Snowbound

"Let's not rush into it too quickly."

Those words echoed in Erica's mind again and again. She had asked her fiance, John, when their wedding might be, and that had been his answer. She played with the engagement ring on her left hand that he had given her a week ago. Its weight was unfamiliar, and her fingers were still getting used to its presence. Was he truly hesitating? Had she pushed him into proposing by making comments on how long they had been dating without any sign of a permanent commitment? She loved him more than any man she had ever known, but did he feel the same way about her?

Erica mulled these things over and over as she sat in the passenger seat of his Jeep Cherokee while he drove. The paved road they had been following throughout the morning had ended, and the rutted trail that led further into the mountains shook and bounced them wildly. The windshield wipers brushed wave after wave of large, fluffy snowflakes off, only to have their cousins cloud the view a second later.

"It's getting thicker the higher we get," John murmured, his eyes intent upon the tree-lined road in front of the car.

"I hope we make it before it's too deep to drive in," worried Erica.

"We'll make it," John assured her.

They rode on in silence, listening to the sound of fallen snow crunch beneath the Jeep's fat tires. Erica glanced over her shoulder at the piles of groceries in the back seat. She mentally calculated how many days of food they had, in case they got snowed in at the timeshare cabin they were heading to. It was enough to last the entire week, she concluded. She hoped, also, that a week was enough time for her to coax a better answer out of John.

Twenty minutes later, the pair arrived at the small chalet-style house that Erica's neighbors from down the street had let them rent. It was just past lunch time and, to Erica's surprise, her friends' Chevy Tahoe was sitting in the driveway. John parked the Jeep next to it, and got out to begin unloading their suitcases.

"Wait a minute," Erica said. "The calendar said Janice and Kyle had the cabin last week. I thought they would have left by now. Let me check to see if there's been a mix-up." She zipped up her winter coat over her red and black plaid flannel shirt, pulled on a pair of gloves, and shielded her long, dark brown hair with the parka's fuzzy hood.

The snow was almost knee-high up Erica's jeans as she trudged to the front door. She rang the buzzer, and turned to take in the sight of the beautiful wet flakes cascading through the bare tree branches. The twenty-six year old sighed, and pictured in her head the quiet, cozy vacation she and John were going to have surrounded by the pristine beauty of a fresh snowfall. The door opened, and Janice greeted her with a big smile.

"Hi, Erica! Come on in." She stepped aside to let Erica past. Janice was the same age as Erica, and slightly taller. "Wow, it's really coming down now, isn't it?" she added, as a gust of wind blew several snowflakes into her long, wavy, blond hair.

"Yeah, it sure is. I'm kind of surprised to find you still here."

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be going in a little bit." She pointed at a pile of gear in the great room near the couch. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Uh, sure. We've got a lot of food to bring in. Is Kyle around?"

"Nope. He went home early this morning so he could work on a presentation he has to give later this week, but I'll help you carry stuff in." Janice donned a thick ski jacket and snapped it closed over the blue flannel shirt she wore.

Chatting about the cross-country skiing trip Janice and Kyle had taken over the previous week, the three friends emptied the back of the Jeep and got everything sorted into the kitchen cabinets and the freezer. Janice insisted upon carrying the frozen goods into the mud room where the freezer was, despite repeated offers of aid from John. Sensing something odd, Erica jokingly pressed her on the issue.

"Have you got something in there you don't want us to see?"

"Shh," Janice replied. "It's a secret. Just wait."

When they had finished, John went out on the back deck to get some of the wood stacked there. Erica took off her coat and gloves, and plopped herself down in the comfortable recliner in the high-ceilinged great room to soak up some heat from the fireplace. When John had dropped his load of cut logs in the bin next to the hearth, Janice came in from the kitchen and motioned for him to sit down. The blond disappeared for a while, and the newly engaged couple wondered what she was up to.

A loud pop resounded from the other room, giving them a good clue. A minute later, Janice reappeared with a serving tray and a happy grin.

"Congratulations, you two!" she announced. On the tray were three long stemmed wine glasses filled with bubbling champagne and two plates that each contained a slice of cake. "I heard about your engagement from Katie, and just had to celebrate."

"Why, thank you!" gushed Erica. She had been all ready to spring the news on Janice, and was astonished to be on the receiving end of a surprise instead.

"That's very kind of you," admitted John, sitting forward to check out the contents of the tray.

Janice handed both him and Erica a glass, and picked up the last one for herself. "To you both," she said, "from your friends and neighbors."

"That's so sweet," said Erica, taking a sip. She glanced over at John, who took a quick sip and then reached for his fork.

"Oh, wow. This is good cake," mumbled John, his mouth half full.

"So, let me see the ring," Janice tittered. Erica held it up, and Janice cooed appreciatively. "Here, have some cake."

"Just a little, I'm not that hungry," Erica said.

Janice put her glass down and started gathering her suitcases.

"Let me help you with that," John said, gulping down a huge swig of champagne.

"Oh, no, no. I'll be fine. You two just enjoy yourselves." Janice carried most of the luggage out, leaving Erica and John to finish their unexpected dessert.

"Does she seem different to you?" Erica asked in a low voice, when she had gone.

"Janice, you mean? No, I don't think so. What makes you say that?"

"I've never seen her this animated." Erica sighed, and shook some sudden sleepiness from her head. "Ah, well, she's always been slightly off anyway."

John polished off his plate and drank the rest of his champagne. Sitting back on the couch, he stretched out his arms and groaned. Smiling, he said, "Oh, it's going to be so nice to have nothing to do this week. Except you, of course."

Erica blushed, and took another sip from her glass. Janice came back in and knocked the snow off of her boots. "How's the cake?" she asked the two.

"Very good, thanks," said John, leaning his head back and gazing at the rafters.

"You should get going, or you're going to get stuck," cautioned Erica.

"Don't worry about me," she replied, "I'll just use the tracks you guys made on the way here." She picked up the rest of her belongings from the floor. "Just sit back and relax, I've got one more thing to take care of, and then I'll leave you two alone." She headed out the door, and shut it behind her.

Erica turned her head to face the fire. The fresh logs John had added were catching, and the heat drifting from the burning pile soothed her body. She closed her eyes and let the warmth coat her like a fluffy blanket.

When Erica opened her eyes, she found that the fire had died down considerably. Her lids felt heavy, and there was an embarrassing line of drool running from one corner of her mouth. She looked over at the couch, but John wasn't there. Her head felt woozy as she leaned forward to stand up, as if someone had stuffed it full of cotton. She wasn't one to get so tipsy from a single glass of champagne, and a quick check of the glass on the coffee table in front of her told her that she had only drunk a third of it anyway. The serving tray was still where Janice had left it, with John's empty plate and her half-finished slice of cake waiting to be cleared away.

That's when it struck her. John was a neat freak, and one of the most helpful men she had ever met. He wouldn't have gotten up from the couch without putting the dishes away in the kitchen sink. A soft humming, as if from far away, drifted into Erica's ears. Continuing to shake the cobwebs out of her brain, she got up and tried to trace its origin. As her senses locked onto the bedroom as the source, they informed her that the noise wasn't coming from John. The singing voice belonged to a female.

