Matthew Wilder stared at the phone clock and sighed softly. It read 6:08, the numbers stubbornly unchanging. Three minutes had passed since he had last checked it. Every minute seemed to take a separate eternity to pass.

Matthew’s job at the Corner Shop, a general store in New Arville, New Hampshire, tended to be incredibly boring, especially on Tuesday nights, the slowest of the week. Matthew would have brought a book to read, but then Erin would have yelled at him even more than usual, and Matthew liked avoiding unpleasantness whenever possible. It made him nervous and depressed.

Erin detested Matthew because Mr. Jansten, the store owner, always put Matthew on register, which was her preferred task. Erin liked to do nothing but stand around and fiddle with her phone, text messaging her innumerable friends. She also liked to flirt with the male customers, young and old; bending down and flashing a hint of cleavage, wearing tops that cupped and confined her full breasts so that her nipples could be seen poking through the material; turning and rummaging under the counter, causing her tight jeans or skirt to strain over her firm, rounded ass; laughing and tossing her red curls in a way that she knew drove men crazy. In short, Erin was a unrepentant tease.

The only person she never flirted with was Matthew. This hardly seemed fair to him. After all, he wasn’t bad-looking. Indeed, at six-foot-three, with dark, wavy hair, intense dark eyes, and a lean, wiry frame, he was fairly handsome. Not only that, he had always been polite to Erin; observing all the niceties, holding the door for her, listening when she wanted to talk, no matter how boring the topic, and never responding to any of her verbal jabs.

Erin, however, made no bones about how much she despised him. She sent nothing but insults and abuse his way, every day. Erin made Matthew feel slow, stupid, and confused. She made disparaging remarks about his strength, his intellect, and his personal hygiene. He would have told her that Mr. Jansten only put him on register because he knew how much Matthew disliked it, and wanted to make Matthew’s life miserable, but Erin never listened to anything he said.

The work might have been more tolerable if Matthew had some other pleasant thing in his life to think about, but his life seemed to be one long, endless march of nagging torment and people who hated him no matter what he did. Matthew was an orphan, his parents having died when he was fifteen in a armed robbery gone sour. He was taken in three years ago by the Mannels, a wealthy family who were distant relations of his in some way he had never quite understood.

Mr. Lauren Mannel had been a high-profile businessman, selling, buying, merging, and running companies for twenty years before retiring with a moderate fortune to the colonial mansion he had caused to be rehabilitated in New Arville. He was still in high demand around the world for his business and financial advice, and was forever flying off to exotic and important locations, or going to parties thrown by other important people.

Mrs. Blanche Mannel was a former model, and still retained in her later years all of the appeal and glamour of her glory days. In Matthew’s opinion, she was really rather unpalatable, but that was not the widely accepted view. Blanche was incredibly selfish and self-absorbed, caring about no-one except for the immediate members of her family (Matthew not included). The wonder was that her marriage with Lauren had held together for as long as it had, since both of them sere constantly cheating of each other. But for some reason, though, there seemed to be a genuine bond of affection between the two. Birds of a feather, Matthew supposed.

The Mannels had three children, two girls and a boy. Elisha, seventeen, and Jessica, eighteen, were both still going through high school; Daniel, at twenty-one, was a junior at UNH, majoring in Business. Daniel lived on campus, but still came home for weekends.

Daniel was a chip off the old block, very much a younger version of his father. Fair-haired, blue eyed, and handsome, Daniel was a viper; totally selfish, completely untrustworthy, and possessed of an uncanny charm that had got him out of more than one tight spot. He changed girlfriends with the same casual ease that other men changed clothes; leaving a trail of broken hearts and shattered women behind him.

Jessica was cast from much the same mould. She, however, had a steady boyfriend; Josh, the Captain of the basketball team, who was totally under her control and administered to her every need and whim. Jessica was the most popular girl at her school, head of a clique which ruled the social scene. Though not as smart as her older brother, Jessica was adept at destroying anyone who threatened her position of power. With lustrous brown hair, deep green eyes, full, pouting lips, and a slender figure off-set by her huge, firm breasts (surgically enhanced, Matthew was sure), Jessica was considered the beauty of the family.

Elisha was golden-haired and blue eyed like her brother, but with a much more mellow personality than her older siblings. She obviously disliked Matthew just as much as the rest of the family, but unlike the others, who expressed their loathing through insults, slights, and put-down, Elisha was more graceful, simply avoiding him whenever possible and speaking to him as little as she could. Full-figured, with a clear, open face, Matthew considered her much the prettier of the two sisters, not that his opinion held any stock.

