Secrets of Liberty Mountain No Man s Land Chapter9
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"With all due respect, do we have any idea how ridiculous we look?" I stepped over the long picnic bench next to the community dining table as I stood to speak. My rear end protested.
After several long hours of note taking, my fanny was in no mood for a new session. My flat ass had a bad case of meeting butt. My hand was cramped, and after a day of biking thru the mountains, I hurt in places the sun didn't shine.
"This does not bode well," I said as I closed my notepad and set it to one side, no point of recording a train-wreck.
"We're supposed to be the new day crew," I smiled and tapped the rounded point of my number two pencil on my half-filled pad of paper. Lead and cedar were my tools for taking minutes. I liked the effortless feel of graphite sliding across the yellow legal pad.
"Our mission,” I said, “is to figure out how to survive this disaster and we can't even agree on something easy like what to call ourselves," I rubbed my forehead as I stretched and tried to return circulation to my restless legs.
"Sheila has a sick sense of humor," I said with a grin as I examined my scribbles.
"She calls for to be the..." I cleared my throat and suppressed a chuckle and did air-quotes with my fingers, "...the Sisterhood's Holistic Intelligence Team, or SHIT for short. Seriously?" I burst out laughing and shook my head as the commander answered my remarks with a smirk and a shrug.
"You're no fun. I didn't intend for you to spell it out," she said in a playful stage-whisper.
"Belinda prefers we be called the Crisis Management Committee, and Darlene wishes us to remain nameless," I scanned my notes before continuing.
"Our quartermaster does not have an opinion and Alice wants us to be some sort of tribal council with a Cherokee name I can't even begin to pronounce," I scratched my head. I shouldn't have skipped the post-mission shower.
"We don't need a fancy name. We're just a group of folks doing the best we can. Let's keep it simple. Okay?" I returned to my seat and prepared to write.
"Group it is. It's as good a name as any. Are there any objections?" Sheila paused for a moment and waited for the silent sisters to speak.
"Fine, hearing no opposition, I so affirm. We are the GROUP!" Sheila declared with a tap of her gavel.
"It's been a long day, we should start fresh in the morning, zero-seven-thirty. Is there a motion to adjourn?" The Chief said with a wave of invitation.
"Thank God!" I groaned under my breath as I checked my watch and slashed a line across the page and scribbled '22:17-all' beneath it; my shorthand for adjournment by unanimous vote.
"Bedtime for Bonzo, I need sleep," I groaned to Sheila with a yawn as I gathered my rough draft.
"Sky, we've gotta talk, there's been a change in sleeping arrangements, honey," Darlene said as she rested her hand on my shoulder.
"Join us in your quarters, we'll explain over brandy. Or weed if you wish," Seraina added as she placed her hand on my other shoulder.
"Both," I replied with a shiver as I reached for my pack of cigarettes.
"Little rest for the weary and none for the wicked," I said with a humorless laugh as I lit up and followed my two lovers to my bedroom. It was my grandmother's favorite saying when duty demanded more than she was able to give.
=^.^=
"It's good to be back home," Darlene sighed as she spread her arms and flopped down on her back in the bed we had shared since our arrival.
"Oh, crap! There are cobwebs in the corners and dust bunnies on the ceiling. Didn't you clean anything while I was gone?" my companion complained as she wrinkled her nose.
"Sorry, I was too busy missing you to mind the mess. By the way, I did the laundry. Your stuff is in the closet," I smiled and tried to kept my voice neutral and soothing. Something besides sloppy housekeeping was stroking her anger.
"What's on your mind?" I studied Darlene's troubled eyes as we sat together on our bed.
"You guys mentioned something about sleeping arrangements," I said to Seraina as she set an antique silver serving tray on the nightstand.
"Care to elaborate?" I licked my lips and tried to ignore the uneasy feeling growing in my gut.
"Brandy?" Seraina asked as she tilted the ancient crystal flask and filled my glass with amber spirits, The bouquet smelled like the sweet memories of yesterday.
"My darling Sky, tonight I'll be sharing my bed with Alice. I'm not ready to be that way with you, not for a while. Please give me space," Darlene searched my eyes for understanding.
"I love you," she kissed my cheek in a sad whisper.
"Take all the time you need," I took a sip from the glass and mirrored her gaze with a slight bow of my head.
"I can sleep on the floor," I pointed to the black bear rug at the foot of the bed.
"Or I can go downstairs by the fireplace if you two need privacy," I took another sip and raised my glass, "What is your pleasure?"
"That is unnecessary my love, you can rest in my bed. My daughter and I have separate rooms," Seraina smiled apologetically as she kissed my lips in a strange blend of affection and distance.
"What does StarShine think of that arrangement?" I asked.
