Memories and Minotaurs

The sudden shift in time and position was immediately disorienting. One second, she was on the first floor of the Radley house, the world spinning around her. The next, she was running along a busted bridge, her legs not quite right beneath her. She tripped, colliding with someone else on the bridge, and they tumbled off together. Once she hit the cold water, her synapses fired all at once, restarting her brain and giving her full control.

“Beth!” A hand swung out, grabbing her wrist, but the water swept them apart. She felt the pull of the swirling water beneath and took a deep breath. She was yanked underneath, tumbling wildly along the river bottom, bouncing off the smooth stones beneath. She curled her feet up and cover her head with her arms.

When she was younger, her father had told her that if she could hold her breath underwater for more than two minutes in the ocean, Poseidon would turn her into a mermaid. Obsessed, she spent hours practicing in her tub, joined the junior swim team, and learned how to snorkel with her cousins on the coast. By the time she was able to hold her breath that long, she had long ago learned that her father had been lying. That still hadn’t stopped her from diving down thirty feet and waiting for two minutes, hoping to see Poseidon emerge from the depths to grant her her wish.

She couldn’t hold her breath for two minutes anymore, but it was longer than a minute before she was able to break free to the surface again, gasping for air. She took a deep breath, holding it in despite the fire in her lungs, allowing her body to bob to the surface. Floating on her back, she used her hands to push herself off the stone walls. The river split, and she kicked herself toward the route that widened out, the water’s flow ebbing. Lying on her back, she stared at the rocky sky above, marveling at the giant stalactites above.

“Where am I?” She asked the ceiling, but it was too far away to answer her. She floated this way for some time, a watchful eye on the shore. She was missing a period of time again, but this time, something was different. She hadn’t just woken up in her bed, an entire day gone. No, she had been running from something, which suggested that she had been in control of her body.

Or had she? Either she had a split personality, or something else was going on. Her eyes on the river, she spotted a small outlet, and kicked her way toward it. Crawling onto the rocky shore, she rolled on her back only to feel something pushing into her hips. Shifting her weight, she realized that she had a bag strapped to her body.

“What the fuck?” Sitting up on the rocks, she slid the bag around to her front. It looked like a miniature messenger bag, strapped securely to her torso. Unzipping it, she reached inside.

“Gah!” Her fingers had touched something hairy and wet. Standing up, she tossed the bag on the rocks, waiting for something like a giant rat to crawl out. Nearly a minute passed, and she was about to try again when the bag moved on its own, shifting about. Holding in a scream, the last thing she expected to push its head out was a creepy doll.

No, not just any doll. It was the one that Mike had given her, standing up on the rocks. The doll hopped out, pushing its rumpled red dress down in an attempt to flatten it out.

“I… don’t suppose you know what’s going on?” She asked. When the doll nodded, she didn’t know whether to be surprised or not. “How… how did I get here?”

The doll walked toward her, and Beth took a step back. The doll stopped, holding one arm up, like it wanted to shake hands. Reluctantly, Beth knelt down, tentatively touching a finger to the cold, wet fabric.

The entire world popped, and Beth was standing inside of a house. On closer inspection, she realized that most of the windows and doors were painted on, a chill immediately traveling up her spine.

“Hello?” She asked. Wandering from room to room, she realized she was in a replica of the Radley house. Making a beeline for the stairs, she was headed for the front door when she saw the woman standing over by the hearth.

“Oh, please, no…” Beth whimpered, staring at the bedraggled figure. Her long hair covered her face, and her red gown was soaking wet. She was the epitome of every evil thing waiting to crawl out of a well, or television, or whatever, eager to drag Beth back to hell.

“Don’t run,” the figure said, remaining still. “I need to tell you what is happening.”

“I’m dreaming?” Beth asked hopefully.

“No. This place is a figment, but it is my figment. It is real.” She lifted her head, the hairs on her face never parting. “My name is Jenny. You’ve been here before.”

Yeah, I doubt that, Beth thought to herself. “Okay Jenny, fill me in.”

Jenny sagged, leaning against the wall. “No time for everything. I am exhausted, and cannot speak long. You are in a Labyrinth, a maze, a skip, a hop, a jump away!” Jenny shook her head, placing her hands against her temples. “No, wait. That’s not what I meant. You are here with Mike. You need to find the others.”

“What others?” Beth asked.

“Others like Lily.”

Lily. The morning was coming back to her. The car crash, the story Lily had told her, the demon in the mirror. “Will the others hurt me?”

Jenny shook her head. “The minotaur might if he catches you. Avoid him at all costs. He will charge you what you cannot afford, put it on my tab!” Jenny tightened her hands into fists, pressing them even tighter to her head. “Dangerous. He’s dangerous.”

“Minotaur?” Beth asked. “Head of a bull, body of a man?”

“Don’t leave my body…” Jenny sagged against the wall, sinking to the floor. “I’m… tired.” The house shook and crumbled into darkness. Beth was standing on the shore, kneeling over the little doll that had collapsed.

“Well…fuck.” Beth stared at the river, a sudden desire to toss the doll in surfacing in her mind. Jenny freaked her out. Grabbing onto the doll, it occurred to her that she had gone to the trouble of bringing it to this place. Whatever reason she had had for bringing the doll, she could figure it out later. Adjusting the straps on the messenger bag, she tucked Jenny back inside. Shivering, she examined the shore around her.

“I could really go for a fucking fire,” she muttered to herself, climbing the slope. At the top was the entrance to a tunnel. Crouching to go inside, she walked for several feet, marveling at the bioluminescent moss on the walls. Touching it with her hands, she realized that it was slight warm to the touch.

“I’ll take it where I can get it.” She let her open hands hover over the brighter patches, fighting the chill that threatened to chatter her teeth. The tunnel opened up, and she found herself staring at a four way juncture.

“Hey, Jenny, which way?” she asked. The doll remained silent. Placing her left hand on the wall, she took the turn closest to her. Since she had no idea where she was going, the least she could do was try her best to avoid getting lost.

