28-Feb-2002
Title: The Crocodile Pool
Author: Ebonydove
Pairings: 1+2/3+4 later
Warnings: OOC, language, slight gore, mention of rape
Disclaimer: More money being made. If it was, I'd be sending it to charity
anyway. I don't own 'em, just play wit' 'em.
Author's note: And the plot thickens... feedback gladly welcomed.
The air was thick with the soft smell of magnolia blossoms as she walked down the moonlit path. She had removed her sandals and could feel the course sand beneath her toes as she took deep breaths of the balmy night breeze. It was heaven. There were stars above and the moon cast its blue glow over the pool as she walked around its' edge.
Her mother had already scolded her countless times to stay away from the manor, the pool, and the young heir but she was young and in love. She couldn't resist his charming smile as he asked her to meet him once again at their secret spot.
She was not foolish about being careful. She knew to stay far enough away from the edge of the shimmering water in fear of crocodiles lying close to the surface, hiding in wait for an evening meal. Or in the low-lying shrubs that surrounded the area. During the day they were easy enough to spot as they basked themselves in the sun, but at night she needed to be more careful. As long as you didn't provoke them, they were fairly harmless.
It was part of the thrill though. The mystery and the danger that wrapped itself around the manor like a shroud of iridescent silk. Her skirt brushed against her bare legs as the breeze blew it gently. She was on her way to the ruins of the manor's chapel. It had fell into disrepair many years before her and had never been rebuilt, but two of the four walls still partially stood and provided a secluded spot for lovers to meet.
Although, being a gypsy girl whose reputations often led them to have people believe that they were wanton witches that roamed in search of males to pray upon, she was not loose with her affections. She had only agreed to come at the request of her new boyfriend and had no intentions of losing her virginity this night. After they were wed, and only then, would she give away the only thing she truly owned. Like she had promised her father before he died.
The young heir of the manor had caught her attention first in the nearby square, and then later when he had asked her to read his fortune. She had giggled and blushed and they had talked for a long time that evening and many evenings since then. In the past week they had finally met at the chapel and had kissed in the moonlight. It was her first. He was so kind and tender to her that she could help but to fall deeply in love with the handsome young man. His dark hair and gray green eyes accented his masculine features. It was easy to think that he could take her away from the poverty she had known her whole life as she wandered from place to place with her mother to spend the rest of her life with him in the manor.
She heard a twig snap behind her and searched the area for any movement. She looked to the pool, but there were no ripples and it didn't sound like a crocodile. She stood very still, not wanting to provoke one of the poor animals to mistake her for a snack and waited. When the bugs resumed their soft sounds in the next few moments and she went on the ruins and sat on a large rock near the mouth of the chapel.
She smoothed her long black hair away from her face and waited for her love to arrive. She was giddy with the anticipation of seeing him again, and smiled at the thought that tonight would be the night she would confess her affection to him. She was so happy she wanted to dance in the moonlight.
She heard a noise from behind the chapel like someone approaching and smiled wide and stood. "Manuel?" She waited for his soft reply but none came. She strained her ears to listen for any other sound, but there was none. "Manuel?"
She walked quietly to the other side of the chapel, closer to the pool and spotted movement on its opposite side. She was about to speak when she saw a slender man stand. She crouched down low behind one of the crumbling walls and watched as he lifted something large from the ground, wrapped in a blanket and slipped it into the water of the pool. The water splashed as it hit the surface and large ripples circled out in the moonlight. Moments later, from all around the pool she could hear the residents slide from their hiding places into the water to approach the man who still stood on the edge waiting for them.
She watched in horror as the animals approached the half-submerged bundle that was slowly sinking under the black waters. As the crocodiles approached it she saw the man turn and disappear into the darkness. In the next the instant, the pool exploded as the ancient dragons descended on the floating bundle and tore it apart. They spun and splashed pulling it under the water in a violent flurry. As they fought for a piece of it the blanket came apart and the slim arm of a young woman surrounded by a cloud of blonde hair floated to the surface before being snapped up in the jaws of one of the crocs. She watched as the blue lit water turned a dark crimson from the blood that rose up from the depths.
