This is an erotic 18+ mature short story featuring tentacles and sexual themes.
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As I considered giving up on chasing that elusive peak, I noticed the tendrils of grass tangling around my ankles. I fluttered my legs to break free but they seemed to get tighter. The frustration broke through and I moved to sit up – except something tugged on my waist, keeping me anchored to where I sat.
I twisted around with a start only to feel the vines tighten around my calves and thighs, constricting my movements. Despite being just chest deep, being restrained underwater made me panic and I began to thrash. To my surprise, the tendrils emerged from the water with an undeniable will in their movement, as if they were limbs clinging to my own. I watched in shocked awe as the long, warm, thick appendages wrapped around my arms, while a thicker trunk tightened around my midsection.
I gave one last longing look at the spring, now rippling softly. Absently, I followed the ripples to a pair of dark eyes peeking from out of the water.
I gasped, tripped backward over a root, and scrambled to the tree line. Was I intoxicated again? Was it something in the air? A gas leak from a nearby mine? The eyes followed me but the figure did not move, its head poking out of the water up to the bridge of its nose.
The sound of my breath filled the clearing, hard and fast. Then it dawned on me that if this was a hallucination, a figment of my mind’s creation, then it couldn’t hurt me. Probably.
“Who… what are you?” I called across the clearing.
The creature emerged enough to speak over the water. “Rude.”
Though its voice was deep and quiet, I heard it as if from beside me – a deep, slow rumble that didn’t fill the clearing but vibrated through my body. I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“First, you wake me by rutting up against me. I was having the most remarkable dream before the interruption. Then, just as things get interesting, you run off like a frightened jackrabbit. Now, these rude questions. I have never understood you humans.”
“So you’re… not human.”
The creature stirred but I held my ground. It stepped closer, water trailing down its elongated chest and the curve of its belly before disappearing onto the surface of the pool. I swallowed hard. It stretched out its arm as if examining itself and leaned in a way that brought to mind a shrug. “I suppose I was human once.”
I stifled my next questions. What are you now? What made you this way?
“Is this your home?” I ventured instead, taking a step forward.
The creature stretched towards the banks of the spring. Its… their body was even longer than I realized, their torso ridged with muscles drawing my eyes down, lower until they were foiled by the reflection of the water. “I dwell here from time to time.”
I steeled myself and stepped forward again, balling my trembling hands into fists at my sides. Something deep and primal screamed at me to run, but a deeper curiosity compelled me forward still. The creature watched me without blinking, their facade as still as a stone. How many humans had they sucked in like this, to be consumed? Would I face ecstasy or oblivion if I kept going? Would it change a thing if I knew?
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What is something unique about you?
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I’m polyamorous, so that’s bound to make my idea of a happily ever after different than monogamous romances. Having practiced ethical non-monogamy for nearly a decade, being polyamorous isn’t this wild, strange thing to me. It’s just my life!
Just like any other relationship, sometimes my relationships can get hard. My partners and I have conflicts we must work through just like anyone else. But overall, I’d like to challenge the idea that non-monogamy must be inherently difficult. I’ve got an amazing polycule with partners and metamours whom I love. I wouldn’t want my life any other way.
So I try to reflect my polyamorous life in my works. Tentacle Tied is a short story and a bit of a dark romance, considering it involves, well, a monster. I won’t spoil anything, but I think the ending is purposefully open-ended in a way that reflects polyamory. For example, you may have a comet partner who only comes into town twice a year. You care for each other and set bounds and expectations for your relationship that work for both of you. Who wouldn’t want a sexy hot springs monster to visit whenever they need a good tangle?
What kind of world ruler would you be?
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In the deepest, darkest depths of my man-eating heart, I am the GIF of Galadriel proclaiming, “All shall love me and despair!” (Would I have turned down the ring and passed the test? Unclear!) Whose ego doesn’t wish to be adored and feared by all?
But I like writing about utopian societies – think Star Trek, not Middle Earth. A pansexual, socialist, post-scarcity, space-faring future sounds pretty rad to me, which is why I’m writing a sci-fi romance novel in that setting. The other alternative to this question would be me ruling the galaxy as a consciousness transferred into an all-powerful, algorithm-based AI that optimizes society. (Except, of course, such systems rarely work as intended.)
What can we expect from you in the future?
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I’m currently working on an anthology of sexy short stories titled Sexy Shorts! Two of the stories are free to read online on my website and I’ll be releasing more on my Patreon as I go.
The unofficial theme of the anthology is “On the Edge,” focusing on sexy situations that may happen barely outside of the public eye, falling just shy of exhibitionism. The two stories that are currently available to read are Up the Stairs and On the Beach.
I’m also working on a sci-fi romance novel set in a technologically advanced, post-scarcity future called Bound by Stardust that follows a mismatched Earther and Spacer through some galaxy-scorching adventures. Think Star Trek but significantly sexier, gayer, sluttier, and a little kinky to boot, with replicators, holodecks, and sexytimes in space!
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Tentacle Tied?
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Neither of the characters in Tentacle Tied has a name. I imagine the first-person narrator to be an independent, outdoorsy femme who has a long trail of well-worn hiking boots behind her and a camping setup ready in her trunk for her next weekend trip up the mountains. She’s not afraid to explore on her own, even into the woods where mysterious creatures may live. In other words, she’s not like me at all! (I’d be happy if I never camp again a day in my life.)
The tentacle monster, on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery. All the narrator knows is that the creature lives in a hot spring. You’ll have to read the story to learn more about them.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
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Tentacle erotica is a niche topic. I’ve actually never written this type of erotica before, but I really enjoyed being able to play within a new and unfamiliar set of scenarios and tropes.
I also really enjoyed diving into a character who’s neutral or ambiguous like the creature. The rules are different when you’re dealing with unfathomable monsters from the deep, you know?
Pen or typewriter or computer?
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My writing process involves a mix of handwriting and typing. I love handwriting first drafts because I get too obsessive with editing if I type. When I’m handwriting, I have to move forward because it’s a lot harder to edit while I write, especially if I’m working with pen and paper.
I also love the tactile feel of pen on paper, specifically extra fine sharpies. I have a couple dozen notebooks and legal pads filled with my scribbles. But eventually, I started handwriting on my tablet with a note-taking app. Even though the tactile feel isn’t the same on my tablet, I can organize all of my notes and drafts and keep working on them wherever and whenever I want.
I also enjoy handwriting first drafts because the act of transferring my handwritten draft into a typed document helps me do a first round of edits as I go!
What are you currently reading?
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I usually read romantic fiction, but recently I picked up a non-fiction book called The Art of Gathering, which considers why and how people gather.
I’ve always enjoyed hosting and organizing gatherings and events amongst friends. Whatever I know about hosting, I learned mostly from the women in my family – my mother, my aunt, and my grandmother. They gave me a solid foundation to build on, but The Art of Gathering goes deeper into the heart of what brings us together and how to best cater our gatherings to the kind of experiences we want them to be. The more I think about it, the more I realize just how pivotal gathering is to our lives – and the book delivers many gems of wisdom on the topic.
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Zeina lives in the wild west and marvels at the weather every day. She tries to avoid cliches but sometimes can’t resist. She likes pole dancing, drawing, and feminism.
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