Mountainous Terror

"I was," he nodded, his smile widening. "I didn't think you caught up on that; you've got Thedoros' brain."

"You couldn't...can't..." She ran her fingers through her hair and simply stared at him.

"Well, I was born in 1799, so...yeah. I was twenty-one, when the revolution began. I even fought with some of the generals you've read about in school. But, in the end, I came back here, because...after realizing how vain our side was, how they fought with each other over tactics, or spoils, or whatever, I decided I'd much rather protect my home, than fight a war for people trying to achieve greatness.

"So, I wasn't just around, when Thedoros—who, by the way, was my best friend—discovered the cave. I was with him, when he did. I was right there, next to him, when we awakened the guardian.

"And, of course, I was right there, when the first sacrifice was made. And the next, and the next...yeah," he drank up his tsipouro, smacked his lips, and asked for a refill.

"So," Lina drained her glass and poured two more, "you're..."

"Old as fuck," he chuckled dryly. "That's my curse, for awakening the guardian; to live to see everyone I know, and love, die. I've buried my wife, my daughter, my granddaughter, my best friends, my best friends' grandchildren...

"Somewhere out there, I think in Thessaloniki, I have a great-great-great-granddaughter; of course, she doesn't know who I really am. But, I know I'll one day bury her, too."

"Your curse?" She asked. "That means..."

"The notebook's right; Theodoros curse was...well, that a woman of his bloodline would stop the guardian, by sacrificing herself."

"That's why grandpa never wanted us here."

"Of course," he frowned. "He knew, if your mother, or you, were here, then...you'd have to be the next sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice that'd make the guardian go back to sleep."

"It doesn't make sense, it...what about the ghosts?"

"That's..." He drew a deep breath. "They're, as you've already inferred, the ghosts of people we've killed—people, who resisted our attempts to kidnap their women.

"Theodoros used to speak about the guardian's traits, its...he said that the dead can't rest at ease, while it's awake. It's what he read in that cave, on those ancient texts.

"So, I take it, while the guardian's awake, the ghosts are doing its bidding; or, maybe, they're just trying to keep it awake, so they won't vanish. I don't know."

"But, why would they...kill..." She paused, as her heart dropped to her stomach.

"Probably, because you're Theodoros' direct descendant; you are his bloodline, you carry his genes. Which means..."

"I'm the only one that can stop the madness..."

"Yup," he nodded coldly.

"When do I..."

"The dark moon's already made its appearance, so...soon."

"What happens, if we don't give the...guardian, a sacrifice?"

"Exactly what happened, when we first awoken it; only, this time, we'll be the targets of its genocidal tentacles."

* * * *

Left alone once more, Lina stared at the square and the oak from the window, desperately trying to fathom the reality of everything that had insofar transpired—and failing miserably.

What she had to do was simple enough; get the fuck out of the village, yesterday.

And yet, it was the one thing she wouldn't do; wherefore, she couldn't really tell, it was just a voice in her head compelling her to stay, to...what? Perhaps attempt to find a way to end the nightmare created by her grandfather's grandfather, whom she, of course, never met, never...

Two people had died in her apartment, simply because of her genes, of whose descendant she was; she buried them in the dark, like a common criminal, even though she hadn't done anything wrong—there was no salvation, it was crystal clear.

Defeating the monster and saving the village (and subsequently all the surrounding villages, too), meant giving up on herself; willingly going to the cave and...apparently, surrender to whatever terror had been awoken once upon a long time.

In her mind, she saw Athens, her true home; her parents, all her friends, everyone she'd never see again, if she decided to go through with the insane plan. On the other hand, why would she?—she looked up at the bright blue sky, the few grey clouds in the horizon, realizing Nick was the youngest village resident and he was over forty.

She had her whole life ahead of her, while the villagers had already lived their lives, experienced all there was to experience, and...she shook her head, at the same time trying to shake the morbid thought off.

Her grandfather, of course, would have wanted her to go back to Athens, never look back, never think of the village again; would have wanted her—which he had shown through his notebook and his actions—to stay safe, let the village burn to the ground.

She even contemplated on calling the cops, the military, someone, yet, who in the hell would have believed her?—if she called and said 'I need an armed task force to wipe out a monster living in a cave up in the mountains of Fokida,' they'd hang up on her and she wouldn't blame them.

