Range - Chapter 42

   Every time Panic tried to talk to her on the way back to their cabin, she tried ignoring him. When he tried to grab her arm to stop her and say something, she pulled her arm away and kept marching to the cabin. When he tried stopping? She yanked him along by the wrist. She refused to do anything other than move towards the cabin… refusing to speak… and not letting him remain behind. It was obvious, he was getting the silent treatment, they were going to the cabin, and he was getting there fast.

   When they got to the door, he looked at her and asked her to speak to him. She pointed inside. He tried to kiss her, she turned her head and indeed stepped her entire body away. Pointed inside and nothing else. Once he went in, she made a flurrying motion with her free hand, as if to say "finally". At least she spoke, however. Pointing…

   "By the time I turn around? Or I swear to god…"

   He figured he was in the doghouse now, and wasn't about to get off as lightly as the squirrel had. She whipped the door shut, and snicked the deadbolt. She marched up to the bed just as he had kicked off the last leg of his boxer briefs. She grabbed him rough by the chin, and hissed at him, after studying his face.

   "Are you fucking with me?"

   He shook his head no. She shoved forward with her hand holding his chin and he landed back on the mattress neatly. Coming for him steadily, she stepped right out of her jogging shoes and was on him in an instant, her legs across his hips and sitting on him. Scooting him up to the center of the mattress. She shoved him down roughly, and hissed at him again.

   "Stay."

   She adjusted herself quickly.

   "Now. Here we are. Again."

   She smiled and went about her ritual. Wiggling her butt and tucking in her legs and rubbing them around to get comfortable. Put her hands to the opposing elbows across his chest and laid her chin down on them. Staring him in the face. Every time he started to open his mouth to speak, she shook her head "no…" and put fingers on his lips to silence him. She studied him while smiling.

   "Now. When I lay on you like this, you know what it means. Right?"

   He nodded.

   "Good."

   She put her chin down on her arms, and studied him like she would. Took her time.

   "Did you mean what you said? Every fucking word? Don't you dare lie to me… did you?"

   He nodded.

   She put her chin down and went back to her face studying routine. For a while.

   "Now… did you mean what you whispered in my ear? Hmm?"

   He shook his head no.

   "Oh. You were joking."

   He shook his head yes.

   "So… that means you meant it… a little bit, then…"

   She smiled, and enjoyed the yes no yes no aspect of him not knowing what to say.

   "Uh huh… I'm pretty sure? I got the fucking picture… It's okay. Well? Actually, it isn't okay… but you already know that. Don't you."

   Chin down. Several minutes of bemused face studying.

   "What exactly… do you think… I am going to do to you… shh. Don't answer that."

   After several more minutes of her trademark chin laying and watching, she finally spoke again.

   "You… are pretty sure… you know what's about to happen, right?"

   He nodded. She held up fingers to punctuate…

   "What do you think… one hour?"

   "No way… maybe… two?"

   "Uh uh… sluts get way more than that, doughnut boy… three?"

   "Hmm. How about… four?"

   She leaned down into his ear for emphasis.

   "With… repeat?"

   "No, no, no… shh. You already know, I hate that whiny slut shit. So… why even pull it, huh?"

   Her hands found an old pair of used panties. Already used for this before, and she dangled them in his face.

   "You know the drill. Open… up."

   She rammed them home.

   "Ha. I don't even know when they're from. Or care. Fuck it. Today? Yesterday?… whatever…"

   "Shh. Knock that whiny shit off… shush. You already know? I don't listen to the whiny shit. So… don't even pull it…"

   "Now… are you, telling me… you will volunteer this, again? You better think about this one, doughnut boy."

   Nodded yes.

   "Mmm. You sure…"

   Nodded.

   "You… will tell me why…"

   "Now. I'm going to let you tell me, okay? They're going right back in, you don't get a restart… go."

   She yanked them out…

   "Merry club."

   She started giggling, then almost laughed before getting it under control.

   "You… aren't serious."

   Nodded yes.

   "All right… now… you know what this is for, don't you?"

   She held up one of the belts.

   He nodded.

   She sawed it under his shoulders, sticking her tongue out for emphasis. Tightened it above the elbows.

