Testing the Waters

Mike stared at the Victorian style home in awe, the sheer scale of it overwhelming him. Tower-like structures gave the blue dwelling a medieval touch, and the house was ringed in simple gardens with waist high shrubs that were in desperate need of a trim. Stone lions guarded the walk to the front door, and a cobblestone path disappeared around the back.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Mike, startled, dropped his sleeping bag. He bent down to pick it up, feeling warmth rise up in his cheeks. "I'm afraid you have quite a task ahead of you, Mr. Radley."

Mike let out a nervous laugh as Beth, his great aunt's estate representative, walked past. The woman was taller than him, very attractive, and all business. Her dark hair wrapped up in a bun, she paused to check something on her clipboard. Mike took the opportunity to admire her backside through the thin layer of her pencil skirt. Very faint panty lines ran around her buttocks, lines that Mike had trouble taking his eyes away from.  She turned to face him, and he pretended to struggle with his sleeping bag.

"I doubt you'll need that," she pointed out, lending him a hand. She smelled like peaches and something floral, a scent he couldn’t quite place. "The house has plenty of  space."

"I’ve been a boy scout since I was six," he replied. "Be prepared. That's my motto."

"Uh huh." Beth helped him secure the bag under his arm. "Trust me when I say you won't need it." She led him up the stairs, the wooden deck creaking slightly under their weight. Mike stared briefly at the swinging chair on the front porch, moving slightly in the breeze. As Beth produced a key, she looked at Mike. "This must be like a fairy tale to you."

"No such thing as fairy tales. Just a weird coincidence." He said, careful to keep his eyes above the lacy top of her blouse. Women, as a rule, made him nervous. Particularly the pretty ones.

"You hear about these things all the time," she said, sliding the key into the lock. "But you never get to see them play out." The door stuck in the frame, and Beth leaned her shoulder in to give it a shove. A strand of hair came loose from her bun as she pushed her way inside. "A long-lost relative dying and leaving everything to you."

"Yeah. Lucky me." Mike followed her inside. The house was cool, and dark. Beth opened up some of the windows, allowing the light to come in. The furniture in the home was all covered, giving the sitting room the eerie appearance of a haunted house. Beth pulled the cover off of the couch, sending a small layer of dust into the air.

"You don't seem very keen on the idea, Mr. Radley." Beth uncovered the coffee table with one hand, and set her purse and clipboard down. "It is a very nice house."

"It's not the house. And call me Mike." Mike threw his sleeping bag on a clean portion of the floor along with his backpack. Out of habit, he slipped off his shoes at the door.

"Well, Mike, we went through an awful lot of trouble tracking you down." Beth uncovered a nearby love seat. "This home was only weeks away from being liquidated by the firm."

"Which I understand is still an option?" Mike asked, staring at the pale yellow curtains.

"Correct." Beth picked up her clipboard. "Only if you decide not to keep it."

"Right." Mike looked down the long hallway to the kitchen. "I'm not used to having so much space. Gives me the creeps."

"By nature, homes of this style are actually quite cozy." Beth led the way to the kitchen, the heels of her boots clicking on the hardwood floor. “There is quite a bit of space for you to spread out.”

"I've never lived in anything with more than two bedrooms." Mike responded, following the woman. Beth checked the appliances to make sure they still worked, and showed Mike where the fuse box was. A brief tour of the kitchen turned up several jars of preserved jellies, an old box of cat biscuits, and an empty tub of ice cream in the freezer.

"So, where is the cat?" Mike asked, shaking the box of biscuits.

"As far as we know, she didn't have one. Your great aunt conscripted our services long before my parents were even out of high school, and rarely contacted the firm. According to our sources, she was largely a shut-in. It's likely those treats are older than you or I."

"As long as she wasn't eating them," Mike muttered, throwing the biscuits back in the cupboard.

