Spirits

4

Melanie was laying on her side in the soft grassy space by the pond when her eyes fluttered open. It took blinking several times before she even recognized Blue’s bubbling oasis before her, and pieced together why she was there. There was a nearly full moon somewhere above, and the cold light filtered through the trees and cast an almost magical glow to the flowered world around her.

As she remembered, she smiled, feeling the tingle in her lap and nipples. Out of curiosity, she turned her eyes down and saw that she was still dressed in only the short pleated skirt from her school uniform. This late at night, she should be freezing, but she was quite comfortable, warm even. It was a magical glow of another sort, and it didn’t surprise her.

She propped herself up on one elbow and looked for the spirit. Melanie was beginning to think that she was alone when she saw a moving light by the waterfall that fed the stream below the pond. Blue’s happily bouncing ball-like body popped up and then disappeared again as he worked on some aspect or another of his garden home. She smiled, thinking how wonderfully simple his life was.

A few feet away, she noticed a small pile of what looked like raspberries sitting on a broad leaf, and her stomach growled. It occurred to her that she hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. Her mouth watered as she considered the juicy-looking fruit, and whether Blue had placed them there for her to eat. They looked like raspberries, but she knew that there were a number of berries in the forest that were quite poisonous. Without knowing where they came from, she was hesitant to assume they were safe, let alone for her.

She sensed a change in the light and looked up to see Blue bobbing across the water. She laughed softly at the semi-comical way he moved over the surface of the pond, belying his actual weight as though he were some gas-filled balloon. He stopped in front of her, smiling in his quirky lopsided way.

“Are these for me?” She asked, looking at the berries.

Blue nodded happily.

“And they’re… safe?”

Again, the spirit nodded.

She reached out and took one of the berries, popping it into her mouth. Either she trusted the entity, or she didn’t. Considering how intimate they had been recently, she was certain that Blue would never intentionally hurt her, but she tried to keep in mind that he was still a magical being, and not human. The juicy berry was so sweet and delicious that her eyes widened.

“Oh my god… these are amazing!” She exclaimed, as she reached for more, no longer caring if they were poison or not. If she died, she’d die happy. She was halfway through the pile, with deep red juice smeared on her hands and face before she realized that the spirit was still watching her.

“I’m sorry, I’m being a pig. Would you like some too?” He just tilted his head. “Or… do you even eat?”

The blob seemed to be considering this.

“Or maybe just not berries and stuff, hmm?”

Blue formed an arm, which then pointed at its face where a nose would normally be, then at her. She laughed at the very human gesture.

Taking another berry into her mouth, she regarded the glowing ball. “I wonder what you do eat…” she said, mostly to herself. A moment later, Blue reached out and took her hand in his. Then he lightly caressed her palm with another hand in a way that caused her to blush. When she met his eyes, he nodded once.

“You eat… pleasure?” She asked, hesitantly.

The glowing ball nodded slowly, always holding her eyes.

Melanie just stared at the entity for a moment or so, amazed at the implications. She was also somewhat mesmerized by the spirit’s continued caresses to her hand, which caused more notable sensations down in her lap.

Her breathing deepened a bit, and she realized that her nipples were hard.

“Well…” she exclaimed, breathlessly, “that does explain a few things, doesn’t it.”

Blue smiled.

Almost absentmindedly, she ate another berry while she watched the creature. He released her hand and floated around nearby, his stubby hands picking a dead leaf here, touching a flower there. He seemed perfectly content, and Melanie found herself envious. To be free of worldly responsibilities, the pain of an uncaring home-life… she almost couldn’t imagine what that would be like. In the last eight hours, Blue had given her a small taste of paradise, and she was very loath to give it up just yet. Like the flavor of the berries, whose juice dribbled down over her chin – she couldn’t get enough. She decided that she would stay at the pond at least through the weekend, if Blue would have her. He certainly didn’t seem to mind her company, and if what she had just learned were true, then it seemed they were both definitely getting something out of the deal.

She pushed back the cares and concerns of her life, and focused just on the little slice of heaven at the pond. Taking a deep breath, she let the scent of jasmine fill her. Smiling contentedly, she put another raspberry in her mouth and rolled onto her back to bathe in the light of the moon.

