Dearest Forevermore Ch. 1

The sun was still shining as they left the castle, and they walked down the stepped incline chiseled out of the mountain rock itself, circling around the rising cliff on which the main structure was perched, down to the green forests which surrounded the base of the hilltop. The path Emily and Liana took there snaked in and out of the woods, finally emerging in the idyllic town of Brachendauch, with its old plazas, stone fountains and medieval residences delighting sightseers. Many of the good-natured villagers had taken up the tradition of dressing in period clothes, which further contributed to making the surroundings part of a bygone epoch. They greeted the tourists with warm smiles and always taking the time to stand with them for a picture. Liana jumped at the opportunity several times, smiling for Emily as she took pictures of her next to medieval barons, knights and servants.

It was a carefree and enjoyable afternoon for both of them, followed by a quiet walk along the banks of the mighty river. Emily remained silent for the most part, taking in the sensations and committing the picturesque sights to memory, while Liana, though animated and perky, nevertheless found it in herself to be somewhat more reserved than ordinary. They both returned castle as the sun was setting, tired but contented.

Emily was entirely convinced she wouldn't have trouble sleeping that nigh.

4. Troubling Visions

Darkness whispered at Emily's soul while she dreamed.

The confines of Streinhenburg had grown menacing in her slumbering fantasy, the interior stone walls and arches fusing and morphing into horrifying shapes as she ran madly forward, seeking to escape the grip of an unseen, ghostly presence. She was barefoot, with only a translucent nightgown to protect her from the cold air, and was frantically searching for a safe place in which to hide. She heard menacing voices echoing around her, plaintive wailing and distant screams which chilled her to the bone. The corridors loomed ahead like a fearsome labyrinth, everyone of them haunted by the tormented spirit of the dead.

Emily fell hard on the cold stone floor as she turned a corner, and looked beyond to sizable but empty hall. The passageway ran for many meters ahead, with regular geometric apertures at regular intervals on the left side of the facade. Pillars jutted on the right, with intricate carvings in the stone of a frightening, lovecraftian quality. The exit, at the far distant end of the terrifying colonnade, loomed tenebrously, appearing to the fearful Emily as a departing ship would to a drowning sailor in the middle of the ocean.

Only the light of a full moon, shining rays of pale white-blue through narrow windows, illuminated her path, slivers of illumination appearing as ethereal hurdles on the extended path to safety. Emily allowed herself a quick look behind her before trying to quickly get to her feet... and was instantly frozen by the image of a ghostly figure, drifting around the corner and coming to rest above her.

Her blood turned to ice.

The pale woman's long, open dress hid little of her generous figure, her ethereal bosom bare, wisps and strands of immaterial clothing wrapped around her narrow waist, her shoulders and her arms. They seemed to dance lightly in the same intangible, non-existent wind which appeared to sustained her in the air. Her flowing hair drifted in the breeze, locks parting to reveal a gentle, if cold visage.

In a terrifying instant, Emily recognized the ghostly apparition before her as that of Liana.

Her panicked scream was cut short by the sound of her friend's haunting voice. Liana spoke to her in a strange tongue which seemed to drown out the lamenting voices. The ghostly figure communed with her soul as the pallid lips moved. Somehow, Emily she could understand the gibberish, making sense of the strange words...

"Anna... my beautiful... we are together... once again..."

With but a single whisper, Emily's world had suddenly capsized into a strange abyss.

Fear ebbed from her trembling body, replaced by a inexplicable warmth and sense of well being that began glowing from deep within her. Her hysterical breathing slowed, as did her galloping pulse. A trance was coming over Emily, and she seemed unable to resist, allowing herself instead to slide deeper and deeper into it.

The ghostly Liana, with her long hair and hypnotic eyes, floated nearer, and finally hovered over Emily, a strange glow surrounding her translucent, elegant form. Her deeply mesmerizing whispers caressed Emily's soul into subservience, replacing fear and dread with a sense of love and rapture. The gothic surroundings of the cold, damp castle halls became irrelevant, not the scene of a frightening apparition but of an irresistible, strange seduction. Emily sat up on the stony floor, obeying the silent will of the mysterious force which now held her enthralled, and parted her knees slowly. She felt a draft slide up the gaping opening of her nightgown... felt the night air sliding up her thighs and caressing her bare pussy... felt her own heat and wetness kissed by the bewitching breeze.