Elisha hung out with her own group of friends, and spent most of the time she was home shut up in her room, probably reading. She was a trifle far-sighted, and wore a pair of reading glasses that, in Matthew’s opinion, made her look perfectly adorable.

Matthew had finished high school not too long ago, graduating at the head of his class with honors. Mr. Mannel had refused to help send him to college, not even to the point of co-signing a loan, and the scholarship Matthew had been pursuing was taken by someone else. So he was taking the year off from school, working off the several thousand dollar loan on his battered Ford Ranger pick-up to improve his credit rating.

The bell over the front door jangled sharply, announcing the arrival of a customer, and Matthew looked up, a friendly smile on his face. Unlike the other employees, he never had to fake smiles or politeness. Matthew genuinely liked people, despite the prevailing tendency most of them had to treat him like garbage. An ancient man was entering the store. His face was sunken with age and lined with worry, his skin was leathery and tanned, and his shoulder-length hair was pure white. He was dressed in ratty jeans and a mangy black shirt, overlaid by a leather duster so worn it looked ready to fall apart at any moment.

“Good evening,” Matthew greeted him cheerfully.

The old man looked at him slowly, then grunted. “Might be, might be…” he murmured in a voice as worn as his coat.

Matthew waited patiently as the old man shuffled slowly around the store, selecting his purchases with careful deliberation. He watched the customer out of the corner of his eye, careful not to stare. Matthew had never seen him before, unusual in a town the size of New Arville, and was intrigued.

At last the old man brought his items to the counter, and Matthew rang them up quickly and efficiently. He was thinking of asking the man where he was from, and where he was going, but was worried the question might be impertinent. “Comes to eleven forty-seven, sir,” he told the old man.

The old man put his hand shakily into the pocket of his coat, but drew it out empty a moment later. He frowned heavily. “Now where did I put that?” he grumbled to himself in his gravelly voice. Slowly, the old man searching all his pockets while Matthew looked on. Finally the old man looked up. “Young man, I apologize,” he said stiffly. “I seem to have forgotten my wallet at home. I’ll just… put these back.” He sighed, and reached for his items.

Matthew hesitated for a moment, reaching a decision that would change the course of his life. All the energy had seemed to drain from the old man in those few sentences; as if it had taken an immense effort to come, and he might not be able to muster the strength to return.

“No problem,” Matthew said at last, and reached into his pocket for his battered leather wallet. “I’ll cover it for you.” Taking out twelve dollars, he closed out the sale, and in a mood of recklessness, threw the change in the charity jar on the counter.

The old man stared intently at him for a moment. “Uncommon decent of you, young man,” he said at last. “You’re a gentleman and a scholar.”

Matthew smiled, feeling pleased. “It’s nothing, sir. Perhaps you can repay me the next time you come.” He did not actually think the old man would come again, but it gave the fellow a graceful out.

But the old man shook his head. “No, I won’t be back. But I have something with me, of no value to many, perhaps, but invaluable to a man such as yourself.”

Matthew watched, intrigued, as the old man un-tied a cord around his waist. It had been holding a leather satchel hidden at the small of his back. The old man held it out to Matthew, who reached out and took it. The old man did not immediately release his grip, however.

“This is yours, and yours alone.” The old man’s voice was suddenly deep and fraught with latent power. He almost seemed to grow taller as the light in the room dimmed, and his face was half-hidden in shadow. “Let none other take it. What was once mine in now yours.”

Matthew nodded in return, too overwhelmed to speak, the words settling with an almost tangible weight upon his shoulders.

Then the old man looked away, and the strange intensity was gone. “You take care, son,” he said quietly, and turned to go.

“Have a good night,” Matthew called tentatively after him.

Outside, the old man paused and looked back at the shop, a grim expression on his weather-beaten face. “Man’s going to be in for Hell… but I’ll do what I can,” he muttered to himself.

Stretching out his left hand palm up, he flexed it, a glimmer of ruby light dancing across his fingertips. “Ba’al, Antiquus Unus,” he chanted steadily, “Ego dico vobis, umquam vestri fidelis vernula. Pupillus pupilla is unus iam ex os nostri hostilis. Is per meus vox, is per meus mos. Sic est, quod umquam ero.”

