Anna’s Awakening

Sitting back in the chair, the tiny figure pinned beneath the ends of the fingers of her left hand, manicured nails decorated with a glossy deep scarlet cured enamel paint. Pushing her hand forward, she rolled the diminutive body toward the end of the dark brown leather armrest of her seat, feeling the crunch as the little bones of its rib cage were broken under the pressure of her fingers and the force of forward movement. It screamed at first, a shrill noise, almost feminine, though she knew it was male, but now with shattered ribs, the effort to draw air in precluded his ability to make any loud noises of protest, though he whimpered. Drawing her fingers back, she again rolled him, drawing him toward, more bones breaking and a soft gurgling whine escaping his lips along with a small amount of crimson. She moved her hand off, lifting it up to look down on the tiny broken figure lying, arms and legs at unusual angles from his body. Standing, he would have been no more than two and half inches in height, perhaps a quarter of an inch more. Lying as he was, his body was longer, no longer constrained by rigid bones, naked body discolored by purple splotches appearing on his skin. He mewled, weak sound barely audible, still clinging to consciousness. He was familiar to her, but not at the same time. A disconnect between her and the other residing within her clouding her memory sometimes. Brother? No, not brother, step-brother, yes, that was it, the child of the man cohabitating with the vessel’s mater.

She looked over at the other little figure, he was the boy’s father, standing on its feet but trapped inside the tall long stemmed wineglass on the table to the left her armrest. The glass providing sufficient elevation for him to witness the torment his eldest son was enduring at her hands.

“Anna, please,” begged the man, hands pressed against the concave interior surface of the glass, face a mask of horror at the carnage rendered unto his progeny.

A smile touched her full painted lips. Lowering her hand, she put her left index figure on the boy’s head, contemplating a quick merciful end, knowing little force would be required to spill its contents and end the suffering. Pulling back, she chose not. Grabbing the little damaged thing by its leg, she lifted it before her face, studying him. Pitiful, fragile thing that he was.

Eyes glazing over slightly, he swung pendulously from side to side, coughing, a thin trail of blood leaking from his mouth down the side of his face and into his hair as he dangled inverted from between her thumb and forefinger.

“No,” he whined weakly, pain embedded in the word, the effort to speak bringing a grimace to his once handsome now swollen and battered face. Cocking her head slightly to the side, she regarded him dispassionately, neither sympathy nor disdain.

“Anna, please, I beg you,” he whimpered, obsequiously, voice weak.

She parted her lips slightly, “Beg me for what?” she asked, curious what it was he sought to accomplish with his pathetic pleading.

“Don’t,” he coughed, more discharge coming out of his mouth, “Don’t hurt me anymore.” He started to weep.

She chuckled, a pleasant sound, how silly. His life would soon be at an end and all he could do was throw himself upon her absent sense of mercy.

Bringing him close, she opened her mouth wider, pink tongue, a stainless steel ball stabbing through it as it emerged from behind small pretty white teeth to receive him. She lowered him head first into her mouth. Closing her lips around his midsection, sucking him into the moist cave. Unable to raise his arms or move in any way to prevent or at best delay his fate, he lay there, wheezing and crying as she moved him toward the back of her mouth, still head first.

Smiling, she lifted her chin and relaxed her throat, feeling his shattered frame slide into her esophagus, the muscular rings of cartilage grabbing hold of him as peristalsis moved him down and through the esophageal sphincter leading into her stomach. She hadn’t eaten in a while and wondered how long he would survive inside of her before digestive enzymes disassembled him or if his injuries would cause him to expire first. She would know when his life force left him, when his tiny little spark would wink out, she somehow could always sense it. A smiled tugged at the corners of her generous mouth, full lips curling into a cupid bow smile, the anticipation of waiting for him to expire within in her stirred other feelings, baser feelings more primal urges.

She shifted her gaze over at the man secured in the bowl of the wineglass. Having just witnessed what she had done with his eldest son, he was down on hands and knees, face in his hands weeping. Reaching out with her left hand, she tapped the glass lightly with the nail of the finger so recently poised over the head of the consumed boy. The man looked up, his blue eyes wide with terror. Gripped by fear, he urinated himself, the yellow fluid pooling in the bottom of the clear glass by his knees as she peered at him, heat coloring her luminous green eyes now flecked with equal portions of iridescent gold.

“Anna you’re a monster!” he wailed, voice curiously distorted by the inverted bell shape of the glass.

Bringing her left hand back, she touched the laryngeal prominence at her neck whence his son had just traveled and smiled, lips parting as she traced the path of his son’s descent down between her covered breasts.

“Please, Anna stop, Caleb, my poor Caleb” he sobbed, shaking his head in disbelief.

Caleb had been the boy’s name. The man in the glass, Jerry, Jeremiah.

“Why Anna, why?” he keened, eyes swollen and red from grief.

She said nothing, instead feeling the tiny life inside of her end, bringing a sharp intake of air before she slowly released it, delight titillating her senses. Turning in the seat of the large leather chair, she brought her right leg up and over the armrest and pulled back the dark colored material of the robe covering the skin of her pale thighs, moisture spreading in the gusset of her white cotton undergarment. Pulling the fabric to the side, she exposed her puffy swollen, hungry sex, moist with anticipation.

Reaching over lifted the wine glass off the table, tipping it enough to pluck the tiny man out. Setting the stemware back on the table, she took him in both her hand, thumbs over his shoulders.

“Anna no! Please dear god,” he pleaded. With almost no effort she put force against his shoulders, cracking him, shattering both of his collarbones. He screamed loud in agony.  Altering her grip, she held him cupped in her left hand, upper body supported by the index and middle finger as she brought him down and pressed him against her silky damp vulva, using him to stimulate the stiffening button cloaked beneath the fleshy hood. Grinding him in small circles, before sliding him up and down the length of her slit. Reaching up with her right hand, she fondled her breast, squeezing the hardened nipple through the fabric restraining it. Senses overloaded, it did not take long for her to feel her climax imminently impending. Bring at the threshold of no return, she first pushed his upper body into her sodden vagina, his legs kicking and thrashing. She used her index finger, spearing him at the juncture of his legs and driving him inside her heated furnace as far as her finger would allow. A half smile danced across her lips as tried to time her orgasm with his demise, stroking and massaging her sex, breaths coming more rapidly. She was so close, she could feel it. He stopped thrashing, body convulsing and twitching instead. Right there. She felt him die scant moments before her body shuddered in ecstasy, waves of delicious pleasure bringing a soft cry from her lips.

She closed her eyes, reveling in the glorious sensations rippling through her young flesh.

Leaning forward, she opened herself, his little legs pale against the vibrant pink encasing him. Pulling him free, she turned him over to examine his remains. Smiling, she dropped the broken little carcass back into the glass her before slipping a finger under the leg elastic of her panties and pulling them back into place. Lower her leg, she readjusted her position and leaned back into the chair, eyes closed.

She hadn’t always been like this.

A Day in the Life

Anna Smith, not your typical teenaged high school girl. Long dark hair with streaked blonde highlights swaying as she hurried across the grass in front of the school, books held tightly against her chest, a look of consternation on her pretty face knowing she was going to be late for class.

Not that her history teacher, nor any teacher would ever admonish her for being tardy, she was somewhat of an exception at the school because of her traumatic history.

Given the high profile and very public nature of her ordeal and the inability to escape the invasive all-encompassing social media, everybody in her school knew what had happened to her. What they didn’t know, inventive imagination crafted to embellish the lurid details of the tragedy.

It was one of those hushed things people whispered about under their breath. “That’s her, that’s the girl,” they would say about her as she walked passed, her brilliant green eyes downcast and unwilling to meet their pitying looks.

Like gawpers slowing down to see the splashed blood and scattered body parts of a horrific motor vehicle accident, she was the subject of morbid and macabre fascination and no small amount of cruel japes.

She felt particularly sensitive in light of the fact that her father’s case was once again in the national spotlight and he was now eligible for a release review. Once again the bright cruel light of the media was on her doorstep, trying to capture an unguarded moment or sensational soundbite to elevate them above their peers as they wanted to know how she felt. Did she fear he would come after her if he was released? Her mother had encouraged her to stay home, what with the news van and bustle of people parked outside on her street, she just wanted to be away from there, away from the circus.

Tapping gently at the door of room 112, she watched the silhouette of the history teacher Mr. Collins, backlit through the frosted glass, as he approached the door.

Opening the portal, “Miss Smith, delighted you could join us today,” he said warmly, tone genuine, empathy in his aged blue eyes. He was one of her favorite teachers. Tall and slightly overweight, she guessed he was in his forties, wavy brown hair streaking silver at the temples. He always wore a sport jacket with patches on the elbow whether he was wearing dress pants or jeans. Lately he had taken to wearing glasses, calling it the curse of advancing years.

She smiled and ducked her head, “Sorry Mr. Collins, something came up at home,” she replied, not interested in publically sharing the fact there were several news reporters staking out her house.

He returned her smile and opened his hand toward her desk. Hustling, she moved up the row and slid into her seat.

Mr. Collins returned to the blackboard, “As we were discussing, the historical significance of the…”

Leaning in from the left side, “Everything okay?” whispered Veronica, light blue eyes filled with concern as she searched Anna’s face for some indication of the source of her late arrival.

Anna smiled at her best friend and nodded. The blonde girl returned the gesture and smiled back, shifting back in her seat.

“Daddy’s girl,” sniggered a male voice from the back of the room, masking the words in a manufactured cough.

Mr. Collins turned from the chalkboard, “I’m sorry Vincent, was there something you wanted to add to the discussion about the political implications on the United States as a result of the sinking of the Lusitania?”

The boy with short dark hair shook his head, a look of contempt on his youthful face “Sorry, I just coughed,” he said, adding a shoulder shrug.

Mr. Collins frowned and stared a moment. Vincent Porter, snide punk, one of Wilmington’s ‘in crowd’ always disruptive and without any degree of social tact. Star center on the school’s ice hockey team with whispers of scholarships to Michigan in the fall. The other kids deferred to him for fear of becoming the target of his mean spirited taunting.

“Asshole,” seethed Veronica, turning in her seat to glower at the boy, dirty look on her face.

Vincent rewarded her with a smirk before putting his fingers across his lips and flapping his tongue at her.

“Pig,” Veronica remarked vehemently, turning back in her desk.

Trent Davis, a lean light haired boy with a lopsided grin on his pock marked face, another member of the school’s ice hockey team leaned in close and hissed, “Scar Baby.”

Though low, she heard it. Scar baby. The words stung her, cut her more cruelly than the blades her father had used so many years earlier. It was the name her step brother Caleb called her when she was a freshman and he was a sophomore. Now he was a senior and she a junior but the name had stuck, despite the fact that none of her disfiguring wounds were openly visible. Some of the others in his pompous circle of the school’s elite would just call her SB, mostly for Scar Baby, Slice Baby, Scarred Bitch, or even Stupid Bitch. There were at least a dozen other vicious variants circulating through the school, all thanks to her step brother. Valen, another senior, once one of the inner members of Caleb’s circle but now outcast like her because of his parent’s very public shattered marriage involving gender identity issues told her SB stood for Sex Bomb and Sweet Babe. Tall and lean with spiky brown hair, she liked him, he always made her smile, and he always treated her with dignity. But Trent, she loathed Trent.

Anna turned in her seat to face the object of her spite, staring at Trent, her verdant eyes full of anger, that visceral feeling roiling deep in her stomach, a slippery oily sensation, like viscous sludge threatening to rise up from within and drown her.

He was making small cutting motions across his right wrist with his left hand and pouting in her direction before Vincent laughed out loud.

“Mr. Porter,” cautioned the teacher without bothering to turn around.

It felt like sickness, like something abhorrent, she almost retched.

Suddenly Trent’s eyes filled with alarm as a bright red jet of blood spray squirted out from his wrist, the one he was mock cutting.

“Holy fuck!” yelled Vincent, his own eyes wide as the arterial blood spattered across his desk.

Mr. Collins turned, the frown on his face replaced by concern as he saw Trent rising to get up, blood spilling from a gash in his wrist. Rushing over, the teacher immediately clasped his hand over the wound. “Everybody be calm!” Mr. Collins barked as several girls shrieked. “Stay in your seats,” he ordered.

Anna turned back toward the front of the class, the nauseous sensation receding back into her.

“What happened?” the teacher asked, firmly holding the boy’s wrist trying to staunch the flow.

Pale white, Trent just shook his head, as Mr. Collins moved him toward the door.

“Everyone just keep reading chapter 11 about the British use of propaganda to shift popular opinion and draw the US into World War 1,” he said to the class, removing the boy out to the hall and toward the school infirmary.

At first there was stunned silence in the class, then a susurrus of whispers as people speculated on what had happened. Ten minutes later, the buzzer rang, signifying the end of class.

“You know you just got to ignore those jerks,” Veronica said falling in step beside Anna as they filed out of the room.

Anna nodded, she was tired. She always felt tired after she felt the sick feeling inside of herself. She didn’t know how, but she knew somehow she was responsible for Trent’s cuts. “I know,” she said vacantly.

“All they know is what they hear on the news and they have no clue how badly you were hurt,” soothed the blonde, draping a commiserating arm over Anna’s shoulder.

Anna nodded, welcoming the human touch, but careful to keep Veronica from feeling the scars, it always came back to the scars. She shook her head, barely able to remember a time before the scars.

Little Girl Found

Her parents separated when she was only five, her mother Darlene citing a cruel and abusive relationship, and an unhealthy disposition toward their daughter as the reason for the legal separation from her father, Adam Smith. When he defied several restraining orders, Darlene petitioned the courts for divorce and was awarded custody of the young Anna.

Her memories of that time were vague. They moved to a new town, near her maternal grandparents where her mother worked as a cocktail waitress.

Everything seemed fine for a period of just over two years, until Anna’s father showed up one night her mother was working. Luring out to his car, he abducted her, stealing her away from the apartment she and her mother shared. Despite a massive manhunt, escalating beyond a state level to a national level as the story captured the country’s imagination, Adam eluded authorities and slipped away undetected, his precious Anna in tow.

No one understood what she meant to him, how special she was to him, she knew, because he would often tell her she what a truly singular child she was, exceptional beyond all others.

Moving from community to community, he kept her from school. Purchasing seconds books, he started teaching her himself, citing knowledge was the key, knowledge was power. She didn’t understand why he had come and taken her away from her mother, whom she missed, but she was a dutiful child and eager to please her sire, she did as her father bade unquestioningly, even after he started hurting her. He said he did it because he loved her.

It wasn’t until her disappearance was re-broadcast on a nationally televised television program that someone working in a Walmart coincidentally recognized the slightly age advanced computer picture of her from the show and called the local authorities.

She remembered walking through the store, they were looking at clothes for her when the police showed up, surrounding them. Her father pulled her close to his side, eyes wild, like a trapped animal. “You can’t have her!” he yelled, squeezing her arm painfully hard as he spun looking for an avenue of escape.

She grimaced at the pain in her arm, but didn’t make a sound, like he had taught her.

“Easy Adam,” said a policeman, tone calm, left hand out, palm down, “Just let Anna go,” he said, “And we can talk about this, okay?” he asked, right hand curled around the holstered Beretta at his hip.

“She’s not ready, I’m not finished!” Adam said, reaching under his jacket and pulling a knife from the sheath he kept on his belt, holding it to her throat, the edge drawing a thin red line across her alabaster neck.

“Whoa! Come on Adam, she’s just a little girl,” said the policeman, both hands now raised to shoulder height, palms out.

Adam swiveled his head, police seemed to be everywhere, hands on guns. “You can’t take her,” he whined, almost pleadingly, shaking his head.

“Just let Anna go,” said another policeman, “C’mon Mr. Smith you don’t want to hurt your little girl.”

Several bystanders looked on, some with cell phones out, recording the dramatic scene unfolding despite the best efforts by police to keep the area clear.

Adam shook his head from side to side, tears welling up in his eyes so very like Anna’s own. “I can’t,” he said, voice breaking, lower lips trembling.

“Please Adam, she’s your daughter,” said the first policeman, moving a step closer, eyes sympathetic.

Anna started to cry, fat blue tears rolling down her cherubic cheeks, she was afraid the police were going to hurt her daddy. “I love you daddy,” she said, voice choked with emotion.

“I love you too, princess,” he sobbed, the knuckles on his hand gripping the knife handle whitening from added pressure, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

The world seemed to slow, seconds elongating into hours. The report of the gun, thunderous and deafening in the tense silence, the bullet catching Adam in the shoulder, spinning him away from her, the knife falling from his hand. She turned, specks of blood misting down on her head as her father was shot and staggered backwards.

The world snapped back at double speed as several police officers rushed the scene. She felt her whole body scooped up and pulled into the arms of young policeman who immediately carried her away from there. She didn’t see her father fall, but several other officers rushed passed and there was a lot of yelling.

A cheer rose up from the assembled crowd, several people applauding.

“Anna!” she heard above the commotion as he screamed, lying on his stomach, pinned by arms and knees to the ground while the police handcuffed his wrists behind his back.

“Daddy!” she wailed, stretching a small hand over the policeman’s shoulder back toward him.

“It’s okay you’re safe now,” reassured the policeman, hand cradling the back of her head. “You’re okay.” As he brought her feet back to the ground. “The nice ambulance lady is going to look at you now,” he said, warm smile on his face as he put his hand to her face and thumbed a tear from her cheek.

Anna turned to the paramedic, a woman with sandy hair, white top, colorful badges, black pants and blue nitrile gloves, stethoscope around her neck.

The woman smiled at her, “My name is Jill,” she said, eyes looking at the shallow laceration on Anna’s neck. “Is it okay if I take a look?” she asked.

Lower lip out, snot running from her nose Anna nodded.

“Oh that’s not too bad,” Jill assured,, examining the wound “Just a scratch. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

The girl looked down but remained quiet.

The female paramedic frowned, “It’s Anna, right? Are you hurt somewhere else?” she repeated, tone a little firmer.

Anna slowly shook her head, daddy told her never to tell and she was a good girl.

Puzzled by the sudden change in body language, Jill said, “It’s okay, you know you’re not in trouble, but if you’re hurt I really need you to let me know, so I can help you.” The smile on her face was pleasant, her tone now soothing.

A pout still on her face, Anna reached her right hand up and quickly patted her stomach before lowering her hand back down.

“Okay,” Jill said, “I’m just going to take a look.” Pulling the bottom of the t-shirt up, she suddenly released it, leaning back and away from the ten year old girl, eyes wide, horrified, “Sweet Jesus!” she breathed, bringing a gloved hand to her own face.

Between Classes

Outside room 112 in the bustling hallway, Anna could see Caleb up ahead approaching, navigating through the sea of students. Making eye contact with him, she knew he was coming to see her.

She frowned and prepared for him, shaking her head.

“Here comes your shithead step brother,” Veronica said sourly, seeing him parting the students to come directly at them.

Tall and good looking, Caleb stepped in front of the girls, a binder and math textbook under his arm,  “So I heard Trent Davis got a look at your scars and tried to kill himself in your history class,” he said snidely, chuckling at his own stupid joke.

Veronica opened her mouth and made a noise of disgust, big blue eyes wide in disbelief at the audacity of the boy.

“Why do you always do that, trying to hurt my feelings, try to make me feel so small?” Anna asked, her own eyes narrow, mouth pursed as she looked up at him.

“I don’t know, why are you such an emo drama queen?” he queried, shrugging his shoulders.

She shook her head. “You’re a shit,” she said, scowling.

“Ooh, that one cuts,” he said, snickering.

“Why don’t you just go to your own class,” encouraged Veronica.

Caleb looked from Anna to Veronica and laughed. “I just thought of something, you two could be slice and dice,” he started, eyes back on Anna, “For you that’s pretty obvious, and you,” he added, turning to Veronica, “Well, you could be dice because it would be a gamble whether or not a guy would get a rash after being with you,” he chortled loudly.

“You are such an asshole!” Veronica snapped.

Caleb nodded, “Yep, that’s where I heard you like it best, little skank that you are,” he countered, cocky grin on his handsome face.

“Fuck you,” Veronica retorted.

“Eat me,” Caleb replied, grabbing his crotch.

Anna shook her head, feeling it again, feeling the inky blackness pooling up inside, but Veronica grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

“Errr!” Veronica growled, “I wish somebody would just smash him right in his arrogant face,” she snarled, tugging on Anna.

Anna’s eyes lingered on him as Veronica pulled her away, the noise in the hall sounding far away.

“Hey, did you hear me?” Veronica asked, shaking Anna’s shoulder. “We need to get to class, you just like gapped out there a minute.”

Anna shook her head. “Sorry,” she said, not sure how she had arrived at her locker. “It’s okay, you go ahead. I’ll catch up.”

Veronica nodded. “Hurry up though,” she called moving off down the hall.

Opening her locker, she put her history books on the middle shelf and pulled out what she needed for social studies.

Valen appeared beside her open locker door, big grin and a half dozen sparse whiskers on his chin, which he called his man beard. “Hey girl,” he said, dressed in faded blue jeans, long sleeve white undershirt and faded black t-shirt with the band emblem for the music group Injustice.

She smiled, “Valen, you better hurry, you’ll be late,” she advised, looking toward the large faced clocking hanging down from the ceiling a short distance away.

“It’s okay. I got chemistry and old man Magoo won’t even know if I’m there or not,” he said, squinting his eyes. “Is that you Mr. Danse?” he asked, stooped over, his best impersonation of an old person’s voice.

She chuckled and shook her head, pushing his face away.

“I know there’s a lot going on for you today and just wanted to check in see if you were okay,” he said, voice concerned.

She nodded, “I’ll be fine,” she affirmed.

He angled his head and looked at her with compassion in his blue eyes, “You sure?” he asked.

She smiled, knowing he meant well. “Don’t worry. He isn’t even going into the hearing till like ten o’clock or something,” she explained, “And the last time it took like four hours before they had a decision.”

“Okay,” he said, “But if you need to talk or want a shoulder to lean on,” he left the rest unsaid, brows raised, patting his shoulder with his free hand.

“Between you and Veronica, I’m sure I’ll get through the day, now go,” she directed, scooting him off to class. Closing her locker, she strode quickly down the hall arriving in social studies just as the final buzzer rang.

Mrs. Pembry smiled and nodded as Anna hustled in and slipped into her desk.

Anna allowed her mind to drift.

The Blade and the Damage Done

Although the wound on Anna’s neck was insignificant, the startling discovery of the brutal sewn up wounds on her stomach were enough to warrant a trip to the hospital for examination by a physician.

Once there, a nurse dressed in a crisp white uniform came to her and lead her to a place where there was a bed with a pull curtain on an aluminum rail overhead.

Pulling the curtain closed, the kindly nurse had Anna sit on the bed, before she crouched down in front of the girl. “My name is Doris,” said the nurse. “What’s your name?”

“Anna,” replied the girl, big eyes round.

“A doctor is going to come in and look at you, okay?” Doris asked.

Anna nodded.

Doris smiled, a kindly expression on her middle aged face. “After the doctor is done, there’s a woman from Child Services here who’s going to come and talk to you and help look after you until we can get in contact with your mommy,” advised the nurse.

Anna nodded again.

Doris stood up, placing a comforting hand on Anna’s shoulder, “It won’t be long now, the doctor will see you,” she provided, slipping out through the break into the curtain.

When Doris returned, she was with another man, he was dressed all in pale green. He was an older man, bald on top, silver on the sides, he wore glasses and held a clipboard in his hands.

“Hello Anna, my name is Dr. Henry,” he introduced, smiling down at her, then glancing back to the clipboard.

“I have an uncle named Henry” Anna replied.

He smiled, “Henry is my last name, James is my first name but you can call me Jim okay?” he said, crouching low in front of her.

“Doris is here in case you feel uncomfortable, but I would like you to remove your shirt for me, if you could?”

“Is my daddy here?”

Dr. Henry nodded, “Your father is in another part of the hospital right now, other doctors are looking after him, okay?”

She nodded.

He let her remove her t-shirt. In thirty four years of being a doctor, he had never seen such willful and deliberate damage inflicted on a child. He leaned back. The ugly lacerations carved deep into her skin, through the full thickness of the epidermis almost into the underlying tissue, were crudely stitched together. They resembled symbols of some type, arranged in a specific order, but he had no idea what they represented.

Doris let out a gasp. “Her back,” she said, eyes looking at the lattice work of brutal scars.

The doctor’s examination of her revealed the depth of her father’s depravity and treatment of her. Over the years she was in his care, at very specific calendar events, he had ritualistically mutilated her, decorating the tender flesh of her back with a near perfect circle containing an eight pointed star surrounded by odd triangular markings situated from her shoulder blades to the narrow of her young waist. Likewise, the soft skin of her stomach and thighs, sported similar welted ugly scars on her young smooth flesh, some older, some very recent.

She would scream as he tied her down and brutalized her innocent flesh, cruelly slicing and gouging her without regard for the pain he was inflicting upon her. He would say pain was a purifier and only through suffering could she be set free.

She didn’t understand, mentally and emotionally unequipped to process the sadistic brutality inflicted on her at the hands of the man she was supposed to respect and love above all others in the whole world. He said he loved her and was doing this for her, telling her again how miraculous and what a special girl she was. The pain was transitory and would pass.

Torn between the savage pain and the distorted sense of love she felt for the man who was her biological father, she had remained with him, enduring his bouts of madness and desecration of her body, suffering in silent loyalty.

Inspecting the wounds, he checked for signs of infection and underlying structural damage to the tissue beneath. Once his examination was complete, Dr. Henry carefully photographed her, making sure to document all of the markings for his report.

“Who did this to you?” he asked.

“My daddy,” she replied.

He shook his head, “You’ve been a very good girl, you can put your clothes back on,” he said. Stepping through the curtain, he let out breath and ran an aged spotted hand over his balding pate.

“How’s she doing?” Anna heard a woman ask.

Peering through the vertical gap in the curtain, she could see the doctor turn to talk to the other person whom she could not see.

“This little girl has been tortured,” he said, shaking his head, lips pulled back, eyes narrowed.

“What do mean, like molested?” asked the concerned female voice.

“No, she said he never touched her there. It looks like he took a scalpel and literally carved out chunks of her creating extensive scarification of her skin, particularly her back, stomach, thighs, and each of the palms of her hands,” he explained.

“Oh my god, who would do that?” exclaimed the female voice.

“He father. I can’t understand it, it’s beyond beastly, the man is a monster,” stated the physician.

“How is she doing?” inquired the woman.

“Remarkably resilient, but I want to call Dr. Dennard to come in and do a psychological evaluation on her,” he advised. “I also want to get Ben Shepherd in here, he’s the best plastic surgeon I know and I want him to see what he can do as far as skin grafts are concerned,” he added.

“By all means,” she answered. “Did you want to keep her here then, for observation?”

“I’m going to have her moved to a private room on the third floor. None of her wounds are life threatening, she doesn’t need to be here in emergency and I think she’ll benefit from some privacy,” he expressed.

“Absolutely, this whole thing is already all over the news, actual video footage of her rescue, it has gone national,” said the woman.

“Great, just what this little girl needs right now,” scorned the doctor.

“Agreed,” answered the woman.

“Here, let me take you in to meet her,” said the doctor, pulling the curtain back slightly to reveal a fairly plump woman with curly hair. “Anna, this the lady from Child Services, her name is Margie.” The round woman smiled broadly, Anna smiled back shyly. “Margie, this is Anna,” introduced the doctor.

