   -WARNING!-

   This story contains certain objectionable contents that may very
well not be for the faint of heart.  While I'm reluctant in explicitly
disclosing them for the sake of averting any possible spoilers, the tags
below will perhaps serve as good indicators of what the story may hold. 
That being said, if you certainly feel that you aren't the queasy type,
then feel free to proceed.  I still insist, however, that everyone
interested should do so at their own risk.

   (Story Tags: Anal, Blood, Bondage, Oral, Rape, Teen, Tentacles)

   Thank you.

   *******

   THE FIEND OF SEVERN

   ~Intension

   *******

   The water's edge was where she waited, a young beholder lying and
waiting beside the lush, elastic meadow.  Gentle eyes wandered briefly
along the serene river beside the field, its moonlit beauty taking a
delightful sigh from the girl.  With a slight turn her back cuddled the
grass, and she began staring profoundly at the dimming horizon.  She would
marvel at the sky's beauty; it seemed so clear and frigid, and she'd pray
that the meteor shower tonight would enhance its magnificence.  Still, the
heat of the thick summer air enfeebled her scarcely tolerable focus of her
beloved, yet her mind continued to cling on hopeful thoughts of his arrival
for this one, romantic evening together.

   The girl yawned and closed her eyes with contentment, allowing her mind
and spirit to find the outdoor leisure she hankered for.  Her fingertips
teased the symmetrical bundles of her hair shaped in bunches.  Opening her
dark-violet eyes again, she briefly inclined her head for a glimpse of her
garments.  Her sleeveless, white blouse and her similarly blanched
undershirt cuddled closely to her slender frame.  The hem of her ebony
skirt lolled just above her knees and, perhaps to her, it was more than
enough to divulge the splendor of her smooth, shapely legs.  She wore no
footwear or any knitted coverings for her feet; the rich, fertile ground
and the balmy summer environment had her disregard the option of taking an
extra pair to go and celebrate under the starry night.

   Smiling with a hint of red on her face, her head reclined with the green
earth.  Gazing overhead she was greeted by a pale green crescent,
accompanied by a myriad of stars emerging into view.  The word 'Wow!'
immediately surfaced into thought from the sky's miraculous makeover; the
heavens became beautifully engraved, with raven clouds entwined by
celestial patterns, all of which are stared upon.  She began counting every
star pervading her view, perhaps to help pass the time.  It seemed to have
seized her breath for a moment; it was certainly unlike any other night she
had charily observed before.

   As she counted with mental focus, she felt a soft breeze elapsed by, and
for an instant the warmth enshrouding her turned bitter.  Her awe crawled
elsewhere, suddenly interrupted by this alien presence, and with apparent
puzzlement she sat up.  Her hands clutched close to her chest, with shaky
fingers adhering to her ruby, crescent-shaped pendant.  With worried eyes
she glanced at the river, then at the field of rapeseeds she had settled
beside with.  Both the river and crops stirred elegantly with the movement
of the wind.

   Somehow the sudden breeze nearly challenged her serenity, and yet she
couldn't grasp any clear understanding of it.  She quickly shook off such
insecure thoughts from her head, however.  Paranoia must've followed in her
wake, or so she thought.  Perhaps to her it truly may have, especially in
this time of night.  Sometimes she'd wondered why it seemed all too common
for her to fuss and worry over anything she would initially disregard as
`nothing'.

   'Passing this lake I know so perfectly well...'

   Then so abruptly, a whisper personified in thin air froze every soothing
sentiment of her being.  In an instant she sprung onto her feet,
unsuccessfully restraining an appalling yelp and surrendering her attention
to the unusual occurrence provoking her once peaceful stances.  She spun
around.  Once.  Twice.  Only the natural ballet of the meadow welcomed her
perspective.  Nonetheless, the wind's unnatural voice unmistakably sunk
into her ears.  And understandably, the bemusement shackled her emotions
with manacles of fret.

   Her hand skimmed to her chest and once again clung softly to her pendant
as her troubled eyes moved from place to place.  She held her breath for
the moment, searching for the opportunity to pause off all the worries.  As
she looked around once more to find nothing out of the ordinary, her fitful
breathing lessened and she sighed with a sense of relief.  Perhaps it was
intentional or so she thought, deeming how nature works in such mysterious
ways among the individuals in solitude, even though she was more strongly
attached to the jovial sense of companionship with her friends and
relatives.

   "Shouldn't I've waited at home?" she asked herself with a rueful tone,
frowning at her own, seemingly foolish decision in loitering near the river
alone, especially as the night grew darker.  She had conversed with her
faithful devotee earlier that day, insisting that she will wait for him by
the riverside after a family dinner.  The mere thought of his anticipated
influx encouraged another blush from the girl, leading her to imagine that
her grace alone in the baroque fields would induce an amorous scene for her
lover to behold upon arrival.  That, along with the sky's heavenly
ambiance, would perhaps render the night more romantic than it already
seemed.

   "Oh, who am I kidding?" she sighed aloud, swaying her hand from her
pendant with reassured composure.  "Silly me -- it was just the wind. 
Nothing more."

   Dismissing her apparently senseless qualms from her thoughts, she
resumed her incessant yet hopeful patience for her lover.  She protested
against the wait with an exhausted groan, and earnestly she began to ponder
on the unfortunate chance that he simply may not have the time to be with
her for the evening.  But she had always reflected thoroughly on all the
promises he had surrendered to her; wistful memories recalled some of his
most faithful words stowed in her mind and soul, imbued with honesty and
never misgiving.  It certainly made her feel that such recollections
heartened her sanctity to drift across the world and beyond this very life.

   Glossing ricochets from the river captured her eye, and her gaze
returned to the moonlight caressing the river.  She walked toward the river
with rising wonderment, looking over the still water bathing in the moon's
dazzling beacon.  Her kindled eyes found themselves centered on an extent
of the watercourse remarkably clad with lustrous glints.  She began
witnessing her reflection merging with the shimmering surface, and to her
awe it became the perfect photograph.  Grinning from ear to ear, she began
to survey every fascinating detail in the crystal clear portrait before
her, all in detail with the majesty of the stars, the vivid glow of the
moon, the nameless face in the streaming water...  

   "...!"

   The silhouette in the river seemed to have stupefied her, staring on at
the murky figure without her usual admiration.  Before long she spun around
with a terrified gasp, unwillingly bearing the thought of facing whoever
disturbed her balmy presence.

   "Huh?"

   Once again, only the preserved fields of the riverside filled her hasty
vision.  From that moment she imagined her stupefaction to have increased
tenfold.  Was it really just her, or was Mother Nature legitimately playing
tricks on the poor, confused girl?