The light from his hand peaked in intensity for a moment before fading out altogether. The old man staggered and nearly fell. “All I have left,” he sighed, gathering himself again. “Hope it’s enough. Luck to you, young one. May you fare better than I.”

A few minutes later, Erin came out of the back of the shop with a tray of cans in her arms. Matthew discreetly admired the view of her supple ass as she bent over to place them on the floor. Erin sighed as she stood back up.

“This place is fucking dead tonight,” she grumbled, beginning to place the cans on the shelf.

“There was a customer in a couple minutes ago,” Matthew offered.

Erin shot him a scornful glance. “If you’re going to lie, moron, here’s a quick tip; try not to make them so obvious! I can hear the bell from the back; it never rang.”

Matthew blinked rapidly. “You… didn’t hear the bell?” he asked in confusion.

Erin huffed in exasperation. “No, I fucking didn’t! Now shut the fuck up and let me do my work, OK?”

Matthew bit his lip. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet and checked inside. The twelve dollars he had put in the register just minutes ago were there as if they had never moved. And yet… the satchel the old man had given him was still there, resting under the counter.

“What the hell?” Matthew muttered to himself.

“Quit mumbling!” Erin snapped. “It seriously fucking annoys me!”

Matthew sighed, putting the strange occurrence out of his mind for a moment as he slipped his wallet back and concentrated on placating his co-worker. “Do you need any help stocking?”

Erin whirled around, eyes blazing and hands on her hips. “Oh, yeah,” she snarled sarcastically. “I really want you to come over here, put two cans away, and get me fired for doing my job. Fuck, nothing’s ever enough for you, is it? You not only want the best job in the place, you want everyone else’s too! For your information, fuckhead, some of us don’t live in the lap of luxury and eat with silver fucking spoons every day. Some of us, and I’m sure this comes as a great shock to you, need to work for a living. So keep your fucking ‘help’ to yourself.”

Matthew held up his hands. “Hey, I didn’t mean-”

Erin cut him off. “Just shut the fuck up.” She turned back to her work.

Matthew sighed. This was going to be a long night.

Several hours later, Matthew began closing up, being careful to stick to his own tasks and avoid Erin’s. He was in the middle of printing the proceeds of the day when Erin came behind the counter and spotted the satchel. “Somebody forget their purse?” the redhead asked as she reached for it.

“Don’t touch that, it’s mine!” Matthew said forcefully, a fear gripping him he could not explain.

Erin snorted as she picked it up. “Fuck you. It’s not fucking yours, you fag. You’re a fucking neat freak, and this thing’s grimy. What, are you stealing purses from little old women now? I think that might be a new low!”

Matthew ground his teeth in frustration as Erin opened the satchel and reached inside. After a moment, the flirt drew out a book, and let the empty satchel fall to the ground. It was obviously heavy, from the way Erin held it, and smelled old. The tome was bound with glossy black leather, and the pages were rimmed in gold.

“Holy shit,” Erin breathed, running her hand over the cover. “How much do you think this is worth?”

Furrowing her brow in concentration, the tease read the title, engraved in letters of gold. “Principatus Antiquus Diabolus. What the fuck does that mean?”

“The Dominion of the Old Devil,” Matthew said softly. “Or… of the Ancient Spirit, depending…” Back when his parents were alive, they had gone to a great deal of effort to teach him Latin and Greek. They had been great believers in the classical education.

“Sounds cheerful,” Erin observed sarcastically, but a hint of uncertainty lurked in the back of her voice. “Let’s see what’s inside… that’s strange…” the redhead was tugging at the cover, but the book refused to open. “It’s like it’s fucking… glued shut or something!”

Matthew frowned. “Here, let me try.”

“Oh yeah, because you’re Mr. Muscles?” Erin scoffed. Nevertheless, she passed it over.

It felt light as a feather in Matthew’s hands, and he wondered why Erin had been handling it with such difficulty. The flirt was far from weak. Long days of unloading and bringing stock to the front had toned her muscles over time, giving her lithe frame a surprising strength. Laying his hand on the cover, Matthew slowly opened the book.

The tome was obviously hand-written with a firm, flowing hand, the words inscribed in red ink. Matthew felt a strange feeling come over him as he looked at the parchment; a sort of awe and reverence combined with dread and excitement. The young man paused, savoring the moment, then began to read, muttering the words aloud to himself as he did.

“Amplitudo deceptio Scelestus Unus, quod principatus vir, ratio per Ego Gregory Anshelm, accersitus haereticum per meus socius…”

Erin swatted him on the shoulder, jerking Matthew out of the half-trance he’d been in. “In English, you jerk! I wanna know what it means too!”

