The characters portrayed in this story are just that, characters in my story. Any similarities to real people are purely coincidental and unintentional. The characters and situations portrayed are pure fantasy; the author is keen to state that in reality adult sexuality should remain only in the adult world. Please do not allow or cause this story to fall in to the hands of minors.
The heavily bearded auctioneer began a deep practiced singsong chant
"Item one, a highly desirable fine oak chest..."
Joyce drifted; she had always had a fascination for sales, ever since her daddy had taken her to her first one aged four. Although he had passed on two years back she liked to keep up the tradition. Just like her father before her she seldom bought, but loved to watch the buying and buyers, she had no idea why. She remained in this blissful state for some minutes before the large man in front of her realigned his buttocks on the thinly padded seat to ease the numbness. Joyce tutted quietly and squirmed her slight form to regain her view.
"Item fifteen, an exciting one this ladies and gentlemen!"
The auctioneer fabricated, trying to generate some excitement for an item that had no pre-sale bids.
"Reputed to be from the beautiful, but dangerous home of Countess Bathory an ebony handled letter opener"
"Who will start the bidding at $50 for this slice of macabre European history?"
His greedy eyes scanned the room eagerly looking for a bid.
"Come now, at $20, this implement surely sat in that wicked palm"
Again the greedy stare.
"Twenty dollars I am bid, any increase on twenty, going once, twice, sold to the little lady in the forth row" The bearded man grinned directly at Joyce.
"Number" he queried.
"I'm, sorry" Joyce replied in confusion
"Your bidding number, for the opener" He eyed her in a slightly old-fashioned way.
It suddenly came to her; she had raised her right hand without even realizing, embarrassed Joyce replied.
"Sorry, 378"
Quickly the impatient man noted the number and moved on smoothly to the next item.
Joyce waited patiently in line to collect her unintended purchase. Finally it was her turn.
"378, lot 15" the tall blonde teenaged boy called to his unseen colleague.
A second later a "Jiffy" bag was passed to the uninterested lad
"Twenty bucks, Ma'am" he uttered sliding the packet toward Joyce. In return she placed a crisp bill in his waiting hand
"Enjoy your purchase" the boy attempted to smile, but failed.
Joyce walked in sunshine back to her downtown apartment, her handbag weighted down by her unwanted purchase. Closing the door behind her she sighed and dropped the jiffy bag unopened on to the hall table. She walked to the kitchen to make an espresso; she obliviously needed something to kick her into the real world.
Wearing her white bathrobe she headed out of the steaming room and headed for the kitchen. Two strong coffees later she was ready to meet the world, and headed back to her bedroom to dress. On the way she noticed the pile of mail, wandered up the hallway and shuffled the pack of letters in her hands. All but one she placed in the "later" rack on the hall table, one unstamped, handwritten letter intrigued her in its thickness. She ran her nail ineffectively along the sealed edge, great! The sender's habit of sealing letters with scotch tape had just torn her remaining long nail. It was hard enough to get her hands to look like a woman's what with the archaeological work, now due to some fool her prize nail was split.
Her hand reached for the jiffy bag and slid out her previous days purchase, she truly loved serendipity. In a flash the contents of the offending envelope sat in her hands. Joyce read the flowing script with some difficulty. "Contained within provenance for lot fifteen; due to a staff oversight this was not supplied with your purchase, sincere apologies, Franklin Howard.
Serendipity wasn't that great after all; she dropped the now uninteresting wad of papers with the rest. Joyce went to put down the opener, but her hand wouldn't let go! In an instant the temperature of the hall seemed to plummet, her breath condensed before her eyes. Then just as quickly, everything was back to normal. The opener clattered to the table unnoticed as Joyce rubbed her goose-pimpled arms aggressively. Feeling as if someone had just walked across her grave she fled to the bedroom to dress. Slipping off her robe she caught sight of herself in the wardrobes mirror, her nipples stood ridgedly erect, larger than she ever remembered seeing them. A cold flush hit her again; quickly she pulled her sweatshirt over her head. Joyce made a mental note to get someone in to check the heating.
"Sorry no part-time positions going" she joked.
"Something wrong with my heating, I'll need to get the plumbers in," Joyce replied smiling broadly "Any developments in my absence?"
"Nothing major, oh Kirk was looking for you earlier!" Claudia winked "I think he's taken a shine to you"
Joyce grimaced
"He just wants our sorry Asses out of way of his diggers I expect" Joyce made her way to the site office.
"Hey Claudia, put some coffee on, I'll need it by the time I get out"
She rapped her knuckles on the green door, a small white sign hung at a jaunty angle "Dan Kirk - Site Manager" Without pausing Joyce strode confidently in. A blonde suntanned man wearing a loud check shirt and jeans looked up from the complex drawing on his desk "Hi Joy, good weekend? Does this late start mean you guys are nearly done?"
"Its Joyce, yeah the weekend was fine, and no we need two more weeks to complete the far side - over by the brook" she replied, with the feeling she was about to here some bad news.
"I'm sorry!" Dan sheepishly extended his hand "Arrived first post"
She took the letter, read the first paragraph and a half and then sat heavily on the grubby chair
"Wednesday, this Wednesday - its not possible"
Dan eyed her closely trying to decide the best tack.
"Why not look on it as a holiday, you've put a lot in?" Joyce scoffed.
"Unlike you guys, I can't afford to just jet off, so mid-October in New York - how could I resist a holiday. Anyway you miss the point! After three months of digging we are close to the Nave, and you want me to stop and walk away!"