A thought occurred to her. Backing up to the opening she had come from, she found a bright patch of moss and used a rock to scrape the letter R for river. Heading back down her chosen path, she scratched an arrow into the wall. At least if she was lost, she would have some way to tell where she had been. Walking briskly, she paused long enough to strip off some of her clothes and wring the water out of them, hoping it would help her warm up faster.

The Labyrinth itself was a fascinating place. Sometimes the paths were long with no breaks, and other times, she found herself backtracking. A couple of paths had caved in on themselves, and these ones she marked with an X over the arrow. Other times, she spotted simple traps. Walking down one particularly long corridor, she spotted a break ahead. Eager to get to it, she almost overlooked the fact that someone had scattered leaves across the path ahead of her. It was only when she was about to step on one that she realized there were no trees to be seen. Finding a large rock, she tossed it onto the patch of dead leaves only to watch the whole area collapse inward into a spiked pit below. The pit itself was easy to crawl into and out of, which allowed Beth to pass without issue, but the old bones in the pit informed her that someone was here to reset the traps.

In the distance, something let out a howl. Beth assumed it was the minotaur, but was grateful that it sounded distant. Her stomach growled, and she wondered how long it had been since she last ate.

“I hate this place,” she muttered, scraping a PT into the wall. She turned left at the next juncture, scraping in the appropriate arrows, and then promptly stumbled over a wire. Not knowing what to do, she threw herself onto the floor, eyes closed and praying. Spears crisscrossed above her, the trap maker assuming that the victim would simply continue forward. Her heart pounding, Beth crawled backward to inspect the trap. The spears were made of wood which, when Beth pulled hard enough, snapped off at the wall.

“Hiking stick,” she declared, examining the pointy end. The wood had been capped with a sharp, steel tip that had a nasty barb in it. Looking down the tunnel at the crisscrossed spears, she could only imagine the poor creature that would get caught on them. She gave the spear a squeeze, hefting it in her hand.

Another roar bounced off the walls, this time slightly closer. Closing her eyes, Beth imagined how sound could carry through this place, wondering if the minotaur was in the next corridor over, or half a mile away. Shuddering, she got on her stomach and crawled beneath the spears, her hair tangling harmlessly in the barbs.

This corridor narrowed, then curved. She imagined herself walking along a giant letter O, her mind immediately going back to Oliver, the mirror demon. Messing with a demon had to be the literal definition of playing with fire, her pelvis still slightly uncomfortable from the fucking she had received. Despite the chill of her damp clothes, she felt a deeper warmth at his memory, wondering if it would be worth it to play with fire again.

Not paying attention, she just happened to look down in time to see an odd shaped stone sink into the floor beneath her feet. She immediately took several steps backward, crouching down and holding up her spear. Eyes on the corridor, she looked at the walls, then the floor, then up. She could hear faint gears creaking.

“Oh fuck.” It suddenly occurred to her that the traps in the Labyrinth were likely not directional. They could be built for people coming in or leaving. She ran backward several paces and felt a sudden blast of air pressure across her back as the walls of the corridor slammed together. Turning around, she stared in awe at the trap that had almost gotten her. The thick walls of the Labyrinth now blocked her way forward, but the curve of the path meant that a small opening had appeared before her on one side. There was a path on the other side.

Debating whether she should crawl through the gap, she heard a voice from the other side.

“Hello?” Is someone there?” It sounded like a woman. Immediately suspicious, Beth kept her mouth shut. The mechanism for the wall hadn’t begun retracting yet, so Beth made the decision to squeeze through. Just as her foot cleared the gap, the gears activated, the wall shifting back the other way. Beth watched the seams in the wall disappear as it locked back into place. She was in another narrow corridor, but this one had a small opening that led her into a circular shaped room.

The room had several pillars around its perimeter that rose toward the sky but didn’t connect to anything. Each pillar looked like multiple rings stacked on top of each other. Moving carefully toward the center, Beth listened to someone grunting, the sound of stone crunching against stone making her teeth hurt. Pressing herself against one of the pillars, she circled around to the front, moving slowly.

One of the pillars had collapsed, giant stone rings lying in a pile. Beneath the rubble, a slender arm was frantically waving about, trying to push one of the bigger rings off. Crouching down, spear in front of her, Beth neared the trapped creature, kneeling down for a better look.

The arm was a grayish-white, the flesh made of stone. A couple of cracks had appeared, and a dark substance like oil leaked from the wound.

“Do you need some help?” Beth asked. The arm withdrew, and a face appeared in the gap. It was the face of a woman, with dark eyes like coal.

“Please,” she said. “It’s too heavy for me to move!”

“Well, many hands make light work.” Beth stood up, appraising the pile of rubble. “I think the easiest way may be to climb up top and move some of the heavier ones down. What do you think?”

“I’m not in a position to offer any advice.” The woman blinked. “My name is Abella by the way. I’m a gargoyle, in case you were wondering.”

“I’m Beth. Just a human, I’m afraid.” Beth stood up, looking at the rocky pile. “Otherwise this would probably be easier.”

“How are you going to get the blocks off of me?” Abella asked her.

“The number one weapon of attorneys everywhere,” Beth said. “Leverage.” Kneeling down, she picked up a stone the size of her fist, then began climbing the pile. Some of the stones shifted drastically beneath her weight, but she needed to be up top. Choosing her footing carefully, she picked one of the stones that had a gap beneath it and stuck in the spear. Satisfied that it would fit, she wedged her stone beneath the spear, trying to push it as close to the gap as possible. Using it as a fulcrum, she pushed down on the stick, and the stone shifted to one side.

“I didn’t feel anything,” Abella informed her.

“I’m not a miracle worker.” Beth removed the stick and changed positions, repeating the process. After a couple of attempts the stone circle slid far enough off the pile that it tumbled down the side. The rock shifted beneath her, and Beth stuck her arms out for balance. Satisfied that the pile had settled, she found another stone to start working on.

“So how did you get caught in this?” Beth asked.

