t joy, it was spite!“

“Shut up! You don’t know anything! It was just a stupid crab!“

I stormed away angrily. Why should I feel bad for not being the victim for once? Why should I feel ashamed for turning the tables, for being the one to exercise power?

It was the first time I realised I was not so weak, after all.

Elsa/Siren

The siren pulled her down into the depths.

They were in the creature’s territory now, the cold, dark, unforgiving waters that had claimed so many lives.

But Elsa Hart was rather more robust than other members of her species. She was of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Old Blood.

The dark witch had no choice but to let her ward drop. The protective barrier was all but impossible to maintain underwater, and her energies would now be needed elsewhere. With the ward extinguished, she expected the creature to lash out, but it simply held on and dragged her down, its tail cutting an easy path through the water.

Clever thing. Why waste energy fighting when you can just drown me? But I’m not done with the world just yet. 

Against all her instincts, Elsa opened her mouth and let the cold, saline water fill her lungs. Panic threatened to set in until she could tamp it down and master herself.

Fear is irrelevant. It doesn’t help me. Cut it away. Ignore it.

She could breathe the water, though not for any great length of time. Her lungs would work at extracting the dissolved oxygen as best they could, but the limits of human physiology would eventually render the task untenable.

Elsa stilled both body and mind, inducing the same dream-like state that had so often dulled the beatings as a child.

You’re a dirty girl, Frances! What do we do with dirty girls? We punish them, don’t we? Yes, we do!

All you did was make me stronger, Mother.

She closed her eyes and let the creature take her down. If they went deep enough, the pressure would kill her long before the siren could finish the job, but Elsa was fairly sure the waters around the coast were shallow enough to avoid that particular fate.

Something hard and jagged brushed along her arms, and then she was kneeling on a surface of the same material. Wood. Old wood.

The creature released her from its grip, and Elsa let her arms fall to her sides. She had reduced her heartbeat to a slow, deathly tattoo. She opened her eyes, but all was black. The creature was making that awful sound again, a deep, resonant thrum that made the cold water vibrate. It was watching her. Waiting for her to die.

No. No, I think not.

Elsa made a series of sharp tongue clicks against the roof of her mouth, the sound waves bouncing back to reinterpret themselves as images. She drew on her arcane reservoir to clarify and prolong them.

A ship. I’m inside an old wrecked ship.

The creature was poised a few metres away, its tail coiled around a thick wooden beam. It stirred at Elsa’s clicks, perhaps realising its prey was not quite as helpless as it had first believed. It lunged forward, threading itself through the wreckage towards her.

The dark witch pulled herself quickly from her suspended animation and raised both arms aloft. The water surrounding the creature instantly began to boil, causing it to writhe in fury and pain. It lashed out, gouging Elsa across the scalp and down her face. The pain was immense, and Elsa was sure one of her eyes had been dashed out. She generated more heat around the siren, and while it thrashed about in agony, she braced herself against the rotten hull and kicked out at a large oaken strut set at an awkward angle, once, twice, three times. On the fourth attempt it finally came free, the structure it supported crashing down onto the creature.

Elsa quickly pushed herself back out of harm’s way, narrowly avoiding being buried in the wreckage herself. She dragged her body through an opening in the hull, then swam with all her might towards the surface.

Frances/Reeta

The last day of Frances Mooney’s life. And the first day of Elsa Hart’s.

It was inevitable I would snap one day. Of course it was. Fight or flight, and there was never anywhere else to fly to.

My recollections of that day are fragmented; a series of snapshots.

I see myself shuffling through the harbour. People are staring at me. I’m black and blue. There’s pain between my legs. They really went to town on me that day, worked themselves into such a frenzy they probably didn’t stop to consider the marks they were leaving. They wouldn’t ever do it again, though. No.

I found myself down on the beach. Reeta ran towards me with wide, horrified eyes, but something stopped her from reaching out to me. She must’ve seen something there. Something different. Something dangerous.

“Wh-what did they do, Frances?“ she whispered.

My voice was a drone, devoid of emotion. “It doesn’t matter anymore.“

“Come away with me. You must! Before it’s too late.“

“No.“

Why?“

“I can’t live in the sea, stupid. I’m not Selkie. Stupid stupid stooopid…“

“Frances, you’re scaring me.“

“I’ve come to say goodbye.“

“G-goodbye?“

“I can’t be your friend anymore.“

Reeta of the Selkie looked crestfallen. “You mustn’t say that!“

“I’m going to do something terrible. You won’t want to be friends with me after that.“ I turned and walked away. “You’re just a dirty animal, anyway. I hate you.“

“Frances!“

Keep walking.

“Frances, come back!“

Don’t look back. Close your heart to it.

“Look see, Frances! Look see!“

Don’t need friends. Don’t want friends.

“FRANCES!“

Tân a gwaed. Fire and blood. These are the weapons with which I killed my bitch of a mother, and I have kept them well honed.

Elsa/Siren

Elsa dragged herself from the water. Every part of her body screamed with the effort of it. Down on her hands and knees, she retched violently, clearing her lungs of seawater. She gulped the cool, clean air, then wiped blood from her eyes, relieved to find she still had full vision in both. She staggered over to the wall of rocks nearby and collapsed down next to them, resting her back against their hard surface.

Don’t pass out. Stay awake, damn it.

Somewhere beneath the jagged lines of pain, something else was working its way through her system.

Wonderful. The disgusting thing poisoned me.

Was the toxin meant to kill, or merely incapacitate? Nothing to be done about it now, either way.

She picked the sharpest looking stone she could find and used it to hack away at the hem of her shirt, tearing a piece of the fabric away to tie around her brow. It would keep the blood from oozing into her eyes; stem the flow a little. Having done that, she brought her ravaged hand up to inspect. A low groan escaped her.

Don’t you dare cry! We’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves. The fingers are gone. Accept it.

“Christ, it hurts, though. Hurts like hell.“

She needed to get to civilisation, to a hospital. But what was she supposed to do, swim? It looked like she was stranded on a rocky spit of beach, the mainland a couple of miles or so off in the distance. She’d summoned the dead and used their spectral energy to buoy herself across the water to Morcant, but in her current state there was no chance of repeating that task. She could barely stand, let alone muster the power needed for such sorcery.

I’m not dying here. I’m not.

But when she caught movement down by the shoreline, and turned to see what it was, she was forced to reconsider that assessment. There was a very good chance she was going to die, after all. Because the siren was slithering out of the water towards her.

Elsa grabbed a fist-sized stone, then dragged herself to her feet. The sudden rush of blood to the head nearly floored her, and it was all she could do not to lose consciousness. She braced herself against the rocks and waited for the inevitable.

I come! I come!

Minerva, no! Stay away! You can’t help! Stay a—

But it was too late. The magpie was already here, diving down with startling speed. She dashed one of the siren’s eyes out with her beak, then darted away again. The siren screeched in pain and surprise.

Minerva circled above, then launched herself at the creature once more. It snatched the bird out of the air before she had time to attack again and flung her against a rock, the impact making a sickening crunch.

Elsa drew in a series of sharp breaths, almost choking them back out.

I come… will… help… willwill

Then nothing. The sudden cold, empty void where once a piece of Elsa’s soul had resided, the cerebral link with her animal familiar severed with cruel finality.

Elsa wailed, the sound primal in its grief, more animal than human.

The siren came at her, its dashed eye now nothing more than a dangling blob of bloody jelly. It scuttled across the rocks towards her like some monstrous scorpion.

“You fucking abomination!“ Elsa sobbed. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! My bird! My Minerva! Yes, keep coming, monster! Closer! Closer!

The siren was almost on top of her now. It bared its razor-sharp teeth, coiling its body to attack.

Elsa brandished her little rock in a gesture that spoke as much of defiance as it did futility.

I’ve nothing left to use. No more sorcery. Too weak. Too tired. Unless…

No, the very idea was insane. She couldn’t say for sure if she even had enough energy left to pull off something like that. Not when she’d exhausted all her power.

If you’re going to do it, do it now. There’s no time left.

In the very same moment the siren lunged at her, Elsa mustered everything she had left and shifted into the spectral realm.

The risk was enormous. To drag one’s physical self to this place was akin to being in outer space without a protective suit. Any more than a brief moment here would kill her. And if she didn’t have enough reserves left to teleport back…

Elsa passed through the creature, spun round to face its back, raised the rock aloft, then materialised back into the physical realm. She brought the crude weapon down onto the creature’s skull with all the force she could muster, again and again and again.

The siren fell to the ground, making a futile effort at protecting itself with its hands. Elsa collapsed to her knees and continued her assault, pummeling the creature in a relentless barrage of attacks.

This is what it comes down to, she thought. When the sorcery is done, this is what remains. Ape. Rock. Enemy.

Elsa threw the bloodied stone to one side and used both hands to heft a larger rock above her head. The raw stumps of her fingers screamed with pain, but she had no room for it. She loomed over the cowering siren, ready to end it once and for all. “I. Win. I. Always. Win. I’m. Elsa Hart! Elsa! Ha—”

Then the siren spoke.

“Fran-cess. Fran-cess.”

The sound was harsh and gutteral. The creature’s hair was matted with blood, red upon red.

Red hair like mine…

Red. Hair.

Elsa’s eyes went wide.

The creature drew a hand down to its belly, fixing Elsa with its one good eye. “Look ss-eee, Fran-cess. Look sss-eeee.“

Horrified, Elsa’s eyes travelled down to the thing’s distended stomach.

“Bay-bee, Fran-cess. Bay-bee. No hurt. No. Hurt.“

Oh, Gods. Reeta? And she’s… no… what is this?

Elsa let the rock slide from her grip. It toppled to the ground. She rocked back and forth on her haunches. “No… no, no, no…”

The siren made a sickening gurgling sound, blood oozing from its mouth. It crawled away towards the shoreline to pull itself into the water. Elsa let it go. The last she saw of the creature was its tail slithering down beneath the surface.

What sick joke had the Gods played on her this time?

Reeta. Little Reeta of the Selkie, twisted into the shape of a monster.

Her beloved Minerva gone, snuffed out like a candle.

The past returned to torment her.

Don’t try to make sense of it. Don’t try to understand what it all means. It’ll just drive you insane. This fucking place. Too much. Too much.

Elsa threw her head back and screamed.

Elsa/Old Friends

The bird was limp and lifeless; still warm to the touch, though growing colder by the second. Elsa cradled it in her hands.

“What trouble have you got yourself into this time, hmm?“ she cooed. “Silly Minerva. Such a brave little bird. What shall we do with you?“ She brought the bird to her cheek, seeking out the last of its warmth before it disappeared forever. “What shall we… Oh, my friend. Look at you.”

She fashioned a shroud from another piece of her torn shirt and folded it carefully around the magpie, then tied the two ends together to secure it, the task made more difficult with only one fully-functioning hand. Finally, she secured the package to one of the belt rings on her trousers.