Walking slowly, Erica approached the open door that led to the bedroom. What she saw through it shocked her. John was spread out on the bed completely naked, facing the ceiling. His ankles and wrists had been tied to the legs of the bed with orange climber's rope. At first, she couldn't tell if he was alive or dead, but an abrupt snore relieved her worst fears. Her mind still reeling, she staggered into the room and noticed a chair unlike any she'd ever seen before sitting against the wall opposite the bed. It had arm rests and a high back, and both they and the legs had unusual slots in them, as if for restraining straps. What kind of strange bondage nightmare had her subconscious stumbled into?

She leaned backwards against the chest of drawers, only to have one of its sharp corners stab her in the thigh. Erica yelped, and realized with a start that this was no dream. A shadow passed in front of the light streaming in from the door that led to the bathroom, and she looked up to see who could possibly be responsible for this.

Janice stood at the edge of the bedroom carpet, wiping sweat from her forehead with a towel. She frowned when she saw Erica, who was still not yet over the effects of the sedative-laced slice of cake. "Damn," she mumbled aloud to herself. "That wore off too quickly."

"What on Earth is going on?" Erica stammered.

Janice laughed wickedly. "Just call it your engagement present, dear."

"Untie him," demanded the brunette, growing more awake and pissed off by the second.

"No, no. Not yet," the blond tutted. "My, you look tired. Sit down over here for a while." Janice motioned to the chair and reached out for Erica's hand to guide her to it.

Erica pulled away. "No! I demand an explanation for this."

"Sit!" shouted Janice. She grabbed both of Erica's arms and threw her into the waiting seat. Eager to avoid being imprisoned, Erica lifted her hands away from the sides of the chair and kicked at Janice to make her back off.

"What the fuck are you doing?" screamed Erica.

"Paying you back, you slimy bitch!" Janice's whole body shook with rage. The crimson tinge on her cheeks and the wild look in her eyes made Erica stop short. Noticing her captive's pause, Janice continued her tirade. "Oh, I know all about it now. There's no use trying to deny it. You sleaze bag!" Janice began pacing nervously, and her voice became more and more emotional. "I knew you had it in for me. I always knew. And now I have proof." She turned suddenly and shot an accusing sneer of contempt at Erica. "You slept with Kyle while we were engaged, you lousy, fucking whore! I heard it. Right from his mouth. So don't you sit there and deny it."

"Look, Janice," Erica said, trying to sound calm. "I..."

"Shut up!" Janice nibbled on one of her nails, keeping her gaze centered on Erica. "You are going to sit there, Erica Michaels, and you are going to watch as I fuck YOUR fiance as payback. Whether you like it or not!"

Erica's mouth dropped open in disbelief. She searched Janice's features for any sign that she was just kidding. The only expression she saw there spoke of a disturbing lack of sanity. Erica set her lips in a thin line. "The fucking hell you are."

"You don't have a choice!" Janice yelled. She grabbed Erica's left wrist and pushed it down onto the arm rest. With her other hand, she wrapped a piece of rope around it and leaned over to yank the cord tight.

Erica, her temper fully inflamed, swung her right hand at Janice's head. Her fist connected solidly with the blond's cheek, knocking her sideways a few feet. In a hurry, Erica freed her other hand and stood up. Janice's long, wavy hair partially blocked her face as she massaged her bruised cheek with one hand, but Erica could tell that the woman's anger hadn't abated one bit. The blond let out a slow, unhinged laugh.

"So, you want to do it the hard way, do you? Well, fine with me!"

"You need help," Erica said. "You really do."

"No, I don't!" shrieked Janice. "I don't need 'help'. You were my friend. I trusted you. You betrayed me -- turned on me behind my back. This..." She paused, drawing herself up to full height. "This is only fair play. This is karma coming back around to bite you in the ass! Now, sit down, or I'm going to have to get violent."

"If you honestly think I'm going to sit still in that chair and let you have sex with John, you're out of your mind."

Janice raised her hands up in front of her with her fingers arced into claws and took a small step toward Erica. "You go get comfortable right now, or I'll make you. Your choice."

Erica drew herself upright and balled her hands into fists. "You're going to have to try and make me."

A crazed look danced in Janice's eyes and the corners of her mouth curved into something midway between a grin and a snarl. "Suit yourself, bitch!"

Janice charged, catching Erica slightly off guard. The brunette dodged Janice's first open-handed swing, but the second one caught her right in the arm. Janice latched on, tugging her closer to deliver a ringing slap to her face.

Erica landed a powerful punch deep in Janice's side, causing the blond to groan in agony. Erica hadn't been in any fights growing up, and the blow was more beginner's luck than anything. The impact on Janice's ribs stung her knuckles horribly, but she carried on, launching fist after fist into her foe's body.

Janice retaliated with a flurry of blows herself, and soon the two became a flailing mass of limbs careening around the room. Breathing heavily in between grunts of pain, they flung punch after punch at each other. Fists collided with their arms, sides and heads as the battle raged for two, and then three minutes.

Erica's hands ached. To her dismay, she couldn't detect any sign that her attacks were having any effect on the blond. She fired a right hook hard into Janice's chin, and the bones in her fingers cried out anguish. She backed up and cradled her wounded hand, fighting back tears that welled up unbidden in her eyes. Janice advanced, screaming as she swung a wild punch. It glanced off of Erica's nose, eliciting a howl from the brunette as her vision was showered with stars. Janice landed two more solid hits to Erica's skull before she could muster a defense.

With a great groan, Erica jammed her left fist into Janice's belly. This caught the blond by surprise, and she halted her assault, wincing in pain. Once, then twice more, Erica plowed her uninjured fist into her opponent's stomach. Janice backed up, suddenly unable to breath normally. The two brawling women separated, and nursed their bruised bodies for a moment.

"You cunt," Janice spat when she had regained her composure. "You miserable, stinking..." Her sentence trailed off as she sucked in air and tried to stand up straight.

"You are going to keep your hands off of John, do you hear me? You best just grab the rest of your shit and leave right now before I kick the crap out of you."

"Hah! You think you can do that? You're nothing, slut. I've beaten girls twice as tough as you."

At that, Janice lashed out with her foot and struck Erica in the knee. The brunette winced in pain and backed up, but found herself against the wall and out of room to maneuver. She ducked and covered her head with her arms, but that did little to soften the impact of the hail of fists that Janice rained down on her. Erica kneed the blond in the side, temporarily halting her assault, and fired a backhanded slap at her rival's face.

It missed, and the punch the Janice retaliated with landed solidly on her unprotected cheek. Erica's head snapped to the side, and her eyes rolled in their sockets as her body slumped unconscious to the floor.

Janice cackled mockingly at her fallen foe, and then began mumbling out loud to herself.

"That's what you get, bitch. That's what you get. Mess with my man. He was taken. Promised himself to me. And when you wake up..." Janice's gaze darted back and forth around the room. "Got to tie you up first, don't I?" She checked the remains of the rope she had used to bind John to the bed, and found it too short to use. Her mind raced. There was thick tape out in her car, but she couldn't risk having Erica wake up while she put on her ski jacket and went outside to get it.

Janice smiled when she thought of a quick solution. She squatted down, and unbuttoned Erica's flannel shirt. After pulling it off of her, she picked the knocked out female up and sat her in the chair. Quickly, she tied the arms of Erica's shirt in a knot around the brunette's wrists behind the back of the chair.