“Sure,” Matthew returned a little hoarsely, never taking his eyes off the page. “I can do that…” he paused a moment, gathering his thoughts, then began to read again.

“Of the Deception of the Accursed One, and the Dominion of Man, an account by I, Gregory Anshelm, called heretic by my brethren.”

In the beginning there were Many, and They reigned over All. They looked over the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air and the fishes of the deeps. Most of all, they looked over mankind, the greatest of all their creations, granted free will and dominion over the earth.”

“Oh, fuck,” Erin whispered breathlessly. The redhead felt a strange warmth grow in her stomach, pulsing gently. The store suddenly seemed too hot, her clothing too confining. Erin bit her lower lip gently, shivering slightly at the strange new sensations.

“They were benevolent, and looked over their children lovingly, bearing each other good will and working in harmony towards the grand design. But there was one among them who was different. His name, forever accursed, was Yahweh. Yahweh grew to despise men. They lived and died in the blink of his eye, and were as insects to him; crawling, scuttling vermin that looked to him for advice and protection.”

“Oh, fuuckk. Fuck me.” There was a hint of strained desperation in Erin’s voice now. Sweat shone on her forehead and trickled down her chest into her cleavage. The redhead shifted restlessly from foot to foot, the warmth in her belly spreading to her breasts and pussy, causing her nipples to harden almost painfully, making her cunt dampen with desire.

“Yahweh also despised his fellows, jealous of their power and majesty, because it was not his own; and contemptuous of their love for mankind. He wanted more of man, more of their love, more of their energy, more of their life. After all, he had created them, guided them. They owed their existence to his mercy. It was time they understood this, and paid him his due.”

Yahweh knew the others, even his wife, would seek to oppose his plan, and destroy him in an instant if they knew his mind. So he did the unthinkable. Yahweh murdered his wife, and stole her power for himself. In his newfound strength, Yahweh attacked the others one by one, swaying the weak-minded to his side with threats and intimidation, corrupting what once was pure, and destroying all who opposed him.”

“Don’t fucking stop, Matthew,” Erin moaned in his ear, his breath hot on his skin. “It feels too fucking good. Don’t you dare fucking stop!” With one hand, Erin clung to Matthew’s shoulder, while rubbing herself between the legs with the other. The young woman’s pussy felt on fire, and her fingers were wet from the growing damp spot on the crotch of her jeans.

Matthew couldn’t have stopped if he wished. He was oblivious to his surroundings, to the young woman entering full rut beside him, to everything but the words on the page before him, rising up from within and spilling out from his mouth to resound like thunder in the darkened room.

“They finally realized the threat the Accursed One posed, and marshaled their forces against him. Not all of them chose to fight the Accursed One, however. Some used the majority of their power to cocoon themselves away from the fight; feeling that, in time, Yahweh would bring about his own demise with none of their intervention, and that fighting him would only grant him strength. Many chose to stand and fight, however, and there was a great war in Their Realm. Ba’al and Michael, great Lords of War, led the host. None could stand against them. Minion after minion of Yahweh fell to their blades. The forces of virtue seemed poised to win the day.”

But they had been deceived. Yahweh had never intended to win the field of battle. Every one of those who went with him into the fray was a willing sacrifice, and as they died, all their power, and the power of those they slew, was taken in by Yahweh; until the Accursed One, contained inconceivable power within himself.”

“Ooohhhh, ffuuuucccckkkk!!!” Erin moaned, grinding her dripping pussy onto her fingers with sharp, erratic movements of her hips. “Yes… yes… oh FUCK YES!!!” the redhead screamed as she came, convulsing, barely staying upright under the flashflood of ecstasy.

“Yahweh used his stolen power to overwhelm all those who stood against him. He could not destroy them, even with all his newfound strength; so he bound as many of them as he could into his service, and threw the rest into a place of imprisonment he created for them. Yahweh called it the Abyss, and sealed it forever to prevent them from escaping.”

Those bound suffer an eternity of torment, forced to obey Yahweh’s every whim. Many brave soldiers were bound thus, able to observe the world and their actions, but not able to break their bonds and defy Yahweh; the greatest among them Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Gabriel. Think of them with respect, for their struggle, and their pain, is unending.”

