White Swan (complete)

    When I was little, they called me shy. As I grew up, I realized I was more of an introvert and dealing with anxiety more than I was shy. Although, people still like to describe me that way when they introduce me. 

    “He’s a shy guy,” they’ll say. And every time, it makes me cringe a little.

    I know they mean no harm by it, but still, it makes me feel weird to be known as the ‘shy guy.’ I suppose that’s why I prefer working with animals than anything. I took a job as a rehabilitator at a nature preserve. My office is far from the city, smack dab in the center of the woods. Here, I take care of injured wild animals, abandoned babies, and several stray cats. 

    Right now, it’s pretty slow. I’ve had a few fawns come through that I’ve nursed and released. There was the raccoon who tried to hide amongst the stray cats, he was fun. Then, for a while, I had about three sheep who had been wandering the woods for so long their coats jutted out at least two feet. I sheared them and kept them until a willing farmer came to pick them up. 

    As I said, it’s been pretty slow around here this month. The others who work here come and go on a schedule, but I live in the apartment above the office. That way, someone is here twenty-four-seven in case of emergencies. I’ve dealt with wounded hunters, lost kids, and many other things during my time here. The animals are by far my favorite.

    I wake up every morning at five, I’ll go downstairs and feed the cats that have gathered around the front door. I’ll have my coffee while I listen to them munching and crunching and growling. It’s been fun as of late, especially when the raccoon joins them. 

    After that, I take a walk around the property, going to the lake and checking on the condition of all the security cameras. The lake is one of my favorite spots. There, it is always so quiet and peaceful. In the mornings, a low fog hangs over it, and it feels like the world has stopped and everything is at peace.

    This morning, as I’m taking in the serenity of it, I hear a low cry. I look around, not seeing anything. I then hear a splash in the lake and, looking out through the fog, I see a white shape in the water. It thrashes and struggles in the water, slowly swimming towards me. It’s a swan. I stare in amazement as I’ve never seen one this close before, let alone here.

    The swan makes another low cry, and I see blood on its pure white feathers. The poor thing is starting to sink in the water, so I rush out towards it. The swan lays its head on my shoulder, and I pick it up out of the water, carrying it to dry land. Its wing is bleeding, and the poor thing is breathing slowly.

    I carry it back to the office, setting them down on the operation table. I quickly collect the necessary equipment to stitch them up and, when I return to the operating table, I am nearly knocked unconscious. 

    Laying where the swan should be, is a woman. She’s lithe and beautiful, her legs are long and elegant. Her skin is extremely pale, and I can see the blue veins under it. Her hair is short, white, and fluffy. Her neck and shoulder are smeared with blood, and I can see the same wound that afflicted the swan.

    She whimpers and sniffles, small tears falling from her long, pale lashes. I move quickly, returning to her and cleaning the wound. I’m not used to human patients, but I’ve stitched up a hunter or two in my day. I get the woman patched up, and I cover her with an emergency blanket. I then sit back, looking at her laying on the table.

    She was a swan! I know she was. How is this possible? I can’t stop thinking and questioning.

    Her lashes then flutter, and her eyes open. Her eyes are completely black and surrounded by thick, pale lashes. She sits up slowly, the emergency blanket falls away from her body. She touches her shoulder, and a pout crosses her lips. She then turns and looks up at me.

    A soft gasp escapes her lips, and she slips her long legs off the table. “You saved me,” she says, placing her palms over her chest.

    I flinch and try to swallow as my throat goes tight. “I uhm-” I then nod. “I did the best I could.” I stand up and cautiously approach her. “Does it hurt?” I ask. “If so, I can find some pain medicine for-”

    The woman throws her arms around me, gazing up at me with her dark eyes. “I love you,” she whispers to me. She stretches out her long neck and places a soft kiss to my cheek.

    Her bare body is pressed against mine, and my face feels like it’s been lit on fire. I push her back gently. 

    “Now wait a second,” I gasp.

    She tilts her head. “What’s wrong?”

    “You can’t love me,” I state as cooly as I can. “We just met. You don’t even know my name or who I am.”

    She smiles sweetly. “You saved my life, how could I not love you? If names matter, I am Ophelia.”

    I shake my head and sigh. “I’m Oliver,” I tell her.

    Ophelia beams and giggles. “Our names match!”

