《A Hell of Your Own Design》


 Beauty

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    <h1>Beauty</h1>


    Could monsters be beautiful? Hollywood tells us yes. They tell us that true beauty comes from within, that it is in the eye of the beholder, that even the most hideous of monstrosities may have some sort of hidden beauty inside of their gentle souls. I take that short and simple thought to be an undeniable truth. Obsessions with vanity were simply that, a vapid delusion that kept many glued to the mirrors or taking selfies. There is no such thing as external beauty.


    The being before me laid beyond description. Beautiful was a word, yes, but it was only a stepping stone. If I called my husband, my friend, or my coworkers beautiful, I was correct. But calling this thing beautiful? It was an insult. Beautiful was a soft, gentle, and kind word. The word depicted an unparalleled strength of body, spirit, mind, and a kindness of the soul. (Assuming I used the Hollywood take). However, her skin was not a gentle, normal color. She wasn¡¯t a definable ethnicity, nationality, or creed. Her skin was cold. Paler than pale, as if it had suffered from a dash of purple frostbite. But it was smooth, too. So silky that your every finger convulsed at the sight, every nerve wanted to touch it, just a little bit.


    Her eyes were not a fierce blue or a warm hazel. They were white. Stark and horrifying white. Except there were more than two- there were four. No, my eyes never deceived me. Four eyes, two in each socket, as if they were giant cells trying to split apart in a bout of mitosis. Yet her eyes held an intelligence, a thirst for knowledge. Her hair was jet-black, a flowing gale of shadow locks that flew in the breeze.


    There were other aspects about her that rested just on the cusp of perfection, but no greater- Her ears and nose in particular. But the top of her head caught my eye. Two horns. Magnificently placed upon the top of her brow. They bended backwards, around the curvature of her bump-less skull and were gnarled to sharpened, thick points. They had a constant sheen to them, even in total darkness. Was that makeup on her face? Tattoos? Or, perhaps, they were part of her skin? A single black stripe on her bottom lip, the same under both of her eyelids. They were vertical and simple accents for an already powerful face.


    Even in the dead of night, these features of hers were visible. But the moonlight that ignited her upper body hadn¡¯t revealed her lower one. Was she wearing any clothes? It was difficult to tell in the relative dark. Not even the semi-frequent flashes of lightning revealed her completeness to me, and I wondered if that was her supernatural intent.


    Her stance was statuesque. It was impossible to know her thoughts, her wants, her desires. She opened her mouth. At first, I thought it was to speak, to announce her presence to me. No words came. Her hand rose towards her mouth. She stroked her lips ever so softly. Was it a display, a bid to show herself off to me? Even after she removed her finger, she kept her mouth open for a few precious seconds, staring me down. A tongue emerged. At this point, I already expected something unnatural to come out. It slithered out of


    er mouth like it was alive, or like some vine in the jungle. Thick and wet with some unknown fluids, it swam around her symmetrical form without effort. How long was it? Had it even a length? The drips of some unknown substance, the same delicious purple as her skin, had dotted its trail below her tongue. It was drool, yes, but it was... an amazing smell, all the same. Every few seconds the scent seamlessly changed into something wonderful and unidentifiable. All of them were sweet.


    Her eyes moved to mine. She stared me down. Even the sheets hadn¡¯t protected me from her gaze. She blocked my path out of the room. She knew I was alone, she knew I would be asleep at this time. The clock had stopped working, the animals hadn¡¯t dared walk in. The windows were closed. The alarm was on. Was this a dream? How had she gotten here? Why?


    Her left leg moved forward, and I felt the weight of her body as her knee pushed into the bed. She felt heavier than she gave on. I held my breath. It was dark- maybe hiding remained an option! I felt her other leg come about the bed, and her hand compressed upon the sheets right against my thigh. Sweat furloughed over my brow, my eyes were shut tight, and my toes were curling. I wanted to hide my fear. I tried to hide my fear. But I quivered. My arms shook, and my legs trembled.


    Still, she said nothing. Or, at least, I thought it was a she. This close, and at this angle, her breasts swayed from side to side, a pendulum for my eyes to follow. It wasn¡¯t out of attraction, right? It was out of curiosity, of fear, of scientific inclination. It was impossible she found me attractive, her features were that inhuman. Where was her body heat? Hell, even with the veil of blankets separating our bodies, cold still assaulted me. Finally, her torso was upon mine, her unblinking eyes inches away from my own. I felt their glare, even under my eyelids.


    I shook as her palms touched my cheeks. They were numb to the touch. Her breath hit my ear as she leaned across me. Words came from her throat. The sounds that she made were completely unintelligible, but I knew instantly what she meant.


    ¡°Open your eyes, mewling thing.¡±


    Of course, I opened them. How else was I to respond? She was more than me, more than anything I could have defended against. Her tongue came out again, and I felt droplets fall onto my blanket, across my neck, and over my head. The moment they came into contact with the barest bit of skin, they steamed a soft sizzle, releasing a purple haze into the air. It wasn¡¯t long, with this constant dribbling of viscous slime, before my vision was clouded.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Inhale¡±.