Weak and delirious, Elsa found herself shuffling along the beach, unaware that she had even made the decision to move. Some part of her considered the best course of action might be to find a sheltered nook, somewhere she could curl into a ball and shut her body down, the way she had when the creature dragged her down into the depths.

And when Mother used to lock me in the cupboard under the stairs after one of the beatings.

She might heal faster than way. Or the poison might just kill her quicker. Hard to say. She’d never been in a situation this dire before.

She stumbled on something and fell to her knees. The bloodied stumps of her fingers scraped along the stony ground, the searing agony of it crashing into her like a white hot wave. With monumental effort, she pushed herself to her feet and continued on.

Her dead mother came to taunt her.

Serves you right, wicked girl! Did you think you could kill your own poor mother and get away with it? Shame on you. Shame!

The creature, too. Reeta-Siren.

Look sss-eeee. Fran-cess is all a-lone. Ha-ha-ha-ha.

Even Simon had come to cheer her on.

You must think me quite the fool, Elsa. Did you think I didn’t know you were manipulating me all this time? I knew. That’s all right, my dear. I didn’t love you any more than you loved me. I just needed a firm hand, someone to set me straight.

“Get out of my head. All of you!“

The sun traced a slow arc across a cloudless sky. Elsa walked, and when she could no longer walk, she crawled. She swatted at things that weren’t there. “Away! Not done. Not done…”

She was sitting on her haunches by the water’s edge, the tide lapping at her heels. How long she’d been there she had no idea. Her heart was beating too fast, rushing loudly in her ears. Woosh woosh. Woosh woosh. Woosh woosh.

“Pretty seashells… when… when did we… my bird… have you seen my…”

There was some kind of structure a short distance away, a small shack made of corrugated sheets. Elsa watched it carefully, expecting it to blink out of existence like all the other hallucinations.

Then someone was peering down at her, an old man with milky eyes.

“Oh, now. What’s this, then?“ he wheezed.

Teeth bared, she hissed, “Touch me and I’ll kill—”

Elsa passed out before she could finish the threat.

Elsa/Hermit

Her eyes fluttered open to the alarming sight of the old man looming over her, pale, bony fingers reaching out to touch her face.

Elsa’s hand shot out and clamped around his scrawny neck. Far from being alarmed, the old man gently prised her fingers from his throat and gave her hand a pat before letting it rest against her chest.

“Easy there. Won’t hurt you. Too old to hurt anyone, see? Rest. Safe now. As much as any of us is safe.“

Elsa’s hand slipped down to her hip, eyes going wide with alarm when she found nothing but the cotton of her trousers. “My bird! What’ve you done with her?! I’ll tear your heart out if—“

“Calm now. Put it in a little box for safekeeping. Could tell it was special to you.“

She closed her eyes and drifted away again.

***

When next she awoke, her senses were somewhat clearer, her body free of the siren’s poison, or at least receded to the point where it was no longer the concern it had been. The pain that had been so all-consuming had now retreated to a series of dull throbs and aches.

The old man was sitting up to a makeshift worktop comprised of two crates set adjacent to one another. He had his back to her, but turned when he heard her stir.

“Look who’s awake,” he said.

A thin, reedy squawk came from somewhere within the hut, and Elsa caught a brief flash of grey-white feathers. For one hopeful moment she had a bizarre notion that the old man had somehow revived Minerva, brought her beloved familiar back from the dead.

“Seagull,” he told her, showing her the bird. “A young’un, see? They crash into the rocks sometimes, learning to fly. Do themselves some terrible injuries. Broken wings and such. Help, if I can. If not… best to put them out of their misery. Reckon this one’ll live to fly again, eh?“

The old man picked up the bird with great care and took it outside. When he returned a few minutes later, he hobbled over to the stack of pallets where Elsa rested on a thin foam mattress.

She eyed him warily. “Where am I?“ she croaked, throat like dry parchment.

“Home,” the old man told her, before adding, “My home, that is. You’ve been drifting in and out for a couple of days now.“ He fetched her a bottle of water, bringing it to her lips. Elsa pushed herself up to a sitting position and took the bottle from his hand.

“I’m not one of your seagulls,” she told him, raising the bottle to her mouth to take several large gulps.

“Didn’t mean no offence. Bedside manner, is all. Used to be a medic in the army.“ He eyed Elsa sheepishly for several long moments, perhaps expecting her to ask how an army medic ended up living in a shack on a remote stretch of beach. When no questions were forthcoming, he seemed almost relieved. He gestured to her face. “Needed to stitch some of them cuts. The deeper ones. Had to shave some of your hair away to get at them, sorry to say. “

Elsa brought her only functioning hand up to feel for the old boy’s handiwork. Her fingers traced the harsh tracks that mapped her face and scalp. The other hand had been bandaged up neatly. She peered around the dirty-looking hut. “What did you stitch them with, a rusty fishing hook and a bit of old wire? I’d rather not die of sepsis after everything I’ve been through.“

“Have plenty of clean kit,” he told her, gesturing to several of the boxes scattered haphazardly around the hut. “The proper stuff. Know how to sterilise it, too. Lots of drinking water and first aid kit. Everything else takes care of itself. Get back to the mainland now and then, stock up on—“

“Yes, yes, I don’t need your life story. Fetch me a mirror.“

He did. Elsa stared back at herself. The stitching was neat enough, as stitching went, but Gods, she was a mess. The smaller cuts would fade to nothing eventually – her capacity for healing exceeded those of the average human – but the deeper ones would leave their mark. And exceptional healing abilities or not, she wouldn’t be growing new fingers or ears any time soon.

You really did a number on us, Reeta, old girl. Me and my Minerva.

“You didn’t think to get me to a hospital?“ she said to the old man.

He turned away from her, running fingers through the straggly filaments of his silver beard. “Should’ve, I know. Only has a small boat, though. It’s a fair old way to the mainland, and I don’t get back there too often. But I know how to heal the sick, see. Was a medic—”

Elsa impatiently waved him quiet. “Yes, a medic in the army. You mentioned it. Well, no matter. I can’t say a lengthy stay in a hospital ward holds much appeal anyway.“ Her eyes were feeling heavy. “I need to sleep.“

The old man gave Elsa a smile of such honest kindness, it caused a wave of inexplicable shame to wash over her.

“Shut up,” she told him before drifting into slumber.

“Didn’t say nothin’,” he replied to her sleeping form. “Glad you’re all right, though.“

***

Several days passed on the small stretch of beach. Elsa regained her strength quickly, and soon enough she was strong enough to leave the confines of the hut and venture outside. Often she would find the old man sitting out there with a penknife and various bits of driftwood, carving abstract shapes from them. At first, he would try to hide these creations from her, until she put his mind at ease.

“You don’t need to stop on my account.“

“Don’t even know what they’re meant to be,” he admitted. “Maybe it don’t matter. Just working on the wood keeps my mind off… you know, other things…”

“Mmm. That one looks a bit like a clock I used to play with.“

“Funny lookin’ clock, then.“

“It was. I wonder if it’s still there.“

The old man wouldn’t meet her eyes when he spoke. “Not gonna ask me why I live here?“

Elsa gazed out at the ocean. “Are you going to ask what happened to me?“

“None of my business.“

“Agreed. And yours is none of mine.“

Later that night Elsa was woken by the sound of the old man talking in his sleep, curled up in a nest of blankets on the floor of the shack.

“They’re killin’ the women and children, sir! Stop them! The women and children… they’re… the children…” He trailed off into an indistinct mumble.

You tried to run away, too, didn’t you, old man? But all you did was take it with you. That’s all we ever do, really.

She drifted back into sleep and dreamed her own monsters.

Elsa?/Frances?

Elsa cut the last tuft of her frizzy hair away, letting it fall to the floor with the rest. She set the scissors down, then moved the small shaving mirror around her head to inspect her barbery. She’d cropped it as short as the scissors would allow, and it was patchy and uneven, but now it looked a little more consistent, at least.

“Don’t look too bad,” the old man told her earnestly.

“I look like the Bride of Frankenstein, but it’ll do.“

“Ready to head out? Boat’s ready.“

“Mmm.“

The old man took them towards Morcant in his little dinghy, the outboard chugging out puffs of dirty black smoke. Elsa had little desire to be back here, but there was something she needed to do before she made the journey back to Derwold.

When they got nearer to the shore, the old boy could only flip the engine off and stare open-mouthed. “What on earth happened…?“

Morcant-On-Sea had apparently returned to its origin as a small fishing village, because nothing remained beyond the harbour except for the lighthouse, now teetering on the edge of the cliff above. Everything in between was a gaping maw of devastation.

Elsa took in the sight of her handiwork.

It looked more or less abandoned anyway, she told herself, then delved a little deeper for a more honest appraisal.

All right. Maybe I went too far. And whatever I was trying to destroy was never in that town in the first place, was it? No. I took it with me, just like the old man took his. My temper tantrum destroyed an entire town. Foolish. Childish.

“Set us down on the beach over there,” Elsa told the old man, pointing past the great natural arch that led to the henge.

“But Morcant… Maybe we should see if they need—”

“It happened days ago. I doubt there’s anyone left. The beach, if you please.“

The old man brought the bow up onto the sand and killed the motor. Elsa climbed from the boat.

“Wait for me. I won’t be long.“

“All right, then.“

She wasn’t sure she would recognise the lay of the land. It had been almost seventy years since she’d last set foot on this beach, and time had shaped its shores by whim or will. The tree henge hadn’t changed, of course. Elsa supposed that must have been where Sadie and Millie had reappeared after their unplanned escape from the manor.

A minute or two spent scanning the area up by the cliff and she found what she was looking for – two large rocks with a narrow recess between them. Elsa trudged up the bank, her limbs still weak enough to appreciate the effort it took.

She peered down at the small bundle in her hand. “Well, it’s a long shot, Minerva. But stranger things happen at sea.“

Setting the bird down on the ground, Elsa began scooping sand away from the small gap with her good hand. After several minutes of this rudimentary excavation, she was just about ready to give up when her fingers hit upon something solid. She redoubled her efforts, clearing sand from around the object.

A wooden box. The wooden box.

Elsa carefully prised the lid off and peered inside. “Will wonders never cease…”

She drew the clock out and held it up to inspect. It was smaller than she remembered, of course it was, but no less wondrous for that. It was heavy, the wood unnaturally dense, almost like stone or metal. When her fingernail scraped over the clock’s surface, leaving not so much as a single mark, Elsa wondered how it had been possible to carve such wood so delicately and precisely.

The clock’s numerals bore no resemblance to those of more modern timepieces, and decades after first laying eyes on them, Elsa now realised they were archaic runes, though of a variant she was unfamiliar with.

A line of verse came to her, something she’d picked up from a manuscript, scribed and rescribed until the original source had been long forgotten.

