Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 020

"I hope we go somewhere good."

"We do, but..." Dana couldn't bear it any longer. Closing her eyes tightly, she opened them again, wiping away the tears that had formed. Turning in her chair, she looked at Alex, praying that the beach wouldn't turn into the road where Alex had died, a cross pinned to the guardrail where the bike had skidded into the railing and gotten stuck.

Alex Winters was sitting sideways on the lounge chair, her legs crossed in front of her. She had tossed a long white tank top on after her shower, and her tight curls had been pulled up into a bun. Her skin was the color of coffee with just a dash of cream, and her dark eyes reflected the porch light that hung above them.

"Alex," Dana whispered. It was the first time Alex had come to her in a dream fully intact, without triggering a sequence of nightmares.

"Someone makes a comment," Alex finished for her. "A guy at one of the tables calls us a pair of dykes. You get pissed and slam his face into his eggs. The cops get called, but not before we get the hell out of there."

"You remember?" Dana asked.

Alex laughed. It was the same laugh that had attracted Dana to Alex when they first met, and when Dana had accidentally shorted a circuit they had been building together for the class robots. Seeing those sparks reflected in the dark pools of Alex's eyes made Dana's heart skip several beats, the moment only interrupted when the circuit board caught on fire.

"Of course I remember. I was there." Alex winked.

"You were, but... now you're not."

"Yeah." Alex's smile vanished, and she stared into the darkness. "It's amazing how quickly your future vanishes when you die. Death swallows everything up in an instant. People will tell you that your life passes before your eyes when you go. Those are the people who survive, the ones who talk about all your old regrets. Nobody tells you that the worst part is watching your future vanish, seeing all your hopes and dreams become a whisper of smoke you can no longer hold on to." Alex pulled her legs up against her body, her chin on her knees. "You get to see bits and pieces before they bury you. It's almost like having a shitty internet connection, and the video skips. Until you told me, I wasn't entirely sure how I died." Her face darkened. "My parents. They were not kind."

"They still couldn't accept you. Even at the end."

"Not true. It was you they couldn't accept. That's why they didn't let you come to the funeral. You were a reminder of what I was and what I wasn't. In death, I was simply a wayward angel who may have someday come back to the fold, met a nice guy, had some babies. But now I was dead, my legacy forever tarnished by some white girl who came along and corrupted my poor soul." Alex chuckled. "Death isn't at all what anybody expects, by the way. Sure, some bits and pieces are true, but I promise you this - their version of eternity is going to be a lot less peaceful than mine."

"You're... you're at peace?" Dana felt a flood of emotion welling up behind her eyes, threatening to burst through the dam.

"Almost." Alex stood up. "There is something I miss very much." She stepped across the gap, sitting down next to Dana. The lounge chairs were just wide enough for both of them. "You see, one of the things you learn when you are dead is that you can't replace some people. I've met some interesting beings, but none of them hold a candle to you, Sparks."

"I miss you so much," Dana said, gazing into Alex's eyes. From here, she could just barely make out the dark freckles just beneath Alex's eyes.

"I miss you too." Alex placed a gentle hand on the side of Dana's neck, sliding it up to her cheek.

"Is this real?" Dana asked. "Is this a dream?"

"Doesn't matter what I say. Either you'll stay with me forever, or you'll wake up." Alex pulled Dana to her, her thick lips gently touching Dana's. Dana let out a sigh of relief, sliding her arms around Alex's torso, holding her tight against her. She could feel Alex's hot breath on her face, smell the grease on her fingers from cooking, sensations that should have been impossible in a dream. She kept waiting for it to end, keeping her fingers crossed that it wouldn't. She didn't care if that meant she had died - truth be told, she was dead already.

"Alex, I-" Alex placed a finger against Dana's lips, her other hand running down the side of Dana's arm. Gentle fingers moved across the bare skin of Dana's stomach, tracing shapes on her flesh that made goosebumps rise one Dana's arms.

"I saw that you fixed up my bike," Alex said, her lips by Dana's ear. Tender kisses landed on Dana's neck, kisses that moved lower to find her collarbone. Alex's fingers slid up Dana's stomach, pushing aside the fabric of her bathing suit and finding the soft flesh of her breasts.

"I wanted it to remember you," Dana said, her voice little more than a whisper.

"Do you remember what happened on this night?" Alex asked her.

