The Practice Pt. 20: Hannah 14

Hannah was frustrated and helpless. She knew what she had to do, but no idea how to accomplish it - and she didn't know who she could trust.

"Emily has definitely been corrupted by Shaper," Ashley said. They'd had this conversation a million times, but Hannah wanted a different answer.

Hannah drummed her fingers and sat in sullen silence. Dull thuds periodically reverberated through the walls of Heron's hideaway deep beneath Bag End. The Island was being shelled continually by an ever-growing ring of naval forces and the girls had grown used to it over the past few weeks. The Island's perimeter seemed to be impervious to the assault, but the accumulation of multinational military forces around them put everyone on edge. They were obviously never going home, but now what?

Hannah didn't care about any of that. "You've said that a hundred times, Ashley, but how do you know?"

Hannah, Ashley, Nicole, and Elizabeth spent most of their free time huddled together underground. The girls had outfitted the cramped storage room with a few comforts - a few cushions, some chairs - and gradually spent more and more time hiding away from their responsibilities with the students above. Hannah was grateful to Nicole for handling the bulk of that burden - it was for the best, in the long run, considering what was coming. Right now, only one thing mattered...

Ashley bowed her head and spoke softly. "I felt it when I was inside her. I tried to pull it out, but Dr. Wilcox stopped me. It would have killed her."

Hannah shook her head. How could Ashley really know? Was she even telling the truth? Hannah had been forced to torment her to learn as much as she had. The others trusted her, but they didn't know everything Hannah knew. "Enough talk. I'm going to get her and see for myself. Ashley, you're going to take me."

Ashley leaned back into Nicole's arms and trembled - she was obviously frightened, but she nodded. "Are you going to set her free?"

Hannah stood up and stretched. Now that she had decided on a course of action her mind was clear and her body surged with energy; she shook off the torpor that had gripped her since they had arrived on the Island. "I've got an idea for how to test her. Shaper's influence connected to a girl's sexual response - that's why Dr. Wilcox worked through you when he tested Emily before."

Nicole tilted her head in thought and wrapped her arms around Ashley to steady her. "So, you think you can read her better than Dr. Wilcox could?"

"Nope," Hannah said triumphantly, turning to Heron. "But he can."

Heron straightened and shook his head. He seemed generally uninterested in anything but himself - and ogling the girls. "No way. I'm not going anywhere. If I show my face, Shelly is likely to throw me in the ocean."

"If you don't help me, I'll throw you in the ocean."

Heron shrugged and sat back. "Either way, you lose. Instead of threatening me, how about a trade? I've got something you want, and you've got something I want."

Hannah stared at him intently. "You know we're forbidden from any kind of sex with you. Look, but no touch."

Heron raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise. "Of course! I would never impugn your virtue and innocence. In fact, quite the opposite! It seems to me there's only one way to guarantee my future."

When his meaning dawned on Hannah she was stunned. "You can't be serious."

Heron stood up in front of Hannah, dropping his smile. "What's more serious than life and death? I'll help you rescue Emily. I'll help you with whatever crazy scheme you think up next," he said, and fell to one knee before the naked girl, taking her hand. "If you'll marry me."

The shock in the room was palpable. Hannah broke out in a sweat despite the cool dry air. The musky smell of the girls in the confined space made her pussy moist. Heron's hand was hot on hers. His eyes were earnest, even desperate. He didn't love her, but dozens of girls had been married in the past weeks to men they'd never even met. Hannah would be married soon anyway, to someone Dr. Wilcox had picked out. Someone better suited to her than this scoundrel. But not someone who could save Emily.

Hannah took a deep breath and looked down into Heron's face. "Yes."

--

Returning to the Robinson Treehouse under the cover of darkness brought a lump to Hannah's throat. The thick forest engulfed her, Ashley, and Heron, and heavy wet air muffled their movement as they crept along the dimly lit path. Occasional inhuman screams pierced the night, interspersed with blasts from naval artillery, but the sounds washed impotently over the trio. No one was outside this late at night, and the hardest part of their sneaking had been getting Heron out of Bag End without waking the other students. Fortunately, the nightly orgies left everyone exhausted.

Ashley led them off the path and around the huge trunk that supported the treehouse far above the canopy. Hannah and Emily had spent their first night together up there almost two years ago, shyly exploring their bodies and finding an unexpected joy together. Hannah had never even kissed another girl before, and Emily's smooth, warm, wetness had captivated her.