Back where the Ironwoods sleep beneath the ice

Waiting for Danu’s children to return

Was it possible the clock had been fashioned from those ironwoods of legend, the great towering trees that were said to be unique to the Tuatha homeland? If so, this was like discovering Noah’s Ark or the Grail.

The temptation to take the clock with her was hard to resist, but that wasn’t why she had come. And though she’d never shied away from taking things that did not belong to her, Elsa drew a line here. This clock represented something more than the object itself.

She put it back in its box, then found a small space in one corner to slot her dead bird.

“Géillim don Timthriall thú, mo chuid eolach. Bí ar son na síochána.“ I surrender you to the Cycle, my familiar. Be at peace.

She replaced the lid, then refilled the hole with sand. When the task was done, Elsa found her feet and turned to look out across the open water. It was calm and still; peaceful.

It wasn’t quite redemption. But a weight had been lifted. There had been some honour in the small ritual, and honour had been absent from Elsa’s life for far too long. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in the sea air. “Look see, Reeta of the Selkie,” she murmured. “Look see.“

***

A short while later, the small dinghy washed up on the mainland. Elsa could see her Porsche parked up a short distance away. Somehow, the car seemed a silly thing to her now, like so much window dressing. Indulgent; unnecessary.

She climbed from the boat and made for the carpark above, but came to an abrupt halt before she’d got more than a few feet. Feeling uncharacteristically awkward, she turned back to the old boy sitting in his dinghy. She supposed she owed him… something. 

“Yes, well… thank you,“ she told him with a curt nod.

Why is it so hard to acknowledge help?

She held up a cautionary finger. “If you give me one of those nauseating smiles, I’m probably going to drown you.“

The old man rattled out a laugh, then gave her a quick salute. He cranked the motor back to life, then began moving towards the lonely stretch of beach he called home. He turned his head back briefly and called out to her. “Name’s Len! What’s yours?“

Elsa thought about it as she watched his boat get smaller and smaller. “I’m not sure,” she told herself, because he was out of earshot by then. “Time will tell, I suppose.“

She climbed behind the wheel of her car and set the satnav for Derwold. There was work to do.

Afterword

Sometimes an idea won’t leave me alone until I write it down. 

Just when I thought The Beekeeper’s Lament was finished, two separate ideas kept nagging at me. One was a somewhat abstract image of a younger Rita sitting on a beach playing with a clock and hollering the words, “Look see!“ (Yes, that’s what passes for a story idea in my head). I didn’t quite know where it fit into the greater Beekeeper/Selkie narrative, thinking maybe it was going to be part of a prequel story I was writing.

The other idea was a more straightforward one: What exactly happened to Elsa after the siren flew off with her in Chapter Ten? 

As these two ideas began to merge and take shape, it occurred to me that Elsa and Rita (or Frances and Reeta as they were) might have met at some point in the past, seeing as they both called Morcant-On-Sea home. 

Eventually, I sat down and wrote the damn thing, and this additional chapter was born. It’s very much a part of the larger tale, though it takes a slightly different form than the other chapters – a subtitle, different chapter headings, the way it dips back and forth between past and present, and the past segments narrated by Elsa herself.

I hope you got some enjoyment out of it. At the very least, I think you might understand our villainous dark witch a little better now.

On to Chapter Thirteen!

 

The Evil That Men Do, Chapter 5

  • Posted on November 5, 2025 at 2:49 pm

The Story Thus Far

Chapter One: Mallory Kalvornek and her lover Julie Hanson have returned to Bronning, Minnesota, for the first time in years to catch up with friends and family. Meanwhile, their old friend (and occasional sex partner) paramedic Nettie Hastings fights to save a life, her lover Hannah drops by with an unexpected surprise, Terry Wilder grapples with writer’s block… and two little girls living in a trailer park named Heather and Gina are being carefully observed by a hidden stranger.

Chapter Two: Mallory and Julie get together at Nettie’s home with Nettie and her lover Hannah, Nettie’s friend Terry Wilder, Terry’s teen daughter Halee, and Mallory and Julie’s friend (and occasional sex partner) Cindy. Gossip is exchanged, memories shared, and an unexpected attraction between Mallory and Terry Wilder reveals itself. Meanwhile, the mother of the two trailer park girls Heather and Gina goes out for a night on the town, oblivious to the presence of the man spying on her home.

Chapter Three: At Nettie’s place, Nettie and Hannah leave the others to indulge in a bit of romantic pleasure, while Julie and her old friend Cindy get it on with Terry’s teen daughter Halee. As for Mallory, she has repaired to Terry’s place for one of her occasional bouts of heterosexual action. Appetites are indulged, confidences shared. Meanwhile, Heather and Gina are abducted from their trailer home by a mysterious and very scary man.

Chapter Four: Mallory, Julie, Nettie, Hannah and Cindy hit the woods for a day of fishing, to be followed by a night of camping. Halee prepares a for what promises to be a thrilling video hookup with her friend Bethany. And sisters Heather and Gina are in the custody of the mysterious stranger, who seems bent on turning them into quivering, terrified wrecks.

For a list of the characters from the story you are now reading, visit this page. 

For a list of the characters from the previous two stories that you will encounter here as well, visit this page.

And now, dear readers, we make our way into the next installment. Read on…

by Rachael Yukey

On and on we’re charging to the place so many seek
In perfect synchronicity of which so many speak
We feel so close to heaven in this roaring heavy load
And then in sheer abandonment we shatter and explode
Judas Priest, 1986

The tent was a big one, large enough to accommodate the three twin-sized air mattresses they’d brought. Sleeping bags and piles of blankets were lined up around the edges of the tent; it would be getting down into the high 40s that night.

Cindy sprawled onto the mattress furthest from the tent flap, pulling out her phone as the two couples piled in behind her. Her hands trembling in anticipation, Julie zipped the tent shut. Nettie guided Hannah to the mattress at the opposite end, pulling her lover down and into a long, slow, sensuous kiss.

Mallory and Julie settled themselves onto the center mattress, sitting cross-legged and watching Hannah and Nettie’s leisurely osculation, holding hands. Cindy slid over to join them, coming to rest beside Mallory and squeezing her hand. The three of them enjoyed the view for awhile, but their attention was gradually diverted towards each other. After a few minutes of subtle scooting around, they were situated in a tight little three-way circle, hands joined.

“God, I’ve missed this,” Julie murmured.

“Yeah, me too,” whispered Mallory. “Pity Emma couldn’t make it, though.”

“I did call her when you said you were coming,” said Cindy, keeping her own voice low. “But she’s in the middle of a big project at work. Still…” disengaging her hand from Julie’s, she plucked her phone from the mattress and held it aloft. “Maybe she can kinda be here.”

She shifted her gaze to the next mattress over, where nothing appeared to have changed. Hannah was lying full-length atop Nettie, their mouths crushed together. Nettie’s hands were firmly clamped to Hannah’s ass.

“Hey, girls?” Cindy ventured. Disengaging their faces from each other with some reluctance, Hannah and Nettie turned their heads in her direction.

“Need something?” asked Nettie.

“Is it cool if we invite an extra to the party virtually?”

“Would it by any chance be Emma?”

“It would!”

“I’m good with it,” said Nettie. “Hannah?”

“Oh, absolutely! You guys have talked so much about her, I feel like I know her already.”

“Great,” said Nettie, her left hand cupping Hannah’s cheek and turning her head back to center. “Now where were we?” Cindy, already prepared for the moment, stabbed at her phone.

A moment later a delicate-featured brunette appeared on her screen, sprawled in an armchair. “Hey, lady,” said Emma, giving a small wave with the hand that wasn’t holding her phone aloft.

“That’s ladies, plural,” said Cindy, smushing herself alongside Julie and Mallory and zooming to encompass the three of them.

Emma’s face split into a huge smile. “Oh, I should have known. Hi girls!”

“Hey!” said Julie.

“How’re you doing?” Mallory chimed in.

“I’d be better if I was with you guys. But everyone’s working through the weekend, because we’re behind schedule on this goddamn network install. And the client keeps changing parameters; I had to redesign half the system today. Hope you girls are having more fun than that.”

“It’s been a good day!” said Julie. “And now it’s starting to get a little spicy, so CIndy was thinking maybe you’d want in on the fun from a distance.”

Emma grinned. “Cindy’s a good thinker.”

Just then a whimper issued forth from the next mattress over.

“Uh—that wasn’t one of you, was it?” said Emma. “What’re you guys doing, watching porn?”

“Well—kinda.” said Cindy, and the three of them started giggling. From the side a snort of laughter erupted that could only have come from Hannah. “Nettie’s here with us, and she brought her girlfriend. They can’t keep their hands off each other.”

She turned the phone, tilting it down to display Hannah still lying atop Nettie, but now with their legs intertwined. It looked as if a little well-aimed friction was starting to take place. The two women twisted their heads around to look toward the camera.

“Nettie!” Emma exclaimed. “Oh, God, how are you?!”

***

A chime issued forth from a laptop speaker, and the girl on the bed reached over and tapped a key. The screen sprang to life, an image of a girl’s bedroom appearing. Centered in that image was a bed, the pink–on-white coverlet folded all the way to the foot. Lounging against a stack of pillows, willowy legs splayed out across a floral-patterned sheet, was a red-haired girl in her early teens. A wholesome image, perhaps—if the lovely redhead hadn’t been wearing a sheer, pale-yellow negligee that left almost nothing to the imagination.

A grin stretched across Halee’s face as she admired the view, but it wasn’t entirely a genuine one. Her guts were churning, and it was everything she could do to tamp down her anxiety. She had eschewed a top entirely, the budding nubs of her breasts on full display. So were the scars from her gunshot wounds a couple of months ago—and that was kind of the point. Thus far she hadn’t allowed Bethany to see her topless, because of those scars. It was one thing with Nettie, or with her sister Naomi, but right then she couldn’t bear to let anyone else see them, especially Bethany. She wanted to be perfect for Bethany.

Bethany understood her reluctance, and assured her that it was all right, and to take all the time she needed, but also told Halee she had nothing to worry about. After spending half the day debating this with herself, Halee decided it was time for the act of trust. Bethany deserved that much. Hence, all she had on below was a pair of back panties, sheer enough to be practically transparent, with gothic designs etched in relief on the waistband. She hoped that would be alluring enough to set off those hideous scars.

Bethany’s eyes widened as she leaned forward, peering intently at her laptop screen. Halee willed herself not to squirm under the girl’s scrutiny.

Slowly, Bethany’s mouth widened into a smile. “Look at you,” she murmured.

Halee rolled her eyes. “Look at me. I’m a pincushion for Edward Scissorhands.”

“Halee—you’re the most beautiful thing in the whole wide universe. Thanks for this.”

Halee glanced down at her midsection. “You don’t think it looks gross?”

Bethany shook her head vehemently, red hair flying. “I think you’re beautiful, and I think you’re brave. Those are both things that turn me on.”