"Calm down, you need to forget going any further, it'll take you the time you've got left just to tidy the site, we start seven am sharp on Wednesday come hell or high archaeologist! You know I'm just doing my job"
Dan snapped back.
"So was Stalin!" She replied before throwing the door open and tearing out into the cold mud.
Over an agonized half hour she poured out her venom to Claudia, who nodded, sympathized and worried with her. Finally Joyce admitted defeat and turning to her friend said.
"Let's start, we're finished here, like it or not!"
Claudia asked gently.
"Can you cast your expert eye over one more find before we tell the others, and start to pack?"
"Why not," she sighed, "What have you got?"
They stood before the shallow trench, Claudia got down on her haunches.
"Just there"
She pointed. Joyce squinted she could just make out a curving edge in the yellow-brown mud.
"I thought it was another Altar plate but it looks to thick"
Joyce agreed, she clambered down into the hollow and crouched, using a cotton bud she carefully cleaned a small section, it was gold, a thick decorative gold frame. A few minutes careful work and the hand-sized fragment of mirror came free. Joyce talked as she ran a little water onto the dull surface and cleaned away the grime
"Hungarian, or some where close, looks to be carved with symbols to ward off evil, mid 16th to 17th centaury"
Claudia squatted hurriedly jotting notes
"That has to be the oldest relic we've found here" she commented.
"By far!" replied Joyce fascinated examining the dull mirrors pitted surface.
Before her eyes the mirror regained its reflective silvering, suddenly its surface was filled by the image of her crouched colleagues groin. She could clearly see the fullness of the outer lips, the deep valley dividing them and the hint of darker hued patch right at the core. At the very edges of the shorts darkened puffy skin, lightly dusted with fine blonde hairs emerged. Joyce's heart beat slowly, just as the pulse in her temples; she seemed to be floating in a sea of what? Indecision, desire or fear of the unknown, her life seemed suspended by a thread. Thump, thump, thump, and time stood still, her heart slowed to no pace at all. From nowhere an arm closed around her shoulders, and shocked she jumped from back into the day from her dreaming state. Claudia's familiar voice sounded in her ear.
"Are you O.K.?"
Her friends voice was full of concern. Joyce recoiled from the close contact it felt too intimate, too strong.
"I'm fine," laughed the academic uncertainly.
"Well you look as if you've just seen a ghost. Look, Joyce take a break; I can organise the breakdown over the next couple of days, no sweat!"
Joyce still looked shaken. "Maybe you're right, this has taken more out of me than I thought"
Without further comment she slipped the dull artifact into her pocket and headed a little dazed towards the sanctuary of her car. It was only after she had pulled away that Claudia realized the find was missing; Joyce must have taken it with her! Claudia decided not to disturb Joyce in her current state of mind; it could easily wait until Wednesday. It wasn't until then that the catalog finally closed for the site. Claudia would call around on Joyce's flat and retrieve the mirror before then; I'll give her some space Claudia decided thoughtfully.
"Perhaps I'm coming down with something," she thought, but now she was home she felt fine just the odd shiver.
She walked to the cabinet in the bathroom and pulled the customary poses, checking eyes, tongue, throat and glands in front of its tiny mirror. Just to be on the safe side Joyce popped the silver glinting thermometer under her tongue and waited thirty seconds, 98.4F no problem. Shutting the door she wondered about the menopause, could you get cold flushes as well as hot? Then she laughed at her own pessimistic thinking; either was hopefully a bit unlikely at 27.
Still musing she left the bathroom and brushed against her coat, something heavy in the pocket banged her arm. She was confused, as her normal pocket contents only ran to tissues and the odd bag of candies, Joyce slipped in her searching hand. To her utter amazement it emerged clutching the artifact she had recovered that day! To hell with the menopause this was looking more like Alzheimer's by the minute. First she had bought an auction lot she had no interest in and now the most valuable relic from the dig was in her pocket like a discarded candy wrapper.
Joyce turned and instead of heading back to the lounge as originally intended she walked to her study and logged on to her PC. After half an hours surfing she felt much more reassured on the dementia score, it was pretty unlikely at her age. She had booked her self into this week's well-woman clinic on Thursday; a check up seemed a reasonable plan. Tomorrow the plumbing would be fixed; well it would if cyber-plumbers were any more reliable than their real cousins.
She then turned her attention to the handful of mirror sitting by her mouse pad. After scouring several sites she was no real closer to its origins, but there was a surprise - the markings were not on the mirror to ward off evil, they were intended to attract it! Now the bug truly bit, why would a mirror designed to act as a conduit for evil be found close to a churches nave?
She had to retrieve the rest of the mirror, it may tell the full story and in any case it looked to be an increasingly important find. Joyce rang Claudia's mobile, after the predictable
"Hi, Claudie?"
She asked her colleague to join her for a coffee and meal at Luigi's.
"About six, great! No much better now, bye"
Joyce went to the bedroom and dressed warmly before slinging some old tools into the back of her '78 T-Bird. At a half past five she left for the short drive and in no time was pulling into the lot behind Luigi's. Claudia was chatty at dinner and had clearly risen to the new responsibility well, as one long bout of laughter faded; Joyce looked more serious.
"I have something well, unorthodox to ask of you?"
"Sounds serious, fire away" Claudia replied lightly.
"It could be serious, career-wise if we're caught" Joyce indicated.