"It was her idea," she replied.
=^.^=
"Come on in Wolfie," I've been expecting you," Seraina's daughter said as she pulled open the door and beckoned me to enter the smoky, dim candlelit quarters she shared with her mother.
"Mom's room is over there," she pointed, "and mine is over here," she said with a flourish of her arm. For a moment I was stunned as the folds of her translucent silk garment parted to reveal a fleeting glimpse of her bare chest. For the ladies of Liberty, nudity was normal and not usually naughty, nothing personal. Star's nakedness filled the darkened room with unspoken desire.
"Do you like it Wolfie?" she giggled and blushed from beneath a sheer mist of rainbow fabric.
"No," I lied and tried not to smile as I set my kit by the entrance to Seraina's slumber chamber.
"You're not my type," I said in a stern voice as I looked into her eyes.
"And if you were," I paused to allow my gaze to follow the contours of her body from her nose to her toes.
"I would expect you to wear something, er, less, you know? uhh, provocative." I averted my stare and searched instead for cobwebs on the ceiling.
"We were naked when we played in the shower," Star reminded me with a twinkle in her eye as she kissed my cheek and took my arm.
"Thank you for helping my mother to get back home. You were quite brave," she whispered as she guided me to an old fashion style leather wingback reading chair by the flickering fireplace. Whatever modesty remained in her clothing vanished as she passed between me and the flame.
"No I wasn't and you're welcome. I'm glad they're back," I said as I settled into the leather seat and sighed with relief. The old chair was wise to the ways of people and its cushions conformed to the contours of comfort.
"Danger Will Robinson," I warned myself, "Be careful what you wish for."
"Care for a drink?" Star asked as reached her hands behind her head and undid the braids in her waist-length hair.
"Yes, please," I replied, not out of thirst but out of a desire to gain some space, regain control, and establish some boundaries.
"I'll be right back," she turned and headed into her bedroom with streamers of blond hair flowing behind her like a gossamer cloak. Almost but not quite hiding the round cheeks of her pantieless bottom from view.
"Much more comfortable. Don't you agree?" StarShine smiled as she returned from her quest, crystal goblets in one hand and a dark green ceramic brandy flask n the other. Although she had shed her cloak of visibility in favor of air and woodsmoke, sheets of blond hair and several shadows partially obscured her naked torso. She was stunning. I avoided my eyes and reached for a smoke.
"May I?" she snickered as she leaned over and took the lighter from my hands and held the blaze before me.
"Thanks," I blushed and inhaled, "But, don't you think you should put on some clothes?"
"Nope. My house. My rules. It's what mom always says," she sat on my lap and wiggled her bottom.
"Nope. My lap, my rules," I spread my legs and allowed gravity to slide her to the floor.
The change in altitude failed the change her attitude. From her new position on the hardwood, she sat eye level with my zipper.
She turned to face me and smiled, "Am I arousing you?" she asked as her index finger traced the bulging outline beneath my cargo pants.
"Yes you are and no you're not," I twitched as I moved her hands to the safety of my knees.
"Star, my dear, truthfully, you're too young and I'm too old. I'm in a relationship with your mother, such things aren't proper," I said with all the kindness I could muster.
"You know that is not true," she said as her hands reached for my trousers.
"I know you enjoyed yourself when you gave me a handful of sperm," her fingers fumbled with my zipper.
"That was then and this is now. We're not going there again," I said as once more I placed her hands on my knees.
"What's changed?" she pulled her arm away and rested her hand on the tent in my shorts. "You're as hard now as you were then. Don't you like me anymore?" she asked in dismay. I had compassion, I had suffered through puberty. I remember the heartbreak of misplaced desire. Trust and believe, nothing hurts like a broken crush.
"Slow down, give me a second," I cursed myself for not having the will to live my values; men don't have sex with the daughters of lovers. Brandy was blunting the few inhibitions I had left and I allowed her fingers a few moments to explore. Cannabis came to the rescue as the blunt I had before arrival kicked into high gear, no pun intended.
"I'll strive to be truthful and kind," I said as I held her hand and stopped her forward advance.
"Since you pleasured me like that, your mother and I have become sexually involved," I looked into her eyes.
"I know. You two are lovers. So what? You're not my father," she said as her hand continued its northward journey along my pant legs. I tensed against anticipation as I fought the desire to surrender to lust.
"I like the feelings I get when I touch you. I've never felt that way before," she cooed as she slipped her hand past mine and unzipped my fly and her fingers found Harvey, the camel's nose was in the tent. I shivered, it felt wonderful and wrong. I gathered the last of my reserve and said, "NO!" like I meant it and pulled her wandering hands away from my private parts.