The ghostly Liana only smiled as she floated closer, her pale and beautiful face smiling a secret smile. Emily's mind was enraptured, spellbound by the woman's eyes, by her silent voice. A tiny part of her mind was drowned out by voices that assured her everything was as it should be, and she found herself believing them. Her fingers gently pulled back on the smooth fabric that covered her legs, and the hem of her nightgown slid up and over her knees, revealing her bare thighs and pussy.

She glanced down at herself, saw her own seeping wetness in the pale moonlight. Images and urges flashed inside her brain... strange, alien impulses and cravings were pulling her soul in every direction at once.

Liana spoke again as her hand reached out... "Oh Anna... how I've longed to touch you... how long I've waited..."

Emily felt a burning love and desire as Liana's slender fingers gently brushed against her sex. Her legs trembled at the cold touch, but shivers of passion ran up and down her spine at the strange sensation of semi-ethereal caress. Liana's fingers brushed her again and again, teasingly, enticingly. Stroking her wet slit...

"You are mine... mine for all time..."

A name rose up in Emily's throat even as the pangs of pleasure ignited inside her. She didn't realize it until it had escaped her lips. "Oh! Kristin! Don't stop!"

The ghostly Liana's smile grew as she hung motionless over Emily, who was utterly bewitched by her sensual touch. "Yes... I can see you are beginning to remember... Do you want to be with me, Anna?"

Emily was almost beyond voicing a coherent response, her pussy on fire, quivering as she was meticulously caressed...

Liana?... Kristin?... Both? Neither? It was unimportant-her touch was the only thing in Emily's universe, sending waves of intense pleasure rippling through her body and soul. Her legs were spread, like those of an obedient slave, her cunt stroked by a ghostly apparition. Her mind was reeling, her growing sexual excitement crushing all reason...

"Yes! Oh Yes!"

"Do you want to be with me... Forever?" the ghost inquired nicely, even as she inserted a pale finger deep inside Emily's pussy.

Emily cried out as the orgasm exploded within her, suddenly and violently. She arched her spine as a wave roared up through her body, her head falling backwards, her voice now speaking her mistress' will... "Yes! Yes! YES!!! FOREVER!!"

The climax was easily more powerful than anything she had experienced through a handful of maladroit and restrained sexual encounters, and raged inside her being like a storm for long minutes. The instinctive realization that her heart was slowing as the waves of pleasure began to subside was a secondary thing to the ecstasy she had been allowed to experience, and to the promise she now intended to keep. She fell back on the floor, only dimly aware of her ghostly lover's sensual touch, her heart's beating becoming dangerously irregular, her breath shallowing...

She *would* be with Liana... with Kristin... forever...

Emily woke with a start from the dream moments before the instant of death. She was in her bed, drenched in cold sweat. It was the middle of the night.

She suddenly realized the hysterical scream she was hearing was not her own, but Liana's.

5. Illusions of normalcy

Emily stared at her breakfast without appetite; the tightening knot in her stomach had not subsided. The fear she had experienced last night had stiffened her feminine frame, and her striking eyes betrayed consternation that seemed at odds somehow with the lavish, gothic surroundings of the romantic castle inn. Her head was down, long, smooth curls of blond partially hiding her concerned expression and flowing over her shoulders, down her beige sweater. She had stroked it vigorously in the morning, feeling the urge to brush and brush while trying to keep the memory of the disturbing happenings of the previous night out of her mind.

The dream alone she might have been able to handle. It was an easy rationalization, especially for someone as reserved as she: her subconscious had obviously roamed in strange and distressing territory, but it hardly constituted or supported conclusive proof of strange, aberrant inclinations. Here, in the semi- crowded dining room of the castle inn, in the light of mid-morning, the vividness of her nightly vision seemed to be just what it was: dreamlike, improbable.

Certainly. Without question.

But Emily's long legs, wrapped in tight-fitting wool slacks, crossed and twisted around each other as she thought of the instants that followed her sudden awakening from the dream, of Liana's screams and of her friend's sobbing, panicked apology for endangered her life. Emily, still shaken from her own nightmare, had still managed to make her way to Liana's bed while ignoring a disquieting wetness between her legs, to hug her friend and comfort her as best she could. It would only be later, when Liana had returned to an uneasy slumber, that Emily had remembered the wording of her apology, and realized that in her panic, Liana had called her 'Anna' twice, and had begged her forgiveness for taking her soul into the afterlife.

