When a Man Loves a Woman:

Simone’s Notes:

Marriage or wedlock is an interpersonal relationship, usually intimate and sexual, with governmental, social, or religious recognition. It is often created as a contract or through civil processes. Civil marriage is the legal concept of marriage as a governmental institution. The most common form of marriage unites one man and one woman as husband and wife. Other forms of marriage also exist: for example, polygamy—in which a person takes more than one spouse, marriage partner, —is common in many societies. In some jurisdictions civil marriage has been expanded to include same-sex marriage. People marry for many reasons, but usually one or more of the following: legal, social and economic stability; the formation of a family unit; procreation and the education and nurturing of children; legitimizing sexual relations; public declaration of love; or to obtain citizenship.

The real fire began one late June day. Major Mark Winston was coming home in the hot high morning from a battle overseas. He was tired and worn out. All the man wanted was a warm meal, to see his wife, and a nice warm bed. But sadly, Mark was going to receive more than that for the whole day. The man was just about to enter the city when he ran into three succubi. They all looked like prostitutes. These ladies were out for some blood this morning. They had been waiting for a random good-looking to come their way. The succubi spotted Mark right away. He was a sure catch of the morning. Short brown in a nice buzz cut, deep olive green-brown eyes, tall, some muscle to his slender body, broad shoulders, and strong-looking sexy legs. He looked really good in his uniform this morning. They began to whisper among themselves.

“How about him girls?” the first one asked. The other two reviewed him. Their eyes were filled with lust. Smiles came across their greedy faces.

“Oh yes!” the second answered. “He’ll do just fine!” The third one licked her lips.

“So what do you say girls?” the first one asked.

“Yep!” the second one answered.

“Hell yeah!” the third one replied.

“Then let’s go!” the first one said. The succubi made their way to their latest victim. Mark was heading into the city when they all circled him with lust in their eyes. The major instantly became uncomfortable around them.

“Uh…” he began. “Can I help you?” The girls moved in closer to him. One cuddled up close to him.

“Care to come with us for a while?” she asked him. The man looked suspicious.

“Uh… no…” he replied uneasily. The girls crowded around him closer.

“Aw…” the second girl said in fake disappointment. “But why not?”

“I have a wife at home!” Mark protested. “Excuse me.” Then, he began to walk away again. The girls crowded around him again. The man was really nervous now.

“What do you all want?” he asked again. The girls kept snuggling up close to him.

“We want you!” the third one said to him in a seductively. “We want to sleep with you. You’re just so handsome and strong.” Even though flattered, the major could tell that something was way off about these women. These weren’t regular prostitutes. They seemed to be either high or cold-blooded killers. He had to get away from them or it would be his life. Winston tried to fight them off.

“I said I have no interest in you,” he repeated. “I have to get home to my wife.” He tried to leave again. The succubi blocked him again. This time they seemed more aggressive to him. They really meant to have him this time. Mark quickly became defensive.

“Aw come on, major!” the first one said. “Make an interest!”

“Look now!” he said to them.”I don’t want any trouble!”

“Oh, but you already have it!” they all said. Then they grabbed him and forced him straight into a random alley. Mark kept trying to fight back, but to no avail. The succubi proved to be much stronger than him. They had their way with him within minutes. The poor man didn’t stand a chance. The first one finally bit deep into his neck while the other held his head straight. Mark cried out in pain from her bite. The first succubus began drinking him dry. The torment started off slow at first. But as the swirls of black and red grew heavier in her eyes, the succubus began drinking her victim’s blood even faster. Mark suddenly started to get weak and sink into death slowly. The other two succubi felt his heart and his pulse.

“Finish him off!” the third one yelled out. “He is just about there.” The first one nodded and finished up her morning feast. When Winston was almost dead, the first succubus left him drop straight to her lap. Then she turned to her sisters.

“Care to do the rest?” she asked them.

“Hell yes!” the second one called out. Then she bit deep into her wrist and offered it to the dying major. The first one held his head up to her wrist. The two of them forced him to drink the dark blood. The third one helped them as well. The blood was disappearing in Mark’s mouth in a flash. He didn’t really understand what happening to him, but he had no choice but to comply. This ritual kept on for what felt like hours. Finally, the second succubus got dizzy and drew back her wrist. Mark crashed downwards onto the cold pavement. The three attackers all looked at him.

“What shall we do now?” the second asked.

“Leave him!” the first one answered. “He’ll come to pretty soon!”

“Right!” the other two agreed. Then they left him to fall slowly to the dark side.

In the apartments, Gemma awoke with a quick jerk in the early morning. She sat up straight in the bed. She turned beside her and tried to wake up her boyfriend.

