Something soft glid under Maria’s knees as she fell backward and lifted her away.

She didn’t know what was going on, but she was exhausted. The nightmare she’d had the night before plagued her morning brain fog. She nuzzled into the powerful arms carrying her. She must have fallen asleep on the couch again. No worry, she’d just let herself be carried off to bed and wake up refreshed in the morning. That sounded delightful. Her hands stretched out and grabbed the person carrying her. Cold, bare flesh on a tiny frame greeted her. That was odd.

There wasn’t anyone this thin who could carry her. Confused, she opened her eyes. Flashing lights and fog greeted her. She was being held by the girl from her dream. Only this wasn’t a dream. Her head swam, but the clouds of fatigue covering her mind lifted one cloud at a time. One by one her senses snapped back into clarity. First came the sound. Walls of music followed by waves of cheering people washed over her. She wasn’t sure how she hadn’t heard them before. Next came the stench of sweat and other things. Then more mundane sensations rolled over her one at a time until she was certain she was conscious.

Something had happened. She focused on what she could remember of the wild-man. He had done something to her without ever touching her. He’d even spoken with her telepathically. Shivers ran down her spine at the thought of the memory. Had he been inside her head, manipulating her and forcing her to believe she was asleep? The idea frightened her, and she clung tighter to Jacky.

When they made it to the stairs Jacky’s strides became more like bounds. Yet she didn’t seem to tire. It seemed unreal to her. No one should be able to carry her this effortlessly. It didn’t matter that she was relatively light, there was no way she was light enough that a smaller person should be able to carry her as effortlessly as she could a pillow. And after being blown away like that? What was going on here? Something was different about her, just like something was terrifying about the wild-man. She didn’t know what it was, but Jacky had been gentle and kind to her. There was something good in that. Maria just hoped she could trust her gut on this one.

As they reached the ground level the sound of the music dulled. Maria could hear Jacky muttering words to herself. They sounded like a prayer, but it wasn’t in a language she understood. It was strangely beautiful. Almost a chant. Simple. Melodic. Repetitious. With each pass Maria felt a little more clear-headed than she had before. It was almost as if the chant were stripping off whatever the wild-man had done to her.

Before she could wrap her head around the idea, a cold nip informed Maria they had left the building. She shivered. There was no way she could have even made it out here this fast while running. Frigid air rushed past her bare stomach and arms. She clawed and dug herself deeper into Jacky’s body, trying to find some warmth, but it seemed the air was cool enough that despite the aerobics she too had gone clammy.

They came to a stop in a dark alley. There was little light here beyond the moon and stars and the occasional street lamp. Jacky set Maria down against a wall near a dumpster. Maria took a minute to stare dumbfounded at the woman who had just carried her more than the length of a football field in heels. Not a single drop of sweat poured from her body. Her hair was windswept, but beyond that there was nothing indicating that she had just sprinted such a distance while carrying another woman. It was wild.

Jacky smiled at Maria and got down on her hands and knees in front of her. She looked Maria in the eye, winked mischievously, and crawled into her lap. Maria raised her hand up, uncertain if she wanted to stop her or run her hands along her arms as she approached. Her tingly nervous hands chose a third option. They grabbed at the fishnet covered arms and pulled her in. Jacky’s face came closer until their noses touched, and their eyes met.

There was something about her brown eyes that sucked Maria in. It wasn’t a powerful feeling, just something soft and subtle. Maria’s heart calmed down. Somehow just looking into Jacky’s eyes was enough to make her stop worrying about what had just happened. Jacky curled into Maria’s lap and laced her arms around her shoulders, never once breaking eye contact.

She wanted to stare into Jacky’s eyes like this forever. There was a calm serenity radiating from her she’d never felt before. This was the feeling Maria had been searching for. Something between acceptance and need. She nuzzled her head against Jacky’s smiling and blushing a bit as Jacky’s hand began running through her hair. For a few moments time stood still. Jacky sheepishly tilted her head and fumbled her way closer.

Their lips met with a radiant warmth, sending tingles throughout Maria’s body. One kiss quickly turned into two, and three, and then everything became lost in a sea of rapid fire sensations. At some point Jacky’s grip tightened on Maria’s hair as she pulled her closer and then down onto the cold pavement. Jacky wrapped her legs around Maria’s body and manipulated her until she laid atop her. Maria ran her hands down Jacky’s arms until she found Jacky’s hands and interlaced their fingers. She pushed and pinned Jacky’s hands to the ground above her head.

Maria felt an uncontrollable urge to explore Jacky’s face and neck with her lips. Each kiss and nibble seemed to cause Jacky to erupt into ecstasy. There was something sweet and alluring about Jacky. As Maria sampled more the flavor and aroma of honeysuckle and vanilla became more and over powering. It was as if the more she let herself go, the more pleasurable the experience became.

At some point the entire experience became a blur to Maria and ended subtly with Jacky laying on top of her smiling. “You know those assholes will probably find us any minute now,” said Jacky. “We could lie like this until they find us or you could come back to my place where we’d be safe to have fun all night long.”

Maria shook her head and tried not to blush. “I can’t. I have to meet back up with my friends or my parents will find out about all of this.”

The look of fear must've shown on Maria’s face because Jacky raised her hand and stroked her cheek reassuringly. “I understand,” she said, “But it’s not safe for you here.”

Maria put her arm around Jacky’s neck to help her reach up and kiss her. She shivered. “I wish I could come with you. Just run away from all of this. There has to be more to life than worship and devotion.”

Jacky pushed her back down and nibbled on her earlobe again before whispering. “You’d be safe with me. I could protect you from all of your problems,” she dragged a single finger from under Maria’s ear down her jawline, “and I could show you so much more.”

Maria embraced Jacky as she thought about it. She wanted it. By god, did she want everything Jacky was offering her. To stay up all night swapping stories and watching movies. Just to learn about someone new and interesting while being held in arms that made her feel safe, loved, and secure. It was close to all she’d ever wanted. There was an ache in her chest as she realized that idealized life was one that could never be. Her parents would never accept it. It would ruin their reputation, and maybe even destroy their church. God would condemn them all for her heresy, but despite all of that, she wanted it.

Quiet spanned for eons before Maria answered. “I can’t. My parents would flip.” Her answer sounded pitiful.

Jacky purred in her ear, “Just five more minutes then. I just need to inhale more of your scent before we have to go.”

Maria laughed and held her tight. “All right, just five more…” The rest of the words froze in her throat as a pair of piercing blue eyes materialized in the alley before her and the scrawny, pale figure of the wild-man emerged from out of the dark.