    Nothing good would have come from it. But even as my oxygen supply under the blanket left me, I desperately attempted to avoid it, somehow. My arms were pinned by hers. I moved my legs, but they betrayed me. They disobeyed my orders, they kept themselves in a death like stillness. Something was on them, holding them down. Something I hadn¡¯t been able to see, yet.


    I held out for as long as I could, but it was of no use. But I felt the call within my chest. I needed to breathe, in order to live! The last thing I wanted was to obey her orders! But, all the same, I had to. I inhaled. It was loud and


    nosy, desperate and sloppy. But she hadn¡¯t cared about any of that. Only that I had done so.


    The pink haze, so thick and full in the room, had replaced the air. Each particle entered my nostril, and for every breath taken, I felt it¡¯s hold upon me. It was a strange feeling, to say the least. My body was heavy, but my mind was...different. I was completely aware, but my senses were heightened, my feelings intensified, and my emotions increased tenfold. And then... a stirring. A stirring below, between my legs. This was a rare occurrence, it had been so long.


    The daemon¡¯s body felt so warm now, under the effects of the haze. Her appearance was ever shifting, too, changing colors and forms. New appendages were added and removed, but her eyes were a constant in the ever-shifting being. But, among this haze, those once beady and horrible eyes seemed beautiful. Where, at one point, it was like a spider: something soulless and lifeless, it was now something wonderful. The addition of life, rather than the reduction of humanity.


    Thus, when she lifted her mouth from my ear, I quickly accepted her lips upon mine. I was more than willing. It was a slow and passionate thing, the kiss. They tasted wonderful, a sweet candy with a dash of frost. As our lips disconnected, I felt what had been holding my legs down. It was curled around my thighs- a powerful, black tail. It was far larger than I thought such a thing could be- but my heightened senses, thanks to the haze, was more than enough to detect its intricacies. A large spine dotted it¡¯s back, and the being above me controlled it without any noticeable effort, as if the tail had a mind of its very own.


    I felt it poke and prod against my skin, doting little things that served to ingratiate itself upon me. I wondered, had she been faking these small gestures? Pretending to know what it was like to have human things, such as emotion? Or was she showing me her side of things? Her genuine ability to play, to seduce, to show intimacy?


    She stared at me as her tail wandered. Her palm was on my cheek, and mine was on hers. I was enthralled, confused, attracted, and scared. A part of me wished to hold this stare forever, but it wouldn¡¯t have been so. She revealed her cards to me all too soon.


    ¡°Your soul... a piece of it as all I require. That is how we will be together.¡±


    The idea of offering my soul to such a demonic force would normally be outcasted immediately. I would have thought to my husband, my life at home, my weekly trips to church... all of it thrown up as shields against temptation. But I was not myself. I was in a haze, my inhibitions were lowered, and the pull to pleasure was more than I ever handled.


    I shook my head in silence. I wanted to resist... I had to resist, but it was too much! Barely, just barely, I towed the line, unable to move my decision into either direction. Until I felt it. That powerful tail. A single brush was all it took. I felt its thick and powerful form make the lightest of touches against my vaginal folds. They were moistening already, creating a soft pool below


    my legs. My lust was instantly catapulted into overdrive. I felt my lower lips puffing and engorging, eager for a taste of that massive thing.


    Her smile was wider. She was glad- was that a sign of good faith, or simply a marker for her conquest? It hadn¡¯t mattered, though, right? After all, I had already given my consent, I had already signed the contract, our lips had already locked. She knew my lusts. A few precious seconds more of that staring, of those gorgeous eyes.


    She leaned in for another kiss, one I accepted with another burst of happiness. As I drove myself upwards and into her lips, I heard a noise come from the back of her throat. At first, I thought she was moaning, as someone like me might have done. But, again, she surprised me. The words she spoke, like the last, were impossible to decipher. Instead, I felt them enter me, as if her words held some metaphysical force to them. A second later, and she broke her lips off from mine. Her mouth was kept open, and her hands were right on my breasts. She fondled them, and the pleasure was so much that I barely noticed the stream of white that left my mouth, born from the words she injected into me. It flew from mine into hers, and within a few seconds, she had literally consumed a piece of my very soul.


    It was a tiny thing, that loss. Nothing noticeably had changed, no pain or different feelings. My emotions still held, my wants were climbing and my needs were focused completely on desire. I smooshed my breasts against those willing palms of hers, reveling in her aggression, in the forcefulness with which she kneaded my chest. That glorious tail came up again, brushing against my lower folds with more force. A sliver of it finally entered me. I felt a blush rise from one of my ears to the other. My eyes shut in unrepentant bliss, I reared my head back.


    ¡°More!¡±


    My first word to her, one screamed out into the ceiling and the sky above it. More! More of that glorious insertion! More of her cold skin, those monstrous eyes, and that powerful tail! Steal the entirety of my soul if you must! There was nothing I wouldn¡¯t have given, in that moment, to please her. That single word was all I gave, but she understood me entirely.


