Chapter 38: Southern Stars

When we were done with the dinner and discussion I grabbed a pack from the kitchen, then Gracie. We left the house for a walk along the river. “It is amazing how quiet it is,” she said as we walked along. “I have never known such a place.”

It was not completely silent, people had their windows open and were talking at supper. Birds made some noise. But in the cities large and small, especially those like LA and Detroit, there are always highway sounds, multiple interstate highways used 24/7 unless you are off-road someplace in the hills.

In a few minutes we were at the boathouse. I opened a door and there was our ride for the night, and real old-fashioned jeep that looked to be from about 1940. There were two seats in front and a wooden deck mounted above where the back seats usually were. The flat windshield was folded down on the hood, and there was a barebones roll-cage around the seats with lights on the top bar. I pulled off the tarp that kept dust off the seats.

“The summer when I was 12 I wanted a noisy go-cart so I could drive around the town like a spoiled kid. My uncle Will suggested that, instead of being a nuisance and scaring the livestock for something that would only last a year or two, maybe I would like to build something and learn some skills like welding. That was a better idea, so we built this. It was a kit from a mail-order surplus store.”

“I thought gas was rare and hard to get around here.”

“Oh, it is. So this is not gas-powered. Put this on.” I gave her a helmet and grabbed one for myself. They had built-in headsets. The thing was, her helmet had a flip down face-shield or visor, like a motorcycle helmet. When she was strapped in and plugged in I flipped down her visor. It was opaque and I locked it down so she could see nothing. She complained but I started the lights and drove off. “I have to keep both hands on the wheel, so your visor stays down, but there isn’t much to see in the dark.”

“How can you see?”

“The lights are on ... but all I need to see in the road.”

Of course she squawked, but she was impressed by the fact we were moving, but there were no motor noises.

“As I said, it was a learning project. We had all these used car batteries and stuffed the frame full of them. That was a lot of amps. There is one small electric motor, only a couple dozen horsepower. The trick was the throttle, Walter let me burn out about a dozen designs I tried until I had one that works. I wound the rheostat myself. No big deal, but I learned a lot.”

“When, exactly, did you take your first terrified woman as a victim?”

“The day I finished ... after I got going on the work I really designed it with the idea of putting that helmet on her and driving her around. She was game. We had a great time. I took her where I am taking you, only it was during the day.”

“I know what you do in bed with your mother - we practice together. At your destination did you keep your clothes on?”

“I was 12! So we just had a picnic. But you? I plan to have you under the stars.”

“Aren’t there ... animals?”

“Yeah ... you might consider a night something with a little extra. What did you have in mind? Monkey? Ram? I have read that some ladies like dogs...”

“It seems I have no choice, Batman. Have your way with me...” She paused a minute then asked, “have you ever seen ‘Cat People,’ with that Kinski girl?”

“Yes. Good movie. Great actress in the part.”

“I was thinking of the Cat part.”

We slowed down as I navigated for a bit. In total the trip was about 15 minutes. When we got to the spot I started to unstrap her from the jeep. As long as I was at it I also removed her outfit, a little combination of shorts and shirt, like a jumpsuit but all short limbs and light fabric. I left the helmet alone. I could not help kissing her nipples as I revealed each one. Also her ribs, belly button, etc. She did not struggle, but she wiggled and giggled a little.

“Good girl, no underwear,” I said as got to that point.

“I figured that if I was going to be eaten by a panther, why mess him or her up with underwear.”

I set her down on a blanket from the bag.

“I can assure you, no panther is going to eat you,” I said. I admit I sounded smug.

“How can ... My, that feels good ... how can you be so sure?” she asked as I lightly explored her pussy with my fingers. She was wet, and maybe a little open. Self-service possibly? I could not watch while driving.

I got over her in the missionary position, but did not enter. She still had her helmet and visor on.

“Because there are no panthers. I mean, no great cat that is properly named a ‘panther,’ there is the football team, but they hardly count.”

“Of course there are panthers ... I have seen lots of pictures ... and there was the movie, ‘Cat People’ where they had a panther.”

“Interesting fact...” I said, wanting to keep her going and distracted until the perfect moment. So I started to finger her, opening her up as I talked. She helped and like a good girl, did not try to remove the helmet. “ ... the term ‘panthera’ is used for the genus of ‘great cats’ or ‘howling cats’ which includes the tiger, lion, leopard, jaguar, and snow leopard. It has to do with the throat, a tiger can be heard miles away. Interestingly the snow leopard can’t howl, it has the basic equipment but lacks a extra part. Notice, no panther in the group. You can’t be eaten by what doesn’t exist ... stupid football team mascots notwithstanding.”

“What about mountain lions? And the other cat ... cheetah?”

“Cheetahs are related but distinct species, different throat. Mountain lions are also called pumas, and are not restricted to mountains.”

“So, no panthers?”

“In Florida, what is called a panther is a puma. In Africa and Asia a panther is a leopard, but if he his black it is just a variation of spots that you can’t see.”

“What about here, South America?”

“The so-called panthers of Central and South America, who are the apex land predators, are jaguars. But we are safe from them and the other two apex predators, cayman and spectacled bears, like Paddington Bear who was from darkest Peru.” I was making progress on her pussy, getting the fluids going but not going to far with anything else.

“So I could be eaten by a Jaguar ... OH MY GOODNESS BATMAN!”

That wasn’t sex, I had just flipped up her visor, allowing her to see, without so much as a candle between the horizons, the beauty of the southern sky and the countless stars glowing perfectly, clearly, distinctly like diamonds in the immense black velvet sky. First overwhelming impressions can be everything, and as I planned, this was such a case. It was the whole point of the expedition, and I must say that it was very successful.

Turned on as she was, Gracie was stunned just looking up at the sky, taking in the wonder of it all, for a few long moments. I left her alone with her thoughts until she could speak again. Her voice showed pure wonder. “I swear I will never forget this moment ... the miracle and the majesty ... thank you so much.”

I removed her helmet then got down next to her, where I could point out the constellations that were so different. Being in a different hemisphere does not seem like much, until you look up. Then the sense of distance grabs you good. Here it was so incredibly clear.

It seemed like a hour before we got back to great cats with appetites. I explained, “we are in a area, about 100 yards across, bounded by fenced pastures. Horses, pigs, oxen, cattle, sheep, and lamas, surround us. The pastures are all large and we have open ground on all sides. There is no cover, and jaguars are very strict about that requirement. Also, they are solitary hunters, and they have no interests in herds of large animals who can run them over. Jaguars haven’t been seen within ten miles of the Colony in the last 100 years, except for our zoo.

By the time the sky was no longer a distraction, she wanted something else before she went to sleep. But first, she shyly requested that maybe a two-legged animal might eat her while she looked straight up. I have to say, she was delicious as I worked my tongue within and around her sweet slit.