Loser Pays All
Loser Pays All
Story and all characters authored by Kyllistin
***This is a warning. The following story contains graphic scenes involving gay sex, straight sex, drowning, breath play, snuff, and many things that could offend some readers. If you do not wish to have to resort to stabbing the memory of its contents from out of your brain by repeatedly shoving a rusty clothes hangar through your ear, then by all means do not read.***
There is nothing quite like payday, thought Brandon. The work shift was over for the week and now he had money and a few days of freedom. Possibility stretched out inside his imagination like a great bear that had been in hibernation since Monday. Anything could happen and he could afford to do quite a bit. Brandon already had plans, however. He could not deny that there was a spring in his step as he clutched the direct deposit receipt in one hand and made his way down the long hallway to the cafeteria. His shoes clacked with each step down the faux marble floors and he had his focus straight ahead. The others would be waiting for him thanks to the last minute meeting that afternoon, his heart thumped nervously at the thought of the plans needing to change. No. No-no-no it needs to be now. It needs to be tonight!
Rounding the corner he had to blink as the setting sun hit him full in the face through the windows on the far wall. A whistle brought his attention to the left in the dining area where he saw the faces of his two friends. Friends? Maybe not, more like friendly rivals. After tonight though, nothing would be the same for any of them, he was sure of it.
"Hey Bran, we thought you got cold paws." Chuckled Winston, the big cat was of an athletic build but a somewhat vain specimen of a mountain lion. The dark muzzle stripes pulling back on his face as he grinned, arching his eyebrows suggestively. His fur had taken on a reddish hue from the sunlight in the far window, giving him a devilish appearance, as it did on the normally flawless ivory feathers of the swan next to him. Shiloh clacked his beak twice, a sign of amusement with him. Always a hard one to read, Shiloh stood up and shuffled for the keys in his pockets.
"Glad you could join us tonight, please allow me to drive. It would give me great pleasure to know I ferried one of you to your final destination."
"Don't be a creep Shiloh, and don't get cocky. I've been waiting for months to show you two just what a real man can do and it's going to amaze you to death." Winston, stated quite matter-of-factly, that grin never leaving his face.
"I guess we're all nervous." Brandon observed stoically, bringing a paw up to run his fingers through the carefully messy-looking mop of hair on his head. Regarding his friends with his gold feline eyes, the black cat nodded to Shiloh. "Be my guest, o ferryman." Brandon bowed low, doing his best to contain his excitement.
The trio exited the office complex and Shiloh took the first road that led out of town. A grim sense of satisfaction building in his chest. Somehow driving felt like it gave him immunity, an advantage. Good mojo, his car became his physiological lifeline, a guarantee that since he drove out he would drive back. He had to, just HAD to make it through this one night, he had to prove to himself that he could do this. Gladly risking his life tonight than face another night of uncertainty. Shiloh had grown up wanting for nothing, his job his education his car and his savings, all of it had come from his family. This was his to be his own personal test of worthiness, his trial by fire. He would look into the face of death and if he saw himself as someone deserving then he was sure that he could beat one of the others. The black Infiniti picked up speed as it chewed through miles across the interstate, its driver fueled by grim determination. After tonight, he knew that he would be capable of his own greatness and not just a lucky beneficiary.
Only Winston seemed completely relaxed, but it was clear that the more lighthearted he acted the more stressed he was on the inside. Soon it became difficult for him to relax, nothing on the radio would sooth him and the others were far too wrapped up in their own thoughts to talk much. Damn it! This is not how I wanted our last time together to be, everyone is so serious! He nudged Brandon in the ribs as an idea started to form in his mind.
"Hey, take your pants off."
"EXCUSE ME?!" Brandon turned, clearly taken aback by the notion. Winston just grinned, putting a big hand down on his thigh and giving it a squeeze. Shiloh gave no outward sign of anything being unusual, apart from adjusting his rear-view mirror to an unorthodox angle that gave him a much better view of the two in the backseat.
"Well, I'd let you suck me off instead, but I figure this is your only chance for a 'happy ending' tonight." The puma clicked his seat belt off and scooted closer to the smaller cat. Brandon's ears flicked and lay sideways, but it was too dark to see if he was blushing or not. He looked up at the reflection of the swan in the mirror, seeing only the expressionless bill and the sunglasses he wore despite it already being dark outside.
"I don't... I mean I've never been..."
