Range - Chapter 39

   Panic and Merry were decidedly drunk when they left the campfire and wandered up the trail to their little shotgun shack "home" cabin. Merry almost twisted an ankle, what with wearing five inch fuck me pumps. Only the leather ankle straps being securely fastened spared her from certain disaster. Like any woman that's actually a little too good for her own well being navigating sketchy terrain in high heels, she giggled and went in bare feet. Carrying her footwear.

   She always did cuss like a drunken sailor sober as a judge, and drunk did nothing to alleviate that situation. Once she got moving in her bare feet, she now had to deal with rocks and roots and twigs and short small stumps. After a couple more near disasters, and several intermittent torrential streams of creative profanity… she finally was ready to listen to Panic.

   He told her to just stand there, in the now total darkness. He claimed that the campfire had ruined their night vision, and they needed time to get their "visual purple" or whatever working properly. He claimed, that by 20 minutes standing they would be able to navigate slowly much better. That by 40 or 45 minutes in… better than she would believe.

   When she ignored him for the last time, and stubbed her toe on an invisible rock, it wasn't horrible. Five minutes of cussing and the pain subsided. No blood, no torn nail… just mother nature's last warning danger was imminent. She quit cussing. She stood. She finally gave a huge sigh, and agreed to wait and see.

   They inched over just off the trail, and found somewhere to sit by feel. They were close enough to the dying laughter and talk coming from the campfire, but they were invisible to it. Since they were all but grown up kids in their own fashion about it, they naturally ended up making out. Merry quietly admitted the deep dark woods wasn't her thing, and that her heart skipped a beat with every last soft noise in the underbrush. That her heart jumped with any bigger noise.

   Panic put his arm around her, and told her it was his world. That there was nothing to harm them. The soft, rhythmic pulsations on the leaves that started her? Panic put his lips to her nearest ear and simply said "bunny rabbit". A god awful demoniacal grating noise went off at medium distance. Merry started and Panic had to grab her shoulders and hold her down to remain seated. Again his lips found her near ear and simply said "screech owl".

   Five minutes later, a predictable hoot had Merry find his ear. "Owl?". He returned it. "Good job." The longer they sat, the calmer she became. About 15 minutes in, Panic's lips told her ear that they were about to begin to be able to see in the dark. She laughed it away, but sure enough… another 5 minutes or thereabouts, Merry began to be able to see… something.

   Sure enough, the inky black began to seemingly sparkle somehow, in black and dark gray tones. Like static on a TV station, except all black and gray, no bright dots. Merry described it to him, and he said that was the night time TV station coming on. The "static" would clear up very slowly. She was to watch it.

   Sure enough, the ink that was turning into dark static, was now dark static turning into… somewhat solid shapes. The shapes came and went, then started to solidify… somewhat. Panic's lips told her ear not to stare at one thing, to move her vision around the area she was looking at.

   She was amazed it cleared the dancing images up. Like touching an antenna that temporarily cleaned up an old broadcast TV station, like touching a radio antenna temporarily cleared up the static for a few seconds so you could hear a play in the ballgame you were insisting on listening to.

   Panic told her to stand up, and look around her feet. Could she now not see rocks and stumps? He had her step out of the underbrush, and back onto the trail. The sliver of moon was their light now. He called it a waning crescent. She asked what a waxing crescent was, it looked the same. "Waxing? Getting bigger… Waning? Disappearing."

   They didn't walk yet, he just wanted her out in the moonlight, so she could see it was working. Sure enough, she could see big rocks now. Ink was slight depressions and puddles, lighter ink was high spots. Stumps and fallen branches now gave dull outlines.

   Playing the night vision game, Merry had forgotten to be scared of noises. What sounded like a person or a large animal circling and hunting them? Pounded her heart and she froze. She grabbed Panic's neck tight. He rubbed her arms and head, and shushed her.

   "Deer. Bedded down. We're annoying them. They'll relocate 20 yards out and around and bed down and wait and see. Sounds like a human circling you. People think they're being tracked and followed, walking in the woods at night? You're really just waking deer up, one after another."

   The tiniest scurrying had her looking around, but she wasn't scared now… just curious. Panic showed her to cup her ears, and swivel around. Use it like radar.

   "When both ears are the same volume? You're pointing directly at it. It's radar. You can pinpoint an exact direction."

   Merry radar-ed her cupped ears, and pointed. Panic did and agreed with her, their point directions were about identical, but not perfect.

   "See the angle? Our points touch about 10 yards out… that's how far the noise is. We both have direction, and the further apart we are? The more accurate. One man can only get direction, two people? Gives distance. It's simple geometry. We just triangulated the noise."

   "What was it? Sounded tiny."

   "Field mouse. Nocturnal. We'll hear owls soon around us, if it keeps buzzing around like that."

   Minutes later, a hoot went off. A few more identical light scurrying noises? And a slight noise in the underbrush. Then silence.

   "Dinner… is served."

   "The owl?"

   "We can hear and ID field mice. How good do you think owls are at it… it's their main food."

   "Why didn't we hear the owl?"

   "Owls are the only bird capable of completely silent flight. No flapping noises. Nocturnal mice. Prey. Nocturnal owl. Predator."

   "I can see more. I can't believe this."

   "Over the next 20 minutes? It'll get better and better, then level off. Any light we look at? Will ruin it, and we have to start over."

   Merry whispered in his ear, and ran her hands up and down his back, under his shirt.

   "What can we do while we wait?"

   "We could walk off the trail. Move slow, and feel with your foot before you step. We don't wanna trip and actually get hurt. You inch along. Silently. Wanna try it?"

   "Yeah."

   "You lead. You're on point. Couple slow steps. Stop. I'll follow. We repeat. You… pick our spot."

   Merry carefully stepped into the woods off the trail. Took slow teasing steps. Panic followed. When Merry had to stop and unhook a branch from her dress? Panic stole up behind her and hugged her gently from behind. In her ear he explained.

   "That's gonna keep happening. You're dress will be ruined."

   "We go back then…"

   Merry was deflated.

   "Science girl isn't very creative out here. This? Is science boy's world, honey…"

   Panic kissed her neck from behind, and ran his hands all over her, up and under her dress. She didn't say a word apart from a sedate "hmm" as he lifted it up and over her head. She had already undid the tied fabric "belt", and pressed the oval metal piece it used into his hand with the now loose fabric belt. Panic stowed the oval piece in one jean pocket, and the scrunched up dress into another. They had already stowed her shoes at the trail's edge, and the purse with them.

   He enjoyed hugging and making out from behind with her.

   "This is like when you steal someone's clothes skinny-dipping. You have to make a deal, to get your clothes back."

   "Yeah. Real stump-er, what I gotta do, huh."

   "You lead. I'll follow. Remember… couple steps at a time, always feel with your foot. Out and down, then step slowly. When you stop, I'll come up."

   Merry quickly got the hang of it. He hugged her and kissed her neck and ran his hands around her every time he came up on her before she started off. Any instructions he had for her, he delivered during this brief time.

   "Stay straight. We'll lose our way back. Remember. Your shoes are stashed there."

   "Good. You're starting to enjoy yourself."

   "Stay quiet. You'll give our position away."

   He had started playing with Hitler's mustache and the eagle's nest in conjunction with the soft neck attacks and the free roaming body hand. After any number of these little "attacks" that she was getting to anticipate and thoroughly enjoy… the last one was more insistent.

   He clamped his hand over her mouth, tight. He played with the eagle's nest, making her squirm. Instead of shushing her ear and neck, he hissed in her ear as he grabbed her wrist firmly.

   "New game. You're naked. In the woods. When it happens? Don't be afraid, it's just a game. Don't run. You'll injure yourself. Promise me, you won't break and run. You must remain calm. You promise me?"

   When she paused then shook her head yes, he released her, and the game continued just as before. Just when she was anticipating the next enjoyable "attack" from behind? It simply never came.

   He had simply disappeared. She stood naked, waiting. Some of his little "attacks" he had started making her wait for. The anticipation was exciting. He had used that, and was now vanished.

   Merry didn't want to call out to him. He had told her jokingly at the time, not to give their position away. Calling to him, getting frantic? She would be losing, she was sure of it on instinct. This would be like a haunted house. Just stay calm, and enjoy the slight fright.

   He had to be behind her? She walked back a little, where he last was. Nothing. The dense underbrush looked impenetrable. Plus, she cupped her ears and swiveled around. Nothing. He had to be being still. But if he was still, how did he disappear?

   She knew he wouldn't just leave her, so he didn't just go back to the trail to go home and leave her out here, to find her way home naked. He had told her what? Don't be afraid. It's just a game. Don't run.

   When nothing developed, she walked back to her starting spot. Then went forwards a little bit. He had told her to stay straight, so they couldn't get lost and lose her shoes and purse.

   During this time, about fifteen minutes, she heard field mice a couple times. Moving forwards more, she was sure she heard another deer circling, the noises had been identical. She moved slowly forwards for another short while, then stopped and swiveled radar. Nothing.

   She had been told to stay calm for the game. So she stood and waited. That was when it happened. She felt something, and whirled and it was nothing. She had grazed a branch, she was in light underbrush, moving through lighter patches in a more or less straight line. A little later on, it happened again. On her other side. She stayed as calm as she could, he had warned her not to get too afraid of the game. But her heartbeat and breathing increased all on it's own. Not blind panic, just nervousness.

   She walked forwards a little more, slowly. This spot wasn't a good one to pause in. Then, it happened again. The first had been on her right shoulder. The second immediately after? Her left shoulder. This had scraped down her shoulders atop her back. She whipped her head around, but nothing. She turned around, to swivel cupped ears. Nothing. Then it did the top of her back again. This time, she didn't swivel her head around, she lurched around to face it. Nothing.