"So, you've only lived in apartments?" Beth led Mike to the stairs. As she climbed, Mike paused to look in the living room. Sure enough, a creepy fucking porcelain doll sat right above the fireplace, legs draped over the mantle. He shivered and looked up the stairs. Enough of Beth's legs were showing that he could see the top of her stockings. Jesus. He pulled hard on the railing, eager to catch up.

"Yeah. My mom was always unemployed, so we were always staying with friends." Memories of being crammed away in the back of someone else's home made him shudder. Long nights pressed up against his own mother as they shared a bed, the smell of alcohol oozing from her pores and stinging his eyes. Years of therapy might have helped him over the worst of it, but he still had nights where he woke up panicked, convinced that he was crammed in bed again with his mother.

"Sounds rough." Beth said. She opened up a door, revealing a study. "This is the office. Everything in here was custom built out."

"I don't see a router." Mike walked in, looking around the room. The shelves in the room were packed with poetry books and different inspirational pieces. Fake flowers adorned every free inch of desk space.

"Your great aunt didn't have Internet."

"Well, I will." Mike frowned, looking out the window. He could see how overgrown the back yard had become. A large stone fountain full of muck had been overgrown with weeds. "I build websites for a living. If I decide to keep the place, I will need to get it installed."

Beth was already making notes on her clipboard. "I will see what we can do. Just to remind you, this home is on the list of historical places, so we may experience some delays."

Mike waved a hand dismissively, kneeling beneath the desk. "I have my ways. Just get me some sort of high speed line, I'll do the rest." He stuck his hands behind the desk, feeling for an outlet.

"Let me show you to the guest room," Beth said, reminding him that she was still there. Mike smacked his head on the desk as he stood. He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the top of his head as he followed her back into the hall. Beth opened up another door, showing him a plain twin sized bed with a large pink comforter. Daisies were embroidered across the top.

"I have no words." Mike said, staring at the guest bed.

"I don't blame you." Beth opened up the closet. "There are some spare linens, but they aren't any better."

"What use does a shut in have for a guest room?" Mike inspected the closet. In the bottom, he saw another porcelain doll.

"My best guess is that it was a room your father stayed in as a child."

"You think?" Mike held up one end of the pink comforter.

Beth laughed. "I never said it was a good idea. Your dad had some cousins, and most were little girls once."

"I'm sure." Mike stared at the bed, his thoughts drifting. Was it actually possible that his own father had slept beneath this roof? The man had died not long after Mike was born, lost to an aggressive form of cancer. It was the same disease that had led his own mother to drink. Thinking of his mother, he looked at the tiny bed and shivered.

No fucking way. He needed a larger bed.

"Where did Great Aunt Emily sleep?" he asked.

"In her room, down the hall." Beth paused. "She died in there."

"In the bed?" Mike was already wondering where he could unroll his sleeping bag.

"No, if that's what you are worried about." Beth took him back into the hall. Mike found himself staring again at her butt. His eyes flicked up to hers as she looked back. "It's this one right here."

Beth opened up the door. The room was large, the ceiling elevated. Mike realized he was in one of the round, tower rooms he had seen from the front. The bed was centered along the back wall, a large four poster with draping curtains all around. His eyes followed the curve of the walls, taking in the intricate molding along the mid wall and ceiling. Two dressers, a standing armoire, and a mirrored nightstand were all uncovered by Beth as she made her rounds. A large opening signaled the entrance to the bathroom. Towards the other side of the room, a large oriental rug covered the floor.

"The rug is in an odd place," Mike said, pointing at it.

"It was some time before we found your aunt," Beth replied. "We're working on finding proper replacement material. It isn't easy to find hundred year old hardwood flooring that matches the surrounding floor."

"Why not replace it all?"

"Historical society, remember?"

"Ah." Mike stared at the bed. It was easily a king size. "Her heart gave out?"

"She was 96. It happens." Beth looked at her clipboard. "I made myself a few notes. I just need a signature to authorize some purchases."

"Of course." Mike ignored Beth for the moment as he walked in the bathroom. "Holy shit, have you seen this thing?"