"We started making out on the balcony." Dana's hand was on Alex's hip. "Things got hot, but I chickened out. I was afraid someone would see us out here, so we went inside and made love in our room."

"Not this time." Alex snapped her fingers, and the porch light went out. Starlight illuminated the beach below, the clouds evaporating in the ghostly glow of the sky. "This time, no regrets."

"Alex." Dana said her girlfriend's name as if it were a prayer. Alex pressed her lips to Dana's, a gentle touch that was immediately familiar, yet still exciting. Dana ran one hand up Alex's stomach, realizing that she wore nothing beneath the tank top. She gently caressed the underside of Alex's breast, generating a slight moan of content. Alex's breasts were super sensitive - she wore bras with extra padding if she had to wear anything heavy like a sweater. Dana placed her palm against the base of Alex's left breast, her fingers and thumb resting perfectly beneath its curves. She could feel it faintly, the heart that had stopped so long ago beating gently in her chest.

"It's beating," Dana said, tears filling her eyes. "It's really beating in there."

"For you, it never stopped." Their lips met again, and Dana tumbled back onto her chair, Alex straddling her hips. Alex sat up, pulling her tank top over her head to reveal her small breasts, breasts that Dana had kissed hundreds of times. It wasn't so much the thrill of burying her face in a beautiful busom, but rather the reaction of the woman who owned them that made them Dana's favorite body part. Leaning down, Alex kissed her way down Dana's neck, running her hands across Dana's stomach, then up her ribs. Dana kissed her back, hyper aware of Alex's fingers as they slid beneath her, undoing her bikini top. The cold night air of the after life made Dana's nipples stand at attention. Being roughly the same height, Alex's nipples would occasionally rub across Dana's when they kissed, causing Alex to gasp.

Dana's hands squeezed the bottom of Alex's ass, moving upward and onto Alex's lower back. Alex moved off center, lightly gyrating her hips on Dana's hipbone. The contact was minimal, but with her nipples being flicked, she hungered for more sexual contact of any kind. Dana pulled Alex down, their breasts pushing together until Alex could change position to where they were both comfortable. Dana lifted her left leg, and Alex slid herself onto it, grinding her crotch into Dana's upper thigh. Locking eyes, Dana watched Alex's face as she stirred herself into a small frenzy.

"I love you," Dana said, grabbing Alex's hips and pulling her closer, allowing her to grind even harder. "I never stopped loving you."

"I love you too, Sparks." Alex closed her eyes, biting her lip and letting out a long moan. One of her hands found its way onto Dana's stomach, then slid down to the top of Dana's shorts. "I'll always love you." Her fingers unsnapped the button, making enough room for her hand to disappear beneath the fabric. Exploratory fingers slid along the sides of Dana's vulva, fingers that stroked her expertly. Alex had gotten one of her scholarships for her skill on the piano, a skill with her fingers that had carried forward into her sex life.

"MMH!" Dana closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of those fingers moving in circles over her hairless folds. Alex had always loved her clean shaven, a habit she had kept up with. Dana's natural lubrication allowed Alex to manipulate her expertly, Dana's clit standing at full attention while Alex worked the skin around it.

"More," Dana whispered, so Alex obliged. Lifting off of Dana, Alex grabbed her shorts and slid them free, exposing Dana's hairless pussy to the stars in the sky. Alex undid her bikini bottom, and resumed her spot on Dana's thigh. She sat up straight now, holding onto Dana's leg with one hand and fingering her with the other. Her thumb circled Dana's clit while her fingers gently worked their way inside, curling and uncurling against her inner walls.

Dana smiled, and she pulled Alex down for another kiss. Their tongues touched briefly, swirling gently against each other's mouths before parting once more. Dana gently bit her way down Alex's neck, eventually reaching the top of her breasts. Alex rolled her hips in tight circles while Dana licked and nibbled at her breasts, teasing her nipples indirectly before sucking them into her mouth. Alex was grunting, a flood of sexual fluids coating Dana's upper thigh. In response, Alex fingered Dana more vigorously, gently forcing her fingers in even deeper.

"Come up here," Dana commanded, her hands pulling on Alex's hips. Not one to argue, Alex scooted forward while Dana slid down the chair, her legs hanging off the bottom. Alex's pussy smelled of sunscreen, the beach, and something else that ignited a primal urge in Dana. Licking gently around Alex's large, wet folds, Dana lost herself in the flavor of her pussy, a delicacy that had been far too long coming.