   Swallowing the lump formed in her throat, her attention reverted to the
stream.  Through her eyes she unnervingly pursued for the ghastly portrait,
only to find the water no longer carrying the grotesque image.  Looking
back at her reflection, she wore a blank face with a chilly feeling
coursing through her soul.  She bit down her lip and stared vacantly
through the stream, brooding to herself why such whimsical occurrences must
transpire amid a miraculous and peaceful evening.

   "Josephine!"

   The warm and ever so welcoming voice that unfavorably happened to appear
out of nowhere had the startled girl spring on her toes with a brief yet
deafening yelp.  Repulsed with fright, the girl thoughtlessly lurched
forward and her feet tipped over the river's edge.  She gasped aloud with
flailing arms as her whole body tilted hastily forward, sparing no pauses
for her to brace for a swim and the embarrassing outcome that would follow.

   Then, without apprehending the outcome, all heedless motions suddenly
shifted into stasis.  The unfelt grip on her wrist pulled her back steadily
to her feet and released its grasp from her.  Her feet staggered back and
she bumped clumsily into another's relaxed presence.  Her head pounded in
trying to comprehend what just happened, until she felt two slender arms
encircling her from behind.  With a gasp her body jerked in surprise, and
she wasn't sure whether to try and tussle away from the anonymous grasp or
just simply scream in pure dissent.

   "Whoa, there!" the man uttered suddenly, his familiar and slightly
cheeky tone unwinding the girl's disconcerted state of mind.  "What's up
with you?  Can't you see who you'd bump into next?"

   Accustomed with his ever-so-conceited tone, Josephine fluttered her eyes
open with a blended sense of amazement and optimism.  She turned almost
enthusiastically in his arms, lifting her head for her eyes to find his
devoting gaze.  A smile skimmed along her lips as her eyes met his at last,
staring deeply into enticing teal eyes of a man whose mere, unadorned
presence could make her heart melt with ease.

   "Esaul!" Josephine shouted his name, wrapping her arms joyfully about
his waist as she snuggled her face on his chest.  "Oh, you dummy.  Don't
you ever scare me like that, again!"

   "Heh, sorry," Esaul apologized with a sarcastic emphasis, chuckling at
her allaying dismay.  "Could've sworn that you knew I was coming."

   "Yeah, well you shouldn't have come so late!" she retorted, tightening
her embrace around Esaul and throwing aside all unnerving emotions out of
elation for his arrival.  Her smile broadened with consent, feeling his
hands drifting lovingly along her back, then feeling his fingers glide
along her arms and shoulders.  Her face flushed a pinkish tint as she felt
his hands cupping her rosy cheeks.  Esaul lifted her face from his rugged
chest and nearly found himself lost in her velvety eyes once again.

   "Okay, I'll admit it.  Sorry for being so late," Esaul spoke with a low
and earnest tone, stroking her blushing cheek with his thumb.  "You know I
wouldn't want you to bear such timeless patience for me, babe."

   Josephine sighed quietly, her face displaying a gleeful expression from
his sincere words.  She released him from her tender hold and shyly eased
away from him.  Her winsome eyes surveyed the tall and handsome figure
before her; though always modest towards Esaul's appearance, she had come
to secretly admire his hearty and robust characteristics.  She demurely
examined his vigorous yet svelte form through his dusky, unfastened vest
and a shady camp shirt that clung close to his attractive build.  His dark,
chocolate hair draping down just below his shoulders was arranged
pleasingly enough to reveal his charismatic and comely face, as well as his
aquatic eyes that almost always seemed to prevail in capturing her
attention.

   "You okay there, Josephine?" Esaul inspected with an amusing smirk,
snapping her out of her wistful haze.  The scarlet tingled along her cheeks
again and she gave a playful slap on his arm.  Josephine humbly turned
around, folding her arms across her chest in an apparent nettled manner.

   "I feel fantastic, thank you very much," grumbled the irked girl, her
harried eyes shut.  "And for God's sake, Esaul, it's Josie!"

   "Josephine, Josie, what's the difference?" Esaul chuckled lightly,
casually shrugging his shoulders.  "Besides, you know I just can't seem to
brush off a more genuine, not to mention lovely name of yours from my
head."

   An annoyed sigh belched from her lips as Josie faintly kicked her foot
down the darkened grass.  Staring down, Josie again felt his warm presence
assimilating with hers.  She inhaled breezily at the welcoming touch of her
beloved, feeling his sturdy arms encircling her small waist.  Josie beamed
from the quick peck she felt on her cheek, and in approval she nestled to
his eager embrace.

   "Hey, at least I'm here with you now, right?" Esaul spoke into her ear,
his voice scarcely a whisper.  Indeed, it was his once doubtful arrival
that Josie had fostered for all this time, and from that moment alone she
had turned ever more beholden to her beloved.  Her jovial mind had come to
realize that yet another of his promises had been made and fulfilled.

   "Yeah," Josie simpered in his grasp.  "About time, too."

   The drifting clouds skulked through the night, and the couple was
arrayed in the moonshine.  They sat down cozily in the meadow, perceiving
the skyline in its fullest sublimity.  Esaul seemed especially amazed from
the momentous sight; it's no wonder why Josie wanted him to come here and
envisage beside her in a night like this.

   "Wow," muttered the overawed boy, peering through the cloak of stars. 
Josie glanced at her stunned admirer with a nod.

   "I thought the same thing when I first saw it," she remarked, acceding
to his thought.  "Beautiful isn't it?"

   "Oh yeah," he concurred.  "Ain't quite any nights like this, ain't
there?"

   "Not that I can recall," she reflected zestfully, glancing at him with a
charming his smile.  "And let's not forget 'bout the meteor showers
tonight. It's goin' to look real grand, then."

   "Ditto," he consented.  For the briefest moment their conversation
seized as they soaked up the beauty of the firmament.  Esaul pursed his
lips and turned to Josie, who seemed to be reveling in the silence and the
sky.  `So much serenity in her nature,' he reflected, a sense of desire
gleaming in his eyes as he became tempted in breaking the ice between them.

   "So Josie," Esaul began simply.  "How was your day?"

   Josie glanced over him, cocking her head and shrugged.  "Fine, I guess.
You?"

   "Same," he sighed vapidly, his weary eyes drifting lazily across the
horizon.  "Being home all day and the like.  Nothing too exciting."

   "Oh, I understand," she said, her voice empathic for the boy's boredom.
"I, for one, am glad to be away from home for once."

   Esaul chuckled mildly and turned his gaze to his beloved.  "Got bored
staying home, too?"

   "Kinda," Josie said, turning briefly to Esaul before sighing out loud.
"Among other things."

   Esaul quirked a brow and his eyes shuffled.  "Such as?"

   "It's...  a personal subject," Josie finished lamely, looking down at
her feet with a gloomy face.

   "Oh," he shrugged and focused overhead again, discerning her dusky
contents despite curious wonders.  "Guess I don't get to know."