"Can't have you run away, either. Can we, you skank?" She yanked off Erica's boots, and then unzipped Erica's jeans and hauled them off of her body. She tied a simple knot around Erica's ankles, and then added the rough equivalent of a bow with the rest of the pant legs.

"There," said Janice, satisfied with her handiwork. She looked over at John, who was still asleep. "You two are all set. Just let me get powdered up, and you can have what's coming to you."

***************

Erica awoke to a dull throbbing on her cheekbone. Her head hung down onto her chest, and her back complained the way it sometimes did when she sat hunched over the newspaper too long. She tried to sit up, but her spine bumped painfully into something hard. With a start, she realized that she was tied up in the hard wooden chair in the bedroom. A secondary shock came when she noticed that she was only wearing her underwear and socks.

A hurried glance at the bed told her that John was still there. Her heart leaped with joy when she saw him move and strain against his bonds. They had to get free and call the police. Who knew what else Janice had in store for them?

"Where is Janice?" she thought.

Erica's ears picked up the sound of running water in the bathroom. It stopped, and she heard the sound of a towel being removed from its rack. Thinking fast, Erica held back the shout to John she desperately wanted to make, and hung her head back down, pretending to be still unconscious.

She listened as Janice's bare feet padded into the room, passed her, and headed for the bed. Erica snuck a peek, and saw Janice leaning over her fiance, wearing nothing but a red lacy lingerie ensemble.

"There you are, sweetheart," cooed Janice. She cradled John's chin, stopping his head from rolling from side to side. Erica's heart burned, coloring her vision bright red. She shut her eyes a second later when she saw Janice turn towards her.

"Oh, poor Erica. Poor, stupid, slutty Erica," Janice chuckled to herself. "It's going to make you so mad that your Johnny cheated on you, and that he enjoyed it so much. It will." Janice turned back toward John and stroked his cheek. "So torn up, in fact, that you're going to get a gun and shoot him dead."

"What?" thought Erica.

"But that terrible, necessary act will leave you so heartbroken that you tragically take your own life soon afterward." Erica sat in bewilderment at what she was hearing. "At least, that's what the cops will conclude when they find your body." Janice giggled.

"Wh- What's happening?" John murmured, finally coming to his senses.

"Something special," Janice whispered. "You're going to play a lead role in a little show that's about to start." As she said this, she reached down and began teasing and stroking John's manhood.

"Guh!" he choked. "Janice?! What are you doing? Let me up right now. Untie me."

"Get your hands off of him!" screamed Erica, unable to contain her rage any longer.

"Ah, and you're awake, too!" Janice purred. "What excellent timing." The blond turned her attention to John once more.

"Erica!" he yelled. To Janice, he snapped, "what the hell's going on?"

"Shh, my handsome one," Janice said, putting a finger to his lips. Erica twisted her shoulders, eager to free her arms and attack the woman who was toying with the love of her life.

"I've never known any man to turn down sex," Janice continued.

"Huh?" said John, still unaware of what the blond had planned.

"Wouldn't you like to have this?" she asked, cupping her breasts. She mounted him, and began grinding her crotch into his. "And this?" she continued.

"No." He began twisting his hips, but was unable to dislodge Janice.

"Don't lie. I can feel you getting hard for me even now." She leaned over, letting her long, wavy hair cascade onto his chest, and stroked the side of his face with one hand. He bit at her fingers, though, causing her to draw them away quickly.

"That's not very nice," Janice complained, frowning. John spat at Janice, spraying saliva into her face. Janice shrieked, and slapped him hard across the cheek.

"That's enough from you," Janice said. She got up and reached for a bottle on the nightstand. "If you can't behave, then you go back to sleep until such time as you're willing to behave." She unscrewed the top and reached over to pour some of the liquid into his mouth.

"John!" Erica shouted. With a groan, she tugged with all her might and felt the knot in her shirt loosen. John gurgled, and then coughed.

"That's a good boy," said Janice. John's body lurched and wriggled, but eventually it slowed, and he fell back into a drugged stupor.

Janice turned around, and was surprised to find Erica in the process of standing up. She had finally unwound the jeans from her legs, and, with an extremely nasty scowl on her face, was rising to confront the blond.

"Oh, shit," Janice said in a ticked off voice. "You managed to get free." She put down the empty vial of sedative and began taking steps towards her rival.

Erica's heart pounded loudly in her chest. "You insane, deranged bitch. You were planning to kill John and me and make it look like a lover's quarrel?"

"After you watch me fuck him," Janice reminded her.

"If you think I'm going to let that happen, you're going to have one hell of a fight on your hands."

"Fine," she snorted. "It doesn't matter to me whether you watch with one black eye or two."

Janice swung a vicious punch at Erica, but the brunette dodged under it. Before the blond could follow the blow up, Erica lunged at her, driving her backwards. The full force of Erica's body slammed Janice roughly into the wall and trapped her there. Erica's hands held her foe's elbows, pinning them while her stomach and legs pressed hard into Janice's in an attempt to keep her from escaping. Writhing slowly, the two fought, splayed out face to face and body to body. Janice panted and grunted, and her expression gradually turned more and more frightened as she found no way to break free. Memories of her past, of a time when she was restrained and unable to move, welled up in her mind, and she strained desperately against Erica's strong grip.

With a chilling wail, she swung her head back and forth and then drove her mouth onto the brunette's shoulder. Erica howled, feeling the blond's teeth bite into her bare skin. She struggled on, unwilling to let her go, but eventually couldn't take any more. She backed up a step, breaking Janice's mouth away from her shoulder. Janice pushed her, toppling her onto the bed next to John, and then ran out of the room.

Erica sat, massaging her injury and wondering why Janice hadn't continued attacking her. Suddenly, an all too scary idea gave her the answer she was looking for.

"The gun," she thought, and leaped up to chase after her homicidal neighbor.

Janice, thinking that her purse was where she had originally placed it when she and Kyle had arrived at the cabin, glanced feverishly around the kitchen, but could not find it anywhere. Her eyes finally caught sight of it through the entryway into the large great room. It was sitting next to the couch, where it had been all along since she had gathered up her luggage. Cursing to herself, she stomped over to pick it up and get the pistol that would make Erica stop fighting and do her bidding.

She was two steps away from it when a blur streaked into the corner of her view. "No, you don't," muttered Erica, running into Janice at full tilt and tackling her to the rug. The momentum of the impact sent the lingerie-clad women rolling over and over. Latching onto each other, they tugged and wrestled in a violent catfight. The two tore and scratched, and pounded and kicked wearing nothing but their bras and panties for protection. Screaming obscenities, the furious females tumbled in a writhing ball about the room for quite some time. They bumped into furniture, rammed painfully into the brick hearth, and slammed each other down onto the hard wood floor. Even so, they kept at it, pouring every ounce of muscle they had into the struggle. Nails raked unprotected skin, claw-like fingers tugged on locks of hair, and legs wrapped around slithering female bodies in a tight squeeze. Their breasts nearly erupted from their bras as they mashed together and fought their own private battle.

Finally, Erica managed to force Janice face down and lay atop her. One of her hands was in the blond's hair, and the other was latched onto one of Janice's bra-covered tits. Janice kept bucking for a few more seconds, but soon paused to catch her breath. Erica's arms were tired, but her will to prevent Janice from hurting her and John gave her more stamina than she knew she had. She brought her mouth down next to Janice's ear, and let her anger choose her words.

