My Encounter With the Legendary Amazons of Ohio By Valerafon Not so legendary, though This is a work of fiction and should not be viewed by anyone under the age of eighteen. Please do not read further if you are offended by graphic violence and sexual content. I would also caution those who do not have a sense of humor. Please do not read further. He had been running for what seemed like days. He stopped to catch his breath, and hear if they were getting close. He heard nothing. He knew he was near his limits, and that they would have him soon. All his hopes and dreams would be shattered if the river wasn't nearby. He walked slowly up the long rise, and there it was.....the Ohio River. He forgot about his hunger and exhaustion and ran down to the river bank. Before he tossed the plastic encased diary into the river, he opened the first page and wrote the following: To whomever finds this diary: My name is Iowa Smith. I have the most dangerous profession in the world. I am a professional Archaeologist. I was born in the teeming slums of Des Moines Iowa about thirty years ago. How does a city boy from one of the largest cities in the United Territories, and the world for that matter, become an Archaeologist? I'm not quite sure. I have always had a passion for the wild, dangerous, and uncivilized places in the world. I love mysteries and maybe that is why I decided to undertake my last and most dangerous quest. I led an expedition to find the legendary Amazons of Ohio. Maybe, if someone finds my diary, it will detour other people from entering this God-Forsaken land. I'm dropping my diary in the Ohio River in hopes that it will float to some of the more civilized places down river. If you are reading this, know that I am undoubtedly dead. Or worse, I have been taken alive to participate once again in their unholy rituals. I hope and pray it will be the former. This is the story of my expedition and adventures among these people of the uncharted and dangerous regions of Central Ohio. It is truly a no-man's land. In my travels among these people I have been able to prove or debunk many myths about them, and also the people of the Predawn Era. Please tell my story to others. Let my epitaph read he enlightened our way. The Archaeologist in me still burns bright. I must go now. I hear them coming. Iowa Smith 22, August, 203 Postdawn He closed the diary, wrapped it securely, and threw it in the river. The ones that were the fleetest of foot were almost on him, but he was happy. He did at least accomplish one objective. He saw them for the first time. Their tan young bodies glistening in the mid-morning sun. He stopped to admire them for a second, and then took off in the opposite direction. -------------------------------------------------- The two female Archaeologists spotted something in the water. They couldn't make out what it was from a distance, so they had their guide head toward it, and were surprised to see it was a small book or manual of some sort. Dawn reached in to retrieve it, but the guide screamed, "Nooo!". They had already entered that part of the Ohio where the Bluegills and Sunfish were very dangerous. A person could put their hand in the water, and bring out a stump. The guide retrieved the book with a large hook and gave it to Heather. She opened it and read the first page. It was from their friend and colleague Iowa. His expedition hadn't been heard from in two years, and was considered lost for over a year. No one had returned. They were going to mount a new expedition in hopes of finding their friend. The Whitham-Fine expedition was well funded, and they would be able to afford more equipment and bearers than Smith's ill fated one. They paged through the dairy quickly hoping to find any mention of the Hope Diamond. Heather found the right entries almost immediately. It did exist according to Iowa, and the Amazons had it. Dawn and Heather looked at each other and smiled. Maybe, they would find their friend alive, and bring back both him and the diamond. What a coup that would be. It was near dusk and Dawn had the guide head into shore. They needed to make camp. Tomorrow they would be in New Louisville where the expedition would be put together, and in a week they would be heading for the uncharted regions. That night at the camp fire both Dawn and Heather went over their plans. The fire felt comfortable, but it also protected them from the animals. Heather thought about the killer raccoons and cringed. How could anything that small have such large teeth she wondered. She looked down and saw her elephant gun and felt better. The conversation came back to Iowa. They thought about their friend once more, and hoped he was alive. They made themselves comfortable and started to read his diary. ------------------------------------------------- Day 1 Arrival at New Louisville We've been on the river for several days, and have finally reached our destination, New Louisville. Here the expedition really begins. I've been told the best bearers are found in Indiana just across the river. Their a hearty lot over there, and live a more rugged life style then their more civilized Kentucky neighbors. Most still speak a form of the old language called Angleese. I will have to pay extra for