9 comments/ 17996 views/ 2 favorites Sparks of Moonlight By: KillerRomance Sparks of Moonlight © Lily Rockmore, 2009 Halloween Story Competition Hey guys, This is my entry for the Halloween story competition. It's a tale of love, loss and death. Even so, I hope you enjoy it. Please keep an open mind as you read this. I believe it's the only way to read, and to appreciate this story. Thank you so much for reading me. Don't forget to vote and comment. Thank you! <3 Lily. 1956, Japan. They called it the witching hour; the sixty minutes when the dividing line between the dead and alive became too fine to notice. It would be the time when the witch doctors in town would go into trances, ordering the people about them to bring them fresh blood or unborn babies. It would also be the time when all the virginal young ladies would stay indoors, for it was said that during that hour, Yurei -- spirits that had unfulfilled wants - would be roaming the streets, looking for weak victims to manipulate. And virgins were very easy to manipulate. It was a frightening prospect, having one's body possessed by a spirit, but Nami didn't feel even a morsel of fear as she slipped out of the back door that night. After all, she was neither a virgin nor a coward. She started down the pathway towards the large pond, tall grass shielding her from any prying eyes that might glimpse her pale form sneaking away in the night. Excitement thrummed through her body as she caught sight of the soft grass around the lake --the soft grass which she'd laid on with her lover only the night before. He'd promised to be back this night to take her away, as the full moon lit their way to the future. She shivered as she remembered the night before; his fingers sliding along her unblemished flesh, his mouth catching her sigh of pleasure as his skin heated hers to a climax. Her body shuddered as she remembered the almost animalistic passion that took over her body when he was near. She tucked her long red kimono beneath her as she sat on the grass -- a kimono that she'd seen dyed only that afternoon. She hoped that the material pleased him, for it was pure Japanese silk that she'd sewn with her own hands. She'd also tied the Obi as tightly as possible, a deliberate effort to entice him. She giggled girlishly, hoping desperately that her ploy would work. She waited for him beneath the scrutiny of the night, dipping her ringed finger into the warm water of the pond, creating tiny ripples in the smooth waves. The movement of the water stroked a memory in her, a memory of a song long forgotten. A lullaby. She hummed the haunting tune, her voice like a well-tuned harp, performing to the breathing trees. From far away, she heard a wolf call. "Where is he?" she wondered minutes later, her brows creasing with worry. He should be here by now. Was he coming? He had to come. Had he gotten into some sort of trouble? What if he had been attacked by the rebels? What if... Her nurse's words came back to mock her. "American men only come to beautiful Japanese women for one reason, Nami-chan. Do not put your faith in him. You've given him too much as it is." But Nami hadn't believed the old coot. She had sniffed in her direction, giving the excuse that her lover adored her. She knew that he did. His bright grey eyes had told her just that as he found his release in her body the night before. She loved him as well, more than any other being on earth. It was impossible that her heart could hold so much love for one person. But it did, and as she thought about him, the love in her heart overflowed into tears that trickled down onto her cheeks. She would wait, she thought desperately. He would come to take her away like he'd said. He had to. Nami waited as the warmth of the air faded around her, causing her to shiver in the cold. The silk felt suddenly cool on her body, reminding her that she'd deliberately forgot to put on her slip that day. She hugged herself, rocking back on her heels as she watched the shadows of the clouds dancing around the moon's light. Its glow can't rival the glow of your skin, he'd told her. She looked at her arm. It was pale. It didn't glow. Nami waited, head bowed, as the unrelenting wind blew at her tresses, tangling it into a dark mess. She waited as the night sky faded by the heat of the oncoming morning sun. And she waited as the heart in her breast shattered into a million, indiscernible pieces. When the first sign of dawn tinged the horizon, Nami rose from where she had perched all night on the grass. Her knees would be an angry red if she ever cared to look, or to feel. She teetered slightly on weak muscles and the water from the pond enveloped her ankles, inviting her into its liquid warmth. She looked down at it, and saw herself looking back. Except it wasn't herself. The woman with the tangled hair and wild eyes wasn't Nami. It was the look of a fallen woman, a cheated one. Someone lied to. She took one step further into it, feeling as the wetness swirled around her knees. A second later, the water was caressing her breasts, the way she had let herself be caressed the night before. Anguish and anger rose inside her, nearly overpowering the abundance of love in her heart. She whispered his name as the water flowed up to her neck, her mouth parting on the silent words that echoed through her mind like a gong. She chanted his name as the red dye of her dress oozed out from the silk and tinged the water