"Caught, doing what?" asked a confused Claudie. "Getting the rest of the mirror," Her voice lowered to a whisper "that's what!"
Claudie looked even more confused.
"But the digs closed, how are you going..."
Realization hit the girls face, the clothes weren't just an odd grunge phase of eveningwear, and Joyce meant to dig tonight!
"I really don't know why I let you talk me into this" Claudie said with the slightest of slurs.
"I didn't, you know I think it was the forth bottle of Chianti"
Two figures stood just outside the site entrance Joyce slipped her soon to be redundant security pass out, and they were heading for the far side of the site in seconds.
"Jesus, I'm cold, I wished you'd given me some idea about this before I dressed for dinner" chattered Claudia.
"If I had, would you have come?"
Claudie shrugged off the question.
"O.K. keep the flashlight there, no a little higher, and left - perfect!" Joyce uttered from the slight pit.
For twenty minutes nothing, then in frustration she had switched her attention to the other edge of the pit, and bingo! Three more pieces laid in the sacking on the floor of the trench
"Look Claudie you can collect these first thing Wednesday, for now lets split".
As Joyce drove away from the site she felt exhilarated, maybe it was the booze, maybe not. Claudia crouched forward to get what benefit she could from the cars ancient heater. As she dropped Claudie by the Metro she pecked her on the cheek, there were no buzzers and bells, great things were back to normal!
"Look I owe you one for tonight Claudie, there's a lot of people wouldn't have risked that" Joyce said entirely accurately.
"Well at least we got something out of the months, what are you going to use it for?" asked the girl.
"I hope that if I can get enough information on this quickly enough I maybe able to halt the work while we finish. This find could be that significant"
"Can you at least give me a week off," Claudia laughed, "I'd made plans to decorate the bathroom"
"See you Wednesday Claudie and thanks again, bye"
As Joyce carefully washed her hands she noticed a faint red mark on her right palm. It stretched down from between her forefinger and thumb in a shallow slope towards her palms middle. It looked like mild cooking burn from touching an over hot utensil. As she dabbed her palms dry she pressed a little harder than usual to test the severity of the wound, no pain or unusual sensation. Just another of life's little mysterious events.
Slipping the oversize Simpson tee shirt over her head, Joyce remembered to set the alarm for the morning, and then realized there was no need. Nothing to wake for, it had been University when she had last been in this situation, nearly six years ago. Although she didn't really feel tired Joyce fell asleep very easily in to a deep dreamless slumber.
On the hall table the blade of opener wobbled lightly then a little more violently, just as if a heavy truck was passing. There was no truck, no traffic of any kind. Another wobble and very slowly the dark blade started to shine a dull red color. The color was mirrored in the living room as the first uncovered fragment took on an unearthly glow.
Back in the bedroom Joyce had begun to dream, and moved a little in her sleep. She had the feeling that someone was sitting on her chest, making hard for her to breathe. In her dream she opened her eyes, before her was the image of Claudia's crotch, just as she had seen it in the mirror. She saw some movement a pale object moved towards the top of the shorts waistband. It was a hand; on the little finger it wore a ring just like the one on Joyce's right hand, the hand that lay twitching on top of the thick comforter. The dream hand pushed itself confidently past the waistband and pushed the zip of the shorts up into a small undulating hump.
Joyce sighed, as the hand continued its downward journey, finally the fingertips wriggled down over the humped pubis and into the delta below. The small damp spot started to soak out further into the fabric. The now damp material clung to the moving fingers and the clearly defined folds of the underlying vulva. The pressure on Joyce's breasts increased as the excited ass started to move in time to the detached but loving hand. The weight eased and the image faded, to Joyce it now felt as if she could float once the pressure had alleviated, and her body sat slowly upright in bed.
Joyce stood for along time by the hall table gazing sightless at the opener, before her right hand grasped it firmly, her left hand to wrapped around the bottom of the handle. She raised it as if to plunge it into a sacrifice, and then stretched down. Carefully the knife lifted the hem of the "Lisa" tee shirt centrally between her legs. The fabric was pulled taught against the blade. In one continuous motion the blade was brought swiftly up slicing the fabric from the tattered hem through to the splitting neckline.
Joyce's condensing breath flowed over her skin and between the peaks of her breasts. As the mist reached her nipples they tightened forming hard peaks. The blade descended and flattened against the cushion of her abundant dark pubic hair. Slowly her hands swept from side to side, in a pendulum motion. A few detached hairs fell onto the bare wooden floor followed by the blade itself.
As images of Claudie swam through her dreams, Joyce's fingers explored the wetness of her own deep furrow. Her minds eye watched the skillful hand strip the saturated shorts from Claudie's lower body. Joyce's head lolled back onto its shoulders, her mouth hung fully open, as the uncovered gash of Claudie's sex bore down towards it. Standing in the deserted cold hall, Joyce's tongue extended into the damp air as it rolled against the imagined labia of her dream lover. The slightly crouched small figure started to buck against her fingers as sweet fluids bathed her thighs.
In the intense dream the same wetness flowed over her spasming tongue and slipped liberally down her throat and chin. Joyce's eyelids opened widely as fully awake and crouched in the darkened hall her pleasure hit her, her body steamed to an incredible orgasm. Her tongue lashed the air in perfect time to the frenzied pumping of her hips. Joyce straightened up and caught sight of her image in the hall mirror, it didn't startle her it amazed her; she looked wild even wanton in her desire. The image in the mirror shook its head in confusion, turned and walked away to the bedroom.