    Her smile and laughter are so sweet, I can’t help but smile. “Yes, we do,” I say as I wrap the emergency blanket around her. “But, Ophelia,” I murmur, “just because I saved you, doesn’t mean you have to love me. It just means you’re ok and safe.”

    Ophelia furrows her brow as she looks at me. “Oh,” she murmurs. “But I thought-” she stops and frowns. She looks frustrated and heavy tears come to her eyes. “Oh! It’s all hopeless!” She cries. She places her face in her hands.

    “Ophelia,” I whisper, unsure how to comfort her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

    She sniffles and blubbers. “My sister! I can’t find her!” She cries. 

    I move to wipe her tears away, but then I hear the door open. “Hello? Oliver, are you here?” One of the other vets calls out.

    I panic. I have a naked, wounded woman sitting on the operating table bawling her eyes out. In a moment of fear induced adrenaline, I pick Ophelia up. 

    “Yeah, I’m here!” I call out. “I’ve gotta go upstairs for a second, I’ll be right back!”

    “What’s that noise?” She asks.

    Ophelia is in my arms, still crying.

    “Just my phone! I’ve gotta go and uhm...charge it!” I race upstairs to my apartment where I set Ophelia down on the sofa.

    I huff with relief and go fetch some of my clothes for Ophelia to put on. At the moment, I didn’t realize it, but now I remark at how light she was. Ophelia looks pretty tall, and she’s pretty curvy, yet she felt feather light.

    I go to Ophelia, placing the clothes beside her. I hand her a box of tissues, but she just stares at it confused. She pulls out one tissue, then lurches in amazement when another appears in its place. A few more tears roll down her cheeks, and she tugs out the tissue, startled that another one has already appeared.

    “What magic is this?” Ophelia whispers under her breath.

    “It’s not magic,” I reply. “Just tissues.”

    Ophelia looks at me, and I take one of the tissues and dry up her face. “You said something about a sister,” I murmur.

    She nods slowly. “She was cursed when we were very little,” Ophelia sniffles. “My mother sent her away to protect her, but I miss her so much.” Tears start to fall from her dark eyes again. “I just wanted to see her and make sure she was ok!”

    Ophelia then places her hand over her wound. “I was coming out of the palace when I heard this loud and awful noise and then-” she shudders, and she puts her arms around me. “When you came to me in the lake, I was so scared. But when you took me into your arms, I felt so safe.”

    “Palace?” I murmur to myself.

    Ophelia looks up at me and gives a soft smile. “You made me feel better in a way no one has,” she brushes her fingertips against my lips. “Even now, I don’t notice the pain.”

    My face burns again, and I take Ophelia’s hand and hold it. “You were a swan,” I murmur as I squeeze her hand. 

    “I am!” Ophelia chimes brightly. 

    I look at her confused.

    Ophelia places my palm to her chest. “Well, half swan,” she murmurs. “My father is something else,” she grumbles angrily when she speaks of him. 

    “My mother is the Swan Queen,” she replies. “Our kingdom is hidden from the eyes of humans.” She then glances out the window. “I can see it from here,” she murmurs, pointing a finger towards the glass. “Just the peaks of it, right outside.”

    I furrow my brow, only seeing clouds outside.

    “Ever since we had to send my sister away, my mother has kept me locked up in the palace,” Ophelia grumbles. “I’ve been planning my escape for a long time.” She touches her injured shoulder again and goes quiet.

    “Do you know where your sister is?” I ask.

    She shakes her head. “Not really,” she rubs at her eyes. “All I know is she is hidden in a tower.”

    “That sounds like a fairy tale,” I murmur.

    Ophelia stands up from the sofa and looks around. Her soft fluffy hair shimmers slightly in the light. I try not to stare, considering she’s naked, but I notice there is mud on her legs and feet, and there is still blood caked on her skin.

    “Would you like a bath?” I ask.

    Ophelia turns and looks down at herself. Her fingers brush along her pale skin, and she sighs. “I didn’t realize how filthy I had gotten. I’m sorry.”

    “Don’t apologize,” I lead her to my bathroom. “I just thought you might be more comfortable.” I turn on the shower and Ophelia leaps forward.

    “Oh wow!” She stretches her hand out under the water and grins. “It’s even warm!”

