FSE

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Cold rain fell hard upon the clay tile roof and ran in rivers onto the cobblestone streets. The sound was steady and the smell reminded the dark haired young woman of the filth that gathered when people were not looking. Soldiers stood sentinel or marched in small groups which were supposed to make people feel safe inside their homes. No one was supposed to think about the families that had disappeared in the middle of the night.

“Laura!" her sister half-shouted the name like their absent parents. “What are you doing outside?"

“I'm waiting for Elizabeth," Laura said coldly.

“The creature will get you!" Her sister nearly shrieked as she clung trembling to the doorway. “You know she's gone … and I don't want you to disappear either so get … please come back inside."

I'm only standing on the porch, Laura wanted to reply, but she knew it was just her sister's fear talking. “Alright, Angela," she said with a resigned sigh. Biting back a few other hot remarks, she turned away from the cherished memories of splashing through rain speckled streams and swimming in the river which fed the town.

Inside there was warmth and the smells of home she had become sick of. Their home over a shop was a fine place for them to tailor their days away, but without the market they would soon run out of food. The soldiers may have continued their presence in the streets but they made no mention of when the travel ban would be lifted. Not knowing created a terrible anxiety that went well with her cabin fever.

The day passed like every other. The quiet and soulless limbo burrowed into her skin like some terrible pestilent grub. Every night more people went missing and the emergency ordinance forbidding all citizens from leaving their homes continued. Laura felt it was foolish to panic in such a way, but the night brought frightening sounds so no one had been sleeping properly. Fatigue brought clumsiness to the body and mind, and she was certain their leaders were not immune to these afflictions.

The hypnotic rattle of the rain calmed Laura's nerves and her sister finally stopped pacing and joined her near the front door. “We should go to bed," Angela whispered timidly, her courage allowing her to linger for a few seconds longer before failing her altogether. “Maybe … maybe in the morning …"

“Alright," Laura said and she could see her sister's relief. Rainwater was gathered and boiled for their bath. Then the candles were snuffed and they went upstairs into Angela's room to share the same bed. There was courage in being together and fear in being alone, so Laura yielded to her sister's fears and shared a bed that was not made for two. The dark settled in around them and she stared at the ceiling, listening to her sister's breathing and the steady sound of pouring rain.

“Laura."

The young woman woke to the sound of her name but no one was there. Was I dreaming? Something knocked on the outside of the building. A pattern emerged and then it repeated. Laura recognized the pattern and she was suddenly wide awake.

It can't be her! Laura told herself firmly as she strained her ears to listen for the familiar knocking. Elizabeth's been missing since before we were all put under house arrest! This would be just like her, though. She always appeared on nights like tonight. Something about the rain seemed to boil her blood. She would squirrel up to the second floor and knock on my window. Then we would sneak off into the night in search of rules to break.

The knocking came again and its pattern had not changed. Laura gathered her robe, looked to her sister to make certain she was still sleeping soundly, and then tiptoed across the hall to her own bedroom. Bare feet padded to the window as her robe swished softly against smooth skin. A glance through the shutters proved she had not dreaming but it took a moment for her mind to tell her body to act. Heavy locks and a metal bar were slid back with effort, but when Laura opened her window a familiar grin greeted her.

“Oh my God, Elizabeth," Laura whispered loudly and she reached out past the frame to pull her friend inside. She crushed Elizabeth in a fearsome hug that soaked her front but she barely noticed.

“Alright, alright," her friend said with a wicked giggle in her voice. “Everything is alright."

“Where have you been?" Laura finally managed to ask.

“Oh, you know," Elizabeth told her in a tone of casual insolence, “splashing through puddles and sneaking past the guards." A pained chuckle went through Laura's body and she hugged tighter until her friend tapped her shoulder in a signal that said, I can't breathe. The hug loosened and she stepped back to take stock of her guest. Elizabeth's beautiful brown hair was matted and dripping water onto the clean floor. Her dress clung tightly to her skin and showed off the luxurious curves that made people stare.

“I found food," Elizabeth said as she refused a dry blanket. “Save the linen for after we get back."

“We can't go out," Laura insisted, “if the soldiers find us-"

“I hid it in our secret place," her friend insisted in the tone of voice that talked Laura into all sorts of things unladylike things.

“But …"

“You worry too much," came the phrase and the sparkle in the amber eyes which nearly always ended the night in trouble. Laura set her jaw but Elizabeth gave her a look that conveyed a type of wild excitement Laura could never resist.

