Latched
Synopsis: Jim and Lisa move into an old apartment block in Bucharest; hat holds an ancient secret
Romania — 1990
Marko looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was shocked at his own reflection. He looked like he’d aged twenty years.
His skin was white, and furrowed by deep wrinkles
He went to pee and his cock stung. He looked down at it and felt the thick smelly stuff oozing from his cock head.
He heard movement outside the apartment and he shuffled his way to the front door.
Lisa shrieked at seeing him there. Jim raced out of their apartment and confronted the naked man standing there “What the fuck are you doing?” he snarled
“Ajuta-ma” Marko’s voice crackled
Jim turned to his wife who simply shrugged. Neither spoke Romanian
“Ajuta-ma” he said again through parched lips and he took a step forward
Jim pushed him back “I’m telling you fella!” he snarled “Stay back”
“What’s wrong with him?” Lisa gasped
“Maybe a druggie?” Jim kept an eye on him “Or, homeless”
“He’s not homeless” she said “He came from that apartment”
“Fuck off back home” Jim said
“Ajuta-ma” the man cried “Vă rog”
He stepped forward again and Jim swung. Marko fell to the ground in a heap.
“What did you do?” Lisa gasped
“I didn’t hit him” Jim said; and he hadn’t. He’d missed.
“I’ll call an ambulance” Lisa said rushing back inside
Jim looked over the man. Marko was twenty-four. He appeared to Jim to be in his fifties.
Jim caught a whiff of the puss oozing from Marko’s cock-head.
“Fuck that” Jim gasped, almost gagging at the smell.
Lisa came out with a blanket and a pillow. She handed it to Jim
“I hope that’s not our good linen” Kim said callously
“It’s just the extras I found in the cupboard”
Stefan poured more wine into Lisa’s glass
“Thank you”
“So, tell me about the adventure of this morning” Stefan asked, turning to Jim who covered his glass with his other hand
Stefan took the bottle and topped up his own glass
“Let’s not” Jim said, “That guy was disgusting”
“Who is he?” Lisa asked
“Marko Albescu” Stefan said, “Another tenant of mine”
The front door opened and closed. “Tată!” came a woman’s voice
“In here, my sweetie” Stefan called back
There appeared at the door frame quite the most beautiful woman Jim had ever seen. She was a little over 5ft but had a small but firm bust. She was a little brown—like Romanian women seemed to be. Her eyes however were piercingly pale. Her hair was jet-black and down to the small of her back. She wore a single piece dress that seemed to hug her figure.
She smiled and went over to Stefan and they kissed affectionately
“This is my daughter, Lilith” Stefan said “These are our new tenants downstairs” he said to Lilith “Jim and Lisa Hancock”
“Locatari noi?”she questioned
“English, my dear” he said kissing her on the forehead “They don’t speak Romanian”
She turned to them both “How do you do?” she asked. She took Lisa’s hand in a polite handshake
“You speak beautiful English” Lisa said
She turned to Jim and took his hand, and seemed to hold it too long
Her hand was both soft, but firm.
“I have a tongue for this” she said to Lisa looking back
Lisa gave Jim a nasty look and he realised he’d been holding Lilith’s hand too long.
“What do you do here? she asked, returning to her father, she now sat on his knee.
“I’m a banker” Jim said “My firm is thinking of setting up a branch here in Bucharest”
Very noticeably Lisa was being ignored by the young woman
“And I am a writer” Lisa coughed
Lilith turned gave her a quick smile and then resumed her focus on Jim
“Handsome and smart” she said
Jim blushed. He saw his wife give him another look
“Ah, we really should be going” he said
“That’s a good idea” Lisa added
“But you only just got here” Stefan said
“We’ve got a really long day ahead of us tomorrow” Jim apologised, rising up, then hiding his boner
His wife noticed and she lead him out the door
In their apartment she turned on him almost immediately
“What the fuck was that about?”
“What do you mean?”
“Leering at that … that girl…”
“I wasn’t leering”
“Then what’s this…?” she said grabbing his crotch
She felt his hardness and she tweaked at it
“Ow” he gasped
“Babe…” he added as she stormed away
He went after her
She slammed the bedroom door in his face
“Honey?” he called, tapping lightly on the door
“Don’t even think about it” she yelled back
In the rooms upstairs Lilith fingered herself as she listened to the fight…
Jim fell asleep on the couch. It was 2am when the front door opened quietly
Lilith stepped in. She sniffed the air. She inhaled his scent. She grew moist at the smell
As she stepped quietly—like a cat—one foot in front of the other—her dress slid from her body.