Interpreting the Scars

Perplexed by the scarification on Anna Smith, Dr. Henry contacted a colleague who contacted another colleague who might be able to make some sense of the marks covering the girl.

Eventually Dr. Henry was put in touch with Dr. Elias Travers, a history professor at Columbia University and disciple of Joseph Campbell’s teachings on mythology.

The two doctors connected via a video conferencing link.

“Very pleased to meet you Dr. Travers, I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to speak with me,” Dr. Henry said.

“Not at all, my pleasure Dr. Henry. This is incredibly interesting as these scars are very similar to early Babylonian cuneiform. The eight pointed star was a traditional symbol belonging to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar or her Sumerian counterpart Inanna as well as the cognate for Aramean Astarte. All represent a wide spectrum of spheres of influence, love, war, fertility, sex, and so forth. Aside from the star, two of the symbols specifically identify Inanna. There is also a demarcation here for Tiamat, in her dark capacity, sort of the personification of primordial chaos and amongst her corporeal forms she is a purported to be a dragon. Whoever did this is incredibly versed in the ancient belief systems in and around fourth millennia BCE Uruk. Absolutely fascinating.”

“These were savagely carved into the flesh of a little girl,” reminded the doctor.

“Notwithstanding the gravitas of the origin, fascinating nonetheless,” replied Dr. Travers.

“So what does it mean?” asked Dr. Henry.

“Now here is the curious part. While I’m not quite sure about some of the markings, the reference to Tiamat is interesting, as it indicates ‘of’ or ‘from’ and likened to Ishtar or Inanna. It’s a little murky and while we have tremendous resources to help decipher ancient cuneiform, some of these symbols have never appeared before and might be nothing more than inventive balderdash fabricated by a disturbed mind,” Dr. Travers provided.

Dr. Henry let out a slow measured breath, massaging the bridge of his nose, “And?”

“Well, I can’t be certain, but it appears as if it is either an invitation for Inanna or one like her to inhabit the vessel, or a possibly a ward preventing possession of the vessel,” explained Dr. Travers.

“Let me see if I understand, so Anna’s father, in all his dementia, carves ancient marks into his daughter to either invite or repel a goddess who has been dead for thousands of years from taking possession of her body? Like Catholic possession, the Exorcist?”

“These belief systems predate Christian ideology, but I think the analogy is comparable,” supplied the professor.

Dr. Henry frowned, “How would someone become conversant in such a thing, like how would Adam Smith know?”

“Therein lies the conundrum, how indeed? I have devoted a significant portion of my life to the study of such and I have conferred with a couple of trusted peers. Whatever madness possessed this man to do this to his child, he is perhaps a diabolical genius,” supplied Elias.

Dr. Henry nodded. He had hoped for more concise reading of the marks, but short of getting the reasoning right from the proverbial horse’s mouth, this was as close as he was going to get. “Thank you again for sparing me some of your time, if you could send me a copy of your translation, it would be greatly appreciated.”

“Of course, and again it was my pleasure,” answered Dr. Travers.

Dr. Henry shut down the link, mind swirling with unanswered questions. Ishtar, Tiamat, Inanna. Inanna? In Anna? Was there something lurking inside this little girl? Was Adam Smith trying to draw it out or was he trying to keep it in?

He snorted, chastising himself for getting caught up in Adam’s madness. Adam Smith may have believed his daughter was to be some type of avatar for a dead Sumerian goddess, but that was on him.

He decided he would go speak to Anna herself.

Dr. Dennard’s evaluation of Anna showed there might be elements of a borderline personality disorder coupled with post traumatic stress. Given the degree of her experiences, she presented a high functioning developing intellect but was prone to bouts of emotional instability and almost debilitating fear.

Dr. Shepherd’s prognosis for potential grafting also appeared promising

Jim knew he would not have much time with the girl given that Margie had made all the necessary arrangements to get into contact with Anna’s mother and that her mother and new husband were coming to get her within the next day. Stopping at the hospital gift shop, he purchased a medium stuffed brown colored bear with large eyes and made his way up to her room. Pulling her chart out of the holder next to the door, he thumbed through the pages. On top of everything else going on In Anna’s life, she experienced menarche, she had her very first menses, period.

Tucking the chart back into the holder, he peered into the room through the window in the door, she was sitting up in bed and it looked like she was coloring. He knocked and opened the door, peeking around the corner, holding the little bear for her to see. She smiled.

“Dr. Jim,” she said.

He returned her smile and entered the room, “What you drawing there Anna?” he asked, taking a seat in a chair beside her bed.

She held up the sheet of paper. The sheet was mostly colored black, a dozen depictions of eight pointed stars littering the field, and two large brightly yellow colored eyes.

“Wow, you’re very talented,” he said, handing her the bear.

She took the bear and pulled it into a strong embrace.

“You’ll have to give him a name,” Dr. Henry said.

“Dumuzi,” she said with a big grin, holding the bear at arm’s length a moment before pulling it back into a hug.

Dr. Henry looked at the drawing and pushed the top sheet aside to see others underneath. He wondered how much of Adam Smith’s delusion had poured into her young mind?

Selecting the sheet with the stars and the dragon, “What made you decided to do this?” he asked.

She shrugged and set the bear on the bed beside her.

He continued to smile, “Okay. May I have this drawing?” he asked,

She smiled and nodded.

“How do you feel today?” he asked.

“My cuts are itchy and they feel hot,” she replied, touching her stomach.

He nodded, “Can I take a look?”

She pulled up her shirt.

He frowned. The wounds, though they would leave significant scars, were almost completely healed. There were fortunately still no signs of infection. He looked at the girl’s face then back to her stomach before allowing her to lower her shirt.

“They are healing very quickly. You have a very strong constitution,” he said.

She nodded, “Dr. Shepherd says he can help make them go away,” she added.

Dr. Henry smiled, “He’s very good at what he does. He will take care of you.” Patting her knee, he got up and left the room.

Lunchtime

The school buzzer rang, snapping Anna out of her reverie. Funny she hadn’t thought about Dr. Henry in years. The last time she had actually seen the man was the day he had given her Dumuzi. Odd the things you remember.

“Thank god,” moaned Veronica at the door out of the classroom, “I thought Pembry was going to bore me to death,” she said with an exasperated eye roll.

Anna smiled, Mrs. Pembry was one of those monotone teachers who never altered the cadence of her delivery regardless the nature of the material, she just droned on and on which is why Anna had found it so easy to drift.

“You want to go out and grab a bite or just hit the cafeteria?” Veronica asked. “I got the car. My treat.”

Anna considered it a moment, “Nah, I’m not too hungry, probably just going to catch some fresh air out at the bleachers,” she said.

Veronica scrutinized her, “I don’t know,” she said, shaking her blonde mane.

Anna scowled, “I will be all right, for the zillionth time! You’re driving me crazy!”

Veronica laughed, leaving Anna to herself.

The bleachers overlooking the sport’s field ran up several rows and were a common place to take lunch when the weather was nice. Underneath the bleachers was also a common hangout for the kids that smoked.

Climbing up near the top of the white painted wooden bleacher, Anna sat down by herself. They were a couple of other groups of kids also located on the bleachers, but there was more than enough room for everyone to co-exist without intrusion.

Tipping her head back, she enjoyed the warmth of the near midday sun on her face.

The sounds of feet climbing toward her disturbed her solitude. Cracking an eyelid, she was surprised to see her step-sister approaching. A year younger than Anna, Rachel was a little taller and still awkwardly gangly.

“I heard Caleb was being a douche,” she said, absently twirling a strand of her auburn hair in her fingers and sitting on the bleachers next to Anna.

Anna shrugged, “He’s always been a douche,” she replied.

Rachel chuckled.

“Anna Smith, please report to the principal’s office, Anna Smith to the principal’s office,” repeated the disembodied voice over the public address system. Both girls looked up.

“I have to go,” Anna said, rising to her feet.

Rachel nodded, “I hope everything is okay,” she empathized.

When Anna arrived at principal Donaldson’s office, her mother was already there, seated in a chair across from the principal, a grim expression etching lines into her face.

“Anna,” welcomed principal Donaldson, rising from his desk.

“Honey, we’ve received word your father’s application for release has been successful,” advised Anna’s mother.

Anna frowned. “What does that mean?” she asked.

“Jerry and I think it important that we pull you out of school for the next few days or at least until some of this hype dies down,” she said.

Anna dropped into the other chair and rolled her eyes. “Mom, what difference does it make? Really? Whether I’m here or at home?” she protested.

Don Donaldson raised a hand, “I think your mother is right Anna, given the exposure your situation has received overshadows our ability to maintain a properly functioning learning environment. We believe it is in everybody’s best interest if you take some time off,” he said, voice low.

She frowned while her mother nodded.

“Of course, we can make arrangements to have your homework delivered so that you don’t fall too far behind in the curriculum,” he assured.

She shook her head, “This is crap,” she said.

“Oh Anna,” he mother said, putting a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

Principal Donaldson adopted a stern expression on his face, “I appreciate you’re unhappy with the decision, however, maintain some degree of decorum,” he stated.

Anna snorted. She never much liked Don Donaldson, a bureaucrat through and through, always basing any decisions upon what he believed public reaction might be. She suddenly felt like vomiting, the sensation to empty her stomach very intense and for some inexplicable reason, all of her scars burned intensely.

“Are you okay dear?” asked her mother, expression concerned.

Anna put a hand to her mouth and nodded, trying to quell the queasy sensation.

“Well, that’s settled,” Don said with his politician’s smile, rising to his feet.

Anna glowered at him from behind her hand but said nothing as her mother rose to her feet.

“Come on Anna, let’s go,” she said, slipping a hand under Anna’s arm.

Reluctantly the girl stood up. Storming out of the office, she could hear her mother apologizing for Anna’s behavior before hastily trying to catch up.

Stepping out of the administrative offices, Anna turned to go up the hall toward her locker.

“Anna?” her mother said behind her.

Anna turned, “Can I at least get some things from my locker?” she asked, voice loud.

Darlene nodded and smiled, “Of course sweetheart, I’ll come with you,” she said. Gathering things she thought she might need, Anna stopped at her locker then walked out to the car with her mother, riding in silence for the ten minute drive to their house. News vans still parked on the street, there was a flurry of commotion as her mother pulled into the driveway.

Suddenly there were people swarming the car as she tried to push the door open.

“Anna! Anna! How do you feel now that your father’s is getting out?” yelled someone from the crowd as people with microphones and camera leaned in close.

Anna frowned, trying to use her arm to get between some of the throng milling around her.

“Anna, are you worried your dad is going to try and come after you?” asked another faceless voice.

“Please,” pleased her mother, trying to reason with the mob.

A man grabbed ahold of her arm, little tape recorder in his other hand jammed in her face, “If you could say one thing to your father, what would it be?” asked the man

“FUCK OFF!” she yelled, heart pounding, jerking her arm free of the man’s grasp. The force of her outburst causing several people near her to push back and a hush fell upon the gathering.

Moving through the crowd, Anna went straight to her room, fuming. She wasn’t happy, and for some reason the swirling mass of unsettled sensations in the pit of her stomach were still turbulent within her, though less like nausea, more like the world’s worst case of heart burn and her scars throbbed instead of feeling incredibly hot.

Flopping belly first onto her head, she buried her face in her pillow and screamed in frustration. Why can’t they just let me be?

She stayed in her room, skipping supper to demonstrate her unhappiness with the decision to remove her school. She could hear the sounds of fighting through her door, Her mother and Jerry, though she couldn’t make out what they were fighting about. Me probably, she thought.

The argument stopped, the front door slamming followed by the sound of their car leaving. Anna wandered out her room, Jerry was seated at the kitchen table, glass of red wine in front of him.

“What’s happening?” she asked.

He smiled. “Grown up stuff,” he said, “Just a difference of opinion.” He lifted the glass and drained it in a single long swallow before tipping the bottle and refilling the glass.

Anna frowned. Her skin crawled, the uncomfortable sensation in her scarred flesh worsening. “I’m going to have a shower,” she said.

He nodded and smiled. She didn’t like the way he grinned, almost a leer. “You do that,” he encouraged, emptying half the glass in another drink.

Leaving the kitchen, she had a shower, washing herself. She found her scars incredibly sensitive and very painful to not only the pressure of the spray hitting hurt but also the temperature of the water. Abbreviating the shower, she bundled herself up in a towel and returned to her room and drying off. Pulling on a pale pink t-shirt with white cotton underpants before wrapping her long burgundy colored robe around herself, she returned to the kitchen and drank a glass of water.

She frowned, finding it strange that the house was empty except for her and Jerry, at least as far as she could tell. Shrugging her shoulders, she went to the living room and curled her feet up under her to watch TV, something to take her mind off of the day.

Homecoming

She remembered when her mother arrived in the hospital, it was later the very same day Dr. Henry had given her the bear. Anna’s mother looked very much like she remembered, though maybe a little heavier in her face. There were tears in her happy eyes when she entered the room. “Oh my sweet little baby,” she cried, crossing the space between them and wrapping her arms fiercely about her daughter.

“Mommy,” replied Anna, her own cheeks wet with unrestrained emotion as her mother held her close.

“Little angel, Mommy is going to take you home, baby,” promised Darlene, running her hand over the side of Anna’s hair and kissing the little girl’s face.

There was a tall slender man standing at the door of the hospital room, light jacket, blue jeans. Darlene Smith, now Darlene Crandall tracked the movement of her daughter’s eyes.

Smiling, she said, “That’s Jeremiah, Jerry,” she introduced, wide smile on her face, looking back to Anna.

He smiled, “Hi Anna,” he said, removing his right hand from his pocket and waving at the girl.

Anna frowned, unsettled. She wrapped her arms tighter around her mother.

“It’s okay baby,” she said, “Jerry is mommy’s new husband and we’re going to take you home where it’s safe,” she soothed, words soft.

Jerry took a couple of steps into the room, slipping his hands back into his pockets.

Anna made a noise and buried her face against her mother.

Jerry’s face darkened. Darlene shook her head, “She’s been through an awful lot, she’s going to need some time,” she said.

His features softened, “I know,” he assured, nodding his head.

Going home was strange for Anna, not just because the house she returned to was different than one she left and her mother was with a new man now, but she was also introduced to three step-siblings. Oldest of the three was Caleb, a year older than her. Immediately she got the strong sense he didn’t like her and he made no effort to disguise his hostility toward her, the origin of which she didn’t understand. Next was Rachel, a year younger than Anna, and she was friendly and welcomed Anna readily, like they were actual sisters. Lastly was Elijah, three years Anna’s junior and while he too was initially receptive to her joining the now blended family, he dwelt in Caleb’s shadow, hungry for his brother’s approval.

Almost from the get go, Caleb was ruthless in his efforts to torment her, systematically targeting her for his cruel teasing. She tried her best to appease him but he was uncompromising. Her bond with Rachel strengthened and the younger girl proved to be an enormous support as Anna transitioned back into a normal way of life. Despite being younger, she would often interpose herself between Caleb and Anna when he was being particularly vicious.

Unfortunately her relationship with Elijah deteriorated as a result of Caleb’s influence over the younger boy as Elijah aged.

She was never able to quite reconcile her troublesome feelings toward Jerry, something in him just didn’t seem right to her. Most of the time he was kind and pleasant, other times she felt extremely uncomfortable with how he looked at her. He had tried to encourage her to call him Dad, but she refused, calling him instead by his given name. This seemed to antagonize him and he seldom intervened between her and Caleb.

Anna was spared the ordeal of having to participate in any legal proceeding or sensationalized public trial as her father willingly accepted a plea bargain arrangement with the presiding District Attorney. Pleading no contest to thirteen separate charges, Adam Smith was sentenced to an indefinite period in a mental health care facility to receive treatment. He would be eligible for biannual reviews for re-entry into society pending psychological and psychiatric clearance. One of the specific stipulated conditions of the plea agreement was he was not allowed to make any effort to try and contact Anna.

Counseling services were made available and for the first year after Anna’s return, her mother was dutiful ensuring she attended regularly. When the reports indicated Anna was functioning well within normal parameters, the sessions were deemed no longer necessary and discontinued.

Dr. Shepherd referred a competent surgeon in Anna’s area to undertake the task of grafting over her heinous scars, but for some reason, even when using Anna’s own cells to produce the graft, they never took. After three failed attempts and mounting medical costs, Jerry and Darlene decided Anna had suffered enough.

High school was traumatic for her, surrounded by so many other children, most of whom knew of her dark secret because of Caleb, who had ensued anyone who would listen was told. Rather than simply sharing the story, he of course embellished it to the point of absurdity resulting in Anna being treated as some kind of oddity.

The guidance counsellor suggested she might enjoy participating in an after school support group to help her cope with the rigors of her unusual situation.

That’s where she met Veronica. The blonde girl, like Anna was a freshman and immediately the two bonded. Like Anna, Veronica had suffered a traumatic event in her life, having been molested by her uncle, her mother’s brother for several years. And like Anna, the distorted rumor erroneously suggested it was Veronica herself who invited the illicit contact.

The following year, Valen Danse joined their group, a year older, he was once one of the beautiful people inhabiting the privileges of the popular crowd. His status changed when his father publicly identified himself as transgendered and undertook the process of transitioning from male to female. This unexpected revelation precipitated Valen’s fall from grace, many students unsympathetic or ignorant ostracizing and shunning him. Caleb was extremely vocal, often when seeing Anna and Valen together, calling her ‘Daddy’s girl’ and taunting Valen with ‘Your daddy is a girl.”

 Valen wanted to fight Caleb and on several occasions the two almost came to blows though nothing ever escalated to that point.

Jerry

Anna awoke with a sudden start, momentarily discombobulated but keenly aware of another person’s hand wedged in between her thighs near her crotch, a finger touching her through her underpants.

Turning her head, Jerry was there, smiling, the smell of wine seeping from his pores. “What the hell?” she yelled, trying to push herself back deeper into the couch and away from him.

“Relax,” he said, thumb flicking over a scarred symbols on her thigh, bringing up the wine glass in his free hand and emptying it.

“What the fuck are you doing Jerry?’ she said, now trying to push to his hand out from between her legs while clamping her knees together to keep him from getting his hand any closer.

“It’s time,” he said, chuckle in the tone for voice.

“Time for you to get your hand away from me,” she barked.

“Your mother wants to do the ritual of purification now, but I told her I think we need to wait for the solstice, otherwise we risk losing everything, but she said your father will find us and we needed to act quickly,” he slurred. She didn’t know what that was, the ritual of purification, but it must have been what they were arguing about earlier.

“Jerry you’re drunk!” she said angrily.

“Ah poor Anna, poor little damaged Anna, no clue what glorious things you are destined for, well not you per se, your body,” he said, pushing his hand more forcefully between her thighs.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she hollered, unable to dislodge his hand as he squeezed the flesh of her thigh. “I swear to god Jerry,” she said, the blackness polling inside of her.

“Swear all you want, it won’t make any difference in the end,” he said, smirking. “I just thought you might like to feel a little something between your legs before you go,” he added, licking the corner of his mouth with his tongue.

“GET OFF!” she yelled, the darkness welling up faster than ever before, engulfing her, she felt like she was suffocating, drowning under a tidal wave of blackness. Jerry seemed so far away, his voice indistinct in the emptiness. She was aware of something else in the darkness within her, another presence, someone else, another sentience rising to the surface as she herself was pulled down into the abyss.

At once Anna, who was no longer Anna opened her eyes, luminous, iridescent green mingled with flecks of molten gold. Examining hands that were hers but not, white lined scars in the palms of each. She noticed the man seated next to her with his hand clutched between her thighs, touching her without permission. She frowned, studying him. “You would dare?” she challenged, Anna’s voice but at the same time not, like layers of many different voices all speaking in unison.

Jerry jerked his hand back, hastily getting off the couch and staggering backward. “What the?” he asked, his calves bumping into the chair. Reaching behind him, he steadied himself and set the wine glass on the table to the left of the chair.

She could sense the other, buried deep within, memories not hers inveigling her mind. She frowned. “This vessel is corrupted!” she snarled, eyes locking onto Jerry.

“Wait,” he protested, raising his hand defensively in front of him, “Anna,” he added, eyes round with fear.

Holding her palm out toward him, he was suddenly driven by an invisible force backward and over the right arm of the chair, letting out a grunt as he struck the wall behind and toppled to the floor.

Rising, she circled around the coffee table and moved toward where Jerry had landed while he was struggling to right himself.

Wild, panicked eyes as he began to shrink away, “Anna!?” he exclaimed. She watched, amused at his expressions as he tried to interpret what was transpiring.

“Dad!” called out another male voice from elsewhere in the house. “I’m home!”

She turned to Jerry, passing her hand like a slow wave in his direction. Pain wracked through every fiber of his being as he cells seemed to collapse in on themselves. Eyes screwed shut, he screamed, not realizing his world was expanding outward as his body was reduced.

Moving forward, she bent at the waist, and seized the little man by his right leg, lifting him in front of her face, angling her head to the side to evaluate him.

Caleb walked into the room, “What’s going on in here?“ he demanded, tone forceful, pausing, seeing something tiny and moving suspended between her fingers for the first time.

She didn’t answer, regarding the interloper who was at once familiar and a stranger at the same time with eyes that seemed to glow somewhere between green and yellow. Somewhere deep within her body, she felt anger surge, raw hostility.

“What the fuck?” he asked, taking a step closer as he tried to understand what he was looking at.

She held her free hand out toward him, the force strong enough to knock him backward and propel him off his feet. Looking down at the table, she dropped the tiny little man still in her fingers into the wine glass.

“Anna! What the fuck?” breathed Caleb, eyes angry. She smiled, already he was beginning to diminish. Despite him getting smaller it seemed as if his eyes were growing wider by the second as she reached down.

Moving forward, she snatched the little thing up from the floor. Looking back toward the chair, she crossed the room and sat. The tiny figure in the glass climbing to its feet.

Adam Smith

Adam knew from the outset there was no way the authorities would ever let him go unless he played the game and told them what they wanted to hear, not the truth, never the truth. The truth, he laughed. That your daughter was specifically conceived to be the receptacle for an ancient entity his gathering called Inanna. That had been the plan when he and Darlene conceived Anna, the girl was to be nothing more than a shell for a long formant deity. Of those in his gathering, he and Darlene were the ones rewarded with the privilege to provide the vessel for the goddess, the only problem was Adam fell in love with his little girl. He knew everything that made Anna who she was would be destroyed once the goddess took possession of her body and he realized he couldn’t do it, wouldn’t do it. When Darlene realized his reservations, she went on the offensive, starting legal action, restraining orders, and even divorce to keep him away from her. So many lies she told, he was left with no other option, so he stole her away. How do you explain to someone, anyone, that he did what he needed to do to save the most precious thing in his life from oblivion, that the cruel marks were the only way to prevent his daughter’s essence from being devoured by Inanna. Every single time he cut her, he would have willingly exchanged places with her and endured a thousand for every one he inflicted. She was so brave. Every cruel piece of flesh he removed, every line he carved made him scream and weep inside. Poor Anna.

Misfortune in the department store put him in the hands of the authorities. They didn’t understand, blind fools, calling him a monster and a fiend. They couldn’t see it, what she would become. They tried to rationalize his action, citing dissociate personality disorders and any other mental deviation they could apply to try and explain why he did what he did. He couldn’t explain that the ward and sigil was incomplete, that to save her, he still needed to finish the work before it was too late, before the winter solstice and the goddess permanently erased Anna. He hoped his efforts were enough to forestall Inanna’s awakening, but he didn’t know. He suspected Anna must know, must feel the goddess stirring within her. Time had grown very short. He wanted to know how she was, wanted to know if she was safe, but dare not make contact, dare not reveal his intent to save her, lest they deny his release and keep him imprisoned. Locked away, he knew he wasn’t insane, especially when surrounded by so many damaged minds and the influence of dark forces, the kind that preyed upon the lost and broken souls in places like these.

He had been very surprised not long after he was apprehended when the doctor who had treated Anna showed up one day to see him, an inner need wanting to know why Adam had hurt Anna, and seeking enlightenment, Dr. James Henry, Jim. Meeting the aged physician, Adam could tell at once, Jim cared for Anna, for the scarred and mutilated little girl who had been ‘rescued’ that day in the Walmart.

Adam knew he needed an ally, someone who might help, and Jim might be his best chance, so he decided to remove the veil from Jim’s eyes. He told Jim why, explained it, but Jim was a man of science and discounted the explanation as madness. Adam knew the doctor was blindfolded to the world around him and realized he needed to show Jim, telling the doctor was not enough. He directed the doctor, told him where to go, what to find, what to read, how to see. It was hard at first, Jim’s mind while strong was closed and he was reluctant to give credence to the things Adam was sharing.

There were people Adam knew, people that understood that there was a dark underbelly to the everyday world people took for granted, that there were things science could not yet explain. Adam instructed Jim to seek out a Wiccan priestess, a very special woman named Belle. He provided Jim with a drawing of a glyph and told the doctor to share that with the priestess.

Jim went to see the priestess, feeling like he was falling down the rabbit hole of Adam’s madness. He didn’t know what to expect, but finding Belle was fairly easy. The woman lived in a fairly modest suburban home, two kids. She appeared mid-thirties, moderately attractive, still carrying some baby weight. Jim explained who he was and why he was there to see her.

She was friendly and polite but immediately turned him away. As she was closing the door on him, Jim showed her the glyph. That changed everything, her demeanor became much more remote and icy but she brought him into her home, where she did something, what, Jim never said, but whatever it was, it altered his perception of reality and erased any doubt in his mind of the veracity of Adam’s tale. She offered her assistance as much as she could, but said because Adam had initiated the ward, only he could complete it, then she instructed Jim to leave and never come back.

Walking out through the double security glass doors of the facility, Adam stood there a moment, assaulted by a throng of reporters. Lights flashed and he was barraged by questions. Taking a long breath of air, he pushed through the crowd. In the parking lot, a car door opened and Jim Henry, now retired from practicing medicine stood up, smiling at Adam and motioning him over.

Adam smiled back and made his way to the passenger side of the car while several people followed still peppering him with questions.

“I know where they are living,” Jim said, nodding and sliding back into the driver’s seat

Adam returned the nod, opened the passenger door and got into the dark blue sedan. “There is no time to waste if we’re to save her,” he said, fastening his seatbelt.

Jim nodded. Putting the car into gear, “We’re headed directly for the airport.”

Anna

Inanna could feel the essence of the vessel’s owner moving within her, like a flash of charged silver light arcing across her senses as she struggled to regain control of the flesh. Tipping her head back, she raged, infuriated and frustrated and unable to quell the other within her. The other was still so surprisingly strong and Inanna still felt too weak to sustain her own control over the flesh, the accursed marks of corruption on the vessel’s flesh limited her and held much of her power at bay and prevented her from simply consuming the other. Sensing she wasn’t strong enough to stave off the other, Inanna gathered herself and receded back into the depths of the girl, relinquishing control of the vessel, for now.