   She knew it was him, but… for the life of her, it was like a ghost was playing with her. She suddenly heard a soft crash and thud in the underbrush, off to her right somewhere. Then nothing. She waited. A shoulder scrape. Naturally, the ghost toying with her was invisible. She refused to yell out, and "lose", though… there hadn't been any win lose rules, she just sensed that.

   Eventually another soft thud crash in the underbrush. Off to her left, further up and beyond now. Out in thick underbrush she wouldn't want to investigate. Another scrape. Whirled, always nothing. How in the hell was he able to do this, she wondered. She was barefoot, he had boots on, he should be making a lot more noise than her, walking around.

   Two soft crashes in the underbrush from behind her. One shortly after the other. Between her and the road. One on either side of the path they had taken out. Her heart rate was raising steadily in this haunted house game. It was also like watching a scary movie, except she was in the movie.

   Another scrape. She didn't move forwards, that wasn't working well. She inched backwards, to move further out. There was a big tree up ahead. She inched backwards towards it. It was cover of some kind. She could put her back to it, and dare the scraping ghost to show itself. Yeah, that was the ticket out of the haunted wood game.

   She had been keeping her shit together fairly well, but despite trying and knowing it was him… her heart rate and breathing had slowly risen. This was getting like running, her heart was now softly pounding in her ears. Swiveling around with cupped radar ears gained her nothing. Her night radar ears were useless. Jammed. She inched back stealthily to the tree. Her night vision was useless to her as well for some time now, as she wasn't able to see the ghost that would scrape at her and vanish only to do it again. At will. Sometimes, one scrape followed by another on the other side.

   How could he be in two locations at once? He wasn't god, he wasn't omniscient. He had turned into some kind of… malevolent woods god. A night woods god. Another soft crash off in the distance. A little later, another a totally different direction and distance. One close, one far. One here, one there. It was maddening, but at least the damned scraping had stopped. Moving towards the cover of that tree, was helping.

   She was barely able to breathe through her nose anymore, she had no choice but to open her mouth and try to breathe slowly so as to make less noise. If she insisted on nose breathing, it made a hissing forced air leak sound. Between her pounding heart and racing breath, she could now ascertain nothing. It was like being deaf. Radar jammed.

   That, was when she stopped because she heard it. She felt an icy chill scrape up her spine, though she knew it was no scrape ghost attack, that had been her own body attacking her. The icy fingers danced up her spice and scraped at the base of her neck, before degenerating into a million little tingles that they themselves dissipated into a full on body shiver.

   She had heard a deep throat-ed, phlegm-rattling growl. That wasn't him, it couldn't be. Her heart pounded like a drum, she felt slightly dizzy. Her stomach lurched like on an amusement park ride. She heard it again then, from a different direction. A low, insistent, growl. Far too deep and resonant to even be remotely human. It was all she could make out over the heart hammering in her chest, and the pounding in her ears. Her breathing was wild now. Completely open mouthed, and long slow gulps of air, in and out, like bellows.

   She scraped her dirty bare feet backwards, and felt the tree. She was there. Moving towards it slowly, had been a godsend, it somehow kept the scrape ghost at bay. Her hands found the trunk. It wasn't nearly as big a tree as she had thought from further away in the pitch, but it was still home base now. It still kept the scrape ghost away. It was something. It was all she had.

   The image the low, slow guttural growl made in her mind? Was something huge. Naturally with a big mouth, and surely a wide throat. A mouth and throat that surely contained equally sized teeth to match. Something surely more than big enough to rip her to shreds and eat her.

   She couldn't run, she had been told not to. Even if this game had gone awry, he was gone and now she was being hunted because it was still hungry… breaking and running was out. She would trip. She would fall. She would break an arm or a leg. Or her pretty neck he liked kissing and biting so much.

   Her palms pushed into the tree. Home base. Scrape ghost protection. Covers the little kid could hide under to render the monster unable to attack. At least if the growling thing got too near, she could play ring around the rosy with it, and try to keep away. She tried to press herself into the tree. Her back, her shoulders.

   The invisible, stalking, growling terror had went away for now. Maybe it moved off. Maybe it was scared of her precious home base tree, just like the scrape ghost was afraid of the tree.

   She tried to get her shit together and think, but… it was well nigh impossible. She just knew this was the game. But… no growling anymore. Hmm. No more crashes either. She wiggled her soft bum and shoulders up against the tree. It was her tree. It was safety. There was no more scrape ghost now? Simply because with her back up against the tree? The "scrape ghost" couldn't move around her. It had to show itself right in front of her, and that was of course, completely impossible. The growling might not be him, but the scrape ghost? Had definitely been him.

   Just when she was starting to get any semblance of her shit together, and regain the slightest control over her hammering heart and thumping ears and bellows breathing, her world shattered.

   With her eyes open, looking right in front of her? The scrape ghost had attacked her once again. This time, her fright that had maybe been going to get under the slightest bit of control? Exploded. She was so frightened, she couldn't even cry out. Scraped in front. And right in front of her? Was nothing. Shaking uncontrollably, her palms pressed into her little home base tree.

   Suddenly, she jumped. Her wrists had been grabbed. But it wasn't the growling thing that was upon her, "it" was simply human hands. When she had frozen, strong fingers had snaked under her cute wrist leathers, and held them tight behind her little tree. She exhaled so loud, it sounded like someone opened a pressured hatch on a spaceship in a science fiction movie.

   She was still gulping air, and trying to enjoy nervous laughter. She laughed as she felt two fingers hold the wrist leather, and run the free hand over her body. She more than playfully pulled and twisted, but she was caught and she knew it. She laughed more.

   She shuddered and gulped air, and laughed… as the roaming hand ceased, and she felt the familiar sensation of soft fabric snaking under one wrist, then the other. She laughed more. Fun time.

   She laughed more, in between great gulps of air. Chuckling now with heaving and panting.

   "You… bastard…"

   Her hands were securely caught now. She giggled as she playfully pulled and twisted. She kept telling him what a bastard he was, but chuckled nervously. Two roaming hands.

   She bit her lip when he played with Hitler, and came around the tree and pressed up against her. Between flicking at Hitler, and kissing and biting her neck, she about melted.

   She was no longer scared of his emotionless voice.

   "Actually? I am a bastard. Both my natural parents died before I knew them. My loving, doting parents? Mom and Dad? Were actually my aunt and uncle. My dad's sister and her husband? Took me in. You like your bastard, don't you?"

   She laughed and nodded her head.

   He kissed her neck, and she enjoyed it. She enjoyed having Hitler's eagle nest played with. When all of a sudden, her shit came screaming back together…

   "You… you have to let me go… we have to go…"

   "Why? It's fun time, little one."

   "No, no, no… you don't understand… there's something out here…"

   "Yeah. Us. A few mice. An owl. A deer, if any are left in the county, that you didn't frighten off."

   "No! What… what does a bear sound like? I heard something growl, and I mean bad… its big…"

   "I know."

   "What-"

   "There is something out here. A monster. It was hunting you, little one."

   She froze. Confused. A blank face, a blank voice, with blank emotions.

   "You're all tied up. I'm leaving you here, little one. So it can eat you. Bye…"

   He walked off. Left her alone for a few minutes. Then? She heard the growling. It was close. She closed her eyes. Pulled but it was useless. She closed her eyes, and opened them.

   Scrape ghost attack.

   Panic appeared around the tree, and he was smiling. Chuckling. All the mirth and amusement was back in his voice. She didn't need to see his face and eyes clearly to know he was back with her. He stood in front of her, and made the growling sound. He took out a thin, tiny black stick and scraped a breast with it. He was the scrape ghost. It was nothing more than a teeny thin stiff stick of some kind. In the dark? All but invisible. How he could make that phlegm rattling growl, she didn't know, but… it was him.

   "I didn't lie to you, Merry. There is a monster out here. Hunting you. It's going to eat you now…"

   … and he bit her neck. He did eat her and for quite a while, but she enjoyed it. Thoroughly. He shoved fabric into her mouth to stifle the noises she made under the monster attack she enjoyed.

   After several times, she was into over-stimulation and made constant and increasing, though stifled, noise. Eventually, all the shaking, and squealing, and then screaming and finally… dead quiet slow panting… ceased. She was breathing slow and heavy. Wide, lustful and tired eyes. He removed her mouth fabric.

   He kept her there a while, and made out with her in their after glow. He told her a story.

   "There was a point to this game, Merry. Want to know what it is?"

   "Mm hmm…"

   "Were you scared?"

   She shook her head slowly yes.

   "You have no idea…"

   "You knew it was me, but…"

   "The scraping? I knew it had to be you, but…"

   "The growling monster, huh?"

   "Oh! I didn't know… maybe…"

   "Thought you might die there, for a second, didn't you?"

   She finally nodded to admit it.

   "Now. How about… when I was going to leave you. For whatever it was? To get you, tied to the tree. Scared you a little, didn't I?"

   She nodded.

   "How fun was it? Fun game? You like it? How about being betrayed at the end, and just for a second, thinking just maybe, I was going to leave you there, for the scary thing to get you. Fun, huh?"

   "I was scared. Terrified, actually… but… you told me. It was just a game… until… yeah, the growling. I was sure something was out here…"

   "Merry. There's a lesson here. Know what it is?"

   "I don't know. Tell me."

   "Merry… you were having fun, scaring my friends tonight. They thought they were just about to die. I'm not happy about it. I'm not mad, I'm just not happy. I want to have a heart to heart talk with you about it."

   "Merry, in addition to scaring them? And almost getting them killed? I bet you didn't think once about the fact that those two guys were armed. They're both really good with a handgun, and they work at it to be better. Rob? Is fucking lethal. Skykid? Just followed Rob's lead."