—

She must have fallen back asleep, because when Melanie next opened her eyes, there was a warm light coming from the east, along with a gentle breeze. Sitting up, she did not see her friendly spirit, but she knew he must be around somewhere close by. He always was.

Just to her left, on a number of leaves, was a much more substantial collection of berries and nuts. There were even two large red apples and a plum.

“What a lovely breakfast.” She said to herself. She picked up a handful of what looked like blueberries just as she heard a purring sound behind her. Turning, she saw Blue coming around the edge of the pond. He stopped when he was just in front of her, bobbing slightly.

“You’re spoiling me, you know that, don’t you?” She said, indicating the food.

Blue just grinned.

“Thank you. It’s wonderful… And good morning! I can’t believe I slept right through till daybreak. I can’t remember the last time I slept so well, though I suspect that getting my rocks off about three dozen times had something to do with it… Hey, is that the shrub?” She asked, incredulous. What was nearly dead when she originally brought it to Blue’s pond, was now a vibrant and beautiful bush with little white flowers. Blue seemed to be just as pleased with his handiwork, and bounced proudly next to the plant. Melanie clapped and came closer so that she could smell the tiny flowers. They had a slightly citrusy scent to them, and she closed her eyes and let the warmth of the morning sun bathe her bare back. It was such a delightfully free feeling that she sighed and stretched like a cat until she noticed Blue watching her in a certain way.

“I know what’s on your mind…” She said. Moving back to the edge of the pond, she picked up the plum and took a big bite, the juice spurting from the fruit, dribbling over her chin and chest. Looking down at herself, she giggled, thinking naughtily that she could let Blue lick it from her skin. Then she remembered that the entity didn’t eat fruit like she did, and might not actually like the experience. Still, by the time she was finished with the plum, she was quite covered in sticky purple juice.

“I don’t suppose I could borrow some of your water to clean up a bit? I’m actually a little whiff, now that I think of it… All that lovely sex.” She grinned.

Blue was confused for several seconds, then all at once seemed to understand. Taking her hand, he urged her closer to the edge of the water. With a quick smile, he bounced up into the air and landed with a splash right in the middle of the pool.

Squealing at the cool shower, Melanie laughed and waited for the spirit to surface. He bobbed in the water so that just his eyes were above the surface, watching her.

“I take that to be an invitation?” She asked.

He nodded enthusiastically.

The air was already getting warm, and a bath really did sound wonderful, so she reached for the zip at the side of her skirt. Even though she had been intimate with the forest spirit, she still found herself blushing as she stood and slid her remaining article of clothing over her hips. Naked, she put out her arms.

“Ta daa! What do you think, Blue? Do I meet your approval?”

The little blob looked almost stunned, and finally nodded slowly.

For some reason that greatly pleased her, and she blushed. Then, bending to peer into the clear water, she tried to determine how deep the pond might be. Was it safe to just jump in like Blue? For all of her, she couldn’t make out a bottom, so she just decided to lower herself in more slowly.

The cool water was perfect, and just what she needed, not simply to get clean, but gradually work out the last of her life’s stresses. She sighed and leaned back, letting her body float while she stared up at the trees and the morning light. A warm touch to her shoulder reminded her that she wasn’t alone in the pool, and looking over, she saw Blue was still floating with her. She mimicked him by standing upright with only her eyes above the surface. She stared at him with a very serious expression, then all at once started blowing bubbles. He swelled and glowed bright for a moment, and Melanie heard a barking noise below the water, Blue’s equivalent of human laughter.

She was a little surprised that even standing upright, she still couldn’t feel the bottom of the pond. She looked down for a moment, then took a deep breath and tried to swim down into the utter darkness of the pool below, determined to discover its depth. She’d only gone a few meters, when the spirit was suddenly in front of her, pushing her back toward the light above.

“It’s okay, Blue.” She explained when they were back at the surface. “I’ll come back up, I promise.”

But the blob of light was insistent, literally putting out several arms when she went to try a second time, and shaking its body back and forth in a ‘no’ gesture. He didn’t look mad at her, just concerned.

