Sadfur Island

By Jack Fisher

In a not-so-distant future, Reverend Simon Grant inspired a new generation of repression to oppose decades of moral liberalization. The two main characters of this book, Peter Watson and Scarlett Hunter, embody that struggle. They are two of the most successful Hollywood stars who fell in love on a movie set. They come from humble roots and do their best to embody the morals of restraint and chastity that they were taught. However, their passion for each other proves to be too strong.

Because of this passion, Reverend Grant invites them to a secluded island in the Mediterranean called Sadfur Island. This island is reserved only for men and women of great influence, but it’s no luxurious getaway. While on this island, Peter and Scarlett are exposed to a world of harsh truths that expose the struggle between repression and expression for the lie it is. In doing so they’re opened to a world of decadence that will test their bodies, souls, and hearts. Can their love survive such upheaval?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329599604

Book preview

2015

Prologue

In the history of civilization, every effort at sexual repression has led to consequences that can neither be predicted nor avoided. Human sexuality is powerful in that it always finding a way to influence the human condition. Every attempt to control it inevitably fails. When moral authorities seek to tame the human libido, the end result is always corruption. However, time and again mankind has not heeded the lessons of history.

At the dawn of the 21st century, decades of sexual liberalization had become all but entrenched. Science, technology, and knowledge had largely overshadowed the taboos of the past. But this progress was not welcomed by all and the inclinations towards sexual repression continued to persist.

In the modern era, cycles of liberal and conservative attitudes towards sexuality continued. Periods of liberalization were countered with a conservative backlash and vice versa. The backlash was often politically or religiously motivated. And when certain economic and social circumstances were thrown into the mix, the backlash was quite extreme.

Throughout the early part of the 21st century, economic turmoil and political upheaval created a fertile breeding ground for sexual repression. Corruption, poor decisions, and bad economic policies led to new trends in public policy all over the world. As people grew desperate for answers, society became vulnerable to those promising hope. A new religious movement exploited that vulnerability and led to yet another new surge of sexual repression.

The man most responsible for this shift was Reverend Simon Grant. He took over from the ashes of the American Religious Right and led a religious reawakening that galvanized a jaded generation. It started with a series of religious-based books that Reverend Grant wrote called Celestial Hearts. This work of fiction offered a different take from the violence and sex-saturated plots of Hollywood. It was a love story that emphasized chastity, loyalty, and piety. In most eras, it would not have garnered much attention. But it became a runaway success and turned Reverend Grant from a small-town preacher to the voice of a new religious movement.

The success of his books gave Reverent Grant a powerful platform. He was charismatic, tapping into the hopes and fears of millions. A significant part of his message was the condemnation of sex, decadence, and immorality that he saw as the source of various social ills. His message resonated with enough people that they became a significant voting bloc in North America and parts of Europe. As a result, governments had to take notice of his influence. It led to a myriad of efforts that sought to criminalize abortion, limit no-fault divorce, limit access to contraception, and censor pornography. While many of these efforts proved difficult to impose on a large scale, they effectively created a bitter divide between a new social movement and decades of liberalization.

The cost of this divide was deceptively high. Decades of progress in liberal policies became stagnant. The lack of progress created significant burdens for governments and communities alike. However, the cost of such burdens were rarely reported and rarely understood. Such ills were deemed appropriate because it forced individuals to reconsider their decadent priorities.

On some levels the efforts of Reverend Grant and his followers succeeded. Values such as chastity, restraint, and personal responsibility became more prominent. These values still clashed with the values of more liberal attitudes and as the years passed, the divide only grew. Reverend Grant continued to expand his influence while those against him attempted to expand theirs. As the divisions became more entrenched, the debate became more hostile. The forces of sexual repression and sexual liberalization seemed doomed to endless struggle.

But within this world of repression, there was a secret amongst the opposing forces of this conflict. It was a secret so great that it could undermine the entire foundation of society. Only a select few knew of it and even fewer understood the forces behind it. For this reason, the secret only manifested in a select few places.

One such place was a small, unremarkable patch of land in the Mediterranean Sea known as Sadfur Island. It was here where the secret was at its most pronounced. It is also where the fate of the secret became inescapably entwined to the lives of Peter Watson and Scarlet Hunter.

Chapter One

Are you ready, Scarlet? asked an anxious Peter Watson.

I...I’m ready, Pete, said an equally anxious Scarlet Hunter under his naked embrace.

What Peter and Scarlet were doing was wrong. If they were ever discovered, then everything they had worked for would be discredited. The money, fame, and adulation they had gained would turn to disgust, betrayal, and condemnation. But they tried not to think about any of that. Instead, they focused completely on each other.

The young couple was as careful and as tactful as they always were. They returned to Peter’s palatial home in Malibu after convincing their friends and handlers that they would retire to separate dwellings, which was the only acceptable behavior of two unmarried youths who had followed their career path. For that reason, they had to be very secretive when it came to illicit acts. Under the cover of the midnight darkness, they made their way to the master bedroom. As soon as the door was shut, they shed their clothes and slipped under the soft sheets. After marveling at the warm touch of their naked flesh, Peter got on top of her and prepared to enter her forbidden depths with his manhood.

Even after being assured that she was ready, Peter still hesitated. His penis was as rigid as chiseled stone, brimming with arousal as the tip rubbed around the entrance of her wet folds. All the stern warnings from his parents, teachers, and pastors about why this was wrong echoed in his head. They were warnings that everyone in his hometown in west Texas had heard as well, but he decided to shut them out. Taking a deep breath, he carefully inserted his length into Scarlet’s vagina.