the ones who can speak Esperanto, but they will be needed. I don't want to spend all of my time in dangerous territory trying to make my bearers understand me. I have enough money for twelve bearers and the equipment and boats that will be needed. I pray that this will be enough. My friend and colleague on this expedition Ms. Bass will work in Louisville appropriating the boats and equipment while I go into Indiana to collect the bearers. I will try to find a guide, but my hopes of finding one are slim. I have reliable charts for the area in and around the ruins of old Cincinnati, but for Columbus only a direction. Maybe, that would be better to use than buying untrustworthy maps. I am glad to have Nicole along on this expedition. She is an accomplished Archaeologist in her own right, and just maybe all those muscles will come in handy. Nicole Bass is a common name in the world of today, but she is fond of telling me that she is an ancestor of the original Nicole who lived at the time of the upheaval. She is very proud of that fact, and I believe her because she has a old photo of the earlier Nicole, and photo's are almost impossible to come buy. When you look at the photo you are struck at the amazing similarity of the two women. They are almost identical copies of one another. From the facial features right through to their incredibly muscular bodies. Some of the myths and legends of the earlier Nicole are hard to believe. It is a generally accepted fact that she led a group of very determined women on Washington, the capital of the old republic. This happened right at the dawn times. The fallout had just started to spread when she brought down that male dominated society. Here's where it gets a little hard to believe. It seems that the old republic was run by men who were elected by people from their vicinity or locale, but then the representatives went to Washington to live and work. They only returned for a very short time every four years or so to get reelected again. I just can't believe the voters of that time would let other people run the goverment they never saw or hardly knew. Even more incredible was the fact that these elected representatives seemed to only be responsible and receptive to a very small cadre of wealthy special interest groups. They would vote the small groups will forgetting about their own voters. This is unproven and hard to believe, but I have to admit they did get overthrown. Finally, the purpose of this expedition is to put to rest the legends and myths surrounding the uncharted and totally wild territory in Central Ohio. I will try to prove conclusively no tribe of Amazons know lives or ever lived in that region. Even if I have to cover every inch of that region myself on this expedition. If I disprove the Amazon myth, I will also disprove the legend about the famous and priceless Hope Diamond. What would women want with a diamond anyway?........Scratch that last comment. The commonly accepted story for it's entry into Ohio is that The Smithsonian Institution lent it to a very famous singer actress of the time. A woman known as just Madonna. It seems that all the wealth of that period had been accumulated by a small group of people who were either entertainers or sports figures. The institution was going under so they rented out parts of their inventory for money to stay afloat. Just Madonna wore it to her initiation into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was their when the first power plant went up. Their is no conclusive evidence that the hall existed or that rock music existed for that matter. Although, part of a song from that era still exists. "You are nothin but a hound dog, croaken all the time. You ain't never caught a rabbit, you ain't no friend of mine." If this is actually a part of a song from the rock era, it is hard to believe that a museum would have been built in it's honor, but I guess times and people change. If they didn't there wouldn't be a need for me. --------------------------------------------------- Day 3 Everything Costs Credits I've hired all the bearers I need. It wasn't easy. When most heard where I was going they quickly left. You could see the fear on their faces. It took almost twice the amount of credits I allotted to find enough willing to go. This will seriously set us back on equipment, but I refuse to wait for more money. I let Nicole know of the money shortage, and she made the appropriate revisions in equipment. I had no luck in finding a guide. It seems that the ones who venture into Ohio never return. Their are a ready supply of charts, but I fear their authenticity. I will rely on my charts, and my nose for direction. At least we have some people who are familiar with the dangerous animals that inhabit the region of Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. They do not seem to be afraid of the raccoons or giant salamanders as much as the man-eating deer. They tell me the unideer, as their called, have one very large sharp horn or tusk protruding from the center of their head. It's so large and sharp they have been known to skewer two men at once with it. A herd can devour an injured man in a matter of minutes. We will need to be heavily armed. Nicole has arranged for all of the equipment