Midnight Ep. 009: MONARCH

(This series is a collaboration with my good friend Sanchez. His ideas, I ran with it. We will see how it evolves. He has a sound concept, and characters, I'm primarily piecing it all together and seeing how it plays out. We hope you enjoy our efforts.)

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MIDNIGHT Episode 009: MONARCH

"Man, we need more machetes to get back in here."

Newly hired carpenter Niles Gullivant snarled trying to avoid branches swatting him. With Nick Sanchez in the lead moving quickly Niles was flinching every few feet and protecting his face. Behind Niles was his son William and his son's girlfriend Veronica. V was not happy, first that she was in a dress and being pulled along into the unknown, two that she was even out here to begin with. She had been to this place one other time when she was 17 with Will but they had seven others with them, so they had more protection against the wildlife. With alligators and snakes hiding out it was pretty scary. Not to mention the ghost stories about this place being haunted, that always went over well. If that were true Tilly Cooper sure didn't warn Nick when he bought the place. Not that it would have mattered, Nick was not superstitious, he owned a black cat as a kid. Of course, it got killed by a falling ladder. No pets since.

"I'm hiring some groundskeepers tomorrow to come out here and clear things up. I guess I should have started there before contacting you, I'm just stoked to get going on the structure so I can move in."

"Why would you leave that beach house?" Veronica ventured into the conversation. "You're going from fancy to haunted house."

"Not my beach house." He ignored the haunted part.

"You could have bought another beach house."

"I like rustic and isolated. Keep up with me, I killed a four-foot-long coral snake out here yesterday."

"Can't I just wait in the truck?" She squealed hearing of his hunter status, watching her every foot fall in the tall grass. Why she wore heels was beyond her, mostly because she wanted to look sexy for Nick. Will of course didn't complain he loved the girl in sexy dresses. Hell, he just loved her period.

"Oh, no!" Her boyfriend Will snatched up her wrist, "After that stunt back at the diner you're not leaving my side Princess."

"What? You liked it." She whimpered trying to be funny under stress. "Mister Sanchez? Can I ask you a question?"

"Nope!" Nick continued his swath of foliage destruction to make a better path until they reached the wooden bridge across the twenty-six-foot-wide stretch of backwater swampland within a deep ravine. "Careful of Fido too."

"Fido?" Niles winced, "Oh! Gator? That big guys lived here since I can remember. Locals call him Steeltoe."

"Why steel toe?" Nick paused.

"Everyone wanted to make alligator boots out of him, but nobody wanted to get close enough. Someone got the idea to use a bear trap on him, but it barely made a scratch on his hide. Few scars I guess but he's still kicking."

"He was here before me. We can coexist."

"All yours Homeowner. As long as he doesn't get in the way of anyone, I bring out here to work."

"Like me." Will chuckled. "First up a tree I guarantee it."

"Can we stop talking about things that go bite in the night?" V cringed at the edge of the bridge, hugging up on Will's backside for safety.

"Lot of rotted planks there Sanchez." Niles pointed out, "We might want to structurally support it better before you drive over it."

"First thing then. Get some measurements. I want a tractor on the property to mow in two days. Same for tree cutters, these low branches are annoying. It's time this place looked right out of a postcard."

"Agreed. Only one problem."

"Problem?"

"I'm not going under this bridge without waders and a shotgun. Need to calculate what the underpinning looks like and how much lumber we need." Niles posed his tape measure. "All yours Boss."

Frowning at his contractor's less than gutsy attitude Nick Sanchez took off his boots and socks before claiming the tape measure and his sole machete. Veronica and Will's eyes bulged at his bravado; the dude was crazy. Easing around the edge of the bridge Nick slowly made his way down into the swamp water and muck disappearing under the bridge itself. Nile's hugged the side railing realizing it could use a bit of support itself. Weak but not to the point of crumble and collapse.

"He's insane." V whimpered.

"Making you wet?" Will sneered.

"Shut up Will!" She winced back then stuck her tongue out at him. "Yes." All he could do was shake his head. He didn't know who was crazier, Sanchez or Veronica. Of course, he was still hard after seeing their friend Midnight Amador and her fellow waitress Caprice Comstock naked in the diner. Insanity must be contagious.