"My relationship with your mother makes me your de-facto father, or step-dad, or something. Fathers don't have sex with daughters.”
"Woody Allen did," she said with a curious grin. Star had a memory like her mother and a mind filled with Wikipedia articles. Fifteen years of homeschooling, the sisterhood, and the internet had given her an encyclopedia of knowledge without experience.
"Yeah, he did. But, I'm not Woody. I don't have his money or his morals. I have my own and it's wrong. Period." I dotted the 'i' in the air with my finger as I drew a line in the sand. Time to walk the walk. I gently pushed her away and pulled my zipper closed.
"I know you liked it. You really liked it," she pleaded with tears in her eyes.
"Yes I did honey, but it's not the point," I took her in my arms and gave her a hug of fatherly affection. I felt awful, the poor teen had no interest in women. None. Zip.
"StarShine, my darling, you are very beautiful and alluring," I stroked her hair to calm her sobs and tried to think.
She was an apex heterosexual with no desire for her gender. Females didn't fan her fancy. Puberty and fate had placed her in a prison with no way to explore her desires. With me being the only man in her world, it was little wonder I had her attention. Hormones can be hell. How the on earth do nudist dads and naked daughters deal with this shit?
"Star, sweetheart, I can not, correction," I coughed and cleared my throat, "I will not have sex with you. I can love you and guide you. I can be your pretend father. We will never be lovers," my hug ended in a cringe. 'Pretend Father?' where the fuck did that come from?
"I would like that," my new daughter's voice whispered with a sniffle from beneath a shroud of blond hair.
"Would you teach me about sex?" she asked as she lifted her head and looked into my face, "I mean like a real father," she quickly added as my eyes widened in alarm. The shine in Star's eyes made me doubt her sincerity, but it was a starting place. She needed a dad more than a boyfriend. It might as well be me. Damn it.
"Wolfie, can I call you daddy?" she asked slyly with a silly sideways smile as she climbed to her feet, "I need to blow my nose," she sneezed into her hands and went to her room to find a hanky.
"No!" I chuckled after her, "Call me pa, as in WolfPaw."
"I prefer WolfPaw better. Okay?"
"Whatever is your pleasure," I replied with an appreciative smile.
"Thanks, Dad," she laughed and disappeared into her room.
I took her departure as an opportunity to regroup and reorganize. I stood and lit a cigarette and tossed a fresh log on the embers and watched the flames rising from the wood like a ring of fire.
"We certainly live in interesting times," I sighed aloud and blushed. It's okay to talk to yourself as long as you know who's speaking. I grabbed my kit and headed for the community shower, I wanted to sleep in clean skin.
The citadel of cleanliness was clear of people and I had the place to myself. I stripped and selected the back corner, turned on the water and stepped into a falling river of relief. After several minutes of delightful bliss beneath the steam, Sheil's voice echoed from the tiles, "Sky? Are you there? I'm sorry, but the group needs you at the center, pronto. We've established shortwave communications, you gotta hear for yourself."
Like I said, no rest for the wicked.
Alice and I took our seats on each side of Sheila as the last stragglers filed into the amphitheater and returned to their places."Before we resume, I want to thank our kitchen crew for a fantastic, as usual, flash-banquet. Well done, thank you," Sheila said as she held her gavel in the ready position.With plumbing and dietary needs satisfied, a soothing and comfortable afterglow had fallen over the proceedings. It wouldn't last long, but at least we were starting with an advantage....
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"Okay, my turn," I chuckled as I picked up the fat cigar-sized joint of the Sisterhood's weed. Possession of the Canibus talking stick authorized the owner to speak without interruption.I took a heavy hit and passed the blunt to Sheila and took my place in our naked Truth or Dare fireside chat."Please be honest. What do you believe?" The commander's theology drifted all over the map from Pagan to Puritan, seasoned with native lore and eastern thought. Pinning her down was like trying to...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe Society of Sisters and their compound at Liberty Mountain were the pride and joy of Sheila's existence. She devoted almost every waking hour toward her mission of building an organization that could withstand anything the apocalyptic whims of fate might send our way. The Colony's boss was an innovator who served both as a leader and also as a follower.Like the Caesars of old, she had the authority to issue any order necessary to secure the safety of the group. Unlike the dictators of...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"Super glue? Really?" I chuckled as I focused my field glasses on the bonded band of mutually masturbating men crab-walking westward."Your punishment is diabolical," I shook my head in puzzled amazement. "Intruders were killed in the past for less, so why the sudden mercy?" "Not compassion. Karma. What goes around, comes around." Sheila trained her spyglass on the retreating men."They might make town by sundown. If they're lucky." "Karma?" I inquired. "Yeah, Karma. We can run, but...
