Class Reunion

                             by Michael Mariman
                               (f/m, qs, grim)


Jennifer  thought  that  this  day  would  never  come.  She   remembers   the
conversation  she  had  with  over  drinks last night. She was celebrating her
divorce, when this stranger approached her.

"Greetings, Jenny. Long time no see." He looked strangely familiar, but it was
not  one  of her friends from here. He had a smile that would melt an iceberg,
and  almost  professional  mannerisms. He could almost be called a god, and he
was here, talking to her as if they had known each other for years.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Do I know you?"

"I  am  an  old friend from high school, but you probably don't reognize me. I
have changed."

"High  school?" She knew everyone from her graduating class, and no one looked
like  him.  "What  is your name? And how did you find me?" She moved away from
that  town, to get away from someone who vowed revenge. She heard he died, but
with that guy, you never take chances. She remembered Michael Mariman, and the
name  alone  brought  shivers to her. He died 3 years ago, but he said that he
would  repay  all  of  his  classmates for tormenting him. Mariman was not the
coolest  guy in the world, since he was unattractive, poor, and was thought of
as  crazy.  Rumor had it that he would come back and blow everyone away at the
5-year  class  reunion,  but  he  died  shortly  after graduation. She thought
everyone  was  relieved  to  hear  of his death. Most of the class went to the
funeral just to make sure he would not return.

"I  am  James  DiGritz,  we  had the same Gym class. You and Brenda were funny
torturing Mariman." He talked like he was there, but she didn't know him. They
talked  or  a  while, and ge remained just as mysterious. James told events to
her  as if he were there live, but she could not put a finger on where she had
seen  him.  They  spent  a wild night together, when he suggested a picnic the
next  day,  she  was thrilled. She saw his wallet, and saw that he was loaded.
She  figured that she would wine him and dine him, and take him for all he was
worth.

The  next day, Jenny met him at her door, and they took his car to the picnic.
She  recognized  the  car,  and was awed by it. A 1958 Plymouth, and in cherry
shape.  Jenny hiked her skirt up to get his attention, but he kept his eyes on
the  road.  She  was perplexed, since she always got a reaction from every guy
she dated when she did that, and asked him what the problem is.

"Nothing,  just  waited  for this day for a long time. I always wanted to date
you,  but people kept getting in the way." He kept on driving, and turned down
a dirt road. The car lurched to its left, send her towards him. She reacted as
if  it  was  part  of her plan, and put her arm around him. He came to a stop,
opened  her  door  for  her,  and pulled a picnic set, complete with video and
photo cameras out of the trunk.

"The  cameras are for later. I thought you wouldn't mind after last night." He
pulled out a basket full of gourmet foods, and led her to a blanked.

Jennifer  couldn't  believe her eyes, as she walked with him down the path. He
came  to a clearing, and there was a blanket set on the ground. "How romantic,
you really go all out for this."

"I try, but when something's worth it, you have to do it right." He pulled out
a  botle of champaign, and 2 crystal glasses. "A toast?" She took her glass as
he poured it. "To the past, and the future, may we all get what we want."

He  downed  the  champaign,  and  tossed the glass into a tree, shattering it.
After  a  wonderful  meal,  he  said that there was a pool down that path, and
maybe  they  should  enjoy it. She said that she would love it, and kissed him
passionately on the lips.

As  they  walked  down the path, she saw that he was recording behind her, and
mumbling to himself.

'What are you going to do while we are in the pool?' She figured that he would
get  her undressing on film, and sell it. She reminded herself to get the tape
from him before they parted company today.

'I  suppose  I would let you go in first, and I would join you after I set the
camera  up. That is if you will let me.' He snickered to himself, and and told
her to get ready.

Jenny  saw  the  pool,  and looked in wonder, there was never a more beautiful
setting  to  swim. Serene and secluded, it was a great picture. She started to
cross the wet sand, when he aksed her to stop.

Jenny turned around, but found out she couldn't move her feet.

"James, I appear to be stuck. Could you give me a hand?" She tried to move her
feet  again, but it was no use. She saw the sand climb her ankles, bubbling up
around her.

She  heard a clapping sound, and looked up. He clapped his hands a couple more
times. He had the video camera on a tripod, and had the other around his neck.
He laughed at her.

"Bravo, you are a wonderful actress. You always were." He hunkered towards her
and  smiled.  "Of  course  you  are stuck. That's what happens when you are in
quicksand."

Quicksand. She only thought of that in the movies, and the only person to ever
mention  it  to her is... "Who are you really? Please, help me." The quicksand
was rising to cover her sculpted calves.