like blood. Her blood. She chanted as the water closed in around her, enfolding her in its warmth. And she chanted as the darkness engulfed her body, stilling her bleeding heart at last. * The Present "Hey, Mum. Yeah, yeah, I'm all right. The IT fair in Tokyo was over yesterday. I'm going sightseeing with the gang for a couple of days." Caleb waited patiently as his mother went through her usual list of safety precautions. Don't wander to places where they don't speak English; always carry your phone with you; retrace your steps if you get lost. It was the smothering any guy would expect if he was the only boy in a family of five elder sisters. But when his mother moved on to personal hygiene, Caleb decided that he'd better put a stop to the conversation before it became embarrassing. He was twenty, for god's sake, and had been living alone for more than two years. He could handle his shit, though he knew that his mother doubted that. In her eyes, he was still the toddler who woke her up in the middle of the night when he needed to pee. It was for that reason she made him call her everyday before he started his day, especially now that he was doing a summer tour in Japan to promote the gang's new Anime website. "Cale, get your ass up here!" Jess, the only girl in their group -- though one could hardly call her a girl -- called through the window of the small tour van. Caleb gestured to her to give him a moment. "Uh Mum, I gotta go, OK? I'll call you tomorrow. Don't worry about me. Yeah, all right. Bye." Switching his phone off to avoid the off chance that she call him again, Caleb jogged to the van and got in, joining his friends just as Frankie, the fucker, finished his latest joke. As the rest laughed, Caleb settled into his seat and signaled the driver that everyone was here. "So where are we going today?" he asked Jess. She was in charge of planning the itinerary for the two days they had away from the IT fair. "The mountains," Jess said, pulling out a map from the back pocket of her loose jeans. "It's a bit of a touristy spot, but at night, it's like the RLD of Japan." "Are you serious?" Curiosities peaked, the guys peered over her shoulder at the map. "Are you just saying it to tease us?" Lloyd asked, poking Jess in the shoulder. "No, fucker. I'm dead serious. You can ask the driver if you'd like." Frankie launched himself at Jess. "I love you, Jessie!" "Ah, shit. Get offa me, pervert!" Caleb watched the tussle and shook his head. He never understood his friends' obsession with sex. Sex was OK, good for releasing stress, but Caleb never had a craving for it. Yeah, he'd been attracted to pretty chicks now and again, but that was it. He'd never had an addiction to anything related to sex. Curiosity, perhaps. But never an addiction. Not like these guys. "Hey, hey. Guess what?" Teddy called from the back of the van. The group turned to find Teddy pulling a long string of condoms from his backpack. The others hooted, but Caleb had to shake his head again. Jess patted his knee. "You OK, bro?" "Yeah, but look at those suckers, Jess." Lloyd and Frankie were attacking Ted for a few of the condoms. "That's just sad." She laughed, then as she'd done a gazillion times before, plonked herself onto Caleb's lap. As they were like siblings, and as Jess was so gay she should be purple, he didn't mind it. "Why don't you get excited about it, huh? You're young, cute and got the whole package." Caleb blushed when Jess reminded him of the time she'd walked in on him in the shower. Since then, she couldn't resist bringing up his a-little-larger-than-average dick whenever she got the chance. She got some sort of perverse lesbian pleasure from it. "I have a healthy enough interest in women, Jess," he commented, picking at the straggly denim at the end of her jeans. "Healthy?" she made a face. "God, you're not gay, are you? Only a gay guy would use 'healthy' do describe his attraction to women. But if you are gay, I'd totally understand. Totally." He gave her the 'shut up, bitch' look. "Yeah, I'm gay, Jess. I get so turned on at the thought of screwing one of those things." He gestured toward the trio at the back and rolled his eyes. They were making animal noises now. Jess laughed and tugged at his dirty blonde hair. "You know what you need, bro?" "What do I need, Ms. Psychologist?" "A really good girl to fuck you silly." "If I want one, I'll go get one. Now get offa my lap before my legs get so numb, they fall off." Chuckling, Jess kissed his cheek before crawling off him. A check with the driver told them that they had a couple more hours before they reached the mountains. Caleb sighed and took his Mac out from his backpack. He just hoped he could get access to the internet. * "One more, guys. The last one wasn't so good," Caleb called and the group groaned. They were standing in front of the Imperial Mountain Palace, the last rays of sunset giving it an unearthly glow. Caleb wanted a great picture of it, but the rest were so uncooperative, not to mention impatient. "Come on, dude. I want to hit the pussies already," Lloyd groused loudly and a few other tourists glanced their way. Jess whacked him with the map. "Shut up, bitch. We're not the only ones who know English." "Oh, whoops," Lloyd's eyes widened. "I meant to say cunts. I want to hit the cunts already, man, so hurry up!" Frankie and Ted guffawed and Caleb shook his head with a slight smile when the tourists started making a wide