Sample – Island Retreat

Island Retreat Cover

Marnie slipped through the fence, enjoying the spring of the grass under her feet and between her toes. Despite the horror of the day’s events, the pastoral setting and the combination of sea air and the fragrance of the field soothed her. She found herself reaching out to low-hanging trees, feeling the caress of the leaves on her fingertips. She paused, leaning against one, catching her breath and trying to push the images of the boat’s wreckage on the surface of the water away. She could feel the sorrow growing in her like a distant thing, barely visible, but approaching with a maddeningly slow steadiness. It would arrive soon, and, when it did, it would swallow every other emotion. Her head rose. There it was again! The sound of something distantly jingling, a high, tinny sound of a distant bell or bells. It reminded Marnie a bit of sleigh bells, the irony of that not lost on her as she started across the verdant land.

She saw the house before she saw the other girl, a manor in the old Spanish style that California mimicked but never duplicated. This was the real thing, with sun-washed stucco walls, three floors, offset as they climbed the high hill on which the manor sat. A recessed balcony on the top floor extended from ornate glass doors. Marnie thought she saw someone on the balcony, but the glass reflected the sun into her eyes, bringing her forearm up to shield herself from the glare. When she lowered her arm, it was then she saw the girl.

She was possibly in her twenties, or maybe thirties, it was hard to tell, as the girl’s age was inconsequential compared to her dress. Her hair was a dirty blonde, pulled back in a tight braid, her head adorned with a pair of buckled straps that forced a cylinder between her teeth. A bit, Marnie realized, in wonder and shock. She took in the rest of the costume, for that’s surely what it was – the leather buckled below and between her full breasts, the strap that ran from those buckles between her legs and up her back, the artificial hooves that covered her hands, the long boots that ended in similarly fashioned artificial hooves at her feet which forced the girl’s back into an odd curve, thrusting her chest forward, displaying the pierced nipples, a delicate silver chain running between them.

Marnie watched as the girl moved with a lazy grace just out of sight, hidden by a thick cluster of trees. As Marnie moved down the edge of the field, towards a well-worn path which led up again toward the house, she hugged the base of a tree, twisting to follow the girl with her eyes. When she saw her step, back arched, knees raising high with each step, towards a small clearing where a half dozen other girls stood, all dressed, bound, in the same fashion, Marnie released an audible gasp. The pony-girls all stood at attention, heads turning in unison to the tree behind which Marnie stood, her face peeking around the trunk. When one ran, they all did, rushing in a strange, yet graceful lope towards a barn resting in a corner of the fenced field.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be fine,” a husky, lyrical voice said behind her.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.