## Archive-name: victim_of_old_ritual

From: tooshoes@ix.netcom.com (tooshoes)

Subject: * Victim Of An Age-Old Ritual (Repost in ascii)

Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories

Sorry about the encryption problem with the previous posting of this story. ----------------------------------------------- VICTIM OF AN AGE-OLD RITUAL

Terri sat by the classroom window looking outside across the leaf blanketed campus. She was a month into her freshman year, and already the excitement was gone. She was changing with everything around her, but she longed for the past. Terri was an adult, now. She was an adult living in the city, but no one cared. She might have just as well been a child, for that was how she felt. The world saw a girl becoming a woman, but inside she was frightened of maturity; she was longing for her old bedroom and mom's home cooking.
The train station was just down the street, and she fancied fleeing for home once that minute hand reached twelve. Mom would be as happy as Terri when she arrived, and she would rush a cake into the oven, as she always did on such occasions. Dad would crush her with his wonderful arms and growl, "My Terri Bear is growing bigger every day." Later, Terri would go out to visit her friends . . .
But then she remembered that her friends were scattered among several colleges, and she would not see them again until the holiday break. Terri's envisioned escape encountered another wall as she looked at a list of her assignments; she knew that if she went home today, she would get nothing done.
Outside the window, Terri noticed her roommate Sharon waving from under the skeleton of an oak tree. Sharon was Terri's only friend in this world of books. Terri waved back and then looked at the clock, sighing; her Spanish teacher somehow always managed to fill his allotted time.

Walking down the city street, Sharon lowered her jeans enough for Terri to see the scar she had developed after sitting on a classmate's practical joke. Terri glanced around, choking out surprised laughter and, "Sharon! Not here!"
Sharon showed no sign of embarrassment, although the street was crowded. She raised her hands in an overly presented gesture. "I could have killed him!" she cried out in good humour, patting her own rear.
Terri smiled. "I thought boys would outgrow that stuff by college."
"I thought they had out grown it by junior high."
As they walked swiftly along, Terri took Sharon's hand into her own. They shared a quick glance, and Sharon let out a smile and a chuckle.
They made an odd pair, Terri thought; their personalities and interests clashed as obviously as Terri's white dress against Sharon's black shirt and jeans. They barely understood each other, but Terri felt a connection.
Terri had entered college mostly to please her parents, and she couldn't involve herself with her studies. She was a mostly private person who rarely made a move to attract attention; maybe that is why she needed a friend like Sharon.
Unlike Terri, Sharon was excited about college and was literally devoted to her studies. She was a second year student of religions and the occult (popular studies in this school), and she really lived the part. She had black hair and a wardrobe to match it, and she always wore dark makeup. She fostered an air of mystery and suspense in her every affair, and she thoroughly enjoyed the popular perception of her as a witch.
Terri said, "I'm surprised they had the guts to try something like that on you."
"Shall I put a curse on him?"
"Your reputation demands it."
"No, the spirits demand it!"
"You're over doing it," Terri murmured while she watched a train pull from the station nearby. She slowed her steps and then stopped. She raised her notebooks to her chest, as her dreamy stare followed the train into the distance.
"I'll give you my soul for your thoughts," Sharon urged.
Terri looked down at the ground. "Your soul isn't worth that much."
"How about a penny?"
"I want to go home," Terri said, to which Sharon returned an amazed expression. "It's only an hour away. I could be back before school tomorrow."
First Sharon eyed her critically, then she put an arm around Terri's shoulder and gently urged her towards the dorms.
Terri did not put up a physical resistance, but neither could she join Sharon's excited spirit. Terri's spirit was longing for an ancient white house, two august pine trees and a section of turf she could not recall walking upon since a barbecue four years ago. This longing tugged urgently on special occasions—like the longing of salmon that must return home or die on their mating season.
Sharon tried to comfort Terri. "I understand what's bugging you," She said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
Terri looked up.
Sharon continued, "You've got a secret."
Terri dropped her gaze again.
"You're still a virgin," Sharon finished.
Terri winced and then kicked Sharon lightly on the shin. "You already knew that."