Beth laughed behind him. "I have. Impressive, isn't it?"

Mike stared at the largest, claw-footed bath tub he had ever seen. Looking at Beth with large eyes, he hopped inside it, laying down along the bottom. Neither his head or feet touched the edges, and he reached his arms out. They were almost fully extended before touching the sides.

"I will admit, your Great Aunt's taste in decor is questionable in areas, but this is probably my favorite piece here." Beth sat along the side of the bath, staring in at Mike. Mike sat up, looking over the side of the tub. The edge was to his chin.

"I feel like I'm sitting in a boat." Mike turned his attention to the spigot. Two separate faucets made of some sort of bronze fed the tub. "Does it still work?"

"I assume so. We had the home inspected in case we were selling it." Beth stroked one of the spigots. "I wish I could try it out."

"Hop in. Plenty of room." The words were out of his mouth before his brain could stop them. He looked away, pretending to fiddle with the faucets.

Beth laughed. "Afraid I'm too busy at the moment." Extending a hand, she helped Mike stand. He had to lift his legs high to step out of the basin. “Maybe I can house sit sometime.”

“I’ll leave you some bath beads.” Mike stepped back to admire the tub. “I’ve never been a fan of baths, but this may be big enough to change my mind.”

Taking a wide berth around the carpet in the bedroom, Mike followed Beth through the remaining rooms of the house. Beth made several notes on her clipboard, noting necessary adjustments. Mike’s Great Aunt had left behind a very large sum of money, and her will stipulated that her oldest surviving relative be given full opportunity to make the house livable before selling it. Mike was well aware that one offer to buy was on the table already, a group of women who wanted to turn the place into a local museum. He had never been able to set roots down, rarely living anywhere longer than six months.

Beth stood at the front door, going over her checklist. Mike stared out the front window, watching the swinging chair rock in place. She had said his name twice before he snapped back to reality.

“Sorry, lost in thought,” he apologized. “What did you say?”

“I said I can swing by tomorrow to take you shopping. Your Great Aunt had a car, but I wouldn’t recommend going anywhere in it. You’re going to need to get some essentials if you’re going to make this place a home.” Beth let the clipboard relax. “Which I hope you do. It was her utmost wish that the home stay in the family. I know you have already voiced some concerns over maintaining the property, but I really think you should give this place a shot.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Mike gave her a small smile. “This is a unique opportunity after all.”

“Good. You have my business card, so don’t hesitate to contact me for anything.” Beth picked up her purse from the coffee table.

“Actually, there is something.” Beth waited patiently as Mike walked over to the fireplace, removing the porcelain doll. “I don’t care how, just get rid of it.”

Beth stared at the doll and laughed. “I’m on it. Have a good night, Mike.” She walked out the door and down the steps. Mike watched her as she went, the clicking of her heels on pavement echoing across the deck. He waved as she got in her car on the street and drove away.

The swinging chair creaked softly. Mike stepped onto the deck, staring at the offending piece of furniture. He unhinged the chains, lowering the seat to the deck. He let the front door shut softly behind him.

-

Night crept up on Mike as he whittled away his evening on his laptop. Using his neighbor’s unprotected Wi-Fi, he checked on several sites he had been maintaining, answered some of his emails, and opened up his bank statements. None of the money his Great Aunt left him had been transferred in yet, but he pictured the new amount in place of his current one and wondered.

What would he even do with all that cash? If he were to sell the home, he would be walking around with several million and nothing to spend it on. He had been poor as a child, poor enough that by the time he worked his way through college, he was simply used to the survivor’s lifestyle. All the clothes he owned would easily fit in two suitcases, and the bulk of his belongings were made up of a couple of desktop PC’s and a tablet at his apartment.

He finally noticed the time near the bottom of his screen and shut down shop for the night. It was nearing eleven, and he still hadn’t even eaten dinner. A quick search on his phone revealed a nearby pizza place, and he ordered himself a medium sausage with a 2 liter of Sprite. He wandered the lonely rooms, eventually tossing his bag in his Great Aunt’s bedroom. He drifted through the house, picking up random belongings, trying to envision the woman his Great Aunt was.

