The Seduction of Darkness

Her dark eyes dilated. The whites disappeared entirely, leaving a black, lifeless void. Flames appeared behind them; dark, twisted shadows writhing within.

"Do you know what happens to child rapists in Hell, Patrick? I'll give you a hint: a Demon's tail isn't the only part of their anatomy that's long, sharp, and serrated."

Turning away, Cozbi made a few last adjustments on the laptop, then gathered her envelopes.

'Well, I'm off to the post office," she quipped. "I'll just leave your computer here; I've set up a lovely little slideshow for your parishioners to find when they arrive for Good Friday services in a few hours."

Cozbi's spiked heels clicked loudly on the hardwood floor as she made her way to the exit.

Turning at the door, she gave him a sly wink.

"Be seeing you, Patrick."

June 13th, 2014

Cozbi sat at the cast iron table in the outdoor café, sipping an iced latte, sunlight reflecting off her mirrored glasses as she observed her new assignment.

She wasn't thrilled about it. She was used to seducing men, men already corrupted by greed, by power, by lust.

Her new target, however, was young and innocent.

And also female.

Cozbi had been with women before, of course. Plenty of times, in fact. But that was almost always for pleasure, not business.

Still, the beautiful young blonde sitting with her parents on the other side of the patio intrigued her.

On the surface, she was the picture of sweetness and innocence. Blue-gray eyes sparkled brilliantly in the midday sun, the freckles scattered across her youthful, oval face making her look younger than she truly was.

Yet beneath that, Cozbi could sense her repressed desires. The longing and lust. And the guilt that ate at her because of them.

Despite being some distance away, Cozbi could of course hear their conversation quite clearly.

It was early June, and the young woman had only just graduated high school. She and her parents were now discussing her plans to attend college the coming fall.

Her parents were concerned for her safety and, more importantly, her virtue. It would be the girl's first time away from home, away from them. And they were all too aware of the temptations of this sinful world.

The young woman tried to assure them of her resolve; she was going to college to further her education, not to fall into wickedness and decadence.

Cozbi laughed inwardly. The girl was a good liar. So good, in fact, she'd even convinced herself.

Reaching out with her senses, there wasn't a Guardian Angel to be found. Cozbi wasn't entirely surprised.

The Angel hierarchy worked much like the one for Demons.

At the top were the True Born, originally created by God Himself. Archangels, Seraphs and Cherubs made up the highest ranks, lording it over the rest.

Under them were the Lesser Angels; former humans who's souls had been deemed worthy.

The Lesser Angels were usually the ones made Guardians; watching over humans on Earth. They'd most often be assigned to family members, loved ones or friends.

While most humans were supposed to have one, Lesser Angels worthy enough to become Guardians were in short supply these days.

On rare occasions, a True Born would be assigned as one, but usually that was reserved only for humans deemed truly deserving of the effort.

Her new target had the aura of one that would certainly qualify, and yet: no Guardian. Probably an application snafu Upstairs, Cozbi mused.

Which was a good thing. It would make the job that much easier. No interference from Above.

Finishing her drink, Cozbi left a generous cash tip for her server before vacating the table.

Her path was clear, and she had things to prepare. She'd have to pull some strings to enroll this late, and to ensure she'd be in a position to get close with her new quarry, but that would be the easy part.

The true challenge would be breaking down the walls of repression the young woman had built around herself after a lifetime of religious indoctrination.

Cozbi smiled wickedly as she exited the café.

She was always up for a good challenge.

Part II: The Temptation Of Emily

September 8th, 2014

Emily sat on the lower bunk, her stomach fluttering, anxiously awaiting the arrival of her new roommate.

The dorm room was less than half the size of her bedroom at home. The barren, concrete walls reminded her of a prison cell, despite the fact that she'd never seen the inside of one.

The bunk bed sat against the right wall. To the left were two small dressers, with a closet between them.

A desk just big enough to seat two sat against the far wall under a small window that overlooked the sprawling campus.

The bathroom, located to the right of the entrance, was even smaller, consisting of only a toilet and sink, with a small vanity mirror above it.

There was no shower. A communal shower and bathroom was at the far end of the long hallway.

While only girls were allowed on their floor, Emily still did not look forward to the long trek she'd have to take every morning, or having to shower with several other girls at once, all vying for the same space.

