The Dark Staircase

Sha’lahi had six fingers and toes. Now, her slender switch-like tail, which extended down to mid-calf, swayed and coiled enticingly, slapping playfully at the shallow water. “She” was flawless, save for a faint hairline scar traversing her left cheek. Indeed, “what hath God wrought?” Em gaped in astonishment as he watched the graceful creature play and cavort in the icy waters, which must have been fed by a deep artesian spring. He’d found that he literally could not dip even his toe into it without feeling the water’s frigid ache sinking deep into his marrow. Em fumbled for his ever-present monocular (which these days dangled from a lanyard around his neck) and, as he shifted his weight, a branch snapped resoundingly under his foot. In an instant She was gone, bolting like a startled gazelle into the depths of Strange Forest... He gently pushed her away. “OK, Jenny. No prob, all right? Stop by my office this afternoon around four. I’ll have some input for you by then, OK?” Quickly glancing at his watch, Dennis lied, “Oh, crap! I need to get to my staff meeting right now, hon. Talk to you later, huh? Sorry… really…” Dark caramel eyes gazed into his as the young woman spoke; “Wait—let’s talk for just a second more, OK? There’s no issue here, Doc. I am not trolling for grades—I already have an A+, hands down, no fuzz... yes? YES. So, here’s the real deal… I really, really like you, Doc… a lot.” Jenny trapped the old hippie in a death grip, and literally forced her tongue into his mouth. The girl was strong! Dennis melted, offering essentially no resistance; as he had learned from his old Star Trek episodes, resistance was futile.