Chapter 7: Ch. 7 – Sunset

Monica floated on a waterbed, freely swaying within blankets of thick slime. It was dark like when she woke up earlier. She knew what it was made of this time. Now practically drowning in the stuff, mixed with her own fluids and with the thing that had wrapped her in its loving embrace. All of its affection was centered on her.

She was going to be a good girl for it. A good little servant girl for her wonderful superior.

The rod shoved down her throat felt equally wonderful. Her lungs had never felt so full of life, legs had never felt so ready to run, hands had never felt so ready to catch and kill.

Opening her eyes, velvet villi caressed every square inch of her body. Scouring over imperfections, slicing into her skin, attaching to muscle fiber and nerve bundle. Infusing her with every tool she would need to be the first of the Master’s praetorian guard.

Praetorian…

What a curious word. She heard it once. Special people in old Rome who stayed next to the leader, protected them. Kept them in line. Changed over the old guard if tempted with enough gold. Or out of the goodness of their heart. The thought left her mind with an exhale into the tentacle pulsating inside her mouth.

Stretching out her figurative wings, the spongy flesh of her prison strained to keep her strength contained. Leaks here and there opened up to release glops that fell on hungry blades of root and grass. She wanted out. Enough waiting.

The hunt was in her blood now. Desire to chase and bring quarry back to her home.

Home. Shelter. Here. Hidden. Company. Safe.

The seeds inside her almost seemed to vibrate in unison. Stars and sparks filled her eyes as the fluids around her turned a radiant swatch of greens and diluted blue. A blend of sexual ecstasy within and without, much more potent than mere drinks of ambrosia alone. Every single pore was stimulated, down to the spaces between the weak eukaryotic creature’s cells. Nothing left to chance, everything must be changed this time.

Choking on air, legs quivering, crying out for something to wrap around and hold tight, the female’s eyes rolled back into her head. She could see her own jade veins glow briefly before things went white. The tinnitus returned. Something she suffered from after leaving the military but now craved the scratching and crawling within her skull that accompanied it.

Military. Company. Squad. Radio.

Radio?

Monica heaved back and forth. She had to stop. Refuse the gift for just one moment. Focus on her memories.

Almost as a punishment, something like electricity wracked her body. It felt so, so good. The tendrils wrapped inside her flesh and piercing bone and spine reacted against the resistance venomously. The Master had no tolerance for something that would not function as a seamless extension of its will.

Radio.

She tried again, at risk of paralyzing herself, turning pleasure to pain.

Something started to wrap around the base of her neck. She would be the first experiment in truly wrapping its roots around her mind.

Radio!

“Waaghhtttittt,” burbled from within her chrysalis.

Check-in. Schedule! Clock! Time!

Chainsaws!

Fire.

Clearcut.

Flower.

Snip.

Radio.

Monica. Pain. Push through it.

Ranger.

Radio. Protect.

Rangers, others, snip.

Everything froze. She thought it had all ended and this was death, a still picture she was trapped in.

The pressure at the base of her neck lessened. Coppery smell permeated her enclosure, mixing into an even more intoxicating aroma than sex alone. Pulling away, there was almost a feeling of regret at the various cuts and sparks and other things the Master had done out of blind spite. Thankfully, as quick as the feeling disappeared, so did her injuries.

All the comforts of her temporary home receded. Flesh sealed up, bound together and healed seamlessly. Seeds in her womb shivered with anticipation. The petals began to dry and shrivel, harden and crack. Her amniotic mix of depleted sap, lubricated slime, her blood and cum, gurgled as her feet were tickled by the base of the massive flower opening to reclaim the slurry.

“Monica,” the static and female from before whispered. The stoner. The traitor-flower of lazuli eyes.

Dragging her hands down the decaying petals. Strong digits tore apart bark-like chunks, snapping like a woven basket underfoot. She spilled out of the cradle of rebirth, hitting the ground noisily on her back.

Dizzy, her fingers wrapped around the breathing apparatus. Reluctantly slid it out of her throat, slurping on the diminished azure ambrosia to not let a drop go to waste.

