Poison Control - Short Story

"Well?" she asked. I looked at her with both lust and contempt. Such a vain, vain woman. She has started to gain weight, and age has definitely catching up with her. Yet still she was mesmerizing. Her every movement, even the slightest one, sent me into a dizzying spiral of desire. The voice that promised heaven, the scent that promised paradise, the physique that promised your every wish will be fulfilled; how I hated her!

"Well what?" I replied casually, even though my heart beat so hard I was so sure she could hear it. She smirked. Oh Gods above! That smile! Those lips! What would I give to crushed them with mine. Berries. Her kisses always tasted like berries, as it was her favorite snack. Sometimes it would be the tang of wine, sometimes it would be the taste of miswak that she chewed to keep those pearly white teeth beautiful. It was irrelevant though, because you would always come back for more kisses; each hungrier than the last. Help me Gods, help me.

She looked right into my eyes, and to me, it felt she looked right into my soul. I suppressed a shudder. She was known as the most famous courtesan not for nothing. Regardless of your social status, a night with her means you will be king for the night: your ego stroked, your confidence boosted, your existence became the most important thing in the world. Even the Emperor himself was not immune to her charisma and accepting his fate to be just one among her many devotees. She could read your soul and made you hers, and you would gratefully accept your cruel fate. Not me, though. Not me.

I touched the gold ring around my ring finger and suddenly felt hot. The image of my wife flashed before my very eyes, graceful Amerys with her fragile physique and serene look. How dead she looked compare to this colorful creature. Amerys was so pale and so quiet, one could easily mistake her for a drowned victim when she sleeps. But unlike this creature, this horrible creature, Amerys has always been mine, all mine. That's why I had to go, I had to stop this feeling. Poor Amerys, she did not deserve to be treated like this, to be with a man who can't be loyal to her. I wanted to be a good husband for her.

"Don't do this," she whispered. Was there a hint of threat in her voice? Who knew. Her voice was lush and luxurious, like the soft animal fur that covered her entire boudoir. A scholar that I met at the bar one time told me bitterly, "Only a cruel, heartless person could live so comfortably among the slayed innocents like that." I secretly agreed with him, what was she if not cruel and heartless. Yet as I sat on her window sill a few nights after I thought I could see the scholar looked longingly at her window from afar. There he was, the innocent prey that would or has adorned her vicious parlor. I hated her for it, because I realized that I was also her prey.

The memory made my blood boil. I have to go. I have to get away from this wicked woman. "Do what?" I answered with a smile. I gently run my fingers on the side of her face and her neck, which made her smiled and purred with pleasure. "Do this?" I whispered, placing my fingers on her lips, taunting her. She grinned and gave them a quick kiss. The rush kicked in. For a moment I wanted nothing than undressed her and have my way with her, to devoured her with my desire. But didn't every other man feel the same? Day in day out, nights after nights, there was always someone new for her. There was always another man coming out of her apartments looking like he just won the jackpot or got thunderstruck or, most of the time, both. She'll have a repeat now and then, I was lucky enough to be her repeat for a while, but not for long. I thought marrying Amerys would save me, but I was wrong.

She got up from the chaise to get some drink on the table. As she stood fiddling with the decanter I could see her silhouette in the thin gown she was wearing, and my mind run wild. I wanted her, but she didn't want me. I could be good, but she didn't want to be good. She wanted to be a whore. She wanted to be a disgusting pig where any man could come and plowed her mercilessly. How despicable. And I had promised her a good respectable life, the life that she should have had with me. How gay our life would be had she accepted it, how full of passion our days would be. Instead I ended up being with that bone-dry Amerys, while she gave herself to lesser men than me. I suffered life with a frigid wife while she lived it up. I had to endure this emptiness because of her rejection, while she filled herself with many men. What a revolting, horrible creature!