   "Roll over. Now…"

   She rolled him over with one hand, he practically did it for her. She brought his lower legs up and folded them up, his heels digging into his upper thighs. Sat on him just above his ankles.

   She leaned forward, and got in his ear.

   "You know what's coming, right?"

   He nodded.

   "Good."

   The way they were, his feet were right below her crotch. She tickled them and his lower ribs, seemingly with no mercy. Squealing was an understatement, he screeched into her panties and shook all over.

   About five minutes in? She stopped. He tried to catch his breath.

   "Now? Roll the fuck over…"

   She undid the belt, and pulled her panties out of his mouth.

   "Now then. Do I have you're complete attention?"

   He nodded quickly.

   "Good. Listen to my words… very… fucking… carefully… okay?"

   He nodded.

   "Do what I just did. To me…"

   He just looked at her, confused.

   "Do you not understand, the words, coming out of my mouth? Then do it… move!"

   He shoved the panties in. He wound the belt just below her breasts, and cinched it tight. Flipped her over, and folded her lower legs up, imitating what she had done. Sat gently on her legs just below her ankles, and did it back. There was no timer, he just felt her shaking, heard the different timbre of her screeching in the now shared and seemingly communal panties. Felt her ribs shaking with the uncontrolled commotion of it all. When he guessed about five minutes had gone by, what he more or less thought was the same, he quit. He let her go, he sat up off her legs, and she unfolded them. Listening to her hitching her breath, he undid the belt and let her go.

   "Get… my… box…"

   She pointed over at her jewelry box she used for her stash and stash toys. She filled a small pipe with a large receptacle up, and lit it. With several lights and deep pulls, she killed it slowly. Blowing out huge clouds every time she exhaled, after holding it in for the longest time possible.

   She packed it up, and handed it to him. He did the same. She filled it twice more, until they were red eyed, groggy, almost giggling, and smiling like loons. She smiled and laid back, and locked fingers only with him, and ever so gently pulled him back as well.

   Head swimming, she smiled and wagged her head as the massive hits took their effect. He laid back, this was going better than he thought. Merry eventually rolled over as if going to sleep. She slung her leg over him, and weaseled her arm down under his neck and hugged him to her, holding him down with her thigh and lower leg curled over him.

   "I… am so sorry. I didn't know there was a… Merry club. Apparently, there is… You? Are in it. Do you understand me? You don't have to talk now, you just listen, all right? Good…"

   She put her face in his neck, and continued to talk.

   "I don't… know… what love means. The only way I can show someone I care? What can I do… I can buy them something. They smile. It doesn't work in the long run, though. You? You know this, too."

   "What can I do? A boyfriend? Well, that's mine. This thing should be fooling around with me. I found out, I can make them do it. I can tickle-fuck a boy in high school, and make him fool around with me. They even come back. For more. I can make them do it in front of everyone at the party the next time, make out with me. I can order them upstairs, but… I know that's not love. I know it ain't."

   "I learned, to be… reasonable about it. Okay, I can get the boy to come over and be alone. For longer before he quits me. But… that wasn't love."

   "In college? My roommate taught me heels and makeup and hair and clothes… it was just bait. The wrestler? First boy I couldn't make, and he made me… is that love? No… it wasn't. Another tactic though."

   "I don't know what to do. I can bait guys, or even make them fuck me, but… I can't make them like me or love me. I enjoy sex, I feel that… that's why I picked psychology. Sports makes me feel good, and people 'liked' or even 'loved' me playing well. I just knew though, something was terribly wrong. It had to be."

   "I watched other women. They… hurt boys. Emotionally. Is that love? I tried it. Doesn't seem to be. Love isn't sex. I know that much. It… just goes with it. I was determined, this time. All these sex games… I could get it right. Then, the chemistry? That works. I can really… feel something. I lick the skin, my heart rate goes up. Love is chemical, they said… wow, I got it now."

   "It's… more. It has to be. I don't… understand how you can say you love me. I almost got you killed, for me. I'm the biggest pain in the ass, and I took you away from your case, to do mine. I was feeling those damned chemicals. I was finally… floating on air. I felt it! I knew what they meant in the books and movies. Finally."