   "Oh…"

   "Yeah. You came this close to starting a bloodbath. What if those guys would have jumped the boys and they got seriously hurt before you could get the situation under control? Seconds could have counted. What if Rob had decided it was best to act first, and try to shoot his way out, huh? What if… someone had stuck someone with a knife, and they died. All? Because you were having fun, scaring my friends."

   Merry looked at him, and slowly started to come undone. She looked like she was wounded and hurt, and about to cry.

   "I'm sorry… I didn't think about that… I'm… I'm sorry…"

   "Merry. You ever see Robbie, scare the much smaller Skykid? Never. If Rob wanted to? He could do that shit some big guys do, you know, they pretemd they're just about to hit you… then ha! Just fucking with you! Ha, you should have seen how scared you were! What a rube! That's funny!"

   "Please, honey…"

   "That's not friendship, Merry. That's a stronger person, lording their power over the weaker person, that's for some reason stupid enough to hang around the stronger asshole."

   "…please?"

   "Merry, you've already done it. You know what happens now?"

   She puckered her lips and bit her lower lip.

   "I'll tell you. Everyone is now a little bit, or a lot… scared of you. You led the boys into a trap, then they thought they were going to die, and… then you made it all better. But, it's not all better. It's gone…"

   "What's gone, honey?"

   "Didn't you like the way Rob fucks with you? Jokes. Innuendo. He's fun to be around, isn't he?"

   "Yeah…"

   "I bet that goes away. You're too dangerous to fuck with now. Think about it… what about everyone else? Once they hear all of that… no one will ever tease or mess with you again, I bet. Everyone will be a little too polite to you. A little too quiet. They probably won't argue with you, even for fun."

   Merry looked down at the ground, and sniffed a couple times.

   "Merry. Those guys back there? Those are my friends. I don't want all of my friends, to be scared of me. Not one of them right now, but, a group member? Once got drunk, and tried to act like a beer muscle dickhead. He actually took a swing at me. Hit me in the face. I didn't do anything to him, like I easily could have. I just let it go… why? I don't want my friends, to be scared of me. I don't wanna be… 'that guy' anymore. I once thought I did, I wished for it, and I got it… and… be careful what you wish for."

   "But… you hung out with…"

   "Yeah. Back in the day. But, we were all dangerous men. I just came up to meet their level. When I got home? I… I don't want people looking at me like that. I don't like being the dangerous guy, surrounded by ordinary men. I don't get anything out of it. Doesn't make me feel 'macho'. Makes me feel, like, I don't know…a guy teasing a cat. What's the point? I'm not proving anything."

   "You… you are mad at me…"

   "No, Merry. I'm not mad at you. You just didn't think. Would you pick Bitty Kitty up? Tease Bitty by pretending you're just about to drop him in the fire? Then, it's funny. Just a joke. No… you wouldn't do that, in a million years. But, because you didn't think it through? That's what you did to my friends."

   Merry whispered hoarsely.

   "I'm sorry, I scared your cats…"

   "Eh. You scared my dogs, but… apology accepted."

   "Can… I fix this?"

   "We'll find out tomorrow. See if everyone is quiet and stays away from you. Afraid to offend you. If it's like that? It might not be fixable, or, maybe time will fix it. Who knows."

   You… when you came back to the… real world? You did this, didn't you? You… scared people."

   "Once or twice. Without thinking. Yeah. When I went back to the place, where I… stuck up for myself? Everyone was… too quiet. Too polite. No one teased me anymore. I left and never went back, it ruined it. My childhood is gone, and I don't look back. A normal amount of teasing? A normal amount of people fucking with me? Is good, it means I'm a member of the group."

   "That's… when you started hiding it. Not… wearing it."

   "Yeah."

   "Panic?"

   "Yeah, hun…"

   "I… thought I was gonna help you. Like, donut girl. Now, I don't know…"

   "Merry? You were right. I'm different. I can't lie about it. I didn't know you liked me. I didn't know donut girl was hitting on me. Probably been a number of girls hit on me over the years, and I didn't know."

   "Now. After this… I can't…"

   "Oh, that. No, you go on and have a nice private girl talk with her. She's hitting on your man, you wanna put a stop to it? Do it. If we're gonna live here? Start 'em like you're gonna finish them."

   "Oh. How… I can't believe it, now you're telling me how to handle people, I thought I had to…"

   "You do Merry… all I know about? Is wielding power… doesn't mean I know people. Is donut girl one of your cats? One of your dogs?"

   "No…"

   "Have a talk with her."

   "Okay. I thought I was gonna cry for a minute there. I feel better all of a sudden."

   "Good."

   "Merry? You want my best explanation?"

   "Sure…"

   "When I was playing with the monsters? Sure. I had to become a monster. Normal. Healthy. Good. But… when I came back? I realized, I had to watch it. When… you're around those guys? Sure… you need to use some… power. But, around normal people? Ever hear the phrase, less is more?"

   "What…do you do, now. How… do you prevent the teasing from getting out of hand, and… your childhood coming back…"

   "Merry? When I was little, I was scared and powerless. Confused. Now? I'm confident. I know what I can do, if I have to. Now… let's say some guy starts giving me the shits. I start seeing that smarmy look. Belittling me too much. Daring me, laughing at me."

   "Yeah, that. What do you do?"

   "I wait. What I like to do? I like to wait… let them keep it up. I pretend I'm all scared of them… then? I start letting them see. For themselves. I let them see me working out. Play fighting for fun, with Rob. When the look goes over their face, when they see it for themselves? When it dawns on them, what they almost brought on themselves? Oh, instant change."

   "Instead of just smacking them around? You go through all of that."

   "It's… satisfying. Very satisfying. Turns most of them right around. Lot of them into real friends, eventually. If I have to? I cultivate respect. I use violence as a last resort, not a fix all for everything. I have options, I use them. Now, if I was just some big dumb guy? Sure, all I got is a hammer, so, every problem looks like a nail. I use fear as a last resort."

   "Do you think I should handle donut girl… differently?"

   "Hmm. Your direct way is… effective. Sets a good example."

   "What else would work."

   "Oh… maybe, have one or more of your new friends just happen to come in. They could be talking about someone else entirely. You know, a very similar situation… if she isn't dense like I can be? She'd probably connect the dots on her own. Then? You still have your… direct method if all else fails."

   "Honey?"

   "Yes."

   "Are we… okay?"

   "Funny. I remember asking you the same thing. Last time we had a deep conversation about something else. I'll tell you what you told me. Of course we're okay."

   "Are you sure?"

   "Sure I'm sure. I wouldn't go through this if I didn't need to keep you around."

   "You said need. Not want."

   He nodded and smiled.

   "I'm still tied to this tree…"

   "You are."

   "The monster in the woods… already ate me, didn't it?"

   He nodded.

   "Can… we go home now?"

   "Not yet. Not done with you yet."

   "Mm. What do monsters do with naked girls tied to trees. In the woods. Alone at night. When no one can hear them scream. Hmm?"

   "They eat them, naturally."

   He untied her, and brought her down to the ground. In the wet grass. He ran the fabric through one of her wrists, then through the other. She smiled. Offered her ankle up, then the other. He shoved the other piece of fabric back into her mouth. She hadn't known he had the tiny bottle of oil left, he used some of it. Then raped her just the way she liked.

   While he was doing it, and she was pulling and arching to "get away" from being "raped"… he asked if she remembered what she had told him right before entering the bar earlier that evening. She shook her head "no". He reminded her that he had thought it was a bad idea, and she had told him that it was a good reason to smack her ass later. He also reminded her that the last time on the rock, she had said next time, to mark her ass up well.

   So, he took his time using her, and smacked her ass a good bit throughout. In the dark, there was no telling about hand prints. She always dropped enough hints and jokes about it, and had even told him to never take no for an answer. When he finally got the sniffling and the beginnings of waterworks he was fairly sure she was asking for anyways, he finished it off quick and hard, and let her go.

   Even let go, she continued making out in the dirt with him, in the dark woods. She was sure she was filthy and dirty, but in the dark she couldn't tell. He enjoyed seeing her with his hands all over her in the afterglow. When her little sniffles finally subsided from the rough fun, they got up and slowly made their way back out and found her shoes and things and set off for home.

   She wanted her dress back, and he giggled and smacked her already red ass hard enough he got an "ow!" out of it. Every time she asked for her clothes, she got another. She finally giggled and crept along. Enjoying the "what if I'm caught" aspect of it all.

   When they got home, it was just before sunup. Merry looked around nervously she didn't get caught naked like this, out in the open in front of their cabin if someone happened along. He took a rag and a bucket of water, having her stand on a towel on the cabin doorstep while he cleaned her off, from head to toe. He gave her the heels back, so she could walk in without getting dirty again.

   Merry was starting to get her mischievous smile back.

   "You sobered up?"

   "Tired, and a little worn out, but yeah. You?"

   "The same."

   "You… stay up late you said, working on stuff. I feel… tired, but… a little… dreamy? Am I making any sense at all here…"

   "Yeah. Wanna get baked?"

   "Oh yeah…"

   "Me too."

   "Roll one up?"

   "Nah… pipe? Let's get crushed."

   "Okay… then?"

   "We'll see."

   "I wanna see if my ass got marked up…"

   "Get baked first. I'll show you a pic then."

   "Ooh. Okay…"

   They smoked a pipe. Then another. Tired, but now completely red eyed and feeling zingy, laughing, they made a little cell phone video of her butt. He smacked her ass now and again, making a series of "Ow! Stop it! That stings…" comments out of her, that she none the less smiled and giggled for. So, he now and again kept it up. A whack here, a crack there.