She found him there asleep
She grinned
She went to him and turned around as she did and backed her butt towards his face. She was wet
She bent over and fingered herself and soon a small spray of clears liquid hit his face.
She turned around and watched as beads of her fluid rolled down his nose to his mouth
Her ‘come’ oozed into his mouth and his tongue flicked at it. “Mmm” he sighed
She slid quietly to her knees and pulled up the sheet that was all that covered him.
She drew his cock out of the open fly on his boxer underwear and took it into her mouth
She sucked and soon his hot meat was hardening.
He spluttered awake
He looked down, saw her piercing eyes gazing back at him as she continued to suck his cock
“Sleep!” came a voice in his head
His eyes rolled back into his head and he was asleep
She smiled and rose up
She hooked a leg over him and taking hold of his cock she held it still as she slid her cunt down over it… it swelled him
“Oh….yes” she gasped immediately
She rose and sank, caressing a breast as she did, her other arm hooked up around behind her head. “Oh, yesss” she sighed again.
She shivered as she came
Then she pushed down harder on him, now her hips ground against him “Fuck yes” she gasped, putting a hand in her mouth to muffle her own cries of pleasure
And then… he came.
She trembled; she spasmed. It was like she was having a fit
Her pussy latched onto his cock like another mouth; sucking at him, drawing out his come
“Jim?” Lisa said as she shook at her husband “Jim?”
“Huh…?” he gasped. His throat was dry
“Jim are you okay?”
“Huh… what…?” he gasped his voice croaky
He looked at his concerned wife
“What’s the matter?”
“I couldn’t get you to wake!” she gasped “The alarm went off too… and you just slept through it”
“Oh, man” he gasped “I feel beat…”
She took his arm to help him sit up
“That must be some wine” she said
“Fuck” he gasped, his head spinning
“Phew!” she gasped
“What’s the matter?”
“Did you shit yourself?”
“No, why?”
“Something stinks” she gasped, jumping back
He got to his feet and rubbed his crotch as he tried to focus with his eyes. His vision was blurry
“Look about last night…” she began
He turned, farted and walked away
“Honey?” she began again
He went to the bathroom and slammed the door. He didn’t even think about her talking to him… his mind was somewhere else
He went to pee. As he did he felt his occk stinging
He looked down and saw a yellow fluid mixed in the bowl
“What the fuck?”
“Honey?” she called
“What?!!” he called back angrily
She got annoyed, turned and went back to the bedroom
He now smelled the smell—and it reminded him of…. the other day…. Marko
“What the fuck?” he gasped again. His cock stung as he peed but he had to pee.
He heard the bedroom door flung open “I’m going shopping” Lisa called out angrily and then moments later he heard the front door slam
Jim took some paper and wiped the mucous off his cock head
He threw it in the bowl and flushed and went and had a shower.
Lisa was surprised to see Marko at his apartment door
She watched him warily
“Please” he gasped “I want to apologise about the other day”
She said nothing
“I mean you no harm” he said
She still said nothing
Then they heard footsteps
They looked up
Lilith was coming down the stairs
“Please, you must leave here!” Marko said… he was shaking. But Lisa was wary of him, because he was acting so strange.
Lilith stopped when she saw them
“Marko” she smiled “You’re feeling better?”
“I…” he began
“Come, let me talk to you about something” she said as she went over to him
He trembled as she did
Lilith took him by the hand and gently guided him back into his own apartment. She stopped just inside the door and she looked back at Lisa and smiled “So nice to see you again” she said before dis-parring inside, slamming the front door
Lisa went over to the door to listen as she heard raised voices
She heard what sounded like Marko crying, pleading. Only it was in Romanian so Lisa couldn’t be sure of what was being said
Then Marko grunted—like an animal
Lisa realised that they were having sex. Lilith was howling like a woman possessed “Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me!”
Her voice sounded deep and animalistic. It sounded almost… not quite human.
Jim woke at about 2am. He turned and looked and saw that Lisa was asleep
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He scatted his crotch.
He went out towards the front door
Lilith was standing there. She smiled. She reached to her shoulders and her dress flowed off her to the ground
She smiled as she sauntered up to him. She reached between her legs and wet her fingers from her pussy and as she got to him she shoved her fingers into his mouth
He gasped as he tasted her. She turned and went over to the couch but before she got to it she simply bent over, till her face touched her shins.