"Oh please, getting your cock sucked never made anyone gay. A mouth is a mouth is a mouth, right?" The puma purred soothingly, and started to undo the cats' belt and zipper. Shiloh shifted in the front seat, driving with one hand now. Winston breathed heavily and moved slowly, but Brandon did not move to stop him. This is too easy, kid must be in denial. Cute. Once the feline had gotten the others clothes around his ankles he dipped his muzzle down between his legs and started to work. Apparently the idea wasn't as great a shock as Brandon was pretending, because he found the black cat's member half erect already. Nuzzling the sheath, licking softly at the exposed tip and breathing hotly into his groin. Thoughts surfaced in his mind, unbidden and unwanted about the purpose of their trip. I may be the last person who touches him like this, the last one to enjoy his body. Or it may be the last time I suck cock. He quashed the guilt and fear in his mind by taking the cock full in his mouth and starting to suck on it eagerly. Brandon gasped at the sudden bold move, putting his paws down on the pumas head and grasping him firmly. He leaned his head back on the seats headrest squared and relaxed his shoulders as the warm mouth pulled on his member until it was fully hard and throbbing with pleasant need.
"Don't... aah, think this means.. I'm gonna lose. You wont jinx me, Winnie." He groaned, his ego driving him to take control of the situation with his rival. He pumped his hips slowly to see just how experienced this guy was with his lips around another males dick. There was no way he was going to let anyone get the upper hand on him, especially not tonight. Brandon moaned and narrowed his eyes, chewing his bottom lip while Winston's tongue dipped down along the base of his cock and swiped down in his furry sheath. The feline felt his cock surge with pleasure and spit sticky pre onto his new partners tongue. Shiloh lifted his bill into the air slightly, and had slowed the car down as the shenanigans in the backseat inevitably drew his attentions. It was times like this that he really wished he had that webcam installed on the rearview mirror. The same backseat, while cramped, had proven more than adequate for his own sexual exploits. Soon Winston's head was bobbing up and down in Brandon's lap. The black cat mewled and purred like a playful kitten while the larger feline erased all the cares from his mind with pursed lips and a raspy, dancing tongue. Opening his jaws wide, he pushed his face down to throat the other felines cock and started swallowing hard. Flexing his throat over and over again while his tongue lapped and poked daintily at Brandon's furry ballsack. The puma growled deeply, the vibrations making Brandon throw his head and yowl with bliss. Shiloh had to enjoy himself with only the obscured view and the wet sucking sounds of the pumas mouth. Winston's lips tightened as the pre slid down his throat and he went back to pumping the shaft with his muzzle. Faster and faster, taking deep breaths of air and making the smaller cat his personal plaything. He was confident that he had the boy wrapped around his tail now, and that would give him an edge later.
"Not... gonna... let you- NNNNNNGHH!!" he hissed, and with a great effort of will he pushed Winston's head back as he peaked and started to climax. Jerking in the seat of the car like a strong current passed through his body. Thick dollops of white kitty cream fired from the swollen tip of his cock and gave Winston a facefull. Blinking in surprise at the turn of power, he just managed to close his eyes as he saw the pointblank view of Brandon's cum shooting at them. Warm sticky splatters hit his face and the scent of the hot release of male sex juices filled his senses. Five... six shots at least until the black cat pushed his spasming member back into his friendly nemesis' mouth, giving Winston the dregs of the reward he worked so diligently for. Shiloh adjusted the mirror back to its former position and let out a soft sigh.
"Got a towel for me longneck?" The puma asked once he had satisfied himself and nursed Brandon's cock to a soft spongy state.
"Nope. And if you get a single drop on my car I'll skin you both and turn your guts into violin strings before we even get there." Winston's paw froze in place inches from his muzzle where he was about to wipe. "Gas station ahead."
The Infiniti slid into the stations parking lot as smoothly as an oiled glass tube. Shiloh got out first and went into the service station to the counter. He distracted the attendant while Brandon led Winston by the paw, pushing open the door and looking about quickly for the mens room.
"What do you mean this place doesn't sell cloves?" the bird was saying, the cut in his tone sharp enough to turn the girl behind the desk into Jell-O. But she endured it as the swan berated the store and its owners for operating in the dark ages and the misinformation on the chains website proclaiming a sale on clove cigarettes.
Winston and Brandon got to the back bathroom with little more than a glance from the cashier and washed the pumas face for him. Winston opened his eyes to see a rather typical truckstop bathroom, half rusted condom dispensers on the walls and stall doors that wouldn't lock properly. The two felines could not help but laugh at the situation, and were in high good humor when they left the station together. They found Shiloh outside, leaning on his car and making a face at the cigar in his fingers as though it had just said something about his mother.
