Creation Dreamer: A Heroine Fantasy Adventure (Calpso Goddess Series: Book One 1) Read online

  George was not much older than me, though he looked it. He was right. I would have vanished—or died—long ago if not for him and Rosie. George taught me how to put on a tough exterior, that was for sure. But he also taught me the art of just having fun. Just being in the moment. Facing the possibility of death every day, as we all did, I guess that was the greatest gift he ever could’ve given me.

  “Yea, Pops, and maybe, just maybe, one day you will actually wear the tutu.”

  George laughed and smacked his hairy ass.

  “Nothing like the full monty to get Dragon Flies rolling for the night!”

  George’s laugh was home to me. Hearing it, well, just for a moment, life felt simple—the way it used to be. The snapshot returned. The coyote breath creeped inside me again. The snarling made my body shiver.

  “Hey you?” Fisher wrapped around me.

  “No worries. I’m fine.” I managed a smile.

  Liar.

  “Ya’ll grab a spot.” George interrupted my thoughts. “Our Rosie’ll be out soon.” He leaned across the crates and pulled us both in close. “But be careful. New faces in here, and I don’t much like it. Good for the trading business, but I don’t like dealing with people I don’t know. Hell, they’ll probably report me just for my good looks.” He was not referring to his face. But he was right. The Regys didn’t care for free expression. They didn’t care for free anything. The taxes on Dragon Flies alone were cruel. And sometimes I had to break Caly law to keep us out of trouble.

  Fisher and I grabbed the only open table in the back of the cave. The torch lights along the wall did their job, but I liked hiding in the shadows. I was so happy to see Chama and Scratt walk in. Fisher waved them over to join us. Scratt pointed to George’s nakedness and shook his head. I barely overheard Chama saying something about Scratt just being jealous.

  “Hey, my babies!” Chama’s cleavage grazed the table before her butt hit the seat next to me. Scratt somehow slid his small body into place—soundless.

  “Rosie playing?” Scratt asked.

  “Soon.” I gave Chama a slow, familiar hug.

  “Fooking awesome,” she giggled as her hand draped down to my ass. I couldn’t care if anyone noticed.

  “I hate it when you say it that way.” I’m sure I rolled my eyes at her, but truthfully, I loved her eccentricities.

  “I know, babes. But it’s my signature. And all of us wenches need a signature.” She winked and brushed her finger down my cheek.

  “Hey baby, what’s your signature?” Fisher teased me kissing the back of my neck.

  “Are you saying I’m a wench?” I gave him all of my attention. It was his night, after all.

  “You’re my wench in red stilettos.” We locked gazes. “And a fine one at that. Maggie’s signature is the way she—” Fisher stopped, wisely. But I was a bit curious about his thoughts on the topic.

  “Gang’s all here.” George popped in as his junk swung over one beat behind. “Do you want beer or wine? Or beer? Maybe just beer. I’m not really sure how Rosie is actually making the wine these days.” He winked at me.

  “A round of beer it is then. Thanks, George.” Fisher was always fast for a round of booze.

  “I’ll bring it right over.”

  “Actually, no. I’ll come get it,” I insisted. “I’m not in the mood to see anyone’s golden sword but Fisher’s.”

  “What this old thing?” George was off as we all laughed.

  “Problem is,” Scratt’s eyes were down, “we don’t really have anything to pay with.”

  I was already on my feet. “It is all okay. I got it.”

  “No, we pay our own way,” Scratt insisted.

  Fisher jumped in before I could. “We’re all feeling the pinch. I managed to grab a few crystals on the sly last time I was out. So this is our treat.”

  “No, we can’t,” Chama and Scratt recited in unison.

  “No argument. It’s already done.” I didn’t wait for another response.

  Rosie grabbed me as I headed to the bar, giving me her usual bear hug. Sometimes her beauty overwhelmed me.

  “How’s my girl tonight?” she said shifting her gown. “You better now that Fish is back?”

  “Yea. I’ll be better later.” The warmth rose in my cheeks.

  “I hope you have something special planned.” Rosie stroked her fingers through a couple knots in my hair.

