We made our way across the narrow swath of desert toward Red Rock Ridge. I was glad it was a short trek since it was so hot outside. A wall of rock sheared up and at the base by a big tuft of purple sage, a crevice was barely visible. We squeezed through it. I was excited; it was like entering a secret garden. The trail spiraled upwards like a corkscrew but there was a definite path and it was fairly wide. I never felt as though I was going to fall off. Dolly was way ahead. Lorraine stopped at an overhang.
“Better call Dolly. We go in here.”
I whistled for her. When I saw she had turned around, I walked through the opening. I noticed deep etchings in the stone. They were beautiful stick figure scenes in muted blues, oranges, and reds.
“These were carved back in the early 1800s,” Lorraine said. “This cave was called The Passage to Nectar by my people. Hardly anyone knows about it anymore. Most of the tribal elders have passed on. My Great Great Grandfather who died three years ago entrusted me with the secret. I hadn’t told anyone until I brought Eloise and Charlie here after they bought the property. I wanted them to know about it.”
“Why are you telling me?”
Dolly trotted in and lay down at my feet. She seemed a bit afraid of this strange new world.
“I had had visions of you before I met you. Before Charlie and El told me about you and before I brought them here. It always happened in the pool of nectar. I would see your face while I was traveling – that’s what I call swimming. Then I saw your photograph and your beautiful paintings.”
“That’s amazing. I had or at least I thought I had a vision of you too. I thought I saw your face.”
“Where?”
“In the rocks off A-17, near Winslow.”
Lorraine smiled and walked toward me and extended her hand.
“I didn’t know you were a real person,” she said. “I thought you would always exist only in my imagination. C’mon, I’ll take you through.”
As we walked deeper and away from the thin shaft of light, the cave became incredibly narrow. I wasn’t claustrophobic, but Dolly was very nervous.
“It’s okay girl,” I said and petted her reassuringly. “How much further Lorraine? Dolly’s shaking.”
“Just a few feet.”
We came upon an opening like a foyer. Dolly immediately relaxed. She walked over to a small pool near the back wall and started drinking water.
“That’s it,” said Lorraine pointing to where Dolly was. “That’s the nectar.”
“It looks so small, not much larger than a well,” I said.
“Clarissa, you have to trust me.”
She put her arms around me and brought my face to her lips. She kissed me deeply, parting my lips with her tongue. Her mouth felt hot. I closed my eyes but a kaleidoscope of colors swirled around me and lifted me up into a whirlwind of ecstasy.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Lorraine instructed. “Now part your lips just a little – I want you to breathe my breath.”
She held me tighter than I have ever been held and breathed into my mouth. I was close to orgasm. When she realized this, she held me closer and tighter and began licking my lips with the tip of her tongue while resuscitating me. A white-hot light moved through my body and I shuddered with the most intense orgasm I have ever