That's why she had to go, and the darlings in my left breast pocket would be her demise. She came back with two crystal glasses of wine and handed one to me with a smile. "Wait," I told her and motioned her to sit next to me on the chaise. I smiled my most charming smile and pulled out the tin box from my breast pocket. Her eyes widened as I opened the box to show the little balls inside. "Compressed carbonator, oh beautiful one." In the past I had managed to procure the carbonator from the royal chemist to seduce her, she liked it so much I became her repeat for a while. I had rightly guessed it impressed her still, because she tossed herself at me and gave me a wet, sensual kiss. Her saliva filled my mouth and I suddenly felt half-drunk myself. There's a little bitterness there, almond perhaps? I couldn't care, it was filling my mouth nicely. I had always love her kisses. Always. 

After what seemed like forever she pulled herself from me and laughed heartily. Such pretty peals of laughter. I will miss that. Amerys couldn't laugh prettily to save her life. I dropped one of the little balls in her wine and like a little girl she watched it fizzed. The room felt brighter and shone in vivid colors as she laughed again and drank the wine greedily when the bubbles started to slow down. Yes, drank all you want love. So pretty, so luscious, and soon, so dead. All of the carbonators were tainted. That was a just retribution for what she did to me. Such fitting retribution. After the last gulp she looked uncomfortable. She tried to take deep breaths, but it didn't work. The potion worked by constricting her breath way. She kept gulping for air, yet still looked pretty. It was amusing to see when she finally lost her balance and fell from the chaise, her hair covered her face and her body situated as if she had just had a particularly satisfying intercourse. Why not, I thought to myself. I opened my trousers and had my way with her, over and over again. 

When I finally collapsed to the chaise I looked at her with unsuppressed satisfaction.  She was covered with my fluid, and with bruises and bite marks all over her. I have had her before, so many times; but this time she was all mine, and she will stay that way from now on. Who owns you now, whore? I sighed deeply and smiled. Free, at last. And I got to get the last laugh too. My manhood hurt, but I was too spent to do anything else. Maybe later, if she was still warm. I closed my eyes and soon the ecstasy drifted me to a peaceful sleep. Bye bye little slut, and good riddance. You wronged me and this was what you deserve. So good though, her body was just so good. I would miss that. I really would. 

When I opened my eyes the sun was shining warmly and dyed the sand of the shore golden. It also enhanced the color of the blue sea stretched in front me. Such a beautiful day, such a beautiful place. There was no sound to be heard, and I was all alone. It was good though. I breathed deeply, in and out, enjoying my moment of peace. From a far I could see a speck coming towards the shore, and it wasn't long before I realized it was a man on a small row boat. When the boat reached the shore he stretched a hand to me. "Don't mind if I do," I said genially. As I stood on the boat I felt a couple of gold coins in my trouser pocket. Now where did that come from? I shrugged and thought to myself, "It doesn't matter.". I handed the coins to the boatman and sat comfortably as he rowed us away. All was peaceful, all was good.

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Epilogue:

She looked at him twitched and convulsed as the fizz in her wine died down. With the last of the fizz, he took the last of his breath too, lying unmoved in her chaise. She stood up and poured all the wine into the basin. There was a loud hiss when the liquid hit the metal. She took a vial from her drawer and rinsed her mouth thoroughly with the liquid from the vial. When she's done, she approached his dead body, carefully closed his eyes and put two gold coins on them. "For the boatman," she said gently, "may your trip be peaceful."

At that moment her door opened with a bang and a gaunt woman stood in the doorway. When she saw the dead man her body became taunt with emotion, and colors rose to her cheek. "My husband, is he..." She looked at her and answered matter-of-factly, "Yes." The gaunt stranger let out a sob. She suddenly flinged herself at the woman, and cried in joy, "You did it my love, you did it!!" They kissed passionately, and the gaunt woman had never looked more beautiful than she was in her unbriddled joy.

She remembered the first day Amerys came to her. She had thought Amerys would be like other wife or bethroted that would cry and threaten and beg for her to leave their men alone. She never understood, because it was their men that could never leave her alone when she really didn't care about them. But Amerys was different. She could see the cold fire in her, and she admired her determination. Her beautiful Amerys, as elegant as Calla Lily yet as deadly as Belladona, she was Amerys' since the first day they met, and Amerys was hers. 

