Storiesonline.net ------- Soul Taker by ElSol Copyright© 2006 by ElSol ------- Description: Coronado has an encounter with Jo's Lover. [Epilogue (Continued)] Codes: MF no-sex mc Mdom ------- Subtitle: The Strange Duet Part II Her door tended to slam so I put my hand out to guide it to a silent closing. "Who the fuck are you?!? And what were you doing in my girlfriend's apartment?" For easily the hundredth time, I wished she had fallen for someone lower in the instep and vocal range. I rested my forehead against the door; the music from the other side was almost out of my reach. "Answer my question, asshole! What the fuck were you doing in there?" I turned until the sweater-hood no longer blocked my view of the woman. "At least, she still picks the fine ones, even if her appreciation for loud women has grown past my preference." She took a step back, but stepped forward when she realized how she reacted. I walked to the guitar case I set down before entering the apartment. I hadn't needed it inside, but the woman in the hallway called a different song. "You know her?" More a challenge than a question, I ignored it to bend down and open the case. The woman's heels clipped against the tile as she walked by. "She doesn't want to talk to you," I said touching the guitar strings. "I don't care what she wants!" "That's part of the problem. Regardless, I don't want you to talk to her." "I don't give a fuck what you want either!" "Yes, you do." The guitar was in position. I leaned against the wall and touched the strings. The hand she had poised to beat on the door fell to her side. She turned to look at me. "You shouldn't frown," I told her. "It's not attractive on you." I smiled at her confusion; she would understand soon enough. "Move away from the door please." "Fuck you, asshole!" I waited until she walked back to her original position by the stairs before replying, "I'm predisposed to disliking you, --courtesy would not harm your cause." She stared at the door. The song made its presence known around us. Her brow furrowed as she glanced at everything on the landing to avoid looking at me. The music turned her head until her eyes met mine. Had she applied any more pressure to the lip trapped between her teeth, she would have drawn blood. "Fuck you!" She forced the words out through her uncertainty. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. "Who are you?" she asked suddenly. "The dream she can't remember." The woman laughed. I opened my eyes and tilted my head to the side. My fingers gave the song enough physical form to press against her from all sides. I squeezed. Her breathing stopped, and her eyes widened. I let go and waited. "You're the one she won't tell me about!" Envy lent strength to her voice. "She can't tell you about me." "What do you mean can't?" "Knock on the door." She managed to lean in that direction. Her eyes bored into me before she bit her lip, this time drawing blood, and leaned harder. "She can't tell you what she doesn't remember, but you knew about me anyway, didn't you?" She stared hatred at me for a second before driving towards the door with all of her will. It was no match for the music. She gasped and pulled back. "That's impossible!" "She said the same thing once, but she didn't put the gusto into it that you just did. In fact, she was a little desperate to believe it was possible." "No," she shook her head. "You're not one of them." My fingers froze on the strings, "One of them?" She shook her head even harder. The music convinced her to speak, "Those disgusting stories she reads. Soul takers don't exist!" "Soultaker," I whispered. "I like it." "You're not real!" "Knock on her door and tell me I'm not real." She was too afraid to try again. "Why?" Her voice cracked. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I could almost hear her counting down from the heights of fear. There was defiance in her eyes when she looked at me. "You hurt her," I said. "Now, I'm going to hurt you." She spun on her heel and tried to flee. I put a spell on you She dropped as if the words had sliced through her knees. Because you're mine Her body convulsed as her will pushed her to try standing while the music turned her towards me. The spark of anger in her eyes was drowning in horror. You better stop The things that you're doin'. She crawled to me. Her hands were touching my shoes before she looked up. "While I appreciate not having to find you, I'm curious why you would come back here." I kept the song alive with the guitar. "The last argument seemed final." She pressed her lips together until they turned white. Her hands fisted against my thighs, if not for the music she would have tried violence. "You can't do this to me," she said finally. "I won't allow it!" "I would think you kneeling naked at my feet proves I can do whatever I want to you." "I'm not naked!" But she had to check. "An oversight on my part," I said smirking. "It was rude to point it out instead of correcting it by taking your clothes off." She looked at me with the minor victory