A Charmed Life Ch. 06

Chapter 6 - The Story of Fantine

It then passed to Fantine to tell her own tale. She spoke in her broken English and lapsed into French for the more difficult parts. Liz' French was rusty but she was able to keep up.

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Fantine told of being born in the south of France in 1866. Her father was a captain in The Gendarmerie. Her mother was a merchant's daughter who died in childbirth. Fantine, their only child, had lived a sheltered life cloistered behind the walls of her academy by day and under the strict watch of her governess by night. It was a very happy life and she was in love with the beauty of her small town and countryside.

When she was sixteen her father accepted the position of warden over the penal colony of New Caledonia. It was a prestigious opportunity for him but for Fantine it meant uprooting her life and taking a long sea voyage to the other side of the world. She bade farewell to her safe, comfortable home, her friends and her charming surroundings and she packed up her life for the trip.

The first leg of their journey was by steamship across the Atlantic to the Central American isthmus. The voyage was pleasant and eased her sorrow over leaving her home in France. In Panama, their belongings were ported overland to the Pacific where they boarded a three-masted schooner, which would carry them on to the South Sea Isles and New Caledonia.

It was a long, tedious voyage but the weather was very pleasant. It stayed so until they reached the South Seas where they were stricken by a terrible storm. Fantine feared their certain death amid the loud crashing and anxious shouts of the crew. When morning arrived, the storm had passed but the ship had been de-masted, their rudder broken off completely and three crewmembers lost.

For days they drifted aimlessly as the crew tried to rig a new rudder and fabricate an effective way to catch some wind. Although their progress was slow, they affected a way to resume their course and sought a friendly port to make more suitable repairs. They might have made it if not for another storm even more fierce than the first. It quickly stripped the small ship of all means to guide itself and left them at the mercy of the waves. At some point in the night the helpless ship was blown broadside over some unseen reef, broken asunder, and torn apart by the wind and waves.

In the panicked haste to abandon ship and secure a means to stay afloat, Fantine was struck many times by wind driven debris. In the turmoil she lost consciousness. When she awoke it was morning and she found herself secured to a floating hatch cover. She was in terrible pain from an open wound to her stomach, another to her head and consumed with fever.

She went in and out of consciousness for quite some time until she found herself washed up on a sandy beach. Around her were many pretty children with brown skin and oval eyes. Soon, adults were summoned and then ensued some great row apparently concerning Fantine and what should be done with her. From the midst of the row arose a pretty young woman a little older than Fantine who seemed to champion Fantine and argued a solution.

Fantine blacked out again but awoke to find herself on a sturdy bamboo platform within a cave that opened into the sea. The cave was lit with torches and at her side knelt the same pretty girl who gave her water and tried to tend to her wounds. The girl was talking to her in a soothing tone and gently stroking her in a calming fashion.

Soon after, a handsome young man came in a canoe through the mouth of the cave. He had to duck under the cave's mouth to enter but he rowed up to the platform and climbed up to kneel in front of the girl. They talked together in a familiar, lilting way. Both were smiling, lightly laughing and touching each other as they talked.

The young man rose up on his knees and removed the garment he wore around his waist and was completely naked. Fantine was shocked to see a man nude for the first time in her life. The girl rose up on her knees and removed her garment. The naked couple then kissed and almost immediately the young man became erect.

Fantine's mind was in turmoil, for how could they make love before her? Did they not realize her condition and dire pain?

What happened next Fantine, at the time, had to dismiss as fever induced delusion.

The girl touched Fantine's arm as if making sure to have her attention. She then saw the girl sprout what Fantine thought was her own penis. It emerged from the dark hair of the girl's loin, red and glistening wet. It then came to life and grasped the boy's penis in a coil-like embrace. Fantine thought she must be going insane from her injuries because then the girl's penis began to devour the boy's.

The boy eased back to sit on his haunches and the girl followed him to straddle his lap. The couple remained like that in a tight embrace, moaning their pleasure. Neither moved accept the girl's member which swallowed more and more of her lover's organ.