“Leon!” she exclaimed. “Wake up! Wake up! I just had another disturbing vision! Wake up!” The deity slowly rolled over and slowly looked up. He noticed his girlfriend’s worried face.

“Gemma… wha-?” he mumbled almost in silence. The girl kept shaking on him.

“I had another disturbing vision!” she yelled out. “We need to go see Syd!” Her boyfriend sat up looking at her. Usually, he would roll his eyes annoyed at that suggestion. But she sounded too worried to ignore that one this time. So he sat up and got dressed in a rush. Gemma leapt out of bed and did likewise. They both hurried to Syd and Ella’s apartment.

The couple and Yasmine were already up and waiting when Gemma and Leon made it right to them. They were all sitting around in the kitchen. Yasmine and the other couple looked up at the arriving couple. Gemma stepped forward in a panicked rush.

“Do you sense it too?” she asked.

“Yes,” Yasmine answered. “They got another one. Against his will too.” They all went grim at that report. Those types of cases were never good. That would mean that the victim would be struggling to stay human as long as he or she could before succumbing to the darkness.

“So what do we do?” Leon asked.

“What we usually do in cases like this,” Syd replied. “Track him and kill him.” They all went silent at that solution. They didn’t want to have to come to that. But they had no choice but to agree with Syd. Because otherwise if he had a wife or girlfriend and slept with her, she would get pregnant with a half-breed baby. That was one thing they didn’t want at all. Syd turned to Gemma.

“Can you track him down for us?” he asked her calmly. The girl didn’t seem to know how to answer that question at first. Then she nodded in discomfort. Syd kindly smiled at her.

“Want me to set it up for you?” he asked. The girl nodded nervously. The deity stood up and began drawing on the wooden floor. Gemma turned to her boyfriend looking slightly worried. He just looked at her as if to say it’ll be okay. His girlfriend took in a deep breath and faced Syd who was done with the transmutation circle for her. The “leader” turned to her.

“You ready?” he asked her. Gemma nodded bitterly as she knelt down on the floor. She held out her hand and shut her eyes tightly. The deity began chanting softly. A light pink light formed under her. The others watched closely. Within seconds, Gemma looked up with the answers. She whipped around to them in a flash. Her face looked very pale.

“He’s heading home!” she said quickly.

“Does he have a wife?” Ella asked sickly.

“Yes!” the girl answered. Syd looked around to his people.

“Okay, you heard the girl!” he said out loud. “Let’s move!”

“Right!” the others yelled out. Then they handed out of the apartment in a rush.

Meanwhile, Mark slowly in the apartment. He noticed that something was not right with him. The major sat up in a rush and looked deep into a puddle. Everything looked normal at first, but then he saw it! The sickening fallen mark tattooed on the place that the succubi had bit him. The major blinked hard to see if it was a really bad dream. The image didn’t change. “What… What is this?” the major thought in worry. He instantly began to remember what happened to him. Those three women seized him, raped him, and killed him. Fear washed over him in seconds. “Am I dead now?” Mark thought. The newly-made incubus sat on the ground trembling as if he was suffering from a bad drug withdrawal. Then, a calming thought came over him within seconds. Mark began to sit up straight. “I have to get home to my wife!” he thought with realization. Then, the major slowly rose to his feet as if he was in pain and began walking home.

The walk seemed longer than ever. The poison was slowly taking over Mark’s mind. The marking on his neck was increasing sore. He was having a hard time breathing. The major thought that he was going collapse out on the street and die. But none of that mattered anymore. “I have to get home! I have to get to home!” Mark kept thinking over and over again. “I have to see my wife again!” The major kept walking all the way to his home. The rain began to pour down lightly with every step. Unaware to him that this was going to be the last time he would ever see his wife again. By noon, Mark made it all the way to his front door.

Inside, Dahlia Winston was cleaning the living room. She seemed pretty nervous today. Her husband was coming home at long last. It should be happy day today. But the woman was pretty upset at the moment. You see before he left, she and Mark got into a loud argument and he stormed out the house in a rage. They hadn’t talked to each other much since. Dahlia had missed him badly and wished she could take back the things she had said. But at the moment, she was worried. The woman just didn’t know how her husband would accept and take her now. There was only one way to see today.

Right when she was finished, Dahlia had a loud thug at her door. She leapt up startled. The worst just wouldn’t leave her head. “Please don’t let it be who I think it is!” the WAG thought in worry. Dahlia rushed to the door and opened it. Mark was slumped over on the front step out cold. Fear came over his wife’s face.

“Oh my husband!” she cried out. She grabbed her and dragged him into the house. Within minutes, Mark awoke to see sweet Dahlia leaning over him in worry. He couldn’t help but to smile at her sweet aquamarine eyes. He wanted to reach up and run his fingers through her long dark brown hair. But sadly, his body was too weak to even move. Mark just smiled weakly at her.