"You're right, Janice," she spat. "I did fuck Kyle while you two were engaged, and I know he enjoyed the hell out of it." The trapped blond let out a groan of rage. Erica continued, "But it's not MY fault that he hasn't had better sex since then. Is it?"

Janice remained motionless for a second. The house seemed deathly quiet, with only the sound of the two entwined females panting hard marring the stillness.

A fury unlike anything Erica had ever seen took over the body of the woman she was trying to hold down. Flailing and screaming, Janice broke free and lashed out wildly. Her elbow caught Erica in the eye, temporarily blinding the brunette and knocking her to the floor. Janice climbed on top of her fallen opponent and lashed out again and again with her hands, slapping Erica's face from side to side.

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!" Janice shrieked. "He wasn't yours. You deserve to be punished so bad. So bad!" At this, she grabbed onto Erica's neck with one hand and squeezed as hard as she could. She clamped her other hand on Erica's mouth and pinched her nose closed.

Erica felt her windpipe get constricted, and tried to suck air feebly. She battered Janice's arms and kicked with her legs, but she felt her strength rapidly waning. Seconds ticked by painfully, but Janice's full weight bearing down on her throat was too much. Erica's vision darkened, and she started to choke.

The last thought through her mind before everything went black was, "John."

Janice stood up and surveyed the prone form of the defeated slut who had defiled her fiance. The blond's hair was mussed up, her lingerie dishieveled, and her tits heaved in time with the deep breaths her tired body was taking. She sighed, knowing that victory, and vengeance, was hers. Still, the multitude of voices in her brain told her that something was wrong.

"This is out of control. The police will never believe that she shot John after he gave her all those bruises but received none in return," she mumbled out loud to herself. "The plan is ruined." Janice looked over at the bedroom door. "I can't bring myself to beat him up, either. He's too good looking. It won't work." Her gaze darted around the room like a swift dragonfly. It eventually settled on the embers glowing hotly in the fireplace, and a grin curled up Janice's lips. "Time to change the plan."

She picked one of the candles off of the mantle above the fireplace and shoved the wick end onto the red coals. When the taper was lit, she walked over to the small table by the front window and gingerly set it down. She raced into the bedroom, got dressed, and shot a last look over at John's nude figure.

"Too bad you'll never know how much better I am than Erica," she purred.

She hopped back into the great room, donned her jacket, and picked up her purse. Finally, she tipped the candle over, letting its flickering flame lick at the nearby curtain.

"There," she said, smiling. "Let the fire consume the evidence."

She trotted out the front door, humming to herself, and dreaming up the shocked words she would say when the police told her of the gruesome discovery they had made at her timeshare in the mountains. As she backed out of the driveway, she glanced at the house. A blazing wall of flames coated the large window that gave the cabin's great room its view of the surrounding countryside. Janice smiled, but frowned a moment later when the rear bumper of her Chevy backed into a drift and got stuck.

***************

Erica's world was hazy. Her eyes tried their best to focus, but the blurriness wouldn't go away. The sun seemed to be shining awfully bright in through the window, but was pulsing oddly. The brunette, still dressed in nothing but her underwear, sat up painfully. Her neck hurt, and her arm muscles ached. She looked over at the fireplace, and only then noticed the smoke. It puzzled her how the fire, which was almost out, could produce so much of it.

A crackle brought her fully awake. She rolled over, and saw with horror the sight of the front drapes engulfed in flame. Billowing clouds of dark smoke obscured the ceiling, and were slowly descending to envelop the room. Erica staggered to her feet and raced into the kitchen. Throwing open every cabinet she could find, she searched in vain for an extinguisher. Remembering the mud room, she yanked the door to it open and flicked on the overhead light. The small room was freezing, and cluttered with storage shelves. Still unable to find the emergency kit, she pulled aside the large tarp that hung loosely in one corner.

Erica screamed.

Standing there with a passive look on his face was Kyle, Janice's husband. Erica screamed again as he leaned over and fell on top of her. His body was ice cold, and didn't move when Erica quickly scrambled out from underneath of him. Sticking out of the back of his head was a hatchet. Its blade was buried deep in his skull.

"Oh God, oh my God, oh my God," panted Erica. "She killed him." Erica wanted to look away, but her eyes remained perversely locked on the gruesome corpse in front of her. When she finally averted her eyes, she saw, like a beacon of hope, a shiny red fire extinguisher sitting in its metal holder up on the wall. She grabbed it, and stepped over Kyle's inert body to do what she had to in order to prevent Janice from claiming two more victims.

The white cloud that shot out of the cone at the end of the extinguisher fought with the flames, and slowly beat them back. The fire had entirely destroyed the curtains, and had started taking hold on the wooden window frame. After two minutes that seemed like an eternity to her, Erica's efforts proved a success. The tank of flame retardant chemicals was nearly empty, but the fire had been reduced to charred marks on the walls and the ceiling.

Choking on the noxious cloud that filled the great room, Erica at first didn't hear the coughing from the other room. When she did, she noticed to her horror that waves of black smoke had found their way into the bedroom.

"John!" she shouted. Her nose felt like it was burning from the acrid fumes in the air as she ran toward her fiance, who was still tied up and helpless. With tears blinding her vision, Erica attacked the knots that held John's limbs to the bedposts. She yelled in futile fury at the tongues of smoke that curled down and tried to smother her beloved as she broke nail after nail picking at the final bond that held him captive.

She startled as something touched her shoulder, but calmed down when she noticed that it was just John's hand reaching out to her. A weak smile creeped across his face, thanking her for setting him free. Arm in arm, they crawled together through the house to the kitchen. John pointed at the back door. Erica shook her head in disagreement.

"It's too cold outside. We're not even dressed."

In a voice that sounded like a frog's croak, John muttered, "The hot tub. I turned it on when we arrived."

"That's my guy," thought Erica, and the pair made their way to the door that led to the back deck. Once outside, Erica helped John to the tub of warm water, and he slid his still-sedated body into it. The chill wind whipped at Erica's bare skin mercilously with sharp flakes of snow. She started back for the house, but John called sharply at her.

"I'm going to get some clothes and the phone," Erica explained. "The fire's out. I'll leave the door open to clear the smoke." Even though he was half in a daze, John managed to give her an approving smile. Erica suddenly felt warm all over, and brave enough to tackle the task ahead.

A few minutes later, Erica emerged from the house, wheezing terribly but victorious. In her grasp were clothes for the both of them, heavy jackets, and the cordless phone. Erica hurredly got dressed, while John began dialing for the local emergency services.

"It's dead," he commented. "The phone's working, but I'm not getting a dial tone."

"It must have been her. She cut the line," Erica said. She shuddered at a sudden memory. "And that's not the only thing she hacked, either."

Erica related her grim discovery to John, and his face set with anger. "We've got to let the police know, before she gets away."

"How?"

"Check the shed. There's supposed to be a snowmobile there. See if it's got any gas."

The snow was knee deep in the small back yard behind the cabin, and more was coming down every minute. Erica trudged through the soft drifts, shielding her face from the gusts that blew stinging crystals into her eyes. She reached the wide shed that stood on one side of the house, and noticed with dismay that a lock was hanging on the short chain that held its doors closed.