"No wonder Clint Eastwood makes those awful faces in his westerns." He commented.
"Outlaws?" asked Brandon knowingly, recognizing the reference to the brand of cigar the movie star would always have in his spaghetti westerns.
"Free Outlaws." Shiloh corrected. Brandon could not help but smile. While the swan could be a bit of a stuck up prig sometimes, he really knew how to get his way when it came to business.
"Might be your last one, you better enjoy it." The feline winked one of those large gold eyes of his at the avian. The swan merely tucked the rest into his leather jacket and spat the cigar out, dusting himself with body spray to mask any lingering smoky smell.
"Lets go." He said, and got back into the drivers seat.
It was near 9PM when they arrived at their destination. Taking an unmarked service road off of mile 1138, the car kicked up a cloud of dust as it left the main road. The tail lights illuminated the hazy kicked up dust giving the back seat a rather sinister red glow. They were all quiet again, each of them content to be alone with their thoughts and anxious heartbeats. Soon the warehouse was in view, next to it was one of those pale blue water towers whose purpose has been lost in the bygone years. There was no sign of any other vehicle as they pulled up near the tall metal walls and the headlights shined on a bright red door that stood out in contrast against the dusty beige of the building. Shiloh killed the motor but left the headlights on while the trio sat staring ahead at the gateway. The door only two of them would be leaving alive before the night was out. A full ten minutes passed and nobody breathed a word. Any one of them could have given the word to back out and Shiloh would have driven them home without a complaint.
Winston was the first to break the silence. "Like you said birdie, lets go." Though his voice was not as nearly as confident as he hoped it would sound. Brandon thought of the deal they made, and everyone's silent battle with their personal demons along the way. To quit now would mean failure for all of them, regardless of who was the first to have second thoughts. So the black cat stepped out first, the others jumping visibly when he opened the car door. During the journey the car had become more than a vessel to them, it was a lifeboat and a guardian. Now it was time to leave the safety behind. Shiloh killed the lights and darkness fell on them all.
The door was unlocked, and opened into a damp smelling hallway. The trip could hear dripping water and the jingling of a chain hanging somewhere and singing to itself as it hung in an errant draft. Then the dragon appeared, black scales and burning embers for eyes. He was a big one, broad of shoulder and stocky in build. The three stood at the entrance for him, the heavy footfalls clicking as his claws grazed the cement flooring. Up close they saw his features better in the dim light, he was indeed a black dragon with a heavy tail and folded wings behind him. Sizing them up in turn, the huge male lit his own cigar and drew a small remote from his pocket. The exit chunked loudly as heavy bolts locked the door into place, leaving them all well and truly trapped.
"Your promptness pleases me. The deal remains unchanged. The three of you will participate in a test, forcing your body and will to it's limits. Two of you will walk away from the challenge, one of you will fail. Failing will cost your life, as you are all aware. Those who win will have the unique pleasure of ending the failure's life. The cost for services and disposal is nine hundred-fifty. Present your payment in advance."
All three of them revealed envelopes, heavy and bloated with cash.
"Loser buys." Winston said in a deadpan voice. The dragon counted the money in each envelope, and verified each of his customers identification. Then silently he led them down the hallway. The corridors twisted like a maze until they reached a set of stairs leading down. Descending behind their guide, they scarcely breathed a word until they reached the dungeons below ground. What they saw fascinated and horrified them. They were not scared by any grisly bodies or figures writhing in torment but the machinery which such nightmares were used for. Tables with leather straps and winches and blood channels, glass booths with pipes leading to the top of the chamber to rain down torture or death on it's victim. They saw blackened ovens and a rack of roasting spits, and passed stockades, guillotines, and nooses. Racks for whipping and flogging lined the walls, and somewhere was the ominous hum of an electrical current, the sound hung about the chamber like a directionless ghost. Sheets of semi-translucent plastic hung form the ceiling, obscuring other portions of the dungeon from the three newcomers.
The dragon led them through the corridors of hanging plastic to a small portion of the room. There were three booths made of steel frames with glass panels. The doors each bore a name of one of the participants in blocky white lettering.
"Each of you has a custom booth, measured so that your heads will all be at the same height. Once you are all in and tied in place, I will start the game. The water will fill the tanks at the same rate and completely cover your heads all at the same time. Hold your breath as long as you can while tied down in the tank. When you have had enough, push the button by your hand. Water will drain to your neck and when all three buttons have been pushed the results will be announced. First one to hit his button loses, and once the others have exited their booths the water will resume and you will drown for our enjoyment."