“Dah-lia…” he began to speak. His wife lightly put her finger to his lips.

“Shhh!” she whispered to him. “You’re fine now. Just rest.” Her husband kept smiling at her and slowly fell asleep. His wife lightly kissed him on the lips. She then moved to his ear.

“I am so sorry for our fight last time,” she whispered to her. “I never want to say those things to you ever again.” Then she lightly kissed him on the cheek. Then she headed into the kitchen to make him lunch. Dahlia just spent all morning taking good care of Mark.

Syd and his company made it right into the town. The rain was pouring down harder. Time was ticking against them. They had to hurry or a half-breed would be born in nine months. Syd turned to Gemma.

“Point out where he is!” he ordered. The girl nodded once. She held out her hand and closed her eyes. A light wind passed over their heads. Gemma snapped her eyes open. She pointed out the path.

“He went that way!” the girl yelled out.

“Okay!” Syd called out. “Let’s go!” Then they all hurried down the right path.

By afternoon, Dahlia was cleaning the window yet again when she heard footsteps behind her. The woman turned around quickly. Mark stood in the doorway staring at her.

“Oh!” his wife gasped out as she relaxed. “You scared me there for a moment.” Her husband began to smile at her.

“Sorry about that.” Mark said to her kindly. He stepped a little closer to her. Dahlia’s heart raced in fear and love. Something had changed about her husband, but she just couldn’t explain what it was.

“Mark, sweetie,” his wife said in an uneasy voice. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” her husband said. “I’m sorry for our fight last time we spoke.”

“I’m sorry too,” Dahlia said. Mark stepped a little closer.

“I don’t want to ever have to fight like that again.” he said to her.

“I don’t want to have to fight like that again either,” his wife said. Mark was just inches away from his loving wife. Dahlia didn’t know whether to be afraid or feel overjoyed that her husband was forgiving her after many months of not talking to each other. He held her tight to his body.

“Tell me that you will stay with me until the very end,” Mark said pleading to her in a soft voice. Dahlia was too surprised to speak at first. She never heard her husband say such a thing. He must be really desperate to be with his new change. But yet, her heart ached in sympathy for him. She held him close to her own body in deep support.

“Yes,” she said at last. “I will stay with you until the very end.” A long paused passed between them. Then, Mark lightly knelt down to her lovely China doll face.

“That’s all I want to hear!” he exclaimed. Then he kissed her deeply on the lips. Dahlia was a little surprised at first. She was both caught off guard and happy all at once. His wife kissed back quickly. This was more than any passion they had ever felt before. They beastly love was swallowing them whole. Then, things began to progress pretty quickly. Mark led his wife back to their bedroom. He happily pushed her back onto them bed. Mark pinned her down when a new ardent strength. Dahlia wrapped her room around his neck. The heat and fire began shoot up even more. They flung off their clothes and drove deep into lovemaking. This would’ve been normal for a married couple where the spouses haven’t seen each other in a long while. But yet, something just didn’t feel right at all. Mark seemed to feel so wrong for doing this with his wife. It wasn’t guilt. It was something nastier in him. It was as if he was feeding some sort of a dark monster inside of him. Part of him didn’t want to do this. Mark just felt like he was corrupting Dahlia in a way. But he didn’t want to stop her pleasure. The only thing that he cared about was making his wife happy. Mark hadn’t seen or talked to his wife in months. Now they were back together again. Nothing could tear them apart at all.

Love instantly took over his mind. Mark began to focus hard on Dahlia. Everything he loved about her surfaced in his mind. Her full thick breasts, soft shaped thighs, soft creamy pale skin, long dark brown hair, deep aquamarine eyes lost in pleasure, and perfectly curved body. This was what he missed about her. He kept on making love to her all while the rain kept pouring outside.

Afterwards, Dahlia lied beside of him asleep. Mark sat up in bed restless. Something in him just wouldn’t let him sleep. His heart was aching badly in his chest. Right then, he became aware. He was aware of something evil luring in his heart. But the man just couldn’t break it to his wife. That would crush her so badly. So, Mark decided not to tell her what happened to him on the way home.

Then, there came a knock at his front door. The major looked up from his thoughts. “Hm?” he thought. “Who could that be now?” The incubus slowly rose to his feet, got dressed, and walked all the way down to the front door. Leon stood on the other side. Mark looked at him confused.

“Can I help you?” he asked him. Leon just stared at him closely. The deity was doing a reading on him. So far, everything looked normal. But then, there it was. Leon saw the incubus in Mark Winston. The deity’s eyes widened in a flash. He turned behind him in a flash.