   "Then? Just when you were doing the sweetest thing ever, letting that nice old man and woman think we were married? I thought I was going to faint. When… the whole point ended up being, sneaking out for donuts is the secret to a happy life? You laughed with him? Yeah… I got mad. I'm sorry… but, rationally? You can't let people hurt you. You have to do… something. What else can I do."

   "At the tree? I thought for sure, I had just done my job too well. I had just made it so you had to be sweet. I'm sorry. I meant it. If you wanna… love me? I don't know why. You were right about one thing… I know far too much about… them. Sociopaths. I know I'm one. There's no other answer. But, you have to know this… it's not an on off thing, being one. You can be a little bit of one, a lot of one, a complete one… or just a "medium" one. It's a range. I'm… over the halfway, I know it."

   "But… I can still feel some! I… felt that floating on air feeling. My knees got weak. That's exactly what all the books and stories say about it. I guess, if I… OD on the chemicals? I can feel it. I don't know."

   Merry finally quit talking non stop into his neck.

   "Merry?"

   "Yes…"

   "You love Bitty Kitty?"

   "Yeah. I guess. I let him in, and even with no food? He's just… happy to come in. He just… seems to get off on being near me. I think… great, this is something. I feel… better? Being nice to him. Closest thing I ever felt to love I could sign my name to it and swear by it."

   "That? Is all love is, Merry. For absolutely no reason. No sex, no food, no money… this thing just wants to be around you. That? Is love. I don't understand it much better than you do. Hell, I thought you were the expert. Science girl? Is the goddamn shit, I tell you. I lick your ankle? I get a gentle high. She told me why… you lick my sweat? You'll get addicted to the chemicals. It worked."

   "So… you think you really… actually… love me? Me?"

   "I guess so. Why not. I like being around you. You make me laugh. I don't laugh at you, I laugh with you. Just… treat me like Bitty Kitty. That's your model. And your games? They work. You should write your articles, honey. It's real. It's science. I can taste and smell those chemicals. I can feel the effects."

   "Really? I almost got you killed. I took you away from your case. I over-complicated your life, exactly when you needed it simple. I was mean to you, just because I felt a bad feeling. I know I'm supposed to… feel bad, that I put you through all this. How can you possibly…"

   "Shh. Its all right."

   "No. Its not all right, Panic. What happened in DC? It's going to come… here. I'm toast. I don't want you getting killed because of me. Why can't you take Bitty Kitty? He doesn't deserve to get hurt, or, wander around without me. He likes you, you like him. Make sure Bitty Kitty makes it out, okay?"

   "Merry. We'll come up with something, okay?"

   "Like what? A monster came for me in DC. I got lucky you were there that night. You played with monsters before. Well, monsters are coming up here, eventually. It's a matter of time. We need monsters to fight the monsters, and… I don't have any manpower. We're up here? Because we can't trust any safe houses in the DC area, or, the FBI in general temporarily. I'm being hung out to dry. And Uncle Mike can't get me any manpower. It would be temporary? They would just wait, then do it. It's… inevitable."

   "No. No, its not. Merry?"

   "What?"

   "Do… you know the names… addresses… of the…"

   "No. There's more than we rounded up. That's the danger. I thought of that. No intelligence. They have to show themselves, then? It'll be too late."

   "Merry? Quit thinking about this. We're okay for now. Merry… did… you just cherry-pop both of us?"

   "Oh, yeah… did you like how I teased you about it? Then… surprised you? I was trying to be… sweet… the fear? The anticipation? Turned into fun? Mm."

   "Let's just think about that, then. Tell me about it…"

   "Well. Remember. One hour… two hours… more? Ha… it's for both of us. When we're done with this break? We get to play with each other. All night if we want. I'm not hurting you? I'm rewarding you…"

   "Merry? You, are like Speedy… you think in terms of investigation. Rules. Right?"

   "Of course, silly…"

   "Merry? I don't. I think in terms of conflict. In terms of combat. The tactics."

   "Okay…"

   "Merry, are these men that will come eventually, when they figure it out. Are they… legit?"

   "That's the thing. They are real cops. So, they're legit, but… not when they do… what they did in DC. Tried to do… you know what I mean. Until they do, we can't know…"

   "Okay. So… if they got greased, it's… not a big deal, right?"