The stocky dragon motioned to a few footlockers and nodded. "Remove all your clothes." Shiloh froze and stared at them. Nobody had told him that this was going to be done in the nude.
"I'd rather not if it's all the same to you guys."
"It's not an option." replied the dragon, his gaze centering on the swan.
"It won't affect the game though will it?"
"The rules are mine to make, and beyond challenge. Besides, it's more comfortable without them." He pointed at the locker, "If you don't want to strip for us, I'll do it for you." he growled, and Shiloh reluctantly compiled, wearing a disdainful expression. The others were already pulling their shirts and boots off.
Shirts were peeled off, belts clanked, and the three worked in an oppressive silence but for the ambient sounds of the macabre playroom. Brandon jerked his head up as he heard the puma give a sharp wolf whistle, and found himself staring at the swans flat chest and the bare cleft between Shiloh's legs.
"You think you know somebody..." he grinned, stepping up towards the exposed swan and moving his own naked body close to the sleek feathery form of the white bird. Shiloh did not step back, but looked back at the feline looking quite vulnerable but defiant.
"Wasn't your business to know then, and it really isn't now either. Nice penis, by the way." The cuntboy took a deep breath and gave Winston's balls a hefty squeeze. He jerked but growled pleasantly while Brandon looked on and felt a distracting lump of arousal grow inside his chest. The black cat approached the swan from his exposed rear and put both hands on his hips, noting the subtle flare they had and how Shiloh's clothing had done remarkably well to hide it.
"How about we give this girl one for the road?" he asked, looking up at the puma, who was taking in Shiloh's body as though seeing him for the first time. "Teach a dirty bird to keep secrets from his friends?" and nuzzled his long neck softly. Shiloh sighed and relaxed, the enigmatic bird sliding his arms around the two felines acutely aware of their excited scents and predatory species. Perhaps he did owe them this much, at least, and the fleeting thought that this might be his last night with the living was something Shiloh did not want to face just yet.
The dragon said nothing but contented himself to watch the three get busy. Winston had started kissing and pawing at Shiloh while Brandon was lewdly grinding himself on the swans rump, reaching around to play with his chest. The three bodies started to relax into each other, molding around the cores while their limbs became entangled with petting, fondling, and stroking one another. Brandon put his hands around the birds neck, the long narrow appendage easily able to hold with both paws. He had always had a primal desire to touch and hold this neck, an instinctive urge like the desire to pull and flick at permed curly hair. Shiloh moaned softly, grinding his rear against the front of the black cats crotch. The feline squeezed softly, enjoying the feel of the muscles moving while the swan breathed deeply. Winston took advantage of the moment to stroke the cuntboys chest, fingers sliding into his downy chest and finding those nipples to tease and enjoy.
Silently, their taskmaster walked off and let them play but they began to shift around, tired of standing but having nowhere convenient to move to. Winston grinned and put Shiloh to his knees with a heavy paw on his shoulder, batting and teasing the avians face with his engorged member. Soft feathery fingers wrapped around his shaft and Brandon's as the feline stood closer. The smooth beak gently lifting under the pumas balls and rolling back and forth across the orbs, sliding back and the narrow tongue of his teased on and below the tip of his cock. While the swans mouth was not built for the softness of oral sex, he was adapt at using it as a delicate enhancement to the milking motions he made while fluffing the other two males. Back and forth he moved his bill, alternating teasing and lapping at the two feline members while the fingers of his feathered soft hands made them purr like kittens and grind their hips back and forth in the swans face.
Their scaled guide reappeared amid the long pleasured groans and the soft grounds that grew gradually more and more wet as the swan drug the sticky pleasures from the two milked cocks. He carried a bare mattress over his shoulder and dumped it unceremoniously on the ground. Alongside the ghetto looking bed he dropped a few towels and went back to his voyeuristic role.
Winston threw Shiloh on his back, and pounced on him with a lusty growl. The swan went gown with an undignified honk, making the black-furred cat grin. His blood was up again now, and he knew exactly what he wanted. The puma had Shiloh's legs up and was sliding his thick meaty cock along the puffy mound between his legs. Brandon patted him on the shoulder, pulling up his cock with one fingertip on the crown and letting it bounce clownishly.