Amerys saw the gold coins and looked at her sadly, "I am sorry you have to do this."

She caressed her straight black hair and kissed her lovingly, "I have to. He has been hurting you for too long and he has killed some of my other lovers. I don't want trouble." 

"You wont get any, I swear by my family's name," Amerys answered, "The poison is untraceable and it looked like a heart attack. He might experienced some hallucinations towards the end, but that is all. Untraceable and you could even say he died happily." 

She nodded. "You are a little devil to think about concocting a poison like that, activated by body heat and transferable by kiss, how did you even think of that?".

Amerys blushed at the obvious compliment, "Poison works best when there is little to no tension in the body, so..." 

She loved the way Amerys blushed, so she kissed her again. "Should I be scared of you?" she whispered seductively. 

Amerys blushed even deeper red, "No, please don't," Amerys stammered, "I wont harm you ever, I promised." 

She smiled and wrapped her arms around her tiny waist, pulling her closer to her. "Should I love you then?" 

Amerys flustered, her mouth opened and closed until she finally whispered, "Yes. Please." 

She smiled triumphantly. "Good," she said and kissed Amerys hard on the mouth, "because I really do love you, Amerys Borgia."

The Day I Died

I died that day. I can tell you every vivid details of what had happened, and why I ended up being among the dead like I am right now. You don't want to hear about it? Well I really don't care. I would tell you all about it anyway and you will listen. That's what bartenders are for, goddamn. You got other customers, you say? Well honey, this is no bedtime stories. Feel free to do whatever you want, but just pretend to listen. Now pour me another glass, will you?

How old were you when you first saw the sea? Too young to remember, eh? You lucky dawg. I first saw the sea almost a year ago, and I still feel like crying. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my whole life. The blue water with the streak of white wave. The cool sea breeze with the scent of salt and foreign lands. The warm sand that massages my feet. The sunshine that warms you to the soul. My god,  James; it is the most beautiful thing ever. I pity you for being robbed of that first impression, really. There is nothing like seeing the sea for the first time and fell in love with it. What? Your name is Jonathan and not James? Well, same difference.

I have lived all my life in the arid mountain. You get to see a whole lot of cactus and ocatillo and pebbles and sands, and lots and lots of dust. I remember the song we used to sing when we were a kid: “In the shade, in the shade of a saguaro, you and I can't find relief”. That's exactly how it feels like. All the little things thrive there in the mountain: the scorpions, the spiders, the mice, the rattle snake; yet we people have to deal with it the hard way. The dry weather would parched our lips and skin, and water is scarce to say the least. There is nothing to see or do there, not that there is anything we would want to do after a tiring day in the sun. I worked as an office clerk, and after work and dinner all I wanted to do was to retire to my bed with the fervent hope that the swamp cooler would actually work for once. I can't believe I lived that life for so many years. Then it all began. 

My husband's friend invited us for a week vacation in his beach house here at Mission Bay. I don't know much about him because he had already moved to California by the time I met my husband, but apparently they were really good friends at that time. I had my doubts, mind you. I was reluctant to drive eight hours to an unknown land and have to share a house for a whole week with a complete stranger. Despite the hardness, I was so used with my hometown and the comfort of my own house. My Ma is from the mountain too, and my husband is from the nearby city. We would go to Tucson now and then to visit my husband's dad, and that's about as far as I have been in my whole life. I wanted to tell my husband to decline the invitation, but I felt selfish for even thinking about that. In retrospect I think I wanted to go as well, thus the silence. I should have said no.