and supplies we could afford. We will be leaving tomorrow at sunrise. I wanted to have the expedition blessed before leaving, but I just couldn't afford the credits. Did I mention I was happy Nicole is along. When I look at her, I almost wish marriage wasn't a dying institution, but of course fewer and fewer people are entering into matrimony since the advent of ecstasy pills. ------------------------------------------------ Day 6 Entering Dangerous Ohio We are about to enter Ohio. It saddens me to report we lost one person last night. After pulling up to the bank and making camp. One of the bearers went down to the river. He put his hands in the water to splash some water on his brow, but when he tried to raise his hands, he no longer had any. He fainted and fell into the water. They made short work of him. We're pretty sure it was a bluegill or maybe a salamander. It was hard to tell. All we found was one small arm bone. We buried that, and said a prayer over the grave. I hoped to God their wouldn't be any more graves, but I had a bad feeling. Tomorrow morning we hit the junction of the Ohio-Indiana border, and turn east into uncharted water. It could be dangerous from here on in. I wondered, what if anything we would find. We should be at the ruins of Cincinnati by tomorrow night. I looked at the land. It was good land. I wondered why no one resettled here or in Cincinnati. Then I remembered the Amazon legend. Could it be true? That thought sent shivers down my spine. My thoughts turned to the end time a few hundred years ago. We would be entering Ohio soon. The state where the first power plant went up. Davis-Bessie was the first, but it wasn't the last. It shuddered shaking the ground giving up its radiation to the Ohio air one cold night. It created a black zone three hundred miles in diameter with the plant at the center. The others around the world followed with sickening regularity shortly after. Who could have guessed that radiation could accelerate the deterioration of concrete. The concrete walls housing the core were many feet thick. Their real life expectancy had been a little more than a decade not the many decades projected. Just then, I thought about the one Postdawn advantage to the world. It sure solved the population problem. It's hard not to see the similarity between Rome and our immediate ancestors. I remembered about the lead in the Roman aqueducts. The real reason the Roman Empire fell. Both civilizations had raced head long towards progress at break neck speed. They fell at their zenith in the twinkling of an eye. Progress and expediency exacted a heavy toll. The day after tomorrow we would leave the relative safety of the boats and head inland to find God knows what. I know Nicole believes in the Amazon story. She spent much of her time running down leads and going through old partially restored manuscripts. I wasn't so sure why it was so important to her, but I knew for some reason it was. As for myself, I didn't know what I hoped to find on this journey. I loved a mystery and tracking down and solving it was important to me. Maybe, for me that was sufficient. -------------------------------------------------- Dawn and Heather had been reading for some time. They put the book down and looked at each other. Dawn was the first to speak. "We'll be up all night at this rate," she said as she nervously picked the book up again. Heather looked at her friend and replied, "Page a little ahead. Maybe, we don't have to read all of it. I don't think we'll miss anything important if we skip a little of it. Dawn quickly paged through the book. Stopping and reading excerpts along the way. "I think we can skip to day fourteen. It's when they have just left the ruins of Columbus, just before they find the Wimponoes." After a short break and some water. They settled down once again, and prepared to return to the book. Dawn looked over at Heather and said, "Their only a few days from discovering the Amazons and the diamond. This should get real interesting." They moved close to one another once again, and started to read. ------------------------------------------------- Day 16 Football and Other Things Finding what we did in the ruins of Columbus had shaken me to the very core of my being. The barbaric game of football had only been speculation of the wildest sort before, but know we had all the seen the stadium and the old program. Could the legends about the game itself be right to. I tried to remember what I had read in the library. Two sides of players once a week dressed up in helmets, padding, and miles of tape all over their bodies. They squared off against one another with almost a hundred thousand people watching. The object of the game was to run at each other, at high speed, causing tremendous collisions. Each side tried to find the biggest and strongest players. The side with the biggest and strongest people had a natural advantage. Often people were sent to the hospital. Again the Roman comparison came to mind. The Romans blood sport was gladiatorial combat. If the old records were right about football, Could they also be right about baseball? That made me shutter. It seems, that game was played in a very confined area. The game used a round ball. The covering