While well into their joining the young man gave out a deep moan and shuddered. The lovers broke their kiss and then joyfully exchanged what Fantine believed were sweet entreaties to each other. The couple separated, the girl's tail released its hold on the boy, and the boy smiled at Fantine and said something she wished she could understand. The girl laid down beside her to stroke and comfort her. She kept talking while gesturing at her curious tail and then at Fantine's sex.

Fantine felt lost and helpless. She missed her father, she was in great pain and fearing for her life and now it seemed to her these people were oblivious to her suffering and were just going to let her die slowly in neglect.

Not long after the young man had left, another one rowed his canoe in to the cave. It was another virile-looking youth with a soft-featured face and beautiful eyes. He bound up on to the platform and exchanged salacious banter with the nude girl. In time, he removed the sarong from around his waist and approached the girl. As before, the young woman placed a hand on Fantine's arm as if to draw her attention.

The young woman laid on her back and her new lover knelt over her from between her legs. They wrapped their arms around each other and engaged in a deep kiss. Their lips parted and the girl turned to look at Fantine, as if making sure that she observed this. As with her previous lover, Fantine saw the slippery wet tail of the girl open up at the tip and devour the boy's erect phallus. After that, their intercourse consumed them and they vigorously ground together. They rolled and struggled beside Fantine in the throes of their strange bond. Her fever overtook her and Fantine blacked out again.

When she came-to later, Fantine found herself stripped naked. The same young girl was kneeling at her side. She looked gravely at Fantine as she stroked her and was trying to explain something that Fantine gathered to be very important.

The girl bent over and kissed Fantine's forehead, then her cheek and then on her lips. She paused to say something that Fantine interpreted to be reassuring. All that she could feel was frustration and terrible pain. The girl kissed her again full on the mouth and she felt the girl's tongue slip between her lips. Before she could utter any protest, Fantine's pain completely vanished. The soothing relief was overshadowed by a yearning for pleasure and release. The next thing she knew, Fantine found herself wanting to completely surrender to her caretaker's attentions.

The girl moved to where she was straddling over Fantine's body. Fantine felt her move between her legs, kneeling. The girl lifted Fantine's thighs and rested them atop her own thighs. Fantine was powerless to stop her. She clung to the girl only wanting more of that kiss and the pleasing, soothing effects it was having on her.

To her shock, she felt something probing about her sex. Without looking she knew it had to be the girl's strange red penis. In that instant she realized the girl intended to rape and ravage her. She did not care. Her pain was dispelled and the kiss was mysteriously filling her with a want like she had never experienced. In the next instant, she was entered, violated, impaled by the girl's strange appendage. It charged into her by its own volition; pushing and gaining but by no thrust on the girl's part. It tore through her hymen and surged in to secret depths Fantine was unaware she had. Deeper it delved and thicker it got, swelling up to fill her passage. Helpless, Fantine gave herself up to it, threw her arms around her partner and let herself be taken. It was a strange delight that filled her and it slowly faded as she slipped again into unconsciousness.

When Fantine woke again it was morning. Light fell into the cave from the sea opening. She was alone on the platform and the first thing she noticed was her fever was gone. It was replaced with a dizziness and a strange feeling inside, down low. There was still some pain in her head but not the intense pounding like before. Her stomach wound was still causing a bit of discomfort, but only when she tried to sit up. Her first notion was to attribute her mended wounds to the narcotic kiss of the native girl. She lay quietly and waited for her friend to return.

A few minutes later her young physician returned. Fantine was so grateful for her relented anguish and mended spirits that she thanked the girl repeatedly. The two spent the next hours working out a dialogue and traded much of their personal details.

Fantine learned her friend's name was Penina and that this island was one of several they called home. She made it clear that Fantine was not welcome among them and she must remain in the cave. Through arduously mimed gestures and some established terminology, Fantine was made to know that Penina had given her something from herself and that it now dwelt inside her. That this endowment would help her heal and that when she was better she would have to give the endowment back.