   "Heh, of course you do, silly," Josie assured him and playfully smacked
his arm for his nagging curiosity.  "It's just...  I don't really think
it's worth mentioning about it."

   Esaul checked his gaze on the sky and flashed a quizzical look at his
admirer.  "Not even with me?"

   "Well...," Josie paused, seizing a moment to evoke her memories in her
comfortable state.  "My parents have freaking out lately about, you know,
us going out this evening."

   "Know?" Esaul mused with the word, her info inspiring dubious thoughts.
"But, you told me earlier today that-"

   "I know," Josie quickly complied with his inquiring gesture.  "They're
really all up in arms about it, though.  They've known for weeks now that
we had scheduled to go out and celebrate this evening for the showers, and
normally they wouldn't mind.  But after the incident, it all got pretty
tense in convincing my-"

   "Wait," he interrupted, shuffling his sitting posture and coming
face-to-face with his admirer.  "What incident?"

   Josie seemed mildly surprised at his oblivious inquiry.  "You haven't
heard about it?  It's been all over the news lately!"

   Esaul crooked his head and shrugged.  "Eh, so I'm not a big fan of the
media.  Now spill it."

   "God you're nosy," Josie groaned irksomely, rolling her eyes and turning
to face directly towards him.  "Nobody couldn't believe it--bloodcurdling
stuff.  It was first reported a few days ago during Guy Fawkes Night. 
Fourteen possibly related accounts of rape and murder, all female victims
in their early to late teens.  Absolutely sickening, and the local stories
surrounding the murders were just -- ugh, couldn't bear myself just
thinking about it."

   "Good God," Esaul expelled a breath of disgust, taken aback in regard to
the abhorring news she had shared.  "All on the same night?"

   "No, but it's still quite...  impressive," Josie put it bluntly, her
toes curling from the mere thought of the appalling stories still fresh in
her mind.  "It's been said that the fourteen murders occurred in just a
span of three consecutive days of this week-and they've spawned over the
counties of Telford, Shrewsbury, and Gloucester!"

   "Holy..." That piece of info stroked his heart cold; he couldn't bear
expressing anything on the matter head on, not with his mind constantly
shrinking back from disgust.  And for a moment he suddenly became
acquainted with her parents' fears.  "Ugh, now I can see why your parents
are fretting over it; it's real heavy stuff."

   "Yeah," Josie said and eyed the lush ground, feeling the sudden blush
creeping along her cheeks again.  "As I was trying to say earlier, though,
I convinced them that I had you to look me over."

   "Aww," Esaul expressed warmheartedly, seizing an adorable yet obviously
teasing gesture.  "How sweet, having me look out for the nasty bad guys
that may jump on you."

   "...You know, that really CAN happen," Josie quipped sharply, forming a
mild glare at her amused boyfriend.  "I mean, Worcester ain't so far away
from the other county towns I've mentioned."

   "Yeah?  Well, can't say I'm too worried," he sighed, waving his hand as
if disregarding the topic on hand.  "There are just too many girls in
Worcester that are quite troublesome for even that sicko to have his ways
with."

   Josie narrowed her glare; evidently she was less than amused.  "Esaul,
you think you can be serious for just one moment?" she sneered.  "Fourteen
people died, all in such a small amount of time.  And they're not just some
random separate incidents, either.  Does any of this even worry you?  Not
even a tiny bit?"

   "Okay, just breathe and rest easy, okay?" Esaul grumbled, motioning his
hands as if instructing the slightly tempered girl to take breaths without
trouble.  "Listen, if we need to get serious for once and let the media
stoke us with some heavy personal shit, then it's all right by me.  But
must I remind you that this date is, well, actually suppose to be a date?
Ya know, have us 'getting away from it all' and all that?  Yeah, what
happened to that?"

   Josie's lips parted and pursed a few times, her voice empty in uttering
a reasonable comeback.  Without a word she exhaled a fazed breath and
turned shyly away from his gaze, which quickly prompted a grin from her
canny lover.

   "Ahhhh, I get it.  You really are scared, aren't you?"

   The shyness in her spirit flinched away, and she shot a glare towards
Esaul.  "W-What?"

   "C'mon, Josie.  Be honest for once," Esaul said, not intimidated by her
kindling eyes piercing through him.  "You happened to learn of something so
repulsive and horrifying, it's now giving you the creeps!  That's why you
had the need to tell me about it so you wouldn't be scared from it all, am
I right?"

   "S-scared?  Me?" Josie exclaimed, laughing mildly with false amusement.
"Don't be ridiculous!"

   Another giddy laugh aspired from the boy.  "Come on now, Josie.  I can
tell from those looks in your eyes.  There's no use denying against me."

   "I'm not!" Josie muttered loudly, vexation raining over her.

   "Oh?" he chuckled back.  "Then how come your lips are moving so funny
like that?"

   Josie's vexed mindset shrunk back; she tapped her fingers over her
pursed lips and flushed.  "I..."

   Esaul felt his own smile broaden from the torment he was lending her. 
"Go on"

   "Because..." Josie heaved a lowly sigh, scoffing off such nuisance with
a frown.  She looked back towards the sky and nodded with discontent.  "I
don't know.  There.  Give it a rest, now.  Let's just--I don't know; find
us some constellations or something before the shower comes, okay?"

   A slim sense of guilt collided with his brazen mindset, for the joy once
present on her face was squelched by his scornful remarks.  Esaul did his
best in faking a steady expression, yet his own cheerfulness forged from
her sulky attitude continued to swirl in his mind.  It was a part of her
character that had shamelessly grown on him, a bright and classy young gal
that always seemed vulnerable to his relaxed yet frolic nature.  Her
provoked gestures alone always made him think how cute she seemed when
being teased to no end.

   "You're not mad at me, aren't you?"

   Josie blinked away from the sky, turning to her boyfriend.  "What makes
you say that?"

   Esaul shrugged plainly with a sheepish grin.  "I wonder."

   "Humph, me too," she agreed casually, stretching and laying her back on
the grassy surface.  "Guess it's gonna take a lot of genuine research and
soul searching to find out, won't it?"

   Esaul gave her an outwardly stare, mildly stunned at her remark.  "Is
that a yes?"

   She cocked her head in a careless gesture.  "Maybe.  Maybe not."

   The boy gave her a slightly disapproving glare and clicked his tongue.
"Okay, then.  Let's just say that you are -- what would you want me to do
about it?"

   Josie took note of the convincing expression on his face.  She squeezed
her legs together as she shyly muttered her evasive reply.  "Well...  maybe
you can say something nice about me."

   Esaul quirked his brow and his cheeky outlook recoiled.  "Something
nice...  about YOU?"

   "Yeah," she replied simply.  "Just, you know, without the usual
sarcasm."

