2 comments/ 18363 views/ 2 favorites Drifters End By: ethereal_dancer It was Monday evening and Jilly was even livelier than usual, giggling like a school girl on the other end of the line as she tried to relate the past few months of her life to me. It had been a long time since we'd spoke and I was looking forward to seeing her again. I brushed my blonde hair across one shoulder and shifted the phone uncomfortably against my ear, absently trying to place the name. "Drifters End? I'm sure I've heard it somewhere before." The computer screen in front of me cast a pool of cold, white light across the surface of my desk, where a half empty mug of coffee sat abandoned. I tried to think of where I'd heard the name before, but it was no use and so scribbled it down incase I remembered. Jilly just laughed. "Kate, you're coming, alright? I don't care if there's a freak hurricane about to wipe the whole place out, we're going and you're coming. No excuses. We all want to see you and you said yourself you need a break." "I know, I know. I want to see you all too." I said. "How do I get there?" I heard the rustling of paper on the other end of the line. "Oh...um...It's kinda hard to find...I'll fax through the directions Tom sent us." She said. I felt myself smile and let her words hang in the air, wondering if she'd notice what she'd said. After a pause I laughed slyly and said; "So it's 'us' now, is it?" Jilly Marks, one of my high school best friends, had recently started dating the unlikeliest of all people; her childhood next door neighbour, Matt Garson, who, for many years, we'd secretly watch skateboarding down in the street below her house, praying he'd look up at us. We both felt incredibly sad for our infatuations when, some years later, we became good friends with that very same lad; for many years, Jilly had vehemently denied any attraction towards him at all. Lately though, things had changed somewhat dramatically. "Well, you know...we're still taking things slow." She said. I could hear the grin in her voice. "It's just sex." "Uh-huh. That ain't most peoples idea of slow though Jill." I leant back in my chair and rubbed my eyes with a free hand. "Most people go out to dinner or something first, you know?" Jilly laughed. "We've been doing that for years. I know as much of his personality as I'd ever want to, believe me...it's the bits of him I don't know so well that I'm interested in now." I heard a man shout out indignantly in the back ground followed by a soft growl near the mouth piece and gave a cringe, recognising the voice as Matt's, whom all my attractions for had long since departed. "I'm going to let you go...I can see you're busy." I laughed. "Send me through those directions when you've got a minute, alright?" Jilly shrieked and began to laugh; she was obviously having more fun than me. "Alright Kate, I will, bye." With a final squeal of laughter, she hung up. Some people have all the fun, I thought. That night I dreamed the same dream I'd had for years...that I was walking through a thick, shadowy forest, searching for something. I wasn't sure what it was that I was looking for, but I knew that it was waiting for me and me alone. It had been a long search; I couldn't remember when I'd lost the thing, or if I'd ever had it, but I knew that I couldn't go on anymore without it. I called out desperately in the darkness, sure that there was something there, listening, calling my name, but all I heard was my own voice echo back to me in the silence, hollow and empty. Then I woke up shaking in bed and everything was dark and lonely once more. When I got in from work the following day, there was a long roll of paper spewing from my fax and there were two messages on my answer machine. Placing my rucksack on the floor, I shut the door behind me and pressed play, while I went to change out of my work clothes, which by this stage were covered in everything from rabbit blood to dog pee; the wonders of working with animals. The first message was from Brian Merryton, the main vet at Ryedale Farm, the animal shelter where I worked. He was asking if I'd travel north with him in a week's time. Someone had been trapping foxes and leaving them to starve to death in the middle of the woods and he said he could do with a hand sorting things out. I wasn't sure if it'd affect my trip and having already said that I'd go along, it'd be unfair of me to back out now, even for something as important to me as my work. Besides, like Jilly said, I needed the break. Shutting the door of my wardrobe, I waited for the machine to finish the message and pulled on a pair of cotton slacks over my pale legs, then scrutinized myself in the mirror for several seconds. 'You're too thin.' Or 'Your hair needs cutting' is what my parents would say and they were probably right; my skin was pale and my eyes becoming blacker by the day, which I'd come to recognise as a sign of illness in myself. More likely, it was probably down to these damn recurring dreams... The machine bleeped once and kicked over to the second message, which was from Tom Hayden, a lawyer and ex-boyfriend of two years, who'd arranged the trip to Drifters End. The trip, which was an annual event between a few old school friends, had become more bizarre as the years passed. In the early years, shortly after leaving college, we'd all travel into the city, see a movie, go to dinner and then over spend at some swanky restaurant and of course, get incredibly drunk. After eight years of this tradition, things had become increasingly more rural and wild and now the five of us, more often that not, went camping in some godforsaken place in the middle of nowhere and told ghost stories around a camp fire, like scouts. Usually this was appealing to me; it was a chance to see my old friends and have some fun, but this year I just didn't know if I could handle it. But what was worse was that I couldn't figure out why. All I knew was that I felt truly empty inside and in need of something more; though I hated to admit it, I got the feeling that what I wanted was a man. The thought made me a little depressed. Every one of my relationships had frittered away to nothing and I felt like I didn't feel ready to face that again. Tom's message had his usual serious tone to it but, knowing him so well, I could tell he was rather excited about the trip and this only made me feel guilty for wanting to pull out. What's wrong with me? I thought. "Hi Kate, It's me, Tom. Jilly said she'd managed to drag you on this trip and, well, I just wanted to make sure you've got directions. It's a tricky place to find and if you get lost out here, well...well, I'll fax you through the details now...call me when you get this. Thanks." I reappeared in the hall and clicked the machine off, then went to free up my fax. There were two copies of a map, one from Jilly, one from Tom, plus a message from the latter. In his perfect, italic scrawl, he'd written across the bottom of the page – "Call me Gitan - X" I smiled. For years he'd called me Gitan, or gypsy, saying I was 'the eternal wanderer'. He said it affectionately, but it always hit home. I felt like I'd been wandering for a long time; I was ready to stay for a while now. Tom and I had always got on well and he was, indeed, very sweet, but we knew as much as each other that we were never meant to be. Our relationship was good and we had a lot of fun, but that was all it had ever been; laughter and average sex. When he split up with me, I hadn't really been hurt, just unsure of what to do on a weekend without him there. At least we'd never found it hard to stay friends after though. I made myself a coffee and picked up the phone, dialling the number of Brian's home. A few minutes later, I'd agreed to help him with the foxes and Brian was singing my praises. For me it was a pleasure to help, though I knew the work itself wouldn't be so fun and in all likelihood, heart breaking. Still, someone had to and that was obviously going to be me and Brian. After hanging up, I poured myself a glass of wine and curled into the sofa, kicking off my shoes as I sat down. Then I picked the phone up again and dialled Tom's number. "Hi." I said as his voice came over the line, broken only by the occasional tapping of his