The Tree Goddess

by Tom Raimbault

  Late at night, Kelly often lay awake in bed, all the while imagining Daren on the other side of the door with a burning desire to knock. It was so real! Why didn't he knock? So she wore a see-through nightgown on an evening of overpowering fantasy, and carefully approached the door. Her fingers touched the knob as she felt his on the other side. It would only take a careful opening of the door, pretending to need the bathroom. The soft light would shine through the nightgown and expose Kelly's beckoning nipples and the curvature of her back & buttocks. Unable to resist, Daren would finally seize the young girl to use and abuse in overpowering lust. But Kelly had cold feet. Perhaps the plan was all wrong. The door was never opened.

  Days later, Kelly made a strange discovery in the corner of the bedroom wall near a row of shelves. Really the warped, dark trim between the antique walls appeared to already contain the formation of a small, natural hole. But it looked as though someone had carefully widened this hole as a means to see inside her bedroom. But where was the observation post? She knocked on the wall, taking notice that there was a space behind it. Exiting her room and exploring her way down the hall, Kelly opened the linen closet to discover a removable panel in the back that provided access to a storage space. But the space remained empty as she walked sideways between the dimly-lit, cobweb strewn area until reaching a crack of light in the wall. She peeked through the small hole which yielded a full view of her own bedroom. Everything could be seen, including her dresser, her bed and the very walk-in closet where she stood naked to dress. Mary would be the least-likely suspect of Kelly's invasion of privacy. Daren had been watching the young girl in her most private moments!

  On the day of her discovery, Daren was out of town. This gave Kelly some time to evaluate the finding which; through a few nights of serving the watchful eyes of horny, male customers at Hotlicks; evolved into a mischievous plan. Not a word was mentioned to Mary. And not a clue of her awareness was spilled to Daren of the peep hole.

  Kelly awoke at noon, on a day that Daren was home, and did her usual routine in the shower. But on this day, she returned to the bedroom with a small bucket of water, shaving cream and a razor. The bathrobe was removed which exposed her fully-naked body—an appetizer for the peeping eye.

  She turned side-to-side, examining herself in the mirror and then studied her most private possession. Then she sat on the bed with the bucket of water on the floor and lathered her pubic region with shaving cream. Daren was going to be treated to a private show of the young girl shaving!

  She performed the display as to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Kelly could hear the rapidly-beating heart through the wall, along with barely controllable breathing. How many guys were treated to such delicate sight of a young girl doing this? Many men had probably gawked at her in the sports bar, but Daren got to see what they could have only dreamed of.

  Chapter 7

  Science has disproved it time and time again. There is no correlation between a rise in crime and violence, rise in birth rates or rise in visits to the hospitals during times of the full moon. And yet many law enforcement officials and staff at emergency rooms are in tune with those times of lunar peak. People are crazy during the full moon, and there are plenty who take notice of this.

  Just ask Aunt Loraine who visited Mary and Kelly on a hot, summer afternoon in August. Daren was flying back from Detroit after a biomedical convention. And before warning the young, Hotlicks girl of the full moon, Aunt Loraine commented on the mausoleum that now sat in Mary's backyard. “Your Grandpa Trivelli always wanted a mausoleum in this backyard. But Grandma Trivelli wouldn't allow it!”

  Poor Mary could only sigh and imperceptibly shake her head in disbelief.

  Then Aunt Loraine warned Kelly of a possible danger in the evening. “And do be careful at the establishment of ill repute, tonight! It's a full moon and lots of crazy things happen then. And I'm sure Hotlicks is just the sort of place where the activities of Sodom and Gomorrah are resurrected. Are you sure about working at Hotlicks? It seems like a nice place, but…”

  “She's fine, Aunt Loraine!” As always, Mary found it necessary to cut off the crazy, old lady in her irrational attacks of whatever the obsession was of the moment. Kelly saw it to be the perfect opportunity to excuse herself and head off to work.

  It must have been close to 100 degrees outside! It was going to be a hot time in the old town that night for sure! For the heavily forested region of Mapleview, the heat was an unusual phenomenon. To make matters worse, Kelly was without air conditioning in the inexpensive car purchased for temporary use while becoming established in Mapleview. She couldn't wait to get in the bar and grill where, on a day like that one, the air conditioning would run.