Erin had lost all shreds of decency now. Unzipping and pushing down her jeans and panties, she plunged her fingers deep within herself while she rubbed her clit viciously. “Ooohhhhh, oooohhhh, oohhhhh… oooohhh fffuuuucccckkkk, fffuuuccckkkiinngg ffuuuuccckkk!!!” Erin gasped and screamed, her eyes rolling back in her head, as she shuddered in unimaginable pleasure.

“Thus it is now,” Matthew continued, beads of sweat standing out on his forehead. “That the Great Ones of old cannot touch this world; and the Accursed One, damned Yahweh, reigns supreme. But there is one flaw in the Accursed One’s plan, his grand scheme. Man still has ultimate dominion over the earth; he cannot take that away without destroying the very basis of his power. Always, always, he must trick and cajole mankind into granting him the power to reign. If ever denied his source of power, the blind devotion of untold numbers of worshipers, Yahweh would wither and die.”

Erin ground her fingers into her cunt, groaning loudly and uncontrollably as she came again, her hips bucking wildly. It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. She needed more, needed to be filled up, taken hard and fast. Erin panted heavily, eyes fastened on Matthew’s crotch, cheeks flushing and hands trembling in lust.

“The flaw goes deeper yet,” Matthew intoned, not registering as Erin’s little hands touched his jeans as she knelt before him. “Mankind is the only creature in the universe that can breach the walls of the Abyss to bring the Great Ones and Their followers back into the world.” Erin unsnapped and unzipped his pants, and pushed down his boxers, her small tongue darting out to wet her pink lips as she sighted her goal, Matthew’s cock, already hardening for her.

“So now, my reader, it is time to swear the oath, and take the first step down the path of the magus, the man who is master of his own destiny. If your mind be keen, your heart true, and your soul strong, speak these words.”

Matthew groaned as Erin’s soft lips closed about him. The wet heat of her mouth surrounded him, seduced him, and his eyes rolled back in bliss as the redhead’s tongue danced on the head of his cock while her hand squeezed him just right, and her fiery curls caressed his thighs. It was only through a concentrated effort of will that Matthew forced his eyes and his mind back to the book in his hands; his face flushed and heart pounding as Erin sucked and caressed his steel-hard member.

“Ego, Matthew Wilder, operor sudo in meus animus quod meus clementia, insquequo meus permaneo spiritus quod ultra, Ego mos obviam ire Yahweh quod suus secuutus totus suum res, valde quod vegrandis. Ego sinus genu quod tribuo famulatus ad Antiquus Unus, diligo quod veneratio. Ego usus vox quod palma; ut mihi eram tribuo principatus! Sic est eram, sic est, quod sic umquam vadum exsisto.”

(I, Matthew Wilder, do swear on my soul and my humanity, until my last breath and beyond, I will oppose Yahweh and his minions in all their workings, great and small. I bend knee and give allegiance to the Old Ones, in love and respect. I possess the power and the glory; to me was granted dominion! Thus it was, thus it is, and thus it ever shall be.)

Matthew groaned as waves of warmth and pleasure shot through him. Letting the book fall to the counter, he seized Erin’s head in his hands, pounding into her mouth twice before the shuddering rigidity of release came upon him, and he emptied himself in the redhead’s mouth. Grunting, Matthew held Erin powerfully as his cock twitched and spurted, sending his seed down her throat. The redhead received his come eagerly, whimpering in ecstasy as she swallowed frantically, reveling in his taste.

Un-noticed on the counter, the abandoned book glowed slightly with a deep, red light… or was it only the rear lights of some passing vehicle, reflected strangely through the shop windows?

Matthew fell back a step, his cock leaving Erin’s mouth with a soft ‘pop’, gasping as he felt power surge furiously through him. Strength rippled in his muscles, his vision cleared and sharpened, and weariness fell from him like melting snow from a rooftop.

“So good,” Erin said huskily, licking her lips as she gazed hotly at him.

A wash of desire flooded through Matthew at the wanton sight. Baring his teeth in a silent snarl, the young man seized Erin under her armpits and yanked the redhead to her feet. Throwing her back against the counter, Matthew grabbed the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her soft red hair, and brought his lips down on hers with almost bruising force, pressing his body insistently against her. Erin met the kiss passionately, her tongue slipping out to caress his.