Leaning carefully on the edge of the bridge's railing Niles peered down keeping tabs on movement in the water. Utilizing his cells notepad to jot down measurements and needed board count as Nick called them out, he was torn between lookout and secretary. Finally, he told Will to be his eyes. Veronica lonely as Will joined his dad moved to the other side of the bridge trying to find Nick through the narrow gaps in the planking. Right above Nick she stood knowing all he had to do was look skyward and see up her skirt. Veronica was just plain shameless. Too bad for her Nick Sanchez was all business. Rolling her eyes, she opted to lean on the rail and felt it loosely sway, yelping she nearly broke it. Yep, that side needed support. Escaping a swim if she had fallen over, she quickly returned to Will and Niles for security.

Nick yelling measurements and reporting damage used his own cell to snap pictures of the worse of the rotted wood. In all reality the entire bridge should have been torn out and rebuilt. Nick didn't feel it necessary, thinking a patch job might suffice. Once his mission was over, he crawled through the water and up the bank on the other side of the bridge. Startling them as he let them know of his whereabouts, he whistled for them to join him. "Bring my boots." V felt generous, following the men until she handed Nick his footwear.

"Just call me puss in boots."

"You're not wearing boots." He winces putting them on.

"Quit knocking it. Unless they're boots." She giggled and playfully peered at him over her brow.

"Mind out of the gutter, I know they need repaired too." Nick scowled. With Niles pointing at her to behave herself she clung to Will and held hands the remainder of the way to the homestead.

"Porch is pretty rotted, termites and weather. Whole house is probably infested."

"I didn't notice much termite damage inside the house. Foundation is brick so I might get lucky."

"I hope so." V giggled then bit her tongue.

"One track mind." Will gripped her chin then kissed her.

"Concentrating on the main house, right?" Niles looked around nudging the porch's support pillars finding them sturdier than expected. The porch deck definitely needed rebuilt or that big ass balcony above was coming down. "Barn?"

"Can you do the barn? Out of your league?"

"I can manage."

"Just replace the worst areas on the barn, loft, roof, load bearing. Main house takes priority, flooring, walls, roof."

"Got it!"

"I'll let you make a list. There's something I want to check out." Nick takes a walk leaving Niles to do his calculations. Will took Veronica on inside the home telling his dad he'd check out things, snap cell pics, and let him know what might be required. What he really wanted was to be alone with Veronica and at least get a BJ after all that crap at the diner. Nodding at them Niles set about his measuring and lumber list, nail count, bracing, etc.

Entering the home to gloom and doom, the young couple immediately felt dread as if they were not alone, yet it was likely just fear of the unknown. Taking a few cell pics to satisfy his dad in a hurry he led V down into the basement. She cringed every step of the way hugging his side as if a second skin.

"We couldn't have gone upstairs instead. There are spiderwebs everywhere Will. There could be snakes."

"Just relax."

"You relax! Your hand is gripping the circulation out of mine."

"Right! Better let you get the feeling back in it, "He chuckles, "I want a hand job. Blowjob too."

"Here? Are you crazy? I'm not getting on my knees in this basement." She whimpered, "I can barely see because the egress windows have so much dust on them."

"What egress? They're just panes, that one is broken."

"There could even be animals in here. Possums or something."

"That would be me." He growled and rushed her against a wall kissing on her neck and lifting her sundress up to her waist to finger her. Easing her G-string aside it was instant access. While stressed over varmints she hardly put up a fight. After getting her nice and primed with the assist of probing fingers he stepped back and unzipped his jeans bringing them to his knees, boxers followed. Boasting a sturdy erection, he stroked it in front of her.

"Will! Don't make me kneel on this nasty concrete." She pleaded her case.

"No problem!"

Catching her off guard he picked her up off her feet and manhandled her in midair until she was upside down, her knees on top of his shoulders. Skirt easily drifting out of the way he buried his face in her juiced-up pussy, tongue wagging. Squealing at his hunger she found her face directly in front of his penis, slapped upside the head even. Delighted to not have to kneel she swallowed his beast while squeezing his balls at the same time. Pretty Miss Redmane loved to give head; these conditions only made the mystery that much more exciting.

William, thankful his girlfriend was 100 pounds wet managed to hold his balance, utilizing the wall behind him as support. Resting against a wooden shelving with mason jars on it a few got knocked off in the vibrations shattering into tiny shards on the concrete floor. In their sensual struggle to keep one another happy the shelf itself began sliding in a dull creak. They didn't realize it at first until their body weight eased with the moving unit's departure. A sudden draft caressing Will's bare ass made his eyes pop wide. Within his thoughts he puzzled, "Where did that gust come from?" From gust to gush Veronica squirted her joyful flood over his chin. His feeding on her slowed up but remained faithful enough to get the job done.

