The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Dinner was exquisite, and not just because of the presence of my two lovely ladies. Of course, dining was always a pleasure with pleasant company... and the gentle seductive sensation of Tina’s soft tender toes and Janika’s smooth silken sole caressing my bare legs underneath the table only added to that. Both girls were in a randy mood, and I wasn’t far behind. Still, I wanted to prolong the adventure as much as possible, sampling and feeding my physical hunger before heading back to the hotel to indulge ourselves and feed our carnal hungers.

“Mmmmm... this is so good,” I enthused, licking my lips as I virtually inhaled the honey coconut shrimp, a follow-up to the grilled and buttered calamari I’d devoured moments earlier. Tina and Jan merely chuckled softly in amusement. Not that I could blame them. I can admit, my eating habits are a bit... strange. Even to myself, I sometimes notice that I act a bit like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to new foods. But, well, it’s hard NOT to get excited, yanno? As a vampire, I don’t really even NEED to eat. My nutrition, such as it is, is fully supplied by the blood I take in. But... blood is bland. Salty. It lacks flavor. Don’t let poetic words from literature or the movies fool you—blood may be ‘the life’, but it’s still basically just thick, salty fluid. And frankly, even if it tasted like the most decadent dessert ever created by mankind, after a few hundred years of tasting the same thing over and over, ANYONE would long for a little variety!

“You know, I can’t believe we’re really sitting here in La Côte,” Janika replied, shaking her head. “Heck, I’m still mildly shellshocked that we’re actually here in Miami Beach, staying at that high-class five-star hotel!” She sighed softly. “I checked online... that place is over five hundred dollars a night!”

“Yeah, I know,” Tina replied, nibbling idly on the crabcakes she’d ordered. “No way we’d be able to afford this trip on our own. I am sorry Katie didn’t get to come here with Sioban and Tawnya, but I AM really grateful she passed the reservations on to us.” She let out a sigh of contentment, pushing her mostly empty plate aside. “Man... this whole trip has been fantastic so far! I’m really glad we all came here together.”

I let out a sigh as well, seeing them both staring at me. “Yeah... okay. Fine, I admit it,” I replied rolling my eyes. “Yes, this was a good idea. And despite the very real threat of dying a fiery agonizing death—” at which point both girls groaned aloud, rolling their eyes at my exaggeration, “ahem... despite that, I did honestly have a really great time today.”

“Whoa! She actually admitted it!” Tina replied, grinning. “You heard her, Tina. Ms. Grumpypants actually admitted to having fun on vacation! This is it... that’s the seventh sign of the apocalypse! The world is really coming to an end!”

I growled, glaring at the two of them laughing at my expense... for about a second or two before I started giggling as well. It was hard to stay mad at them at the worst of times, and this was hardly that. “Hardy har har,” I said, amused. “You’re a real comedienne, Tina. So, are you guys finished eating yet? I think I’ve had my fill.”

“Yeah, I’m done,” Janika replied, pushing aside her plate as well. “At least with dinner.” I gasped slightly as a familiar soft tender foot slid deftly between my thighs, lightly stroking my crotch. “I’m still feeling a bit hungry though,” she added, her deft, dextrous toes teasing me, making my own curl tightly in my sandals, “like... I could nibble on something. If you catch my drift?” she asked, giving me that saucy smirk of hers.

Clearing my throat, I raised a hand, signaling the waiter. “Check, please!” I said, my voice cracking slightly. Damn... I guess it was a bit obvious now how effective Jan’s teasing had been. Oh, well. It’s not as if we weren’t all well aware of how turned on we all were anyway.

A short drive later saw us returning to the Faena Hotel, where the playful festive mood was suddenly broken by the appearance of an ambulance and several police cars parked by the entrance. Curious, the three of us were out of the car the instant I switched off the engine, heading to the scene. Whatever had happened was apparently over and done with, as the cops had removed the barrier and were letting people enter and leave unimpeded. An unfamiliar blond-haired figure was being wheeled over to the ambulance on a gurney, but my attention was drawn to a familiar dark curly-haired man standing just outside the hotel lobby, speaking animatedly into his cell phone. “Hey, guys, be right back,” I said, turning away from the police involvement. “Just spotted a friend of mine. I’ll catch up with you guys upstairs, okay?”

“Sure,” Jan replied, frowning slightly. “I wanna talk to the officer in charge. We’ll meet back in the room.”

Nodding, I continued on, slowing down a bit as I drew closer. Yeah, the guy was definitely Adam, the tablet and tech enthusiast I’d spoken with earlier. Now, I’m not normally one to butt in on people’s conversations or involve myself in another person’s personal problems. But since doing the whole ‘hero thing’ back in River City, I’d made an effort to be a bit more social. And, well, we had made a bit of a connection earlier. I was honestly concerned with how distressed he seemed.

