Demons and Witches

Hey Literotica! I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Chapter 1

Looking into the foreboding maw of darkness ahead of them, Evelynn squeezed the arm of her date tighter. Feeling firm breasts press against his arm, Marcus took a deep breath as Evelynn's shampoo, smelling of lemons and strawberries, lightly wafted over him. Trying to be a gentleman and not brazenly stare at the bit of cleavage that was on display, Marcus reached an inner compromise as he sneaked a discreet peek. Trying to conceal his grin, Marcus gently tugged Evelynn forward.

"You can't be serious" Evelynn said flatly, suspiciously eyeing the entrance yawning ahead of them. Her palms itched, sweating nervously as she dried them on the sides of her black dress discreetly, smoothing the material over her hips.

"It's a shortcut, Eve" Marcus explained, rolling his eyes.

"More like a shortcut of death" Evelynn muttered as she flicked her long auburn air over one bare, lightly freckled shoulder, trying not to shiver in the cooling night air, wishing she had thought to bring a sweater.

"I've walked this way a hundred times before. We'll be home in no time" continued Marcus, pretending not to hear her, as if saving a few minutes was the most important detail to the young, stunning woman clutching his arm.

"Maybe we should just stay on the road?" Eve wondered out loud, eyeing the lighted road longingly as she mulled the thought over.

"Look, just trust me okay? Everything's going to be fine" Marcus said as he gazed down into Eve's gorgeous green eyes, who looked so perfect to him at that very moment, and he struggled to stifle the suddenly overwhelming urge to kiss her. Evelynn gave Marcus a look, as he wrestled with his impulses that gave him a sliver of hope that she might not be so opposed to the idea. Marcus finally dismissed the urge with an effort. Evelynn looked absolutely amazing in her simple black dress, and as her grip tightened on his arm, Marcus found it difficult for his imagination not to run wild.

Evelynn's thoughts were hidden from Marcus by only the flimsiest of barriers, the most opaque of shower curtains, but Marcus refused to glimpse at them even for a moment on general principle. Though he wanted nothing more than to envelop Evelynn in his arms, feel her body pressing against his, with the taste of her on his lips, he refused to rush the matter. He had learned the value of patience long ago. Nevertheless Marcus, not a religious man by nature, prayed that the proper moment would present itself soon enough. The long look Evelynn and Marcus shared dragged on for a moment too long, and then another. Feeling a strange sense of vertigo begin to sweep over her as she gazed into Marcus's eyes, Evelynn lowered her gaze first.

"Are you sure this is the fastest way back?" Evelynn asked with reluctance, begrudging acceptance in her tone even as she disguised a yawn behind her hand. The buses had stopped running earlier that night than usual due to some labour strike dispute, as they had discovered much too late, and her poor feet were starting to ache and throb in the cute but uncomfortable shoes she had worn. Mostly Evelynn just wanted to get to bed. Mostly.

Glancing over at Marcus, Evelynn's pictured him lying in bed and holding her, shirtless and sleepy, before she could dismiss the thought. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment and Evelynn was suddenly very glad her thoughts were private. Energetic butterflies followed in the wake of the fantasy and tickled her shamelessly at the possibility and Evelynn snuck a quick glance up at Marcus once more, thinking about how she had come to be standing here with him.

Evelynn had woken that morning, the day of her eighteenth birthday, with a bounce in her step. Dancing in the shower and singing like a fool as she brushed her teeth and went through her morning routine, Evelynn had been so excited that she hadn't even considered the possibility that, one and all, her friends would call and cancel their plans with her. Instead of spending her birthday shopping, gossiping, and generally running around town in joyful, careless celebration of her newfound adulthood with her close friends, Evelynn found herself rooted on the couch in front of her television instead spooning melting ice cream into her mouth and wallowing in self-pity. Slowly surfing through reality TV shows, resenting humanity more than a little, Evelynn almost hadn't bothered to pick up the ringing phone.

Expecting a telemarketer or yet another cancellation, Evelynn had nearly dropped both the phone and the ice cream both when she heard Marcus' voice in her ear.

Marcus, who was walking her home like a proper gentleman, towered over her with his exotic olive skin, movie star good looks, stylishly tousled black hair, and bright blue eyes. Evelynn went to the same school as Marcus, and had even grown up on the same street as him, though he lived much further up the long road than she did in the more expensive part of town. Evelynn could count the number of times they had talked over the years on two hands.