Fantine was curious as to what Penina had imparted to her but she would soon find out exactly what she now possessed.

Penina carefully rolled Fantine onto her side and then made a pillow for her head so she could watch. Sitting in front of her, she lifted Fantine's upper leg and placed it over her shoulder. She then began to rake her fingers gently over Fantine's sex while cooing softly to her. Fantine was at first put off by this affront but reasoned that it was only girl-play and they had been lovers the night before. She began to enjoy the pleasurable caresses and felt romantic desires stirring inside. She also felt a strange compulsion to present more of herself to this encounter. She did not know what but something inside wanted to join in this play. Penina then began to lightly stroke around her soft opening, teasing the sensitive flesh, venturing a finger into the wet recesses. That was when Fantine responded with her own touch. It did not come from her hands. She sought to reach out in response and when she did, a slick red tongue emerged from her sex to meet Penina's playful fingers.

Fantine froze in shock. She never knew she had one of those, for surely it was hers. She controlled its movements and she felt what it touched. Penina exclaimed her encouragement and ever so lightly stroked the red tail. The feeling was delightful and Fantine's hand joined Penina's in wrestling with her new appendage and exploring its talents.

After some time at this exploration and play, Penina called out to someone outside the cave. One of the young men who had loved Penina the night before rowed into the cave on a canoe. He climbed up on the platform and Fantine wanted to hide in shame of her nakedness. As the boy knelt beside her, Penina stroked her and spoke in soothing tones to calm Fantine's apprehension.

Fantine knew where this meeting was headed. She knew her new appendage was the endowment Penina had bestowed upon her and that it was crucial to her healing. She understood now that Penina was trying to show her how to use it the night before. She now realized that engaging men sexually in the manner Penina had displayed would fuel her healing. Though it ran contrary to all aspects of morality and social conduct she had ever learned, Fantine would have to engage in sex or die. It was all too much but she was at the crossroads of her life, what cannot be avoided - must be endured.

It was not so unpleasant. Her new tail did feel wonderful in its sensual ability, and the young man was very attractive and friendly.

He stood up and removed his sarong and then knelt at Fantine's feet. She invited his advance by opening her legs and he crawled up to a leaning position over her. She knew she had to envelope his erection. She looked to Penina for encouragement and then opened up and swallowed him completely in one swift motion.

She was astounded at how good it felt. Good enough to forget any discomfort she was feeling. Penina placed her hand over the boy's engulfed penis and urged Fantine to work him in a steady up and down movement. Fantine, to her dismay, actually was enjoying it. She learned her appendage's talents and was familiarizing herself with male anatomy on every stroke. She took more of him and began to work him vigorously when suddenly she felt his discharge. She froze, not knowing what to do. He ejaculated his full measure and squealing with delight, Penina stroked upward on her tail to prompt Fantine to ingest it. She did as instructed, gulping it all the way up her red tail and almost immediately felt a relief from her pain spread throughout her body.

It was not hard for Fantine to accept the necessity of this intercourse any further. She actually felt so much better she sat up on her own and shared in the generous, warm expression of emotions her hosts brought with them. They playfully embraced and stroked each other in a new, unashamed openness. Before he left, the boy hugged Fantine and they parted as close friends.

Soon after he left, another young man rowed into the cave and joined the two girls on the platform. Fantine lost her timidity. She knew what was expected of her, how exactly it would benefit her and that these people were trying to help her. Albeit in a way contrary to western civilized conduct, Fantine actually began to dismiss it in her mind as innocent youthful exuberance.

She was more relaxed with the second boy. As he crouched over her, Fantine took more time in engaging him and worked toward her own pleasure as well as his. They kissed, her first, and the act absorbed them in the headlong struggle for sexual reward. She delivered him and joined him in climactic bliss (also her first). It tickled her senses as she squealed and clung to him until her return had run its course. Again, she felt a modicum of relief from her discomfort as she swallowed down his emission.