  But although Hotlicks Sports Bar and Grill had the air conditioning running full blast, the heat seemed to pour in through the walls, the windows and any time a patron entered. And what a wild night it was! Kelly had never seen the likes of it before as customers demanded more and more beer! There was shouting, fighting and plenty of ass-grabbing in between! Aunt Loraine must have been right. The full moon on a hot night would bring the worst out of everyone.

  1:00, the last patron had left, arguing he wanted one more drink. But town ordinances for serving alcohol were to be strictly followed, and closing time at Hotlicks was 1:00. This rule not only gave employees time to clean up, but allowed an hour for the parking lot to clear and a chance for the popular Hotlicks girls to safely step outside to their vehicles.

  The unbearable summer heat had eased, but it was still humid and uncomfortably warm. Traveling with her windows wide open provided Kelly some relief. Perhaps the hours of craziness, the sticky humidity and the weeks of games back at the Trivelli house mixed with the full moon and caused Kelly to pull over at the Hidden Lake Forest Preserve, where she hesitated before following through with a crazy idea. Remaining in the car, Kelly's shirt was lifted off; her bra was removed; and shorts along with panties were pulled down. The only articles of remaining clothing were her shoes that were needed for driving, of course.

  Completely naked, she turned the opposite direction from home and drove the lonely, forested highway that was illuminated by the light of the full moon. The breeze blew freely against her bare skin, yielding the sense of ultimate freedom. And then a car approached in the opposite lane with its brights on. What if the occupants of that vehicle saw the naked Hotlicks girl and turned around for a chase? Fortunately, this did not happen. But it changed the mood into panic for Kelly as she wondered, “What am I doing?”

  The forested road offered shoulders on both sides. Trembling with racing heart racing, Kelly immediately pulled over and quickly stepped into her shorts. The panties were neglected for the sake of speed and so was the bra as both undergarments were thrown out the window. The white t-shirt was pulled on, and Kelly made a u-turn to head home. Passing the entryway of the Hidden Lake Forest Preserve, she continued along until finally reaching the half-block, uphill driveway of the historic house.

  She was greeted by the unexpected presence of Daren, who smiled with a bottle of beer in his hand. Approaching her car as Kelly exited; he was in the mood for small talk while drawing close. “Unusual weather here in Mapleview, huh?”

  Kelly agreed, “Oh Yeah! It was so hot today! And the bar was roasting.”

  There was something locking of Daren's stance, almost as-if he had the power of holding the young girl captive. And he smiled with a frightening glint in his eyes, suggesting that tonight was the night he had been waiting for. Taking a guzzle from the half-finished bottle, the will of his invitation could be felt before speaking. “Come here, I want to show you something.” Daren motioned the young girl to follow as he walked off the driveway and towards the backyard.

  Kelly worried that it might look odd to resist his invitation. Although she suddenly didn't trust the man, he was Mary's husband, and he did allow her to live there. Feeling she had no choice, Kelly trailed behind, wondering what might be so important for Dare
n to show her.

  The mausoleum? What did he have to show her about the building? They stood at the entrance as Daren pulled the keys out of his pocket. “Here that? That's the new air conditioning.” He was proud of the new addition to the building. And Kelly couldn't believe that Daren had unlocked and opened the thick, iron door. No one, outside of Daren and the contractor, had ever seen the inside of that building, including Mary. He placed his hot hand on Kelly's sticky, sweaty shoulder. “Come on in; it's nice and cool in here.”

  It was just like any small family mausoleum, except it lacked decaying occupants. A lightly-stained, wooden bench was mounted to the center floor; two dimly-lit sconces affixed to the rear-wall; and empty but closed crypts took up the sidewalls of the building. “Ah, air conditioning! Feels good, huh?” Daren swigged the remains of his beer, set the bottle in the corner and closed the iron door.

  Kelly didn't know what to say. He acted like his mausoleum was the greatest thing ever while appearing to believe that it was the only place to stay cool. She reminded Daren that the house, inside, was just as cool. “Well, when I was home earlier today, Mary had the central air on. The house should be comfortable.”