In the darkened room the only dim light came from the mirror on the door to the en-suite shower, in a small fragment of the mirror the dim red image of a tongue was just visible. The girl woke and shivered slightly; maybe she had picked up a chill, she really hadn't been dressed for an adventure. Rolling over she felt the dampness between her thighs and smiled to her self, wet dreams; at her age, still it had been powerful; she remembered the softness of the lips against her. But there was something else, something at the back of her mind that made it particularly exciting, but it was gone. As dreams do it had already started to fade. Claudia rolled over and fell back into a peaceful sleep.
Two hours of searching and re-searching the net had pulled up quite a bit of information. The real bonus had been the Smithsonian Hungarian weekend seminar; the links from that session in April had revealed much of the symbolism on the mirrors frame. Not only to attract evil, but to trap it, condense it even focus it. Now the church link made more sense, the belief may have been that the mirror would absorb evil, and keep it from the world. The church would have been a place of safety, to prevent the captured evil being returned to the world. This would make the mirror a unique artifact, what else might be there in the nave? Joyce was certain she had a good case to delay the building work if not even prevent it entirely. She started to peruse her shelves for a particular book on Nave bosses when the doorbell rang twice.
Wondering just who would be at her door at eight thirty she was a little careful and left the door chain in place. Joyce opened the door a crack to ask
"Joyce Griffiths, yes?"
"Online Plumbers you e-mailed us?"
"Off course, long night totally forgot, sorry!"
She freed the chain and swung the door back to a boiler-suited figure, gesturing them towards the kitchen.
"The boilers in here and that's about all I know" Joyce said to the plumber.
"Is there a chance of a coffee before I begin, I've just come from an all night job?" the quiet voice asked.
"Sure, I'm just about to brew up myself, take a seat" The slim figure dropped the tool bag beside the pine table.
"Could I wash away some of the grime in your sink" Asked the quiet voice.
"Sure feel free!" replied Joyce as she filled the espresso maker. She turned back to see half the boiler suit hanging down and an expanse of naked muscular skin.
"Sorry about this but sometimes you get confined in such small spaces that it like working in a sauna," the plumber said.
Although she was a little put out Joyce decided to keep it friendly, a plumber who turns up on time and on the right day is to be treasured.
"No problem, I would have let you use the bathroom if I'd realized"
"Just as long as I'm not embarrassing you ma'am."
Joyce watched the polished muscles move, there was something quite attractive about that strong back.
"I said as long as I'm not embarrassing you"
The plumber turned bright blue eyes looked out from under a curly blonde mop of hair, the hands still wiping soap away from the mouth and chin.
"No, not at all" Joyce lied to the attractive eyes.
"Great, thanks!" with a deft touch the plumber launched the towel back to the rack.
Joyce found her gaze directed straight at the plumber's chest, in place of the expected expanse of blonde frizzy hair, there were two small boyish breasts with pierced nipples!
"Oh, you're a girl, I'm sorry, it was just that from the back" Joyce felt her face coloring.
"Yeah, I work out a bit," and so saying she flexed an impressive biceps before pulling the boiler suit back over her shoulders.
"So you keep getting cold blast, sounds like air in your system, I'll just drink this and get right on it"
Joyce went back to her work on the PC, shortly there was a tap at the door.
"It looks as if you've got a blockage in the circulating pump, I'll need to power down while I take a look" The girl nodded to the PC.
"Oh, O.K., I'll wrap up in a second" Joyce replied logging out of the site.
"If you've got a key for the radiator in the hall I'll bleed it first" said the plumber returning to the hall.
"I think it's on the hall table, but most everything else is as well, hang on!"
As Joyce arrived the plumber had just moved the table a little for access, this was just enough of a motion to send the "later" rack crashing to the floor.
"Shit, that is so you Gina!" The plumber cursed.
"Its O.K., no harm done, look you even found the key," Joyce laughed "besides which I need to sort this lot out"
She bent and picked up the wedge of mail in her right hand and the letter opener in the other, a chill ran through the hall.
"There did you feel that" asked Joyce.
"Sure did, I'm not so sure that's the boiler though"
"Oh well whatever it is can you sort it out?"
"I'll sure try ma'am" Gina replied looking a little puzzled.
Joyce carried the mail back to the PC sat & turned to look dumbly at the blank screen. Realizing her mistake she threw the paper work down on her desk to sort through. At least I don't need power for this, she thought. Then something caught her eye, one of the auctioneer's pieces of paper had fallen open; on the corner of the document was a seal, it had the form of one of the symbols on the mirrors edge embossed into the once red wax. The document was a decree dated 1583 to one Stephen Bathory the large seal on the bottom of the page actually carried three of the symbols not the one she had originally glanced!
Holding the paper between her hands, she noticed a smudge of red on her left palm; she rubbed her fingers against it, no difference. She suddenly realized it was a mirror image of the one on her other hand. The shape was familiar; she picked up the opener and laid it across one palm and then the next, the imprint of the handle fitted the marks exactly! As she stared down in confusion at her hands Gina walked to the door
"Powers back! The pumps O.K. just gummed up, servicing not a big thing for you?" Gina quipped.
"Hey are you O.K. ma'am"
Gina walked across and glanced down at the hands that the woman stared at; each hand had a bright red whelp on it.
"That's nasty, did you burn yourself?"
Joyce remained silent.
