Secret Garden

It had been years, decades, since her feet had touched this particular path. It trickled its winding way in smooth white stones out of the nothingness that was the backs of her eyelids. A toe brushed against the first pebble. Her second footfall landed on the path itself, and the familiar trees sprung from the darkness to line the path.

Were she to look back, she would see only a sudden end to the stones, and forest beyond. It was as it had always been.

This was her Secret Place. When she was young and the world became too much, she would retreat to her room and to her imagined garden. Now that she was older and the world had become too much once more, she sought its comfort once more.

Karissa took another step forward, concentrating on the feel of the stones beneath her feet, small enough to curl around and between her toes as she moved. There were no sharp edges here. She continued her procession in this slow and ponderous manner, stretching her toes out before her to plant in the pebbles first, dropping her heel and taking the next step, toes extended.

She knew there were two bends in the path before she would see her garden. Her heart felt light as she reached the first of these two, though her shoulders felt weighed down by her nightie and dressing gown. With each step, the weight grew until it became a physical pain and her next step faltered. She shrugged out of her dressing gown. The nightie followed, and she stepped away from the blue-and-cream pile of clothing. But still something didn't feel right. Her steps weren't effortless.

She doubled back to the pile of clothing and shimmied out of her underwear, leaving them crumpled at the top of the heap, and stepped forward once more.

This time her body flowed smoothly, and she luxuriated in her nakedness. It hadn't been so when she was younger - she would run around in her shorts and t-shirt, climb up the side of the waterfall and sunbathe on the large flat rock by the pool. Age had changed her. Maybe it had changed her garden, too.

As she rounded the second corner she bit back a gasp. It was as she remembered. The path curved and grew into a much larger walkway about a rock- and fern-lined pool, into which a waterfall fell. Behind there, she knew, was a large and shallow cave. The waterfall was fed by a series of pools, kept warm by the sun on the black rock, and easily accessed by a staircase carved into the side of the cliff.

All around sprung flowers unlike any she had ever seen in reality. Plump and purple water-lilies graced the pool. The rock upon which she used to sunbathe, hanging over the pool so she might dip her fingers in it, was surrounded by little red-and-white buds on a dark creeping vine. Pine-line forest gave way to exotic palms and ferns, which in turn yielded to bright floral displays in pinks and oranges and reds that could never exist in the real world.

A tear spring to her eye before she knew it, she was running to the pool and diving in.

The water was as clear and warm as it had been so many years ago, and Karissa breathed a sigh of relief.

She swam to the edge of her pool and pulled herself onto her sunning rock. She kicked her feet in the water and leaned back on her hands, tipping her head to gain the most of the sun's warmth across her body.

She would never have gone nude outside, and so the feeling of warmth on her breasts was a novel - and incredibly pleasant - experience. Here she did not need the rigid prudishness that constrained the rest of her life. In order to not be seen as a sexual object at work, she removed all sexuality about herself. She was masculine enough to dissuade those interested in femininity, and politely uninterested enough to discourage those who might still be attentive.

But here, here she did not have to stiffen her walk to reduce her hip swing, or bend so as not to jut out her bottom. Here she could flaunt herself to the wind and the sun and no one would know.

With a move that would have made her blush in normal circumstances, Karissa rose to her feet and dropped back onto the stone walkway. She was keen to explore her waterfall, as the rocks would be warmer up there, and the water would be, too. It was the work of a few minutes to climb the staircase, and from her vantage point atop the (admittedly rather small) cliff, she could see her garden spread out before her. There, to the right and well past the pool, was a small gap in the trees she knew led to a grassy circle with a few toadstools dotted about the clearing. The pine-like trees that protected her garden were taller still, their narrow tops reaching a few more metres above her head.

The ponds that fed the waterfall were bliss. The stream fed out of the surrounding forest several metres away and into the first pool, which was deep enough to sit in comfortably. The next pool was shallow enough that you could lie back in it and the water would lap past the corners of your eyes. The next was a bit deeper again, and the third and final was curved rather like a large martini glass: deep at the middle, shallower at the edges. It was this pool that she immersed herself in, bottom sliding against the delicately ridged rock of the sides as she shimmied her way into deeper water.

She had forgotten the soothing feeling of the current as it tugged at her limbs and hair. It was oh so gentle, despite the lip the water fell off. It was not, after all, a particularly powerful waterfall. There was just enough water going over the edge to hide the cave behind and create an impressive display, but certainly not enough to be dangerous.

Her imagination would never permit that.

Karissa wriggled her way back into the shallower waters, lying back so that her shoulders were clear of the pool and the water would just skim the undersides of her breasts. She kicked her legs towards the surface, poking her feet out and into the fresh air as she did so.

She didn't know how long she lay there before she heard a polite cough. She wasn't alarmed, though, this was her Secret Place, and all that was here was for her pleasure.

She cracked open an eye and turned her head upstream.

"Hello," he said, elbows resting on the lip of the first pool into her garden.

"Hello," she replied, not really knowing what else to do. She'd only ever met faeries before, and they were wee and spry things that flitted about the flowers as they liked, and she had not seen any today.

"I didn't know anyone would be here, it's been empty for quite some time, I hope I'm not intruding," he explained. His eyes were a most remarkable green.

"Oh, I haven't been here for a very long time, but you are most welcome to come join me if you would like," she said. After all, everything in this garden was here for her pleasure.

He smiled at that, a kind smile that crinkled his eyes and flashed his teeth. "It would be my pleasure," he said, and wriggled himself forward.

Karissa didn't even bat an eyelid as he pulled his way across the shallow pool, his long tail and ethereal fins waving behind him. In the back of her mind she had known this man was not human, had even an inkling of what he was, and so the sight of his vibrantly coloured gossamer fins was no surprise to her.