Fantasy & Sci-FiRattlesnake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is the culinary equivalent of cruel and unusual punishment. I had about had it with rattlesnake by the end of the third meal on the first day. I skipped the midday meal and picked at supper the second day. I hated snakes as much as Seraina did by the evening of the next day.Mood affects perception. The blue funk of disappointment settling over us transformed our dark and cozy shelter into a dank and dismal prison. We slept like babies and fucked like...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"I'm getting too old for this shit," I moaned and plopped into one of the Situation Room's ergonomically designed conference chairs. I massaged the sore spot on my shoulder and shifted and squirmed and as I searched for a less uncomfortable position. Nothing worked. I hurt in places I didn't even know I had.The steaming mug of fresh brewed Colombian laced with the Sisterhood's brandy warmed my hands and took the edge away from the pain in my ass. Java and joy-juice will cure...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"Shit!" Sheila swore as she angrily flipped the turn signal and slowed our Ford Super Duty truck to a crawl and searched for a safe place to pull off the road."Sky, I need my license and registration, they're in the glove compartment," she instructed as she rolled down her window with her left arm pointed over the roof of our vehicle. She waved toward the side of the road, a visual indication to the following patrol car we were pulling off the highway."Stash the Glock in the hump, we don't need...
Fantasy & Sci-FiMy bladder is the perfect alarm clock. The urgent need to go dragged me out of hibernation as the night sky brightened in advance of dawn. I awoke to the gentle sound of Sheila's breathing. Naked, beautiful, and warm, she lay next to me in the relaxed innocence of sleep. Sheila sensed a change in my position, shifted her body, and pressed her bare bottom into my groin as we snuggled together under the covers. My hand remained cupped to her breast. Sheila placed her hand over mine and pulled it...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"Thank you, what’s the deal?" I asked as I took the offered towel from Sheila’s hands and fluff-dried my thinning mane. Hair loss among men is a myth. It’s not so much that our locks leave as that they change location. The stuff that had lived on my head now grew out of my ears."Jen thinks the ionosphere has settled enough for shortwave. At her suggestion, I’ve decided it time we start a twenty-four-seven radio watch. You got the first shift. Listen and log, let’s see what’s going on out...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe stern rap of Sheila's opening gavel muted but did not extinguish the murmuring voices of dozens of private conversations. The posture of the Colony's leader appeared poised and relaxed as she held the gavel in the ready position with her elbow bent at a forty-five degree angle for several long seconds as she waited for silence. Beneath Sheila's placid surface I spotted a ripple of anxiety as she unconsciously polished the gavel's wood handle with her thumb. I've called enough meetings to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"This is Liberty base. The National Weather Service has issued a revised winter storm warning for our area. Up to thirty-six inches of snow starting tonight at five with blizzard conditions beginning at six-thirty PM. Snow throughout the evening, ending late tomorrow. Winds south by southwest twenty to thirty miles per hour, one hundred and twenty miles per hour gusts exposed ridges. Return home immediately. Please acknowledge.""It's too bad we can't reply to a message we never received," Alice...
Fantasy & Sci-FiLike sailors clinging to a raft on tempest-tossed seas, Sheila and I held tight to each other as an ocean of rainbows flooded the sky."Oh, my God! What is it?" she cried as glowing waves of light thundered silently across the firmament. The heavens blazed with a kaleidoscope of color."I don't know," I said as I watched the glowing pastel streamers of brilliance slither along invisible magnetic lines of force like undulating serpents."I think we're looking at the mother of all solar storms. We...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"Okay, listen up!" Sheila knocked her knuckles on the conference table and brought the final briefing to order. "We've got an outstanding weather report, vehicles and crews are ready. We are good to go at daybreak..." she smiled as she waved at the huge flat screen display we had installed several days ago and checked her watch for the time, "which means we're in luck. We have thirty-minutes for one last run-through.""Time for a quick cup of coffee before we start?" I made it halfway across...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWrestling under the covers while playing a game of naked grab-ass kicked our biological heat engines into overdrive. The internal temperature of our sleeping bag was well beyond the comfort zone as our cozy sleeping space became a sauna without steam."I'm tired of anatomy by Braille, I wanna see what I'm doing." Alice tossed the sleeping bag cover back and rose to her knees.Her nude body glistened with perspiration in the lantern's harsh light. Alice's cheeks, neck, and breasts glowed blush-red...
Fantasy & Sci-FiRattlesnake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is the culinary equivalent of cruel and unusual punishment. I’d about had it with rattlesnake by the end of the third meal on the first day. I skipped lunch and picked at supper the second day. By the evening of the next day, I hated snakes as much as Seraina did. Mood affects perception. The blue funk of disappointment settling over us transformed our dark and cozy shelter into a dank and dismal prison. We slept like babies and fucked like...