“Protect.”

Burning green eyes, thick mist of verdant pollen emanating from her body, stared high above at her guiding blue star. They needed sunlight. The Master needed light, trapped within the forest that imprisoned it.

“Feed.”

Shaky legs quaked with muscle fibers not altogether her own. The bladed floor did nothing to the soles of her feet as she took her first steps. Haggard breathing, heavy belly, gnawing hunger. Sound like nails scribbling on slate as something tickled her sinuses, her ear.

It should have hurt.

A thorny wisp of vine tipped with an emerald blossom shot out of her nostril. Then another, wrapping around the earlobe it came from. Three more as she coughed shot out of her throat. She shouldn’t be breathing. Shouldn’t be so calm.

Shouldn’t feel so good with this pain, this exposure to the open air.

A single wavering but massive structural root lit up, showing a path for her to scramble up to the surface easier. The tendrils snapped back inside of her head and throat without much ado. Immediately began climbing the two or so stories back up to where the ground broke to swallow her.

To feed, she would need to hunt. Quickly. Because-

The radio.

“Company.”

Monica could always bring them as prey to be consumed.

A grin full of inhuman glee split her face, the twisted cells of her body releasing a fresh burst of viridian pollen. Lust burned in her flesh with a mischievous thought, glowing jade sap leaking from her crooked smile, her full breasts, between her thighs.

Better yet, they could help her hunt after a few minor modifications.

Yes. Some more to help.

“We need company, Master.”

///

“Peter, I see her car but looks like it’s in front of the fence. Second set of wheels fresh on the mud, maybe a sedan, too. Probably nothing, check back in a bit.”

The Ranger let go of her radio to focus on driving. The back roads out along the nature reserve were usually fine, but sometimes the dirt between resurfacing did develop potholes. Noises that sounded like a hundred dollar trip to the mechanics were always horrible.

“Roger that, Elisabeth. Not like her to miss a check-in,” crackled back a reply. ”I swear this isn’t some sort of hazing ritual. Even if it was, she’s the kind of person who’d whoop everyone’s ass for even considering a ritual to begin with.”

“Gotcha, gotcha. I’m pulling up now.”

She sighed. Just started this job and it was already more eventful than she bargained for. Fiery eyes bordering on summer yellow looked up into the rearview mirror, both checking behind as well as noting her messy bun was coming apart. Trying to stuff the dirty blonde mane under her wide-brimmed hat was a pain with the top being just too large for her.

What was an environmental science internship to study the effects of logging turned into a fascination for nature. Then when the economy turned around and said her degree was going to be useless, naturally she started throwing applications like a pig shook off after wallowing in shit. One thing stuck that paid well and was mildly interesting.

Only problem was, she had expected to be sitting in a tower for most the time and running a radio. Not actually running around as the messenger girl. Or doing errands nobody else wanted to. At least she got gas and miles compensation to go back to civilization to get pizza and obscure coffee orders. She learned people that worked with nature didn’t always care about it. Hell, she didn’t, not when bills were on the line.

Braking a little too hard and too late, her jeep’s front fender kissed the chain link fence that Monica’s vehicle had stopped in front of.

“Goddammit,” she shouted, smacking her wheel. Then jumped in her seat when she accidentally honked the horn, scattering a flock of birds from within the forest.

Leaning forward, forehead on the rim, Elisabeth groaned as she realized the links had split off of the fence post. Of all the things to happen, why-

Wait.

She got out of her car, walking over to the post. There were snips in the fence, like from bolt cutters, perfectly measured to make an easily hidden entrance into the reserve. The college grad would know, having moonlighted as a climate activist once or twice. Getting into places she wasn’t supposed to was a side gig for a couple groups she joined.

Moving to the errant superior’s vehicle, Elisabeth noticed that all the regular gear was gone as if Monica had gone on patrol. Well, patrol was a strong word. More like walk around and shine the flashlight a couple times. Most of this team couldn’t be arsed to do much more than the minimum qualifications, if that. This hard ass, Monica, was that one lady who took the responsibility seriously and expected everyone else to do the same.