“...don’t really want to do this!” he was speaking loudly into his phone as I got closer. “C’mon, Tiff. Please! You’re better than this! I... well, yes, I know... yeah, I agree. But this isn’t the way to... dammit, will you just listen to me please!” he yelled in obvious frustration. He listened solemnly for several seconds before visibly wilting, lowering his head. Whomever he was speaking to must have unloaded on him, as he began trying to interrupt, getting cut off at every turn. He sighed deeply, shaking his head. “Okay, fine,” he said after a while, defeat in his tone. “But don’t expect me to help you... yeah, well, I guess that’s true too. I just... I really hope you know what you’re doing, Tiff.” Sighing again, he hung up the phone, looking so despondent I actually wanted to give him a hug.

“Well, that conversation didn’t go too well, did it?” I said, causing him to whirl around in surprise. “Hey. Sorry... didn’t mean to overhear, but you kinda looked like you were having some trouble.”

“Gwen? Oh... y-yeah,” he replied sheepishly. “That was... a friend of mine,” he said awkwardly.

“A female friend, I’m guessing?” I prompted, again, curious but not wanting to pry too much. We were casual acquaintances at best, with a mutual love of Tom Clancy. I wasn’t really sure where the line was between being curious and supportive and acting like an annoying pest.

Adam nodded. “An ex-girlfriend, actually. We still talk, though,” he said with a half shrug. “She’s... been going through some changes recently, though. I’m just... kind of concerned for her, though. I’m worried that she’s planning to do something really stupid... and really dangerous...”

That got my attention. “Dangerous? You don’t mean... you don’t think she’s planning to, you know... kill herself?”

Adam blinked at that. “What? No! Oh, no, no, definitely not.” he assured me. “Believe me, that’s the farthest thing from her mind right now. She’s been through a severe bout of depression, but I... er... helped her through it.” He went silent for a while. “Yeah... she’s definitely not suicidal these days. If anything, she’s on the warpath, angry at certain people that she thinks ruined her life. I’m afraid she’s got something planned... some kind of revenge plot in the works...”

I frowned at that. “Okay... huh. Well. I don’t know the whole story, but if you think she might be putting someone’s life in danger or her own—”

“No, no, she’s not,” he began, before sighing deeply shaking his head. “Tiff wouldn’t do anything like that. She’s not violent. She’d never hurt anyone... uh, at least physically.” He sighed heavily. “And really... it’s not her fault. If anything, this whole mess is MY fault.”

“Your fault? How? I’m sorry, I don’t understand. You said she’s planning on getting revenge against the people she feels ruined her life. So, did you put the idea for revenge in her head somehow?”

Adam glanced up at me then, eyes wide. Then, he sighed and glanced down at his feet. “ Not... directly. But indirectly? Yeah... I probably did put the idea in her head. But... I’ll fix this. I’ll talk to her again, and make her see reason.” He took a deep breath, then straightened up. “Listen, Gwen, I’m sorry to get you involved in my problems like this. I’m kind of embarrassed... breaking down like this in front of a virtual stranger.”

“Hey, it’s no problem,” I assured him. “Besides, we Tom Clancy fans need to stick together.” That made him smile slightly, which I took as a win. “Look, if you need any help... if you want me to go with you for, I dunno... emotional support or something—”

“Nah, nah, it’s fine,” he said, forcing a smile. “It’ll be okay. Tiffany is a smart girl. I’m sure I can talk her down. Besides, this is my mess. It’s my place to fix this.” He drew close, then surprised me with a hug. “Thanks for listening, and letting me vent,” he said awkwardly, as we pulled apart again. “I know we just met earlier today and all... but you’re a really kind person. Most people wouldn’t have even bothered, yanno? You’re a really good person.”

I stood there a bit stunned as he walked away. I mean... on the surface, I always considered myself a good person. I tried to treat people the way I wanted to be treated, the whole ‘live and let live’ motto. And more recently, the ‘hero thing’ with Splash and Sunbeam, helping people in need, fighting criminals, and super villains, making River City a better place. But I guess deep down I always kind of doubted myself, yanno? I mean... I’d ‘lived’ more than a hundred years by myself, just keeping to myself. I never tried to interact much with others, and never wanted to be involved. Deep down, I kind of thought of myself as a... well, a monster. You know, fangs, the eyes, the drinking blood. Even as my recent bout as a hero, it kind of felt almost like an apology of sorts... a way of making amends for what I was.

To have a basic stranger just hug me and tell me that I was a good person... kinda knocked me for a loop.

Shaking my head, I made my way to the elevator and headed up to our suite to wait for the others.

“...really a shame. I kind of liked him. I wonder who could have done something like that...”