circle around them. He inserted himself in between the group, held the camera out and took a quick shot of all of them. "All right, Cale, enough with the pictures already." Ted grabbed the camera from his hands. "You've taken a million today already." Caleb shrugged and reached to get his camera back. "It's a good way to remember things." "Fuck that, man. Let's get going. The ticket guy at the palace told me to visit this place near the big inn." The group started walking in the direction of the inn, but Caleb lagged behind, wanting to grab a couple more shots of the place. It was really beautiful, more beautiful than he'd expected and he wanted to cover it on his blog. "You not coming, Cale?" Jess called, jogging back to him. "Nah. I wanna take a couple more pictures. You guys go ahead. I'll see you guys back at the hotel." "Oh, come on. You can't spend the night all alone. You'll have fun with us, I promise you." "No, really, Jess. This place is too beautiful for me not to take more pictures of it. But you have fun for me, OK?" "Well, if you're sure…" "Yes, definitely." "Then we'll see you back at the hotel by ten tomorrow." She gave him a quick hug and ran back to the group, wedging herself between Ted and Lloyd. Caleb angled a shot of the quartet before turning to face the palace again. He took several pictures of the palace from different angles in the night, then of the splendid greenery that surrounded it. Walking between lovely cherry blossom trees, he felt a sense of calm surround him. Unlike the bustle of the city, this place was barely touched by human hands. He ran his fingers over one cluster of cherry blossoms and raised it to his nose. Sweet, he thought. And tangy. He took a picture of that as well. He wandered far, until the palace seemed at least a mile away. But he couldn't bring himself to walk back to the hotel just yet. There was something in him that said there had to be more to all of this. Like a paradise. Somewhere, and he had to find it. After about ten minutes or so of trudging between tall grass, he emerged to find himself at a rather large pond. It wasn't exactly what he'd expected to find, but it was a nice surprise. He took shots of it, briefly considered climbing the low tree to get a better angle, before dismissing the idea when his camera gave its customary beep to signal that the memory card was nearly full. Someone had placed a wooden bench beside the pond, probably to watch the fish during the day. Thinking that it was as good a time as any, he folded himself onto the bench and booted his Mac. There wasn't internet access, but at least he'd be able to load the pictures into the laptop so he could take more on the way back. He'd just deleted the pictures that weren't quite nice when something at the end of the pond caught his eye. It was glinting under the moonlight. He strained his eyes to get a better look at it, but it was quite a distance away. Curiosity peaked, he set his laptop and camera away before walking over to it. It looked like a ring, but he couldn't be sure. He knelt next to it, brows furrowing. Yes, it was a gold ring that looked like a wedding band. He reached out to pick it out of the water, but just as he was about to touch it, a small hand covered his, making him start. He retracted his hand immediately, his eyes rising to the figure that was crouched beside him. A flowery, feminine scent wafted over to him and he wondered if he'd smelt it somewhere before tonight. It was vaguely familiar. "I have been looking for this for a long time," the girl said, her voice soft and lyrical. It hit him like a punch in the gut. Such a beautiful voice, he thought. Like something out of a fantasy. Her head was bowed and her long, dark hair was tucked behind her ears. She plucked the ring out of the water and slid it onto her index finger. It fit her perfectly; it had to be hers. He rose and offered her a hand, but she didn't take it. "Um, I'm Caleb," he found himself saying, trying to initiate conversation, but her head remained bowed, the lovely, pale skin at her collar intriguing him. He wanted her to look up so he could see how she looked like, but he didn't know if it would be rude to ask her to do so. "Isn't it a little late for you to be out her alone?" he blurted when she didn't give him her name in return for his. He thought he heard her laugh slightly, her head turning imperceptibly towards the pond. "Yes. I never should have left the house." Caleb found himself scrambling at a chance to be gallant. "Would you like me to escort you home?" "You are busy," she said softly, jerking her head towards the bench. Caleb didn't spare his Mac and beloved camera a glance. He didn't want his eyes to stray from the girl for a minute, just in case he could've glimpsed her features in that minute. "Nah, I'm not. I can pack in a second if I need to. Do you live far from here?" Again, he thought her chin tilted towards the pond. "No, not far." "Then give me a moment. I'll walk you." She nodded, hands clasping each other in front of her. They were so small, almost like a child's. But the rest of her was definitely not child-like. The beautiful kimono that she wore, made of silk, molded to her figure, highlighting the gentle swell of her breasts above the thick belt. Caleb looked away from her, as though embarrassed by his thoughts. He'd never been one to take stock of a woman through her assets, but he couldn't seem to help himself now. He