The tightness in Halee’s belly loosened, just a little. She gave a small, hesitant smile. “That’s my mission in life, you know. Turning you on.”

“Your tits are getting me so hot, I wish I could reach out and grab them.”

Halee cupped the slight swell of her breasts. She didn’t think they were much to look at, but then, Bethany really wasn’t any more developed, and she thought her friend’s tits were gorgeous. She brought her thumbs up to circle the swollen tips.

She shivered deliciously. “My nipples are so hard for you,” she murmured.

On her laptop screen, Bethany was stroking her belly over the nearly translucent negligee. “Can I see up close?” she breathed.

***

Doing her best to ignore the heat rising from her aching cunt, now pressed firmly against Nettie’s thigh, Hannah turned her gaze to Cindy’s phone, eyebrows lifting in appreciation of what she saw. The women she’d spent the day with were all beautiful, but when Julie described Emma as “the prettiest of us all”, she hadn’t been kidding. The woman was an absolute knockout, straight brown hair framing features reminiscent of a China doll.

“I’m doing amazing right here at the moment, Emma,” Nettie murmured, indicating the woman atop her with an almost feral grin. “This is Hannah. Say hi, Hannah.”

Hannah waved at the phone. “Hello, Emma. I’ve been hearing these amazing stories about the Pussy Posse all day long! It’s nice to finally meet the fourth member.”

Nettie chose that moment to shift positions slightly, causing Hannah’s last two words to come out as a breathy gasp.

The corners of Emma’s mouth turned up. “Looks to me like you’re fitting right in,” she observed.

“Oh, that’s me—always the chameleon,” Hannah murmured, shuddering as Nettie’s thigh moved again, deliberately this time.

“Hey,” said Emma, “how come the camera is suddenly all over the place?”

Hannah shifted her gaze from Cindy’s phone—which was indeed now shifting about in an unsteady hand—to the woman attached to the arm that held it aloft. Cindy and Mallory were engaged in some light kissing, lips teasing, tongues darting out and then disappearing again. Julie was nuzzling Mallory’s neck, leaving kisses and little love bites in her wake.

Cindy disengaged, looking sheepish. “Hold on,” she said.

Extracting a lightweight tripod from beneath a sleeping bag, she mounted the phone to it, unfolded the legs, and zoomed to encompass the action taking place on both mattresses. The whole setup was so unbelievably hot that Hannah could no longer contain herself. She rocked her hips forward, grinding against Nettie’s leg. Nettie sucked in her breath through clenched teeth, thrusting her own pelvis in turn.

Julie was behind Mallory now, kissing across the back of her neck, gently tracing the curvature of her lover’s breasts beneath the sweatshirt. Mallory’s head was tilted forward chin to chest, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow.

“Nice view!” Emma exulted.

***

Bethany traced both index fingers up the insides of her thighs, shivering deliciously. Halee’s bare chest now dominated Bethany’s laptop screen, and she was teasing her nipples with the fingers of both hands. Shallow, unsteady breathing emerged from the laptop speakers. Bethany closed her eyes for a moment; the sounds of Halee’s arousal were even more intoxicating than the view.

But only for a moment. She stared raptly at the screen, intent on burning the image in her brain. Her gaze was drawn momentarily to the bullet wound immediately below the right breast, still recent enough that it was only now fading to a dull pink. Her heart cried out for Halee’s suffering, and how close she’d come to death. If things had gone just a little bit different, I’d never even have known what I missed.

But Halee had survived, clinging to life with her bare hands while Nettie and others worked feverishly to save her. This thought, and her own witnessing of the girl’s courageous efforts to put the horror behind her and move forward, kicked Bethany’s already considerable arousal up to the next level. As her fingers stopped just short of her now-gooey center, a small moan escaped her. It was all she could do to hold back.

“You like ‘em?” Halee breathed from the other end, bringing her chest even closer to the screen.

“You have no idea,” Bethany got out, a slight tremor to her voice. “But now I wanna see all of you again.”

“Copy that.” The image zoomed out, revealing Halee still sprawled on the bed, still stroking her tits with the hand that wasn’t operating the remote.

A smile touched the corner of Bethany’s lips. “That’s not all of you… there’s a certain something blocking my view.”

Lightly trailing her fingertips down her sides, Hales hooked both thumbs beneath the waistband of her panties. She slowly hitched one side down a little, then the other. Lifting her butt just enough to pull them free of her backside, she brought her knees up, baring herself one slow inch at a time.

“I can’t see all of you, either, girl,” Halee pointed out as the filigreed undergarment slid past her knees.

Pulling the drawstring that held the yellow negligee taut around her upper body, Bethany sat forward and allowed the sheer fabric to slide down her arms. Freeing her hands, she cupped her barely-formed breasts, thumbs delicately flicking her nipples.

“Mmmmm,” murmured Halee, “I never get tired of that view.” Flashing a wicked grin, she stuck her feet straight into the air, panties stretched wide between them then tucked both knees into her chest.

Bethany sucked in her breath at the unobstructed view of her long-distance lover’s cunt and anus. Halee’s slit was glistening with moisture. “Ooh, you are one seriously naughty girl,” she said.

Halee responded by slipping her panties the rest of the way off, casually tossing them toward the laptop screen. She spread her knees wide apart. “Now can you see everything?” she said in a husky voice.

Bethany took in a deep breath, allowing herself the fantasy that she was smelling Halee’s wet cunt instead of hers. “I can see how juicy you are,” she replied. “Wanna see how wet I am?”

“Oh, bring it on!” Halee exclaimed, her voice humming with excitement.

***

Emma Fronning took a sip of her wine cooler, shifting a little in her chair as she watched the scene unfold. She’d switched the Google Meet connection from phone to laptop, so she could see and be seen with both hands free. On her screen she watched that smoking-hot red-haired lady roll off of Nettie until the two women were lying side-by-side, scrabbling to remove their jeans. Once they were down to their underwear below the waist, Hannah climbed back aboard and began to move at once, sliding up and down Nettie’s stretched-out body, working up a delicious friction.

In the foreground, Cindy had returned to the little three-way circle after getting the tripod set up. She and Mallory were sharing a passionate kiss. Julie was behind Cindy, nuzzling the back of her neck as she’d done with Mallory moments ago, reaching around to dip her hands under the shirt, caressing the full, firm mounds beneath.

Emma felt the heat rise within her, surprised by its intensity. In more recent years she’d felt as if her lesbian tendencies were fading. When she dated at all, it was nearly always men. Not that she had much time for that these days. Between a demanding job designing large computer networks and a full-time classload in hopes of a shift from networking to software development, Emma was a busy lady. It struck her that she hadn’t had sex, straight or gay, in over a year.

But now, watching her erstwhile sisters with benefits getting it on in a dimly lit tent, and those two beautiful women humping in the background, her thirst for pussy was back with a vengeance. Her breath was becoming ragged, her nipples achingly stiff. She felt her panties dampening, and welcomed it. “Tell me how Cindy’s tits feel, Julie,” she heard herself say.

Julie’s eyes flicked to the phone mounted on its tripod, a wicked glint in her eyes. “Full, firm and luscious,” she said in a low, sexy voice. “And her nipples. They’re so goddamn hard! Like they’re going to poke holes right through her shirt. Here, let me give ‘em a little twist…”

Whatever Julie did caused Cindy to disengage her mouth from Mallory’s and moan, “Fuck!”

“Where do you think you’re going?” growled Mallory, placing a hand on the back of Cindy’s head and pulling her into another heated kiss.

Emma’s hands were under the fuzzy pajama top she wore, scissoring her own nipples between thumbs and forefingers. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this close to orgasm before her pussy had been touched.

Mallory and Cindy came up for air, Mal craning her head to peer at the phone. “Tell us about your tits, Em,” she said.

“I’ll do you one better,” said Emma, tugging the pajama top over her head and tossing it aside, exposing her small yet perfectly shaped breasts with their dark brown areolas for all to see. She was grinding her bottom into the chair, sending hard, sharp twinges of pleasure coursing through her body. Her panties were soaked straight through, and she’d have to change into a fresh pair of pajamas when this was over. Not that she gave a damn.

A glance at the laptop screen told Emma that all eyes were on her. Even Nettie and Hannah had craned their necks in her direction, although they hadn’t paused in their activities… in fact, they were moving in a frenzied fashion now, sweat glistening on their faces and gasps of pleasure escaping their lips.

With a lascivious smile, Emma stood up and shoved her pajama bottoms, underwear and all, to the floor, then kicked them across the room..

***

Halee played her fingers restlessly across her thighs as Bethany slowly opened her legs, revealing a dark wet spot on the front of her yellow panties. So sheer was the material that the moisture rendered it semi-translucent; the girl’s smooth-shaven labia and protruding clitoral hood enticingly visible.

“That is so damn hot,” murmured Halee.

“Does it make you wanna touch yourself?”

“It makes me want you to touch me.” Halee’s voice was now just barely above a whisper.

“Soon,” the redhead assured her. “So soon. But right now… your hand is my hand. I’m touching you in my mind, even if I can’t be there to touch you right now. And right now, I want you to use my hand to open your pussy for me.”

Halee let out a low moan as she spread her slippery labia wide, treating Bethany to an uninhibited view of her dripping hole. Every nerve ending was on fire, all her senses alive. “Oh, God,” she murmured.

Bethany waggled her fingers at the screen. “If this was your hand,” she murmured, “what would it do?”

“I’d feel you, right over the top of your panties.” Halee was stroking the outside of her labia, creating a light yet divine friction against her clit. Her voice came out shaky and high-pitched. “Cause I want to feel how wet you’re making them.”

Bethany’s hands crept down her belly, fingers spreading across the sodden fabric. She thrust her hips forward and gasped. “Oh! Oh God… so wet. Even more than I thought.”

“I want my hand to be dripping with your juices,” said Halee.

“You won’t believe how wet it’s getting! How wet is my hand?”

Halee held up her slippery fingers for inspection. “Gooey wet.”

Bethany was still stroking herself over the top of her panties, applying more pressure. The dark stain was spreading. Her hips were beginning to pump. “Oh, Halee… my fingers want to play with your clit so fucking bad…”

Halee slipped a finger between her folds, letting out a long, low moan as she found the hard nub of what proved to be a very engorged clitoris.

***

Nettie wished the phone was a little bit closer, or at least that someone had brought something with a bigger screen. She hadn’t seen Emma since they were practically still kids, and dear God had she ripened into a hottie! Emma was standing, her nude body on full display, kicking away a pair of pajama pants. Hannah was watching too, and moving atop Nettie even more frantically, breath huffing in her lover’s ear.

The pressure of Hannah’s thigh against her cunt was churning out ever-intensifying waves of pleasure. Nettie began to moan, no longer able to hold it in. The thought flitted through her mind that this was how she and Hannah had first brought each other to orgasm. Perhaps this would always be a special thing for them.

