The Captain's House Ch. 01

Chapter 01: Starring Artie & Her Scary Happenings

The world was changing constantly. Ever since there was that report of a flying giant diamond surrounded by electricity, people had been acting really weird. Ghosts were rising everywhere. Alien abductions & angel sightings had tripled; not only the Catholic Church, but Presbyterians, Unitarian Universalists, Jews & Muslims were fighting to save people possessed by demons. The very earth was scary-shaky, almost like it was alive.

My brother decided we needed to gather together & buy a house in a good location, just in case. After all, the world grid could crash in all the insanity. So he called everyone; siblings, parents, Grandma Wendy & Grandpa Russ, mom's sisters, dad's brothers, the cousins & their families...I think he rounded up like 20 households.

And then he found a house. The 80 acres of land made great-grandpa Livyan happy. The fact there was a river, lake, streams, farm ground & windmills made my would-be farmer dad go over the moon. So, while I was busy gadding about the city taking pictures, as Grandma Jeanette always said, the family mobilized, visited the place, agreed they liked it, & bought it.

*

That evening, I came back to my apartment from a great date, & groaned to see a lanky man sitting by my door. Scruffy face, tangly blond hair, SG-U t-shirt, cargo pants & sandals, thumbs dancing on BlackBerry screen at full speed. Time to face my brother Mercury about the house.

"No sale; I'm staying here," I growled, reaching to unlock the door.

He stopped me & held my hand. "Can't. Your stuff's at the new house. Packed carefully," he said at my angry oath. "It's time. Can't you see it? Ten bath-salt zombies in a week, just in this city; last one filmed live & on all the channels. Remember the screaming & those endless tearing noises? Aliens taking the freakin' president out of the White House, in full view? Where is he? No-one knows! What has to happen before you wise up & join the family?"

I gave him the Look he so hates; half-scorn & half-weariness. "Bad things are happening all over the world, and I am a journalist & photographer. I can't hide. My ass out there in the trenches is what lets you guys better prepare. Someone's got to document this mess."

"Yeah, well, the someone is Turk, not you. He took a cut on your pay & your apartment."

"Turk? You absolute asshole! Great. By now he's texted & tweeted the whole newspaper to out me as a real psychic. In this crazy world, it means I'll be ass deep in mourners wanting the word from grandpa, auntie, lost children, the random serial killer down the block. Fuck! And the zombies. And the aliens, the angels, the ghosts..."

I sagged against the wall.

"Fine. Let's jet."

My former door opened, & Turk lunged out, a bimbo on one arm. "Hey, it's Artie the psychic! Guess what Kellie is thinking right now?"

Okay, so I can be a bitch. I looked, saw & said, "She thinks you are as stupid as an ant, but she hopes you like chicks with dicks so she can fuck you & rob you in your sleep."

"What??" Staring at Kellie, he saw her Adam's apple & bemused smile. He came screaming at me. "You stay with me, smart mouth cow. I will have that year you promised! And more."

Mercury stretched out a lazy hand & hit him with five tiny electricity bolts. As Turk fell, we split, whooping all the way downstairs & to his SUV.

*

"See, I told you we needed to circle the wagons," he said once we were gunning out of town.

Goodbye, beaches. Goodbye art deco apartment I'd rehabbed with my work buds & sources. Goodbye to all my friends & ex-lovers. Goodbye, Suzanne, pretty little Dutch-American flight attendant studying to be a pilot...

Great, now I was in a foul mood, & it was his fault. "Yeah yeah," I grumbled. When he looked away, grinning, I whacked him upside the head. "That's for gloating. And, by the way, how's your gremlin problem?"

His cell phone began playing "We Are the Champions" with teeny-tiny voiced singers. Ha! Just as bad as ever. "God damn it, Artie, that was so not cool!"

He tossed it over to me.

"You made them take it over; you keep it overnight so they forget it's mine." A tiny razz interrupted the music. "Gah! Baby it. Don't let it break. The buggers'll get bored of waiting for me to take it back & come to tank my alarm top or something else."

Snickering, I tucked the phone in my pocket & leaned back to get some zzzs.

*

The house was hidden amongst the trees, which parted as I got closer. As wind screamed, I looked at the building doubtfully. With the basement & 2 attic levels, it was 6 stories high, with 3 wings & outbuildings. It was pretty, I had to admit; in wine tones, with stained glass windows & 3 staircase towers. As I got out of the SUV & circled, I saw swampy land, towering trees, glimpses of farmland. I also saw a freeform pool, a tennis court & a patio with a stone fireplace.

My spine crawled & I jumped. Looking up, I saw the drapes in the back 3rd floor window twitch, & felt a cold breeze coming down. Now I felt watched. No. Observed. Weighed for potential.

That's when the roaring hunger washed through my mind.

I am not a coward. Ask anyone. But this time, I turned to run to the forest.

It was like being caught in a web of honey. As I struggled, a ghostly figure came down & circled me. He tilted my chin up to look at my mouth. "A ripe one, aren't you? Still untouched. How does this come to be?" Coffee-colored eyes burned, & I saw glimpses of a ruffled shirt, brocade waistcoat & knee-breeches, then a swirl of curly black hair & beard, before he flickered.

"I am not ripe; I am not a piece of fruit."

*Ah, but this feels like a fine set of peaches.*

He slid hands down my ass & cupped it. I hissed, suddenly sensitive as he squeezed, kneaded & fondled with expert hands. As I whimpered, he leaned down to nuzzle my neck then lick.

