Part XXIV - Encounter So Close

On the rapidly darkening streets of the town of Danover’s ritziest suburbs, buxom Dale Solcord surged past the row of shadowy households, jogging along at a smooth clip.

Resplendent in form-fitting gold lycra and mahogany spandex, she was like the world’s shapliest junebug, and with knees and fists pumping high the blonde set her sites on doing the entire Stingray loop.

Back home Dale would have never dreamed of going night running, it was much too dangerous, but she felt actually safe in the Danover suburbs, and besides it was a death sentence exerting yourself during the day thanks to the crazy heatwave that refused to break. So her exercise regiment had become swiftly revised, and now she liked it.

The street lamps blurred by above her as Lady Gaga growled from the ear buds of her iPod, she flashed into one pool of saffron light, shot out of it into darkness for a few seconds, then back into the illumination of the next spotlight.

But despite her determination to stick to her schedule, Dale was destined not to complete the circuit, or even come close to getting it started, as her sharp eyes spotted a familiar figure hopping off a mountain bike in front of the next house she was coming up upon.

Is that--it is!

She slowed down and then halted, crouching behind a low hedge, and watched the pixie-like girl skip down the cobblestone path leading to her target house, blue canvas sack hanging empty over one shoulder.

She’s out late ... collecting?

Dale had it nailed as she watched the papergirl ring the doorbell and greet the lady of the house with a smile. Low tones hissed through the night air and the old woman reluctantly forked over a pair of five dollar bills. The redhead stuffed them in her pocket and with a gay wave dashed back to her bike.

Dale chuckled under her breath as she watched the old bitch flip the bird at the departing kid’s oblivious back, then she slammed the door shut. Nobody likes paying kids, even if it’s just a few measly bucks, heh...

The girl started pedalling and drove out onto the sidewalk, managed to travel three meters, then suddenly Dale rose up from behind the hedge like the grim reaper and the kid gave a strangled scream as the handlebars of her bike were gripped tightly and she was wrenched to a halt in a spray of gravel.

Katrina Nierce gaped in the dim light at the adult barring her way, then recognition dawned and her jaw sagged.

“EEP!”

“Gotcha, Anne of Green Gables.” grinned Dale savagely, “Bet you thought you’d gotten away clean.”

The girl shrank back in terror, then staggered off the bike and to the tall blonde’s shock turned tail and ran away, leaving her prize possession behind.

What the--what a dimwit! Jeez!

Dale pushed the mountain bike behind the hedge to hide it from any sticky-fingered teens who might happen by, then took off after her prey.

Kat looked back over her shoulder as she ran and in horror saw the blonde woman chasing after her. Oh fudge! I am SO dead!

She poured on the speed but it didn’t look like it was going to help! Sure, she was younger, but the lady chasing her was in peek condition and way stronger. Can’t out run or out last, so gotta outwit! and she zagged off the sidewalk and onto the lawn of the next house, tore across the moon-drenched lawn and flashed into the thick shadows ringing the side of the house.

Not gonna work, kiddo! Dale curved after her, no reluctance whatsoever to trespass on a stranger’s property, and she torpedoed into the darkness after the vanished girl. A moment later she emerged into the backyard and ... and clambered to gasping halt.

Damn! Where’d the little tart go?!

She panned her gaze back-and-forth, but spied not a sign of the kid. But she couldn’t have lost me so quickly, no way! So ... what?

Her eyes focused on a tall oak tree and for a moment wondered if the girl was cowering behind it, praying she’d give up, but then her eyes noticed the rungs of a ladder going up it and vanishing into the thickness of the tree’s leaves.

Uh-huh!

Peering up into the shadowy depths Dale could just make out a cube-like shape.

Bingo! Got her tree’d in a treehouse, heh...

She prowled forward to the oak and silently climbed, reached a trap door and pushing against it found it weighted down.

I bet I know what with!

And putting her shoulder against it she heaved and it sprung open, there came a shocked squeak and the sound of a body rolling away, then Dale had climbed up into the dark depths of the treehouse and had shut the door.

“Nice try, kid. You’re good, but I’m better.”

Her pale face lit by a shaft of moonlight that was cutting down from a gap in the sheet-metal roof, Kat rose up on her elbows from the spot she’d been tossed and gaped in astonishment at the crazy blonde woman.

“Oh crap!” she scuttled backwards and fetched up against the wall, looking like a trapped animal.

“Oh calm down, kid, I’m not gonna hurt you.” Dale rolled her eyes, though the gesture was unseen in the dark, and she crawled over and sat down on her haunches before the girl.

“B-But ... I--I...”

“How old are you? You look like ten. What the heck were you doing fooling around with that idiot where anybody could catch you?”

“I--I’m sixteen!”

Dale cocked an eye, “Seriously? I don’t believe it.”

“I am! Just turned it!”

“Oh yeah...?” and she reached over and pressed a hand to the girl’s chest, gripped the budding breast there. Kat’s eyes went saucered as the insane woman prodded and squeezed her tit.

What the hell?!

“Okay, you got me, you don’t find these on a ten year old.” Dale let go and shook her head in disdain, “But still, what were you thinking spying on me like that, while jerking off that dimwit.”

“I did not! I--I just ... um...” Kat hung her head in shame, “I was just curious.”

“About boys?”

“Uh-huh. And ... and...”

“ ... and me?”

The girl blushed furiously, Dale couldn’t see it, but she could feel the heat radiating off her skin. Oh, she’s just darling! You could just stick her in your pocket!

“You’ve never seen another naked girl?” she asked softly.

“N-No...”

“Not even in the school locker room, in the showers?”

“No.”

“How about playing doctor with your little friends?”

“What?! No!”

“Shhh ... not so loud.” Dale pressed a finger to the girl’s lips, silencing her. For a moment she let the fingertip linger, and Kat’s moist lips moved against it, she felt the heady exhale on her knuckle from the girl’s nostrils.

She traced to the left and stroked Kat’s cheek, “So ... did you like what you saw?”

“Huh?” the papergirl blinked, “Oh, you mean you, when you were, uh ... um...”

“Sunbathing topless.”

“Yeah ... sorry...”

“You were quite naughty.”

“I ... I know. It won’t happen again. I swear!”

“Inside voice, girl.”

“Sorry.” she replied in a whisper.

“So, do you like girls?”

“What? No. I ... I mean, you’re beautiful, wow!”

“Dale.”

Kat frowned, “Huh?”

“It’s my name. And what’s yours?”

“Katrina. Kat.”

“Cute! You are like a little orange kitten.”