   "What are you getting at?"

   "I'm just saying… no matter what happened to them, if they got greased, then that's a good thing, right? I mean, once they show up, and show themselves… it's legally game on, correct?"

   "Well, yeah… where's the manpower though."

   "Merry. Do you know what Machiavellian means?"

   "Playing dirty. Not caring."

   "Close enough. Ever read the book?"

   "No."

   "I did. One tactic? Is that if you can't fight your enemies? You have one enemy fight your other enemy. Instead of crying you have two enemies? You have them fight each other. You simply mop up what little that's left."

   "What are you saying?"

   "You said it yourself. Bikers… cops… can't even be in the same room together. Oil and water, you called it?"

   "Oh yeah."

   "Then, that's the answer. We let those two enemies… take each other out. We only have to mop up whats left. In this case, the few monsters from DC that make it? They get the grease."

   "How in the hell would you go about making that shit work?"

   "I dont know… yet. But, now it's not an impossible task, it's now something to work on. Sitting here saying take Bitty, I'm done for… that's not helpful. Brave? Noble? Yes. Very. But helpful? Not so much… but, given a goal to work towards? I just need to figure out a way to do it."

   "You're serious?"

   "As a heart attack. This is combat, pure and simple. Combat? Is easy… investigating? Rules? That's what's hard for me…"

   "Will you still be happy, if I pull off gamma on your senior agent?"

   "Yes. That's what led me to first say it, dear… that I love you. That you were willing to risk your career to try it."

   "I have trouble hearing you say it like that."

   "Merry, you're sure you love Bitty Kitty, right?"

   "Yeah."

   "There you go. Don't say 'I love you', instead say… 'I love you like I love bitty kitty'… and? I'll know what you mean. Try it…"

   "I… I love you… like I love… Bitty Kitty."

   "That? Is all I needed to hear. You? Work on project Gamma Senior… I? will plan out… project Machiavelli. Now… you actually came up with the idea for project Gamma Senior, honey. Remember?"

   "Yeah."

   "Okay. I came up with project Machiavelli. That's my baby. We work on our own things. Neither one of us? Can succeed on their own. Together? We each give the other what the other one needs. Our enemies? Won't know what hit them…"

   "Really? How do you think like this…"

   "You? Are used to thinking in terms of investigation. Me? I think combat. Anything goes. It's about what can be done, and what can't be done. Example, you're alone with a couple guys, and a large force of men are going to march on you, and take you out. Big numerical superiority, what can you do."

   "Kinda like what we have here…"

   "Right. Now, why waste the two days they're marching to get you? No. Now, people fall into a pit, with sharp sticks in it? They get impaled, and die. Hey! Let's try to dig a bunch of pits. Put a bunch of spikes in the bottoms. Lotta these guys marching will die."

   "Makes sense…"

   "Of course it does. You just need now, a way to get those men marching where you want them to, and… boom."

   "How do you do that?"

   "Bait. Live bait works best. Unfortunately, Merry… you're the bait. You? Are what they want. We simply now, have to convince them? That you… are at location X. The bikers? Are waiting. It's a trap. The bikers? Are the good guys in this rare situation. Just like when Pound took care of you. The cops? Are in this rare situation, the monsters."

   "This… is sounding better and better."

   "Of course it is. Instead of waiting to die? Freezing up? Running around like a chicken with it's head cut off? You now have a plan. You have a reasonable goal, that can achieve success. Lots better."

   "How do we bait them? With me?"

   "Uhm… we tell them where you're at. They come for you. To location X."

   "If you tell them, they smell a trap…"

   "Naturally. We let them think they found it."

   "Okay, now how do we do that…"

   "See? Now it's a whole lot smaller of a problem, isn't it?"

   Merry's eyes flashed. She got up onto her knees.

   "I only have one way to thank you. Sex. Got a problem with that?"

   "None."

   "Good. When the wait on our cherry-pops is over? We fuck and tease the shit out of each other. Until we collapse. Or get bored and try something else."

   "What do we do while we wait?"

   "We… both do the slow thing."

   "Merry? What did you tell me about the slow thing? It's not sex… it's…"

   "Uhm…it's not making sex… it's… making love."

