(This series is a collaboration with my good friend Sanchez. His ideas, I ran with it. We will see how it evolves. He has a sound concept, and characters, I'm primarily piecing it all together and seeing how it plays out. We hope you enjoy our efforts.)
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MIDNIGHT Episode 023: hEARsay
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Stepping out of his shower refreshed of saltwater and cum, his on deck prior rinsing hardly enough, Nick Sanchez dried off in private. Half expecting his slave Midnight to be snooping while he cleaned up, he found her humming from the laundry room. She had waited to start a load of clothing until he finished his shower, fearing the hot water might switch to cold and irritate him. Smart girl! For as fancy as this beach house was it did have a water heater that ofttimes struggled. Her hummingbird quality was sweet and joyous sharing in her emotional high which made Nick smile. Even if she would never hear him compliment the tune or her beautiful voice it did allow him to sort out her thoughts in his own way. Smiles would need to be contained he thought. Too many and she would come to expect them.
Since making the journey here to South Carolina his everyday grim persona was slipping. A cold machine his troops would refer to him back in the day. He had heart but... he preferred to mask it in most cases. In saving Irene Amador people were thinking highly of him. Yes, he enjoyed being the hero, but it was never his focus. If it were any other human in that fire, he might not have been so reliable. It simply was not his job. It certainly was not to impress Midnight. If she was meant to belong to him, it would have been destiny even without the rescue of her birth mother. Truth be told, Nick followed his intuition, a cosmic calling if you will. A new life for Midnight, meant a new life for her mother. Phoenix? Time would tell. Ashes on his fireplace mantle out at the Shoals would make for great decor. A sprinkle here, a sprinkle there to ward off the demons. Luckily, he altered her fate. The rest was up to Irene.
Stepping from the bathroom he began to go to his dresser for fresh underwear and socks. His affinity for all black he found clothing laid out on the dresser top neatly folded, even with a cologne bottle in order from right to left. Socks, boxers, t-shirt, slacks, cologne! Frowning at Midnight's attempts to offer him more than merely being any mindless slave he felt as if she were heading down the corridor toward relationship. Leaving her sorted clothing he chose other items from his drawers to show her she went to all that trouble for nothing.
Getting dressed in front of the dresser mirror he looked down at his current roommate, the skull Ollie. From its eye socket crept the monarch butterfly. Taking flight around the room his eyes followed it as it circled above him then descended to rest on the well creased shirt, she had offered him. A second later the butterfly fluttered to the slacks, then the cologne bottle, the brand Primal Instinct. "Trying to tell me something Phoenix?" The original butterfly had its wing burnt off but lived longer than expected. This new Monarch butterfly had slipped into his life reinvigorated as if the original itself were reborn.
He grimaced on one side of his mouth as if a doubt. In response the butterfly's body lit across the letters IM in prIMal. "Hmmm? I'M? I am? I AM reborn?" He rolled his eyes at the coincidence and shooed it away. He did like that cologne more than his others. Midnight, it seemed, had good taste. Sighing he removed his shirt, folded it back up and put it away. "Thanks for butting in. Stay off my fly." It had landed on the fly of the folded slacks in its short travels. Shaking his head, he used his finger to transplant the butterfly as if a perch then rested him back atop the skull. From there he put on the slacks. Cologne inspired he sighed, "So much for telling her not to choose my attire. But again, I think Phoenix there did it for her." That did not settle well with him. A ray of morning sunlight cast upon the mirror, then switched trajectory to cascade the skull crown. Far too coincidental he shifted Ollie left out of its direct basking. "Maybe I should have called Ollie, Ray." Time escaping him Nick heard his cell ring by the bed and went to intercept it. "Niles!" He abruptly answered.
"Morning Buddy! Just pulled up to the Shoals. Lumber delivery is on its way. Will and Veronica are back out here with me. It'd help if you were here to unload the flatbed. Can't just leave it along the road or it will come up missing."
"I'll be there shortly."
"Any word from Newton Waterfall on a work force?"
"Last night he called and said he had five volunteers. Could be more by now but he's probably just waking up to sort it out. It's early we'll give them until 10:00 then we'll get accomplished what we can."
"We'll be here Boss." Nick beat him to the red dot ending the call. Setting out to put his boots on Midnight strolled into the bedroom and grabbed his hamper on rollers. Without even looking at him she set out for the laundry room with it. Ignoring her as well, Nick laced up only one boot before his cell rang again.
"Bearpaw!" One-word identifications were all he was willing to give.
"Good morning, Sir." She yawned, knowing a stretch was in hot pursuit for the early riser.
"News?"