“Shortly after we walked into the Labyrinth, we got lost. We had maps, but someone has been changing the hallways. The original plan was to set up a trap to ambush the minotaur and demand he return Tink’s goggles. Sofia thought that he may have a treasure chamber in one of the dead spaces on the map too. When we couldn’t find the minotaur, we tried to find a dead space. It didn’t work out, so we wandered until we found this chamber. Sofia decided that this was a good place to set a trap, but nobody counted on the minotaur showing up early. We got into a fight, and when this pillar collapsed, I pushed Tink out of the way to save her.” Abella grunted when Beth used her spear to tilt another chunk of stone off of the pile. “Sofia and Tink ran away, and I got stuck here.”

Beth chewed impatiently at her lip, trying to move one of the bigger stones. Her fulcrum rock wasn’t cutting it for this one, and her spear was bending far enough that she was worried it would break. “This sounds like an awful lot of trouble to go through for a pair of goggles.”

“Tink needs them so that she can show Mike how to activate the House’s defense mechanism. The mechanism runs on a timer, so it has to be reactivated once a day, but only the Caretaker can do it.”

“And Mike is the Caretaker?” Beth shoved a stone out from beneath the larger one. The pile tilted, and Beth scurried off the pile as several hundred pounds of stone rolled free, sliding off to one side. They crashed against the hard stone floor, the sound of breaking rock echoing off the ceiling high above. “I thought he was the owner.”

“It’s… complicated.”

“Sounds like it.” Beth knelt down by the hole. “I just moved a ton of rock off of you. Do you think you can move?”

“Let me see.” Abella’s face disappeared. Gazing into the gap, Beth saw her put both hands on the ground and push. The pile shifted slightly, but the gargoyle wasn’t strong enough. Her face reappeared. “No, not yet.”

“I’ve got time.” Beth’s stomach growled, and she put her hand against it. How long had it been since she ate. “I don’t suppose you have food?”

Abella shook her head. “We didn’t plan on being in here this long.”

“Fuck.” Beth rubbed her stomach. Now that she was aware of it, she was ravenous. Scowling, she climbed on the pile of stones again. “I guess I’ll just keep on keeping on.”

“Beth!” The pile shifted beneath Beth’s feet. “Run!”

“Run? From what?” Turning to face in the only direction Abella could see, she saw him standing behind one of the pillars. Clutching a giant axe in his hands, the minotaur snorted, taking a step toward Beth.

“Oh. Fuck.” Beth lifted her spear. She had nowhere to run.

-

In the darkness, she could hear the ocean crashing against the sand, gentle pulses that threatened to lull her back to sleep. If not for the sudden sound of the heavy glass door sliding in its track behind her, she would have let the ocean carry her mind away, just another cloud of thought drifting over the horizon.

“Hey there Sparks.” She heard the can of beer touch down on the glass end table, followed by the stretching of canvas when Alex sprawled out on the lounge chair next to her. From her seat, she could smell Alex’s skin, a combination of sunscreen, seawater, and the grilled burgers they had eaten earlier.

“Mmh.” Dana reached over, quickly finding Alex’s fingers with her owns.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Alex asked.

“I’m afraid to open my eyes.” Dana said. “I’m afraid that if I open my eyes, this will all go away.”

“And why would it go away?”

“Because you… you…” Dana felt the oxygen leave her lungs, the sudden inability to speak bringing back a flood of memories of the crash, the memorial service, and everything else. Taking a deep breath, she let her mind drift amongst the waves for a moment. “You’re dead.”

“I don’t feel dead.” Dana could hear the smile in Alex’s voice. “How did I die?”

“Motorcycle crash. Road was wet, and another car lost control, hitting you head on.”

“Wow. Sounds awful.”

“It was.” Dana was waiting for the world to pop, to take her back to reality. When it didn’t happen, she opened her eyes, knowing that the dream couldn’t progress any longer. She stared off the balcony, watching the water crash onto itself, erasing footprints from the sand. The sun had just set, and the world was vanishing from sight. “This is just a dream, you know? From our trip to the coast. This is the little apartment we rented, overlooking the ocean. Tomorrow morning, you’re going to spill waffle mix all over the floor and we’re going to go out to breakfast instead.”

“I hope we go somewhere good.”

“We do, but…” Dana couldn’t bear it any longer. Closing her eyes tightly, she opened them again, wiping away the tears that had formed. Turning in her chair, she looked at Alex, praying that the beach wouldn’t turn into the road where Alex had died, a cross pinned to the guardrail where the bike had skidded into the railing and gotten stuck.

Alex Winters was sitting sideways on the lounge chair, her legs crossed in front of her. She had tossed a long white tank top on after her shower, and her tight curls had been pulled up into a bun. Her skin was the color of coffee with just a dash of cream, and her dark eyes reflected the porch light that hung above them.

“Alex,” Dana whispered. It was the first time Alex had come to her in a dream fully intact, without triggering a sequence of nightmares.

“Someone makes a comment,” Alex finished for her. “A guy at one of the tables calls us a pair of dykes. You get pissed and slam his face into his eggs. The cops get called, but not before we get the hell out of there.”

“You remember?” Dana asked.

Alex laughed. It was the same laugh that had attracted Dana to Alex when they first met, and when Dana had accidentally shorted a circuit they had been building together for the class robots. Seeing those sparks reflected in the dark pools of Alex’s eyes made Dana’s heart skip several beats, the moment only interrupted when the circuit board caught on fire.

“Of course I remember. I was there.” Alex winked.

“You were, but… now you’re not.”

“Yeah.” Alex’s smile vanished, and she stared into the darkness. “It’s amazing how quickly your future vanishes when you die. Death swallows everything up in an instant. People will tell you that your life passes before your eyes when you go. Those are the people who survive, the ones who talk about all your old regrets. Nobody tells you that the worst part is watching your future vanish, seeing all your hopes and dreams become a whisper of smoke you can no longer hold on to.” Alex pulled her legs up against her body, her chin on her knees. “You get to see bits and pieces before they bury you. It’s almost like having a shitty internet connection, and the video skips. Until you told me, I wasn’t entirely sure how I died.” Her face darkened. “My parents. They were not kind.”

