Feast of Dionysos

As she made her way toward the coffee machine, she found herself recalling the handwritten invitation, scented with some exotic fragrance and sealed with wax. It was not lost on her that the symbols she had seen in Adam's book represented the male and female genitals, but her growing familiarity with the customs of the cult of Dionysus made it no less jarring to receive a letter in the mail sealed with the same symbol of a woman's vulva.

Furthermore, Jennifer still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she had received an invitation to her very own initiation. An initiation, no doubt, similar in nature to the one she had witnessed herself in secret when the shocking revelations of Adam's involvement in the cult came jarringly to light.

Shaking it off, Jennifer finished her coffee and headed straight to the bathroom to shower. The soothing warm water momentarily distracted her from the anxious thoughts and clouded expectations about what was slated to occur in just a matter of days. However, when she slid open the shower curtain, she felt as if she was unveiling her nude body before an audience and quickly grasped for her towel. Wrapping it around herself, she resumed her aimless brooding.

It had been a long time since she'd gotten any. Too long. But how could she go through with this? How could she remove her clothing in front of all those people, in front of Kyra... in front of Adam! Moreover, would she really be expected to have sex, right there, out in the open? And with whom? How many men?

Jennifer hugged the towel to her body as she opened the bathroom door. She trembled slightly but wasn't quite sure if it was the chill of the air or the anxiety that flooded her mind. She paused for a moment, gazing out down the hallway and beyond into the living room as if expecting to see someone there. Jennifer worked up the nerve to test herself; to see just how prepared she was to do the unthinkable.

Meekly, Jennifer removed the towel from her body and placed it back on the bathroom rack. She took a step into the hallway, tiptoeing silently onto the hard, wood floor. The air felt strange against her naked, drying body. Despite being alone in her own apartment, the sensation was new to her, at least in this context. Bathrooms and bedrooms had been the only places for being naked, but not anymore. She had crossed a threshold.

She wandered down the hall, carefully placing one foot before the other, her heart racing quickly. She felt vulnerable, exposed. At the same time, it was thrilling. She laughed softly as she entered the living room, imagining a crowd of her friends sitting there, as if gathered for a dinner party, blinking in disbelief as they looked up in surprise.

"Here I am, everybody! All naked! No clothes on!" she squeaked, throwing her arms out to the side in a comical fashion and imagining the horrified looks on their faces as she diverted their attention away from their rosés and a spread of cheese. "Yikes!" she exclaimed, experiencing a sudden loss of bravado. She quickly threw one arm across her chest and covered her genitals with the other hand, then ducked behind a table lamp and started laughing.

"Ugh, what am I doing?" Jennifer chuckled. After a few moments of heavy breathing, she regained her courage and dropped her defenses, exposing her body once again. She stepped out from behind the lamp.

This time, Jennifer imagined she was not alone in her state of undress. Her friends and coworkers were milling about, all naked, waltzing about like it was no big deal. There was Professor Pressley, strutting about like an old plucked chicken. Monica Bernstein strolled by with her huge, wobbling ass, threatening to knock over a vase. Even Eric Jackson, the handsome full-time lecturer that all the students were gaga over, stood casually in the corner, sipping a glass of wine and surveying the room. Yes, there was the fantasy to go with, she decided.

Jennifer started across the room; every muscle in her body tense and engaged, her nipples fiercely alert. She became self-conscious of the heavy movement of her free breasts as they wobbled about in the presence of so many people she knew, phantoms or not. As she approached Eric, she fumbled for things to say.

"Oh, hi Jennifer!" she imagined him saying as she approached.

"Oh, hey..." she said aloud to the empty corner of the room. There was an awkward silence. "So, uh. This is pretty interesting, isn't it," she added, glancing about the room nervously.

Eric chuckled, "I guess so."

She turned back to face him but found herself glancing down at his body. Already she'd made precisely the mistake that she wanted to avoid. "And there's your penis!" she exclaimed with a cheerfulness intended to mock her own self. "Right... uh... where it should be!" She felt herself turning red.

"There's no reason to be so nervous," Eric laughed. He took his hand in hers. "You're a very beautiful woman..." he was saying.

"I... am?" Jennifer said, half-choking. As absurd as the fantasy was, she was somehow willing herself to feel as though he was right there beside her.

