2 comments/ 45425 views/ 13 favorites Reflections of Night and Day By: SolRaine Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction created from a mind too often caught up in dreaming. If you are offended by stories containing lesbianism or incest then please discontinue reading and seek distraction elsewhere. This story may be printed to be viewed while offline, but any reposting is not permitted without the authoress' consent. Comments and feedback are always welcome, but please keep any criticisms constructive. * The soft light of a sensual moon fell upon the subtle warmth of her creamy skin while she remained in the grips of restless sleep. Each line of her athletic form was further enhanced by the caresses of shadows. These shadows only seemed to harbor the secrets held within herself. A whimper left full lips. Its sound trembled throughout the dark, resonating within the quiet. Her chest rose in the dramatic collection of a slow breath. An image flashed before her eyes causing her to moan aloud. As if beyond her control, she enacted the movements consuming her within her dream. Lithe fingers gripped at the sheets adorning her body, believing them to be the silken hair of the woman bringing her closer to the abyss of pleasure. Lost and succumbing to the warm breaths curling over her moistened flesh, her breathing grew raspy and erratic. Her thighs bloomed open in gracious acceptance of the searing tongue she could distinctly feel teasing her depths. "I love you," she felt tickling her intimate skin. It did not move her to feel anything beyond the intensity of the physical. In fact, the words had left her with an emotional ache to understand their meaning. The arms around her thighs, insistently pulled her closer to a famished mouth. She cried out in her sleep and in her dream as she was impaled upon that eager tongue determined to claim her. Pace hastened to a feverish ardor. Her body trembled with her desires. She was writhing, completely at home within that realm of insatiable need. Her body bowed upward with a mighty jerk. She screamed, the fount of her juices offering up the rewards for her lover's diligence. It was that scream which woke her from her dream. Her dark brown eyes flashed open. Breathlessly, she stared to the ceiling overhead. Her entire body was covered in the mists of sweat. She reached upward with a distinctly timid slowness. Her fingers ran through her long auburn hair, feeling how saturated with perspiration it had become. Wearily, she rolled onto her side. She whispered so faintly as to scarcely be heard. "Happy birthday, Aurora." She clasped her hands together, her legs drawing upward into a fetal position. With her fingers tightly interwoven, she drifted off to sleep. It was in that sleep that she came to embody a woman lost in prayer. In truth, she did have a prayer upon her lips even though she had yet to voice it aloud. That prayer was simply this: Please tell me why I have these dreams. Once these dreams had seemed to be nothing more than the vivid images of an overactive subconscious, but now... now they seemed so much more than that. They were real in a sense that she had never known. What frightened her most was that whenever she recalled the visions of her nights, the dreams did not seem like dreams at all, but rather, they appeared to be memories. Whenever she awoke, she felt as though her nights had found her living the life of another. But who and why, she often wondered. Wondering these things, however, never brought her any closer to unearthing the truth. In fact, it often left her feeling more and more helpless. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The world seemed somehow far away. It had been separated from her by the protective clutches of a glass wall. Her head inclined to the right, she stared outward to something beyond even the reaches of sight. Her almond-shaped eyes were dark and shown with a catlike intensity as she grew more lost in her own thoughts. Sunlight lovingly filtered through to touch her lengthy hair. The gentle perfume entrapped within every strand exuded a fragrant grace as captivating as each lock's cinnamon hue. Those layered tresses framing her beautiful face only seemed to further the aristocratic nature of her beauty. She drew in a slow breath, taking in the scents of imported coffees and freshly baked pastries filling the air. Around her, the woman dressed in a tailored black leather jacket and a long-necked emerald sweater heard the chaotic sounds of the coffee-shop at an echoing distance. She absently crossed the athletic length of her jean-clad legs. "Aurora Hunter," she heard, suddenly waking her from her reveries. Aurora turned away from the windows, taking in the sight of her friend staring at her in a mix of curiosity and concern. "I'm sorry," she stammered. "What were you saying?" Maya, a woman with glowing caramel skin, parted her lips. She released a playful laugh that bubbled from her petite depths. Tilting her head, the sunlight glinted in satiny short black hair. She studied the woman across from her from behind silver-rimmed glasses. Her dark eyes asked the question before her voice uttered the words. "What's going on with you, girl?" Maya asked. "You're a thousand miles away." Aurora sighed as she gave her friend an apologetic gaze. "I haven't been sleeping well." Leaning forward, Maya placed her hand upon Aurora's arm which rested against the table. The bordeaux red of her sweater was a flash of brilliant color as she moved. "Is it the dream again?" Saying nothing, Aurora nodded. Maya affectionately squeezed the forearm beneath her hand. "I still say you should talk to someone about these dreams." "And say what? 'Oh, can you help me with my dreams that feel more like I'm seeing someone else's experiences?' " Aurora rolled her eyes at how ridiculous it sounded to her. "Is that what it feels like?" Maya observed her friend a bit more closely, realizing that this was the most Aurora had discussed her dreams and how they made her feel. Meeting Maya's eyes directly, Aurora nodded again. "I've never felt anything like this before. It's like I'm connected to someone I don't even know and I can't explain how or even why." Maya moved her chair closer to Aurora and then wrapped her arm around her, hugging the young woman's shoulder. Aurora rested her temple against her best friend's, taking this opportunity to allow Maya to comfort her. "I know what will make you feel better, sweetie," Maya said softly. "You do?" Aurora asked. "Epic shopping." Aurora laughed and nodded. She lifted her head. "Yes, let's get this day of shopping underway." "That's my girl!" The two friends rose from their seats then made their way toward the door. Aurora was digging for her sunglasses within the confines of her purse while attempting to maneuver through the steady stream of people coming into the coffee shop. Behind her, she clearly heard Maya struggling not to drop their coffees in the battle for the rights to the door. The coffee shop had been so warm, so comforting. It was a dramatic contradiction to the cold which rushed to meet her as she stepped outside. The sudden overwhelming flash of sunlight reflecting off the windows from the building across the street temporarily blinded Aurora. She knew nothing but a world of unfathomable white. Unable to see, Aurora squinted at the abundance of painful light and ran directly into a patron attempting to enter the coffee shop. The impact caused her to drop