He had looked her up on line. She had inherited the house from her own aunt (a notorious spinster) at a young age, living off of several very own railroad bonds that had paid off big in the 1940’s. A job as a librarian supplemented her income through her fifties, and then she had simply shut herself away.

Not completely, though. Mike noted that some of the purchases in the home must have been made in the last couple of years. A few of the books in the library had tipped him off. She must have left on rare occasions, or at least hired somebody to shop for her.

To be honest, the thought was pretty appealing to him.

The doorbell startled him out of his reverie, and he nearly dropped a clown figurine he had pulled from the shelf in front of him. He put it back and walked to the front door.

“Hi!” The pizza delivery man was, in fact, a gorgeous blonde girl, likely a college student. Her hair had been swooped back into a ponytail, and she was wearing a stylish pair of black rim glasses. The name-tag on her jacket said Dana. “Your house is gorgeous!” She handed him his soda.

“Uh, yeah.” He leaned forward to help her take the food from its special cooler, and accidentally brushed against her breast through her jacket with his hand.

“I don’t think I’ve ever delivered here before,” she added, staring past him into the home. “Are you new in town?”

“First day.” He handed her a pair of tens. As she dug into her pouch for change, he caught just a whiff of her perfume. His world started closing in. “No worries, keep it?”

“Seriously?” Her eyes were huge as he nodded.

“Yeah, no problem.” He let the door close as she thanked him. Placing the pizza on the coffee table, he took a few deep breaths. The sensation of her breast against the back of his hand, the sheer firmness of it, accompanied by the scent of her perfume had given him a surprisingly hard erection.

He ran through the house, flipping on all of the lights. His mother’s voice attempted to rise up in the back of his mind, but he shut it out. Years of sharing a bed with her had inevitably led to an incident, shortly before his eleventh birthday, when he had awaken suddenly to a slap in the face. In his sleep, he had managed to roll into his own mother while sprouting wood.

The physical abuse was immediate, but the verbal abuse continued. Whenever he got aroused in his sleep, his mother would slap him awake, or call others in to make fun of him. Often, this led to a sudden change in address, as most normal people recognized her behavior as appalling. Her constant teasing in front of anyone who would listen had led him to a largely celibate lifestyle. The few women he had been with had been unsympathetic to his sexual panic attacks, or his mommy issues, as one had called them. Now, in an unfamiliar setting, he found those old emotions resurfacing, attempting to claw away at the protective shell he had put around himself.

His imagination was his own worst enemy. Picturing her specter hiding in the shadows, waiting to pass judgment, had simply clenched the deal. Now, though, with all of the lights on, she couldn’t afford to surface. His panic attack subsiding, he picked up his food and made his way to the kitchen.

Mike consumed his meal while streaming a movie on his computer, leaving the last five slices for tomorrow. The fridge looked painfully bare, occupied by a sole pizza box and a soda bottle. Mike returned to the table, watching for another half an hour as the generic action star did something to confound the villain. His mind kept flipping back and forth to the feel of the pizza girl’s breast and his mother’s demonic memory.

He pulled out his phone and flipped down to Dr. Gorman in his contacts. He hadn’t sat with his therapist in over three years, but the urge to reach out had surfaced. Hands shaking, his thumb hovered over the call button.

“Fuck it.” He closed his contact list. His mother was dead, the past was the past, and he needed to get over it. Years of being told that arousal was natural, that everybody did it, that it was okay to fantasize. He closed his eyes, recalling the cute appearance of Dana the pizza girl. He unleashed the memory of her scent, the firmness of her breast, the surprised expression she had made when he had tipped her eight bucks extra. It was probably the same face she made during her first orgasm, or perhaps when her lover’s lips first touched the nipples of her firm breast…

That did it. His body was back in full swing, he was back in control. Well, almost. The urge to watch porn to help get off was strong, but Dr. Gorman had reminded him that porn could be too much of an escapist fantasy. It was better for him to visualize on his own; he was less likely to panic in bed with a real woman. However, porn wasn’t so much the issue, but rather location.