“Hmmm?” I asked, stepping into the bedroom from the bathroom, idly working a towel over my damp hair. Returning to the room, I decided to take a quick shower while waiting for the others to arrive. And I was glad that I had! The damn drain was probably working overtime to process all the excess sand that washed off me—and all I’d done was sit on a frickin’ beach towel the whole day! It’s just like they say—sand literally does get everywhere. “Who are you guys talking about?”

“That guy that the police and rescue workers were dealing with downstairs,” Jan answered, shaking her head. “Eric McLaughlin. Tina and I ran into him earlier today. He, er... well, he hit on us.” My left eyebrow raised at that. “Apparently, he’s a professional surfer, and was admiring Tina’s form out there,” she added with obvious amusement.

“I think he was admiring more than my surfing skills,” Tina replied, rolling her eyes. She raised a hand, gesturing towards me, and I gasped softly as the rest of the water from my still damp skill drew away from me, evaporating into mist, leaving me completely dry.

“Thanks for that,” I replied with a grin, tossing away the towel, padding naked over to the bed. “So, this guy, this friend of yours, what happened exactly?”

“That’s just it. No one knows,” Tina replied with a sigh, taking off her clothes. “He was apparently found washed up on the beach, half buried in the sand. The guys that found him called for an ambulance, as he was basically comatose... just barely breathing, and they couldn’t wake him up.”

“Yeah, turns out the guy was worked over, but good,” Janika continued as Tina walked into the bathroom, no doubt to shower as I had. “When they uncovered him and rubbed away all the sand, the guy was covered in massive bruises pretty much all over. The EMT said it looked a bit like he’d been repeatedly bashed by a pile driver. The guy has several broken ribs and contusions...” She sighed. “I mean... it had to be a Super that clobbered him that badly. The guy was pretty big and in really good shape. Whoever did that to him had to be way stronger than the average human.”

I shrugged at that. “Who’s really ‘average’ these days, anymore?” I asked. “Yeah, I know not everyone we come across these days has superpowers, but lately it does seem to be spreading out, yanno?” Back in the old days, people with abnormal powers and abilities were a rarity... just random oddities popping up here and there. Nowadays, a good portion of the population has some strange or unusual power or ability. So much so that it’s practically commonplace.

It was a bit weird, wasn’t it? That the unusual was slowly becoming the usual? I recall that Disney/Pixar film from back in the day, and the villain’s famous tag line: When everyone’s Super... no one will be.

Jan, having finished stripping down as well, let out a loud sigh. “The thing is, the police don’t have any leads on who the one who beat him up was. They questioned everyone, checked the area for clues, but came up empty...” She frowned, shaking her head slightly, and I winced, seeing that familiar look on her face.

“Oh no, no, no no! Don’t tell me you want to get involved?” I accused, causing her to glance up at me sharply. “Jan, babe, we’re on vacation,” I pointed out. “This is supposed to be a chance to relax and unwind, not go seeking after crazed madmen with a penchant for violence! Let the police handle this!”

“We’re heroines, Gwen,” she countered, shaking her head. “And it’s not a job, it’s who we are! We’ve talked about this before. We aren’t just heroes when we put the costumes on. Crime doesn’t take a break, so neither do we—”

“Bullshit!” I fired back. “We’re on a break right now! That’s the very purpose you dragged me out here, remember? ‘Gwen, we’ve been really busy lately, and I am feeling kinda burnt out. Tina got free tickets to the beach, wanna come? It’ll be nice to just leave all this stress behind and just relax for a while.’ That’s what you said to me before we came here, right?” The girl had the good grace to look embarrassed. “Yeah, I thought so.” I sighed, shaking my head. “Look, I agree with you in theory, okay? We don’t do this for the recognition or fame or anything. We do what is needed. But... I don’t think we’re needed in this case. I mean, the victim is already being treated at the hospital, right? And as far as we know, the culprit isn’t going around beating up people randomly or anything. So... there’s no villain to stop, no bad guy to defeat. So until this guy strikes again there’s really nothing for us to do other than let the police handle it. Don’t you think?”

Janika smirked, shaking her head. “Damn... guess you win this argument,” she conceded with a chuckle. “Okay, fine. I’ll leave it up to the professionals... for now, anyway.” Grinning, she glanced towards the bathroom. “In the meantime, I’d better go rinse off with Tina. I’d like to get properly cleaned up... before we get down n’ dirty,” she said, giving me a wink before slipping inside and closing the door.

I chuckled at that. Jan always knew how to toss out a sexy double entendre. Of course, words were just a fraction of the ways her clever tongue was useful. Grinning, I dimmed the lights, then lay back on the bed, waiting for my two dearheart lovers to return. It was a short wait, however, as all too soon they returned, one with soft beautiful skin the color of cream, the other with dark hair and skin of chocolate. I couldn’t help but lick my lips as they approached me, crawling slowly up the bed towards me. It might be cliche to say so, but I could hardly wait to taste them.