her purse. Apologizing profusely to the woman, she stooped down and gathered up her things. "It's all right," she heard said with a softly-spoken gentleness. "Are you okay?" "Yes, I'm fine, thank you." "Good." Aurora looked up to see that the woman moving past her was nothing more than a beautiful silhouette of elegant lines with the sunlight at her back. She stopped, staring upward in a moment of awe. Her eyes could only glimpse a graceful hand of flawless ivory. Aurora found herself unable to take her eyes off of the bracelet adorning the woman's delicate wrist. She had never seen anything more beautiful or more unusual. The bracelet looked as though it might have been plucked from the pages of history and gently offered to this woman. Lost in thought, Aurora collected the last of her belongings. She gratefully noted the sun no longer posing a problem as the woman of silhouette suddenly became a woman dressed in all black with silken raven hair that ended dramatically at the small of her back. Maya looked from her kneeling friend to the back of the woman entering the coffee shop. She smiled. "She was beautiful," she said, recognizing that look in Aurora's eye. "You saw her?" Aurora asked while rising to her feet. Maya nodded then frowned slightly in thought. "Well, I saw her as much as anyone could. She was wearing very dark sunglasses and let's not even talk about her face." Aurora rushed to catch up to her friend who was already walking down the sidewalk in a determination to begin their day of shopping. "What about her face?" "Don't get me wrong, sweetie. Her face was stunning, but it was hard to make out any details while her hair was masking it." Maya smirked. "Perhaps our mystery girl is shy. Her head lowered the moment I attempted to look her direction." Looking over her shoulder, Aurora wondered about the small glimpse of the woman she had just missed. "It did?" "Mhmm... and I believe she even blushed." Maya laughed under her breath. "Yes, a real wallflower, that one. Basically your polar opposite, wild child." She offered Aurora her coffee then hooked her arm in her friend's as together they walked. "Now, come on. Let's hit the shoe store on the corner. I've got to get those heels I've had my eye on." Aurora smiled, but it only served to mask her thoughts which drifted to the sound of the woman's voice. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Night had returned with a looming sense of inevitability. She courted Aurora who possessed a sense of serenity now, though it had come after the greatest of battles. Aurora sighed quietly into her pillow. Her hand reached out for the phantom body she yearned to have lying next to her. Then lovingly she nuzzled at her pillow. It was in this state of seeming peace that her subconscious traveled to the dreams it seduced each night. Reality and fantasy merged into a plane of indistinguishable luster and life. That world claimed Aurora wholly. Her hands were pinned down on either side of her head as a mouth hungrily sought to seize her own. She closed her eyes as they kissed heatedly. With a moan, she began to suckle and nurse at the soft tongue which had been so sensually caressing her own. Their kiss broke with a passionate gasp for air and an insatiable growl. Aurora shivered from head to toe inflamed by the mouth moving to feast upon the delicate flesh of her neck. An erotic bite elicited a hiss. Her lashes fluttered open, forcing her gaze to fall upon her wrists held down with such passion. She narrowed her beautiful dark eyes on her hand. Fixed upon wrist, she saw it. A bracelet glinted in the moonlight, but as she sought to make out its every detail a sound fought to be heard. Aurora found herself more enthralled by this sound. What was it? She listened more closely until at last it became clear. It was music. Where had she heard it before? What were those words which she knew meant so much? Bolting upright, Aurora woke from her dreaming. She stared wildly about her apartment, trying to once again reacquaint herself with her surroundings. The slowing of her heart was accompanied by the image of the sun cresting in the brilliance of dawn. The sunlight fell in a piercing shard of light to a picture poised upon the far wall. She gazed on the picture with a bit of wonder present inside her brown eyes. Curiously, she rose from her bed and walked across the spans of her room toward the picture adorned in light. Staring back at her, Aurora saw two very different faces. Her mother was a graceful woman with flowing golden hair and blue eyes that smiled as she looked out to a dusk-kissed sea. The airy powder-blue sun-dress dancing on the breeze emphasized the inviting softness of her every line and curve. She lovingly held her three-year-old daughter's hand in her own. From the smile upon her face, it was clear that she was completely unaware of the expression touching her child's face. Tracing her fingertips over her face, Aurora searched for the words to describe the emotion she saw so clearly within her eyes. Was it loneliness? Was it longing? She had never seen a child with such an expression. With a bit of a lean, she looked more closely at her face. Aurora looked like a porcelain doll. Her auburn hair floated on the currents of wind, but the subtle hint of olive to touch her skin had yet to awaken with the presence of an active life spent outdoors. At that age, Aurora's skin had been so very fair. The image of a woman in ebony flashed before her eyes with such resounding force that it was all Aurora could do to escape a bout of fleeting vertigo. She remembered the dream, the bracelet she had seen upon her hand and wondered if perhaps it could have been the same bracelet. "That's crazy," she mumbled. Dismissing the thought, she raked her fingers roughly through her hair. "Pull it together, Aurora. You're losing it." She wearily made her way to her bathroom, hoping that a shower might somehow help her, but when she emerged from its hot water still feeling as though she was overwhelmed by her confusion, she decided that she would do things a bit out of routine. Instead of waiting until evening to run, she would run now and hopefully rid herself of this tension collecting throughout her body. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Her breathing spoke of a consuming calm. Aurora had run beyond her worries, beyond her dreams. All that existed to her now was the sound of her heart beating clearly within her ears and the sound of her breathing rolling with a oneness to match the ocean, itself. She veered from the sandy dunes toward the trail that would take her high above the deserted beach to the cliff overlooking the sea. A flicker of white clapping in the breeze caught her eye. She stopped then frowned curiously as she stared at the piece of paper weighted down by a rock. Kneeling down, she moved the rock away. Then frowning, she read the words scripted across the page. "I'm so sorry." Aurora lifted her head, staring before her to the path which would take her to the view of the ocean. Was whomever left these words waiting, she wondered. She swallowed at the lump in her throat, suddenly overwhelmed by this impending sense of dread. Looking at the final word, she noticed the stains smudging the print. "Tears," she whispered. Aurora narrowed her eyes on the words, struggling to make them out. "Please, HEAR ME. I wasn't strong enough to exist without you in this life so I beg you... 