Sapphic Dreams, Chapter Four

by Adam Bookbinder

In the days leading up to the next full moon Katie did everything she could to make sure that her dreams of Eresos would return. Every day she wrote a little more on the Sapphic Dreams, girl-love story web site. She didn't know if anyone was reading it but it didn't matter, it was out there, in the ether.

She intuitively felt that she should change her diet too by cutting out red meat and sticking to seafood, fresh vegetables and fruit. And she stopped drinking alcohol, cut out tea and coffee and switched to fresh, cold mineral water. She started jogging too, once a day after work for an hour.

When the night finally arrived she tried to stay calm and even though it seemed silly, she packed a little bag as if she was going away somewhere. The more she thought about Eresos in a positive way the more she was sure she would increase her chances of the magic working again tonight. It felt so long since she had last been there, she could hardly bare to think of the possibility that she might never return.

Wearing just a little black thong Katie sat cross legged on the balcony outside her bedroom and watched the sun set in the west. She closed her eyes and imagined the beach at Eresos as the light of the full moon slowly replaced that of the sun. She was growing excited so she kept her eyes closed and meditated, concentrating on who and what she was. "I am Katie, a girl lover from Eresos," she kept repeating to herself in her mind, "And Sappho is my Goddess."

Eventually, just before midnight, Katie stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom and cast a critical eye over herself, trying to see herself as others might. She was pleased with her reflection. Her body was slim and athletic and the fact that her breasts were only small and her hips had never really developed much gave her a adolescent, coltish appearance. She hoped that Pixie and the other little girls would like her.

Lying on her bed Katie pulled the cotton sheets over herself and dreamed of Eresos. She imagined the little path twisting and turning its way from the beach to the top of the cliff and the pretty little cottages at the top that were not much more than single rooms. She remembered the feeling of the water of the warm, blue sea caressing her body and then she realised it was no longer a dream, she was there, in the sea with the sunlight sparkling on the surface above her.

She swam to the surface and realised that she was very close to the beach. Everything was as she remembered it, the only difference this time being that there was no one on the beach to greet her and no smiling Pixie at the top of the steps. Swimming into shallow water she stood up and walked, the warm sun on her back drying her skin rapidly. Katie had an overwhelming sensation of being at home. Everything here was so pretty. The little white and pastel coloured cottages at the top of the cliff seemed almost to be a natural part of the landscape. They didn't spoil the scenic view they added to it.

At the bottom of the path Katie pulled on some leather sandals from a box that contained about a dozen pairs, all tied together with string. Slipping them on felt luxurious as the hot sand was just starting to feel uncomfortable on the soles of her feet. As she set out along the path she had to restrain herself from running and just concentrated on Pixie and how much she desired her. As she climbed higher she noticed that the sun felt hotter on the path than it did on the beach, and she turned to face it and spread her arms out wide, luxuriating in the warmth of its rays on her nearly naked body. As she continued to climb she had the notion that she was treading the lesbian path and the thought excited her. She had never had sex with another female before and the thought of doing so made her pulse race.

When eventually she got to the row of little dwellings at the top of the cliff she went straight to the one that Psyche had shown her the last time she was there. It was roughly in the middle of the row and it was so narrow that it looked as if the little buildings on either side were squashing it in. Before she had chance to knock the door was opened by a pretty young girl, of about 13, with blonde hair and a beaming smile that was so infectious Katie found herself grinning too.

"Katie you made it back! Welcome, welcome back to Eresos," the girl said, smiling, her face shining with happiness, although the tone of her voice suggested that there had been some doubt as to whether she would make it back or not. "Pixie has been so worried that you wouldn't return. Apparently when she spoke to you on your last visit she only had seconds before the veil fell between you."

As she spoke the girl stepped back to allow Katie enough room to enter. She was wearing a short, white, wrap-around skirt and a white sleeveless top that was loose enough to reveal her small budding breasts through the large holes for her arms. Her hair was tied back in a loose pony tail and Katie noticed the smoothness of her skin and the roundness of her face. For a moment she was worried about falling out of the dream as she had done when she admired Psyche, but of course Psyche was an adult and this coltish creature was still young enough to be considered a child.

The small bedroom in the tiny cottage was much the same as it was before, except this time Katie noticed that the corner of the bed covers had been pulled back and there was a sprinkling of rose petals across the pillows. There were also fresh flowers in the room and Katie immediately noticed the aromatic smell of fresh coffee.

"My name is Helen and I'll be your maid whenever you come to stay at Eresos," the girl explained, her eyes still smiling. She crossed to the far side of the small room where Katie noticed a shelf on which there was a small stove, a kettle and a can containing the fresh coffee. The girl poured two cups. "Come and drink," she said, holding out a mug to Katie, "The coffee's good and it will help to bind you to this realm."

Katie took the mug off Helen and breathed in the rich aroma. As she drank she had an increasingly strong sense of 'being there,' which she couldn't explain other than to say it was like being more alive than before. The colours seemed sharper and she felt more keenly aware of all her five senses. She drank all the coffee, savouring its complex flavours.