“They still couldn’t accept you. Even at the end.”

“Not true. It was you they couldn’t accept. That’s why they didn’t let you come to the funeral. You were a reminder of what I was and what I wasn’t. In death, I was simply a wayward angel who may have someday come back to the fold, met a nice guy, had some babies. But now I was dead, my legacy forever tarnished by some white girl who came along and corrupted my poor soul.” Alex chuckled. “Death isn’t at all what anybody expects, by the way. Sure, some bits and pieces are true, but I promise you this – their version of eternity is going to be a lot less peaceful than mine.”

“You’re… you’re at peace?” Dana felt a flood of emotion welling up behind her eyes, threatening to burst through the dam.

“Almost.” Alex stood up. “There is something I miss very much.” She stepped across the gap, sitting down next to Dana. The lounge chairs were just wide enough for both of them. “You see, one of the things you learn when you are dead is that you can’t replace some people. I’ve met some interesting beings, but none of them hold a candle to you, Sparks.”

“I miss you so much,” Dana said, gazing into Alex’s eyes. From here, she could just barely make out the dark freckles just beneath Alex’s eyes.

“I miss you too.” Alex placed a gentle hand on the side of Dana’s neck, sliding it up to her cheek.

“Is this real?” Dana asked. “Is this a dream?”

“Doesn’t matter what I say. Either you’ll stay with me forever, or you’ll wake up.” Alex pulled Dana to her, her thick lips gently touching Dana’s. Dana let out a sigh of relief, sliding her arms around Alex’s torso, holding her tight against her. She could feel Alex’s hot breath on her face, smell the grease on her fingers from cooking, sensations that should have been impossible in a dream. She kept waiting for it to end, keeping her fingers crossed that it wouldn’t. She didn’t care if that meant she had died – truth be told, she was dead already.

“Alex, I-” Alex placed a finger against Dana’s lips, her other hand running down the side of Dana’s arm. Gentle fingers moved across the bare skin of Dana’s stomach, tracing shapes on her flesh that made goosebumps rise one Dana’s arms.

“I saw that you fixed up my bike,” Alex said, her lips by Dana’s ear. Tender kisses landed on Dana’s neck, kisses that moved lower to find her collarbone. Alex’s fingers slid up Dana’s stomach, pushing aside the fabric of her bathing suit and finding the soft flesh of her breasts.

“I wanted it to remember you,” Dana said, her voice little more than a whisper.

“Do you remember what happened on this night?” Alex asked her.

“We started making out on the balcony.” Dana’s hand was on Alex’s hip. “Things got hot, but I chickened out. I was afraid someone would see us out here, so we went inside and made love in our room.”

“Not this time.” Alex snapped her fingers, and the porch light went out. Starlight illuminated the beach below, the clouds evaporating in the ghostly glow of the sky. “This time, no regrets.”

“Alex.” Dana said her girlfriend’s name as if it were a prayer. Alex pressed her lips to Dana’s, a gentle touch that was immediately familiar, yet still exciting. Dana ran one hand up Alex’s stomach, realizing that she wore nothing beneath the tank top. She gently caressed the underside of Alex’s breast, generating a slight moan of content. Alex’s breasts were super sensitive - she wore bras with extra padding if she had to wear anything heavy like a sweater. Dana placed her palm against the base of Alex’s left breast, her fingers and thumb resting perfectly beneath its curves. She could feel it faintly, the heart that had stopped so long ago beating gently in her chest.

“It’s beating,” Dana said, tears filling her eyes. “It’s really beating in there.”

“For you, it never stopped.” Their lips met again, and Dana tumbled back onto her chair, Alex straddling her hips. Alex sat up, pulling her tank top over her head to reveal her small breasts, breasts that Dana had kissed hundreds of times. It wasn’t so much the thrill of burying her face in a beautiful busom, but rather the reaction of the woman who owned them that made them Dana’s favorite body part. Leaning down, Alex kissed her way down Dana’s neck, running her hands across Dana’s stomach, then up her ribs. Dana kissed her back, hyper aware of Alex’s fingers as they slid beneath her, undoing her bikini top. The cold night air of the after life made Dana’s nipples stand at attention. Being roughly the same height, Alex’s nipples would occasionally rub across Dana’s when they kissed, causing Alex to gasp.

Dana’s hands squeezed the bottom of Alex’s ass, moving upward and onto Alex’s lower back. Alex moved off center, lightly gyrating her hips on Dana’s hipbone. The contact was minimal, but with her nipples being flicked, she hungered for more sexual contact of any kind. Dana pulled Alex down, their breasts pushing together until Alex could change position to where they were both comfortable. Dana lifted her left leg, and Alex slid herself onto it, grinding her crotch into Dana’s upper thigh. Locking eyes, Dana watched Alex’s face as she stirred herself into a small frenzy.

“I love you,” Dana said, grabbing Alex’s hips and pulling her closer, allowing her to grind even harder. “I never stopped loving you.”

“I love you too, Sparks.” Alex closed her eyes, biting her lip and letting out a long moan. One of her hands found its way onto Dana’s stomach, then slid down to the top of Dana’s shorts. “I’ll always love you.” Her fingers unsnapped the button, making enough room for her hand to disappear beneath the fabric. Exploratory fingers slid along the sides of Dana’s vulva, fingers that stroked her expertly. Alex had gotten one of her scholarships for her skill on the piano, a skill with her fingers that had carried forward into her sex life.

“MMH!” Dana closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of those fingers moving in circles over her hairless folds. Alex had always loved her clean shaven, a habit she had kept up with. Dana’s natural lubrication allowed Alex to manipulate her expertly, Dana’s clit standing at full attention while Alex worked the skin around it.