   "Now, can you cheer up?"

   Merry's moment of weakness was vanished, replaced once again with the confident AAA athlete.

   "Merry? I want you to say… I love you like I love Bitty Bitty… and keep saying it. Like it's a sex game. Okay? Try it…"

   Panic grabbed her, and took her to lay with him while they waited on their cherry-pops. She laid her leg over him, and her arm under his neck. Like normal. Her face in his neck, she repeated it.

   "I feel… silly."

   "So? We don't look silly when we're doing fun stuff? Who cares…"

   Merry shrugged, and went back to the laying. The hugging. The saying.

   After a while, Panic whispered to her…

   "Honey? Drop the Kitty at the end…"

   After a longer while, he whispered…

   "Hun? Drop the Bitty…"

   "I love you like… I love you like…"

   "Don't stop. You? Are really turning me on…

   "Okay…"

   She continued.

   He finally kissed her to shut her up. Whispered into her neck…

   "Now? Just drop the 'like'…"

   Merry was finally able to say "I love you", and somehow, some way, finally sort of feel it. Because she understood her cat. Because Panic was just a big cat to her. Because love? Is simply… love.

   Panic was a bastion of literature. He explained to her laying there, waiting on their cherry-pops to be ready… that she already had experienced love at first sight, the most romantic form of literary love, the most famous form of it.

   Had she not seen him, and been attracted to him? Had she not overheard him say something, and got wet? Love at first sight. While they waited, hugging and talking… she kept coming back to it, like a little kid that learned a new trick. She could say it, and it meant something to her now.

   It made her smile.

   With nothing but her jogging shoes off, she was anything but undressed. They had a make-out like high school kids having the house to themselves for a weekend. They each concentrated on each other's neck, taking turns with their soft attacks. They rotisserie-d around, exchanging tops and bottoms for making out.

   Merry caught a serious case of the giggles, when Panic paused during her neck attack time, and made a pun that struck her as particularly funny.

   "I guess this is why they call it necking, huh?"

   He had to hold her down to continue it amid all the giggling and playful pushing and shoving. Merry enjoyed having her ankles and wrists licked, with no end to it. With everything slow and unhurried, Panic was once again struck by the paradox of it all. Here was a woman who was confused what love even was, yet had opened up a Pandora's box for him. She knew what love was from a chemical point of view, and could demonstrate it on demand.

   Lacking anything else, she used sex just like food. Bait to have a boyfriend. Yet, she used it and wielded it for no other purpose than to hook the guy. Trying desperately to keep a boyfriend interested in her enough to stay. She wouldn't exchange money or anything else for her sex games. Which any trophy girl most certainly would.

   Supposedly the trophies felt and knew what love was, naturally and easily. Yet here was a woman who clearly didn't grasp the concept properly… but had quickly intuited out the easy truth, that it was the exact wrong thing for love. If Merry didn't know what love was? She surely knew all the things it wasn't. That, Panic decided, might actually be what seemed so great about her.

   Merry had tried everything. Is love this? No. Is love that? No. Maybe if we… no. Could it be… no again. She had been confused. Couldn't find it. Where was it? It was hiding in the body chemicals. Once she knew where it was, and how to get it? Like any drug, you got hooked.

   Merry finally initiated slow on Panic. Made it take forever. Slid his boxer briefs back on in a weird reverse slow removal of them. She grinned and patted his package, smiling. Went back to slow, and continued it with no time limit. She smiled and patted his package again gently…

   "We'll open that up later…"

   He did the same thing back, even down to the tugging panties back on instead of off. Finally patted her package back.

   "Christmas comes later…"

   Merry caught the giggles and wrestled around playfully all over again. They enjoyed the slow for a period of time that they didn't keep track of. Panic couldn't believe how this ruined his sense of time. It could be hours, it could be a lot less. There was no telling. It was some weird black hole experience. Time was disrupted. It made it seem as if the whole world, and all of it's accompanying problems and foibles spun without them.

   Merry smiled and didn't have to make her impressive array of expressive faces she was known for. Her new and bigger smile replaced her trademark little up-curl at the end of her lips. She enjoyed hissing and whispering her new trick into his neck. It now reminded her of burying her face in Bitty Kitty's fur and saying it.