'Turn my world upside... FIND ME' in the next. Fate be kind to us then. I love you, my Soul Mate. "Yearning for you with an unbearable ache, Selene Wolf" With a horrified gasp, Aurora scrambled to her feet. She sprinted with all her might to the top of the path just in time to see a woman dressed in a mesmerizing crimson dress drawing nearer to the cliff's edge. The woman's long black hair tickled at her naked shoulders. Her ivory skin was a flawless display of softness. The corseted dress affixed to the wiles of her body was enough to enslave a world, but instead it claimed only one servant this day: Aurora, who lunged forward just as the mysterious woman courting her death began to fall forward. Gritting her teeth at the sudden jerk of her body, Aurora was slammed mercilessly into the earth. She held the forearm of the woman in red, determined to hold on with everything she possessed. Tears lined her eyes as she peered down to the face upturned to stare at her with shock and wonder. Alabaster beauty ---timeless and gracious--- was the canvas to features of refined perfection. So great was their allure, that each feature possessed the power to render the greatest artists overwhelmed and weeping with their sudden sense of inadequacy. Raven tresses of shimmering thickness whipped in the sea air, but those locks of satiny grace could not mask the eyes that peered up at Aurora while lined with glistening tears. Aurora released a trembling breath as she gazed down onto this pained face.... her face. She knew those eyes because they were her own. The leonine gaze of dark sienna were lined in intense kohl, emphasizing their almond shape. How was it possible for this woman to be her mirror image in all but the color of their hair and the slightest differences in their skin, Aurora wondered. She remembered the picture of herself with her mother. Her skin had been so pale then, so much like this woman's, but that thought fled from her with the feel of the woman slipping. Aghast, she shook her head from side to side. "No!" Aurora reached out to clasp the woman's arm with both hands, attempting to solidify her grip. The woman in red watched as her arm eased more from Aurora's clutches. She stared at her wrist, feeling it bruise as Aurora held more fiercely. When she witnessed Aurora's upper body begin to slide over the edge of the cliff, she blanched in horror. "Let me go!" she pleaded. "Let me go or we'll both fall!" "I'm not letting you go, Selene," Aurora vowed. "Hang on to me!" Despite the dire circumstances which Fate had found them in, Selene's face managed to transform to that of utter tranquility. In her beautiful eyes, a sort of softness took shape. Her letter had been found. She would not simply be forgotten. Selene felt the persistent lure of gravity. Her eyes watched her wrist venture from this woman's hold until all that remained within fighting hands was her own hand. She gazed deeply into tearful brown eyes. Her gaze seemed to say, "It's okay." And yet, Aurora argued that sentiment with her own eyes so completely. A sob rose from inside her throat. She gripped tighter at lithe fingers and finally fingertips. A scream ripped from her soul as Aurora lost her hold. She reached outward, but it was in vain. The hand she ached to hold was gone.... gone in a blur of cardinal red. Compelling herself to her feet, Aurora stared down into the water, realizing that Selene had been swallowed by a wave. In the haze which followed, she felt something within her hand. Some object had slipped from Selene. Opening her hand, she saw a bracelet. It was the bracelet from her dream, the bracelet from the woman outside the coffee shop. She placed it upon her wrist then took a few hurried steps backward before she leapt. She leapt directly into blind faith. She leapt into the consuming realm of destiny and whatever it might hold for her. The roar of the ocean grew deafening until it swallowed Aurora whole. The complete immersion into the sea robbed her of all sound, bringing about a sudden sense of absolute silence and solitude. Still, in the distance of her thoughts she recalled the reason for her madness, the only shore she cared to cling to when she could feel herself drowning: Selene. Then there was only blackness. ~~~~~~~~~~ Slowly, the feel and sound of the waves rolling in to tickle her face brought a groggy woman to her senses. Eyelids parted to take in the vibrancy of day. She groaned, weakly pushing off her sandy resting place. On her hands and knees, she scoured the horizon, but saw no one. "Selene," she whispered in remembrance. Aurora released a saddened whimper while struggling to her feet. She ignored the saturated weight of her cinnamon hair which seemed all but dark mahogany now. She brushed it from her face then trudged her way from the beach, thinking only of home. Leaving the beach, she found her way to the quiet place she had parked her car. Aurora slipped behind the wheel. Her hands gripped the steering wheel as she stared forward unseeingly. Slowly, her breath grew to tremble until at last it left her in a violent waver. She cried with abandon. She cried for her failed attempts. She cried for the woman who was now gone, but she also cried for what could have been. She cried for what Selene might have known in her life had she continued on, but most of all, she cried for the opportunity to understand their intertwined paths now lost. Reflections of Night and Day ~~~~~~~~~~~ A resounding beep echoed throughout the darkened apartment. It was immediately followed by the deeply concerned voice of a friend. "Aurora-sweetie, it's me, Maya." The sigh which filled the air, warned of her fears, her sadness. "I'm worried about you, girl. It's been a week and no one's heard from you. I've tried going by your place and I never get an answer." Maya's voice shook as she struggled not to cry. "If you can just give someone a call. . . even if it isn't me. . . just let someone know that you're okay. Please. I love you, sweetie. Bye." Wearily, Aurora lifted her head. She stared to the blinking light meant to remind her of her best friend's call. Had it been a week, she wondered. She reached upward and roughly massaged her eyes. With the blinds drawn, the passing of day to night had gone unnoticed. Aurora sighed and rose to her feet. She stumbled over the papers scattered about the floor of her bedroom. Her eyes didn't need to look to see what they were. She knew. Upon each page was a story of a missing woman in the hopes that she might discover something on Selene Wolf, but each story proved to be a disappointment. There was no mention of the woman in red. She had done her best to find information. She had even tried to contact the police, but that proved fruitless. They looked into what Aurora had seen, but once she had contacted them, their investigation into the matter soon left her out of the proverbial loop. The one thing she had successfully managed to discover was the origin of the few lines within the letter. Staggering toward the bathroom, the young woman surprised herself by slipping into the shower. She performed the task of bathing with an unconscious knowledge of the world around her. Aurora rested her head against the cool tile of the shower wall. The fog of her mind cleared for only an instant to allow the face of a beautiful woman to return to her. She saw the almost tranquil expression upon Selene's face in the moments before she fell. Looking for Selene had caused her to run into dead-end after dead-end. As far as