"Oh, fuck. Oh, shit, mmh!" Alex clutched at her own thighs now, her hands moving up to the chair to brace herself. "Mmh. Mmh!"

In response, Dana grabbed Alex's thighs and held her down, her tongue moving in circles. Alex's clit popped out of the folds, and Dana sucked it into her mouth, pushing her chin upward into Dana's vagina, forcing her to open up even more. Alex grunted, sending an additional flood of juices onto Dana's face. Dana responded by tilting Alex forward to expose her opening just enough that Dana could finger her from behind.

"Oh, shit!" Alex grunted, two of Dana's fingers sliding in all the way to the knuckle. Dana didn't have to do much; Alex was rocking her hips just right that she was effectively fucking herself on Dana's digits while her clit got sucked. Dana savored Alex's musky flavor, holding her tight against her mouth when her cries grew louder. Alex was pinching her own nipples now, her cries coming faster.

When Alex came, she wrapped her hands around Dana's head and pulled, cutting off Dana's oxygen supply. Dana's body flushed with heat while she continued licking, Alex's body going completely rigid against her. Dana let go of Alex's thigh with her left hand, her hungry fingers finding their way along her belly to her own swollen labia, pinching the folds together around her clit. She squeezed herself, her fingers now wet with her own fluids.

"Ohhhhhh fuuuuuuuck." Alex relaxed, lifting her mound off of Dana's face. Dana sucked in air, briefly wondering if she even needed to breathe in this place. Alex was gently rubbing her own breasts, her cheeks glowing with post-orgasmic bliss. "Fuck, I missed that so much."

"Well I've missed something too." Dana fixed her gaze on Alex's body. Her eyes narrowed at the heavenly body on top of her. "And I expect you to deliver."

"Ooh. I love it when you're bossy." Alex shifted her body, moving down along Dana's torso. "I also know that you love it when I do this."

Dana grinned. "But it's not my birthday."

"When you're here, every day can be your birthday." Alex lifted one of Dana's legs, placing her leg beneath. Dana sat up, pulling the chair into a sitting position. Alex wrapped her legs around Dana, and both of them tightened their legs, pulling their hips together. Alex started slow, grinding her hairy lips against Dana's wet lips. Dana gasped, grabbing Alex's hips and pulling her close.

Scissoring was something that Dana loved. Something about staring into Alex's face while the two of them humped each other, both of their bodies tense with sexual heat. Dana leaned forward, kissing her way along Alex's chest, feeling the body that she had been so long denied. Both women were sweaty now, the humidity trapping beads of sweat against their skin, salty drops that the women licked off of each other with exploratory tongues. How long had it been, Dana asked herself, her soul finally at peace. An eternity of Alex lay before her, an infinite number of nights on the beach, of exploring each other's bodies. She had so many questions, but could only focus on the warm body pressed against hers, that moaning shadow that threatened to press into her, finally making her complete. Closing her eyes, she felt her own orgasm building, the first of many to come.

"Dana," Alex whispered, and then she was gone.

"Alex?" Dana opened her eyes. Alex was nowhere to be seen. Picking up her bikini top, she held it against her chest, standing up to stare off the balcony. The beach was empty, and the crashing waves had gone still. The universe had come to a halt.

"Alex? Alex!" Dana screamed into the night. The horizon had vanished, the waters of the ocean receding away. Dana watched in horror as the water vanished, revealing that the world had a crumbling edge. The Earth broke away in chunks, falling only God knew where, and Dana ran through the apartment, shoving her way through the front door.

"Ah!" Dana screamed. The world was caving in, and the parking lot in front of the building had swallowed up all of the cars. Looking down into the void, Dana could see distant stars beneath, shimmering dimly.

"Oh, God no!" Dana ran back out to the balcony, screaming Alex's name, hoping to find her. The room fell apart behind her, and soon only the balcony was left. The world crumbled like sand around her, the building breaking into dust and blowing away. Floating in the void, she could see a sky full of stars she couldn't recognize. One by one, they vanished, cosmic matches being snuffed out. Cold terror formed in her gut, and she clung to the railing as the final star was extinguished, and she fell into the void.

Dana sat up, a scream frozen in her throat. Her fingers clawed at the air, eventually grabbing on to the edge of the table she had been lying on. Inhaling deeply, she looked around, trying to figure out where she was.

"I see you're back." It was the man in the suit. He was perusing an old paperback that still had the used bookstore sticker on the cover. "How was it?"