One nip & he was behind me teasingly, grabbing my breasts. *As do these.* Why did I have to cry out? It only encouraged him to lift my top & bra to bare my breasts. *The bitch is hungry,* he continued, grinding his penis against my buttocks to show his desire.

Gently, he squeezed my nipples, rolling them, turning them into aching peaks.

*You want this. You want me. Show me how juicy this little slit has gotten." He slipped his big hand under my panties, & had my wetness on his fingers. He groaned, all joking gone, & began playing those long, rough fingers up & down my labia. Damn him for laughing at my wetness. He licked his fingers & went back to playing with me, right where anyone could see, lowering my skirt & panties to expose me to his greedy gaze.

I cried out & struggled. "Stop it! Stop handling me like I'm some sort of whore!"

I heard something with my ears, now. Laughter? I should not be hearing him! *When ye be wearing your undergarments outside, what is a man to think?* he thought, face brushing mine.

My voice grew sharp. "A man is to realize he might not be in the same time as he used to live in. A man might realize that fashions & social mores have changed in 300 years."

*So ye know when I come from, eh, lassie?* he asked slyly, still fingering me.

"Ye...yes." What had I started?

Voice gone dangerous, now, more heard than in my mind. "*Ye know *who* I am?*"

I silenced. If I voiced my thoughts, & they were right, he would know who, what, I was.

*HA! Ye know me! You can't hide from me. My eyes see everything. But yours; oh, what you could see with training. You, wench, are MINE!*

Suddenly, he was solid, & I was thrown over his shoulder. He smelled of rum, cherry tobacco, coffee, chocolate & hot, sweet spices. I tried to fight, but the ghost's arm was all muscle; there wasn't even any wiggle room. All the way up two sets of stairs, I yelled at him, cursing him out in every language I knew.

He carried me in & I had an impression of wine, brown & rich Baroque gold before he threw me down on the bed & pinned me down with his arms alone.

"Fight me," his raspy voice said. "I want you to fight me." Then he stood back, laughing.

He stopped laughing when I slammed my fist into his nose. "Hey! What the bleedin' Hell was that? Whores fight with claws & teeth!"

"I told you, I am not a whore!"

"Your wet slit told me you're a ready woman."

"I am a woman. I'm just not a slut begging for a fuck from any man who has money."

Again, he roared laughter. "Good. I don't want a slut. I want a psychic who can see past & future." Freezing me again, he started crawling up the bed, forcing my thighs apart, tearing down skirt & panties. His face dipped to my sex, & he inhaled deeply. One long lick had me moaning, & he pulled his sex from his trousers. "My warrior psychic. Mine."

"No!" I yelled.

*

Snorting, I woke up to country music sung in incredibly irritating voices. "Sorry 'bout that, but your snoring was putting me to sleep, too. Better the gremlins acapella than us up a tree. We're almost there; your suite is set up for you."

"Oh, good. I'll see everyone tomorrow, then."

I leaned back, shaking. Oh, gods; I'd almost given in to that ghost. How did he do that? Turn me on so badly that I ignored my own sexual orientation?

I didn't notice a thing when we got there; as is, I had to lean on Mercury to get in, up a long set of stairs, & to a room with creaky wood floors. Into a huge, soft bed, & off to sleep I went.

*

He was there, over my bed, grinning widely. As I stared, he started laughing. Slowly, then loud, bellowing, his head tossed back, roaring, eyes flashing...

*

Sitting up, I gasped & saw lightning slamming down outside. What was going on? It made me shiver, but I watched, trying to sense the cause. I felt anger from below, & sneering laughter from the sky. Further looking led to a door slammed in my face, metaphorically peaking.

Reeling from the power of whoever blocked me, I watched the lightning, wincing at every crash of thunder. This storm...

Wait. This was no natural storm; this was directed electrical energy. I could see from the way the bolts didn't branch that often & when they did, always neatly. Lightning was never sleek; nor did it vary in color like this storm's did. As I stared, it continued...then stopped cold.

Who could be that powerful? Gods, maybe Merc was right & it was time to hide. Setting my chin on my knees, I sighed & looked around.

Where was my furniture? All of this stuff was Victorian; the bed, chest of drawers, vanity, wardrobe, wicker table & chairs & big locked trunk at the foot of my bed. The walls, judging from the one tiny nightlight above the chest, were a rich mauve I'd never have picked but instantly liked. This whole room, I noted as I got up to explore, was far more beautiful than my thrift-store scores. I found lace curtains hid a door to the bathroom & walk-in closet & marveled at my new claw foot tub, stained glass windows & mix of purple, mauve & white milk glass tile.

I went to my door & peeked out.

Huge central hall with stairs leading down. Counting doors, I guessed there were 14 rooms up here, alone. So cool! Why, with work, this could be a communal game room, or...

The door kitty-corner to mine opened, revealing wine-colored walls & a lot of gilding. I couldn't speak. Or move. No. It couldn't be. I never dreamed of the future. It couldn't be true.

The door closed again. I ran downstairs, saw the stairs on either side of this staircase leading down, & grew more panicked. Another floor, across the entry hall & out.

It was the house. His house. Oh, Gods! Letting out a terrified howl, I ran for the woods.

* what will happen next?

* will the ghost find her first?

* who is he, anyhow?

* what is up with Mercury & the gremlins?

* find out next episode!