Teetering, the shelf gave way in a noisy screech resulting slide. Feeling open air on his backside made him lift his chin away to realize something was definitely not right. Standing up straight even as Veronica's obsessed hunger over his cock made him grit his teeth, he shuffled in a circular motion to face the wall.

V's ass now caught a breeze that soothed her entire back, her dress draping down to her shoulder blades. A leg kicking wildly finds open air behind her, making her hesitate in her deep throat thrusts. Eyes opening, she darts her eyeballs from side to side trying to get her bearings. She wanted creamy jizz so kept sucking, but finally succumbed to something not being right. Releasing his cock, she offered up a suspicious, "Will?"

"Uhhh? Yeah?" He was staring into a doorway of darkness. Unable to hold her aloft much longer he brought her down to stand next to him. Once on her feet she stood upright and held him close.

"Where did that come from?"

"It was behind that shelving we nearly knocked over. Hidden room?"

"There might be a dead body in there." She freaked out trying to pull him away from the shadowy opening.

"There's a draft coming through. It must lead out to a root cellar down below this floor."

"If it does...there must be two doors." She points to their left to see a short staircase leading to a covered lift door. Concluding she was right he turned pale. Upon hearing a sudden movement within, the kids took one haunted look into one another's eyes and panicked. Will running while trying to pull his pants up nearly tripped. Veronica bid adieu leaving him behind in a blur. The basement behind them they shut the upstairs door and bolted back outside.

Niles seeing his son's jeans unfastened frowned, "Really? This isn't your house to be christening."

"Dad! There's a hidden doorway in the basement. We heard noises in it."

"I need to pee." Veronica fearfully danced in step, fear striking her urinary tracts. Abandoning the Gullivant boys on the porch she darted to the grass and just lifted her skirt, tugged her G-string aside and squatted. Niles seeing her bare ass shook his head.

"It's a basement. Who knows what's down there. Sanchez probably knows about it. I seem to recall a door in the floor too."

"No, I saw that door we didn't step on it. This door is in the side of the house, it was covered over by a wood shelving unit filled with canning jars. Broke some by accident."

"Then, you need to clean up the glass."

"I'm not going back down there. Nick can sweep up it's his home."

"Wonder where he went anyway?" Niles glanced toward the side of the house. "He's been gone awhile."

********

Since leaving the others Nick Sanchez followed the stone path down to the rocky beach where on his first visit, he had noticed a football field size island just offshore. It was there he spotted a cloth hammock suspended between two trees the last time he was out here at the shoals. Curious to know if it was still there, he winced against the sunlight, palm over his brow.

"Yep! Still there."

Studying the overgrowth, he discovered something else, "Is that a canoe covered by shrubbery?" A canoe on that side of the water meant only one thing, "Someone's out there right now. Otherwise, that canoe would be over here. Of course, it looks pretty old." Eying the ocean waves rolling into the cove he knew a swim over would be dangerous. Growling at his private property being abused he nodded to himself, "He or she is not going anywhere at the moment. I'll just wait it out to see who comes ashore later. Could just be someone wanting to get away from it all, not thinking anyone owned the place. Still, I need to know my neighbors." Scowling Nick turned back deciding that his neighbor couldn't stay out there forever.

"You have until sundown."

********

"FIDDLESHITS!"

Naomi Walker, soon to be Culpepper peered out the front window of Coastal Waiters Diner to see an unexpected arrival. Fellow waitress Lynette Brewster joined her after a few days off due to her son Ronnie, who at this moment was eating lunch at the far end of the diner's seating arrangement. Midnight Amador bringing drinks to he and his friend kept them busy.

"What's wrong?" Lynette winced then saw what Naomi had been grumbling over. "OH! Olan's back from his fishing trip. Could have stayed gone longer you ask me." Who was she kidding? Lynette had a crush on her big boy boss.

"He can't see Midnight's uniform like it is."

"About that! I was going to ask her why she had her titties ready to fall out."

"Long story. Don't hold it against her. Her daddy...kind of burnt her good uniform. Este's such an asshole."

"If I was her size, I'd offer a uniform." Lynette was not on the skinny side. "My son Ronnie might need more napkins; Midnight's got him drooling. His friend Derek is too."

