SNAKE

by Leal, Samantha

  “Quattro?” she croaked as she leaned up on her elbows and looked around. She was in the cave…but it was different. No one else was there and a small fire burned around nearby. She looked down at herself and realized she was wearing the black skin of an animal. The fur was keeping her warm, but she had raggy material tied to her feet and she was dirty.

  “What the hell…?” she said as she got to her feet. The pain in her head was still raging, and she was sure that someone was playing a joke on her as she looked around at the lagoon and the ancient rocks. The paintings weren’t as extensive, but they looked fresh, as if they had only just been done. The cave looked different because it wasn’t as developed or underground… She could sense something had changed with time and space… She had gone somewhere else.

  Her mind raced as she thought back to what Quattro said about his colleague disappearing. He had said something about a vortex, about him being taken by something. Melissa looked around in panic… Could the same have happened to her? Could it have been the rocks? Something so strong had pulled her there and then… Nothing. Blackness. Then she had woken up there.

  She trembled as she tried to piece it all together. Then with horror she threw herself back against the wall of the cave as she was sure she could hear something.

  She wasn’t alone.

  There was something else in there with her.

  She swallowed hard as her heart pounded loudly in her chest. She could hear something snarling and moving closer. She curled into a ball, trying to make herself as small as possible so it was almost like she wasn’t there. She was so terrified, she didn’t dare move, and when she finally had the nerve to look up, her heart almost stopped beating.

  There in front of her, about a hundred foot away, was a saber-toothed tiger, massive on its haunches, snarling at her and eyeing her up for its next meal. Melissa wanted to scream, she wanted to run… but she just couldn’t move.

  “It can’t be,” she whispered. “This isn’t happening.”

  The tiger snarled again and moved forward. Its huge paws padded across the frozen earth, and Melissa kept closing her eyes and pinching the skin on her legs.

  “Wake up,” she muttered. “This isn’t real, wake up.”

  When she opened her eyes, the tiger was still in front of her, its immense tusk-like teeth dripping with saliva and the taste for her. She began to wail. The tiger reared up on its hind legs before lunging towards her.

  Suddenly from above, there was a flash of black fur as another creature leapt over her. It dived at the tiger with rage before it could reach Melissa and drove a long spear into its heart. The tiger collapsed onto the floor and whimpered as it let out its last breath. The creature that had saved her got to its feet and stood tall and proud.

  It was with both relief and trepidation that Melissa realized it wasn’t another animal at all, but a person. A handsome man wearing a similar animal pelt to hers, all muscles and dirt, his long hair matted with mud and his chest heaving with exertion. He walked over to her and blocked out the light from the fire with his huge frame before extending a hand to her to help her up.

  “Woman,” he said gruffly. “Get up.”

  6.

  Melissa put her hand in his and he pulled her forcefully to her feet. His eyes were bright and innocent through all of the caked mud and dirt that was covering his skin, and she had the intense urge to reach out and stroke his face.

  “Go,” he said. “Now.”

  Melissa looked up at him and wondered why there was so much urgency. He had killed the danger. The saber-tooth was dead. What else could be waiting for them? She noticed a look of shock on his face and turned to follow his gaze. Behind her in the darkness of the cave were small, strange-looking men with big ugly features crawling out of the shadows.

  Melissa shrieked as he lifted her high up over his shoulder and began to run with her for the cave entrance. She squealed as she bobbed along, her hair trailing right down his back as he clung onto her taut thighs with his big, rough hands.

  The men running after them were like something she had studied. But it couldn’t be possible. They couldn’t be what she thought they were, surely…

  Neanderthals.

  Her savior ran quickly out over the barren terrain, and she clung to him for fear of losing her grip and being dropped in the middle of the icy field and savaged. The sun was setting and casting an orange glow over the ice, and as they ran up an incline and he made a left around a rock, Melissa suddenly felt safe. This place felt free of danger, and it appeared they had outrun them.

  He slowed his pace but still kept a rough grip on her. She could feel his muscles beneath the pelt, and she ran the tips of her fingers over them, lightly stroking each rock-hard flex. She bit her lip with excitement… Although all this seemed unbelievable, she was having the time of her life.

  “Home,” the man said as he approached a cliff face.

  He placed Melissa down on the ground and began to roll away a large boulder that was covering the entrance to another cave.

  “In,” he said.

  When Melissa hesitated, he pulled her by the arm into the cave and began to roll the boulder back over the opening.

  It was dark and warm in there, with the heat and light from an embering fire casting dancing shadows along the walls. She could see paintings of the bulls and horses and wondered if he had decorated some of the caves that she discovered on her excavation with Dr. Quattro.

  This man was so wild and untamed, and yet he clearly had a soft side. He barely spoke, but he was most certainly an advanced human. He wasn’t the same as the Neanderthals… He was just like her, only from the beginning of time. She was enchanted by him and he was with her. He motioned for her to sit down by the fire, and Melissa gladly accepted. She was cold and she pulled the pelt around her as she warmed her feet and legs and rubbed her hands together.