"Well, we've got to do something about it," Sharon smiled. "Something tonight."
Terri stared at Sharon in disbelief.
"I've set you up with a date—a double date with Guru and me at eight-thirty."
"Does he even speak english?" Terri asked sarcastically, while putting down Sharon's spooky boyfriend The Guru who spoke only hindi.
"I would hope so," Sharon replied, "since he is an english major. He's handsome and—well, you'll like him. Guru and I met him on one of our retreats. Name's Jude. I can't exactly remember his real name because Jude sounded so much better."
"He won't like me," Terri said defiantly. She was not really bothered that Sharon was taking such liberties with her sex life; she simply did not feel like meeting anyone new, tonight.
"He'll love you."
"He'll take one look at me and barf."
Sharon grabbed Terri and looked her strait in the face. When Terri looked away shyly, Sharon moved to see her face again. Then she admired Terri's body for a moment.
Terri felt embarrassed. They just stood there, one girl admiring another, as people passed by.
Then Sharon smiled at Terri and shook her head in amazement. She slowly rolled out the words. "He's gonna love you!"
Terri could not resist this kind of flattery.

Sitting on her bed, Terri rummaged through the mail. She found plenty of mail for Terri, the student, but she found nothing for Terri, the lonely girl from a small, suburban town. Maybe someone had called, she thought, but she found the telephone answering machine was not set up; she would never know.
Sharon stepped out of the bathroom. "How do I look?" Her hair was combed down strait, and her make-up was masterly applied. She wore a dress, for a change, which was sexy but not cheap; and, as always, she wore only black.
"Very pretty." Terri nodded with approval.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you getting dressed?"
Terri began fumbling with her fingernails. "Do you think Jude would mind terribly if I called it off?"
"What?" Sharon was alarmed. "Why?"
"I just want to go home. Could we give them a rain check?"
"I don't know, Terri, he might find another date," Sharon said, obviously wanting to get things under way. "And, uh, I forgot to tell you earlier that your ma called last night when you were at the store."
"Really? What did she say?"
"She said that they were going out of town for a few days."
Terri felt dejected. "Nothing else?"
"That they would probably visit this weekend. We joked about my wardrobe. That's about it."
Terri's face went cold as she nodded. She opened her purse and began organizing her makeup. This date suddenly seemed like a good idea. She put her mascara aside, because she expected some tears, and she asked in the strongest voice she was capable of, "Where are we going tonight, anyway?"
Terri was sitting on her bed, and Sharon walked behind her and caressed her hair. "We're going to Jude's apartment. He's got a projection television, and we're gonna see a really intense horror flick."
"What's it called?"
"Look up."
Terri looked above her head and saw a glistening, twelve inch blade held inches above her face. She thought her heart stopped, as she was too frightened to even scream. There she sat, a young woman, barely eighteen, and her life was already over. Then Sharon walked across the room and dropped the knife into a paper bag. She turned to face Terri with the trace of a smile, and said, "Psycho."
Terri found it difficult to breathe. "What?" she said, at last.
"Psycho. The movie we're seeing is Psycho."
"You're the psycho," Terri stammered. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
She shrugged. "Just trying to keep you on your toes."
Terri did not want to forgive Sharon, but she knew she would. She had forgiven her the last time she pulled a stunt like this, which was only a week ago. How could she be so nice one minute and then almost cause Terri to wet herself in terror the next? Nevertheless, Terri knew such stunts would continue, and that she would do her part by continuing to trust and forgive her best friend.
"Why did you put the knife in with the cleaning stuff," Terri asked. The bag also contained some all purpose cleaner, several cloths, a large plastic trash bag and a jar of some mysterious liquid.
"Jude's cooking chicken, and he asked me to bring a knife to cut it with," Sharon said. "You better get ready. You've only twenty minutes."
Terri quickly put the knife incident out of her mind and tried to get excited about the date. She hurried through the dresses in the closet and chose a very sexy, bright red one.
Sharon stared and shook her head while Terri slipped on the dress.