Alice and I took our seats on each side of Sheila as the last stragglers filed into the amphitheater and returned to their places. “Before we resume, I want to thank our kitchen crew for a fantastic, as usual, flash-banquet. Well done, thank you,” Sheila said as she held her gavel in the ready position. With plumbing and dietary needs satisfied, a soothing and comfortable afterglow had fallen over the proceedings. It wouldn’t last long, but at least we were starting with an advantage....
"That should do it. Time check," Belinda wiped sweat from her brow with her t-shirt as she braced her entrenching tool against the entrance of the newly constructed "bunker-in-a-bag." Unless you were part Mountain Goat, the winding ridgeline trail was the only drivable and walkable unbroken overland route from town to our base. Prior to SkyFire, arrays of remote sensors and wireless cameras guarded the pathway to the Society's home. The sun pulled the plug and left us blind. Our mission...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe moderator leaned back in her chair and studied StarShine for a moment before turning to me and sitting upright."Do you want to become a member of our Society?""Yes," I replied after a short pause. The question had caught me by surprise."Why?" Sheila asked."Survival," I responded.Sheila tilted her head to one side as her eyes widened in an expression of puzzlement. "Survival?""Yes, survival. This is the high mountains in winter. Without the warmth and shelter of this place I wouldn't last a...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWhile our dinner is not worthy of a five-star restaurant, the view around us was six-star spectacular. The night was moonless, and the velvet black sky above our heads blazed with countless stars. The Milky Way rose and arched across the heavens in a misty river of light along the eastern horizon. The snowshoe workshop did triple duty as kitchen, dining area, and lounge. We spent as many hours outdoors together as we could stand.Spooning naked in the blackness is sexy, erotic, and boring. Even...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe days melted into weeks and the weeks flowed into months as winter searched for spring. For the first couple dozen wake-ups, I started each morning with the unreal feeling that I was at the bottom of a rabbit hole. By the end of the second month, the sense of strangeness decreased, and I was able to open my eyes without breaking into a cold sweat. I was still on the wrong side of the looking glass, but Wonderland had become my home. I didn’t make a journey to Liberty Mountain to search...
The Society of Sisters and their compound at Liberty Mountain were the pride and joy of Sheila’s existence. She devoted almost every waking hour toward her mission of building an organization that could withstand anything the apocalyptic whims of fate might send her way. The colony’s Boss was an innovator who served both as a leader and a follower. Like the Caesars of old, she had the authority to issue any order necessary to secure the safety of the group. Unlike the dictators of ancient...
Chapter 1I stuffed my last cardboard box of personal belongings into the cargo hold of my girlfriend's Toyota Rav4, jumped into the passenger seat, and waited while she fussed over a map with directions to our new home. Darlene was like that - a stickler for details.She flipped her shoulder-length hair out of her eyes for the umpteenth time and squinted to read the tiny letters. Mapmakers tended to hide the most critical information in the smallest print known to man.Finally finished, she...
Fantasy & Sci-FiI peeked past Sheila's shoulder as she looked over the semicircle of women from the Science Team gathered around Jennifer as the dark lady of data studied the computer screen in front of her workstation. Her fingers flew across the keyboard while she scanned hundreds of files, crunching numbers and extracting the data she needed.The thirty-four-year-old Boston descendant of Zulu warriors became a legend within the Society as a math prodigy with an uncanny ability to ferret out hidden trends and...
Fantasy & Sci-FiI peeked past Sheila's shoulder as she looked over the semicircle of women from the Science Team gathered around Jennifer as the dark lady of data studied the computer screen in front of her workstation. Her fingers flew across the keyboard while she scanned hundreds of files, crunching numbers and extracting the data she needed.The thirty-four-year-old Boston descendant of Zulu warriors became a legend within the Society as a math prodigy with an uncanny ability to ferret out hidden trends and...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"These mountains are as dangerous as they are beautiful. They might appear to be lovely and majestic but don't let 'em fool you. The beauty hides the heart of a killer," Brenda explained as she dug through her inventory, looking for a pair of gloves in my size."Got 'em!" she yelled as she held the object of her search aloft, a pair of insulated gloves joined the rest of my new wardrobe.A slim and attractive woman in her mid-thirties, Brenda served as the colony's quartermaster. Medium sized,...