"Damn it," she cursed. At that same instant, a pop echoed to one side of her and something solid, like a stone, hit the shed door near her. Erica turned her head, and shrieked.

Standing in the driveway some distance away, with her hood off of her head, was Janice. In her hands, she was pointing something that Erica knew must be the pistol she had talked about. Janice took a few steps forward, and then aimed again. Erica gave a frightened yell, and began running as another loud pop rang through the heavy snowfall.

When she had reached the stairs to the back deck, Erica blurted out, "John, hide! She's still here!" The brunette looked around desperately for somewhere to shelter herself. The house was still filled with choking gasses, and everywhere else was pristine white and ill suited to remaining unseen.

On the edge of her vision, she saw Janice round the corner to the back yard, brandishing her weapon. With a yelp, Erica started up the steps to the deck, but stopped short when a bullet struck the railing right where she was about to put her hand. She turned, and saw Janice plant her feet and take aim. Rather than be trapped up on the deck with nowhere to run, Erica flung herself into the winter storm, pumping her legs as fast as they would go. Janice fired two more shots at her before she reached the relative safety of the woods surrounding the cabin.

Erica dodged and weaved through the pine trees like a car heading the wrong direction on the highway. She didn't care where she was going, as long as it was away from that homicidal bitch. She stole a quick glance backwards, and saw Janice stomping through the snow after her.

"Running won't do you any good," the long haired blond taunted. "I'm going to make you pay in the end!"

Erica stumbled and almost fell. Her jeans had caught on a prickly bush, and the thorns had stuck themselves into her leg. She tore them out, grimacing at the blood that appeared on her fingers. Up ahead, there was a break in the trees, and Erica recognized it as a clearcut that marked the path that the electrical lines took up over the mountain. She strained for it, as if it was freedom itself.

When she got there, she realized it wasn't. There was less cover, and the snow was deeper here than it was in the woods. It slowed her down, and she could hear Janice's footsteps growing nearer by the second. She stuck to one side of the clearing, hoping to loop around her pursuer and make it back to the house.

Janice foresaw that, however, and dodged diagonally through the trees to cut Erica off. She emerged into the open a short distance behind her, and took aim. Squeezing the trigger, she felt the gun kick and watched as Erica fell forward with a shriek into a snowdrift and out of sight.

Janice trudged up to where she had seen Erica disappear. To her confusion, there was no sign of her rival. She kicked at the depression in the snow where Erica's body should have been, in case snow from the nearby pile had covered it. Her foot struck a fallen tree trunk, and she winced with pain. Angrily, she scanned the surroundings, looking for telltale footprints in the ivory overcoat the heavy storm had given the mountainside.

Through a narrow slit in the snow, Erica could see Janice's boots. She remained quiet underneath the large pine that the blond's foot had hit. The fallen tree rested almost two feet off of the ground where Erica had tripped, creating a shelter where little snow had collected. Her tumble had carried her into the small gap, and snow from the drift had collapsed behind her, hiding Erica from view. She watched Janice's feet shift, and heard her enemy's labored exhalations. Burning hatred made her muscles tense. She was through with this crazy murderer, and through with being scared. Adrenaline flowed like liquid fire through her veins, and a plan hatched in her mind when she saw Janice's boots turn their backs to her.

"Where are you, you sleazy whore?" shouted Janice. Her eyes peered this way and that, searching for a sign of movement in the snow. She took two steps sideways, and then jerked her head around at the sound of a twig snapping behind her.

"Right here, bitch." Erica was crouched atop the fallen tree trunk, ready to pounce. The sudden sight of her prey, who was not cowering in fear, but instead wore an angry, aggressive expression, caught Janice off guard. Her gun arm moved slowly, much slower than the flying leap that Erica made. The brunette hurled herself through the air, and rammed into Janice with her entire weight. The pistol went off, sending its leaden projectile ricocheting harmlessly against a nearby utility pole as it was knocked from Janice's grasp and vanished. The two women toppled over as one into the deep snow, yelling like feral cats as their rage exploded.

A furious battle erupted, with both women flinging punches and clawing with gloved fingers. It soon became obvious to them that neither tactic was working, because their thick jackets worked like padded armor. They thrashed and kicked, separating themselves on the icy ground, and then scrambled to their feet. Their hoods hung uselessly at the back of their heads, and their hair was matted and white with snowflakes. They stood there for a moment, calming their rapid breathing and marshalling their strength after the wild chase and the heated melee they had just been in.

"You're going down, you ugly cow," spat Erica.

"You don't stand a chance," Janice retorted, shaking her head. "I'm going to kick your ass, drag your slutty whore of a body back to the cabin and show you just how much better I am when I fuck Joh-"

Erica's fist cut off the rest of Janice's speech. The blow landed solidly, rocking the blond's head to one side and making her stagger back a step. Erica's knuckles hurt even though she was wearing gloves. It was a good hurt. Janice massaged her injured cheek, and a devilish grin crept up her lips.

"Nice shot," she said, then added, "Slut!" At this, Janice attacked, swinging her fist at Erica's head. The brunette ducked it, having expected precisely that retaliation. When she raised her head, however, Janice's other fist slammed home. Her footing slipped as she was knocked backward, but Erica kept her balance. A fresh bruise stung on her cheek where Janice's punch had landed. Erica shot her foe a defiant look, and launched an uppercut into the blond's chin. Janice's head snapped upward, and she let out an "Ungh".

"You'll have to do better than that," taunted Erica, shaking off the pain she felt. Her natural aversion to violence was gone now. Fully committed to the fight, Erica squared off against Janice and raised her fists.

The blond didn't make her wait long. Janice balled her gloved hands into fists and closed the distance between her and Erica. Standing nearly toe to toe, the two women alternated trading blows. First one would strike the other as hard as she could, and then the other would respond in kind. Weaving drunkenly about the snowy incline, they lay into each other for minute after minute. Each was completely intent upon landing as powerful a punch as possible, and threw so much energy into each attack that neither was able to raise their tired arms in defense. Their voices rang out "unf", "agh", and "auh" in the wintry air as the snowfall continued as unabated as their slugfest.

Dizzy with pain, Janice missed completely, and Erica's follow-up fell short, too. Frustrated, the blond rushed at Erica, grabbing her around the waist. The pair careened out of control through the snow, eventually crashing into a towering pine. "Oof," they groaned in unison, and teetered sideways, both a bit off balance. The impact sent a shudder through the trunk, and shook a hanging branch above them that was overloaded with snow and ice. Aching to free itself from its burden, the branch bent and swayed, and then disgorged a heap of frozen precipitation onto the warring women below. The sudden lurch dislodged the snow from several other branches, and soon a blizzard of flakes cascaded down in a small avalanche.

The falling pile knocked Erica and Janice over and covered them entirely. This event didn't diminish their ire, nor did it halt their fight. Beneath the mound of snow, the two set to each other with renewed fervor. Fingers yanked hair. Hands battered faces. Legs interlocked and wrestled. On and on they went, flailing and grappling in a tight tangle of limbs. The pile of wintry flakes shivering and shaking above them was the only indication to the outside world that a ferocious struggle was buried just beneath the surface of the snow.