"Lets get some water on them, now" Gina said steering the confused woman to the kitchen.
Gina held Joyce's wrists and let the cold faucet run water over her palms. Joyce felt distant, it seems she was detached from the world, slowly she became aware of a distinct sensation, she could feel the hard piercing's through the boiler suit brushing her back. Joyce's hands reversed the grip and pushed Gina's strong wet hands to her breasts.
The surprised palms felt the strong pressure of two nipples erecting under them. Gina span the woman in her arms
"Now it's your turn to surprise me, what is your name?"
"Joyce, but I don't know what I'm doing, I've never..."
"That I believe; now luckily for you, I have"
Gina had to tip her head a long way down to reach Joyce's trembling lips but an active tongue hurriedly seeking hers rewarded the effort. Joyce groaned as her tongue met the stud in the tongue she explored, at that same moment Joyce's nipples dragged across the stiff pierced peaks of Gina's. Excited but confused Joyce pulled away
"I can't!"
Gina's eyes reinforced the action of her hand as it slid down the front of Joyce's jeans.
"Yes, you can!"
Yes she did.
Joyce awoke in the dim room, the bright sunlight trying to force its way past the green curtains. She looked at the sleeping woman beside her, and marveled at her stamina. Gina slept on as the slim hands explored first her shoulders musculature and then slipped to her tight breasts. Joyce smiled her hands crossed the expanding nipples; she felt a growing pleasure from both her groin and her palms. She still wondered about the lust she suddenly felt for her own sex, it seemed perverse; but it was far more intense that anything she had felt before, she quaked softly inside.
Her palms returned to the hardening peaks, and the room pulsed with a dim red light. Joyce's desire doubled, trebled and then flew off the scale. Beneath her stationary hands the nipples grew searching for suckling lips. Gina's eyes flashed open, there was a moment of fear and then pure red heat. The girls orgasmically writhed to a mutual release, before the room dimmed back to its previously grey state, as if in honor of their post-climatic exhaustion.
Joyce woke with a start, panicked for no apparent reason. Gina slept on silently besides her, her presence calming Joyce's heart. She rose and made two steaming coffees, carefully balancing the cups she returned to the crumpled bed.
"Gina, coffee!" There was no response.
"Hey, lazy!"
She reached for Gina's exposed shoulder touching it lightly; at once her hand recoiled from the cold dead skin. She pulled back the covers and listened for something, please anything! She stood stiffly upright and gazed down on the uncovered torso, then she ran to the curtains and drew the widely. Her eyes hadn't tricked her in the dim light; from each of Gina's pierced buds a thin line of blood ran down the taught skin stretched over the gentle mounds to the sleek rib cage bellow. Instinct made Joyce glance at her hands, the smallest trace of dried blood pooled on her palms near the centre of the strange markings. Her face a mask of pure terror Joyce fell to her knees tears streaming down her contorted cheeks.
Still naked she searched in the semi-darkness for her quickly discarded clothes. She threw them on with similar haste, her mind still a chaos of tumbling thoughts. Drawing the curtains tightly she turned on the bedside light, the solution looked back at her, the soon to be redundant site pass! Loading Gina's body into the T-Bird had nearly proved impossible, the awkward positioning of the comforter covered corpse, plus the solidity training had given Gina almost defeated Joyce small frame and muscle.
Thankfully rolling the cadaver from the door of the "bird" onto the mud proved somewhat easier. Joyce knew from what she had seen from Kirk's plans that one of the first jobs to be undertaken was the filling of the piled deep holes with concrete to form the foundations. The dig on this part of the site finished weeks ago and preparations for the new center were well advanced here. Joyce looked sorrowfully at the body for one last time; then without ceremony she slid it towards its resting place.
A soft thud sounded from the depths bellow and soil was shovelled in just deep enough to hide the body from the casual glance of a hurried construction worker. Joyce stood at the top of the shaft panting tears welled up in her eyes, never knowingly religious she found her self muttering a deeply felt impromptu prayer "Sleep well Gina, God Bless" After a few minutes tearful vigil Joyce tidied the back seat of her car and drove towards the exit gate, her headlights caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure on the far side of the site; Joyce froze with the realization that someone was a potential witness to her callous act!
The bird rolled up to the edge of the trench, a familiar figure was searching frantically through the mud. "What are you doing Claudia" Joyce asked her voice still strained with emotion. The figure turned In the bright lights like a frightened rabbit, the dilated pupils looked out from a mud stained face.
"Had to come, more, more - mine!"
Claudia's voice rang insanely.
"More what? What have you got there?" asked Joyce.
Claudia held something clutched to her dirty sweatshirt covered chest
"Mine! Must find more, must find all"
Claudia said in a suspicious accent.
"Can I see, please Claudie?"
Claudia stretched forward her hands between them sat the last piece of mirror frame, it was etched with one of the unidentified symbols from the decree!
"No, no, don't touch! "Claudie screamed.
Claudie bolted into the intense darkness outside of the arc of the bird's bright headlight beams. Joyce ran back to the cars passenger door, swung it open and fanned the torch she kept in the door pocket around the site looking desperately for her friend; there was no sign, it was as if she was never there in the first place!
Joyce had driven home in total confusion; just what was happening to Her life? It really no longer made any form of sense! Once back to the relative sanctity of her apartment she could not face going to sleep in the chilling bedroom and pulled the trailing soiled comforter behind her into her study, the computer had restarted with the power-up and sat in all its normality, taunting her. She logged on and searched for details of the remembered symbol, what she found shocked her to the center of her being the final symbol roughly translated to; to be held in the host's body for ever.