"How was... huh?" Dana put her face in her hands, fighting back tears. What had just happened?

"Being dead." He turned the page, then folded the corner neatly before closing the book. "You've been dead for..." he checked his watch. "About two hours now."

"Dead? Me?" Dana looked at her hands. They were paler than normal. Rubbing her fingers together, she realized that they felt slightly numb. Her sense of touch had been muted.

"Yep. You're dead." Standing up, he got close to her. "I spent quite a bit of time on you. You see, you are here to serve a purpose, and I need you in perfect condition. Well, with one exception." He tapped himself on the chest. "No heartbeat. Not anymore."

"You... took my heart?" Dana placed her fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing was there. Moving her fingers around, she felt panic begin to set in.

"No, nothing as gross as that." He snapped his fingers. Dana watched the landlady enter the room. It occurred to her that she must be in the basement of her landlady's home. Staring up at the unfinished rafters above her, Dana wondered if she could make it up the stairs before anyone stopped her.

"Is it time?" The landlady asked. Dana couldn't think of her name anymore, a memory that had been gobbled away by the situation.

"It is. You did a splendid job." He motioned with his hand, and the woman collapsed on the floor, a smile on her face. "You see, I have need of your services. Two hours ago, I killed you. Naturally, your soul left your body and went somewhere else. That's how it is for people like you, so eager to reunite with loved ones. I allowed you some time with your beloved Ms. Winters before reanimating your corpse and trapping your soul inside of it. If you do my bidding, I release you, and your happily ever after continues."

"Wait. I'm trapped in my own body?" Dana looked at herself. "I don't feel that different."

"For now." He yawned. "I apologize. I've been up all night tracking you down, and the magic has tired me. My name is Daryl. I'm your creator, your messiah, your god. And if you don't do exactly what I ask of you, I will leave you like this for the rest of eternity, going mad inside of a rotting body."

"Leave me like what?" Dana was suddenly aware that she was neither hot or cold. The room just sort of existed around her.

"Ugh. You're a little slow, aren't you?" Daryl crossed his arms over his chest, a look of arrogance on his face. "I'll give you the Cliff Notes. I am a very powerful man who has used forbidden magic to turn you into a zombie. And not one of those shitty brain eaters you see in the movies. Well, not yet anyway." Daryl laughed. "Now, I'm only going to ask this once? Do you want to see your beloved Alex again?"

Tears forming in her eyes, Dana nodded.

"Good. Then you will do exactly as I say."

-

The minotaur glared at Beth, each puff of his loud, hot breath causing Beth's heart to pound. He contemplated her from a distance, his hand tightening on his weapon. His large, curved horns glistened in the moss light, and he let out a blast of hot breath through his nose, his golden nose ring twitching.

"What do I do?" Beth asked Abella.

"Run! Get away!"

"That's just it." Beth stepped off of the pile of rubble. "I'm too tired to run. This place is full of traps, and I think if I try to get away, he will catch me."

"Then fight!"

"I don't want to do that either." Beth wasn't stupid. The minotaur had the physique of an action movie star, his body carved of solid muscle. He wore only a loincloth, which left very little to the imagination. "I have no idea how to fight." She held the spear to her side and dropped it, the wood clattering to the floor.

"Beth!" Abella hissed.

"It's ok," Beth said. "It's going to be okay." She was watching the minotaur closely. Though he carried a giant axe, he wasn't holding it aggressively. While intimidating, it occurred to her that the minotaur seemed more curious about her than aggressive. "My name is Beth. Do you have a name?"

The minotaur snorted, tensing up.

"No, it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you or cause problems. I was brought here by someone else against my will."

The minotaur tilted his head. When he spoke, his voice was a low rumble that made Beth think of James Earl Jones's voice with a rough edge to it.

"You aren't here for the treasure?" He looked uncertain.

"No. I don't even know about the treasure, and I don't want to know."

"Are you the new Caretaker?" He asked.

Beth recognized the term. "No. The new Caretaker is here, but I'm not him."

"She wants the new Caretaker." The minotaur lowered his axe. "Can you take me to him?"

"I have no idea where he is." Beth gestured around her. "The Labyrinth has him."

"Hmm." The minotaur was lost in thought for several seconds. "You are not afraid of me."

"I am, a little," Beth admitted. "I've never met a minotaur before, and you are quite... large."