Erica found herself in danger of being pinned by her foe, and quickly searched for a way to escape. She planted her foot in Janice's stomach and, with a mighty push, flipped the blond off of her and out of the snowbank. Eager to get back into it with her blond opponent, Erica stood up, scattered the snow from her bangs, and dove onto her. Janice countered by grabbing Erica's arm and hair and forcing her down on the other side of her. She clambered atop the brunette, but Erica twisted her body, and sent her sliding off. Janice's grip on her hair was strong, and Erica felt herself being pulled along with Janice's momentum.

Over and over, the women tumbled chaotically down the hill. Occasionally, they paused to stand up and pummel each other, but they soon fell and resumed their rolling battle through the snow. Faster and faster they somersaulted, flinging each other around by their long hair, oblivious to everything except the destruction of their hated rival.

Erica's back struck something hard, and her hold on Janice's wavy blond hair slipped. Janice kept going, giving a final tug on Erica's brown locks before letting go. Erica heard the blond let out a yelp, but Erica's body soon drowned out all of her external senses as agony wracked her mercilously. Her muscles were sore, her scalp ached, and the sharp pain in her back caused her to howl uncontrollably. Erica lay there on the ground for some time, unable to move. She expected Janice to apear above her at any moment to finish her off. If that happened, Erica knew that she wouldn't be able to do anything to stop her.

Strangely, nothing happened for a few minutes. Erica sat up, careful not to bump her back again on the rock that had arrested her rapid descent. Looking around, she found no sign of her blond neighbor. The snow kept falling, sending tiny specks swirling in the mountain breezes.

Getting to her feet, Erica looked down the mountain, surveying the long line of utility poles strung with connecting wires. As her gaze followed them from the valley floor up to where she stood, she realized with a start how close to disaster she had come. Only a couple steps from where her tumbling body had landed was a sudden drop twice as high as she was tall. Leading up to it was a furrow in the snow. Erica cautiously crept to the edge, and peered over it.

Lying sprawled out in a clutter of boulders was Janice's body. On a rock near her head was a dark crimson stain. Erica's heart skipped a beat. Had she... killed Janice? Was she now a murderer, too? A foul, acidic feeling bubbled in Erica's stomach. She wanted to vomit. This wasn't the end that she had had in mind. She remembered the all-encompassing feelings that had driven her on during their fierce catfight. Erica had wanted to see Janice defeated, to see her give up and promise never to come near her or John again. But now, she was... was...

Erica's knees buckled and her body heaved as it tried in vain to throw up, but nothing came out. Tears warped Erica's vision, and all of the pent-up emotion of the past few hours thundered through her exhausted frame as powerful sobs.

***************

When John saw a figure approach the house from the woods, he once again ducked down to hide inside the hot tub. He had been nursing his left leg, where a lot of the sedative Janice had given him had pooled. It still didn't feel strong enough to support his weight, let alone allow him to run away from a gun-wielding maniac. He had wished that Erica had brought out his EMT bag along with his clothes, but right now he just wanted to see that Erica was alive. Fear like nothing he had felt before gripped him. He had seen death many times during his stint as a rescue worker on the county ambulance team, but this was different. His mind played him a picture of Janice, pistol in hand, stalking towards him, menacing and hell-bent on firing a bullet point blank into his brain.

"John! John, tell me you're there!" sang the sweetest voice he'd heard all afternoon.

"Oh, thank God. Erica, I'm here!"

John lifted himself up, and watched helplessly as his fiancee limped toward the cabin and up the stairs onto the deck.

"Are you OK?" the engaged couple said simultaneously. They paused, and then broke out in nervous chuckling.

"Janice?"

"She's... dead."

"You...?"

"She fell over a ledge. She's gone. I didn't mean... was my neighbor..." Erica's face twisted in pain, and she began crying all over again. John reached out a hand to console her. A minute passed before Erica regained her composure. She looked deep into her fiance's eyes, and saw a warm, calming expression there that soothed her like nothing else could.

"The house is still full of smoke, and we're not going anywhere because of this storm. We're as good as snowbound," John said. "Why don't you take off those clothes and join me where it's warm?"

Erica wanted him to hold her right then more than anything in the world, and she soon shed her jacket, her damp shirt and her jeans, and eased into the inviting waters of the tub. John wrapped his arms aroung Erica, and the couple snuggled together lovingly.

An hour passed that seemed like a blissful, idle weekend.

"You're going to have a prune for a fiance if you don't let me out," John said at last.

Erica emitted a mock whine, but detached herself from the firm embrace she and John had on each other. The peaceful rest had soothed her, but she was still sore. She watched as John hauled his well-muscled and quite naked body out of the water and quickly threw on some jeans and his coat. He kissed Erica once on the forehead, and then disappeared into the house.

The snowfall was trailing off, but the mountain breezes had picked up. Erica hunkered down in the tub, and thought about what she was going to do next. Did John really believe her story about what happened to Janice, even though it was the truth? Would he still go ahead and marry her, and if he did, would he remain slightly distant, thinking that his wife was a murderer? This vacation was supposed to have drawn the two of them closer together, but now something awful had happened that threatened to sour their relationship forever. "Damn that horrible woman," Erica thought. A mixture of fear and sadness hung like an icicle on her heart.

A few minutes later, John emerged onto the deck carrying a large bath towel. He opened it and held it out.

"Wrap yourself in this." Erica looked up in puzzlement. "Come on in and take a nap. There's still a little stench, but it's safe. I got the bed all ready for you."

Erica smiled and gingerly stood up. Before the icy wind could freeze her skin, John had wrapped the towel around her and scooted her into the kitchen. The only area where smoke still lingered was the great room, but John had opened the skylight to give it a means to escape. In the bedroom, fresh sheets and a thick blanket awaited Erica. She lay herself down and John tucked her in.

"John, the police..."

"I'll contact them as soon as I can."

"But what will we..."

"We'll tell them the truth." Erica gazed into John's eyes. His voice was steady, and somehow put all of Erica's fears to rest. "I'm going to go get my toolbox, and see if I can repair whatever damage was done to the phone. I'll be right out front. Yell if you need anything."

Erica grinned weakly. The warmth of the soft bed made her sleepy. She grabbed hold of John's nearby hand. "I have everything I need right here," she said.

John flipped the hood of his jacket up and trudged out the front door to his Jeep. Janice's Chevy Tahoe was parked down the driveway a bit, and he walked over to it in curiosity. The driver's side door was slightly ajar. He peered in, and then opened it wide. Reaching across the seat, he picked up a prescription bottle and examined the label.

"Damn," he said. "She must have had a paranoid disorder, and a nasty one, too. This is some strong stuff." He shook his head in dismay. "Probably ran out of pills last week and snapped." He put the bottle down where he found it and closed the door. "She won't trouble anyone anymore now, I guess," he mused. John went to the back of his truck to gather his tools, despairing that his trip to the mountains with Erica had gone about as wrong as it could have.

He had no idea what was going on in the house that very moment.

***************

"Hey, bitch," a female voice said sharply.

Erica's heart jumped. She forced her eyes open. Her blurry vision cleared, revealing a scene from her worst nightmare. Janice stood at the foot of the bed with an ice-covered pistol in her hands aimed right at her chest.

"That's it. Wake up and face the music."