fingers on a computer keyboard. I could picture him at his desk, long legs stretched out as he typed, the phone pressed beneath his ear and his rimless glasses sitting on the crook of his nose. On his desk would be a stack of paperwork and files. "Hard day at the office?" I asked. Tom sighed and laughed. "Yeah, you could say that. How are you?" "I'm good. You wanted me to call." I replied. "You got my message and directions?" "How else would I know to call?" I grinned. "Not very sharp for a lawyer Tom." Tom laughed. "Huh, tell me about it. I guess I'm running on empty...can't get my head in gear, you know? Anyway...I just wanted to say that I've booked a cabin just North of Drifters End and you can't see how to reach it from the map." "Uh-huh...why does this place sound familiar to me?" I knew Tom too well to think he'd booked this place at random. He liked mysteries too much. He paused and then laughed. "It's been in the newspaper a few times. You know, you're the only one to ask 'why there?' so far." "Hmm...I know you Tom...why's it been in the papers? It's not known for its high death toll is it? Or because there's been a recent breakout at the local prison?" Tom laughed again. "No, nothing like that...there've been a few incidences, I guess you could say...sightings of some beast or other that's said to be the soul of Satan...you know the sort; big as a bear, black as a raven, teeth the size of a small island. Nothing too out of the ordinary." "Uh-huh...I know the sort...aren't they just meant to be escaped panthers or something?" I said, feeling the grin widen on my face. "Mostly...but this one's meant to be a little different. For one thing, people sat it's not a cat, but a wolf. All very well...I mean, if a panther can escape, why not a wolf?" he paused for several seconds as if contemplating the thought and then continued. "But here's the strange thing Kate, it's never hurt a thing; not human, sheep, cattle or cat...but even stranger is that every one whose seen it, all seventeen people, say that it just turned away from them...and vanished. I mean gone, nothing, into thin air in front of their very eyes." I felt him grin at the other end of the line. "If that's not worth a visit, I don't know what is." I laughed and shook my head. "I guess so. Wolves that vanish into thin air, yet don't eat meat...you know Tom, if we're still alive by the end of this trip, I think you should seek help." So that Friday, after finishing work early at two o'clock, I packed my bags into my car, rechecked the map directions and drove north on the M40, then onto the M6, which would take me all the way up to Carlisle. From there it was virtually guess work, but according to Tom, I couldn't fail. I should reach the cabin for around ten pm. No problem, I told myself; you've done worse. The first few hours of the journey were easy, along roads I'd known since I was young; bland and mind numbing stretches of grey motorway. Halfway up the M6 though, my eyes grew heavy and I knew I'd have to stop at the next services to get some rest and have something to eat. Opening the window a little, I took a few breaths and focused. It was nearly five o'clock; it wouldn't be long now until I stopped, after all I didn't want to get caught in the rush hour traffic. The services were full of afternoon commuters and it was nearing five thirty when I arrived, so people, like me, were reluctant to be driving in traffic and had decided to take a break. I pulled up, locked my car and went inside. After using the bathroom, I bought myself a coffee to liven myself up, as well as some fruit and water from the shop, then headed back to my car to sleep away the rush hour. The sun was already beginning to set and my clock read a ten-to-six. Half an hour later, I woke to the sound of a dog barking outside my car and realised I should get going, or else I might end up lost in the dark. The motorway below looked clear enough, so I took a drink of water, started my engine and continued my journey north, watching the sun sink slowly into the horizon. The journey provided far too much thinking time and though I tried to keep my mind on simple things, like driving, I soon found my mind beginning to wander. I mean, what was I doing, coming out here in the first place? I should be getting on with work; they were busy at the sanctuary and needed my help, despite their insistence that I take some time off and relax. My father would have me quit by the end of the week and ship me off to some law college or other to study and use my time 'wisely' as he liked to say. 'Why bother about the foxes?' he'd say 'they're only gonna kill some poor fluffy bunny rabbit once you fix 'em up and set 'em free.' Then again, my father was never an animal lover; he can't even get on with his own species, let alone another. My mother said it was impossible for two people to be more different than me and my father. They'd both been ecstatic when I'd brought Tom home for dinner. A lawyer was something they could both like. Tom had been more fearful of what my dad would say when we split up, rather than what I'd say and how I'd feel. Still, I'd not been bothered if the truth be known; I had more important things on my mind. Something drastic was happening to me that I still don't understand to this day. I felt like a ship that had been lost at sea for such a long time that I'd given up all hope of ever finding land; I wasn't even sure there was land out there. But then, somewhere along the line, a light had sparked in my head and began to shine out across the desolate water, a light so bright and beautiful it could have been heaven itself. The only problem was, I'd been sailing towards the light for two years now and I didn't feel any closer to safety. I was beginning to think I might need professional help. Soon. I hadn't dreamt normally for years; for longer than I dared to think about. They all consisted of the same thing – I was always lost; I was always searching for something; I never found it. I knew it was there somewhere...I could feel it in the air around me, hear it whispering my name from far away, but every time I thought I was getting close, the whisper changed direction and seemed far away again. I'd dated other men since Tom, but like him, I'd never felt more than friends; friends that slept together each night. It drove me insane. I just couldn't understand why I seemed to lack the ability to want a man in that way; to lust for him so much it was unbearable. All my friends had had similar feelings, so why not me? In truth, I wasn't even sure what it was to feel that way, but I knew that I should feel something more than I did. I felt barely more than half a person, as though I were unable to feel like a normal person does. The hours slid by in this way; mile after mile of hard grey concrete; car upon car flashing past my windows; thought after painful thought about my life swimming through my head. It had been so long since I'd let myself think that I was shocked at how much thought I'd been suppressing; how much depression I'd not let myself feel. When I reached Carlisle, I found a place to stop and glanced down at the map, already remembering Tom's directions off by heart for fear of getting lost. I could see that I was making good time; it was nearing nine o'clock and from my directions, there was only another fifteen or twenty miles to go. Besides it was beautiful out here; the air so crisp and clean, so full of exciting stillness. The land seemed to speak for itself, in a soft whisper, calling my name...'Kate...Come to me...I'm waiting for you." it seemed to say. I was beginning to wonder why I ever considered not coming. This was where I was meant to be; this is where I was safe. Only now did I realise how much I was looking forward to the time away; after almost a year of six day weeks and ten hour shifts, I now felt time beginning to catch up. Further into the hills and mountains, where the life died out and nature took over, the simple beauty of the views made me feel so full of emptiness that my chest ached and I felt tears sting my eyes. It really felt like I was returning home after a long, harsh winter away and it felt good. That piece of myself, the piece I'd lacked for so long, was here somewhere, I