She presented him with her glistening pussy. She was just a hole as her hands clasped her ankles
He fumbled at his boxers and almost tore them as he approached her. He pushed into her and suddenly the pain in his cock was gone.
He thrust in and out of her, feeling only the sensation of her around his cock-shaft. She grabbed him; her pussy gripped him like a clenched fist and she pulled him into herself
Suddenly he came.
Her vagina throbbed and it was like it was milking him, and he kept coming. He almost collapsed over her butt. He stood up, swaying, shakily on his feet
She stood up turned and smiled at him
“Please…” he gasped… his voice husky and dry “No more”
“More” she smiled
“I… I can’t…” he croaked
“More” she said as she turned him around and backed him onto the couch
He fell back onto it. She pressed her pussy up to his face “Drink” she said and he lapped at her. Her juices kept him stiff and in less than a minute she moved down his body, grabbing the base of his cock she slid down over him
“Please” he gasped
“Shhh” she grinned as she began to ride him.
Lisa found him lying on the floor. She shook him but he would not respond. The ambulance attended and he was taken to hospital and hooked up to a drip
“I’m afraid your husband is levelly dehydrated” the doctor told Lisa through a translator from the consulate.
“And he’s suffering severe exhaustion”
“Exhaustion?” she queried
“Yes… he needs lots of rest”
Jim lay there wheezing. Lisa stayed with him and then Stefan turned up
“Stefan?” she gasped “How good of you to come”
“It’s nothing” he smiled
“Tell me…” she said “Do you know what has happened with Marko?”
“Didn’t they tell you?”
“No” she said“Only I last saw him with your daugh…” she began
“He’s dead”
“Dead?”
“Yes… the police found him last night”
“Where… in the apartment?”
“No” Stefan said “He was on the highway, it seems he fell from a pedestrian overpass”
“He fell?”
“Yes…” Stefan said “The police said it looked like he’d just lost his footing…”
“And your daughter?”
“What about her?”
“I saw her with Marko…”
“What are you trying to say…?”
“Oh, maybe it’s nothing”
“Come…” Stefan said, “Let me take you home”
“No, I really should stay here…”
“You’re not helping here” Stefan said “You can see he’s not going anywhere”
“Yes, but I really should…”
“Come with me” Stefan said. Lisa looked at him and his eyes seemed for a second to glow yellow
“I…”
“Come” he smiled “You need a good night’s rest yourself”
“Yes… you’re right” she said, and accepted his hand as he offered it. He helped her to her feet
He lead her out.
She didn’t notice Lilith standing off to one side.
Stefan did.
He nodded to his daughter as he lead Lisa away
Lilith want to the room and saw Jim lying there. She wet her hand from her pussy and shoved her wet hand into his mouth
In a moment he started to suck on her moist fingers.
Hie eyes opened
“Hello” she smiled
“Please…” his raspy voice crackled as he watched her slip her dress off
She pulled back his sheet and blanket.
His cock was rock hard
“I want more tonight” she said
“Please, no…”
She climbed up onto the bed and backed her hips down onto his groin, taking his cock up into her wet pussy
“Please…” he begged
“Shhhh” she smiled, “Feed me…”
“Oh, fuck” he gasped and he came.
Her body went into orgasm too, her vagina milking him of his come, her body absorbing his sexual energy… his heart started to palpitate
The Holter monitor, connect to his heart sent out an audible alarm
“Fuck” Lilith gasped, pulling herself off of him
She melted back into a shadowy corner as nurses came running into the room.
In his distress Jim still reached out to her, a part of him wanted to be in her still
She smiled.
A nurse summoned a doctor as the heart line flattened
Lisa sat on the couch in the top apartment; Stefan’s apartment. Her eyes were blurry, her vision hazy
“More wine?” Stefan asked
Lisa hiccupped.
She looked to the floor. She saw a pair of what appeared to be goat hooves, only much larger as they clicked along the floorboards.
She followed the hooves line up the legs, hairy….
She could have sworn that they merged into Stefan.
She passed out
In the morning Lisa was woken to the sound of the phone ringing. In a haze she leaped up. She was in her apartment, but she didn’t recall getting there.
The doctor—a Nick Bogdan spoke to her in perfect English
“Please, can you come down to the hospital right away”
“What’s happened?”