  “Oh yeah; she's still got the air on. But maybe it's a little cooler in here. Maybe it's just the thing you need to cool down after a long, hot day.” His eyes darted at her chest as Kelly realized that coming in from the hot, humid air brought on an immediate chill in the air-conditioned mausoleum. Within less than a minute, her skin was cold with goose bumps. It was then apparent as to why Kelly had been brought inside Daren's club house.

  There wasn't much room to back up. The young girl had no choice but to receive a sloppy, wet kiss from Mary's husband. He was such a good looking man with thick, muscular frame. The weeks of fantasy and the sexy taste of beer on his breath left Kelly enchanted as she pulled herself in. Clothes were removed from the naughty girl who neglected to wear undergarments. She was lifted up with legs wrapped around his waist. Kelly's head hit the ceiling a few times; then after a few minutes, her back rest upon the icy wall of crypts. Finally, she was laid on the wooden bench where she slid back and forth until the moment had ended. All of this was done while Mary slept soundly in her bed.

  Chapter 8

  Just as expected, the nightly encounters would continue in the mausoleum. Many evenings, Kelly stepped outside in the August air, curious if Mary's husband waited. Sure enough, he stood at the iron door with the mischievous, guilty look in his eyes. Other times she was disappointed to learn that Daren was out of town. The nights of his absence were unbearable as Kelly lay tossing and turning in bed, worrying if he brought another woman back to his hotel room for a fling. And of course there were nights when Daren chose the company of his wife over the mistress. It brought on mixed feelings of jealousy, guilt and anxiety. Did Mary feel her cousin's kiss through Daren? Did she sense the man fantasizing of the young girl while they made love?

  Kelly attempted to convince herself that this new, steamy, summer affair was all wrong. But the reasoning was soon drowned by her realization that the sexual encounters were much needed, both physically and emotionally. Moving to Mapleview was a bit of cultural shock, and Kelly was in serious need of companionship. There wasn't much to choose from in the small, rural town; but she wasn't about to live a life a celibacy. And really she wasn't ready for serious relationship. That's why a dirt bag like Daren was perfect for her. Oh, he was kind and appeared interested in the personal life of Kelly. But Kelly knew men, and Daren was no different. Only a dirt bag would cheat on a wonderful wife like Mary.

  It was the thoughts of Mary that occasionally grounded the young girl and choked her uncontrollable desires for Daren. Mary truly was a wonderful person. She was beautiful, kind, generous, well-mannered and patient. She had a special gift for easy conversation. She calmly listened without reservations or preconceptions, and spoke in such a calming, re-assuring manner. There was a light that shone from Mary; she truly was special. How could Kelly have become involved in such a betrayal of an angel on Earth?

  Then her desires for Daren would return as she could not refuse such fantastic sex. In turn, the guilt for betraying Mary would eat away at her soul. Each time she turned back to desire, the guilt became stronger. Then one September night during the ride home from work, both desire and guilt were equal. They were like two horses with parallel strength, pulling Kelly's mind in opposite directions. She would go mad if continuing this lifestyle. That night she had to break the cycle and immediately avoid the mausoleum.

  Up the half-block driveway on a cool, September night; Kelly walked right up the house and up to her room. For sure, Daren was waiting and probably disappointed that his concubine would not join him for the night. But enough was enough. Kelly had to take the first step in gaining control of her life.

  Nothing was initially said the following afternoon when Kelly went downstairs for breakfast. Daren sat at the sofa, watching TV, appearing unaffected by last night's change of plans. But there was something dark that overshadowed the man as he remained speechless with somber, pale face. While Kelly ate her bowl of cereal, Daren slowly and calmly entered the kitchen with eyes locked on the young girl. “I'm going out of town for about a week.”

  She could see how skilled the man was in camouflaging his possible, violent anger. The spoon was set down and Kelly sighed, “Daren, I can't do this anymore. I just can't.”

  His eyes burned red with fury, but he produced a mask of understanding sadness. “Okay…”

  Then he turned, walked away and ascended the flight of stairs. Just as Kelly could feel Daren's hidden lust weeks ago, she could now feel his subliminal outrage which frightened her beyond belief. It would only be a matter of time before she learned of the monster that awaited her. It was time to leave the Trivelli house! She had the money saved up. An apartment could be obtained in Mapleview in less than a week. She could even sleep on the floor without a bed until she either purchased one or moved her own into town from New York.