Left her keys in the ignition.

Those other car treads.

If this was some kind of drug deal gone wrong, would’ve been cruel irony to learn that straight-and-narrow Monica was behind it and maybe had to bite the bullet.

Otherwise that meant maybe she went beyond the fence to look for something.

“Fuck. More work,” Elisabeth muttered, reaching over to take the keys out and stuff them in a pocket. “At least I got my boots this time.”

Hopping back into her own service vehicle, she flipped on the radio once more.

“Hey, Peter, I found something weird. There’s a hole in the fence and I think Monica went in to investigate,” Lisa relayed. Clicking off her end, she prayed he wouldn’t say what she thought he was going to.

”A hole? That’s odd but not uncommon. Probably stoners looking to get in tune with nature. About how long ago do you think that other car was out here?”

“Shit, I don’t know, I’m not some kind of bounty hunter with that skillset,” she shot back.

”Easy Lisa, sorry, forgot you came from the city.” Peter’s end went quiet for a minute. Probably talking something over with anyone else still here this late in the afternoon shift. ”Listen, you’re out there right now. Can you go look for her over the wire? She might be stuck or something, handhelds don’t work too well out in that zone.”

She popped a gasket but made sure to keep the radio off. He knew she hated people shortening her name. She was already fun-sized, being reduced even more was glass shards and lemon juice in an open wound.

“Goddammit, you piece of shit, useless chauvinist pig!” the so-called Lisa screamed, slapping the top of her cabin. “You fucking know I don’t know how to do this! You know I’m out of my depth! All because I didn’t get on my knees for you, asshole?!”

”You there?”

You are reading story Dreams of Lazuli at novel35.com

“Why don’t you come out here and step on a bear trap or something yourself?!” the spirited woman continued ranting, trying to get ahold of herself. “Okay, okay, calm. Calm. He’s still my boss.”

Clicking back on, she responded.

“Yeah, sorry, was looking at the tracks again. I’ll take a look. Give me an hour, two max?” she said in a perfect customer service voice.

Playing the fool for these assholes kept her a job. If only she could find some other way to thrive than this godforsaken position. Something still respectable at least.

Something floated on the breeze. She smelled it more than saw the little emerald flecks that normally would be vibrant in the dark. Spreading far and wide, near invisibly weaving through the air and landing on her skin.

Cinnamon and fresh sweet apples.

”Will do. It’s Friday so there’s only going to be one person back at base. Go easy on ‘em if they don’t pick up quick later.”

Maybe there was some sort of drug deal going on.

Smelled like good stuff if it didn’t have the horrible clingy skunk scent that took months to get out. Maybe Lisa would sit down and spend those couple hours with them, passing the peace pipe.

“Wilco, pour out a beer for me,” she sighed. There went her weekend plans.

Then again, maybe these people Monica was chasing after could be good company. Help her get closer to nature. See how exactly what kind of background made enough money for them to thrive and waste Lisa’s time out here. Hidden away from prying eyes and stupid bosses.

God, where was that nice fragrance coming from?

Stepping out and grabbing her own keys, Lisa checked her bear spray and flashlights, tied down laces. Sufficiently confident in her prep, she pushed past the chain link fence and immediately started following big bootprints.

Funny. They became easier and easier to see, the further away from the fence. Maybe Monica partook early of the devil’s cabbage? Sluggish, drugged out lightweight?

Elisabeth sighed. Took in a deep breath with lazy blinks.

Opened her eyes.

Where did the sun go?

How did she get this far into the forest? It was dark, but early afternoon when she started.

She wanted company. Anybody, right now, someone to be with her. Whipping around she couldn’t see anything. Her flashlight still in her pocket, unlit, all she could see were weird tufts of something green floating about.

Panicked panting, clicked on her torch.

Almost tasted the fresh sliced apples, felt the pleasant burn of cinnamon. Despite danger, craved the underlying sweetness in the air. Wanted to drain the source dry.

