2 comments/ 8998 views/ 4 favorites The Captain's House Ch. 01 By: Mabthorn Chapter 01: Starring Artie & Her Scary Happenings The world was changing constantly. Ever since there was that report of a flying giant diamond surrounded by electricity, people had been acting really weird. Ghosts were rising everywhere. Alien abductions & angel sightings had tripled; not only the Catholic Church, but Presbyterians, Unitarian Universalists, Jews & Muslims were fighting to save people possessed by demons. The very earth was scary-shaky, almost like it was alive. My brother decided we needed to gather together & buy a house in a good location, just in case. After all, the world grid could crash in all the insanity. So he called everyone; siblings, parents, Grandma Wendy & Grandpa Russ, mom's sisters, dad's brothers, the cousins & their families...I think he rounded up like 20 households. And then he found a house. The 80 acres of land made great-grandpa Livyan happy. The fact there was a river, lake, streams, farm ground & windmills made my would-be farmer dad go over the moon. So, while I was busy gadding about the city taking pictures, as Grandma Jeanette always said, the family mobilized, visited the place, agreed they liked it, & bought it. * That evening, I came back to my apartment from a great date, & groaned to see a lanky man sitting by my door. Scruffy face, tangly blond hair, SG-U t-shirt, cargo pants & sandals, thumbs dancing on BlackBerry screen at full speed. Time to face my brother Mercury about the house. "No sale; I'm staying here," I growled, reaching to unlock the door. He stopped me & held my hand. "Can't. Your stuff's at the new house. Packed carefully," he said at my angry oath. "It's time. Can't you see it? Ten bath-salt zombies in a week, just in this city; last one filmed live & on all the channels. Remember the screaming & those endless tearing noises? Aliens taking the freakin' president out of the White House, in full view? Where is he? No-one knows! What has to happen before you wise up & join the family?" I gave him the Look he so hates; half-scorn & half-weariness. "Bad things are happening all over the world, and I am a journalist & photographer. I can't hide. My ass out there in the trenches is what lets you guys better prepare. Someone's got to document this mess." "Yeah, well, the someone is Turk, not you. He took a cut on your pay & your apartment." "Turk? You absolute asshole! Great. By now he's texted & tweeted the whole newspaper to out me as a real psychic. In this crazy world, it means I'll be ass deep in mourners wanting the word from grandpa, auntie, lost children, the random serial killer down the block. Fuck! And the zombies. And the aliens, the angels, the ghosts..." I sagged against the wall. "Fine. Let's jet." My former door opened, & Turk lunged out, a bimbo on one arm. "Hey, it's Artie the psychic! Guess what Kellie is thinking right now?" Okay, so I can be a bitch. I looked, saw & said, "She thinks you are as stupid as an ant, but she hopes you like chicks with dicks so she can fuck you & rob you in your sleep." "What??" Staring at Kellie, he saw her Adam's apple & bemused smile. He came screaming at me. "You stay with me, smart mouth cow. I will have that year you promised! And more." Mercury stretched out a lazy hand & hit him with five tiny electricity bolts. As Turk fell, we split, whooping all the way downstairs & to his SUV. * "See, I told you we needed to circle the wagons," he said once we were gunning out of town. Goodbye, beaches. Goodbye art deco apartment I'd rehabbed with my work buds & sources. Goodbye to all my friends & ex-lovers. Goodbye, Suzanne, pretty little Dutch-American flight attendant studying to be a pilot... Great, now I was in a foul mood, & it was his fault. "Yeah yeah," I grumbled. When he looked away, grinning, I whacked him upside the head. "That's for gloating. And, by the way, how's your gremlin problem?" His cell phone began playing "We Are the Champions" with teeny-tiny voiced singers. Ha! Just as bad as ever. "God damn it, Artie, that was so not cool!" He tossed it over to me. "You made them take it over; you keep it overnight so they forget it's mine." A tiny razz interrupted the music. "Gah! Baby it. Don't let it break. The buggers'll get bored of waiting for me to take it back & come to tank my alarm top or something else." Snickering, I tucked the phone in my pocket & leaned back to get some zzzs. * The house was hidden amongst the trees, which parted as I got closer. As