By the time she had been serviced by the fifth boy, she was feeling remarkably better and had even developed an appetite. Penina called an end to her visits for the day and brought her something to eat.

In the days that followed, Fantine was visited by three boys in the morning and three different ones in the evening. They were all very sweet toward her. They brought her gifts and kept her entertained with songs and tricks. Fantine was astounded by how fast her wounds healed.

After two weeks she was completely well and Penina, to Fantine's disappointment, curtailed all visits from Fantine's young suitors. It was time to return her tail to its rightful owner.

For the next day, Penina took great pains to explain the entire process as best she could to Fantine and mimed what she must do. Fantine listened carefully because she knew it was important, one or both of their lives might be in danger.

The next morning, Penina was carefully going over the process again when all of a sudden a tremendous boom, louder than thunder, burst upon them. It was almost deafening as it reverberated throughout the small cavern. The water surface danced and rippled below them. They held their ears until the last of the terrible noise subsided. Outside the cave they could hear a great commotion as the people in the village gathered to address this powerful phenomenon.

It was too much for Penina to cope with. She bade Fantine to stay and then leapt into the water and swam out through the mouth of the cave. Fantine sat very puzzled as the minutes passed. Worry replaced puzzlement as more minutes passed and still no word from Penina. After quite more than a half an hour after the tremendous boom, the most frightening event of all transpired.

As Fantine sat waiting for her friend's return, all of the water quickly drained from the cave. The water level sank lower than low tide and then continued until all the water had left and the cave floor was exposed. Fantine could have walked out and not gotten her feet wet. Before she could contemplate such a move, there came from outside the sound of yelling and then many frightened cries. The screaming voices were soon drowned out by a loud roar. Louder it got and then with the speed of a passing train a great surge of water rushed in through the cave entrance. The surge splashed against the back of the cave and water level rose with alarming speed. Fantine thought she would certainly drown within the next minute. But the water rose only up to the top of the cave entrance and no further.

For a very tense moment, Fantine knelt, trembling on her platform and waited for the water to rise and snuff out her life. Then, as quickly as the water had first drained out from the cave, the level again sank until it was at its usual depth, and the cave mouth was open. All was silent except for the usual steady pounding of surf on the rocks outside.

Fantine was dumfounded over what had just transpired. She strained to listen for any sound that might tell her of what happened outside to both the village and its people. She heard nothing. She waited for Penina or one of her young men to come. It got dark, and no one came.

The next morning she awoke thinking surely Penina would come. She called for her but got no response, nothing but the sound of waves on the shore. As afternoon came she grew hungry and entered the water. She sought merely a peek to see what was wrong.

She swam out of the cave and climbed on to the rocks outside. She saw the beach reaching out on both sides from the cliff face her cave was in. There were no people. She climbed down from the rocks and on to the shore. She thought the village had to be near by, she had always heard them close to the cave. Not a trace was left. It looked as if they had gathered everything and left. There was not even a footprint in the sand.

Fantine looked all about the island and could hardly find any evidence any one had ever been there. It frightened her deeply that some terrible thing had taken them all away and that it might return. She cried for her friend, Penina, and what might have happened to her.

The date was August 27, 1883. Unknown to Fantine at the time, a small volcanic island hundreds of miles away in the Sunda Strait had just destroyed itself in the biggest explosion of all recorded history. Hundreds of people on surrounding shores were killed by flying debris and scalding clouds of gas. Thousands more died as an enormous tsunami spread outward in all directions. Such a great wave had just wiped the island clean of all life, leaving Fantine alone in the horrifying remains. At nightfall, she returned to her cave and wept until sleep took her.

The following day she set out from the cave to find food and water. She was able to make do. She spent the rest of her day searching for some clue as to what might have happened to the people who had saved her. She found nothing

A week passed and, luckily, a Dutch whaler approached the island in search of fresh water. Fantine was rescued.