As she drank Helen laid clothes on the bed, similar to the ones she herself was wearing, and explained that her job now was to prepare Katie for the choosing. First though, Helen explained, Katie was to have a shower to wash away the last remnants of the realm she had come from and to purify herself in this, the realm of Eresos. "It might be a bit cool," Helen smiled, "as the water is drawn from pure rainwater collected in a tank on the roof and it's only warmed by the sun!"

The shower was wonderful and Katie was excited to think that she was washing away her old realm with pure Eresos rainwater. After the shower Helen explained that she would give Katie a manicure and, if she would allow it, she would depilate her genitals as the little girls of Eresos preferred women without pubic hair. Katie agreed to everything and for the next hour or so Helen busied herself with making Katie look beautiful for the choosing. She carefully manicured her fingernails and then painted them a delicate strawberry pink, she brushed her hair, and then, using waxed strips she removed all of Katie's short pubic hair.

When she had finished Katie put on the short wrap-around white cotton skirt and white sleeveless top. She didn't wear underwear as was the custom of the women and girls of the cult of Sappho. When she was ready Helen took her hand and led her out of the little cottage and along the path to the village. Everywhere was so pretty and Katie was struck by the little buildings that were all painted in whites and pastel colours like the ones at the top of the path from the beach.

She could hear the screams and shouts of children playing and her heart skipped a beat as she thought that soon she would be making love with one of them. As they got closer to the village centre the buildings got a little larger and noticeably older. They passed along a narrow stone path between two walls overhung with olive trees before entering what was obviously the village square.

On one side there were tables set with food and several of the village's women and girls were adding bowls of this and plates of that as well as baskets laden with fruit. There were lots of women dressed in the same attire as Katie and Helen but the rest of the people, men as well as women were dressed in ordinary clothes. Amongst the children there were lots of little girls wearing just loin cloths, some were dressed like the women but all the boys wore the clothes of the villagers.

Katie looked for Pixie amongst the crowds but there was no sign of her and her heart ached to be with her again. As they reached the centre of the square a bell rang and everyone fell silent and gathered around the outer edges of the square. As they did so Katie realised that she was one of seven women, of varying ages, all of whom were holding the hands of a young teenage maid like Helen.

"They're the other newcomers," Helen whispered, "They'll all take part in the choosing ceremony but by the looks of things you'll be first."

"Why?" Katie asked, "Why will I be first?"

"I think you're the youngest and the youngest go first," Helen informed her, then brought her finger up to her lips in the universal sign of silence as the crowd grew quiet.

On one side of the square was a church or monastery of some sort which looked very old, as if it had stood there long before the village. Katie recognised Psyche with another woman at the top of the steps that led down to the square from the entrance to the church. They were both wearing robes but the woman with Psyche seemed to have the more elaborate and she had an air of gentle authority about her. She was older than Psyche, perhaps in her forties, but she had an elegance about her and an attractiveness that did not require youth.

Helen squeezed Katie's hand, "This is it!" she said excitedly under her breath, "That's Lady Sophia, the High Priestess! She's going to open the choosing ceremony! It's all so exciting!"

Everyone congregated around the edges of the square now, watching intently. The only people still in the square, as well as Katie and Helen, were the six other newcomers and their young maids. Lady Sophia stepped up to a rostrum and smiled warmly at the gathered crowd. She welcomed the newcomers to Eresos and spoke enthusiastically about the beauty of woman and girl love. There was applause from the crowd and Lady Sophia continued to speak about girl love and how the choosing was a way in which a woman could pick the girl she was destined for.

"Love her," she said, speaking of the girl that each woman would choose, "spiritually and sexually. And do her the credit of making love to her as your equal and not as some creature too immature to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh."

There was a murmur of agreement amongst the crowd and then Lady Sophia read out the names of each newcomer and welcomed them individually to more applause from the crowd. Just as Helen had said Katie was the youngest and would therefore choose first. The other women left the square and the rostrum was removed. Helen told Katie to relax and she began to wind a white cotton bandage around her head as a blindfold.

As soon as it was in place Katie heard the giggles and whispers of what sounded like dozens of young girls. "They're forming a circle around you," Helen advised her, "When the bell rings I'll pull on my end of the bandage and you spin around to unwind it until you can see again."

Katie was breathing rapidly. All she could think about was Pixie and the fact that she was probably just a few feet away from her now. Why couldn't they just let the two of them be together? Why this silly ritual and what if it all went wrong and she accidentally picked the wrong girl?

"When the blindfold comes off you will be able to see again and you are supposed to choose the very first girl who appeals to you. You will only have seconds. From the moment your blindfold comes off the crowd will count to seven, at which point if you haven't chosen then you will be replaced by the next youngest candidate and you'll go to the back of the queue awaiting a second turn."

"What about Pixie?" Katie asked urgently, "Is she here? I have to know!"

"Yes, she is," Helen whispered, "I'm not supposed to help you but, yes, she's here and she looks beautiful."

Katie's mind was spinning. Pixie was just a few feet away from her! The bell rang and Helen pulled on her end of the bandage that was blindfolding her and she began to spin around in a strange spiral dance.