"Keep Olan busy while I pin her dress cleavage up...somehow?"

"Looks like Olan's found something to keep his attention a bit."

Just outside, Olan Kerrick, the Owner of the establishment casually explored the front of his diner's landscaping, however It wasn't an annoyance of weeds that drew his attention. Bending down out of sight the hulking proprietor with a flat top haircut had discovered the treasure trunk belonging to Nick Sanchez. It being padlocked he couldn't open it but did hear rattling within when shifting it about. Olan a dead ringer for the old wrestler Sargent Slaughter lifted his sunglasses to his hair and stood up puzzled. A nice scratch to his neck felt good.

"Find our new décor Olan?" Lynette stepped outside to join him. "Catch a big one?"

"Good size marlin. What's with the chest?"

"You finally noticed." Lynette lifts her 40D's tossing them about chuckling. He had to grin at her playful expose, but regardless his curiosity wavered. Olan had a roving eye, and she knew it. Lynette being a single mom rejoiced in a bit of mischief now and then.

"I haven't met the guy, but Naomi says we have a new neighbor here in Caretaker. He bought the ole' Harbinger Shoals place."

"No shit? Who would want that dump?"

"Says he's a cutie."

"Better than me?" Olan charms her as energetically as she was doing to him.

"Oh, honey! Ain't no man hotter than my boss."

"Uh huh!" He laughed, "That mess with Ronnie get fixed?"

"He's a Senior, there's no helping teenage angst. Can't really say much now he's eighteen. Told him long as he's in school and under my tin roof trailer his ass behaves. I hope the hell his brother doesn't take after him. Jacob's an angel compared to Ron."

"Want me to have a talk with Ronnie?"

"Big Daddy Olan?" She flirted, "Gotta date me before you have a say in upbringing Sugar."

Nodding with a sigh he shies off and looks back at the chest. "It does add some pizazz to the diner, doesn't it? I'll have to thank that guy who dropped it off." Glancing through the windows of the diner he spots Naomi fussing with Midnight, her body blocking the girl as if hiding something. "What's that all about?"

"Midnight..." Lynette hesitates, "You might as well know...her Daddy burned her good uniform. She only had her old one, kind of tight her growing a bit this past year. Wardrobe malfunction, Naomi's trying to...keep her contained." Seeing Naomi throw her hands in the air as if defeated Lynette shook her head, "I reckon the pin up girl just couldn't be pinned up."

"That bad?" He scratched an itch on his bicep, "Ole' Esteban is a piece of work, isn't he? Poor kid."

"Go easy on her Olan, Midnight has to make a living. Order her a few new uniforms?"

"I'll see what I can do. Anything else been going on while I was three miles out?"

"About all I know." Naomi didn't fill her in on Midnight, Caprice, and Veronica stripping nude in the diner so there was no reason to lie. With no cameras to record it in such a cozy diner Naomi felt she could get it past him. Unless someone ratted the ladies out.

"Let's head in. I have to do some paperwork, inventory on food supplies."

"Paychecks."

"That too." He walked behind her eyeballing her plump but attractive bottom. Lynette Brewster was far from unappealing. Long brown hair in a ponytail was meant for tugging on. Thick or not she had the curves to keep her appeal as they say voluptuous. At 36 there was certainly still hope for finding love, her baby daddies long gone and better for it. Yet, again raising two boys alone was stressful.

"Open mind Olan." She opened the diner door peering over her shoulder at him, catching his eyes on her assets, she grinned, "I see you agree." Yep! He knew he was busted and smirked like a bandit.

Finding Naomi and Midnight fussing over the girl's bustling cleavage, no bra certainly not helping Olan motioned for Lynette to let him deal with things. Approaching Naomi, Olan palmed his waitress's shoulders to peer around her. "Troubles I hear."

"Be nice Olan." Naomi huffed.

"I'm not going to do any yelling. You okay Midnight? Hear your Daddy is being his usual self. I'll look into ordering you a new uniform or two."

"I like this one."

"I bet my customers do too. Thing is I don't own a strip club. You sure have grown since you've worked here." He eyed her cleavage bulging at the buttons.

"My tits have...blossomed in the last year."

"I wasn't going to say that."

"But you were thinking it." She shyly mumbled.

"Anyways! I'll let it slide unless one of our customers has a conniption fit. Looking at that gap I don't think pinning them up would look any better. Course, I guess you could wear street clothes until I get you a new set of duds."