the simple option of a phone-book listing, there was nothing. If Selene was from the general area, she had flown under the radar of life and had made herself unavailable. Aurora stepped out of the shower and thoughtlessly wrapped herself in a large bath towel. The soft fabric encircling her body brought little comfort. She gazed deeply into the mirror now covered by the effects of steam. Her hand smoothed away the area of her eyes. She peered into those eyes, seeing not her own eyes, but the eyes of her mysterious Selene. "Who were you?" she whispered. Her hand remained poised at the mirror. She splayed her fingers out, unconscious of her hand's readiness for the fingers it longed to have intertwine with its own. Her pleading brown eyes closed. She felt a powerful ripple race along her spine. Quietly, she gasped. Her hand hovered near the mirror with a name ringing in her ears. Blindly, she traced her finger along the mirror's surface. The path explored by her finger left a momentary break between the dew anointing the shimmering plane. She lowered her hand. There before her eyes remained the image which had recently come to haunt her dreams as much as Selene. She stared heavily upon the outline of a lotus, wondering what it meant. Suddenly her brows knit together into a frown. Aurora raced back into her bedroom. Falling to her knees, she scoured through the disheveled remains of a week long hunt. The newspapers carpeting her floors were torn at with violent disregard. "It's got to be here," she muttered. "I know I saw it." Her breathing all but ceased as she found the image she had been searching for. Nestled within the advertisements for various restaurants and nightclubs lived a blood red square. In its heart lay a solitary black lotus. "This is it," she whispered. "This is the lotus in my dreams." Her eyes searched intently through the remainder of the newspapers. She had hoped to find more information on the secretive symbol, but there was nothing. The only clue left to taunt her was the occasional black on red insignia. Frustrated with what was turning into a fruitless search, Aurora sighed. "Fate pulled me into this. It has to help me now." She rose from the cool hardwood floors then crossed the room to her closet. She opened the doors and stepped inside. Though her mind had not quite caught up to the intent of her hands, she retrieved her clothing. Aurora pulled fitted leather pants upon her sculpted legs. The sound of her heeled boots kissing the floor was a distant echo. Still very much lost in thought, she crossed the room again and found a black satin bra within her lingerie drawer. She slipped into before donning the raven shirt so fitted to her body. The feel of the fabric hugging her lengthy throat and tickling the spans of her arms only to end two inches beyond her wrists contradicted the freedom of the air kissing her naked stomach. Standing at the mirror, Aurora tended to her makeup with the perfectionist nature of an artisan. The smoldering intensity of her kohl-lined gaze brought thoughts of Selene. She gazed more heavily into the mirror, forgetting that it was her own stare which met hers. Her fingers brushed through her long hair one final time. Then she immediately left her bedroom. Grabbing her wallet, her sunglasses and her keys, Aurora left her apartment. She wasn't sure where she would end up. She only knew that she had to try and find this elusive symbol and its meaning. ~~~~~~~~~~~ The hottest clubs within the city were all rooted within this area, but something told Aurora she was in the wrong part of town. She listened to the steady approach of techno drawing nearer. Her head turned to the left just in time to see a black Mustang pulling up alongside her. The woman driving the car was dressed in a red dress so dark it bordered on black. She played absently with the choker at her neck. As her eyes met Aurora's, she smiled. In the dying light of day, she removed her sunglasses. That simple act had revealed light blue eyes, but more importantly had created a level of intimacy to pass between them. There was a lengthy moment of silent exchange before the woman's full lips parted again into a smile. She mouthed the words which inspired a sense of intrigue. "Follow me." Aurora arched her brow curiously then nodded to the desirable brunette. At the moment that the light changed green, the Mustang pulled in front with a growl. Aurora followed closely, determined not to lose this woman once she recognized the symbol she had been searching for positioned as a sticker on the Mustang's bumper. Night was coming. They left the posh hub of restaurants and clubs. In their dance of follow the leader, they swerved through the bustling traffic of people looking to have a good time. They played question/answer with the definite snarls of engines revving at traffic lights. Soon, they left what could only be described as the good part of town. They found themselves in the more gritty underworld where shadow touched everything. Aurora began to take notice of more stickers. Whenever she was caught in her observance, a beautiful woman would smile and mouth the words, "Follow me." It became painfully clear to her that the reason that no one could ever find any word of this mysterious club was because it was not advertised. Knowledge of it came through invitation. Within minutes of her observation, the Mustang ahead turned into what appeared to be a run down parking garage. Aurora watched curiously as a woman stepped out of a small booth and listened to the brunette. She noticed the manner in which the woman ahead of her motioned behind her toward her car. Slowly, the attractive security guard nodded then began walking toward her car. Aurora moved her hand away from the steering wheel to open her window. She remained slightly wary as the woman leaned forward and observed her from behind mirrored sunglasses. Extending a small card with the emblem on it, the woman spoke. "You've been given a one night pass by one of the members." She smiled. "Enjoy it because not everyone gets invited back." She tilted her head and added, "but something tells me you'll be different. You're one of us, I can tell." Accepting the card, Aurora nodded in understanding. She tensed slightly realizing that the guard hadn't let go of the other end. "Yes?" she asked softly. The guard blushed behind her glasses and let go of the card. "I'm sorry," she laughed bashfully. "You just really remind me of---" Her voice trailed off. She backed away from the car, motioning her in. "Have fun." Wondering what the woman had been about to say, Aurora pulled forward. She parked alongside the brunette leaning against her Mustang. As she slipped out of her car, she heard the sound of heels echoing within the garage as the woman drew closer. The brunette didn't utter a word. She merely began to walk with a seductive sway toward what appeared to be a broken down elevator. She slipped inside then held the doors open for the auburn haired woman following. Once her guest stood hesitantly at the doors, she said, "Trust me. Nothing here is as it seems." Aurora put aside any reservations she might have had and entered the lift. The moment she stepped inside, she realized that the elevator was quite modern, but simply made to appear old. She watched the doors close then felt their descent. "Welcome to the Black Lotus," a female voice purred over the speakers. When the doors opened at their stop, the brunette took the lead. She