Once more Anna was herself, down on her hands and knees, waves of nausea rolling through her, an oily aftertaste lingering on the taste buds of her tongue. She was vaguely aware of what had happened to Caleb and Jerry. The blackness within her pooling, swirling there, lurking and waiting to rise again. The inky sensation stronger than ever before. Getting up to her feet, she ran to the bathroom and turned on the taps over the sink, staring at herself in the mirror. The sensation was troubling because the reflection staring back was her and it wasn’t. Curling her right hand into a fist, she shrieked and struck the mirror with the heel of her hand crackling the reflective surface into a spider web of directions radiating outward from the point of impact.

What’s happening to me? But she already knew the answer, there was something else inside of her, something ancient and foreboding trying to take over her body and it was getting progressively stronger. The ritual of purification Jerry spoke about was to essentially render her powerless and allow the thing in her to remove everything that was Anna from the body in order to provide a living vessel for the darkness. She knew if the ritual happened, she would be no more, irrevocably gone, body and soul.

She reached down to her stomach and traced her fingers over the raised scars she felt beneath the fabric of her thin t-shirt, this is what her father had done to help her, to prepare her for the fight coming. He had known what was coming. Dropping to her knees, she put her face into her hands, wanting desperately to cry. She shook her head and softly chuckled. Lifting her face from her hands, she took a deep breath, refusing to allow herself to be the victim. Her father taught her about pain, how to endure and overcome adversity. Using the sink to help, she pulled herself back up onto her feet.

Walking back into the den, she saw the wine glass wine with Jerry corpse discarded in it. She shook her head, a wry chuckle escaping her lips. He had come in here to have sex with her and wound up inadvertently unleashing the goddess. A smile touched the side of her mouth at the morbid irony of the situation knowing he had died a prisoner inside the very vagina he had hoped to penetrate. Picking up the glass, she walked back into the kitchen. Plucking the limp carcass out of the glass between a thumb and forefinger, she held it up and examined it before tossing it into the garbage can under the sink. Next, she put the glass in the sink and turned on the hot water tap to rinse it out.

Where are Elijah and Rachel? Turning off the faucet, she made her way back to her room, her tummy grumbled a little bit. She frowned wondering if that was her body breaking Caleb down into a slurry of digestible nutrients.

Sitting on her bed, she surmised severe emotional turmoil or turbulence might be how the darkness inside of her was gaining momentum and allowing it to threaten and usurp control of her body. She needed to keep herself calm to prevent a resurgence of the darkness, if she lost control now, she suspected she might never get it back and be trapped a prisoner in her own body while the other presence inside of her did who knows what. The presence removed Jerry and Caleb, but would it be able to or even want to differentiate between friend or foe? Would it kill Elijah because he was a shit like Caleb, or would it just kill indiscriminately, friends Veronica or Valen?

What about mother, Jerry had said she was the one pushing for the ritual of purification? Would the entity inside her restrain Anna while mother did the ritual? So many questions, so much confusion.

She looked down at her cell phone, should she call Veronica? Tell her that she just killed. Or that the dark entity inside of her just killed Caleb and Jerry? She slowly shook her head. Veronica wouldn’t believe her and even if she did, did Anna want to expose her to the possibility the thing inside of her might lash out and kill her friend?

It was still there, she could feel it. It wasn’t going away this time. Part of her was horrified at what had happened to Jerry and Caleb at her hands, but another part of her wasn’t and she was no longer sure if that part was the other, or if it was her true feelings. Influenced by the dark presence, was she herself changing? Was she losing touch with her humanity?

Mommy Dearest

Darlene sat in one of the four chairs around the dining room table in the home of Vera Seabring, town librarian and local historian. Barley five feet tall, hair white and curled up on the head of the wizened octogenarian, she was the senior member of the gathering, she called it a gathering because she felt coven was a misrepresentation. Also at the table occupying the other chairs were high school principal Don Donaldson, and high school teacher Lyle Collins as well as Vera herself.

“The others should be here soon enough,” Vera said, smile on her wrinkled and leathery face, voice raspy and dry.

“How’s Jerry?” asked Don, looking over at Darlene.

“He’s been into his cups tonight and says he wants us to wait,” she said. “We’re reaching.”

“I think he’s wrong, Anna is starting to manifest some abilities now. Did you tell her about Trevor Davis Lyle?” asked Don, looking at the history teacher.

“No, slipped my mind,” he replied, making no effort to conceal his disapproval.

“What happened to Trevor Davis?” asked Vera, washed out hazel eyes slightly clouded as she fixed her gaze on Lyle.

“The kid was poking fun at Anna, next thing you know, his wrist is mysteriously sliced opened to the bone, through arteries and tendons, nothing sharp enough to do that kind of damage anywhere. Nurse said it looked like a scalpel made the cut it was so clean. Don seems to think Anna did it,” Lyle said.

Vera studied Lyle for a moment, then turned to Darlene. “Anything else odd going on around your household last little while?” she asked.

Darlene pursed her mouth, eyes looking up and to the left as she searched her mind. Nodding, “She mentions feeling queasy quite frequently. She hasn’t talked about the dreams in a long time. Caleb said that she tripped him the other day, but it’s Caleb, he could be making it up. She did get a little worked up when news of Adam’s release was announced and Don sent her home from school, other than that,” she shrugged.

Vera nodded slowly. “Adam still represents a significant threat to our plan and as such he should have been neutralized some time ago,” she said. “His release could potentially be problematic to us if he can get to Anna,” she conceded.

“That’s why I think we need to do the ritual,” stated Darlene. “Tonight, then there’s nothing Adam can do.”

Vera touched a gnarled age spotted hand to her chin, thin lips pursed. “If Inanna is manifesting strong enough to actually influence events in the physical world, now could very well be the time,” she mused.

“We risk losing Anna’s body if she isn’t though,” Lyle countered.

“Also true, but the solstice is still weeks away,” Vera stated. “And we may risk losing our chance to unfetter Inanna if we are over cautious.”

The doorbell rang. Vera looked at Don and motioned him off to respond to the bell. When Don returned to the kitchen, Brenda Myles was with him, Veronica’s mother.

Vera nodded, “Good of you to come,” she welcomed, favoring the new attendee with a closed mouth smile.

Brenda smiled back and nodded while Don resumed his seat. Lyle got up from the table and offered Brenda his chair. Still smiling, she nodded and sat down. Pleasantries were exchanged.

“To bring you up to speed, Darlene is suggesting we perform the ritual of purification tonight,” Vera said, laying her spotted hands on the table.

Brenda nodded, “Veronica has been saying Anna is acting odd of late, like she’s not there, or even sometimes just different,” she supplied. “I heard today a young man was injured pretty seriously right in your class,” she started, looking at Lyle, “And that somehow he received a mysterious cut.”

Lyle nodded, “It’s true.”

“Are we in a position to perform the ritual on such short notice?” asked Don, looking around at the other people assembled in the kitchen.

Vera nodded. “We have the necessary components, the set up will take a few hours in preparation,” she said, speaking almost as if to herself.

“We need to do it!” Darlene stated emphatically. “We got lucky getting Anna back in the first place, we can’t let Adam steal her away again and complete his ward.”

Vera up from her chair, lacy shawl draped around her stooped shoulder, she leaned forward on the table and nodded. “I think the urgency is worth the gamble, tonight we will bind Anna and set free our goddess.”

“Yes!” grinned Darlene, nodding triumphantly.

Lyle shook his head, but the decision had been made and whether he agreed or not, he was bound to abide.

“If Anna is manifesting some of Inanna’s power, we will need to be cautious. To get her here, we’ll need faces she finds friendly,” instructed Vera, looking to Darlene then to Brenda, “You two perhaps.”

“Plus Jerry is there too,” provided Darlene.

Vera frowned, turning her face into a prune, “He is reckless and undisciplined,“ she stated. Pointing a crooked finger in Brenda’s direction, “Like her stupid brother Fred for violating the child Veronica and spoiling her usefulness to us. Make sure you keep Jerry in check, once the ritual is complete, Inanna will provide guidance to us and we will be raised up in her glory.”

Darlene nodded enthusiastically, “Jerry isn’t a problem. He will do what he’s told.” Looking to Brenda, “Shall we?”

Brenda nodded in return and together they bowed their heads to the old woman and left.

Vera nodded slowly and looked at the people still in her kitchen. “Let us prepare,” she said.

Anna

Most of the news vehicles had left by early evening, a couple of the smaller market affiliates remained in the off chance of something salacious. Sitting in her room, Anna heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway followed by two car doors opening and closing.

“Hey Jerry,” she heard her mother’s voice call out.

Leaving her room, Anna moved down the hall toward the front door of the house where Darlene and Brenda were removing their jackets.

“Where’s Jerry?’ asked Darlene, looking up and smiling at her daughter as she hung up her coat.

Anna frowned. “Gone,” she replied softly.

“Gone? Out? His car was still in the drive,” Darlene said, looking back toward the door.

Anna slowly shook her head, eyes locking onto her mother’s, “Gone as in no more, he’s dead, I killed him,” she said.

“Oh my god, what happened?” Darlene gasped, eyes wide with alarm. Brenda too, her face reflected shock at the gravity of the news.

“I killed Caleb too,” she added, eyes downcast.

“No, no, no,” muttered Brenda, shaking her head slowly from side to side.

“Sweet mother,” breathed Darlene, eyes brimming with tears.

Anna made eye contact with her mother. “You know there is something inside of me, something evil,” she said directly.

Darlene pursed her mouth and nodded slowly, “Oh my child, my sweet child, I know,” she exchanged a quick look with Brenda, “That’s why we’re here, to help you, to help get rid of that awful thing inside of you,” she said stepping forward.

Anna raised her hand. “What do you mean that awful thing? The darkness in me, or me?” she asked eyes narrowing.

“The darkness of course, we need to do a ritual of purification to cleanse you of it. The marks your father so cruelly carved into you were to prepare the way for the thing in you, to bring it forward into the world. We were going to wait for the winter solstice, but with your father released, we can’t take the chance he’ll come here and finish what he started,” explained Darlene.

Anna could feel the darkness swirling slowly inside of her, waiting. Was that what Jerry meant? Was the ritual to get rid of this thing inside of her? Is that why the other killed him? “No,” she said, shaking her head.

Darlene’s smile never wavered. “Before you hurt anyone else, like Jerry, or that boy I heard about today in school,” she said, one step closer.

“No,” she repeated.

“You’re just confused sweetheart,”

“Please Anna,” said Brenda, “Let us help you, please honey.”

Anna shook her head, stepping back.

“Jerry,” she said.

“Don’t worry about Jerry,” soothed Darlene, wrapping her arms around Anna and pulling her into a hug. “The sooner we can get the purification done, the happier we will all be, you’ll see.”

Brenda nodded. “Come with us Anna,” she invited.

Anna didn’t know what to do, as her mother had said, she was so confused. She wanted to believe her father had tried to protect her, but that meant her mother was evil. If she believed her mother, it meant her father was mad. She felt emotion welling within her, the blackness seemed to rejoice.

Slowly she nodded as the older women began to get their coats back on.

“You’re going to be safe soon honey,” Darlene said, eyes full of love.

Together the three women walked out to the drive and got into her mother’s car.

Adam

Landing at the airport, retrieving luggage and getting the rental car ready was an eternity, precious minutes bleeding away. Jim drove the metallic cherry red Chevrolet Cruze while Adam navigated. Jim’s carefully laid out directions failing to take into account evening roadwork and the detour adding another fifteen minutes to their time.

The house was a modest size located in a nice neighborhood across I-95 in Delwoods, New Castle County, just north of Northwest Wilmington on Weldin Ridge Road.

It was dark by the time they arrived and they had to slow down quite a bit to catch an occasional house number. Finding the right one, Jim pulled up to the curb, “This is it,” he said.

Adam nodded. As they discussed on the plane, it was not going to be easy. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he turned to collect the bag Jim had removed from his luggage at the airport. Inside was a .38 revolver and three capped hypodermic needles filled with sedatives, and a scalpel with a plastic covering over the blade. Righting himself in the seat, Adam paused to look at Jim, “You sure?” slipping the gun into his jacket pocket.

The elderly doctor nodded, believing in his heart of hearts this was the only way to help Anna.

 Getting out of the rental vehicle, they walked up the drive to the house.

“This is it,” Jim said to Adam, knocking on the door.

Neither man saw Scott ‘Scoopy’ Talbot and his friend cameraman Barney Tate in the unmarked van parked across the street and up two houses. Scoopy and Barney were technically freelance journalists but worked fairly exclusively with independent WTDS-CA UHF Channel 16 out of Philadelphia.

All of a sudden, Scoopy’s eyes nearly popped out his head mid bite of his McDonald’s cheeseburger, “Barn, I swear to Christ, that’s him, that’s the fucking dad!” Scoopy said excitedly around a mouthful of food, his half-eaten cheeseburger falling to the floor of the van, a victim of his enthusiasm as he tried to spur the cameraman into motion.

Barney looked out the window at the two men walking up to the house, “Jesus!” he exclaimed, jumping out of the front seat into the back of the van, grabbing his camera, while Scoopy quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.

Barney slid the side door open and adjusted the settings on the camera.

Giving a brief description of Adam and the location of the house to the 911 operator, Scoopy hopped out of the van, giving Barney a quick glace as they moved across the road toward Anna’s house.

Bringing the Lamb to Slaughter

Anna was unsure where her mother and Brenda were taking her until they pulled into the driveway of a house not particularly far from her own home, she didn’t know who lived at the address. Every logical fiber of her being shrieked flee and run away, but somehow she just couldn’t. She wondered if she was nothing more than a sacrifice, or whether her mother was going to help her.

Walking up the driveway, illuminated by a bulb on the front of the house, Darlene and Brenda escorted Anna to the house. Opening the front door, the trio moved through the living room into the kitchen.

She was greeted by a host of familiar faces in the kitchen, she was so confused, was everybody here for the purification? It almost seemed like some kind of bizarre intervention. “Mr. Collins, what are you doing here?” she asked, puzzled eyes searching his face for answers.

He smiled back warmly, “We’re here for you Anna, all of us,” he replied, looking around the room at the others gathered there.

She turned slowly, shaking her head. Principal Donaldson nodded solemnly to her, small smile on his face.

“You see sweetheart? Everyone here only wants the best for you,” soothed Darlene.

“Mrs. Seabring?” Anna asked, looking at the old librarian.

Vera stepped forward, placing her leathery hand on Anna’s cheek, “Look how beautiful you’ve grown girl, beautiful,” she said in ancient dry voice, eyes alight.

“Are you going to help me?” asked Anna, feeling slightly light headed.

 “Yes dear, this ordeal will all be over soon,” she cooed, thin lipped smile on her weathered age spotted face as she withdrew her hand.

Anna looked toward the policeman standing there, she didn’t know him, but he appeared young, maybe just a few years older than her, light hair brush cut and spiky.

Officer Vance Wilson returned her smile and promptly jabbed her in the stomach with his stun gun. The sound of electricity buzzed and Anna slumped to a heap on the patterned linoleum floor, body wracked with spasms and uncontrollable twitches.

A crackle sounded off of Officer Wilson’s utility belt, breaking the pregnant silence hanging in the kitchen over the incapacitated girl.

“Unit 7, we’ve got a 10-107 in the vicinity of Weldin Ridge Road, a witness states he observed Adam Smith at that location,” said the female voice through the radio on.

Vance looked at Darlene, “That’s your house,” he said, a frown on his mouth

“Goddamn that was fast,” she said, shaking her head, an unhappy expression twisting her features

Vera sniggered and looked up to the cop, “Fetch him and bring him here, I want to see the look on his face when the goddess awakens and punishes him for his disloyalty,” she said, cackling.

Vance nodded, taking the mic for his radio from his shoulder and bringing it to his mouth, “This is unit 11, I’m 10-60, I’ll investigate,” Vance said into his radio.

 “Unit 11 is the responder, please provide 10-84,” stated dispatch.

“10-77 four minutes, over,” replied Vance.

“This is unit 7, standing by,” said the other patrol car.

“Unit 7 is 10-12, copy that,” said dispatch.

Vance looked at the other people in the room and nodded once, before exiting the house and getting into his squad car.

That Close

“Adam! Adam!” screamed Scott Talbot, rushing toward the two men on the stoop of Anna’s home, Barney in behind trying to steady the camera while he struggled to keep pace. Adam turned at the sound of his name, the bright light of the camera splitting the darkness. “Adam, are you here for Anna, to finish your grisly plan?” Scoopy asked, forcibly jamming the foam covered microphone into Adam’s face.

“Back off,” said Jim, putting his hand in the center of the reporter’s chest and feebly pushing him backward.

Adam turned back toward the house.

“They’re gone, about a half hour ago, Anna and her mother and another woman,” Scoopy provided, trying to provoke a reaction.

“I said back off,” repeated the retired doctor, unable to contain the younger man.

“You’ve never been given a chance to tell your side of it, why you did it, why you brutalized poor little Anna. Now’s your chance to tell it, to tell the whole world Adam,” encouraged the persistent newshound.

Adam scowled. The camera light blinding him as Barney circled beside Scott. Reaching out, Adam used his arm to push Scoopy to the side. “Get away from me,” he growled.

Red and blue light splashed the neighborhood a moment as the Crown Victoria police cruiser pulled up in front of the Chevy Cruze.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Officer Wilson drew his Baretta and leveled it center mass at Adam. “Clear the area,” he ordered, motioning Scott and Barney away as he closed the distance between Adam and himself.

“Tell me you’re recording,” breathed Scoopy, almost salivating as the story was breaking right in front of him.

“I said clear the area!” Vance repeated.

Adam held his hands at shoulder height.

“Adam!” barked Vance.

“I know you,” Adam said, “You’re Reed Wilson’s kid, all grown up,” nodding his head.

Vance moved closer, “That’s right,” he replied.

Adam frowned.

“I’m here to take you to her,” advised the young policeman, voice low enough neither Scott nor Barney could hear, “If you come along peacefully.”

Adam turned to Jim, “I have to do this,” he said.

Jim nodded.

Adam allowed himself to be searched, Vance confiscating the gun and syringes before applying restraints to Adam’s wrists, arms behind his back. Opening the back driver’s side door of the police car, Vance lowered Adam into the back seat.

“Is she okay?” Adam asked, voice bleeding concern.

Vance laughed, “She’s fine, just a little fucked up from getting zapped is all,” he replied.

“If you’ve hurt her,” he threatened.

“If I hurt her? Fuck, you were the son of a bitch that carved her up you hypocritical bastard,” snorted the cops, sliding the gearshift into drive.

“I just want to see my baby,” Adam said.

Vance chuckled ominously, “Soon enough,” he assured.

The Bringer of Pain

Anna came to her senses, lying on her side, they had dragged her down the stairs to a fairly big room in the basement and put her inside a circle painted on the center of a smooth polished cement floor. She didn’t understand the symbols painted in various colors around the exterior of the circle or the smaller symbols contained within. Many of them reminded her of the marks her father had carved into her body. She looked up at her mother, bewildered.

“Soon my dear, you will realize your glorious purpose,” she soothed, not breaching the edge of the circle.

“Mom?” she asked, the slippery blackness inside roiling as she pulled herself onto her knees.

Darlene exchanged looks with the others around the circle. Anna also looked around, eyes frightened and panicked. “Mrs. Myles?” she asked, looking at Veronica’s mother.

“Don’t fret now dear, all you need to do is just let go,” Brenda encouraged, smile on her face. “Give yourself to oblivion.”

“This is so fucked!” snarled Anna, shaking her head violently.

There was a sound from upstairs and many heads turned to the staircase to see the source of the noise.

“Looky what I got here,” announced Vance, nudging a handcuffed Adam down the stairs leading into the basement.

“Daddy?!” said Anna, eyes wide.

“Princess,” he replied with a smile, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner,” he lamented as Vance pushed him down to his knees some feet from the painted circle.

She got to her feet and tried to step outside the circle to go to him but was met with an invisible barrier. Using her hands she navigated all around the circle, looking almost like a mime, palming her way all the around the diameter as she desperately sought an escape from the unseen trap. “I can’t get out!” she said, voice tinged with panic, eyes capturing her father’s.

“Just remember what I taught you baby girl,” Adam said, voice choking with emotion, water brimming in his eyes.

Anna slammed her fist against the unyielding force confining her.

Vera looked to Vance and nodded, “This malcontent doesn’t deserve to look upon the goddess, end him, his last act will be the gift of blood,” she instructed, stabbing toward Adam with an arthritic finger.

The policeman pulled his service pistol from his holster. Disengaging the safety, he put the lethal weapon to the back of Adam’s head.

“No!” screamed Anna, striking at the barrier repeatedly.

Adam smiled at his daughter, “Use that strength, it’s all you’ll,” the rest was left unfinished as the gunshot boomed in the confines of the small basement, Adam’s head snapping forward from the force of the blast before his body toppled forward into a lifeless heap.

“Pop goes the weasel,” laughed Vance in a singsong voice, looking down on Adam’s dead body and blowing the smoke from the end of his gun before slipping it back into its holster.

“Won’t somebody hear?” asked Don Donaldson, eyes round.

Vera shook her head, “It’s protected, no one will hear,” she said reassuringly, turning her gaze back to Anna.

Anna dropped to her knees, tears running down her cheeks, the blackness clawing its way to the surface, filled with raw primal energy. “Daddy,” she wailed, voice full of sadness.

Vera smirked. “We begin this ritual with an offering of life, of blood, great goddess,” she said spreading her arms wide. “Let us begin.”

Anna sniffled, feeling light headed as she looked at the small pool of blood oozing from the bullet hole in her father’s head. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head from side to side, balling up her hands and clenching her fists at her side.

Each of the seven other people around the circle chanted in unison, “So thus it begins,” all nodding uniformly in Anna’s direction.

“No,” repeated Anna, looking up at the eight people surrounding her. From Don Donaldson the school principal, to her history teacher Mr. Collins, to the old withered librarian, to her mother with a mask of ecstasy oh her face, Veronica’s mother, the smirking cop who had ended her father’s life and finally the two men she didn’t recognize.

Vera locked her rheumy eyes on the bloodshot eyes of the young girl trapped in the containment circle. “Let’s us cleanse this filth from the holy vessel,” she said, voice full of fervor, swaying slightly from side to side.

“Cleanse the vessel, make ready the way,” repeated the congregation in harmony.

Anna rose to her feet, shaking her head, “No,” she said softly, sensing the other within her stirring, rising up as her own grasp faltered.

For a moment, an eternity for Anna, she and the other were one, thoughts, memories, emotions blended and indistinguishable. Then the other began to gain in strength, the darkness drowning out the light.

“Great Inanna, your meager servants invite you to purify this vessel and make it your own!” Vera screeched.

“Purify this vessel!” answered the gathering.

Like a tidal wave within her, Anna felt as if she were far away, except for the tiny light in the emptiness, the little spark of silver white deep inside her. Her father’s words rang in her eyes, far away and hollow, “Just remember what I taught you.”

Closing her eyes, Anna allowed the other to well up as she receded toward the little spark, the marks in her flesh started to glow.

The battle was engaged.

Anna screamed. She had experienced what she had thought was near unbearable pain before in her life, but it was never like this, never to this degree, almost unimaginable like her soul was literally being burned away. Every fiber of her physical body inside and out felt like she was being submerged in molten lead except where there was scar tissue. No matter what she did, there was no escape, no reprieve. Rolling on the ground, she tore at her clothing, exposing the mutilated flesh on her stomach and clawing at the marks, tearing open her flesh.

Two voices in one, screaming.

The gathering watched in mute silence at the teenaged girl thrashing wildly about on the floor, tender body smeared in her own blood. When finally she stopped, she was face down, streaks of blood from where she had torn herself open decorated the floor. Several fingernails had been torn off. Her breath came in pants.

“The way is clear, the filth is gone, welcome the goddess reborn,” exalted Vera, arm held high.

“Welcome the goddess,” answered the people in the circle.

The bloody girl in the circle raised her head and smiled, eyes devoid of pupils, glowing a baleful green.

“Praise Inanna,” voiced Vera, “Dread and powerful goddess,” dropping to her knees.

“Praise Inanna,” murmured the others.

Awakening

Everything seemed to be transpiring in slow motion. Pushing herself up onto hands and knees, Anna’s smile widened and she slowly shook her head from side to side. The battle had been and she had prevailed, but she was changed and was now so much more than she ever was before. Inanna was gone, leaving behind dim vestiges of memory from another time, another place and a reservoir of raw unbridled power. Leaning back, bum on the heels of her feet, she looked at her damaged and bloodied hands, she cocked her head slightly to the side, a slight smile touching her lips as her wounds vanished, new and old, as flesh knitted and healed, scars fading away to nothing. Similarly, the visible skin through the rents in her shirt mended as she made herself whole, her entire person unblemished and without flaw.

Looking up, almost as if just noticing the people surrounding the circle, she frowned.

“Welcome goddess,” Vera said, lowering herself to her knees and bringing her forehead to the ground.

Anna looked at the old woman, she who had authored this affair before Anna was borne. Rising to her feet, she moved forward, easily brushing aside the childish containment spell surrounding the circle. Still standing, she held her hand several feet over Vera’s head. The old woman snapped her head back off the floor, eyes wide, mouth hanging open making no sound as she reared back onto her knees. Anna turned her head slightly, eyes falling on Don Donaldson. The corners of her mouth curled into a smile.

There was a gasp as others in the room watched Vera began to diminish, shrinking into herself, rapidly getting smaller and vanishing into her floral print dress. Anna looked back down to the pool of clothes now at her feet. Crouching down, she brushed aside some of the cloth and located the little body of the aged woman. Reaching down, she curled her hand around the trembling librarian, carrying her aloft as she stood upright.

The spectators, still maintaining their positions around the circle watched in mute fascination. Anna turned, extending her arm and opening her hand to display the withered Vera, now no more than two inches tall, in the middle of her palm.

Anna’s expression changed, eyes glowing balefully as her lips parted revealing clenched teeth. Curling her finger inwards rapidly, she closed her fist around the ancient crone and squeezed, brittle bones snapping easily under the pressure as she screamed. Opening her mouth, Anna brought Vera into it, pushing the moaning broken woman in and closing her lips behind. She swallowed, the limp form easily making its passage down her esophagus.

Time resumed and pandemonium erupted as everyone seemed to panic and try for the stairs to get out of the basement. In his hurry, one of the men unfamiliar to her tripped over Adam’s corpse, tumbling to the ground before hastily getting back to his feet and running toward the stairs.

Anna’s locked onto the fallen form of the dead man on the floor, human emotions filling her as she moved over and knelt down, putting her hand on the undamaged part of his head. He had loved her, of this she had no doubt, and he had died for her, taken by the policeman. Her eyes narrowed as she turned her gaze to the people struggling over one another to get to the door. Opening her mouth, she let out a guttural sound, a noise of composed of rage and sorrow mingled in one. She clapped her hands together and the door at the top of the stairs slammed shut, trapping two people desperately trying to get out. Bending down, she kissed her father’s cheek, then stood upright and walked slowly to the bottom of the stairs.

Veronica’s mother, turned, looking down at Anna, eyes wide and full of unrestrained fear.

Anna smiled then opened her mouth slightly. “Please Anna, let us help you, please honey,” came a perfect imitation of Brenda’s voice though Anna’s lips never moved, the exact same words Brenda had said to her back at the house.

Brenda put her hands to her face and screamed.

The man on the higher step behind Veronica’s mom was the one who had stumbled over Adam, he was clawing furiously away at the door. When Brenda started screaming, he hurriedly looked back over his shoulder before frantically slamming his shoulder into the door.