On the designated day we started our road trip to California. It was a pretty sunny day, and I could feel his excitement rubbing off on me. The bags were safely stowed in the trunk, we have a little soft cooler filled with cold drinks and snacks, and our MP3 player was stocked with at least 100 songs to accompanied us in the road trip. We were all prepared and all set to go. The road trip itself was amazing, I've had never seen such vast land and such long long road. The windmill farm took my breath away, they were so huge and majestic! And the rocky mountains that looked like it's made by a giant who decided to play with a bunch of pebbles, it was just gorgeous. It felt like we were in an old episode of Star Trek. And after the mountains came the lush greeneries of San Diego County, such greens that I have never seen in my whole life. The shops and the cars and the people, all looked so noisy and crowded and interesting. I was scared, I really do. I felt so out of place with my jeans and boots among these people who barely cover themselves, and I wanted to ask my husband to return immediately. I didn't though, and we continued our trip.

I couldn't tell you how it feel to be there at that time, when I finally subdue my fear and discomfort and just give in to the stimulation. All of my five senses were awoken, and they were wildly enjoying themselves. The pastrami sandwich we had for lunch cost us $15, which was roughly the amount of money I spent on grocery shopping for two days in our hometown, but it was such a treat! I have never eaten anything as delicious in my whole life, and the difficult name and explanation like stone ground mustard or Russian slaw, for me, justify the whole experience. The vacation house was decorated in white and had all these pretty ornamental sea shells and bleached white starfish, a balcony for each level of the house (total three levels), and was located only a short walk to the beach and an even shorter walk to the bay. The bay was beautiful and looked like the lake we visited one time in Arizona, even though this one had more sailboats and paddle-boarders and the water was definitely colder. But the sea, ah the sea. It was surely love at first sight. The water was colder than I imagined it would be, even colder than the bay. The seaweeds and kelp were no beauty as well, and the seagulls were intimidating. Yet the sea was beautiful and magnificent. I fell in love with her.

In the house, my husband's friend Mark greeted us and gave us a room for ourselves in the second floor. To my relief there were two other women and another couple joining us for the vacation, they were all Mark's friends. All of them chatted easily, even my husband, but I was too shy to say anything. Such a meek little mouse! I could only smile shyly and nervously holding the glass of wine they have given me, while everyone was already on their third glass or more and looking more lively than ever. My husband was appointed as the chef of the day, and even though we have made barbecue for so many times before, it felt really different to be among those lively beauties. We, I mean they laughed and joked around and were so joyful and merry, so confident with themselves and loving the hell out of their life. After dinner we all walked to the bay to see the fireworks, huddling and playing tags on the sandy beach which we all ended up in some sort of a pile just before the fireworks, too sloshed out to untangle ourselves and just laughing uncontrollably.

The next day we all went out to the beach, this time I was in my first two-piece ever, courtesy of Mark's friend Miranda. She was a beach wear designer and insist on giving me one of her work so I can get a 'healthy glow'. I was embarrassed at first, but the look on my husband's face was priceless, and so did the intense gaze from Mark. I felt powerful and in control. I loved it. The women, delighted with their new toy A.K.A. me, taught me everything they know about their life. They taught me about their gluten-free diet and vegan lifestyle, they taught me about matching accessories and shoes and dresses, they taught me how to flirt and win attentions. As the days went by, my skin became darker and my confident grew stronger. The little meek desert mouse have transformed into a genuine So-Cal girl. Another drink please, if you have time, so I can finish the story.

Don't get me wrong, I resisted the changes at first. I was uncomfortable with the amount of money they spent, or their wasteful habits. They insisted on the healthiest food possible, but a whole bunch of those went to the drain or stored for an eternity in the leftover boxes inside the refrigerator. They insisted on keeping the earth 'green', but they kept on buying these purified water in the bottle instead of reusing their old water bottle with tap water. They talked confidently about themselves and boasted their adventures and lifestyle, but they get super insecure when they saw somebody dressed a tad nicer than they are and would end up bitching about that person while buying another 'bling' to comfort themselves. It was all a facade, a rat race to ensure that they were better than others. Oh I could see that all right, I could see that as clear as day. Yet even though the logical me hated all of those things, even though the sensible me kept on reminding me of the comforting life I have back home, I still wanted to be a part of them. I wanted to be a part of these beauties, these attractive creatures-by-the-sea that were everything that I was not. Here, fill my glass. It won't be long now.

