It was the end of summer, the sweltering heat subsiding in place for the cooler, autumn temperatures California was usually known for. A choice spot for many suburban families was El Aliento de la Mañana, or The Morning Breath. It was a semi-abandoned missionary, now headed by Catholics wanting to rake in some cash for the season. In retrospect, it was a perfect idea. The missionary was overlooking the ocean, it had a constant cool breeze, even in the summer, which earned it its name, it was visually appealing and had a variety of gift shops, restaurants, and even a movie theater. It was, essentially, a Catholic run shopping mall.
One family in particular came here every year and had been for the past seven years. One of the few families who had gained VIP status amongst the owners, discounts on every purchase made during their stay and special privileges. And one member of that family in particular made sure to take advantage of that status at every chance he got. He wasn't necessarily a manipulating or even horrible person by any standards, he simply followed through with an opportunity when he saw it. But today, on the seventh year, he didn't. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to enjoy the exotic Spanish cuisine, he didn't want to flirt with the waitresses, he didn't want to bathe himself in aromatic oils, he just didn't want.
Richard followed through with his family wishes, though. His grandmother, Patricia, his brother, James and his mother sister, Elissa. They all wanted him to go. Him specifically. And he could never figure out the reason why. As he sat at the dining table out in the waning daylight, he stared off opposite the hungry trio. His hazel eyes shone with an almost apathetic annoyance. Apparently it was obvious in his face that he didn't want to be with his family currently, as a mildly pretty waitress he knew as Jen caught his eye and motioned him to follow her. Shrugging lightly, he excused himself from the table, claiming he had to take a walk and stretch his aching legs. He followed the waitress carelessly into a semi-secluded alley, where she ended up pressing him against the cobblestone wall. Grinning softly, he silently followed through with her advances, running his hand up her thigh - a soft, shy gasp escaping from her lips.
"You've grown up. ." she said between gasps. She wasn't much older than him, two years at the most he guessed. Her auburn hair flowed naturally through his fingers, the silkiness a welcome change from the rough, tangled hair of the past few girls he seduced.
"You've stayed the same, Jen." His own voice, groggy and uneasy, was a surprise to even him. In truth, he did feel some sort of uneasiness about this situation, almost as if this were a trap.
"And you're still as gullible, Rich."
A trap. He felt the cold metal of a knife press against his exposed stomach and winced lightly, just noticeably, but he hoped she wouldn't notice. Any moment of weakness could be his downfall. She pressed deeper into his skin, drawing blood, a signal to move. She turned him around, had him face towards the darkness ahead of him; the knife now pressing into his back. He looked off to his side, trying to determine the best choice of action.
There was none.
"You will be seeing her shortly." Jen said, a coaxing voice and arguably very arousing despite the current circumstances. He was hard-pressed to hide the blood that rushed to his face. She smiled, knowing now that she was close to having him at the edge of her fingertips. They walked down the alley and turned right, heading up a set of stairs that seemed to lead to nowhere. He dared to take a look up though, and realized they were heading up into a belfry. Noticing her eyes on him, though, he quickly looked back down at his Airwalk shoes, being reminded he needed to buy another pair of shoes next month. He had barely got these and already they were full of tears and rips, characteristics of a runner. He wouldn't be running from this woman though, unfortunately.
For a second, his vision was blanketed by darkness, then the all-too familiar clicking of a lighter resounded throughout his ears. The belfry was lit up with an extremely bright orange-red glow, the source being a torch hanging above the group of four where a bell would normally go. There was Jen, that auburn-haired girl he had initially been attracted to, himself - the dark brown haired, hazel pupiled late teenager she had initially been attracted to -, an old man that seemed on his last strand of life, and. . Richard's heart jumped up into his throat when he saw the ancient woman standing against the makeshift window.
Multiple creases adorned her face, her dark brown eyes were sunken into her face. The hair on her head was wiry and obviously hadn't been taken care of in years. She was relatively fit, not too scrawny, not too fat. She wore 'old-lady' clothes as Richard liked to call the attire. Her face, though ancient, and apparently stressed, was brightened up when she smiled. It was a mischievous smile, she had something planned for Richard, maybe even for the other two people in the room.