Fantasy & Sci-FiIn the confined space of the cave, Alice's distressed cry reverberated off the walls, so loud my ears hurt. I scrambled to be at her side. She sat in a fetal position with her arms wrapped around her knees and her whole body trembling like a leaf in the wind. Fear distorted her face, and her eyes closed so tightly her facial muscles twitched with the effort.A tiny voice uttered from her lips, repeating a single word again and again: snakes. Kneeling next to Alice, I put my arm around her...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“These mountains are as dangerous as they are beautiful. They might appear to be lovely and majestic but don’t let ‘em fool you. The beauty hides the heart of a killer,” Brenda explained as she dug through her inventory, looking for a pair of gloves in my size. “Got ‘em!” she yelled as she held the object of her search aloft, a pair of insulated gloves joined the rest of my new wardrobe. A slim and attractive woman in her mid-thirties, Brenda served as the colony’s quartermaster. Medium...
Thank you, what’s the deal?” I asked as I took the offered towel from Sheila’s hands and fluff-dried my thinning mane. Hair loss among men is a myth. It’s not so much our locks leave as they change location. The stuff which had lived on my head now sprouted from my ears. “Jen thinks the ionosphere has settled enough for shortwave. At her suggestion, I’ve decided it time we start a 24/7 radio watch. You got the first shift. Listen and log, let’s see what’s going on out there.” She hesitated...
We returned to our room after breakfast to find a note from Sheila pinned to our door. She was reminding us to join her on the front deck for an introductory tour of the colony and the surrounding area. The instructions also suggested that we dress for the weather. Our walk-in closets looked like walk-in dumpsters. Everything we had brought with us in the Rav4 had been piled in the storage spaces like an unorganized jigsaw puzzle. I busied myself picking out an appropriate wardrobe for our...
With flying gravel and a sandy whoosh, Frosty's motorbike cleared the crest of the granite ridge in an airborne glide before skidding to a wobbly stop about a dozen yards down the slope. "It's Alice and Darlene with five guys wearing uniforms from the sheriff's department." Belinda took my hand and pulled herself up to the top of the incline. "They are under guard, wearing handcuffs. Did they see me?" She lifted her binoculars to her eyes and scanned the rise at the far end of the trail along...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWith flying gravel and a sandy whoosh, Frosty's motorbike cleared the crest of the granite ridge in an airborne glide before skidding to a wobbly stop about a dozen yards down the slope. "It's Alice and Darlene with five guys wearing uniforms from the sheriff's department." Belinda took my hand and pulled herself up to the top of the incline. "They are under guard, wearing handcuffs. Did they see me?" She lifted her binoculars to her eyes and scanned the rise at the far end of the trail along...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe tour of the Liberty Mountain camp consumed most of the day, and I welcomed the chance to sit down and collect my thoughts. We were back in the cabin with about twenty minutes to spare before dinner service, and I wanted to use the time to clean up before supper. Darlene had left me on my own for the evening to rekindle a long lost friendship or love affair. Her parting words for the evening were, "Don't get into too many beds and if you do, save a spot for me." I had a real affection for...
Fantasy & Sci-FiConsciousness came slowly, on the installment plan, one sensation at a time.I groaned and opened my eyes to a room full of sunshine. Dancing clusters of sparkles and glowing dust motes drifted in the sunbeams filling my field of vision as I attempted to focus and give the optical center of my brain a chance to sort out the dazzling array of visual information. For several seconds I stared at the ceiling and tried to remember where I was. Naked, comfortable, and warm in bed with my partner next...
Fantasy & Sci-FiChapter 7As the applause died down, I took a seat on the table's bench next to Sheila and tried to relax. I felt like I had just run a marathon. Darlene gave me a warm hug and a glass of ice-cold water and sat with me. I don't know which I appreciated more; her company, the hug, or the beverage. I guzzled the water down in one long gulp. Public speaking is lonely and thirsty work.The sisters stopped by in ones and twos to exchange small talk with Sheila before retiring for the evening. That was...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“I’m getting too old for this shit,” I moaned and plopped into one of the Situation Room’s ergonomically designed conference chairs. I massaged the sore spot on my shoulder and shifted and squirmed and as I searched for a less uncomfortable position. Nothing worked. I hurt in places I didn’t even know I had. The steaming mug of fresh brewed Colombian laced with the Sisterhood’s brandy warmed my hands and took the edge away from the pain in my ass. Java and joy-juice will cure...
Darlene stepped around the front bumper and gave me a hug as she whispered "Did I mention that this is an all-woman survival commune?" in my ear."You forgot to share that little detail with me. What the fuck are we going to do now?" I whispered back.Darlene was like that. She tended to skimp on the details and fill the void with trivia or useless information. Darleen held my hand as we broke from our embrace, and spoke to the assembled women on the porch. "I would like you to meet my lover,...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe moderator leaned back in her chair and studied Starshine for a moment before turning to me and sitting upright. “Do you want to become a member of our Society?” “Yes,” I replied after a short pause. The question had caught me by surprise. “Why?” Sheila asked. “Survival,” I responded. Sheila tilted her head to one side as her eyes widened in an expression of puzzlement. “Survival?” “Yes, survival. We’re in the high mountains in winter. Without the warmth and safety of this place, I...