stepped into a glistening black hall with a red carpet running down the center. Along the walls were lights, the very semblance of old-fashioned lanterns with wavering flames. She stood there bathed in their gentle glow and extended her hand. "Coming?" she asked. Aurora stepped out of the elevator. She moved alongside the brunette, reveling in the excited butterflies somersaulting within her stomach. "Is the Black Lotus beneath the garage?" "No, if you drive a little past the garage you will see an abandoned grocery store. This entire block is owned by the club. That seemingly innocent grocery store has been reinforced and soundproofed. No one walking by would ever know that it's the roof of a club." The brunette paused then pointed upward. "We're actually crossing the space between the garage and it. The Lotus is actually a lot of underground cellars, bomb shelters and storage compartments renovated into one large club." Aurora gazed ahead to the blood red double doors. She could just begin to hear the sound of music filtering to where they were. "Someone has to recommend you for membership," the brunette said as they drew closer to the entrance. She pushed open the doors to the club, revealing a world of enigmatic shadows and a seductive lure around every corner. With a smile, she motioned Aurora inside. "Explore your new haven." She paused adding, "And if you should like a bit of company. . . my name is Ember. I'll be the one recommending you." ~~~~~~~~~~ A siren sang her song. It echoed within these walls, an eerie melody rising and fading within waves of throbbing beats and seductive strings. Aurora was lost among them, a face among a sea of faces, a body pressed within the warmth of fevered others writhing to the music. She closed her eyes, her arms snaking above her head while her hips swayed seductively to the beat. Her fingers ran through her hair, revealing her expression of rapture. From the large loft staring down to the dance-floor, a figure emerged from her home within the shadows. She grew detached from the throngs of people moving around her. Her piercing brown eyes had grown engrossed by the auburn-haired woman who like herself appeared to be alone within a crowded room of others. The black dress ending mid-thigh, hugged her every line. She settled into her stance, unaware of the catlike nature her body possessed. Her hands rested lightly along the cool railing as she continued to watch the woman below. A hand lightly touching itself to her arm woke her from her reverie, but only slightly. "Do you know her, Selene?" Ember asked. Ever the voyeur, Selene tilted her head in study, sending a cascade of raven tresses crashing over her graceful shoulder. "No," she answered softly. "Perhaps an introduction would be in order." Everything within Selene wished to steal a moment with this woman, but she could never bring herself to be so bold. She turned her head slightly, speaking to her friend over her shoulder. "You know I don't work that way." "Of course not, Selene. You just watch, right?" Before she could respond, the presence at her side had faded away. Selene sighed darkly then returned her eyes back to her savior. "Why did you save me?" she wondered scarcely above a whisper. Just then burning eyes lifted to meet hers. She took in a sharp breath then withdrew, both inwardly and outwardly. She found her home again in the shadowy nature of the loft. Aurora froze. She had seen her. "Selene," she breathed. A hauntingly beautiful song made Aurora's very core tremble. The first line of the song had been an echoing tease which left you aching for more. It was followed by a sultry breathing which taunted the ears. The line came to be repeated before it as well as the lines to follow found their home within the nether reaches of the loins, reverberating with acute clarity. Then lost in a tantalizing duel, the songstress and provocative pulse courted one another. Until at last, their mutual climax captivated the entire club, stirring every person within these walls to move. As the song rang throughout her depths, Aurora broke free of the swaying multitude. She maneuvered through the masses, brushing through bodies slicked by perspiration. Hurriedly, she ascended the steps running along the wall. When she had reached the loft, she was greeted by the watchful eyes of curious women. Tables intimately lit were the havens to women engaging one another in conversation. Some groups laughed boisterously while others huddled close to one another in meaningful exchanges and others still could not deny themselves the simple pleasure of touch. Selene held her breath while she watched the auburn haired woman walking cautiously among the others. She willed herself to be at one with the shadows around her though her fingertips ached to run through the soft hair she witnessed glistening beneath the lights. Aurora stopped at the railing in precisely the spot she had seen Selene. She gazed down as the woman in the raven dress had done. A sense of uncertainty filled her as she thought that within Selene's haven, Selene could hide indefinitely. She gave a vulnerable frown. Then sighing, she wondered aloud what she should do. Tensing, Aurora remembered the image of Selene's upturned facing gazing into her with the chaotic sea at her back ready to swallow the woman whole. She closed her eyes tightly as doubt crept inside her mind. Perhaps, she hadn't truly seen Selene. Perhaps, it was the delusion of a troubled mind. Then, again... She lifted her leg over the railing. She climbed over the side, gripping to the railing tightly. Her eyes stared forward, seeing the sea. She ignored the clamoring around her, forgetting the gasps, screams and murmurs of the club. Several women throughout the club pointed to the woman in black. The club breathed a collective sigh of relief as ivory softness encircled Aurora's waist. Aurora looked over her shoulder after feeling the arms around her waist grip her firmly. "I knew you wouldn't let me fall," she whispered. Selene's eyes were ripe with emotion, an emotion which she tended to always carry safely beneath the surface. "You have too much faith in me," she responded quietly. "Or you don't have enough in yourself," Aurora retorted. She surprised both, Selene and herself, by leaning forward and resting her forehead to that of Selene. Holding the woman in her arms more fiercely, Selene released a wavering breath. She pulled Aurora over the railing and to safety. They held one another with a familiarity that went far beyond this moment. It bordered upon possessive. Around them, the world fell away. They parted just enough to take in the other. As if mirroring one another's movement, they caressed the other's cheek. Their eyes mapped over the surface of artistic and defined features. The hue of their skin was slightly different, but Aurora knew that once it had been the same. As they each tenderly held a lock of hair in their fingertips, they took note of another difference. Selene smiled softly. It was a patient smile. "I dye it black," she admitted. Aurora returned the tender smile with one of her own. She wished to ask how Selene had seemed to know precisely what she was thinking, but there was no time to ask. A woman appearing over Selene's shoulder interrupted their moment together. "Selene," the woman spoke. "You are needed downstairs." Selene nodded then returned her eyes to the woman held within her arms. "I don't even know your name." Aurora held the eyes so dutifully focused upon her. She read their struggle, knowing that just as badly as she wished to remain with Selene, Selene desired to stay. "Aurora Hunter." She paused looking to the woman who had summoned Selene before her eyes returned to the dark-haired mystery. "I know that you have to go, but can we. . . I mean. . . will we---" Reassuring her rescuer with her eyes, Selene nodded. "We will see each other again, Aurora." She slowly began to take a few steps back. Her eyes remained locked on Aurora as if to hold on to the moment for a few precious seconds more. "Meet me at our special place. I go there every morning after work." Nodding in understanding, Aurora watched Selene go. "I'll be there," she promised. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Dawn was filled with such promise. Its soft light lovingly woke the earth. To Aurora, who sat hugging her knees upon the cliff where so much could have ended, life seemed to have granted her some sort of reprieve. She felt the distinct approach of a new beginning, but realized all the more that this new beginning came to be embodied by the woman quietly coming to sit beside her. Selene stared forward to the sun-glistened sea. She smiled adoringly. "I love this time of day," she spoke softly. "It's so peaceful." Aurora looked away from the ocean. She gazed instead to the dark-haired woman. There was a flash of Selene in red. She tensed with the sadness that consumed her whenever she thought of that beautiful woman slipping from her hands. "Then why?" she asked hoarsely. "Why choose this place to---" Her voice trailed off and her eyes immediately lowered. "Why choose this place to end my life?" Selene asked, finishing what Aurora could not say. She was answered by a subtle nod. Selene sighed. She stared down at a patch of grass battling desperately to live. Her fingers began to nervously pick at each blade. "I really wish I had some powerful answer that would make everything suddenly make sense, but I don't. The truth is that more than anything I wanted to see this place one more time, to see one more sunrise." She lifted her head, hoping to catch Aurora's eyes. "I never thought that you would find my letter and then stop me." Aurora frowned as her head rose. She was a bit startled to find that Selene's eyes were so intensely fixed on her. The question weighing heavily on her mind was almost banished by the beauty of those eyes. She forced herself to hold onto it long enough to utter the words in a bit of a stammer. "And who am I, Selene?" Tears rose within brown eyes in a mixture of emotion. Clearly expressed within their depths were a number of questions, but only one left Selene's trembling lips. "Don't you know?" Reflections of Night and Day Slowly, Aurora shook her head. Long dark hair fell to mask a blushing face. Timidly, Selene reached out a trembling hand. She gently touched it to Aurora's finger then almost fearfully caressed the finger with her fingertip. "You," she said with a raspy voice, "are the person to whom the note was written. You were the one meant to find it." Aurora cursed the lump in her throat which trapped the words she longed to say. She looked again to the sea while tears stung bitterly at her eyes. "If not for you, I would never have had the desire to fight the currents. I would have let them pull me under, but instead I made it to shore very close to where you washed up," Selene admitted. She felt her hand ensnared tenderly within a trembling hand. It gave her the courage to go on, but nearly stole her breath. It seemed an odd sort of preface for the words which left her next. "After I caught my breath, I cried. I just couldn't seem to keep the tears from coming." Their eyes met again causing the usually withdrawn Selene to blush all the more in her struggle for openness. "I smoothed your hair," Selene whispered,"and I watched over you. As I did, I kept wondering how it was possible for you to have my face, my eyes. Your hair was so much darker when it was wet and we looked the same in that moment." She sighed, wondering just what she was saying. "I know it sounds crazy. It seemed crazy to me while I was thinking it then and I suppose, it still does." Aurora shook her head. "No, it doesn't sound crazy at all. I've been wondering the same thing." She swallowed at the lump in her throat and commanded herself to return the honesty she had been shown. "All my life, I've had these dreams that were very. . . intense." She stammered while struggling to explain something she'd never discussed with another soul. "Sometimes they weren't dreams at all. Sometimes it was like I felt as though I knew of something bad or even something really good that seemed to be happening to someone else. . . someone I was tied to." Her thumb came to stroke idly over Selene's soft hand. "It made me believe that somewhere out there I had a cosmic twin, a soul mate." Selene's beautiful eyes were brimming with tears as she listened. "In the past few weeks, my dreams have intensified. I no longer felt like I was simply aware of a closeness to someone else. It was more like I was partially living someone else's experiences." Aurora gazed down at a bare wrist. She retrieved a cherished trinket from her pocket. Staring intently upon the adornment within the woman's hand, Selene's lips parted into a tender smile. "My bracelet." She sighed happily at the sight of the precious heirloom. "I thought it was lost in the ocean." Aurora gently returned the bracelet to its home at Selene's wrist. "I was determined to return it to you one day," she said. Her head tilted in observance. She donned an almost dreamy expression as her thoughtfulness overtook her. "It's funny, but each time I see this bracelet, I can't get over how familiar it looks. I've felt a draw to it since the first time I saw it." Selene nodded quietly. "When you tried to save me." "No," Aurora corrected with a smile. "I saw you or at least glimpsed you at the coffeehouse on---" Her words were cut off by the voice sorting through thoughts aloud. "The woman outside the coffee shop," Selene remembered. That day she had fought her shyness long enough to take a fleeting look over her shoulder. She had just managed to see an auburn haired woman walking away. "That was you?!" Aurora nodded. "I knew I recognized something about your voice. It just seemed so familiar." "I didn't see much more than your silhouette and your bracelet that day," Aurora said, "but I remember a feeling of familiarity." Leisurely, she touched her fingertips over the bracelet. "Where did you get it? Perhaps I could have seen it before in a shop window or---" Selene shook her head. "All I know is that it was left to me by my mother. She died when I was just a toddler. I can only remember glimpses of her face and sometimes I think I remember what her voice sounded like, but that grows fuzzy with age." Lost in thought, she paused. When at last the raven haired woman awoke from her thoughts, she continued. "I was put up for adoption and bounced around from home to home because I was 'too sullen'.When I was old enough to truly understand the importance of what my mother left me, it just left me more confused and lost than ever." She lifted her tearful eyes to meet Aurora's gaze. "This bracelet and a letter she wrote to me before she died are all I have of her." Holding one another's gaze, Aurora and Selene found a kind of silent language. Together, they spoke where words might fail. They voiced an understanding of the