   "Ah geez," he groaned.  "I don't think I can do something like that."

   "Oh," she cooed.  Quietly she threw aside his stubborn approach and
expelled a disappointing sigh.  "That's okay.  Guess you've already known
me long enough.  No need to feel surprised or upset, right?"

   "Right," Esaul concurred caustically, kicking his legs out and settled
his back down the grass again.  "Having already seen your true colors from
the beginning, how could I possibly have anything nice to say about you?"

   Josie cooed the slightest gasp at his words, giving a fierce glance at
her lover as she sprung to her feet.  She began to walk away, the amorous
ardor kindling her heart growing faint with each step.  Her mind was far
too discouraged to sense his swift presence as she was being taken into the
arms of her lover once again.

   "C'mon now, babe," Esaul murmured, nuzzling her hair.  "You just have to
take everything so seriously, don't you?"

   "That's easy for you to say, you jerk," the girl grumbled thinly,
writhing slightly in his grasp with disapproval.  Yet he kept her in his
arms with ease, simply regarding how adorable the tempered girl seemed when
she wiggled in meek resistance.  Even if he could never really put a finger
on it, there was always something about that girl confined deep in his
heart, no matter how much a pain in the ass she could be.

   "You know," the boy spoke softly, twirling his finger within the bunch
of her hair.  "You're so cute when you're mad."

   Josie froze in her struggle and gasped, feeling that darn blush tainting
her cheeks again.  "Wha-"

   Her flattered reaction was quickly severed as Esaul had them both spin
around in a merry fashion.  She yelped from the sudden movement as she was
being pulled close, then away from her lover as Esaul took her hand in his
and flashed a sentimental smile.

   "Tell me once again, what's beneath the pain you're feeling?" Esaul
began to sing, his leg pulsating in a rhythm.  "Don't abandon me or think
you can't be saved!"

   He pulled the startled girl in his arms, having her involuntarily frisk
with him along the riverside and through the rapeseeds.  She saw the world
spinning around her, the stars coalescing and circling under her gaze. 
Somehow, without mustering a thoughtful response, the ensuing silliness had
come to soften her hardened soul.  The girl started tittering in amusement
and began to dance along, before the couple mislaid their balance and
crashed down amid the rapeseeds.  Short cries and yelps followed from their
clumsy fall, but the two quickly snubbed it off as they curled up against
each other and laughed in unison.

   "What...  was that?" Josie snickered.

   "That was us losing our minds," Esaul tittered back, nestling his face
in her hair.  "Sure was fun though, wasn't it?"

   "Yeah," she agreed, holding back a chuckle.  "It sure was fun, alright."

   Joyous shouts pulsated through the meadow as both were still recovering
from all the senselessness that occurred.  When the laughter subsided, the
two cuddled close together and took their time to enjoy the silence before
Josie spoke.  "Hey"

   Esaul looked down at his beloved.  "Hmm?"

   "Do you mean it?" she asked him curiously.

   He slid a finger down her cheek.  "Mean what?"

   Josie gave a light tap on his chest and simpered.  "I think you know."

   Esaul hummed playfully, rolling her hair bunches between his fingers. 
"You mean about the `you being cute' part?"

   "Yeah," she heaved almost disdainfully.  "Whenever I'm angry, right?"

   "Nah," he persisted casually, planting the sweetest of kisses on her
forehead.  "You're just cute, period."

   Josie's lips curved into a bright smile, blushing as she kissed his
chest.  "Good.  And you better mean it this time."

   The boy chuckled, running a finger through her velvety hair.  "Sure, if
that's what you want."

   The couple reserved their youthful enjoyment, their minds once more
relaxed.  Returning to their former postures they resumed about their
estimable evening.  The youths found their need in speaking about their
humdrum occasions from morning to day's end; they showed no exertion in
uncloaking everything that had bothered and plagued their minds.  They
seized the moment in fabricating their most intimate thoughts of today and
expel them with their breaths; their hearts sought in unison to satisfy the
contemplation for their exquisite moment to get away from it all.

   'I am close, yet so far away'

   And yet, somewhere in her stream of consciousness, the ghastly whisper
resurfaced.  With renewed dismay she casually lifted her head from her
lover's shoulder and stood steadily on her feet.  Her scare bloomed back to
life, and the desired feeling of serenity began to bleed anew from her
senses.  Of all her day's experiences and attitudes she had shared with her
lover, this was something she dared not to discuss.  But once again the
voice sought to haunt her, persistent in trying to set her mind ablaze.

   "Something's the matter, Jo?"

   Josie choked in her tense breaths and turned to Esaul, who was returning
a heedful notice to her sense of fright.  It was getting into her, and she
feared it would seep deeper into her should she stay reluctant to speak
about it.  The girl clasped her hand together and, shying away from his
gaze, muttered with a timid voice.

   "Esaul?"

   "Yeah?" he replied considerately.

   "Mind if..." the girl sighed unpleasantly in her pause, skimming the
resilient grass below.  "Mind if I ask you 'bout something?"

   Esaul nodded to her while standing to his feet.  "What's up?"

   Josie kept her gaze away from her beloved, rubbing her fingers together
nervously.  "Forgive me if this seems silly to you, but promise you won't
laugh at me for saying this, okay?"

   Esaul simply showed his regard with a nod.  "Alright."

   "...Well," she started blandly, her small fingers entwined.  "Tell me,
Esaul.  You haven't been hearing any -- um, spooky voices lately, have
you?"

   The boy gave her a quizzical look, slightly amused at her inquiry. 
"What?"

   Her face flushed again, and with a sigh she glanced shyly at her feet.
"Nothing.  Forget I said anything."

   "Too late for that I'm afraid." he said, curiosity getting the better of
him.  "You mentioned something about voices, right?"

   Josie sighed exasperatedly, suddenly glaring at her boyfriend.  "I said
just forge-"

   "You know what?" Esaul spoke suddenly, disclosing an astute gaze at his
beloved.  "Call me crazy, but I may have actually heard something during
our time together." The boy's lips then curved into a devious smirk.  "And
I must say it's rather...  unique."

   "Oh?" she said expressly with batting, curious eyes.  "So you actually
did hear something as well?"

   "Well, of course," he assuaged her with a bright face.  "You know, I
could've sworn I heard something not too long ago.  But I wasn't quite sure
what exactly..." He subdued his flow of words with a brief pause, assuming
a pleasing grin before resuming.  "Ah yes!  It was a voice all right.  A
soft and tender voice if I might add, always so naive yet always full of
money.  You know, I don't think she's that far away at all."

   Josie blinked; his words are rather iffy for the young teen to
understand.  But when she nimbly found his hint, her face was mantled in a
fluster.

   "Esaul!" Josie whooped, kindling an adorable glare at her snickering
boyfriend.

