Epic Ch. 02

"This is Alison. I met her at the party Friday..."

"She's a slut! Come with me! Now, Sean! The cast party is starting. We're the leads; our friends expect us."

Ali could feel the daggers from Clytemnestra's eyes as she watched Sean's visage darken. He turned from Clytemnestra and looked at her, helpless anguish tainting his chiseled features. Alison's heart throbbed, then broke.

"I'm so sorry, Alison. I've thought about you every minute since... I tried to tell you Friday, but... I'm so sorry..."

Sean's voice faded and he trudged away, broad shoulders slumped, feet dragging on the pavement. The cruel, triumphant, smug smile on Clytemnestra's thin lips seared into Ali just before the actress turned and followed Sean back into the theater.

***

"Damn, double damn!" Ali thought as she forced herself to walk even faster. She'd had an uneasy feeling all day, and now it was approaching full-blown panic. Though she didn't know their names, the three guys sitting in the corner during her Monday night calculus class had definitely drawn her attention. Whispering, eyeing her constantly, smirking, leering. Sniggering and chuckling. Something was up, and Alison needed to get back to her apartment. ASAP.

She spotted the trouble as soon as she turned the corner. There he was, one of the three leering jerks, 25 feet in front of her. As soon as he saw her and started closing the distance, Alison turned on heel and retraced her steps, plotting another route to her place. Once she'd turned back around the corner, however, she ran into them. The other two from class.

One, his smarmy voice oozing lurid arousal, said, "Hey there, Alison. Or should I say, Sweet Ems 0432?"

Ali's stomach churned. It was her user name on Reddit. These guys had somehow found her. She turned around again, but found her path blocked by Jerk 1. She instantly regretted choosing such an isolated, dark route to get to her apartment. While it was the fastest, it had become the most perilous. She warily backed up against the cold hard wall of the dark classroom building, as the three, now menacing jerks surrounded her.

The guy in the middle did the talking while the others leered and snickered. "Don't be in such a hurry to rush off, Sweet Ems. We just want to talk a little. How did you like class tonight? I thought the prof was really in her element, and man, what a great ass! Don't you think so?"

The lascivious chortles from the other two made Ali feel nauseous. Still, her voice was steady. "Look, I just want to get back to my place. I've got studying to do, and my friend is waiting."

"Oh, I'm sure your friend won't mind waiting a little longer. We just learned that you like to show off your tits on the internet. Maybe you'd like to show us?"

Ali leapt away from the building, but her sprinting escape attempt was foiled when two of the men grabbed her, pinned her arms behind her, dragged her into an alcove in a crook of the building, and held her fast. They were now out-of-sight, and when the hand over her mouth made crying out for help impossible, Ali knew she was in real trouble. She quit struggling when it became clear that the men were too strong, and their grips on her arms became too painful. Her stomach turned again from the stench of cheap booze on their rancid breaths.

"That's it, Sweet Ems. There's no need to make a fuss. We're not going to hurt you. All we want is for you to show us your boobs. You do it all the time, so it's no big deal, right? Now, if we uncover your mouth and release your arms, are you going to take your top off?"

When the hand left her mouth, Ali hissed, "Fuck you, assholes! There's no way..."

The grips on her arms tightened immediately, and the pain silenced her. The lead jerk's voice became threatening. "You'd better be nice, Sweet Ems. We're going see your tits one way or another. It can be easy or hard, it's up to you. Now, are you going give us a show, or are we gonna have to take your shirt off ourselves?"

"You're making a big mistake. This is sexual assault. You'll get in a lot of trouble for this, even expelled. Think before you do something stupid!"

"Stupid? Ha! Like posting nudes where anyone can see them. That's issuing a fucking invitation! What do you say, boys? Since she's being such a bitch, I think we'd better check out her pussy, too."

Jerk 2 said, "Yeah, that's right. Maybe we'll play with it some..."

Jerk 3 interrupted, "Oh yeah, baby. I can hardly wait to stick something hard inside that shaved cunt of yours."

Boss Jerk, "You got it, man. But first, let's check out those nice tits. Hold her still."

The grips on her arms tightened painfully, and her mouth was covered again as Boss Jerk's hands landed on her breasts. Though she had steeled herself, not wanting to let them know how terrified she was, Ali couldn't suppress the strangled whimper that was wrenched from deep in her throat.