"A mouth may be a mouth, but I want into something there's no substitute for. Get on your back." Without a word, Winston complied, grinning as he pulled the panting swan up onto his body and lay on the mattress himself. Brandon kneeled behind Shiloh, the mountain lions legs spread wide and pulling the swans with them so he fell forward down on the big cats chest. Brandon cuddled up behind the white feathered back, slipping his fingers down into that treasure he had kept such a secret for all this time they knew each other as coworkers. Making the swan moan languidly, twisting his back and dropping his narrow feminine shoulders. The cat curled his fingers and stroked those sweet pussy walls, eliciting a higher moan and soon getting his fingers nice and sticky wet. Winston was leaning up on one arm, nuzzling at the swans chest giving the former female several investigative licks. Brandon used the dew on his fingers to slick up both of their cocks, holding them together while the avian juices were slathered onto them both. He purrs up into her ear.
"No condoms for losers." he growled tauntingly, positioning his erection under him and driving his hips up to sheathe inside that deliciously hot and steaming wet femsex.
"Watch it, puss'n boots!" hissed the swan, shuddering visibly as he was penetrated and the puma got busy grabbing his own achingly hard erection and sliding it into those love folds. "I'll fuck you both limp and bury you before the night is out!"
Shiloh sighed and allowed himself to melt against the two males. The stroking of Brandon's pleasantly sized catcock inside him was a good way to start. And before long the feel of the pumas thick tip caressing his clit and folds was enough to make those feather thighs tremble. Then Winston pushed up inside too, and both the males were fucking her. Brandon had already gotten a good pace going, eagerly bucking his hips into the swans ass, making the cheeks pop and slap with the impact. The scrubbing sent waves of pleasure building up through his body. Then the other one stuffed inside the soft pussy walls, making the snug hug around one cock a blissful tight fit around two. Winston hilted inside and pulled down on the swans hips, groaning and arching his back, clearly wanting to feel all the soft treasure his body had to offer. Brandon was grunting and rutting, biting on Shiloh's shoulder and dissolving into a beast of hot animal passions. The other feline used deep slow strokes, feeling out those walls and exploring the most private secrets that he had been keeping between his legs. Shiloh put his hands on the pumas shoulders and started to ride him in tandem to Brandon's hot thrusting. Squealing as the pleasure took hold, making him gasp and writhe as the bird anointed the twin feline cocks with sweet honeys as they plumbed his darkest secrets.
Twin purring monsters took the swan for their own, grinding and panting. Their pleasures twisted with the deviant feeling of the other male indulging in the same sweet pussy as their own. Brandon was the next to lose it, yowling as he poured his balls worth of hot kitty seed up into the bare flesh of the swan. His rumpcheeks tightening and squeezing as he felt the hot pulses of orgasmic bliss fire up the length of his member and explode into the swans cunny. Panting deeply, he blinked away the spots that had been exploding in front of his eyes from the pleasure and exertion. Coming down rapidly from his physical high and sliding his cock from that hot embrace. He watched the drooling sticky mess of his cum leaking out over the mountain lions balls. Winston taking control of Shiloh's movements as he relished the chance to have this dreamy hot pussy on perhaps his last tryst ever, to himself. Brandon stayed close, leaning over Shiloh's body and kissing the swan again and again full on the mouth. Sharing the rest of the long hot moments with them although his desires had been sated. Soon the swan was bouncing up and down lewdly on the lions lap, hot squelchy wet sounds coming from their union. Winston's naked cock drove and pistoned up inside the swans burning hot femsex, turning to a glistening rod of hot passion. They climaxed together, Shiloh on his third peak while the lion did a males duty of pumping the avian chamber full of his swimmers. He groaned and mewled, eyes shut tight and his body arched again to push more and more of himself into the sweet passage. The swans inner walls caressing and fluttering as they bore down all around him.
They fell on each other, panting and sweaty. Shiloh moved slowly, thighs aching from the time spent in the one position. Brandon was already toweled off and tossed the others to the two sprawled on the mattress. Their host was still standing off to the side, silent and observing. His eyes moved over the three, enjoying the sights, especially the bird, for his gaze lingered longer and more often on Shiloh's body than the others.
"When you three get your breath back- we'll get started."
"Hope we aren't keeping you from other things, sorry."
"You guys are it tonight, take all the time you need."
The three of them were spent, and rested together naked on the old mattress. It was shabby and ripped but not dirty apart from the usual dust and dampness from its environment. The prospect of the challenge creeping back into their minds while the pleasures of the physical world receded from their minds. A random touch or pet became a shift, that became a shuffle, adjusting their limbs until they slowly unwound and rose from the floor as one. They looked from one to another, then back at the booths.