knew. Whatever happened on this trip, I was now so sure that I would find myself by the time it was over; I would be a complete person. The road I was travelling on seemed to head through forest for a few miles and my phone reception wouldn't be so good there, so pulling over at the road side before I entered the expanse of trees, I took a drink of water and found my phone. The signal wasn't good, but it was still there and would just be enough for me to place a call. Stepping out of my car, I loosened the buttons on my white shirt, letting the cold northern air bite into my neck and tease its way down to my soft, pale breasts. Then I dialled the number of Toms mobile and waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually his answer machine cut in and I left a message saying I'd been eaten by the beast and that he should send a rescue squad out immediately. Then I laughed and said I was nearly there and that I'd see him and the gang soon. Hanging up, I slipped my mobile into my shirt pocket and took a deep breath of air, feeling strangely turned on by the landscape around me. Above lay an endless star-strewn canopy that, in parts, was the same midnight blue as my eyes. Sweeping, night-cloaked valleys stretched out all along my left side and to my right, the black, whistling trees of the thick, northern forest stood swaying in a dry and snappy wind. Smiling, I slid a hand beneath my shirt, absently trailing the line of my collar bone and running my fingers deliciously down my cool neck. My nipples peaked, poking the thin material that was their only cover. I moaned softly and let my head fall back, as I teased a nub between my fingers. I hadn't felt this turned on in months, years even. What was stranger still was the sensation of being watched and the fact that the wetness building between my thighs showed how much I liked it. I wanted to stay there, strip naked in the wind and bring myself off, watched by unknown eyes in the depths of the trees. Dragging my thoughts from this fantasy, I climbed back into the car, turned on my stereo and told myself not to think before I got to the cabin. Some old country and western was on the radio, something I hadn't listened to since I was young and I decided to leave it playing to put my mind on something else. When I turned my engine on, my headlights flashed into the dark depths of the trees and for a brief moment, I thought I saw a pair of silver eyes...then they were gone and I knew I must have imagined it. Or at least I hoped I had. I was, admittedly, a little scared by now and not because I was afraid of 'the beast' or whatever it is they call it, but more because of my attraction towards the forest. I'd never seen anything so dark and unknown; it was like those woods you always saw in horror movies, where the girl goes running into the trees and gets killed by some unseen being just moments later. Why then did I want to get out and go walking in there? I had such strong urges to do it, it was scaring me. Don't be stupid Kate, I told myself; just get there and then freak out as much as you like. "Kate...Kate..." it was barely a whisper; no more than an urgent, longing growl and yet I felt my body come to life at the sound. The heat spread through my blood like liquid fire, setting every atom in my body in waiting, in wanting. Drifters End Ch. 02 Tom Hayden hauled the last bag of firewood down the path and dropped it on the ground near the front door of the cabin. He stretched his back, taking another look at the scenery around him. The sun was almost set in the early summer sky, a splashes of elusive coloured light were filtering in through the trees around him. Despite the warm weather they'd had earlier in the day, the air was rapidly growing cold and Tom shivered in his duffel jacket. He breathed in a lung full of air and smiled, smelling the sweet zest of pine trees. Turning, he opened the cabin door, heaved the bag of fire wood into his arms and carried it in, carefully shutting the door with his foot. The place was warm and rustic; a small, slate-floored kitchen, which you had to step up to and which over looked the lounge with its big sofas and log burner; two bedrooms leading off the main room, with a little bathroom in between. It was nice. Tom liked that there was no wall in between the kitchen and the lounge, so you could be in one room and still have a conversation with someone in the other; he thought he might be able to re-create it in his own house; he'd have to work harder to have it though; he'd down right agreed with the opposition on the last case. Strangely, it was that case that had brought him to Drifters End in the first place; his client, a wealthy hunter by the name of Bray Martin, had heard there had been wolf sightings in a place called Drifters End. The animal was said to have somewhat of a mystical status by now; a black wolf weighing nearly two hundred pounds, with eyes like polished steel; seeming to be a vegetarian; and either unreal or possessed with the power of becoming invisible at will. The thought of how much money could be made on killing it had sent Bray Martin out to hunt. He'd been caught trying to shoot the animal half a mile from drifters end, and the evidence against him was astounding, so it was no surprise that they lost the case. His boss had been furious, but Tom was almost surprised to find he didn't care. He remembered thinking 'I'm twenty seven years old, but I feel nearer to fifty...I should really quit this job' just minutes before he was handed the case and afterward, he dearly wished he had. How could he defend a man he thought belonged in jail? He disliked hunters, a trait he shared with his friend and ex-girlfriend, Kate Denver. He was looking forward to seeing Kate tonight. It had been nearly a month since he'd seen her and he knew she'd understand his frustrations with work. She always did; that was the problem with their relationship. They'd always been really good friends before they started sleeping together and it was no different now. The fact that they'd had sex was no different from times they'd shared at school; it was just something they used to do together. Like two friends helping each other out in times of need and he was glad; she was a damn good friend. He boiled a kettle for tea and stood thinking. These trips away always got him thinking. It was a time when all his friends would get together and act no differently from when they were kids in the same year of high school. He liked that too. Matt would be here tonight, his best friend from high school, as well as Jilly Marks. Tom wasn't surprised when they'd started seeing each other, only surprised they hadn't done it sooner. Throughout their school years, Matt had always fancied Jilly. She'd fancied him too; you could tell because he was the only one she didn't flirt with. But at twenty seven, she was sweeter now; more grounded and attentive, though always up for a laugh. They suited each other, Tom always thought. More than anyone else, though he hated to admit it to himself, he was looking forward to seeing Sarah Davenport. It had been a whole year since he'd seen her. At their last trip, she'd given him her new phone number and told him to call. She suggested that they could meet up sometime but Tom hadn't managed to find the courage to make the call. He'd had a crush on her since the age of fifteen and the idea of being alone with her, just the two of them out alone, after all this time...it was too much for Toms mind to handle. He was sure, given those circumstances, that he wouldn't be able to resist taking her. Just then, his mobile rang, dragging him forcefully from his reverie. He crossed the cabin to pick it up off the kitchen sideboard. The number was Matt's. "Hello?" he said. "Hiya mate...look, me and Jilly are still some way off yet and it's getting kinda late, so we were thinking of bedding down at a motel or something and heading out to you in the morning, okay?" Tom felt a little disappointed, but then checked himself. This was their holiday too and after all, he wasn't sure he wanted to listen to their grunts and squeals all night. He laughed. "No problem...just take it easy will you? You're not too young to have a heart attack you know, especially with the amount