wind screamed, I looked at the building doubtfully. With the basement & 2 attic levels, it was 6 stories high, with 3 wings & outbuildings. It was pretty, I had to admit; in wine tones, with stained glass windows & 3 staircase towers. As I got out of the SUV & circled, I saw swampy land, towering trees, glimpses of farmland. I also saw a freeform pool, a tennis court & a patio with a stone fireplace. My spine crawled & I jumped. Looking up, I saw the drapes in the back 3rd floor window twitch, & felt a cold breeze coming down. Now I felt watched. No. Observed. Weighed for potential. That's when the roaring hunger washed through my mind. I am not a coward. Ask anyone. But this time, I turned to run to the forest. It was like being caught in a web of honey. As I struggled, a ghostly figure came down & circled me. He tilted my chin up to look at my mouth. "A ripe one, aren't you? Still untouched. How does this come to be?" Coffee-colored eyes burned, & I saw glimpses of a ruffled shirt, brocade waistcoat & knee-breeches, then a swirl of curly black hair & beard, before he flickered. "I am not ripe; I am not a piece of fruit." *Ah, but this feels like a fine set of peaches.* He slid hands down my ass & cupped it. I hissed, suddenly sensitive as he squeezed, kneaded & fondled with expert hands. As I whimpered, he leaned down to nuzzle my neck then lick. One nip & he was behind me teasingly, grabbing my breasts. *As do these.* Why did I have to cry out? It only encouraged him to lift my top & bra to bare my breasts. *The bitch is hungry,* he continued, grinding his penis against my buttocks to show his desire. Gently, he squeezed my nipples, rolling them, turning them into aching peaks. *You want this. You want me. Show me how juicy this little slit has gotten." He slipped his big hand under my panties, & had my wetness on his fingers. He groaned, all joking gone, & began playing those long, rough fingers up & down my labia. Damn him for laughing at my wetness. He licked his fingers & went back to playing with me, right where anyone could see, lowering my skirt & panties to expose me to his greedy gaze. I cried out & struggled. "Stop it! Stop handling me like I'm some sort of whore!" I heard something with my ears, now. Laughter? I should not be hearing him! *When ye be wearing your undergarments outside, what is a man to think?* he thought, face brushing mine. My voice grew sharp. "A man is to realize he might not be in the same time as he used to live in. A man might realize that fashions & social mores have changed in 300 years." *So ye know when I come from, eh, lassie?* he asked slyly, still fingering me. "Ye...yes." What had I started? Voice gone dangerous, now, more heard than in my mind. "*Ye know *who* I am?*" I silenced. If I voiced my thoughts, & they were right, he would know who, what, I was. *HA! Ye know me! You can't hide from me. My eyes see everything. But yours; oh, what you could see with training. You, wench, are MINE!* Suddenly, he was solid, & I was thrown over his shoulder. He smelled of rum, cherry tobacco, coffee, chocolate & hot, sweet spices. I tried to fight, but the ghost's arm was all muscle; there wasn't even any wiggle room. All the way up two sets of stairs, I yelled at him, cursing him out in every language I knew. He carried me in & I had an impression of wine, brown & rich Baroque gold before he threw me down on the bed & pinned me down with his arms alone. "Fight me," his raspy voice said. "I want you to fight me." Then he stood back, laughing. He stopped laughing when I slammed my fist into his nose. "Hey! What the bleedin' Hell was that? Whores fight with claws & teeth!" "I told you, I am not a whore!" "Your wet slit told me you're a ready woman." "I am a woman. I'm just not a slut begging for a fuck from any man who has money." Again, he roared laughter. "Good. I don't want a slut. I want a psychic who can see past & future." Freezing me again, he started crawling up the bed, forcing my thighs apart, tearing down skirt & panties. His face dipped to my sex, & he inhaled deeply. One long lick had me moaning, & he pulled his sex from his trousers. "My warrior psychic. Mine." "No!" I yelled. * Snorting, I woke up to country music sung in incredibly irritating voices. "Sorry 'bout that, but your snoring was putting me to sleep, too. Better the gremlins acapella than us up a tree. We're almost there; your suite is set up for you." "Oh, good. I'll see everyone tomorrow, then." I leaned back, shaking. Oh, gods; I'd almost