other that neither had ever found in anyone. In those moments where the roar of the ocean faded to a lull, they took one another by the hands. "That day," Selene began, "when you did all you could to save. . ." Her voice trailed off. It took her several moments before she could speak again. "I made you a promise." Aurora's brows knit together in a thoughtful frown."What was the promise?" "I promised you that we would see each other again and that until that time, I would hold you ---or at least the memory of you--- with the same intensity that you once held me." Tears ran hotly down the soft expanse of her cheeks. Aurora moved her hand to gently rest against Selene's jaw. She felt the quick-running current of tears coming to touch her palm. Lovingly, she smoothed her thumb over the woman's silken skin. "I knew you were out there. . . somewhere," Aurora whispered passionately. "I just knew it. I could feel you and no matter what I'd seen, no matter what commonsense kept telling me to believe, I just couldn't let myself believe that you were really gone." Overcome with her emotions, Selene felt her chest swelling. She held her breath in a lengthy silence then released it and her hushed words in a trembling stream. "I want so much to. . ." Desperately, she fought to speak. "---but I---" Aurora leaned forward, silencing the doubts and the insecurities remaining to separate them. She touched her lips to moist softness with a bit of determined need. Her hand moved from its home at a strong jaw to tenderly cradle the base of Selene's head. With fingers tangled and grew lost within shining raven tresses, she caressed her lips over the woman, who could only exhale her desires into an accepting mouth. Selene's eyes closed the moment she tasted the sweetness captivating her. She had been too shy to voice her longings, too fearful that her desires might not be returned. Those fears vanished from her conscious mind when she came to be enveloped by arms which promised so much. Time was banished to a tremendous distance. They did not feel its presence while lost within their sensual embrace. Lips caressed lips with a leisurely softness. Then timidly, those lips parted to grant entrance to supple tongues. As one, their heads tilted. They deepened their kiss as the quiet sound of purring caught deep within their throats. Trembling and breathless, they grew lost within the hands mapping over the body's sensuous planes. Aurora gripped Selene more fiercely, crushing her body to hers. Her tongue moved inside the warm satin of Selene's mouth. The nails digging into her back caused her to hiss into her lover. She tensed, suddenly breaking their kiss to stare with burning eyes into the woman within her arms. Selene's eyes were alive with swirling passions and shimmering tears. She fought for breath, her full lips parted to claim the air her lungs craved. There was a bit of uncertainty written upon her face. She wondered if Aurora had changed her mind, wondered if perhaps Aurora knew regret. Just as she began summoning the courage to confirm her fears, her hand was taken lovingly and she was helped to her feet. Aurora ran with Selene following close behind. She felt their fingers interwoven tightly. Before Selene's eyes, a powerful tempest caught within Aurora's hair. She watched the way it commanded the auburn tresses to whip across the woman's features, accentuating the horizon of her eyes. Selene knew then. There was no doubt. Aurora's eyes had said it all. Aurora longed to be with her with the same incredible fire that scorched her dreams and with each passing moment her trembling body. It hit Selene then with the might with which her body had once impacted into the sea. What she had wished for most had finally come to pass. She exhaled her words while staring ahead to the beautiful woman steadily claiming her being. "She heard me." ~~~~~~~~~~ If the heart has a melody to which we all move, then its song released a bewitching chorus to which the lovers danced. Fluidly, they moved as one. Their hands were soothing softness, caressing the flesh newly-revealed as they undressed one another. One by one, articles of clothing fell to the floor littered by a resolved search. That hunt didn't matter now. Aurora had found her lost lady in red. She held her fragrant flesh close to her own, delighting in the sheer satin feel of her skin. "I need you," was heard echoing throughout the bedroom in a breathy whisper. "I want you so much," came a raspy response. Together they fell to the bed. Their legs intertwined while arms moved to solidify their entanglement. Aurora suckled tenderly at Selene's upper lip. A distinct shiver ran down her spine with the feel of her bottom lip so lovingly held between the pearls of sharp teeth. She rolled their bodies over the lush surface of the bed. Then staring down at her lover, she took possession of Selene's mouth more passionately. Selene cupped the face pressed to hers. She deepened their kiss, feeling her tongue seek to know every part of her lover's mouth. With fevered palms never breaking contact with the skin, Selene's hands fell away from the strong jaw dancing beneath her touch. They ran down over shoulders taut with need and hungrily explored the back strong with ravenous desire. Manicured nails pierced deeply into flesh, leaving reminders upon the skin that in this bed a claim was laid. Groaning lustfully, Aurora broke their kiss. Her lips moved with needy purpose over the line of a prominent jawline. She kissed and licked across the delicate skin between the chin and the neck. Her lavish attention to that area caused the woman beneath her to purr and bare her throat. Sealing her lips upon the raven haired woman's throat, she answered Selene's declaration of possession with a mark of her own. She smiled slowly against the flesh moistened by her saliva and red with her impression as Selene moaned and hissed. Selene involuntarily arched her back. Her breathing grew labored at the teeth raking teasingly over the top swell of her right breast. She felt every sensation taking place within her body like a wave of feeling meant to drown her, but nothing controlled her more in that moment than the almost painful strain her nipple knew as it ached for the mouth so close. Aurora closed her eyes, savoring the hardened nub nestling itself within the indentation of her chin and her bottom lip. She elongated her jaw causing her lip to brush over the sensitive rosebud. She felt her lip catch against its stiffened peak. Her tongue timidly ventured from her mouth. "Oh God," Selene moaned. Her head fell back, crushing into the pillows. Moving a hand away from its grip at Aurora's back, Selene snaked her hand up to tangle in long auburn hair. She clutched tightly as a hot tongue traveled slowly around her nipple. When she felt herself taken into the fierce warmth of a soft mouth, she breathed out her lover's name. Her hands shook at the sound of her name exhaled with such passion and love. Aurora opened her eyes for a fleeting moment to take in the sight of Selene writhing in the pale sunlight. She pulled back slightly, granting the object of her feast a teasing tug. Selene gasped then purred in approval. She relished the feel of the soft lips moving over her breast and down into the valley between. A slow stroke from a curious tongue brought about another low sound as it teased the undersides of her breasts. She all but held her breath as that famished mouth came to descend upon her