On the screen, Emma had seated herself again, legs splayed wide, the juicy labia and soft brown hair of her cunt on full display. The three women on the neighboring mattress also had their eyes glued to the phone screen. They were squished together in a tight row with Mallory in the middle, far enough to one end of the mattress that they didn’t block Nettie and Hannah’s view of the phone.

Cindy had an arm around Mallory’s waist, and although she couldn’t see it, Nettie was pretty sure her hand was down the front of the shorter woman’s pants. Mallory’s left hand was in Julie’s lap, and from the angle there was no ambiguity about what her hand was up to.

On the screen, Emma slipped a hand down between her legs, letting out a rapturous sigh as she eased a finger between the folds of that beautiful pussy. All at once a host of images, shockingly vivid, tore through Nettie’s mind. These same women in girlish bodies, naked or close to it, touching, kissing, driving one another to pleasure. And herself. A much younger, eleven-year-old Nettie, a part of that circle, being made love to, and making love in her turn.

For a moment she went numb, all sensation lost as the sudden rush of long-suppressed memory threatened to overwhelm her. Then Julie let out a low wail, and another detail from the distant past thrust itself upon her—that same cry escaping the lips of a younger version of Julie, in response to something Nettie had done with her fingers all those years ago. So vivid was the memory, she could actually feel the slickness of Julie’s pussy, the clitoris a hard little button beneath her fingers.

And that was all it took. Suddenly her own cunt was pulsating against Hannah’s thigh, her body tensing almost painfully as scream after scream was torn from her mouth. The raw intensity of her orgasm seemed to be infectious, because moments later Hannah was gripping her shoulders for dear life, letting out a single keening wail as her own climax came calling.

They both collapsed, sweaty and spent, clinging to one another. It took a few moments for Nettie to become aware they were being observed. Three heads had swiveled around to watch their final moment of passion, while on the phone screen Emma was leaning forward in her chair, fingers still mashed between her labia, her body rigid.

Nettie drew in a deep breath, shaken straight to the core. A swarm of heretofore suppressed remembrances were buzzing around in her head, all the more vivid now that her sexual fervor had passed. Her hands began to tremble, and she clenched them into tight fists. She most likely had a sleepless night ahead, but decided right then that nobody needed to know about it but her.

Managing to summon up a grin, Nettie put on her best air of nonchalance. “What’s the matter—haven’t any of you ever seen a couple of chicks come together?”

***

Bethany pressed down harder against the front of her sodden undies, shuddering and groaning at the sensation as her fingertips continued their slow circular motion. “Oh, God, Halee, this feels so fucking good. I love being touched through my panties.”

Halee was moving a finger up and down between her labia, her breath hitching. “I—I can’t wait—to touch—oh, holy fuck.

The time for teasing was over. Bethany picked up the pace, her hips moving in short thrusts. “Oh, Halee,” she moaned, “you’re so beautiful, and this feels so damn good.”

“Does your hand want to fuck me?” Halee gasped. “Cos I really n-need to get fucked right about now—”

“My hand so wants to fuck you, you gorgeous, sexy—oh—oh my God—” The sensations emanating from Bethany’s center were escalating rapidly, and she knew her release was but moments away. On the laptop screen, Halee slid a finger into herself, then another. Her hand pumped furiously, gooshy wet sounds issuing from Bethany’s computer speaker. Halee continued to grind her clit with the other hand, going, “Uh, uh, uh, uh,” with every breath.

Just as she was about to teeter over the edge, Bethany shoved her panties aside, thrusting a single finger deep inside. “Halee, I’m—I’m coming!” she screamed, then went off like a volcano—hips pumping, head bobbing, crying out over and over as she rode wave after delicious wave.

“Oh, God,” she heard Halee moan. Her own climax subsiding, Bethany refocused her gaze on the laptop screen. Halee’s fucking hand was practically a blur, while the fingers of the other hand ground into her clit with an equal fury. “Oh, Bethany,” the dark-haired girl croaked. “Fuck, that was hot—oh God—oh fuck—”

And then Halee doubled over, hair falling down across her face as her own explosive climax kicked in. She shivered and shook, then finally went limp, slumping over to one side.

A long pause, then a grinning Bethany murmured, “Guess you came that time, huh?”

Halee gave a weak snort of laughter. “Oh, maybe…”

***

“Fuck yourself for us, Emma,” said Mallory, eyes fixed on the cell phone screen. Julie reflected with wry amusement that some things never changed. When it came to sexual situations involving more than two people, Mallory always seemed to take charge. And everyone involved always did what she said.

On her end of the connection, Emma drew in a long, deep breath as she ever so slowly slid two fingers inside herself. When her palm made contact with her clit, she whimpered.

Julie had a hand tucked into Cindy’s panties, fondling the policewoman’s prominent clitoris with fingers still wet from Cindy’s juicy cunt. Mallory, impatient with the denim barrier, had practically ripped Julie’s jeans from her body. Julie had a blanket thrown over her lap against the chill, and Mallory’s hand worked furiously beneath it. Julie was lightly biting the insides of her cheeks, trying to keep from moaning in time with the waves of pleasure. She wanted to hear every sweet gasp, sigh and moan issuing from the cellphone speaker.

Cindy, too, seemed to be holding back, her explosive gasps fetching up against pursed lips as she shivered with pleasure. Mallory had rebuffed Cindy’s attempts to slide a hand beneath the waistband of her panties, intent on being the last to come. After all, no one argued with Mallory in bed. But Julie could see out of the corner of her eye that her lover was rhythmically squeezing her thighs together, lips quivering. It was Mallory’s favored method of driving herself into an ecstatic frenzy. She couldn’t quite reach orgasm that way, but within seconds of someone touching her, she would go off like a hydrogen bomb.

Hannah and Nettie, their passion already spent, were snuggled up together, their attention laser-focused on the cellphone screen. Julie noticed an odd, distant look in her cousin’s eyes, but chalked it up to a post-orgasmic daze.

Emma was slowly sliding her fingers in and out, eyes rolling in a way that seemed almost comic. “Oh, God, I needed this,” she murmured.

“Has your clit b-been feeling lonely?” Mallory panted, her thighs still tightening and releasing.

So lonely!” Emma gasped. “I haven’t—oh God—gone to bed with anyone—oh, holy hell—in like a year and half—OH!”

“Whoa—really?” Cindy’s jaw was hanging open.

“Really—oh Jesus.”

“Give that poor neglected clitoris some love, Emma,” Mallory commanded. “Rub it for us.”

Emma sent her right hand down her belly and over her vulva, behind the hand she was using to finger-fuck herself. And when Emma thrust her pelvis forward with a sharp cry, it was obvious where those fingers had gone.

Julie felt herself hurtling towards the peak, her nerve endings in overdrive as the stirrings in her groin intensified. “Oh!” she yelped, no longer able to hold it in. “Oh, oh, oh, OHHHHH!” An orgasm claimed her, pussy spasming wildly, the finger she was using to stimulate Cindy’s clit doubling in speed almost of its own accord.

Julie maintained that pace as her orgasm subsided, aware that all eyes had shifted in her direction. Cindy was starting to lose control as well, soft cries escaping barely parted lips as she laid her head on Julie’s shoulder. Julie buried her face in Cindy’s hair, nuzzling softly as she reached for Mallory’s hand. She laced her fingers with those of her partner, reveling in the slick juices that coated them.

Cindy screamed, then screamed again. She pressed her thighs together, trapping Julie’s hand between them. She let out one more howl, then subsided. Recognizing the moment, Julie removed her hand, using the arm to pull Cindy even more tightly to her.

“God, that was b-beautiful,” said Emma, her voice crackling from the speaker, and everyone turned their attention to the screen. Both Emma’s hands were moving with wild abandon. Her breath came in short, harsh gasps. “I’m g-gonna come, guys,” she grunted. Uh—oh God, I’m gonna come. I’m coming—”

Her jaw clenched tightly, Emma twisted her head to one side, then the other, hair flying, breath hissing through gritted teeth. Finally she was still, lounging in her chair, her lips widening into a beatific smile.

Suddenly aware of shuddering breaths to her left, Julie turned to her partner. Mallory’s eyes were unfocused, her forehead sweat-shiny. She was still squeezing her thighs together—flex, release, flex, release.

A smile touched the corner of Julie’s lips. “Need anything, Mal?”

“Yeah. I—I need someone to stick their head under th-this blanket and lick me. I don’t care who.”

“Pick me, pick me!” Cindy was bobbing her head, doing a credible imitation of Donkey from the first Shrek film. Not waiting for an invitation, she lifted the edge of the blanket and disappeared under it head first. Mallory lay back, folding both hands behind her head, a satisfied smirk on her lips.

Moments later, Cindy’s hand and arm appeared, holding Mallory’s panties aloft. “Wettest undies ever!” her muffled voice proclaimed. Julie snatched the sodden undergarment and pressed it to her face, breathing in deeply. Tossing it aside, she nestled in beside her partner and began nuzzling her cheek.

The bulge of Cindy’s head appeared where the fork of Mallory’s thighs would be, and Mal began to moan. “Oh. Oh, oh oh. OH!” Julie was now nibbling her ear, which never failed to drive Mallory wild.

It didn’t take long; Mallory had clearly pushed herself right to the edge. She was screaming, thrashing, shuddering violently. Then her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she went utterly still.

***

“The ambulance director thing will be good for Dad,” Halee was saying. “I think he’s struggling to get any writing done. He hasn’t said anything, but he’s in and out of his office like a human jack-in-the-box—he doesn’t sit and write for hours like he used to. And I know he hasn’t had anything published in a long-ass time. I think he needs something to keep him busy that doesn’t involve words on paper.”

“I hope it helps him,” said Bethany. “Your dad seems like a good guy.” The two thirteen-year-old girls, lazy in the wake of spent passion, were lounging on their beds, catching each other up on the events of the past few days as they gazed at each other on their laptop screens.

“I can’t wait for you to be here,” said Halee. “It seems like such a long time.”

“But you know it’s not,” said Bethany. “I’m excited too, but it’s only a few more weeks. Still, I can’t wait for you to show me around.”

“I know Johnstown pretty well,” said Halee. “We could make a day of it, walk all over. I’ll show you everything.”

“Halee—” Bethany’s voice was hesitant, uncertain.

“What’s up?”

“When I get there, do you want to try, ummm—”

“Sounds dangerous, whatever it is,” said Halee, a wicked grin forming.

Bethany colored slightly, then plowed forward. “Maybe it is. I was wondering if you wanted to—to try being girlfriends. You know, like, official and all.”

Halee’s eyes widened. “Are you serious right now?”

“Well—uh—yeah. But if you don’t want to, I mean—maybe I shouldn’t have asked yet. I’m sorry, I—”

Halee shook her head. “No, Bethany! I love it. But why wait till you get here?” She gave her friend a smile that spoke volumes. “How about starting right now?”