    Monsters such as these cannot be beautiful. Monsters like these are more than the word. They take the tropes of beauty we were taught and removes them from the equation. A better word for monsters such as these, then, would be elegance. Like an eagle as it hunts a grub across the dirt. It is a huntress, a powerful creature of temptation. It offers eternal bliss for unknown consequences. However, these consequences catapult beyond the station of the mortal that received them.

 Whiskey, Blood, and Steam

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    <h1>Whiskey, Blood, and Steam</h1>


    Sucked through the veils of space time, propelled by daemonic magic, a soul fragment may find itself in a completely different realm, unable to ever find true surety within the air they inhabit. What is a soul, though? What does it look like? That bird beside your window, maybe. That ant. A tree. A drop of coffee you spilt on the floor. These fragments inhabit anything they can find, and watch humanity from the sidelines. But, if one is lucky (or perhaps the opposite), it may find itself directly in the eyes of another human.


    My eyes were pinned to the oaken countertop. It might have been the only natural texture in the entire bar. Most of it was dinky iron or tacky bronze. Cheap materials, easy to produce for the times. Fans ran at the slowest pace possible. It was a heatwave, so the Corp allowed that, at least. It was hard to imagine energy rations lasting this season, though. Corp almost never kept their promises completely. The lights of the bar, a dimmed yellow, had done little to hide the bits of dirt and grime that laid atop it. Still, no one really...cared. Everyone stuck to their booths and their chairs, with grim faces and tired muscles. Gripping the handles of greasy glasses filled with cheap ale (Pisswater, more like). They drank the stuff with a grim determination, a religious fervor. The dirty faces and balding heads wished nothing more than to forget. That synth shit was a quick and cheap way to black out. I hadn¡¯t blamed them, but I cashed in a few extra tokens for a whiskey. Corp commissars mainly stuck to the dark-brown ichor, but an extra overtime hour or two gave the same rights.


    Fire down my throat. It was a good burn, one that took away the bite of the day. Still, it was over too quickly. I lifted my glass. I checked for extra drops.  I only saw my barkeep on the other side of the veil. His eyebrows lifted and I slammed my container onto the counter. It was loud, and jumbled almost everyone out of their thoughts. Fuck them, though! I got me some whiskey.


    ¡°Another, please!¡±


    ¡°Jesus, Phil. You really going to drink another one of those?¡±


    ¡°I am paying you, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but... well, you know how the Corp takes to displays of drunkenness. That shit isn¡¯t Synth Beer, you know. That¡¯s the genuine article.¡±


    ¡°Thank god it isn¡¯t fucking Synth Beer. No offense, fellas.¡±


    Oh boy, I was feeling it. Snarls came from behind. But, hey what could have they done? Occupation was in full swing, after all. Fuck those Jean-overall blue-collar fucks. Tacky as hell. The barkeep was taking too long. But he came through, after all! A glass emerged in front of me. Sixty work tokens down the drain. What was my monthly allotment again? Seventy? Good thing I saved up.


    I took another swig, and burped most of it over my overalls. Oops. The barkeep rolled his eyes at me. This, clearly, was a sign that he wanted me to complain.


    ¡°Hey, was-was your name again?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Phil, you are slurring already man! The Corp is already giving me shit to keep it in the bar, you got, what, a two mile walk home?¡±


    ¡°I ASkED yoU a question, buddy!¡±


    ¡°Ugh... Dimitri. It¡¯s always Dimitri.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird name for this part of the country...¡±


    ¡°How many times have I told you that I have been relocated?¡±


    ¡°Nineteen!¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of relocation... I ever tell you when I was manager of a whole Agricenter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Phil. Every fucking time you drink.¡±


    ¡°Well... I was paid a lot there! But, of course, that FUCKING BITCH decided to RAT on me! Fucking Honeypot whore! Know what I mean, D?¡±


    ¡°I-, look, man, I just make drinks- ¡°


    ¡°HAHA! D! Dick!¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°Okay, Okay, though seriously! What is with all this relocation BULLSHIT!?¡±


    Dimitri¡¯s eyes raised at the question. I knew why, of course. It was awfully close to criticism.


    ¡°Er... I mean, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bullshit, Phil. I am pretty happy here...¡±


    ¡°You lost your factory, D! You don¡¯t even live with your wife and kids! You send them letters and shit! You probably cry all the time!¡± \


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, man!¡±


    A voice from behind. I was on a roll. He wasn¡¯t going to stop me.


    ¡°NO! YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! THESE FUCKING CORP BASTARDS THINK THEY CAN- ¡°


    ¡°Enough! You had enough, Phil! Get out! Get our now! They will hear all of this, you know, that right? hear those fucking explosions the other week? Whole family got evicted from their house during a raid that went bad! Whose to say they don¡¯t do the same to your house? You shot yourself in the foot, maybe in the head, idiot!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you! They hear everything! They listen in on my goddamn house anyways, they hear all my fucking crap! They listen in at the bar, who fucking cares? They watch me while I piss! Fuck you!¡±


    BOOM! Our conversation turned to instant silence. An explosion!?! It rocked the windows of the bar. Shaking outside, so hard and violent that it even hit surrounding buildings, the streets. The sounds of rolling treads and harsh machinery. The distant sounds of marching.