  He moved closer and sat right next to her. He ran his hands through her hair and studied her face. He could tell she was from somewhere else, too… She could feel it.

  “I’m Melissa,” she said as she pointed to her chest.

  “Melissa,” he repeated and a smile spread across his face. He held a hand up to his heart and something inside of Melissa melted.

  Finally, a real man, she thought.

  He got to his feet and started to root through a pile of belongings in the corner. He had bowls which looked like they were made from clay and he had a clay jug filled with water. He offered her a bowl with water in and Melissa drank from it. Even though it was cold, she needed something. She needed to taste something, feel something… She needed to know it was all real.

  “A man,” he said. “Come…”

  Melissa sat up and looked at him. She knew he must have meant Quattro’s colleague, but she didn’t know if he would understand her.

  “Where is he?” she asked.

  “Dead,” he said and shook his head.

  Melissa felt a pang of disappointment. She wondered if Quattro’s colleague had figured out a way to get back to the present. What if she was going to be stuck there forever?

  “What’s your name?” she tried, not sure if he would understand.

  He shook his head, “No.”

  “No?” Melissa laughed.

  “No name,” he said.

  “Well, I’m going to give you a name,” she smiled. “I’m going to call you Saber, because you killed one and saved me.”

  He shrugged and smiled.

  Even though they could barely speak to one another, there was a chemistry between them that was electric. There was something running deeper than language; it was as if their souls had instantly connected and were bonding more with each passing second. Every time he looked at her and their eyes locked, Melissa’s heart beat a little faster and her nerves began to rise. He was such a man, like none she had ever met before. He was so wild and masculine, it was if he was the most original man there had ever been.

  She thought about all of her studie
s and of how she had read about how cavemen had treat their women… This didn’t seem to be anything like it. He hadn’t clubbed her over the head and dragged her back to his cave and had his wicked way with her. He had saved her life, took her away from danger and was now looking after her in his warm, safe cave.

  Their eyes met again and Melissa noticed something stirring in Saber. He had the potential to unleash his animal instinct and the tension made Melissa grow wet between the legs. He moved towards her quickly and grabbed her between both of his huge arms. As she looked into his eyes, something changed between them both. She had to have him. Right there and then.

  7.

  He held onto her with all the power of a God. She felt tiny in his arms and the strength radiating from him was intense and overwhelming.

  “Saber,” she whispered.

  She reached a hand up tenderly to his face and brushed some of the hair away from his eyes. He was so handsome, even under all of the sweat and dirt. His cheekbones and features were chiseled and prominent, jutting out in defined lines that made him look even more masculine. At her touch, he turned his mouth so it almost met her hand. She could tell her wanted to kiss her, but it was almost as if he didn’t know how.

  There was a part of Melissa that felt as if she could read his mind… She knew he had been with another woman before, but he seemed to know she was different. He could tell that she needed to be touched differently, and he wanted to kiss her but wasn’t sure whether he should.

  Melissa nodded and moved her lips to his. She kissed him softly and that seemed to be all Saber needed to unleash his fiery passion. He pulled her close to him and she could feel his manhood, red hot and stiff between his thighs. She moaned as he grunted and pushed her back against the cave wall. In an instant, a switch had flipped and he changed. His animalistic nature burst free, and he was ready to be the lover he had always been.

  Melissa threw her head back as he trailed kisses up her neck and slipped a hand between her thighs. She was soaking wet and he grunted hard as his fingers found her moist opening and slipped a big, thick finger up inside of her. Melissa gasped. His touch was rough but so pleasurable. She had never been turned on so much in her entire life.

  She spread her legs further and let him explore her body. He ripped at the pelt to expose her breasts and grunted as he pulled away his own clothing. When he stood naked in front of her, Melissa couldn’t help but smile. He was such a fine example of a man, so perfect. Even with all their differences, even with the fact they were from thousands of years apart, their pure human instincts of lust and passion pulled them together with an incredible force.

  Saber took hold of her and lifted her high into the air. He carried her over to the fire and lay her down on the fur pelt in front of it. She didn’t even notice the cold as she looked down at his huge throbbing cock and ached to have it inside of her. He knelt in front of her and parted her legs with his knees. As he climbed between them and rubbed his cock up and down her slit, Melissa writhed against him in ecstasy. She was begging for him to put it in her. She needed to feel him. She bit her lip as he stopped at her opening and with one powerful thrust entered her and opened her wider than she had ever been before.

  “Ohh,” Melissa whimpered as he began to thrust in and out of her with such force she was on the edge of an orgasm within seconds. She gripped onto his thick shoulders and screamed with pleasure as he fucked her hard and slow. She gripped him tight with her walls, and as they contracted around him, he began to thrust harder, faster and deeper. His cock was so powerful and strong. He was the most incredible lover she had ever had. As he grunted and emptied his thick, hot seed up inside of her, Melissa came again and trembled beneath him. Saber gripped onto her throat and thrust into her once more, as the last bursts of his release flowed from him and he was hot and damp with sweat.