   When the chemicals gathered and didn't run off dissolved in sweat, they licked it after smelling it. Ankles and wrists and the smalls of the backs became little spots where invisible rock candies grew. Each other's neck, however, became little feeding troughs they both enjoyed. With no physical exertion typically associated with lengthy sexual activity, there was no sweat to cut their drugs their bodies produced. It was uncut. Pure. More addictive than ever.

   Even without the exertion, their breathing lengthened and deepened and slowed. Big natural bellows that pulled in the scent of what their bodies wanted now. After what seemed like no time at all, or forever. Merry finally wagged her finger back and forth. No, no, no. Pointed down.

   She pushed up with her feet and hands, and lifted her torso up and at him. He looked at her now wet little cotton undergarment. She had replaced a clean pair, but they were anything but clean now, she looked like a little girl that had pissed herself. She smiled, and even blushed her cheeks when he ran the side his finger across it gently. It had been collecting over time, and threatened to drop off finally. More chemicals.

   She caught the giggles again, when he made a show of trying to "dry her off", blowing on them. When he kissed and licked at it, she chided him.

   "Now, that's not going to dry anything off, is it."

   She checked his boxer briefs for the same "problem". Sure enough, she found it. She blew on the spot, and ended up checking with the gentle scrape of the side of her finger. Enjoyed her chemical cocktail. Tried kissing and licking it and failed to clean his, either. She giggled into his neck.

   "Now. What are we going to do about this little problem, huh? I just don't know what I'm going to have to do with you. I just know, it's obviously going to have to take… a very long time, huh? Yeah, it is. An hour… two… more? Maybe, even a repeat. So I know you got the message."

   She finally posed around, and ended up face down on the mattress. Drew her ankles up together and folded them up against her upper thighs. Looked back over her shoulder, with her bedroom eyes, and in her quiet bedroom voice. Told him he was going to have to check. See if she was done simmering.

   He sat on her ankles gently. Scratched her soles and lower ribs up for a while. Nothing frantic. She could bite her lower lip to keep the noise down. Pulling and tugging, but nothing frantic anymore. No more shaking and screeching, just wiggling and panting.

   She hitched out to "keep checking…", so he did. When he let her go? She did it back. The result was the same. They were done simmering. They could move onto turning the heat up on their little recipe. Get to cooking.

   So, that's what they did. With Merry Airline's ever growing menu, it was getting to be like a buffet now. You couldn't bear to load up on just one dish, you simply had to grab for bits of everything. A different mix of morsels for every plate you went back for.

   When slow was mixed in with everything else on the menu, even the frantic dishes could be drawn out. Started and stopped. The slow gave them plenty to do, between main dishes. After they finally quit, and no more restarts presented themselves, Merry ended up laying up against him as if going to sleep. Leg slung over, arm weaseled down and around his neck. Like always. Whispering her new favorite trick into his neck.

   She finally slid gently up and over his hips, and crossed her arms, and studied him. Shushed him. Rested her chin and face there, smiling. Her hand found her thoroughly used panties, and swung them around his face.

   "Thought you were in big trouble, didn't you… doughnut boy."

   He nodded.

   "You're not… you've been a very good boy."

   He nodded.

   "What, are we going to do, from now on then, huh?"

   He shrugged.

   "Hmm. Just going to have to punish you now and then… for… absolutely no reason, huh?"

   He nodded.

   "Mmm. Wanna know a secret? Hmm? Bet you do, huh."

   He nodded.

   "Bet you thought I was mean, huh?"

   He nodded.

   "Uh uh… it's just like a… haunted house, or, a scary movie. You want it scary. If you're not really scared? It's not very fun."

   She held him down and kissed him a while, before going back to resting her face and gazing.

   "You like movie night, don't you?"

   He nodded. She started kissing him for punctuation between instructions in her bedroom voice.

   "You better…"

   "Sometimes… it's a romance… slow…"

   "Sometimes… it's a porno… quick… dirty…"

   "Sometimes… scary movie night."

   She kissed his neck and whispered hoarsely into it. All hot breath and wetness, with the occasional playful lick or bite… in between her instructions…

   "Wanna know another secret… huh?"