“More,” Dana whispered, so Alex obliged. Lifting off of Dana, Alex grabbed her shorts and slid them free, exposing Dana’s hairless pussy to the stars in the sky. Alex undid her bikini bottom, and resumed her spot on Dana’s thigh. She sat up straight now, holding onto Dana’s leg with one hand and fingering her with the other. Her thumb circled Dana’s clit while her fingers gently worked their way inside, curling and uncurling against her inner walls.

Dana smiled, and she pulled Alex down for another kiss. Their tongues touched briefly, swirling gently against each other’s mouths before parting once more. Dana gently bit her way down Alex’s neck, eventually reaching the top of her breasts. Alex rolled her hips in tight circles while Dana licked and nibbled at her breasts, teasing her nipples indirectly before sucking them into her mouth. Alex was grunting, a flood of sexual fluids coating Dana’s upper thigh. In response, Alex fingered Dana more vigorously, gently forcing her fingers in even deeper.

“Come up here,” Dana commanded, her hands pulling on Alex’s hips. Not one to argue, Alex scooted forward while Dana slid down the chair, her legs hanging off the bottom. Alex’s pussy smelled of sunscreen, the beach, and something else that ignited a primal urge in Dana. Licking gently around Alex’s large, wet folds, Dana lost herself in the flavor of her pussy, a delicacy that had been far too long coming.

“Oh, fuck. Oh, shit, mmh!” Alex clutched at her own thighs now, her hands moving up to the chair to brace herself. “Mmh. Mmh!”

In response, Dana grabbed Alex’s thighs and held her down, her tongue moving in circles. Alex’s clit popped out of the folds, and Dana sucked it into her mouth, pushing her chin upward into Dana’s vagina, forcing her to open up even more. Alex grunted, sending an additional flood of juices onto Dana’s face. Dana responded by tilting Alex forward to expose her opening just enough that Dana could finger her from behind.

“Oh, shit!” Alex grunted, two of Dana’s fingers sliding in all the way to the knuckle. Dana didn’t have to do much; Alex was rocking her hips just right that she was effectively fucking herself on Dana’s digits while her clit got sucked. Dana savored Alex’s musky flavor, holding her tight against her mouth when her cries grew louder. Alex was pinching her own nipples now, her cries coming faster.

When Alex came, she wrapped her hands around Dana’s head and pulled, cutting off Dana’s oxygen supply. Dana’s body flushed with heat while she continued licking, Alex’s body going completely rigid against her. Dana let go of Alex’s thigh with her left hand, her hungry fingers finding their way along her belly to her own swollen labia, pinching the folds together around her clit. She squeezed herself, her fingers now wet with her own fluids.

“Ohhhhhh fuuuuuuuck.” Alex relaxed, lifting her mound off of Dana’s face. Dana sucked in air, briefly wondering if she even needed to breathe in this place. Alex was gently rubbing her own breasts, her cheeks glowing with post-orgasmic bliss. “Fuck, I missed that so much.”

“Well I’ve missed something too.” Dana fixed her gaze on Alex’s body. Her eyes narrowed at the heavenly body on top of her. “And I expect you to deliver.”

“Ooh. I love it when you’re bossy.” Alex shifted her body, moving down along Dana’s torso. “I also know that you love it when I do this.”

Dana grinned. “But it’s not my birthday.”

“When you’re here, every day can be your birthday.” Alex lifted one of Dana’s legs, placing her leg beneath. Dana sat up, pulling the chair into a sitting position. Alex wrapped her legs around Dana, and both of them tightened their legs, pulling their hips together. Alex started slow, grinding her hairy lips against Dana’s wet lips. Dana gasped, grabbing Alex’s hips and pulling her close.

Scissoring was something that Dana loved. Something about staring into Alex’s face while the two of them humped each other, both of their bodies tense with sexual heat. Dana leaned forward, kissing her way along Alex’s chest, feeling the body that she had been so long denied. Both women were sweaty now, the humidity trapping beads of sweat against their skin, salty drops that the women licked off of each other with exploratory tongues. How long had it been, Dana asked herself, her soul finally at peace. An eternity of Alex lay before her, an infinite number of nights on the beach, of exploring each other’s bodies. She had so many questions, but could only focus on the warm body pressed against hers, that moaning shadow that threatened to press into her, finally making her complete. Closing her eyes, she felt her own orgasm building, the first of many to come.

“Dana,” Alex whispered, and then she was gone.

“Alex?” Dana opened her eyes. Alex was nowhere to be seen. Picking up her bikini top, she held it against her chest, standing up to stare off the balcony. The beach was empty, and the crashing waves had gone still. The universe had come to a halt.

“Alex? Alex!” Dana screamed into the night. The horizon had vanished, the waters of the ocean receding away. Dana watched in horror as the water vanished, revealing that the world had a crumbling edge. The Earth broke away in chunks, falling only God knew where, and Dana ran through the apartment, shoving her way through the front door.

“Ah!” Dana screamed. The world was caving in, and the parking lot in front of the building had swallowed up all of the cars. Looking down into the void, Dana could see distant stars beneath, shimmering dimly.

“Oh, God no!” Dana ran back out to the balcony, screaming Alex’s name, hoping to find her. The room fell apart behind her, and soon only the balcony was left. The world crumbled like sand around her, the building breaking into dust and blowing away. Floating in the void, she could see a sky full of stars she couldn’t recognize. One by one, they vanished, cosmic matches being snuffed out. Cold terror formed in her gut, and she clung to the railing as the final star was extinguished, and she fell into the void.

Dana sat up, a scream frozen in her throat. Her fingers clawed at the air, eventually grabbing on to the edge of the table she had been lying on. Inhaling deeply, she looked around, trying to figure out where she was.

“I see you’re back.” It was the man in the suit. He was perusing an old paperback that still had the used bookstore sticker on the cover. “How was it?”

“How was… huh?” Dana put her face in her hands, fighting back tears. What had just happened?

“Being dead.” He turned the page, then folded the corner neatly before closing the book. “You’ve been dead for…” he checked his watch. “About two hours now.”

“Dead? Me?” Dana looked at her hands. They were paler than normal. Rubbing her fingers together, she realized that they felt slightly numb. Her sense of touch had been muted.