Terri tried a rehearsed smile and pose, which was meant to imitate the mystery that Sharon always projected. "What do you think?" she asked, excited by the facade.
Sharon smiled but still shook her head. "I don't know. I think you look better in white."
"Do I look sexy?"
"You look like a different girl."
"Good. I don't want to be me, tonight," Terri said, as she considered an arrangement for her hair. "Small town Terri is invisible."
"Really, Terri . . ." Sharon was still shaking her head.
"Come on, Sharon, I can't believe you. You sound like my mother."
"Okay, but wear the make up light or you'll really look cheap."
"Yeah, Mom," Terri smiled. She looked up expecting to see Sharon smiling, as Terri thought she was playing a game, but Sharon seemed genuinely concerned. "Sharon?"
"Yeah?"
"What made you think of matching me with Jude?"
Sharon smiled. "Because I like him."
"Oh," said Terri, a bit ruffled. "Just what kind of man attracts a psycho-witch?"
A horn called to them from outside the window, and the two startled girls glanced at each other.
"They're early," Terri commented, as she looked hopelessly at the mirror.
Sharon gave her a once-over and declared her fine. "Here are your shoes."
They hurriedly finished up with their personal preparations. Sharon grabbed their pocket books, and Terri grabbed the bag of cleaning materials.
High heels were difficult enough to handle on stairs, Terri thought, when a girl wasn't balancing a twenty pound bag of junk. The shimmering of the knife peeking from inside the bag kept Terri unsettled. The truth was—and Terri admitted it—that she always worried and fretted before a date, and so she bit her upper lip and tried to proceed courageously.
Sharon had hurried ahead and was already at the car when Terri emerged from the front door, and Terri paused at the threshold in awe. The car was no mere car but a twenty foot black limousine. Sharon was now standing at the rear and was opening the trunk. She waved for Terri to approach.
"Put the bag in here." Sharon spread out a large sheet of plastic in the trunk. " We don't want the soapy stuff leaking all over the interior. Besides, knowing you, you'd probably stick the bag between the two of you so nothing could happen."
"Sharon, isn't this a bit much?" Terri asked, as she laid the bag on the plastic. "I mean a limo . . ."
"This is Guru's limo."
"The Guru owns a limo?"
Sharon smiled, "No, Guru drives a limo. It's his job. I thought you knew."
"But he doesn't know english."
"He knows streets," Sharon countered. "Come on, let's meet your date."
They walked to the left rear door, and Terri thought it weird that neither Jude nor The Guru had come out of the car and opened the door for her. She hadn't really expected her date to be a model gentleman, but the gesture would have seemed especially appropriate when they went to the trouble to get a limo.
She opened the door and peeked inside. The interior was all black velvet, and the windows were darkly tinted, but Terri was pleased to see her date—a very handsome fellow—wearing a very lively, vermilion suit. She tried a flirtatious smile that she had practiced only a few minutes ago, and teased, "Hey, Jude."
"Hey yerself." He smiled and stretched out his arm to invite her within an embrace. "Come into my beehive my lovely Terri bear."
Terri's smile fell, and she suddenly wanted to call it all off. Only her father had ever called her "his Terri bear," and no one outside the family knew about it, including Sharon. She felt stuck there at the door, not brave enough to go in and not cowardly enough to leave.
Jude tried an unconvincing look of sympathy. "Come on in, I'm a honey bee and won't sting."
"I've been stung by honey bees before," Terri said, still glued to the door.
"Well, I work too hard making honey to think about my stinger," he said laughing.
Sharon stepped into the front seat beside the Guru and said like a military commander, "Enter, and let us be off."
Terri finally stepped inside the very roomy back seat. When she closed the heavy door behind her, it sounded like the thud a vault makes when closed. Despite the roominess of the limo, she quickly felt suffocated by Jude's proximity. He moved his body up against hers and put an arm around her in half an embrace.
He was very handsome, but he was handsome in an eerie way. He looked at her as a hungry man looks at food, and although he had gone to a great deal to physically appear gentle, his demeanour was very intense. Terri could imagine him as both hero of a very exciting dream, or villain of her worst nightmare.