"What the hell? I thought..."

"That I was dead? Wrong, girl, so wrong. It's time to pay for what you've done, and this time, there's nowhere to run." Erica drew in a huge breath. "That's it, yell, you fucking slut! Scream like the frightened animal you are!"

Unwilling to play right into Janice's wishes, Erica let her breath out slowly. "You'll never get away with this. We've already called the authorities."

"Bullshit! The phone's out, and I know for a fact that there's no cell tower within range of this cabin."

"John fixed the phone," Erica lied. "The cops are coming, and they're..."

"Shut up! You're a pathetic liar. The phone's been dead for days. The line got knocked out somewhere down the road during the ice storm last week. Oh, you didn't know that? Well, too bad. You have any other stupid tricks you want to try?" Erica glared at Janice with every ounce of malice she had. "I guess not. Heh. Well, time to..."

"Erica, wha..."

"John!" screamed Erica as her fiance walked in through the bedroom door, but it was too late. Janice swung around and fired. John let out an agonized groan as a bullet ricocheted off his leg bone and took a chunk of flesh with it. Blood splatter bloomed on the wall behind him like a crimson flower, and he fell into the wooden chair that sat nearby. Erica shrieked, watching helplessly as her lover winced in terrible pain. She sat up, but stopped when Janice pointed the gun back at her.

"Say, now," the deranged blond mused out loud. "You two are in opposite places from where you should be. He's not supposed to be in the chair, you are." Out of Janice's sight, John forced himself to put his medical training into practice. He was losing blood, and the pain made it difficult to concentrate.

"Fuck you, you crazy bitch!" Erica shouted.

"Ha ha ha, no. Fuck YOU!" roared Janice. "Fuck you for sleeping with Kyle back then. Fuck you for getting away with it for so long. Fuck you for messing up everything about my life so completely!" Janice began biting the nails on her free hand. "You deserve to be fucked out of everything you care about, too!"

It was then that Erica noticed that the recoil slide on the gun had remained cocked back after the last shot. Janice looked puzzled at the grin that was creeping up the other woman's features. "What?" the blond asked.

"You're the one who's fucked," said Erica. She drew her legs up and got ready to move quickly. She had to get rid of Janice fast so that she could get John to a hospital.

At that moment, Janice saw that she was out of ammo. Furious that the pistol had failed her, she hurled it to the floor. Turning her attention back to Erica, she saw the blankets fall off her upper body and realized with a start that her foe was naked under the sheets.

"Fucked, huh? You think you can take me on me like that?"

"I know I can." Erica's anger was at a full boil, and she didn't care at this point how pissed off she made Janice. "After all, it was THIS body that Kyle wanted more than yours while you two were engaged, right?"

The howl that Janice let out made it clear that the last shred of restraint in her had snapped. She flung her jacket off and stomped to the end of the bed. "You think you're that good? That your body is that much hotter than mine?" She pointed over at John, who was clamping down on his thigh as hard as he could but still paying attention to the proceedings. "I'm going to show him just how wrong you are, Erica Michaels. You and I are going to settle this right now. John is going to watch as I utterly conquer you, my sex against yours." As she spoke, Janice tore at the buttons on her flannel shirt, removed it, and then unbuckled the belt around her waist.

"You're insane! He's bleeding to death."

"And if you beat me, you can save him." Janice pulled off her wet jeans and began unhooking her bra. "But you won't."

Erica was beyond furious. She got up on her knees on the mattress and tossed the covers aside. Lifting her head defiantly, the gorgeous naked brunette shot a hate-filled stare at her rival. "Oh, I will, you ugly cow. I'm ten times the woman you'll ever be." Erica wasn't sure what Janice had in mind, but she knew that whatever it was, she was more than ready to throw everything she had into defeating the blond and making her suffer total humiliation.

Having stripped off the last of her clothing, Janice climbed upon the bed and reared up on her knees. The two women squared off at arm's length, and took in the sight of each other's nude body.

"Eri...ca..." moaned John, worried about what was about to happen. If his fiancee heard him, she didn't give any indication. The scene of imminent fury poised upon the bed seemed inevitable, as if animosity stronger than John could understand had built up between the two, and nothing short of the roof collapsing would stop them from tearing into each other.

With twin snarls, Janice and Erica lunged forward. An audible smack of flesh against flesh resounded off the walls as the warring hellcats collided -- hands in each other's hair, arms twisted in a pretzel knot, and muscles straining with all their might. Growls and grunts punctuated their battle as they swayed violently from side to side, inflicting as much damage as they could with their grasping claws. They slammed their torsos together, bringing their bare breasts into the conflict. For a good minute, the pair pressed against one another, feverishly trying to push the other backwards. Then, with their fingers tightly curled in each other's long tresses, they backed up and rammed their chests together again, and then again once more. The two women held themselves like that, grinding their tits and spitting curses at each other.

"Feel that?" snapped Janice. "My boobs are crushing yours. You're no match for me."

"Bullshit. Yours are the ones that are weaker," Erica retorted.

They groaned in unison, working more and more of their naked skin into contact. Janice grabbed one of Erica's wrists and succeeded in rotating it painfully, causing her to let go of her hair. She did the same with the other hand, and soon Erica found herself at a disadvantage. She fought to move her arms to attack Janice, but the blond held her wrists too tightly. After a fierce struggle, Janice had them pulled out to either side of the grappling pair.

Welded together from their thighs to their breasts, they kept up the contest of force and willpower. They joined their foreheads together and hissed into each other's mouths. The terrifying display of aggression continued for short while, with the two women's nude bodies locked in a slow, teetering duel.

As time went on, it became obvious that Erica was losing ground. Her knees bent more and more as the blond pushed her further and further backwards. With an evil shriek, Janice pulled back and gave Erica a strong head butt. Pain arced through the brunette's face, and she felt herself falling, completely off balance. Janice quickly flopped her nude body on top of Erica's and pinned her wrists to the mattress. She grapevined her feet around her foe's legs and spread them apart as wide as she could.

"Let me go, you bitch."

"Oh, no. I'm not done with you yet."

Erica began to get scared. She felt the weight of the other woman trapping her. The blond's boobs were bearing down on her own, and Janice's face was filling her vision. Most unnerving, Erica could feel her most intimate region being tickled by her captor's rough bush of pubic hair.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"This," announced Janice, planting her lips firmly against Erica's. Erica squealed, and shook her head to break off the kiss. "You think you're sexier than I am? Then, prove it."

Erica's mind reeled. She stared in disbelief for a moment, but then her eyes narrowed as understanding dawned on her. A self-confident cattiness that she had seldom felt came over her, and a look of warning set on her face.

"You got it, you cunt."

"You're the stinking cunt around here. I..." Janice never got out the rest of her words. Erica leaned her head up wrapped her lips around Janice's in a torrid kiss. The blond's surprise only lasted a second, and she soon returned the fervent attack.

The two women then began ravishing each other's mouths more and more passionately, each seeking to outdo her opponent's assault. Nostrils flared and their breathing became more rapid as the sensuous duel sent stimulating sensations through them both. Janice began swiveling her pelvis, brushing her naked snatch against Erica's. Fully into the sexy competition she found her self in, Erica retaliated by pumping her hips and bashing her pussy into her rival's. Jolts of pleasure mixed with the aching of tensed and strained muscles. As the struggle wore on, both women felt those feelings grow in intensity, and noticed an unmistakable wetness begin coating their labia.