“Yep. You’re dead.” Standing up, he got close to her. “I spent quite a bit of time on you. You see, you are here to serve a purpose, and I need you in perfect condition. Well, with one exception.” He tapped himself on the chest. “No heartbeat. Not anymore.”

“You… took my heart?” Dana placed her fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing was there. Moving her fingers around, she felt panic begin to set in.

“No, nothing as gross as that.” He snapped his fingers. Dana watched the landlady enter the room. It occurred to her that she must be in the basement of her landlady’s home. Staring up at the unfinished rafters above her, Dana wondered if she could make it up the stairs before anyone stopped her.

“Is it time?” The landlady asked. Dana couldn’t think of her name anymore, a memory that had been gobbled away by the situation.

“It is. You did a splendid job.” He motioned with his hand, and the woman collapsed on the floor, a smile on her face. “You see, I have need of your services. Two hours ago, I killed you. Naturally, your soul left your body and went somewhere else. That’s how it is for people like you, so eager to reunite with loved ones. I allowed you some time with your beloved Ms. Winters before reanimating your corpse and trapping your soul inside of it. If you do my bidding, I release you, and your happily ever after continues.”

“Wait. I’m trapped in my own body?” Dana looked at herself. “I don’t feel that different.”

“For now.” He yawned. “I apologize. I’ve been up all night tracking you down, and the magic has tired me. My name is Daryl. I’m your creator, your messiah, your god. And if you don’t do exactly what I ask of you, I will leave you like this for the rest of eternity, going mad inside of a rotting body.”

“Leave me like what?” Dana was suddenly aware that she was neither hot or cold. The room just sort of existed around her.

“Ugh. You’re a little slow, aren’t you?” Daryl crossed his arms over his chest, a look of arrogance on his face. “I’ll give you the Cliff Notes. I am a very powerful man who has used forbidden magic to turn you into a zombie. And not one of those shitty brain eaters you see in the movies. Well, not yet anyway.” Daryl laughed. “Now, I’m only going to ask this once? Do you want to see your beloved Alex again?”

Tears forming in her eyes, Dana nodded.

“Good. Then you will do exactly as I say.”

-

The minotaur glared at Beth, each puff of his loud, hot breath causing Beth’s heart to pound. He contemplated her from a distance, his hand tightening on his weapon. His large, curved horns glistened in the moss light, and he let out a blast of hot breath through his nose, his golden nose ring twitching.

“What do I do?” Beth asked Abella.

“Run! Get away!”

“That’s just it.” Beth stepped off of the pile of rubble. “I’m too tired to run. This place is full of traps, and I think if I try to get away, he will catch me.”

“Then fight!”

“I don’t want to do that either.” Beth wasn’t stupid. The minotaur had the physique of an action movie star, his body carved of solid muscle. He wore only a loincloth, which left very little to the imagination. “I have no idea how to fight.” She held the spear to her side and dropped it, the wood clattering to the floor.

“Beth!” Abella hissed.

“It’s ok,” Beth said. “It’s going to be okay.” She was watching the minotaur closely. Though he carried a giant axe, he wasn’t holding it aggressively. While intimidating, it occurred to her that the minotaur seemed more curious about her than aggressive. “My name is Beth. Do you have a name?”

The minotaur snorted, tensing up.

“No, it’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you or cause problems. I was brought here by someone else against my will.”

The minotaur tilted his head. When he spoke, his voice was a low rumble that made Beth think of James Earl Jones’s voice with a rough edge to it.

“You aren’t here for the treasure?” He looked uncertain.

“No. I don’t even know about the treasure, and I don’t want to know.”

“Are you the new Caretaker?” He asked.

Beth recognized the term. “No. The new Caretaker is here, but I’m not him.”

“She wants the new Caretaker.” The minotaur lowered his axe. “Can you take me to him?”

“I have no idea where he is.” Beth gestured around her. “The Labyrinth has him.”

“Hmm.” The minotaur was lost in thought for several seconds. “You are not afraid of me.”

“I am, a little,” Beth admitted. “I’ve never met a minotaur before, and you are quite… large.”

“I like how you talk to me.” The minotaur approached the pile of rubble. Grabbing one of the stones, he dragged it away a few feet and easily flipped it over. He sat down, his loincloth shifting. Beth’s eyes widened at the sheer size of his penis, which vanished back beneath the cloth. “She does not speak as kindly to me as you do.”

“She who?” Beth asked. The minotaur regarded her for several seconds, contemplating his answer.

“The Lady of the Labyrinth.” The minotaur set down his axe. “She commands, so I must obey.”

From where she stood, Beth could see the minotaur’s eyes briefly glaze over. The way he had said those words led her to believe that something more was going on. “Do you have a name?”

“My name?” He pondered for a second. “It has been so long since I have spoken my name. My name is Asterion.”

“Well, Asterion. I sure could use your help.”

Asterion shook his head. “Not without the Lady’s permission.”

“Well, then what does she want you to do?”

“Hmm.” Asterion’s furry brow wrinkled. “She has given me many jobs lately. Keep out intruders. Bring her the goggles. Bring her the goblin. Bring her the Caretaker.”

“It sounds like she is keeping you busy.” Beth drew nearer. “I’m curious, Asterion. What are you supposed to do if an intruder gets in?”

“Hmm.” His forehead wrinkled again. “I’m supposed to kill them.”

“But you haven’t killed me.”

“No.” Asterion put his chin in his hand, a perfect replica of the Thinker statue. His biceps bulged out, making his arms look twice their usual size. “Because you are not an intruder.”

“I’m not?”

“The Lady tells me that intruders are mean, and will run or hide or fight. You stayed to talk to me, and you are nice. So you aren’t an intruder, so I’m not supposed to kill you.”

“I see.” Beth saw the opportunity and took it. Asterion’s gifts were clearly limited to his physique. “So if I’m not an intruder, I must be something else. You said that I’m nice. Do you know what a nice person is called?”