As they made their way through the undergrowth at the base of the tree Heron broke into Hannah's thoughts with his typical subtlety. "I love going in the back door," he winked.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Yes, I get it. When we're married, you're going to fuck me in the ass." The banter made her pussy wet, or maybe it was just the excitement and exertion. Or her memories of Emily. Her nerves buzzed with electricity.

Heron stuck out his tongue. "You're no fun."

Ashley bent down between some roots, her small naked body glowing in the moonlight. "If you two lovebirds are done flirting, we're here." Her hands moved in the shadows and the roots spread open like legs to reveal a stone corridor and stairway descending beneath the tree. The stones were engraved with silvery, shimmering runes. Maybe Ashley was turned on, too, because she reached up between her thighs before slipping into the tunnel.

Hannah followed her down and Heron was close behind. The runes at the mouth of the staircase glowed brightly as they passed through and Ashley pointed to them. "Dr. Wilcox probably knows we're here now, so there isn't much time." She took Hannah's hand and pulled her down into the pitch black, and Hannah reached back to hold Heron's hand with her other.

Hannah couldn't see anything as they descended the spiral that mirrored the stairs circling the tree above. Years ago she had first admired Emily's butt as they ascended, but here in the depths of the earth there was nothing to see except Ashley's strangely glowing eyes. Somehow she could find her way down. Even if this was a trap, Hannah had no choice but to trip it.

Hannah's thighs burned from the descent despite the cold subterranean air. After uncountable minutes Ashley led them through another archway of gleaming runes and into a small antechamber with several doors, all closed. The room was dimly lit by the runes that covered every wall, shimmering with movement like sunlight through the surface of the water. Ashley looked small and frightened and didn't release Hannah's hand.

"We can still go back up," she said. "It's not -"

Hannah cut her off. "No. Where's Emily?"

Ashley pointed and clutched at Hannah, dragged along as Hannah approached the door. It opened easily at her touch and she peered inside. Her heart lurched when she saw Emily lying motionless on a dais in the middle of the room. Her friend, her lover, was alive after all these months. Hannah rushed forward to embrace her and found her skin warm, even hot to the touch. Soft. Their breasts pressed together and Hannah's body tingled with remembrance.

But Emily didn't move. Hannah wiped tears from her eyes and stood back. Emily looked just the same as Hannah remembered - curly blonde hair, pert breasts, firm athletic body - but her eyes were closed and her wrists and ankles were bound to the platform: her legs spread, and her arms stretched above her head. Some sort of softstone device encircled her waist and dipped between her legs.

"They called it a firewall," Ashley whispered from behind, pressing her body against Hannah. "It blocks Shaper's corruption."

"From getting in?" Heron asked.

Hannah shook her head. "From getting out. We can't test her with it on, and if she is corrupted we won't be able to purge it. How does it come off?"

Ashley hesitated before reaching around Hannah, keeping the taller girl between her and Emily. She carefully pointed to a few latch points near the waistline of the device and then pulled back, anxious to avoid physical contact with Emily. "Touch there and there," she said, her eyes still twinkling green in the dim light.

Emily's chest rose and fell as she breathed, but she was otherwise still. "Is she sleeping?" Hannah asked.

"More like hibernating. Shelly has done everything she can think of, Hannah," Ashley said, gripping the taller girl's arm and pulling close. Their bare skin rubbed together and Hannah's pussy throbbed with desire. Ashley's touch made her heart beat faster... maybe they should just go back up and make love together. Ashley traced her fingers down Hannah's neck and between her breasts, down her stomach, between her lips, and found Hannah's clit.

Hannah groaned. "You're trying to stall me until Dr. Wilcox finds us," she said.

Ashley stopped rubbing and slid a finger into Hannah's pussy. "I'm trying to protect you and Emily - my sisters."

With great reluctance Hannah pushed Ashley's hand away, her finger shining wet in the silver light. "You've changed, and I don't trust you."

Ashley looked away. "You've changed too, Hannah. You scare me sometimes, but I love you."

"Then help me remove the firewall."

Ashley slumped and nodded. The two girls moved to stand on either side of Emily and pressed down on the waistline of the firewall together, causing the stone bands to crack apart. Emily's breathing sped up. Hannah grasped the stone ridge that rested on Emily's tummy, reached under her to grab the back, and then gently began to tug it down over her hips and thighs.