Sharon smiled, as Terri moved into Jude's embrace, but she said nothing.
The limo pulled out silently as if propelled by a breeze.
No one said a word during the next minute, although plenty was happening. Jude was absorbing Terri with his eyes, while Terri passively accepted her role of being absorbed. Something was clearly happening in the front seat, for Sharon was giggling and squirming while huddling close to The Guru in the spacious front seat.
Terri was wondering how well The Guru could handle both a limo and Sharon at once, when Jude slid the barrier between the front section and the back shut.
Terri considered her surroundings, as Jude considered her body. Sitting in a moving car, with the barrier shut between the front and rear and with Jude fondling her hand, she felt as if she were a fly caught in a spider's web. Yet she felt attracted to the spider.
Noticing how her dress and his suit seemed to complement each other, Terri nervously broke the silence. "I hope we can get along as well as our clothes do."
"We're a match made in heaven," Jude replied.
"Whenever someone says that," Terri said with her eyes pinned to his tie, "it never works out."
Jude framed her face with his hands and waited for her eyes to meet his before he smiled and said the inevitable—"Never say never."
Terri worried that her blush was as deep as it felt, and that Jude could feel the accelerated beat of her heart through her face. She worried that perhaps she should have used more cologne or spent more time on her hair. She was terrified when Jude came in for the kiss.
He kissed her gently, allowing her time to adjust. At first, Terri tried to think about her role. What was she expected to do? What was she expected to not do? But soon she eased into her role without thinking about it, as passion replaced fear and doubt.
The kissing got heavier, as Terri began responding. She was no longer merely waiting to be kissed but was kissing back eagerly.
Then one of Jude's hands caressed a breast through the fabric of her dress. Terri shivered. His fingers began working on an excited nipple. Terri instinctively urged him away.
He did not resist her message but moved both hands up to caress her less forbidden face. He withdrew his lips from hers, and they then kissed with their eyes. She did not know how her eyes affected him, but his eyes captured her will and her strength.
"I gather that no man has yet laid claim on your land," he said seriously. "The young Terri bear has entered the bee hive before ever having tasted honey."
How did he know? Did Sharon tell him, or was it written in her actions?
"You must make your english teachers jealous with all your metaphors," Terri said with a frightened smile. She was trying to sound intelligent and independent—trying to break free of his spell. He spoke with such solemnity and conviction, however, that his simple words were taking over her emotions, as the incantation of a sorcerer can take authority over nature.
Terri's virginity was something she had been both proud of and ashamed of, but now its value to her had been diminished. Children play one kind of game and adults another, she thought, and perhaps this was how a girl becomes a woman.
"I'm sorry," she said, trying to ease back under his spell. "Do you mind?"
"A virgin in red does not want to be a virgin," he replied while moving his lips so that they nearly touched hers, "but I could not accept one less pure. Don't worry, the honey on your lips is enough for me."
Terri allowed him to ease her back and make love to her clothed body with his hands, and he stayed true to his words. But his attention concentrated on her face, and when he brushed his fingers against her cheeks, Terri felt her cheeks flush in reaction.
"If I didn't know better," Jude said, "I would guess that your cheeks were naturally rosy."
Terri could not help but blush more.
"Amazing!" he continued playfully. He pressed a button on his watch, which emitted a slight beep. "I better time this. You might set a record."
Terri could not believe how excited she was, as he always seemed to say just the right things. She was burning up. He could take her any time he wanted, and they both knew it.
"I'm scared," she said. "This is much too fast."
"Don't worry," he replied. "You're in safe hands. I want you to be pure as you bask in glory, tonight."
"Bask in glory?" Terri simpered playfully. "I thought we were seeing a movie."
He faltered. "Uh, well, you three will be, but I'll be watching you. I'll be eagerly waiting for the movie to end."
Terri smiled, but her smile was strained. What he had said struck her as odd—like a pianist missing a note in an otherwise beautiful composition.
He moved in to kiss her again, but the mood wasn't the same as before; the spell had weakened. She allowed the kiss and felt herself softening, but she was more aware. When his hand moved over her breast, she urged him back again, for although she would have let him tear her dress off only a minute ago, his actions now seemed intended to distract her in passion.