    I smile, admiring her bright smile more than anything. “I need to get back to work,” I tell her. I show her how to turn the faucet on and off. “When you’re done, turn it off. Feel free to use my bed to nap if you’d like. I’ll try and come up later for lunch.”

    Ophelia leans out of the shower, kissing my cheek again. “Thank you,” she whispers.

    I swallow and try to clear my throat. I feel flustered and panicked, and I know my face is as red as a beet. 

    I walk downstairs, seeing that the other two vets are already there. Madison and Kim are mixing formula into bottles, and I see a box on the table with baby opossums trying to climb out of it.

    “When did these get here?” I ask, capturing one of the attempted escapees. 

    “I brought them with me,” Kim says as she gets a bottle ready. “A neighbor of mine gave them to me. The mother was dead on the road, and the babies were all trying to get to her.”

    I take the bottle and start to feed one. 

    “What were you doing?” Madison asks with a smirk. “You seemed in an awful rush when I got in,” she wiggles her eyebrows at me. “I thought I heard a woman.”

    “It was the radio!” I blurt. 

    Madison giggles and feeds one of the opossum babies. “You know, I’ve never known you to have ever dated.”

    “He never did in school, either,” Kim replies. 

    “Really?” Madison turns and looks at me. “What’s up with that?”

    I shrug. “I mean, I’ve dated but, it takes a lot for me to want to get romantic with someone,” I confess.

    “So you’re asexual?” Madison quips.

    I shake my head. “I like sex,” I murmur. “Gender doesn’t matter, but-” I frown and sigh. “It’s hard to explain.”

    “You don’t feel the attraction until you know the person,” Kim suggests.

    I nod. “Like that. It takes a lot for me, so usually, people get tired or fed up.”

    “Oh!” Madison murmurs. “I get it.” They then continue to tend to the baby opossums.

    Later, I go upstairs to have my lunch. When I do, I find Ophelia asleep in my bed. She’s curled up with my pillow, hugging it and nuzzling to it. She’s curled up under the blankets, and she looks so peaceful and comfy, I don’t want to disturb her.

    I go into the kitchen, starting my lunch. As I’m cooking, I’m grabbed from behind. I’m shocked at first until I see the elegant, pale hands clutching me.

    “I didn’t mean to wake you,” I say to Ophelia.

    Ophelia nuzzles her cheek to my back. “I was waiting for you. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Her hands stroke my chest and belly and she sighs as she presses close to me.

    I feel nervous around her, and her affection is nice, but I have no idea how to handle it. Her body feels soft and warm as it presses against me. Her hands pressed against me are a comfort. But I still have no idea how to react to this. Ophelia literally fell out of the sky, out of nowhere. At least, nowhere my human eyes could see. I found her a wounded bird, I wasn’t planning on dealing with this at all. Now, this beautiful creature claims she loves me. How can I possibly deal with that when I don’t even know how to return it?

I turn around, escaping her grasp. “Are you hungry?” I ask. 

    She’s wearing the shirt I laid out for her. “I am,” she says with a nod. Her fluffy hair bobs and sways, curling in around her cheeks which are plump and flushed. Her lips look pinker as well, looking almost heart shaped. 

    The way Ophelia moves and stands, she reminds me of a ghost from an old movie I once saw. She’s elegant and silent, even the way she holds her head looks like it’s choreographed that way. She said her mother was a queen, that made her a princess. Ophelia also mentioned that she had been kept in the palace since her sister was sent away. All her life she’s been told what to do, how to move, and where to go. Even if her mother did it with love and concern, I could understand how Ophelia would end up frustrated and disgruntled. 

    “What would you like to eat, then?” I go to the fridge. “I have some fruits in here. Do you like salad? Maybe a sandwich?” I chuckle nervously. “I don’t know what you eat. Do you even need to eat?” 

    I glance over my shoulder and see Ophelia sniffing the air, and she moves over to the cookie jar. She opens it and pulls out a cookie. She licks it tentatively, and her eyes widen. A brilliant smile spreads across her lips. I think how cute she looks in that moment.

I then stare in shock, and a touch of horror as her mouth opens wide, a black tongue darts out and snatches up the cookie, dragging it into her wide open jaws.

    “Mm!” She squeals excitedly. “It’s so good!” She bounces on her heels as she pulls the cookie jar closer towards her.