Wait. No. No, no, no, this was wrong. Looking behind, she saw the faintest glimmer of daylight. The way out of the forest! Her car! She had to report this, radios didn’t work here!

Lisa lost her footing.

Rolled her ankle in a tumble down a ditch towards escape from whatever she felt was dangerous.

Nothing popped but it couldn’t hold her weight properly.

Shadow played over her face as she looked in the distance toward the sun’s waning promise of protection. Something large blocking the way. Slowly getting closer. Carrying something huge.

Two blazing orbs of emerald light where eyes might be, a mist like neon lime flecks spreading out behind them. Lisa manically laughed, hoping this was just some soundstage she walked on for a bigfoot prank.

The creature advanced.

She took in a breath to scream-

-fell instead onto flat ground. Dry, no leaf litter, softer than root and bark. Her lungs heaved with adrenaline overcharging it, boots discarded, feet cut and dirty, ankle swollen into an angry purple, eyes streaming tears with how hard she pushed.

Oh god, a cave. The surface of this flat had a cave opening or gully next to a droopy big spider mum flower or something. A giant dandelion, here in the forest?

How long had she been running? It was total night. The only light was from her cracked torch she dropped countless times but kept recovering like the last fire on earth.

Then the flower thrummed. The earth shifted. Elisabeth got a closer look at the bleached bones and animal hide scraps, thankfully no human skulls. Through slight cracks between the piles she saw a soft blue glow. So many things slithering, meandering-

No, they were the ground! And she was going to be swallowed!

“No, no, no, no! This is not how I die!” she raged while trying to drag herself back to the forest’s dubious shelter.

Bumped into the source of cinnamon and apple and something far more decadent.

“Of course not.”

A familiar voice. Droplets of something fluorescent and jade pitter-pattered onto Elisabeth’s face, stinging the eyes but tasting so good.

“We’re in good company.”

“M-Mon-Monica?!” the greenhorn ranger whispered, unbelieving as she turned the flashlight on the strange being. They blinked away the harsh LED.

She wished she hadn’t illuminated the twisted version of her senior. Everything completely wrong, all parts human almost scrubbed away or turned into something beautiful.

Beautiful. A plant twisted with the features of Monica. Cellulose running across her flesh rather than veins, blush of various viridian shades, hair replaced with dusky leaves and ferns and stems.

Happy to see her.

Hoisting a dead elk like it was nothing, its head lolling from a broken neck.

“Elisabeth,” a voice spoke from everywhere and nowhere. Boomed like static but used parts of how Monica once said her name.

“Monica what’s going on, what’s wrong with you?!” she shouted. Get out, out, out!

“I’ve never been better. Don’t you also want to-,” she replied, preparing to heave her cargo.

The static finished for her.

“Thrive.”

The elk sailed through the air into the hole in front of the flower. Elisabeth did her best to get up and run. All she could do was cry out in pain when her ankle refused to comply.

Before she fell, Monica caught her. Kissed her full on the lips.

All Elisabeth could think of was she wished it had just been a couple of stoners.

And how wonderful the ambrosia tasted.

As much as she wanted to close her eyes and deprive herself of sight, revel in the drink, she couldn’t shake the terrible lust for something far more decadent than a mere kiss behind not-Monica’s blazing emerald eyes. The veins that were slowly also turning a neon green ever so faintly. How they kept wide open as the senior ranger held Elisabeth tight.

There was nothing to grab onto except her sleek arms which hid an iron grip. Smooth skin across her belly turned bumpy as if shrink-wrapped over a bunch of golf balls. The rookie tried dragging her hand upwards and accidentally caressed Monica’s bosom, finding something much more human in the texture.

Except for the fact something was leaking copiously. It stuck to her fingers like syrup. Made her feel warm, spreading along her knuckles and into her palm, seeping into the veins wrapped around her wrist.

Terror subsided as Elisabeth’s mouth overflowed. It was choke or swallow. Her baser instinct to give into pleasure made the decision for her. She drank a little, coughing up some of the glowing jade nectar.

