\u201cIs everyone decent?\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking down at her naked body, Erin laughed and said, \u201cNot really. You can come in, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mindy poked her head in the door, said, \u201cUm, could you two come next door?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d Ashley asked, propping up on her elbow, \u201cwhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething happened,\u201d Mindy said, stepping into the room, \u201cit\u2019ll be easier to discuss it if we are all together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catching the girl\u2019s tone, Erin sat up and glanced at Ashley. The girl had the same worried look on her face. Looking back at Mindy, she nodded, said, \u201cYeah. We are coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNatty is making breakfast\u2026 Waffles. They should be ready any minute,\u201d Mindy said, turning to leave, \u201cI\u2019ll see you at Natty\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erin glanced at Ashley when the girl was gone, asked, \u201cWhat do you think happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ashley said, slipping out of bed, \u201cshe seemed nervous or upset about something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Erin agreed. She had seen the same thing in Mindy\u2019s eyes, heard it in her voice. Standing up, Erin said, \u201cI don\u2019t think she would have interrupted us if it wasn\u2019t something important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashley came around the bed, and Erin offered her hand. Erin couldn\u2019t help but smile when the girl took it. Holding hands with Ashley was beginning to feel normal. She found herself doing it without thinking, which kind of surprised her. While she thought they were perfect for each other, she really hadn\u2019t expected them to be a typical couple. She was happy to be wrong about them.<\/p>\n
Hand in hand, they headed next door. They found everyone in the kitchen, gathered around the table. Sarah, Mindy, and Natty had plates of waffles in front of them, and there were two plates set up for her and Ashley. Erin was a little amused to see that no one had bothered to get dressed- not even Sarah, the shyest of them.<\/p>\n
Sitting down at the table, Erin asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMindy and I fell asleep,\u201d Sarah said, passing a bottle of syrup to Ashley.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d Erin asked, glancing at Mindy.<\/p>\n
\u201cUm, yeah,\u201d Mindy said, a little sheepishly, \u201cwe just sort of\u2026 nodded off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you end up in the other place?\u201d Ashley asked, handing the syrup to Erin, \u201cthe place Erin went to?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah\u2026 We were there at the same time,\u201d Mindy said, snorting, \u201cI had figured you were dreaming, but I was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could see each other?\u201d Erin asked, intrigued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Mindy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTouch each other, too,\u201d Sarah said, then added quickly, \u201cshe touched my shoulder reassuringly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grinning, Erin said, \u201cNo hokey-pokey?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot over there,\u201d Mindy said, laughing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you were both asleep,\u201d Ashley asked, frowning, \u201chow did you get back? Erin always had to be awakened by someone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUm, Natty woke us up,\u201d Sarah said, blushing.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatty? Why was Natty…\u201d Erin started to ask, then saw Sarah\u2019s red cheeks. She glanced at Mindy, saw the amused smile she was trying to hide. Frowning, Erin looked at Natty, then back at Sarah. Then it hit her, and she snorted in surprise, said, \u201cWait. You all\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUm, yeah,\u201d Sarah said, embarrassed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you gave me shit earlier,\u201d Erin said, laughing as Sarah squirmed, \u201chow did this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell…\u201d Sarah said, looking away.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wanted to get her feet wet,\u201d Mindy said, drawing a look from Sarah. Laughing, Mindy said, “Well, you did.”<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you decided to sell her on the idea, after all, then,\u201d Erin said, glancing at Mindy.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe kind of sold herself,\u201d Mindy said, smiling at her girlfriend, \u201calthough I guess you<\/em> put the thought in her head.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d Erin asked, pretending innocence. She remembered the playful comment she had given Sarah before sending her and Mindy next door. She had seen the thoughts it had inspired in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of you,\u201d Sarah said, laughing and blushing even brighter red.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you are definitely in the club, now,\u201d Ashley said, smiling at her, \u201cI thought you might finally break the cycle- wear the black lingerie and not sleep with Natty- but I guess not.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked around the table and had to laugh. Everyone sitting here had done just that- try on the black lingerie and end up sleeping with Natty. Not that she was surprised. The girl was irresistible, beautiful and sensual. Like Ashley had said, she had thought maybe Sarah would be the one to resist Natty\u2019s pull, but even she had succumbed to the girl\u2019s charm.