Foreplay

15 seconds. That's how long it takes to bleed out from an open cut in the brachial artery. So why is the fucker still breathing?, Syl thinks.

She furrows her brow so tightly, her head starts to hurt.

"Are you sure you did it right?" her partner Natalia asks, hands braced on her hips.

Syl turns toward her with the blood-coated knife still in hand. "Of course I did it right," she turns back with a frustrated sigh, "--he's just not dying right."

The man on the floor is breathing erratically and compressing the inside of his left arm, a futile effort given the amount of blood still streaming through the fingers of his right hand.

Syl attacked him over a minute ago, yet the bastard was still kicking...well, "squirming" is probably a better word.

"Hmm, maybe I didn't make a big enough cut," Syl says as she takes a step closer to the now unmoving man. She feels a hand on her arm before she can take another step.

"Babe, wait. Just wait. It shouldn't be long now. Look how pale he is," Natalia says with a nod to the...body.

Syl can hardly tell if his pale color is because of the full moon shining on the lot of them in the abandoned junkyard, or because of the excessive blood loss.

Judging by the ever-growing puddle of blood surrounding "Charles the Child Molester", she goes with the latter.

His chest is barely rising and falling, his breathing raspy. Then, about 5 minutes after the initial assault, Charles gives one last attempt at speaking.

What comes out is a gurgling spit, finally leaving his body limp and lifeless. His eyes remain wide open and appear only slightly emptier than they did when he was alive.

Natalia releases a breath she seemed to have been holding. She walks over to the body and looks down at the shell of a worthless human being, "I think I like him better this way.

How 'bout you, Syl?" Natalia bends down and dips her gloved fingers into the puddle of blood now soaking the dirt, making it appear as red clay.

Lifting her bloody fingers, she examines them as if she is a detective inspecting a crime scene. Syl chuckles at the irony.

"I don't know. I kind of liked the way he looked when he took his last breath," Syl says as Natalia joins her side, wiping her hands on her pants. They would burn their clothes later anyway.

Natalia gives her an approving smile and a wink before heading back to the plum-colored SUV. Syl follows to help her carry the materials they need to get rid of the body.

They grab the plastic bags and axes and walk back to the gory scene in silence--each of them focusing on the upcoming task.

Taking their positions on either side of the body,

the two women glance at each other and exchange nods before they raise the axes above their heads and--like a couple of synchronized dancers performing their signature move--swing

the axes downward, each one severing an arm from the body.

Syl yelps when a spurt of blood smacks her in the chest, making Natalia snort with laughter.

The two of them have been doing this for some time now, but the one thing they can never really control is the blood spatter.

One of them always seems to end up more gruesome-looking than the other. This time, it appears to be Syl taking on the unfortunate role.

Wiping a spot of blood off her cheek, Syl glares at Natalia, "Shut up. It's not as bad as the time you slipped on Pervy Peter's intestines.

" Syl smirks at the annoyed expression on her partner's face.

It's quickly replaced with one of mischief as Natalia says, "Ah, but the night is young, my love! Just wait until we get to those deliciously thick thighs.

" Syl glances at the aforementioned body parts and groans inwardly. She's always hated this part, whereas Natalia can't seem to get enough of it.

Syl would gladly leave the chore for her to do on her own, but it's quicker if they share the work.

Moving to the lower half of the body, they each cut away a foot, then a portion of the leg just below the knee.

Natalia practically skips around the body--her dark curls bouncing in their ponytail--to where Syl is standing with her ax resting at her side.

"And now the real fun begiiiins," Natalia sing-songs into her lover's ear. Syl can't help the smile that forms on her lips as she turns toward the beautiful face just inches from hers.

Natalia leans forward and presses a breath of a kiss on the tip of Syl's nose, then says, "How about you take care of the head and I'll do both thighs, okay?

" Syl almost sighs with relief as she stares into the round, hazel-green eyes now fixed on her like she's the most precious object in the world.

Syl leans forward, joining their lips for a deeper kiss that borderline's being inappropriate for a public setting.

Then she remembers that it's 3:30 in the morning, and they're at least 50 miles away from any other signs of life.

When Syl caresses her lover's tongue with her own, Natalia pulls away, making Syl frown with disappointment. "Head, darling," she whispers.

Syl grips her ax and steps back with a wink, "Maybe when we get home, babe." Feeling proud of herself, Syl walks over to the head of the body, raises her ax and swings down with a grunt.

Pleased that the blood spatter only reached her knee, she looks up to where Natalia remains standing, watching her like a ravenous cheetah that just spotted her dinner--in this case, Syl.

"Natalia," Syl says in a husky voice.

The only response she gets is a small smirk before Natalia mimics her ax-swinging movement a couple times to sever the right thigh from the trunk of the body.

She prowls gracefully to the other side, walking around the severed legs rather than the head where Syl is standing, and repeats the action on the other thigh.

Amazingly, not one drop of blood spatters onto her clothing.

When she's done with the task, Natalia stands straight, her breathing fast and deep,

but not labored--like she's just finished some very pleasurable activity that has nothing to do with chopping up a body.

Syl finds herself breathing almost as fast, but is somehow able to say, "We should bag up the pieces so we can get out of here." Her words come out quick and breathy.

Natalia must feel just as eager to be done with the job because she simply nods once and quickly walks to the pile of trash bags a few feet away.

They each grab a few plastic bags and proceed to place each body part--along with the blood-soaked dirt--into a separate bag, and then bag it again.

After that's finished, they grab the shovels from the trunk of the SUV--again in complete silence, save for the sexual tension vibrating between them--and start digging separate holes,

then placing one bag in each and covering it with dirt again. By the time they're finished, the sky is a pale blue color, though the sun won't rise for another hour or so.

Standing side by side--a full foot of distance between them--the two women scan the area for any signs of their recent activity.

Natalia sighs with satisfaction and looks Syl in the eyes for the first time in what feels like years--though it's only been a few minutes. "Ready?" she coos.

Syl studies her face for a few moments, admiring how the sky's light reflects off her dark complexion, making the scattered freckles on her cheeks shimmer.

Natalia closes the distance between them, bringing a hand to Syl's face, and brushing a few strands of chestnut hair behind her ear.

She slowly glides her hand down Syl's and wraps it around her lover's throat, applying just enough pressure to feel the raging pulse beneath the smooth, olive skin.

Natalia's eyes darken when something between a sigh and a moan escapes passed Syl's lips, the sound causing a delicious vibration in the palm of her hand.

"Home. Now," Syl says in a voice that sends shivers down Natalia's spine, making her toes curl. Biting her bottom lip, she releases the fiery hold on her lover, and reaches for her hand instead.

Syl and Natalia walk to their car with a new purpose--one that isn't quite so gory, but still just as thrilling.