given in to that ghost. How did he do that? Turn me on so badly that I ignored my own sexual orientation? I didn't notice a thing when we got there; as is, I had to lean on Mercury to get in, up a long set of stairs, & to a room with creaky wood floors. Into a huge, soft bed, & off to sleep I went. * He was there, over my bed, grinning widely. As I stared, he started laughing. Slowly, then loud, bellowing, his head tossed back, roaring, eyes flashing... * Sitting up, I gasped & saw lightning slamming down outside. What was going on? It made me shiver, but I watched, trying to sense the cause. I felt anger from below, & sneering laughter from the sky. Further looking led to a door slammed in my face, metaphorically peaking. Reeling from the power of whoever blocked me, I watched the lightning, wincing at every crash of thunder. This storm... Wait. This was no natural storm; this was directed electrical energy. I could see from the way the bolts didn't branch that often & when they did, always neatly. Lightning was never sleek; nor did it vary in color like this storm's did. As I stared, it continued...then stopped cold. Who could be that powerful? Gods, maybe Merc was right & it was time to hide. Setting my chin on my knees, I sighed & looked around. Where was my furniture? All of this stuff was Victorian; the bed, chest of drawers, vanity, wardrobe, wicker table & chairs & big locked trunk at the foot of my bed. The walls, judging from the one tiny nightlight above the chest, were a rich mauve I'd never have picked but instantly liked. This whole room, I noted as I got up to explore, was far more beautiful than my thrift-store scores. I found lace curtains hid a door to the bathroom & walk-in closet & marveled at my new claw foot tub, stained glass windows & mix of purple, mauve & white milk glass tile. I went to my door & peeked out. Huge central hall with stairs leading down. Counting doors, I guessed there were 14 rooms up here, alone. So cool! Why, with work, this could be a communal game room, or... The door kitty-corner to mine opened, revealing wine-colored walls & a lot of gilding. I couldn't speak. Or move. No. It couldn't be. I never dreamed of the future. It couldn't be true. The door closed again. I ran downstairs, saw the stairs on either side of this staircase leading down, & grew more panicked. Another floor, across the entry hall & out. It was the house. His house. Oh, Gods! Letting out a terrified howl, I ran for the woods. * what will happen next? * will the ghost find her first? * who is he, anyhow? * what is up with Mercury & the gremlins? * find out next episode! The Captain's House Ch. 02 Chapter 2, in which Artie is given only 2 choices Why did I call these woods? Such a mediocre term for something so wild, tangled, primal & dangerous. I should have been terrified, looking for wild animals, making a weapon out of rocks, a tree branch, maybe even just going back & dealing with my dilemma. And, yet, I was not afraid; in fact, peace wrapped around me, loosening my heart, my muscles, my very mind. I was looking, now, not reacting. I noticed I was in a wide, mossy, sunshine-then-dark swampland, racing around tangled roots of gigantic moss-laden trees, peeking at flowers with strange forms, giggling as dragonflies landed on me & took off again. Giggling? Peace? I stopped & blinked. Why was I no longer terrified? Leaning against a tree, I breathed more slowly, focused. When I cast out my senses, I felt no one hunting me. He hadn't followed me. Maybe the dream was wrong. Maybe he was only a dream figure, after all. I sat down on a stump, relieved. No hungry rape ghost. No dangerous animals. Just me, surrounded by nature, wondering at the light; moving around to get comfortable...my body made a wet noise. I looked down, startled? Seriously, body? What aroused me? The flowers? Giggling again, looking left & right to make sure I was alone, I snuck my hand down my pants, into my panties, & snuck a little stroke on my labia, then panties, thighs. Right. Soaked right through my panties, a little trail down one thigh. Some damn flower power out here. But then annoyance changed as pleasure throbbed. Oh, so sweet. When was the last time I indulged myself? Undoing my pants, I pushed my panties down to reveal my bush. How I liked to look as I played; my femaleness was an extreme turn on. Pleasure was soft with an ice edge, pain flirting around the edges, taming itself to keen delight. My finger began circling; my legs spread wider & I breathed out