<\/p>\n Letting Sarah off the hook, Erin said, \u201cTell us what happened when you fell asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe went outside to look around,\u201d Sarah said, smiling, \u201csaw the sunrise\u2026 People going to work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople going to work?\u201d Ashley parroted.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was like when Erin fell asleep at the mall,\u201d Mindy said, glancing at Erin, \u201cpeople everywhere, going about their\u2026 um, lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey couldn\u2019t see us,\u201d Sarah said, then laughed, \u201cwhich is a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGetting used to walking around naked?\u201d Ashley teased.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we were naked when we fell asleep,\u201d Sarah said, then looked like she regretted it.<\/p>\n Laughing, Ashley said, \u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up,\u201d Sarah said, laughing at her own expense.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ran into an old friend of yours,\u201d Mindy said to Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cFriend of mine?\u201d Erin said, raising her eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cAlison,\u201d Natty said.<\/p>\n \u201cReally? She\u2019s here?\u201d Erin asked, surprised.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was standing on the porch,\u201d Sarah said, frowning, \u201clike she was waiting on someone\u2026 Or something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt the Grand Canyon, she said she was waiting like everyone else,\u201d Erin said, then sat up straighter, \u201cdid you talk to her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Mindy said, then added when she saw the look in Erin\u2019s eyes, \u201cI asked her what she was sorry about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did she say?\u201d Erin said, leaning forward.<\/p>\n \u201cThat you misheard her,\u201d Mindy said, glancing at Sarah, \u201cand that it was probably best that you did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Erin asked, frowning.<\/p>\n \u201cShe said she almost said too much,\u201d Sarah said, shaking her head, \u201cbefore you ask, we don\u2019t know what she meant by that either. She\u2019s not allowed to tell us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot allowed?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what we wanted to talk to you about\u2026 You know how we always joke about there being a warden- someone in charge here in the Place of Locked Doors?\u201d Mindy asked.<\/p>\n Frowning, Erin said, \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlison pretty much confirmed that suspicion,\u201d Mindy said, fiddling with her fork nervously, \u201cshe called them \u2018Management\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cManagement?\u201d Ashley parroted.<\/p>\n \u201cI get the feeling Alison called them that because she wasn\u2019t allowed to say their real name,\u201d Sarah said. When everyone looked her way, she offered a shrug and added, \u201cThat\u2019s my theory, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid she say anything else about this mysterious \u2018Management\u2019?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath, Mindy said, \u201cOnly that they are aware of us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAware of us?\u201d Erin said, her heart sinking, \u201cAware of us how?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlison seems to think Management finds our meddling with their rules amusing, that we\u2019ve been permitted to blunder about unchecked for that reason,\u201d Mindy said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s kind of…\u201d Ashley said, then seemed unable to find the adjective she was looking for, \u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026 creepy, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Sarah said, rubbing her arms.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I like being a reality show,\u201d Ashley said, making a face.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Erin asked, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does have a Big Brother vibe to it,\u201d Mindy said, shaking her head, \u201csmile, you are on Candid Camera.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt that\u2019s what Alison meant by Management being \u2018aware of us\u2019,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t?\u201d Sarah asked, meeting her eyes, \u201cwhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Erin said, thinking about it, \u201cwe know of Natty and Becky\u2026 There have to be others, right? Other people trapped\u2026 wherever this place is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d think a lot of them,\u201d Mindy said, picking up on Erin\u2019s point, \u201cyou think Management might have better things to do than just to monitor one person?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin said, laughing, \u201cI could be wrong, though. I guess we did give them a reason to pay attention to us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you have to say that?\u201d Sarah said, shaking her head.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Erin said, smiling at her.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there is someone or something in charge of this place\u2026 It must serve a purpose, right? The Place of Locked Doors?\u201d Ashley asked, looking around the table.<\/p>\n \u201cServe a purpose?\u201d Erin asked, frowning.