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    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Dimitri sighed and placed his hand on his forehead.


    ¡°Just what I need! Another rebel incursion next to my fucking bar! You do realize this means they are gonna check all the audiotapes on this block, right, Phil? Dumb-ass.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s the worst that can happen? They kill me? I am dead inside already!¡±


    Already the patrons behind Dimitry and I were rolling out of the bar, spreading into the darkness of night. We all knew what was going to happen. The steam tanks¡¯ arrival generally meant the district streets would flood in CS gas and a host of nasty other concoctions.  The bar would probably be uninhabitable for more than a few days. A few kids may starve, and a few people with allergies may suffocate. The usual.


    ¡°Look, Phil, go home, yeah? I am gonna pray to the Leader for you- maybe you will only lose a month¡¯s pay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Yeah, I hear you...¡±


    I was already out the door as I spoke, out into the open night. The Steam Tank¡¯s treads were imprinted onto the moldy cobblestone below, already covered in five different types of sewage water. The buildings around were tall and narrow, smooshed together to accommodate as much space as possible. How many people lived in a single one?


    The night sky would soon be filled with klaxons, megaphones, and the screams of soldiers. Hopefully nothing too close to the bar. I loved that place.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡±


    A semi-mechanical voice spoke out behind me. I turned to face it. One of the Corp¡¯s many foot soldiers. Faceless, angry, and violent, the lot of them. Well, most of them. Their helmets were made of segments of steel plate, and their visors lit up a horrid red. This one had the standard kit for a Corps MP- urban style BDU, a civilian trench coat (guess they wanted to come off as a little homier or something), a rifle, and an electric baton. He held the rifle firm as he called out to me. Now that I think about it, I never seen these guys use their batons before.


    ¡°What... uh, what can I do for you, Ocifer?¡±


    ¡°Identification. Now. We got an incursion in District B24. Commissar is declaring martial law in this sector.¡±


    ¡°What a nice guy, that Commissar.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, Nothing...¡±


    ¡°ID. Now.¡±


    Damn. My coat was already getting spray from the moisture that hung in the air. This night was way too windy for summer. It was kicking up the sewage run-off right into me. Fine, fine, I will waste my coat¡¯s good looks for the Corp...


    ¡°Er, right! Here you are, my good man!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh...¡±


    How the hell had those crimson visors work, anyway? How did they see properly? They were horribly bright, more than enough to blind me if I stared at those obnoxious bulbs any longer.


    ¡°Oh, Manager of an Agricenter? Bit far from there, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I got relocated. Factory 543 now.¡±


    ¡°Ah... haven¡¯t issued you a replacement, yet, huh?¡±


    ¡°No... really hoping to get it soon, explaining this can only get so tedious.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I feel you there. Well, have a good one, Praise the- ¡°


    He stopped. His visor was shifted downwards. I stared at his head, and tracked the angle of his sight. It took a few milliseconds for me to figure it out. The wind! Shit! My coat must have lifted up higher than I thought- he saw what was concealed beneath it!


    ¡°Hey, freeze!¡±


    He leveled his rifle at me. My eyes were staring straight through the barrel. Half of me longed to take the bullet, to end my sorry hide.


    ¡°Get down on the fucking ground! You don¡¯t think I saw that hack tool!?! What kind of info you got on there, huh?¡±


    What awaited me if I obeyed his orders? A shot in the head? The interrogation chambers? The gulags, in which I would be raped by some burly man named Abramovich? An exile into the Gobi Desert? None of them were really preferable. One option, then...


    ¡°Your mom¡¯s nudes!¡±


    Sure, the scream was juvenile, but it took the guy for a loop. I only had seconds to act. I moved forward and ducked at the same time. I had to get in close, it was the only way to get out of range of his rifle. At the same time, I forced my right hand into a fist. It was the drunk in me that told me to go for the weak zones. My fist collided into his groin, even with shock padding it was enough. He grunted something hard. He was in pain, good! My left, then, at the same time, went for a similar strategy. This time, however, it went towards his upper body. I was aiming for his solar plexus, but I missed. Drink had its downsides. When my knuckles collided with his neck in a sickening crack, he recoiled in a bout of breathless gasps. Just what I was waiting for- I snatched the weapon from his grasp, just barely!


    I had, maybe, a few more nanoseconds, before others took notice. I turned tail. With the weapon in hand, I charged towards the nearest set of buildings and alleys. Voices behind me. Commands, too. I left both unheeded. I couldn¡¯t surrender. Not now, not like this.


    Seconds later, a flare shot into the sky. The fighting with the rebels must have started. Perfect time, too. In three, two, one... BOOM! It was an explosion. Just like last time, it shook the earth for miles.  So, the rebels came through! The generator was down, at least temporarily. That meant the gates, the shields, and the scanners would all be offline.