If this was accurate it meant that all the evil collected by the mirror would be passed onto a host; could this be she? Search as she might no more could be found. There was only one thing to do, drive down to the Smithsonian and dig through the archives for clarification. She looked at her desk clock one-fifteen, if she left now she could park up in Washington and take the early Metro, she'd be there when the archive opened in the morning! The decision made, Joyce left at once in a blind rush, leaving the unlatched door to swing gently behind her.
If not a relic of Erzebet her self it was decidedly Bathory in origin, this was the genuine article. Curiosity caused Joyce to look more closely at the opener, the blade was wrong it looked original but wrong, hurriedly she pulled her eyeglass from a pocket. The edges of the blade had been ground to make it a flat edged opener, there must once have been a sharp edge, Joyce dropped the opener to the table with a clatter. Some of the other readers glared at the offending woman, who sat with her hand clamped to her mouth, just succeeding in keeping her rushed freeway breakfast in place. All morning she had read through descriptions of the Countesses crimes against servant-girls, peasants and finally lower nobility. She had beaten, bitten and sliced her victims to gain their precious blood, sliced open their breasts, with this knife! Joyce stared in horror as she weighed up the meaning for her own sanity.
Clearly she was influenced, no altered by contact with the knife, but how did the mirror and knife relate to one another the co-incidence was too great, they could not surely have both come from the same cursed family? The answer once it was found was a resounding no, there was no link. The only association was due to the mirrors ability to trap, focus and pass on evil, there were similarities, both Eastern European, both of the same approximate age and carrying symbols of arcane significance but no true linkage. This made Joyce feel safer for some reason, then she realized the only link was proximity.
If she gave the knife to the Smithsonian the two items would be separated, and surely that would reduce if not completely halt any linkage. Now she hit her problem, in her rush to leave she had left the provenance at home, without it there was no interest, a nice theory, but proof was needed. She would need to return home and collect the information. She looked at her watch three- thirty, if she left now, no that was crazy she hadn't slept. Motel room shower, sleep and then home tomorrow morning that she might just manage. It was only once in the air-conditioned room she wondered why she hadn't mentioned the mirror to the curator, pure oversight, she really was getting forgetful.
Claudia awoke in her favorite arm chair and looked down at the collection of muddy artifacts in her torn hands. Her mind was clearer now, she knew someone had interrupted her working last night, but when she returned later all had been quiet. She was pretty confident she now had all the remaining mirror fragments, although she couldn't be certain until she retrieved the others from Joyce, tonight she couldn't, wouldn't wait until tomorrow. She stood a little stiffly after her long chair-bound slumber, glancing towards the mirror, she saw her self. It looked as if a bag lady had broken into her home! She took her self to the bathroom to repair the damage. She really couldn't afford to go out looking like this, it could draw attention; and that might stop her completing her vital task!
At least the darkness and mud had passed - it had taken her hours to get home, clean her self, and then get some rest in the darkened bedroom. Now after just a few hours something was disturbing her, waking her when sleep called so strongly. She struggled to the hall trying to avoid the painful light on her sensitive eyes. She opened the door and spoke dry mouthed to the figure that was obscured from sight by the evening sunset; making it into a shimmering unwelcome silhouette
"Yes, what?" "Can I speak to Joyce, please?" A polite female voice asked.
"Joyce? Why would she be here?" The Gina's voice cracked.
"Because it's her home! Who are you anyway?"
The shadow broke from its polite indifference and swept past all obstacles into the flat.
"Me, I'm Gina Tewksbury, this is my home, and who the hell are you lady?" She asked the girl rushing down the hall.
The two women faced each other warily; Gina was still trying to understand why she had come back to Joyce's home thinking it was her own. Claudia for her part was trying to understand how this girl had so quickly established her self as one of Joyce's friends, a close enough friend to have free access to her apartment while she was away! Finally Claudia spoke.
"I've come to collect the other parts of this," she fished in her backpack and brought out the fragment wrapped in newspaper.
"Have you seen anything like that in the apartment?"
"Sure. In the study near the PC, but you're not taking anything until Joyce gets back and checks you out lady!" Gina warned.
Claudia agreed, temporarily, to save any argument and both of them went to the study. Claudia sat for sometime re-orientating the existing and new fragments, eventually in frustration Gina bent forward putting one hand on Claudia's left shoulder she used the other to re-arrange two pieces, the mirror was complete! Gina whispered in a breathy voice.
"I may not be qualified as an archaeologist but I sure have done a lot of jig-saws in my time"
Claudia ignored her gazing at the completed mirror and wondering how to take it, this girl didn't seem the sort to give in too easily. Bent in her position close to the seated woman's neck Gina first became aware of the scent, a tangy metallic fragrance that made her nipples tingle in anticipation. Then there was the thunderous seductive pulse beating inside her head, her heartbeat was slowly falling into time with the woman's. Claudia spoke
"I really must take this artefact, it belongs to the project, Joyce knew it had to be returned today!"
Gina stepped back her eyes shone with just a hint of dim red light.
"The mirror stays here in its home" her voice carried a powerful threat.
"I don't think you understand I must have the mirror, I must be near it"
Claudia's logic started to give way to her passion, she picked up a wicked shard of mirror glass and rushed at Gina. Gina stood her ground smiling calmly, she spoke in a soporific voice.