<\/p>\n \u201cWe assumed Natty\u2019s old bedroom was a prison of sorts,\u201d Ashley said, tapping her plate with her fork, \u201cbut why go to the trouble of creating a whole world around it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Erin said, frowning.<\/p>\n She thought she knew what Ashley was asking. If Natty wasn\u2019t supposed to ever leave her bedroom, why recreate the rest of the house, let alone the whole town? Or the rest of the Place of Locked Doors? They hadn\u2019t found a border to this place, so they couldn\u2019t say just how big it was. Hell, there might not be a border to find.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s always bothered me about this place,\u201d Ashley said, taking a bite of her breakfast, \u201cit is kind of overkill\u2026 unless there\u2019s more to the Place of Locked Doors than we have discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA purpose,\u201d Erin said, chewing on the idea. It tasted right on her tongue, even if she couldn\u2019t begin to guess what the purpose could be.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ashley said, shrugging, \u201cmaybe I\u2019m over thinking it. For all we know, recreating this place was no big thing for Management\u2026 They can snap their fingers and poof- instant Nattyland.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNattyland?\u201d Sarah asked, laughing, \u201csounds like an amusement park.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine, Nattyville or Nattyburg\u2026 Nattyburough?\u201d Ashley said, making everyone laugh, \u201cwhatever you want to call it. Instant Place of Locked Doors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat probably is the case,\u201d Erin said, then added, \u201cthat doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t a purpose. I think you are right about that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut what is the purpose?\u201d Sarah asked, looking at her, \u201cthe bedroom I understand, I guess\u2026 Everything else\u2026 I\u2019m not saying I disagree with you\u2026 Hell, I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m saying.\u201d<\/p>\n Smiling sympathetically at her, Erin said, \u201cWelcome to the conversation about the Place of Locked Doors. A lot of our discussions about this place end with that statement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s reassuring,\u201d Sarah said, dryly.<\/p>\n Glancing at Natty, Erin saw the girl lost in thought, a hint of sadness in her eyes. When the girl felt Erin looking at her and turned to face her, Erin asked, \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Natty said, then shook her head, \u201cno, not really. Alison was- maybe, is- standing right there on the porch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin said, taking her hand and squeezing it, \u201cshe was with us at the Grand Canyon, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer being here seems\u2026 purposeful?\u201d Sarah asked, drawing their attention, \u201cDoesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt the Grand Canyon, she said she was waiting for something,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor what?\u201d Sarah asked.<\/p>\n \u201cShe didn\u2019t say,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cOr she couldn\u2019t say,\u201d Mindy said, then snorted, \u201calthough I guess that doesn\u2019t make much of a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n ———————————————-<\/p>\n \u201cPoor Natty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin agreed, putting her arm around Ashley as the girl snuggled against her.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s been through so much,\u201d the redhead said, sighing, \u201ctoo much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMindy and Sarah seeing Alison on the porch got to her,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n They were back in the house next door to Natty\u2019s, once again lying on the bed in the master bedroom. After breakfast, they had stayed with the girl for a few hours until Natty had finally shooed them away, saying she was fine and that they could get back to fooling around. Even with Natty\u2019s assurances, she and Ashley wouldn\u2019t have left if they didn\u2019t think Natty was truly okay, again.<\/p>\n Ashley was quiet for a while, then asked, \u201cDo you really think there is a purpose behind the Place of Locked Doors?\u201d<\/p>\n Smiling, Erin said, \u201cYou mean Nattyland?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr Nattyville?\u201d Ashley asked, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was the other one? Nattyborough?\u201d Erin said<\/p>\n \u201cNattyopolis?\u201d Ashley offered, making Erin laugh.<\/p>\n Erin sobered up some, said, \u201cI never really thought about why there was the rest of the house if Natty was supposed to remain locked in her room, but soon as you said it\u2026 There has to be a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAny idea what it could be?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIf being locked in her room was a punishment of sorts, maybe being let out would be a reward,\u201d Erin said, then snorted, \u201cGod, that makes it sound like she is grounded.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe she is,\u201d Ashley said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cGrounded by who?\u201d Erin asked, thinking about this mysterious Management, \u201cand for how long?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long?\u201d Ashley parroted, propping up on one elbow.