Anna raised her hand, a slight gesture and both people on the stairs began getting smaller, the transition very rapid.

A sob from behind her, captured her attention, turning, Don Donaldson on his knees, shaking his head from side to side. “Please sweet Jesus,” he babbled looking into her luminescent eyes.

She smiled and winked at him, before turning back to the two tiny ones trapped in their own clothes on the stairs.

Ascending slowly, she first sifted through Brenda’s garb and plucked the unconscious form of the middle aged woman out, then rooted through the unknown man’s clothes to find him. He pushed himself into the corner of the stair, yelling and shouting, arms raised in some feeble attempt to fend her off. She shook her head slowly and closed her hand around him. Turning, she walked back down the stairs into the basement, the fainted Brenda in one hand, the man in the other. Moving near her father’s body, she again crouched down, pushing the man hard to the ground near the pooled blood, breaking his legs in the process.

The man rolled onto his back, clutching at his legs and screaming in his tiny voice. She lifted her foot and brought it down over top of him, stepping down and crushing the life out of him, twisting her foot from side to side, creating an unrecognizable greasy red smear on the floor when she lifted her foot away.

Opening her hand, she regarded the mother of her best friend, a woman who had given birth to a daughter only to advance her own self-interest. She hesitated, the human part of her realizing the death of her mother would devastate Veronica regardless of the fact the woman was complicit in the girl’s rape.

“Please Anna,” mumbled the high school principal, now the only other person in the room. Why he had remained, she wasn’t sure, either he had been too scared or too foolish not to attempt escape.

She walked closer to him. He brought his hands together in submission and supplication, “I beg you, please don’t hurt me,” he whimpered.

She nodded slowly, reaching out with her free hand touch the side of his tear streaked face.

“I am going to hurt you,” she said, voice soft.

“No,” he pleaded, shaking his head back and forth, eyes round and terrified.

She chuckled softly. “I appreciate you’re unhappy with the decision, however, maintain some degree of decorum,” she said, using his voice and words he used in his office.

He pushed himself back and away from her, she opened her fingers and gestured in his direction, watching amusedly as the principal turned and thrashed as he was swallowed up by his clothing.

Snaking her hand in through the folds of oversized clothing, she found him squirming inside. Closing her hand around him, she pulled him out and dangled him in front of her face.

“No!” he squealed.

“You are nothing more than a spineless bureaucrat,” she indicted.

“No, please, I tried to stop them, to spare you,” he pleaded.

“And a liar,” she added, rolling him over, his little belly against fingers, she put her thumb on his back, digging the nail in just above his buttocks. He squealed in pain as she pushed down, feeling rather than hearing the little snap as his back was broken.

He wailed in pain, unable to feel his legs as she inverted him and dangled him in front of her face.

“No,” he mewled.

She laughed and lowered him into her waiting mouth, pushing him to the entrance of the throat with her tongue before lifting her chin and swallowing.

Looking down at Brenda still unconscious in her hand, she glanced up at the door at the top of the stairs. Closing her fingers around her tiny prize she crossed the basement floor to the stairs. A nod from her head opened the door as she ascended the stairs. The night was yet young and there were still scores to settle.

Vengeance is Mine

The stairs from the basement opened into kitchen. Securing the unresponsive form of Brenda in the cup of her brassiere before crossing the threshold into the room, Anna caught a glimpse of herself reflected in the glass of the window above the double stainless steel sink. Faded yellow curtains tied back, the inky darkness outside made the window a mirror. She took a couple of steps closer, head tilted to the side. Beautiful and terrible at the same time, glowing green orbs for eyes, her clothes tattered, shredded, and bloody. Reaching out, she touched the cool pane, fingertips tracing the outline of her face.

There was a flicker of movement reflected in the glass, the policeman, behind her, gun drawn. The same implement used to deprive her father of life. Her lip curled back in a sneer as she released a measure of the power within her. The figure in the glass froze, becoming rigid and immobile and completely incapable of movement. Turning around, she moved toward him, gliding across the floor effortlessly. He stood there, arm extended, gun aimed, but he couldn’t move, paralyzed from the neck down. His eyes widened as she neared, his mouth opening to cry out.

She put a finger to his lips, silencing him. “Quiet now,” she instructed.

Choking out the words, “I’m a police officer,” he pleaded.

“You’re a fiend,” she answered, circling around the man.

“You can’t,” he begged.

The creak of a floorboard alerted her to the other man, stepping in from almost behind, large kitchen knife clutched in his hand and moving in a vicious downward arc. Without bothering to look, she held her hand up, palm toward the man, the force was such the man was lifted and thrown across the room and into the off white painted wall breaking lathe and plaster as he crumpled to the floor, the knife skittering harmlessly away.

“You were saying?” she prompted.

The immobilized man sobbed.

Turning to the right, she crossed the floor and crouched near the man she had flung across the room. He was unconscious but breathing. She didn’t know him, but he had participated in her attempted undoing. He had wagered on Inanna and lost and now he had to answer for his misplaced allegiance to a new goddess, Anna.

Looking over at the police, a veritable living statue, she smiled. Placing her hand on the unconscious man, he began to diminish and shrink away, vanishing back into his clothes.

“W-what are you doing?” he asked, eyes frightened.

Anna moved the clothing aside to find her tiny prize. Taking the figure by a leg, she lifted the tiny man out and walked back to the policeman, holding the shrunken man to the cop for him to see.

“This can’t be,” denied the cop, unable to shake his head.

Dangling the limp little figure betwixt thumb and forefinger of her right hand, “Can’t?” she said, a chuckle in her voice.

“”Mercy,” he beseeched, “I have a two year old son at home.”

“I have a dead father in the basement,” she replied vehemently, eyes flaring.

“It was the old lady, you heard it, she bewitched me, I had no choice,” he explained.

She moved in close, making sure he watched as she lowered the limp form of the naked little man into her mouth. Keeping her mouth open, she moved the man around the inside of her mouth wither tongue before shifting his body to the back near the entrance to her throat and swallowed, smile on her face as Vance watched the bob in her front of her neck as the other man moved down into her.

“Sweet Jesus, please don’t eat me,” he mewled, tears welling in his eyes at the thought of being consumed.

“Eat you? No,” she said with a grin, stepping back. Pulling up the torn remnants of her shirt, she showed him her firm tummy. “When it is your time to go you will wish you were here.”

“Surely you are merciful?” he hoped.

She laughed, “Merciful? What would you know of mercy?” she challenged.

“Please, I will do anything,” he offered.

The sound of car tires squealing on the pavement outside the house drew her attention. Frowning, she turned back to Vance. He immediately began to shrink, dropping to the ground amidst his uniform, still rigid and locked into position. The gun fell from his fingers and soon he was lying on his back, arm still extended, Anna towering over him. Raising her foot above him, she stepped down hard beside him with a thunderous crash. He screamed. How she wanted this man to suffer. Crouching low, she picked him up around his waist and brought him near her face.

Releasing the force holding him, she smiled, wide, showing off her white teeth. Moving him forward, she put his head between her teeth and clamped down firmly on either side of his skull. He screeched, a shrill sound full of terror as she applied a little more force. Relenting, she removed him from between her jaws and brought him back before her. “Too easy, too quick,” she said.

“No,” he cried.

Thoughts of how she might rid the world of the cop began to formulate in her mind. She smiled down at him and nodded. Looking down at her chest, she pulled open her shirt and pushed him into the cup of her bra opposite the one holding Brenda. The weight of the smooth flawless flesh pinning him against the fabric as the material was pulled back into place.

Vance secured. She moved about the house, a treasure trove of trinkets and a lifetime of memories captured in photographs for the broken aged woman slowly digesting in her belly. Aside from herself and the two tiny persons she was carrying, the house was now empty.

Moving into the bathroom, Anna was able to see herself more fully than in the mirror over the sink. Closing her eyes, she allowed the energy to pass through her. When she opened her eyes, the visage of the goddess hidden was away behind the image of her normal self. Her clothing repaired, she smiled and exited the bathroom. She still needed to find her mother and Mr. Collins.

The night air was chilly, though it didn’t bother her as she walked along the sidewalk toward her home. She could feel Brenda beginning to rouse and the tiny woman struggled to move within her confinement. Shoeless, she padded over the cool cement walkway, each step bringing her closer to the place she called home.

Lights, camera, ACTION!

“Man we hit the jackpot with Adam,” commented Scott, grin on his stubble laden face.

“I’ll say,” Barney agreed. They had captured the whole incident of Adam’s recapture by the police on film and were in the process of doing some field editing before taking it in to cash out. Several outlets were interested and the offers were getting ridiculous.

“Check that out,” Scott said suddenly, pointing at the girl walking up the opposite side of the road, attired inappropriately for the season. “Wait, it’s Anna,” he added, recognizing the girl as she passed under the light of a street lamp.

“What?” Barney asked, peering out from around one of the video monitor and through the glass of the van’s side window to get a look at what had captured Scoopy’s attention.

“This is bloody gold!” commented Scoopy, hastily grabbing his recorder and spilling out of the van toward the girl in a near run.

If she noticed him, she gave no indication as he approached, her eyes looking up instead at the house.

“Anna!” he said, stepping into her way and barring her path.

She turned her head to look at him.

“Did you know your father was here? How does that make you feel?” he said, sticking the recording device near her mouth.

She looked at the reporter then the small recorder and frowned.

“The police took him away less than an hour ago,” he provided.

“Leave this place,” she said, tone firm as she moved forward.

Again he interposed himself between the girl and her destination. Bright lights illuminated the area as Barney arrived, camera capturing images.

Her face darkened, “Has my mother returned here?” she asked.

Scoopy shook his head, “She left a while back with another woman, come on, tell us how you feel knowing your dad was here, probably looking to finish what he started,” he said excitedly.

You shall speak no more of my father,” she instructed, pushing passed him.

Scott grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around, “Aren’t you afraid for your life, everybody needs to know,” he asserted.

She looked down at the hand on her shoulder, ire rising. Turning to face Scott, “You feed on human misery and depravity, a parasite peddling suffering,” she accused, tone very dangerous.

“If it bleeds it leads and sex sells, just doing my job,” he replied nonchalantly, wide grin on his eager face.

“Leave, or you will learn of suffering first hand,” she commanded.

Scoopy laughed, “Barn, tell me you’re getting all this on film,” he said. “Do your worst baby girl,” he encouraged, egging her on.

Anna raised her hands, “Enough,” she said, spreading her arms wide, releasing power.

Barney took a step backward, lowering the camera as it became impossibly heavy. ”What the?” he asked, the world around him expanding.

Scott coughed and moved back. Anna grinned. Stepping forward, she grabbed him by his face, his body pulling up as his clothes fell away. Soon there were two piles of empty clothes. She held Scoopy in her hand while she knelt down to collect Barney. Looking at the two tiny men in her clutches, she flicked a glance at the van.

“What’s going on?” Scott asked, eyes big and wide.

She ignored his question, she grinned and stood upright, striding up the drive toward her house.

“Help!” screamed Scott, voice small and ineffective as he struggled futilely in her grasp.

Entering the house, she walked into the kitchen, setting both men atop the large butcher’s block inset in the island in the center of the kitchen, the surface lined with innumerable slices and cuts in the slightly off colored stained wood.

Scott and Barney exchanged panicked looks, both men terrified and trying to make some sense of the ordeal they were currently embroiled in.

Anna turned and opened a kitchen drawer, pulling out a large meat clever. Testing its edge, she turned back to the island.

“Oh my god!” exclaimed Scott seeing the massive knife.

“No, no, no,” muttered Barney backing away.

Anna brought the blade down and buried it in the end grain of the block, both men dove out of the way, though the blade was not close to either of them. She grinned down, lips curving into a smile.

“You crazy!” shrieked Scott, jumping back to his feet.

“Oh man,” mumbled Barney, shaking his head as he glanced over at the other man before lifting his head to look at the lovely girl towering over him.

Anna leaned forward, a hand to either side of the thick wooden block. “Perhaps I should drop you both into the toaster?” she suggested casually.

Scott raised his hands, “I don’t know what’s happening, please,” he said. Barney dropped to his knees and started to cry.

“Or the freezer, you would both probably freeze solid in less than an hour,” she speculated.

“Anna, I am so sorry,” he offered, hoping contrition would soften her disposition.

She looked back toward the sink, “The garbage disposal?” She shook her head. “There are just so many choices when you’re that small.”

Scott shook his head vigorously from side to side. “Come on,” he petitioned, tone plaintive.

Anna nodded slowly, wicked smile creeping over her beautiful face. “I know just the thing, microwave.”

Barney didn’t move, face in his hands, but Scott turned to run, not taking two steps before she clapped her hands and both men surrendered to sleep.

Scoopy awoke screaming aloud, seated in the driver’s seat of the news van, heart pounding in his chest, eyes wide and fearful. Patting himself on the face then chest, he did a quick inventory of himself. He was fully clothed and otherwise unharmed. Whipping his head around, he saw Barney in the back, lying with his head on the editing table, all the monitor screens blank, their footage erased. He shook his head. What the hell had just happened? Everything had been so incredibly vivid. Was it a dream? Must have been, he chuckled nervously, some fucked up dream for sure, then he caught sight of her, standing on her front porch, arms folded under her breasts, staring at him intently, no expression on her face. He swallowed had, it had been no dream, it was a warning and this was his second chance, his only chance, there would be no other. Fumbling with the keys, he slid the right one into the ignition and started the van, putting it into gear and stepped on the accelerator, tires spinning on the pavement as he peeled away.

Mending

Returning inside the house, Anna smiled to herself. She knew no matter what the reports said who would possibly believe their fanciful tale. In the kitchen, she could hear her cell phone ringing, vibrating on the table in time with the notification sound.

She looked at the device buzzing on the table, the word ‘Mom” identified the caller.

Touching the green icon on her phone, she connected the call and raised the phone to the side of her head. “Hello mother,” she said, voice calm and without rancor.

“Oh thank goodness my dear, you’re alright, I was so very worried for you,” professed the voice of her mother from the other end of the line.

“I am touched by the depth of your concern,” replied Anna, half smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Perhaps you should come home and we can discuss it?” she suggested.

There was a pause. “Of course, but I think you need some time to better understand the situation,” she suggested. “You know, there are a lot of confusing things going on in your head right now,” she added.

“What is to understand? Your bid to replace me with a divine entity has failed, sort of,” responded the girl.

“Sort of? I don’t quite follow your meaning,” Darlene said.

“There are still parts of her in me, non sentient and instinctive, ancient,” she answered.

“Oh sweetheart, that’s so beautiful, it worked the way your father and I imagined it. You have become the goddess but you are still yourself,” she exclaimed jubilantly.

Anna could easily sense the duplicity, the deceit like a rancid odor permeating the air, “I knew you truly loved me,” she lied, manufacturing enough emotion to make it convincing.

“You know you can’t trust the others right?” Darlene asked. Anna could hear a man’s argumentative voice in the background, though she couldn’t make out the words.

“Just you, I know,” she answered.

“And Lyle, Mr. Collins, you know he has always had your best interest at heart too,” added her mother.

“Is he with you?”

“Yes, he’s concerned. What has happened to the other?” asked Darlene.

“Dead or dying,” Anna replied. “I have Veronica’s mother with me and the policeman who shot dad,” she added.

“Are they alive?” she asked, cautiously optimistic.

“Yes, but they are small and I’ve yet to decide on their fate,” she answered.

“That’s good they’re still alive. You know Brenda is a good person and I know you think Vance is an idiot for what he did, but he is not a particularly bad man,” Darlene said.

“You told me I couldn’t trust the others, were you mistaken?” Anna countered.

Darlene chuckled nervously, “No, I don’t think you can trust him per se, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he should die,” she provided.

“He requested mercy, after what he did, he begged me for mercy,” Anna seethed through her teeth, anger rising.

“You have all the power Anna, mercy is yours to grant should you choose. If it is your will to dispose of Vance because he is an asshole, then by all means that is your prerogative,” Darlene relayed.

Vance, an asshole? A smile crawled over Anna’s face. “Thank you mother, you have helped me find direction with a dilemma in my mind,” she said.

“I am pleased to have helped, please tell me how I’ve aided?” inquired Darlene.

“I have decided I will grant Vance the mercy he has requested,” Anna replied, smile broadening on her pretty face.

“You are a benevolent goddess my child, my darling child,” Darlene praised.

“You said he is an asshole and that is where he shall go, living, breathing, kicking and screaming,” Anna informed.

“Sorry? I’m not following,” Darlene said.

“I will not kill him with extreme prejudice. He is going to go into my anus, seems only suitable for one you have identified as an asshole,” Anna clarified.

Again there was a pause. “Um, okay, if that’s what you think is appropriate for him,” she said

“Do you not think it is fitting that he should meet his end in my end?” queried Anna.

“What about Brenda honey?” inquired Darlene, tone concerned.

“I have yet to decide,” she started, but then the doorbell rang. “There’s someone at the door,” she announced.

“Wait sweetheart,” urged Darlene.

“You need to come home mom,” Anna said, walking out of the kitchen and toward the front door.

“Soon dear,” replied Darlene, disconnecting the call.

Opening the front, it took her a moment to register her guest. The aged Jim Henry stood there, jacket cinched tight around his aged shoulders. Seeing her, he smiled.

“Dr. Jim?” she asked, surprised by his appearance on her stoop.

“Hi Anna,” he said. “I thought I saw you through the windows. Your father is here but the police have taken him into custody,” he informed.

Tilting her head to the side, she regarded him. “My father is dead, the police shot him in the head,” she stated bluntly.

“Oh Jesus, I’m sorry,” he said, emotion genuine.

She could sense him, his character. He was a good man having dedicated an entire life to help others. He had helped her when she was little and he had assisted her father. She could also tell he was dying.

“You have cancer,” she stated.

He smiled and nodded. “It’s okay, I’ve lived a good life and my regrets are few. It’s you I’m worried about,” he said.

“Come inside,” she said, stepping back from the doorway. Once in, she closed the door behind him.

“You’re much taller than I remember,” he said, turning to face her.

Her pupils vanished as her eyes began to glow.

“Anna?” he asked, stepping backward, eyes growing wide.

“Quiet,” she soothed, stepping forward and placing her hands on his chest and pushing him back against the wall, pinning him there. Gathering power, she channeled it down her arms and poured it into him.

Overwhelmed by the sensation of concentrated power suffocating him, he opened his mouth to scream but no sound came out. Doubling over, he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

She looked down on him and smiled, watching him as the transformation was taking place. Staggering back a bit, she realized she was incredibly tired.

Straightening, she left the good doctor where he was as she moved toward her bedroom. 

Doing Time in the Hole

Removing the man and woman from her brassiere, Anna set them atop the flower themed quilt covering her bed. The two figures came together and embraced, holding one another and looking up at Anna, fear written all over their faces.

Anna regarded them a moment before stripping completely nude, allowing her clothes to fall and running her hands over her now immaculate and unblemished skin. The feel of her hands across her own skin was electric, erotic. She placed her left hand between her navel and privates, knowing those she had consumed were still somewhere inside. Walking to the bed, she climbed over the two tiny humans and sat, legs parted, Brenda and Vance between her knees.

Reaching down, she snatched Vance around his lower torso and lifted him up, peeling him away from the woman. Brenda screamed, hand outstretched and reaching toward Vance.

“Please” he sobbed as Anna brought him near her face.

“My mother has encouraged me to embrace the concept of mercy going so far as to advocate that though you are an asshole, you should not be sentenced to death,” she advised, smiling.

He didn’t know if she was toying with him or if she was being genuine, but for the moment he was relieved, though still cautious.

Glancing to Brenda, “I want you to see this thing I do, watch just retribution,” she said.

Brenda nodded, but she was still looking down at the fabric of the quilt beneath her feet and not up at Anna.

“Watch!” Anna instructed directly, voice firm and resonating with power, narrowing her eyes and commanding Veronica’s mother. Brenda nodded her head again, this time looking upward, tiny face streaked by the passing of tears, but eager to avoid the fate of so many of the others in her gathering. Bringing Vance to her mouth again, his eyes grew wide thinking perhaps this time she might indeed bite him, but instead, she put his upper body in her mouth and swirled her tongue around him, coating his head and upper torso liberally in saliva. Reclining onto her back, she pulled him out from between her lips and moved him down over her body. He sputtered and coughed. Bringing him down between her legs toward her asshole, she arched her pelvis upward and bent her knees.

“No!” he said, putting his hands up instinctively but completely in vain as she nudged his face and head into the folds of the crinkled starfish between her buttocks, the flukes opening to receive him as she pushed him up into herself. The saliva serving as a lubricant to facilitate his entry, it still required some degree of effort to actually get him in, the sphincter tight and reluctant. Eventually, she was able to get his head in, maneuvering his tiny body in such a way as to facilitate passage of his shoulders. Once his shoulders were through, it was easy to insert the rest of him, the sleek humid hot tissue within molded around him while her sphincter sealed shut. Using her index finger, she slipped it into her butt, and found his little feet, pushing him as far as she could into her rectum. “Pop goes the weasel,” she said softly to herself, little smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Withdrawing her finger, she smiled and wiggled her butt, flexing her kegels, feeling the tiny little helpless prisoner lodged deeply inside her rear. Though her original intent had been decidedly punitive in regards to putting Vance where he was, she incidentally found she herself was becoming sexually aroused by his presence, her flesh delighting in the delightful sensations he was creating as he struggled within the tight grip of his dark prison.

Brenda having watched the entire procedure from up close, mouth agape, eyes almost completely round, “Please Anna, no,” she cried, shaking her head slowly from side to side.

Anna giggled and sat up, the motion on the bed bowling Brenda over on the blanket between her elevated knees.

“You deserve no less,” commented Anna dryly. “It is only my love and regard for your daughter that you still draw air into your little lungs. You are reprehensible and vile and if not for Veronica, you would already be somewhere in my intestine on your way to reunite with Vance,” she said with a touch of anger in her voice.

Brenda, now on hands and knees, nodded vigorously as she crawled toward Anna. “I’ve been a horrible mother, I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry,” she blubbered reaching up with a small hand.

“Save your crocodile tears. You’re not sorry for what you were doing, for trying to see me destroyed, you’re just a frightened little woman willing to say anything to stay my wrath,” Anna replied flatly. “Contrition after the fact is hollow and meaningless.”

Brenda sobbed, wracked by fear, dropping her face into her hands.

Moving off the bed, Anna twisted and stretched, keenly aware of the little man secured in her bottom and the rising heat coming off her loins. Why was she getting so aroused? Was it the power itself? Her power over Vance? Heightened nerve endings? She chuckled, whatever it was, she liked it.

Looking back at the form of Brenda still huddled on the bed, Anna spoke, “Tomorrow, we will see your daughter, then you shall opportunity to come clean with her and share the depth of your remorse for your lack of maternal support and guidance,” she stated.

Brenda’s head bobbed, but the woman said nothing.

Anna knew she needed to find someplace to keep Brenda overnight. Looking around her room she frowned until she saw her high boots in the closet. Grabbing one of the supple leather boots, she walked back over to the bed.

“Come here,” she snapped, motioning for Brenda to come closer.

Crawling on all fours, Brenda complied. Anna reached down and picked the older woman up by the torso and put her inside the boot, folding the top over and setting in back in the closet. Nodding approvingly, she returned to the bed hands straying down between her thighs to the delicate sensitive moist flesh there.

From somewhere outside her room, she heard a shout of surprise, the doctor had awakened.

The Doctor

Jim awoke, feeling, if he had to define the sensation, almost inebriated, pleasantly woozy. His clothing seemed tight, constraining across his chest, almost a size too small. Pulling himself to his feet, he ran his right hand over his pate, only to discover there was hair there. What the dickens? Bringing his hand down, he paused to inspect it. Gone were the brown liver spots, the swollen knuckles from arthritis. He chuckled to himself, he felt rejuvenated, alive. Stumbling into the kitchen, he caught sight of a reflection in the darkened glass of the window. Letting out a startled yell of surprise, he realized the reflection was actually his own, but not the one he expected. The youthful face peering back at him belonged to the youth he was over a half century earlier. He shook his head in wonder, the movements of the reflection in glass mirroring his own.

“What in the blue blazes is going on here?” he asked, moving closer to the window to get a better look at himself. Full head of unruly chestnut brown hair. Touching his face, he realized he wasn’t wearing his glasses, no longer needing them. He chuckled at the impossibility of what his eyes were telling him. “What have you done to me Anna?” he asked aloud, voice full of disbelief. Somehow, by some miracle, when she did what she did and took away the cancer, she had also made him a young man again, no more than a lad of seventeen or eighteen years of age. He shook his head again. “Can’t be,” he mumbled, grinning from ear to ear.

Turning away from the window, “Anna!” he called out, baritone voice young and rich, full of life.

She did not respond. Walking out of the kitchen, he called her name again. She appeared in the door of her bedroom, completely devoid of clothing, head tilted quizzically to one side, long tresses surrounding her lovely face and hanging back over her shoulders, breasts high and firm, perky. His breath caught in his throat, she was amazingly beautiful, all of the disfiguring scars gone leaving only perfection. Proximity to her hung in the air like an electric current or static charge before a thunderstorm.

He held his hands up before her turning them back and forth, “This is utterly amazing Anna, what on God’s green earth have you done to me?” he asked, euphoria still coursing through him, mind reeling to comprehend the situation.

“I healed you,” she said directly, voice mellifluous, but as if the task were of little effort and minor consequence.

He laughed aloud and snorted, “Of old age?” he inquired with a chuckle in his voice, still astounded by the restoration of his youth and vitality.

She smiled, “Of all your infirmities,” she replied, despite her fatigue the stirring in her igniting like a match to dry tinder and growing like an uncontrollable wildfire of sexual hunger.

He shook his head, “How is that even possible? I mean,” laughing anew, “I don’t know what I mean,” he said, unable to control his mirth. “It’s extraordinary, I just can’t believe it.”

She smiled. He was young and hale, slender, attractive. Looking down at her nakedness and then back at him, she realized the physical need in her was so strong, becoming almost overwhelming, compelling her to take him as she saw fit, to use him to achieve release and sate the raging hunger in her, but not as a woman might with a man, but him as a small thing, as a disposable amusement, consumed in the fires of her ardent need. Raising her hand, she allowed the power to flow into her, fill her, pupils vanishing and eyes beginning to luminesce green. Suddenly she seemed to catch herself at the last possible moment, a tendril of rational control over the storm of emotion within her. The power was so enticing, her want so overriding and nearly all consuming. She moaned with lust, the ache of want inside her. It required every ounce of resolve and control to restrain herself. Turning away, “You should go for now,” she ordered, not sure how long she could curb her hunger, her desire.

“But Anna this is a miracle,” he stated, arms wide, taking a step toward her, swinging his head from side to side.

She turned her head and looked directly into his eyes, hers glowing balefully, “Now!” she insisted, tone brooking no argument, small perfect white teeth bared, her voice like a physical thing pushing him backward a step.