  As the pair collapsed on the floor of the cave in front of the fire, Melissa turned up to look at him. She couldn’t believe what had just happened, but she had never felt more free and excited. She had just been made love to by a prehistoric man… a piece of history was now a part of her. For her, it was the ultimate prize and the ultimate experience.

  Saber wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her into his side. It wasn’t long before he was asleep and they dozed by the fire, cuddled underneath the fur pelts as the sounds of howling creatures roamed the icy lands outside.

  Even though Melissa knew there were probably countless creatures out there that could kill her, she had never felt safer in his arms.

  8.

  The embers burned low on the fire, and when Melissa woke, Saber was already up, stoking it and adding more wood.

  She approached him from behind, wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck. She had never felt more like a woman around him. She had never felt sexier.

  “A kiss,” she whispered as he turned to her and her lips met his. He ran his hand through her hair and slipped his tongue against hers.

  It was all so perfect. She wished it never had to end.

  But she knew she couldn’t stay there.

  When they broke apart, his eyes looked sad, as if he knew it was all over, too.

  “I need to go,” she said. “Can you take me back to the cave?”

  Saber looked out at the fire and ignored her for a moment. She could tell he didn’t want her to leave.

  Her heart ached as she was torn between her decision and the man in front of her… Could she leave him now they had met? Their connection was so pure and fierce. Could she walk away from him?

  Tears stung her eyes and she wiped them away. Saber shook his head and held onto her chin. He looked at her deep in the eyes and said, “No.”

  Melissa smiled and nodded.

  “Come with me?” she said as a stroke of genius flooded through her. “You don’t have to stay here… Come back with me?”

  She knew it was a crazy concept, but she also knew it was the only answer. She didn’t want to leave him; there was no life for him there. But she didn’t think he would let her go. If she managed to get him back to the cave and they found a way to reopen the vortex, maybe they could be back in 2015 and live happily ever after.

  Saber was looking at her as if he didn’t understand anything she was saying. It was the first time he had looked confused since he found her. Melissa took his hand and smiled.

  “Trust me,” she said.

  He smiled back and nodded.

  ***

  The journey back to the Neanderthals’ cave was short and frightening. Saber threw her up over his shoulder and ran with her back down the incline, past the rocks and cliff face and over a small rise. The opening was there and Saber sniffed the air. He nodded and moved forward, happy that the coast was clear.

  Inside the cave, the carcass of the tiger was lying limply on the floor and the Neanderthals had already removed its tusks. Melissa shivered as she opened her mind to suggestion and hoped the rocks would call to her again.

  Saber watched her as she held onto his hand and looked around. Her heart was pounding and she was about to panic when suddenly a light shone on the corner of the room and two points from two rocks, one above and one below, were almost touching.

  “That’s it,” she smiled as she led him over to them.

  Saber held her hand and with their other hands, they both took hold of the rock points. Just as before, Melissa felt a surge of power run through her and Saber roared like a lion as the pain hit them and the earth began to move.

  The world went black, but she could still feel his hand.

  And then… nothing.

  ***

  A big arm cradled her, and as she opened her eyes, they met his.

  “Melissa,” he said with a smile as he brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her gently on the lips.

  She sat up and looked around in panic.

  Were they back? Had she brought him back to the present?

  They were in the cave and it looked similar to when she had
been there with Quattro, but there was still something different.

  She looked down and they were both still wearing the fur pelts and their skin was dirty.

  “Dr. Quattro?” she called out, but her voice echoed around the cave. She knew there was no one there.

  “If this were 2015, this cave would be crawling with archaeologists after yesterday,” she said. “Something’s changed.”

  She could see the shaft they needed to climb in order to get back to the surface, and Saber led the way. He put her on his back and climbed it with his bare hands and feet with such incredible strength Melissa couldn’t believe he was actually capable of doing it.

  He had lived a long time in a savage land with only himself to rely on, but now he had found her and he wanted to protect her. When he reached the top of the small cave opening, he heaved himself up and out with Melissa still clinging to him. As they rolled back onto the grass in the French field, Melissa looked around and was surprised that there was still no one there.

  “Looks like we’ll have to walk,” she said.

  Saber put her over his shoulder again and headed east.

  They reached a road after about two hours and the first car that pulled over held an old couple who looked intrigued and confused by what they were seeing. Saber’s eyes were like saucers as he watched the car as if it were a predator. Melissa assured him it was all fine, and as they made their way back to Bordeaux, she asked the couple in basic French what the date was.

  “April 10th, 1973,” the woman said as she turned to smile at her.

  Melissa’s heart pounded and she didn’t know where to look. Saber wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

  She wasn’t even born until 1990… She couldn’t help but laugh.

  She thought back to her life in 2015 and of all she was lacking. She may have had a great career, but she could still do that in 1973. Her family were long gone and she didn’t have a boyfriend or husband to speak of. The explorer in her wanted to stay where she was, to never tell anyone what had happened to her and to integrate Saber into society without anyone being any wiser.