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe\u2026 Maybe Alison meant they are all waiting for Natty, because it’s possible for her to get to them, somehow,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n Ashley met her eyes, asked, \u201cDo you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKind of makes sense, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d Erin asked, looking around the room, \u201cthe Place of Locked Doors\u2026 It is based on Natty\u2019s world when she died, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think so,\u201d Ashley said, meeting Erin\u2019s eyes, \u201cyou are thinking this place and the other one- the one you go to when you fall asleep- are connected?\u201d<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath, Erin said, \u201cI think they are the same place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Ashley said, her eyes widening in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Alison meant they are waiting for Natty to come to that other place, or for this place to become that place,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026 That\u2019s…\u201d Ashley said, then ran out of words.<\/p>\n Erin could see the wheels spinning behind the girl\u2019s beautiful green eyes and waited for the girl to process what she had just said. She saw the very moment the idea sank in, and she almost laughed at the look of eureka that passed across her girlfriend\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember when we looked up Purgatory on the computer? When we were trying to figure out what the Place of Locked Doors was?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Ashley said, meeting her eyes, \u201care you thinking this other place is\u2026 Heaven?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr something like it,\u201d Erin said, a little sheepishly, \u201cnot exactly like I remember from Church, but compared to the Place of Locked Doors…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think the people Mindy and Sarah saw are Natty\u2019s neighbors from before\u2026 you know,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d Erin said, then met Ashley\u2019s eyes, \u201cdo you remember the man at the mall?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember you mentioned him,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n \u201cI never saw his face, but I think it was Natty\u2019s Love,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n Frowning, Ashley asked, \u201cDo you think he\u2019d be in Heaven? I\u2019d have thought he\u2019d head south when he died.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if it was really him\u2026 More like Natty\u2019s memory of him,\u201d Erin said, trying to find the words to articulate the idea brewing in her mind, \u201cwhat if Heaven was more\u2026 personal? What if each person has their own version of it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOwn version?\u201d Ashley parroted.<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking about Becky\u2019s version of the Place of Locked Doors. It\u2019s completely different than Natty\u2019s,\u201d Erin said, chewing on her lip, \u201cmaybe everyone\u2019s afterlife is different.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo Heaven isn\u2019t a group thing, but a solo trip?\u201d Ashley asked, meeting her eyes, \u201cand the people you knew\u2026 loved ones and friends and neighbors\u2026 Illusions?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot illusions\u2026 more like memories made real,\u201d Erin said, laughing when Ashley gave her a dubious look, \u201clet\u2019s just say illusions. That probably isn\u2019t exactly right, but it\u2019ll work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think I know what you are trying to say,\u201d Ashley said, meeting Erin\u2019s eyes, \u201cbut how can we test your theory?\u201d<\/p>\n Sighing, Erin said, \u201cI don\u2019t know. I\u2019d say we could as Alison, but that won\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe can\u2019t tell us,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe won\u2019t know until it\u2019s our turn to know\u2026 Isn\u2019t that what she said to Sarah and Mindy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. That\u2019s not very helpful, is it?\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin said, \u201cNo. It\u2019s the exact opposite of helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Ashley said, then smiled at her, \u201cI kind of like your idea, though. I like that I\u2019d be surrounded by people I love and not Mrs. Henry up the street.\u201d<\/p>\n Snorting in surprise, Erin started laughing. Mrs. Henry was a devout Catholic, her place in Heaven almost assuredly reserved, but she wasn\u2019t a very nice person. She had a way of quoting scripture like a weapon, used her faith to beat upon those she deemed unworthy. It was probably well intended and meant as advice, but it came across as a personal attack. Erin had felt the sting of her words a time or two, and she understood why Ashley wouldn\u2019t relish the thought of spending eternity with her.<\/p>\n Ashley snuggled tighter against Erin, said, \u201cYou\u2019d definitely be in my personal Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n Smiling, Erin said, \u201cIt might be a little early to start picking your\u2026 um, illusions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a safe bet I\u2019ll still want you there,\u201d Ashley said, meeting Erin\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Erin asked, her heart getting all funny in her breast.<\/p>\n Ashley gave her a tender kiss, said, \u201cYeah. You are stuck with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Erin said, smiling warmly at her, \u201cit just wouldn\u2019t be Heaven without you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAren\u2019t those song lyrics?