Note to readers: This is only the first half of the story, as it's too long to post all at once. If you like it, I'll put the rest on afterwards. The language may be coarse, but if you're familiar with my work, that's how it is. :)
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1
Deep in the swamps, the ground moved as if it was breathing. It rose up and back down like a living entity. Beneath layers of the murky, thick ground, tunnels twisted and crossed under the marsh. The insides of those tunnels remained firm, the moisture all on the outside, keeping the ground above them unstable. People crossed through these areas unaware of the labyrinth below.
The mistress of this dark, dank place resided far from any entrance. Far under the heart of the swamp, in the deepest regions of the watery area, she maintained her lair. Her throne was of hardened mud, made comfortable from the skins of varies swamp creatures. She wore these same items as her sparse garments, and a crown of alligator teeth decorated her dark knotted hair. (Not actually knots, mind you, but tiny tight braids held together at the nape of her neck as to keep them tidy.)
Her lair was a hollowed out circle, several entrances coming into the dome shaped area from various directions. Makeshift furniture had been carved out of the hardened mud, as well as the suitable swamp trees. Vines hung from the high ceiling, obscuring direct vision of the high priestess.
As she sits on her throne, her loyal subjects crowd around her. Beings of no description, some say they're merely blobs from the darkest corners of the swamp, others claim they're giant slugs and leeches. Nonetheless, they go to their keeper, bringing her offerings; pieces of fruit from the depths of the swamp, new pieces of furniture, and the most popular of all... virginal strays.
Freya accepted these gifts, yet as the girls rarely served her any purpose (besides the ones she reduced to slaves), she kept them as food for her pets, locked up and used to keep the beasts under her control.
As the creatures gathered around their master, she summoned her newest slave girl, ordering her to retrieve one of the girls that were locked in the dungeon just off of her main lair. She used this tactic to strike fear in her slaves, as to ensure their cooperation. The girl came back with another in tow, handing her shaking wrist to the goddess before her.
"Here!" She stood before her collection of subjects, thrusting the smaller girl in front of her. "In thanks of your generous gifts!" She gave the girl a push, causing her to stumble into the mass before her. Her screams echoed through the corridors as they carried her away...
2
"Anna! Cut it out!" Felicia demanded in her best voice of authority. Hopefully no one else heard that quiver... She cut off her older sisters story before she could go into the gory details. Dark was closing in quickly, and the songs of the swamp were escalating as the night creatures emerged. The campfire flickered and jumped, the flames dancing high, but the light didn't carry out too far from the tight circle of teenagers.
"Awe, are we scaring you?" Her sisters mocking voice brought a flush of colour to Felicia's face. She glared across the fire into the laughing face.
Felicia felt movement as a tremor went through the body beside her. She wasn't sure if it was a shiver from the cold or from fear. Then again, in these parts, cold was rare. Sure, there was a slight breeze, but aside from that, the air was humid. Stifling almost.
Bethany clutched at the edge of her friends' skirt, sure she heard movement in the trees. Her lithe body jerked as a tremor shook her, but she strived to hide it. She didn't want to endure the same treatment as Felicia from the older members of the weekend camping group.
"It's only virginal girls that get taken hostage, Felicia." A warm hand grasped her thigh, running up the firm length of it, progressively moving inwards sliding under her skirt. "We can make sure you don't get taken." His hot breath against her neck repulsed her.
Her hand snaked out, slapping him swiftly across the face in a sharp retort. "Fuck you." She muttered the words as she pulled herself from his grasp. Reaching for Beth's hand, she turned to leave the group of students.
Paul's hand grabbed her wrist, swinging her back to him. Face to face, she could see his furious reaction to her public refusal of him. His fingers tightened around her wrist until she winced in pain. She recognized the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes at her pain.
"Paul, enough." Adrianna's sharp voice broke through the silence. "Paul," Her sister stood, took one step towards them, before Paul let go and took a step back.
"Just playin' babe, relax." He stared menacingly at Felicia, his voice light and playfully directed to both of them. He sat back down, but Felicia could see his body remain rigid with anger. She cast a glance of thanks to her sister before taking Beth's hand again and leading her away from the fire.
It was late, and the fire was dying anyways. It was better to just leave the older students to their ghost stories. There was no need to endure any more of their bad jokes or scary stories. Everyone knew how many people went missing in this section of the swamps. Of course, it was just because the swamp was so vast, and one wrong turn took you onto one of the many trails that wound through the area. You could get lost far too easily. Not to mention the alligators that roamed freely. If they sensed you in their territory, you might as well have gift wrapped yourself for them. Bodies disappeared as quickly as they were lost. Then there were all the stories that circulated, such as the one Adrianna had been humouring them with, among others.
Felicia shook the thoughts from her mind as she slipped between the flaps of the tent, Bethany still in tow. When the two girls were in the relative safety of the tent, they seemed to be able to breath easier. Lighting a lantern, Beth slipped into a thin nighty, light enough that remaining covered wouldn't kill you in the amounting heat of the morning. Felicia slipped into a pair of boxer shorts and a sports bra then pulled out a book and started to read.
"'Leesha," Beth touched her arm gently after several moments of silence. Felicia finished the sentence she was on before giving her attention to the other girl. "I heard something outside." Her voice was a whisper of sound, barely audible.
"It's probably just Anna, or Paul." Felicia scowled at the mention of his name. "Ignore it." She put her hand lightly on Beth's shoulder, a reassuring gesture. After a moments hesitation, she leaned over, pressing her lips ever so gently to her friends parted mouth.
Beth sighed in delight at the touch, her hand sliding up to the nape of Felicia's neck as she returned the kiss vigorously.