The meaningless phrases had suddenly made sense in Emily's eyes, and she felt sure that she and Liana had shared the same dream.

"Hey! You started without me!"

Emily looked up, startled. Liana stood next to her, smiling broadly. Her friend's red hair freely, and it slid loosely over the tip of her shoulders. She wore a black sweater with loose wrap skirt and belt buckle, certainly well enough to draw the attention of all of the males in the dining room. She stepped over to the chair next to Emily's and gracefully sat down, crossing her supple legs under the folds of the patterned skirt.

Emily's voice failed her for a split second.

"Where were you this morning?" she finally asked, her eyes unable to leave Liana's. There was something strange and new inside them, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. An alarming voice inside her head shrilled a warning.

"I got up, silly! I decided to go for a walk around the castle since you were still napping."

Emily tried to wrap her head around the concept of Liana waking up before she did, but failed.

"Your hair's..."

"-different, yes. It was bit straighter after I showered. I feel like such a free spirit wearing it like that!"

She shook her head right and left, letting the rich hair rising and falling smoothly back into place. She giggled as she did so, seemingly happy for no reason at all. Emily's eyes went wide as she suddenly flashed back to her nearly forgotten dream, and saw Liana for an instant just as she had appeared to her during the night, with longer hair and a haunting smile.

The cacophony of alarm bells ringing in her head were drowning out the noises around her. Liana sat before her, but some crazy gut feeling was playing tricks with her perception and trying to tell her otherwise.

Liana pointed a finger at Emily's plate, and the untouched eggs and toast of her continental breakfast. "Mind if I help myself?"

"Go ahead" mumbled Emily, "I'm not too hungry after last night."

"What? You didn't sleep well?"

Emily looked at her blankly.

"No... pretty much the same as you, I guess."

It was Liana's turn to give her an odd stare. "What do you mean? I was totally out of it. Slept like a *baby*, the first time in a while, and boy did I ever need it!"

"What do you mean like a baby?! You woke me up screaming in the middle of the night!"

Liana, who had begun chewing on a piece of toast, froze. Her expression clearly betrayed uncertainty, and Emily realized that her friend was seriously wondering if she was putting her on.

"What nightmare? I don't remember any nightmares..."

Emily's stomach turned and twisted. Her breath froze in the throat. She suddenly felt ill.

Liana's hand gently rested on her knee as she drew closer, a concerned expression on her face. "Emily, Is everything alri-"

Emily yelped and jumped back. The chair slipped from under her and she landed on the floor, trailing most of the tablecloth-and the silverware that rested on it-along with her. The sharp clash of glass, metal and food toppling on the hard wooden floor echoed loudly in the dining hall, startling the various hotel patrons who were also having breakfast.

Liana was instantly at Emily's side, trying to help her up. "Geez, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Emily turned beet red as she stood up, aware of the whole room staring at her. A waiter started scooping up the mess while another addressed the two women in shaky English, asking if they were hurt.

Emily shook her head, deeply embarrassed and in great need of fresh air.

"Let's get out of here" Liana offered, leading her gently by the hand.

As they left the dining hall, Emily furiously replayed the moment in her mind. The slight touch on her knee-and the shift of color in Liana's eyes as she did so...

Not the dark green she was used to, but a shade of blue very much like her own.

6. The diary

By early evening, Emily even found it in herself to joke about it.

Liana had suggested an excursion in the nearby vineyards shortly after leaving the dining hall, and the prospect of spending the afternoon outside appealed to Emily greatly. They took the rented BMW, Emily forsaking the driver's seat in order to calm herself down. Liana, despite being somewhat of a crazed driver, assured her that she would get them both there and back in one piece. Over the course of the next twenty minutes, as they left Streinhenburg and drove together through the scenic forested countryside, Liana joked much as she always did, which made Emily smile once again. By the time they had arrived to Brauch's Vineyard estate, Emily was breathing easier, relieved to see that the 'old' Liana was back.

The afternoon turned out to be a lot of fun for both women. After sampling some of the wine and touring the gigantic, damp cellars where classic cuvés fermented and aged, Emily could barely remember the troubling events of the morning. Certainly the apprehension she had felt seemed silly, unfounded even. She had even glimpsed into Liana's eyes when her friend wasn't looking, and found them to be of the right shade of green, exactly what she had expected to see.