“The Lady tells me that she is nice to me and I should do what she says. But you are not the Lady, so I shouldn’t do what you say.”

“So, I must be something that isn’t an intruder or a Lady.” Beth was sitting next to Asterion now. “I don’t want to tell you what to do, and I’m not an intruder. I’m nice, and I like talking to you. So that would make me a…” Beth waited, expecting Asterion to finish the sentence. After several seconds, the minotaur turned to look at her, his eyes expectant.

“...a friend.” Beth finished.

“Hmm.” Asterion’s lips twisted to the side, his face scrunched in concentration. “A friend. I don’t think I’ve had a friend before.”

“No? That’s too bad, Asterion, because you seem very nice. I think lots of people would like to be friends with you.”

“A friend.” Asterion grunted. “I don’t know what a friend is supposed to do.”

“Well, friends are, um,” it was Beth’s turn to think. “You see, friends are nice to each other because they like each other. Have you ever liked someone before?”

“I like the Lady.” Asterion nodded, pleased that he had an answer.

“And does the Lady like you?”

“Hmm.” Asterion’s brow furrowed again, and Beth did her best not to sigh out loud. She sat patiently next to him while he pondered the question.

“Maybe.” Asterion frowned. “The Lady isn’t mean to me. And she talks to me sometimes, but only to tell me what to do. So I don’t know if she likes me.”

“Well, I like you.” Beth patted him reassuringly on his massive thigh. The muscles in his leg were rock hard, and Asterion looked at where she had placed his hand, a strange look crossing his face. “And if you like me too, then we can be friends!”

“I see.” Asterion contemplated Beth’s hand for several seconds. “So friends like each other.”

“That’s one thing that friends do.” She gave his thigh a friendly squeeze. “Some other things that they do is keep each other company, and help each other when they need it.”

“Friends help each other.” Asterion mulled this over. Beth let him, knowing that her attempts at diplomacy hinged on being patient. The minotaur really didn’t seem like a bad person to her, but she could see his axe from here, and had no desire to find out first hand just how sharp it was. “So if we are friends, we would help each other?”

“Only if we want to,” Beth added. “For example, I wouldn’t tell you to help me find my way out of the Labyrinth. I would tell you that I wanted help, and it would be your choice.” She stroked his leg, feeling how the different muscles in his thigh felt like braided steel beneath his skin. She felt a twinge in her own thighs, and did her best to maintain eye contact with him. “And if you asked me for help, I would decide if it was something I could help you with.”

“Hmm.” Asterion vanished into his thoughts. Beth kept rubbing his leg, her fingertips sliding towards his inner thigh. With each gentle stroke, she explored his leg just a little farther, unable to help herself. The skin of his body was the same brown color as his head, and his body was covered in a very fine, short cut hair, and it made her think once more of that old Dracula movie, and the fur covered beast fucking that girl in the gardens that were just like a maze…

Beth grinned, trying to ignore the tightening sensation that started in her pelvis, generating a rush of heat that radiated out through her legs. Her clothes were still slightly damp, but the temperature in her panties was slowly climbing. She shifted her weight on the stone block, immediately aware of the sensation of her panties dragging ever so slightly across her clitoris which had emerged from hiding.

Asterion sniffed the air, then sucked in a lungful of air. His lips curled into a grin.

“Do you need help, Beth?”

“I do need help, yes.” Beth stood up. “With a couple of things, if you don’t mind.”

“I want to help you.” Asterion took a step toward her, a large grin on his bull face. “And you can help me too.”

“Help with what?” Beth’s eyes fell to his loincloth. It no longer hung casually, but had lifted several inches in the air, Asterion’s massive cock hiding just beneath the thin fabric. Beth was going to say no, to explain that they were in a hurry, but her mind went back to her time with Oliver, to every time she had backed herself onto the Delightful Dragon, and even to the time she had made a reluctant boyfriend wear an extender while dressed as a werewolf.

In front of her was something real, an experience waiting to be had, to be claimed and conquered. Asterion moved closer, and a wave of musk rolled over Beth. A storm was forming somewhere in her gut, lightning crawling up and down her spine when Asterion stepped closer to gently touch one of her breasts.

“I want to see it,” Beth said, and Asterion quickly obliged. With a tug on some strings, he tossed away the loincloth, revealing his cock. The skin was almost black, and his body hair stopped at the base of his shaft. The head of his cock was shaped like a sideways hourglass, narrowing to a point the size of her pinky.

“Holy shit.” Beth stared at the massive member in awe.

“You need to breed.” Asterion placed his hands on her waist. “You are in heat.”

“Something like that.” Beth spit on her hand, using it to rub the thick shaft. Would this even fit in her? She almost laughed.

She would make it fit.

Asterion watched her stroking his shaft, unaware that her ministrations were more than just an attempt to get him hard. With each stroke, Beth was taking in the smoothness of his shaft, feeling the powerful pulse of flowing blood through his genitals, contemplating the size of his balls and wondering if she would feel them slamming against her ass as he fucked her. No, she was analyzing him, thinking of the best way to make it happen.

Asterion made a low, rumbling sound in his throat. Beth smiled at him, planting a tiny kiss on the head of his penis.

“Do you like that?” She asked him. He nodded, watching her continue. Beth was using both hands stacked on top of each other with plenty of room left. At the base of his cock, she couldn’t even get her fingers to touch her thumb due to how thick he was. She kept tugging on him, his cock leaking little spurts of fluid onto her hand and providing extra lubrication. She did this for several minutes, her pulse throbbing hard enough that she could feel it in her labia.

Looking up at Asterion, it suddenly occurred to her that he was never going to make the next move. Staring wistfully at the cock in front of her, she managed to get just a bit of it in her mouth. His spunk was bitter at first, making her think of a harsh bourbon. Salivating on his large knob, she stripped off her pants with some difficulty, the fabric slightly tighter after her trip into the river.

Asterion rumbled with pleasure, and Beth hummed while she blew him, laying her pants on the stone floor as a cushion. Stroking him with one hand, she fondled his giant balls with the other, marveling at how supple the skin of his scrotum was.