    I just needed to get away, find a place to lay low, and deliver this to- Gunfire! Were they aiming at me? I hadn¡¯t the time to check, nor could I afford to twist my path. I simply pushed myself against the darkened cobblestone, the disgusting street gutters, the low light, and the buildings born of rapture. Move!


    More gunfire, more explosions far behind me. The fighting truly began in earnest. Finally, I saw the alley. To my left, a narrow tunnel of shanties and collapsed architecture- the pathway out! The rebels pulled through here, too. Heh!


    A few steps further, and bullet holes ricocheted across the floor, the windows, the lamps above! Shattered glass fell from the sky and small bits crashed upon my head. Shit... guess I was really noticed now! Was it a sniper from one of the towers? Their aim was normally impeccable. No...  it was automatic fire, it was too erratic. My eardrums were bursting, my teeth grit in pain from the pure sound of it all. It was too much.


    The moment I turned the corner towards the alley, a third, and final BOOM! Screams followed, and rung out towards the night-sky. A blaze of orange and the smell of smoke. This one was easier to decipher- the cannon from the Steam Tank had launched its payload. I imagined it- the crowds of people, their makeshift weapons falling to the higher technology of the Corp. Poor sods.


    The impact of the tank shell was unexpected. I was so far away, surely, I wouldn¡¯t have felt- - too late! I slipped and fell to the floor, tripping over the rampant quaking of the ground below. My face impacted mud, slopping wet and... what the fuck was that smell? Ugh, was that mud? I couldn¡¯t let it get to me, though. The hack tool still laid in my palms, and I wasn¡¯t letting it fall.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The underpass of ruined buildings lay just ahead, all I had to do was crouch, let myself crawl through and- BANG! A shot from above. A sniper!?! A spy? A soldier, planted amidst the apartment buildings? It hadn¡¯t mattered from what. The only thing that mattered was the pain. Pain rung out through the entirety of my body, something not even the drink held back. The guard¡¯s stolen rifle clattered to the ground. The entirety of my right side had gone practically limp, and my eyes only caught the sight of blood in that direction. Shit...


    I sent willpower careening through my fallen body. Get up! Get up! Pull through! Another shot. It was hard to tell where it hit, but I screamed all the same. I screamed something low and guttural, a yell of defiance, opposition, and pain. Fucking Corp! My left arm was still mobile. The hack tool was carried only by the space between the floor and my chest, it had fallen from my grip! As I dragged myself along the cobble, and under the cover of rubble, I brought my hack tool along with me, if only by my relative girth. My stomach was never as flat as I would have liked it- but having a beer belly actually had some perks, it seemed.


    Another crack in the air! This time, it barely ricocheted across a piece of metal above my head- too close! Come on! Come on! My teeth smashed upon themselves as I forced my body through the wreckage. It was a gauntlet of pain and shock. However, I was through. The cover of the ruins was large and imposing, just as the explosives had planned it to be. How meticulous were these rebels, anyway? Had they planted timed charges such as this throughout the city streets?


    Well, it hadn¡¯t mattered. As long as I got this hack-tool to them, that money was mine... Shit! More pain shot through my body. No... not a bullet this time. My adrenaline, the drunkenness, my willpower, was finally waning. My breath stopped taking over my ears. I was getting tired, my body was giving out to the pain, the fear, and the blood dripping from my arm. I had to stop crawling, if only for a second. But I knew it was too late, I felt the sniper¡¯s eyes on me. A few seconds were all I had left, that third shot was going to kill me...


    A scream across the rooftops. More shots, fired erratically into the air. And... he was gone. I waited in pained gasps. No more sniper fire.


    He was gone, disappeared in little more than a yelp. What the hell? Jesus, even with two holes, I doubt I would last long... was it possible for humans to have this much blood? My heartbeat rung through my ears.


    How had I managed to stand, amidst all of this? I thought it impossible, but I found myself in the position, all the same. I looked down. Blood across my chest. I needed to move... forward. One foot limped over the other. Past the ruins, past the sounds of fighting. Got to thank whatever rebel cell who took out the sniper. If I made it. Come on, Phil, think of all that money, let it push you...


    My good shoulder found itself leaning on a brick wall. Sounds of hushed silence above, of sleeping people, the occasion cry of a child, the bark of a dog. All of them just trying to live their lives above the chaos below. Fuck, since when had I got thoughts like this? Is that what happens when we die, get all sentimental? Fuck it, I think I would rather take a Corp hospital than die out here in the hot, shit-filled streets.


    A flash of red in the distance. Speak of the devil! Must have been a part of the Corp Police, just some patrolling nobody saddled with keeping the town safe while the big boys play war. Still, it was strange- I saw one body, but two cones of crimson light. Was I seeing things? The officer, still shrouded in darkness, was getting closer. He probably saw my staggering, my blood-loss...


    ¡°Hey, excuse me, sir! I am really bleeding out here! Damn rebels took a few potshots, and I.  uh. I don¡¯t know how long I got!¡±


    Silence. More steps towards me. Shit, if he realized these were Corp rounds in my chest, he might finish me here...