The device moved reluctantly, and as it came down Hannah saw why: two stone shafts protruded from the crotch of the device and were embedded Emily's pussy and anus. The protrusions were bulbous and obviously not intended to come out easily. Hannah slipped her fingers between Emily's legs and gently pressed on her pussy lips and anus to help work the shafts out of her body. Emily's skin was now extremely hot and her pussy was dripping wet as Hannah slowly freed her from the device.

The stone shafts were each over a foot long, and Hannah was shocked that they could even fit into Emily's body - but she'd seen stranger things from other softstone devices. As the waistline passed over Emily's knees the orbed ends of the shafts finally popped out of her holes and Emily immediately convulsed and screamed. Hannah did her best to hold her down while the shaking gradually subsided.

"Emily, Emily, it's me, Hannah," she whispered in her ear, choking back sobs.

Emily struggled against the binding on her limbs and looked up at Hannah. "What's going on? Where are we?" She unconsciously lifted her hips off the surface and wiggled, testing her range of motion. "Is this a dream?"

Hannah buried her face in Emily's breasts, draping her arms over her friend's body. "I've missed you so much," she said, over and over. "Come on, we've got to get out of here."

Before Hannah could undo Emily's restraints Heron grabbed her shoulder. "You're forgetting something," he said. "First we need to test her."

Emily gasped modestly and twisted her head. "Who's that?"

Hannah kept a hand on her and said, "That's Heron, and he's right."

"Hannah's fiancé," Heron chimed in.

Ashley avoided talking to Emily and said, "Lay her back, we don't have much time if you want to see the corruption for yourself."

Tears filled Emily's eyes. "If you're talking about Shaper, Ashley, it didn't corrupt me! It showed me the truth."

Emily was confused, but that didn't mean she was irredeemably "corrupted". Hannah pushed her voice out of her mind and reached between Emily's legs. Her pussy was drenched and slippery and easily accepted Hannah's first two fingers. "Ashley, tell me what to do."

With great reluctance Ashley bent over Emily's pussy and pressed two fingers against her exposed clit. Emily moaned with pleasure and writhed in her restraints. Ashley said, "When you're inside her you'll feel it, see it, with your soul."

"Shaper isn't going to hurt anyone!" Emily gasped. "It's been guiding humanity since the dawn of history. You can't imagine it until you see it. Shaper is going to take us to the stars!"

Emily's breathing deepened as Hannah pushed into her, three fingers and then four. Her pussy was tight, but so slippery that Hannah's fingers penetrated easily. Ashley rubbed slow circles on Emily's clit while Heron stood over the three girls, serious for once, and stared into Emily's body.

Each time Emily spoke Hannah sensed a presence inside her, something deep within pushing to the fore. Hannah curled her fingers and rubbed Emily's g-spot, making her cry out in pleasure mid-sentence. An infinitesimal speck of blackness whirled inside Emily and then retreated. The corruption; Ashley was right. Heron must have seen it too, because he started whispering directions to Hannah, helping her corner it.

"Dr. Wilcox is the one who kidnapped and raped us," Emily said, heaving. Her body writhed in pleasure and her limbs were taut in her cuffs. "He's holding us captive. All of humanity! He's the one who wants to destroy us."

Hannah squeezed her thumb down into her palm and curled her fingers, pushing her knuckles past Emily's lips as gently as possible; her friend screamed and bucked, but Hannah was inside. Emily's pussy spasmed on her hand, hot and tight up to her wrist. Hannah had never gotten her whole hand into a girl before and the feeling of power was exhilarating. With a slight twist of her wrist she could send Emily into ecstatic convulsions.

Hannah held her hand still. "Tell me what Shaper wants with us."

Emily's thighs twitched in a mix of agony and pleasure, pressing helplessly against Hannah's forearm. "It just wants to be free, and it'll take us along for the ride."

"As its slaves."

Emily lifted her head and looked down her body at Hannah. "You're a slave already, but not me, not anymore."

There it was, pulsing at the surface; the black speck had grown into a ball of darkness nestled in Emily's innermost parts. Hannah twisted her arm and lunged forward with her mind as Emily screamed - terror, rapture, or both. The ball of darkness evaded to escape Hannah's grasp, but Heron's whispered directions guided her. Between the two of them the darkness had nowhere to hide, and Hannah felt her fingers somehow close around it. With a gentle tug she slipped her hand free from Emily's pussy, trailing behind her a stream of metallic-scented mist, blending into the odor of sweat and pussy.