She pulled her mouth off of him. His dick was now slick with spit and spooge, and she couldn’t wait any longer. Stripping off her lacy panties, she tossed them on the floor, and stood up.

“Lie down,” she commanded. Asterion blinked a couple times before acquiescing, sprawling out on the floor. Beth straddled his waist, pushing his cock against his belly. It traveled quite a ways up his chest. Sitting down on top of his massive member, she moved her cunt against him, spreading out lubrication of her own.

Asterion sighed, rumbling deeply from within his chest. Beth pulled her way forward, arching her hips so just the tip of his dick sat at her opening. Asterion grabbed her hips, and she slapped his hands away.

“I don’t want you to rip me in half,” she told him, easing herself down on him. Her pussy protested at first, the ache from her sexual encounter with Oliver still there. She let out a moan, forcing herself back even farther, determined to bypass her initial discomfort. It was like a runner’s high – she just needed to get through the first stretch to enjoy the benefits.

“I am enjoying that,” Asterion said, his gentle hands on her thighs.

“So. Am. I.” Beth punctuated every word by thrusting herself farther onto his cock. She was disappointed when he bottomed out in her before she could reach the bottom, but was extremely pleased to feel his hands on the side of her body, guiding her. She took her hands off of his chest, and held still. Asterion moved her around with his powerful arms, gently thrusting himself into her, letting out an occasional growl of pleasure. His strong arms were powerful enough that he was able to easily lift her, sliding himself all the way before thrusting himself back in. Beth hissed, a hiss than turned into a protracted moan when Asterion pulled himself even farther into her.

“Fuuuuuuuck.” Beth felt her organs shift to accommodate the dramatic widening of her vagina. Knowing full well that she would have trouble walking, she grabbed Asterion’s wrists and forced herself even farther onto him. Asterion pumped himself in and out of her, his loud grunts echoing off of the stone columns.

“Oh, shit!” Beth let go of Asterion’s wrist, rubbing her clit frantically. She could feel it now, powerful convulsions inside her thighs, radiating down her legs and making her ass tighten up. Her hand was quickly soaked with her own fluids, and she thrust herself onto Asterion’s cock even farther. He let out a loud honking noise, his eyes rolling up into his head, his muscles tensing up.

“Not yet!” Beth grabbed Asterion’s nose ring and pulled. Asterion cried out in pain, and Beth felt his orgasm back down. Pumping herself even harder, she grabbed the base of his cock. With her hand tightly around his shaft, she slammed herself onto her own fist. Content that Asterion wasn’t about to blow his load again, she let go of the nose ring and rubbed her clit again.

Inside of her, the head of Asterion’s cock was like a thick rubber ball moving up and down inside her stomach, pushing against the soft tissue of her womb and scattering lightning throughout her being. Groaning with pain and pleasure, Beth continued riding the minotaur, her hips moving in a tiny circle after every thrust.

Asterion stood up suddenly, and Beth wrapped her legs around him, her eyes wide. He carried her over to the stones they had sat upon, pulling her off of his cock and spinning her around. Complying, Beth bent over, grabbing onto the stone.

“Hurry up and OW!” Asterion wasted no time in slamming himself into her. Though he couldn’t fit inside her completely, his balls swung up and smacked against the stretched folds around her clitoris, sending a bolt of pleasure straight to her brain.

“Oh god, yes, oh god, yes, OHMIGOD!!!” Beth’s orgasm wasted no time, her body shuddering wildly against the stone slab. She clutched tightly the rock beneath her, screaming into the hard surface. Pressing herself into the stone, she braced herself as Asterion thrust into her rapidly, letting out low-pitched moans of his own. Just as her orgasm began to subside, Asterion let out a loud howl, filling her with hot minotaur seed. Beth’s whole body clenched, and she forced his sperm to squirt out of her stretched vagina, covering his shaft in both of their fluids.

‘Oh, fuck,” Beth whispered, going limp against the rock. Asterion’s cock was already deflating, and he pulled himself free, a large pool of sperm forming beneath them. Beth lay still for several minutes, her entire lower body on fire. Her wildest fantasies were coming true, and she felt her grasp on reality start to slip. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the afterglow.

Beneath the rocks, she heard Abella grunt.

“Oh, shit.” Standing on wobbly legs, Beth found her panties and her pants, sliding them back on. Asterion stood naked next to her until Beth handed him his loincloth.

“Abella? Are you okay?” Beth was worried that the gargoyle had gone silent. She knelt by the gap in the stones.

“Uh… yeah.” Abella’s face appeared in the hole. Her face was darker than normal. “I was, uh, just having trouble with my tail. It got stuck.”

“You have a tail?” Beth asked.”That’s so cool!” Asterion was now beside her, and he casually lifted the large stone blocks off of the pile. His muscles bulged lifting some of the larger pieces, and Beth patted them appreciatively. The small pile moved on its own, and Abella rose, the heavy stones falling around her. She stretched her arms to the sky, her wings unfolding behind her back. Beth saw that the stone webbing had torn in multiple places beneath the rubble, and Abella’s body had dark flaws across it, cracks in the stone that glistened with dark fluids.

“Thank you, Asterion.” Abella bowed her head at the minotaur, who now contemplated her.

“Are we friends too?” Asterion asked.

“Yes, but not the same as you are with Beth,” she told him, rubbing her shoulders. Her stone breasts rippled, tiny chunks of debris falling off of her. “Thank you for freeing me.”

“You are welcome.” Asterion smiled.

“So, we can go now?” Abella asked.

“Hmm.” Asterion frowned. Beth kept smiling, but she watched Abella roll her eyes. Asterion knelt to retrieve his axe, holding it casually over his shoulder. “We must go to see the Lady. If you want to leave the Labyrinth, you need her permission.”

Abella swore under her breath, but Beth patted Asterion on the arm. “That sounds like a great plan. Lead the way, friend.”

Asterion beamed at Beth, then led them out of the room of stone columns.