    I’m not sure how to handle this. By all accounts, she looks like a normal woman, just a little different. But when she opened her mouth, unhinging her jaws and revealing sharp, jagged teeth and a prehensile black tongue, I wasn’t sure what to think. 

    Ophelia reaches into the cookie jar again, grabbing more cookies and happily eating them one by one. Her black tongue lashes out, snapping them up like a demanding child. Ophelia chews them with a smile on her lips, looking oh so happy at her new treasure. Her black tongue lashes out again, demanding another treat. 

    “Uhm-” I murmur and she turns around. “Is that all you want?”

    Ophelia chews the mouthful she has and swallows. “They’re really good!” She offers one up to me. “Here.”

    I take it and smile nervously. “Thank you. Uhm-” I motion back to the fridge. “I have apples...and uhm, there are some grapes.”

    “I like grapes,” she bounces on her heels.

    I take the bowl from the fridge, and she happily carries it to the table. She sits down, taking a grape in each hand and munching on them. 

    I’m still in a stunned state. I wasn’t expecting any of this. Not a swan and certainly not one that turned into a beautiful woman. I also wasn’t expecting that beautiful woman to be able to unhinge her jaws and look like Venom. 

    Ophelia looks up at me and smiles sweetly. “Is it ok if I still love you?” She says suddenly.

    If my heart were a balloon, it would have popped. “Ophelia, uhm-” I’m not sure how to respond. I want to say no, but I also want to say yes. I would be crazy to let anyone like Ophelia go. She’s cute and sweet, but we only just met! It doesn’t feel right to say yes so readily. But when I look into her eyes, I feel captured and drawn to her.

    “I know you said it was strange,” Ophelia continues. She ducks her chin and fiddles with her fingers. “But you’re taking care of me, and you make me feel so safe and nice. You smell good too,” she chuckles shyly. “I still love you,” she looks up at me. She then holds out her hand, offering me a white feather. “Oliver, will you marry me?”

    “I-” I clam up and hold my hand out to take the feather. 

    Ophelia suddenly wrenches her hand back and clutches the feather to her chest. “Wait,” her eyes dart back and forth for a moment and then she looks up at me. She then presses her lips into a firm line.

    I take a step back and swallow down my heart from my throat. “You scared me there,” I chuckle breathlessly.

    “I know,” she says. “I felt it like a slap in the face.” She looks down at the feather in my hand. “Can I wait for your answer?” She asks. “Until I can find my sister?”

    I nod. “I’m sorry I got scared.”

    Ophelia won’t look up at me. She keeps her eyes downcast, and she fidgets with the feather between her fingers. “It was sudden,” she murmurs. She then stands up, taking the bowl of grapes with her.

    “I was told humans were easy to frighten. I should have known.” She walks away from the kitchen, going into the bathroom.

    I follow behind her, seeing she has taken off the shirt and is sitting naked in the tub full of water. “I have to go back to work,” I tell her. “I’ll be back.”

    “Ok,” she says then shuts the shower curtain.

    I return to work, helping Kim and Madison tend to the opossum babies again. As we’re working, I remember what Ophelia said about her sister.

    “Hey,” I suddenly speak up. “Do either of you know where there might be a tower?”

    Kim arches a brow. “A tower?” 

    “Like a city tower or a castle tower?” Madison asks. 

    I frown, not exactly sure. “Something, maybe, from a fairy tale.”

    Kim and Madison exchange looks but then Madison takes out her phone. “Let’s call Red, he may know.”

    Red had been the supervisor of this place before he retired. He knew anything and everything about the woods. If anyone knew about a tower in the woods, it would be Red.

    After a brief conversation, Madison hangs up the phone and looks over at me. “He says there is a tower in the woods. Said it was put there during the witch hunts a few years ago.”

    Kim stares. “A few years ago?”

    “Hundred, whatever,” Madison shrugs. “He says it’s a long ways away, just beyond the historic village. It’s been blocked off for years because it’s completely covered by poison ivy and thorns. That and the killings.”

    “I would love to know how you process information someday,” Kim sighs.

    That evening when I get off work, I go upstairs and find Ophelia is in the kitchen with the cookie jar in her lap. She looks up as I walk in and she sets the jar on the table.

    I go to her and kneel down beside her. “I’m sorry,” I tell her. “Your offer would have scared me if it had been one for a kiss.”