dancing across her face. I ain't gonna take none of your Puttin' me down; "I guess she spoiled me. The hard way then," I sighed. "Take your clothes off." The music barred any reluctance. She danced, removing every article of clothing with the intent to seduce. Even her eyes were in another place. Breathing hard, she knelt again. Within a minute, terror consumed her to a point I had to use the music to keep her in place. "How far away did you park your car?" I asked to distract her. The question was too unexpected for her to do anything other than reply truthfully, "A couple of blocks away." "Naked, it's going to be long walk in this weather, but there won't be many people around to see you." "You can't!" "We've already had the 'can't' discussion," I pointed out. She turned and looked at the stairs. Her eyes pleaded when she looked back at me. "Why are you doing this to me?" "You hurt her," I replied. "Had it been the normal pain of love, I wouldn't get involved, but you went too far." "I won't do it again!" "Why did you do it in the first place?" She shivered and stared at the door. She extended her hands to my thighs and tried to dig her nails in. "Because she loved you, and you could," I said shaking my head slowly. "But again, it begs the question: why are you back?" "What are you, her fucking guardian angel?" she shouted. I wrapped the music tighter around her. "With what I have in mind for you, certainly no angel," I answered. "As to guardian, did you ever wonder about the music she listens to when she's afraid, lonely... heartbroken?" The curiosity of a lover peeked around fear. "It makes her feel safe, but it would be a lie if she wasn't safe. My music has never lied to her." "Why do you care about her?" Jealousy pushed her fear aside; I had a part of her lover she could not touch. The guitar rained notes around us. "You can't have her!" she yelled. "She's mine." "You've done too much damage for that to be true anymore." "She's mine!" "It's over, even without me in your way, and you know it." Tears crept down her cheeks. She wanted to deny my words, but want wasn't enough to make them untrue. "You can't have her," she said gritting her teeth. "I won't let you." "We could make it her choice." Her eyes snapped up hopefully. "The power of her fantasies versus your failed love," I offered. Her hatred was almost mindless in intensity. "Fuck you!" "Yes, you will." She swallowed hard. Her eyes were unbelieving as she stared at me for a long time. "You wouldn't." She could not make it sound convincing. "I can't. I shouldn't. I wouldn't. Very original," I said. "But that's what I get for giving you a choice." I waited for her to figure it out. "A choice?" "Yes." "What choice?" "She does love you and as stupid as you might be for spitting in the face of that, I believe you love her too," I replied. "If she remembered what I could do, she wouldn't think highly of my mistreating you." She sat back on her heels; she had learned enough to know there was a hammer. "I'll let you go, if you let her go," I said. "Never talk to her again. Never see her again." "Okay," she said too quickly. She made it to her feet and halfway to the stairs before she remembered she was naked. Looking at her clothes brought reality crashing down; it had been too easy. She turned and lifted her chin. "Haughty," I said almost laughing. "Better than the frown." "What's the rest?" "Maybe it's your mind she's attracted to." "What the rest of it?" she insisted. "She won't remember your nights together. The only thing left of her love will be a queasy distaste when she sees you." "You are fucking evil!" "By nearly all measures of the word," I replied. She looked at the door, fisted a hand, and punched her thigh. "But I am not one to cheat my victims." "I don't understand." "When I'm done, she will welcome you back with open arms. She'll know you've subdued whatever it is that made you think submissive meant weak." The tears flowed freely. "Starting over won't be her choice, it'll be yours," I said. "Without me, you won't even get in the door." She knew it was true. "What do I have to do?" she asked. "Prove you're worthy of her love." A sob escaped her. "Otherwise, let her go." "I can't," she whispered. I put a spell on you The music cradled her fall as she went down on her knees. Because you're mine She didn't need the music to make her crawl to me. "I love her." ------- "We should go," I said laying my hand flat on the strings to silence them. She stood up, grabbed her clothes, and headed for the steps. "Where are you going?" "To my car," she said turning around. "My apartment is upstairs," I said. "Above hers." She looked at me with gratitude, like I'd done her a favor. I watched her walk up the stairs before kneeling to put the guitar away. Music from inside the apartment caught my attention. I turned to listen and laughed. Jo was playing our song. Try try try to understand He's a magic man, mama He's a magic man. ------- The End ------- Posted: 2006-02-17 ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------