Wednesday, December 7, 2011

THE LION ROARS TONIGHT

5

Five more days...I think my hair is whiter than when I started this challenge back on November 27th. Was I insane to do this? Obviously...which is kinda counter-productive since I took this on to PROVE the brain is still working despite the TIA hiccup I had four?...five?...weeks ago now?

But alas, I am a creature of habit...I dared myself, and I never turn down a dare...so here is today's new tale...a lot darker, and probably scarier...especially with Christmas so nearby, but anyone who can face the Christmas shopping hoardes, is fearless. To them I dedicate this story.

The Lion Roars Tonight
by
L.J. Holmes


She'd heard the legend...who hadn't? The legend ranked all the way up there with the legend of the werewolf, or the vampire count. As with most legends, the telling and retelling of the scary tales had added to the mystique surrounding the original story...which was probably based on nothing more terrifying than a rabid alley cat.

BEWARE OF THE ONE WITH THE HAIR THAT GLISTENS LIKE THAT OF A STALKING PANTHER, A BODY HONED AND CHISELED LIKE THAT OF THE MIGHTY PUMA, THE BRAND OF THE TIGER ON HIS RIGHT UPPER TORSO, AND THE MESMERIZING GOLD OF THE LIONTYNE KING IN HIS EYES.

The legend, whispered on dark stormy nights, kept young and old shivering in their skins as lightning and thunder crashed like cymbals and firebrands with each eerie detail of the Legend's feats.

"He mauls, then devours all who cross his path," cackled many a spinstery old lady.

"No, no, no!" counter the wickedly demonic old men. "He ravishes young beauties who dare go walking unprotected in the night, and then at the moment of ecstasy, releases his victim from life in one mighty swipe of his sharpened claw."

Yes, she had heard them all ever since she was old enough to sit up and shiver before a crackling fire on many a tempetuous night. But she was no longer a tiny tot, shaking in her Doctor Dentons, nor was she terrified of the silver blasts of illumination from a lightning storm in summer.

She'd reached the age of majority...a woman now. Her long. flowing red-gold hair almost down to the middle of her back, her vibrant hazel eyes sparkling with intelligence, and her shapely body moved through the darkened night with the ease and steadfastness of one who has often walked this way.

Life had taught her there are many things that could cause her harm and fear, but rarely were they the manifestations of old legends.

On this particular night, she wore a deep blue velvet cape that shielded her body from the pelting rain. On her feet, she wore the same shade of leather boots...not really rain boots, but she'd treated them with waterproofing so they would stand against the flowing rivulets racing down the streets towards the gutter openings.

If it were not for the luminescent coloring of her hair, she would easily blend into the turbulent darkness surrounding her. But unbeknownst to her one in the shadows watched...and waited.

Logically, she should not be out in this, she reasoned, and then laughed that thought away. She loved Mother Nature in all her many guises, even when she raged with the force of a nor'easter. If anything, the power of the storm energized her, made her burdens seem miniscule...made her own person, seem little more than a speck in the overall scheme of things.

A sports car zoomed around the corner on two wheels sending a spray of water up in its wake that doused her completely. Although it was summer, the storm cooled air against her now totally drenched body made her shiver.

She should get back. The last thing she needed was to come down with pneumonia.

Had she not turned around at that very moment, she would never have known...or perhpas it would be more accurate to say, she would not have known until it was too late.

He was not far...had he been there a moment ago? She did not think so.

He was leaning, casually, against the door-frame of one of the stores along the main concourse. His eyes glittered in the dim light, much the way the eyes of a jack'o'lantern would glitter from the candle's flame within...But there was nothing hollow about the shadowed silhouette in the door frame. The golden eyes were attached to a very solid, very real man-creature.

A tremor orbited through her that had nothing to do with the icy tendrils caused by the wind against her wet skin. For one seemingly eternal moment, she froze. Just as quickly as her body went rigid, her mind began chastising her for her fooilishness. He's a man, nothing more, nothing less, and she was not without ample skills to protect herself against anything a man might try.

Squaring her shoulders, she placed one foot in front of another, ever conscious of the shadow framed by the storefront. He did not move. She wasn't even certain he breathed, but  sticking around to find out, out of the question.

Still she refused to give in to fear and run. Each step seemed to take forever, and brought her closer to where he stood. The closer she got, the more the air seemed to be permeated with a raw animal musk scent that set every one of her nerve endings on high alert.

She was almost past him when a hand...or a claw, reached out and in one continuous move, pulled her hard against raw, solid strength. She would have screamed...at least she was fairly certain she would have screamed, but his pelt covered muzzle came down crushing her lips, forcing them open, claiming her mouth with a determination that stole her strength. Her knees began shaking, and her body quiver. There would be no escape.

Without breaking his assault upon her mouth, his free hand...claw?...reached down and tore the cape and blouse open. The claw, it had to be a claw, began cupping the supple flesh beneath.

Fire began licking her in places the beast was not exploring, deep in her womb and it spread.

Dear God, she thought frantically, this...creature...was making her climax, right here, standing in the pouring rain, her blouse in shreds, her lips swollen and her nipples tender and hot.

Without breaking stride he tore her skirt, again with one rip. Before she could try to squirm, he arched his body and with one powerful thrust, entered her deeply, completely.

She wanted to cry out...whether in fury or in ecstasy she couldn't be sure. Her body felt like a living blue flame, the hottest element within a fire, and it was moving through her like a furnace.

Rapidly he moved, this primal creature, mastering her with the sheer force of his control.

Lightning lit up the sky and thunder boomed at the exact moment he tipped her over the edge and her life erupted from her.

Death had come.


She awakened the next morning in her bed. Beside her, her legend slept deeply. It had been a long night for them, competing with the fury of Nature's temper. How she loved stormy nights when her beast came out to ravage and devour her over and over again.

A smile played on her lips. They were calling for another storm tomorrow night...Mmmmm she would have to make sure to repair, wash and make ready her "Lady in the Night" togs again.

She reached over, ever so gently and placed her lips on the brand of the tiger; a tattoo that spoke volumes about her beast's passions. Stifling a contented yawn, she grinned once more, snuggled down close to him and drifted off into sleep once more.


The closer we get to the Holidays, the more my jingle is merry.
So Happy Holidays all.

3 comments:

Tanja said...

Tyger tyger, burning brighter!

Barbara Ehrentreu said...

Ah Lin! I think your mind is clear as can be. I would love to know more about your TIA, because I seem to have been ignorant of it. Did it happen because of the bump on your head? Anyway, I enjoyed this story very much, especially since the creature you dreamed up sounds very lionlike.:)

gail roughton branan said...

I LOVED it! That's my favorite so far of your self-challenge! (Course you know I got a real dark side, even though I hide it well. Most of the time.)