"Listen to that, guys. She likes it." Once his hands had stopped mauling her breasts, his fingers began undoing the buttons of Ali's blouse. She writhed in silence, aware of how each undone button exposed more of her, and how the heavy breathing from all three men had become panting as their level of libidinous arousal spiked. The stink of liquor was revolting.

"Oh, yeah, here we go," Boss Jerk said as he parted her shirt. Despite her tears, Ali could see the raw, lecherous lust in his eyes. "Boys, remember that one vid where she just pulls her bra up and her tits fall out? Time for a live reenactment."

Ali couldn't bear to see the delight on his leering face when he saw her bare boobs, so squeezed her eyes tight shut. The night air was cool on her nipples as her bra was forced up. Calloused, rough fingers abraded her skin as they dug deep into her soft breasts, and...

Suddenly they were gone.

Ali's eyes popped open, but everything was a blur. She heard thumps, whacks, grunts and gasps, and her arms were free. She clasped them across her chest, covering up. Boss Jerk, on the ground in front of her, was moaning and writhing. A hand on her arm tugged her to the side.

"Get behind me, Ali!" It was Sean! Over his shoulder, she saw Jerk 2 rubbing the side of his neck, while 3 was holding his stomach. They straightened, nodded to each other, and lunged at Sean.

"It wasn't fair." The words from her dream, when Thor had so easily killed her husband and brothers, flooded back into her mind, but now with a sense of joy and deliverance.

Incredibly fast, Sean's foot snaked out, slicing into Jerk 3's knee, while simultaneously the edge of his extended hand crushed 2's nose. As 3 was falling his head snapped back violently when his neck was chopped, and 2 squealed in agony as Sean's foot mashed his groin. The same foot slammed into the back of Boss Jerk's head as he struggled to get up. He collapsed back into a heap.

The look in Sean's eyes was so steely, menacing, almost brutal that Ali shivered. His cold, hard voice matched his eyes. "If you ever so much as look at Alison again, I'll be back, and you'll wish you were never born."

***

"I'm so sorry, Ali! It's awful! I can't imagine how it happened. Who could have outed you?" It was the next morning, and Nikki was in Alison's room, doing her best to comfort her terrified and devastated friend as she methodically deleted all her posts to Reddit, Redgifs, and Imgur.

"I suppose it was inevitable I'd be discovered, but I never imagined that I could be so threatened. Damn!"

Nikki was upset for her friend, her voice on edge. "Thank God that Sean showed up! Did he tell you how he found you, how he knew you might be in trouble?"

"He said that a friend from the party, Don, texted him, saying he should check out my posts. Thought he might enjoy them, since he'd fucked me so royally in front of everyone."

"What an asshole! But at least it got Sean there to stop things."

"Yeah; he told me that as soon as he heard, he went looking for me. I guess at the party I mentioned my calc class, but, wow, I sure didn't think he'd remember."

"You made quite an impression on Sean, Ali. I saw the way he looked at you. Like a wolf that hasn't eaten in a month looks at a lamb. But a nice wolf. I'm truly sorry that he's already spoken for, and that he was such an asshole that he took advantage of you at the party."

"But last night he saved me, and I really think that, like everyone else, we just got swept away. By the sexy atmosphere of the game and that killer punch. I don't blame Sean. I basically threw myself at him. He just took what I offered."

"There definitely was something really potent in that punch. Everyone got totally carried away. George told me Floyd said he spiked it with grain alcohol, but he's convinced there was something else, some drug."

"There! That's the last of them; my posts are all gone. Now I'll just close the accounts..."

"Again, I'm so sorry, Ali. I'm going to shut my account down, too. It was really fun, truly exciting while it lasted. Did you save the pics, at least on your..."

The knock on the door cut Nikki off mid-sentence.

"Oh!" Ali exclaimed.

It was Sean, and Alison, her breath taken away again by the irresistible wave of sexual attraction, could only manage a gasp. As she collected herself, memories of last night came rushing back. After her knight in shining armor had saved her, Ali had turned her back as the jerks limped away. To get out of their line of sight while she fixed her bra and buttoned her blouse.


And began to cry. The sudden release of the pent-up terror and flood of overwhelming relief was just too much. Anger at herself for letting them get to her, for being emotional, flared up inside her but was obliterated by the feel of Sean's hands on her shoulders. She turned at their urging and the tears became a torrent when his arms enfolded her. She had never, ever felt so safe, so protected.