was intrigued by the woman with soft words and even softer hands. As quickly as possible, he stuffed the Mac and camera into the backpack, zipping it up as he turned around. He nearly bumped into her, for she'd been standing so close to him. Damn, he hadn't even heard her move. He took a step back. "You're very quiet," he commented, shrugging his backpack on. "I cannot be otherwise," she replied, and he wondered at the oddity of it. Perhaps she was referring to her culture? "My house is north from here. Thank you for offering to escort me." "It's no problem. I couldn't possibly let you walk home alone this late, especially dressed as you are." She turned away from him and began walking in the direction which he'd come from. He trudged behind her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his khaki slacks. "So what do you do for a living?" he asked as they maneuvered between tall grass. She seemed to look at him over her shoulder. Yet her face was still masked by shadows. "I do not work." "Oh, but your parents do, then?" She turned back, no longer facing him. "Yes. My father does… work." There was a silence following her statement, and the sky seemed to grow darker. He looked up to find that clouds had hidden the moon. "My friends and I just released an Anime series online. We're promoting it on the IT tour in Tokyo. Have you heard of it?" "I do not believe so," she murmured. "Oh." He shrugged. "That's OK." They left the scattering of tall grass and entered the extensive gardens of the palace. There was at least another half a mile to walk in order to get to the palace itself. A breeze blew in their direction, and he smelt rain on it. "It's going to rain," he told her. Apparently, she sensed it, too, for she quickened her steps. They were almost near the back entrance of the palace when the first droplet of rain hit Caleb's head. Immediately, he switched his backpack to the front and hunched over it to protect it from the rapidly increasing amount of raindrops. "Come, I know of a place," the woman said and he followed her blindly, just wanting to be out of the rain. In fact, with her voice, he would've followed her into hell if she'd just so much as asked. She led him to a small hut off the garden, both of them half-running to avoid the rain. They'd just entered the hut when the rain began to pour in earnest, pounding on the wooden roof. "I will get candles," the woman said as soon as they were inside the house. She disappeared before he could protest. He stood in the dark, sweeping droplets of water off his backpack so that it would not affect his electronic stuff. He'd just taken his Mac out to let it dry when she reappeared with a lit candle in her hand. At first, he didn't pay her much notice, the primary purpose of getting his things dry weighing heavily on his mind. But when she came around the corner, the lovely golden glow of the candle illuminating her features, he forgot that oxygen was essential for living, much less that his Mac might be wet. God, she was beautiful. But then again, he'd known she would be. Her skin was pale, yet her eyes seemed bright with life. Dark and slanted upwards at the sides, they locked with his as she brought forth the candle, cupping the base in her small hands. He felt his mouth become unbelievably dry and his muscles slacken. Sparks of Moonlight "This house used to belong to someone I knew," she said, placing the candle on a low table. The light from it cast shadows across the room, making him realize that they were standing in a small living room. He took a cursory glance at the room before his eyes returned to her face. He felt a twist in his gut. God, she was the most exquisite creature he'd ever seen. "Would you like to change out of those wet clothes?" she asked, and even though his clothes weren't that wet, he nodded mutely. She disappeared into the other room again and emerged minutes later with a towel. Caleb used the time to gather his wits long enough to pull a spare set of clothes out of his backpack. She handed him the towel, and he took it before wrestling his shirt over his head. Grasping the towel made his right hand immobile and he tried using one hand to disentangle himself. Seconds later, he felt gentle hands pulling his shirt off for him, and simply imagining her performing such an intimate task made goosebumps roll down his arms. She took the shirt and left him to dry off, folding it neatly and setting it on the low table, away from the candle. Then she turned her head, apparently to give him privacy to change out of his pants. When he was done, he slung the towel over his shoulder. "Aren't you going to change out?" She turned towards him again. "I do not have anything to change into." He thought for a moment. "If you have a slip or something, you can change into that and I'll lend you my shirt," he offered. But she shook her head, looking to the floor again. "I'm not wearing my slip." There was a swift intake of air on his part. When he'd mentioned her underwear, it had been a strictly platonic, practical thing. Now her words had all sorts of shit going through his head. What the hell was wrong with him? Maybe his hormones were so fucked up that the reaction he was supposed to get at fifteen was hitting him hard at twenty. "Er, well if you don't change you might catch something. And it's already starting to get a little cold." She smiled, averting her eyes. "I'm used to the cold." Then she settled herself