by David Kempf
“I see,” she said.
It was as if the crystal was attempting to communicate a message to her, like Sarah was a transmitter or something very much like it. There were things she saw when it was all lit up. Images of hopes and dreams that had not yet come true filled the crystal. Sarah was hooked. Sarah was fascinated. Sarah was addicted. There was absolutely no turning back now. She wanted to keep this crystal forever and somehow discover what its power was. Sarah could almost hear voices from some faraway place when she held the beautiful crystal up to the light of the fire. She felt deeply frustrated because she knew that there must be some way to make use of this power. She just didn’t know how. This was something she would have to discover for herself.
“Sorry about that,” Henry said.
Sarah, trying to compose herself, put the crystal in her pocket.
“Are you okay?” asked the professor.
“Sure. I’m fine.”
“Well, how about that drink now?”
“Sure.”
Sarah drank her glass of red wine in almost one gulp. It was a shame to waste the time she could have spent savoring it. She didn’t have that luxury because she had just become a thief.
“Could I see a bit more of the house, Henry?”
“Yes. I would be happy to show you more.”
“Good.”
They walked down yet another hallway. This one was much better lit than the one into which the professor had disappeared earlier. There were quite a few paintings in this one. Some looked rather old but others looked like they had been painted during the past ten years or so.
“Are all of these your former students?”
“Funny.” The professor seemed amused by her sarcastic little joke. Most of the paintings were nudes of young women around Sarah’s age.
“Who painted them?” she asked.
“The older ones were purchased by me. Some are from the 1700’s and 1800’s.”
“Yes. I can see that.”
“They’re very beautiful, like you.”
“Who painted the more modern ones?”
“I did.”
“I see.”
“You do?”
“Sure.” She said.
“Sarah, it’s not what it looks like.”
“Appearances can be deceiving,” she said.
“That’s truer then I hope you’ll ever have to know.”
“Why do you paint nude pictures of young women?”
“I see the female body as pure art. So you understand?”
“Yes. Dr. Henry likes to paint his conquests.” She smiled.
“No.”
“Okay. Why do you do this?”
“It inspires me and my writing.”
“I still think it’s a way for you to fondly remember past semesters.”
“Okay. There is some truth in that.” The professor smiled at his beautiful student. He was only thinking about how intoxicating it would be to watch her undress and make love to her. The thought of her stealing his precious crystal was nowhere inside his mind. Henry was blinded by his lust for this lovely young girl. She smiled back at him as if reading his thoughts.
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“Sarah, would you consider being the subject of one my paintings?”
“I thought you would never ask.”
“Paintings take a long time. So I was wondering?”
“Don’t worry,” she said. Sarah was looking at the lustful stare on the professor’s face. The time had come and she thought it would be wrong to make him wait any longer. What he didn’t know was that she had no intention of leaving without the magical crystal that she had discovered.
“Well?”
“Yes. We can make love before you paint me in the nude.”
The professor had made love to many young women at Donnis over the course of his tenure. He knew before they even started that she was going to be special. He watched her undress slowly. Sarah’s body was so beautiful. Her breasts were perfect; not too big or too small. Her legs looked even better without the stockings! Then he discovered the most wonderful thing of all. When it came right down to it, she really knew what she was doing. Henry was beginning to wonder if she was as sexually experienced as he was. Sarah really liked what she was doing. Henry had slept with a few young ladies who were just going through the motions to please him. What a turn-off! The other thing that had ruined the mood for him in the past was when he could tell they were fantasizing about other men. When the women pretended he was a younger version of himself, he felt like a dirty old man. Henry knew he could be whatever a woman wanted him to be. He could always keep up appearances and change his personal appearance. Still, it was nice for a woman to want to go to bed with him as he was now, and not the glorified author or the young, handsome man on the back cover of his novel. Sarah enjoyed making love to him. He knew enough about women to know when they were faking an orgasm. She wasn’t. During the course of two hours well spent, she had two of them. Granted, the dirty old man had three, but still it was a mutually beneficial experience.
“That was amazing,” she said.
“What was?” He asked, breathing heavily.
“I think you know,” said Sarah.
“What was amazing was that you didn’t kill me. I swear I thought I was going to have a stroke or a heart attack.”
“It would be a good way to go.”
“Yes. It’s probably the way I will go!”
Sarah laughed and smiled at all the right places. She did have a great time with Henry tonight. The expectation she’d had on her arrival was that she would be seduced by a well known professor who was also a best-selling author. That was not what was going on here. The real seduction came from the crystal she still had hidden away. Henry paid so much attention to her lovely naked body that he neglected to look at her clothing. That was where the real secret was. She felt so fiendishly manipulative.
“Don’t get dressed so fast, young lady.”
“Oh?”
“I can’t make love any more tonight, but I can start to make my first sketches of your beautiful body.”
“Okay.”
“Give me a few minutes to get what I need.”
