Follow Sasha

"Oh god" thought Sasha as she saw Tir lose his patience and move away from her. "I did it again." Her plan to slip away from the island working as a ship's whore seemed perfect; at least from a logistical standpoint.

Few pirate ships were likely to voluntarily give up one of their women to a representative of the Empire of Veertor unless they were hard pressed. In fact, if asked to a man they would deny even having seen her, also she would be able to keep the precious coins that Captain Teiree had bequeathed her on his **** bed. Its just every time she got close to sealing the deal, that same panic swept over her body. It seemed that no amount of drink could overcome her **** to take the final step.

"Maybe I'm married." - That was a new thought - "Maybe in the back of my head I know that I belong to someone somewhere, and that I have to remain faithful to him." The thought was comforting as her head slipped lower onto the bar, "Maybe he is looking for me right now. Someone to help me, not just use me." Just what she needed she decided, a 'Prince Charming' out of the old Terran fairy tales to save the day.

As her eyes closed again she wondered about the handsome swordsman who insisted on walking her to her inn earlier in the evening, "Should she have asked him for his help?" Sasha didn't even realize it when her head hit the wooden bar with a solid sounding thump, or hear the bartender tell the maids to get her upstairs and into one of the beds.

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--- Bright lights blinking - men and women in strange long white jackets - sounds of voices speaking words she no longer understood - and the smell of ... nothing, no body odor, no smoke, no stale beer ----

"It's that dream again." Sasha had had it several times before, her body was completely naked, but no one seemed to find it odd. The room seemed impossibly clean, stark white walls, shiny metal benches and counters and the floor covered in sparkling white tiles. "The man with the snake should be coming soon" Sasha had had this same dream often enough that she wasn't surprised when one of the men in white coats appeared in her vision carrying a black snake loosely coiled around his arm. Once again he held the snake's head firmly and lifted it to her head, she could see the metalic gleam of the two needle-like fangs before he moved the snake past her peripheral vision and pressed it to her ear.

As always, Sasha tried to scream, tried to turn away but like every other time she had the dream she could not move a muscle as the man pressed the fangs deep into her ear.

--- More lights, but not as bright - men again, this time in white robes not jackets - clouds of dust swirling in though the air - voices, excited and fearful - smell of raw sewage and mold ---

"The other dream." Sasha had had this one several times before too. One man in particular, younger than the rest with eyes that seemed compassionate was taking her by the hand and leading her somewhere - crawling through a narrow crevice out into bright sunlight - "Birth?"

--- Running, fleeing - chased - still chased, this time on a ship - another vessel gaining slowly - They were going to board us! - Better to drown than to be taken ---

Splash! The seawater was shockingly cold, especially for a dream.

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"Come on, Wake up!" The voice seemed unusually loud and clear for one of her dreams. A rough hand shook her angrily by the shoulder and she sat up on a bed, starring at a small room, her clothes lying on the floor and a man speaking too loudly for her throbbing head. Cold water dripped from her wet hair onto her face and shoulders as she looked around in confusion.

With a start she realized her body was completely naked and the strange man was staring hungrily at her breasts. Covering herself with the quilt at her lap she looked at the stranger.

"Who are you?"