  “Going for a swim. Full moon tonight.” I glanced back at Fisher just to make sure it was not all a dream.

  “Like the Universe just planned it all out for you. I’m glad he’s home, honey. So,”—her eyes moved around the room—“I had a crazy little idea as I was getting dressed tonight.” She grinned.

  “What?” I braced myself. Rosie liked to live in a land of make believe and I never knew what was about to come out of her mouth. Fun, but really tricky.

  “Let’s do a number together—for him. We have to, don’t we?” She clapped and bounced up and down. She could handle her heels—all six feet two inches of her.

  “You know, Rosie, that’s actually not a bad idea.” There was acid in my mouth. But it also turned me on to think of it. “And—I have this little number on tonight.” My black lace cami poked out of my button down. Her eyes flashed.

  “Hell, honey, with those red heels and that little lace number? Now we have to do it! Let me get things started and then we can surprise everyone.”

  “You remember I can’t sing, right?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be right up here with you every step of the way. Oh, this is going to be so much fun. I love you.”

  She ran over to George who started laughing out loud and spinning in a circle. He grabbed his old CD player and pointed at me with a wink. George using solar reserves on something like that was a fucking miracle. We didn’t get to listen to music anymore. The clouds and storms sometimes left us without power for days, and George wouldn’t use what little we had for activities he considered frivolous.

  Rosie announced something like, “And now let the show begin.” She floated past me like a ballerina, gracefully landing on the crate placed center-stage. She pulled the golden arch in between her legs with a sensual precision. The burgundy velvet gown draped onto the floor so elegantly I don’t think anyone cared about the torn edges or dark wisps of chest hair poking out. Rosie’s strong hands plucked the strings as the most beautiful notes squeezed the loud voices into silence. Rosie was royalty and her music always awakened something hidden deep inside me.

  All eyes were on her as I grabbed a cup of water from behind the bar. George was waiting on a table, but even he had paused to watch her. Just enough time to drop the amethyst in the glass and replicate.

  As it is within, so it is without.

  Fake ones floated to the top for George and the originals went back in my pocket.

  “Ah, almost forgot about you.” George startled me as I dried off the stones. “Here ya go, Maggie.” He put the four glasses of beer on the table.

  “Thanks, Pops. And this is for you.” I dropped the fakes on the crate.

  “Hey, this is great. Thanks!”

  “I’ll just put them in the back,” I said, grabbing the stones and wiping off the last drops of water. It was careless of me to replicate in public, but—desperate times. As soon as Fisher found more amethyst, I would square up with Pops and no one would be the wiser. Chama’s eyes fixed on me the whole way back to our table. I knew she had seen me do it. I was fucked.

  The torch glow caught a shadow on the wall. Someone had carved a two-legged stick figure into the stone.

  “Bottoms up.” Scratt startled me as I set down the drinks.

  Chama flashed a death threat at me with her eyes. Which was fair, actually, I had indeed broken the rules. Fisher, oblivious as always, squeezed my knee.

  “Well, in honor of Fisher’s first night back,”—I grabbed my glass for a toast—“I love you. Thanks for coming back to me in one piece. Do not ever leave me again.” I laughe
d as we clinked glasses. Rosie plucked a harp string getting my attention. “Oh, and I have one tiny little gift for you.” I chugged my drink—tasted like gasoline—and caught Rosie’s eye as she nodded at me. My heart pounded so fast it was hard to catch my breath as I joined her center cave.

  “I think I would rather pluck every hair off my body,” I whispered to her.

  “You’ve got this, honey.” Rosie pointed at George, but our eyes were fixed on Fisher. “Foreplay. Just think of it as foreplay.”

  I heard the click of the button as Rosie swiped her leg out to the side in a brilliant peacock pose. I just stood there as the words began and Rosie’s voice filled the room. The song was “Feeling Good”, of course. Rosie’s favorite. I just wanted to savor each note. Of all the things we lost, music was perhaps one of the hardest for me.

  I noticed Fisher shaking his head with a side-curling smile. Rosie smacked me so hard on the ass my ankles swerved. And then I looked back at Fisher.