The sweet things he murmured to her did help her recover, but what really dispelled her emotional upheaval was how he shifted, subtly turning slightly away from her. So she wouldn't feel his penis erecting and pushing against her.

But she did.

Just as she did when they hugged again after he'd walked her home, and explained that, though he truly wanted so stay to make sure the jerks didn't return, he just had to go to his senior seminar study group.

Ali had so wanted him to stay, just as she'd so wanted him to kiss her. As their hug went on and she melded herself to him, she again felt his penis prodding her belly. She thought he might kiss her, believed he was about to, but then he shuddered, ended the hug and said goodnight. She couldn't help but think about him, though, all night long, every second, and to suddenly see him at her door had made her mind blank. And her body swoon.

Ali pulled herself together and said, "Hi."

"May I come in, Alison? I've been worried, wondering how you're... Oh, hi there, Nikki. I'm sorry; I'm intruding. I'll come back later."

"No, not at all, Sean! I was literally just leaving." Nikki's voice was even, but her eyes were twinkling with intrigue and amusement. "You guys have fun." Her suggestive tone was impossible to miss.

Alison was almost certain she heard Nikki snicker outside the door, but it might have been the wind.

After excusing herself to use the bathroom, Alison did a quick assessment and settled for what was possible. A fast tease of her hair, brushing her teeth, a touch of lipstick, and a few dabs of her subtle perfume would have to suffice. She was sorely tempted to remove her bra - she'd dressed primly for her afternoon class - but, having seen Sean's eyes surreptitiously survey her chest as he entered, she thought it would be too brazen, too obvious. And though she fully intended to seduce Sean, Alison Bibelot was never obvious. It would be fine, good in fact, if he noticed that she had done something to look more attractive for him, but...

Undoing another button of her blouse seemed a good compromise.

She was thrilled that Sean had come, and as she did her prep she again remembered the feel of his hard penis against her when they'd hugged. It had made her wonder just how committed he was to Elena. She was determined to find out.

She flushed the toilet for cover and rejoined her target.

Sean's eyes quickly scanned her, and Ali felt a shiver of pleasure when they paused not-so-briefly on her décolletage. He pulled his gaze to her face and said, "So, Alison, how are you? Those guys haven't done anything else, have they? If you've changed your mind and want to call the cops, I'll back you up."

"I'm fine, thanks to you. They were so scared that I'm sure I'll never see them again, and involving the police would make a huge deal out of it. Formal charges, testifying in court, it all would be so embarrassing. I'd rather it just went away. Thank you again for saving me, Sean. I shudder to think what might have happened. How were you able to do that, to beat all three so quickly."

"My dad had me take years of lessons in Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defense technique. It's very effective, and I was happy to help." He paused and sniffed. "Wow, those guys in the next apartment must be total stoners. That weed they're smoking smells really potent. Anyway, I'm truly glad that you're doing all right, but I didn't mean to make Nikki leave. You're very good friends, I know."

"Yeah, she is special. She's always there for me."

"She's also protective of you."

"Really? What do you mean?"

"Well, yesterday afternoon she found me and totally read me the riot act for how I'd mistreated you."

"Oh jeez, I wish she hadn't..."

"She was right to do it. I behaved very badly, both at the party and by not calling you afterward. I'm very sorry."

"I was puzzled why you didn't, but, given the aftermath of the play, I understand." Ali let her voice betray a hint of the hurt she had felt. She knew her vulnerability aroused protective feelings in him, and, well...

"It was completely unfair of me. I so should have told you about Elena, and started to many times. I just never found the right... I am so, so very sorry for... for taking advantage of you at the party, and especially for being so rough." Sean looked down, abashed.

Encouraged by Sean's obvious contrition and regret, and delighted that he'd brought up them having sex, Alison said, "Sean, I'm not sorry at all. It was wonderful. I was swept away, really liked you a lot, and in essence threw myself at you. You just accepted what I offered." She paused, then added, softly, her voice dreamy, "And it was amazing."

Ali certainly hadn't needed to include the last sentence, emphasizing how fabulous the fucking had been. She'd wanted to. She could feel her cheeks getting warm as memories of the end of the party - of holding on for dear life to the low table over which she was bent as Sean pounded her from behind - flooded her mind. She hoped he was remembering, too, and felt a shudder of excitement when her quick, surreptitious glance noted swelling in his package.