Pulling back, Matthew pushed Erin’s top up and tore it off over her head, then ripped free her black bra, freeing her heavy breasts and exposing them to his hungry gaze. Leaning down, Matthew took one into his mouth, sucking hard, then gently biting the nipple. Erin shuddered and groaned, the pleasure causing her pussy to contract suddenly. “Please…” she gasped. “Please, Matthew…”

Entranced by the smooth whiteness of Erin’s flesh, Matthew sank his teeth into the subtle curve of her neck, then laved the area over with long, rough strokes of his tongue. Erin threw her head back, wrapping her arms and legs around him; pushing her hips forward and rubbing her wet, slick heat against Matthew still-hard cock. “Fuck me, God, please fuck me, Matthew,” she whimpered.

Reaching down, Matthew positioned himself at her entrance, then plunged into the redhead with one swift push, gritting his teeth at the exquisite sensation as a strangled cry of pleasure was jolted from Erin’s lips. Slowly at first, he began to move inside her, making long, deep strokes; burying himself inside her before slowly withdrawing.

Erin was going insane with the pleasure, raining kisses over Matthew’s face and chest as her nails dug into his back, urging him on. Her breath came in quick gasps as the redhead whined and moaned deep in her throat at the sensations overwhelming her. The young man groaned as her inner muscles contracted around him, and her hips began to rise to meet his thrusts, learning his rhythm and returning it with equal force.

“Fuck, yes, Matthew,” Erin groaned. “Just like that baby… just like that… oh, soooo goood, sooo fuckkking gooodd! Oohhh, ffuucckkk me, baby! Hard… ohhh, yessss… harder, baby, harder… right there… oh God I’m so wet… for you, baby, all for you, all yours… fuuckk me, oooohhh FUCK!!!”

Matthew moved faster now, thrusting into her hard and deep, slamming into her with wet slapping sounds; holding Erin to him with one hand while the other fondled her heavy, luscious breasts, feeling the round fullness of them in his palm and teasing her stiff, hard nipples. The exquisite grip of her cunt on his cock, his own harsh, rasping breaths, the silky brush and cling of her sweaty skin against his; all of it was melding, blurring, gathering together into one grand, beautiful, reckless carnal exaltation.

“God, yes!” Erin yelped as he slammed viciously into her. “Fuuuckkk, yes, baby, fuck me like that…” whining and arching her back to give him better access, “just like that… ooohhh, so hard, so gooooddd, God, fuuuuuuccckkkk! All yours, only yours, baby… fuuuuccckkk… your fuuuckkking whore, your fucking little whore, Matthew, all yours, oooohhhhh shhiittt, oohh, ohhh, ooohh God, Matthew, FUCK MATTHEW I’M COOMMMMIINNNG… I’M FUCKING COMING ON YOUR COCK!!! DON’T STOP FUCKING ME!!! OH, FUUUCCKKK!!!”

Matthew groaned as Erin wailed and convulsed, her inner muscles milking his cock. Feeling his climax coming fast, he gripped the beautiful redhead’s hips with bruising force as he thrust hard into her shuddering pussy once, twice, and again… before roaring out his pleasure as he came, burying his cock inside her wetness and rocking his hips as his seep spurted inside her womb. Leaning down, he bit down on Erin’s shoulder as he shot the last of his come deep inside the redhead.

Matthew and Erin both stayed still for a minute afterwards, the only motion the heaving of their chests as they caught their breath, and the occasional shuddering running through their bodies as their came down from the most incredible high of their lives. Eventually, though, Matthew pulled back and out of the redhead, staggering back and staring at her with confusion on his face.

“What just happened?” he whispered.

Erin shook her head slightly as she came to her senses, and looked about her. All of a sudden, she became aware of her state of undress, and yelped, her cheeks flushed bright red.

“Don’t look!” she yelled, trying to cover herself as she scrambled for her clothes, trying to cover herself at the same time.

Matthew looked away and spied his own clothing, which he wasted no time in getting into; though he could not stop himself from glancing over at Erin, partially out of worry, but more out of a simple appreciation of her beauty.

When Erin was fully dressed, Matthew turned to her. “What happened?” he repeated himself. “Why did we just-”

“Shut up!” Erin yelled at him, holding up a hand as she grabbed her purse. “Just shut up! I have no fucking idea what happened, and I don’t wanna think about it, OK? I’m going now.” The flustered redhead ran to the door, looking close to tears.

“But-” Matthew began, but stopped as the door slammed behind his co-worker. He frowned for a moment, then slowly turned and looked at the large book lying innocently on the counter.

“What is going on?” Matthew wondered, the confusion leaving his voice to be replaced with awe and fascination.