  Pretend he is the only person in the room. Foreplay. Just foreplay.

  I couldn’t help but notice Chama’s breasts swelling up and out of her shirt. Her gaze pierced me as I took a long slow breath and closed my eyes. The music filled me. My hips swerved left and then right and then in a figure eight as my knees dipped down. Shoulders rolling, I arched my back as Rosie’s voice rang out.

  I mouthed the words, sliding my hands down my torso unbuttoning my shirt. Rosie began to unzip her dress in a slow motion just as my fingers wrapped around the last button.

  The tease now had a life of its own. And I just surrendered into the natural force of it.

  I ripped my shirt open and showed off the sheer black lace barely covering my nipples as I spun around backward. Rosie was in lock step. I imagined what her hairy back looked like beside my pale white skin.

  Something for everyone, I thought.

  “For me…” Rosie’s voice was hypnotic.

  I swerved down on my red fuck-me pumps—successfully—and pivoted my ass up and looked at Fisher between my legs. His mouth perfectly puckered. I tickled my fingers up my legs—all the way up—Rosie and I were in full syncopation. Amazing, really. Then up and a quick spin forward.

  We glided over the floor together. I had found my rhythm. I remember random faces and eyes that were fixed on our every step. And then the chill of the Coals. I heard a coyote howl.

  Imagination.

  Everything in the room shifted into slow motion, except for me. Even the music slurred as the woman in green hues walked toward me from the back cave tunnels, her hand on the coyote’s head. Her mouth moved, but I couldn’t understand anything she was trying to say. They stalked around me in a circle as threads of energy wove out of her palms and into the space between us.

  “I don’t understand!” I know I yelled. The ice pick jabbed my temples.

  They backed away; their energy sucked me with them, but I managed to break free. Collapsing, Rosie wrapped both arms under my pits. She was still singing. Everyone still watching like nothing happened. Indeed, time was normal again.

  Rosie twirled me around snagging her finger in my black lace as she dropped her gown.

  The cold air hit my bare belly. Chama shifted in her seat, staring, as I threw my hand over my tattoo.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  The song ended. I forced myself into the present moment. Back into my body. I did a super unimpressive diva walk over to my table as George joined Rosie and helped her with her dress.

  My ass landed on Fisher’s hard lap.

  “Can we go now?” Fisher nibbled all over my neck and shoulders. I craved.

  The blood craving.

  My teeth latched onto his lip. That night—in that moment—I wanted him to torture me just a little.

  “Soon.” The control was powerful. And then another hand touched my knee.

  Shit. Chama.

  I looked her dead in the eye. I knew she knew. And I had fucked up. But I was not about to look away.

  “Nice taboo.” Chama hooked her finger into the ripped lace and pulled me toward her. “Well, aren’t you the clever one?” She rubbed her hand down my breast and onto my belly. “I was fooking blind and now I mother fucking see—you.”

  Rosie brought my shirt. “Where’d you find it?” Chama pointed to the lace cami.

  “Someone left it.”

  “Left it?”

  “Yes, here at the bar.”

  “No one would leave something that valuable here. Where did you find it?”

  “I told you. I was cleaning up and I—”

  “She just found it, Chama. Come on. Leave it alone.” Fisher pinched me.

  My hands wrapped onto my cheeks. Chama didn’t blink. I shifted my body deeper into Fisher.

  Shit.

  Scratt rubbed Chama’s back. “Well, next time find one for me. I haven't had something schmutzy to wear since—”

  “Forever.” Scratt winked at her laughing. His face reminded me of a little boy who had been busted for saying something naughty.

  “Thanks, I really appreciate that.” She spoke over her shoulder to him.

  Fisher’s silence was only broken by my swallow. The volume in the cave came back into focus just as the first rock hit our table.

  “So,” Chama continued, “some taboo for me next time? Thought the Regys had burned all of the luxuries. Especially the feminine ones. Except for Rosie’s gown, of course.” Even the gods wouldn’t have dared touch Rosie’s gown.

  “If I find another one, it is indeed yours.” I was done. I kissed Fisher and made sure he felt the warmth of my body under his hands. He filled the space under me. I loved that.