of beer you drink." "I'll bear that in mind mate..." Matt laughed wryly. "You have fun with the ladies now..." and with that, he hung up. The thought hadn't occurred to Tom, but spending the night with his beautiful ex-girlfriend and the stunning Sarah Davenport, the girl he'd had a crush on since the age of fifteen, was either going to be his wildest dream or a night of sheer torture. Tom put his phone down on the arm of the chair, fetched himself a beer and sat down, thinking about Kate and Sarah. They were complete opposites really; Kate was thin and pale skinned, with deep blue eyes and long, silky blonde hair; Sarah was bronzed, black eyed and fuller figured with short hair the colour of rich hazel. Sarah had such innocent eyes, whereas Kate's had a lot of pain hidden in them. Yet despite all their opposites, they were the two most attractive women he'd ever laid eyes on. Kate perhaps more so in a sense; he'd always found it easy to talk to her; they shared the same interests and she had something lost and untameable about her that he'd never been able to figure out in all his years of knowing her. He felt pain for her, though rarely pity. He loved her confidence and smiles and yet she terrified him most when she didn't think he was watching her; when her mind would wander and that black look would come across those wild eyes and he could see her like a fragile scrap of lace in a vast and stormy ocean. He would never understand her, he was sure. Sarah, however, was shier, more certain of herself, yet too nervous to speak up and say so. she had a way of laughing that made scrambled eggs of Toms insides. She was truly gorgeous and her nerves only made her more so in Tom's eyes; it gave her an innocence most women lacked. In school, Sarah had been the science geek and always worked hard for her grades. Kate always liked her. She used to say "Sarah's real...the genuine minority in the world of the superficial majority." Kate often said things like that when they were young. People thought she was strange. Sarah usually agreed with what Kate had to say, but never said so to anyone else. People thought she was strange enough without it. In school, the guys never had eyes for Sarah and this always left Tom free to want her without feeling jealous of whoever she may have been dating. He wasn't sure if seeing her with someone else would have made him come clean about his feelings or whether it would have had the opposite effect, but either way, he'd not uttered a word of it to her in all these years, though his yearning had grown no dimmer. He wanted her so much, but the problem was that he wasn't sure he'd be able to let her go if he could get her. He let his mind wander over the thoughts of her and was just beginning to fantasise about her sweet body and how good she'd look naked in his bed, when lights flared in the cabin windows. The sound of a car rolling into place on the driveway had him at the door with a flash light, wondering if it was Kate or Sarah arriving first. The cars engine fell quiet. When he stepped outside, he smiled and slid the torch across the windscreen. Though he already knew who it was, he was still awed to see those black eyes staring out at him, a smile lighting Sarah's ever-beautiful face. It had been nearly a year since he'd last seen her and she'd lost a little weight and grown her hair, but he liked it. It suited her long like that. Smiling widely, he walked over to greet her. "Hi stranger." He grinned, opening her car door so she could get out. She smiled up at him and he felt his breath catch. "You're the first one here." He said softly. Her eyes flickered. "Good...I was hoping so." She said softly, barely meeting his eyes as a blush crept into her cheeks. Rather than get out to greet him like she normally would, she reached over the seat and grabbed a bag from the back seat, giving Tom a great view of her ass. He took the bag off her and smiled as she reached to get another, feeling his cock tingle at the sight of her bending so provocatively. She passed him her other bag and flashed him a smile. Then with his arms both full, she got out of the car and stood on her tiptoes in front of him, slipped her hands to the back of his neck and pulled his lips to hers. For a moment, Tom felt frozen, unsure of what was happening. It took him a full fifteen seconds for his mind to catch up. Sarah was kissing him. He dropped the bags lightly to the floor and groaning softly, he took her in his arms. He kissed her fully and passionately, like he'd wanted to for so long. She tasted so sweet, so warm, like honey on a summers day. His senses clouded over, filled with nothing but her smell and her touch. He let himself go. "Oh Sarah." He moaned. "I've wanted you for so long, you can't even imagine." Sarah stopped and looked up at him, her eyes alive with smouldering light and desire; those eyes were the very corruption of the sweet, innocent girl they belonged to. They were dark and dirty and Tom wanted to loose himself in them forever. She smiled. "I've wanted this too...since we were..." "...since we were in school." Tom finished for her. She grinned and nodded and he couldn't fight the urge to laugh. "You're fantastic. Kiss me again." And so she did. More inticing than any kiss he'd ever encountered before. He felt himself harden against her belly and was overcome by the idea to take her here, on the car. She grinned up at him, as though she knew what he was thinking, and before Tom could even take a breath, her hand was on his jean-covered shaft, stroking him to full erection in a matter of seconds. He moaned against her ear. "Tom..." Sarah whispered. "I want you to fuck me...here...right now." His cock hardened even more and he felt it would be rude to refuse her. He slid her jacket off, letting it fall to the floor and then, stroking his way up her stomach, he slid the t-shirt over her head, revealing beautiful, d-cup breasts wrapped in a red, satin bra. She looked incredible, with her dark hair brushing her shoulders and the night's reflection on her skin. He grinned, letting his fingers tease their way to her bra catch. Her eyes never left his as he unlatched it and swept the bra from her shoulders. Grinning even more, he held her gaze and he sucked a hard nipple into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth and tongue. She gasped and let her head fall back, a smile on her lips. His finger toyed with her other nipple, pinching it and making lazy circles around its nub. Sarah's hands tugged at his shirt and he let her slip it from his back. The cold air chilled the heat rising on his skin. He kissed his way down to her navel, letting his hands trail up under her skirt, from the top of her knee-highs to the soft cheeks of her ass. He squeezed them, pressing his erection against her belly and making her moan. She ground her hips against him and he kissed her soft, sensuous lips. His right hand stroked down the back of her bare leg, his fingers brushing against the heat of her damp, uncovered sex, making her gasp in longing. She was wearing no panties. "Oh Tom...please...I want you inside me." she whimpered. Tom groaned at her words, at the feel of her beneath his fingers; his shy little geek had turned into a sexy slut in a matter of minutes. She was so hot he could smell her like a wild animal on the air. He wanted nothing more than to fuck her, to cum between her dirty, sweet thighs and hear her moan his name over and over. Her hands found his belt and she unbuckled and stripped him of it so quick that Tom wondered how much practise she'd had. Not that he cared. She popped the button on his jeans and unzipped his fly, easing the strain on his stiff cock. She grinned innocently but her eyes showed a darker, far different nature to her sweet, shy-faced looks. They silently pleaded with him to fuck her hard and deep, to finally see the girl she was inside; sensual, dirty, sweet and loving; everything he'd always known, deep down, that she was. He loved everything about her and wanted to show her that. Her hands tugged at the waistband of his jeans until they hung below his ass, his hard cock making a tent against his boxers. She bit her lip seductively and ran a finger over his fabric covered head, making his shaft jerk beneath