   "Tickle-fuck, is a very… scary.. movie. Hmm?"

   "Half hour? Is just about the… limit… to go from just… scary, into… something else…"

   "Ever notice? You're always just about to get… more than that… never do, huh?"

   "Yeah… you better remember this… and never, ever forget it…"

   "You… are my property… and you don't forget it."

   "You got that, doughnut boy? Yeah? You better…"

   "You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Yeah…"

   "I dare you. Just try it… see what happens…"

   "Because a haunted house? Can be scary and fun… but…"

   "Any more than a half hour in a haunted house? You can get hurt. Oh yeah… you know that, don't you…"

   "Now… bet you think I'm so mean, don't you?"

   "Yeah… I'm not. I'm being sweet… yeah, I am…"

   "All those people? My guess… it comes too easy for them… they? Are not scared to lose their… home life…"

   "They should be scared. They're not…"

   "It's not easy for me. Thought it was impossible…"

   "Now? I have my precious… home life…"

   "I will not give it up. Not easy, anyways…"

   "Now, you listen to me… and you listen good…"

   "You know how a haunted house can hurt you? Hmm?"

   "No? I'll tell you then… heart attack…"

   "Yeah, that's right… you break my heart? Break yours too… literally. Won't be a mark on you."

   "Be just like this time… with your little doughnut whore… take care of you, then go and take care of her… see how that works? You'll be thinking… just another fun scary movie night… and? Be anything but fun…"

   "Shh. I won't go on rumor… I won't go on feelings…"

   "If I see it with my own two eyes… you know what comes next… you know why I'm telling you this? Hmm?"

   "Because… if I make it through this… I have to go away for the trial… yeah… and when I get back? All… happy and floating on air… and I have to end up seeing that… you'll break my heart. So… I'll break yours right back… do not… fucking… try me…"

   "Now… do we understand each other?"

   "Good… we better. Now… this is you're last chance. You want this? I know I scared you… you don't have to accept this… no harm… no foul…"

   "No head moving… you whisper yes or no… right in my ear… mommy wants to hear it plain… go."

   "Now. Promise time… in my ear… no whiny slut shit… just promises…"

   She took his promises. For quite some time. After the long promise portion of their little "talk", she went back to perching her cute face on her arms. Waiting. It took her quite a while.

   She finally smiled. Dangled the overused panties around his face, giggling. Kissed him finally. Dug her face into his neck and told him…

   "All right. Shh. I accept. Shh. Yeah… fuck pieces of paper. Forsake all others… till death do we part. That fucking means something now… doesn't it. It's no joke like it is to everyone else around us… it's very real…"

   "Now… we're good… you can go anywhere you want. By yourself… with the boys… gun trips like you enjoy. Strip clubs… lap dances… bachelor parties. I don't care… but, we understand each other… right?"

   She put her ear on his lips to hear it.

   Seemingly done, she slid off of her seat across his hips, and laid down next to him. Sighed.

   "What… do I call you?"

   "Huh? Oh. Anything you want. Wife. Old lady. Girl. Woman. Pretty much anything. I don't care."

   "Am I allowed to tease you?"

   Merry giggled and then laughed a bit.

   "What, call me yer bitch? A slut? Side piece. Even your little skank, if you're joking… I don't care. As long as you call me something."

   "You said, a haunted house can hurt me?"

   "I explained, in detail, how it can even kill you."

   "Hmm…"

   He giggled. He obviously had some joke cross his mind.

   "What? Share with me, you little slut… or else."

   She was all smiles, and playful fun roughhousing it out of him.

   "Okay. Haunted house?"

   "Yeah…"

   "I don't know… more like haunted twat."

   They both laughed out loud, and rolled around pushing and pulling like two little kids. Panic ended up laying back, hands with laced fingers behind his head. Smiling. Merry just sat up, and sat with the bottoms of her feet touching each other. Somehow it was the foot version of hands touching palms together in prayer. He had never seen anyone sit like that before. She was as flexible as when she had been a college athlete. She just stared at him. Smiling.

   "What?"

   "Nothing."

   "No, what?"

   She shrugged, still wearing a smile she couldn't erase off of her face.

   "I finally have a home life…"

   "You do."

