The Welcoming

The Welcoming

“Thank you so much for dropping by,” Melissa said to the gathered ladies as she escorted them to the door.

“We are so pleased to have you for a neighbor,” the lady in the flowing dress said. “Now, if you have any questions, please call us, dear.”

“I promise, I will,” she said as the door closed behind them.

A welcoming committee? I knew this was the South but I wasn’t expecting to go back to 1950! Melissa shook her head. “I’m sure they mean well,” she said to the rather barren apartment.

She had only recently moved and was still learning about her new home. She picked up a cookie and a brochure that one of the ladies had brought.

Asheville is a city in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s known for a vibrant arts scene and historic architecture, including the dome-topped Basilica of Saint Lawrence.

“Pretty boring stuff.” She picked up a second brochure. “The History of Ashville,” she read aloud.

There is legend that in ancient times, Shaman would travel in between worlds. Natives on vision quests would come back with tales of travel to different places. Near Asheville, NC is ancient ground for spirit quests. This land is federally protected today. However, some land along its borders also holds strong energy. The vortexes are traveled frequently by the Rainbow Tribe, and spoken of by our ancestors through 'visions'.

“What bullshit,“ she murmured. “I’m surrounded by artists and ghosts.” As a lawyer, she didn’t put much faith in anything she couldn’t see, hear, taste, smell, or touch.

Melissa stared out the window. Although it was late, she watched the summer sun sink behind the Blue Ridge Mountains framing the dark outlines in a myriad of colors. The lights of Ashville began to overwhelm the natural beauty of the sunset as the sky faded to deep night shades.

With a sigh, she decided to call it a night. Tomorrow was her first day at the Law Offices of Ashcroft and Morgan and she wanted to be well rested and at the top of her game.

Crawling into her bed, she tried to find a comfortable position.

“Damn!” Melissa muttered as a cramp hit.

“God, I hate this time of the month,” she grumbled as she hurried to the bathroom to check. Turning on the light, she saw that blood had leaked through her pad.

Cleaning up, she grabbed a Midol and headed to bed. Lord, she fumed, let me survive the night! She laid a towel across the sheets to add some protection and then crawled under the covers. She added a silent Amen as she dozed off.

Melissa opened her eyes and stared groggily at the clock. The numerals changed to 12:00 as she tried to focus. Why am I awake?

The room was translucent in pale moonlight. She looked around. That’s odd, she thought. The closet door was ajar. I always close the door. Since childhood, she’d always been afraid of the closet although she couldn’t or wouldn’t admit why.

The lethargy of too little sleep, however, kept her immobile. Letting her head fall back on the pillow, she was suddenly aware of how warm she was.

She ran her hand down her side and felt heat. Do I have a fever? she thought. Lying there numbly, she became aware that her hand continued to move over her stomach and upwards.

As she glided over the fullness of her breast, she felt the nipple swell. Unthinkingly, she caressed it and felt an answering tingle of pleasure.

Melissa sensed a blackness hovering in the darkness causing a moment of fear that quickly passed as she felt cool, almost cold hands begin to caress her. I’ve quite an imagination, she thought detachedly.

She pushed the covers off and was surprised to feel her nightclothes being removed. The coolness felt wonderful. She mumbled, “What’s going on…” when the first pleasurable shudders began to roll through her. Oh my God, that feels so good, crossed her mind as she felt the hands move downward, touching her intimately. Now, the feeling began changing. The hands seemed to morph into a tongue… It feels like a tongue!

Another thrill of fear ran through her but she couldn’t stop. Her breathing deepened as she felt herself pulled into the cascade of heat flowing through her. She arched, yielding to the feeling, and felt her panties slide off. She could imagine the mess she’d face, the blood flowing and soaking her sheets, but she couldn’t break the spell… she felt imagined? a dark mouth now closing over her burning nipple and she yelped – partly in fear, partly in pleasure.

Talon-like nails seemed to dig into her flesh but the pain only heightened her need. She felt her legs being spread and she gasped as she felt the fullness slide deep into her and begin to move rhythmically. “Yes!” she panted as she felt her orgasm swell and finally consume her.

Lying in the darkness, sweat cooling on her forehead, she once more became aware of that mouth? was trailing downwards. She felt it cross her stomach and… Oh no… crossed her mind as she felt licking strokes begin to stir her again.

Within moments, she felt her orgasm build again, and, with a labored gasp, she felt her release flood outward as she dropped into the darkness.

Melissa sat bolt upright with the alarm at 7:30. Shaking off the disorientation, she felt the coolness of the sheets, drawing her attention to the fact that she was naked. Panicking, she threw back the covers. Nothing. No blood.

“What the hell?” she muttered. Getting out of bed, she headed to the bathroom and froze. There, on the floor, was a tiny trail of dark brownish-red drops leading to the closet. The door was closed.

Stumbling into the bathroom, she looked in the mirror. She traced the fading pink marks that looked like scratches that covered her breasts, abdomen, and extended down to the inside of her thighs.

“Now that was one hell of a dream,” she said to the grinning reflection and added, “Wasn’t it?” The woman that stared back at her kept grinning. “Guilty!” she said, pointing at her doppelganger and breaking out in laughter.

As she got into the shower, she thought about how good she felt. Maybe Asheville has more to offer than meets the eye. I think I’ll leave the closet open tonight ran through her mind as the first blast of water hit her.

An entry for "Paranormal Romance Contest" 
Prompt: Open
Word Limit: 1000 to 5000 words.
Word Count: 1080