He had to shake the thoughts from his mind, these lustful thoughts. He wanted to spring himself on this woman, this relic of creation, give himself to her completely. She was ugly, yet beautiful. She was malignant and yet all that was good. In his mind, he recalled a passage from Revelations 22:13.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.
But, again, he had to shake the thoughts from his mind. Something, some pure, sanity-driven instinct told him that was exactly what she wanted. He grimaced slightly, and when the woman saw this, her smile slowly faded. Something told him that wasn't a good thing. She walked with surprising grace for someone of her age, a slight 'young-girl swing' in her steps was something he found all-too arousing. But, again, he had to shake the thoughts from his mind. He blinked and, as he somehow expected, she stood in front of him. She placed a hand on his chest and, almost miraculously, he could feel her ancient, yet somehow fresh and young, skin against his own - despite the thick flannel he wore.
When she spoke, her words came like a soft breeze. "You have resisted."
Richard managed to smile, in spite of the dangerous eyes on him and the cold metal pressed against his back. "I don't go for antiques. Love history and all, but meh." He managed a shrug. Almost instantly his vision exploded in clouds of white, only minutes later when he regained some form of consciousness did he realize he had been struck across the face by the 'antique'. It didn't hurt, or maybe it did, but Richard tried not to think of the pain.
It left faster if ignored.
"Pretty mouth, ugly words." she said, caressing his cheek. It was at this moment that he realized he had know idea who these people were or what was happening. But he was hungry. Damn, I could go for some Spanish food right now. His stomach growled. She heard this, looked at his stomach and looked back up at him, this time with seductive, sunken eyes. "You are hungry."
"I don't eat anything over a million years old." He said again, witty remarks and sarcasm were his defenses against every troubling situation he was in. He prepared himself this time for the ensuing strike, but it never came. Instead, everybody laughed at this remark. He had finally won them over with his amazing remarks. He smiled and silently congratulated himself.
"Would you eat something that is a million years old, then?"
Her own unexpected, witty remark caught him off guard. For the first time in a long while he had no idea what to say, except stammering out a, "Yeah, I guess so. Stand by your decisions, right?" Only after he said it did he realize he had made a mistake. He knew then he would be forced into something, some sick fantasy of the relic's, maybe forced into a three-some with the old man standing behind her smiling gently. But he had to admit. . even with him trying his hardest to push the thoughts back into his mind, it would be interesting to see what she was capable of.
NO screamed his mind, so incredibly loud he was afraid everybody in the room would hear it. Thankfully it was only in his mind and he even managed to suppress the grimace that almost came to his face.
"Sereni." she said, a coaxing, lustful voice.
"Is that your name?" Richard asked respectfully, the blood rushing up to his face. He was beginning to give into the lust. In the distance, he heard only silence, then the laughter of his family at the table. They probably did not notice he had been gone for so long. Jen dug the knife further into his back, drawing more blood, but he did not take note of the pain.
But he did. He had closed his eyes, he had uttered a soft moan. He had at this moment realized he was masochistic. Jen smiled, the relic - Sereni - smiled, the old man smiled. Jen dropped the knife, allowing him to freely move. Sereni nodded towards the exit and Jen nodded towards the old man, who nodded towards Sereni. The choice was clear. Run away, or stay and completely give into the lust.
The characteristics of a runner. Torn shoes. He needed a new pair next month. Wouldn't be running.
His mind went blank, filled only with lust, only with fake compassion, only with lust. He walked over to Sereni's open arms, she embraced him and they kissed, their lips matching together in a perfect dance. Their tongues brushed against each other, her eyes opened, his eyes closed. She smiled and he smiled, the lust taking over. He had become what he had wished to become - a useful object to someone else. The ecstasy of their bodies joining together through a secretion of bodily fluids was amazing, he felt at total peace, total completion. Life had begun anew through the fertilization of the fundamentals of creation.
The next thing he saw - and felt - was total darkness.
Wake up,
Richard