Startled by her appearance and the intensity of her directive, Jim took another couple of steps backward, the hairs on the back of his neck standing at full attention. He knew something had happened to Anna that had given her the ability to do the impossible and cure him, but right now his gut told him if he did not flee from her, he would not survive her. Pivoting on the step, he hastily withdrew from her presence and down the hall. She screamed as he ran, not in pain, but rage and frustration of unfulfilled want. His heart raced as he flew from the house, youthful legs carrying him quickly out and across the lawn. Reaching the car, he paused and turned back to look at the house. He didn’t know what to do. What had happened to her” Had Adam failed? Or was this some variable between failure and success? Anna seemed herself more or less, but now equipped with tremendous abilities. Why had she healed him and then told him to run? So many questions, so few logical answers.

His initial impulse was to rush back into the dwelling, but fear and common sense prevailed, preventing him from taking the steps that he suspected would surely end his life. Swallowing hard, he fumbled in his pocket for the key fob to the car. Unlocking the vehicle, he got in, eyes glued to the house. He would stay close and wait for her to become herself again.

Emotional Maelstrom

Looking down at her hands, wisps of power seemed to exude from her flesh, like heat coming off desert sand at noon in the blazing sun, Anna shook her head and retreated to her bedroom, the want and hunger in her loins nearly unbearable. She could feel the tiny little policemen tucked in her bottom, writhing and moving heightening her arousal.

The sound of the electronic doorbell interrupted her thoughts. Removing the plush powder pink terry towel housecoat from the hook on the back of her bedroom door, she wrapped it around her nakedness, the feel of the soft fabric titillating her tactile nerve endings.

Gliding down the hall, she stopped at the front door and opened it.

Vincent Porter stood there, hands in his jeans pockets. Seeing him with her eyes, she could also sense him, his aura, energy, youthful vitality.

“Anna,” he snorted derisively, snide expression on the side of his youthful face.

A slow smile appeared on her face, “Vincent,” she replied politely.

“Caleb here?” he asked, looking passed her into the house.

Her grin widened as she shook her head in the negative.

He frowned, “Do you know where’s he’s at, he hasn’t answered any of my texts?” he inquired.

The fire in her was absolutely raging, a blast furnace of pent up want. Looking down, she put her hand on her stomach.

He snapped his fingers in front of her face, “Hey? Did you hear me?” he asked again.

Licking her lower lip, she raised her head to meet his gaze. “I heard you, I just wasn’t sure where he was, I think somewhere in my large intestine by now,” she explained.

He made a sour face, “What?”

She giggled, “He’s very close, let’s put it that way,” she said.

Vincent shook his head, “You on something?” he asked, bewildered by her odd behavior.

Reaching down, she untie the belt to her robe and allowed it to open partially exposing her nakedness, peaks of her breasts still covered but slim tummy and genitals visible.

He took a step back, eyes sweeping down, “What are you doing?” he asked.

Reaching her right hand out, she grabbed him by his letterman jacket and pulled him toward her, eyes begin to illuminate.

His words were cut off when she covered his mouth with hers, tongue snaking inside his mouth.

He started to reciprocate, reaching a hand down behind her lower back and pulling her tighter into him.

She bit his lip and pushed him back, laughing softly as she retreated a few steps into the house.

He wiped the back of his right hand across his mouth, a touch of blood. “That’s how you want to play,” he growled, smiling evilly.

She nodded slowly, face seemingly innocent, as she raised her right arm and beckoned him inward with her finger.

Like a bull in heat, he moved into the house, drawing the door closed behind him.

He was aroused, she could feel it in the air between them. Shrugging her shoulders, she allowed the robe to fall at her feet, stepping back over it as she lured him deeper into the house.

Vincent laughed throatily, eyes ravaging her exquisite body, “Caleb said you were covered in scars, but you are totally hot,” he said, sloughing off his jacket and hanging it on the peg near the door.

“Do you want me?” she purred, pressing her breasts together.

“What about your folks?” he asked, Reaching down and hastily removing his running shoes.

“I want you inside me,” she cooed. “Do you want to be inside me?” she asked.

“Fuck yeah!” he answered, nodding his head, gigantic grin.

“Tell me,” she encouraged inclining her head and looking at him through her long lashes.

“I want to be inside you so bad,” he complied, closing the distance between them and reaching toward her face with both hands.

She chuckled, placing her hand out, palm toward him. He stepped back as if physically struck, rapidly shrinking and falling back into his clothes.

Struggling with the weight of fabric over him, he pulled himself clear, standing in the neck of his own now enormous t-shirt.

She was insanely huge, looming over him. His eyes round and fearful, bewildered as he shook his head.

“Anna?” he said, raising his hands defensively as she crouched down near where he stood. “Please, what’s going on?” he pleaded.

She took him by his left arm, lifting him up off the ground and rising back to her full standing height.

“Anna!” he screamed.

She laughed, “Time for you to play,” she said, moving down the hall and into her bedroom, the ache in her loins maddening, clear trails of juice already trailing down the inside of her thighs.

Entering her bedroom, she crossed the room and hopped up on her bed, rolling onto her back, drawing her knees up and parting her legs. She was already sodden, ready.

He started to speak, but she pressed his little body indelicately against swollen sex, practically smothering him as she used her fingers to push him inside of her. He thrashed and struggled against the pull of her ravenous pussy, each movement sending a marvelous jolt of pleasure into her as her genitals swallowed him. In and out, she worked the first to digits of her right hand, juices squelching with each plunge. She could fell him on each in stroke, trapped in the tight tunnel as she began to writhe. Reaching down with her other hand, she began to caress herself, swirling fluttery fingers over the swollen center of her pleasure.

The tide of release was rising, a storm surge of epic proportions as her breath caught in her throat. The sensation was absolutely mind blowing to her, every neuron in her body firing simultaneously in euphoric delight as she climaxed, the intensity of it so strong she cried out in blissful ecstasy. One little plaything in her pussy, another in her ass, her muscles clamping down on the tiny prizes held within her, muscles crushing down on each them.

Vance was motionless, but Vincent was still trying to find some escape from the merciless grip of her vagina. She chuckled, reaching a hand down and finding a tiny arm protruding from her privates. Taking it between thumb and forefinger, she pulled, the moistened flesh releasing its pearl as he was pulled free of her body.

“Please,” he croaked, as she brought him up dangled him over her mouth. Ignoring his plea and opening wide, she drew him in with her tongue, his taste overpowered by the sweetness of her essence as she closed her lips behind him. His stamina to fight depleted, she moved him about effortlessly, letting him linger a moment on the back of her tongue. She could hear him yelling, just sounds, no words. With a quick motion of her head, she flicked him into her throat where her muscles seized hold of him and peristalsis dragged him down as she swallowed, feeling his little body move through the fibrous rings of cartilage depositing him into her stomach.

Spent, she lay there contented, sweet little tremors of elation still tingling up and down her spine. “Now you are inside me,” she murmured softly, dreamily, putting her right hand on her tummy and patting it gently.  She could feel herself beginning to drift, to succumb to fatigue, closing her eyes, she smiled and allowed sleep to sweep over her.

Veronica

School books clutched to her chest, Veronica climbed the stairs to Anna’s house. Ringing the doorbell, she waited a few moments before peering in through the window beside the door. Shifting her books under her left arm, she tested the doorknob and found it unlocked.

“Hello?” she called out, stepping inside and setting her books on the short shelf stand near the door. Kicking off her running shoes, she entered the house, walking down the hall toward Anna’s room.

The door was open, Anna lay face down in her bed, the sheet draped over the lower part of her body, feet not covered.

“Hey sleepyhead!” Veronica called out, rapping her knuckles off the door stepping into the bedroom.

Anna stirred, but did not respond.

“Get up or we’ll be,“ paused Veronica recognizing there were no scars on Anna’s now perfect skin. “Anna?” she inquired, reaching a hand down and touching the exposed foot of the slumbering girl.

Anna reacted as if jolted by electricity, awakening so suddenly, it made Veronica jump back. Turning rapidly and drawing her foot back, Anna gaze at the girl in her room.

“Your scars, “Veronica said, pointing. She had seen the wreckage of Anna’s flesh before and was at a loss to understand how they could just be gone.

Seeing her friend, Anna smiled, the power draining out of her.

“How?’ asked Veronica, moving in close and taking a seat on the bed, eyes wide with wonder.

Anna looked down and then to her friend before shaking her head slowly, eyes brimming over with unbidden tears.

“Are you okay sweetie?” Veronica asked, moving in close.

Anna shook her head.

“What’s wrong?” Veronica asked, face full of sympathy.

“I don’t know where to begin,’ Anna said.

Veronica smiled, placing a comforting hand on Anna’s leg. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s okay,” she offered.

Anna pulled her lower lip into her mouth and shook her head.

“Where is everybody? This place is like a ghost town this morning,” Veronica asked, looking back toward the open door.

Anna lowered her gaze and shook her head. “Much has happened,” she said softly.

“Oh?” Veronica inquired.

“Your mother is here,” Anna said.

“Mom?”

Anna nodded. “In my boot,” she said, pointing to where it lay on the floor.

A puzzled expression came over Veronica’s face, “My mom is in your boot?” she asked, slight chuckle in her voice.

“Last night they tried to kill me,” Anna stated.

“Who? Who tried to kill you?” Veronica asked, concern replacing her smile.

“My mom, your mom, Jerry, and others,” Anna replied.

“What?” the blonde girl asked.

“Get my boot,” Anna said.

Veronica moved, but was extremely confused.

“Careful,” Anna advised.

Veronica nodded and gently picked up the boot and brought it back to Anna.

Taking the boot, Anna turned it and spilled the tiny form of Brenda onto the sheet.

“Oh my god!” exclaimed the blonde, jumping up and looking down at the pathetic figure lying on its side on the bed then to Anna.

Brenda mewled and pushed herself onto her hands and knees, looking up at the gigantic face of her daughter.

“Anna!” Veronica blurted, big blue eyes wide

Brenda reached up a hand, “Veronica, baby,” she pleaded.

The blonde girl dropped to her knees, hands cupped, encircling her mother.

“Please baby, don’t let Anna kill me,” cried Brenda.

Veronica turned her head to look at Anna, “Anna, oh god, what’s happened?”

Anna looked down at the little figure on the linen, “Why don’t you tell her what happened, tell her how you tried to destroy me, tell her how you were grooming her for your little circle of witch wannabes?”

Veronica looked down at her mother, scooping her hands carefully underneath and lifting her up. “Mom? What does she mean?”

Brenda’s head nodded up and down, “It’s true, oh baby I’m so sorry,” she wailed.

“Mom?” she repeated.

Brenda looked up, “We tried to summon a goddess into Anna’s body, but it didn’t work and somehow Anna got her power and shrank me,” explained Brenda.

“Can you fix her?” Veronica asked, desperation in her voice.

Anna nodded slowly, “I could,” she said.

“Please Anna, please fix her,” pleaded Veronica.

Anna frowned. Slipping out from under her sheet, she stood beside the bed. “Put her there,” she instructed, pointing back to the bed.

Veronica set her mother down as directed.

With a simple gesture from her hands, more for affect than for function, Brenda began to rapidly expand, resuming her original size.

Veronica threw herself onto the bed and wrapped her arms around her mother, who in turn embraced her golden haired daughter.

Veronica looked to Anna, “Why would you shrink her?” she asked.

“To eat us,” answered Brenda, “She’s already devoured so many. She put Officer Vance Wilson in her rectum.”

Veronica shook her head at Anna. “Is it true?”

Anna nodded slowly, “Officer Wilson shot my father in the head last night while your mother watched, while my mother watched, Mr. Collins, Principal Donaldson, and others you wouldn’t know.”

Veronica’s eyes were huge and full of fear.

“Last night Vincent Porter came here. I shrank him and used him to masturbate. Once I came, I swallowed him,” she added.

“No,” mumbled Veronica.

“Your mother is only here now because of my affection for you, no other reason, if not for you she would be with the others here,” she said, touch the skin between her navel and genitals.

“No,” she repeated, tears spilling from her eyes.

“Yes,” Anna affirmed. “They tried to destroy me. The y murdered my father in cold blood and I Was reborn thus,” she said, holding her hands up.

“Please don’t hurt my mother,” beseeched the blonde girl, disengaging from her mother and getting to her feet.

Anna looked at Brenda, “Wrap yourself in that sheet and be gone from my sight,” Anna stated, before turning her head back to Veronica.

Brenda mumbled a string of gratitudes, pulling the thin material around her shoulders and hastily scampering from the room.

Both Veronica and Anna watched her go.

Anna placed a hand on Veronica’s shoulder causing the blonde girl to jump. “You see her concern for herself, abandoning you here with no thought for what I might do,” she started, “Though you need not fear me Veronica, there are so many things I wish to teach you,” she soothed.

Uncertain what to do, Veronica stood there as Anna wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her close. “So many wonderful things,” she whispered softly.

Best Laid Plans

Wrapped in a bedsheet, Brenda ran toward her home, bare feet slapping against frosted asphalt, breath coming out in clouded plumes in the cold morning air. Fear propelled her, numbing her to the icy chill. She didn’t hear the screech of tires as a car pulled out and pulled alongside her.

“Brenda!” called a female voice from the car, yet if Veronica’s mother heard it, she gave no indication, her pace unchanged as she ran down the sidewalk.

Driving further ahead, Darlene turned into a driveway ahead of the woman, stopping on the sidewalk and barring Brenda’s flight.

Getting out of the car, Darlene raised her hands, “Brenda!” she repeated, trying to catch the other woman’s attention.

Wild eyed, Brenda came to a stop, blond hair bedraggled, recognizing Darlene. Suddenly she burst into tears and collapsed to the ground. Circling the car, Darlene crouched down and wrapped an arm around the distraught crying woman. It took a little cajoling, but Anna’s mother was able to get Brenda into the car, heaters blowing warmth through the vent.

“She is the goddess,” mumbled Brenda, seated in the passenger seat of the old Pontiac, rocking back and forth, flesh stippled by goose bumps.

Pulling her safety belt around her, Darlene scoffed, eyeing Brenda and deciding whether or not to slap her. “She is a little girl with a measure of residual power from the goddess. She is a pale imitation of our lady,” Darlene retorted sharply.

“You didn’t see it first hand, what she did, what it feels like to be under her scrutiny,” babbled Brenda, starting to shiver.

“Anna is still Anna, the power she received from Inanna is going to consume her, her flesh is weak,” Darlene explained.

Brenda turned to face her, confused, “What?”

“How to explain this. Think of Anna as one of those little batteries in a TV remote control, AAA, and think of Inanna as a nuclear power plant. I don’t know how Adam was able to prepare Anna to repel the goddess, but whatever, a portion of Inanna’s power still seeped through and came into Anna, overloading that little battery. It is only a matter of time before she melts down, and sooner than later,” stated Darlene trying to get the other woman to understand.

“So Anna will be destroyed?” Brenda asked, sniffling as her nose ran.

Darlene nodded glumly.

“Your daughter,” Brenda mumbled.

Darlene chuckled, “My daughter was nothing more than the vessel and now the vessel is irreparably damaged. My regret is that I failed Inanna,” she answered.

Brenda nodded slowly. “Are we all that is left?” she asked meekly.

“As far as I know, you, me, and Lyle, but he headed into school this morning,” Darlene replied.

“Why would he go there?”

“Appearances sake he said. Personally, I think he needs the anchor of routine amidst the chaos of the situation,” answered Anna’s mother.

“Should we go to the authorities?”

Darlene laughed, “And tell them what? We tried to invoke the spirit of an ancient goddess into the body of my daughter, but something went awry, a man was shot in the head, a bunch of people got shrunken and devoured and now she is pissed. That sound about right?” she asked sarcastically.

“I’m scared,” Brenda said.

“Don’t worry, right now you are safe and time is our ally. I’ve reached out to the other gathering, as per Vera’s instructions. They have groomed a fall back vessel,” she said.

“That means?”

“It means all is not lost. We will try again, Anna was to be the one, but life is full of uncertainty and there needed to be a contingency just in case something went amiss. The other vessel is not as ideal as Anna was, but it will suffice,” Darlene extrapolated.

“But why didn’t we use the other vessel, I mean if we had another alternative, why use Anna knowing Adam had contaminated the vessel, why?” beseeched Brenda.

“Even contaminated, she was a more viable host,” answered Darlene, steering the car around the corner.

“I didn’t think I was going to survive,” mumbled Brenda.

“I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see you emerge from the house this morning. There is a young man lurking in a red car a few houses down watching the house, but I don’t know him. Did Anna mention anything about a boy?” Darlene asked, curious to know who and why the young man had the house under surveillance.

Brenda shook her head. “I didn’t see anyone else,” she stated.

“I saw your daughter go in,” Darlene started, leaving the rest unsaid.

“Anna welcomed her. Veronica pleaded with her to restore me to my former self,” Brenda replied.

Darlene nodded slowly, “That’s her humanity. That will go as the power destroys her and she goes mad,” she stated.

“You don’t want to know what she with Vance, it was inhuman,” stated Brenda. “She put him in her rectum, pushed him in all the way. She made me watch.”

Darlene laughed, “Vance always was a bit of an arrogant asshole,” she chirped, seeing the irony of his fate.

“Where are you taking me?” Brenda asked, realizing they were not headed toward her home.

“Your house has been compromised, we need to connect with the other gathering,” Darlene said.

“What about Rachel and Elijah?” Brenda asked, concerned for the wellbeing of Darlene’s two surviving step-children.

“They were both at Jerry’s mother’s place. I called her earlier to see if the kids could stay a few extra days and she adored the idea. I think the old bat is lonely. Anyway, they should be safe there for the time being,” answered Anna’s mother.

“That’s good. I’m going to need some clothes,” commented Brenda, looking down at her freezing body wrapped in the sheet.

Weighing options, Darlene thought about it a moment then changed her destination, figuring she would risk going to Brenda’s house to allow the other woman to pop in and grab a few necessities before they would go and meet up with other gathering. Arriving at the house they were able to put together a bag and we back on the road within minutes.

Anna

Still holding the blonde girl in an embrace, Anna stroke the side of her face, whispering soft words, soothing the confusion and fear racing through Veronica’s mind. It was a lot to assimilate. Leaning close, Anna kissed Veronica’s cheek, bidding her sleep. Veronica closed her eyes, drifting off.

Laying Veronica on her bed, Anna walked to the bathroom. It was time for a bowel movement. The remnants of the gathering had now passed through her digestive tract, condensing and solidifying in preparation for evacuation. Vance was still alive, encased in her excrement. Sitting on the toilet, she contract her muscles, pushing the waste out her.

Wiping herself, she dropped the tissue into the bowl. Standing she looked down at the mess inside the toilet, fecal matter composed of those who would see her undone and bound to them. “This is the extent of my mercy,” she said softly, reaching a hand up and pull down the lever to flush the toilet. Washing her hands, she returned to her room and sat on the bed beside Veronica, placing the tips of her index fingers on either side of the blonde girl’s head over her temples.

Closing her own eyes, she peered into Veronica’s mind, mending damaged strands of the girl’s psyche, creating pathways and new corridors inside her brain, awakening ancient memories and igniting dormant abilities. It was delicate work and when she was finished, Veronica was in a dreamless slumber, breathing slow and steady. Anna smiled at her handiwork. Bending forward, she kissed the girl on the cheek, before nodding to herself. She knew Veronica would need to rest, need time to process and understand the gift imparted on her.

Getting up, she got dressed in a snug t-shirt and a pair of denim jeans, thinking she would go to school, perhaps now more out of habitual routine than necessity.

Exiting the house, she heard a car door open, and watched as the now youthful Jim Henry stepped out of the red Chevrolet, his eyes round, but filled with compassion only a lifetime of seeing misery can convey.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his care for her well-being genuine as he cautiously approached.

She chuckled, “Fine,” she replied, smiling at him. He was hale and handsome.

“I saw, I saw your mother,” he said. “She picked up the other woman down the block,” he added, turning and pointing.

Anna nodded. She thought she had sensed her, but she was still learning to attune her newfound abilities.

“The boy, from last night?”

“He served his purpose and is no more,” she replied, fondly remembering the strength of her sexual release achieved using him.

Jim frowned, the ambivalent way she discussed a boy’s death gave him the sense that whatever powers she was gaining, they were distancing her from her morality. “I’m concerned for you,” he said.

“I know,” she replied, walking up to him and placing a hand on his cheek, her flesh warm.

She smiled and removed her hand, he staggered backward a couple of steps, mouth moving but making no sound as he was filled with wonder and serenity. “Anna,” he breathed softly.

She turned and looked back to the house, “Watch over her,” she said.

Nodding slowly, “Yes,” he said, leaving her and walking to the house.

As she walked to the school, she found the closer she got, the louder and more frenetic it seemed, a cacophony of noise and the random thoughts of so many people in one place assailing her. She had to pause several minutes to silence the roar inside her head. Quieted, she made her way into the school, students hurrying last minute to beat the buzzer.

Moving up the main hall the final bell sounded, she was almost to her locker when she paused outside the history classroom, Mr. Collins’s classroom. He was there. She wasn’t due for history until the afternoon, but she could feel a swell of ire growing within her. Entering the classroom through the door at the rear of the class, she looked at the teacher.

Standing at the fore of the class, near the green chalk board, Mr. Collins paused in his delivery, mouth open, eyes widening, “Miss Smith,” he addressed, “You’re not in this class until later today,” he said.

“I know,” she answered, smiling at him. She could feel his fear, almost palpable, smell it like a metallic fume coalescing in her olfactory center.

“Then I would ask that you…” he trailed off, realizing every other student in the class was not moving, like inanimate store mannequins locked in permanent stasis.

She walked slowly up between two rows toward him, “I trusted you, though I suppose that is my own failing and no fault of yours,” she said, nodding slowly as she moved up the aisle toward the head of the class.

He backed away, doubting he would be able to get to the door before she could stop him.

“Everything is so much clearer now,” she said, half smile on her face, “It’s as if a veil has been pulled from eyes, or a light in the darkness, I can see,” she stated. “I can see everything so much clearer now, hues beyond your imagination, wondrous.”

He shook his head slowly, “Then you can see how sorry I am Anna, please,” he pleaded, tone plaintive.

Smile warm, she nodded. “I can see,” she said. “I can also see other things in you, darker things, ugly things,” she stopped, standing beside a very pretty girl near the front of the row. “I can see how you lust for her,” she said, looking down at the girl and running her hand tenderly over the girl’s head and caressing her cheek. “You want to lord over her or have her dominate you, but you resent her for your own failings and inadequacy. Her youth, her beauty make you want her and only the fear of legal consequence inhibits you, otherwise you would try and take her with no thought of her feelings,” she said wistfully, looking back up at the teacher.

He nodded, “It’s true, I envy her,” he whispered, voice starting to break.

Moving forward again, Anna stopped in front of his desk. “That is why you colluded with the gathering, seeking solace from your own fear and weakness,” she said.

He nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks, he was afraid.

Turning her head slightly to the side, she smiled at him, “I will take these things from you,” she said, waving a hand slowly causing the desk between them to slide out of the way.

Back pressed to the green board, he crumpled down to the floor, hands out defensively before him.

Walking to him, she put her hand down, “All you need to do is take my hand,” she said softy.

Looking up at the beautiful girl, her eyes glowing vibrant green despite the bright fluorescent light in the room, hand trembling he reached up and took the delicate hand in his own.

There was no pain as he shrunk down.

Veronica

Sitting upright in Anna’s bed, Veronica looked around the room, a strange sense of calm settling over her. She couldn’t believe the things Anna had told her, or the fact that she shrank her mother. It was nonsensical and preposterous, but there was something more, something Anna had done to her. Bringing her hands in front of her, seeing them as if for the very first time, a sensation of energy coursing through her body and culminating in her fingertips, she knew she was different, that Anna had changed her, for the first time in her whole life, she felt truly alive and connected. Closing her eyes, she could sense her mother’s absence from the house, remembering vaguely Anna had allowed her leave instead of devouring her.

Veronica chuckled softly to herself. She had been so naïve, so unaware, now she could see so much, like she understood some greater truth that she had been ignorant toward. The pieces were beginning to fall into places, almost as if she could hear Anna soothing voice in her mind, guiding her.

Some internal alarm rang in her mind, there was someone else in the house, a stranger, and he was approaching. It was a boy, no older than herself, and she perceived no threat from him. Other feelings surged into her awareness. She turned her head to watch the young man enter the room.

“Thank heavens, you’re awake now,” he said, smiling at her and taking a seat near the foot of the bed, one knee up, his other leg hanging off the side.

“Who are you?” she inquired, tilting her head slightly to the side, her own voice sounding odd in her ears.

He chuckled, “This may sound hard to believe, I’m Dr. Henry, Jim,” he replied. “Anna asked me to watch over you while you slept,” he added. “She didn’t mention your name.”

“Veronica,” she provided, mid looking inward, seeking. Dr. Henry? Did she know this name? The doctor? Yes, it was there, a scrap of information tucked into the corner of her consciousness, he was Anna’s doctor, she had mentioned him, but she thought he was old. The proximity of the young man seated only a couple of feet from her ignited the hunger in her, fanning the yearning from somewhere deep within herself, fueling something primal. Sitting there, so young and vital, full of life, she wanted him. Leaning forward, she caressed her right hand over his left cheek, it felt like sparks dancing across her fingertips as they passed over his smooth skin.

Breath caught in her throat, the hunger was nearly overwhelming, she didn’t understand why. Leaning back, she studied him quizzically and knew if she wanted, she could easily take him, shrink him down and use him for her own pleasure. It wouldn’t difficult at all, all she had to do was will it and he would be hers, for now and always.

Struggling to fight through the impulse to surrender to her baser desire, she tried to gain some measure of understanding of the extent of the things Anna had done to her.

“Where is Anna?” she heard herself ask, her big gorgeous blue eyes scintillating with power.

He could sense her heat, she knew this, interpreting the subtle clues in his body language.

“Ah, she went to school,” he replied, getting up off the bed and taking a step backward. He had seen this look the night before, when Anna bade him flee and he knew he was in potential danger. 

Veronica smiled, a beautiful expression on her exceptionally pretty face, “Why do you tremble so?” she asked sweetly.

Raising his hands in front of him, he shook his head slowly and eased back another pace, “I am not sure what all is going on, but Anna has manifested some incredible and abilities and she has done something to you, like she did with me, she made me young again,” he explained.

Cornflower blue eyes locked on him from beneath long lashes, she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, nodding slowly as she pulled the blanket from her body and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“I know it can be unsettling, the after effects of her Power, but please, you need to compose yourself,” he suggested politely, smiling nervously.

Standing up, Veronica looked down at her clothed body, hands beginning to unbutton her blouse.

“Veronica, please, you are a very beautiful young woman, but you need to stop,” he said, trying to put some authority in his tone.

Stop? No, she yearn to abandon herself to the promise of bliss and euphoria. Closing her eyes, she could smell him,

“VERONICA!” he yelled, stepping forward and taking her wrists gently but firmly in his own hands.

Blinking, she paused, considering, I feel so powerful. Realizing she had become almost intoxicated with power, and horny, so incredibly aroused. A smile touched her lips again, power, the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Letting out her breath slowly, she looked down at his hands holding her, “You can release me now,” she said, a hint of amusement in her tone.

Releasing her wrists, Jim held up his hands, his eyes wide. His inner voice advised extreme caution as he flirted with death. “Are you okay?” he asked, the concern in his voice an even mix of for her as for him.

She chuckled and shook her head, strands of blonde hair sweeping back and forth across her shoulders, “I’m not sure,” she answered genuinely. So many things had changed.

“I saw your mother leave, she was picked up by Anna’s mother,” he said.