He was in a stranger’s house with a major hard on. Technically, he could jerk off in the hallway for all anybody cared, but just because the house was now his didn’t mean it was home. It definitely didn’t feel safe.

Mike closed his computer and proceeded up to the bedroom. He could take care of his own needs in there. That wasn’t much different than a hotel room, or new apartment, really. The more he told himself these things, the more he was ready to get off.

Stepping into the room, he took one look at the bed and shuddered. Beds were sometimes just as bad, and today was no different.

“Why am I so fucking damaged?” He shouted to the walls. They had no answer for him. Instead, he stormed into the bathroom and turned on the sink, splashing cool water on his face. Staring in the mirror, he watched the cool drops fall down his cheeks, his eyes suddenly on the giant bathtub.

The bathroom’s contoured walls prevented anyone in the tub from seeing anything but the bathroom. Remembering how well he fit in it earlier, and seeing how isolated it was, he knew it would work.

Turning on the water, he watched as the basin filled quite quickly. Obviously, his great aunt had found a way to trick out the water pressure. Beth had told him that they paid a cleaning service to turn everything over, which meant that clean towels were already hanging near the tub. He stripped down in the bedroom, throwing his clothes on the nearby dresser.

Walking into the bathroom, he caught sight of his own naked figure in the mirror. His body was lean (he really didn’t eat too much), and marred with massive scars on the right. They went all the way from his thigh to under his armpit, crossing chaotically. They were a reminder of the fatal accident that had taken his mother, one final mark for her to leave behind. One girlfriend had told him they made him look like a badass, but he couldn’t be certain she wasn’t just saying that to make him feel better.

Mike thumbed through the playlist on his phone and found one he liked. The water was just right, and he carefully slid into the tub. The whole inner surface had a texture that helped prevent him from slipping. A nearby washrag was soaked in hot water and he placed it across his eyes and forehead. Drowning out the world with water and music, he let his hands explore.

One hand slid across the head of his penis while the other one tugged gently at the skin beneath the head. He let both hands slide down the shaft with plenty of room to spare between them. A former girlfriend had once told him (upon breaking up) that a dick like his was a waste, because no girl ever got to use it.

“Fuck,” Mike muttered to himself. He only found the courage to do this once every few weeks, which meant that he was always extra sensitive. He ran his thumb gently over the head, flinching at the sudden intrusion of pleasure. He pictured the delivery girl in his mind, running his fingers down and across her slender hips, hearing her moan as he leaned in to suck on her neck. In his mind, he slid his hands underneath her shirt to play with her nipples, watching as she slid down the length of his body to take him in her mouth.

The mind was a tricky thing. Mike let his brain rewind. This time, she was in a hurry, but she desperately needed to get fucked. Sliding her pants down, he took her roughly from behind, her soaking pussy squeezing hard on his dick. His mind tossed and turned over both possibilities, allowing him the luxury of both fantasies.

Grabbing the root of his cock, he squeezed hard. He felt the pressure slowly build inside, and his fantasies took hold as he felt a warm mouth engulf his cock, sucking it in hard.

Surprised, Mike opened his eyes to see a woman beneath the water’s surface, her hands pinned to his hips as her head bobbed up and down slowly on his dick. Her hair was light blue, the color of sapphires, and she appeared as if a ghost, the light of the room passing through her body. Confused, he withdrew a hand from the water and pinched his own cheek.

“Urgh!” That had hurt! He grabbed the side of the tub with one hand and fought to pull free. The woman beneath the water bobbed her head frantically, her tongue swirling around the head of his cock as she pulled him farther into the back of her throat. Gasping for air, Mike tried to slide away from her, this strange specter, but she clamped her hands against his ass and pulled his cock in as deep as it would go.