   Merry watched her little video inspection of her butt several times. Smiling with dreamy red eyes.

   She undressed him slowly. Smiling sly. Coaxed him into the sleeping bag. The second flight was slow and unhurried. No crash landing, but simply flying around with no destination in mind.

   She kept her jewelry and braided leather on. The only jewelry she put away was the long ruby neck chain, it was too easy to get snagged and broken sleeping. Ear rings as well, too easy to rip an earlobe sleeping or fucking. All smoked up, there was something inordinately fascinating, watching the little thin gold ankle chain, and how it moved and laid on the braided leather anklet. Her tennis bracelet styled choker begged his interest now. Little semi precious stones that wiggled and danced. If she threw her head back or laid down, it rode up, and when she leaned forward, it hung the tiny bit it could, which wasn't much.

   The semi precious choker was in a way just like he was. Affordable. Not highly prized for any monetary value. It rode around her neck, as he liked to be around her neck when intimate with her. Close. Hugged. He liked to kiss and bite that strong tan neck, just like the choker did. She no doubt highly prized her cheap choker, despite its low monetary value. Didn't want to lose it for anything if he had to guess. Probably made her feel better to wear it. She obviously liked showing it off. She might even cry if she lost it, depressed.

   Other women had no doubt passed on the cheap trinket many times. She didn't. It drew her attention, and she bought it. Maybe on a whim at first, yet it became something she treasured. Just like a little kid will pick up some interesting rock, and keep it as their most valuable item they own for whatever reason no one can fathom. He giggled inside to himself. There was another huge irony in it as well. He had once been a choker, he had choked real life monsters out. Now? He was getting to be her choker.

   Maybe that's what love really was, or was supposed to be, anyways. Deep underneath it all. You… just connect with the thing. Like a little kid connects with their favorite rock. Pure childish desire, that has nothing to do with value, and other people's jealousy that the thing you have, is valuable. Maybe ordinary people were somehow incapable of real, pure love. Because they had learned and been infused with adult realities and values, that some things are by group definition worth more than others.

   Panic knew he was the same person he had been in first grade, and had never truly "grown up" in the broader sense of the words. He had gotten bigger and stronger, but he had been considered a child that spoke like an adult. He spoke and read like an adult, from a ridiculously young age. He had learned to hide, and deceive these parts of himself from the world, to appear as if a grown up… but deep inside if he was honest only with himself? He knew that as a young child, he was an adult trapped in a child's body… and that though he learned to hide it well? He had grown into a child trapped inside an adult. He realized he had never once truly been a child, and he would likely never truly be an adult, at least not the way the world thought of it.

   If being an adult, meant trading in the child's desire to treasure some worthless rock, and learn to be only happy with things other people were jealous of? He knew he didn't want it. He might have hated the other children, but he had always loved school otherwise. Learning and studying came so easy when you can quickly read a couple hundred pages every night, with high retention without trying. When you have no fear of performing on any test, it's a droll routine to prove you actually learned things.

   The supposed adult he had become? Was happy to have a low level easy job that he liked, as few days a week as possible… then to run to his cheap but gigantic house, eager to play. Play was studying and learning whatever his heart desired. The child liked dinosaurs, the adult had other interests. Same thing though.

   As a child? He was taught to be polite. To be gracious, and not grab the last piece of cake for himself. His parents had taken great pains to make sure he was taught to politely turn it down, and offer it to everyone at the table. Like a polite adult should do.

   Now? As an adult? The way the world wanted him to play their game? He was supposed to snatch that piece of cake. Laugh and enjoy it conspicuously. Show everyone else what they were too slow or too stupid to grab first. It was finders keepers, losers weepers. Fuck it, the "smartest" and "best" adult men? Snuck up to the table and stole the whole cake, then laughed at everyone else that didn't get any. That was what a real man was supposed to do, that's what a smart business man was supposed to be like. There was no sharing, no politeness… that was for losers.

   He had made that choice years back. He didn't want to be like everyone else. His idea of "success" was different than everyone elses. His idea of success and showing it off, was quietly "wasting" all his free time, learning and mastering as many different subjects as he could manage. He wanted to be the "renaissance" man he had learned about when he was so young, and fascinated by that ideal. He liked seeing people's jaw drop open in awe, when he surprised them.

   "Look what I can do!", but in a gracious, adult manner.

   Men like DaVinci were his heroes. Sure, everyone knew he could sculpt and paint like no one else, but that was hardly it. Sure, some people knew about all the things he invented and conceived of, and marveled at that as well. Very few people were privileged to know he was no sissy. Contemporary descriptions of him? Sculptor's use a big hammer and chisels, for long hours and days at a time. He had an inordinately strong grip. Long, strong well muscled arms. He shook off pain and discomfort like few others.

   Practically no one knew nowadays, the "sissy" artist was a master horseman, what in today's world? Would be a man that wasn't scared to race dirt bikes or race cars. A highly regarded fencer. He was said to gallop his horse at full speed, and easily use bow and arrow to hit surprisingly small targets from horseback. Most men couldn't hit those targets at the same distances just standing there, he could do it at a full gallop like he was breathing.

   No… if DaVinci had wanted to be a macho dangerous man, he would have been, and easily. He designed war machinery as an intellectual exercise, and for money of course… but, it was the invention and design and blueprinting, and overseeing it being built that turned him on, not being considered dangerous. War was reality, but he never saw the point. Why did countries do this? Why did men fight and bicker and kill themselves over trivial everyday bullshit? Then whole countries of them imitated the idiotic example.

   It shuddered Panic's soul, to think what DaVinci would have been capable of leading men in battle. The intelligence? The deviousness? The creativity? No, thank god, he used his evil twisted super genius… for mostly good. He made beauty, and he created. He chose not to take the easy route… to simply destroy, and make things ugly.

   Panic knew it was true. Easy to teach a man to harness his anger, and kill. Most men lusted after such ability. Far harder to find a man smart enough to become a doctor, let alone the dedication and discipline to see it through. Any idiot could set a library on fire, as in ancient Alexandria. It took no skill. But to create so much as one book, deserving to be in that library? Rare men, indeed.

   They were taking breaks between unhurried fun sex. The occasional cigarette shared, after yet another pipe that kept them groggy and awake, and bleary eyed.

   He looked down once again at Merry laying there. Adorned with handmade little leather trinkets, that were somehow so damn cute. A few cheap chains and cheap gemstones added randomly. She obviously liked rolling around, having his eyes on her. Decorated for him.

   Any other woman? Wanted to do this, but they dreamed of doing it in a fur coat, worth as much as an ordinary family's new car. With diamonds hanging off of them, that cost more than an ordinary family's house. Even if the woman wasn't spoiled up front, she would quickly get there with all that. Then? No radiant smile without it all. Merry? Was in her glory putting on her little show, with basically costume jewelry.

   "Hey… space cadet…"

   "Hmm…"

   She smiled gently.

   "You're brain never shuts down. I smoked you out enough to tranquilize a T-rex. I can see your cogs turning, though. What you thinking about?"

   "Truth?"

   She smiled and bit her finger, imitating a little kid. Nodding.

   "Me. You. I'm… just looking at you…"

   "You like looking at me."

   He nodded. He wasn't lying, he did. He could do it all night.

   "That's good. I like having you look at me…"

   "Glad you like it."

   "Hmm. I've noticed. The moment you saw me in the braided leather I made? I keep catching you staring at them. My wrists. My ankles."

   "Well, after you showed me what they're for, how can I help it…"

   "Uh uh… you couldn't keep your eyes off them even before they were for that…"

   "On you? They're… just cute and sexy. I stare."

   She smiled, and rolled over, biting her lip. Stretched and relaxed. Adjusting her legs now and then. A little show.

   "I never knew you liked jewelry before. You didn't wear any."

   "I was a tomboy. I played sports with the boys. I didn't play with dolls. I grew up roughhousing with the boys. My mom was actually a little worried. She tried dolls and dollhouses and tea party toys… I just ran around playing tackle football with the neighborhood boys."

   "How did that go?"

   She shrugged.

   "When girls tried to make fun of me, and I got mad? I sure didn't pull hair and scratch and slap like they did, I can tell you that. I sent them home with a bloody nose and a puffy lip."

   "What did the boys think?"

   "They liked it. Little boys hate girly girls. They think it's silly. They came and got me, to play wiffle ball and football and kickball. If the other girls got bored in the summer and tried? They got picked last. No boys want a girl on their team. They all fight who has to take them… I got picked when the boys were getting picked."

   "And when the girls made fun of you?"

   "Well… I'd punch them just like a boy punches another boy. Not bragging, but… no contest."

   "And… mom was worried."

   "And… mom was worried, yeah."

   "Mom… have any reason to be?"

   "Nope."

   "You never…"

   "Ha. No. Not once. Never even thought about it. When… that age came? Those tea party girls were all of a sudden good at something I wasn't. Walking in heels the boys liked all of a sudden… wearing dresses… all kinda came on overnight. I was fucked… well, more like I wasn't fucked."

   She giggled at her pun and so did he.

   "What did you do?"

   "Triple A school. Small town, but, part of a triple A school system. Lots of sports. Even girl sports. The other girls? Playing dumb in school, boys… I did sports and school. Like the boys did."

   "Well. Your childhood trauma wasn't as bad as mine then."

   She rolled over and locked eyes with him.

   "Wasn't… good. The girly girls try their mean girl shit on me? For not getting boys like they did? What do you think happened to them."

   "I can't stop staring at you. When did the big change come?"

   "Well. I'm tall. Tan. Athletic. Tomboy… a few boys eventually started… noticing me… mom was happy about that…"

   "And dad…"

   Another easy smile.