“Shall we pick up where we left off at the restaurant?” Tina asked, seductively, eyes half-lidded, her hands gently caressing my ankles, slowly caressing and stroking her way up my leg. “I know how much you loooovvvveeee a slow burn.” I bit my lip to keep from moaning as Jan followed suit as well with my other leg, gently kissing and nibbling along my flesh. After the past few months together, they knew me and my body only too well and knew just how I liked it. When they finally reached my thighs, I was practically sweating and covered in goosebumps in anticipation.

“Oooohhhhh... ffuuccckkk!” I groaned, toes curling as the two seductresses proceeded to drive me wild, kissing, sucking, nibbling all along my very wet and needy pussy... along, around, tangental to, but never directly ON. It was excruciatingly divine. Against my will, I found my vampire blood racing, my nails lengthening into claws, my fangs protruding from my open gasping mouth. The urge to take control, to unleash my power directly against the two temptresses and make them my mindless obedient fucktoys was enormous... but I held back. Prolonging the moment, and drawing it out, always lead to a bigger and better reward in the end.

Besides which, both of my lovely ladies wanted it as badly as I, if not more. I could sense their heartbeats, their blood flowing as hard and fast as my own, both of them panting, squirming, their own passionate scents filling the room as their pussies wept with unchecked need. Both of them had a very strong kink for being controlled and dominated. With me, they’d found someone with who they could safely satisfy that kink, surrender completely, and yet know without a doubt that I would never hurt or abuse them. Of course, I loved them as more than just a pair of mindless thralls. I only indulged my dominant side when I was feeling frisky, or when they indicated that they wanted ‘Mistress Gwen’ to show up. Which, honestly, seemed to be a whole heck of a lot. Not that I minded, of course.

“Aaaaaahhhh! Oohhhhhh!” I gasped, then moaned, eyes crossing as Tina made a play, lightly licking my clit, just the barest flicker, before moving back to my inner thighs. I groaned, then winced, hearing the fabric of the comforter I was clutching rip apart. Damn... was going to have to reimburse the hotel for that later. Tina merely giggled, grinding her thighs against me lightly, knowing that she’d gotten to me. A growl escaped my lips, my frustration nearing its limits. My vision began to flicker, my restraint began to falter, and being the devious little minxes they were, Jan and Tina redoubled their efforts, trying to push me past the tipping point—

And when Janika decided to replicate Tina’s clit fluttering tease, I surged, the shackles of my inner darkness breaking, my eyes turning a burning crimson, and a savage grin split my lips as Mistress Gwen took the reigns.

“That’s enough, girls!” I growled, my voice sounding like two large boulders grinding. Both girls glanced up at me, then gasped, shuddering slightly as their eyes glazed over. My hypnotic gaze pierced them to their very souls, and I laughed aloud, relishing the utter control over them I now wielded. “So... you two think it’s fun to tease your Mistress, hmm?” I murmured softly, sliding a clawed fingernail idly along my pussy lips, coating it with my juices. “Well, my pretty little toys,” I smirked, rubbing that finger idly along their slack expressionless lips, “you don’t know what true teasing is. Ha! You don’t know the meaning of the word.” I grinned again, watching as their tongues instinctively licked, tasting my essence. “Oh... but you’re about to learn.”

Now, you’d think I would have commanded the two little sluts to finish me off, to eat my pussy, and give me the screaming tow curling release I very much desired. Wrong! That Gwen had left the building; the one in charge now was made of much sterner stuff. And what SHE wanted was to see her two sexy strumpets squirm!

“Tina-slave! Move over, and put your face in front of Janika-slut’s pussy,” I commanded, reaching down to the open dresser drawer, pulling out a few ‘toys’ for my amusement. “Janika-slut, you do the same—put your head right up there in Tina-slave’s hot juicy sex.” Both girls obeyed, moaning softly at the contact, helpless to do anything more than obey. “Now, ladies,” I said mockingly, “you will do your very best to bring your lover to the biggest, strongest, hardest orgasm ever. You will use every move, every trick, and every technique, in your arsenal. Nothing is more important than making your lover cum.” My grin widened and turned evil as they did so, moaning and groaning, lapping and licking away with helpless abandon. “Ah... but there is one catch. Neither of you will cum, unless Mistress Gwen commands it!”

Chuckling darkly, I sat back to watch and revel in the sounds of pleasure and quiet desperation, as my two mindless thralls fucked each other passionately, desperately, each driving the other wild with pleasure in the futile hope of sending the other over the edge into climax. Their groans and grunts and cries were like a sweet subtle symphony, one that I idly pleasured myself to, sliding the thick hard dildo deep inside me as I watched. The stimulation was maddening, pushing my arousal back up to its former heights once more, but truly it was the scene playing out before me that kept me on the precipice. My moans soon mingled with theirs as I teased and stroked and diddled my clitty in time with the dildo’s thrusts, speeding up and slowing down as needed, purposely edging myself. While I truly intended to satisfy both my slaves and myself, I knew only too well that prolonging the torture only lead to a much sweeter release in the end.