in front of the table, her knees tucked under her. He couldn't imagine that the position would be comfortable, but she looked like she didn't seem inclined to complain. A sudden roar of thunder made them both jump. Caleb cursed loudly from the shock. Then blushing slightly, he grabbed his backpack and sat cross-legged across from her. He rummaged through his backpack as he tried to make conversation. "So how long do you think it'll take?" She blinked. "I do not understand." "The rain," he explained. "How long do you think it'll take to blow over?" "Oh." A cool wind breezed into the room as she turned to assess the situation. Caleb had been in the process of setting up his Mac, but when he looked up, his thoughts ground to a halt. The glow of the flickering candle fell across her smooth, curved cheeks, almost as if it was caressing her. He stared at her as she stared at the rain, feeling the now-familiar pinprick of attraction to her that he'd felt multiple times over the course of a few minutes. He didn't understand it, but neither did he find the inclination understand it. She just felt so familiar somehow, so right, so damned beautiful. When she found him staring at her as she turned back to him, she bowed her head again, looking embarrassed. "It is my fault that we are stuck in here," she whispered. "I should never have let you walk with me." But the denial was ready on his lips. "Nonsense. I couldn't possibly have let you walk home alone." She shook her head. "It will take hours for the rain to stop falling. And you are wasting so much time…" "It doesn't matter. I didn't have anything important to do tonight anyway." "No?" she looked up, surprised. Her surprise made him feel like the biggest loser on the planet. "Well, I was going to blog, but not much other than that. I came here with my friends but they decided to… do something else." "Ah," she said when he didn't comment further. He wondered if she knew what he'd meant. She looked too innocent to. "So anyway," he continued, his voice bright. "Don't feel bad. It was my choice. I would've been stuck in the rain somewhere else if not for you." His initial plan had been to set up his laptop and start working on his blog post again, but seeing that she had nothing to do while he worked, he felt a little mean leaving her to entertain herself. So he put his backpack away and stared at her bowed head. "Do you have anything in mind that we could do while waiting for the rain to stop?" She shrugged. "This has never happened to me before." "You've never been stuck in a strange house with a strange man on a rainy night?" "I have never been stuck anywhere before." "See, there's a first time for everything." Their conversation was simply to fill in the time that they had, and he recognized it was getting pretty stale. The wind blew the shutters back again and she shivered, hugging herself. The candle was blown out, and the room swirled into darkness again. "Are you all right?" he asked into the darkness. He heard shuffling, then the candle was lighted again. As she cupped her palms around the candle, he rose to close the shutters securely. "Are you OK?" he asked, turning back to her. She nodded. "Here," he said, shrugging out of his shirt. "You're cold." She took it without argument, slipping it over her head and bundling herself in it. Minutes passed, but neither of them talked. Caleb sat in his territory, watching her. She sat in hers, staring at the floor. The wind made strange noises outside. He began to imagine how her hair would feel like. It looked smooth and straight, but he was damn sure it would feel like silk. At that moment, her fingers rose to tuck her hair behind her ears, and he jolted. An image of her flashed through his mind. Happy, laughing, dressed in a sunny yellow kimono. Then just as quickly as the image had entered his mind, it was gone, leaving him shaking his head. Weird. She switched sitting positions so that her legs were tucked in at her side. Her actions were so elegant, so graceful that they were like dance movements by themselves. He saw himself become more and more captivated by the woman in front of him. He didn't know her name or where she came from. But it didn't seem to matter. His eyes traveled leisurely over her features, trying to find some explanation for the familiarity he felt with her. A whisper brushed past his ears, startling him. "Did you say something?" he asked her. She shook her head. Shrugging it off as a freak incident, he continued his perusal of her. The column of her neck was long and beautifully curved. If Ted were here, he would call it 'made for lovebites.' But Caleb wasn't a lovebites kinda guy. He was more of a teaser. And he could imagine teasing that neck. He closed his eyes, wondering at his extensively horny state. He didn't know how to deal with it; it wasn't something that had occurred before. Behind closed lids, he saw her again. Her kimono pushed away on one shoulder, her neck tilted to the side, as though she was waiting for someone… him? He was looking at her from the back, so it had to be him. But that didn't make any sense. He didn't know her. He opened his eyes and found her staring at him. It was almost a bold stare for someone who was accustomed to bowing her head. Caleb stared back, unable to tear his eyes away from the black glitter of her eyes. Then he felt a bone-numbing chill in the room, but he noticed that she didn't shiver. She didn't even