"Yes." A lengthy pause he sat on the edge of his bed wincing. Just before asking why the delay, he found a text message. Opening it to find a photo attachment he found a vivid pussy shot with a flashlight handle up her dripping vulva. "It wanted to go back into the tunnel. Light my way?"
"Tom did! Now be serious."
"Fine! Grandpa rounded up sixteen volunteers. Unless you say otherwise the plan is to have the Rez Rider drive them out to Harbinger Shoals. Ernest Sit in Back offered to help us out in transporting them and picking them up later in the day."
"Ernie's name is Sit in Back?" He chuckled.
"No. I tease him because he's a bus driver. It's really Sit in Black."
"Some of these family names are pretty out there."
"A lot of them made up. For instance, the elder Bobby Black Fox is just Bobby Fox. A lot of Santee, any tribe really, use their fancy surnames to spice up their miserably proud lives. Some of us however really are named after our ancestors. Bearpaw goes back six generations. Waterfall even further. Anyways, I'm going to crawl out of my cozy little bed, shower up and come out to help if you don't mind. I'll drive Lukas and a riding mower in Tom's truck."
"Scratch it up he'll tell me to beat your ass."
"I'll be sure to leave a Knick Nick." She giggled. "God I can't stop thinking about you fucking me against the tun...? Nick? Nick? Did he hang up on me?"
Tom did!
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"Thanks for bringing me home, Dolan. I think I have everything I need for today in my car." Caprice Comstock had packed up clothing and personal effects she didn't want to lose into her station wagon's hatchback trunk. "Just follow me to the diner, I'll feel safer once I'm there." She caressed his cheek with her knuckle through his driver's side window.
"I'm not going to accept you telling me you can't see me anymore Caprice. Your fears can't lead you away from any form of happiness. I mean I can't promise a future but for now I think what we have going is... a good start. You know I have Alexis to think about, and my pop. She's a hand full me being a single parent. All that aside... I like you."
"I could tell when you shared me with Nick." She laughed, "Fine! I'll give us a chance but just know I'll never forgive myself if Oliver does something bad to you... to me even. I know you feel that your badge makes you invincible but honestly... it doesn't."
"I never said it did Caprice. But it does come with back up. Caretaker might have a hand full of help, but I still count on Cordoba, Abingdale, and a number of other small towns up and down the coast. Matter of fact... I might have me a new deputy here soon."
"I thought Nick declined your offer."
"He did, then turned around and nominated another potential candidate. His name is Clinton Biles. Matter of fact as soon as I get home and freshened up, I'm picking Clinton up at the hotel Koones dropped him off at last night. He's camping out at the Dive Inn for a week or three on Nick. Maybe we should get you a room there for your protection seeing as you wanted out of Nick's way. You sure aren't staying here at your trailer by yourself. It'd look even worse if I let you stay at my house. Besides Alexis would ask a million questions including are you my new mommy?" Inevitable!
"I'd just ask her to be my bridesmaid."
"Ha! Can you imagine if we ever did, and you asked Midnight to be one? Her standing up there, butt ass naked holding a bouquet over her twat. Hell, the Preacher would say, I do for us."
"Too funny. Well, seeing as I'm not the marrying type and you're still grieving whether you admit it or not, I'd say the point is moot. Concerning that hotel room at the Dive Inn... I don't really want to be alone."
"I could always let you share a room with Clinton. Pretty sure he'd be respectful toward you."
"Is he cute?"
"Big ole' teddy bear about 6'4, 280, arms the size of logs. Funny that! He's a lumberjack from over in Turncoat. He did security guard work over there as well. I know his credentials cuz I booked him."
"Booked? He's a criminal and you're considering him as a deputy?"
"Domestic! His wife hung him out to dry is all. Nick swears by him, so I got Judge Lawson to cut him some slack. He's going to fix the wall Shantel Bigelow pulled down trying to jailbreak Esteban."
"Crazy!"
"As a loon flapping her straight jacket. I still have to figure out what I'm doing with her. She's got a daughter I'm trying to find but with everything going on I've barely had a chance to track her down to come get her. All in good time. You ready to roll Sunshine?"
"Yep! I'll let you know about the hotel shack up when my shift is over. If you have time bring this Clinton to the diner for lunch so I can meet him first. Time to serve... the coffee." She nearly said master but shook it off in her thoughts.
Coastal Waiters... there all day!
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Nick's borrowed beach house...
Ready to leave Nick paused to confront Midnight who was cleaning the kitchen. "Recite the rules."
"No sitting or lying on the furniture or Kami's bed. On my knees an hour after the laundry is done. Clean the beach house including the bathroom. Lay out and sunbathe."