“I know,” she replied, losing her battle with restraint. Glancing at the door, it slammed shut with a loud bang, causing Jim to jump.

“Veronica, please I need you to focus, these feeling you’re experiencing are new and confusing, but deep down, I know you’re still there,” he said, trying to get her to listen to reason.

“I think you’ll need to help me understand and remedy these feelings,” she said softly, pointing her left index finger at him.

It felt like a bolt of electricity had just hit him square in the chest, staggering him back a few steps as the world around him seemed to grow.

The Backup Plan

Together, Darlene and Brenda drove forty minutes, arriving at the house of Rose Walthrop, leader of the other gathering. In her mid-fifties and built as some would describes as pleasantly plump, she greeted the two women with a derisive look on her face born of the women’s failure to fulfill the promise of bringing Inanna back into the present world.

“Thank you for taking us in,” expressed Darlene with a smiled. Brenda bobbed her head.

“Uh huh,” Rose said brusquely, ushering the two women into her home with an irritated wave, before closing the door and moving passed the pair.

Darlene removed her jacket and boots before ascending the handful of stairs leading up into the kitchen and seating herself in one of the four chairs around the small table there. Brenda followed suit, taking another of the chairs.

Rose folded her arms under her prodigious bosom, “So explain to me how this all got cocked up,” she instructed.

Looming at her hands folded on the table, Brenda deferred to Darlene.

Spending the next hour getting the other woman up to speed, withholding bits she felt irrelevant or incriminatory, Darlene explained how everything unfolded while Rose prepared some tea.

A stern expression on her face throughout the retelling, Rose, simply nodded at the end of Darlene’s explanation.

“I think you’re wrong about your girl burning out,” offered Rose.

“Oh?” inquired Darlene. “What makes you say that?”

“I think she’ll come to terms with whatever residual power Inanna left behind, and safeguard herself,” she replied.

“I don’t think so, I think she’s too naïve and will lose herself to the power, she’s like a butterfly wing brushed by the hand of the goddess, never to fly again,” Darlene countered.

“Then you’re an idiot and that’s a stupid analogy. Let me be plain. Your daughter was touched by the hand of Inanna and given gifts beyond our meager comprehension and if you try to give yourself some solace by thinking she will burn out, then you are fooling yourself. Face it, Vera was a glory hound and preemptively tried to perform the ritual to curry favor and now she’s dead, pure and simple. You’re here because you’re on the run from the monster you’ve created,” she stated bluntly.

Both Darlene and Brenda remained quiet in the aftermath of Rose’s words, there was not much either could say to counter the other woman’s assertion.

“Fortunately for all our sakes, we still have a viable vessel and a little time to prepare for the coming of our goddess and an end to your blundering,” she said smugly.

“When will you perform the rite?” Darlene asked.

“On the solstice, as it was intended to be,” answered Rose, “As it should have been.”

Nodding, “Is there anything we can do to assist?” Darlene asked.

Rose shook her head, “Allow us to complete the ritual, I’m sure you will have to answer to Inanna for your failures,” she stated bitterly.

“Who is the new vessel?” Brenda inquired softly.

“The girl’s name is Imogen Hall, daughter of two of our gathering. Of course she is the same age as your Veronica wasn’t it, and Anna. Unlike your vessel, this one is unaware of the glorious destiny that awaits her,” Rose replied.

Brenda nodded absently, not the name held any particular meaning to her, she’d simply been curious.

Darlene nodded as well. Once the ritual was complete, and Inanna was returned, there would need to be a reckoning, she understood this. She felt confident the goddess would recognize her devotion and be merciful, certainly more so than she imagined Anna might be.

“So you are the only two who remain?” Rose inquired, sitting back down at the table.

“And Lyle Collins, a teacher from the high school,” explained Darlene.

“I know who he is,” acknowledged Rose, taking a sip from her bone china teacup.

“As far as we know,” Brenda added.

“She’s just a little addled, given Anna shrank her last night and made her watch another member of our group inserted into my daughter’s ass,” explained Darlene.

“Why did she do that? Shrink so many people, I don’t understand,” interjected Brenda.

“I believe it is because Inanna’s true form is gigantic. There are descriptions and examples throughout history of giant beings from Greek Titans to the Viking Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Whether they are variants of our lady or contemporaries, I do not know, needless to say, she is accustomed to us as small little things in need of her guidance. Ingesting would be one way to truly become one with our goddess, body and soul. It is only speculation on my part. Once we’ve completed the ritual, I’m sure she could better explain it should she choose to humor your ignorance,” answered Rose.

“You don’t understand what it feels like, to be so small and at the mercy of Anna’s whim, it’s terrifying,” countered Brenda, remembering how she felt just hours earlier when she witnessed Vance’s insertion and feared for her life.

“Just desserts for ineptitude,” Rose replied casually.

“How can you be so nonchalant?” Brenda questioned, voice rising in pitch.

Rose snorted, “Nonchalant? You failed the goddess and you whine about being scared by her damaged vessel? Really? Was it the girl you feared or your stunning failure?”

“Enough!” inserted Darlene, slamming her hand down on the table. “No good can come from this petty squabbling. Let us all hope you are as prepared as you claim to be so that we may rejoice in the rebirth of our goddess and all of the tribulations to make it so are in the past.”

“We’ve still some time to get properly prepared, until then you are welcome to remain here,” Rose said, rising to standing and carrying the teapot back to the counter near the sink.

“I pray you experience the dread I felt,” seethed Brenda. Rose turned, glower on her portly face.

Darlene slapped Brenda with an open hand across the face with an audible smack, “I know you’re still a lot rattled by recent events, but I said no more of this,” she barked.

Bringing a hand to her reddening cheek, Brenda ducked her head.

Anna

A dozen paces out of Mr. Collins’ classroom and down the hall, Anna snapped the fingers on her left hand and time resumed inside the classroom she had just quit, leaving a host of students baffled by what seemed to them to be the sudden disappearance of their teacher right in front of their very eyes.

Looking down at the tiny figure curled up in her hand, she paused to open her purse and deposit his tiny little body inside.

In her state, school seemed an entirely different world now, like she could feel everyone, sense their feelings. She found by drowning out all of the background noise, she could narrow her focus.

“Miss Smith? Aren’t you supposed to be class?” asked the male voice from behind her.

She didn’t need to turn to know the identity of the speaker, it was Mr. Halton, vice principal filling in for the absent Don Donaldson. She turned and smiled, tilting her head to one side.

“Which class are you supposed to be in?” he asked, tone warm and friendly. He was genuine, she could feel it. There was little duplicity or deceit in him.

“Mrs. Pembry’s class,” she replied sweetly.

He smiled, “The off you go, no malingering in the hallway,” he said, nodding down the hall.

Walking down the corridor, a smile still on her face, she stopped outside the door to Mrs. Pembry’s room.

The aged teacher stopped her drone and looked over, motioning Anna inward with a gesture.

Stepping in Anna nodded, taking her seat, glancing to her left to look at Valen. He looked back, a questioning expression on his face quickly replaced by a lopsided grin. She felt a stab of desire in the center of her pleasure. At this proximity, with her senses attuned to him, she could feel something profound in him. He loved her. The pureness of it was intoxicating as she focused on it, nearly swooning.

“Everything okay?” he whispered, narrowing his eyes.

Impulse to take him barely restrained, she smiled serenely and nodded slowly. She wanted him so bad.

“Where’s Veronica?” he asked, looking passed her to the empty desk on her other side.

“Mr. Dance, perhaps you could explain why it is you have taken it upon yourself to disrupt the class?” Mrs. Pembry asked, placing her hands on her fleshy hips.

Valen straightened up, “Sorry Mrs. Pembry,” he said contritely.

Student duly admonished, the teacher continued with her dry monotone lesson. For Anna listening to the teacher prattle on she knew she understood the purpose of the lesson, the knowledge was already hers. There was nothing more the aging teacher could impart. Her dry monotone deliver did serve as a distraction from the burgeoning fire she was feeling within her.

The buzzer rang, she eased out of her desk and rose to standing. Looking around the class, she frowned, all of the other students seemed to be moving at only three quarter speed, including Valen. The tall youth moved down his aisle of desk and lingered at the door, turning back to look at her.

Gliding down the row of desks, almost seeming to hover as she moved to join him, she leaned into him, inhaling the natural scent coming off his youthful body.

“You seem friendly,” he mumbled, before his entire body seemed to stiffen defensively.

“Hey scarred cunt,” said the harsh voice of Trent Davis in a confrontational tone from almost directly behind her.

She turned, frowning, eyes drifting down to the dressing over his stitched wrist.

“You better watch your mouth,” Valen snarled, pushing Anna slightly to the side.

“Shut the fuck up Daddy’s girl,” snorted Trent belligerent.

Anna put her hand on Valen’s chest, feeling her animosity for Trent percolate to the surface of her consciousness. She became keenly aware of how sensitive her perception was, how all of her emotions were enhanced, not just desire, but happiness, anger, everything.

“Nobody has heard from Caleb or Vincent in a while. What did you do to them? Make them slit their wrists too you witch?” he barked out, voice loud.

A hush fell over the students close enough to hear.

Someone sniggered, “Scar baby.”

She shook her head, “No,” she replied, eyes seeking the crowd to locate the speaker of the jibe. Paul Redding. She smiled and turned back to Trent, taking a step closer. He stank of arrogance and other sour scents.

“Where are they then?” he demanded, holding his arms out.

She paused, pulling up the front of her shirt to reveal her unblemished tummy, “Here,” she said, touching it with the fingertips of her other hand.

Trent’s gaze travelled down, frowning when he saw he undamaged skin. “The fuck?”

Leaning in close, inches from his face, she grinned, “I used them and consumed them, digested anything that was worth redeeming in them and shit out what was left,” she whispered, bringing a hand up and touching Trent’s face.

“Fucking psycho, what the hell are you talking about?” he asked, stepping back and bringing a hand to his face where she had touched him.

Her eyes grew bright, but cold, like an alpine glacial lake, “You are mine now Trent, and soon you shall be inside of me,” she said.

He snorted, “Did everyone hear that?” he chuckled, looking around only to be met by the confused expression on the faces of those nearest him.

“Hear what?” Paul asked, shrugging.

Trent pointed at her, “She said she consumed Caleb and Vincent and that she was going to do the same to me,” he said, nodding.

Paul shook his head, other students looked confused. “When?” he asked.

“Just now, like just right now,” he answered.

“Um, all she said was no,” Paul said, eyes narrowing.

Anna smiled and turned back to Valen, “Walk me to my locker?” she asked, looking up at him.

Trent shook his head. Was she fucking with him right now? He knew what he heard. “This isn’t over Scar Baby,” he yelled.

Pausing, she turned back to look at Trent and smile, “I know,” she replied, sucking her lower lip into her mouth before once more turning away and heading toward her locker.

Jim and Veronica

Jim tried to turn and run, but the sensation coursing through his body seemed to create a disconnectedness between his mind and body. Landing on his stomach on the floor, he could do little more than passively watch while he shrank in on himself. It was such a strange sensation feeling himself shrink, not particularly painful, like bumping your funny bone except all over. It was just surreal.

Twisting as he diminished, he caught of the girl before he vanished within his clothes, god she was beautiful, eyes so incredibly blue it felt like she could look into his soul as she moved, divesting herself of her own clothes.

Then he was inside his own shirt, the smell of his perspiration strong in his nostrils as the coarsening cloth settled over him as he withdrew. He felt her large but delicate hands searching through the folds of his clothing, looking for him.

She found him easily enough, the scent from her immense hand fresh and clean as she curled her fingers around him and extracted him from within his shirt. “Jim,” she cooed, smiling and drawing him close to her face.

Pulling an arm free of her restraining hand, his raised his own hand toward her, almost defensively, “Veronica, please remember who you are, remember,” he said slowly, “remember what your uncle did, against your will,” he reminded, tone bordering on pleading as he tried to petition to some sense of reason locked within her.

She giggled, “Please,” she scoffed, wide beaming smile now on her face, “I can practically taste the heat of your ardor emanating from your little body Jim, so delicious,” she purred, kissing him on his head.

“Veronica, please,” he protested, “What about Anna? She asked me to remain here to help you adjust or assimilate,” he said.

“Anna left you here to attend my needs,” she chuckled, shaking her head slowly, blonde hair swaying with the motion.

“You must stop,” he said, though he tried to be stern, his tone seemed entirely unconvincing.

She smiled wide again, radiating almost supernatural beauty as she brought him near her mouth again, “I do not get the sense you wish for me to stop,” she whispered softly, her warm sweet breath washing over him.

Despite his words to the contrary, he knew deep inside himself she was right. Anna had asked him to watch over her true, but his cock was harder than it had been in decades. She was fantasy made living flesh, Aphrodite, Venus personified and forgive him, he wanted her more than anything, wanted to please her, worship her.

Opening the fingers on her hand, she kissed his torso, soft supple lips molding around him as she did so. “You taste so good,” she remarked, extending her tongue and bathing his mid body from knees to chest.

Her touch was paradoxical, exhilarating beyond anything he could have imagined but at the same time terrifying. He didn’t know if she would succumb to her desire and consume him in the heat of her passion or if she possessed the will to restrain herself. When she kissed him again, he didn’t care.

Slick with saliva from her tongue, she brought him down the erect nipple of her right breast, caressing him there against her sensitive flesh. She had never before experienced the intensity of pleasure such a simple gesture was rewarding her body with. Letting out a soft cry, she moved backward, collapsing on the bed, her loins a fire aching to be quenched. She couldn’t wait, sliding him down across her trim stomach and over the naked swelling of her mons and into the moistened petals of her blooming flower.

He was a passenger, at the mercy of her desire as she moved him down her body, intoxicated by her flesh and then thrust into the midst of swollen vagina. It was rapturous, drowning in her, drinking of her and she moved him through the heated split before swallowing him within her body. He ejaculated, losing count as his body convulsed of its own volition and still she drove him deeper into her being, dragging him slowly back, stoking the already raging furnace of her passion and then pushing him into her again.

Spots danced before his eyes as consciousness threatened to abandon him. The sounds of her body told him her reason was absent. Veronica’s mind was now gone, leaving only unfulfilled hunger and intensifying want in its place.

Sensations she never imagined possible, touching and igniting her in ways she never dreamt existed as her passion climbed until everything exploded. Screaming in ecstasy, blowing out all of the windows in the whole house, the force of her climax shattering them easily and showering the cold hard ground outside in slivers of broken glass. She rolled onto her side as her flesh continued to tremble in the aftermath of her release, come so pure it was pearlescent leaking out of her pussy and across her the slope of her magnificent ass cheek and pooling on the sheet under her.

Jim struggled to find himself, lost within her, unable to discern up from down as he breathed in her purest essence. He could feel something moving through his whole body, almost down to a molecular level as the result of her pleasure permeated his skin, into his bones. Consciousness faded as bliss enveloped him.

Senses returning, Veronica was aware of the tiny life buried deep within her. She could see his little spark flare and knew he was imperiled. Concentrating, she contracted her muscles rhythmically and propelled him down out of her uterus and through her vagina and into her hand.

He seemed to pulse in her pulse, altered by her climax. Just holding him she found herself growing breathless with want anew. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth and put him inside, tasting herself on him. Holding fast against the roof of her mouth, she lay back, fingers searching out her sensitive places. The heightened awareness of her own body was astounding as she stimulated her pleasure center, tracking every impulse, every neurons discharging a message of delight through her central nervous system. Skillfully, she brought herself over the edge again, resisting the urge to swallow the captive in her mouth as she stepped over the edge into orgasmic euphoria.

Anna and Valen

Breath catching in her throat, Anna’s knees went weak and she had to lean against the lockers to prevent herself from falling to the ground.

“Are you okay?” Valen asked, concerned look on his face as he slid an arm around her mid back to steady her.

Anna had felt Veronica’s climax, the tremendous release of sexual energy creating a powerful wave radiating out form her house in all directions. She knew the others could not feel it, or even detect it, but she could and it was staggering, triggering a response in her own body.

Leaning into Valen, she tilted her head and kissed him on his downy cheek.

He paused, turning his head to look at her, lips parting slightly as he leaned his head forward. Twisting in his arm, she put her hand to his head and drew him down, engaging him fully on the mouth, her tongue snaking out and seeking his in his mouth, her hand moving down over his chest and across his stomach.

“Hey, hey there now you two,” said the voice of Mr. Peabody, one of the school’s physical education teachers who just happened to be passing by when the pair stopped to kiss.

Anna broke from Valen, turning her head to glower at the teacher, her eyes blazing menacingly.

He chuckled and shook his head, then took an involuntary step backward when he saw the glow in her eyes.

Anna growled and slapped an open hand against the locker, striking it with enough force to actually leave an impression of her hand in the enameled metal.

The teacher shook his head, grinning, but the expression was one of nervousness rather than mirth. “What, what’s going on here?” he asked.

She could smell the fear on him, seeping through the pores on his fit body.

The warning buzzer sounded, alerting students to get to their classes.

Mr. Peabody cleared his throat, “Alright, you should get to your class,” he said looking from side to side as other students hustled to get to where they needed to be.

Moving in close to the teacher, Anna place a hand on his chest, spreading her fingers apart. It would be such a simple thing to simply pull the beating heart from his chest and show it to him for his impudent interruption.

As if aware on some subliminal or instinctive level of his proximity to death, his skin went ashen and he began to tremble, peeing himself in the process.

“Anna?” Valen said, touching her on the shoulder.

Withdrawing her hand from the teacher’s chest, she held his eyes in hers a moment before turning back to look at Valen, smile appearing on her face.

“Ah, we should go,” he said, awash in a sea of conflicting emotions.

“Alright,” she said, letting him pull her away.

Mr. Peabody slumped down to his knees, burying his face in his hands as he wept uncontrollably.

“We have history with Mr. Collins next,” Valen stated.

“No,” she refuted, shaking her head. “He is no longer teaching, I have him here in my purse.”

Valen chuckled, “Did you say he was in your purse?” he asked, arching a confused eyebrow.

“Yes,” she replied.

Shaking his head, Valen gave her an inquisitive look. “There is something totally different about you,” he said.

She frowned, “Different bad?” she asked, eyes narrowing, emotion blunting her senses.

He grinned, “No, just different,” he said.

“Come,” she said, taking his hand, “let’s go to under the bleachers,” she invited.

“But,” he murmured, offering no resistance as she easily pulled him along.

Leading him out of the school and under the back of the bleachers along the sports field, she turned him and pushed him back against one of the metal support braces, kissing him hard on the mouth.

“Anna,” he whispered breathlessly when she broke contact, “we can’t.”

“We can do whatever we want,” she purred.

“It totally smells like weed out here,” he commented, looking left than right.

“Don’t worry about it,” she assured, ripping the belt away from his pants, spinning his body in the process.

“Anna,” he blurted. Through the haze of her heat, she could detect his self-doubt, his battered self-esteem inhibiting him. Though she knew it was easy enough to wipe these things from him, she knew it would alter him, change him from who he was and she didn’t want that.

“It’s okay,” she soothed, trying to calm him. Putting her right hand in his pants, he was fully erect as she circled her fingers around him. Suddenly he began to ejaculate, copiously, body convulsing and twitching, eyes rolling back into his head. Then he passed out.

She grinned and shook her head. Still holding him upright with her left hand, she pulled her right hand free, the sticky mess bringing a smile to her face before she wiped on the front of his t-shirt. She hadn’t anticipated this and the fact she was surprised filled her with a sense of delight and amusement, however, it did nothing to slake the need she felt.

She didn’t want to leave him here. The smile on her face brightened as an idea occurred to her. She had made him come, it seemed only fair he return the favor. Tapping him on the forehead with her right index finger, he instantly began to shrink, his clothes falling away. When he was done, he lay in the palm of her left hand.

Opening the button on her snug faded denim jeans, she undid the zipper, wiggling her hips to draw them down some. Slipping her thumb into the elastic waistband at the front of her panties, she pulled them out, arching her hips in the process. Sliding him carefully inside, she positioned him so that he was lying vertically along the length of the groove in her moistened sex. Releasing the elastic, refastened her pants, gyrating her hips to make sure he was fitted properly. He would be safe there. Smiling, she walked out from under the bleachers and back toward the school.

Trent

He didn’t understand why no one had heard what the bitch said, he had heard it plain as day. Caleb had always said she was a weirdo, covered in those brutal scars, in fact, Caleb had shown him pictures of those scars, said there wasn’t a whole lot of money to get more plastic surgery. When she had pulled up her shirt, there were no scars, her skin looked unblemished. It didn’t make sense, in fact, a lot of thigs didn’t seem to make sense.

Consumed and digested. What the fuck did that mean? That too didn’t make any type of logical sense. The sutures in his wrist itched and he absently rubbed it against the side of his pants. Who the hell did she think she was anyway? Trying to make him look crazy. He still had no clue how his wrist was slashed. One moment he was mocking her, the next he was gushing blood from his severed radial artery. Now Caleb and Vincent were both silent, absent from school, neither responding to his texts. Something was up and fucking Anna knew what it was. He was going to get to the bottom of it, one way or the other, he would get to the bottom.

He decided he would wait for the end of the day and follow her and straight up confront, force her to tell him what she knew about Caleb and Vincent. When the school day eas finally at an end

Following at a discreet distance. When she turned up Piedmont Road, he quickened his pace, closing the gap to about a dozen steps. “So hey, looks like you’re all alone now, no Valen, and I guess Veronica is probably at the clinic getting shots for her VD,” he quipped snidely from behind her.

She stopped, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” he asked, tone rude.

She brought her hand down and patted the front of her jeans over her womanhood, “Valen is here right now,” she said, feeling him move.

“You’re spun,” he cracked, laughing and shaking his head.

She turned to face him directly, feeling her antipathy for him well within her, eyes narrowing. “You are a foolish and stupid boy, you should not have followed me,” she said, hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. She had been aware of him, felt him trying to be stealthy and wondering when he would muster the courage to try and make the approach.

“What you going to do, ‘consume and digest’ me?” he said, emphasizing the words.

She nodded slowly, “Though I think perhaps I shall give you to Veronica for that. Yes. It will be her who swallows you. She can have your precious little spark of life and add to her own,” she said.

“You’re fucking crazy!” he said, chuckling as he shook his head.

“But first, I think, we shall play with you,” she mused.

“Fuck you,” he remarked dismissively.

She grinned, “No, fuck you, then eat you,” she replied.

“That’s right, you can fucking eat this,” he retorted, grabbing his crotch.

Tilting her head slightly to the side, “Do you know Vincent was still awake and alert when I swallowed him? It’s such an odd but delightful sensation, like butterflies in your stomach when there is someone inside of you like that. They thrash about, though I suppose not so much for Vincent, he was pretty spent when I was done with him. It’s actually rather funny because he begged to be inside of me, wanted it so bad,” she said, voice slurring slightly as she felt the power riding up in her.

Trent shook his head, looking at her. Were her eyes actually glowing? It seemed like it.

“You’re mental,” he spat.

“While I am quite heated and in need of release, I am wondering if you are worth the effort bringing home. Maybe I should just reduce you here and step on you, feel your little bones crunch under my foot as I put my weight on you,” she said, expression contemplative.

As far as Trent was concerned, Anna was a loony bird. The shit she was talking about. He wasn’t sure what he had intended to do by confronting her, but he realized now she was obviously mad. “Looks like daddy carved a little crazy into you,” he chortled, shaking his head.

“Crushing is too quick for you,” she said, expression going cold, “you will meet your end inside Veronica and when she is finished with you, I am going to take your skull and fashion myself a little keepsake earring. It’s unfortunate I didn’t think of that earlier with Vincent, you two would have made a nice matching set,” she added, shrugging.

Frowning, he shook his head. “What is wrong with you?” he asked.

She laughed, “Wrong? There is nothing wrong with me now,” she answered, spreading her hands wide.

“Except you’re a deranged fruit loop, babbling nonsensical stuff,” he said.

Extending an arm, hand out, “Come to me Trent, you’ll see,” she invited.

He snorted, “I don’t think so,” he stated.

She beckoned him and suddenly he was being pulled forward, dragged over the icy cement sidewalk directly at her by some unseen force. “What the fuck?” he bellowed, twisting and thrashing but unable to fight whatever it was moving him. Her eyes were glowing. “Anna!” he yelled.

Turning her hand, palm facing him, he stopped a couple of inches in front of the hand, his toes just touching the ground.

“Jesus Christ Anna!” he said, eyes wide and filled with panic.

“You see,” she said, “I told you that you would come to understand.”

He didn’t understand. What the fuck was happening? How could she do this, make him move like that? It was her that had cut his wrist. Dread filled his heart, “Please,” he begged, voice soft and filled with terror.

She grinned and shook her head. Bringing her hand to her lips, she blew him a kiss.

Suddenly the world was spinning for him as he seemed to fall into himself. Trying to reach out now in the darkness, he screamed.

Coolness surrounded him and then there was light. It was her, it was Anna. He was in her hand, the chill air cold against his puckering naked skin. Rolling over in her palm, he looked at her, unsure of what to do, bereft of words. “No,” was all he could say as tears rolled down his rosy cheeks.

Friends/Sisters/Lovers

Opening her purse, Anna reached in to put Trent inside, but caught sight of Mr. Collins looking back up at her before breaking eye contact. Smiling, she released the boy and let him fall into the bag. Funny, she had forgotten about the teacher, not that it mattered, he too would meet his end this day.

Walking up the driveway, she paused to look at all of the empty window frame, some with curtains pulled through and moving with the wind. She could also sense Veronica inside the house moving toward the front door opening it as Anna put her foot on the front stoop.

The two girls stood there, eyes upon one another. It was almost like they were seeing each other only now and for the first time. They came together in a crushing embrace, closer than two sisters could ever be.

“I understand now, what you did for me. I love you so much,” Veronica said, choked with emotion, a single crystal tear of happiness sliding down the right side of her cheek.

“And I you,” Anna replied, squeezing harder and feeling the veracity of the words.

Breaking the hug, Anna stepped into the house and closed the door. “The windows?” she asked.

Veronica pulled her lower lip between her teeth, nodding contritely, “I sort of let myself go,” she said.

“I felt it,” she said, placing her purse on the table near the door.

“I don’t know what to do about it,” Veronica confessed, shrugging her shoulders.

Anna nodded, “We’ll figure it out. Where’s Dr. Henry?” she inquired, “I ask him to assist you and I don’t sense him.”

Veronica smiled, “He’s resting, but I think during my moment, I might have inadvertently done something to him,” she said, looking abashed.

Anna smiled. “Is he okay?” she queried.

“Come, I think you should look at Jim,” the blonde said.

Following Veronica into Anna’s room, the blonde girl had fashioned a makeshift bed of sorts out of a plush facecloth. The good doctor was curled up in a fetal ball, his pale unblemished skin almost white in contrast to the material of the cloth.

Holding her hand over the tiny form, Anna could feel waves of raw energy radiating off of him.

“He’s been like that, sort of catatonic, since I, well you know,” Veronica said, scarlet touching her cheeks.

Anna nodded. “Odd,” she commented. “I have Valen with me, in my panties, kind of in the same condition as Dr. Henry,” she explained.

“Did you, you know, come like I did?” she asked.

“No, but he did, and did, and did,” she replied with a chuckle and a roll of her eyes.