“Alright… No swimming to the bottom of the pond. I get it. I was just curious.” Moving to the left of the waterfall, she found a shelf of sorts that let her set her arms and head out of the water while the rest of her floated free.

“It’s going to be hot today.” She commented. “Maybe I should just stay in the water, hmm?”

Blue produced some bubbles, much as she had, and she found it equally funny.

“I like it here. It’s so different from the rest of my dark, ugly life. Your pond is all so beautiful. I wish I could spend every day here.” She turned her head so she could watch the glowing entity bob quietly in the water. “I know I can’t. You can’t run from your problems. If my pathetic home life has taught me anything, it’s that. Eventually, it all catches up with you.”

Blue put a hand on her shoulder and looked sad.

“I know… I should concentrate on what I have right now. It’s just hard to forget the other stuff.”

Blue’s warm hand slid down her body until it was lightly resting on her bottom, and his eyes made the form of a question.

“Again?” She asked in mock surprise. “So soon? You certainly are the horniest spirit I could ever hope to meet…”

The entity looked amused.

“Alright. I guess I could stand a few more orgasms, but… try to keep them a little less intense than last time or I’m likely to pass out and drown.”

Closing her eyes, Melanie took a deep breath and let the spirit gently work his magic. She felt him move behind her, and she happily parted her thighs to let him have better access. He obliged her invitation and moved his warm blob-like body right up between her legs until all at once his slick form pressed right up against her, snuggling into the ‘V’ of her apex. At the same time, she felt a number of thin tendrils whip around her upper thighs, effectively binding him in place. She gasped, and looked back into the water, but whatever he was doing, it was mostly out of view below the surface. She hoped fervently that he didn’t need to breathe like she did.

Something very warm and wet was abruptly pressing against her sex, literally rubbing through the folds of her flower. It was hot and soft and quite slick, and though she were certainly no expert, felt very much like an oversized human tongue. She shuddered in pleasure as the muscle gradually worked it’s way inside her, giving the button of her clitoris fair attention in the process.

“Oh… g-god…” she moaned, biting her own lip. The slippery appendage felt nothing at all like what Blue had used previously, and she marveled at how creative the simple spirit was. What pressed into her now was softer, conforming to every tiny ridge and fold as it wriggled and undulated deeper and deeper. It seemed to pulse and thrust, even though she knew he wasn’t pulling away from her, and when it finally reached the extent of her depths, it felt as though it grew out and covered the whole of her womanhood. Constantly in motion, Blue’s “tongue” engulfed her apex, inside and out, and silently drove her dizzy with arousal.

—

As she reached the edge of the forest, Melanie idly stroked her belly, happily remembering her time with her forest lover. She smiled to herself, reliving the ecstasy she had experienced during the weekend, how Blue had driven her to orgasm over and over, just as she requested.

For all the exercise, she should have been exhausted and sore, but instead, she felt more alive than at any other time in her life. Her body literally tingled with pleasure.

She was giddy at having found such a perfect friend and lover, someone… some thing, that wanted only to please her, who was gentle and peaceful and…

SMACK!

Pain blossomed at the back of her head as her vision slowly returned out of unconsciousness. Bright stars swept the edges of her wavering view as she struggled for clarity. Abruptly, there was another source of pain as someone kicked her hard in the stomach, rolling her to her side. A pair of boots came into focus, and the side of the old abandoned house. She recalled that she had been passing it when she was hit from behind.

“Stupid bitch…” Said an angry male voice, above her. It was Derek’s voice. “Did you think you could get me kicked out of school and not pay for it?!”

“I… didn’t…” she said weakly in confusion.

“Liar!” He shouted, his words timed with another impact of his boot to her body. She managed to block some of the blow with her arm, but only deflected it enough to knock the wind out of her. “I know it was you who squealed on me, fucking cunt! Well now it’s your turn…”

She was still trying to get a breath and clear the fuzziness from her brain when his foot connected with the side of her head and she dropped into darkness again.