   "What?" Esaul chuckled helplessly, looking settled despite her piercing
stare.  "You told me to say what I heard!"

   "That's not what I-," Her anger recoiled; she turned away from Esaul and
grumbled under her breath.  "Nevermind.  Guess I really am just crazy."

   "Ah, come on," Esaul said, slightly earnest in his tone.  "What makes
you say that?"

   "I told you already," Josie shot back with a groan.  "It's nothing."

   Esaul clicked his tongue back, humming disapprovingly.  "Alright, suit
yourself.  It's not like a little antic's gonna kill ya, anyway."

   "Okay, whatever," she sneered back, her eyes jaunting along the sky. 
"Can we drop this and move on, now?"

   Esaul blinked and nodded, his eyes drooping in discontent.  "Okay.  To
what?"

   Josie glanced stubbornly at him, crossing her arms below her chest.  "I
don't know.  Got anything to discuss in mind?"

   Esaul heaved lazily, displaying an evasive gesture toward her.  "Not a
thing."

   "Oh...  okay," she muttered, flashing an unimpressed glance towards him
before musing with the stars above.  "Guess I'll just wait inside my head."

   Soft summer winds swirled over their shoulders as the two stood
wordlessly in abstraction.  Esaul kicked his foot in the grass as his head
swayed with conjured thoughts.  He tucked in his hands in his pockets and
sighed, annoyed at how time seemed to drag on without much significance. 
He pranced his gaze all around him, from the meadow to the river, then to
the sky and finally back to Josie, who was seemingly still lost in her own
thoughts.

   `My, is she looking splendid tonight'.  The boy's lustful motivations
began to brew within as he focused rigorously on the brooding figure before
him.  He began eyeing her from head to toe, taking in every part of the
idle beauty engulfed in the moonlight.  His heart stirred in ease, his
eager emotions growing defiant in his resolve to act and carry out his
needs without haste.  And before he knew it, he found himself slowly
conceding to his yearning.

   "Hey."

   Josie blinked, turning her head to face her lover.  "Yes?"

   Esaul pulled his hands from his pockets and cocked his head back and
forth.  "What's on your mind right now?"

   Josie hummed with eyes shut, suddenly flattered from his interest as she
clasped her hands below her waist.  "Several things.  Why?"

   Glints of desire began to form in his bright, teal eyes.  The boy
sighed, licking the corner of his lips and took a step towards her.  "Think
you can tell me one of them?"

   The girl bashfully lifted a foot from the ground and shrugged.  "I have
a feeling that something special's gonna happen soon."

   "The showers?" he asked as he shifted closer to her.  His curiosity
inspired a giggle from the girl.

   "Something else actually," she hummed briefly under her flattered
expression.  "I'm actually kinda looking forward to it."

   The boy beamed briefly, taking another quick survey of the delicate
young girl before him and hesitated slightly.  "Betcha I know what that
special thing may be."

   "Really," she tittered back, turning to face him whole.  "And what would
that be?"

   Esaul glided a hand over her face, sighing out loud with a craving
expression.  "It oughta be...  this."

   Esaul leaned forward, cupping her cheek with his free hand and leaning
in to embrace her lips with his own, receding all of her deepest thoughts
with a passionate kiss.  Josie gawked at her boyfriend with wide, silent
eyes, and her conscious subsequently fell into infinity.  Yet as her mind
went astray, a fond and covetous essence filled her heart as she felt his
tongue cunningly teasing hers.  Just as newfangled excitement began to
flourish within her, their lips parted and Esaul planted a quick kiss on
her cheek before playfully easing away.

   "Esaul..." Josie heaved almost delightfully from the kiss, the awe never
leaving her presence as Esaul took her hands lovingly in his.

   "From your expression, I must be right." he smiled guilefully, clasping
their palms together with fingers entwined.

   "Esaul, I-," she paused, standing idle as though she was bemusing
herself in shock for so long.  "You should've saved it for the-"

   "The shower?" he swiftly finished for her, accompanying his dexterous
response with a shifty grin.  "Yeah, I know.  Guess I don't feel like
waiting any longer.  Find it in your heart to forgive me, will ya?"

   With concealed thoughts Esaul moved ever so closer to the beclouded
young soul.  Lifting a hand toward her face, he gently grazed his knuckles
down along her flushed face.  The boy heaved wistfully, cupping her chin
between his fingers and set her gaze towards his own.  Arduous emotions
quaked and trembled down to her soles, yet not one of them signaled for her
to flout against his confounding acts.

   "You know," he murmured, staring into her eyes as if looking to delve
into her senses.  "I haven't told you what I've wanted most, have I?"

   Josie shuddered, grasping his hand that was stirring blushes on her
pretty face.  "I guess not."

   Esaul smiled and faintly pursed his lips.  "I'm gonna have to show you,
then."

   His hands glided up and down her sides before pulling her into a
soothing embrace.  A sharp yelp exuded from Josie's lips, emotionally
powerless against his kind yet sudden grip as his lips captured hers once
again in a passionate kiss.  Once again entranced with regressed thoughts,
her subconscious mind besieged by the kiss began searching direly for a
felicitous response in warmth.  Encircling her arms around his neck whilst
shifting on her toes, she returned the captivating kiss with even passion.

   Grinning deviously through the heated kiss, Esaul tightened his hold
around the captivated girl, his lust unshackled and meandering in his head.
His hands drifted over his sides and skimmed along her silky blouse, and
their kiss strengthened as his fingers danced along the blouse's hem and
gave it a light tug.  Josie found it difficult to moan as his tongue
flicked along her parted teeth, and suddenly her body jolted the moment his
hands roamed beneath her undershirt and along her midriff.  Reading no
resentments from her enthralled mind, Esaul continued to caress the
leveled, creamy skin beneath her clothes until his right hand cradled her
breast in his palm.

   Josie shuddered in his touch, yet moaned no hints of protest through the
kiss even as his fingertips pinched her hardening nipple.  She whined with
unconfined lust as he suckled eagerly on her lower lip before severing the
kiss.  More kisses jaunted along her jawline, and both his hands playfully
fondled and massaged her full, ample breasts.  A gasp escaped her as his
teeth grazed the tender spot of her neck before sublimely nipping the soft
flesh.  Josie cried blissfully in uncanny pleasure, her eyes squinting as
the pain mingled with her ecstasy.

   "Esaul," Josie groaned uneasily beneath his gaze, her tone adorned with
desire.  Esaul teased and nibbled her ear as he hushed her, withdrawing one
hand from beneath her double-layered clothing and cupping her chin.

   "It's only the beginning, babe," he purred with a seductive emphasis,
gently stroking Josie's flushed face and tracing his thumb along Josie's
soft, rosy lips.  Esaul flashed a triumphant smirk when she granted his
thumb full entry into her mouth, sucking sensually on the short digit and
letting her tongue swirl lazily around it.  Esaul sighed blithely; he was
yearning for more.