"Sure," he said. Eric began to gently stroke the side of her body. "Lovely curves..." He ran a finger over her lips. "Lovely smile." Eric gently caressed her chest. "Beautiful breasts..." Jennifer shivered as she hallucinated the soft touch of his fingers on her nipples.

Jennifer looked down at her own body, as if in a panic. As hard as she tried to see herself through his eyes, she could only look at it critically. "I'm sorry I'm... uh... a little... hairy down there."

Eric gave a surprised look. They glanced down and examined her privates together. Jennifer felt more self-conscious than ever. "Oh!" he said. "No need to apologize, I think you're perfect."

Jennifer gulped. "You... do?" she asked.

"Absolutely." He held her a little closer, stroking her arm.

"Oh god... what am I doing?" she asked herself, suddenly snapping out of the fantasy and feeling foolish for acting it out in the middle of her living room like an idiot. Still, something gnawed at her. The flash of embarrassment she experienced felt like failure. "Why shouldn't I be able to do this?" she thought, bitterly.

Jennifer imagined Eric continuing to soothe her. "You know, the first time I did this, I-" he was saying.

She raised her finger into the air and quickly placed it where she imagined his lips would be. "Stop," she said.

Jennifer imagined Eric raising an eyebrow. He looked down at her curiously. She felt a slight smile forming beneath her finger. Jennifer took a deep breath in. It was time to practice...

"Let's fuck," she said, abruptly. She imagined his eyes widening, filling with excitement and arousal at her boldness. "Let's just shut up and fuck."

***

In the distance, the vibrant city was lit up like a fire on the horizon, but miles away it was dark and quiet. The approach to 241 Linden Terrace gave no indication of the raucous revelry that would soon take place there. This was as they wanted. It was a secret fire, unknown to the masses who could keep their distant hoopla.

Jennifer found herself in a room with all the other women, having been initially separated from the men for the changing of garments. Kyra was with her. Her eyes were full of unspoken amusement and curiosity, perhaps a touch of still lingering surprise from the moment she found out what Jennifer knew, and what she wanted to know further.

All around her, an assemblage of women quietly began removing their clothing as if shedding a costume that masked their true natures. Jennifer mimicked their actions cautiously, studying their expressions as they folded and set aside their shirts, summer dresses, or shorts with a strange calm. One by one they began to remove their bras, bearing their breasts dramatically with soft sighs as if desperate to embrace the sensation of their resulting freedom.

Kyra bent in half and slid down her panties, as did the rest of the women. Jennifer quickly followed suit, catching the curious glances of regulars who understood why she had come and what the significance of that night would soon be. She stuck out like a sore thumb, the guest of honor for the evening, and the attention caused Jennifer a great deal of anxiety. She stood nervously amongst them, her knees buckling, her wandering eyes disoriented by the innumerable breasts and the forest of pubic hair packed into such a small space. The raw, naked femininity of their bodies seemed to enclose around her. She felt claustrophobic.

A young woman arrived with a pile of chitons. Jennifer recognized her as the same one who had served the nectar. Each woman took a garment from the top of the pile and set about wrapping it about their bodies and securing the belt. All at once the room transformed into a fleet of beautiful, eminent goddesses.

With a twinkle in her eye, Kyra turned to face Jennifer and placed both hands on her shoulders. She gave Jennifer a look up and down, offering her approval. "Are you ready?" she asked, with a soft seduction in her voice.

Jennifer shivered as Kyra's hands traveled down her body, moving smoothly over her gentle curves. "I think so..." she mumbled.

Kyra's mouth widened into a grin. Her hands finished their descent, settling upon Jennifer's hands. Kyra began to pull Jennifer toward the door. The rest of the women in the room seemed to understand what was happening. They paused to let Jennifer pass by, then gathered behind to follow, exchanging silent, telling looks.

They emerged into a large living room which showed all the signs of having been refurnished for an evening of debauchery. The men flowed in from another room opposite them. Jennifer immediately recognized Adam among them, offering her a silent look of curiosity and anxious anticipation. When their eyes met, she shivered, knowing that she would soon have her chance to enjoy the riches of his body. The one that still burned in her memory since that night she witnessed its unveiling.