But her family was on a budget, and this was the best they could afford for her.

At least she wasn't jammed into one of the other dorms on campus, where four to six people would all have to share the same apartment. She would only be dealing with one roommate.

Emily just hoped she liked her. Because they were going to be spending a lot of time together.

Her parents had dropped her off thirty minutes ago, but Emily's bags and suitcases still sat unpacked for the time being. She wanted to meet her roomie first, and give her the option of which dresser she wanted. She felt it was only polite.

She didn't have to wait long.

Emily stood as she heard the handle twist. The door opened, and her new roommate entered.

Her looks were a direct opposite of Emily's in almost every conceivable way:

Long, ebony hair as opposed to Emily's natural blonde.

Tall, with full, voluptuous curves that made Emily feel self conscious about her own short, slender, petite frame.

Her olive skin and Middle Eastern features were a strong contrast to Emily's All-American Girl Next Door appearance.

Emily was immediately enamored of her.

The new arrival paused in the doorway, heavy bags in both hands. Her face was placid for a moment, then lit up in a brilliant, welcoming smile. "Hi! I'm Randi Fannin. You must be my new roomie."

Emily stared awkwardly before recovering herself. "Sure am. I'm Emily Wilson. Pleased to meet you. Here, let me help you with those."

Emily took one of the bulky bags and placed it on the floor next to her own.

Randi stood in the center of the room, taking it in. "God, this place is smaller than I remember during orientation. Guess we won't be throwing too many wild orgies in here, huh?"

Emily blushed but managed a laugh. "No, guess not."

"Well, it'll have to do," Randi sighed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really have to pee. Traveled a long way to get here."

Randi disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Emily standing alone, shuffling her feet.

Moments later, the sound of water tinkling into the bowl echoed from the bathroom. Randi hadn't bothered closing the door.

"Shit!" Randi called out. "There's no TP in here! Hey Emily, do me a favor, will ya? There's a pack of baby wipes in my bag, the red one. Be an angel and fetch that for me, will ya, hun?"

Emily rummaged through the case, ruffling through several sets of lacy bras and skimpy panties, far more risqué than anything she'd ever dared to own, before finally finding the wipes.

Her freckled face flushed deep as she entered the bathroom to hand Randi the packet.

"Thanks, you're a doll," Randi grinned up at her. Pulling out a wipe, she parted her legs to clean herself.

Emily realized she was gawking, and turned away, embarrassed. "Sorry."

Randi just laughed. "You're an only child, aren't you? I can tell. I shared a bathroom with three sisters. Don't worry, you get used to it quick."

Emily laughed despite herself. "I guess I'll have to, won't I?"

"Give it a couple of weeks, you'll be in here brushing your teeth while I pee and won't even think about it," Randi giggled from behind her. "But I promise I'll close and lock the door when I gotta poo. I won't make you go through that."

Emily laughed again and, despite the awkwardness of it, turned to face Randi, just as she stood to pull up her panties.

Emily caught a brief glimpse of dark hairs and a jagged scar. Then Randi was buttoning her tight, faded Levi's.

Their eyes met. Randi's twinkled with a hint of mischief. Emily felt herself blush yet again, and hoped it wasn't noticeable in the dim light.

Randi flashed her incredibly bright smile. "Yeah, you'll be alright. I think we're gonna get along just fine."

They spent the next hour unpacking and deciding who claimed what territory.

Randi chose the top bunk. Emily gladly took the bottom. Emily chose the left dresser, Randi took the right. They divided the center closet equally by the same sides.

That sorted, bags were opened, clothes hung and put away.

Randi pulled out several small photographs of who Emily assumed were family and friends from her suitcase, hanging them on the wall above her dresser with double sided tape.

She also produced a poster with a white background and the slogan "LOVE IS LOVE" in large, rainbow colored letters.

Randi held it up for Emily to see. "Any problem with me hanging this up?"

Emily forced a smile. "Um, no. Of course not. Not at all."

Randi didn't return the smile. "I'm just gonna come right out with it; I'm pansexual. I debated about waiting to know you better before saying something, but decided it would be best to just be upfront about it. So there's no problem later."

Randi studied Emily's crimson face carefully. "Is there going to be a problem? Be honest. Because I can look to see about switching rooms now if you want."