"Now then..." their guide instructed, leading them back to the part of the chamber that held the reasons they came tonight. He took Brandon to the first booth, sat him down on the bench and started to wrap the nylon straps around his legs, middle, and arms. He could move his head around, and the straps were both waterproof and allowed him to rock back and forth a little bit. "Test your button." instructed the dragon. The cat lowered his ears back, a sudden jolt of suspicion taking his heart- if he hit the button now, what if that counted for the kill? But no, what point would there be in that? Tightening his lips as though he could keep out anything that might hurt him, he curled his fingers beneath the edge of the seat he was strapped to and pressed what felt like a little doorbell button. The four looked up and watched the light fire to life with a bright electric hum. The dragon nodded, checked the height of Brandon's head, and then went ahead to strap in and test the other two in their booths.
Winston was in the second booth, his tail twitching back and forth and kept getting in the way of the door. He willed it back away but his subconscious would make it flit back across the threshold. All three of them were breathing deeply, getting as much oxygen as they can into their systems. Hearts were racing despite themselves, they were all in place now, naked and completely at the mercy of the dragon and their lives depending on how well they could hold their breath. Shiloh jumped and let out a cry as the dragon slammed his door shut and locked the heavy bolt trapping him. Winston scooted his tail back just in time as his own door was shut and the bolt slid into place, securing him in his booth. Brandon bit his lip and shuddered, nervously his body twitched and his bladder suddenly felt far too full. The confined space fest suddenly very small and claustrophobic, he looked up and saw a series of round holes in the top of the booth.
Then the dragon pulled a valve and water began to pour in. All three looked down, the cool water rushing in at their feet from the pipes in the floor. Another small lever and the three contenders saw the drain between their feet shut tightly. In moments their feet were submerged and all they could do was watch and share a common single thought.
I AM GOING TO DIE
Fuck it. Thought Brandon and just let himself pee, it was no time to be squeamish and if he was more relaxed then he could better his chances of winning. Only the dragon would see if he looked hard enough, and what did he care? Hell in this lifestyle he probably saw more pounds of flesh than a workaholic butcher. After the initial rush of water time seemed to slow down for him. Was it really only halfway to his knees after all this time? Breathing deep and hard, forcing himself to focus, the cat gnashed his teeth and prepared for the inevitable.
Winston was less composed than Brandon. The rushing water sent his mind into a panic and he pulled at his bonds, lurching in his restraints to pull free. He could get out if he just got loose, but he couldn't yell or the others would hear. He had to make it out of here, he just had to! Time drug on for him too, and by the time the water reached his rear end and covered his groin he had given up thoughts of escape. Cursing himself for a fool, the puma reminded himself of his natural strength and how he had the advantage over the other two.
Shiloh leaned back against the back of the tank and closed his eyes. Breathing slow and deep, shutting out the rest of the world apart from his breath and the feel of the cool water, measuring out the space he had left before death would be clawing at his heart. The water was up to his stomach now, his body started to quake involuntarily. Opening his eyes he looked through the clear walls of the tank to the others. Winston's whole body seemed to be bunching up and flexing then relaxing. The swan had no idea if it was on purpose, and he couldn't see Brandon at all. Who do they think they are, fucking my brains out like that, just because!? Shiloh suddenly felt anger flare at them, they were probably trying to just wear him out so he would lose! He bottled that anger up, because now getting too excited would only work against him.
The water was past Winston's shoulders now, and it tickled at his chin. He shook his head and splashed the water around the tank. Fear was colder than the water now, although he felt his body adjust to its temperature now. Grim determination set on his brow and he growled. It felt good, and it sounded confident. He had to tilt his head up to keep the water out of his nose now, but he could feel the steady flow churning beneath his feet as more and more continued to rush in. He kept his fingers straight, in case he accidentally hit the button. First one dies. First one dies. He repeated to himself like a mental mantra, over and over again. A sudden motion caught his attention and he looked to his right. Brandon was thrashing.
STUPID STUPID STUPID The black cat cursed himself, choking and spluttering. Hoping for that last deep breath he misjudged the level of the water and got a nose full of it as he tried to breathe. Coughing and snorting, his lungs already burned from the accident and despair gripped his soul with iron talons. Dragon talons his brain conjured, injecting the treacherous thought into his mind. Was this what he wanted, destruction? Did he do it on purpose, his subconscious betraying him and leading him to an early death? Forcing his head back as far as he could, he gasped deeply the last breath of air he was allowed. Water filled his senses, blotting out sound and blurring out any shapes outside his tank. He blinked, resisting the urge to cough already, and the trial began.