“Awe … damn-it, Liz," Laura growled as her willpower crumbled. “Just … give me a minute." Elizabeth leaned lazily against the wall and folded her arms. The rain beaded into droplets which ran across her shapely bosom and she watched Laura notice. Turning away, the younger of the pair chose a dress which needed cleaning out of her wardrobe and then stepped behind a changing screen. A moment later she grabbed a hat she knew would keep the rain out of her eyes. “You're awfully relaxed about this," Laura grumbled, as she put her shoes on, it was then that she noticed her friend's bare feet.

“I've been out every night this week," Elizabeth teased. “This type of night is the best."

“Because of the rain?"

“The rain makes everything better."

Smiles passed between them as they sneaked out into the night. Angela would be furious for them doing something so dangerous but Laura could never say no to Elizabeth, and that flaw had caused them to do this hundreds of times as children … and every time it rained.

They moved through in a familiar way and stuck to the shadows where authoritative eyes did not see. The cold rain brought a welcome shiver as the two women moved quickly through twists and turns. Elizabeth eventually stopped at a cellar door they both knew well and slid the swollen boards in a way that allowed them to bar it whether inside or out. Once inside, they secured the entrance and almost tumbled down the stairs in fits of giggling. A single oil lamp burned low and was brought to life with a twist of its nob. Baskets of dried meats and several loaves of hard bread were stacked in the corner for them.

“Alright!" Laura said a little louder than she meant to and she covered her mouth.

“It's alright," Elizabeth said as she moved closer, removing Laura's hat with a mischievous grin, “you know no one can hear us here." With a strong embrace, the women held each other close.

“I missed you," Laura whispered, then she places a delicate kiss on her lover's lips. They were soft and the outer skin was cold; but as their tongues slipped back and forth, a familiar warmth filled her with a taste of meat which lingered. Their kiss deepened with a hunger which had grown during their time apart. Elizabeth's lips broke their link and she drew her tongue down Laura's neck and nibbled her gently. This playful teasing brought a rush of goosebumps which stood in rows along the stimulated nerves. A harder suck was followed by a bruising bite that left a lovers mark on her skin.

“Oh … Liz," Laura said the name breathily as she kicked off her shoes and settled onto the mattress they had moved here for such an occasion. “Oh … oh yes!"

Several tugs opened her wet blouse and soon Elizabeth's warm lips were blazing a trail of kisses down her chest until hungrily suckling the hardened nipples. A satisfied moan caused Laura to tense as her dress was pushed up and her smallclothes were tugged off and tossed across the room. More kisses warmed her legs and teased her delighted sex. The sudden lapping of talented tongue sent shocks of sensation through Laura and she moaned with smoldering delight.

“Oh … you're an animal tonight," she gasped as she grabbed her lover's hair and pulled her harder between her legs. “Just … just like that … oh … gods yes!" The sound of slurping and growling increased as the pleasure mounted. Laura whimpered as her chasm rippled and muscles clenched. A fierce stab of pain caused her to scream, as tumbled over the edge, but the intense licking and lapping did not stop until Laura struggled away.

“Gah … gods … Liz … wha-" Laura's voice stopped working as she looked at her lover's face. Blood glistened on full lips as an almost lupine tongue licked sharp fangs. A darkening of wild eyes stared hungrily back, contemplating another taste, and a hideous mixture of excitement and fear shivered along Laura's spine. Time held still without movement or thought. Euphoric nerves tingled but she slowly began to register a type of fear she did not know how to express.

“Don't … be afraid," Elizabeth told her in the tone of voice that had convinced the younger woman to do many foolish things as children. “Let me … show you …" An estatic growl bubbled from Elizabeth's throat and a sickening crunching noise began to emit from her frame. Veins bulged, bones cracked, and muscles swelled like a blacksmith at the forge.

The back of the Laura's head bumped into the wall, as she shuffled back, snapping her out of her shock. A scrambling lunged thrust her up the stairs to the cellar door. Several panicked blows shifted the boards and she flung the doors open and threw herself into the night. The storm greeted her with a cold blast of wind and rain which cleared her head enough to make her bang the cellar doors closed. A mighty effort secured the board back into place and a quick glance around saw barrels. Laura dragged and pushed the barrels across the ground and set them onto the doors.

Rain poured down upon as Laura staggered toward the street. The desire to scream took a great deal of effort to suppress and she began to tremble violently. Setting her jaw, she pushed Elizabeth from her mind and made her way back to the home she swore she never should have left.