While absentmindedly dragging from her cigarette, she watched Emily opening up the coffee shop—while Nick, like always, walked about the square, spewing out his all too real warnings about the 'dark moon' and the 'terror'—and the group of old men already taking their usual seats.

Life was going on just like it always did—with her or without her, people in New York would still go to work, children in Melbourne would still go to school, people would die of old age in Beijing and babies would be born in London. Just seeing it unfold in front of her eyes, as the residents of the village, perfectly aware of the real danger lurking a couple of kilometers away from them, went on with their lives, made her realize the utter pointlessness of it all—whatever she did, life would go on. Whether she lived or died, the world as a whole would not collapse.

It was in this dark state of mind she noticed a young couple approaching the square and taking a seat at the coffee shop, heartily greeted by the elders. She squinted her eyes, had a better look at the young girl in her shorts and sleeveless shirt, smiling warmly at the old men, while her boyfriend/fiancé/husband placed an order to Emily.

The same thought that crossed her mind, had crossed everyone's mind down in the square, bar the unaware young couple—besides, in twenty-thirty years, when the terror's threat would become once more all too real and near, she wouldn't be around. Or, at the very least, she'd be too old to care—perhaps, then, she'd be more willing to sacrifice herself.

Lina drank up her coffee and got hastily dressed; the old men greeted her warmly, when she walked toward them, and so did the young couple. She waved at them and joined the poker game of the old men—and invited the young couple to join in, after an approving wink from Zacharias.

Lina was the one to do all translations, as the couple was American and none of the old men spoke English. Hence, she was quick to get to know them; both in their early twenties, hiking through Europe in a six-month roadtrip that meant to fill them up with experiences to carry off to college.

However, a haunting thought kept on hovering around Lina's mind—Stella, the girl, was quite pretty and appeared very gullible, too. She felt bad for even contemplating it, yet...she could not possibly help herself.

It was the real way out she needed; and their situation meant it'd be hard for their disappearance to be pinned.

"Where did you come from? I mean, which road did you take?" Lina asked, her heart in her throat.

"Oh, from...what was the name of that village again?" Ron scratched his head, then pointed southwards. "Anyway, from down there; passed several villages, after we crossed the Rio bridge."

"Didn't stay in any of them?" Lina pursued.

"Camped couple of days in Nafpaktos," he shrugged. "Then...we spent a night at a small motel, I guess you could call it that, and...but, no. We're constantly on the move, trying to see as much as possible. Why?"

"Just curious," she smiled. "Not many people will do that, so...you know, most Greeks will just go to a hotel, stay there, perhaps take a few walks, but...that's all."

"It's real fun!" Stella said cheerfully. "We get to see all these hidden places, walking through the forests, away from everyone! Last night we even camped in the woods!"

"Don't tell on us, all right?" Ron said anxiously. "I know it's illegal, we don't have any permits, or anything, just..."

"Don't worry," Lina chuckled. "I doubt you're the first ones to do it. As long as you didn't set anything on fire, or, polluted the place, you'll be fine."

"We are careful," Ron said proudly.

"Good," Lina nodded—the more she talked to them, the more her plan seemed to make perfect fucking sense. Two hikers camping in the woods—last seen: location unknown. Even if she had wanted to, she would have had trouble finding anyone better suited for...

"You live here?" Ron's voice put an end to her train of thoughts.

"Oh, no, I..." She cleared her throat. "Just visiting. My grandfather was from here, so...I inherited his house," she pointed at it, "and thought it'd be nice to escape Athens for a while."

"Uh-hum," Stella looked about. "So, there's nothing for people our age around here, huh?"

"Nope," Lina shrugged. "The nearest bar is two villages up that a-way. There's a high-school there, too, so...more young people live there."

"I kinda like it here," Ron drew a deep breath. "Calm; fresh air; silent...perfect place for a rest stop."

"If you want," Lina said as calmly as she possibly could, "you can spend the night at my place. I've got plenty of room and...to be honest," she leaned toward them and whispered, "I could use some youthful company."

"Sounds..." Ron glanced at Stella, who was already nodding in excitement. "Sounds good," he agreed. "Why are we whispering, by the way? I thought..."

"Habit, I guess," Lina shrugged. She wondered whether her wide, bright smile gave away her true intentions.

"Yeah," Ron swigged the tsipouro down and immediately burst into a violent cough. "Damn, that burns."

"Καλύτερα να μείνει στην νερωμένη του μπύρα, η παλιαδελφή," Zacharias said and the old men guffawed.