Later, I’d wonder idly at the fact that I was basically punishing Jan and Tina for edging me so relentlessly, only to do the same thing to myself. At the moment, however, the only thing on my mind was the spectacle of these two beautiful sexy beasts writhing and moaning desperately at my feet, mindlessly begging for a release that only I could give them.

“Now, now, my pretty little playthings,” I purred, calmly stroking each girl idly with my bare feet, “you must be reaching your limits now. So now... I grant you the ability to vocalize those needs. Speak aloud what you are feeling, what you are needing... what you desire more than anything right now!”

And my, oh my, as if the damn had blown apart, the words began flowing forth in a nonstop barrage. At first, it sounded almost like gibberish, as if denial had fried their very brains, but soon enough their words became discernable. “Gaaaah... ohhhhgaawdohgawd, needtocum, need to cuuuummmm, noooo... need to MAKE you cum, fuccck... please, gawd please, just cum, just cum, cum for me please, baby, need it need it so baaaddd!!” Jan gushed, eyes rolled back into her head. Her single-minded determination to obey, to make Tina climax, was intermingled with her own desperate need for release.

“Fuuuuucccckkk!! Gotta cum, gotta cum... gaaahh... neeeehehhh... need to make Jan cum... must obey, gotta obey, gotta... gotta fuck her good, gotta please my baby... please... please... fuckin’ cum, cum, cum, coat me in your delicious fuckin juices, just cum for meeee pleeeeaasseeeeee...” Tina babbled, her thighs clenching and releasing, slick from the nonstop juices running down her legs, soaking the bedsheets.

My breath caught, and my eyes fluttered, feeling myself reach my own limits. With sheer force of will, I withdrew the dildo from my pussy, tossing it aside, letting my fingers hold me at the limit, keeping me there just a little longer. “Okay, girls,” I rasped, eyes flashing crimson, “it’s time... it’s time! You’ll cum like good little sluts on the count of three... and once you do, you will thank your dear beloved Mistress by... nnnrrrrr... making her cum... as well... fuccckkk.... one-two-three, CUM!!!” I growled, hands clenched, toes curled, hoping I’d timed things right.

And success! Tina and Jan both screamed out their pleasure in unison just as I gave up the fight and tumbled headlong into bliss myself. Three voices screamed as one, Mistress and slaves, all cumming together, basking in the rich sexual wave of ecstasy, even as it threatened to smash us all to tiny little bits. My vision literally whited out, and I groaned, coming down, just as my two thralls, momentarily sated, and primed to obey, completed their orders, basically pouncing on me, kissing, licking, nibbling, sucking every bit of bare skin I possessed. Fingers delved deep inside my pussy, only to be replaced with lips, tongues, and vibrators of various shapes. I exploded, again, and again, screaming in pleasure, as my need was slowly but sure drained, leaving me finally sated and satisfied.

With the last bit of waning strength, I woke both girls from their trances, then snuggled together with them, simply enjoying their presence, as we all drifted off into contented and restful sleep.

Saturday morning was greeted with a smile. I’m not really much of a morning person, obviously, but spending a nice relaxing day, followed by a fun, energetic, and sexually charged night, is pretty much a guaranteed way to wring a smile out of me the morning after. Yawning, and stretching, I sat up in bed, finding myself alone. As usual, the girls had both risen before me, even though it was actually still fairly early, at only.... seven a.m.? I chuckled a bit at that. Janika and Tina were both college students and were used to getting up early despite the late hours their ‘extra-curricular activities’ usually involved. How they managed to stay sane after spending night after night crawling along rooftops, chasing villains and bad guys, only to rise with the sun and go to school the day after, was completely beyond me.

Rising naked, I made my way to the bathroom for a nice brisk shower, washing away the last of the night’s activities, then made my way back to the bedroom. I actually paused, frowning, noticing something for the first time. “Huh... has that always been here?” I wondered aloud, walking over to the far corner of the room near the balcony window. There, just a few feet away from the bed, sat a large concave hole, with a miniature bathtub inside it. I recognized it for what it was—an indoor jacuzzi, of course—but I doubted any of us had paid it any mind until now.

Curious, I switched it on, watching it fill with water, then, dipping in a toe, I slid seamlessly into its depths.... and...

Fuuuucccckk mee! OH, MY FUCKING GAWD!! What the hell had this thing been all my life?!?

Bliss! Perfect bliss! Warm jet-filled water assaulted my body from all sides, left, right, back, front, and underneath, all at once! I giggled shamelessly as it teased and tickled my sensitive skin in the most delicious way, melting my bones, and relaxing me into a puddle of vampire goo! Groaning, eyes fluttering, I lay back resting my head on the padded edge, and just... relaxed...