***

“It’s just little death,” said Nettie, soothing a nervous Hannah by smoothing her hair. Mallory was coming around now, her head on Julie’s lap, a sleepy smile on her lips. “That’s what the French call the orgasm, y’know—la petite mort. Scared the crap out of me the first time I saw it happen, but it’s kind of Mal’s thing.”

Hannah gave her an amused grin. “And how exactly do you know that?”

Nettie kept her expression neutral with an effort; until ten minutes ago she hadn’t known that. This flood of revived memories blanketed her mind like a shroud. Afternoons at the park with the Pussy Posse. Hours spent listening to records in Jamie Nelson’s attic bedroom. And other things—things that involved a lot less clothing. How was she supposed to process it all?

She was struggling to form a reply when Julie came to the rescue. “Oh, this girl spent a little time with the Posse! She knows things.”

Hannah chuckled. “I am so jealous.”

“We had some good times,” said Emma, drawing all eyes back to the phone screen. She was still lounging in her chair, still deliciously nude. “Speaking of which: Cindy, are you on for August?”

“You bet!” said Cindy. “My PTO request went through. Now that I have my bachelor’s in criminal justice, I think they’re scared I’ll go looking for other jobs.”

“Yeah, congrats on that, by the way,” said Emma. “I so can’t wait for August! But right now I’d better sign off. I have to be on a conference call about this dumb damn network first thing in the morning.”

“Well, thanks for hanging,” said Cindy with a giggle.

“Yeah, that was awesome,” Julie chimed in.

“Love you, hon. We’ll be seeing you soon,” Mallory added.

“Nettie,” said Emma. “It was so great seeing you again. And nice to meet you, Hannah!”

“Likewise,” said Hannah. “Hope we can do it in person sometime.”

“Yeah, good to see you, Em,” said Nettie.

Emma’s image disappeared from the screen. Nettie let her head collapse onto the pillow, turning towards the wall of the tent so no one could see the tears gathering in her eyes. She felt Hannah’s arm wrap around her from behind, a warm body pressing in close.

“Hey,” Hannah’s voice was right in her ear, the barest of whispers. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Nettie murmured back, willing her voice to remain steady. “Just tired.”

***

It feels colder than it really is, Heather Dulcey reminds herself. A longstanding creature of the outdoors, she’s well aware that your body loses its tolerance after awhile. She feels like she’s freezing to death, but judges that the actual temperature isn’t cold enough to kill her, at least not wrapped up in this shitty blanket and sharing body heat with her sister. Just cold enough to make her almost wish she was dead.

Gina seems able to sleep right through it, but Heather isn’t so lucky. The frigid air is redolent of pee, that lovely smell emanating from the far corner of the shed, where the girls have been relieving themselves. The shed itself is dark, ominous, the moonlight casting weird patterns of light between cracks in the siding.

Heather’s body aches from lying in the same position on the cracked concrete floor for too long. She’s considered getting up and walking around the shed, stretching her legs and reviving her circulation, but holds herself in place with a discipline she didn’t know she had. Gina is smaller than her, and will have less resistance to the nighttime temperatures. Is it cold enough to be dangerous to a small girl alone under an inadequate blanket? Heather doesn’t know.

And so she remains in place, enduring the cold and the pain, snuggling her sister spoon-style from behind, sharing her warmth.

On to Chapter Six!

 

Didi’s Epiphany, Part Three

  • Posted on November 1, 2025 at 4:06 pm

(Previously in Parts One and Two: Valerie’s elaborate plans to celebrate her daughter Didi’s twelfth birthday are undone when the power of their home goes out. To pass the time, Valerie proposes a game of Truth or Dare, declaring a No Mad Zone so Didi can be completely frank with her. Perhaps inevitably, the talk soon takes a sexual turn as mother and daughter share some very intimate secrets. One of these is Valerie admitting that she first learned about sex from a female piano teacher at the age of eleven or twelve.

At the same time, the dares become more… daring. Didi dares Mom to teach her how to kiss, Valerie dares Didi to get naked with her, and finally Didi asks her mom to, “show me what you did with your piano teacher.” Valerie is hesitant, but ultimately wants this as much as Didi, so mother and daughter end up making love.)

by Louisa May

Morning.

Apparently, the power had come back on while Valerie and Didi were asleep. By dawn, it was actually chilly, and Valerie awakened with a start. Didi lay curled into her, still gloriously naked. She felt the girl’s soft, even breath caress her breast.

And that was when it all came flooding back. Everything she and her daughter had done. The beer, the blackout, the games, the kisses, the undressing, their shared truths, their exploration, Didi’s ecstasy… My goodness, Valerie thought.

Didi’s hair ties had come unraveled, so Valerie carefully undid the girl’s pigtails, then carefully rose from the bed to retrieve a comforter from her closet. Gazing down at her sleeping beauty, she toyed with the notion of kissing Didi’s cute little bottom, but thought better of it, touching her lips to the child’s forehead instead. She gently covered Didi with the comforter, then padded into the bathroom to take a shower.

An hour or so later, she was mixing pancake batter in the kitchen when she heard her daughter’s voice from the bedroom. “Mom?” There was the patter of bare feet, then, louder: “Mom?”

“I’m in the kitchen, honey!”

The sound of feet came closer, then Didi, still nude, appeared in the kitchen doorway clutching herself, both arms folded over her chest. She was shivering, perhaps not fully awake, and her loose red hair stood out in a wild, sleepy muss.

Valerie put down the mixing spoon. “Oh, honey–”

“I – I didn’t know where you were!” Didi cried. “At first I didn’t know where I was, then you weren’t there, and I thought maybe you were mad at me.” She was starting to tear up. “So then I thought, maybe you went to sleep in my room, but you weren’t there, and, and–”

Valerie extended her arms. “Oh, baby, come here, come here.”

Didi raced into her mother’s embrace, sniffling. “Shh, shhhh…” Valerie soothed, stroking her daughter’s hair, brushing it away from her face, and then giving her back and bum a vigorous rub. “You’re still half asleep, pretty butt.”

Didi giggled into her chest, then gave a muffled response. “You called me ‘pretty butt’.”

Valerie kissed the top of her child’s head. “Cause that’s what you are.” Drawing back a bit, she peered into Didi’s blinking green eyes, then placed a light kiss on the girl’s lips before reaching up to stroke her slightly flushed cheek. “What a birthday night, huh? A whole lot of new, new stuff.”

Didi gazed solemnly at her mother. “Mom?”

“Hmm?”

She hesitated for a moment, then said, “It was the weirdest, bestest birthday ever… oh my gosh, it was the best day ever!”

Valerie wrapped both arms around Didi, giving the girl a loving squeeze. “I’m glad, honey,” she murmured into her daughter’s ear. “For me, too. So, so wonderful…”

Didi cupped her mother’s face in both hands. “So… can we do it some more?”

“Oh, honey,” Valerie purred, flashing her daughter a grin as she placed her hands on Didi’s. “Of course we can.” She gave a giddy laugh. “I want to, so much, I just didn’t know if…” She kissed her daughter’s mouth, allowing it to linger. “Do you really want that, Didi?” Her beautiful brown eyes glistened, glowing with love. “Do you want to, to play like we did last night, be naked together, and explore each other?”

Didi was already nodding vigorously. “Yes. Yes, Mom. I do.”

Valerie took a deep, steadying breath. “Good. Good!” She stroked Didi’s sides, her fingertips gliding over the twelve-year-old’s bare skin. “But first, we’ve got to get rid of these goosebumps of yours, pretty butt!” Patting Didi’s bottom, she added, “Go put on some clothes, then come back here for breakfast!” She kissed her daughter again. “Go!”

Naked Didi bounded out through the kitchen door. Then she poked her head back in. “You called me pretty butt again!” Then a cute young girl’s bottom appeared in the open doorway, did a quick twerk, and vanished.

Valerie laughed. “Nice! And put on underpants, Didi!” she called after her daughter.

Ten minutes later, Didi made an entrance, jumping through the doorway into the kitchen. “Ta-daa!”

It was a sight that turned Valerie to warm jelly inside. Her daughter had chosen to go all-out Starfire. She’d dressed in Starfire polar fleece leggings, topped by a sweatshirt bearing the cartoon character’s image. And Didi’s favorite Starfire socks, of course. She’d taken the trouble to brush her hair, which now spilled onto her shoulders.

Gorgeous, Valerie mused. She’s my Starfire. My sweet, freckle-faced Starfire…

“Breakfast is served, my lady,” she murmured as Didi took her seat at the dining table. Valerie set a full plate before the girl: a stack of pancakes with all the trimmings – syrup, butter and a dollop of whipped cream, accompanied by a tall glass of cold milk.

“Pancakes! Yum!” Snatching up her fork, Didi was definitely awake now — and hungry. Valerie had to smile as she watched her daughter tuck in voraciously, like…

Like someone who’s just had a long, hot night of sex with her mother, she told herself.

Once she’d wolfed down a half dozen bites, Didi tried to speak, her mouth still full of pancake. “Mom? Wha’ ovver stoff–?”

Valerie frowned. “Hmm, wonder why I can’t understand what you’re saying? That is so weird…”

Didi struggled to swallow, then took a swig of milk. She swallowed again, then wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “I said: what other stuff did you do with your piano teacher?”

“Miss Arlene. Use your napkin, honey.”

“Miss Arlene,” Didi repeated, laying down her fork.

“Well,” Valerie began, picking up her daughter’s plate, “if you remember, that dare of yours,” and she gave Didi a knowing smile, “the dare that started all this, thank God… it was to show you what we did. Me and Miss Arlene Rochelle, when she and I were… close.” She gave the plate a quick rinse, deftly slipped it into the dishwasher, then turned and leaned against it. “So, if you want to know what else we did, that means…” She fell silent, waiting for her daughter to complete the thought.

“Then that means… you have to, to show me.” Didi bit her lip as a wonderful whoosh raced through her.

Valerie’s lips parted slightly. She felt her face, her chest go hot, accompanied by a deepening down below; a luscious fullness. Oh, my…

Mother and daughter stared at each other for a long while, mulling over what had just been said… and what it meant.

Finally, Valerie broke the silence. “That’s right.” A slight tremor in her voice. “Would you like me to…?”

Didi swallowed, then nodded.

“Are you ready to do what I tell you, my love?”

Didi’s mouth opened. This was new… and surprising. A little scary, too, but not enough to keep her from wanting more of it. “Yes,” she whispered.

Valerie took a deep breath. “Good. So the first thing I need you to do is stand up.”

Didi obeyed without a murmur. She stood there, looking so small and childlike in her sweatshirt and leggings. And those adorable socks. Her fiery red hair still stood up a bit. So cute

“Okay, now take off your leggings.” Didi’s eyes widened, but she dutifully tucked her thumbs in and pulled the stretchy tights down and over her socks. Tugging them free, she balled up the leggings and tossed them onto the other chair.