“Just let me freshen up, Henry. Then I’ll be ready.” Sarah knew this was no time for being a bad sport. She had to feign excitement for the thrill of posing nude for the great professor. If she didn’t do that, he may know that she had more important things on her mind like the crystal. What had once belonged to him would soon belong to her. She just had to pretend to be an enthusiastic centerfold for a while. Sarah was amused at this whole situation. It really was fun and even somewhat of a perverse honor to have a brief affair with Henry David Wells. A story about an innocent (that might be a stretch) young girl seduced by her older, more experienced writing professor would sell. It would probably make a great erotica novel.
“You’re so beautiful,” said the professor.
“Thank you.” Sarah was so sick and tired of men telling her she was beautiful. How about telling me I’m smart every once in a while? she thought. Even better, why not tell me that I’m a talented writer who makes your wife a better lover? No. There was very little she heard in the way of that. Still, sexually frustrated and neurotic housewives found her work intriguing.
“That’s good,” said the professor.
“Good. This really turns me on,” she said.
“You’re lying,” he said.
“What makes you say that?” Sarah asked.
“I can tell when a woman is getting tired,” said Henry.
Only a few years before this experience, Sarah dreamed of posing for Playboy. Now this seemed a dreary and mundane experience. She was actually getting bored. The excitement of discovering the crystal and its hidden power was overwhelming. She knew that this silly, pretentious drawing session would end. It just seemed as if it never would.
“This is exciting,” said Sarah.
“Now that’s worse than lying
,” said the professor.
“What is?” Sarah asked.
“Sarcasm is worse than lying.”
“Really?”
“In my book it is.”
“I thought your book was a book of horror.”
“It is a book of horror.”
“I know. I read it.”
“Did you like it?”
“Honestly, horror is not my genre. I like erotica.”
“I can tell.”
The professor’s genuinely good sense of humor was now making the experience more comfortable for Sarah. He was happy and she was happy that he was. Still, she wondered if she would ever be caught. There was little doubt in her mind that she was going to get away with stealing his crystal. She couldn’t help wondering about its actual use. It made her think about everything she wanted in life. It made her wish she was a more important person. It didn’t glow or levitate in some magical way. The crystal displayed not even the tiniest evidence that it was supernatural. One thing is for sure, she thought. The crystal is not natural. There was something that was very mysterious about it. Something about it was….seducing her.
“I think that’s enough for today’s session,” said the professor.
“Okay, Henry.”
“You can get dressed but I would like to resume working on this painting.”
“I know.”
“You can spend the night if you want,” said Henry.
“That’s sweet but I have a busy day tomorrow.”
“I understand. You’ll come back to see the old man. Won’t you?”
“You better believe it. I’m going to drop in on you often and soon.”
“Excellent.”
The rain had stopped and it was going to be a much easier drive back home for her. It was also going to be a hell of a lot more exciting then it was getting there. She came with the excitement of anticipating making love. She was leaving with the terrible thrill of being a jewel thief. This was turning into what could only be described as the most exciting night of Sarah Nolan’s life! It looked like smooth sailing. She knew that it wouldn’t be long before he noticed the crystal was missing. Her plan was simple. She would simply deny that she ever saw the crystal. She was very excited thinking that she just might get away with this.
“Oh, dear God!” screamed the professor. “It’s missing. Where is it?” This was a tense moment for Henry David Wells. He was going to have to report to his masters that the crystal was missing. It wasn’t so much the crystal’s sacred power that gave it its value; it was how incriminating it was that mattered. It was something his masters intended for him and him alone a long time ago. The masters were going to be very displeased with him. The punishment would be swift and foul. How the professor hated the unspeakable and sadistic chastising of those who held power over him. The only possibility he could think of was that Sarah took the crystal. She must have gotten away with it when he had to speak with his masters. How furious they would be when they found out!
The only option he had was a regrettable one. He would simply have to get it back. No one would ever know and could ever know. Even those who’d found him out in the past didn’t understand his kind. The sad truth was that he would have to find out what Sarah knew. It was going to be most unpleasant for both of them to find out. She would have to tell him the truth. Henry could tell that she was as dishonest as she was beautiful. He had no wish to hurt her but it was too late now. Henry certainly had no wish to do to her what he knew was know inevitable. He sighed. Then he thought about it logically. Sarah Nolan sealed her fate the moment she left his home with the crystal.
***
She just stared at it. The crystal did nothing extraordinary and yet she couldn’t keep her eyes off of it. Sarah couldn’t help but feel some kind of presence from it. The power it had over her was very odd. She couldn’t understand what was going on, as her thoughts and dreams seemed to come out of her mind and circle her. Words could not describe this feeling of awe and utter self love she was experiencing. It was more rapturous than any orgasm. It was more intoxicating than any alcohol she’d ever had. The whole thing opened up her mind more than any mind altering drug. She was experiencing her innermost dreams and feelings. All of this was happening just by being in the same room as the crystal! This was becoming addictive. She didn’t want the experience to end. Some of the experiences were terrifying. They took her into a part of herself that she wished didn’t exist. People she would like to see removed from the face of the planet appeared in her mind. Feelings of vengeance came to her. They swept her off her feet and mentally seduced her. Her anger towards her former lovers, men who used her, was strong. If only she could do away with them with a single glance. The crystal seemed to be sending her a message. She could do much with a discovery of power.