She drank again. More of it went down her gullet. Her head felt fuzzy, lightweight that she was, couldn’t hold her liquor. Couldn’t hold much of anything. Always criticized as too mousey, too small, only ever getting praise for her mental achievements while getting backhanded remarks in person.

Even when she politely asked people, her coworkers, to not just shorten the one thing she could keep some control over, it was futile. The only person who would see how much it meant to her walked out courtesy of getting t-boned by a drunk driver during the holidays.

If only she had a little more control over her life.

Gulped down a little more, hands going for Monica’s shoulder and neck. There was something odd that came with this slurp, tickling feeling like she swallowed a flower attached to a tiny prickly pipe cleaner. Coughing, it went up the back of her throat and made her nose feel weird before losing all sensation across the top half of her face and her ears.

If only she could somehow grow and cast a bigger shadow.

Fingers wrapped around the back of the mutated woman’s neck as she pulled away. Almost with a whine, Elisabeth didn’t realize she was being drawn into the near-Amazonian woman’s lap. Propped up. Being offered something better.

If only she were nursed to health like a proper sapling amongst a forest – no, a family.

One arm looped around the small of her back, the other squeezed on Monica’s breast. A wonderful torrent of nectar, emerald striated with an even brighter fluorescent blue, flowed over her fingers and down her face. Greedily she lapped it up, circling tongue around nipple before suckling properly.

Then maybe those fuckers wouldn’t keep going around calling her Lisa. She could introduce assholes like Peter to good company and have him stay a spell. Make them useful to her family. Fertilize. Be fertilizer.

Monica brushed Elisabeth’s hair as she moved to the other breast, having drained the first dry. Orgasm shook through the older servant of the Master, a reward as much as a byproduct of bringing someone into the fold. The swelling of the rolled ankle had gone down considerably. The girl might not have the constitution needed to be like Monica or the traitor-flower, but she was able and willing to perform in other roles. She had done them before, could do them now. Breaking into things, locks and keys, passwords and databases.

Golden eyes became little motes of sunlight in the dark grove. As sleep overtook her, she wondered how long until they could all thrive underneath a sunlit sky again.

///

Peter chewed on his lower lip. He felt a little bad ribbing the new girl about everyone having a good weekend while she drew the short straw on what was supposed to have been a quick inspection out in the nature reserve’s backroads. Not whatever this was.

It had been closer to four hours. Daylight was burning and no contact. He was the last person at headquarters, assuring everyone that everything was fine and he’d take care of Lisa. Elisabeth. Whatever. God, sometimes women were annoying. What he’d do for another guy in shape to do more heavy lifting, but hiring practices being what they were today…

”Pete? Hey, Peter?”

“Elisabeth?” he exclaimed, fumbling for the radio. “Where the hell have you been?”

”Monica’s hurt, bad. Trapped under a dead tree trunk that fell. Some kind of plant that’s been thriving out here has been killing other forest life,” Elisabeth relayed, sounding distracted. Words almost slurred. Out of breath? ”She – unh! Uhmm, is pinned a few, a few hundred feet or something in. I need chainsaws to cut the woods, the wood.”

“Did you just run a half-marathon, Lisa? You sound hoarse and it’s not the signal,” Peter inquired, trying to remain professional as his mind thought he could place the near-moans and heady sighs.

”Of course I did, you fuckwit!” she shouted back, making the speaker buzz painfully. ”I need to get back to her and protect her in case company arrives. Bring two or three saws. And lots of gas! Oh, g-“

He blinked. She was never this bossy. She also couldn’t be doing what he thought she might be doing, if the situation was indeed dire. There was no reason to doubt her.

“On my way, be there ASAP.”

As he finished loading his truck and started driving down the service roads, all he could think of was the potential leverage he’d maybe have over the two ladies with no accountability. Then again, what was with all that thriving plant mumbo jumbo? Could’ve just said invasive species or one of the many types of ivy identified. And company, what company?

Probably nothing.

Dust was left behind the truck as the chainsaws rattled next to plenty of gasoline cans and some other forester tools, dying light of the evening sunset illuminating the path to Peter’s end point.

---