Valerie had to smile. “Well, look at you… actually wearing underpants!”

Her cheeks slightly flushed, Didi mumbled, “Well, you did tell me to…”

“True,” Valerie said, approaching her daughter, “but I didn’t know if you heard me.” She tilted her head. “I would tell you to take off your top, too… but I don’t want you to get cold.”

“I can — I’ll take it off if you want me to. I won’t get cold.” Her green eyes were wide open. “If you tell me to, Mommy… I’ll take off my top. I will!”

Valerie nodded. “Off, then.” And her daughter immediately pulled the sweatshirt over her head, mussing her hair even more, and threw it on the chair with her leggings. Now she stood before her mother in just her pale purple panties, adorned on the front with Starfire, who was poised for action.

“Well done. Miss Arlene would be so pleased by how well you take direction.” Drawing closer, she scooped her daughter up with both arms. “Upsy-daisy!” she exclaimed, depositing Didi on the kitchen table. Standing before her daughter, Valerie slid both hands along Didi’s pale pink thighs. “Okay, then. How are we doing so far… still good?”

Didi nodded, aglow with anticipation. “Now what?”

“Ah, yes. Now what?” Reaching back for the chair, Valerie pulled it in and sat before her daughter. “Scoot up to the edge, baby.” Didi did. “Now bring your knees up, and put both feet flat on the table… but push them as far apart as you can.”

Her daughter did this, too, now intensely aware that her mother’s face was inches from her panty-clad missy.

Valerie had to smile as she took in the sight of her little girl’s barely-concealed slit, its contour clearly visible through those colorful panties. And there was Starfire, right on the front, gazing at her. Defiant. Ready for action. “Well, hi there, Starfire,” she said.

Didi could feel the gentle warmth of her mom’s breath when she spoke, tickling her inner thighs. She took a shaky breath, and in a small voice, replied, “Um, Starfire says ‘hi’ back.”

Valerie looked up at her daughter. Such soft, open-mouthed trust. “Can I give Starfire a kiss, do you think?”

A short intake of breath. “Yes. She would like that.”

Valerie focused again on the huge green eyes, round face and red hair of her daughter’s favorite avatar. The outline of Didi’s vulva gave Starfire’s face an active dimension, as if she was on the verge of saying something. Leaning in closer, Valerie said, “I’m gonna just… breathe on her first; let her know I’m here.” She parted her lips, covered the cartoon face with an open mouth, then breathed out.

“Ooooh…” Didi cooed, glancing up to gaze into her mom’s dark, affectionate eyes.

“How does that feel, hon?”

Didi giggled. “Like… like you were making steam in my missy.” An image of a window, of drawing pictures on the foggy glass.

“You’re a big girl now, Didi,” Valerie said, sitting back in the chair. “It’s time you used big girl words.” She placed a gentle kiss on the rise of her daughter’s mound. “Now,” she murmured. “Tell me where I’m kissing you.”

“My… my missy?”

Valerie kissed her there again, a little more insistently this time. Didi responded with a whimper, spreading her thighs even wider. “This,” another kiss, “is your pussy.” Three more kisses, each one pressing more firmly against the front of Didi’s panties. Valerie looked up. “Now you say it.”

Didi’s mouth was hanging open. She let out a little squeak, then said, “My pussy. It’s my… my pussy!”

“Good.” Now Valerie had a hand between her own legs. Once more, she pressed her lips to her daughter’s now-damp panty crotch and moved them very slightly, feeling the doughy softness beneath the material, then raised her head. “I think it’s time for Starfire’s beauty rest.” Reaching beneath the trembling girl, she grasped the waistband of Didi’s underpants. “Ready?”

Didi nodded. “Ready,” she whispered.

Valerie pulled her daughter’s panties down, Didi lifting her bottom to assist. As they came away from Didi’s stocking feet, Valerie reverently smoothed them out, placing them on the nearby chair.

Didi resumed her seated, spread position atop the table, now nude but for her Starfire socks.

“I knew Starfire would get in on this somehow,” Valerie murmured, smiling as she gazed at her daughter’s open vulva. She inhaled, basking in its scent: fresh, meaty… pungent. A glistening fold of Didi’s inner labia seemed to beckon her closer.

“Ohh, such a beautiful butterfly,” Valerie said. “And now… it’s time for my breakfast.”

Propped up on both elbows, Didi watched, fascinated, as her mother laid warm hands on her inner thighs, then leaned in to take a long slow lick along the opening of her missy… She corrected herself: My pussy.

It felt so tender and loving, so… so Mom. “Mmmm,” Didi purred, spreading her thighs even more.

Valerie was in heaven. Didi’s taste was lovely — salty, sweaty, perhaps a hint of pee, along with a mixture of the spicy, savory oil of her being, her very insides. Valerie slid her long, thick tongue up and around, sinking into the groove of her daughter’s sex, then sucking on those budding pussy lips.

Didi threw her head back, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. “Ohh, Mommy… mmmnn.”

Now Valerie pursed her lips around the child’s hooded clit, nursing on the immature little bud as if it was a nipple. Didi thrust her hips forward, grinding against her mother’s devouring mouth as she began to keen, to moan, “M-M-mommmyyohhHH yeah, Mommy… OHHhhh!” Didi seized her mother’s head, fingers twining into Valerie’s hair, and held on for dear life. “OhhhhHHHHH!”

What an incredible sight it was! Even as she continued to pleasure her little girl, Valerie tried to drink in the experience, to engrave it in her consciousness: the scent of Didi’s flower, the tart, luscious taste, the ecstatic cries, even the warmth of the girl’s inner thighs against her cheeks. But most of all, the blissful, even rapturous expression of Didi’s face as Mommy gave her daughter the most wonderful feelings ever.

The child’s cry rose to a wail, her voice quivering, eyes wide in astonishment. Her body tightened, then she went limp, her head hitting the table with a dull thud – not too hard, thankfully. Valerie could still feel tiny aftershocks ripple through her daughter’s thighs as she lightly nuzzled the smooth slit, finally adorning it with one last kiss before raising her head.

There was Didi, dreamy-eyed and quivering, her bright red hair mussed, cheeks flushed a rosy pink. So beautiful, Valerie told herself. She’s never been lovelier.

Hugging herself, she gazed down at her daughter until the girl’s eyes fluttered open. Didi clumsily pushed her way up into a sitting position. “Whoa,” she whispered. “That was sooooo… oh, I don’t even know!”

Valerie lightly touched Didi’s knee. “You came, honey. Was it good?”

Didi furrowed her brow. “I… came?”

“Oh, did I not mention that? Well, when you come, it means you had an orgasm. Know what that means?”

“Um… well, it’s part of having sex, right? That’s all I know, I think.”

“Spot on,” Valerie replied with a nod. “See, there are different reasons for having sex. I won’t run through them all, but mostly people do it to get a certain incredible, amazing feeling. That’s an orgasm. Sound familiar…?”

“Oh, wow… that’s what happens when you do sex? Oh, it was good, Mom,” Didi breathed, wide-eyed and awed, shaking her head in disbelief. “The best. Totally the best!” She extended her arms to Valerie. “Can we go back up to bed now? Will you carry me, like last night? And, and can you take your robe off, so we can both be naked?”

“Hmmm…” said Valerie, hands on hips. “So many requests!” Drawing close, she enfolded her daughter in a loving embrace. “And I say ‘yes’ to them all.”

“Yay!” Didi exclaimed.

Valerie slipped an arm beneath her daughter’s thighs, lifting Didi from the table, then advanced to the stairs. “Ooof. You’re heavy, girl!”

Mom! That’s so not true!” Didi protested with a mock scowl, then giggled. Tilting her head back, she gazed up at Valerie. “I love you…”

“I love you too, baby girl.” By then, they’d reached the top of the stairs, A few steps to the right took them into Valerie’s bedroom. “And here… we… are!” Moving to the foot of the unmade bed, Valerie tossed the nude girl onto the rumpled sheets.

“Whee!” Didi cried, bouncing herself up and down a few times. Then she settled in, hands behind her head, legs casually parted. “C’mon, Mom… snuggle with me. But first, lose that robe!”

“Well, I did promise, so…” Taking her time undoing the tie, Valerie slowly opened her bathrobe, then she shrugged it off to stand nude before her daughter.

Didi stared openly at her naked mother. “Hey, Mom? If I didn’t say anything last night about how beautiful you are with no clothes on, well…you are. So beautiful.”

Pursing her lips in concentration, Valerie paused for a moment. “Hmmm. I think you did, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it once more. Maybe three or four times?”

She was joking, but Didi seemed to take the request seriously. Sitting up, tilting her head slightly, she said, “Mom, you’re the most beautiful, sweetest, sexiest woman I’ve ever seen in my whole life, and…” Suddenly gone shy, Didi looked down at her feet. “And I really, really want you to kiss me.”

A rush of warmth surged through Valerie, leaving her lightheaded. Climbing onto the bed, she stretched out next to her daughter. “Come here, pretty girl.”

Sighing contentedly, Didi nestled into her mother’s arms. Valerie cupped the girl’s face in both hands, then graced her lips with a feather-light kiss.

Didi was quick to respond, returning her mom’s affection with a fervor that had Valerie’s lust soaring all over again, especially when the girl’s tongue darted into her mouth.

Refusing to break the kiss, Valerie rolled Didi onto her back, gently mounting her daughter. Didi responded with an impassioned moan, twining both legs around her mother.

Valerie felt the heat of Didi’s slit, pressing just below her belly. It was intensely erotic, as if the girl was kissing her twice, above and below. She might have smiled at the thought, but her mouth was busy with Didi’s, their tongues still playfully sparring. My God, she’s good at this. And only twelve… 

Suddenly Didi broke away. “Your lips taste different, Mom. Wait. Is that…?”

“It is, yes. That’s the flavor of pussy… your pussy. Nice, huh?”

“Yeah,” Didi sighed. “Makes me think of something, but I can’t remember what.” She fell silent for a few heartbeats, then said, “Um, Mom…?”

Valerie waited for more, but her daughter was silent. “What is it, hon?”

Now Didi was blushing. “Will you let me… um, can I lick you that way? Down there?”

Furrowing her brow, Valerie pretended to concentrate. “Hmmm… down there. Not sure what you’re asking me, kiddo. You want to lick… my feet?”

“Eww! No!” Didi exclaimed in protest, but she was laughing. “C’mon, Mom. You know what I mean!”

Valerie drew closer, until their noses were almost touching, then abruptly rolled onto her back, carrying her giggling daughter along for the ride. Now Didi lay between her mother’s spread legs. “Yes, I do know,” Valerie said, her tone low and sultry. “But you need to ask the right way, Didi. You’re a woman now. If you really want to make love to me, say it like a grownup would.”