"What did he say?" Ron asked Lina, while he laughed awkwardly.

"That you'll get used to the taste," Lina lied—in reality, Zacharias had simply said: The faggot should stick to his watered down beer.

After a while, Lina and the couple went back to her house, leaving the old men to their poker game—as soon as she unlocked the door and stepped in, a sudden fear overcame her.

She lit all the lights—despite the rich sunlight coming through the open windows—suddenly convinced the ghosts were waiting for them.

The house, nevertheless, was empty and she did her best to shrug off her irrational behavior to her guests. She offered them a beer and they all three sat in the living room, remaining momentarily silent.

"So, what do you do?" Ron asked Lina, cherishing the refreshing taste of his beer.

"Right now, nothing," Lina lowered her glance. "That's part of the reason I came here; to escape the pointlessness of Athens, the constant, fruitless job-seeking efforts that led to desperation...

"Sorry," she sighed, "I didn't mean to...sound depressing, or anything, it's just..."

"Things are hard, huh?" Stella reached over and touched her hand.

"Yup," Lina nodded. "And there's no light at the end of the tunnel...anyway," she clapped her hands together, "you can use the bathroom, if you want to freshen up, or...I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"A shower sounds wonderful," Stella was quick to say. "Mind if I..."

"Please, do," Lina pointed at the bathroom door and stared at Stella skipping to it, carrying her backpack. "There are towels under the sink, second drawer!"

"You know," Ron said, when he heard the water running, "it's our first time away from our hometown and..."

"You're both excited," Lina stood next to him by the window.

"Elated that we're on our own," he smirked, "but...I don't know. I'm a bit frightened, too."

"Why?"

"We're from a small, rural town; a place where everyone knows everybody, no strangers visit...a very tight-knit community. And, suddenly, being in places where we can't even speak the language, where often communication's restricted to hand gestures...

"I don't know; maybe, I've watched one too many crime shows, but..." He burst into nervous chuckles. "I guess, I always expect a madman to launch at us."

"Don't worry," Lina patted him tenderly on the shoulder, while ignoring her wild-beating heart, "you don't have anything to worry about; Greek countryside is really peaceful and quiet.

"Sure, they may seem suspicious of strangers, but...the most you'll get is a hateful look by some old bigot, who thinks foreigners are to blame for Greece's problems.

"Not that terrifying, huh?"

"I guess not." Their eyes briefly met and Lina's wide smile disarmed him. "What are you doing?" He demanded, when she squeezed his buttocks.

"You talked about wanting new experiences, right?" She winked at him. "I mean..."

"If Stella comes out, if..."

"Oh," Lina groped his crotch, squeezing tight, "I wasn't planning on doing anything without her. Well," she giggled, when his cock grew harder under her grip, "it seems you liked that, huh?"

"Yeah, I..." He bit down his lips and moved his glare to the window. "They can see us, they..."

"They won't bother," she explained calmly. "Relax; you've been sleeping in the woods and now you're worried about people seeing you?"

The water stopped running and instantly Ron went rigid; Lina did not loosen her grip. Instead, she moved even closer to him, breathing right on his neck.

"Wow," Stella's chirpy voice filled the room, "I really needed that! What's going on?" She asked, dumbfounded; she threw her arms in the air, which resulted in the towel covering her body to fall down to her ankles. "Ron, what are you doing?" She demanded, seemingly oblivious to her nakedness.

Momentarily, Lina was stunned; her stare fixed on Stella's firm body, perky breasts, and clean-shaven pussy—unable to stop looking at her still dripping skin.

"Honey, I..." Ron mumbled, finally able to shake Lina's grip off of him. "I can...it's not what..."

"Stella," Lina intercepted, with a sly grin. "I was just explaining to Ron here that there are many experiences to be had, during a vacation...things you wouldn't normally do, and yet...

"Here, nobody knows you, nobody will judge you, nobody..." She took two long steps toward Stella and her smile widened. "Vacation's all about letting go, isn't it?"

"I..." Stella cleared her throat and lowered her gaze, finally breaking eye-contact with Lina. "Perhaps, you're right, I just...never..."

"Me neither," Lina brushed Stella's hair and leaned forth, brushing her lips on hers. "There's always time for firsts, though...don't you think?"

"I...guess..." Stella raised her gaze and met Lina's; abruptly, Stella pressed her lips on Lina's and hungrily sucked on her tongue.