“Your husband’s had several cardiac arrests… we’ve managed to stabilise him…”
Lisa dressed, and called a taxi. As she went to the hospital she wondered why she’d left in the first place. She couldn’t imagine why she’d desert her husband in this moment of need.
She went into the room to see him on life support apparatus.
Lilith was there, with her father Stefan
A nurse was there adjusting a drip.
Stefan rose and went to embrace her to comfort her
As they embraced she felt her nipples harden. They jutted out like little bullets and she couldn’t understand why.
“Everything will be okay” Stefan said
His hand went down to her buttocks and he squeezed. She was shocked. She looked at Lilith who watched her smiling.
“When the nurse leaves” he whispered into her ear “You will suck my cock”
“Yes” she found herself gasping
Suddenly the doctor came in, and a priest, Father Vulpe.
Stefan reeled back and stepped into a corner. Lilith looked distressed in her chair as if she couldn’t move
“Mrs Hancock?” Dr Nick asked
“Huh? Yes?”
“Are you alright?”
“Yes… er…. I think so”
She clutched at her head
She turned around to look for Stefan who stood well back
She noticed the priest eyeing the father and daughter.
“This is Father Vulpe” Nick said
“Er… how do you do?” she asked
“I’m pleased to meet you”
“Er… we’re not religious”
“Oh, I’m not here for that” Father Vulpe laughed, “Dr Bogdan said that I should call in and see if you need anything…”
“Ah… no” Lisa said, “But it’s very thoughtful of you” she added “You didn’t need to come and see us…”
“It’s quite alright” Father Vulpe said “I come here every second day to attend to the spiritual needs of the patients—and as I speak English Dr Bogdan…”
“Nick…” Dr. Bogdan interjected “Call me Nick… please” he said to Lisa
“Yes… “ Father Vulpe continued… “Well I’m here every second day should you need anything… Even if it’s just to talk. I’m quite a good listener”
He smiled
But, Lisa was too rattled to appreciate his friendly informality.
“Can I introduce you to…” Lisa began and she turned around but Stefan and Lilith had vanished.
Father Vulpe stepped over to the corner where Stefan had been. He sniffed the air. He looked concerned
“Who?” Dr Nick asked as he looked about and saw no one else there…
“Ah…” Lisa began
Dr Nick changed tact “Anyway, Mrs Hancock.… we’ll need to keep your husband here for several more days… before considering moving him to a general ward”
“How bad is it?”
“Well as you know I mentioned on the phone a number of cardiac arrests.” He paused. She nodded. “Apart from that your husband is severely anemic, and dehydrated… we don’t know the cause of this as it’s unrelated to his heart condition”
“My husband doesn’t have a heart condition…” she insisted
“Tell me, Lisa… may I call you Lisa…?” Father Vulpe asked
“Sure”
“Your husband and you… are quite different in age?”
“No…” she said “We’re a year apart”
Father Vulpe looked shocked. And it was only then that Lisa realised her husband looked like he’d aged a decade
She was shocked
He had large wrinkles, cross feet, paled skin
“There’s nothing you can do for him just now” Dr Nick said, “Would you like to stay for a while?”
“Sure” she said
“If you don’t mind…” Father Vulpe said “I’d like to stay with you…”
“But Stefan wants me to….” she began, but she couldn’t remember what it was. She knew she had to do something.
“Stefan?”
“Yes, the man who was here…”
“And what’s he to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… how is he related to you?”
“We’re not related” she said “He’s our landlord”
“Oh?” Father Vulpe said, “And the girl?”
“That’s his daughter Lilith”
“Lilith?”
“Yes”
“I see…” he said “If you excuse me for just a moment” he said
He went to the Dr who was now at the bed instructing a nurse.
Lisa sat down on a bedside chair
She noticed Father Vulpe whispering earnestly to the Dr.
Dr Nick kept looking back at her, concern clearly in his eyes.
Father Vulpe smiled and as the Dr left he went over and took another chair and drew it up close to hers
She smiled weakly not knowing really why the priest was wanting to stay there
She didn’t appreciate his company.
Something about him… she wanted Stefan there and she felt somehow that Father Vulpe and Stefan wouldn’t get on well.
She opened her legs as she unconsciously thought of Stefan.
Four hours later and Father Vulpe offered to drive her home. She accepted.
Just before they left he turned and rushed back into the room. He emerged a moment later, smiling.