To say that Evelynn had been surprised to hear Marcus wish her a happy birthday out of the blue would be putting it mildly. Evelynn had fairly leapt off the couch in excitement when Marcus casually asked if she was interested in dinner and a movie, maybe? Performing a happy dance with the phone to her ear while struggling to keep her voice sounding calm and normal, Evelynn had graciously accepted Marcus' offer only to realize afterwards that she hadn't even bothered to ask which movie or which restaurant.

Not that it mattered.

Standing six feet tall with long, auburn air that normally curled obnoxiously, Evelynn had spent the evening beating her hair into what she considered a rare sight indeed; a straight, lustrous sheen of submission that hung down her back. Evelynn had spent more time then she cared to admit preening and preparing for her unexpected date. Marcus, on the other hand, had shown up to her door looking like he had just rolled out of bed wearing jeans, a grey t-shirt and his usual leather jacket, contrasting sharply with the cute black dress Evelynn had picked out that had been sitting idly by on the sidelines of her closet for almost a full year with a matching pair of shoes, just waiting for an opportunity to be showcased.

Evelynn had cursed in her head when she saw Marcus, thinking she had overdressed. Unbeknownst to Evelynn, Marcus had also winced simultaneously, worried that he had underdressed. After an awkward moment of mutual mental cursing, Marcus had flashed his perfect smile and told Evelynn that she looked really nice. After that, Evelynn had completely stopped worrying about the matter. Well, not really. But she stopped obsessing anyways. Marcus had hit his head on the doorway after she had invited him in for a moment as she made one final trip to the bedroom and bathroom to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. That had helped to shatter most of the awkward tension between them.

Marcus hadn't seemed to notice her many glances throughout the night, however.

Standing under the street light, Evelynn wavered indecisively. The entire day had certainly taken a strange direction from the one she had originally envisioned. Normally Evelynn would never have considered taking such a shady looking path at this time of night - she was a surprisingly superstitious woman and walking through a dark forest under a full moon struck her as little too cheeky. Marcus was with her, however, and the fear of looking like a scared little girl in front of him churned and twisted at her stomach.

Only through an effort of will did Evelynn keep this entire inner struggle off her face.

For a moment, Evelynn found her attention drawn upwards to the full luminescent moon, hanging massive in the clear night sky. She stood there for what seemed like a short eternity, hypnotized by the celestial body that almost seemed within reach. The moment passed as she became aware of Marcus gently taking her hand in his as she stared into space.

"Eve? You okay? Evelynn?" Marcus asked, concerned.

"We don't have to go through the path if you don't want to" Marcus said, and Evelynn thought she could detect the faintest trace of disappointment in his voice.

Looking at Marcus, Evelynn was embarrassed as hell and awkwardly tucked a loose strand hair behind her ear, trying to look natural and feeling anything but. She tried to smile and shrug off the weird feeling in her gut. There was nothing to be afraid of, of course. In the light of day the two of them wouldn't have even paused to take the path.

"It's fine. Sorry, I'm just tired" Evelynn said with a smile, yawning once again.

"Let's get you home then" Marcus said, mirroring Evelynn's smile as he casually put an arm around her shoulders. As they stepped past the threshold separating lighted street from darkened woods, a chill traced down the back of Evelynn spine, raising the hairs on the back of her neck as goosebumps ran over her flesh.

Feels like somebody just walked over my grave, thought Evelynn as she shivered.

Noticing Evelynn's tremble and without saying a word, Marcus took off his leather coat, revealing his tapered waist and his incredibly muscled upper body clad only the form-fitting shirt that hugged his arms and chest like a second skin. Marcus gently draped his coat over Evelynn's shoulders and the retained warmth of his body, the fine feel of the lining of the coat and the simple reassurance of his large, powerful presence comforted Evelynn, loosening a knot of tension that had been tightening inside of her as they strolled along the dark, moonlit path together, hand in hand.

****

Chapter 2

Well, this was a terrible idea thought Evelynn to herself as she and Marcus proceeded along the gently rolling, winding trail.