blink. He wrapped his arms around himself, still unable to tear his eyes away from her. "Don't you feel the chill?" he asked, struggling to keep his teeth from chattering. Her response was to nod slowly. "Aren't you cold?" She shook her head. "How could you not be?" His voice was incredulous. "Because I have you." A belated sense of wariness seeped into his skin at her words, and he stared at her, dumbfounded. "Huh? What?" She rose from her perch, sliding his shirt over her head effortlessly, letting it slide to the floor. He watched her as she came nearer toward him, wary, but not fearful. Her hand was gentle as she laid it on his shoulder and knelt beside him. His eyes roved her body: the red kimono, obsidian eyes and silky hair… and he knew without a doubt how she would taste like if he slid his lips against hers. Caleb shook his head. That was an insane thought. She simply sat before him, unspeaking, and he wondered what he should do. This woman was obviously delusional or had overly romanticized the situation. But then again, had she? Shit, it was getting muddled. "I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I don't understand you." Her fingers began smoothing over the curve of his shoulders. "You don't remember?" He didn't know if her fingers were a comfort or a discomfort. "What? Remember what?" That's when it started. Voices began echoing in his head, and his skin broke out in a sweat. His breaths became fast and hard, and he became blind to everything but the images flashing in his mind. He felt her hands gripping him, her voice murmuring something in his ear. They were standing in a garden, people he didn't recognize surrounding him. He looked down at himself; he was wearing a khaki colored uniform, like something out of the army. She was standing a few feet in front of him, head bowed demurely behind an older woman. Someone was talking to him, he knew, but he was paying them the least attention possible, his eyes focused only on her. She looked up after a few seconds, her eyes locking with his before she blushed and turned away. Then the scene changed and they were indoors. A narrow hallway. She was on one end, leaning against the wall with her head tipped back. A hand came up to press against her heart, and she smiled to herself. Then she peeked around the wall to look for someone. To look for him. He felt himself striding forward to catch her by the arm as she made to run away. Again, like a pirated movie, the scene got cut off, and they were in a room. A hotel room, perhaps. She stood in front of him, her head bowed. He was looking down at her, feeling something heavy and heady in his heart. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew the ring that he had ordered made for her, with both their initials and an engraving. He raised her chin, placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and slipped the ring onto her finger. She cried. Another scene. Of them lying on the bed, fucking. He could feel her nails on his back, the mewls in his ear. The tension in his body was indescribable. He could feel the passion in his thrusts and the clenching of her pussy. He whispered in her ear all the things that he thought she was, and how much she pleased him. She stilled beneath him, her body flushing, and he knew she had taken her pleasure. Then they were at the little pond, except that now he was a third party. She stood alone, her red kimono glinting in the moonlight. Tears glistened on her cheeks, and he felt his heart ache, needing to comfort her. "Nami," he whispered, feeling tears on his own cheeks. "Nami." He felt gentle fingers wiping the away, and his vision refocused to the little hut they were in. She was still kneeling beside him, running her fingers over his wet cheeks. "You remember," she said softly, smiling slightly. He seemed to mentally shake himself. What was happening to him? What had he just seen? Those weren't his memories; that wasn't his life. Who was this woman? "No, do not deny it. You must remember. You must." The rain had stopped, he noticed. He had to leave. Shrugging her hands away from his body, he stood and pulled the discarded shirt over his head. Not faltering for a moment, he reached for his backpack and made for the door. She was mad, whoever she was. Maybe she'd performed some kind of Japanese voodoo on him. He needed to get out of her stifling presence. "Please, don't leave." He heard her plea, even considered it briefly, before realizing how stupid it could be to stay. But when he tried to push the wooden door aside, it didn't budge. He rattled it, pushed at it with his shoulder but it didn't give an inch. Sweat began forming on his forehead -- a nervous sweat. There was no noise coming from the living area. He turned around slowly, fearing what he would see. The candle was still burning on the table, but she wasn't there. "Please." The word rushed through his brain, and he looked around frantically for her. "What do you want?" he shouted, unable to bear the little game she was playing. His back hit the door as he scrambled backward when she materialized in front of him, a vision of perfect beauty. But her eyes were sad, overflowing with tears. "What do you want?" he repeated, this time, much more softly. She came closer, pressing herself against him, her arms going around his waist. "I want you to remember," she said, laying her head on his chest. She smoothed her hand over his heart and kissed it gently. And