“This is Liberty base. The National Weather Service has issued a revised winter storm warning for our area. Forecasters are calling for up to thirty-six inches of snow starting tonight at five o’clock with blizzard conditions beginning at 6:30 PM. Snow will continue throughout the evening and into late tomorrow afternoon. Winds south by southwest twenty to thirty miles per hour with gusts up to one hundred and twenty miles per hour along exposed ridges. Return home immediately. Please...
Alice and I hurried toward the source of illumination like moths to a flame. A glimmering halo of white light surrounded the hole Alice cut through the snow drift at the tunnel’s entrance. I crawled into the air shaft that she’d excavated and punched through a thin cap of frost at the end and was instantly dazzled by blinding sunshine. “Alice, come here and take a look, you aren’t going to believe this,” I shouted over my shoulder as I emerged into the open air. The blizzard had passed us...
91.28 - 91.62 While our dinner wasn’t worthy of a five-star restaurant, the scenery around us was six-star spectacular. The night was moonless, and the velvet black sky above our heads blazed with countless stars. The Milky Way rose and arched across the heavens in a misty river of light along the eastern horizon. The snowshoe workshop did triple duty as a kitchen, dining area, and lounge. Spooning naked in the blackness was sexy, erotic, and boring. Newlyweds need to hop out of bed and...
“Shit!” Sheila swore as she angrily flipped the turn signal and slowed our Ford Super Duty truck to a crawl and searched for a safe place to pull off the road. “Sky, I need my license and registration, they’re in the glove compartment.” She rolled down her window with her left arm pointed over the roof of our vehicle. She waved towards the side of the road, a visual indication to the following patrol car we were pulling off the highway. “Stash the Glock in the hump. We don’t need any...
“Okay, my turn,” I chuckled as I picked up the fat cigar-sized joint of the Sisterhood’s weed. Possession of the cannabis talking stick authorized the owner to speak without interruption. I inhaled deeply and gave the blunt to Sheila and took my place in our naked Truth or Dare fireside chat. “Please be honest. What do you believe?” The commander’s theology drifted all over the map from Pagan to Puritan, seasoned with native lore and eastern thought. Pinning her down was like trying to...
"We need to talk" is usually the two slices of sweet bread covering a shit sandwich. I have yet to hear those innocent sounding words when they weren't followed by news to which I didn't want to listen.The last time a boss called me into the office using that invitation, I left with a security escort to the front door with a severance check in my back pocket."Have a seat," Sheila patted the empty cushion and motioned for me to sit. "We've got a lot to talk about and not much time. The meeting...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi"We need to talk" is usually the two slices of sweet bread covering a shit sandwich. I have yet to hear those innocent sounding words when they weren't followed by news to which I didn't want to listen.The last time a boss called me into the office using that invitation, I left with a security escort to the front door with a severance check in my back pocket."Have a seat," Sheila patted the empty cushion and motioned for me to sit. "We've got a lot to talk about and not much time. The meeting...
Fantasy & Sci-FiSheila had the soul of a cavalry commander and lived the warrior's code of old. Feed your horses, your troops, and yourself. In that order. Her declaration of a banquet of gratitude was a brazen departure from the typical bullshit command response to a crisis which was: when in doubt, run in circles, scream, and shout. With the generous help of brandy and buds, Martha's magnificent meal of thanksgiving had brought everyone, myself included, back from the brink. "Come on in; the water's fine!"...
Fantasy & Sci-FiEverything I knew about Sheila told me she was a master gamer with the skills of a chess genius. She did not offer me a job to alleviate unemployment, instead, she appeared to be working a gambit of some sort. The uncertainty of purpose generated within me a wave of anxious observation while I awaited developments. The chess pieces on the board were changing their position of their own accord. =^.^= "She wants you to be her what?" Darlene giggled in questioning amazement at my...
Fantasy & Sci-FiIn the confined space of the cave, Alice’s distressed cry reverberated off the walls so loudly my ears hurt. I scrambled to be at her side. She sat in a fetal position with her arms wrapped around her knees: her whole body trembling like a leaf in the wind. Fear distorted her face, and her eyes closed so tightly her eyebrows twitched with the effort. A tiny voice uttered from her lips, repeating the same word again and again: snakes. Kneeling next to Alice, I put my arm around her shoulder...