   "How many fathers brag their little darling is getting fucked every weekend?"

   "Right… normal dad reaction…"

   "Well. What happened, do you think… when I'm finally in a car… with a boy… making out finally…"

   "Uhm, I'm not the expert science girl is on male female relations? But… the normal thing."

   "Yeah. What happens when I get nervous. You know, the big moment. When I told a boy 'no', or 'stop'…"

   "You didn't…"

   She smiled…

   "The fuck I didn't… dad wasn't too mad… mom was sorta happy nothing would happen to me…"

   "Any boy ever…"

   "What? Hit me back after I broke his nose? Of course… 'bad boys' will hit a girl back… so… he wasn't as tough as he thought he was… that turned into a fucking cage match in the car, at the local make out parking spot… fucking free for all for a couple minutes before other couples came and dragged us both out and got us separated…"

   "Cops get involved…"

   "No."

   "How'd you crack this nut then?"

   "Ha. I needed to get creative. Instead of letting a boy notice me and pick me? I started picking the boy out. And, they're nervous being alone with me…"

   "So…"

   "Well… ever notice I'm on top a lot more than on the bottom? Take the boy out… get him alone… feed him a couple beers… maybe a joint… if he still won't loosen up and take a hint? I tell him it's time… still nothing? Where do you think we go from there…"

   Panic smiled. Finished it for her with her own words…

   "You like a guy? You jump on him…"

   Merry smiled…

   "Yeah. Jump on him… rip their clothes off… pin them down… tickle them until they promise they'll put out…"

   "You didn't get bopped in the nose?"

   Merry smiled and shook her head no…

   "Turns out they like it. Oh, they get this awkward, confused look on their face, but… they either can't get away… or, they just go with it… either way? I'm getting some action."

   "How did this go?"

   "It works. It's not perfect, but… it got me laid."

   "So, when did raping all you're dates get old then…"

   Merry smiled up at him…

   "I was a late bloomer… couple years raping my dates to finish out high school… then? College happened. You remember, psychology major."

   "Lots more rape victims on a college campus to pick from…"

   Merry smiled more.

   "Yes. There are. And, science girl much prefers the term 'tickle-fuck', thank you very much."

   "Oh. It's a tickle-fuck, not a date rape… when you put it like that, it sounds so much more… legal…"

   Merry laughed and kicked her legs and gently pounded her hands on the pillows. Laying face down, she buried her face in the pillow to stifle her laughter before locking her bedroom eyes on him again…

   "Ain't it?"

   "So… when did this change?"

   "College. I picked out a boy I liked. Freshman on the wrestling team. Never had a wrestler boyfriend before. Quiet handsome boy, a little skinny…thought he'd be… easy pickings…"

   "Ha. And…"

   "Yeah. He won the wrestling matches. All of them, unless he wanted otherwise. Anyways, girl talk with my room mate… she pointed out I only had 'one thing in my purse', was I think how she put it. Did I want anything else in my purse…"

   "Hm. What did she put in your purse."

   "Ha. First girly girl girlfriend. She taught me how to walk in heels. Do my hair and makeup. You know, it takes practice to do all that stuff? Couple months. Then…"

   Merry spread her fingers down her body to show it…

   "You get this…"

   "Okay, so now you get all dolled up to go out on a rape, I mean, out looking for a tickle-fuck victim."

   "Oh, you're funny, ain't you…"

   "I try."

   "Well… my room mate pointed out… I don't run around, I'm a one boy at a time girl. I'm a nice girl that way. But, once I pick the boy out? I can still tickle-fuck him if I have to, but… why not at least try it the normal way, you know? With heels and a dress… letting him make the moves… hey, that works too…"

   "Then… you got engaged, before you finished college…"

   "Yeah. You know the rest. Here we are."

   "And the sex games… the articles…"

   "Hmm. Recent thing, I told you that… I'm trying to… put it all together, you know?"

   "It's… working. Very well."

   She bedroom eyed him again.

   "Is it? Good. Anything else you need to know? Or can I get fucked some more…"

   "Just one thing. When did the… thing you asked for on the rock come into the game."

   "Oh. That…"

   "Yeah. That."

   "Pretty recent. You know my thing. One boy at a time. Long break after a shit-canning. This last break was a long one. Remember the racquetball girls? Became a thing to show off a hand print?"

   "Yeah…"

   "Well. I finally got my hand print off you. Showed that fucker off like a diamond ring to the girls. You saw me get teased and high fived for it. Not like I got my hand print first week I wanted one. Girly magazines have a few articles on 'fun rough sex night with your man', so…"

   With the little unhurried break in the middle of the what the hell second flight, he enjoyed her laying on the open sleeping bag, on display for him. How cute she looked. She smiled, and would roll around and pose for him. All eye contacts and pouts and faces.

   "Honey? You made me wet, when you said you needed me, not wanted me. Did you mean it?"

   He nodded.

   "Thanks…"

   She giggled through her butt inspection video again. They smoked another two pipes, and their red eyes increased to bloodshot, their giggly went into groggy.

   "I know you liked it…"

   She looked at him with slits for eyes, and nodded.

   "I'm always asking for hand prints. I finally got some. My butt still stings…"

   "Your hand print you showed off to the racquetball girls, was one thing. That's not a hand print."

   "I kept asking to get my ass marked up, silly. Glad I finally got some attention…"

   "What are you gonna wear tomorrow? After we sleep half the day, that is."

   "I don't know. I can't wear anything that this will show. Guess you'll be stuck staring at me in jeans and T shirts for a few days."

   "I'm going to miss the Pochahantas outfit, believe me."

   "Oh. I'll still wear it for you, when we're alone… just not out in public, until my butt clears up. Mm… I can't believe you finally got a few tears out of me. Now, I'm thinking it's a pity you didn't give me a few more smacks…"

   "What, you wanted me to make you bawl?"

   She smiled impishly. Blushed. Shrugged.

   "Told you… don't take no for an answer… now? We have to wait, and try it again, some other time."

   "Really…"

   "Hmm. You should have seen your face, in the crab restaurant. When I started talking about my bracelets and anklets, you almost choked on your food… I have fun teasing you like that."

   "Oh, that was funny. Question?"

   "Mmm hm?"

   "What was the crack about making the braided leather for me? Our matching jewelry…"

   "What do you think it's for… this is just another fun game I'm getting you to play. To… spice our love life up. Later on down the road? One day, it will get boring… then? Yeah. Sure. Why not…"

   "You played all these games before?"

   She was laying face down, her head laying on her crossed arms, so groggy it was like truth serum for her.

   "No. Told you before, I stay single for a long time. Then? I try again. I guess I stay single a little longer each time. Been working this all up in this last big break. Then? You."

   "Merry? You don't have to go crazy trying to be… you can just be… you."

   She shrugged again.

   "If I can't give you babies, and I can't give you awesome meals every day… I can at least give you a spicy sex life, silly. What's wrong with that? It's fun, right…"

   "Are you having fun?"

   She picked her sleepy face and head up, and just gave him a look…

   "Duh. I'm practicing strict and complete monogamy. A very good girl. Plus? I get to be the… biggest slut, the dirtiest girl, ever. What's not to like?

   She rolled over and sat up sitting, but hunched over. Looking up at him with a sultry smile. Inebriated on smoking, but very much awake.

   "What, you don't like it? I think you like it…"

   She got up on all fours, on the open sleeping bag.

   "How many of yer boyfriends, up in that camp… how many of them do you think get what you get… which is, of course… anything… everything… just ask… Hmm? How many?"

   "None, probably."

   "They seem… a little jealous?"

   "They do."

   "They should be jealous. What, you rather get three pumps and a dump? I just lay there, I don't fuck you back? Hmm… you don't want that, do you? No, not when the lights are on. No, not when the sun's up. No, I don't do that, I'm not that kind of girl… no… no… no… is that what you want? Hmm?"

   "I… guess not."

   "Oh. You guess you like it?"

   She was eyeing him, and crawling over slowly to his chair on all fours. She ended up kneeling in front of him, palms on his knees, staring him in the face.

   He looked down at her. Acutely aware in his smoking reverie how cute she looked, dripping all over with a mix of braided leather and little gold colored metal jewelry and semi precious but very affordable gemstones. He was inordinately fascinated, with staring at her ankles and wrists, watching the stuff move and jiggle on her, at her slightest movement.

   Decorations. Decorations like ornaments, on a tree. A little, what was she… like a little bit of Christmas every day. Every night. Some guy had actually named her "Merry" shortly after birth, and her nickname was "Christmas". He had his own little Merry Christmas, every day and every night. Constant special little presents.

   "No. I know I like it."

   She stood up, and looked down at him…

   "That didn't sound very convincing…"

   She sat on his lap, and stared in his face. Pouted. Licked her lips.

   "Or… do you need it. You said earlier, you didn't like me, you needed me. I got wet."

   "I need it."

   "So? Tackle me onto our sleeping bag. Hold me down, and fuck me."

   "Okay."

   She smiled mischievously.

   "How long do I have to wait for this? Hmm? Christmas?"

   They both laughed, and practically fell onto the bag with laughter at the joke. She started pushing him off, and pulling to crawl away. He had to drag her back onto the open unzipped bag, and bodily wrestle her down and pry her wrists down and hold her. Worm his way in between her tan, strong thighs to get to work.

   It took some time, and they both got exerted. It was sexy, it was fun, it was even a little bit of exercise. She tried to keep fighting him off, until she was spent. She would wait and pant and try again, each attempt more feeble then the last.

   They laughed, until she finally had to give up. They continued to move around having sex, until both of them finally collapsed and gave up.