her touch. She laughed and met his gaze, before dropping to her knees in front of him. Slowly, Sarah released his cock from its prison, her tongue trailing across her bottom lip. She smiled up at him, with all seven and a half inches of his cock standing proudly in front of her sweet lips, unaffected by the cold northern air. She kissed the head of his shaft, letting her tongue dart out to lap up the bead of pre-cum forming at its tip. "You don't have to do this for me baby." Tom said, stroking her hair with gentle fingers. "Having you at all is more than I could have dreamed of." "I want to...really...you don't know how long I've wanted to." She replied. Tom groaned loudly as she took him into her mouth, inch by inch, her tongue dancing against the underside of his cock. Just the feel of her mouth wrapped around his solid member was more intoxicating than anything he'd ever felt before. Her mouth was warm and wet and sucking him so sweetly he felt like he could cum there and then. "Oh baby...oh...yes..." he groaned, letting his fingers delve deeply into her hair, cupping the back of her head as she took him all the way in. Looking down into her dark eyes, with his cock almost lost in her warm mouth was so erotic. He watched her slide her head back, her saliva making his shaft glisten, then she swirled her tongue around his head a few times before taking him back into her mouth, a little deeper than before. She did this until he felt his cock head hit the back of her throat and he expected her to gag, but she didn't. To his utter surprise, she took a breath through her nose, grinned around his dick and then swallowed. "Holy fuck!" Tom yelped, throwing his head back in pleasure as his cock squeezed down her tight throat. He felt as though she was swallowing his cock and he'd never, in all his life, felt anything so good. "Fuck Sarah..." he gasped. "You can't keep doing that baby...I won't be able to stop myself from cumming...oh fuck...." As if in answer, Sarah began to suck him like her life depended on it and it was only minutes before Tom felt his balls begin to tighten. Sarah felt it too and eased her pace, sucking him agonisingly slowly. She let his cock slide all the way out of her mouth, flicking her tongue over his wet head, and then kissed down the length of his penis. Wrapping her fingers round the base of his shaft, she let her tongue trace intricate little circles all the way up and over his cock, sending Toms whole body into a state of shivers. It was almost too much, too good, to bear. She teased him, flicking and swirling and kissing, until the point where he was sure to explode. "Ohhh baby...please...you got to stop...or I'm just gonna have to fuck you now and cum inside that sweet little pussy of yours...ohhh...please..." Sarah laughed throatily before plunging her mouth back down his cock. Tom felt his balls tighten intensely and knew he was moments away from spurting his load. As Sarah bobbed her head up and down, Tom called out breathlessly into the cold night air, "God Sarah, I'm going to cum! Oh fuck!" Sarah tightened her lips around him and made low moaning sounds of encouragement for him to go ahead. The vibration her throat made against him was too much. "Oh! Ohhh yes! Oh...ohhh fuck yes!" he yelled, holding her head with both hands. With one last, long moan, Tom filled her mouth with his hot seed. Sarah took every last shot and swallowed it down, while Tom held her head on his cock. She slid her mouth slowly up and down his shaft as he finished his orgasm, licking up every bit of spilt cum before she let him slide from her mouth. Then, with long, delicate fingers, she wiped the escaped trickles of cream from the corners of her mouth and licked it off her fingertips like some sweet, exquisite sauce. Tom leant against her car and watched her with hazy weakness, thinking how beautiful she looked. He wondered if he was dreaming all this; he wondered if this sexy, seductive Sarah was all a figment of his imagination and dearly hoped it wasn't; only the weak-kneed, warm dizziness in his body was proof that this was all real. His lifelong, dream girl, Sarah Davenport, had just given him the best blowjob of his entire life. Letting the car support his weight, he pulled his jeans up to his waist and smiled dazedly at her. He opened his arms as she came close and wrapped them around her shoulders, feeling the goose pimples on her skin. "You...are...fantastic...divine, infact." He murmured, leaning down to kiss her. He could taste himself on her lips but he didn't care. Sarah snuggled into his chest and sighed contentedly. Tom brushed the hair from her face and kissed the top of her head. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted into the fast-developing night. Everything seemed to contain a surreal, yet absolute quality. "How long are we alone for?" Sarah asked softly. "Matt and Jilly won't be here until tomorrow...And I'd take a guess that Kate will be here in an hour if she's made it ok, two or more if she's got lost." Sarah pressed herself against his body. "So..." Tom looked down at her, his eyebrows raised and a smile quirking his lips. He laughed. "So..." he repeated. "I'd say we've got time for more, if you want to..." Sarah grinned and nodded. "You don't know the half of it...though I guess I should let you recover first, huh?" Tom rolled her round, so his body was pressing her against the car, with both of his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her close. "I'm only twenty seven...I don't need to take a nap between rounds...not yet, anyway." He joked. "Besides, after twelve years of wanting you, I don't think I can wait much longer." Tom rested his forehead against hers, looking down into the deep brown pools of her eyes. Sarah smiled and huddled in closer to him, trying to fight the cold now making her tremble. "Saying that, I don't think it'd be right of me to take advantage of someone with hypothermia, which is what you're going to get if you stand out here much longer." Tom said, making to collect her bags and take her indoors. He'd barely removed his chest from hers when she pulled him back. "Hold me a little longer...I don't want to let you go just yet." She whispered. Tom laughed softly and pulled her close. His hand caressed the back of her neck, the dark waves of her hazel hair flowing over his fingers like water. she was so cold to the touch, yet further down, where his other hand caressed the small of her back, she was so warm and inviting. He never wanted to let her go and hoped he'd never have to. Drifters End Ch. 02 Lost in their embrace, trying to keep as warm as possible, Tom never heard his mobile phone ringing, trapped between the cushions of the cabin's worn-out armchair. He wouldn't get Kate's message until the following morning, when he and Sarah would wake up in bed, wondering what time it was when they both fell asleep... Drifters End Ch. 03 Hey there guys and gals! Well, here it is, at last! Sorry it's taken me so long to post the next chapter; I've just moved house and it's all been a bit mad and time-consumming; but hey, i'm back online now so... Please enjoy! I hope you're not disappointed after the huge wait! Thanks again for reading, Always love, Kate xx ethereal_dancer ------------------------ Chapter Three; I was back there again, in that dark, shifting forest of my dreams. Once again I was lost and searching for something, something important. I'd been searching for so long; hours, days, weeks...years even...I wasn't sure. All around me the forest was changing; paths were free and open, then quite suddenly they were gone and I was surrounded by dense undergrowth; tree's kept shifting, so that one moment, I was heading towards big oaks, then next I was in a desolate little forest of ash and sycamore; leaves were brown and falling, the tree's bare of life, then they were heavy with green and the birds were singing; and all the while I sensed someone was there, searching, watching, wanting. But I wasn't afraid...I had to find them...they were the answer to all this confusion and the solution to all my problems. "Kate...where are you?" I heard a whisper; a deep, growling, familiar whisper. Yet somehow, it sounded wrong... "I need you...help me Kate..." I span desperately