was made of cow hide. Millions of these balls were made each year. Thus condemning thousands of cows to their doom. The strange thing about the game was that if they played in a larger area, the ball wouldn't have been hit to the spectators so much. The spectators were allowed to keep the ball. A larger area would have saved many a cow. The game itself was strange. After striking the ball, the striker would run at high speed to designated safe areas. They could not be removed, and made to sit down while there. Eventually, they would run again at high speed trying to get to exactly where they started from in the first place. In this way they would be allowed to sit down till the next time. Very strange! The people who collected all these cowhide balls usually had the strikers sign their name to the balls. This would give them value. The value never went down even though every time the striker signed his name to a ball, there would be more of them making the ball less rare. Everytime I found out another fact about the people of the Predawn Era, I wondered why their civilization lasted as long as it did. So far we have not run into anyone in our trek through Ohio. I'm beginning to believe at least the myths about the Amazons are false. The bearers are getting more and more restless. We are running low on Ecstasy pills. We have enough for several more days. I believe it would be wise to head for the boats when we run out. I have at least that much time left to explore. We are going to head Southeast tomorrow for a few days. After that, with nothing to report, we will head for home. ------------------------------------------------ Day 18 The Wimponoe Village We found people alive, and living in Ohio. They call themselves the Wimponoes. The strange thing about these people is that there seems to be about three times the number of women for every man. This can not happen normally. Every time we ask them about the shortage of men, they grow very silent and show fear. All the villagers spend much of their time making baskets, clay pots, and clothes. The men seem to be especially adept at this. They make them in such numbers that we believe they use them in trade. This means there must be other tribes nearby. I have asked them about this, but they always grow very silent, and change the subject. When I asked one of the leaders this question, he feinted. The strangest event occurred at sunset. All the men were put in the center of the village with the women surrounding them. I thought this a very strange custom for sleeping arrangements. They motioned for us to get in the circle as well. Not wanting to offend we did as they bid. A little later a woman counted the men and came up one short. She frantically told the other women. Some women were about to go look for him when we heard a very loud scream. The women rushed out in the direction of the yell. The men on the other hand huddled even closer together, and did not offer to help. At that moment I thought these men were aptly named. We offered to help but they told us to stay. A while later they came back with a shoe and nothing else. Nicole thought a deer probably got the hapless chap, but in our experience with the deer they seemed to be less aggressive than first thought. We have one more day to find out these mysteries, and then we have to press on. -------------------------------------------------- Day 19 The Truth and Amazons Nicole finally got the women to talk. It seems the tribe they trade with is indeed the Amazons. They give the Amazons clothing, food, baskets, and other items. In return the Amazons offer to defend the Wimponoe village. The problem with that is, the only aggressive tribe in the area is the Amazons themselves. The treaty has not kept the Amazons from stealing the Wimponoe men. The women don't know what happens to the men. Except that they never come back. They have indicated to us the general direction of the Amazon village, and we will be heading out tomorrow morning to find this legendary lost tribe. Our bearers are very nervous, and we will have to watch them closely. Nicole is very excited. She can't wait to get started in the morning. Tonight we share our last ecstasy pills together. I wondered about the Predawn era, when a man and women shared more than pills and chemically induced orgasms or the induced euphoria that follows. At one time men and women shared their bodies as well as their souls with each other. I only knew one way, but I wondered about the other. I guess it was the Archaeologist in me. ------------------------------------------------- Day 21 Our Capture and the Amazon Village I'm writing this in the Amazon compound. Yesterday we were captured by a raiding party. I will write down the events as they unfolded in hopes that someone will find this, and use it to avoid the same fate. They have allowed us to keep everything, but our guns. They even allowed us to keep our knives. I don't think they consider us much of a threat or they would have put us in a more secure place. Three guards watch us. That's just too much for the ten of us remaining to handle. They are very strong and great fighters. I will write down everything I can remember about yesterday. Much of it was a blur. Nicole is also absent, and