Neither was able to keep her mouths locked on her opponent's for long, and the kissing battle ended abruptly. This allowed both women to exhale the deep, powerful breaths caused by the mutual arousal bubbling up in them as it spiralled higher and higher.

"You're no match for me," taunted Janice.

"We'll see about that."

"How's this feel, then?"

Janice rubbed the full length of her mound upward, parting Erica's womanhood and giving it a rough, tantalizing stroke. Erica groaned, and Janice did it again. Unwilling to lie still and let her attack remain unanswered, Erica met Janice's pussy with her own, and the wet folds of their labias slid against one another again and again. Writhing on the bed and working their sensitive organs back and forth, the women engaged in a heated battle of sexual supremacy. On and on their pussies fought, sending ever more intense feelings of desire through their bodies. Grunts and moans mixed with high-pitched whimpers. Minutes passed, and the pace of their intimate battle grew faster and faster.

Suddenly, Erica's body stiffened and she cried out in ecstacy. The orgasm she sought to contain had grown too inevitable, and she surrendered to its force. Janice's eyes were closed, and her mouth widened in a big smile. She kept up her grinding assault for a few more seconds, until she also came, mingling her feminine juices with those of her rival.

Janice lowered her head onto Erica's shoulder to rest, and loosened her grip on one of the brunette's wrists. The two nude women lay there entwined for a time to catch their breath. Janice moaned with pleasure, and Erica felt disgusted. She twisted her body in an effort to dislodge the blond, but Janice tightened her leg hold, driving Erica's legs painfully apart.

Janice lifted her head and stared into Erica's face. "You think this is over? There's a lot more humiliation in store for you," she said.

Erica's eyes widened, and she felt the blond's warm cunt slither its way onto her own. She looked over at John, fearful that he wouldn't last much longer. To her surprise, John's face was covered in astonishment rather than pain. His eyes met Erica's, and his mouth set in a stern expression.

"It's okay," he said. At this, Janice shot him an evil glare. "I stopped the bleeding. I'll be fine." He paused, and then said, "You just take her out."

Erica's heart filled with joy, and adrenaline equal to both a second and a third wind flooded her system. She freed her arm and shoved Janice to the side. Remaining welded together, the females' naked bodies rolled over on the mattress. Erica immediately began pounding her pussy into Janice's and the sexfight began again.

On and on for several minutes, the women dueled, thrusting and mashing their cunts together. Erica remained on top, working her clit up and down until it met her rival's stiff prong. The two closed their eyes and concentrated on controlling the lustful emotions building in them. Their sensitive rods clashed again and again, and their moans reached new heights of intensity.

Erica jerked her pelvis one last time. Janice cried out, unable to take anymore of the sensations the brunette was lavishing on her clitoris. The blond's back arched, and an all-encompassing orgasm rocked her body. She panted, out of breath, and opened her eyes.

What she saw frightened her. Erica wasn't even close to reaching ecstacy. In fact, she had merely slowed the pace of her attacks in order to make them more intense. Janice felt her sex horn being stroked and teased. The pleasure that shot through her body forced her head back onto the bed and her eyelids closed once again. Two minutes passed, and still Erica kept going.

Suddenly, Janice screamed out yet another orgasm, one even more powerful than the last. Erica groaned once, and then let out a long breath.

"Ready for more?" the dominant brunette asked, running her tongue over her lips to wet them.

Janice merely stared. "This can't be happening," she thought.

"Well?" prodded Erica. She raised her chest off of Janice's and began rubbing her breasts in circles around the trapped blond's heaving bosom. Janice moaned, savoring the pleasant feelings. Erica increased her speed, slamming her boobs over and over into Janice's and stabbing the other woman's nipples with her own. The titfight went on for over a minute before Janice let out a sharp groan.

"I said, 'ready for more?'" repeated Erica.

"Uunnnnh. Nnnh."

"What?"

"No... You win. I can't... take... any..."

Erica chuckled. "Oh, but you will."

Janice's eyes pleaded in desperation. But it was no use.

For the next thirty minutes, Erica relentlessly kept up her assault upon Janice's body. The blond squirmed, her body bucking and writhing as Erica brought her to one orgasm after another. At times the two women looked like they were making out, with their naked bodies joined at their hips, their breasts, and their lips. Several times, Erica shouted out exultantly in ecstacy. Still, she never halted the full-bore sensual attacks on her hated foe. Janice's voice became delerious, as if her brain was unable to handle such constant and sustained pleasure. The blond began swinging her head from side to side faster and faster, and Erica pounded orgasm after orgasm out of her exhausted body.

At the end, when Erica's muscles were completely worn out, Janice was reduced to a babbling wreck. Her eyes had a glazed look to them, and nothing but nonsense spilled out of her mouth. Erica rode the crazed female to achieve one final peak of passion, and then she stopped. She sighed in tired, but satisfying triumph.

John's mouth was wide open in dumbfounded disbelief, as it had been for the last half an hour. He watched as his fiancee peeled herself off of the woman she had battled sexually for longer than he had thought possible and turned to look at him. Her hair was wild and matted, her skin was glowing and shiny with sweat, her nipples were jutting stiffly from her perky breasts, and her lips were curved in a wide, satified smile.

It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life.

***************

John and Erica finished cleaning up and dressing just in time. A loud honk resounded outside, and the couple saw that the fire department had shown up, with a sheriff's deputy in tow. They gazed into each other's eyes, gave each other a hug, and went arm in arm to greet their rescuers.

The firemen tended to John's wound, and explained how someone had called in a report of a lot of smoke, which is what brought them out to investigate. Meanwhile, the police deputy asked Erica if she was all right. He looked with concern at her when she related her tale of being attacked by her neighbor and fighting back valiantly. His expression turned to incredulity when she mentioned that she had held her murderous meighbor down for over half an hour and that that had caused the blond to lose her mind, screaming something about not wanting to go back into a white jacket. Going inside, he went into the great room and saw Janice tied up to the wooden chair. His face lit up, and his demeanor changed in an instant.

"I know this bird," he said. "She went ape crazy down at the convenience store last year, threatening everybody and claiming all kinds of conspiracy and such. I calmed her down and let her go."

Moments later, after the deputy examined Kyle's body, he added, "Maybe I made the wrong decision."

An hour and a half passed, and night began to fall. Upon further examination, and an explanation from the firemen about the pill bottle in Janice's truck, the policeman said that their story checked out. Erica and John weren't Kyle's killers, and had been forthcoming and honest throughout his inquiry. He put Janice into custody in his police cruiser, while John and the firemen, who had struck up a quick friendship, swapped stories while they helped pack luggage into his Jeep. The couple had no desire to stay at the scene of the frightening events of that day any longer.

Before he turned to go, the deputy gave the two of them his card and talked to them a final time.

"So, you two are recently engaged. I forgot to give you my congratulations."

"Thanks," said Erica.

"Mind if I ask when the wedding will be?"

Erica's voice caught in her throat. She closed her mouth and looked up at John, suddenly remembering his previous answer to that same question. John just smiled broadly, and answered for her.

"As soon as we can arrange it!"

THE END