    ¡°Uh... yeah! Right, thanks! I could really use your help! I am Phil, by the way. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    More steps, more silence. Had he realized my affiliation with the rebels? His pace never changed. Even as I coughed out my words and choked on my own blood. Darkness took the sides of my vision.


    ¡°Hey... please, help...¡± Had my words struck true? I fell to the ground, but I never felt the shock of hard cobble as it struck me. All I saw was the void.


    ***


    ¡°Hey, you. You are finally awake."


    A voice called out to me. Soft and tender. A woman¡¯s voice? I opened my eyes, although the action took effort.


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Only a few hours.¡±


    I was laying down on a mattress, uncovered in sheets. (My blood was all over the thing, instead). We were in some corner room, a hotel or an apartment. The place was cramped, but the bunk bed that hung off the wall gave me the impression that it was someone¡¯s home. No door, either. My Agricenter had closets larger than this. My savior was sitting over me. Shapely, raven-colored hair, a turtle-neck, basic pants, and combat boots. Her darker skin was rare in these parts. Still, the light in the room was low. Very low.


    The only light source was from the outside street lamps, and those were curtained by strips of torn cloth.


    ¡°Where am I? What happened to the officer?¡±


    ¡°Officer? All I found was you.¡±


    ¡°Who patched me up?¡±


    ¡°That was me, too.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I am good at patching people up. Got a thing for redirecting blood flow.¡±


    ¡°Do you really?¡±


    ¡°Hah! Nah. Every Corp officer has nanites on their person. Easy enough to pickpocket that little syringe. Fixed you right up.¡±


    I looked down on my laying body. White cloth, was covering my chest wound. I could only assume the same was for my shoulder. The amount of pain that tingled through my body was miniscule, at best. It was as if I had healed through the wounds, and my body was simply suffering of an intense soreness.


    ¡°What kind of medicine you give me? I don¡¯t trust that nanite shit.¡±


    ¡°It saved your life. The Corp watches your stinky ass every day, I bet.¡±


    ¡°... You with them?¡±


    ¡°Goodness, no. What kind of question is that?¡±


    ¡°Forget it. You wouldn¡¯t tell me anyway. Name¡¯s Phil.¡±


    ¡°Yvonne.¡±


    ¡°Funny name.¡±


    ¡°You are pretty funny, too, Phil. You like to drink, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°I can smell it. It¡¯s... very strong.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I don¡¯t know about that...¡±


    Wait a minute... my coat! It was strewn across Yvonne¡¯s chair... where was my hack tool? I patted myself down, trying to cover each nook and cranny, where the hell-


    ¡°Looking for this, Phil?¡±


    The thing shined in her hand. Little more than a silver rectangle with buttons and dials, it was inconspicuous enough on its own. but nowadays they seemed all too recognizable.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. My kid, you know. Real good with computers. He was being a bit of a knucklehead, messing with the family terminal. You know how kids are and all- ¡°


    ¡°Strange... all I found was a list of names. Dates. Places. Passwords.¡±


    Oh fuck... how the hell did she open that thing up?


    ¡°Look, I, uh, would really like that back.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? What will you give me?¡±


    ¡°I... Yvonne, I was bleeding out. All I got are the clothes on my back.¡±


    ¡°Hm... sounds interesting.¡±


    ¡°...What??¡±


    Yvonne quickly climbed atop me. It was hard not to moan- my shoulder and chest cried out in pain. My right eye shut in recoil. I looked pathetic.


    ¡°You heard me, Phil. Take those clothes off, I will give you your tool.¡±


    ¡°I... look, lady, that was just a turn of phrase, I- ¡°


    <div>


    ¡°Oh, so you don¡¯t want to take your clothes off in front of me?¡±


    ¡°I...uh...¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to lie, Yvonne was pretty. Gorgeous, even. But... what the hell was she playing at? She hadn¡¯t known me for five seconds... hell, she could have been an agent for the Corp! But, what choice had I got? If I went through with this, I would be in for some teasing, sure... but I went too far to get this thing, I wasn¡¯t going to lose it!


    ¡°Alright. Alright fine, I will do it. For the tool, let me make that clear.¡±


    ...Was this really for the hack tool?


    ¡°Uh-huh. Pervert!¡±


    ¡°Christ alive, I just want to get my meal ticket back...¡±


    ¡°Well? Then you know exactly what to do.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck, lady...¡±


    I hated to admit it, but I fucking done it. She got off of me, in that cramped, dank little hallway. Her mouth was stained in that mischievous little smile, those darkened, hazel eyes. I gave her a sigh. It was long and overexaggerated. I wanted her to wait, I hadn¡¯t wanted her to ¡°win¡± this little game of hers. All I had accomplished was causing giggles from her.


    ¡°You gonna do it or what?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, just... just getting myself ready.¡±


    ¡°Just do it. Pansy.¡±


    I practically threw my pants across the corner. I was in my undies, covered in blood and torn cloth, my flabby skin thankfully hidden by the dark. Ugh, I probably had a couple moles visible, too.