   She zipped the bag up around them, and nestled into him to go to sleep, once again in a state of sweat and exertion and stray body fluids. Her face buried in his neck, leg slung over him, arm slid under his neck, holding him for sleep.

   The last thing he remembered was feeling as much as hearing her breathe into his neck huskily and groggily…

   "Now… that's a little more like it…"

   He lazily asked her, drifting off…

   "What's the name of that game…"

   She giggled into his neck.

   "I don't know, they don't all have names… um… the fuck-fight, or… the fight-fuck…"

   "My shoulder's a little sore…"

   He felt the laughter in his neck and he laughed too.

   "Bad?"

   "No. I'm supposed to start using it…"

   More neck giggles.

   "I guess I'm your workout, until you're recovered all the way then…"

   "Working out was never so fun."

   "In the woods tonight?"

   "Yeah…"

   "That was… playtime, wasn't it."

   "If you mean playtime like I think you mean it…"

   "You know how I mean it…"

   "Yeah. That… was playtime."

   "It's just a game, right?"

   "Training exercise."

   "Training for…"

   "One guy is learning to hunt, the other guy is learning to get away."

   "And, the little stick you scared me with? Touching me? How in the fuck do you do that? It was like having a ghost after me…"

   "Rules of thumb. Tricks. I'll show you a few some day."

   "Hmm. What's the point of touching the guy with a stick? To scare him?"

   "No, Merry. When you play it for real… you use a knife…"

   "Were you the… hunter, or the prey… when it was for keeps."

   "Both. That's what the game's for… you learn to keep away, then to track the hunter, and get him. You flip it on them."

   "I meant it. When I said I was sorry I scared your friends. That barmaid messed it all up. I planned on… to just get you guys in there, then go and let them know who I was… that's what I planned. The boys would have just ignored you guys without all her shit, until I went and talked to them."

   "We'll see how it goes. Maybe it went better than I thought. If not? Maybe we can fix it. We'll see."

   Merry was dying now as well. Her words were whispered into his neck.

   "Hey…"

   "Hmm?"

   "You seem to like a tall, strong girl."

   "Oh yeah…"

   "Mmm. I haven't done a… tickle-fuck… for a while now. All this talk about it… you want one?"

   "I'm very tired, and my shoulder is sore…"

   "Mmm. Not now, silly. Another time. We have forever, you know."

   "Sounds hot."

   "Mm hmm… that's cause it is. Remember the nothing-fuck?"

   "One of my favorites."

   "Believe it or not, the nothing-fuck? Was kinda born from the once believed to be extinct… tickle-fuck. In a way? The nothing-fuck, is the ticklefuck with no tickling. Plus a few other minor changes…"

   "It had good breeding, then."

   "Hmm. You ticklish?"

   "Very…"

   She tickled him, and laughed into his neck. Did it several times…"

   "Ooh, you are. This… is gonna be fun… I got a little squealer…"

   Panic started giggling.

   "Don't you laugh at me, I'll give you more, for that…"

   "More what?"

   She tickled him without quitting…

   "Ah! Hey… quit it, quit it… hey…stop!"

   "Hmm. Had enough yet?"

   "No. I mean---"

   She started again in earnest… giggling in his neck… he protested in earnest back.

   "Ooh.. I forgot how much fun this is…"

   He got more. She kept it up. Finally stopped.

   "Settle down… shh!"

   She kissed his neck.

   "Gonna laugh at me about it anymore? Huh?"

   A few seconds more… she laughed and bit his neck…

   "Yeah… not so funny now, is it?"

   She was beside him, arm nestled up behind him in their bag. She clamped her hand over his mouth, and drew her lips to his ear.

   "Don't move. Or you get more… understand?"

   She nodded his head for him, with her clamp hand.

   "I wasn't kidding…"

   She punctuated it with a little more tickling with her free hand, then stopped.

   "Don't move. Or you get more. Understand me now?"

   He nodded yes.

   "Now stay still. We're gonna have a little talk… is that all right? Hmm?"

   He nodded.

   "Good. Now, you can't take ten seconds. Imagine… I got you down. You can't get me off you. I don't quit. Get the idea?"

   She bit his neck and purred. She kept her hand clamped over his mouth, holding him tight.

   "How long you think you're gonna last like that, hmm? Not long, I promise you that. Panties in your mouth… you can't get away. I won't stop… oh yeah, you get the idea now, huh?"

   She purred into his neck, and moved his head up and down for him with her tightly clamped hand.

   "How long, do you think it'll take, hmm? Before you promise to do what I want… not long… a couple minutes, is all it takes… oh, you get some more, before I stop… believe that… couple more minutes. So they know to be good, and do whatever they promised."

   She bit his neck…

   "Now. It's not a joke, is it? So… don't laugh. Do you promise to be good?"

   He shook his head…

   "We'll see, won't we… you move? You try to pull away? It's gonna take a lot longer… you can believe it… you promise?"

   He nodded quickly.

   "Like I said… we'll see… if you move too much? I think you know, you'll get more, and I mean lots more… so? Just sit still, and enjoy this…"

   She took her free hand she had been tickling him with, and started giving him her hand. She did it slowly, and took her time. She gave him a running, purring commentary in his ear.

   "Remember. My panties would be in your mouth. You can't scream for help… I already proved, I can pin you down, and you can't get away from me… and if I have to do it again? Twice as long. Remember… there's music downstairs… it's a party. No one can hear, no one cares… no one's coming to help. Even if they did walk in? They just leave."

   She started moving quicker, and pulled him in tight with her hand clamped over his mouth.

   "Yeah… you're starting to get the picture now, I can tell.. nice and hard, too… it's obvious you like it… but, you better sit still… I'm warning you…"

   "Mmm. Yeah… when I finally let them go. What are they gonna do about it anyways? Tell on me? Pffft. Go to the cops? The fuck they gonna tell them cops, huh? You know that tall pretty girl? She made me do dirty things… ha."

   She started going a little faster with her free hand yet again.

   "Now. The real fun? Is when I see them again. At another party eventually. Then? They try to avoid me. Can you believe that? Uh uh… I get them in the corner, and make them kiss me, make out at the party. I wanna show off the boy likes me. Or, I just trap them in the bathroom, that always works. Whatever.

   Either way? I order them upstairs. Into the bedroom I already scoped out. Tell them to get up there, and they better be naked on the bed by the time I get there… or else… and you know what? They always did. You know why? Cause I also told them, it was either upstairs? Or, I'll hold them down and tickle them right at the party, in front of everyone. For an hour… they go right upstairs, every time."

   She bit his neck and giggled.

   "Plus? They like it… I just know it. Why would they come back for more, if they didn't like it, huh?"

   More neck kisses.

   "Okay, this is very important… I want you to tell me, when it's time, okay? I… wanna finish you off with my mouth. You think you'll like that?

   She shook his head yes for him…

   "Of course you'll like it. Now, keep staying still. You're doing very good by the way, did you know that? You're good at this… I can tell you like it. Now, since you've been so good… I'm gonna let your mouth go, all right? Don't talk. Not until it's time, you got that? Good. Here we go…"

   She went back to kissing and biting his neck, which she of course already knew drove him wild. It didn't take that long, for the forced flight to end. He barely started talking to tell her, and she giggled and dove under the sleeping bag covers, and finished things exactly as she promised. When she crawled back up, she had her impish grin on, licking her lips, laughing. Wiped her hand on the covers.

   "Wet spot…"

   Panic laid back and laced his fingers behind his head. Already exhausted, this about killed him. Merry sidled up next to him and put her head in his neck, and started wrapping her leg over him, getting ready to fall asleep. The familiar arm dove under his neck to hold him to sleep like she enjoyed doing.

   "Go on… I already know I can't get to sleep, without yer twenty questions… get it over with, I'm about to pass out…"

   "All right… where… in the flying fuck did you ever get this bright idea?"

   Merry giggled and didn't have to pause.

   "They taught us in health class how to do it…"

   "What?!?! Obviously, I missed the fuck out on not going to a triple A school, let me tell you!"

   "Ooh, so… you did like it. That means… you liked your taste test, and, you'll order the in flight meal, huh? Cool…"

   "They didn't teach this in health class… I'm not that retarded…"

   "Sure did. They separated the boys and girls for sex education, right? Two weeks. I swear, a whole week was devoted to descriptions of date rape, and what we had to watch out for. Some girly girls were making jokes, that some of it didn't sound very bad to them. Duh! I wanted to fool around too…"

   "Jesus Criminey…"

   "Honey, I can't pin you down in bed. Lord knows, I've tried several times, haven't I? Just think about that… you always win. I can't."

   "So…"

   "Geez, you are dense sometimes, you know that? It's very sweet though, I like it…"

   She kissed his neck quite sweetly. A little soft bite.

   "What am I missing?"

   "Duh. I can't hold you down and make you do anything. So? I figured it would be fun to see what it was like… on the rock?"

   "Oh. Did you like it?"

   "Uh huh. It was great. I can see why most of the boys I did it to, always came back for more. Fun-time."

   "So…"

   "I can't make you… so… yeah, you have to volunteer for tickle-fuck night, hun. You sure seemed like you liked your sample… go for it…"

   "Okay…"

   "Ooh. So, where do we do yours at… you want it here, some privacy?"

   "Yeah."

   "All right. We need lock of some kind on the door then… You, are gonna be making noise… I don't wanna be interrupted. Okay?"

   "Sure."

   "Hmm. I want this to be special. Haven't done this is a long time, you know."

   "Yes. We would want the rape to be special. What would make the rape special, dear?"