“Gwen? Hey, Gwen, I’m back!” a vaguely familiar voice called out sometime later. I opened my left eye, recognizing Jan, dressed in an orange running suit, a bandana tied around her long brown hair. Glancing around for a moment, she finally spotted me, grinning. “Ah, I see you found the hot tub,” she mused, kneeling down. “Katie mentioned she’d gotten us the deluxe suite, so I knew it was around here somewhere. How is it?”

“Sooooo... goooddd....” I slurred happily, smiling. “Fuck River City. I think I just found my new home...”

Jan laughed. “Oh, come on. You can’t stay in there forever, eventually, you’ll boil away into vampire soup.” Standing back up, she began stripping down, preparing to shower. “Tina’s not back yet, I see? I went down to use the hotel gym and exercise a bit, but she decided she was going to go for a run instead.”

I yawned, nodding. “Yeah... sure she’ll be back soon enough.” I yawned again, grinning. This thing really was the best. “Why don’t you join me after your shower? This thing really is the best part of this trip so far.”

“Hey! The ‘best part’ huh?” she said, hands on her hips. “Even after last night?” She pouted, shaking her head, though her smile betrayed her true feelings. “I might take offense at that if I didn’t know how much you tend to exaggerate.” Naked, she padded barefoot over to the bathroom. “Still, I’m ready to go down to the beach again. Of course, you can feel free to stay inside if you want,” she called out, as I sighed, sitting up again. As tempting as it was, I wasn’t about to play the hermit while she and Tina spent their time having fun outside. With regret, promising to revisit this blissful sanctuary again soon, I emerged and dressed for the day.

“Hey, guys,” Tina greeted us outside the hotel. “Perfect timing! I was just coming up to get you.”

“Hey yourself. What’s up? Did something happen?” I asked, curious.

The dusky-skinned heroine shrugged. “Possibly, I’m not sure yet. I was out jogging along the shoreline, getting in my usual run, when I noticed a bit of a commotion. A couple of guys were talking about an incident that happened further down the beach early this morning.”

“What kind of incident?” Janika asked.

“It seems like a bunch of kids were setting up to play beach volleyball,” Tina answered, gesturing to a small group further down the boardwalk. “Not wanting to make a big ruckus and wake up the hotel patrons, they went way down to the south end of the beach, near where our friend Eric was found yesterday. Setting up their net, they turned on their radio, started belting out some nice rock music, and started warming up a bit before the game, when... something strange happened.”

“Strange like how?”

Tina shook her head. “Okay, this is all hearsay, mind, and the kids themselves were quite a bit shaken up, so take this all with a grain of salt, okay? They said... the beach got angry with them and came alive beneath their feet.”

Jan and I glanced idly at each other. “The beach... came alive?” I said slowly.

“That’s what they said. It was as if the sand suddenly grew hands and feet and limbs and started swatting at them. And a weird gravely voice told them to ‘go away’, grabbed their net, crushed the metal poles, and deflated their ball, then tossed them into the ocean.” Tina shrugged. “Needless to say, they got the hell out of dodge.”

I frowned, taking that all in, considering. It sounded crazy, ludicrous, but still, I couldn’t dismiss it out of hand. We lived in a crazy weird world, after all. People with superpowers that let them fly, undead vampires like myself walking the earth, and wizards, witches, and sorcerers with magical powers living out in the open. So... unlikely as it sounded, I supposed it was possible that the beach come have come alive and run off some loud noisy kids that had annoyed it...

“You think this has anything to do with what happened to Eric?” Jan asked. Tina shrugged.

“Maybe. I don’t know. I was curious, so I sprinted down to where they said it happened.” She sighed. “I found nothing. No monster, no disturbance, no sign that anything at all had happened. The sand there was completely flat and undisturbed.” She sighed. “It’s definitely a weird mystery.”

“Yeah... but I’m sure the police can handle it,” I replied, nodding. “We’re on vacation, remember? C’mon, Tina... you’re already in your bikini, so let’s head down to the beach. I brought your towel and gear with me,” I added, patting the travel back under my arm. “And if the beach starts getting irritable, I’m sure the three of us can handle it,” I added with a smirk. Chuckling, she and Jan headed back down towards the surf, only to pause, spying a crowd of people in line around a booth of some kind.

Huh... that definitely wasn’t there yesterday. It appeared to be some kind of tent, the kind the radio stations sometimes set up for a special event at a local parking lot, or car dealership... or in this case, up on the beach. Behind it was a sturdier, wood-constructed booth, with a sign above proclaiming ‘Brain Freeze Shaved Ice’. Getting closer, however, I groaned inwardly, as Jan let out a loud squeal of excitement.