on the spot, my ears straining in the direction the voice had come from. I couldn't see anything in the dark, dense undergrowth, but that didn't stop me; I ran towards the sound, tripping and stumbling on twigs and brambles. My legs were sore and bleeding from being slashed by thorns, but I didn't care...I had to find him...he was what I was searching for. "I'm coming Fian!" I called out, but no matter how hard I tried, no sound came out of my mouth; my voice was nothing but a whisper on the breeze. Then to my left I saw it...movement; a flicker of something silver passing through the trees, a shadowy, ghost-like shape. Breathing hard, I ran on, sensing that he was close and getting closer the more I ran. "Kate! Please...help me!" I stopped suddenly, my hands trembling in the darkness. The voice had sounded from behind me this time, not in front. Turning desperately, I searched for another sign...something to guide me in the right direction, to tell me where he was... Another movement; to my right I saw a tall, dark figure; a man was walking slowly through the trees, his long dark hair blowing in the breeze. He made no sound as he walked. I saw him stop and look sideways at me, smiling sadly, his grey eyes full of love...then he was gone as though he'd never been, his image blown away like a breath of wind. "Wait!" I shouted. Too late...he was gone. I ran to where I'd seen him disappear, but before I reached the spot, more movement had me turning on the spot. Now he was behind me, calling my name, his eyes dark and full of fear. "Kate! Please! I need you!" he begged. I began to shake violently, desperate to reach him, yet unable to see a way out of this nightmare. Why couldn't I reach him?! Even as I stood there watching him call my name, I saw another movement to my left, then one to my right, all him, all flitting through the trees like ghosts. How could he do this? It wasn't possible... How could he be everywhere at once? And why couldn't I reach him? "Kate!" "Kate..." "KATE!" My head began to swirl as his image filled my head over and over. The trees around me became very dark and menacing and I heard laughter all around me, mocking me. Twirling and dancing, my head span and span and I span with it, turning in every direction I could, following his figure as it appeared and disappeared through the blackened trees around me. In the distance I heard a scream of pain. My whole body tensed, my eyes wide and desperate, searching...but there was nothing...the forest was now so dark I couldn't even see the trees or hear the rustling of their leaves, couldn't even see my hands in front of my face. Through the silence, Fian screamed as though fatally wounded; "KAAATE!!" "FIAN!!" I cried, but though my voice was loud and clear in the vast, black forest, all I could hear was my own voice echoing distantly through the trees. The silence reigned and I began to fear the worst. After all these years, to have him so close and to loose him; no, it could be... "Oh god, no...no...please..." I sobbed, feeling my heart beating erratically in my chest. My whole body was shaking, the terror filling me with ice. "Please no..." I begged. "Fian, please...I need you...where are you?! Fian!! Please! I love you!" From out of nowhere it came, bringing with it a wind of ice and fire...black as the darkest night; paws like a lion's, hammering the earth at a ferocious pace; its breath curling like mist in the chilled air...and all the while its eyes were fixed upon me, burning silver with fierce determination. Before I could even cry out, the wolf was upon me, leaping high into the air like a great, agile bear, its muscles taut like twisted rope. It's jaws opened wide and for several long seconds I was just inches from its hot breath, its gaping mouth and gleaming teeth...but I felt no fear...for in those moments, my eyes were locked on his, fixated by the cold, glinting silver within...and yet, no matter how cold or cruel they appeared at first glance, his eyes were deeper, warmer and more loving than any I'd ever seen...he would never hurt me, I knew... "Wake up...it's just a nightmare Kate...wake up now..." he whispered to me, landing heavily on my chest and knocking me to the ground. I felt like my whole body had been crushed and I couldn't breathe, no matter how much I tried. The wolf bit gently into my neck, just hard enough for me to feel the sharpness of his teeth against my skin. The feel of it pulled at my insides, jerking me to reality and I remember thinking 'No...not yet...I don't want to leave just yet. I have to stay here...I have to find him...' I felt his teeth bite down then, piecing my skin and drawing blood. I yelped and tensed, struggling to get free of his grip, feeling betrayed. I'd thought he wouldn't hurt me and now he was. The wolf held strong, whimpering as though he was biting himself. "It's just a nightmare Kate...I'm sorry...but you have to wake up..." I could feel myself being pulled from the dream; I could hear the sounds of reality seeping through. The pain in my neck lessened and his warmth and weight were drifting away. I was no longer caught up in that dark forest, but surrounded by light and blue sky, drifting through clouds and feeling their vapour on my skin like warm breath. "No more nightmares my love...you're safe now..." ~ It was just after dawn when I first awoke, my heart thudding heavily in my chest. I felt sick and shaken and my body trembled despite being hot and feverish. For several moments I was back there, still stuck in that nightmare, that dream, feeling that powerful body pinning me down and biting at my neck... I was still scared for the man I'd lost...the man I'd heard screaming so desperately for my help. Where was he now? What had become of him? But then I remembered that it was all just a dream...nothing more. Pulling the bed clothes tight against my body, I sat up and looked about me nervously. Where was I? How had I got here? Then I remembered the crash. Someone must have found me and brought me back here...but the question was, who? And where were they now? I appeared to be in some sort of cabin, in a large bed of torn and tatty looking blankets. From where I lay, I could see almost every other part of the little house; to my left there was a bookshelf, full of dusty old books and in front of that was a large plum coloured sofa that fronted a rustic fireplace. The floor was made of solid grey stone and was covered here and there with thick, fraying rugs. To my right there was some sort of little kitchen/diner, consisting of a heavy looking table and chairs, a few cupboards, a sink and drainer and two doors that led god knows where. The overall look was very homely, though I could see that everything was dirty and covered in fur and all the furniture was worn and old. It looked like something from the middle ages. All around me, a weak yellow-grey light was pushing its way into my bleary eyes and a crescendo of high-pitched bird song was building from outside. I guessed it was just after dawn by the stillness of everything. The air was cold as no fire had yet been lit. I wondered where the owner of the cabin had got to at such an early hour, but didn't let that worry me too much as I tried to come to grips with myself. I felt weak and weary, but strange too, as though I wasn't really a part of my own body. My head felt thick and sore. I ran my fingers across my forehead, gently brushing the hair away and wincing when my fingers found cut flesh. There was a lump and a little gash above my right eye that was sore and swollen to the touch. I remembered hitting my head when I crashed and groaned. Great. Tucking my hair behind my ears, I slowly climbed from the bed and steadied myself, feeling a wave of nausea threaten to pull me down again. Swallowing hard, I took a few weary steps towards the fireplace, wincing every time my head twinged or body ached from its ordeals. Carefully I made my way over to one of the cabin's two windows and peered outside. There was nothing out there; nothing but forest and wildlife, not even a sign that this was an inhabited place; no dirty shoes outside the front door or plants growing in pots in the garden. Sighing and wondering what to do next, I turned around to face the kitchen and almost jumped