Before she could help it she screamed shocked at what she had seen and turned to run from the chapel, the pool and the carnage that was taking place in the moonlit pool not twenty feet away from her. As she spun, grinding her bare feet into the stones and sand, she felt herself get jerked backwards in the strong grip of a man.
He had grabbed her from behind and she couldn't tell who it was. At first she thought it was her Manuel, but when the hold got tighter fear shook her. She could feel his breath as he breathed past her ear. Remembering her voice, she went to scream only to find a hand covering her mouth. She began to thrash in vain against whoever held her and prayed that Manuel would rush in to save her from her attacker.
"Shh, my pretty one, hush." She heard the low voice growl against the skin of her neck and she froze where she stood. One hand snaked from her upper arm to wrap around her throat from behind, as the other held her face and mouth firmly against his chest that was pressed against her back.
She felt his lips begin to suckle at her ear as her knees almost gave out from underneath her. He tightened his grip on her mouth and she felt the arm press against her throat as she struggled to breathe. He continued to kiss and suckle at her neck and ear, before releasing his hold on her mouth. "If you make another noise I'll kill you. Do you understand?"
She nodded as best as she could as he dropped his hand to run up and down along her side. She tried to turn her head to see who held her, but was held fast. As his fingers ghosted over her linen clad shirt to brush against her breast she began to cry, trying to keep the sounds from escaping as best as she could. She could feel his breathing begin to come faster as his hand roamed over her side and back, finally reaching down to lift her skirt. His fingers grazed down her spine until it reached the top of her panties. She felt his hand slip underneath them and ghost over her cheeks as he reached under her to twirl in the soft curls.
She began to take great gasps of air as the tears rolled down her face. Her mind screamed for her to do something, to strike out and scream, but her fear kept her still. He removed his hand to put back over her mouth causing her to smell her own scent on his fingers. "Shh, my pretty one, hush." Her stomach somersaulted as her head lolled back onto his shoulder and her eyes shut tightly. He shoved her forward into the dark corner of the ruined part of the chapel and brought her down to her knees, still facing away from him. Glass from the broken windows dug into her skin as she was forced to the ground. A small cry escaped her lips, and a moment later she felt his arm tighten back around her throat cutting off all air.
Fear ripped through her as the blackness began to creep in from the edges of her vision. She tried to concentrate on the way the moonlight bounced off the shattered remains of a blue and rose colored glass window that jutted up from the arch of the chapel's wall. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It sparkled in the light from the moon making patterns on the wall and the rocks below it. In the distance she could still hear the splashes coming from the pool as the crocodiles swam towards the shore and she finally succumbed to the blackness.
Heero pulled the covers up to settle around Duo's prone form. He hadn't woken up from losing consciousness in the parlor yet and he was beginning to worry. They all had nightmares, and even night terrors, but seeing Duo lose it again in the middle of the day had even his iron resolve shaken. He brushed his fingers across Duo's cheek and kissed his lover's lips softly before standing and making his way to the door. Just as he reached for the handle, Duo's gut wrenching scream spun him around to rush to the bed.
"NOOOOO!" Duo screamed again and again as he shot up from where he was lying on the huge post bed in the room he shared with Heero. Tears were rolling down his face as he took great gulps of air. Heero had him in a tight grip by his arms but watched in horror as Duo's eyes remained distant and unseeing.
"Duo! It's all right. You're okay. Duo!" Heero was yelling and trying to get Duo to snap out of whatever had gripped him in his sleep.
Trowa stormed into the room with Quatre right behind him and they both raced to Heero's side. Quatre watched while Heero and Trowa tried to calm his friend while Duo began to thrash against them, his fist connecting solidly with Heero's jaw at one point, before he shoved Heero aside and slapped Duo hard across the face. The resounding crack bounced off the walls followed by silence and the ragged sounds of their breathing.
Duo looked first to Quatre, and then to Trowa before launching himself into Heero's arms. "Oh god, oh god, I was her, I felt what she felt, I could smell what she smelled, oh god... I saw what she saw... " He rambled as Heero held him tightly.
End Part 5
(:./ebony/pool5)