    Ophelia pouts at me, her bottom lip jutting out. “I know,” she murmurs. “Even if you’re sorry, it still hurts.”

    I take her hand, gently squeezing. “You’re beautiful,” I whisper to her. “And strange and weird,” I chuckle. “But usually, for humans, it takes a long time to want to get to the point of marriage.”

    Ophelia cuts her eyes at me. “It does?”

    “I like you, and I would like to get to know you better. I want to be your friend first and foremost.” I give her hand a gentle squeeze, and a soft smile appears on her lips.

    “Ok,” she nods. “I can be patient.”

    “Also,” I murmur. “I think I know where your sister might be.”

    Ophelia turns and looks at me, her eyes wide and her lips part. “You do?” She turns fully towards me. “Where is she? Can we go now?”

    “Wait until morning,” I tell her. “It’s far away from here, and it could take us a long time to get to.”

    Ophelia wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. “Thank you!” She whispers. “You have no idea what this means to me!”

    I put my arms around her, returning her hug. “I want to help you, Ophelia,” I tell her. “I truly mean it.”

    Ophelia beams and she kisses my forehead. “I’m so excited!”

    That evening, after I feed the cats and shower, I head to bed. Ophelia is already there, skimming through my book that had been on the nightstand. She looks up as I enter and my heart skips a beat.

    I slip into bed. “I’ve never shared my bed before,” I confess to her. 

    “Neither have I,” Ophelia smirks. “I won’t scare you, will I?”

    I take off my glasses and set them aside. “No,” I chuckle. “We’re just going to bed.” I lay down, and Ophelia rests her head on the pillow.

    From under the covers, I can feel her warmth. I can smell her on my pillow from where she rested on it that afternoon. As I close my eyes, Ophelia closes the gap between us. She burrows herself into my arms and rests against me.

    “I’m sorry,” she murmurs. “If this is uncomfortable-”

    “No,” I murmur. “It’s ok.” I run my fingers through her hair and find it’s softer than it looks.

    Ophelia nuzzles to my chest, and I feel her soft breath on my neck.

    “It’s ok if you’re scared,” I murmur. “This world is so much different from your own.”

    “It’s not that,” she murmurs. “It’s-” she takes my hand, placing it on her wound. “It’s been hurting. But when I’m close to you, it feels better.”

    “Oh,” I chuckle. “I see.”

    “Oliver,” she whispers.

    “Yes, Ophelia?”

    She giggles and kisses my cheek. “Goodnight.”

    I smile and pull the blanket up around us. “Sleep well.”

    Come morning, I go through my usual routine, only I have Ophelia at my side. She samples my coffee, but she hates it. She helps feed the cats and gets offended when they won’t let her pick them up. Only the raccoon will let Ophelia hold him, and it makes me uncomfortable to watch her kiss and coo the little masked creature like it was a house pet.

    Afterward, we take the jeep, heading towards the historic village. I managed to find some clothes in the lost and found for Ophelia, dressing her in a pink hoodie and a pair of racing shorts. Ophelia is awed by the vehicle, and she plays with the windows, opening them and closing them and sometimes hanging her head out the window.

    “We’re going so fast!” She exclaims in awe.

    “It’s a long ways away,” I tell her. “Whenever you need to stop, just let me know. If you get hungry, need the bathroom, anything at all.”

    “I’m so excited to see her,” Ophelia is grinning. “It’s been so long, and we were both young.”

    I glance at Ophelia. Despite her smile, she looks scared. “What happened?” I ask. “Why was your sister cursed?”

    Ophelia huffs. “It was our father,” she answers. “Pan.”

    “Pan?” I ask. “Like the god?”

    “One in the same,” she growls. “Or so he likes to think of himself.” Her brow creases and her eyes look darker. “He told my mother that he loved her and would marry her, but he up and disappeared. She gave birth to my sister and me, raising us alone. One day, Pan came back demanding that since she was blessed with two daughters, she should give one to him.” Her nose curls. 

    “Mother outright refused. She sent all her knights upon him. She was going to have him killed, but he cursed my little sister, promising to free her if he was released.” She huffs and shakes her head. “He didn’t keep his promise.”

    “He sounds disgusting,” I murmur.