ten foot in the air. There was a man sitting at the kitchen table, leaning back in his chair and watching me with amused grey eyes. Had he been there all that time? It wasn't possible...how had I not noticed him? But if he'd just arrived, how had I not noticed that either? Surely I would have heard something...the open and close of the door, the sound of footsteps, the scrape of the chair as he sat down... But my mind was suddenly numb with shock and disbelief, for I realised then...that long, unruly black hair...that tight, broad shouldered chest...those proud features and that gentle smile...but more than that, those bright, loving eyes...those grey, haunting eyes...I knew this man... Barely trusting my own voice, I stood stock still, trembling now more than ever. "Fian?" I breathed. The man smiled gently, as if telling me to believe...to trust... But it was all too much, too quick; I felt myself go hot, sickness overcoming me as my head began to swirl once more. I heard the rushed scrape of a chair, saw the panicked look come over Fian's face as he stood and rushed towards me. He grabbed my elbow as I began to fall, then his other arm came round my waist and caught me in mid fall. "Kate...are you alright?" he asked softly, his voice laced with concern. But I was already unconscious, slumped and lifeless in his powerful arms. ***** Tom blinked and shied away from the glaring sunlight. It was morning...and all too soon. Groaning softly, he rolled over and felt a soft, warm body lying next to his. He grinned to himself and wrapped his arm around Sarah, remembering he events of the previous night. After bringing her belonging's indoors and depositing them in one of the four bedrooms, Sarah had practically pounced on him. He didn't mind of course; it was, in fact, a dream come true. Grinning like a loon, he'd slowly stripped her of her clothing before laying her out on the big double bed. He could have sat there happily all night, just watching her naked body lying there so wantonly, but luckily Sarah had other ideas. After the outstanding treatment she'd given his cock, he felt it only fair to return the favour, so started by giving her the best twenty minutes of oral he could; he felt, after some of the things he'd done, that his tongue deserved a medal for best gymnast in the history of mankind. Sarah had certainly seemed to enjoy it at least and had almost brought the roof down with her moans and squeal's of ecstasy. She tasted so good that he'd have carried it on for hours, but by that time she was begging for his cock to be inside her. And never would he dare refuse her anything... After making sweet and gentle love to her twice, Tom had lay beside her, kissing her neck and ears, feeling like he was the luckiest man alive. Sarah had rested her head on his chest, smiling up at him with those dark, sexy eyes. "I've never had anything so...so...amazing...I want more..." she'd giggled, blushing at her own boldness. Tom growled with lust, already hard for her, despite having come three times in one night. "You're going to be the end of me girl." He'd laughed deeply, his chest rumbling against her ear. Before long he was tonguing one of her pinky-brown nipples as he slid his cock into her dripping wet snatch. Sarah had let out a moan as he slid slowly up inside her. Tom closed his eyes at the pleasure of it. Though his cock had still been a little sore, it felt no less divine than the last two times he'd buried himself inside her silken walls. He'd begun to thrust gently, in and out, in and out, feeling even better every time he'd heard Sarah call out... "Yeess...ohhh, yeeeeesss!" her breathy little moans and whimpers each time he plunged back in. "Does that feel good baby?" he'd asked, his own voice strained and breathless. Sarah let out a long groan in reply and Tom had smiled. "Harder..." Sarah breathed, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment before rolling away again. Tom picked up his pace then, drawing out slowly then ramming back in. She'd liked that. Tom had then lifted one of her legs onto his shoulder and kissed her ankle, still pumping in and out. He let his fingers glide up her leg and between her thighs before quickly locating her clit and beginning to trace rhythmic little circles on her delicate nub. Sarah squealed. Her pussy had clenched hard on his cock, leaking its juices down onto his balls. He sensed that she was beginning to come for the fifth time that night. Her breathing had become more rapid and her eyelids had begun to flutter. "Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes..." she'd chanted. Tom felt so drugged, so intoxicated by her. He'd found it hard not to just flip her over and fuck her senseless and he had no idea why. He'd never even thought of doing that to Sarah before...he felt it would be disrespectful to do that to such a sweet, innocent little goddess. But Sarah hadn't seemed to mind. Within moments she'd been begging him to fuck her and her dirty words just sent Tom over the edge. Flipping her over onto her knees, he slammed himself back inside her, feeling her come around his cock. He'd slowed momentarily for her orgasm, then picked up where he'd left off, slamming in and out of her like a piston. Sarah was howling, her pussy rippling like mad, spewing juices all down his shaft and onto his balls as though it had lost control. Tom felt his own orgasm building. He then reached forward with one hand and brushed her dark hair from her face, wanting to see her eyes as he came inside her. She had a determined look on her pretty little face and was grunting and panting as another orgasm chased her last. She'd managed just the briefest of smiles when she saw him looking and that had been enough to send him over the edge. Clenching his teeth, Tom lifted her up so that her back was against his chest and furiously kissed at her neck. His balls tightened and Sarah groaned loudly. Holding her tight, Tom thrust once more inside her and let go, spewing ropes of cum into Sarah's tight and wanting pussy. Just as he exploded, Sarah came again and bucked herself against his chest. Exhausted, they'd both passed out soon after, still clinging tightly to each others sweaty bodies. Tom felt himself grow hard thinking about it all and he longed to wake her and relive it all again, but knew he couldn't. His dick was sore and swollen and he needed a shower, but more than that, he didn't want to wake Sarah. He wanted her to rest, sleeping as beautifully as she was right now. Wondering what time it was, Tom sat up in bed and glanced out the window. About nine he guessed...maybe later. Jilly and Matt would be here soon and Kate... Shit. Kate. Pulling himself from bed, Tom pulled on a pair of boxer's and a t-shirt and quietly slipped from the room. His head was half-asleep and confused, trying to make sense of his many thoughts. He knew that Kate was meant to arrive last night, about the same time that Sarah had, but he couldn't remember hearing her come in. Had they been so distracted that they hadn't noticed? He couldn't remember hearing any noises to say that someone was there and surely, despite everything, they would have noticed the sound of her car, the flash of headlights in the window, the sounds of the door opening and closing...something? Creeping quietly down the cabin's eastern hallway, Tom entered the main room and glanced around for signs of his friend; her bags, coffee mug, car keys on the table, anything! But there was nothing, not a single thing different from how he'd left it the previous night and it made him panic. Don't be stupid, he told himself. Check the other bedrooms. So very quickly he crept back down the east side of the cabin's two little hall ways, passed the room where Sarah lay sleeping and entered the room next door. Nothing. He then went to the other side of the cabin, checked the western hallway and its two bedrooms. Still nothing. 'What the hell? Where is she?' He asked himself. 'Perhaps she'd called and said she was staying in a hotel, like Matt and Jilly had.' He thought. 