  After a few days of arising early and scouting Mapleview for an apartment, Kelly managed to locate a 1st floor unit in a complex located in town. Living there would require another 10 minutes of travel from work; but the time had come to establish herself in Mapleview.

  * * *

  “Moving out? This week? Why in such a hurry?” Mary was baffled at the sudden announcement that her cousin was leaving. With only the baggage she brought with, Kelly had no furniture or bed. If the young girl didn't have the family reputation of being “misguided and misunderstood”, Mary might have thought that Daren had something to with it. Maybe Kelly was simply moving in with a newfound boyfriend. Or maybe she needed the privacy for drugs or sex. Her cousin was a grown woman, and Mary wasn't about to hold her back. She watched as Kelly left on a late, Wednesday afternoon for work with baggage in her hands. The Trivelli house would now only have two occupants.

  * * *

  If you happen to commute the same route to work, then perhaps you've found yourself reflecting of thoughts from the previous day and the day before that. This phenomenon might be done on an isolated road in the early morning or late evening hours. Although they might not be the exact same thoughts, or the same topic for that matter, the spark of neurons seem to be affected in such a way that the daydreams, speculations and ponderings are related. If time were an illusion, then that lonely stretch of road would be a timeless realm where one returns to a private story book, read again and again, under different frames of mind.

  Kelly was not a deeply, intellectual person that involved herself in mind-altering, philosophical thoughts. As far as she was concerned; the dark, lonely, wooded highway that she traveled home each night was the same. But she did pay attention to the change of weather. Only weeks ago, she was faced with the unbearable, August heat. Now in Early September, she drove home with the windows partially cracked; passing the entrance to the Hidden Lake Forest Preserve; passing the half-mile driveway to the Trivelli house; and into town where h
er apartment complex was located. But every night was a personal trial with imagined, un-seeable judge and jurors who probed Kelly of the affair with Daren. Would she ever find peace? And did she truly learn her lesson? And although Kelly was the one on trial, she couldn't help but wonder how in the world Mary could live with a man like Daren. Did she see the frightening side of Daren and his potential to become a monster? To intensify these late night, private trials into anxiety; the presence of a pick-up truck tailed Kelly some distance down the highway before turning right. It annoyed the Hotlicks girl. It was like clockwork: the aggressive vehicle was part of the nightly ride home and seemed to push her faster along the road. Kelly seemed to forget the vehicle once out of sight, but then strongly wished there was a way to avoid it upon suddenly appearing during her ride home.

  Kelly was called into the manager's office of Hotlicks on a Friday night, a half-hour before leaving. Keep in mind that the bar and grill closes at 1:00, and the parking lot is expected to clear within the hour. This provided the ability for the Hotlicks girls to safely exit the building and walk to their cars.

  Bouncer Carl sat in one of the chairs and immediately informed Kelly of a threat to her safety. “Kelly, we noticed a vehicle parked out in the lot, long after everyone had left. Don and I went up to the driver to advise him to leave. And then I noticed it was the same guy who grabbed you that one night. You know, feeling your arms? I pretended not to recognize him and was like, 'Can I help you?' He said he was waiting for one of the girls to get off work, waiting for Liz.”

  Liz was Kelly's stage name. In an effort to protect the Hotlicks girls, none of their badges displayed real names. Carl advised Kelly to be cautious while driving home. Then he provided his cell phone number in case she felt in danger. It's funny to think of how unprofessionally the incident had been handled by an establishment that valued safety of the girls. Carl never recorded the name of Steve Coldsworth, who paid for his unfinished beer on the night of Kelly's assault with a debit card. He never called the Mapleview Police to report a motorist that was loitering in the parking lot of Hotlicks after hours. And he never gave Kelly so much of a description of the vehicle, only to be careful. To make matters worse, the big-headed bouncer who prided himself in being aggressive and strong, never recorded a license plate number or a description of the vehicle. Exactly how safe was it for a Hotlicks girl to work at the bar and grill?