Evelynn's eyes slowly adjusted in the darkness until she could see more or less clearly, thanks in large part to the bright moon overhead. For his part, Marcus walked with an absolute confidence that Evelynn found herself drawing upon, as if the unknown night held no surprises and no dangers for him. The crackle of dead leaves underfoot, and the sounds of their voices were strangely muted by the trees and foliage as a dense fog rising around them.

Evelynn found herself looking over at Marcus more often the further they walked because he seemed... different, somehow, since they had entered the trail.

Taller, maybe. No, that wasn't it.

Something was different, though.

Though Marcus kept his eyes focused on the path straight ahead, his hand held hers tightly. The touch and radiating heat of his palm comforted Evelynn and she found herself hugging his arm as they walked, glad to have him with her. Only Marcus' reassuring presence, the calm, focused look on his face, kept Evelynn from faltering and turning back the way they had come as the forest slowly became enveloped in a thick shroud of mist.

"This really seems like the perfect setting for a horror movie, you know" Evelynn murmured passingly to Marcus. He glanced over at her with a smile and threw his head back in laughter, the cheerful sound swallowed by the night.

"If we were necking in a parked car, I would be more worried" Marcus replied, grinning.

The passing comment caused a tingling, hot flush to spread through Evelynn in spite of the cool night air. The heat seemed to flow from Marcus' touch. Evelynn, who had always held an entirely rational fear of the dark and creatures that went bump in the night, was facing that fear with the help of the boy of her dreams and the simple act of walking with him and being at his side thrilled her. Evelynn checked her forehead with the back of her hand, but couldn't tell one way or the other as the heat continued to course through her.

Something was kindling inside of her.

Evelynn realized she was in trouble when she noticed she had stopped glancing at Marcus out of the corner of her eye and was instead openly running her eyes along the moonlit shape of his square jaw, his gentle eyes, and his full, inviting lips. Their pace slowed from a steady, distance-eating stride to a slower, languid walk as the fog around them grew heavy, obscuring sight and details at every distance. As they approached the only bench and lamp in the park, they slowed to a crawl.

The thrill that had been building inside of Evelynn since the moment they stepped into the forest, since the moment she had opened the door to reveal Marcus, began to peak. A tingling ember of excitement, one she had never felt before, begged and pleaded for release.

Unless Marcus was completely clueless, he must have felt it too.

They were walking close together, very close, as tendrils of vapour curled around them under the light.

"Hey..." Eve said finally, standing in the center of the light as she gently pulled on Marcus' hand while he continued forward. Marcus pivoted neatly, standing directly in front of her and she was forced to tilt her head up to look at him. Evelynn, in that moment, suspected that Marcus was an excellent dancer and part of her wished that she had had the opportunity to test her theory during the night. Evelynn was taller than a lot of the boys that had shown interest in her over the years and looking up at Marcus through her eyelashes, Evelynn was forced to admit that a part of her loved feeling shorter for once.

"I had a really wonderful time tonight, Marcus. Thank you" Evelynn said, nervously moistening her lips as she gazed longingly at his mouth, silent willing it closer towards her. Her heart pounded with excitement in her chest, and she wondered if his was too.

"I'm glad Eve. Happy birthday" Marcus said with a shy, slightly awkward smile as he ran his hand along her slim arm, and the feel of his touch sent her thoughts spinning to naughty places, giggling merrily all the way. Evelynn felt the slightest tremble in Marcus' hand as he slowly raised it to the side of her face, and she nuzzled his palm with the side of his cheek, looking at him all the while, and Marcus finally took the hint and lowered his mouth to hers, sharing a gentle kiss.

For a single moment, everything was absolutely perfect.

Evelynn and Marcus both pulled back after a time, nervous and excited, each wanting more and worried the other didn't.

This man is unfairly attractive thought Evelynn through half-lidded eyes that gently closed as Marcus' hands cupped her face delicately in his hands and their mouths met once more. Evelynn found herself stepping towards and arching against Marcus as his hand stroked through her hair, pressing herself against his body. Evelynn found a home for her hands on Marcus' body, feeling his hard, developed abdomen through the soft fabric of his shirt. His lips pressed against hers hungrily, and the passionate intensity of the act leaving Evelynn weak-kneed and scatter brained.