I will explain that too. Yesterday, we left the Wimponoe Village at dawn and headed Southeast in the direction they gave us. We traveled through a dense and foreboding maple and cedar forest. At times we had to hack our way through. When we came out the country was changed. It was a beautiful rolling countryside with many strange trees. The temperature had dropped about ten degrees and the humidity was less. The men were feeling better, and all our spirits were high. Then it happened. They came at us from all four directions. They seemed to come right out of the trees. I was able to count five of them as they sauntered towards us. We had just enough time to make a defensive circle. We were going to put up one hell of a fight. I looked at the men and they seemed strangely calm and focused. They were staring at the women warriors advancing on our position. The Amazon warriors looked incredibly young. They must have all been in their teens. All were tall, as tall as any of the men, and they had huge muscles everywhere. They all were virtually naked. All they wore was a brief loin cloth, and some were naked from the waist up. What a sight! I wasn't sure the men could keep focused as they advanced on us. The first two women hit us on the left before we could fire. I watched as the women grabbed a man around the neck with each arm, and held them close to their bodies. The men struggled but could not break free. As they clawed at the women's arms, the women casually talked to each other as the men's struggles became feebler. I looked to the right to see two more women engaged. The men weren't doing as well on this flank. One women had a man on her back, and he was trying to choke her from behind. She had a man by the neck with each hand, and was choking them. Two more men were wrapped around each of her legs, and they were trying to unbalance her and bring her to the ground. The other woman had a Indianan in each hand, by the neck, and was choking them. She had her arms extended straight in the air, and the men's bodies were lifted off the ground. Her muscles rippling with effort and power as she easily held the men high above her. Their hands were already limp at their sides. The last woman was engaged with Nicole. They were rolling around on the ground, and neither had an advantage. The showoff! I wondered, if I should help and leave the supplies unguarded. I hesitated a few moments longer. I looked to the left again. We were definitely in trouble on that side. The women were talking and joking, and the men hung totally limp from the women's arms. I hopped the men were just resting. The battle to the right was entering its final phase. The woman who was being overwhelmed by five Indianans had two men by the throat. I could hear their screams as the pressure from her hands crushed their windpipes to mush. She let them go and their bodies slumped to the ground. She must have PMS I thought as she reached up and grabbed the man on her back around the neck with one hand. I hoped none of the other Amazons had that problem. She then flipped the man over her head, and he bounced a few times as he hit the ground. She slowly walked towards the man as the two men who were holding on to each of her legs were dragged along for the ride. They didn't seem to be mounting much of an offense down there. When she reached the downed man she slugged him into unconsciousness. I looked at the other Amazon who held a man high over her head in each hand. They seemed to be sleeping. At least they weren't dead. She then crashed their heads together, and they fell in a heap at her feet. It was time to move in the reinforcements. That would be me. Before I moved to the attack, I noticed Nicole had gained a clear advantage, and was on top of the fifth Amazon pinning her shoulders. I attacked the fourth woman who had disposed of her men. She was standing with her hands on her hips waiting for my charge. I got in range and let fly a terrible blow right to her jaw. Her head actually flew to the side. I drew blood. She reached up and tasted it with her finger as she smiled back at me. I knew for the first time we were in trouble. Her hands were still on her hips. I let fly another blow right to her abdomen. Their was clear damage done. I think I broke my wrist. Her abdomen was like solid granite. I held my wrist and I was in great pain. She responded by placing her large hand on my head and squeezing. At that moment, my wrist seemed to be a minor problem as she pushed my body flat to the ground. I found myself flat on my back with her smiling down at me. She blew me a kiss, and put her foot to my throat as she held me down quite easily. I responded by trying to push her leg off of me, to no effect. I did notice how huge her calf muscle was as my hands ineffectually groped there. The only noise left on the battle field was the grunts coming from Nicole and her Amazon. They were still locked in battle, and Nicole still held an advantage. As I watched that contest, I could see many other Amazons coming out of the bushes from where they must have watched the entire battle. They all looked older, and there must have been thirty or forty of them. I looked over to the left again, and those two Amazons still held two men each in choke