He had been too close to the edge already. Moaning, his cock spurted out rope after rope of cum, filling her throat and traveling down to her stomach. He gave up the struggle, the fight leaving him as her body became more solid. She continued to suck, and he grew light headed as he went limp, her tongue rolling hungrily across the head of his dick.

“What…the fuck?” The woman beneath the water was busy stroking his balls. He grabbed her by the hair, pulling her free of the water. She broke the water’s surface, her mouth wide, water and semen dripping down her chin. She had thin slits along the side of her neck, slits that closed and vanished in the air.

“More,” she rasped, her green eyes unfocused. “I need more.” Already she was beginning to fade, the faucet behind her becoming visible through her body. “Please.”

He stared, uncertain what special kind of stroke he was suffering from. He could see the white line of semen just inside her throat, trickling downward toward her stomach with every swallow.

Her eyes finally focused on his, her body snapping back into reality. She teased his limp cock with her fingers.

“Please,” she begged, her face approaching the water. “I need it.”

“I don’t understand. Who are you?” He asked, touching her cool skin. “What are you?”

“Later,” she whispered, her fingers touching the water. The liquid came alive, squeezing his body rhythmically up and down his legs. It swirled around his cock, tugging it like a thousand tiny hands, massaging blood back into it. Her eyes on his, he felt one of her fingers slide effortlessly up his ass.

He was immediately rock hard.

“Take me,” she gasped, pulling him deeper into the tub and wrapping long legs around his waist. “Finish the spell.”

“What spell?” He gasped, her lips finding his. Her tongue split his lips, and his dick slid into her, her body pulsing in time with his own heart.

“Fu-u-u-u-ck!” He moaned, pulling his mouth away from hers. She rode him frantically, her whole body blinking in and out of existence as she forced her hips against his. Water splashed over the edge of the tub, soaking the cool marble as she let out a scream, her face and breasts flushed as she continued to grind her pussy against him.

“I-I-I…” he stuttered, his balls contracting. She ground her pussy against him, hard, as he blew his load again. The water in the tub exploded upward, the lights above flickering as the electricity in the house surged.

The room descended into darkness, and he felt consciousness slip away.

-

Mike opened his eyes. He was still in the tub, the rag over his face. Pulling it off, he sat up, splashing water over the side.

“What the fuck?” Looking around the room, he saw no sign of the mysterious woman. The bath water was still warm. Had he fallen asleep?

He lifted himself free of the water, staring down into the tub with a mixture of relief and regret. It had to have been a dream, he thought, staring at his reflection in the mirror. A hot fucking dream.

Sighing, he stepped out of the bath onto the plush bathmat. A mystery woman who had ridden him senseless. He let out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. He never had sex dreams, and couldn’t remember the last wet dream he had had. Looking back in the bath, he expected to see a giant glob of semen floating somewhere in the water.

That was strange. He swirled the water with his hands. He could have sworn he had come. A dream couldn’t fake that sensation… could it? He gave his dick a light stroke, and sure enough, it rose to the occasion.

“Just a dream,” he muttered, crawling back into the bath. It was still plenty warm, and there was no way he could get so hard again after coming twice. May as well take advantage, he figured, laying down in the tub. He gave himself a few light strokes, pulling on the base of his balls, picturing the girl from his dreams.

The water rippled with his movements, and suddenly she was there, as if stepping through a mirror. Mouth agape, he stared as she stood up before him, the water dripping down from her C-cup breasts. Her hair was a deep blue, far richer than the color it had been before. Thin horizontal lines that looked like tattoos were etched down her ribs, and the lips of her vagina were thick and long, dribbling a fluid of their own.

“Again?” She asked, kneeling down in the water. “Let me help you.” She licked her lips, taking hold of his dick at the base.

“Who the fuck are you?!?” Mike cried, pulling away. She stared at him patiently as he tried to climb out of the bath. Tendrils of water circled his legs, pulling him back in so that the two of them were face to face.

“My name is Naia,” she cooed, touching his lips with her finger. “And you just saved my life.”