Didi’s eyes widened. “Is that what we’re doing? We – we’re making love?”

“Yes, we are,” Valerie murmured. “It’s probably not something many moms do with their daughters, but… well, I wanted to be with you that way, and I’m glad it happened. How does that make you feel?”

“Good,” Didi replied. “Really good. Wow, it’s like I’m your girlfriend, huh?”

“I guess you are. But,” Valerie continued, raising a finger, “don’t forget – I’m still your mom, kiddo. So when I tell you to tidy up your room, get cracking on your homework, or to wear underpants under your clothes… well, I want to see a spotless bedroom, finished homework, and a pair of panties covering this pretty butt.” She gave her daughter’s bottom a playful squeeze.

“Deal!” Didi exclaimed. “Know what? I like having a mom who’s my girlfriend. We, um, make love, then you bake a bunch of chocolate chip cookies. How awesome is that?”

“Pretty awesome.” Valerie placed a kiss on the tip of the twelve-year-old’s nose. “So, now that you and I have cemented our status as girlfriends, I believe there was some talk about you wanting to do something to me… ‘down there’?”

“Oh, yeah.” Mulling it over for a moment, Didi came out with, “Mom? I’d really, really, really like to, um, lick your pussy.” By the time she’d got all the words out, her cheeks were flushed a perfectly adorable hue of pink.

Valerie was quivering inside. My God, I am so utterly, completely in love with her. Lightly stroking Didi’s face, she whispered, “Oh, my beautiful, sweet, sexy little girl… there’s nothing in the world I’d like better.”

“Cool!” Didi scrambled onto her knees, then paused. “Mom?” she said, suddenly bashful. “Um… can we kiss some more first?”

“Of course we can, angel,” Valerie declared, reaching out for the girl, drawing her close. She paused to lose herself in those emerald eyes all over again, then their lips brushed together.

They began to make a game of it – sharing quick, feather-light kisses, occasionally giggling at how they tickled. Then they gradually allowed each kiss to linger, their mood changing from giddy to deeply sensual. Didi was first to bring her tongue into play… then as if a switch had been clicked, mother and daughter were grinding their bare bodies together in a heated tangle.

Didi was riding her mom, panting like a sprinter between kisses as she rubbed her bare slit on Valerie’s thigh. “Oh, Mom, oh my gosh, I – I think it’s, oooooohhh, h-happening again…?”

“Let it happen,” Valerie whispered into her child’s mouth. “Come for me.”

It took Didi a minute or so to squirm her way to orgasm, biting her lower lip in concentration as she pumped and thrust against her mother’s body. Valerie did what she could to pleasure the mewling girl – nuzzled her neck, nibbled her ear, fondled that adorable little bottom. But finally Didi lay spent, cozily nestled in Mom’s silken arms, feeling her heartbeat gradually return to normal.

Then she abruptly sat up, her pretty mouth set in a frown. “No fair!” she exclaimed.

Opening one eye, then both, Valerie gave Didi a quizzical glance. “What’s not fair?”

“Well… it was my turn to give you the good feeling!”

Valerie had to laugh. “Well, I’m ready when you are, kiddo,” she murmured, reaching up to stroke her daughter’s flushed cheek. “You have such a sweet mouth… I’d love to feel it on my pussy.”

Thoughtfully studying her mom’s sex, Didi nodded. “So… I can do it now?”

“Any time, my love.” Valerie slowly parted her thighs, waiting.

Didi carefully arranged herself, lying prone before Valerie as if in worship. She reached out, allowing a finger to graze the rosy flesh of mother’s cunt. “So pretty,” she whispered. Inhaling deeply, she added, “It smells nice, too. Sort of…” The girl shrugged. “I don’t know what, but I like it.” She gently traced the slit, then drew in to kiss it.

“Oh,” Valerie moaned, then gasped when her daughter took a hesitant lick.

“Um… is that okay?” asked Didi, raising her head.

Valerie could feel herself vibrating from head to toe, like a plucked bass string. “Perfect… except the part where you stopped. Less talking, more licking!”

“Oops! Sorry!” Didi exclaimed, then got to work. She bathes her mother’s vaginal opening four or five times with long swipes of the tongue, then paused for a few heartbeats to savor the rich, earthy taste. “Just so you know, Mom, I decided your pussy is totally yummy,” Didi announced, then returned for more.

A few more licks, then Didi covered Valerie’s juicy vulva with her mouth, going down on her mother with the same ardor she’d shown when they were swapping real kisses just moments earlier. Bringing her tongue into play, she quickly realized how easy it was to go inside Mom’s pussy, so she did that for a while, thrusting in and out, in and out.

Yes, baby girl!” Valerie blurted. “Oh, m-my God, yes… fuck me with your tongue!”

A delicious shiver raced through Didi as she took in the significance of her mother’s words. Wow, yeah, that’s what I’m doing… I’m fucking Mom!

She was already thrilled, but this revelation had Didi on fire with excitement, thinking of herself as a real, honest-to-goodness woman for the first time in her twelve years. Fucking. I’ve never even said that word out loud, and now I’m doing it – with Mom! So, SO cool!

At that point, Didi was laser-focused on one thing and one thing only: giving her mother those same amazing sensations she’d already enjoyed. Her mouth was everywhere as she feasted on Valerie’s cunt, the lower half of her face dripping with its thick, luscious honey.

Noticing the tiny erection of her mom’s clitoris, Didi gave it a swipe of the tongue.

“Ohhh,” Valerie moaned, her body seizing up. “Yes, my love, yes!”

Didi was quick to respond. She took the inflamed nubbin between her lips to suckle, instinctively flicking it with the tip of her tongue.

A choked cry broke from Valerie’s throat as a massive orgasm claimed her. She began to buck and twitch, her jaw clenched tightly, eyes squeezed shut. She’d never come this hard, never. Blue-hot shockwaves of ecstasy tore through her frame, each one shaking her body like a rag doll.

OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod

Hanging on for dear life, Didi continued to pleasure her mother as best she could, her lips still fastened to Valerie’s clit, thinking, Oh, wow… I really can do this!

An inspired notion occurred to Didi, and she went with it. Placing a hand on her mom’s vulva, she began to rub the warm, wet flesh. Her fingers found Valerie’s opening, and it was the simplest thing in the world to slip two of them inside.

A heartbeat later, Valerie went bone-rigid for a small, blissful eternity as her ecstasy reached its unimaginable peak. Then she went limp, a held breath rushing from her lungs as she sank into the sodden bedclothes. But Didi was still at it, still making love to her beautiful mommy.

Didi raised her head. The child’s eyes were dancing with glee, her mouth and chin smeared with Valerie’s nectar. “Was that good?” she asked. “Did you… did you come?”

Spreading her arms, Valerie said, “I absolutely did. You were magnificent, Didi. C’mere, give me a kiss. I want to taste my pussy on your lips–”

But Didi was already on the move, crawling into her mom’s embrace, cutting her words off with a kiss that quickly grew heated.

Yet again, Val felt a rush of warmth, brought on by the boundless, all-encompassing love she felt for her little girl. Not so little anymore, she reminded herself. She’s a woman now.

Their mouths finally drifted apart, and Didi rested her head on Valerie’s breast. “Thank you, Mom,” she murmured. “This has been the greatest birthday ever. In the… the whole history of birthdays, the best!” Then she raised her head. “So… I get to keep doing this with you, right? ‘Cause we’re girlfriends, you said so!”

“Yes, angel,” Valerie replied, stroking Didi’s back. “We are girlfriends…and yes, we most definitely will keep making love. I couldn’t give this up, even if I wanted to.”

“Good. I don’t want to stop, either. Not now, not ever!”

“There is one thing we need to discuss, and it’s about us being girlfriends. We have to keep it a secret. From everyone. You do understand that, don’t you?” Didi gave a solemn nod. “Okay… but do you know why?”

“It’s ’cause moms aren’t s’posed to do sex stuff with their kids,” Didi replied. “And you’d get in big trouble if someone found out. But I won’t tell anyone, Mom. Cross my heart!” She drew a large, invisible X on her chest with an index finger.

Valerie hugged her child close. “That’s good enough for me, pretty butt,” she said, giving Didi’s bottom a playful pat, then allowed her hand to linger.

“I like when you call me that!” the girl exclaimed. “‘Specially if you’re playing with my butt when you say it.”

“Oh, I’ll be doing plenty more of that, have no fear,” Valerie replied. She stretched, yawned, glanced at the clock. “Good grief — the morning’s already gone! Time to get up and face the day, daughter mine.”

Didi frowned. “Aw, Mom… can’t we lay here and snuggle some more? You feel so warm and nice…” She placed a feather-light kiss on her mother’s chin.

“Don’t try to sway me with kisses, you little imp!” Valerie exclaimed, tickling her daughter’s ribcage with a straying finger.

“Mom, stop!” Didi squealed, seizing her mother’s wrist. “We don’t have to g-get up, do we?”

Valerie pretended to think. “Well, there are the dishes from breakfast… and I do need to get started on the laundry…”

“Nooooo!” Didi cried. “Not right now, you don’t!” She clasped Valerie’s hand in hers. “I’ll help you with the stupid laundry, Mom. Just… just be with me a little longer.”

“Well… okay. I suppose snuggling with you is nicer than folding socks…”

“Way nicer!” declared Didi. “‘Specially when we’re not wearing anything.” She grinned. “Bare naked — that’s what I like!”

“Hmm… I must say, it’s hard to fault that logic,” Valerie said. “It’s settled, then. I’ll stay here with you all day, if you like.”

“I do like!” Didi enthused. Then her expression turned serious. “Mom?”

“What, my love?”

“I just wanted to say… these new things we’re doing, that you’re teaching me… I love it. All of it. I, um, thought you might need to hear me say that, okay?” She hugged Valerie fiercely.

Gazing into those bright green eyes, Valerie shook her head in awe. “How did my kid get so wise?” She pressed a kiss into Didi’s sweet-smelling hair. “You’re right, honey. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

“Good. ‘Cause I don’t care if other people say this is bad for us to do. I say it isn’t!” Resting her head on Valerie’s breast, she added, “I love you so much, Mom. More than ever!”

Valerie trailed a hand up and down Didi’s back, occasionally stroking the girl’s pert little bottom. “I love you too, honey.”

“Good. Now hush!” Didi nestled deeper into her mother’s embrace. “It’s quiet time. Let’s just… be together, ‘kay?”

“Okay,” Valerie whispered, then fell silent, cradling her daughter in both arms, basking in the moment. Just be together, like Didi said.

There would be time to reflect later. Time to explore, to discover, to savor the delights, the wonders and yes, the complications of being her child’s lover.

But for now, Valerie and Didi lay quietly, perfectly relaxed, serenaded by the faint sounds of neighborhood children playing in the afternoon sun.

The End