Albert and Brandy ran, not waiting for it toclimb up and continue its pursuit.

They fled down the tunnel to the waitingpool and plunged into the water. The cold was just as intense asthe first time. It sucked the breath from their lungs, but theydared not linger. They swam as hard as they could, propellingthemselves through the frigid water. The sound of their splashingechoed through the tunnels around them and the waves crashedagainst the walls in the narrow confines of the passage.

They crossed the pool much more quickly thanthey did the first time, but still they moved too slowly. They keptlooking back over their shoulders, terrified that something darkand deadly was right behind them, snapping at their kickingfeet.

Not until they reached the other side didthey pause. Gasping, they collapsed onto the floor, and with waterdripping from their shivering bodies, they stared back across thepool, searching for any sign of their mysterious pursuer.

“What the fuck was that?” Brandyhissed, her teeth chattering violently. She held the flashlight assteadily as she could, but still the light danced across the tunnelwalls as her hands trembled with adrenaline and the quaking of hershivers. Her eyes were wide with terror, her lips quivering in thecold.

Behind them, there was no sign of thecreature. The water tossed and rocked in the wake of their furiousswimming. At its edge, the paint can clanked against the stonefloor as it rose and fell in the waves.

“I don’t know,” Albert replied. He was outof breath but not yet ready to quit running. “We should keepgoing,” he said, snatching the paint can from the water. “We don’tknow if it can swim.”

He stuffed the can into his backpack and thetwo of them continued up the tunnel. He didn’t know if it would dothem any good or not, but it certainly wasn’t going to be of anyuse floating in that pool. Halfway up the incline, the lid to thecan was still resting undisturbed on the floor, but he chose not totake the time to pick it up.

They hurried past the praying statue andretraced their way back through the maze to the back door of thesex room.

Chapter 21

They didn’t discuss the sex room as theyapproached it. Brandy had already removed her glasses and wasstuffing them into her purse. She was still afraid of this room,but at the moment the only alternative to going through it was togo back to where that creature was, and even the fear room soundedlike a better option than that. She grasped Albert’s cold hand andled him through the doorway.

Albert closed his eyes and tried hard not tothink of what they’d done in here. Hopefully they could cross thisroom as easily as they crossed the hate room just a little whileago.

But as the dark shapes began to swim aroundher, Brandy began to realize that this room was different from theother two. She could not see the pornography around her, but sheremembered it. That gray blob over there was a woman on herknees, performing oral sex on a man who looked like he might killher if she stopped. One of the woman’s hands was stuffed betweenher thighs, touching herself. The very memory of that statue gaveher a nervous knot in her stomach. Desire swam up from some darkplace deep inside her. She was disgusted to realize that she wantedto put her glasses back on and look at it again.

Nearby was another shape she remembered: Awoman on her hands and knees, clawing at the stone beneath her as aman took her from behind. Her expression was agonizing ecstasy.Beyond that, she could still somehow see a woman straddling a man’sface, her fingers buried in his hair as she ground her hips againsthim. It seemed that she must be suffocating him, but he didn’tappear to be concerned with escaping. In fact, he appeared to bepulling her closer.

She tried to move between the statueswithout looking at them, but even from the corners of her eyes, theobscene shapes teased her.

She couldn’t escape it. Everywhere shelooked, another statue reformed itself from murky shadows intovivid memories. And it was far too easy to picture herself in thesewomen’s places, enjoying the same insatiable pleasures. She didn’twant to lose herself again to that uncontrollable lust, but shecould feel the wanting. It was so hard to resist, especially whenit was so easy. All she had to do was turn around and she couldhave him again…

“Albert…”

“Right here.”

“Oh, Albert…”

“What is it?”

“Not working…” She stopped, her kneespressed together against the terrible wanting in her body. She bentforward, breathing rapidly. “I can still see it.” Though she wasterrified, she found that she wanted. She craved it.It was like a nicotine addiction, only so much more intense.

“No! Close your eyes!”

“I did…” She turned toward him,letting go of his hand, and groped for that part of him that shewanted so much, the part of him that was meant for giving herpleasure. She needed that part of him.

It was already beginning to grow erect—hismemories of the room did that much by itself—but her touch was aninstant stimulant. The feel of her fingers on his skin was morethan he could bear. He wouldn’t be able to resist her for long,even without looking at the statues.

Albert wanted to open his eyes. He wanted tosee those statues. For the first time in his life, he understoodhow sex could be an addiction, how some people could fall into sucha darkness of sexual wanting. Every muscle in his body was tensewith yearning.

He tried to remember the thing in the roundroom, tried to remind himself that it might still be behind them,slowed, but not stopped. Right now it could be charging down thattunnel after them, but it seemed to matter less and less with eachstroke of Brandy’s slender fingers.

He wanted to open his eyes so badly. Hewanted to see the statues. He wanted to see Brandy. Hewanted to look at her, to see her in the throes of ecstasy. Hegrabbed her wrist, but he didn’t have the will to actually make herstop what she was doing. God help him, he wanted to let her do it.He wanted to take her right there, and he knew he would not lastmuch longer. If they lost control inside this room, they mightnever get out. They might just go on and on until their hearts gaveout from exhaustion. Inside this room, there would be no regainingcontrol.

That was it!

He opened his eyes, let in the world aroundhim and snatched the flashlight from Brandy’s trembling hand.Immediately that hand dropped to her groin, to that part of herthat needed so badly. He yanked her wrist from his manhood so hardthat she scratched him with her nails, but he hardly noticed thepain through the pleasure. He bolted for the door, dragging heralong, and did not stop until they burst from the mouth of the sexroom door.

When he was clear of the chamber, he turnedand kissed Brandy hard on the mouth, savoring the feel of her lips,the taste of her tongue, attacking her with the full drive of thesex room. She moaned with want and as they dropped to the floor shekissed him again and again, begging him between each one to takeher.

They shared sweet, quick intercourse on thecold, stone floor as the erect sentinels watched with apparentdelight. He ran his hands over her body, thrusting with forcefulpassion that began to quickly melt into a gentler, lovelier thing.Brandy’s orgasmic panting also slowed, becoming a softer, smoothersound, less a moan than a purr.

The orgasm was intense, but it was not thesame as those they’d experienced inside the sex room. No longer didonly the next one matter. Now they both savored just the one and itseemed to last and last as the world around them slowed to a stop.For Albert, this was his first time. The last time was meaningless,but this…this was perfect.

After they finished, Albert lay atop her fora moment, listening to her breathing, feeling the rise and the fallof her chest, the warmth of her skin, the hot wetness of her sex,her hair against his face. He could smell her. She was like applesand perfume. At last, he lifted his head and gazed at her,embarrassed.