    ¡°Damn, Phil, you pretty good at following orders.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, that a promise, Phil? That isn¡¯t very nice.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come on, you aren¡¯t done. Underwear off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡±


    ¡°Nope. Whole thing, all of it.¡±


    Jesus! If this was all for nothing, I may have to take that hack-tool back some other way. She clearly wasn¡¯t with the Corp though. She had ample time to arrest me, or simply kill me and dump my body in the nearest gutter. Still... would I really remove my undies for this weird little blackmail scheme? Seconds later, my flabby little dick was flapping in the musty air of the AC. Chuckles from Yvonne.


    ¡°Wow, can¡¯t believe you actually did it...¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°Wanna fuck, Phil?¡±


    ¡°What??¡±


    This girl is fucking bonkers.


    ¡°You heard me, Phil. Call it an apology.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    A soft tackle from her, impossible to resist in my weakened state. Her hands on my chest, her hair dangling over my face. Had I ever blushed like this, before? Fuck... especially up close, she smelled nice. Sweet and delicious, like strawberries. Fuck, I miss my Agricenter. Something off about her, though. That look she gave me, an undeniable hunger in her eyes, some primal little thing I hadn¡¯t been able to put my finger on. She was licking her lips at every word. She REALLY wanted this.


    ¡°I, uh, am not sure I do, Yvonne.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! They never do!¡±


    Yvonne was quick to act. Her turtleneck and bra, thrown across the wall. Her breasts were large, larger than I thought they would be. Swaying softly in the shitty AC. God, they drew my eyes quick! Her stomach was flat and her hips were large- typical hourglass. Not that I was complaining, her thighs bounced wonderfully in contrast to my own. She noticed my eyes leaning towards her legs, staring like some dumb animal.  Seconds later, those pants and boots were gone, too. Her panties, (lacy and white, surprisingly) were flung across the air and into my face. Whoa! My crotch instantly twitched. Her snatch was glorious- puffed up, moist, and willing.


    My eyes widened, I felt that grin creep up on my face. She saw it too, and smiled wide in return.


    ¡°Ohhh... Phil! See? Thought you would like it.¡±


    ¡°God-Damn Yvonne, I... I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t gotta say anything, hun. This...¡±


    Her hand flew to my member, ever curling upwards. Close to a full erection now. It was almost throbbing in need.


    ¡°... This is all you need to show!¡±


    ¡°...Fuck! Fuck yeah, girl!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t have helped myself. Caution was never my strong suit. I slammed my hands upwards, my palms glazed over those pert nipples, gripping at the base with enthusiasm. She moaned to the ceiling. In the same motion, she pressed herself against my rod. She hadn¡¯t inserted all the way, but she brushed up against me just enough. My lungs wheezed out some shitty moan. What a fucking tease!


    ¡°Now baby...¡±


    Her voice was smooth as silk, she looked down at me with those narrow eyes of hazel.


    ¡°There IS one little thing I need from you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What is that?¡±


    She smiled wider, a mischievous wide thing that shone right down at me. She took some time to think, her words were slow to come out. What was she planning?


    ¡°You better not tell anyone!¡±


    She never waited for an answer. She shoved her hips atop me, and my cock shot through the entrance of those soft folds. Pleasure wracked my cock and jolted me to the spine.  The scratch of pubic stubble brushed against my stomach as I slammed my entire body into the air.


    While I lacked grace, I contorted my body to the dance of hers as best I managed. Her hips were like a pendulum, moving along to the gyrating movements of my own.


    With each thrust atop me, my body convulsed in tickles of pleasure and spasms of bliss. The flabbiness of my body was more than apparent now, even in the darkness. I moved faster than I thought I would, or could. The pain across my body was gone, once again dampened by adrenaline and endorphins. Those nanites worked fast!  Still, how long could I have kept this up? She was a stallion to my mule, and she worked my cock like nothing else.


    ¡°You ready to go full-on, Phil?¡±


    ¡°Wait... this isn¡¯t full-on?¡±


    ¡°Hah...!¡±


    Her chuckle was too sweet for the sexual power she exuded. She moved atop me like a jackhammer. She squeezed her legs closer and closer, my cock in a tunnel of constant hypersensitivity. It was a feeling that shot straight through my throbbing member and coursed towards every positive center in my brain.


    My breath was shallow and quick, unable to handle her strength, her speed, her ferocity. She let out sounds of every volume and pitch, from murmurs to growls to roars of intense pleasure. She was overtaking me- but I wasn¡¯t hers to dominate so easily! My hands slammed across her hips. I gave her a sheepish smile.


    ¡°Hey, you know, if we had room, I would totally flip you over. I can be a mean top, you know....¡±


    I spoke in between breaths. I was getting tired, and she was getting more amused, completely fine, if not happy with this turn of events.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Sure.¡±


    ¡°Yvonne, I am serious. My wife- ¡°


    ¡°Ohhh? A wife, huh?¡±


    Woops. Her hips stopped at the question, but her nether-regions clutched across my cock all the same. I chuckled softly- time to play it off. Plus, it would give me some time to breathe, right?