   His hands grasped the collar of her blouse and, with one swift movement,
tore the garment open and carelessly threw it aside.  He quickly divested
her of her undershirt as well, leaving her shirtless under the temperate
autumn sky.  Josie bashfully yelped at his brashness, quickly moving her
arms across her fleshly mounds and averting her eyes from him in
embarrassment.  Her toes curled shyly in the grass as she turned away with
a deep scarlet painted on her face.  She gasped when Esaul enveloped her in
his arms, settling his hands on her smooth belly and nuzzling her neck with
a sly smile.

   "Don't feel ashamed, my sweet Josie," Esaul spoke with a husky, sensual
quality that made her shiver in his embrace.  "You are beautiful, y'know?"

   Josie sighed in ease at her lover's soothing voice, and the tension
running deep in her recessed in his favor.  Esaul licked her ear and roamed
his hands along her arms.  His lips pecked her cheek as he gently swayed
her arms away from her chest, letting her breasts free from secrecy.  The
blush on her cheeks intensified, and the teen gasped when she felt his
palms cuddling her breasts.  Josie moaned involuntarily as Esaul began his
ministrations, playfully fondling her breasts and running his fingertips
across her nipples.  Josie's breathing deepened from the fresh flux of
sensations her senses were immersed in, and she writhed softly in his arms
while his fingers compressed and squeezed her nipples in a scissors-like
motion.

   "Esaul," Josie moaned in helpless pleasure, her head placed back on his
shoulder.  "We shouldn't."

   "Oh, but we should," Esaul insisted, his dexterous fingers applying
further pressure on her durable nipples.  "You know I've loved you for so
long.  Why must you always feel frightened?"

   "Who said I was?" She snapped back despite being lost within the
tapestries of pleasure.  "It just seems so, mmm...  sudden..."

   "So, I was right again," Esaul snickered, nibbling on her ear.  "You are
frightened."

   "No!  I'm -- ahh!"

   Josie squirmed slightly and bucked her hips against her lover as a
curious hand slipped beneath her skirt and nestled between her legs.  Esaul
began to rub her pussy through the damped panties, and he was rewarded with
luscious moans of approval from the girl.  Esaul groaned, feeling his own
arousal hardened and pressed against her bottom, much to the girl's shock
and embarrassment.  The boy widened his grin; he was further tempted in
revealing more of the creamy flesh veiled beneath Josie's severed attire.

   Esaul took her hand with his and had her turn gracefully around, having
her yelp cutely in surprise.  Josie's eyes faced his with wonder, watching
him closing in the gap between their lips with another passionate kiss. 
The kiss was brief, much to her disapproval, as he seemed more interested
in her already revealing body.  He leaned his head in towards her chest and
took a breast in his mouth, suckling fondly and swirling his tongue around
the nipple.  Josie buried her hands within his lush, dark brown hair and
threw her head back with bliss.  He let a hand play with the other breast,
massaging and tugging her nipple softly before exchanging places.  Josie's
moans became heavier with delight; nothing like this could ever feel so
pleasing to her.  She was becoming genially aware of how crafty he was in
licking and sucking her well-endowed bosoms with much delicacy.

   Esaul freed a breast from his lips, and kissed the valley between her
breasts before his lips ventured south.  He planted a trail of kisses along
her slim, sexy body before bringing himself to his knees.  Esaul licked his
lips with anticipation and planted a kiss on her navel as he slid her skirt
down along her milky thighs and shapely legs.  Esaul kissed and nuzzled her
thigh while his fingers slid beneath the hem of her panties.  Simpering, he
slid the undergarment to her ankles, forming a pool of clothing at her feet
as he shot a craving glance at her exposed womanhood.  He swiftly pulled
her clothing from beneath her soles, tossing them aside as he returned to
his feet with a sigh of delight from what stood before him.

   His eyes drank in every bare inch of her flawless skin, her exposed
beauty baptized by the full moon.  Esaul strolled around the naked figure,
licking his lips as he examined all of her delicious features.  An angelic
face, her robust and sumptuous bosoms, the curvy legs and buttocks, and her
slick, well-trimmed womanhood; it was all there for the world to observe.
Her modesty hidden, the spellbound girl seized a shy posture before the
lustful beholder, soundlessly awaiting his next lewd act.

   "Come here," Esaul cooed, watching her as she found his eyes again and
walked leisurely towards him.  Josie sighed contently, laying her head to
rest on his shoulder and her breasts squished against his chest.  Her lips
pursed as she felt his member pressed against her midriff.  Esaul groaned
and suddenly pressed harder against her, inciting a gasp from the girl as
he eased away.  Josie watched a hand gliding over her face and settling
comfortably above her head.  Esaul nodded to her, gesturing her to kneel
wordlessly before him.

   Josie's tongue caressed her lips, her eyes fixed at the intriguing bulge
tucked beneath the fastener.  She reached out a hand and slid her fingers
around and over the rigid tent, stirring a covetous sigh from her lover.

   "Can I...  would you like me to-" the boy placed a finger on her lips,
cutting off her inquiry.  He then reached behind her head and gently pulled
her closer to his crotch.

   "You know I want it," Esaul said, a hint of plea lacing with his husky
voice.  "Go ahead, sweetheart."

   Josie drew in her breath nervously and nodded, drifting her eyes away
from his face and back to his hardened member beneath his pants.  She
slowly unzipped the fastener as he unbuckled his belt for her, and then
pulled the jeans and undergarment down to his ankles as his member sprung
into her view.  Blushing, she studied the flourished manhood as her fingers
caressed his length, intrigued at how hard it felt to her touch.  Hearing
how Esaul moaned quietly at her simple yet effective touch, Josie leaned
her head in and gave an experimental lick along the swollen tip.  She
smiled at how his cock pulsated slightly after the lick, encouraging her to
become bold and go further in pleasing her lover.  She gave a few quick
glances at her beloved as she gave several more licks, and then let his
cock slid forth between her lips and into her warm, humid mouth.

   A placid rush of sensation coursed through the boy as Josie's mouth and
tongue started working on his hard cock.  The shy teen rocked her head back
and forth, her teeth grazing along the shaft and her tongue tentatively
swirling around the warm crown.  Observant at how amply large he seemed,
she raised a hand and grasp his cock as she sucked hard, stroking the rest
of his length that wouldn't fit into her mouth.  Another hand caressed
unhurriedly along his inner thighs, consciously seeking for his balls. 
When they were found, she began fondling his delicate sack with care.

   "Mmmm...  yes," Esaul moaned, watching hungrily over her as his fingers
sunk into her ebony hair and stroke her head.  Wicked glints ensconced his
teal eyes, perceiving over the girl he knew and loved so well.  "Oh, I just
love seeing you like this, my dear," he purred darkly as he shoved his cock
deep into her throat.  "For your sinless aura has beckoned me here.  I've
long to take you beneath my wings and revel of your deepest fears."