Emily struggled for a response. While she'd been raised to believe that homosexuality was a sin, over the years she'd decided it was simply not her place to judge others. "After all," she thought, "Let she who is without sin cast the first stone, right?"

Emily found her voice. "No. No problem at all. I appreciate your honesty. But I don't think it'll be an issue."

Randi frowned. "Don't 'think?' I need you to be sure, Emily."

Emily's voice was less shaky this time. "I'm sure. I promise. Perfectly fine, I swear."

Randi's face relaxed, her smile returning. "Good. If that changes, don't be afraid to talk to me about it. We gotta live together the next several months; I don't want you to ever feel uncomfortable around me. If you do, I need to know."

Emily nodded. "I will. Promise."

Randi chuckled. "Look, I tend to be very open, very free about things. I'm not shy, or uncomfortable about myself, as you may have already noticed.

"But I promise, I won't be bringing strangers back here every night or anything. Not that there's much room in these bunks for that kinda thing anyway. Although I suppose if either of us, you know, wanna bring someone over, we'll have to work out some kind of system for... privacy."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that too much," Emily said, wishing she could stop blushing. "I'm not planning on getting involved in... that kind of thing. I'm.... saving myself for marriage."

"Seriously? Let me guess? Hard-core Catholic?"

Emily nodded.

Noting Emily's slight squirm, Randi smirked. "Well, no judgment from me. Although I hope you won't mind if I do find myself a lover or three. I tend to play the field, if you get me. But hey, don't worry. I'll do my best not to hit on ya."

Randi returned to unpacking her suitcase.

As Emily watched her bend to stuff her clothes in the lower drawer, a random and very unexpected thought ran through her brain:

"I kinda wish you would."

October 17th, 2014

It was 2:13 AM when Randi stumbled in after being out all night at a party with some friends. Emily had declined the invitation to join her, instead opting to stay home and read.

She'd fallen asleep shortly after midnight, but woke when she heard Randi come in.

"Shit, sorry, dinnit mean to wake you," Randi apologized, her words slurring slightly.

"It's fine," said Emily. "Just glad you're home safe. Looks like you had fun, though."

"Yeah," Randi giggled drunkenly. She was already stripping off her slinky party dress. "You shoulda come. The club was poppin'!"

Moonlight streaming in from the window highlighted Randi's now almost nude form. Emily flushed as Randi peeled off her micro-panties, tossing them on the floor.

"Sorry, I'll clean up my mess tomorrow, promise. Right now I just need to get off my feet and into bed. Oh, and I also need..."

Randi rummaged through her dresser, producing a large vibrator. "You don't mind, d'ya?"

Emily gulped. "Um, no, I... I'm just gonna... go back to sleep."

Grinning, Randi climbed the ladder to her bunk, treating Emily to a brief glimpse of her cleft before plunking down on the mattress with an awkward thump.

Moments later, Emily heard the sound of the vibrator, buzzing away.

Emily lay in breathless wonder. Randi moaned above her, low but steadily, the bunk shaking with her movements.

The bedroom window was open, and despite the coolness of the fall evening, Emily's entire body flushed with a tingling warmth. Especially between her legs. Emily desperately wanted to touch herself as well, to ease the ache.

She'd only recently begun to explore self pleasure. Her upbringing had taught that masturbation was a sin. And yet of course she'd struggled with it, eventually justifying it by convincing herself that relieving those urges would keep her from wanting to go further.

Still, the guilt ate at her from time to time, and she'd often spent long periods in fervent prayer afterwards.

Now, it wasn't simply guilt, but fear and embarrassment that held her back. What if Randi heard? Obviously she didn't care that Emily knew what she was up to. Yet still, Emily couldn't bring herself to join in.

The bed shook wildly. Randi's muffled squeals of pleasure echoed off the walls of their tiny room. Emily couldn't help but envision her roommate, naked and writhing in the bunk above her, breasts shaking and legs agape as her climax took her.

Then the sounds and movements ceased. The vibrator clicked off. Moments later, Randi was snoring soundly.

Emily lay unmoving, hesitant. Her emotions were a turmoil of doubt and paranoia, struggling against a body aching with unrelenting need.

Need winning out, Emily stirred, reaching for Randi's panties, still on the floor beside the bed.

