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Needing Cassidy Chapter 31

Writer's picture: Lacey St. SinLacey St. Sin

Chapter 31


Cassidy blinked awake. The soft morning light highlighting a room on the verge of being unfamiliar, a heavy warmth weighed across her ribs. Her left breast ached a little, tender when her arm brushed against it.


Married.


She frowned, battling the conflicting emotions of tenderness and panic. Given that she’d vowed since she was eleven that she would never, ever be tied down again, a little panic was understandable. She slipped from the bed, dressing quickly and pausing only to look down at the man sleeping there. His face was peaceful, and incredibly handsome. Her heart lurched a little when his hand curled around the space she had been.


She let out a long, shuddering breath and slipped out the door, moving straight through the building and out into the compound. The fresh, cool air was a relief and she inhaled greedily, moving toward the gardens and the paths that lead into the compound’s newest section. These were the areas least likely to be patrolled, as there was nothing, really in the area for the women to do yet. She wasn’t escaping, exactly, but felt the drive for some solitude in order to come to terms with her decision.


Dawn was breaking through the dark clouds turning them a brilliant purple, the colors vivid and glowing. She paused next to one of the abandoned storage sheds to watch the sun rise, the hues of the clouds changing slowly, transforming. One could not deny that Callaphria was beautiful, and as the sun crested the horizon she found some of the tension she’d felt fading. One day at a time, she told herself.


The long distressed squeal of an animal interrupted her thoughts and she straightened, looking around the intersecting paths suspiciously. What the...


And again, not far away by the sounds of it, but also not one of the tiny animals the energy field allowed to move freely in and out of the compound. She glanced upward, suddenly concerned, but energy flickered across the paling sky. Still functional then.


Another squeal. Whatever it was, it sounded distressed. Curiosity drove her forward, but not without caution. She still remembered the thing that attacked the coofci after all. It turned out the noise was coming from one of the sheds about three buildings down from where she’d been standing. Oddly, a soft curse could be heard between the animal’s noise. A feminine curse.


“Uh...hello?” Cassidy knocked quietly against the wall. “Is...everything okay in there? Do you need help?”


Both the squealing and the cursing fell silent.


Cassidy peeked around the corner of the building, about the same time as a blond head peeked out the doorway.


“Ashley?” Cassidy blinked. “What...?”


“Shhhhh,” Ashley’s eyes widened, and she gestured wildly. “Get in here.”


Wary of the noises she had heard Cassidy crept toward the woman. As soon as she was in reach Ashley grabbed her by the arm and pulled her through the door, palming the panel that closed it.


Cassidy blinked around the space. Mostly empty with containers of what looked like food packages lined neatly around the walls. Exactly what she would expect to see in a storage shed, except the creature in the center of the space, backing away from them with wide eyes. Or, at least they seemed to be eyes. They kind of stood up on stalks, like a slug, or snail, despite the thing having a rather pig like body with a long snout, not quite the length of an elephant, more like an anteater. It was large-ish, the bristle-like hair on the thing’s back would come up to mid thigh. Much too big for the energy dome to let in by accident.


“What...” Cassidy began before Ashley shushed her once more. “What is happening here?” she whispered, staring.


“Well, Georgie-boy and I had a deal, but he’s not really cooperating.” Ashley picked up a container that had been sitting near the door and stalked toward the creature, which let out another of its distressed squeals.


“Georgie-boy?” Cassidy mouthed, a little alarmed. “Ashley, what is this thing? And how did it get in here?”


“Look,” she paused, gauging the creature’s progress with sharp awareness, “the less you know the better. Just help me get him to stand still.”


Cassidy blinked at the woman. By most accounts Ashley was sane...well as sane as any of the women who’d elected to stay behind on Callaphria rather than return to Earth when they were offered the option. Yet it was entirely possible that she was stark raving mad. And the longer she watched the blond creep toward the creature with the container in her hand the farther she was leaning that direction.


“Just go stand over there so I can corner him. He’s harmless, an insectivore, no teeth in that trunk, so if he charges just hold your ground.”


Uncertain she should be doing anything at all, and yet unwilling to leave the duo completely, Cassidy did as she was told, forcing the critter back into a corner piled high with yellow boxes lettered with the Livarian language.


“There, perfect,” Ashley grinned at her before closing in on the beast. Every step she took the poor thing twitched, the eyes on the end of the stalks going wider and wider. She almost felt sorry for it.


“I don’t think you’re going to catch him like that,” Cassidy warned.


“I’m not trying to catch him, just...” she threw the container. Cassidy watched with the same astonished expression the creature had as the rather flexible, plastic jug flew upward and then toppled toward the beast’s head crashing down on one of the stalk eyes that clamped closed with wild panic, before tipping backward, spilling a slick looking vibrant purple fluid over the creature’s neck and shoulders. It squealed a piercing shrill squeal before snorting, seemingly realizing it was mostly undamaged, aside from the eye that was back to its original spot and blinking rapidly.


“Eh... good enough,” Ashley shrugged stepping backward with a maniacal grin. “Ready to witness the most epic prank in the history of Callaphria?” she asked. “Well....at least in the last decade.”


“A prank?” Cassidy looked back at the beast, not bothering to hide her confusion.


“Yup. Things have been quiet enough around here the men are starting to get a little restless. Nothing like a greased pig...or whatever this guy is...to liven up the place a bit.” She strode to the door and slapped the panel again. The door section of the wall slid open and Georgie-boy looked at it with desperation. Several brown pellets dropped from his back end.


Then, with a speed that seemed unlikely for it’s rather squat form he tore from the building and dashed down the path disappearing from view as he rounded a corner around another of the storage sheds. There was several breaths of silence before a squeal and then a masculine shout at least a hundred yards away.


Ashley snorted and then choked, her laughter bubbling through her attempted silence.


“You know,” she managed, waving Cassidy out of the shed and slipping stealthily toward the dining hall, “we make good prank partners. This one is going to be even better than the fiska root. I’ve got this idea...”


“Ah...” Cassidy held up a hand, stalling Ashley’s planning. “Let’s just agree that this is enough for today, yeah?”


Ashley eyed her. “Spoil sport. Fine, but I’ve got plans and you’re too much fun to leave out.”

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Stacey Manning
Stacey Manning
Jul 01, 2022

I snorted out loud when I read about the greased pig!! OMG I’m dying. Ashley and her pranks.

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megolas96
megolas96
Jul 01, 2022

Funny how I disliked Ashley in the beginning of Keeping Mia and now she’s one of my favorite women.

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Stacey Manning
Stacey Manning
Jul 01, 2022
Replying to

Same!! She’s so mischievous. Glad to see her character grow

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