The group assembled into the oval shape that Jennifer had become familiar with at the previous event. Aurelia emerged from somewhere else in the house, not having changed with the other women.

"Greetings sons of Priapus, daughters of Hedone," she said, addressing the gathered crowd in the same manner as Jennifer had witnessed before. Aurelia scanned the crowd and stopped upon locking eyes with Jennifer, quietly acknowledging her presence.

The men to either side of Jennifer began to raise their hands and offer them to her. She looked down and discovered the phallic tattoo on their wrists. Glancing to her left and right, she realized what she had witnessed at the prior event. All around the room, members were locking wrists; one symbol of a phallus to one symbol of a vulva, in alternating fashion. Having yet to be inducted, Jennifer had little to offer but bare wrists, but she obliged, securing hers to the steely illustrations to her right and left.

"Kiklískoh Diónyson ærívromon - ágrion!" Aurelia intoned, before returning her attention to the crowd at large. She began to sing a brief hymn to Dionysus then, upon its completion, said, "The nectar, please."

The moment Aurelia summoned the young acolyte who brought the nectar, she felt queasy. Within an instant, her only thoughts were: Am I really doing this? Should I really do this? Is it too late to run? The young woman approached her first member. Jennifer watched the chiton fall. She witnessed the stark appearance of nudity, the meeting of the wide bowl to a pair of thirsty lips.

Jennifer felt Adam's watchful gaze from across the room. It swirled about her body like a mist, enveloping her from all sides and angles. She shivered at the thought of his gaze when, after a few moments, it would work its way over her naked body as he bared witness to her nudity for the first time. His turn came. As Adam undressed and freed his body from the shackles of clothing, his eyes never left her. As the young woman moved on, Adam remained fixated on Jennifer, trembling beneath her own clothing, waiting for the moment when they would share a moment of raw intimacy across the wide gulf between them.

As the woman circled the room, sharing her drink while members shed their clothing, it seemed like an eternity was passing and Jennifer was forced to endure her simmering anxieties as if many moons rose and fell in the meantime. However, the time soon came when the young woman stepped in front of Jennifer. It was the first time she had actually met the girl face-to-face. Her sweet smile and large blue eyes instantly warmed Jennifer from the inside. It was an unexpected calm, if only because there was no sense in debating whether she should go through with it any longer. The moment was upon her and the time for indecision was up.

Jennifer's hands trembled as she reached down and untied the chiton from the waist. She let the garment slip from her body. Jennifer felt a rush of air caress her skin like a soft wave. Another wave rolled through, one of fear, then another: exhilaration. She had no time to process these feelings as the wide rim of the bowl reached her lips. She leaned in and took a deep sip from the milky pool beneath her eyes. It tasted sweetish and strange. She let it linger in her mouth for a moment, failing to decipher the mystery of its composition, then swallowed it in defeat.

The young woman smiled and bowed, then stepped quickly to the side. A long line of nude male and female bodies reemerged before her in a flash. She felt multiple sets of eyes drawn to her flesh. She felt their imaginary hands arresting her body, curiously examining her plump breasts and slipping along the inside of her thighs. She took a deep breath and glanced over to Adam. His wide, intoxicated eyes lingered on her body with a frantic desire to absorb the splendor of her body.

Jennifer had nothing left to hide from him anymore. She felt him scanning her neck, her arms, her breasts. His eyes moved down over her bellybutton, along the inside of her thighs. Her body seized up with panic as he began to curiously examine her pussy. But his gaze was full of softness and longing.

The more she observed Adam's intoxication, the more she felt reflective of it. As she took stock of the sensations going through her body it dawned on her that the nectar itself was partly to blame. She felt dizzy. Surely there was alcohol involved, perhaps other intoxicants. She felt a brief concern, then let it go. She wanted not to care. Jennifer enjoyed the rush of her anxieties slowly lessening as if slipping into a fog. Suddenly she wanted to allow her desires to unfold, to be granted this experience in its fullness.

Aurelia raised her arms as a gesture of invitation. "Today we gather in celebration as we welcome another new member to the fold. Jennifer, please step forward into the circle," she announced, nodding to her.