    “He’s deplorable! He fucks whomever he chooses, leaving his children scattered like leaves on the ground. All of them left to waft in the wind of his own immortal devices!” Ophelia stops herself and takes a long deep breath.

    “Needless to say, I have a lot of anger towards him,” she grumbles.

    “What about your sister?” I ask. “Why curse her alone?”

    Ophelia shakes her head. “He wanted me,” she replies quietly. “Since I’m the eldest. He aimed at me, but Sospirare jumped in front of me.” 

    Ophelia suddenly frowns. “I’m always getting rescued,” she grimaces. 

    I hold out my hand for her, and she takes it. “I wanted to save her on my own,” she mutters. “To thank her.”

    “You’re still doing that,” I tell her. “She’ll be grateful to see you.”

    “I hope so,” Ophelia sighs. “Her curse makes it so she cannot touch anything without hurting it,” she murmurs. “Mother sent her away to protect the people, as well as herself.”

    I frown. “That seems drastic.”

    Ophelia looks ahead with a determined glint to her eyes. “I think so, too. There are other ways, I’m sure there are. But I think my mother fears that our father did more than just that to her. I think my Mother fears that Sossy has been turned.”

    “Why?” I ask.

    “Sossy was a white swan like me,” Ophelia answers. “But the curse turned her into a black swan, and those are considered an ill omen for us.”

    “But that was her daughter,” I huff.

    “That’s what I said,” Ophelia then grunts and leans back in her seat. “I want to make sure Sossy knows she is missed and loved. I fear she has forgotten this.”

    Before we get to the village, I stop and let Ophelia find some better clothes to change into. She finds comfortable pants and a cute shirt, plus shoes she can walk in. We arrive at the historical village and head out on our hike through the woods.

    There’s a nearly hidden path that we follow. Going down it, I notice that the closer we get, the more briars and poison ivy there are.

    Ophelia reaches out, taking hold of my hand. “Are you ok?” She asks.

    I smile and nod. “I am. You?”

    She beams back at me. “I can’t wait to see her. I hope she’s ok.”

    The walk takes a long time, and once we see the tower, Ophelia sprints forward. She runs towards the tower, and I try to keep up with her.

 “Sossy!” She calls out. “Sossy!” 

The tower is overtaken by vines and briars, but when I walk around, I notice that the door has been cut out and it is left open. Ophelia steps out from inside, her expression bleak and scared. In her hand, she clutches a small doll.

“She’s not here,” Ophelia whispers. “She’s not here!” She steps towards me. “Where is she? Where could she have gone?”

I pull Ophelia into my arms, holding her tight. We sit and wait for a long time, but once it gets dark, we go back to the jeep. 

Ophelia clutches the small doll in her arms, crying softly. “Where could she have gone?” She whimpers. “She was there! She was-” her voice chokes off as she cries.

I pull the car over and stop. I pull Ophelia into my arms, hugging her tight. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper to her.

Ophelia nuzzles to my cheek and clings to me. “I feel so lost!” She whispers.

“It’s ok,” I whisper to her, trying to coax her. “I’m right here with you.”

Ophelia tilts her head up, looking at me. We kiss, and I press close to her. She tangles her arms around me, moaning softly. Her fingers trail up my neck as her palms clutch my face. Her kiss is soft and sweet, and I feel drawn deeper by it.

Ophelia coos as our lips part. Her lashes flutter, and she looks at me with a gentle expression. I touch her cheek, brushing away her tears.

“That was nice,” Ophelia murmurs.

“It was,” I whisper.

Ophelia kisses me again, and I feel like my breath is stolen. “You weren’t scared.”

I chuckle and start the car again. “No, I really wasn’t.”

It’s late when we get back. We’re both tired and exhausted, collapsing onto the bed as soon as we’re inside.

Come morning, I wake up to the annoying blare of my alarm clock. I sit up and find Ophelia isn’t there. A slight panic rises in me, and I jump up. In the kitchen, my coffee is ready, and Ophelia is standing at the counter with her back turned to me.

I sigh with relief and go to her. I put my arms around her from behind and kiss the top of her head. 

“Scared?” Ophelia looks up at me, cookie crumbs all over her mouth.

I smile and can’t help but laugh. “You weren’t there. I was afraid you had left.”

Ophelia turns and puts her arms around me. “I don’t want to leave,” she murmurs. “Not yet anyways. I still want to find my sister.”