holds. The men had been sleeping for some time. The women were acknowledging cheers and slaps of congratulations from the new arrivals. I looked at the Amazon who still had a man around each leg. They just held on and seemed totally cowed. One had his eyes closed and was just holding on hugging her leg as hard as he could. She now had something in her hand. I focused in on it, and could see it was a compact. She was fixing her makeup. She had just put some lipstick on, and was looking in the mirror moving her lips around trying to get it even. I knew we had put up one hell of a fight. I was more than a little proud of my men. We had held out for almost five minutes against overwhelming odds. Their must have been over forty of them. I scanned the Amazons and could see the damage my men had done. All of the women's hair had been pretty mused up, and several were looking at their hands. I knew we had taken a terrible toll on their nails. Nicole's fight was stopped. She was covered by one Amazon's bow as others came up to her and patted her on the back. I guess they liked her style. I wondered if she had fought the weakest of the women. All the men's hands and feet were tied around poles, and they were lifted up. One Amazon had an end of each pole, and the trussed up man was carried between them. I didn't think this was so bad because almost all of the men couldn't walk right at the moment anyway. Nicole was allowed to walk with the Amazons who didn't have any burdens to carry. I didn't get the pole treatment. The Amazon, that I slugged, showed the leader the blood I caused, and something was agreed between them. I couldn't hear what they said. Then she tied me up in a tight ball with my legs bent and pressed against my chest. She tied me in such a way that their was two loops on my back. She put her arms through the loops and I was carried on her back like a papoose. At that moment I wished I hadn't done the most damage for our side in the fight. The Amazons moved out with their burdens in tow. The two dead men were left for the deer. As we moved, I looked back at our fallen comrades, and said a silent prayer for them. I wondered if they might not be the lucky ones. We were going who knows where for God knows what reason, and at least they wouldn't have to go back to Indiana again. We traveled for half a day. The Amazons stopped every few hours to rest. I could hear them talking, and at least I understood them quite well. They were speaking an older purer form of English. I was put on the ground in a little bundle as my Amazon rested. Nicole came over and talked to me when she could. She sat me up in a leaning position with my back resting against a rock. It seems she had gained a very high status with the Amazons. We were all going to the Amazon village to meet the queen, and find out our fate. I could tell she was very excited at the prospect. Her dreams were about to come true. I looked at our men, and some were still groaning. I was a little more skeptical. Nicole told me that the five girls, that subdued the men, were the youngest warriors in the village. They all just had their initiation rights as a warrior, and most were young teens. One girl was twelve. I thought about that for a second, and was sure Nicole must have fought the twelve year old. The older women wanted to see how they'd do in battle. They will get first pick of the men if the queen allows it. I shuddered and thought about my Amazon. I wondered who she'd pick. We entered the village near dusk. We didn't draw much of a crowd. I guess everybody had seen vanquished men before. These women lived well. The village wasn't huts as I expected, but rather they lived in wood cabins. Their was a square and a large building at the other end of the village. It dominated that end of the village. As we passed the buildings I noticed quite a few men working. They were drawing water, making baskets, arrows, and bows. Some men who walked freely in the street would go out of their way to avoid women walking towards them. All the men had one thing in common. They had a collar around their necks. On the front of each collar was a bead or jewel I couldn't make out which. As we approached the large building, my Amazon turned around for a moment, and I got a good view of it. It had a steeple like a church, and at the top was a diamond shaped insignia. I knew instantly what it represented, and that the legend of the diamond must also be true. Before we got to the building, we turned and entered a small compound. Their were a few Amazons on the walls and a few men already inside. I recognized one man as the missing Wimponoe. We were set down and untied. The men were to stiff to put up any fuss. Although, I don't know what good it would have done anyway. Nicole came over after talking to the leader, and told us that we would see the queen tomorrow, but she was going to see her now. She was very excited. I settled down and seen to the men that required attention. I worried about them. I worried about Nicole, and her audience with the queen. I looked over and could see my Amazon hadn't left the compound yet. She was standing with her hands on her young hips just smiling at me, and then I worried about myself. ------------------------------------------------- Day 