Emily lay suddenly still, silent. The mist flowed from her anguished vagina for several seconds and then swirled into cloud. The cloud danced around the room as if tasting every occupant, and then flowed out the door and up the stairs to the surface.

Hannah's hand was cramped and aching but she had no thought for it. She hurled herself at Emily and began undoing the restraints on her ankles. "We did it! We saved her!"

Heron grabbed her around the waist and tried to hold onto her sweat-slicked body. "Hannah, Hannah, no!"

Hannah tore loose from him and freed Emily's legs. "Wake up! Emily!" But she didn't move. She wasn't breathing. Hannah grabbed her hands, her face. The heat had left her, the flush of life. "No!"

Hannah stood helplessly as Ashley came up beside her and said, "I had an idea." She reached between her legs, spreading her thighs to draw something out of her pussy, and as she did the glow faded from her green eyes.

Tears poured down Hannah's face but she wordlessly accepted the item from Ashley, still warm from her body: a small softstone medallion shaped like a fox's head. The chain draped over her fingers and swung for a few seconds before Hannah threw herself back on Emily. With frantic motion she lifted Emily's head from the dais and looped the chain around her neck.

Emily's eyes opened immediately when the softstone fell between her breasts, and Hannah fell onto her friend, smothering her with kisses and sobs of joy.

No one heard Dr. Wilcox enter until he spoke, flanked by Shelly. "What have you done?"

Hannah clung to Emily and wiped her face on her arm; her whole body was covered with sweat and pussy juice, so the motion didn't accomplish much, but she couldn't help grinning. "I saved Emily, that's what."

Shelly erupted. "You foolish girl! You killed her, and you set some bit of Shaper free on the Island."

"She's alive, and I don't give a fuck about Shaper!"

Shelly could barely contain herself and spoke to Dr. Wilcox through a clenched jaw. "I told you. You think you can save them in spite of themselves? You can manipulate their atoms but you don't understand the furnace of emotion in these girls."

Dr. Wilcox looked dismayed and rubbed his fingers through his beard. "That's why we have you. Collect yourself."

Shelly covered her face with her hands and leaned her forehead against the wall, muttering to herself. "This wretched form." Ashley approached her tentatively and put a hand on her shoulder, whispering something in her ear.

Dr. Wilcox turned to the others, his eyes lingering longest on Emily. "I'm sorry we couldn't do more for you Emily."

Emily tilted her head, attempting to shrug with her arms tied down. "Actually, I feel fine sir. A little sore."

Dr. Wilcox brushed some hair from her eyes and looked over her naked body. "Would you like to stay with Hannah, or join some other girls like you?"

Emily looked at Hannah, who was still holding her hand and weeping silently, then turned back to Dr. Wilcox. "It doesn't really matter to me, sir."

At this Hannah straightened. "What? Of course you want to come with me."

Emily said, "Ok, sure."

Hannah's tears flowed anew. She didn't care? Just like Danielle. The amulet saved her life, but Emily was a handmaiden now. An empty shell of the girl she once was. She had words and thoughts and motion, but was she really alive at all? Ashley had been right about everything. Sobs wracked Hannah's body and she collapsed to her knees.

Dr. Wilcox put a hand on Hannah's shoulder and gently pulled her face forward. Reflexively she reached into his robe and pulled out his semi-erect cock, wrapping her lips around it and sucking deeply. Tears poured down her cheeks and over his thick meat while she slid him in and out, tasting their mingled saltiness.

Dr. Wilcox petted Hannah's hair while he spoke. "Shelly, it's time. Take us up. We can't purge the Shaper fragment without dropping the perimeter. The girls should be safe, but..."

Shelly pulled away from Ashley's lips and coughed, apparently embarrassed, and then her usual grin appeared. "Finally! Sorry to miss the wedding, Hannah. And Heron," she continued in a song-song voice: "You're lucky I didn't find you!" Turning to the stairs she finished, "Coming Ashley?"

Ashley ducked down to kiss Hannah on the cheek, over the bulge of the cock in her mouth, before hurrying to follow Shelly back to the surface.

Wedding? Hannah took Dr. Wilcox deep into her throat and lost herself, pushing everything else out of her mind. The obsession of the past few months was over. If only she could suck this cock for the rest of her life and let the world burn. Maybe Emily was doomed no matter what she did. Maybe life as a handmaiden wasn't so bad, and one day...