  Bottles and glasses clinked together. It was always slow at first. There was a ripple under our feet and then everything began bouncing as rock dust filled the air. We all grabbed our glasses from the table. It sucked that the quakes were the new normal. So normal, in fact, no one panicked or ducked. The memory of the beforetime had faded, I think, for most of us. But not for me. If anything, I missed it more, especially in that moment. The quake meant Fisher and I had only about 45 minutes before he had to go back to the Basin. And that was just not enough.

  “That’s one,” Fisher warned. “Can’t be late this time, Maggs. Don’t know what they would do to me.” His face reminded me of the hell he’d just lived through.

  “Hey, look at me. No one’s going to be late. Okay?”

  “I just want to get out of here and fuck you till I have to go.”

  “I want that, too.” My hands rubbed his pants. I slid harder down on him. I could’ve orgasmed from the intensity.

  Scratt tapped the table. “Hey, stop it, you two. We have something we need to tell you.” Fisher moved under me.

  “Hey, I’m serious here. Stop lap-fucking and listen to me. This is serious.”

  “What the hell, you guys.” I whipped my head around.

  “Did ya hear about Leah?” Scratt’s glance bounced around the room. “It’s bad, don’t ya know.” I never really knew when he was asking a question.

  “What’s happened?” Fisher asked, rubbing me.

  “She was taken. Last night. From inside Basin Three.”

  “Taken?” I asked. “Fisher, did you hear about this?”

  “No.” We both deflated.

  “Let me tell it. You’ll never get it right.” Chama broke in. “So it goes like this, Fish and Maggs.” She made a grand gesture to make sure no one was listening in. “It’s night, right after a long shift in the caves. Leah tells me she is going to pretend to sleep and sneak out, right? So, the fooking red-dot Regys surveillance light goes out, and I see her leave. Guess she figures it’s safe even though I explicitly told her she should not do this. Okay, so she goes down the path—not one thing seems unusual about it, you get me? And then the quake hits—hits hard—hits out of sequence, mind you, when no one is expecting it. I mean, I myself fell right out of my bed and onto my ass, you know what I am saying. I mean I think I have a bruise. That’s
what I am saying. So,” she paused and looked us in the eyes—then glanced around the room—“this particular quake? The Earth fooking opens up like my vagina ready for a little, well, you know, and it swallows the girl up whole and then politely closes its legs. I mean—swallowed her whole, like not a damn trace of her. And that is what Scratt means by taken.”

  “Yea, that is what I mean by taken,” Scratt added. Mousey.

  “So you actually saw her disappear into the Earth?” I was doubtful.

  “Yup, I saw the whole thing. We were, ah, well, you know, Scratt and I were awake and wanting a little slip and slide action that night. So sometimes, when the dot is asleep, we like to do our romping outside. Under the stars and all that. Maybe other people are watching. I mean who would not want to see all of this in action?” She referred to her body.

  “So, wait,” Fisher interrupted. “Are you sure that the dot was asleep?”

  “Totally and fully and completely asleep,” Chama answered.

  Rosie finished a song that no one at our table seemed to hear. The room stood and clapped quietly as we sat there.

  “It’s what George was telling us, Maggs.”

  “But, there have been no reports of people vanishing since the virus went dormant and everyone tested clean. And now suddenly people are vanishing again?”

  “Bingo.” Scratt actually spoke.

  “But this was the first time anyone I know literally disappeared down into the fooking Earth.” Chama pointed that comment to me. Leah was one of us.

  Fisher pulled my hair. He leaned in, “I am so turned on right now. We have got to go.”

  I want you, too.

  “Stop it,” I jeered and smacked his leg.

  “So now you've heard about Leah.” Scratt crinkled up his chin and pursed his lips forward nodding. “Uh-huh.”

  George interrupted. Golden sword right at eye level.

  “Any more drinks? We all have to get out of here soon.”

  “All good.” Fisher’s leg was bouncing. He wasn’t kidding about being ready to go.

  “Well, you two come see me before you leave. Something I want to give you.” He left.