“A bikini contest!” she announced with glee. “Wow! How fun! We should all totally sign up!” she stated enthusiastically. Tina nodded, grinning, even as I sighed softly.

“I don’t do bikini contests,” I informed my two comrades. “Hell, I don’t do bikinis,” I pointed out gesturing to the t-shirt and cut-off shorts I was currently wearing.

“Aw, come on, Gwen! It’ll be fun!” Jan encouraged. “You’re beautiful and sexy, and hot! I’m sure you’ll do great!”

“Plus, you said you were wanting to get out of your comfort zone a bit on this trip,” Tina pointed out. “Showing off that hot body of yours to someone else besides us would definitely go a long way towards that, I think. C’mon... what do you say?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You little slutpuppies just want to finally see me in a bikini,” I replied smirking. “But... fine. We’re here, we might as well go and see what this all involves. If nothing else, we can get an ice cold snack.” Walking over to the stand, I couldn’t help but notice some of the other contestants who were signing up. And... call me vain, call me snobbish... but I felt that my friends and I actually stood a pretty good chance at grabbing the prize. Living most of my life in River City, I’d gotten used to seeing a large number of really hot women, babes with flawless skin, perfect figures, and beautiful hair. Yes, there were exceptions, here and there, though even the ones that I might call homely were, to be fair, pretty damn hot compared to a lot of ‘normal’ people in the rest of the country.

And, then, of course, there was that damned bimbo virus a few years ago, some crazed chef with a chip on his shoulder had unleashed. The virus itself had been neutralized and the citizens ‘cured’, but as a side effect, everyone affected had had their bodies pretty much airbrushed, for lack of a better term. Women and men alike had had most of their imperfections removed, pimples and acne vanished, wrinkles smoothing or disappearing completely. And nearly every woman had permanently gone up a cup size or two, and every man had reportedly gained a couple of inches down below.

Luckily, or unluckily, depending on how you looked at it, I never contracted the virus. Either I’d never come in contact with the vector it had spread from, or I was simply immune. Either way, I missed out on being ‘enhanced’, which might have left me a bit upset if I wasn’t completely fine with my body as it was.

Which I am, by the way. And... speaking of the bimbo virus...

“Hey! Welcome! My name is, like, Debbs! I’m, like, hosting the Miami Beach Summer Bikini Contest!” a bleach blonde deeply tanned young woman stated. I couldn’t help but blink, taken aback by her obvious enthusiasm, and the jiggle of her presumably fake tits as she spoke. Her eyes were wide and slightly vacant, to the point where I found myself wondering if this woman were capable of hosting anything, let alone sponsoring a bikini contest. “Are you guys, like, wanting to sign up?” she asked, jiggling again.

“Er, y-yeah,” Jan replied, apparently as caught off guard as I was. “Yes, the three of us. We’d like to sign up.”

“Oh, wow, that’s like, so cool!” she replied with a giggle. Glancing at the three of us, however, she frowned, tilting her head in confusion as she looked me over. “Uhhhhh... are YOU gonna enter the bikini contest too?” she asked.

“Uh, yes, I am,” I replied, frowning as well. That was what we’d come here for after all.

“But... you’re not, like, wearing a bikini,” she pointed out.

I sighed inwardly. “No, I’m not... not right now. Why, is the contest happening in the next few minutes?” I asked sarcastically. Which, of course, went right over her head.

“Oh, no! It’s not until tomorrow at noon,” she piped in, cheerfully. “Still... I would guess yer not exactly a bikini babe, are you?” she asked, peering closely at me again. “I mean... yer really pale. Like.... really REALLY pale! Like, you’ve never been in the sun before at all!” I scowled, my eyes flashing, as I began to get annoyed. “But, well,” she said, suddenly cheerful once again, “maybe that’s all the better reason to enter, yanno? A good contest needs a lot of varirty after all!”

“Um, I think you mean ‘variety’...” I corrected her.

“Oh yeah! That too!” she agreed, nodding vigorously, again making her boobs jiggle. “Anyway, just, like, fill out these forms and we’ll totally get you registered for the contest!” Sighing deeply, wondering why I was even bothering, I filled out the form and handed it to the bimbo along with Jan and Tina’s. “Thanks a lot! Here’s a copy of the rules and junk,” she said, handing me a small brochure, “and just meet up for the contest tomorrow morning! And here,” she said, reaching back to the counter behind her, taking the small cup of shaved ice from an employee working the stand, “have a free shaved ice! Thanks again... and have a good daaaayyy!!”

“Well... she was certainly... something,” Tina remarked, as we drew back, each of us with a shaved ice cup. “Mmmm... good stuff, though,” she added, taking a bit of her confection, licking her lips. “It’s really good... really sweet too. I haven’t had a good shaved ice in ages!”