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d Erin said, laughing, \u201cthe sentiment is the same, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to stop watching rom-coms,\u201d Ashley teased, but she gave Erin a lingering kiss, \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love you, too,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n Ashley laid her head on Erin\u2019s shoulder, snuggled in tight against her side. They were quiet for a while, each lost in their thoughts about the idea Erin had broached. The more Erin thought about the Place of Locked Doors and the other place, the one she went to when she fell asleep at the mall, then again at the Grand Canyon, the more she was convinced they were one and the same. She thought Alison and the other townsfolk were always there- they just couldn\u2019t see them. Sort of like they couldn\u2019t see Erin when she was asleep. There but not there.<\/p>\n She also thought she was right about there being a way for the two versions of the Place of Locked Doors to become one. Erin knew this place was centered around Natty, so it wasn\u2019t much of a leap to assume that Natty was the key to that merger. She had joked about Natty being \u2018grounded\u2019, but it had a certain note of truth to it. Suicide was supposed to be a mortal sin, but the Place of Locked Doors didn\u2019t seem like Hell to Erin. She and Ashley had read about purgatory- the pseudo-religious place between Heaven and Hell- and she had seen a lot of similarities in this place. The way she understood it, purgatory was a place for a soul to be cleansed and made ready for Heaven.<\/p>\n Could that be what this place\u2019s purpose is<\/em>, Erin wondered, still mauling the idea over, is it a chance for Natty to atone for taking her own life?<\/em><\/p>\n Erin\u2019s parents weren\u2019t particularly religious, so she wasn\u2019t, either. Groaning, she thought, I kind of wish Mrs. Henry were here right now. She could probably answer these questions for me<\/em>.<\/p>\n As usual, trying to figure this place out was starting to give her a headache, so Erin set her thoughts free to roam wherever they would. She smiled when they turned to Mindy and Sarah sleeping with Natty.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe Mindy and Sarah slept with Natty,\u201d Ashley suddenly said.<\/p>\n Her smile widening that Ashley was thinking about the same thing as her, Erin said, \u201cI can. I\u2019m a little surprised it happened this fast, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMindy blamed you,\u201d Ashley said, sounding amused.<\/p>\n \u201cWe probably all had a hand in it,\u201d Erin said, then laughed, \u201calthough I might have put the thought in her head.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo \u2018might\u2019 about it,\u201d Ashley said, propping up on her elbow to grin at Erin, \u201cyou saw the look in her eye when you made that comment about joining us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think Mindy and Sarah are doing now?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably discussing the ground rules like we did,\u201d Erin said, propping up on her own elbow to give the girl a kiss.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think they\u2019ll sleep with Natty, again?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin said, smiling at her, \u201cNatty is hard to resist.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Ashley said, \u201cThat she is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think Sarah might join us for your birthday,\u201d Erin said, meeting the redhead\u2019s eyes, \u201cif that is something you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean have an after party like yours?\u201d Ashley asked, playfully.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin said, still holding her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think? Things are a little different now,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n \u201cTrue. No one was dating anyone for my party.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Ashley said, chewing on her lip, \u201cI just don\u2019t want anyone to get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay if you don\u2019t want to,\u201d Erin said, smiling reassuringly at her.<\/p>\n Laughing, Ashley said, \u201cOh, I want to\u2026 I just want everything to be okay afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we\u2019ll just have to figure out how to make it work,\u201d Erin said, kissing her, \u201cSarah is a wild card, but we\u2019ve been friends forever. I think she\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do, too,\u201d Ashley said, breaking out in a grin, \u201cnow that she\u2019s \u2018gotten her feet wet\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it was her feet that got wet,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n Her eyes getting wide, Ashley snorted in surprise, \u201cWow.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was a little embarrassed by her own comment. She was still getting used to talking dirty, and her face felt a little warmer than before. It only got worse when Ashley gave her an amused look. Recovering some, she said, \u201cAnyway\u2026 back to what we were talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n The corners of her mouth turning up even more, Ashley said, \u201cSmooth transition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up,\u201d Erin said, shaking her head.<\/p>\n Laughing, Ashley put her hand on Erin\u2019s shoulder and gently urged her to her back. Moving atop of her, Ashley favored Erin with a smile that took her breath away for a moment, then said, \u201cAll this talk about my birthday\u2026 Sarah isn\u2019t the only one getting wet.\u201d<\/p>\n As Ashley kissed her, Erin realized her blue comment had turned the girl on. Kissing her back, Erin had to smile. She\u2019d have to practice her dirty talk if Ashley was going to respond to it like this.