22 The Queen Nicole never came back last night. I didn't see her till today. I will explain, but first I have to report to you about last night. It was hell! After we ate and rested, they started to come in one by one. We were stretched out around the compound as the first Amazon from the raiding party came in. She was not one of the ones who had clobbered our men. She walked around looking at us. She paused from time to time appraising one or another of the men. Finally, she stopped and told one of the bearers to rise. He was one of the biggest of us, and only slightly smaller than her. The man heard her, but ignored her orders. The Amazon grabbed him by his shirt, and hauled him up with her left hand. In a lightening move, she hit him in the jaw with her right fist. The man crumpled to the ground at her feet. She then lifted the unconscious man to her shoulders. Several of the other men got up and started to approach. She yelled at them to sit, and they just stood their glaring at her as she effortlessly carried the man out of the compound. About every five minutes another Amazon appeared and chose a man. The first couple men tried to resist. They ended up like the first man, unconscious and carried out of the compound. After that, the men just waited till they were chosen and meekly got to their feet. These men usually left being dragged by the hand. Finally, their was only five of us left. We didn't have long to wait. Four of the younger girls, from earlier today, came in. They were four of the five Amazons who defeated us. They each went right to a man and hauled him to his feet. The young Amazons each had a collar on their belts. They didn't stay on their belts for long. They ended up around the men's necks. One tried to resist, and the Amateen finished putting the collar around his neck while he was unconscious. The men were then dragged and carried out. I was left alone in the compound. Then she walked in. My heart stopped. She walked up to me smiling. She looked down at me and motioned with her finger to get up. I reluctantly rose, but noted she had no collar. That made me feel better. She grabbed my hand, and led me out of the compound to one of the log cabins. The Amazon told me her name was Altha, and that I was hers for the night. Altha told me she was very disappointed. She wasn't allowed to keep me like the other four got to keep their men, but she could have me for the night, and she would be allowed to choose another soon. I asked her why she couldn't keep me, and she told me the queen forbade it. I told her in my society men and women don't make love anymore, they use a pill. She laughed and knocked me half way across the room. We proceeded to make love her way for the next couple of hours. I was exhausted, but thought the old way had it's merits. At dawn I was thrown back into the compound. Most of the men were back. Most were groaning and some had bruises or worse. I was glad I had a gentle Amazon. I didn't get roughed up too much, just a black eye and a few broken ribs. My screams usually made her stop squeezing me so hard. I only passed out once or twice. The four men who were chosen last did not come back. I remembered what Altha said, and I knew they now belonged to the four young Amazons. I tried to rest a little, and wondered what "Keep me" would mean. We were escorted to the queen's court at noon. We were heavily guarded. I looked around and counted three Amazons. That meant there was just no chance to escape. We were adventurers, but we weren't stupid. In the vestibule, there were many strange things. There was instruments of a sort. I recognized them as guitars, and a lot of ornate clothing behind glass cases. On the wall, surrounding the room were what appeared to be golden records. I recognized them, as such, from my studies in Predawn culture. As we waited for our audience, I went up and read the plaques. One was in recognition for some sort of song entitled "Borderline." Another was for the song "Material Girl." I had no idea what these strange relics meant or were used for. Finally, we were escorted into the queens presence. The court was plush and ornate. Many more strange things surrounded the huge hall. I again recognized them as musical in nature. We were moving towards a large altar, and their were several women standing there. Behind them was an immense statue of a woman. Just for a second I thought I recognized that face on the statue, but it couldn't be. She had been dead for two hundred years. When the procession reached the women, my jaw fell open. The queen had the Hope Diamond hanging from her neck. She was wearing a strange outfit that was described only in legends. I believe it was called a strapless evening gown. On her feet were black high heeled shoes. My mind reeled. There were just to many myths coming true all at once. Then my gaze went to her face. My mind boggled at the likeness I saw. She was the spitting image of just Madonna. Before I could speak to her, we were made to kneel as some Amazons appeared with instruments. They played a song and the queen sang. She was quite good. The song was strange and violent. There were words like "Rockets red glare," and "Bombs bursting in air." I was an Archaeologist, but even I