Sunday, August 8, 2010

Aftertaste

by Karen Schindler

She was exquisite.

Her naked body seemed to pulse and thrum as he circled her, snapping image after image, the afterglow of her pale form burning into his retinas. His mind reeled as he captured her likeness. He’d never worked with someone who looked so luminous through the lens.

He kept snapping and circling and circling and snapping convinced that he could see heat rolling off her in waves. He could feel her energy feeding his as he revolved closer and closer. When they came face to face for the last time she widened her eyes and made a sound that was as close to a groan as he could bear and remain upright.

He felt a jolt of something run top to bottom through his nerve endings. He wanted to reach for her but he couldn’t stop snapping images. He couldn’t tear his face away from the camera.

Mesmerized, he watched as her left hand reached out to caress the long shaft of the telephoto lens. Her right beckoned with a delicate finger.

He leaned toward her, her face getting larger in the viewer until it filled every corner of his vision and his mind. She tipped her head, licked her lips and parted her mouth into an inviting O.

He felt himself drawn into and through the prisms of the camera, out the lens and into her mouth.

As his body crumbled away she gently placed the camera onto the floor. She licked a finger and delicately sampled the pile of dust that had been a man moments before.

She smiled, languidly stretched and savored the memory card melting on her tongue just as a devout Catholic savors a holy communion wafer.

She could feel his juices mingling with hers, feel his hot blood soaring in her veins. He had been a good one. Young, vital, full of sexual power. He should last her for at least a month.

The happy accident of a wave depositing her into a time plane that sported photographers on every corner and the internet to help her find them made it so easy. She hardly even had to hunt.

The only downside was the memory cards.

She just couldn’t get used to the digital aftertaste.


__________


Karen Schindler writes even when she's not writing. A lover of words her whole life, she is amazed and awed when she can string them together in a way that touches another soul. You can visit her at Miscellaneous Yammering where you'll find fact, fiction, sillyness and lots of descripitons of weird things that happen in Ohio.

19 comments:

Rachel Green said...

Delicious hunting :)
Thank you for the read.

Michael Stone said...

This one left me with a smile.

J. M. Strother said...

Excellent piece. Takes a completely different arc than what is expected. Loved it.
~jon

Laura Eno said...

Great story, Karen! That last line sealed it wonderfully.

Unknown said...

Ooh, Karen, this is good. So sexy and dark, and then you still manage to make me laugh at the end.

Great story. Love it.

Bobbie Troy said...

Very well done. I love the ending.

Aaron Wilson said...

"...digital aftertaste." Nice. I like what you did with this story. I knew something was up, but I didn't expect the photographer to end up as food.

Rachel Blackbirdsong said...

Oh that digital aftertaste! Perhaps a little chocolate or something sweet to take the bitterness away. A perfect story. It was mesmerizing and enticing and thoroughly enjoyable.

Mike Robertson said...

What a sweet taste of your work, Karen! "memory card melting on her tongue..." what a great line. That brought it all home for me.

And I relate to your bio line, "I write even when I'm not writing..." I know what ya mean.

Yer fanboy, miker

shannon said...

Oh, yum! What a decadent little tale. Gives new meaning to the phrase "man eater"! Love, love, loved it.

Karen from Mentor said...

Thanks for reading and for leaving such great comments everyone.
*looks delighted*

And thanks for bringing me into the fold Aaron.

Karen :0)

Anne Tyler Lord said...

Ha! Digital aftertaste! That was a great, sensual, dark tale. I love this paranormal slurp - and very funny - you always give us everything in your stories!!

Marisa Birns said...

Quite a captivating story, both for reader and photographer. Adored the last sentence!

*wonders why my communion wafer only tasted like cardboard*

Alan W. Davidson said...

Wow. A stylish and sexy tale, Karen! I didn't see that ending coming at all. And the last line was especially tasty. Very nice.

Cat Russell said...

Who is predator and who is prey? Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. :D

Nice one!

Laurita said...

Yowza! Hot, smouldering, and tasty. No bitter aftertaste at all. I loved your closing line.

jonathan pinnock said...

Oh, excellent! Brilliant concept.

Jodi MacArthur said...

Karen Schindler knows how to serve it hot. I can't think of any better way to burn. This story brings metaphor to an O, minus the "digital aftertaste". A brilliant flash.

Linda said...

Very cool flash. Er, hot. The digital aftertaste is a concept I can't get my head around and I love that. Peace...