Winston held perfectly still in his booth. He was doing fine, just fine. Eyes closed tight in concentration as he measured out the seconds in his mind, trying not to count too quickly. There was no time to think of anything else, just his body and his strength. He was strong. He would win. He would force himself to last longer. His life was on the line but he tried to push the negative thoughts out of his mind, thinking of swimming in some calm lake. Air was part of a different world, a world he left behind. His chest burned and he quaked. The sudden urge to breathe made him open his eyes and lose count. He looked at himself, his pulse starting to throb painfully in his head. Fur was waving in the water and the straps still held him tightly. Now he was tied to a stone in the bottom of his tranquil lake, his escape turning on him like a wounded animal. His throat constricted and he groaned, letting out a stream of bubbles which floated up annoyingly to the top of the tank.
Shiloh was underwater, and even though he was a swan and a water fowl, it was not giving him any advantage since he was not big on swimming or diving any more than anyone else. If anyone had asked him until now, he would have boasted he could hold his breath for two minutes. Now, scarcely thirty seconds had gone by and he already felt the nagging urge for oxygen. He closed his eyes again and leaned his head back against the wall, trying to relax his body, slow his heart, something... anything! But time moves only in one direction, and that's forward. He had breathed in, and now he had to breathe out. The desire to exhale became overbearing and a great gush of bubbles floated to the surface before he could control himself. His fingers brushed against the button but he resisted pushing it. Pushing was death, and with the breath out of him he felt he could last a bit longer. Looking right, he could see a blurry shape that had to be Winston's tank, and he couldn't tell what was going on.
Brandon's head was killing him. Blood roared in his ears and his fingers trembled against the button. Three times now his heart had lurched for fear that he had pressed it without absolutely meaning to. He bit his lips closed and tried to bury his nose in his shoulder, his face scrunched into a mask of concentration. Breathe.... Breathe... His body was begging him while each second dragged out into an eternity. The horror of drowning was dawning on him for the first time, the utter helplessness of his body when he was literally inches from air. Oh god... AIR! There was never a more beautiful or desirable word in the language. His lungs tried to pull and he could feel water seeping in his nose. Oh for just one more breath! Bright lights flashed behind his closed eyelids and he couldn't take it any longer. Just one more breath, just ONE and I'll be fine. I've done it. I wont lose, I wont!! Brandon pushed his button.
Shiloh found that his reserves were depleting much faster than he expected. Uncertainty twisted in his guts like a hot knife and his body was trying to make him breathe. He fought the desire by puffing out short bursts of breath, hoping to relax his lungs enough, hoping he could produce more breath to keep the desire at bay a little longer. Shaking all over his long slim neck waved up and down in the water. Desperately he tried to stimulate other senses to take his mind off the desire to draw in a lungful of water. It was no use though, and in the end it only used up his reserves of energy faster. His bill opened and water poured in his mouth but he managed to swallow the first gulp as his fingers fumbled under the seat his wrist was tied to. Shiloh hit his button.
Winston was discovering that a big strong body uses a lot of energy in a short amount of time. He could hear himself gurgling, another gush of bubbles went up past his head. His heart hammered harder and harder, until it felt like his chest was going to explode and fill the tank with a red cloud. He wanted to put a paw over his mouth and nose, but he was tied too securely. His eyes darted back and forth, desperate to see if one of the other tanks was draining. The pain was excruciating but he kept enduring as long as he could. Muscles bunched again, a reflex he had no control over. The mountain lion gurgled back a strangled cry of desperation, his voice sounding muffled and far away. Each heartbeat shot lances of pain stabbing through his chest and then he felt the water draining. Directing his attention down, his fingers were wrapped tight around the lip of the wooden bench. The middle digit pressed up against the release button, but in that moment he had no recall of deciding to activate it. Nevertheless... Winston had pushed his button.
The water drained quickly in all three tanks. As promised, their heads were given back to the world of the above, and that of life-giving air. All three of them drank deep breaths, coughing and spitting. Soaked to the skin and glancing about to see if they could tell who had pushed first. The moment was a glorious one, a remerging into life after coming so close to drowning. The dragon was still there of course, watching the three tanks intently. One by one the lights went out as the three took their fingers off the buttons and sat tied in place, awaiting judgment.
"Well, at least none of you drowned yourselves out of stubbornness." was his only comment. He stalked up and down in front of them, looking into their eyes while they blinked and shook water from theirs. Finally he stopped in front of Shiloh's tank.
"One minute thirty-three." The swan looked back at him with a defiant expression that quickly melted into despair. Had he lost already? "You had the best time, congratulations on getting to live a little while longer."