   "I like it. Already."

   "Do you?"

   She smiled. Nodded her head like a little girl. While biting her lip.

   "Yeah. I really do. Just so you know?"

   "Yeah?"

   "You get the same promises back. I practice what I preach."

   "I accept your promise."

   She bit her thumb again, smiling.

   "Just remember. No going on rumors. No jealous whiny shit. You have to see it."

   Panic chuckled once. Then got giggles…

   "What?"

   "Nothing. Sorry…"

   "No, silly. Home life, remember? We share. Spit it out…"

   "I was just thinking. I have to see it, right?"

   "Yeah…"

   "In your case? You claiming it was rape wouldn't be an excuse…"

   The both laughed at length about the pun.

   Merry bit her thumb gently, smiling like a little girl. Couldn't stop. Running her fingers idly up and down his leg.

   "What now?"

   "Speaking of rape…"

   "Yeah?"

   "As… our first official act of… home life indecency? Of which, I might add, I plan on many… but… as our first official one?"

   "Yeah…"

   "You know. You have your first… romantic rape coming up soon. That movie night? Is gonna be… a rape movie…"

   "So. How am I going to rape you, then?"

   "Oh, no way, donut slut… you're going first. I have… property rights. I own it… it's mine. I intend to do what I want with my property."

   "Sounds… fun."

   "I know, right? Don't worry. You'll definitely get something… new. I just know, it's gonna make you blush up a storm…"

   "Really?"

   "Oh, yeah… little sluts? Always blush up a storm when they get taught a new trick… little sluts, like to pretend they don't like it? But… they do…"

   "How do you know they like it? Could just be scared…"

   "Ha… already told you, silly. They come back for more… that, is how a little slut tells me they like it… don't you know anything…"

   "I'm a quick learner."

   "We'll see. I know I want all the colored oil lamps. The candles."

   "Yes. Romantic lighting is essential to a good rape."

   "Uh huh… it is. The rapist? Has to be able to see what they're doing. After all, wouldn't wanna hurt a willing victim, on accident."

   "Hurt?"

   Merry giggled.

   "Sure. It happens. Now and again. Can't be helped, you know?"

   "I thought, you were an experienced rapist."

   "I am. Got a few under my panties. Just… about… to have one more…"

   "Really?"

   "Uh huh. Now, I'm leaning towards… sweet, gentle, date rape. Leaning, mind you…"

   "Leaning. That doesn't sound very… reassuring."

   "Hey… it's still a rape, you know. It's all about, you… doing whatever I want… and, as long as you do? Well… it goes a lot… easier."

   "And if I don't?"

   "Mmm. It's a fucking rape, honey… you're gonna do it… regardless. A rape? Is all about one thing… the rapist, gets what they want. Period."

   "So I keep hearing."

   "So you're about to find out. You know how I operate… I'll try the nice way. Gentle. Suggest. But…"

   "But?"

   "Hey… you don't like nice? Sweet? Gentle? Then… it will get… rough. You know, if I can't coerce you, well… I just force you… it is a rape, you know…"

   "Supposed to be a romantic rape…"

   "Now… that covers some ground, doesn't it? That can be… some giggling, some blushing. It can also be… some screaming, even some crying. Big… real… tears… or whatever does it for you. If you wanna make it more… fun for me? Just pretend you don't like it. I'll make you my little squealer. Now. You want it nice? You can be my little blusher… all what you want out of it…"

   "Sounds like rape to me."

   "Uh huh. Sure does… know how it's… fair…"

   "How?"

   "Later on… down the road… you'll be… the rapist. Not just the one getting raped. How else are you supposed to get… experienced at this. Hmm?"

   "On the job training. Always the best way."

   "I know, right? Don't worry too much about it, honey. I'll be as gentle as I can. And, no matter what… after the… potentially rough stuff is over? Don't sweat it… plenty of fun stuff afterwards…"

   "How can I say no to all that…"

   "Hmm. Panties in your mouth? You can't. We're gonna have fun… mommy, is just gonna have her fun… first. That's all. Then? Plenty of time left over… for your fun. Always… is…"

   "Hmm."

   "Your new home life? Will be many things, but… boring… won't be one of them…"