"But I should have... really needed to... Damn; I should have told you about Elena and me. I'm so terribly sorry."

"We both got carried away. That punch was potent, and again, you just took what I offered. And it was wonderful." Ali felt some relief that the truth was out in the open, but regret that he still seemed committed to Elena. It was so unfair that, having finally found Mr. Right, he was taken.

But was he really? The feel of his erection pressing against her came back, and Alison continued flirting. "Again, thanks so much for looking for me last night. If you hadn't come... I'm just so grateful..." It was only natural for the damsel who had been in such distress to give her savior a thank-you hug. A long, hot thank-you hug.

Sean's breath tickling her ear as he whispered made her shiver. "I was really worried. You're wonderful, Alison, and I really do care a whole..." His voice fell. "Drat."

Sean eased out of the hug and said, "Anyway, Nikki told me something else, too, something I found very interesting. She mentioned the dreams you've been having."

Ali was almost as thrilled that he had nearly admitted to having feelings for her as she'd been at feeling the prod of his erecting penis again, but simply said, "OMG! What was she thinking? I'm sorry, it's really none of her business."

"But you're very important to her, she loves you, and is fascinated by your dreams and what they might mean. They sound really incredible. Would you please tell me about them?"

Ali had a quick debate with herself. Telling Sean might be embarrassing, but it would also be quite intimate. She liked that. Plus, she sensed that he was truly interested in her dreams. And in her. He'd almost blurted it out. She felt a tingling in the room, an energy, like how the air comes alive when a powerful sound system is first turned on. No sound, just vibrating presence. In this case, a delicious erotic vibrating presence.

She sat on her bed and, when she nodded, he sat beside her. "In a nutshell, I keep having the same dream, over and over. It's in ancient times, I'm captured when my town is sacked, and claimed by the warlord who led the sackers. To be his sex slave." Ali felt the heat in her cheeks again. This was a bit racy, provocative, and she hadn't needed to include the sex slave part. She'd wanted to, and had purposely slowed her cadence, emphasizing the loaded word.

When she glanced at Sean's face, it was flushed, and his breathing was rapid and shallow. Excellent.

Trying to keep her own arousal out of her voice, she forged ahead. "Then I'm claimed by his boss, who rapes me. As I know I need to please him, I do my best to get him to like fucking me, and we become lovers, have lots of sex, all different ways. But then he has to give me up." When Alison chose the words, "fucking," "lovers," and "sex, all different ways," she was only describing her dream. If they happened to have an effect on Sean, so be it.

Seeing his eyes on her face, Alison slowly, seductively licked her lips, leaned just a bit nearer to Sean and said, purposely softly, making him draw closer to hear, "Nikki realized that my dream resembles part of the plot of the Iliad, so I went to see Professor Logan. He told me amazing things: that Troy actually existed, there was a war with the Greeks, and that there almost certainly was a great warrior upon whom the legend of Achilles is based. And also that Zeus had decreed that he and his lover could be reborn after thousands of years."

"Really? Amazing! And in the dream, who are you?"

"In the Iliad, there's a woman named Briseis who is claimed by Achilles. She's mentioned in other poems and documents recounting the Trojan War, so the professor believes she must have existed. A lot of what happened to her - being captured, becoming a concubine, using sex to win over her captors - happens to me in my dreams."

Sean's voice was also softer, but tinged with ardor. "Nikki also mentioned that, in your dreams, Achilles looks somewhat like me. Is that right?"

The passionate tone of his whisper sent a thrill down Ali's spine. She didn't recall when her room had become so warm, or when she and Sean had slid so close to each other on her bed that their thighs were touching. Ali forced all random thoughts from her mind and answered, "Yes, that's right. I know it sounds..."

Sean cut in, "She also said that you feel that the legend, how Briseis killed herself so she could join Achilles in Hades, then they petitioned Zeus to be reborn so they meet again 3,000 years later, all that may have some credence?"

Alison gulped. When laid bare and said out loud, it sounded so implausible, but she knew she did entertain exactly that possibility. That she might be Briseis and Sean, Achilles. Reborn. Reunited. She felt the heat emanating from his body as the overwhelming attraction, the raw aching desire that Sean always inspired in her flooded over her in waves, making her dizzy. Despite her pounding heart making her erect nipples throb against her bra and the growing stickiness between her thighs, Ali was able to keep her voice steady, "Well, I know it sounds really far-fetched, but even the professor..."