He  loked  at her and grinned. He took a few pictures. "After all these years,
you  still  are  clueless."  He grabbed his blonde hair, and pulled it off? He
looked at  her  and  gave her a wicked smile. "Here's a hint." He pulled off a
mask, to reveal himself.

"Oh  my GOD! You're dead. You're dead!" She strugled against the pulling sand,
which  grabbed  her  wonderful knees. "Why are you doing this? Please help me.
Help Meeee!" He said nothing, just kept taking pictures. What would he have to
prove by doing this?

"Allow  me to explain. Michael Mariman is dead, but only in paper. The funeral
was  only  to  make  it  look right. I spent the next few years losing weight,
making my body perfect. I had to wait for the right time to strike. Oops, hold
on." He adjusted the video camera, and took a few more pictures.

"Michael,  maybe  we can make a deal. For old times sake? Please?" She started
to  panic.  He  wanted revenge, but THIS?! It was too cruel, even for him. She
looked  down,  to watch as the quicksand touched the bottom of her mini-skirt.
Intrigued,  she  watched as the sand pulled her down. Ever so slowly, but with
as  much desire to take her as she wanted to escape. Looking around, she asked
where the rope was.

"I  knew  I forgot something, damn it." He stared and took pictures as she was
preparing  to  die in the horrifying trap. "Oh well, I guess that I should get
some?  Would  you  like that?" He took more pictures. It was awful. Having him
watch  her  die in such a manner. She shrieked as the sand pushed the skirt up
to her hips, rising behind it.

"How  can you hold a grudge for so long? We were just kids then. As one friend
to  another,  please  get  me  out of this." She knew he wouldn't let her die.
After  all,  last  night  was so enjoyable. Who else could please him like she
would?  "I  would  be  willing to forget this, and maybe we could have another
round  of fun like last night." The quicksand made her skirt hold air, and was
now closing around her hips.

"How  can  I?  It  is  easy  after  what you all did to me. The torment I went
through,  each  day  was  worse  than  hell.  I  almost  killed myself on many
occasions. But you kept me alive, by my desire to kill you. I almost felt pity
for  you,  but  then I saw you at the reunion, at that point, you would be the
prize  target."  He  snapped more pictures, and looked at the camera. "Hold on
kiddo, I will be right back. Don't move, ok?"

He  left  for  a  minute. She breathed a sigh of relief. He would pull her out
after  all.  The  quicksand  pulled  at her waist, but she felt safe. He would
return  to  get  her  out  of this deadly pit. She gloated to herself. Michael
arrived  a few minutes later. "Sorry ran out of film. You can continue to sink
whenever you want. Don't calm down on my account." He took more pitures as she
looked puzzled.

"You went back for film? Why didn't you grab a rope?" She was getting nervous,
as  the hungry sands filled in her navel. "What did I do to deserve this? It's
not  like  you  were  popular."  She  placed her hands on the top of the sand,
trying  to push herself out. It only succeeded in sinking her further into the
lethal trap, which reached for the bottoms of her breasts. "Help me! Please!"

"Dear, I would love to help you. But these are my good steel toed boots, and I
don't  want  to  get  them  dirty.  But if you are nice, maybe I will let your
ex-husband  see  the  pictures  after  I develop them." She felt the quicksand
reach  the  front  of  her  breasts,  and  squeeze her lungs making it hard to
breathe. She wheezed and gasped as the quicksand overed her shoulders. "I hope
you like it down there, and tell Tami that I said hello. Before you go, do you
have any words of wisdom to tell me? Hmmm?"

Tami?  Oh,  dear  god, she thought. The news said she was missing, but to have
her  die  in this manner right where Jenny was herself, is unbearable. He kept
taking pictures as her neck became one with the quicksand. The pressure on her
chest  was  unbearable,  and  she realized that he would not save her, and she
would die very soon. Desperately, she pleaded with her tormentor. "Please help
me.  I swear that I will never do anything so bad ever again. Please help me."
She  choked  the  last words out tilting her head back to avoid swallowing the
sand.

"If  I  don't help you you won't torment anyone ever again. Either way, I win,
but  I  couldn't help you. I really don't care for you. Go under knowing this.
Tami  didn't  recognize  me when we made out either. She enjoyed it as much as
you did."

"You  bastard," she squeaked out. "I hope you rot in hell for this." her mouth
dipped  into the quicksand. Her nose became filled with the muck. She thought,
'Please if you have any decency, please for the love of god, help me.'

Before  her  ears  went under, Michael soothingly asked, "How long an you hold
your  breath?"  The  last  thing  she heard was the cackling of Michael as she
inhaled  a  lungful  of  quicksand. Her last thought was who would be his next
victim?