Caleb found that he could, indeed, remember. * "I'll marry you." Nami pulled away from Caleb slightly, her eyes rising to meet his. They were standing by the pond again, with her in his arms. It had become their heaven, far from the prying eyes in the village. Here, they could be themselves, and not be afraid to speak and act as they wanted to. Nami knew her father suspected that something was going on between them, but he'd never asked her about it. Instead, she'd overheard that he'd deployed a few men to follow Caleb around. She'd stopped visiting Caleb in his hotel after that. Now they only had these few stolen moments under the moonlight. She lived for them. "What?" she asked, barely able to comprehend what he'd said. She'd resigned herself to being his lover, and nothing more. Her society would not accept him, and she doubted that his parents would make her a part of the family, too. She had been content just to be his woman, and hadn't expected that he would ask her to marry him knowing the consequences. "Marry me, Nami. I don't care if people don't accept us. I don't care if my parents disown me. All I want is for you to be my wife." Nami swallowed thickly. She couldn't believe this was happening. Even in her wildest dreams, she'd never allowed herself to envision this. "I…" "Just say yes, sweetheart." She blinked back tears, lifting her fingers to his cheek. "How could you doubt it?" He caught her to him, crushing her body against his. Her tears made a wet spot on his chest. He groaned. "Don't cry, baby. Please don't." "I'm not," she said on a sob, swiping at her tears. "I'm just happy." He laughed and buried his face in her scented hair. Married, he thought. Married to Nami, officially making her his. There was nothing that could give him more happiness. "I love you," he whispered in her ear and felt the shudder that ran through her body. She raised her hands to entwine his neck. "A few months ago, I didn't know what love between a man and a woman felt like. But now that I do, I'll never let you go." "Never?" he repeated, his eyes taking on a serious glaze at her words. "Never," she vowed. Then she kissed him. His hands wandered as they always did, down her back and the arch of her buttocks to caress the firm mounds. She smiled against his mouth, knowing that her bottom was his weakness, and reached up to run her fingers through his short, blonde hair. She pressed her bottom against his palms and he groaned into her mouth. He melded their lips and he felt her fingers dig into his neck. She let out a little sigh when his lips moved over hers from one end to the other, his tongue tracing the delectable curve of her bottom lip. He opened his eyes to watch the way she reacted to his kisses; her responses never failed to amaze him. This time, her eyes were shut tightly, her body vibrating with the beginning of an urgency that would lead them both to an unimaginable end. She murmured something into his ear, but he did not hear it over the rush of blood in his ears and the feel of her heated breath misting over his skin. His hands traveled over the material lining the tops of her breasts just as his tongue caressed hers in a heated tryst. They moaned in unison. Christ! She tasted of woman and an exotic substance that was uniquely her. The taste of her drugged him as it usually did and he fell prey to it, willingly and irrevocably. His every thought was filled with nothing but her, trembling so sweetly in his arms, waiting for his touch to ease her ache. His fingers slipped under the cloth of the kimono, causing goosebumps over her flesh before sliding the soft silk down over her arm. She shivered. Creamy skin shone beneath the moonlight. She wore no slip, and Caleb knew that she done so because she knew he loved the thought of her being nude under cool silk. It drove him wild, and his blood heated when he realized how she'd deliberately planned to arouse him. Before her, he hadn't really known much about a woman's breasts, having only had a couple of floozies before joining the army, but even in his inexperience, he knew that her breasts were the epitome of beautiful. Rich, white mounds rippled slightly as he slid his fingers over them. The cloth fell to her waist and he brushed his thumbs across the tender, pink crowns that seemed to pout for his touch. He watched for her reaction as he tweaked one of her distended nipples, rubbing it slowly between his thumb and forefinger. Her breath hitched, and a sweet mewl escaped her lips. He laid her onto the soft grass then, as completely taken with her as the first time he'd laid eyes on her. He positioned his hands on either side of her head and kissed her again, wanting to hear her sigh against his lips. Only when she did, he allowed his lips to travel lower to the lusty globes of her breasts. "You're pouting," he breathed against her breasts, although he was sure she couldn't hear him above her mewls. The first flick of his tongue on her hard nipple had her arching her back against him. He knew she was as helpless to the madness as he was. Helpless to the pleasure they wove around each other. His tongue snaked around her nipple, swirling around it as though performing a special dance. Then his teeth joined in the pleasuring and tugged once, twice, three times, until her fingers in his hair were clutching, pulling, demanding. He bunched her skirts around her middle, seeking the treasure that would give them both