<\/p>\n Even after the time they had spent with Natty, Erin wasn\u2019t surprised that the passion wasn\u2019t burned out between them. Maybe it was the hormones raging through her young body or the fact that she couldn\u2019t seem to get enough of the lovely redhead lying atop of her, but, whatever the reason, her desire came roaring back to life as they kissed.<\/p>\n Suddenly, Ashley pulled back, asked, \u201cDo you think Management is watching?\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin said, \u201cIt\u2019s a little late to be shy now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Ashley said, looking around the room nervously.<\/p>\n Erin waited until Ashley\u2019s eyes returned to hers, said, \u201cWe can take this back to the real world, if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Ashley asked, intrigued, “how do you plan to do that?”<\/p>\n \u201cI figure if Loren can sneak out of your window, then I can sneak in,\u201d Erin said. Even as she said, she wasn’t sure if she could make good on the offer.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are going to sneak in my window,\u201d Ashley said, dubiously.<\/p>\n \u201cUnless you want to stay here,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cUm,\u201d Ashley said, looking around the room, again, \u201clet\u2019s try the window thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n When Ashley got off of her, Erin closed her eyes and let herself return to her body. When she opened her eyes, again, she was back in her bedroom. Glancing at the window, she saw it was still dark outside, and she knew she had traveled back in time. Still, she picked up her phone to confirm the time and date. According to the clock on her home screen, the ten or so hours she had spent in the Place of Locked Doors had ceased to exist. While she had expected it to be the case, seeing time rewound like that was still weird as hell.<\/p>\n Throwing the covers back, she sat up and looked down at herself. She was dressed for bed, not wandering around outside in the middle of the night. Finding the jeans she had been wearing earlier, she shimmied into them, then pulled on her coat. Stepping into a pair of sneakers, she went to her door and listened. Not hearing anything, she opened it a sliver and looked out into the hallway. The lights were out and the house quiet.<\/p>\n Her heart racing, she stepped out into the hallway. Careful to avoid the floorboards that creaked, Erin made her way to the stairs. She really hadn\u2019t expected to be sneaking out, again, but she was glad she still remembered their locations. Down the stairs, she tiptoed, then through the living room to the alarm panel. She quickly keyed in the code, and the readout changed from armed, to disarmed.<\/p>\n Erin walked next door, slipping into the Conner\u2019s yard. She walked around the side of the house with Ashley\u2019s bedroom window. Looking up at Ashley\u2019s window, she thought it was a reasonably short drop to the ground from the roof overhang. Getting out seemed easy enough. Frowning, she wondered how Loren got back on the roof, though. The overhang was too high to reach from the ground, and there was nothing to climb on.<\/p>\n \u201cHow the hell did you do it?\u201d Erin said, looking around.<\/p>\n Noticing the overhang wrapped around the house to the back porch, Erin walked around back. The porch was raised a couple of feet off the ground, and there was a railing all the way around it. Looking from the railing to the overhang, she did the math in her head. She thought she was tall enough to reach up and grab the roof.<\/p>\n The question is,<\/em> Erin thought, still looking at the roof, am I strong enough to pull myself up there<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe things I do to get laid,\u201d Erin said, under her breath.<\/p>\n She stepped onto the porch, then climbed onto the rail. Reaching up, she was able to grab the overhang. With a deep breath, she pulled herself up. With a lot of effort, she got her chin above the roof, then one of her arms. Swinging her leg wide, she managed to get a foot on the roof. Precariously perched, she prayed gravity didn\u2019t pull her down now.<\/p>\n Somehow, she managed to get onto the roof without dying. Her heart was racing, and she was breathing heavy from the exertion. There had to be an easier way to get onto the roof. She made a mental note to ask Loren in case she needed to do this, again.<\/p>\n The roof had a steep pitch to it, and she took her time walking around to Ashley\u2019s window. She gently rapped on the glass, smiling when Ashley pulled the curtain aside. The redhead\u2019s room was dark, but Erin saw her return the smile in the glow of the alarm clock. Ashley pushed the window up and offered her hand to Erin. Erin took it, needing a little help getting through the window.<\/p>\n Stepping inside, Erin found herself in Ashley\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n \u201cYou made it!\u201d Ashley said, kissing her deeply. Erin noticed she tasted like toothpaste and not wine, like she had in the Place of Locked Doors.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin husked, her heart racing for a whole other reason.<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Ashley said, helping Erin out of her coat, \u201clet\u2019s get you out of all these clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking down, Erin saw Ashley wore only flimsy panties and a t-shirt. Erin smiled, thinking, I guess I am overdressed.<\/em><\/p>\n The coat ended up on the floor and, piece by piece, the rest of Erin\u2019s clothes started joining it. It didn\u2019t take long until she was actually wearing more clothing than Ashley. The redhead had her naked in no time at all. Then it was Erin\u2019s turn to undress Ashley, the girl\u2019 sleep clothes ending up on the pile of Erin\u2019s clothes.