    ¡°Err- Ex-wife. Recent Divorce.¡±


    ¡°Ah... uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°But, uh, like she isn¡¯t in my life or anything, I promise, like- ¡°


    ¡°God, Phil, just shush up!¡±


    She laughed aloud, a laugh that rung across the tiny walls. She started thrusting again, giggling as the head of my cock pulsed at every movement. It took the rest of my energy to even manage her! It became less about the pleasure, and more about keeping my composure! Sure enough, though, the attrition was clear. It was gradual, but I felt her sweet breath heave on my chest. She was straining herself, too. She changed the pace, took her time. She used slow, methodical thrusts, her breasts swaying up and down in tandem. With every thrust, my cock drove deeper and deeper. My cock was shuddering, my body was pulsing. It was happening. I haven¡¯t had anything like this in a while. My climax... it was coming!


    ¡°Ah, fuck, this early?!?!¡±


    ¡°What is it, babe?¡±


    ¡°I- uh, shit! Are you on the pill?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Too late. Way too late. By the time I had asked, my pre was leaking faster than I could process it. Seconds later, my load shot into her with unimaginable force. The entire lower half of my body shuddered as my seed was sown deep. I rolled my eyes into my head, if only for the few seconds. (If only for that little bit of dramatic flair. Had to give a show somehow!) Finally, I climaxed!


    Pain in my chest slowly grew. It took me a few seconds to realize that I wasn¡¯t breathing, so much so was I focused on her. I exhaled with a wide, goofy smile on my face. It was one she almost mirrored, minus the awkwardness I had, of course. My palm was resting on her thigh, my thumb rolling over every bump, crack, and crevice. There were not many, she was built almost perfect.


    ¡°Damn, girl.... I didn¡¯t know I was gonna cum that soon. Sorry about that... I, uh, should have made sure to give you an orgasm too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. I got two things out of it.¡±


    ¡°Only two?¡±


    ¡°Hah! One- I got to see you squirm underneath me. Fun little distraction, I knew you would do anything for that little hack tool of yours. I am guessing you are selling it to the Eclipse?¡±


    ¡°Ah... I probably shouldn¡¯t mention anything about it. You know how that shit is. Even with this place bug free, I- ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s fine with me, Phil. Keep your secrets. I will know them soon enough.¡±


    What did she mean by that...? Was this a honeypot?


    ¡°I... what?¡±


    ¡°You know, like, exchange numbers. You do have a phone at your place, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Oh, yeah, I got one.¡±


    ¡°Mhhm, great...! Guess you gotta turn in that tool, huh?¡±


    ¡°What? Oh shit!¡±


    What time was it? Clock, clock, clock... there! In the corner, ticking away its little noises! Ten? Fuck!


    ¡°Hey, girl, you think you can uh...¡±


    ¡°Let you up? Hm, Phil, how late ARE you?¡±


    ¡°Late enough!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t the time for this! Goddamn it, Phil! Get it together! I summoned my strength, and I launched her off her feet! She only giggled, the crazy girl.  I leapt to my feet, and scrounged the tiny room back for my clothes. Soreness entered my body in twenty different directions, the day¡¯s damage still left its scars.  Frantically, I shoved my clothes back onto my body. Pants were the last thing, before the shoes.  The cloth got snagged on my toes, and I was hopping on one leg, much to Yvonne¡¯s amusement. Finally, I was clothed. I snatched the hack-tool from the shelf. There you are, gorgeous! In that same motion, I almost swept myself out of the room. Yvonne, though...was I really going to see her again?


    ¡°Hey Yvonne?¡±


    I turned around. She was standing, now, in the dark. Staring right at me, and not even the moonlight illuminated her form.


    ¡°Yeah, Phil?¡±


    ¡°What was that second thing?¡±


    Yvonne lifted her face to the light of the hall. That smile, how hadn¡¯t I noticed it before?  This one was nothing like her previous smiles. That wasn¡¯t in some emotional way, either- her smile was physically different.  The glint of fangs stuck within them. Long and sharpened to a point. They were humongous, terrifying.... But those eyes were worse! They weren¡¯t that soft chocolate. They were red! A violent and horrid red that flared out and caught anyone in its gaze. That lens flare in the alley... it wasn¡¯t an officer! It was-


    ¡°I need a new Blood Doll, Phil. Sorry in advance.¡±


    I realized what she meant all too late. The fucking Corp never got them all?!? I tried to scream, to run, to evade. I tried to make any noise possible. I was too slow for that. Before I had even blinked, she threw herself atop me. Dragged back into the darkness. I knew what was coming. Days, perhaps years of being fed upon. Used as a distraction for the Corp. Just a thrall, a slave, a husk, for that beautiful, perfect Vampire.


    But, what if that human falls? What if that human loses his will, his Manus, the pathway to the soul? Since it can no longer be accessed, the soul fragment is forced to vacate its observation, to wander, once again, until it finds a new home.