slowly as the pleasure was already at mid-point; I had to do so little, & I would come. Hard. Just as I was reaching my peak, I heard soft ripping noises, then...a voice. * Wait. I paused, removing my fingers. There it was again; a soft, ripping noise, followed by a gentle, "Your life was not in waste; your seed will grow new plants, just not in this patch." And that soft female voice began singing my favorite Cocteau Twins song, Know Yourself at Every Age. Her voice made me shiver; I buttoned up, then crept towards an opening in the trees. I had to see her; the urge was a demanding need now, & my wetness was down both thighs. There was a cabin tucked under the biggest tree roots I'd ever seen; the 2-story cabin had room for an attic, & some add-ons to left and right. The kitchen was obvious; herbs, tomatoes & other plants hung just inside the mullioned windows, & I had a glimpse of fireplace deeper within. And in the garden, kneeling & pulling weeds, was the woman of my dreams. Curvy, small like me, with smooth tan skin, wide cheeks, full lips & big eyes, brassy-gold-apricot hair in waves to past her waist. She wore African clothing; a head-wrap & body-wrap dress in shades of violet, magenta & indigo, with silver moons & gold suns & copper stars splashed over the fabric. "Joule, you get your prissy ass in here; I sense de ghost again." "Damn it!" She slammed both fists into the ground, let go of the weed, & sat up on her knees. "Why he got to be bothering us? We stay out here, he stays in there, like we agreed. How he like if I get up, go march in & demand my place, my daughter-right and yours, at my table?" "I am no daughter, just flaming queer!" A beautiful dark man (?) came marching out, in green-brown-bronze robes that matched his bronze lipstick & colorful eyelids. Oh, wow, he was so tall...so pretty. Mercury would do his patented hit-squa-in-the-balls-with-lust move & beg for mercy... A hand over my mouth. Another over my mouth. "I told you," a low voice snarled, as a man settled behind me, "You owe me a year, bitch!" * Fucking Turk! He'd probably tailed us all the way here, & waited in the swamp to get me, like the true ogre he was. I kicked backwards, & he laughed. "Get the Hell off of me, ugly beast!" "Go on; call me Beast, my Beauty. Will only make the first fuck that much more mystical." Panting, he undid my pants, ripped them down, & inhaled. "Wet. I knew it; you need cock like any normal woman." I screamed in rage, & struggled. "Stop fighting!" He slammed me down, face into mud, & held me til I went limp. When he pulled me out, dizzy, I heard Joule shout, "That's no ghost!" "We now allow rapists in our woods!" the colorful man said, pulling out a switchblade & surging forth, face reddening. Joule was close behind with her sickle. But Turk was too ready to indulge his lust; he tore my panties apart & quickly shoved two hastily-licked fingers up my ass. He knew I hated being touched there, & he'd been aching to break me with this move. I let out a scream of pain. "Let me go!" Pushing harder, deeper, until I felt too full, needing the bathroom. The newcomers were behind him, but he laughed & rolled so I was on top of him. "Go ahead; try me. She'll be the one hurt. Or," his voice oily, "do you like to watch, queer boys? See a real man rape his lady's ass & dream it's yours?" "Stop, stop!" I begged, as he moved rough fingers around in me, too hard, too probing. "Make me, cunt!" he said, removing his messy fingers. And he laughed that creepy laugh I knew too well. The hyena-laugh where his eyes lit up & his lips grew moist, before he did or said something outrageous that made everyone deeply uncomfortable. The laugh in first grade when we first met; at age 12 when I came of age & was a tiny but full-hipped & busty girl; when I joined the newspaper & he declared me his Muse Lover Doll; when he busted me as a psychic; when he raped my girlfriend so I'd submit & go to him willingly. Rolling me back on my belly, slurping up spittle. "This all his mine," he rasped. And he moved to violate my vagina with his dirty fingers. I couldn't reach my family in time. Who would help me? Who could save me in time?? Frantic, I broke. Yelling to the one person, being, who could possibly stop this; who would delight in hurting Turk. My imaginary ghost. *Bluebeard! Help! He's raped me up the ass so bad I'm bleeding! Now he wants to stick the dirty fingers into my...my...he's going to steal my cherry! Yours! You claimed it!