The pair followed guides, joked with fellow tourists, and Liana even found the time to flirt with one of the handymen working on the vineyard. It was like their old days in college all over again. They left in late afternoon, heading back to the castle Inn, delighted with the way the day had turned out.

Pangs of trepidation did manifest themselves in Emily as the car drove up the rising path that lead to Streinhen, no doubt revived by the recognizable, gothic silhouette of the castle, but they were soon chased away by Liana's constant, whimsical chatter. They parked the car in the small lot within the castle keep, strolled across the courtyard and into the main entrance of the castle, up the grandiose flight of stone steps and through the ornate granite arch which served as the main entrance to the castle proper. The pair lingered in the hall beyond the doors, standing for a moment while Liana's eyes trailed off to the nearby cocktail lounge.

"Geez-there you go again!" Emily complained in a mock tone, playing the part of the prude as she had so many times before.

"Ya gotta play the field to score in the game" Liana retorted in a southern accent, which left her giggling. Emily joined in, in an effort to play down her 'part'. A passing bellboy gave them a funny look.

"I'm beat, Liana. Mind if I catch some shuteye before dinner?" Emily finally said.

"Sure. We'll grab grub later."

"Grub" sighed Emily. "The Inn's dining hall is flanked by a four star restaurant staffed by a Cordon Bleu chef, Liana. They *don't* serve grub."

"Sorry, I meant chow" Liana said with an incorrigible smile.

"If you order ketchup, I swear I'll kill you" Emily warned her with a finger. "Eight o'clock fine?"

"Sure. I'll see what I can do about bringing company."

Emily silently moaned and dearly hoped she wouldn't. It seems she didn't have the patience to spend an evening with Czechs students who had learned all their English reading Playboy and Sports Illustrated... although as she proceeded up the flights of stairs and to her suite, she almost felt aware of another, reason, stronger but more evasive, buried deep inside her psyche.

The sun had set behind the valley, and the evening darkness had crept into the suite. Emily stripped down to her bra and panties, and put on a large T-shirt that fell to her mid-thighs, figuring she could always change into something formal later. She glanced at the two spacious beds in the room, and briefly remembered the events of the previous night. It felt like the whole thing had taken place over a week ago, and Emily wondered just how much of it wasn't half-twisted by her then-groggy state of mind. She turned to make her way to the bed and stopped, catching a glimpse of something resting on the oak desk which stood next to the window.

It was an old book that she had not noticed before, left behind either by Liana or one of the cleaning staff. On the left was a stack of brochures and tourist info accumulated by the traveling pair. Next to that was a candle, propped on a silver holder. Curious, Emily took three steps and peeked under the cover of the book.

The jacket was leather-bound and dusty. The pages were yellow, and creaked as she turned them; they were not made of paper, the surface being rougher to the touch. Each sheet was adorned with elegant handwriting; though there was an unusual flourish to it, Emily nevertheless recognized as Liana's.

Somewhere along the line, Emily's creeping feeling returned in the pit of her stomach. This time however, it was short lived, vanishing almost instantly.

The young woman barely registered alarm. She scarcely heard the click of the door locking itself behind her, or noticed the sudden flame which conjured itself up at the tip of the candle's wick, lighting the pages of the book enough for Emily to read, bathing the rest of the room in a soft, orange glow.

Drawn up in the words of the diary, she slowly sat down in the chair, her eyes never leaving the page which she had begun to read.

She failed to realize that the writings, though in medieval German, made perfect sense to her.

Stop

7. Mirror's image

Streinhenburg, fifth day of February, 1303

She searches for me at every opportunity, but the words I long to say escape me every time. My mouth closes, as is Father's wishes. Count Schtaffen remains at odds with our house, and nothing in Heaven and Earth, short of God's word will change it. If Father only knew what thoughts haunt my nights... those hours of the dark when the only thing I see in my dreams is the image of her face... I fear to unburden my soul to anyone save her... even to brother Hilmund, especially after his frightful pursuit of the wicked in the village earlier in the year, when envoys from Rome traveled these lands on their way to deliver yet another papal decree to the Emperor. Methinks brother Hilmund may see in me a touch of the devil graces, and God help me if he suspects thus. May the Lord forgive me for my impertinence, and for all the rests of my sins. I would confess all of them gladly, I would accept the sins of the entire world for her, if it would redeem our love as the savior redeemed mankind upon the cross.