"Jude, you know, I feel like I could eat a horse," she said while not quite meeting his eyes. "What are you making for dinner, tonight?"
He shrugged, "Whatever you want."
Wrong answer, Terri thought. "What movie are we seeing."
"Whatever you want," he said, obviously uptight. "Why the inquisition?"
Terri suddenly felt a shiver run through her body. She opened the barrier to the front section of the limo, surprising Sharon and The Guru, and demanded, "What are we doing tonight?"
"You'll be watching a movie," Jude said again, no longer appearing confident, "and I'll be watching you."
Terri shook her head, "What are we really doing?"
Then followed a moment of tense silence.
Sharon stared at Jude, who took a deep breath and smiled. "We're going to consummate an ancient ritual," he said, regaining confidence despite Sharon's obvious, growing concern. "We're going to dress you in flowers and throw you into a volcano to appease the angry gods."
Terri laughed despite her anxiety, and Sharon reached as far as she could to slap Jude playfully across the face.
The Guru, of course, remained silent, as he was ignorant of the joke.
Terri tried to relax; she tried to forget Jude's evasiveness, and she tried to forget that everyone seemed panicky when she asked her simple question, but these things nagged her like a terrible itch. She needed an explanation. She needed to believe that her fear was unreasonable—that it was just a nervous reaction keeping her from what she really wanted. With these mixed emotions, she had to ask again, "What are we doing tonight?"
Sharon glanced at the others and then shrugged.
Jude took Terri's hand, and she looked in his eyes. She pleaded silently for him to make her confident again.
"We're just going to my apartment, Terri," he comforted. "We don't really have any set plans, but you won't have to do anything you don't want to do."
Terri's fear was quickly washed away by shame, for she felt that she was allowing her paranoia to spoil their good time. She eased closer to him, but she could not meet his eyes. She had been looking for shadows in the bright faces of her few friends in this alien world of college, when they were trying to offer her happiness. She felt that she was a quibbling, selfish bitch.
"I'm sorry," Terri said, feeling like a child among adults. "This is so new to me. I guess I expected . . . I don't know what I expected."
"Expect to be happy," Jude said, as he ruffled Terri's hair rather roughly.
"Yeah, lighten up," Sharon said with a smirk, as she switched on a flashlight in Terri's face.
The Guru pulled the limo to the side of the road near an apartment building in the centre of a quiet town.
Terri strained her eyes to see the moonlit street through the darkly tinted glass. All she saw was the effect of the flashlight on her retinas. "Are we here?"
"Yes," Sharon replied, "but don't leave yet." She moved around the front seat for a moment, while Jude reached behind the back seat.
"No mess," The Guru said clearly without looking back and without further comment.
Jude produced a bottle of Gallo dry burgundy, and Sharon passed back two wine glasses.
Terri was enchanted. A limo, a moonlit night, a handsome and charming date, and a bottle of burgundy—she could not wish for more, and she did not believe she deserved half as much.
Jude filled each glass and then passed the bottle up front. Terri handled her glass carefully, as it was a bit too full, and marvelled how near black the red wine looked in the dark limo.
Jude held forth his glass. "I propose a toast," and everyone readied. "To a beautiful night and to its brightest, most beautiful star, my lovely Terri."
Terri was so flattered and humbled that she failed to note the oddity of his toast—or that all three seemed happy to honour her. She held her gaze low, seeing only the slight rippling on the burgundy's surface; she was overwhelmed.
Jude moved beside her, and she leaned into him. He stroked her hair, as she looked up to him, whispering, "I don't know..."
"Drink," he directed her.
And she did.
Her first taste affected her how she imagined a wave affects the shore it spreads itself upon. Her second taste was even better. She didn't know whether she was in love or in heaven, but she didn't care. If she was being selfish, she didn't care about that either. That day especially, she needed to be important; she needed to be noticed, and she needed to be pampered.