* Wind like a storm blasted over us, knocking Turk off me. A savage snarl & shout. As I tried to sit up, pull my pants & panty-rags up, I saw a figure shimmering, even as he lifted Turk up by the throat, pinned him to a tree with force, then telekinesis, & oh, oh dear...he cut Turk's fingers off, laughing savagely as Turk gibbered & begged. The ghost was...was real. I fell to my side, gasping with pain. Had Turk actually ruptured something in me this time? "No, Sire, please no!" Joule pleaded as Bluebeard heard my gasp & snarled. I saw the dagger go to Turk's belly, part his shirt to reveal the toad-white belly, & dip oh so delicately into the flesh over his guts. "Don't dirty the land with his death," Joule begged. Didn't she notice I was the victim, the one in pain? Did this jerk matter more than me, the victim? "She is the one that matters!" Bluebeard shouted. "Go heal her. This is not a person. This is scum. It raped my Chosen!" the now-solid ghost said, as he continued cutting Turk's belly, parting muscles in an almost tender set of gestures. As Turk blubbered, Bluebeard opened the last muscle & snagged some intestine. "Is this really who you chose?" the man said, looking at me with a sneer. "A ragged butch midget?" A rush of power, & Bluebeard was before him, snarling, hoisting him up. "Look, Wraith, I tolerate you on my land because of Caressa's will & the blood between us. But you insult my little one like that, you will lack the balls you don't even need." Joule ran up to Wraith, & fell beside him. "Spare my sibling, Sire. Ze only hates her because she called to you. We didn't know you had found the Chosen. Let us go, & we will...we will leave. I promise." Bluebeard looked down at me, saw something, & half-smiled. "No, child; you stay. I promised Caressa her children would never be homeless, like her mother & she used to be. Both of you stay. In fact, I insist you move to the Manor, take up rooms on the third floor. It is time for me to return as the head of my household, & you will bolster my claim." "Let my sister keep her home!" Wraith cried out. "Agreed, if you support my claim on my Chosen." "Done," they chorused. "And...and me?" Turk asked, as they ran off. Bluebeard was laughing. "Killing vermin is too easy. Tell me, will you come here again, will you ever touch her again?" "No! No!"Turk vowed. Bluebeard looked at me. Grimacing in disgust, I let my temper fly. "Are you kidding, Turk? Don't fall for that old line, Blue. He's been trying to rape me since I was 12; and he keeps trying to use that line when he gets caught. But you know what? He really keeps saying, when he has me alone, that he owns me..." Wrong words. My tall, rugged ghost-protector-pirate stood up, turned to Turk, & disemboweled him in two easy strokes. Then he made him vanish. "Die on your own land, on your own time," he laughed. When he turned to me, I bawled & fell flat. * Silence, long & deep. Bluebeard knelt behind me, bound my arms back with one hand, & pushed me forward so he could inspect my sore anus. When I made a protest, he hushed me. "Not going to rape you, girl! Especially not up the ass. You're a woman, with a woman's needs & comforts." Instead, he washed me off carefully, using a soft piece of moss, then carefully opened me up. Seeing the damage, he hissed, & used...magic to heal me. "There we are, my sweet. No more bleeding; no more pain." He kissed my spine, inspected the rest of my body to make sure there were no more injuries, before he dressed me. I started crying harder, scared, confused. He...he just took me in his arms & he held me on his lap. Crooning in old English, he rubbed my back, the nape of my neck. Shakespearean love songs left his lips, in a gentle deepness that melted my heart. And then, looking me in the eyes with his great liquid espresso eyes, he whispered, "Beautiful girl, sweet lady, fragile doll. Only one to call me Blue; not Monster, not Devil, not Slayer. Blue. I like that. Let me take you as mine. If you let me take you, I will be gentle. Everything will be yours; just ask & I will give. Say yes. Accept me as your Master & I will be so kind." "I...I like women," I sobbed, fighting the throbbing of my loins. "I brought Joule into the house for you," he said, voice strained. "I denied 5 generations of that voodoo queen's spawn; only for you did I break my own vow of wrath, acknowledge them as mine. We will share her, you & I, & she will love it. She wants my cock as badly as you do. I smell it." The very word made me shudder & curl up. Voice growing firm. "I won't ask