Veronica chuckled, “Poor Valen,” she said, grinning and shaking her head.

Anna laughed and soon so was Veronica, the pair who had endured so much sharing levity. Their eyes met, locking them in a moment they both recognized. Cupping each other’s faces, they came together for a kiss, a soft gentle meeting of their lips.

“You are so beautiful,” Veronica whispered, leaning back in and kissing Anna and being kissed back in return.

“I want you,” Anna breathed hotly.

They shared another bus, this one long and passionate, tongue intertwined.

Anna felt a stir in her panties. Chuckling, she disengaged and took a step back, hands down on the button of her jeans.

“Yes,” Veronica said, blue eyes scintillating, stepping forward and dropping to her knees in front of the other girl, hands reaching out and helping with the pants.

Button undone and zipper down, Veronica tugged on Anna’s tight jeans, drawing them down over her hips. She could see the tiny form trapped behind the material of the panties. Leaning forward, she planted a light kiss on top of the fabric covering the boy.

Anna rolled her head back and let out a long breath.

Veronica pressed her lips over Valen again, kissing him more firmly. Opening her mouth, she put her tongue out, feeling his tiny shape and licking at the fabric.

Anna cupped her breasts, kneading the flesh, her breath becoming shallower, quicker.

Placing her index fingers in the elastic of the panties, she lowered them slightly, just far enough to reveal a portion of Anna’s sex and the upper body of the unconscious boy. Grinning, she moved in again, tongue dancing over Anna’s hot flesh and down over the boy leaving a trail of saliva actually connecting Valen to the brunette.

Anna moaned.

Pushing the jeans down around Anna’s ankles, Veronica placed her hand above her vagina, pulling the swollen flesh upward and running her tongue over the vibrant pink of Anna’s pussy.

Arching her hips forward, another sound of pleasure escaped her throat.

Leaning back on her heels, Veronica looked up, licking her lips.

Leaning her forward, Anna reached out to the side and supported herself against the wall as she hastily stepped out of her pants.

Rising back to her feet, Anna pulled Veronica back into another kiss before reaching down and pulling at her black yoga pants.

Veronica brushed Anna’s hands away, steering her toward the bed, “I’ve had one, your turn,” she said throatily, pushing her into a seated position onto the bed and kneeling in front of her. Pushing Anna onto her back, Veronica removed the jeans and then pulled back the panties, plucking Valen from the fabric and laying him face down atop Anna’s mound.

Lifting her hips, allowing Veronica to remove her panties, Anna glimpsed Valen’s tiny form sprawling on her and she grinned.

Putting her hands between Anna’s knees, Veronica parted her legs and shuffled forward, tracing feathery kisses up the inside of the other girl’s thigh. Looking up, she smiled devilishly, “Are you ready?” she asked.

Anna nodded.

Leaning in close, Veronica ran her tongue along the damp groove of Anna’s engorged sex, dragging a clear trail up of viscous fluid up and over the unconscious Valen. She kissed Anna a dozen more times before placing Valen in the shallow hollow between the middle and index fingers of her right hand. Using her left hand, she parted the lips of Anna’s vagina. Looking up at Anna, she grinned, “Now he can reciprocate the favor,” she said, slowly and carefully easing her fingers and little passenger into the tightness of Anna’s pussy, pulling her fingers back but leaving him nestled in the folds of her depths. Capricious smile on her pretty face, Veronica practically assaulted Anna’s vagina, lapping at it, swirling the flesh expertly.

The intensity was overwhelming as Anna came, hands tearing through the blanket she was lying on and ripping into the mattress below.

Cerulean eyes afire, Veronica crawled up onto Anna, straddling her torso as she moved forward. Anna, her own emerald eyes alight, rolled and flipped Veronica onto her back, positioning herself over the blonde girl and lowering her drooling pussy onto the other girl’s eager mouth. Contracting, she pushed the youth within her down toward the opening in her sex. Underneath, Veronica Craned her head up and opened her pretty mouth, capturing Valen’s emerging legs and greedily sucking his little body into her moth

Curling her hands around the solid headboard, Anna ground herself against Veronica’s probing tongue, fingers causing the wood to splinter, unleashing another climax. Time seemed to blur, bend, as the two satiated one another and themselves, sometimes using Valen, other times just sharing between themselves.

When finally it was done, the room looked like it had been torn asunder. The pair lay on the bed, side by side, arms around each other, hair intertwined.

Anna chuckled.

“What?” Veronica asked, turning and propping herself up on an elbow.

“I wonder if Valen is going to remember his first threesome?” she queried with mirth in her voice.

Veronica laughed and rolled over onto her stomach, drawing her knees up under her and putting her bottom up in the air, “Or his first anal, he’s in my butt,” she said, giggling.

Getting up onto her knees, Anna circled around behind the blonde, playfully slapping one of the perfect rounded globes of her ass before pulling Valen back through Veronica’s little pink sphincter.

A Sheep Amongst Wolves

Valen woke up disoriented on an unfamiliar bed, hands shaking him gently. Anna was sitting beside him and Veronica was standing near. Both were dressed in what looked like tight stretchy pants and t-shirts.

“What, where am I?“ he mumbled absently, sitting up on the bed and blinking, trying to figure out where he was. The room seemed masculine and vaguely familiar.

“How do you feel?” Anna asked, eyes sparkling, lips quavering as if she was trying to not laugh.

“I don’t know,” he said, “kind of shitty, like I got hit by a bus or something,” he replied.

Both girls exchanged looks and laughed.

“What happened? I mean, the last thing I remember was the bleachers and you were kissing me,” he said to Anna, placing a hand to the side of his head.

Anna leaned in, close enough to whisper in his ear, “We sort of had sex with you,” she said, capturing his earlobe between her teeth and giving it a little tug.

“What?” he said pulling back to look at her.

“Both of us,” Veronica said, grinning.

“Nah,” he chuckled, pausing, smile fading, “Really?

“At the same time,” Anna said, nodding.

“Right,” he chuckled, shaking his head and starting to shiver. “Why is so cold in here?” he asked, wrapping his arms around his nude torso.

Anna looked at Veronica, brows raised.

Shaking her head, the blonde girl raised her hand, “That was my fault, I sort of exploded them all out,” she said.

“Is this your house?” he asked looking at Anna.

She nodded, “This is Caleb’s room,” she said.

“Where is mega-douche anyway?” Valen asked.

Anna put her hands on the boy’s chest, pushing him back down to lying, “Something has happened. He’s gone,” she said.

“Gone?”

“You remember my scars?” she asked.

He nodded.

She shared the story of her father’s motivation for carving her skin, told him of how they tried to summon the spirit of an ancient goddess into her body.

He chuckled, and shook his head, “Okay,” he replied, looking over at Veronica.

Anna explained the composition of the group and what they did to her father.

“That’s good, right? I mean he mutilated you,” he said.

Anna smiled and shook her head, “He saved me,” she said.

“I don’t understand,” he replied, confused.

“The attempt by the group or gathering was partially successive, for a time the goddess and I co-existed in my body. We battled, and somehow, because of what my father did I was able to repel the goddess but it has changed me in ways I don’t fully understand yet,” she clarified.

Valen looked to Veronica, “You guys are fucking with me right now?” he asked, grinning.

The blonde shook her head slowly.

Valen turned his eyes back to Anna, expression still speculative, “Come on,” he said.

“It’s true,” she said.

“Okay then, hey wait, am I naked under this blanket?” he asked, face showing alarm as he lifted the blanket up and looked down the length of his nude body..

“You are naked,” Veronica said.

Pulling the blanket back down, he tuned to look at the blonde.

“And you’re losing focus,” Anna said, moving her hand up to his chin and turning his head back to face her.

“Why am I naked?” he asked, eyes round.

“That’s what I’m getting to, when the goddess left my body, she left some powers behind, some abilities,” she explained.

“And you made me naked?” he inquired, shaking his head.

“Actually, I kind of made you little,” she said, holding her thumb and forefinger apart to show him the size, “and you sort of shrank out of your clothes.”

He laughed, “Come on, you kind of had me going there,” he snickered, looking from Anna to Veronica and back.

“It is so hard to explain, but I see things, feel things I’ve never experienced before and it’s hard to keep focused,” Anna said, looking up at the other girl, “I shared it with Veronica so now we are the same.”

The blonde nodded.

“Anna, what’s really going on?” he asked. “I mean, why are you telling me all this, because I really don’t see what any of this has got to do with me having no clothes and Caleb being gone.”

Anna frowned, “Perhaps it will just easier to show you,” she said, tugging the blanket down a little and exposing his pale chest. Placing her palm on the center of his chest, she pushed power into him, forcing him to shrink. Pulling the blanket away, she watched as he got smaller and smaller, his features showing complete shock.

Veronica giggled and clapped her hands together.

Valen watched mutely, mouth hanging open, eyes like saucers.

“Believe me now?” Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mouth still agape, Valen nodded slowly.

“So I sort of did this to Caleb, well, it was and wasn’t me kind of at the same time, then I swallowed him,” she said, pointing a finger at her open mouth.

Valen shook his head.

“Vincent too,” she added, nodding, then sensing a subtle shift in Valen as he stood. The flicker of love she had detected earlier was still there, sweet and pure, but now there was something else, something bitter and sour, fear. He was afraid of her.

Frowning, she put out her hands in a placatory gesture, “It’s okay,” she said softly, tone soothing, “you don’t need to be scared of me, us,”

“Aww,” Veronica said concernedly, looking down at the boy shivering on the bed as she settling herself near him, “There’s nothing to be frightened off,” she reassured, smiling.

He nodded mutely and grinned feebly, his body language betraying the abject terror he felt. What had she done to him? It was impossible. Somehow Anna had made him as small as a mouse. She was Anna, but she was so different and so was Veronica. She just confessed to killing two people, two people he knew. Sure, both Caleb and Vincent were world class assholes, but what crime had they committed that was so grievous it warranted a death penalty? He was at a loss. These were his two closest friends in the whole world, it was like he hardly knew them anymore.

Reaching her right hand toward to him, Anna smiled.

Valen cowered and shook his head.

Frowning, Anna looked at Veronica then back to the boy, “Why are you behaving this way?” she asked.

He looked up, eyes darting from one girl to the other. “You had sex with me? Like this?” he asked.

Anna and Veronica looked at each other, grinning, “Yes,” Anna confirmed.

He shook his head, taking an involuntary step backward.

“We love you,” Veronica said.

“You are being foolish,” Anna chided, growing mildly irritated by his diffidence and trepidation

“Please, make me big again,” he requested meekly.

Pursing her lips, Anna nodded and got up off the bed before looking at the comely blonde girl, “Come,” she said, crossing her arms across her chest, “I think some time like this will help him understand he is in no danger.”

Veronica nodded, touching her fingers to her lips and blowing Valen a kiss before getting to her feet.

“Anna?” he said, but the girls turned and left the room.

The ‘New’ Vessel

Imogen Hall sat in class, idly twirling a bright red colored strand of her long dirty blonde streaked hair around her left index finger, eyes on at the clock ticking slowly over the blackboard at the front of the room. This was the slowest day ever. Could it possibly get any slower? Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, she could see Kirk Nelson throwing surreptitiously looks her way. Kirk was cute in a geeky goofy kind of way. Smiling, she decided to amuse herself and toy with him some, picking up the pen off her desk and bringing to her bright red plump Cupid’s bow lips. Opening her mouth slightly, she touch the end of her pen with her tongue, before taking the pen partway into her mouth, hollowing her cheeks as she seemed to absently suck on it.

To most, the action seemed an innocent enough gesture, to a teenaged hormonally addled boy, it was like watching a girl deliberately and slowly eat a banana. Kirk lowered his face to his desk and shook his head. Imogen was so goddamn hot and watching her just now had given him a serious woody, the kind you could hammer nails with and had to hide behind your books if you wanted to leave the classroom.

Turning his head slightly, he looked at her again. She had tucked the bright red streaked strand of loose hair behind her ear as she moved the pen slowly around in her mouth. She was wearing super tight black pants with slip-on matching black flats. Her top was light blue and from this angle her tits looked perfect. If only he had the balls to talk to her. Every time he thought about, there was just something that robbed him of his courage and he couldn’t think straight. He knew it just wasn’t him, other guys too when they talked about her, said they felt bowled over by her, almost intimidated.

Then add in the fact that her cousin was Ethan Evans. Ethan was a physical specimen training to be a professional MMA fighter, already 7-0 at the local gym and just getting meaner. Anybody got too near Imogen, showed up at school the next day looking like a raccoon with two black eyes and mouth full of broken teeth.

Suddenly, Imogen rose to her feet, hands to her throat, eyes filled with panic, students looking in her direction.

Kirk saw the pen on the desk, the lid was gone and he immediately put the pieces together, she had swallowed the lid of the pen and was choking.

“It’s okay,” he blurted, jumping pout of his desk and vaulting over another to circle in around behind the frantic girl. Wrapping his arms around her, balling his fist and placing just under the point of her xiphoid process, he placed his other hand over top. Squeezing, he pulled his fist in and up, then relaxed, and again, and again, suddenly she spit up the pen cap, it flying across the room as she leaned forward and started coughing. It was at that moment he became painfully aware of her firm tight ass pressed directly again his aching erection. A cheer broke out amongst the other students in the class and Mr. Taft, nodded and clapped.

“You can probably let go of me now,” Imogen said hoarsely.

Kirk swallowed hard, if anything his cock was even harder now, he could actually feel pre-cum oozing from the tip.

She turned slightly in his arms, a mischievous look in her eyes as she clenched her buttocks.

Oh my god she knows, he though, disengaging from her and over on one knee to pull at his shoe lace.

“Miss Hall, are you alright?” asked the teacher, looking at her.

She nodded and smiled.

“You should probably go to the nurse’s office just to be safe,” Mr. Taft encouraged.

She nodded and gathered her book and possessions from the desk.

As Kirk looped and knotted the lace, he tried to shift his body to reposition his turgid penis up behind his belt. Thinking he might be okay, he rose tentatively to his feet.

“Thank you so much,” Imogen said, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek before she turned up the aisle to exit the classroom.

“Well done Kirk,” Mr. Taft said, broad smile on his face.

Imogen walked down the hall toward where the administrative offices including the nurse’s office were located, slightly embarrassed by the episode. One minute she was deliberately tormenting Kirk, and then she daydreaming or something, her mind completely somewhere else. It was so odd. Especially in the last couple of days. She kept having this dream that she had two pet kittens, but like smaller, except when she picked them up they actually adult lionesses.  So strange. She thumbed the small ornate golden pendant she wore around her neck, an eight pointed star. Her mother had given it to her on the day she had her first period, saying that was a celebration of transitioning from childhood to womanhood, and that it would guide her through the darkness night. Imogen thought it was foolish thing to commemorate, but she did think the star was very pretty and kind of cool.

Remembering the feeling of Kirk pressed up against her brought a smile to her face. Aside from feeling his excitement, she enjoyed the physical contact. As long as Ethan went to the same school as her, there was no chance any boy would ever even talk to her let alone get ballsy enough to ask her out, it was crazy. She tried talking to Ethan about it, but he wouldn’t listen, saying it was his responsibility to protect her virtue.

Today she had felt her first boner, albeit through two sets of pants and underpants, it required her to nearly choke to death, but she had felt it.

Arriving the nurse’s office, she pulled her books against her chest and knocked on the frosted glass window inset into the door.

Malpractice

The door to the nurse’s station opened and the school nurse Miss Blackmore stood there. Imogen smiled. Miss Blackmore was really good friends with her mother and would occasionally come to their home for visits.

“Imogen, are you alright?” she asked, eyes growing wide and filling with alarm.

The girl frowned, kind of surprised by the intensity of the nurse’s question and the sudden look of fear in the woman’s eyes, “Yeah, I kind of choked on a pen lid and Mr. Hall said I should come get it looked at just to be safe,” she said, cadence of her words slow.

The nurse smiled and let out a sigh, “That’s good, come in, have a seat and let me take a look,” she said, steering the girl into a chair beside the desk. “You can set your books on the desk, I’m just going to wash my hands,” she said cordially, moving over to the sink and turning on the faucet and dousing her hands under the stream of water. “Can you tell me what happened?” she asked, turning off the water and drying her hands.

She shook her, “I was just sort of chewing on the lid and I don’t know what happened and then I was choking. Kirk Nelson gave me a Heimlich and it just popped out,” she explained, leaving out the part where she felt his hardness pressing against her bum.

Hands dry, Miss Blackmore came back over and took hold of Imogen’s jaw, moving it from side to side before getting the girl to open it and look her throat. “Any pain there?” she asked, unable to detect any signs of structural damage.

“Nuh-uh,” she replied, mouth still being held open.

“Difficulty swallowing?” the nurse asked, removing her hands from the girl’s face.

Imogen swallowed. “A little scratchy, but not bad, kind of like a tickle,” she answered. “I mean it just kind of happened and already it feels a lot better,” she said.

“Any taste of blood in your mouth at all?”

Imogen shook her head, strand of red hair pulling free from behind her ear.

“Everything sounds good and if there’s any trauma it’s further down your throat than I can see,” she said with a smile before going over and washing her hands again. “I’ll keep you here until the end of the block and you can go to your next class if everything is still okay.”

“Okay,” Imogen said, nodding, looking at an anatomical poster on the wall.

“No pain in your ribs from Kirk’s efforts?”

She shook her head again.

“I’ll send your mother a message and let her know everything is okay,” Miss Blackmore said, drying her hands and pulling a cell phone out of her pocket.

“Really? Because I choked a little on a stupid pen lid?” she asked, frowning. “You know if you text her she will trip balls? Right?”

The nurse smiled, “She’s just concerned for your well-being is all,” she said, fingers dancing across the screen of her phone.

Imogen let out a long breath knowing there was going to be another one of ‘those’ lectures waiting for her when she got home. Her mother was super anal that way anytime she got hurt, whether it was something completely minor or not. She remembered when she was little, playing outside and she had slipped and falling, cutting open her knee. Her mother went ape shit taking her to Dr. Whidlow, saying Imogen must not be damaged. It was weird. Top that all off with the fact that her mother was a harsh germ freak. It was frustrating, like she was living in a bubble wrapped world.

“Done,” said Miss Blackmore, putting her phone back in her pocket and smiling at the girl.

Imogen smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

“You know, we seldom get a chance to talk, you and I, girl to girl. How have you been lately?” the nurse asked, sitting back in the desk chair.

I actually felt my first hard penis today, she thought, then shrugged. “Good I guess,” she answered.

“Looking forward to the holidays?”

Imogen shrugged. “I’ll will be good to take a break,“ she replied.

“Any plans during your time off over Christmas?”

“I don’t know, Mom says we’re going to go to some type of get together this year. She seems pretty excited about it,” she replied.

“Not you?”

Imogen shrugged. She hated getting dragged along to old people events. She seriously doubted there was going to be much fun for her. Boring.

Miss Blackmore nodded, “No boyfriends?” she asked.

Imogen rolled her eyes, “You now actually sound just like my mother. I see your lips moving but all I hear is her voice. She’s so worried that some boy will trick me into something naughty and I’ll end up pregnant or something,” she said. “No, there are no boys. I don’t know what it is, it’s kind of like I emit some type of high pitched frequency only dogs and boys can hear and it causes them to go running the other way. So weird,” she added, shaking her head.

The nurse nodded, “Boys,” she said smiling, the vessel must be pure.

“You? Plans for the holidays? Going anywhere?” she asked.

“I think I’m invited to that same get together with your folks,” she replied, smiling. On the solstice.

Imogen nodded, “Sounds like a hoot,” she said without much conviction.

The end of block buzzer sounded.

Looking up at the bold faced clock hanging on the wall, “That’s your cue, how do you feel now?” asked the nurse looking back at the girl, “Throat still feeling okay?”

Imogen touched her throat with her right hand, swallowing, there was no scratchiness and the tickle was gone, “Good,” she said, nodding and giving the woman a smile.

“Then you can be on your way, but any issues or any blood, you come back here right away,” Miss Blackmore stipulated.

The girl nodded and got up from her chair, “Thank you,” she beamed, slipping out the door.

Anna and Veronica

Anna was still a little upset by Valen’s reaction and fearful demeanor. Couldn’t he see she meant him no harm? He had asked about Caleb and she told him the truth.

“I thought that might go differently,” Veronica mused, looking over at Anna.

“Right?” Anna replied shaking her head.

“What should we do about the windows?” asked the blonde.

“Are you cold?”

She shook her head, “Not really,” she replied with an ambivalent shrug.

Walking into to the living room near the large opening where the bay window had been, she extended her hands, palms out, allowing the power to fill her, willing the windows to mend, but nothing happened. “I get the sense I can do it, I just don’t know how to do it,” she said, frowning, frustrated.

“I don’t know,” Veronica said.

Letting out a breath, Anna closed her eyes and tried again, this time drawing fragments of glass back together like a jigsaw puzzle in her mind, carefully reconstructing thousands of individual shards into one cohesive pane situated within the frame of the original window.

“Wow,” murmured Veronica.

Opening her eyes, Anna looked. The glass was whole and intact.

“I’m no glazier, but that looks pretty good to me,” Veronica commented with an approving nod. “How did you do it?”

Anna described the process and together they moved through the house taking turn repairing all of the damaged windows saving the one in Caleb’s room for last.

Valen looked up when the girls entered, climbing to his feet. “I’m sorry,” he said, nodding.

Holding out a single hand, Veronica focus her will and easily reconstructed the room’s shattered window.

“What are you sorry for?” Anna asked, sitting down on the bed near his tiny form.

“For doubting you, and Veronica,” he hastily added, turning to look at the blonde.

Anna smiled and nodded, extending her hand down to him, palm up.

He looked at her then the hand, hesitating before climbing into her palm, “It was just so incredible, so much to take in all at once. I was scared,” he admitted.

She could tell he was still frightened as she brought him closer to her face. Seeing him there, she felt a stir within her, fanning the embers of her passion. “Of me?” she asked.

Looking into her huge green eyes, watching her pupils vanish in a sea of emerald, he nodded his head. It was hard for him to find the right words to describe how he felt. He knew this was Anna, but she was so much more now, like encountering a primal beast in the wild or being adrift in a bottomless ocean with some great unseen leviathan swimming just below his feet.

“I won’t hurt you,” she said softly, smiling and offering reassurances despite the yearning flaring inside of her. She wanted him again, inside her, wanted to draw that little spark of his into hers, consume him and make him one with her.

“Your eyes are glowing,” he said softly, voice quavering slightly.

She blinked, lowering him away and shaking her head to gather her wits. Setting him back on the bed, she got up and turned away.

Veronica frowned, “Are you okay?” she inquired, moving closer, feeling the waves of desire emanating from her friend.

Anna nodded but said nothing.

Veronica looked down at Valen, Anna’s flame igniting her own, “Again?” she whispered, licking her lower lip.

“No,” Anna said, “not now,” she replied turning her head. “We should go.”

Veronica frowned but nodded, moving toward the door, eyes lingering on the delicious little youth on the bed before Anna pulled her through the door and closed it.

Outside in the hall, Anna spun Veronica around in front of her and pushed her back into the wall with enough force to stove in the gypsum board behind before leaning in and planting a hungry kiss over her mouth.

Veronica reciprocated, tongue darting into Anna’s mouth.

Anna stepped back, disengaging, bottom lip held between her teeth as she shook her head.

Veronica moved forward, naked lust in her radiant blue eyes as she reached for Anna.

“No,” Anna chuckled, “but I do have something for you,” she said, holding the other girl at bay.

The smile on Veronica’s face widened, “A present?” she inquired.

“Come,” Anna said, moving down the hall and returning to the front of the house where her purse was still sitting on the little table near the front door.

Opening her purse, she reached in, taking the tiny boy there by his left arm and drawing him out.

Leaning in close, “Trent,” Veronica breathed, smiling from ear to ear.

Trent’s eyes appeared disproportionately huge for his face as he struggled in Anna’s unyielding grip, Veronica’s breath with a hint of lip gloss warming him as she moved close. Twisting, he swung his right arm at her face.

“Feisty,” she said, grinning. And crinkling up her nose and cupping her hands together under him.

“Aargh,” Trent screamed at the top of his little lungs, his tiny body reeking of fear.

Anna released him, letting him drop into Veronica’s waiting hands before holding up an index finger and saying, “Wait.” Next she pulled Mr. Collins out of her purse, setting him into her open palm.

Trent moved crab like around the bowl created by Veronica’s hands.

Looking down at the teacher, Anna turned her hand so he could see Veronica, “Is she not beautiful?” she asked.

He nodded, “So beautiful,” he murmured, voice barely audible.

“I told you I was going to take away your fear,” she said, bringing her hand close to her face and opening her mouth, taking his lower body inside and holding him between her lips. He turned his head to watch as Veronica leaned close, her lips parting an engulfing his upper body as the two girls shared a passionate kiss.

Breaking the kiss, Veronica sucked the teacher fully into her mouth and smiled, bringing Trent up and pressing him to the front of her throat making sure he could feel the motion as she swallowed Mr. Collins and sent him into her stomach.

Frantic, Trent tried to squirm under her fingers, screaming loudly. Veronica lowered her hand back so she could look at him, a little giggle escaping her lips, her eyes a luminous vibrant blue.

Shaking his head wildly, he pressed himself back against her fingers, looking up at her, “Nooooo,” he whined.

She nodded slowly, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth as she carried the boy into the other room.

Anna

Leaving Veronica to go and do as she would with Trent, Anna went out through the front door and sat down on the cold cement stairs in front of the house. She knew she needed some time to try and contain the resurgent wildfire burning within her lest she succumbed and do something unfortunate to Valen. She wanted him so bad but knew if she took what she wanted, he would be no more. The rapid escalation of her desire reminded her she still had very little control over the force of her emotional arousal. Letting her breath out slowly, exhaling a plume in the cool December air, she closed her eyes and chuckled softly. Despite her newly heightened self, there was still so much she did not yet know or understand. She suspected her own deep and affectionate feelings for Valen were significantly heightened by the awareness of his love for her, fueling her libido, like a spark to her highly volatile emotional state. She wanted that glowing essence, craved it.

She was also aware that while she could affect him and manipulate him with her power, she couldn’t open him to the power the way she had Veronica, couldn’t impart some of her gift on him. She presumed this had something to do with the difference between the natures of male and female energy. All of her abilities stemmed from the feminine aspect, drawing nothing from the masculine, though she could certainly detect its subtle presence all around her.

Getting up to her feet, she immediately doubled over, clutching her stomach and falling to the ground in a fetal position, a pain tearing through her midriff like something inside of her rupturing, terrible and fierce, more agonizing than anything her father had ever subjected her to, robbing her of her wind and making her gasp as more concentrated seeped into her flesh.

Rolling over onto her side, she gasped, trying to catch her breath and identify the source of the influx of the raw energy inciting such intense torment. It seemed to be coming from all around, though she did detect a sense that a subtle thread of energy leaking out of her and flowing elsewhere, being drawn to another location.

Using her will, she tried to stem to flow pouring into her, while allowing the power seeping out to release the pressure while she attempted to compartmentalize it and bring some relief to the pain. Despite the frigid winter air, she felt her entire body break out in a sheen of perspiration as she pushed herself over onto hands and knee, suppressing the sudden urge to vomit.