   She couldn't understand what he meant with that last remark, but never
did her mind pause to reflect, not with his cock being pushed to the hilt
of her throat.  Huskily she gagged in submission before she felt his cock
receding from her mouth.  Sadness quickly bedimmed her violet eyes; she had
grown desperate in gratifying both her beloved and the indistinct voices
that were discussing her.  She never stopped to question how she'd suddenly
become accustomed to her internal demons, but from there she knew her place
well.  For her mind was intangible to these bizarre occurrences, she wanted
nothing more than to pacify her newfound needs echoing within her mind. 
And as she remained on her knees, sighing and watching Esaul leisurely
stroking his member dangling just above her face, she felt herself grow wet
at the carnivorous thought of"Arrival..."

   In a blink of an eye, Josie beheld a perplexing scene that threatened to
tear her visions apart.  It happened all so fast, with fogs rolling in
thick and frigid, and all that was ever warm to her grew ice cold.  Her
head turned back and forth in frenzy, her beguiled senses swiftly dispelled
as contorted trees sprouted and spread forth before her eyes.  Deformed
branches excavating from the earth girdled themselves around her thighs and
ankles.  More branches among the rest environing her presence frisked
themselves around her arms and wrists in merely a few sudden movements. 
Dread filled her heart as her senses were slowly returning to her, her body
quivering from the chilling air and the position she was forced in.

   "Yes," purred the alluring entity in the form of Esaul, reveling from
the scene he orchestrated.  "And so here you stand.  A night's devotion
riding with the stars has been rightfully determined, for I have finally
found you."

   "Wh-What?" Josie cried, unconscious of her own fears staring back into
his lucid mind.  "No.  No!  What is happening?"

   "Oh, my dear, there is no need to panic, especially now," chortled the
suddenly damned Esaul, his casual voice overlapped with a seemingly hellish
caliber.  "Only I've rifled the skies for the one awaiting me before dawn,
the archetype among all harlots inclined in exchanging their lifeblood for
my very edacity."

   The beast under the guise of Esaul ambled around the quiescent girl, her
mind still frozen in place.  "But now my simple venture is over, for I can
confirm of the epitome within you.  My incubuses have done well in leading
me to you as they've impeded your senses." Eyes of evil once unlit were
burned to life, and they roam with relish over the constricted naked flesh.
"You should have known better than to remind yourself of the recurring
lurid nightmares that were always willing to tear your soul apart.  Why
else would the demons in your head feel so welcomed and uncontested to your
knowledge?"

   The words he lent her were eroding her sanity.  It was too much for her
to endure.  Everything seemed so unreal, all befallen under her blurred
reality.  Nothing but questions rallied in her soul, but all were left
unspoken under her trepidation.  Trails of tears began to seep along her
cheeks as she wept unto the moon, silently praying through empty words that
it was all one demented colossus of a dream.  She choked back on her sobs
as `Esaul' knelt by her, cupping her chin and narrowing the proximity of
their faces.

   "Once again I will say, there is no purpose in resorting to fret," he
spoke with false comfort, his sultry breath grazing over her wet face.  He
wiped a tear from a corner of her eye as he licked the rest gliding along
her rosy cheek, savoring her turmoil as he whispered.  "For when the time
is right, all your fears shall be disposed into oblivion.  Everything in
this forsaken life shall threaten you no more.  This I promise you."

   The branches that bonded her twitched to life, and with elusive
movements they bonded themselves around her wrists and ankles as they
effortlessly lifted her from the earth.  Turbulence echoed off her cerebral
walls, her lips trying to form "Why?" as her body spasmed against her will.
Tearful eyes came face to face with the moon sitting in the dark skies, its
smile taunting her misfortune as her movements came to a sudden halt.

   The inhuman Esaul approached her, surveying the handiwork he'd crafted
with his unearthly seedlings.  The deathly sprouts that shook and swirled
her blood at her knees became one with the forest-like boundary that
shrouded her.  The oversized plants stemming from the elastic meadow had
folded their crude appendages around her limbs, suspending her from the
ground.  A much larger branch had materialized underneath her, where her
naked form was laid to shame and disquiet.  With sudden anger the wind
blew, its deep chills seeping through her skin and having her shudder
uneasily in her bonds much to his satisfaction.

   With the agonizing restrictions casted over her, Josie was left with
only her head for free movement.  She tilted her head forward, gasping at
what stood before her and quickly averting her gaze, instant regretting for
doing so.  A once charming human being eyed her hungrily with his cock in
hand, stroking himself feverishly as the vines worked their way with his
clothing and ousted them from his radically transformed body.

   Even with his main physique remaining fairly reminiscent of the man
Josie once knew and loved, his fresh and wicked features suggested
something more entirely outlandish: a diabolical fiend seemingly summoned
in the void of night.  His skin had a muted silver tone and, under the
direct presence of moonlight, can produce a more ashen appearance.  His
once chocolate hair became akin with the night sky, and had experienced a
subtle yet sudden growth as its ends smoothed along the fertile ground. 
His teal eyes were teal no more; they've exchanged their aquatic shades for
a darker, emerald hue to the irises and a rush of sage in his pupils. 
Their overall shape also suggested a more sinister and predatory demeanor
that seemed well-mannered for whatever potential fate pending over her.

   "I hope you're prepared, my sweet Josie," the creature grinned, flashing
his sharp, carnivorous fangs that seemed earnestly interested in her
toothsome flesh.  He situated himself between her spread legs, slapping his
cock on her womanhood and watched her squirm in objection.  Humming, he
persisted in teasing her by sliding his cock along her wet slit and
thrusting against her clitoris.  Josie exempted an involuntary gasp from
the erotic friction he was conducting on her sex.  She wouldn't even dare
allowing herself to comprehend what was bound to happen next.

   "No!  Please stop!" Josie pled through her sob, desperately struggling
to break free from the bonds but to no avail.  "Oh please, I beg of you! 
Don't-"

   A vine swaying overhead skimmed its tip quickly along her tummy, then
flicked against her quivering lips before shoving itself into her mouth and
journeyed into her throat as far as it would allow, turning her pleas into
lowly gurgles.

   "Oh, your purity that has tempted me so," the creature growled,
positioning his cock against her entrance as she struggled even harder to
preserve her virtue, not less her very life.  "Here I will cherish the
marring of your innocence!"