again." "You...you're scaring me," I squeaked. "No," he bit out. "Your denial of what you need is scaring you. I can smell your wet sex; I saw how open you are! All I have to do is pull these trousers down, have you over this log & I could be inside you. Tell me you don't want it!" I couldn't, so I started sobbing again. Crooning, he laid my back on his belly & ran his hands over my breasts, teasing my nipples til every touch shivered down to my clit. Knowingly, he cupped my sex, began stroking in tiny circles, murmuring how sweet I was, how lovely, not manly at all, all woman. His breath grew ragged, & he whispered, voice full of need, "I must have you. I must fill your pretty pussy & make it sing. Take my hand; place it under your pants so I may play with you. I know you want me. Your very soul is crying out to me!" "N...no," I sobbed. Furious, he stood, spilling me on the ground. "No!? You bitch! How dare you lie to me! You will give in to me, and to your desire, or I will destroy your family, one by one! Mercury will be first for taking you out of dream before I could show you pleasure. I think I will drive him mad with the little gremlins he neglects. Yes, and then your vulgar aunt..." "Nooo," I moaned, choking. "How could I like anyone who hurt my family?" He grunted. "Fine. But that harridan aunt of yours, the one that married in? I hear how she talks about you; I know she makes your family miserable. If you continue to deny me your desire, I will choose her, & rub your face in it. I will fuck her at table every morning, so anyone can see; I will move her into your bedroom, so you see us fucking every night. And even if you beg, I will not look at you or touch you; instead, I will hurt her. A whipping each time you touch your own pussy. A flogging if you dare reach out to touch me. And if you even think about touching another, even Joule? I will torture & burn my new chosen alive, as everyone is forced to watch. Then I will pick another chosen out of the people who hurt you, until all your enemies are dead." "Wait!" I said. "Taffy's not that..." "Do you deny me at every turn? Not just my need, but my love, even my urge to protect you? Fine. I pick Taffy." He got up & started walking. No! He'd do it! He'd torture Taffy, then maybe Rueben, then... Closing my eyes, I forced myself to say, "I yield! Bluebeard, I'm yours! Just..." He was before me, lifting me up. "What are you telling me, child?" I inhaled deeply, trying to relax, & forced myself to admit it. "Blue...I want you. Ever since you came before me, when you played with me & I struggled. Your touch...so good. My...my...pussy aches for you to go inside me. Don't hurt me. Don't take Taffy. My heart would break. I...I want you to take me, even when I am scared. Don't hurt me. My...my name is Artemis Crystaleyes." He looked at me, & I saw his heart. There was love, as well as desire. Oh, gods, that love would break the last shell around my heart; he would own me in every way. No more independence; no more ability to run free, to play, to... "My birth name was Taliesin van der Jens; my chosen name Taliesin Seabreaker. The others called me Bluebeard because my hair was so dark it looked blue." Gently, he kissed my lips. "Call me Blue in love, but I care not for the nickname; I was named that in scorn & in resentment, then by the bitch who cursed me & the ones after who made me mad with their false loves & infidelity; last, by Caressa, the witch who bound me to this house by blood kin & by magic." A tear rolled down his cheek. "But now you are here; my Chosen. I have room to breathe, to dream, to want and to desire again. I can admit my kin to the house. I am no longer driven to hate women. Artemis, because of you, I can name myself again. I am Taliesin Skyseeker now." Another kiss. "With you, I may find my freedom; you are the only one who has the key to releasing me from this house. My sweet little Chosen bride." Love fluttered in my heart, now. "Yes," I whispered, heart heavy, even as I leaned forward & kissed him full on his full, thick lips. He had me in his grasp, over his shoulder. "Come, children! It begins!" They came running out, wheeled trunks behind them. Seeing me in his grasp, Joule gasped. "Don't hurt her, Sire, she's so lovely..." And she blushed. Bluebeard just laughed huskily, & started back home. * Oh, my! What will happen next? * Will Bluebeard honor his word? *What will his heirs do, now that they can enter the Manor? * Can anyone save Artie?? * Tune in...the answer will come soon!