On our last day, Mark threw a party for us all. Miranda dressed me up in her sexy red dress, and Kerry – Miranda's partner – did my hair and makeup. I felt like Cinderella. We danced and laughed and had a good time, and then Mark suggested that we hit the club. Everyone agreed except my husband, who said he'd rather stay home and rest for our long drive tomorrow. Miranda cheekily asked if I would be driving tomorrow, and when my husband said no, she announced that she would 'kidnap' me for the night to everyone's laughter. I should have stayed home with him, but I wanted the night to last a little bit longer. There would be no more crazy dancing and joyous laughter in our desolate little home in the mountain, I told myself. I wanted to live the dazzling life just a little bit more before I return to my dreary old existence. Before we all went out my husband hugged me a little bit longer than usual, which should already be a premonition. I hugged him back and kissed him and told him I'll be back before midnight. We both knew it was a lie.

We went to so many clubs that I couldn't remember how and why we ended up losing the remainder of the group, and it was just me and Mark in his car. Mark was driving us through a beach side parking lot  when Miranda messaged him, saying that she and the others were already at home. I nervously smiled at Mark and told him we should be heading home, I didn't want my husband to be worried. He said OK, but asked that I should allow him a few minutes enjoying the quiet beach at night. So I did, and we walked to the edge of the water and sat there in silence. My phone rang soon after, it was from my husband. Mark pulled the phone away from my hand before I could answer it, and pushed it into my purse before he gently kissed me. The split second felt like an eternity for me. I should have slapped him and demanded to be brought home immediately. I should have cried for being violated in such a way. I should have cussed myself for allowing myself to be violated from the first place. But instead I kissed him back. Our kisses became stronger and more passionate as we hungrily devour each other in the reek of champagne and expensive cigar and in the comfort of warm sand, all while my phone rang. And that is when I die. 

It was already past two when we returned home. I took off my dress and went to bed, but my husband didn't even flinch, either he was deep asleep or pretending that he was asleep. When the dawn broke I saw him sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at me and caressing my hair. His bags were already packed, but mine had not. He already knew what will happen. He kissed me over and over again, and between his tears and silent sobs he said “I love you sweet angel, I love you so much”. I cried with him, but I have made up my mind, and he knew it. He left shortly after while everyone was still asleep. Silent tears were streaming down my cheeks as I heard his car engine down in the garage, and how it faded as he drove away. Mark came in while I was still sitting there, crying and grieving. He hugged me close and wipe my tears away, and soon we were making love on the bed that still has my husband's scent and warmth. 

This one's on you, you say? Thank you but don't pity me honey, I did what I have to do and I have no regret. When I said I die, I really die inside. Mark and Miranda helped me to established myself here, and I flourished quite well. Yet day after day I could feel myself eroding, and my existence is now measured on how other people looked at me. I am a walking empty shell, albeit an attractive one. This life I chose is an empty life indeed, and often times I missed the simplicity of my old life, but I can't go back. We tried to reconcile, my husband and I, but I could only stay with him for a little over three months before returning back here. I have glitter in my eyes, and that's all I wanted to see. I have no regret.

JONATHAN: The lady had walked herself out when I saw her coat at the bar stool. I ran outside to give it to her when I saw her standing still at the sidewalk, looking intently at the live band across the road. “Kiss me, out on the bearded barley/nightly, beside the green green grass,” she sang softly along with the band, hugging herself tightly and swaying to the music. I stood next to her till the end, as she whispered the last part of the song with tears on her cheek, “So kiss me...” I wrapped her in her coat and she cried for a long time in my arms.

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Note: This short story won the Commendation from Society of Southwestern Arizona on their annual writing competition. The judge's comment is as below, but feel free to add your own in the comment section below!

Great description at the beginning. Who is James/ Nice, good character, at the top of page 3. Great description throughout. Character is strong. Needs tightening, but has potential. Enjoyed the format.