Henry David Wells couldn’t wait any longer. He simply got into his car and drove. The directions to Sarah’s were printed out for him. It was easy enough for him to do. The hard part was coming. When he had to hurt Sarah, he would not have to regret it. She made a fatal error and it was almost time to pay the piper. The professor had some hope that he could meet another beautiful student this semester. He knew that he would have to take great precautions to hide the crystal when he got it back. No one would ever take advantage of his trust again. Only a fool would allow a priceless crystal to be stolen with such ease. He knew that his masters would consider how incredibly stupid he was when they would sentence him. They would certainly inquire why he did not take better precautions. What was worse for him is that they would want to satisfy their cravings for their favorite indulgence. That’s where this young man Christopher Wisdom would come in handy. How convenient for the professor that he was already so close. He would read his stories and his e-mails. Then he could invite him over, satisfy the masters and that would be that.
“They’re telling me something is here,” said Sarah. She fled out the window, grasping the crystal she worshipped for dear life. Somehow she knew. It wasn’t that hard to figure out. Surely, the professor wouldn’t let anyone steal a valuable, let alone mysteriously powerful, crystal. Something was telling her to drive to Donnis. The strange thing was that she figured that would probably be the last place Henry would look for her. Even if he found her, what would he do to her? It was the most important question that she might ever ask herself. Would he call the police and arrest her? Would he leave them out and take the law into his own hands? What then? Henry David Wells didn’t seem like the kind of man who would beat her. Still, when something as valuable as this was concerned, it’s hard to say what anyone would do to protect it. Perhaps many people would do things that were radically out of character for them under normal circumstances. Sarah was no stranger to abusive relationships. Her high school boyfriend was a football player and the most popular guy in their class. Whenever he would lose a game, he would become violent and abusive. It didn’t happen very often because his team usually won. He would slap her face, enough to leave mild red marks on her cheeks. He was nothing compared to some of her other boyfriends many years and many lovers later. The only time she had ever fought back was the last time anyone ever messed with her. The last guy who hit her got a surprise. She took an ordinary kitchen knife and transformed it into self defense and self respect. When her abusive lover felt the tip of the knife at his throat, he knew it was time to leave her alone.
Henry walked through the window. He found no sign of Sarah. Then he had a particularly odd feeling. More of a thought, he said to himself, “What if she’s the type who fights back?”
He was most uncomfortable with this increasingly gnawing thought. If this was the case, then he had made everything even more complex than expected. This was not a very pleasant set of circumstances. If this young girl had the same aggressive attitude with self defense that she did in the bedroom, Henry might be in for some trouble. Serious trouble was never a good thing. The masters would want to know why he invited an aggressive woman who knew how to take care of herse
lf. They did not accept excuses.
Sometimes Henry was actually envious of people with mob ties. The mafia was much more reasonable than the creatures he had to deal with. The professor had to use his powers of deductive reasoning. Where did our new friend Sarah go? She could be staying at a friend’s house or maybe with some family member. It wouldn’t be out of the question for her to able to crash at an old boyfriend’s place. Some fool who thought this meant they could get back together. Someone like that would really be useful on a night like this. Maybe she went to a hotel or motel. She could have signed in with an alias. That way she could be anonymous. He was even beginning to wonder if Sarah planned on leaving the state. Leaving the country even. Sarah Nolan was making life very difficult for Henry David Wells. Then something happened. It was another extraordinary feeling.
An overwhelming burden suddenly got much lighter. Donnis. She’s at the school. Sarah thought that would be the last place he would look. So now he made other plans. Donnis was going to be the first place he was going to look.
Nothing was open and she was trying to duck security. Sarah figured if she stayed here until the sun came up, she would be safe. There were plenty of Saturday morning classes here. There was a lovely park behind the main building. Sarah decided to take a walk but not too far from the school. It was terribly exciting to have bested a famous professor and best-selling author. This was still the best night of her life, bar none. This was not a prize she would ever sell. The crystal was special. She needed to do some research about what in the world this thing could be. Now something else crept up in her mind. If what she had in her possession was in all likelihood supernatural, what was Henry?
He could be an ordinary man who just happened to possess something out of this world. This seemed possible but quite unlikely. Did this mean he was some kind of wizard? This didn’t seem bloody likely. He would have already snatched the crystal back from her hands. Hell, she never would have gotten her fingers on it if that was the case. Sarah realized that even if Henry was not otherworldly, he was still rather clever. She came to that realization as she looked out into the distance and saw a man walking towards her. She would bet her life (which she was doing anyway) that it was Dr. Henry David Wells.