Evelynn slid a cold, nervous hand under Marcus' shirt and felt him gently twitch and shy away in response as she traced fingers along the sensitive skin of his belly. His breathing grew heavy as Marcus gently caught her wrist in one strong hand, and they simply stood there for a moment, watching each other. Evelynn smiled mischievously at Marcus, refusing to pull her hand away, daring him to make a move, one way or the other. Though she didn't do anything as overt as look down to check, Evelynn was sure Marcus was rock hard, straining for her. Her desire for Marcus and his lust for her frightened her a little, but it also made Evelynn feel incredibly sexy, knowing she was the source of such interest.

A part of her, a big part of her, was also... curious.

As Evelynn stood on her toes, moving in for another kiss, Marcus's attention was sudden and unexpectedly snapped away to something in the distance, and he swore sharply under his breath. Evelynn blinked and faltered, surprised, and in her confusion she followed Marcus' gaze, further along the trail to where their exit lay, and could only just barely make out the vaguest motion of dark shapes coming towards them in absolute silence through the fog.

"Evelynn, get out of here" Marcus said, his tone suddenly deathly serious as he gently pushed her away, placing himself between the startled and surprised young redhead and whatever approached on the path. His stance becoming balanced and tense.

"Wait, wha-? What's going on?" Evelynn asked, confused as all hell as she approached Marcus and put a hand on his shoulder. He effortlessly shrugged her off and she took a step back from the sharp look he gave her in return.

"Eve, run! Stay on the path and head back the way we came. You'll be fine. I'll catch up as soon as I can" Marcus said, shaking his head in frustration. The dark figures were getting close, becoming slightly more distinct and individual, but Evelynn still couldn't make out any identifying features in the fog. The tall, pale redhead took a step back, more scared by the moment, and then another, unsure of what exactly was going on.

Was this a prank? Had the entire evening been some kind of horrible joke her friends were playing on her? Or was this serious? Evelynn tried to speak up, angry, but was promptly cut off.

"There's no time to explain. GO!" shouted Marcus, risking a worried glance back at her, and she noticed a peculiar red glint in his iris.

Before she could say a word, the pack of dark figures charged towards them and howled, covering the distance in a moment as they collectively broke into a terrifying sprint. Evelynn slowly backed away, eyes wide and hand raised to her mouth in horror as she saw Marcus nimbly side-step the first dark figure charging head down like a bull towards him, and roughly helped it along into the light pole headfirst instead, hard enough to dent the solid metal and make the light illuminating the scene flicker and sputter.

Evelynn's mouth dropped slackly open as the spectacle in front of her unfolded.

Spinning quickly, not missing a beat, Marcus spun and blasted the next charging figure in the chest with an enormous, well-timed kick that launched it out of sight into the fog as quickly as it had appeared. Three more figures appeared out of the fog, taking their fallen companions places, still charging recklessly and Marcus grunted with effort as he smashed one of them to the ground with a heavy blow. The remaining duo slipped around the blow that toppled their poor companion and seized Marcus's arms, pinning them to his body as he struggled and cursed, trying to free himself as several more dark figures tackled him to the ground, piling on to him, ruthlessly kicking, stomping, and wailing on his downed figure.

One of the shadowy figures, unconcerned with Marcus, advanced towards Evelynn with outstretched hands, and she was horrified to see, moments before the light illuminating the horrible scene flickered and died, that the reason she hadn't been able to distinguish any features in the fog was because there were none. The dark figure had the individuality of a mannequin and the emotion to match. Mere seconds had elapsed since Marcus had pushed Evelynn away, and struggling with paralyzing fear and shock, Evelynn found herself running for her life from a strange, featureless nightmare that followed at her heels.

****

Chapter 3

What in the unholy everloving neverending fuck.

Evelynn's thoughts, in tune to the machine gun beat of her bare feet slapping against pavement, looped over again and again. Her pursuer, a featureless dark creature with gleaming fangs and eyes that glowed blue, gained little ground on the lithe redhead sprinting through the dark in her black dress and leather jacket. Evelynn's nice shoes had fallen off moments after she began sprinting, collateral damage in the fight for her life. Evelynn desperately wanted to look behind her, wanting to see exactly how far away the creature was from reaching for her, but she dared not risk a glance for fear of tripping and falling.