Lina immediately went for Stella's firm and smooth ass, cupping the cheeks as she pulled her closer, while driving her tongue in her mouth. Lina sighed, when Stella pulled her shirt off; the warmth of their exposed breasts touching overwhelmed Lina, who kissed Stella even more passionately, their tongues connecting in a wild, fiery tango.

All the while, Ron remained in the background, flabbergasted; struggling with both his erection and uncertainty, feeling the heat rising in his body as he looked on at the two women kissing passionately.

Lina giggled, when Stella thrust her hand in her jeans, her still wet from the shower fingers connecting with her pussy; with slow, careful moves, Stella rubbed Lina, who, in return, dag her nails in Stella's asscheeks, pulling her even closer, their bodies near to merging into one.

"Baby," Stella addressed Ron with a heavy moan, resting her chin on Lina's shoulders, "are you just gonna stand there, like a perv?"

"No, I..." Ron blushed and glanced at the floor.

"I think," Lina added, in between sucking on Stella's earlobe, "he needs some extra encouragement."

"You're right," Stella giggled softly. "He's always been a bit...hesitant to do anything."

"Then, we should fix him, don't you think?" Lina winked at her; they both walked sturdily toward Ron and dragged him to them by the shirt.

He gasped, when they pushed him on the couch and then both crawled next to him—both kissing and sucking his neck, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand in attention.

"It'll suffocate in there, baby," Stella giggled, as he rubbed his rock-hard prick over his jeans. "Let it out," she unbuttoned his pants and, with a little help from Lina, pulled his prick out. "Not too shabby, huh?" Stella winked at Lina, who simply stared at Ron's meaty, veiny prick.

"I'm still..." Ron tried to protest, but, Stella shut him up with a brief, wet kiss. "Damn it..." He groaned—Lina pulled his foreskin down and stroked him gently.

"You like that, huh?" Stella bit his earlobe hard, then pulled his face between her breasts.

Lina wrapped her lips tight around the head of his prick, her mouth assaulted by the heavy salt-like taste, and bobbed her head, following the rhythm of her stroking. Quickly, his shaft was drenched in her saliva and glided easily down her throat.

Her eyes popped wide open, when Stella grabbed her hair and pushed her head all the way down to his balls; Stella's hard chuckle rang loudly in Lina's head, causing her cunt to grow even wetter.

"That's it," Stella said, "choke on my boyfriend's cock!"

Lina struggled to draw air, her nose producing loud whistling noises—Stella, despite her petite frame, was overwhelmingly strong and was thus able to force Lina down on Ron's prick, despite her fighting. Only when Lina squirmed violently, did Stella let go.

Panting, Lina met Stella's magnificent, and beaming, blue eyes; it was Stella's gaze that caused Lina's body to melt, when she kissed her fervently. They had effectively trapped Ron's head between them and he simply sucked and kissed on their breasts indiscriminately.

Lina felt Stella's wetness, as she rubbed her cunt hard, pushing her fingers against her slit. She slid two fingers up Stella's pussy and was overwhelmed by her tightness, which had a very firm grip around her fingers.

She moved them gently up and down, thoroughly enjoying Stella's faint writhing; she groaned, when Ron slapped her ass, causing a quick burst of pain to traverse her body.

"Showtime!" Stella exclaimed with a wild giggle and climbed on Ron's lap; Lina got down on her knees, stroking Ron's prick, and guided it into Stella's drenched pussy—in fascination, she watched Stella's cunt stretching, as it embraced Ron's fat cock.

While Stella rode Ron slowly, grinding herself against his crotch, Lina hugged her from behind and started teasing Stella's erect nipples, rubbing and twitching them.

Stella turned her head and smacked her lips—Lina eagerly sucked on her lips, then drove her tongue in Stella's throat.

Lina squeezed Stella's breasts hard, as they began bouncing up and down fast, following Ron's quickly growing in intensity thrusts. As Stella's screams made kissing nigh impossible, Lina leaned back on the couch, her legs spread wide, and simply enjoyed the show.

She was fascinated by Stella's quick bouncing on Ron's prick—listening to her loud moans and her pleas to get fucked harder made her even wetter and drove her hand to her cunt. Mesmerized by the beautiful view, she slipped three fingers in her, pushing them in hard and determinedly, wishing to stretch herself out and prepare for what was to come.