“This is the one!” Leon yelled out to his friends. “This is the incubus!” Right then, the incubus in Mark had fully woken up. He lunged forward and tried to claw violently at Leon. The deity instantly put up his sword. His claws clashed against the cold blade. Leon moved his sword and tried to attack again. The incubus leapt away in a rush. The deity went after him quickly. Syd turned to the girls.

“Let’s go!” he yelled out.

“Right!” they said to him. Then, the rest of the deities followed behind Leon. The incubus led them to the backyard. Leon and the crew crowded around him tightly. Mark looked all around him. He seemed to be trapped. Then, Ella noticed something off about him. His eyes were filled with pain and misery. It was as if he was trying to reach out to them somehow.

“He’s fighting to stay human!” she said softly. That caught Yasmine’s ear.

“What did you say?” the other deity asked her friend. Ella turned her head to her.

“This man is fighting to stay human,” she repeated. Yasmine looked at her confused.

“But that doesn’t make since,” she said. “The transformation would’ve been complete by now.”

“I know,” her friend went on. “But why has is it taking so long?”

“Hey,” Syd shouted to them. “This is no time to be talking!” Ella stepped forward to her dojoin.

“Syd, look!” she yelled to him. Her bloke turned and complied. A strange sight met him. Mark was on his knees actually… crying. Heavy tears were in his eyes. This completely threw everyone off. The incubus was actually crying in misery to them. He seemed to be saying something to them.

“Please kill me!” he pleaded to them. “I don’t want to hurt Dahlia! Please kill me now!” Silence was all around. Syd began to smirk calling at the pleading man.

“Well,” he said. “This is the first sensible thing I heard all day. Now, how shall I kill you? Quick and painless or slow and brutal?” He drew out his sword and raised it above his head. Mark shut his eyes tightly. The others really didn’t want to kill him now. They wanted to save him in fact. But who was going to speak for him? Syd never listened at all. So who would convince him to live otherwise?

“No, stop!” a voice cried out to them. Everyone froze and looked up. Dahlia was standing in the backdoor looking worried. She had just woken up from the noise outside to discover that her husband in bed with her. So she grabbed on a robe and hurried outside. Syd looked at her with his sword still in his hand.

“And why should I?” he challenged her. Dahlia raced over to her husband. She took him tightly in her loving arms as if he was her own little child.

“He is my husband!” she yelled out. “I won’t let you hurt! I love him dearly!” Mark sat staring at her. He wanted to call out to her, but his voice was choked up. He didn’t want her to see him like this. The man was turning into a deadly monster. Fears of hurting and killing rose to his mind like a bubble to the surface. Dahlia refused to get out of the way.

“Ma’am!” Leon called out. “Please move.”

“No!” Dahlia yelled.

“He will kill you!” Gemma cried out.

“No he won’t!” the wife shouted back.

“Ma’am,” Leon spoke again. “This man isn’t your husband. Anything that made him yours will be gone within seconds. He will be a complete monster and kill you. Is that really what you want? Do you want to die be his hands?” Mark sat on the ground in shock. The incubus in him was growing stronger and he didn’t know how much longer he could resist his violent urges. He rose up and seized her tightly. Dahlia screamed out in fear. Mark had his claws to her thought.

“Take one step and I’ll slash her throat!” the monster yelled to them. The deities toughened up.

“See?” Leon asked the woman. “Your husband is no more! He will kill you!”

“Never!” Dahlia cried out. “He loves me! He wouldn’t kill me!” At those words, Mark’s eyes welled up with tears again. He let go of his wife and pushed her away. The incubus stood up with his arms out.

“Here I am!” he yelled out. “Kill me now!” Syd rose up his sword and held it high. He was about to do it when someone yelled out, “Wait!” Everyone looked up to see Dahlia standing again. She had loving tears in her eyes. Syd rolled his eyes annoyed.

“Now what?!?” he asked aggravated. Dahlia stepped forward bravely.

“Mark, my darling,” she said to him. “I never really got to say how I felt around you. I was too scared for the most part. Especially before you left to battle and we had that bad argument. I never really got to say… I love you and please come home safely!” Mark smiled kindly for once.

“I love you too, Dahlia!” he yelled out. “I will!” Then Syd raised his sword again and … SLASH!!! Mark’s head flew off quickly. It rolled straight to Dahlia’s feet. The wife didn’t feel any sorrow at all. In fact, she felt at peace with knowing that Mark was at peace with his own death. She looked at Syd and his crew. The deity wiped the blood off of his sword. He turned and looked at the newly-made widow.

“We’re done here,” was all he said. Then he and the others left her all alone with Mark head and dead body. One battle down, a thousand more to go.