The next time she awoke, she was being dragged on her back by her hands. She was only conscious for a few moments, however, as her head bumped against a rock and sent her back into a bright-white haze of pain. Time was all jumbled, and her body hurt all over when she did start to wake. She remembered trees arching over her, and the sound and smell of leaves as he dragged her into the forest and out of sight. She remembered the moon, blinding and painful in it’s fullness above her through the trees. When she was able to dissociate her body enough to no longer feel, an odd sense of calm settled over her, as though the forest knew her name and was welcoming her back, even though it could do nothing to help her.

At some point, Derek stopped dragging her limp form. She could hear him panting, catching his breath. To her surprise, she also heard the sound of water, so she must be near he stream. She knew that she needed to run, that if she didn’t, she wouldn’t make it out of the forest alive, but she could no longer will her body to move. It simply hurt too much to do more than lay there.

Her attacker had other plans, however, and she suddenly felt a heavy weight on her hips as the boy sat hard on top of her. He just stared down at her, his face in shadow. His breathing was deep and angry, as though he were hissing through his teeth. She felt his hands on her chest, rough, and painful against the bruises that she knew were already forming. He kneaded her breasts for a few moments before grasping the top of her blouse and ripping open the garment. The air was surprisingly cold on her bare flesh, but not nearly so much as his fingers, which felt dead and icy.

“D… don’t…” She said, nearly choking.

WHAM!

His fist hit her hard enough in the face that she blacked out again for several seconds. When she came to, he was yelling at her again, but she couldn’t make out the words. It didn’t matter. It would be something vile and hateful. She thought about how much her forest lover could convey without even a voice, and how those ‘words’ were all filled with respect and love. Such a contrast to the boy who was now at her feet, yanking off her skirt and panties as he prepared to rape her.

Sound came back in a rush, like popping to the surface after being underwater.

“… where are your tricks now, bitch?” He said, tossing her clothing aside. “What? No raging fires to save you?” He pushed her legs apart and reached for his belt.

To Melanie, his words were lost in the soft sound of the night breeze through the trees around them. She resigned herself to her fate, and tried to leave her body… to set it aside. If her life was really over, then it pleased her in some small way that it would end in the forest where she felt so welcome.

As she listened to the wind, she heard something else. It was another forest sound, but one that she wasn’t as comfortable with. It was a sound that, despite her dazed condition, still brought a chill to her blood. It was a low howl.

Somewhere nearby, there was another predator, but unlike the one that knelt between her thighs, the animal that lurked in the forest was hungry for a different kind of flesh. Apparently, Derek heard it too, for he stopped what he was doing and stared into the darkness.

“Fuck…” He exclaimed as a second howl joined the first, this time, closer. Then he was looking at her again. She still couldn’t see his face, but she could feel the hate in his eyes as he considered his options. She felt his fingers on her bare belly, her Mons, and she recoiled in revulsion. His hand dropped over her sex, and pressed roughly at her womanhood. Did he really still believe he had time to violate her?

But then his hand was gone, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was a short-lived peace as she suddenly found herself crushed under the weight of his whole body as he lay atop her, his face right in hers.

“Looks like you won’t have my lovin’ tonight, bitch… But don’t think I’m going to let you have a chance to squeal on me again…”

There was a sharp pain in her abdomen as his knife pierced her belly. She gasped only once before feeling a warmth flow down her side.

“Have fun with the wolves.” He said, licking her face lewdly, and then was gone.

Melanie laid there, her life slowly fading away, the trees gently waving and talking above her. The low howls were close now, and were mingled with high-pitched grunts and growls. She was afraid. She knew her life was over, but she regretted that her last memories in the forest would be those of being ripped to pieces by wolves.

She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn’t. Fear held her as Melanie heard scurrying steps through the dry leaves around her. She could tell they were circling, checking the status of the meal that lay waiting for them. She heard their quick panting, and the excited yips of the pack in a hunt. Staring at the sky, she waited, praying that it would be over quickly.

She felt the hot breath of the wolf before she saw its face above her. It was sniffing her, putting its nose right up near her and then scampering back. She expected it to go for her throat at any moment… but the attack never came.

Melanie was almost frustrated that they wouldn’t just finish her. What could they be waiting for? She turned her head to the side and saw them. They were darker than she expected them to be, almost black, and bigger, though she suspected that their size might be enhanced by her own fright. She always thought of wolves a thick and strong, but these had long legs, and were a little lanky. She could see at least three of them, as they scurried around her, and she smiled, thinking they looked “busy”.