   "Mm… candles? Yeah, candles. And… how about one of those oil lamps? Yeah, candles and an oil lamp or two. I want romantic lighting…"

   "The secondhand store has both, sweetie. Pretty sure the rape section? Up aisle three…"

   "This air mattress ain't gonna hold up to that… we need something… yer gonna be moving around… for a while…"

   "Well… the secondhand store has a stack of old mattresses. Any size you want. I guess we need one anyways, we're here another month, and we're probably gonna live here, not like it'll go to waste."

   "Why would any of it go to waste? I liked mine… you can use it all on me, no matter what. Pretty sure you'll like it, though."

   "Now… what am I gonna use for… you know."

   "What's… you know?"

   "Duh. I can't hold you down for more than ten seconds, you dip. I need something… you know now? I guess, rope. Yeah, another secondhand store item."

   "I love how I'm laying here, falling asleep. Planning my own rape. This is a new one."

   "All right, I've had it…"

   Merry reached over and got her science girl reading glasses, and put them on.

   "Hi, science girl. Do I get a doctoral dissertation on rape now?"

   "Yes. You will. Shut up and listen. I'm getting sick and tired of you calling it 'rape', it's not."

   "Right. Date rape. Tickle-fuck is your code word for it. I forgot."

   "Lecture time. Wind the clock back, mister. The human race evolved with men raping women. It was normal. Look around you at how the animals do it."

   "Yes. Cave men bashed their cave women over the head with their club. Seen the cartoons."

   "Funny. But yeah. It was normal. Now, fast forward to the modern day. Let's pick… the 50s. What was it in all the old movies, huh? I'll tell you…"

   Merry imitated the old fashioned girl voice in old movies, it was comical…

   "No, no, no… please don't! You brute! I hate you! No, no, no… oh! Okay, I can't stand it any more, big boy… just take me! Right here, right now! Take me, please…"

   Panic was smiling and chuckling.

   "That, wasn't bad."

   "It was in every old movie. Tell me I'm lying…"

   "No, you're right…"

   "I know I'm right."

   "Well… that's not rape, honey, that's… date rape."

   "Yeah, right. Made up word, science boy. No such thing."

   "You hear it all the time… date rape, is… it's fucking date rape."

   "It is now, maybe. Sure as fuck wasn't until recently. Invented in the 1980s. Pisses me right the fuck off, like all the other modern bullshit they try to shove down our throats. Date rape, my ass, that's normal human sexuality. For centuries."

   "Aren't you going a little bit overboard, honey? Date rape is… forcing someone. To do what they don't want to do."

   "Really? That's news to all the women writing letters into women's magazines. Typical first time? Couple car dates, and finally some boy won't take no for an answer. Cherry? Popped. It's her boyfriend now. Lotta women complaining, that if they have to talk about it, they don't want it… it ain't romantic, like it used to be. They all want the guy to… just know… just do it."

   "Oh yeah. Men have been required to read women's minds for centuries now. It's a touch and go thing, trust me."

   "Why do you think women almost universally report they look for a man with experience? In other words, a guy that already knows what to do. Once your parked in a car? Game on. Why do you think shy boys don't get any? Why do you think all the women go crazy for 'bad boys'? Use your head. I love the euphemism 'initiating' sex… it means, grabbing your partner and starting it."

   "Well…"

   Merry used the dramatic voice now…

   "Oh, my Bobby… he's just all boy. That's why I married him! There's no telling him no. I like a man that knows what he wants."

   "Hmm."

   "What's that mean? It means… her husband Bobby? She likes him, and married him? Simply because he's the first boy that just grabs her, and fucks her, whenever he wants. What else does 'there's no telling him no' actually mean… think about it."

   "There's no end to the women complaining. One college? Tried to introduce a 'plan' to eliminate 'sexual violence'… men and women at the college? Were expected to fill out forms, to prove they both wanted it. Wanna know how that turned out? All the women physically stormed the dean's office! There was a riot. I can prove it. Matter of record, covered in the press."

   "So… you're saying… date rape, is a made up word for normal human sexuality."

   "Yep. The new one?"

   "I'm afraid to hear it…"

   "A woman can't consent legally, if there was a single alcoholic drink anytime that night. Now seriously, come the fuck on… young men and young women have been going out and having a few drinks, forever. Do you have any idea how many women report, a glass of wine or two, puts them in the mood? Most of them."

   "Wait a minute. What about the girl that goes screaming down the road. Jumps out of the car, parking."

   "We used to call those women… cock teases. I know, I know, I'm a woman? I can say it. Attention whore. Cock tease…"

   Merry did the dramatic voice again…

   "He.. he… he… touched me… down there. I told him no, he… just kept doing it…"

   Panic started giggling.

   "They just like the attention. Same situation for everyone else? Normal date. Panic… I don't know who the fuck they are? But… they… had to redefine the legal definition of 'rape' in order to start prosecuting normal young men, for normal human sexuality behavior."

   Merry started counting off on her fingers.

   "Did you agree to go out on the date, or, did he kidnap you… why didn't you get out of the car, if you didn't want it to start… why don't you have any marks at all? If he held you down, you should at least have a thumbprint on your arms… if he's so dangerous, why have you been dating and parking with him for the last six months."

   "You sound like a defense attorney…"

   "Panic? You can't put your hand out, to save a woman falling over… without leaving a finger bruise on her arm where you catch her. It's about impossible. I'm telling you, it's all made up bullshit. It's like… someone wants to create drama and bullshit, where none exist."

   "Hmm. I could buy that one."

   "They succeeded. Young boys and girls? They don't fucking date anymore. It's an ancient custom to the young kids nowadays. You hang out and… hope you hit it off. Ask those kids how they get some action? They sneak off from the hanging out crowd? And do what they used to do, parked in cars. It's normal human sexuality. Now? Its a crime."

   "So…"

   "So. Quit calling this rape, it's not. It's not even close. If I don't beat you with a baseball bat, and drag you away from the campfire by your ankle, back to our cabin? It's not rape. Rape? What I call… real rape? Is violent. You see pictures of women who are actually raped? They find them in a ditch on the side of the road, or in an alley somewhere. Their eyes are beat closed, and they look like they got run over by a truck."

   "Women are scared the man threatens them with that? They say okay, I'll do it, don't hurt me. Doesn't make it any better."

   "Snatched in a parking lot. Grabbed into an alley. Followed away from the party, and jumped. Stalked. Doesn't even fit into the same category as what they even claim so called 'date rape' is… typical date rape? Falls into one of two categories, typically. First date, or 37th date… the joke is… if the girl is pissed off at her boyfriend? She does it to him on the last date. It's not rape… she's doing the same thing she's been doing for six months every weekend… she just found out he's cheating on her, and she wants revenge."

   "Merry? You're gonna have trouble getting published."

   "Oh. No shit, Sherlock. I'm like the only person trying to bring back normal human sexuality, I think. Honestly? I don't know what's next… eye rape? You stare at a pretty girl, dressed up in public like a cheap hooker… you go to jail? Don't laugh too hard… feminists have been trying to push that one."

   "Oh, come on…"

   "I'm serious. They keep proposing it as a 'leering' charge. They can't get any traction, so… they're trying to get it to catch on by introducing it as a fine, a misdemeanor… the plan, which is freely talked about on women's sites, on the internet, by the way… the plan is to get it as a fine, and a misdemeanor… then they can ratchet it up slowly. Raise the fines and penalties. The plan is, as a fine? Police departments can hand out thousand dollar fines for any girl that got looked at and didn't like it. I ain't making this shit up. I have it all well documented. They actually just started to implement this, in England."

   "Fuck me."

   "Probably illegal. We had more than one alcoholic drink each, less than 24 hours ago. I? Am not allowed to give my consent after the first drink."

   "Who the fuck dreams this shit up? If anyone asked me what Merry's consent was? I'd probably say 'she was breathing'…"

   "Remember the big scandal in DC last year, just dying down? The congressmen and the senators are the ones passing these laws. While they are going out for drinks, with women, paid for by our tax dollars. Not happy to stop there? They used tax dollars for high end escorts and bottles of champagne and top of the line hotel rooms. Same. Fucking. Assholes. They're making normal sexual behavior illegal, while they cheat on their wives with hookers, and everyone's drunk. What fucking planet am I living on?"

   "Okay. Let's say I'll grant you all of that… let's go back to you, and your tickle-fuck hobby."

   "What about it?"

   "You used force. You coerced. You intimidated. Some of those weren't even date rapes, they were plain out rapes."

   "Yep. Like I said, they taught me how to do it, in health class. You wanna know what psychology sex ed was in college? Couple years later?"

   "I'm afraid to ask…"

   "Women don't need to be weaker than men. Be sexually aggressive if you want. Initiate sex instead of waiting for it. You shouldn't be perpetuating the weaker sex myth. Now… this is the same teacher, that stood up there, in the same class earlier in the semester? And explained what a problem sexual violence was, and went on and on about women getting date raped. Honestly? I can't fit my head that far up my ass."

   "Did you point out the idea conflict?"

   "Yeah. Teacher yelled at me, told me I was being difficult and deliberately trying to be a rape apologist. And… the fuck did that dyke say? Oh yeah… I was unwittingly perpetuating the rape culture, and I should snap out of it. Some shit like that. Honestly? The fuck does some bull-dyke even know about male female relations. Huh?"

   Panic laughed.

   "Yeah, it would be funny if it wasn't so true, and so tragic."

   "Wow."

   "Now then. What I just did to you. Your sample. Admit you liked it."

   "I liked it."

   "Great. So… let's say you stay up, and wander down for breakfast at the main camp. You tell your buddies. Are… they going to sit you down, oh you poor thing. Explain how you were raped. How you need to go to the police, and report the bad girl that used you so horribly."

   "I… highly doubt it."

   "I know, right? What would happen then. Tell me…"

   "I get… accused of bragging. High fived. Guys bitching they ain't getting anything hot like that. God's truth."