The power held at bay, at least for the time being, she sat back on her heels, placing her hands on her thighs. Closing her eyes, she opened her mind to the energy surrounding her, but more, the stream being pulled else place, tracking it to the horizon. She realized what it meant, understood what was transpiring. Someone was specifically leeching power, accumulating it in preparation of another attempted opening of an access portal to open the way for Inanna.

Eyes snapping open, a grim expression on her face, she got to her feet, brushing the crystalized snow from her knees.

“Anna? Are you alright?” asked a voice she recognized as belonging to Mr. Harralson, her neighbor to the left. He was an aging man who lived by himself, dressed in his winter apparel, staring at her.

Turning her head, she looked at him, eyes baleful.

“It’s freezing outside,” he commented, “you shouldn’t be out here without a jacket, you’ll catch a cold for sure,” he added.

She smiled, “I’m fine Mr. Harralson,” she advised, maintaining a civil tone despite her irritation at his presence.

He made a noise of disapproval and shook his head. “There has been something odd going on, earlier, it looked like somebody had smashed all your windows,” he provided, looking beyond her.

“As you can see, the windows are intact. Thank you for your concern,” she added, turning and opening her hand in the direction of the house.

He walked up the drive. The closer he got, the more she could sense his desperation, his loneliness and isolation. “I wasn’t sure if I should phone the police or not, on account as I’m not familiar with that suspicious looking red car over there,” he said, drawing close and pointing at Jim’s rental.

Looking at the car, “It belongs to a friend,” she replied, “no cause for alarm.”

Nodding his head, “Okay, that’s good,” he said, giving her a manufactured smile intended to convey genuine concern though she could tell it was devoid of any sincerity.

She could feel his curiosity, his inquisitiveness churning away at him, his want to be included and in the know of all the details. It gave him drive and purpose, a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. It annoyed her. He was small and petty, living a life barely worth anything. She smiled at him, extending her hand and placing it on his cheek. “Everything is okay,” she stated, eyes flashing before she removed her hand.

“Yes,” he mumbled, eyes blank. “Everything is okay,” he added nodding and turning away.

She had half contemplated making him small and swallowing him not out of malice, but just to put him out of his misery, he was so lost. Frowning, she watched as he shambled back down the drive and toward his own house.

Her eyes flicked over to the red Chevy Cruz and she nodded slowly. With the vehicle, she and Veronica could drive to the location where the power pooling and identify the locus of the intended spell. There, she could thwart the plan and seal the goddess away. The only thing she didn’t know was how many possible gatherings were there? How many potential hosts or other innocent girls were there raised to be nothing more than a vessel for the returning goddess?

Climbing back up the stairs, she stepped into the house, sensing Veronica, feeling the intensity of her heat rising. She decided, she would let her friend finish with Trent before collecting her to investigate the source accumulating power.

Veronica

Sitting on the bed, knees up, Veronica looked down at the naked boy on his knees between her feet, his hands clasped in supplication.

“Please, please Veronica I’m begging you,” he said, voice broken and filled with emotion, “I am so sorry for everything I’ve ever done or said that hurt your feelings.”

Tilting her head to the side, she arched an eyebrow, “And?”

He shook his head, “I don’t know what else to say,” he blurted.

Bringing a finger to her lips, she tapped it there a moment, “Let me see if I understand the situation correctly. You are professing your repentance for all your misdeeds?” she inquired.

He nodded vigorously, “I really do,” he assured.

“All the shitty things you did, the names you called me?” she queried, tilting her head to the side.

Wiping an arm across his runny nose, “I swear,” he assured.

“How do I know you’re not just saying this because you are so tiny and vulnerable right now? Some trick to get me to feel sorry for you?” she asked.

She was different, changed and he wasn’t sure exactly how to answer her question. What should he say? Did he care he had hurt her feelings in the past? Yes, he was incredibly sorry for what he said, pretty much because he had no clue this kind of thing would happen to him. “I will do anything to show you how sincere I am,” he offered.

She arched an eyebrow, “Anything you say?”

He nodded again, shuffling forward on his knees.

“Let me see,” she remarked, tapping her right index finger against her lips. “I have it!” she blurted, hopping up off the bed quickly, the motion cause the mattress under him to bounce up and knocking him from his feet.

Rolling to his side, he clambered back up to his feet, “What is it? What can I do to show my sincerity?” he asked, watching as she wriggled out of her tight pants.

Climbing back over top of him, she positioned herself against the some pillows on the headboard. “Please me,” she instructed.

“Please you?” he asked, looking from her face to the gash of vibrant pink between her legs.

She nodded, “Make me smile, make me think all those humiliating and ignorant things you said were  just your way of saying you actually wanted to be with me, make me happy,” she clarified.

“Okay,” he agreed, daunted by the sheer magnitude of the girl’s vagina. It was massive. Moving forward slowly, he could feel warmth radiating off her legs as he approached.

Reaching a finger down, she touched herself, the tissue swelling slightly. “Remember when you said I was a tramp? A whore who seduced my uncle into molesting me? Remember?”

He did remember. Why had he said it? Veronica was actually a gorgeous girl. He knew why. He wanted Caleb to think he was cool, one of the boys. That’s why. She was an easy target, just like Anna, and just like Valen. Separate the different or the isolated from the herd and prey upon them so no one else would see his own insecurities.

“Well?” she prompted, making lazy circles with her finger.

He paused a half dozen feet from her sex, inches to her, and looked up at her, tears in his eyes. “I do remember,” he confessed, lowering his head.

“So tell me why,” she encouraged, moving her finger off of herself and using the nail to lift his chin so he was once again looking at her.

The closeness of her finger brought the scent of awakened privates to his nostrils, pungent, strong. “Caleb, I,” he started then stopped when she frowned.

“Are you suggesting Caleb is responsible for what you did?” she challenged, anger in her tone as she lifted her nail slightly.

Swallowing hard, the nail still under his chin preventing him from shaking his head, “No, I wanted him to think I was cool,” he answered.

“So all those rotten things you did was so you could earn prestige?” she demanded.

“And so no one would know how scared I was of being in your shoes,” he added.

“Interesting,” she said, nodding slightly. Removing her fingernail from under his chin, she placed her hand back atop the fleshy mons, index finger tapping down on the top of her groove. “Come closer,” she instructed.

Stepping tentatively closer to her pussy, the air thick with her musk, the heat radiating of her incredible.

“A little more,” she said, grinning before capturing her lower lip into her mouth.

Stepping in close, he placed his hands on the soft but very hot tissue to others side of the vertical split, rubbing his hands up and down. “Please,” he beseeched.

Releasing her lip, “Shush, you need to focus on what you’re doing,” she encouraged, tilting her pelvis slight forward to grant him better access the upper portion of her pussy.

His endeavor to elicit pleasure in her were feeble at best, his tiny trembling hands failing to enflame her passion. While she allowed herself to savor the little sensations he was nurturing in her, though, given his current efforts, it would take forever for her to come. “Keep going,” she said, using her own finger to plough through the aroused swollen flesh and mentally revisiting her threesome with Anna and Valen.

Fearful he was failing to do as she bid, he applied himself, pushing as hard as he could.

“There we go,” she murmured, eyes closed. Grunting, she came, expelling a small gout of milky substance directly out of her pussy and onto Trent’s little body.

Gagging, he turned to try and get away but slipped and fell, coated with her thick cream.

Giggling, she continued to ooze the viscous liquid out of herself.

Shaking his head, “I don’t want to die,” he begged.

Rolling her eyes, “Please,” she started, “we all have to die someday.”

“No,” he choked.

“So I think until that day comes for you, you are going to be my new little pet. My very own little plaything,” she announced.

“Thank you,” he said, clawing over the wet blanket to get away from her.

Plucking him by his left foot, she lifted up from the bed while she got up. “Now let’s put you somewhere where you won’t get into any mischief,” she said.

Closing the way

After Veronica had secured Trent in the same boot Anna had put her mother, she redressed and exited the bedroom finding Anna in the living room, eyes fixed on something outside the window.

“You let him live,” the dark haired girl said, not a question, nor laden with condemnation of the decision.

“Yes, I have decided I will keep him for now,” Veronica replied, sitting down on the chesterfield on the end opposite to Anna.

The dark haired nodded.

“What is it you are looking at out there?” queried the blonde, eyes following Anna’s to the darkness beyond the glass.

“Power, energy. It is in a constant state of flux, ebb and flow, but there is another source, a well spring bursting out of me and even while it tries, I can see it pulled else place,” she said, voice distant almost absent.

“Inanna?” she asked.

Anna nodded. “I think so. I think they are gathering power to make another attempt to open the way for her to come through. I am most certain they have prepared another receptacle to receive the goddess,” she stated.

“Far from here?” Veronica inquired.

“An hour distant by car maybe,” she answered. “Do you feel it?” she questioned, looking at the other girl.

Veronica shook her head, “I cannot tell,” she replied, mouth curling down into a frown. “There are so many new things, sensations it almost overwhelms me. Should I be able to sense it?” she queried.

“I don’t know,” Anna replied, another pulse of power churning up into her, making her wince.

“Are you okay?” Veronica asked, sliding closer and putting a hand on the dark haired girl’s shoulder.

Anna shook her head, she felt like an overinflated water balloon on the verge of bursting, more power coming in than she could let out. “We must find this other gathering and prevent them from summoning Inanna. There is so much power,” she said, holding her hands up, palms toward her, hands trembling and radiating energy.

Veronica nodded, “What do we do then?” she asked, removing her hand.

“We will take Dr. Henry’s car. You drive while I tried to follow the trail of power,” she explained.

“What about the boys here, Jim, Valen, and Trent?”

“They will be fine here, no one should come to the house while we are gone,” she assured, getting to her feet.

“What do we do when we get there?” Veronica asked, also getting up off the couch.

Turning her head, Anna smiled coldly, “We will address that circumstance whence we get there,” she said bluntly.

Nodding, Veronica grabbed her jacket and threw it on and picked up her purse. “Do you have the keys?”

Anna pointed to the little table near the door.

Finding the keys, Veronica held them up and grinned. Together the two girls went out to the rented Chevy Cruz.

Climbing into the red car, Veronica started it. “Which way?” she inquired.

Watching the threads of power float languorously through the air, Anna pointed, feeling another attack coming on. Gritting her teeth she made a small noise.

“You sure you’re up for this?” Veronica asked in a concerned tone.

Anna nodded, “There is so much it is hard to hold it in. It feel like I’m going to explode,” she answered, voice quavering slightly.

“Veronica smiled, “If you explode in the car, you know that’s probably not covered in Jim’s rental agreement and they’re going to add it to his bill?”

Despite the elevated pain, Anna grinned.

Earlier than Desired

Assembled in the den located in the basement of Rose Walthrop’s house were the nine other members of her gathering as well as the two surviving members of Vera’s gathering. Everyone was chittering away at each other until Rose stood up and commanded the room to be silent.

“I’m sure you’re all curious to know why I have summoned you here today. We need to proceed with the ritual,” Rose declared, adamant, ignoring the susurrus of whispers that followed. “I know we are not at the solstice yet, but time had become an issue.”

“”You said it was our haste that brought our failure when we opened the way for Inanna,” Darlene countered, piping up, smug expression on her face.

“No, I said Vera was a glory hound who attempted to complete the opening prematurely using an inadequate vessel,” she clarified icy, fixing her porcine eyes squarely on Darlene.

“And now you want to do the same?” Darlene asked snidely. “Open the way for the goddess to come through instead of waiting for the appointed time? You risk everything,” she snorted.

Rose laughed bitterly, “I risk? You stupid cow. Again, it was the ineptitude of your gathering that forced us to consider this course of action. Your abject failure that compels us to act quickly. The monstrosity you created, the perversion which you brought forth and which you conveniently feel will just burn out and go away is directly connected to the power of the goddess, power which we are gathering here. You are an absolute imbecile if you think your Anna cannot feel the power building for another attempt for us to return our glorious lady back into this realm. On the contrary, she will be drawn by it,” she spat.

“What makes you think that? That Anna will be drawn to it?” Darlene challenged, shaking her head, mouth pursed.

Rose laughed out loud again, a caustic grating sound. “We are pulling her here. Us. As we try and gather the goddess’ energy, we are pulling Anna right down on top of our heads. Right here! The longer we wait to secure more energy, the greater chance the girl finds us, thereby lessening our opportunity for success. Pure and simple. When you let your vessel be contaminated, you exposed us all,” she indicated.

“I disagree, we made our attempt when we did because of Adam’s release from custody. Yes, he warded Anna, but his efforts were not themselves complete and we couldn’t risk him finishing his work before we could bring Inanna forth. It wasn’t hubris, or glory we sought. We only wished to provide for our lady. For you to stand there wagging your fat chin that our gathering wanted glory is ignorant,” Darlene retorted angrily.

“Really? Where is your circle now?” she asked, spreading her thick arms apart. “Vera? Don? Lyle? Gone because of your quest to be the ones who retuned our goddess!”

Getting to her feet, Darlene shook her head, “No, they are gone because we erred and didn’t have enough power to properly fuel the ritual! That’s how Anna was able to triumph and rip our gathering apart and now you want to do the exact same thing with this gathering!” she barked.

Smiling, Rose stepped close to the other woman and shook her head, “No, you see, we were able to protect our vessel and unlike your abomination, she is uncontaminated, pure. There will be no rejection of our splendid lady,” she explained with a grand smile, swiveling her head around to look at the others sitting quietly as the two women argued.

Imogen’s parents nodded and smiled proudly.

“We will perform the rite tonight,” she announced.

“You are being foolish,” Darlene chirped, shaking her head disdainfully.

Whirling back around, finger aimed directly at Darlene, “You are only here as a courtesy, no more, so you should shut your mouth and sit down before I expel you from my sight,” she commanded.

“Darlene,” Belinda murmured, tone imploring cooperation.

Rose turned to Veronica’s mother, “Why don’t you share with us what the cost of your vainglorious efforts wrought? Share with us what is was like to be in the presence of that repugnant obscenity you brought forth?”

Bringing her hands up to cover her face, Belinda shook her head, moaning, “No.”

Straightening, Rose nodded slowly, conceited expression on her face, “That is why we must move forward. That is why we must act before the abhorrent creature the other gathering created can descend upon us and foil our lady’s design,” she said.

“Yes,” agreed Dr. Whidlow, nodding affirmatively.

“Yes,” added Nathan Hall, Imogen father.

Darlene shook her head, “You are making a mistake!” she said.

Rose snorted, “We are learning from your mistake. Soon the goddess will be here and it is to her you must answer for blatant incompetence,” she said.

“Glory be to our lady,” Miss Blackmore said, smiling.

“Yes!” the others repeated in unison.

Turning to Irma Hall, Imogen’s mother, “While we prepare for the ritual, I want you and Nathan to go with the good doctor here and fetch the vessel and bring it back here,” she instructed.

Irma looked at her husband and nodded.

“You have the shot?” Rose inquired, looking at the doctor.

He nodded and rose to his feet.

Smiling, Rose nodded, “Deliver unto us the vessel, so we might begin a brand new age,” she said.

Anna

Veronica reached over to turn on the radio as they drove but Anna shook her head no, looking in the distance at the surge of energy rising up from the ground like a pillar of light reaching up into the sky and vanishing into the clouds.

“There, do you see it?” Anna asked, leaning forward in the seat to point up the column as they approached. “We are very close now.”

“No,” Veronica replied, shaking her head, “I don’t see anything but I feel something pulling me,” she added.

“It is a point of convergence for ley lines to enhance the power,” Anna said, voice changing as she clenched her teeth and clutched hands across her stomach, eyes shut tight.

“Anna?”

“I can feel her trying to claw back into our world. They have another vessel, another girl,” she said breathlessly.

“Are we too late?” Veronica asked.

“There, that house, stop there,” Anna stated, straightening and pointing at a house unremarkable to the others around it to any who could not see the maelstrom of magical energies coalescing above it.

Stabbing the brakes, Veronica brought the vehicle to a skidding halt over the thin sheen of ice on the ground to wind up near the curb in front of the house.

Pushing the car door open, Anna got out, staggering slightly as she crossed the yard toward the domicile.

Veronica was unsure what to do. Slamming the gearshift into park, she shut the car off and climbed out.

As she approached the front door, Anna waved her hand and the portal suddenly exploded inward, showering the entryway with thousands of tiny splinters. Stepping through the shattered remains of the door, she paused, letting the drag on power guide her. Downstairs.

Moving into the kitchen area, there was a hulking young man there, a confused expression on his face, “What?” he babbled, interposing himself into Anna’s path.

With a simple look from her, he twisted away, body condensing inward upon itself. Another stab of white hot pain in her abdomen dropped her to her knees and leaving her gasping for breath. “No,” she whispered, forcing herself back up onto her feet, “not yet.”

Across the kitchen were a flight of stairs descending into the basement. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself in that direction, the agony intensifying with each step. One by one she went down the stairs, using the handrail to assist her. At the bottom of the stairs was a short hall, rooms leading off of it, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt which one she needed, the ritual was being conducted behind the door adorned with the eight pointed star.

Striding forward, she pushed the door inward with her power, rendering the wood. They were several people inside the room, but it was the girl in the center of the center of the room that instantly drew her attention, hovering on her back three feet above the ritual circle inlaid into the floor, she was glowing bright as a star, pure energy enveloping her. Anna could feel the soul inside being displaced, smothered under the weight of the emerging goddess.

A man she didn’t know moved forward to intercept her, reaching into the waist band at the back of his pants and pulling out a pistol and aiming it at her head before pulling the trigger three times. With a glance, she halted the bullets in midair no more than an inch in from her head before they fell harmlessly to the ground.

The glowing girl’s body started convulsing, bucking as it hovered, the girl screaming, but it was overlaid with another sound, another voice, this one laughing.

Though she didn’t know the girl’s name, “Fight her!” Anna screamed, compelling the dying soul of the girl inside the body to rise up and fight for her very existence.

The body ceased convulsing and the eyes opened.

There was a scramble of people all around Anna, some coming toward her, others fleeing. She thought she caught a glimpse of her mother. With a wave of her left hand, the half dozen members of the gathering nearest her were thrown back against the wall, bodies writhing and twisting as they shrivel away.

“I am reborn!” screamed the glowing girl in two distinct voices, her body shifting forward, arms outstretched in an almost Christ-like pose.

Opening her palms, Anna unleashed a killing lash of magical energy at the girl, only to see the energy wrap around the girl and destroy part of the house’s foundation.

Her eyes blazing brighter even than her flesh, Inanna extended her arm at Anna throwing the dark haired girl back through the wall, paneling, insulation, and sound board smashing at the impact before Anna collided with a washing machine, denting the metal.

“You have no idea how delighted I am you are here to welcome me back into the world Anna. I can feel your puny body ripping itself apart, but this suffering is pale to the torments I have in store for you,” Inanna said, settling back on the ground and moving forward.

Coughing up blood, Anna forced herself back up onto her feet. She was losing her grasp on the power and it had far exceeded the capacity of her ability to contain. “No!” she screamed, moving forward and driving power at Inanna, forcing the newly born goddess back several steps where she unknowingly trod upon one of her tiny devotees attempting the flee, leaving a greasy red smear on the floor.

Snarling, Inanna brought her hands together in a clapping motion, the force again driving Anna off her feet. “There are no secret sigils, hidden tricks to help you this time child! You cannot use what is mine against me!” she declared, pushing through the breach in the wall and moving toward Anna.

Through the haze of magic and pain, Anna saw a spear shaped sliver of energy slicing through the air, striking Inanna in the side and causing the goddess to rage in pain.

Veronica stood there partially on the stairs leading down, another spear of energy in her hand, Anna!” she screamed.

Growling, Inanna wheeled toward the blonde girl, slamming her with enough energy to lift her off the ground and throw her through the and out of the house, her body landing in a crumpled heap on the front lawn of the house across the street.

Back on her feet, Anna reared her head back and screamed, unbridling the energy and allowing it to pour out of her body, the flare so intense, Inanna turned her head.

As the energy spilled through her, Anna could feel herself transforming, her flesh expanding to match the input of wild magic. She did not feel her clothes tear away or the house crumple around her as she grew.

Screaming, Inanna opened her own arms and allowed magic to consume her, her body too beginning to expand upward as she tried to keep pace with Anna.

As Anna grew, she could feel the power yielding more responsively to her command. She didn’t where it would stop. She was vaguely aware of Inanna growing, matching her. She could still sense fragments of the vessel’s former owner inside the other woman, fighting.

When Anna stopped growing, her faculties seemed to return and there was a newfound clarity and she knew she was once more in control of herself, the pain subsiding. Standing there, she was over a hundred feet tall, feet in the wreckage of the several houses in Rose’s neighborhood. She could feel tiny little life forms scurrying beneath her but her immediate attention was pulled to Inanna, the goddess standing almost within arm’s reach, the same height as her.

The two combatants locked arms, coming together in a thunderous crash, Anna forcing Inanna backward, feet destroying another house. The fight was savage, Anna throwing Inanna down and dropping on top of her, fists striking down like hammer blows.

Inanna struggled to fight back, but there vessel was disrupting her ability to bring all of her power to bear.

Placing her hand over Imogen’s enormous chest, Anna summoned the last of her reserves, drawing Inanna up and out of the girl’s body, a blinding spark clutched in her hand. Clenching her teeth, she crushed it in her fist. There was a flash of light so bright it was like a supernova, and then there was nothing, no sound.

Looking down at the gigantic form of Imogen, Anna slumped forward, collapsing onto the girl before rolling off to the side, two automobiles crushed under the bulk of her weight.

Aftermath

Veronica’s eyes fluttered open, body broken and dying. Drawing power into her, she knit bones, mended ruptured organs, drawing fresh cold night air into her lings. There was a man kneeling beside her, asking her questions, and though she could see his mouth move in the shadows of his face, all she heard was a high pitched ringing.

Eyes frantic, hand on her shoulder, “Are you alright?” he asked, this time louder so that she was able to hear him over the whine in her ears.

She nodded, trying to sit upright.

“No, you’re hurt,” he said, trying to hold her down.

“I’m okay,” she slurred, body still aching.

“Just wait, more emergency services are on their way,” he said, nodding. “You stay here, I have to look after other people, okay?”

She nodded, as he moved away. Pushing herself into a seated position, she turned her head and saw Anna and the other gigantic girl both lying there, naked, Anna’s leg over the other girl. It was kind of surreal to see these two mammoth girls in the rubble and debris of the devastated neighborhood, like two enormous beautiful statues locked in almost a lover’s embrace. Getting unsteadily to her feet, there were a fair number of people milling around, all were strangers to her. There were three fire engines and a like number of ambulances near the far end of the block, personnel trying to bring semblance of order. Taking a few shaky steps toward Anna, she coughed, clearing quasi congealed blood from her throat.

Moving across the broken asphalt she drew near Anna’s left foot, nearly twice as long as Veronica was tall. The blonde felt a sense of awe and wondered if that was how those made little felt in her presence.

Placing her hands against the grime covered flesh of the enormous foot, Veronica channeled healing energy into her fallen friend.

A low rumbling groan emanated from within Anna, causing a riot of panic as people scattered in all directions away from the dark haired giantess as she regained consciousness. Pushing herself up onto to her knees, Anna turned to see Veronica near her foot, smiling down at her friend before seeing the degree of carnage, so many dead, more injured, others scampering away like mice before a cat.

Placing a hand in the center of Imogen’s chest, Anna felt the gigantic girl was still alive, but like her, tainted by the presence of the goddess’ intent to take control of the body. Lacking the benefit of the warding to shield her like Anna’s father had provided, Imogen’s condition was much graver and without intervention or assistance she would soon die. Drawing power into her hand, Anna reduced the comatose girl, bringing her back to normal size before restoring herself to her normal height.

Veronica ran over, wrapping her arms around Anna in a wordless embrace.

“We need to leave,” Anna said, disengaging from Veronica.

“What do we do about the witnesses?”

Frowning, Anna brought her hands up near her face, speaking quietly into them before spreading her arms wide and releasing a concussive wave of energy that spread out evenly in all directions, rolling over those still in the area and overtaking those attempting to flee.

“What did you do?” Veronica asked, kneeling down next to Imogen.

“An illusion to cloud the minds of those who were witness to this, a fabrication to make sense of this,” Anna replied.

Veronica nodded.

“We must quit this place. There is still so much to learn, so much to teach. We are three now, and this girl will need our guidance. We must be away from prying eyes until we can master these powers. I know that now,” Anna acknowledged.

***

By the time news agencies responded to the disaster, official word had spread of a gas leak and explosion that had essentially leveled an entire neighborhood. In the confusion, only one person noticed as two teenage girls, carrying another girl slipped away into the frigid December night. Darlene Crandall, Anna’s mother. Somehow she had managed to get out of the house before the shit hit the fan. The amulet around her neck tingled as Anna expended magic and people all around her went glassy eyed, babbling about some type of accident. She didn’t forget. She knew she had once again been spared by the will of Inanna, against all reasonable odds, once more delivered from death, her glorious purpose still unfulfilled. It was sign and she knew what it meant. Inanna had saved her again, saved her to continue the quest. There was still one last long shot. Smiling, she let the fireman place the oxygen mask on her face.

***

Sitting at kitchen table in her grandmother’s house, Rachel frowned. She was missing her history text and she needed it to finish her assignment before the holidays. She really didn’t understand why her father and stepmother had dropped her and Elijah off here, especially with a few days of school left before the holidays actually began. It had all seemed so rushed and in the haste of getting them over to Grandma’s, she had forgotten the book. Where was it? Her room.

Grumbling, she got up from the table and walked into the living room where her grandmother was sitting on the chesterfield. “There’s a school book I need I forgot at the house,” she said.

The aged woman smiled and nodded, “Let me get my things, I’ll drive you over,” she offered, grunted as she got up off the couch.

“Or,” Rachel started, grinning. “You could let me drive over and get it,” she offered, bringing her hands together in a petitioning motion, excited by the prospect to actually getting to use her newly acquired license.

Grandmother frowned, leathery skin etched with deep lines, “Its dark out and there’s a chill in the air, bound to be icy,” she countered.

“I will drive super slow, side roads, it’s not that far,” Rachel stated, pleading her case.

A sparkle appeared in the old woman’s eye. “Alright, but,” she held up a finger, “no shenanigans,” she stipulated.

Rachel nodded, huge smile on her youthful face as bound away to fetch her jacket and boots.

“There and back, no detours mind,” added the old lady.

“Straight there and straight back,” Rachel assured, extending her hand for the car key.

The girl’s grandmother pulled the key from her purse, dangling it over Rachel’s hand before dropping.

Squealing with a delight, Rachel wrapped her arms around the old woman and gave her a fierce hug before bolting toward the door.

“Drive safe,” cautioned the old woman.

“I will,” Rachel replied, voice trailing as she closed the door and rushed out to the car.

Not wanting to squander the opportunity to demonstrate reliability and responsibility, Rachel drove over to her home cautiously, surprised to find the dwelling dark.

Parking the car in the driveway, she shut it off and went up to the house and let herself in, clicking on the light in the entry hall. The house was quiet, almost eerily so, no one apparently home.

“Anyone?” she called out, moving down the hall and moving to the right toward her room. Opening the door, she turned on the light, immediately spying the text book on her desk. Crossing the room, a flicker of movement caught her attention out her periphery as something small moved on top her bed. She paused, turning to investigate. Was that a tiny little person?