CHAPTER#39

Oliver watched her come down from her orgasm, his hungry eyes on her body. Beth pulled her fingers free from her mouth, dipping them once more between her legs, catching a tiny bit of cum on her fingertips. He took her hand in his own, his skin warm to the touch, and his forked tongue slowly licked her fluids clean. He sucked her finger into his mouth, which immediately stoked the fire in her belly once more.

"Yes," he answered. "Somebody has won this game before, and they did leave." His eyes glowed softly. "I didn't expect you to do it. Not without some hesitation at least."

"I'm not like the other girls," Beth said, winking. "I was happy to put on a show for you."

"I could tell." Oliver's grin had reappeared, but there was more behind it. "I wonder what else you'd be willing to do for me?"

"You only have two more chances to find out," Beth told him. "Make the best of them."

"Oh, I sincerely doubt that. I have a feeling that you and I will be spending plenty of time together in here." Oliver licked his lips again. "What is your next question?"

"I'm not in a rush to ask." Beth sat up, putting her face near the demon's. "And I want to give you plenty of time to think of what you'll make me do next." She placed her lips against his, sliding her arms along his waist. His body felt hot through the fabric of his clothes, and he responded, his arms sliding around her waist.

She was in no rush at all.

-

The gears sat before her, intricately linked to one another, held together by small metal posts. Using a pair of tweezers, she delicately slid the last one into place, experiencing an enormous amount of satisfaction watching the teeth slide past each other.

"Holy shit," Dana muttered, giving the gear a gentle push. The whole assembly rotated smoothly beneath her fingers, the crisscrossing motion of the metal gears instantly soothing her heart and relaxing her soul. She kept pushing on the gear with the side of one finger, delighting in how easily the whole assembly spun. It was nearly soundless.

"Hmm?" Dana looked at the clock. It was nearly five in the morning. She had been up all night, and her whole body suddenly felt it. Her spine cracked when she extended her hands backward and stretched, her shoulders popping loudly. Yawning, she examined the inside of the clock, gently picking up the gear assembly. She separated it into three pieces, smaller bits that she could install. Sliding the first one in, she felt a sudden sense of elation watching the cogs in the back adjust to allow the repaired piece in. The second piece moved in just as smoothly, lining up dead center behind the face of the clock. A shit eating grin on her face, Dana picked up the last piece and pushed it into place.

The final gear caught the lip of the inside. She spun it until it was lined up and then inserted the rest of the assembly inside the clock. Squeezing her hands tightly in anticipation, she closed the clock face and used the key to adjust the hands. She twisted the dial until the time was current, and then pushed the key into a different slot, winding up the spring within. She could feel the gears resist, and she only gave it a couple of turns before pulling the key free. Kneeling down, she gave the pendulum a push, watching it sway back and forth.

Tick, tick, tick, said the clock, the second hand moving around the face.

"That's right motherfucker!" Pumping her hands victoriously, she jumped up and down, yelling in triumph. She had done it, she had fixed the clock! Rubbing her hands together, she sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at her handiwork. The pendulum swung gently back and forth, Dana's eyes suddenly heavy.

She needed to tell Mike she had fixed it. She would probably drop by tomorrow, have him come over and help her move it onto a truck or something. She pictured the look of surprise on his face, maybe an invitation in to explore the old house, help repair some other antiques in his house. She could finally afford to fix up the bike and go on her road trip.

Lying down with a sleepy smile, she allowed the clock to lull her to sleep. Sinking into dreams of Alex, she listened to the ticks as they came slower, eventually becoming the gentle waves of her dreams.

-

"This place is so strange," Beth said, staring across the tops of the hedges. The distant sky was blue, but had an eerie tinge to it. "There's no sun, but it's bright like the middle of the day. Yet nothing cast a shadow." She held her hand over one of the nearby hedges. It was a subtle difference, one she had only just noticed.

"You could ask about it if you like." Oliver held his hand over hers. "Or maybe I could make you a great ball of fire, and cast it in the sky."

"Your prison is a strange place." She turned, her hair flowing dramatically behind her. "People have won this challenge before, some better than others. What was the exact process, in detail, by which the most successful winner of this game left this place?"

Oliver's eyes flashed. "You are very persistent, aren't you?"

"I'm determined to see your weird version of truth or dare through to the end." Beth tugged down the front of her nightgown, revealing the skin between her breasts. "So what are you going to have me do next? Dance for you? Tell you a joke? Help you with your taxes?"

Oliver laughed. "I do hope you can keep that sense of humor when you are trapped here with me for an eternity. Well, not an eternity. You will die eventually. If you forfeit the game now, maybe we could arrange a little extension, spend a millennium getting to know each other."