'Yeah, perhaps...' So returning to the main room, Tom set about trying to find his mobile. Five minutes later and none the better off, Tom stood in the middle of the room, trying to think where in hell's name he may of left it, when Sarah came slinking down the hallway and into his view. Tom stood frozen, watching her, falling in love all over again. Sarah's dark hair was a little messy, her eyes smiling but tired. She was wearing nothing but her panties and a tiny little vest top. She smiled lazily and lent against the door frame. "Where's the fire honey?" she asked softly, her eyes dark and tender. Tom walked towards her, unable to remove his gaze from hers. He slid his arms around her waist, drawing her to him and kissed her full on the mouth. "God, you're so beautiful..." he whispered, burying his face in her silky, fresh smelling hair. Sarah blushed slightly, smiling in thanks. Tom stared at her a minute longer before saying what was wrong. "I can't find my phone." He said. Sarah looked puzzled. "You can use mine if you need to..." "No...I don't...it's just...Kate was meant to arrive last night..." he told her. "Ah...and she hasn't?" Tom shook his head. "I was trying to find my phone to see if she'd called...she's probably just got lost, stayed over in a hotel or something, like Matt and Jilly..." "But we've got to check...she could have broken down or anything." Sarah said, understanding his worry. She pulled herself free of his arms and began to search the room again. Tom went to check the bedroom to see if he's left it in there. But it was no use. Neither of them could locate it. "Were being really stupid, you know..." Sarah pointed out suddenly. Tom looked confused. "Wait there..." And she dashed off into the bedroom, reappearing moments later with a slim little mobile in one hand. "I'll ring you..." She stated. But at that moment, there was a crunch of tyres on gravel outside and they both looked, wide-eyed at each other. Tom held out his hand for her phone and told her to go and get dressed. Sarah pulled a comical face. Drifters End Ch. 03 "You know, we're currently wearing the same amount of clothing..." she said, hinting that perhaps he should get dressed too. But Tom just grinned. "Jilly's not going to be getting excited to see my curves though, is she? I'm struggling enough as it is, trying to stop myself from jumping on you; I don't think ill be able to hold Matt off too..." he told her. Sarah grinned and darted into the bedroom. Tom looked down at the phone in his hand, dialled his own number and waited to hear it ring. Just as his ring tone sounded from the other side of the room, Matt and Jilly came stumbling through the door. Tom raced over to the chair his phone was ringing from and managed to extract it from down the side of the cushion. He stood up and turned to the new arrivals, switching off the call and flashing them a smile. "Tommy!" Matt called, sounding like some sort of bizarre football hooligan. He wore a stupid grin and his brown hair was sticking out in all directions. "Howzit going mate?" he asked, throwing an arm around Tom's shoulders as he came in. Jilly threw her bags down by the door as Sarah reappeared in the room. The women looked at each other, still slightly hesitant after all these years. Jilly had never got over the embarrassment of bullying Sarah in school and Sarah hadn't yet let her forget what a bitch she'd been. "Hello Matt. Jillian." Sarah said, in a friendly, though uncomfortable tone. Jilly smiled all too brightly, tucked a lock of chestnut hair behind her ear and said; "Oh hi." She quickly turned to Tom and pulled a face. "You could have put some clothes of for the occasion old boy..." She said sarcastically, green eyes bright. Tom made a ha-ha face, smiled slightly and looked down at his phone. 1 missed call; 1 new voice message. He saw that the missed call was, in fact, from Kate and quickly connected to his answer machine to hear her message; it had arrived just after nine p.m. "Tom , its Kate...you best send out the rescue squad...I've found that beastie you were talking about..." Kate laughed softly. "I'm joking, of course...I think I'm about ten minutes away...I've just passed a sign saying 'Drifters End' so...I'll guess I'll see you guys soon...bye." And the message had cut off, leaving Tom standing, pale and speechless in the middle of the room, the smile completely gone from his face. "Well...?" Sarah asked nervously. "She rang just after nine...said she was ten minutes away...up at Drifters End." He said blankly, his head racing. His first thought was not of broken down cars or of Kate crashing, but of the mythical beast that was meant to live up there, in that desolate stretch of forest. He dialled Kate's number, already knowing that he wouldn't get through. "What's up?" Matt asked, looking just as puzzled as Jilly who stood beside him. "It's Kate isn't it?" She said, more a statement than a question. "What's happened Tom?" Tom answered as the phone continued to ring, unanswered, next to his ear. "Well...Kate was meant to arrive last night, but I thought, you know, maybe she'd stopped in a motel or something..." "But she would have rang you if she was going to..." Jilly began. Tom cut off the call and glared at her. "Yes, I know...but...well, I didn't realise she had until now and..." "Why?" Jilly demanded, concern making her slightly irrational. "How could you not have heard your phone ringing, that's just..." "Jilly..." Matt said, calming her before she got too carried away. "We were...er, busy...and it was..." Tom tried to explain, but realised he was going off course. "Look, the point is that Kate was meant to be here and she isn't...she rang at nine o'clock last night, saying she was ten minutes away..." He looked round at them all, their faces dropping with realisation. Somehow, their fear cleared his head and made him think more rationally. "Right...this is what we're going to do..." he said. "Sarah..." He turned a small smile on her, dark hair now tied back, wearing a simple pair of jeans and thick jumper; Sarah returned a worried look and waited to hear what he had to say. Tom turned to Jilly and took a breath. "And Jilly...I want you two to stay here, and call me if Kate arrives, or...or you hear anything...okay?" Sarah nodded immediately, her eyes wide and fearful. Jilly looked like she might protest, but then glanced at Sarah, fell silent and nodded. "Thank you...now, Matt and I are going to take a drive up to Drifter's End, see what we can see...we'll call you as soon as we know anything." The girls both nodded silently as Tom slid his phone into his back pocket. He grabbed his car keys off the sideboard and looked back at Matt. "Let's go then." The reality of what was happening, of what they might yet find out, seemed to linger, unanswered, in the air. Matt held Toms gaze for a long moment, as if asking if he was ready for this. But Tom looked away, refusing to think about it; the idea of loosing Kate was unbearable; she'd always been there; she had to still be there... Drifters End "What do you want?" I asked softly, barely trusting myself to speak. Was I mad? Some part of me was screaming that I was, but it wasn't the part in control of my actions and my words seemed to come from someone else. "I want you to come to me, my love...Kate, please...stop...you must come to me..." the voice said again. "Yes..." I heard myself reply, wanting nothing more. Then my sense caught up with me and I realised I was driving on the wrong side of the road. "No! What am I saying? Go away!" I shouted into my car, knowing that no-one could hear me. Yet still the voice replied. "To turn me away is only to turn away a part of yourself Kate, you know that...please, stop..." "No!" I shouted again, speeding up in my madness, wanting to get away from whatever it was that was talking in my head. This isn't real, I told myself. "Go away! You're not real!" I said. At that moment, the bear sized, jet black figure of a wolf came slinking out into the road ahead and sat down, turning silver eyes onto the car as I sped towards him. Slamming my brakes on, the car swerved and spun, rolling in slow motion onto its side. Metal screeched against tarmac; the car slid and I hit my head. The last thing I remembered before passing out was feeling warmth all around me, soft and comforting like an overstuffed duvet. I felt no pain, no fear and no doubt, just the blissful urge to lie there in that warm, safe place forever...