The dragon went next to Winston's tank. The pumas lips were pursed tightly and he was still breathing hard. "One minute twenty-four." Winston growled with a feral gleam in his eye, tensing up in his bonds. The dragon ignored him and stepped over to the final tank.
The cat looked perfectly pitiful. Brandon couldn't keep eye contact with him. The dragons stare peering through him it felt like, getting ready to eat up his soul when he pushed the lever again. He looked away, crestfallen and once again cursing his stupidity. "One minute, twenty-six seconds. Rough start, too." It took a few moments for it to dawn on him that he wasn't going to die! It was Winston... Brandon and Shiloh looked to the middle tank while their enigmatic host opened the drains on both tanks on either end.
"No... No way! No, it's not me!! ITS NOT ME!!" the puma roared. His fur bristling, which would have been a lot more fierce were he not soaked to the bone. He shouted and cursed, pulling on his bonds again, claws extending and retracting as he howled in fury. "NOT ME! NOT ME!!" he screamed over and over again. The dragon ignored him with professional detachment, and unlocked Shiloh's and Brandon's booths, releasing them from their waterlogged bonds. They sat on the floor in front of the puma, panting for breath and wrapping towels around their bodies. The final lever was thrown and water resumed filling up Winston's cell.
"NO!! NO-NO-HGRRRRHHH NOO!" The big cat growled and hissed, pulling harder and harder, the desperation of mortal danger pumping adrenaline through his body, burning his muscles and making him breathe deep and fast. But it made little difference as the water rose steadily and soon his head was starting to be consumed by this most passive but deadly element. He jerked his head up, eyes bloodshot and furious. His shouting soaked up by the fluids that became one with his world and his consciousness.
Shiloh stood up and Brandon followed him, their eyes locked on the face of the puma. They scarcely blinked as they watched him hold his breath with bulging cheeks, looking for the entire world like an angry kitten who was going to defy his parents by making a show of holding his breath. But soon he could no longer hold it, his body already exhausted past its tolerances. Great clouds of bubbles poured from his mouth and his face went from anger to pure terrified horror. All he could see of the others were blurry shapes looking back at him. Holding his breath, feeling the stabbing pains return so fast and needing air almost immediately. Pushing out harsh lungless puffs of carbon dioxide into the water. His vision started to cloud and things grew hazy. Bloodshot eyes looked out at the pleadingly, his mouth opening and closing. Little bubbles escaping his nose now and then and floating gently to the top of the tank.
Then the cold water was pulled in by empty lungs, and it was far worse than anything Winston imagined it could feel like. Though for reasons he could not explain, even as the roaring in his ears grew to maddening levels and his hazy vision started to darken, his cock grew to full erection and was achingly hard! He pushed the water from his lungs but knew he was starting to drown, staring to asphyxiate. His eyes closed and he thrashed in the tank like a wild thing. Breathing water in and out, but it brought no relief or peace. His cock continued to throb and the blissful feeling of euphoria started to steal over him. It was oxygen deprivation and he had no doubt he was dying now, but it felt suddenly so easy to relax into it. He stopped shaking, stopped struggling. His body felt lighter and lighter, while hot waves of nothingness stole over him. His eyes fluttered and he could barely see the fuzzy blurred forms outside anymore. But it didn't matter, he felt another surge and was dimly aware of his cock shooting out cloudy streams of cum into the water. His face relaxed, now and then a tremor would pass through him, shaking his shoulders as he stayed submerged in the water, his lungs had stopped trying to breathe and he felt his heart slowing down. Softer and softer... the water was cold again, and it was getting darker. Where did everyone go? Where is Shiloh... I really wanted to hit that again.
The others watched the face of the puma from outside the tank. The calm and that stole over his face as he sank into oblivion and they knew then that it was over. The dragon drained the tank after they stared for a good ten minutes and saw no more movement at all. They had watched Winston's confused face and his final orgasm as his airless state took over his body and finally killed him.
As the water fell away and the body slumped, everything that made Winston a person was gone, and all that was left was this shell. The dragon came up behind them, placing large paws on the backs of their necks.
"You have won, and you may leave now if you wish." He grinned, the first time they had seen him smile. "Or you can stay, and if you stay I guarantee I will make your stay tonight full of pleasures and agonies you will never forget."
Brandon and Shiloh exchanged looks, both of them sizing each other up and then looked back to the dragon.
"You mean... double or nothing?"
"Exactly." He growled with a deep rumbling murrowl. It was an arousing, dangerous sound.
"We're in, all in."
THE END -?-