“I promise, I’ll help you find her,” I whisper.

Days go by, and no matter what we do, Ophelia and I can’t find her sister. I put out word for a black swan, asking rangers and even the police officers in the area to keep an eye out. But so far, there have been no signs.

    One evening, Ophelia crawls into my lap and kisses me. Her kiss is demanding and needy. I touch her face and caress my fingers down her side. She needs comfort now in her worry.

    “I do love you,” I whisper to her.

Ophelia hiccups and she chokes back a sob. “You do?”

I nod and push her hair from her face. “Yes,” I tell her. “You’re strange and beautiful, how could I not?”

Ophelia kisses me, pushing me down into the sofa. She climbs on top of me, straddling my hips. “I love you too, Oliver,” she whispers. “I need you.”

“I know,” I moan.

Before I know it, she has my pants open, and she’s rubbing her warmth directly against me. I shudder and grunt, wrapping my hands around her waist. Ophelia mewls and whimpers in my ear. Her slit is growing wet and hot.

We kiss and moan, pressing close to one another. My desire for her is growing, and her desperate kisses are getting sloppy.

“I need it,” Ophelia whimpers. “Please. Oliver,” she whines to me. “I want you.”

I guide myself inside her, pressing into her folds. Ophelia bites her lip, biting back a cry. She then gasps and shivers. Her inner walls clamp around me, and she rolls her hips. 

“Oliver,” she mewls.

I move under her, thrusting up inside her. She grunts and gasps, clinging to me. I move her, rolling her onto her back, so I’m on top of her. My hips are shaky, I am not used to this sort of movement. But I want to please Ophelia, and I want to make her happy. If doing this and being close makes her feel better, then I’m happy to help her.

Ophelia gazes up at me, her dark eyes sparkling. Her soft lips are parted, and her black tongue is hanging out. I dip down to kiss her, sucking on her long tongue. It slips into my mouth and down my throat. It’s a strange feeling, but I like it.

Ophelia suddenly jolts. Her fingers dig into my back, and she whines. Inside, she squeezes tight around me. She throws her head back, grunting as she grinds me inside her. I then feel it too, the sudden pulsing and shock.

I pull out quickly, my cum spilling on her belly and thighs. 

“Sorry,” I pant.

Ophelia looks up at me with dreamy eyes and pulls me into a kiss. She holds me tight and soon, we’re asleep on the sofa.

I wake up late that night and carry Ophelia to bed and tuck her in. She never budges once but reaches for me as I crawl in beside her.

In the morning, she’s still dead asleep, so I get up to go about my morning. I’m grinning like an idiot. I’ve not felt this good in so long. Being with Ophelia has been weird, but it’s also been amazing.

I go outside with the cat food. “Ok, who’s hung-” Suddenly, I’m knocked down to the ground. Wings smack and hit me, striking me upside the head in a violent fury.

“What’d you do to my sister, you beast?” Whoever is attacking me, snaps. “You’re just like our dad!” I’m unable to get up, I just lay there and have to accept it.

“You dirtbag! You clod!” My attacker snaps. “I nearly die to find this?”

“She’s upstairs! She’s fine!” I try to tell them.

“Sossy!” Ophelia yells.

The beating stops, and I’m left alone. “Phiphi!” My attacker cries.

I look up, seeing the cats and the raccoon happily eating away at the food that was flung from my hands. “Have you been eating this entire time?” I growl as I get up.

I look over, seeing Ophelia clutching her sister. I sigh with relief, nearly in tears myself. I then look over and see a guy getting out of his car.

“I am so sorry!” He gasps. “She jumped out of the car, I told her not to.”

I pick up my broken glasses then look at the sisters hugging and sobbing. “It’s ok. This is worth it.”

He sighs, shoulders slouching. “Good, I’m glad.”

I turn and look at him. “I’m Oliver,” I hold out my hand to him. 

“Arlen,” he takes my hand, and we shake. 

“Where did you find her?” I ask him.

“She was in this tower in the woods. I found her by accident when I was trying to get pictures of the village,” Arlen answers.

I gasp. “Oh! So you’re the one who freed her from the tower.”

Arlen chuckles. “Yeah. After a few days of her throwing rocks at me, I decided to help her.” His smile is warm and excited. “I’m just glad she’s found what she was looking for.”