"Now calm down and drop the glass, drop it!"
Claudia froze mid-stride and mouthed silently.
"Drop it!"
The fragment fell to the carpet followed by drops of Claudia's flowing crimson blood. Gina stooped and picked up the shard and returned it lovingly to its position on the desk. She returned to Claudia's side
"Give me your hand, I'll take care of it," she whispered to the stationary woman.
Unthinkingly Claudia raised her hand and placed it in Gina's outstretched palm. Gina lifted her hand towards her mouth and dabbled her tongue in the weeping scarlet pool, an orgasmic release rushed through her, at the same instant Claudia sighed deeply. Raising her liquid lips Gina spoke commandingly, but briefly.
"Come with me"
Hand in hand Gina and a mesmerised Claudia walked to Joyce's bedroom.
The light seemed life giving, sensuous and almost erotic. Joyce was gazing more deeply into the reflected blades image, as she pulled back the white bathrobe and dropped it to the floor. If the effect of the red shimmer was erotic on the blade, then on her body it was electric! Her eyes feasted on the sights; her full breasts quivered lightly shaking the stiffened twin tips, her stomach sloped to a red hued triangle of the silkiest hair through which peeped seeping luxuriant labia framing the hard clitoral tip, but her face, now that was the most exciting, she had the look of a hunter, a feral wild expression.
Shaking she dropped the finger tips of both hands to her labia, stroking in a deliberate fluid motion. The reflection clouded shimmered and was replaced by an hallucination of two women in the throws of impassioned love-making. Her autoerotic pleasure soared, the faces of the participants became clearer, it was Gina and Claudie. Even the taboo of Gina's fate didn't quench her desire, she felt incredible, powerful and ultimately desirable. She was a goddess to be worshiped from afar and touched with reverence. She buckled against the onset of the first climax and then pumped against her desperate fingers as she climbed again and again to orgasmic heights.
"HEY, WILL YOU KEEP IT DOWN IN THERE SOME OF US WANT TO SLEEP!"
Burst through from a neighbouring room, but fell on closed unlistening ears.
Gina bucked wildly against the upturned face between her splayed thighs, her clitoris rubbing its tribade passion against the sliding muscle. Her breasts were responding to the vigorous pawing of Claudie's exploring hands, inexperienced fingers pulled well experienced teats to new dimensions. Gina curled her body forward in a graceful motion and brought her hungry mouth in contact with Claudie's virgin labia, her tongue ran the impressive length of the shaft before encircling the swollen tip.
Gina felt teeth against the bud of her clit, too much, too soon she thought as she climaxed.
"Still she has time to learn!" a gasping Gina thought.
New feelings and tastes flooded Claudie's being, she had never feel so wanted, so desired, nor had she felt such desire, such need; it overflowed her capacity for expression at the point she screamed her peaking lust into Gina's liquid folds. Gina spun her body effortlessly on the sweating body beneath her, her tongue searched for and found Claudie's they kissed deeply. Claudie was amazed to feel her need undiminished; it was as if the myriad of orgasms had never happened.
Why hadn't she tried female love years ago? There had been so many opportunities with Joyce, and she had thought of it - but failed to act. Instead of which she had put up with the furtive fumblings of male colleagues on the digs, none of whom had meant more than a quick shag in a shared sleeping bag. Well no more, she had found her sexual Mecca, it suddenly occurred to her why Gina was such a close instant friend of Joyce's; but even her jealousy just pumped her desire higher, she was screwing a woman who had screwed Joyce! Just from the deep tonguing she hit another peak, before even Gina's hand walked down her stomach to her stiffly expectant clit.
Joyce's delirium continued, but not with the initial intensity; it was as if a dream had distilled into her very soul, a dream of power absolute power - as always power made people desirable and she became supremely desirable, confident of her sexual presence in a way previously impossible. She looked back to the mirror, her wickedness had faded a little as the expression lascivious confidence had replaced it, she looked fantastic, seduced by her own appearance she began to masturbate again.
Once more the mirror clouded the image of Gina's hands slipping sensuously up Claudie's body appeared, the hands centred in on Claudie's generous shaking dark-tipped breasts. Joyce was getting close her mind screamed
"Feed my love yes, feed and she will join us forever"
As the couple climaxed in the New York apartment they were joined in their mutual bliss by their unseen mistress countless miles away. A telepathically linked orgy romped on into the red shimmering night.
"Well if that's the way you feel Lesley get your own way to New York"
She replied, in a barely audible whisper.
"Keep your voice down people are looking, I just said that I'd need sometime to think about things"
"Yup, and I just proposed - well forget it I don't need you or your feeble excuses!"
So saying he stood and stormed out of the restaurant. Lesley called after him.
"But you haven't paid, my purse is in the cab, Mike, MIKE!"
She ran to the door, as it opened the loud squealing of tires signalled Mike's hurried departure. Lesley dropped her shoulders, turned and walked back to her recently vacated seat. Her head fell into her hands, Lesley wept bitterly. A waitress appeared beside the distraught girl.
"Is that right honey, you can't pay, you've got $12.50 outstanding" the uncompromising voice enquired.
"Uh, no, he just left with all my cash & cards, I'm sure he'll be back, I hope" the girl replied brushing away the tears from her cheeks.
"Fine, in the meantime there are some plates you can start washing out back, while you wait, just in case lover boy don't show!"
The girl stood meekly responding to the order. This was just too much! Joyce spoke up.