<\/p>\n Naked, they slipped into bed. Erin glanced at Ashley bedroom door, then back at the girl. She saw Ashley grinning. Erin thought she was probably grinning, too. Sneaking around like this was kind of exciting.<\/p>\n \u201cMom and Dad are asleep,\u201d Ashley said, kissing her, \u201cbut we still need to be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Erin said, moving against the girl.<\/p>\n Their lips met in the dark, the passion that gripped them in the Place of Locked Doors only to be put on hold as they changed up the venue of their lovemaking took hold of them, again. Erin\u2019s desire for Ashley had compelled her to sneak out of the house and climb onto a roof, and it only intensified with the redhead in her arms.<\/p>\n Erin rolled the girl onto her back, moving between her legs. When Ashley wrapped her legs around Erin\u2019s waist, Erin got the message. She pushed her hips forward, grinding their bodies together. It forced a moan from Erin, and she bit her lip. The pressure on her bud felt so good that she was going to have to keep repeating to herself, I need to be quiet<\/em>. Otherwise, her excitement might get away from her, and she\u2019d forget where she was.<\/p>\n We should have stayed in the Place of Locked Doors<\/em>, Erin thought, with an inward groan, I really wished Mindy and Sarah hadn\u2019t told us about Management.<\/em><\/p>\n Keeping the roll of her hips slow and easy, Erin ground against Ashley. The girl pushed up into her, meeting her counter-thrust for thrust. The delicious friction had Erin chewing on her lip, her fingers grabbing at the sheets on either side of Ashley as she fought to keep the moans that wanted to rip from her in check.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t help any that Ashley\u2019s fingers were digging into her buttocks, urging her to go faster. The girl\u2019s eagerness only fueled her own excitement, and her hips started moving with a mind of their own. The bed began to rock as they started to lose themselves to their passion.<\/p>\n The headboard banged against the wall, startling Erin. For a missed heartbeat, she thought someone had knocked at the door. Her head snapped around, but there was nothing to see. The door was firmly closed. As she turned around, she saw Ashley stuff her pillow between the wall and the headboard.<\/p>\n Laughing, she leaned in and kissed the girl, said, \u201cOops.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt least the springs don\u2019t creak,\u201d Ashley said, grinning at her.<\/p>\n Ashley\u2019s hands were back on her buttocks and Erin got the message. With the pillow between the wall and the headboard, they returned to tribbing. Erin\u2019s eyes were on the pillow as she ground against Ashley and part of her wondered just how frantic their lovemaking would have to get for the pillow to stop muffling the thump of the headboard.<\/p>\n She wasn\u2019t brave enough to find out. Besides, she thought their coupling was plenty frantic enough, already. The waves of pleasure the meeting of their bodies was sending through her had her drifting toward an orgasm. Her body was already approaching its limit.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t stop,\u201d Ashley breathed, her fingers tightening even more on Erin\u2019s buttocks.<\/p>\n Realizing her girlfriend was close, too, Erin didn\u2019t hold back. Even when she started to lose control of her body, she kept her hips moving. Biting her lip almost hard enough to draw blood, she still wasn\u2019t entirely successful at keeping quiet. Hers and Ashley\u2019s little sounds of pleasure mingled in the air above them as their bodies strained toward ecstasy, but weren\u2019t loud enough to carry to the hallway. Probably not, anyway.<\/p>\n Erin felt Ashley come beneath her. Half a heartbeat later, Erin succumb to her own orgasm, collapsing atop Ashley. They stayed like that awhile, lost in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Eventually, Erin rolled off of Ashley, stretching out beside her.<\/p>\n \u201cMm…\u201d Ashley said, moving against her flank.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin agreed, still trying to catch her breath.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for doing this,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n \u201cSleeping with you?\u201d Erin teased.<\/p>\n \u201cSleeping with me here,\u201d Ashley said, giving Erin a tender kiss, \u201cinstead of the Place of Locked Doors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Erin said, then laughed, \u201cI need to ask Loren how she gets back in. There has to be an easier way.\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning at her, Ashley asked, \u201cPlanning on climbing through my window, again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get over not wanting to do it in the Place of Locked Doors,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cLike you said,\u201d Ashley said, with a sheepish laugh, \u201cit\u2019s a little late to be shy now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good to hear,\u201d Erin said, then kissed her, \u201cI\u2019ll probably sneak in your window, anyway. It was kind of exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll keep it unlocked for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Continue to Part Twenty-two<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs everyone decent?\u201d Looking down at her naked body, Erin laughed and said, \u201cNot really. You can come in, anyway.\u201d Mindy poked her head in the door, said, \u201cUm, could you two come next door?\u201d \u201cWhy?\u201d Ashley asked, propping up … Continue reading