Jennifer took a step forward and began to move into the center of the room. She felt horribly exposed as she advanced and presented her nude body, no longer blended amongst others, but spotlighted beneath the gaze of numerous strangers who seemed to examine her every nook and cranny. She recalled the moment she practiced her naked unveiling in the safety and comfort of her own apartment and how panicked she had been. Now feelings of fear and arousal seemed to be fighting for the same space. Jennifer reached her destination, turned, and faced Aurelia with her gaze focused and her bare chest thrust forward.

"Jennifer," Aurelia said as if evoking her name like it were a magic word. "We understand that you intend to join us in partaking of the Dionysian Mysteries. Is this correct?"

"Yes," Jennifer said. She noted that her voice sounded weak and unsure.

Aurelia narrowed her eyes at Jennifer. "Good. I understand that you are not... unfamiliar with our process, having graced us with your curious presence once before. So I will ask you: do you pledge yourself to the liberation of the mind, to the recovery of your True Self? Will you abide by the principles of enthusiasmos, sharing your rapture with all others, equally and without limits?"

Jennifer gulped. Aurelia had come to know about her spying attempt. "Yes, I do," Jennifer said, attempting a more confident display of agreement, in case there was any lingering doubt in Aurelia's mind.

"In that case, we welcome you with open arms as our sister, as a maenad and lover, true to the invocation of your spirit, true to the desire to share with all the fruits of your body, and with He who inflames." Jennifer nodded to her and bowed slightly, unsure how to appropriately demonstrate her gratitude. Aurelia continued, "Let us join together on this night in celebration as we expand our ranks."

Jennifer recalled what had happened with she witnessed Liam's induction. Aurelia had summoned three girls forward to suck his cock. He was asked to pick one and fuck her, right there, as everyone watched. She had every expectation that she'd be put through a similar rite. Jennifer began to feel lightheaded and her knees began to buckle. She wondered who she would call, what men would come forth, desirous of her.

Her expectations were disrupted when Aurelia gave a surprising declaration. "Tonight we have an unusual situation," she said. "While we would normally now perform the standard Rites of Welcoming, I have received a certain request which I am presently inclined to honor." She gave Jennifer a hard gaze, adding, "There has been a request for the right to induct you."

Jennifer shot Aurelia a look of surprise, then glanced to her left and right. "Who?" she asked.

Aurelia slowly rose her hand into the air, pointing across the oval with her finger at the end of an outstretched arm. "There. Adam, your sponsor, has submitted this request. You may accept or decline, as per your desire."

Jennifer spun around, catching Adam's hard stare. He seemed ambitious but mildly aware of the possibility she might refuse. Jennifer stumbled backward and then turned quickly back around. "I accept," she said quickly as if she had little time to answer. Her heart began to thump in her chest. It was a best-case scenario. Adam himself would induct her, and went so far as to request it formally!

She felt flush. It was the confirmation she wanted and needed. The man she desired, desired her right back.

"Very well!" said Aurelia. "Make it so." She seemed pleased.

Jennifer heard a commotion behind her. She spun back around, breathing rapidly. There she found Adam already advancing toward her. Her piercing gaze met his. She heard more activity behind her, but could barely process what was happening. Everything moved so quickly.

Adam approached and confronted her. An electric tension crackled between them. He guided her back with a gentle gesture. Jennifer realized that two other members had brought in a small lounge and set it behind her, in the center of the oval.

Jennifer's thoughts were disconnected, strung together as if desperate to complete a single thought but constantly derailed by the wanton looks Adam gave her. She felt ensnared by them. Triggered by his gaze, she felt a strong tingle between her legs, however this also caused a rise in her anxiety. Worried that a crowd of strangers might bear witness to her intense arousal, Jennifer squeezed her legs shut as she lay back onto the soft mattress.

Undeterred by her modesty, Adam guided her knees apart, opening her hips wide to the room. Jennifer gave no resistance, she only studied his expression fearfully as he gazed down at the dramatic unfolding of her private femininity. He seemed awestruck by her expanding intimacy. Jennifer shivered at the exposure as she became fully aware that he had spread her pussy wide to the entire room, the emergent pink flesh just glistening, surrounded by a soft ring of hair, her state of brash denudation devoured by so many pairs of eyes.