Finally, one of the wolves came near her again, sniffing and panting. It smelled her face, and then lower, at her side where she knew she was bleeding badly. Perhaps it was the blood that distracted them.

But then the wolf began to do something strange. It was back at her face, but it was… whimpering. At least that’s what it sounded like, almost as though it were sad or hurt. And to her surprise, it suddenly leaned a little closer and then licked her nose.

Stunned and confused, Melanie reached out slowly to the creature, her palm face up. Again the animal whimpered, and then started licking her open palm.

Could it be?

As if answering her question, she felt something hairy and strong slide under her arm. The wolf had crouched down and seemed to be trying to get under her.

She suddenly felt tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Y-you’re trying to… help… me…” She said, weakly.

Sharp pain welled up from her abdomen, and she hissed in agony, but managed to grip the animal enough to roll slightly. The tears that dropped to the ground now were very much from her wounds, and not joy. But the beast was quite strong, and didn’t seem to mind her clutching its hide, or if it did, it made no indication. She jumped a bit when a second nose slipped under her other arm, and together, the two wolves slowly began to drag her through the forest.

It hurt intensely, and Melanie was sobbing in pain almost at once, but she clamped shut her eyes and bit her lip until it tasted of blood. Fortunately, most of the trip was slightly downhill, but she was dizzy and nauseous before long. She knew she was losing blood, and that the wolves were traveling along the stream. Perhaps if they could get her to Blue, he could do… something. He had healed her before, but that had only been some minor cuts and bruises. She was pretty certain that in addition to the deep knife wound, she probably had at least a few broken ribs, and was possibly even bleeding internally. She didn’t even want to think about what the back of her head looked like.

Every meter took monumental effort just to hold on, and it seemed to Melanie as though hours had passed before she started to recognize some of the plants that she had seen growing around the spirit’s pond, but finally she felt the cool comfort of the thick, green moss under her bare and bloodied knees. Her patient helpers slipped out from under her arms as she rolled onto her back, and were gone before she could even thank them. Blue was at her side almost at once, and he looked frantic.

“I… I’m s-sorry, Blue.” She said, feebly. The spirit zipped around her frenetically, as though he were trying to put out a fire, and even though he never said a word, Melanie could tell that he was resisting touching her.

“I’m in b-bad shape, aren’t I?” Finally, he stopped at her side and just looked down at her. For a creature with limited features, his sadness was palatable.

“It’s n-not something you can h-heal, is it.” It was a statement, rather than an outright question. She saw Blue slowly shake his body back and forth.

“Th-that’s okay. I knew it… ughn… was a long shot.” She sighed deeply, feeling her strength starting to ebb away. “I… I’m just glad I could be here… with you. There’s n-nowhere else in the whole world I would rather b-be, Blue.”

The creature looked momentarily thoughtful and briefly turned to the water nearby. When he returned his gaze to her, she felt his soft, warm little fingers curling around her own.

A deep concern fell over her as her vision started to pool. She knew that in touching her, Blue would feel everything that she did, which at that moment was nothing but pain. But he did not pull away. Instead, he started down at her with an even greater intensity, holding her eyes.

She smiled at his last gift, and then found she had trouble keeping her eyes in focus. Closing them, she let the pain drain away. She stopped feeling her body, and instead concentrated on the sound of the bubbling water, and the whispering of the trees.

It was several minutes later that her breathing finally stopped.

—

The clear morning sun played through the green canopy of leaves to illuminate the misty little pool of water below. A small, round, semi-transparent ball of living energy slowly made its way around the edge of the water, tending the flowers, bouncing gently like an errant helium balloon at the end of its time.

Rising silently from deep beneath the surface, a second ball, of slightly different color, hovered for a moment above the very center of the pond, bending and elongating as though it were a cat awakening from a long nap. Then, without pause, it moved over to the other and rubbed itself along its side, lovingly, happily. Together, the pair of spirits continued their quiet task, content, and at peace, beneath the ever-chatty trees.