   The fiend sighed darkly, sliding his cock past between her wet folds
until only its head seeped in.  Tears flowed from her eyes more freely than
ever, beseeching him through hampered words to reaffirm his humanity.  But
he simply jostled forth and pushed his cock through her virgin wall,
assuring her failure in the wickedest of ways.  Agony rushed haphazardly
through her blood as her head jerked forth, screaming silently through the
stationary vine.  The pain was excruciating; she felt as she was being
split in two from the inside.  Unspeakable humiliation swept aside the
world she once knew and adored, knowing that her treasured chastity was
seized and forever taken away by this unrelenting monster of a living
being.

   "Ohh, yes," the fiend purred approvingly, relishing her tightness as he
made slow yet merciless thrusts in and out of her.  In spite of how
hopeless it all seemed to her, she continued to struggle relentlessly
against the bonds and her own pain and whimpers.  Her focus started to
dwindle, however, as the pain and disgrace enforced by the creature began
to slowly corrode all the strength she could possibly muster.  What was a
failed struggle for her innocence became a desperate fight for her life,
and by the apparent look of all things, the conditions and potential
outcomes were not in her favor.

   As Josie fluttered against the lush shackles and the creature's callous
violation with no success, two slick and lanky appendages loomed from both
sides of her.  The vines twitched and then froze for a brief moment, then
swayed forth onto her and slithered their tips along her legs and sides. 
Her chest heaved from the tingling sensation, and her eyes darted left and
right to notice the two vines that were trying to titillate her.  The vines
flaunted above her torso, their apexes dancing along her velvety frame. 
They then proceeded to her breasts, skimming around her bosoms before
dabbing their tips against her nipples.  Occasionally they would stop to
draw lazy circles around the areolas before going back to tease her stiff,
rosy nipples.

   Another vine skulked from the deformed meadows, pulsating madly as if it
were laughing at her torment.  It swayed underneath her and slid along her
back, snaking over to her spread legs.  The appendage curled above her body
and drew its tip across her loins and waist, then turned itself under and
slunk between her legs.  Its vertex circled curiously around her anus,
lapping at the orifice as her mind screamed at what it may do to her.  The
makeshift gag effortlessly subdued her screams as the vine eased itself in,
joining its master in ravishing and tormenting both her tight holes.

   'Oh my God!' her mind screeched, the exotic emotions surging back and
forth.  The whole time her body writhed unkindly against the bastardized
sensations defiling her.  The endurance was too much, and she started to
feel faint.  She would continue weakly resenting any sense of pleasure that
would become her affliction, even as her consciousness began to wither. 
And as she persisted with her struggle, her awareness unknowingly became
one with the fiend, for he as well discerned her relinquishing whatever
wits she had left in her.

   The creature howled in bliss, his eyes imitating the damned forest as he
continued to pound harder and faster into her pussy.  He gazed over her as
his teeth browsed the creamy skin her legs were graced with.  Nothing but
vile satisfaction swathed his blackened heart, knowing all too well of her
torment and her ensuing demise.  "Don't try to lose me yet, my dear.  The
night is still very young!"

   There was a grisly and almost sickening quality in his voice as he
belched a delightful moan, pounding into her with inhuman speed as he felt
his climax approaching fast.  He could feel and relish her inner walls
squeezing around his cock, waiting enduringly for his release.  After a few
more heavy thrusts, the fiend let out a sickening growl as he released his
vile substance into her.  Josie, raped and deprived of her resilience,
couldn't help but feel relieved as she felt his seed filling her pussy
whole.  Perhaps, almost to her, the suffering was finally over with.

   The sprouts and branches relieving their bonds around her seemed to have
reaffirmed that hope.  The pain and tension soaking her from head to toe
began to wither, and her mind sought to perceive its hold on her subdued
senses.  The viscous appendages reclined their movements and placed her
feet first down onto the grassy surface.  Her entire vitality almost
completely drained from her, Josie staggered forth and stumbled hazily onto
the fiend.  The faint breeze elapsing by stole a breath from her as her
head found comfort on the creature's chest, and he looked down idly over
the anguished soul.

   "Ah, wasn't that marvelous?" the creature murmured, running his pale
fingers along her disheveled hair.  "I sincerely hope your pleasures were
as good as mine, my love."

   His hand stroking her hair slithered down to her face, grasping her chin
and having her jaded eyes meet his satisfied gaze.  Josie moaned quietly,
her face streaming with tears as he kissed her with strained tenderness,
holding her close by the river as his tongue lavished all around her mouth.
As their lips parted the fiend felt his soul stirring with renewed
temptation, and his vision seeped under her naked beauty.  Touching her
flesh in this night, he sniffed in the pleasant aroma of the blood beneath
her skin.  He could no longer wait; the time has come to prehend her of her
life.

   "I..." Josie's voice trembled, and her whole body shivered in his
embrace.  "I...  I am so cold."

   Her words echoed the demon's enthrallment over his final thirst for her
life.  He called to her softly, tempted to rid of her suffering once and
forever.  "Allow me."

   The demon flashed his avid fangs for her to behold one last time,
sinking a hand into her hair as it balled into a fist, then pulled her head
back with little prudence and buried his lips into the hollow flesh of her
neck.  Flimsy wheezes flowed through her gritting teeth as Josie felt a
stinging kiss on her neck, pain nailing her eyes shut as blood trickled
deftly down her neck.  Every part of her being seemed to be giving up on
her, and she'd come to bear unspoken wishes for the monster to end her and
be done with it as the fiend happily drank her life away beneath the
moonlight.

   "...Departure"

   The fiend yanked his head back with an exhilarating sigh, his thirst
quenched by her blood journeying down his throat.  Small droplets of red
liquid fell from his lips and chin and onto the milky breasts of his
perishing 'beloved,' and he eagerly lapped them from her chest before
convening his burnished eyes with velvet ones.  Folding his arms around her
waist, he licked the blood from his lips as he called onto her for the
final time.

   "It's been a pleasure spending the night with you, but sadly I must go,"
the fiend cooed under his breath, marking her demise with a peck on her
cheek.  "May you enjoy the rest of this fascinating evening, my precious
Josie.  I'll let them come take you home."

   A hand slid down to her chest, taking hold of the pendant around her
neck and yanked the ruby ornament from her.  He gave Josie a soft kiss on
her forehead before gently pushing her towards the river.  The world she
once knew whirled around her as her body splashed lifelessly into the
silent water.  His will fulfilled, the fiend felt his spirit sigh in ease
and delight.  He glanced back at the pendant clenched in his hand and
smiled, having acquired another milestone in token of this night.  He
turned with a vicious smile, walking away from the meadows as he laughed
gleefully unto the pale green moon.

   In the path where the stream burdened a growing mass of red, a marred
Josie felt aspects of peace running deep within her.  Riding in quietude
with the river, she lifted her eyes open for the last time towards an
ambiguous world disappearing around her.  Gazing overhead she could see
astral streaks hurtling through the swirling sky, and she sighed in peace
as the water gracefully led her body to its resting place.

   *******

   -FIN-