The way the sunlight bounced off waterdroplets along his body was quite distracting.

He slid his way into her pool and smiled at her, eyes roving her form. She hadn't made any move to hide herself, or remove her breasts from such an obvious display. This was her place, and it made her powerful. She smiled back and arched her back, just a little. His pupils dilated in response.

She bit her lip, just a tad, and his eyes snapped to where her teeth trapped that little bit of pink flesh. He licked his own lips. An ache settled between her legs.

She slowly, teasingly, eased her way down the side and into the deeper water, closer to the merman. One hand reached out before her to touch his shoulder, her feet treading water as she did so. His skin was soft, and much darker than her own, and when she slid her fingers down his arm, he shuddered.

She smiled wickedly and used her grip on him to draw herself closer, until her nipples brushed his chest with each breath and her cheek rested next to his. He was so restrained, allowing her to make the first move, and this emboldened her more. Trusting to his ability to keep them both afloat with his powerful tail, she hooked her legs around his waist and pulled him flush against her, relishing the feeling of skin on skin. Her lips sought out his earlobe and he gasped, hands clenching around her waist in surprise.

It wasn't enough. She grazed her teeth down his neck and planted soft kisses along his jaw, never once roaming to his mouth - right now she wanted a fuck, not a lover, imaginary as he was - while her hands slipped beneath the water, down his spine and to his buttocks. His 'mer'-part began at his waist, his skin changing from honey tan to iridescent blues and greens and purples, but he still had an ass to grab. He groaned and jerked his hips forwards, but her pussy only met with flat skin.

"Please tell me you have a dick," she hissed into his ear. This was met with a throaty laugh she felt from her stomach up.

"You'll find out soon enough," he rumbled and jerked his hips forwards again. This time she felt a touch against her labia. Another thrust and she gasped as his tip dipped between her folds and brushed the entrance of her opening. This time she met his thrust with one of her own, pussy aching with anticipation. The tip kissed her entrance and ducked away once more, drawing a whine from her and another rumbling laugh from the merman. Another thrust and the tip slipped in for a moment, certainly not enough for her, and was gone once more. She growled in frustration.

The next thrust and he was seated fully within her, his girth stretching her to delicious fullness, his length taking her deeper than she had ever experienced before. "Oh, god," she groaned in pleasure. He moaned in reply. They remained there for a moment, his cock deep within her as she stretched and pulsed around him.

"You feel incredible," he purred as he slowly drew his hips back, pulling back until only the tip remained and easing back in until his cock was fully seated. She could feel each internal ridge as it caught on the head of his cock and oh god it felt good. He did this again, slowly drawing himself out while she gasped. This time he slammed himself back in and she bowed her back in pleasure. He withdrew again and she tried to pull his cock back in, thrusting her own hips towards him, but he held her waist firmly. His next thrust was slow and torturous as his long shaft slid home.

"Lie me back in the shallows," she gasped, and he more than happily obliged, using his powerful tail to move them in the water without ever parting them. The slide and flex of strong muscles beneath and between her legs just made her hotter. When her back finally touched rock, she arched up, grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him against her, nipples hard against his chest. She angled her hips and squeezed her calves and he gasped as his cock sunk even further, and their bodies were so flush she could feel the deliciously smooth skin around the base of his cock against her lips and rubbing against her clit.

He lifted his hips back and slammed back down, skin against clit and cock deep in her pussy, and god, this is exactly what she needed. As his hips drew back for another thrust, she thrust up to meet him. Water lapped against her sides, his tongue against her neck, his cock buried deep within her. He gripped her hips tight and drove her into the stone side with his cock, deeper and deeper he went, sliding all the way out before slamming all the way in to the hilt, always his skin rubbing against her clit and bringing her higher.

He changed angles, tucking his tail under and ramming his cock up, the head of it brushing against a soft spot within. He didn't withdraw far before thrusting back in, using his powerful tail to add more power to his thrusts. She could only cling to him and gasp as each thrust hit that sweet spot until stars exploded behind her eyes and she cried out.

When she could see again, he was grinning down at her and made as if to remove himself. "Oh no you don't!" she said, and gripped him and rolled them over so that he was the one against the side and her knees were on the stone. His eyes went wide as she sank back down to the hilt and rolled her hips just so. She held his arms down at his sides - and used them as a support - as she rose up again and sank back down on his cock. At this angle, the topside of his shaft rubbed so deliciously across her inner ridges, and she knew he'd be feeling it as well.

She leant forwards and raised her hips, but this time he grabbed her hips and thrust up to meet her, ramming her down on his cock and drawing out a delighted gasp. She lifted her hips and he did the same, pulling her down while thrusting up, seating himself deeply inside her. She fucked him like this until his thrusts sped up and grew ragged, his cock hitting harder. He shuddered and thrust, deep, deeper, deepest. His cum hitting the inside of her womb sent her over the edge and gasping.

Karissa came to first, and pulled herself off him to lie beside him, stretched out in the shallows of her pool. She felt his seed trickling out of her, to be picked up by the current and swept out of the pool and later out of her garden. "I needed that," she finally said, staring up at the blue sky above.

"I'm glad to have been of service," he said. He sounded pleased. She didn't turn her head to see if he was grinning, she knew he was. "Now, however, I must leave. Pleasurable as this was, I have other things I must attend to."

"Perhaps I'll see you here again?" Karissa asked hopefully, sitting up on one elbow to look at him. He smiled again, genuine and sweet.

"I certainly hope so," he replied. He began to work his way back up the stream, body loose and lazy. "Until we meet again," he said as he slipped into the stream and between the trees.

Karissa watched that spot until she could see no more, and true sleep claimed her.