A brief tale of erotic horror. It doesn't end well for Our Hero, so if that's not your schtick, read elsewhere.
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"You *do* have the key." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes, Jan. I've got the damn key. Hang on." I dug around in my pants pockets, then my jacket, then inside my jacket, then:
"aHA!" I crowed as I produced a single bronze key from my shirt pocket. Grinning at my wife, Janice, I slid it into the deadbolt, and unlocked the door. "Milady," I said mockingly as the door swung open. Within, the hardwood floors gleamed as we stepped inside.
"Jesus," Janice breathed as we walked through the empty house. "I still can't believe it, really. What a deal!"
I shrugged as we went from room to room. "Look at that counter - do you think it's real marble?"
"That's what the agent said." I slid my hand down the slick polished surface of the island in the middle of the kitchen. Stainless steel appliances gleamed in every corner while our shoes tapped on the tiled floor.
"There's gotta be something wrong with it," she said, shaking her head.
"Like it's built over an indian burial ground or someth- wow!" We passed through the sunroom, where an infinity pool lay silent and empty and the floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over an expansive yard. "The agent said that the lady had to get rid of it fast, and I guess she did."
"At that price, we were lucky to get it at all."
"No kidding. We got twice the house for half the price." I ribbed Jan in the side. "How's about we go on up to the bedrooms and see-"
*DINGDONGDINGDONGDINGDONGADINGDONG*
"-if we can change that doorbell." I pulled a face. The bell sang its song again, and we looked at each other. "After you," I gestured towards the front of the house.
"Welcome to the neighbourhood!" Enthused the woman on the other side of the door as we opened it. She was short, no taller than 5"3, at least half a foot shorter than my willowy wife, and wore a bright red, flared sundress with white polka dots. Her frosted hair, so bright in the direct sunlight that I couldn't tell if it was white or merely platinum blonde, tumbled down over her shoulder in light waves. She reminded me strongly of Morgan Fairchild, only her face didn't seem frozen with botox as she smiled. Vivid green eyes smiled with her.
"Hello!" She said, proffering a large Tupperware container with a tan lid.
"Hi," we said in unison, then gave each other a look.
"I'm Regina. Regina Matronalis. I'm your next door neighbour, but you can call me Gina." She gestured with her head at a bright-yellow bungalow on the next lot over. "I saw the moving truck and I thought I'd come right over and drop off a little housewarming treat. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"No! No, come right in," Jan said, waving on our neighbour, and we parted to let her in. Regina passed between us; a narrow white belt was wrapped around her, emphasizing her wasp-waist. The flared skirt of her dress *swished* as she walked, the hem skirting below her knees, but revealing a set of surprisingly firm calves perched atop a pair of gleaming white pumps with stiletto heels. Not bad for a woman who looked like she might be on the wrong side of 55. "Right through here. It can be the first thing in our kitchen!"
"Oh I know where the kitchen is, sweetheart." Regina said, mildly. "I was good friends with the previous owners, Nicholas and Holly."
"Really?" We said in unison, suddenly intrigued as we followed this stranger into our own kitchen. "Do you know what happened? Why they had to sell the place?"
"Tragic, really." The platinum curls shook as she shook her head. "Nicholas simply up and vanished one day. No note, no trace. As if the air swallowed him up. Holly was devastated; she held on for a year, but I guess she just couldn't keep the place with all the memories." Gina placed the tupperware on the kitchen island. "I'm sorry dears, I didn't catch your names?"
"Oh, shit. I'm Marcus, and this is my wife Janice. I write, she has a real job pushing papers. We're the MacNichols."
"Lovely to meet you, Marcus," Gina held out a hand, and I shook it. Her fingers were warm, and lingered in my palm a few moments longer than they had to. Those kelly-green stared straight into mine, and I felt as though I were being appraised. "And you Janice," they shook hands. "And these," she pried open the lid of the container, which popped and suddenly a warm, cinnamony scent filled the kitchen. "Are my one-of-a-kind, secret recipe, life-changing, Housewarming Cookies. I'm the neighbourhood mom, and it's my job to keep the treats flowing."
I peered inside, where a couple dozen cookies lay neatly stacked. They didn't appear particularly life changing, though the chocolate chips looked good. The smell, however, made my mouth water.
"Well, who could resist a pitch like that?" We reached in and each pulled one out. I bit into it and my mouth came to life with taste, the warm sweet cinnamon laid over something else my tongue couldn't identify but filled it. My face felt flushed as I chewed and swallowed. I took another, bigger, bite, eating the rest of the cookie. "Oh my gofsh!" I ejaculated, crumbs spraying. "Gina, thefshe are fantashtic!" Somehow, I felt more awake, more excited. It was like the spice in the cookie had cleared out the front end of my consciousness.
"Yeah, they're pretty good," Jan said without much enthusiasm as she swallowed her first bite, laying the cookie on the counter. My hand snapped out and snatched it up. Gina laid her hand, soft and warm, atop mine.
"Enjoy the cookies, dears." She said, quietly. "I'll leave you to it. I'm sure you two have a lot of work to get to."
"These are amazing!" I said, shoving Jan's discarded cookie in my mouth. "You don't like fthem?"
"No," she said, emphatically. "I'm going to go wash my mouth out, then we're going to unload the truck."