pleasure. Downy, soft hair covered her mound, ensconcing a pink treat that beckoned his lips. Her knees fell apart without shyness as he descended upon her, opening for him. He could smell her even before he laid his lips against her center. Taking a deep breath of her musty scent, he kissed and caressed the inner sides of her thighs, feeling them quiver. He knew he loved it when he teased her before giving her pleasure; in the past few weeks, he'd made it his primary task to learn everything she liked and disliked. So he teased her as only a merciless man would, running a hand through her nether curls, drugging her with pleasure. She began begging, pleading with him, and only then did he relent. He heard a sharp, shaky cry escape her lips when his tongue finally touched her slick folds. She was so aroused that her lips were full and pouting, showing off the thick desire that had pooled between her legs. Caleb dipped his head and suckled on the little bundle of nerves that was nestled within her folds, wanting nothing more than to feel her take her pleasure around his lips. She cried out yet again and writhed under him, her small hands making fists out of his thin shirt as he alternated between licking and nibbling on her sensitive skin. Sparks of Moonlight When her mewls turned into breathy half-pants, he knew she was almost near the point of no return. He slid a thick finger into her tight sheath, feeling her clench it tightly. Her hips moved sensually on his finger and mouth for a few moments, before she froze and a choked sob escaped her lips. She lay limp and exhausted as he rose up above her, covering her with himself. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were parted. Unable to resist the temptation, he kissed her thoroughly. After minutes of lying above her with his lips against hers, he felt her hunger rise again as she kissed him back with equal fervor. She wrapped her legs around him as he positioned himself at the entrance of her moist core. When he covered her lips in a kiss and thrust into her at the same time, she was prepared for the full, bursting pleasure. She clung to him, her sharp sighs blending with his hoarse groans as he rode her into the unknown, plunging, dark place where desire ruptured. It was a while before either of them could summon the energy to speak. "It keeps getting better and better," he whispered in her ear and she giggled, cuddling herself against his nakedness. "Definitely better." They lay entwined for hours, making lazy love when they had a mind to. Only when the horizon became tinged with a hint of white did they rise from the grass and clothe themselves. He gave her a long, lingering kiss that was almost a promise. "Tonight," he said, his fingers clutching hers. "Can you be ready?" "Yes," she whispered against his lips. "Where will we be going?" "To the city. A ship is leaving for my country the morning after." She did up the last button on his shirt and patted his chest. "I will be ready." He pressed another kiss to her lips. "I love you," he mouthed, and then, he was gone. * He slipped into his hotel room after dawn, tired from his exertions the night before. Yawning, he shut the door and turned the key in the lock, just as a sharp pain seared his forehead. Letting out a strangled sound, he collapsed onto his knees. Another sharp pain, this time by his neck, and he felt his world swim. Footsteps sounded beside him, but he couldn't look up. He heard someone murmuring in Japanese. Then he couldn't hear anything at all. * Caleb woke with a start. For the first few moments, he was confused, disoriented. Why was he lying in the middle of nowhere? Why were his arms and legs covered in dew? He sat up slowly, as though he was afraid to jar a sore ache or a forgotten memory. As he sat up, he saw his backpack tossed by his feet, untouched. He looked to the right and he saw the large pond, the tree and the bench. Everything was fuzzy in his head. He knew he'd seen this place last night, but why was it important to him? Had he collapsed here? Shaking his head, he struggled to get up. His knees felt weak. But he managed to get to a crouch. Looking around, he found no one. He heard no one. Then he looked to the pond again. Something gold glittered in the shallow water nearest to him. He reached out to touch it, and everything came flooding back. His memories; memories that weren't his. Nami. Nami. Nami. * Asahi Shimbun, October 20, 2009 Body of Imperial Princess Found in Pond On the nineteenth of October, Yukai Hospital's emergency unit received an anonymous call informing them of a woman's body found in a pond in the mountains of Osakaya. The pond, some several hundred meters away from the Imperial Palace of Osakaya, is said to have been the coveted resting place of the missing princess, Nami Osakaya in the 1950s. Princess Nami was reported missing in 1956, and though many believed she had run away with an unnamed American soldier, the police state that there is a very high possibility that the body might be hers. There was also a gold ring found by the body, with the engraving, "To my beloved. From Caleb", leading the police to believe that the princess might have withdrew the ring before she drowned herself in the four and half meter deep pond. What was the cause of her death? A lover's quarrel? A scorned love? Or had her death been made to look like a suicide? Only further investigation by the police would provide the answer. *