"Aren't you being a bit hard on her, you must have heard what just happened?" she demanded.
"And what's it to you stumpy, I run my business as I want!" came the curt reply.
"I'll pay, $12.50 wasn't it, with my $7.50 that's twenty bucks, and there you go! By the way I would rather be short, than be you!"
Joyce responded her nostrils flaring with indignation. The waitress snatched the money.
"Why thank you so much, now OUT! Both of you, and don't come back!"
Outside Lesley thanked Joyce shakily.
"Look I'll find a way to pay you back, I just need to get to my bank and sort things, and can I have your address?"
"Look Lesley I live in New York, do you want a lift there; then you can sort things out and pay me, if really you want to?" Joyce queried kindly.
"Oh, no you've done enough, and I really should wait for Mike!" the girl responded.
"You really think he's coming back, well if you're sure..." Joyce reached into her car and pulled out one of her business cards.
"Well, could you hang on a while I really don't want to be stuck here, and I'm not so certain about Mike any more..." Lesley's voiced trailed off into more tears.
"I can't wait, I really need to get back - a colleague expects to pick up something from me today" Joyce pulled the drivers door to.
"See you, good luck - I hope for both your sakes Mike comes to his senses"
"Wait, thanks I'll come!"
Lesley hopped around to the passenger door and slid into the vacant seat. Glancing left Joyce saw the reason for the rapid reversal, the waitress, mop in hand stood glaring from the door of the restaurant!
Two of the exhausted participants of the long distance orgy lay asleep in the female fragranced bedroom, their limbs still lovingly entwined. So deep was the slumber that even the increasingly frantic pounding on the door was insufficient to wake them, nothing it seemed could make them stir. On the doorstep the attractive redhead grew impatient, this was the last address e-mailed to Gina as a job, her car was just up the street, and she had to be here!
Finally Frankie's fist grew weary; she turned and slumped her back against the door, in resignation. She decided on her plan of attack, she would return home, pick up some tools and come back, if there was still no reply - she'd break-in, Gina might need her! Frankie swung her practiced leg over the saddle of the Harley and disappeared in a flurry of rubber And leather up the road.
Lesley wound down the window and let the breeze from the freeway lift her black hair and blow the fringe from her forehead.
"What made you do that?" she asked Joyce.
"What?" Joyce queried.
"Step in when most people would turn away, help out someone you don't even know."
The girl asked, above the sound of the wind whipping past her.
"Same thing happened to me once, but his name wasn't Mike, it was Bill, I told him I had too many work commitments - he too went ape shit!"
Joyce replied with a tinge of regret
"Small world!" Lesley quipped.
"Smaller minds" laughed Joyce.
A few splashes of rain hit Lesley, she wound up the window, and relaxed back into the seat of the big old Ford.
Idly she toyed with her hair, wondering just what had started to turn her on. It was really inconvenient but she felt the real "hots" for her self, and the need to do something about it was growing by the mile. Ten minutes passed and they slid into a tunnel, Lesley knew this road; it wasn't going to be completely dark in the car, but a lot less obvious, and the way she was feeling a couple of good strokes on her clit might just get her there. Lesley shifted her legs slightly apart and covertly slipped her left hand down her jeans, pressing hard into the damp delta of her weeping lips. It felt glorious, just little longer and she would silently explode.
"Are you O.K.?"
Joyce's voice burst into her sensual world. Lesley opened her eyes to the broad daylight, her hand shot out of its velvet prison and onto her denim lap.
"Oh shit, this is so embarrassing, how long have we been out of the tunnel?" a small timid voice enquired.
"Around about five minutes" Joyce replied.
"Ah then you know what..." Lesley's voice cracked on the edge of tears.
"I know stress affects us all differently, I get sleepy, you, it seems get horny?" Joyce smiled.
"Not usually, just here with you, OH GOD NO, I didn't mean that I'm not gay or anything!" Lesley's voice raised an octave.
"Its O.K., I'm cool, just do what you feel, and I won't look again!"
Joyce replied turning her eyes back to the road ahead.
"Are you sure I mean I really need to, you know..." Lesley asked in amazement.
"I meant what I said, look after your needs!"
Joyce replied without moving her line of vision. Almost immediately Lesley's hand re-acquainted itself with the slippery bud that beat against her pants, she sighed deeply as her fingers fell into a familiar circling teasing motion. Two feet away Joyce stared out of the windscreen her face an image of wicked lasciviousness.
Frankie powered her frame over the none-to-secure gate into the rear garden of the apartment block, and scouted around for an easy access point to the property. There was no sign of an easy way in to the ground floor, the small crowbar balanced in her hand for a second before the glass mosaic on the back door window imploded into the kitchen. Carefully Frankie used the thick sleeve of her leather jacket to clean the dangerous spikes from the inside of the frame. She slid her right hand in unlocked the door and walked into the deserted kitchen. Pausing briefly she checked for a response to the smashing of the glass she held her breath, no nothing.
Swiftly she moved on down the hallway, there was a thick and unmistakeable scent in the air. Pussies have been a grinding together here she thought, and a wry smile flicked across her lips. She slowly swung open a door, sure enough there were two exhausted dykes twisted together on the bed, again the smile, but half formed it froze; she knew that curly hair so well, she had brushed it against her slit before now. She felt the crowbar balanced in her hand once again!
I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, feedback is appreciated, since it is my only payment for my work. Please address comments to yotna_eltoub@hotmail.com
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