couldn't grasp the significance. As I listened to the queen, I noticed Nicole for the first time. She was dressed in similar attire to the queen, and was standing on her right. She looked breathtaking. I wondered how they found clothes that fit her? But almost all the Amazons were big. Finally, the song ended, and the queen bid us to rise. She dismissed the five Indianans behind me with the wave of a hand. They were removed rather forcibly. I would have protested, but it happened so fast. Their I was...alone, except for Nicole, and facing the queen. She slowly walked down the steps and looked me over. She walked around me, just appraising. Humility keeps me from bragging, but I knew she would like what she was seeing. Then she grabbed my balls, and squeezed. I let out a scream and found myself on my knees again. The queen immediately turned around and left for her chambers. She motioned for two Amazons to bring me along. As I was dragged, I called out to Nicole for help. Nicole hollered back for me not to worry. If the queen found me worthy today, I would be made her consort. I cursed my good looks. I cursed my bravery and fighting prowess. At that moment, I wished I wasn't so well suited for Archaeology. ------------------------------------------------ Heather and Dawn put the diary down once again. They looked at each other and smiled. "The Diamond exists!" Dawn exclaimed. "I bet he's still alive if the queen wants him," Heather answered. Dawn grabbed the book and paged ahead. "It's getting late. Let's read the last entry to see what happened to him, and how the diary got in the river." Heather smiled again and said, "That's almost half of the diary we're skipping. I do want to read that part to find out what it was like, for him, as a prisoner of the Amazons. We might find out some important things." Dawn laughed and said, "I think you want to know who got him, and what happened to Nicole. Heather looked a little embarrassed. "Don't worry, Heather. I want to know too. We'll read the rest in New Louisville tomorrow." Both women made themselves comfortable by the fire. Heather heard a noise and grabbed for her elephant gun, but whatever it was came no closer to the fire. "Damn raccoons and their six inch teeth," she said as she settled back down next to Dawn. Both women began to read the diary once again. ------------------------------------------------ Day 518 My Escape I've been running for days. They almost got me yesterday. I think Altha took an arrow for me. I didn't see them and she pushed me out of the way. It should have been me with the arrow in my heart. I wish I could have buried her, and said a prayer over her, but there was no time. I hid in a small pond, and used a reed to breath. That bought me some time. I'm writing this by moonlight. I don't dare light a fire. It was Altha who helped me to escape. I think she loved me. As for myself, I had feelings for her almost from the beginning. I loved her too, but more like a daughter. I can't believe the change in Nicole. I think she's been an Amazon in spirit for many years. I can forgive her for the beatings, but for the other....I'm not sure. I think she wants to be the queen someday. I can't believe the queen let her use the diamond's secret. Even I wouldn't want to be that. It would have to get tiresome after awhile. As for the queen, I'm not sure if I loved her or hated her. Why did she have to publicly embarrass me so often. How could such a little women be so strong? I never came close to winning any of the wrestling matches with her. Why did it have to be a weekly event in front of the whole tribe? The penalty for loosing is just to embarrassing for me to write about again. Being led around on a leash all the time was bad enough. I wish I could have freed the men, but the truth is not many would have left. The Amazons have more than just a physical hold over them. I almost had the diamond. If Altha would have freed me minutes earlier, I would have it now. The truth is I'm afraid of it's secret power. Maybe, I would have thrown it away where nobody would find it. I'm sure it's cursed. I've had enough proof of that in the last year and a half. I have to find the river tomorrow. I'm all used up. They'll have me shortly, and I can't imagine the queen's wrath or Nicole's. I'm sure it will be very painful. Altha was the lucky one. This diary has driven me on. Maybe, somebody will find it someday. This will probably be my last entry, one way or another. ------------------------------------------------ Heather and Dawn closed the book, and were quiet for a very long time. They thought about what they just read. Then they made their plans for the expedition. They would have to be organized and well armed. Maybe, more men would be needed. They didn't have an answer on handling the Amazons just yet, but they knew they would have a plan before they reached Ohio. Both women wondered about the mention of the diamond's secret power, but neither voiced their thoughts. Heather put the diary in her knapsack and they went to bed. --------- Author's note. I didn't want to write a long story when I started. Just a short story and some satire. If enough people want me to finish this. I will finish it. There are a number of ways to go. Valerafon