“Thank you for taking me home” she said as they drove
“It is no problem at all”
“Tell me, Father” she asked “Where did you learn English?
“I was in England for seven years” he said “We have a Romanian Orthodox skate there”
“A skete?”
“A settlement of monks… not quite like a monastery” he added
“Ah” she said…
Lilith appeared as if out of nowhere. She eyed Jim. She wanted to feed from him.
She dropped her dress as she swaggered towards his hospital bed.
She went to climb on when she suddenly reeled back from him
She hissed, like an animal when she saw it…
A small plain wooden cross around his neck.
“You fucking prick” she cursed Father Vulpe.
Stefan heard the car pull-up and he grew hard in anticipation of another night inside Lisa.
When the knock came on his door he pulled his pants off and approached it; his hoofed feet clip-clopping on the wooden floor board
He screamed in horror when upon opening the door Father Vulpe presented himself
“What?”
“Mrs Hancock is safe downstairs” Father Vulpe said
“Get away from me you fucking prick” Stefan spat. Spittle flying from his frothing mouth
“You will go back to the hell you came from” Father Vulpe said as he stepped into the apartment
Stefan screamed in pain as the priest splashed him with holy water
“Back to hell” Father Vulpe cried “You will not stay in this realm any longer”
“Fucking prick!” Stefan howled, nursing his burning arm “I’ll fuck you in the ass!” he threatened
“Be gone demon!” Father Vulpe said
He drew out his bible, a large leather bound volume with a prominent gold embossed Orthodox cross on the front
Stefan turned away and vomited; sick at the sight of the cross—which in his presence seemed to glow luminously
“Ahhhhhhhh” he screamed…. His painful cry made a palpable force, for a moment pressing Father Vulpe back as if struck by a strong wind.
“Be gone” he cried again
Stefan was suddenly surrounded by a cloud. He screamed again; only his scream diminished as if he was carried off
And when the air cleared… he was gone.
Returning to the United States after only a month he Hancocks had a celebratory party with their friends and family
People had been concerned about the “illness” that had affected Jim. He was slowly recovering.
“Mom” Lisa said “You wouldn’t believe it…” she smiled
“What’s that?”Heidi asked
“So many fine old buildings there… many from before the Soviet era”
“I saw the photos you sent” Heidi said “The people were quite friendly too?”
“We met some strange characters” Lisa added
“And how is Jim?”
“He’s recovered…” she said
“He looks dreadful” Heidi said frankly
“Yes” Lisa had to admit…
“Whatever was wrong with him seems to have aged him” Heidi said
Whilst they talked Manuel, Lisa’s father was asking Jim about his work
“Ah, yes” Jim said “I’ve made my recommendations to the board already” Jim said “We won’t be opening up in Romania just yet”
“So you’re back here for good”
“Until the next job”Jim said “For now Lisa and I want to start a family”
“That’s terrific” Manuel said “You’re going to make me a grandpa”
“Yes”
“Heidi will be upset the fist time someone calls her ‘granny’”
They laughed.
Eight months later Jim was in hospital with his wife as she squeezed a baby out of her. Nurse Ratchet and Doctor Stephenson attended to Lisa and the delivery.
It was a remarkably quick delivery—only an hour.
A nurse took the baby and towelled it before returning it to the mom.
She looked at him, at his small bright eyes.
She gasped as they seemed to glow yellow.
—Epilogue—
Nurse Ratchet went back to the nurses station. She was always happy at the birth of a newborn so healthy and animated
She looked up as the young woman approached her catching her attention. She was pale, and beautiful, and accompanied by an older Hispanic man
“Excuse me?” the young woman asked
“Yes?”
“I’m looking for the Hancocks”
“Are you related?”
“It’s my brother who was born…”
“Your brother?” Nurse Ratchet thought that couldn’t be
“Yes”
“Your name?”
“Lilith” she smiled, “I’ve come to see my little half-brother….”
Nurse Ratchet still didn’t see how that was possible.
“And…” Lilith added, leaning over the counter “This is the child’s maternal grand-father, Manuel”
Manuel looked like he was in a trance.
“I might have to call the doctor” Nurse Ratchet said, wanting to remove the responsibility of admitting the girl
“You will tell me” Lilith said, her eyes boring into the nurse’s
“Ah… room 7” Nurse Ratchet said
“Come”
“Yes, Mistress” Manuel said
She slumped back in her chair, wondering why she’d given up that information as Lilith and her friend went down the hall…