Terri's glass soon was depleted. Jude glanced at his watch and nodded to Sharon, who again passed the bottle back to him. Terri was in such a peaceful state that she seemed to be near sleep, as Jude half again filled her glass.
Several minutes later, Terri was drifting. Only a glass and a half and she was floating on air. All she felt was the warm body supporting her and the bitter cherry flavour on her tongue. All she was concerned with was drifting deeper.
Jude brushed the dreamy girl's hair from her half shut eyes and kissed her gently. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."
"Look sharp, girl," Sharon said. "Time to move."
Jude came around and opened the door for Terri. She was helped out of the limo and was supported by an eerily handsome man, who she now realized was quite tall.
The Guru was opening the trunk, while Sharon approached Terri, smiling a wide grin. "I guess you can't hold your wine," she said while lightly pinching one of Terri's cheeks.
Terri was turned around, as Jude guided her slowly towards his apartment.
The building was old and made of brick. It seemed to Terri to be a hundred yards in length, but everything seemed larger to her, now. The full moon cast many shadows and many spots of light along the side of the building; these kept her eye, as the four travelled towards the front entrance. One fuzzy spot caught her attention and reclaimed her awareness. Barely visible among several graffiti messages was a five sided star within a circle, drawn in spray paint.
Terri's mind began to find the connections she was unwilling to see before. At last, she began to question what she had been told and to worry about her friends' intentions. Maybe those rumours about Sharon being a witch were more than rumours. Maybe what Jude had said earlier about the volcano wasn't merely a joke. Jude's supporting arm now seemed like a leash, leading her to a place where she would not otherwise go.
The Guru was several paces behind them, supporting the paper bag from the trunk with one arm and brandishing the knife in his other hand.
"Sharon," she said, and Sharon readily appeared by her side. "I'm feeling sick. I'm sorry, could we go home."
Jude released her, allowing Sharon to transplant her arm where his had been. They continued forward. "You have absolutely no tolerance for alcohol, girl! You can rest inside."
Terri stopped despite Sharon's urging her further. "Please," she said, as tears started down her cheek.
Sharon looked up to Jude and The Guru with an expression of panic, and then she reached into her purse for a handkerchief. She wiped away Terri's tears and adopted a smile to relax her. "Calm down. Are you feeling nauseous?"
Terri shook her head, as she leaned into her best friend.
Jude stepped to the other side of Terri and stroked her hair. "I've got a large, soft sofa inside for you to rest on."
Sharon and Jude supported Terri from either side, and they moved slowly forward again towards the front entrance of the building. The Guru followed right behind them.
Cars were running up and down the street, but there were no pedestrians besides themselves walking the sidewalks. Although several families must have lived in this apartment complex, Terri heard no sound except the wind and traffic, nor did she see many lights in the windows.
She allowed herself to be led into the building, as she wanted to believe in the visible concern of her friends rather than their veiled intent. The spectre of her fate was balanced against her natural optimism and trust, and she found herself unable to fight when she could still hold hope. Nevertheless, she felt as a sheep being led into a slaughter house, or a prisoner being shut into a train for Auschwitz; she was frightened but immobilized by hope.
Near the end of the hall, the remains of a red balloon littered the otherwise clean floor. This section of the building seemed relatively isolated from the rest, but Terri didn't notice that none of the rooms were apartments. These were rooms rented for private functions.
When they stopped in front of a closed door, Terri found it difficult to breathe. Jude creaked the door open, revealing darkness within. Once beyond the threshold, she could hear that the darkness was not silent. Whispers and shuffling sounded from unseen sources, and they resonated throughout the room.
Then Guru closed the door behind him . . .
Then the lights came on suddenly, and voices cried out. Two forms rushed towards Terri, and that was when she fainted.
The last thing she would later remember about her eighteenth birthday would be those two forms. One was a middle aged woman with a hearty smile not unlike Terri's own who caught her daughter before she hit the floor. The other was a greying, middle-aged man who wore a silly party hat; he held his arms out, saying, "Come 'ere, my grown-up little Terri bear!"

by TooShoes@ix.netcom.com

Last modified (12/24/96 14:14:10) by Eli-the-Bearded.

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