Her heart pounding, Emily held them before her. They were so soft. So delicate. So wonderfully warm.

Emily loved her own feminine scent, and had often wondered if other women smelled as good as she did when aroused. But of course she'd never had an opportunity to find out before.

Until now.

Indecision ate at her. These were her roommate's panties. Her friend. She shouldn't be doing this. And yet she could not help her compulsion.

Emily held the panties to her nose and inhaled. Randi's scent was strong on the still damp cloth, deliciously fragrant. Her pulse raced as the wonderfully feminine aroma filled her senses.

With her free hand, Emily found her aching sex. Warm embers soon became a raging fire as she stoked the flames of her desire, the nerve endings of her swollen nub lit up with need like a billion candles burning.

Emily desperately tried not to rattle the bed as her fingers danced along her velvet folds, but as her passion built, that became more difficult. Her body trembled with pleasure, legs shaking, toes curled tight.

Emily buried her face in her pillow as her orgasm gripped her, trying to stifle her cries.

She sighed softly as the final waves subsided, her body now relaxed and still as she caught her breath.

"Sounded like a good one." Randi's voice started Emily out of her sleepy trance.

"Um, um..." Emily stuttered. "I just..."

Randi was already snoring again.

Mortified, Emily tossed Randi's panties back to the floor.

Rolling to her side, she brought her fingers to her nose and smelled herself on them. It was somehow comforting.

She lay awake for some time, contemplating whether Randi would enjoy her scent, maybe even her taste, and just how much she wanted to find out, before sleep finally took her.

November 28th, 2014

"So you've never been on a date? Like, not even once? Just to a movie or something?"

Emily and Randi sat side by side at the desk they shared that also doubled as their makeup station.

They'd just finished their showers. While Emily was still rather shy about some things, she found it rather funny how fast she'd gotten used to sharing the tight living quarters with Randi, just as her roomie had predicted on the day they first met.

Emily wore only panties, the rest of her wrapped in a towel as she dried her flowing blonde hair.

Randi was even less inhibited; tossing her towel aside the moment they'd returned from the showers, and was now sitting totally nude beside Emily as she curled her dark locks.

Although "used to it" probably wasn't quite accurate. Because while she'd eventually become accustomed to her friend's lack of modesty, she still felt a secret thrill at having access to view such carnal beauty.

Emily drank in her friend's dark toned skin, unblemished save for the jagged scar on her lower abdomen, partially obscured by the neatly trimmed patch of hair covering her pubic mound.

Emily often wondered about the scar, but had never been bold enough to ask. And at that moment, she was more curious about the delectable hint of rose colored petals peeking out from the cleft between her thighs.

"Ahem. Earth to Em; anybody home?"

Startled, Emily tore her eyes away, looking up to find Randi smirking at her. "Huh? Um, sorry, what did you...? Oh, right; dates. No, not once. My parents wouldn't let me. They said one should only date when they plan to marry."

"Marry?" Randi scoffed. "And how the hell are you supposed to know what kinda guy you wanna marry if you can't even socialize with them? Get to know them? Find out your tastes?"

Emily shrugged. "I often wondered the same thing, honestly."

"Well, you definitely need to come with me tonight then," Randi stated firmly. "Get yourself out there. Get to know people. Meet a cute guy. Or a couple cute guys. Doesn't mean you have to fu... um, you know, fool around with them, if you're not ready. But at least learn how to interact with them."

"I suppose," Emily sighed, "but who'd be interested in me, really? I mean, I'm not nearly as hot as you... I mean, you know, the other girls that'll be there. No one would even notice me."

"Are you kidding me, Em?" Randi snapped. "Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror? You're smokin' hot, babygirl, straight fire!"

Grabbing Emily by the hand, Randi pulled her out of her seat and over to the full length mirror that hung on their closet door.

Then, to Emily's embarrassed surprise, Randi pulled off her towel. "Seriously, Em, take a look. Natural blonde, slim, petite figure. Porcelain skin. Sexy curves. I mean, c'mon!"

Emily blushed. While she'd been in various states of undress around Randi before, this was the first time she'd ever been this exposed in front of her. And, of course, Randi was still nude as well.

Turning away from the mirror, Emily tried to hide her excitement. "I dunno. My boobs are too small. Guys like big ones, like... like yours."