“Yeah, mine’s good too!” Jan remarked, her lips already a deep blue from the syrup-covered ice. “And this contest does sound like a lot of fun. I’m glad you decided to do this with us, Gwen.”

“Yeah, well,” I murmured, staring at the overly saturated dessert in my hands. “I guess I’m committed now. Besides, that girl kind of pissed me off with that ‘oh you’re so pale’ talk.” I shook my head. “Hell, now I want to win this thing just so I can rub it in her face!”

“Cool! That’s the spirit!” Tina said, patting me lightly on the back. “Well, I’m heading over to the shoreline for some more surfing,” she stated, tossing her empty cup in the trash.

“Yeah, and I’m heading off to see if I can do any better on that sandcastle I was working on yesterday,” Jan interjected, tossing hers as well. “What do ya say, Gwen? Wanna help?”

“Nah, that’s okay,” I replied with a shake of my head. “I have some reading to catch up on. But you two go and have fun.” I patted the sun umbrella clutched in my free hand. “You guys know where to find me if you need me.”

Retaking my spot from yesterday, I set up my umbrella for some shade, set out my towel, and sat down to read. Having finished my previous book the day before, I’d lucked up, finding a small supply of books at the kiosk next to the hotel front desk. To my delight, they had one copy of a Clancy book I hadn’t yet read, so I scooped it up immediately. Sighing in anticipation, I parked my cute little butt down, and flipped it open to the first page... only to pause, glancing back as I sensed a familiar presence approaching.

“Got a new book I see,” Adam replied in way of greeting, peering down at me. “Huh. ‘Shadow of the Dragon’, hmm? Not familiar with that one. Is it any good?”

“Not sure, I just started reading it,” I replied. “You seem to be doing well today,” I commented, giving him a once-over. “Everything go okay with your ex?”

He merely grunted, glancing down at the tablet he carried. “Let’s just say she was... being particularly stubborn,” he murmured, before glancing up sharply. “Hey... you got that at the booth over there, right?” he asked pointing at the still untouched shaved ice sitting beside me. “I wouldn’t eat that if I were you.”

“Oh, I didn’t plan to,” I remarked, shrugging. “I’m not a fan of excess sugary syrup unless it’s on my pancakes. Besides,” I added, crinkling my nose slightly, “I didn’t really trust the guy running the booth. She seemed to be missing a few cards from her deck if you know what I mean.”

Adam sighed softly, glancing down. “Yeah... that’s putting it mildly.” He switched off his tablet and sat down on the ground next to me. “The lady running the booth? Her name is Debra Tanner. She used to be my chemistry teacher in college, and Dean of the department.”

I blinked at that. “HER?!?” I asked, dubious. “She was a teacher? Are you sure you’re not confusing her with someone else?”

“No, that was her all right,” the boy replied, shaking his head sadly. “She was one of my favorite instructors back then... before she was fired.” He lowered his head. “Dammit... yet another failure on my part... another casualty of my stupidity...”

Frowning, I glanced over at him. “Okay, bud, enough of the cryptic shit. Spill it. What is this about? Obviously, something weird is going on here, and you seem to be stuck in the middle of it.” Grunting, Adam said nothing, merely staring down at his hands. “Hey! I’m serious!” I barked, causing him to wince. “You warned me from eating that shaved ice, but my two girlfriends already ate theirs. If that bleach blond bimbo poisoned them or something—”

“What? NO! No, no, it’s not poison,” he said, hastily, glancing up again. “I assure you, it’s nothing like that. They... they’re fine. Trust me.”

“Then tell me what this is all about,” I insisted, scowling. I was about ten seconds from using the glare on him, taking control of his mind and forcing the truth out of him, when he finally relented.

“Okay, okay. I’ll tell you,” he said, resigned. “I’ll explain everything that’s happened. It will... be good to talk to someone else about this, really,” he added softly. “I’ve been dealing with this all on my own... not sure you can help, but just talking about it, getting it all out in the open... that would take some of the weight off, I think.”

“Okay then, feel free to unload,” I replied leaning forward, but he shook his head, climbing back to his feet.

“No. Not here,” he said, glancing around, fearfully. “Let’s go back to the hotel, to my room. I promise I’ll explain everything there.”

I frowned at that. Honestly, the whole thing sounded really sketchy. And inviting me up to his room, alone, in private... yeah, definitely not the thing your typical girl on vacation should do with a virtual stranger. But... I was anything BUT your typical girl. I was more than capable of taking care of myself. And... I trusted my gut. Adam didn’t give off any shifty kind of vibe. Everything I’d gotten from him yesterday and today gave me the feeling he was just a nice guy in a lot of trouble and in over his head. Sighing softly, knowing the girls would likely give me shit for getting involved, especially after discouraging THEM from getting involved in the whole ‘living sand’ thing, I nodded and followed Adam upstairs to his room.