   "Sure is. Now… men and women are equal right?"

   "Supposed to be…"

   "Suppose you did the exact same thing. To me. I go tell my girlfriend in the office at work. What will I hear?"

   "Oh. You poor thing. You were raped. I'll call the police for you. You have to. He'll keep raping more women if you don't tell…"

   "Bingo."

   "How did we get on this conversation again?"

   "Quit calling it rape. Quit calling it date rape, which honestly is made up bullshit, with very few exceptions."

   "I guess you're right. Can science girl go to bed, and I can go back to talking to my slutty girlfriend? I'd like to finish planning my own personal sexual assault. I've never been sexually assaulted before? I want it to be nice."

   Merry started to take her reading glasses off, smiling with as much humor as a person can without laughing.

   "Hun? What list of charges could you cook up. On… what I plan on doing to you in the near future."

   "What charges would I cook up? Or, what would stick, in the end."

   Merry was chuckling… Panic furrowed his brow. Merry narrowed her eyes at him in her mock anger face…

   "You said, stick in the end… interesting choice of words… slut…"

   Panic was about to start chuckling, and coughed instead. Regained his composure for his comedic effect back.

   "Oh. Did I stutter, dense forest boy? What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

   When Merry was being her special combination of confrontational, aggressive and funny all at the same time? Panic found it humorous. Sexy too, but funny. Panic enjoyed wordplay like any other intellectual that reads a lot and has a vocabulary and can handle themselves in conversation. He simply had to engage her back.

   "What did you mean exactly, dear? Explain."

   "I'm sorry. You called me, a slut. Then? Not three seconds later, you made a very cute Freudian slip. Stick… in the end. I then, called you… a slut. It's all right. I keep telling you? To just ask. You just did."

   Merry did what she always did, smiled and stared him right in the face.

   "You're blushing, really bad… slut… I can't wait to see how bad you blush, when I give the little slut what they asked me for."

   "You? Are not touching my ass with a ten foot pole."

   "Hardly…"

   Merry glanced at her finger. Idly. Humming. She put two fingers around her other index finger, smiling. Held her fingers width apart, to show a tiny thing.

   "Two, two and a half inches. I'll make sure you like it. sluts always do."

   "So now I'm a slut."

   "If you say so."

   Panic started to say something witty, and stopped before he got the first syllable out, tried another line in, and that syllable stuck too. Practically speechless. Merry narrowed her eyes, and smiled lasciviously.

   "You called me a slut. I called you a slut back. No! Shut up… give me the definition, of a slut… go on…"

   "It's… well… everyone knows what a slut is…"

   "Right. What's the definition of a whore, hmm?"

   "A… whore is someone who charges for sex."

   "Right. A prostitute. We have other words for prostitution in this country, we call it marriage. Trophy wife? Sweet euphemism… for a prostitute. A whore."

   "How am I a whore."

   "I didn't call you a whore. You're not. You? Are a slut… give me a definition, of the word slut…

   Merry had worked her left hand up behind his head, and pulled his head into her face firmly. Give me the definition, of what a slut, even is. Do it now. Speak…"

   "A slut? Is…"

   "Shut up. Let me help you, hmm?"

   She kissed and bit his neck. Kissed his cheek. Then his lips. Then smiled and bit his lip a little bit hard. Smiled. Then suddenly licked her tongue up his face… and giggled at his reaction. Grabbed his head even more firmly, holding him and licked him a couple more times. Like a slobbering dog giving kisses. Wiggled her eyes at him, broadening her smile.

   "Keep quiet. A slut? Is a word we used to use, for a girl that simply enjoys sex. It can be a slur? It can be a compliment. Depends on how you use it. Both the same thing though, a slut enjoys sex. A slut? Admits they like sex. Nothing less? Nothing more."

   Panic started to speak. Merry had one of her strong hands behind his head, and the other now firmly clamped over his mouth. She smiled and gave him her best bedroom eyes.

   "You need my panties in your mouth to keep quiet? Fine by me…"

   Her hand reached over to her pile of clothes, and she dangled them in front of his face, smiling.

   "Day, old, panties. My panties. Hmm? Let's see something…"

   She dangled them in front of his face. Ran them over his face a couple times, smiling. She kept the one hand firmly clamped on his mouth, and had him held down on the pillow with it. She had rolled her leg over him, and was laying up on his hips now. She stuck them under his nose. Held them there.

   "Yeah. Body fluids. You like just the scent of me now, don't you? Yeah, you do. You keep telling me, how much you like to smell me. You like to make out with me, dripping sweat. Turns you on now. You told me. You like to lick me, when I sweat. Anywhere. It's a chemical thing."

   She kept the cotton undergarment on his nose, and chuckled.

   "It's all right. I made sure we both like to smell each other. We have both had our nose… our mouth… our tongues… on every inch of each other's body. Yes, we have. I broke you in? In the shower. Where its easy. Now? We both do it, without the shower. Now? Open up."

   She shoved her used panties in his mouth, and moved them around with her fingers, laughing. Clamped her hand over his mouth, and laughed as she tickled him for about a minute straight with her free hand. Laughing her ass off.

   "Shh… I'm done. Just teasing. Just playing with you. I'm having fun. Playing with my slut. If a woman that enjoys sex, is a slut? Then what is a man. Men? Enjoy sex. Men? Are sluts. Pure and simple. Don't believe me? I'll go up to your little camp up the trail, and make a joke and ask any man, if he is a slut. Once I make the definition? They'll laugh, and proclaim that they are a male slut. What man wouldn't… because to say otherwise? Is to say that you don't enjoy sex. Wild, dirty, sex.

   "Now? Just so you don't forget this little talk? Let me help remind you, slut… and she tickled him intensely for about two minutes straight, at least. Laughed, kissed, bit, and licked him while she did it. Giggled and told him to squirm more. Chuckled, and told him she 'had a squealer'.

   When she was done again, she told him…

   "Shh. It's all right. Everyone has a dirty little secret… and I'm yours. Christ, I had to all but draw you a picture, to get you to smack my ass like I wanted. Remember we were up on rape rock? I all but tied myself up. I even had to do your little accident pretty much myself. Now? Just enjoy it. I know I did."

   She tickled him for several minutes off and on, laughing and teasing him.

   "Now. You're a guy I can't hold down. So? I enjoy having you do it to me. It was fun. We both know, you don't have to lay there and take it, you could get up and get away… any time you felt like it. That? Means you like it. Deal with it. Get over it. Enjoy it."

   Another minute of intense tickling and she suddenly quit.

   "Yeah… you're so cute when you blush like that. I love it… Now? squeal…"

   Another minute.

   "Oh. Yeah. Now then, let's check, and see if you like it or not…"

   Her hand dove under the covers to check him.

   "Oh. My. I thought we were done. What's this? What is that… someone? Likes it. Someone? Is a slut. Quit saying the word slut, like it's a bad thing. Quit saying the word rape, like it's a bad thing. I had you rape me, up on the rock. I had you do it more, at the tree, in the woods. I'm practically raping you, right fucking now… and you? Are enjoying yourself. Aren't you?"

   She had him shake his head yes.

   She rolled half off him and snaked her arm under his neck and clamped it over his mouth, and used her free hand under the covers again. He made a lot of noise, and she had fun starting and stopping. Slowing down and speeding up. She laughed at everything, and particularly his noise level under what she always called "over-stimulation".

   After a while, she curtly hissed at his ear.

   "Leave 'em in…"

   And she released her clamp hand. With a newly freed hand, she tickled him now and then in intense little bursts. Her slung over leg and shoulder were all she used to hold him, hardly a thing that would prevent him from stopping anything, if he really wanted to.

   When she was almost done, they were both completely exhausted and sweaty. She suddenly stopped.

   "Now then. One. More. Time."

   A quick pump then she stopped again, merely for punctuation. In between short sound bites, this would happen. Amid copious noise that her cotton undergarment stifled. She no longer had to clamp them in, and laughed about it.

   "We have established the following… I? Am a slut. You? Are a slut. Right this moment? You're my slut, is that clear? Uh huh, I thought so. Now then… I gave myself to you, on rape rock. I liked it… you liked it. Are you going to give yourself to me, in return? Or… maybe you don't like it. Hmm?"

   He got tickled again intensely, another minute or so…

   "I asked you a question. Answer me…"

   He nodded.

   "Good. Why, was that so hard. Hmm? Now then… when we do it? You… will be mine. Is that clear?"

   He nodded.

   "Good… When we do it? You can blush all you want… you can make all the noise you want. But, I'm going to do whatever I feel like at the moment, is that clear? Oh, that's good. Now… you know the drill. Don't talk, until its time… slut…"

   She licked his face obscenely. Laughed. Went to licking, biting and kissing his neck. It drove him insane. She pulled her panties out, and tossed them on the pillow as she had done before.

   When he started to speak, she dove under the covers again, and finished things. She wiped her hand on his chest, and snuggled into him. Drew the bag up and around them, and listened to his hammering heartbeat. When it had slowed, and his breathing with it, she went to his neck and purred into it.

   "I'm a little cranky, I'm a lot tired. If you wake me up anytime soon? Her hand went from an under and around the neck hug, to a tight clamp over his mouth…

   "Well… just don't. A minute or two? Fun… I promise you, it won't be a couple minutes, and you won't enjoy it nearly as much. Clear?"

   He nodded.

   "Now… go to sleep, or else…"

   A few minutes later, her slurred groggy almost asleep talk into his neck was soothing.

   "Mmm. Just so you know? When we do it… you can expect a nice, long conversation about your little donut whore. How you're not accepting any more free donuts. Believe me, I'm going to make sure of that…"