My sleep was shattered by three sharp raps which crashed through my slumber like gunshots in a nightmare on the morning of the third day."What the hell!" I hurled myself from my bed, stomped across the floor and jerked open the door."Do you have any idea of the time?" My growl faded to a reluctant sigh as Sheila pushed past me into the quarters Darlene and I had shared since our arrival at the compound last fall."Good morning, Sky, time for coffee," she said with a slight smile."It's not...
Fantasy & Sci-FiOur return to the cabin became a déjà vu moment and a mirror image of when I first arrived with Darlene about ten days ago. As our rescue vehicles approached, it appeared as though Sheila and the entire membership of the Society of Sisters waited on the cabin's balcony in freezing cold. The upper deck erupted in shouts of joy and hand waves of welcome when Seraina dismounted from the snowmobile. The boisterous display of affection slammed into a wall of silence as I climbed off the passenger...
Fantasy & Sci-FiMorpheus, the God of dreams, wrapped us in a cocoon of dreams. But when he did, he forgot to include a bathroom. I awoke with a four-alarm "urgent need to go" moment as my bladder trembled in an effort to hold back a flood of Biblical proportions. It would be wonderful to wake up nice and slow like I once did in my younger days. I used to enjoy the delightful transition from slumber to wakefulness. No such luck. Personal plumbing issues are now at the top of my morning's To-Do List.I groaned as...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe gentle nudge of Alice's hands dragged me out of my sleep. "Dennis, I'm sorry to wake you, but I've gotta piss so bad I can taste it. I need your help," she said as she pulled me into a sitting position. Our warm and cozy tent had turned into an icebox."You gotta be kidding; since when do you need help taking a piss?" Reaching under my makeshift pillow, I fished out my light and turned it on. In front of me, a naked Alice sat huddled, her breath streaming like smoke from her mouth, and...
Fantasy & Sci-FiStripping was going to be awkward. Getting naked in front of a group of nude women was the last thing I wanted to do, especially with a growing boner. Even so, I decided that I had no choice but to comply. Clearly, I would eventually have to join the clothing optional norm of the colony.Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and unbuttoned my shirt, took it off, and laid it on the table. I then took my shoes and socks off and placed them next to my shirt. I undressed as slowly as possible,...
Fantasy & Sci-FiChapter 4The dining area was located just off a large commercial kitchen at the far end of the great room. A supersized picnic table lined with benches provided more than enough seating capacity for the thirty-seven females who made the Colony their home. The table itself was a stunning thing of beauty. The tabletop surface consisted of wide pine planking sanded to a silky smooth sheen and then coated with dozens of layers of polyurethane.I took a good hard look around as we descended the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe next room turned out to be the bedroom Sheila shared with her partner, Lucia. The walls were hand-hewn pine planks decked out with bookcases and several very well done nude watercolor portraits of women.A queen-size four-poster bed covered with a beautiful handmade quilt took up one wall, and a rustic looking nightstand with a large table lamp adorned with a stained glass shade provided most of the light in the room. The balance of the lighting came from a stone fireplace with several...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“With all due respect, do we have any idea how ridiculous we look?” I stepped over the long picnic bench next to the community dining table as I stood to speak. My rear end protested. After several long hours of note-taking, my fanny was in no mood for a new session. My flat ass had a bad case of meeting butt. My hand was cramped, and after a day of biking through the mountains, I hurt in places the sun didn’t shine. “This does not bode well,” I said as I closed my notepad and set it to one...
The protracted stillness in our fabric cave floated from awkward to uncomfortable as we each waited for the other to speak. Silence and rubber bands share at least one thing in common. If you stretch them far enough, they’ll snap. In our case, the break came when Alice’s stomach rumbled in hunger. A few moments later, my gut responded in kind. “I’m famished. What’s for dinner?” Alice wanted to know. “We’ve got bouillon and tea. What’s your pleasure?” I inquired. “I want something to munch,...
With a sandy whoosh in a cloud of flying gravel, Frosty’s motorbike cleared the crest of the granite ridge in an airborne glide before skidding to a wobbly stop about a dozen yards down the slope. “It’s Alice and Darlene with five guys wearing uniforms from the sheriff’s department!” Belinda panted as she took my hand and pulled herself to the top of the incline. “They are under guard, wearing handcuffs. Did the men see me?” She lifted her binoculars to her eyes and scanned the hilltop at...
“Okay, listen up!” Sheila knocked her knuckles on the conference table and brought the final briefing to order. “We’ve got an outstanding weather report, vehicles and crews are ready. We are good to go at daybreak...” she smiled as she waved at the enormous flat-screen display we had installed several days ago and checked her watch for the time, “ ... which means we’re in luck. We have thirty-minutes for one last run-through.” “Time for a quick cup of coffee before we start?” I made it...