left breast. Aurora fed at the full and satiny orb of flesh until the quiet sounds which had been escaping from the dark-haired woman rose in volume and urgency. She ground her aching chest into the abdomen she felt beneath her. Her nipples stabbed longingly into Selene's skin, demanding the same attention which Aurora greedily lavished upon her lover. Selene encircled the beautiful woman in her legs. She pulled her closer, purposely grinding her stomach against Aurora. Her eyes burned hotly into the woman whimpering beneath her breath. Sliding lower, Aurora caught the scent in the air. She moaned with longing. Her fingertips pushed against Selene's thighs. Her right hand found a home at the back of a milky thigh. She pressed against it harder, causing Selene's innermost depths to spread before her eyes. "Selene," Aurora purred. Aurora's eyes gazed with love and hunger as she took in the smooth folds glistening with arousal's dew. The fragile flower blooming before her eyes was captivatingly beautiful and teeming with a heat that she could clearly feel against her face. She drew closer, inhaling deeply for the sheer delight of tasting the air. Lips caressed swelling lips, growing anointed in the gloss of sex. Lazily, they ventured upward before sealing around a throbbing clit. Their loving embrace was a mask for the tongue which thrashed and whipped against the pulsating jewel. Holding tighter to the shining tresses within her hand, Selene pulled Aurora closer. She fit herself tighter to the mouth she craved. The moan to escape Aurora reverberated around Selene's clit profoundly. She could feel a state of frenzy rising inside her that matched her lover's in every degree. Searing kisses marked her descent. Then suddenly, she thrust her tongue inside Selene. Back bowing from the bed, Selene cried out. She felt her smoldering depths pierced again and again as she was impaled by a stiffened tongue. Her thighs opened more, offering as much of herself to Aurora's hungers and she could. Aurora gripped more fiercely at the thighs bidding entrance. She draped them over her shoulders while her tongue sought to know every hidden secret. The juices running hot against her cheeks were the very same which had caught possessively within her nostrils, demanding that their scent lace every breath. She swirled her tongue inside her, caressing her silken walls. "So close," Selene panted again and again. She worked her hips in time with Aurora's thrusts, meeting her zeal. Aurora moved her hands. One hand moved beneath Selene. She gripped firmly at the erotic swell of the woman's buttock while the other hand unsheathed Selene's clit, revealing the sensitive pearl awaiting her touch. She nuzzled the bridge of her nose against it before letting the ball of her thumb take over the task of massaging it. Selene screamed. Her walls began to spasm uncontrollably around her lover's tongue. She sent a flood of nectars hotly into Aurora's open mouth. Her body shook violently. Her abdomen involuntarily clenched and tightened as if to release each drop of herself into Aurora. She rolled her head to the side. Her long black hair had fallen across her face. The strands nearest to her mouth were caught in the tempest gales of each labored breath. Allowing her lover the opportunity to slowly come down, Aurora gentled her movements. She slowed them to a leisure which she, herself, did not feel. By the second, she felt her need rising. Her entire body shook with anticipation. Gazing up to her lover there was pleading in her eyes. Selene's eyes fluttered open. She ran a trembling hand through her hair wet with perspiration. Her face was flushed with passion's fever. She recognized the need in dazzling dark eyes. Within the back of her throat a growl voiced her longing to be within Aurora. She reached down. Her hands took Aurora's into them. Selene pulled Aurora upward with a suddenness that made the woman gasp against her lips. They stared heatedly into one another before feverishly succumbing to their desire to kiss. Their kisses were intense and raw as if every longing they had ever known to kiss the one they'd been waiting for was manifesting itself in this moment, in this kiss. Their rasped breathing was a clearly heard duet to the seductive smacking of lips and muffled moans. Aurora moaned a breathy request against her lover's lips between kisses. "Take me," she begged. "Please. . . I need you." Selene groaned at Aurora's words. She hungrily claimed her lover's mouth again, kissing her with a passionate fury. Her hand was shaking as she brushed her fingertips over a thigh wet with excitement. She ran her nails along the line of an athletic inner thigh, tempting ever-higher. Breaking their kiss, Selene looked between their bodies. She watched as Aurora parted her thighs more, desperately needing her touch. Her fingers slid along the length of Aurora's slit, feeling the swollen lips grazing the sides of her fingers. Together, they moaned. Each held their breath in anticipation. When her fingers brushed over a quivering opening, Selene pushed inside. She delved deeply, submerging herself in the intense heat of Aurora's wetness. Her fingers were gripped tightly by muscles of fiery satin. She kissed sensually over the chest heaving above her then nuzzled her nose between full breasts. Aurora moved her hips wantonly. Her moans grew louder and more intense as she met each thrust. Her release was building. She could feel it steadily driving her mad. A third finger pushed inside of her, forcing her to cry out. Her back arched dramatically. The copious juices leaving her fell downward in an zealous attempt to coat the fingers and hand working to bring her such pleasure. Fighting for air, Aurora breathed in sex. Her scent mixed heavily with her lover's in an erotic perfume. She shivered violently. Her eyes closed tightly. A sudden stillness overtook her. Her body went completely tense. She gasped aloud as her head fell back. From her lips, she released a volatile scream which joined the electric currents running hotly from her depths. Selene pushed upward, thrusting against the sensitive surface of her lover's g-spot. Each thrust brought about a passionate cry until finally Aurora called out again, this time louder than before. The torrent of juices raced down her hand and wrist. Aurora felt the strength leave her limbs. She fell in her exhaustion against Selene, who held her protectively while her other hand kept her fingers poised deeply within her. When at last her breathing began to regulate itself, Aurora gazed deeply into Selene's eyes. She felt the sudden sting of tears. Her hand reached out to lovingly stroke her lover's cheek. They peered with tenderness and love into one another. Their eyes were spellbound. Lovingly, they kissed, caring nothing for time or the world around them. Their lips moved with a sensual oneness. As they kissed, their passions rose again. They surrendered to them again and again until their bodies were spent. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Through the windows, the moon's light came warring through. It caught on the bracelet which had been the key to so much. Selene laid at on her side with her arm and leg draped lovingly over Aurora. She nuzzled her nose into a soft auburn mane. "I have something I want to show you," she whispered. Aurora turned her head slightly, taking in the sight of her lover. She nodded, but felt that she was already aware of what Selene wanted to reveal.