Intoxicating sensations of hot, wet warmth soon followed. Peter’s arms, which had been barely holding him up, trembled as his lover’s inner flesh surrounded his manhood. As he slid his length into her as far as it would go, he felt her nails dig into his shoulders. Even in the dark of night, he could see the look of passion and exhilaration etched on her face.

We’re doing it, Peter! We’re having sex! she gasped in a burst of excitement.

Peter remained silent, not needing a reminder of what they were doing. He kept shutting out all those voices in his head and allowed his impure instincts to guide him. He reached for Scarlet’s hands and held them in his grasp, keeping them pinned near the side of her head. Now armed with more leverage, he dug his feet into his bed and began moving his hips in a lateral motion. His rigid member steadily slithered within his lovers vagina, creating a smooth stream of sensations that filled them both with forbidden pleasure.

Scarlet let out more gasps as the smooth, steady penetration sent waves of bliss coursing up through her body. Her gasps were so sharp at times that it felt like she forgot to breathe. She never took her eyes off her lover, watching and feeling his naked flesh glided up and down against hers. She attempted to spread her legs wider, bending her knees and elevating her hips so that he could penetrate deeper. This prompted him to intensify his body movements, further escalating the feelings that flowed between them.

Oh my God! Scarlet...so good! Can’t...can’t stop! said Peter through increasingly breathless gasps.

I don’t want you to! Please...keep going! Scarlet exclaimed.

Such passionate pleas sounded so right when they said them out loud, but they knew on some levels this was still wrong. At this point, however, there was no escaping it.

Peter maintained his impassioned sexual motions, maneuvering his member within Scarlet’s womanhood as his naked body glided over hers. At one point, he shifted his hands down to her hips and rose up slightly. Now on his knees, he moved his hips back and forth with more vigor. He could tell by Scarlet’s sharp gasps that she was close. She was now clutching the sheets, holding on as her body moved in conjunction with his motions. She also shifted her legs so that they were now hooked securely around his waist. There was sheer desperation in her eyes, urging him to keep going yet pleading with him to not think less of her. He tried to accommodate her as best he could. Eventually, the forbidden feelings got the better of her.

It...it’s happening, Peter! I’m going to...going to...ohhhhh!

In a tsunami of sensations, Scarlet Hunter had an orgasm. She lifted her hips and arched her back as she vigorously clenched the sheets in her hands, writhing from the sensations that consumed her. The inner muscles of her vagina throbbed mercilessly, radiating blissful sensations through her core and spreading to every inch of her body. Her blissful cries strained under this onslaught of feeling. It lasted longer than she expected, but not as long as she would have liked. It left her thoughts obscured and her body at the mercy of pure pleasure.

It was an incredible sight, watching this beautiful woman experience the euphoria of a sexual peak. The look on her face was so content, devoid of concern or discomfort of any kind. Yet it was for that very reason that Peter had to close his eyes and not admire it. Being captivated by such a sight would only make this more wrong. So without even acknowledging the extent of her pleasure, Peter quickly finished venting his passions.

He allowed the lingering throbs of Scarlet’s inner muscles to guide his sexual motions. His face contorted in a desperate determination as he moved his hips in a steadier yet more focused manner. Scarlet offered no protest, showing no inclination to stop him as he pushed towards his own sexual peak. He could feel the sensitive flesh around the tip of his cock burn with intense sensation. He clung to his lover’s thighs and steadied himself as his lust finally culminated.

Oh God! I...I feel it too! the young man cried out.

Peter’s body took control of his mind as his threw his head back and succumbed to this pleasure. The ensuing release was as overwhelming as it was messy. A burst of seminal fluid spilled into Scarlet’s waiting womb. From this burst, hot sensations flowed up through his body. Every muscle seemed to tense for a brief moment and then relaxed in a way that felt too good to not be wrong. It rendered his mind intoxicated, allowing him to forget for a moment just how wrong this was.

It would have been easier if he could remain in this intoxicated state indefinitely. It would spare him from having to scrutinize all the ways he was putting himself, his career, and his lover at risk. However, Peter was shaken from this daze by the feeling of gentle hands on his face. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Scarlet’s looking up at him. He could see conflict in her as well, but tender emotions overshadowed the cold reality of this act.

Are you going to be okay, Peter? she asked him.

I’ll be fine, he replied in a weak tone.

We both know that’s not true.

Then you also know the best way to deal with it.

She offered a weak smile and drew him into a kiss. His body now weakened from the orgasmic sensations, Scarlet lovingly took him in her arms and guided him under the sheets with her. This simpler, less intense gesture offered a special kind of comfort. It was not wrong or forbidden. In fact, it was a big reason why they had become so successful in their careers and why they had fallen in love. Yet it was also a reason they had given into the temptation for such lewd acts.

Peter and Scarlet lingered in this passionate moment for as long as their restless minds would allow. As they settled under the sheets, Scarlet curled up to Peter’s naked body and clung to his arm. Eventually, they had to give way to the cold, unpleasant feeling that was in stark contrast to what they just experienced.

They shouldn’t have been this uncomfortable. It wasn’t like they were in uncomfortable surroundings. Peter’s house was one of the best in Malibu. It boasted five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a heated pool, a three-car garage, a kitchen with all the best amenities, a personal movie theatre, and a perfect location atop a secluded hill overlooking the ocean. It was the kind of luxury that most men in their early twenties could never hope to afford. Only a few years ago, he and Scarlet were among those many. That changed very quickly and the reasons for this change were what was causing so much inner conflict.

As the two lovers lay restlessly in bed together, their gaze fell on a large movie poster that was prominently displayed on the wall next to the bed. The movie was called Celestial Hearts and the poster depicted a young man and a young woman in a romantic embrace, sharing a deep kiss not unlike the one they had just shared. In the background was an elaborate mosaic of clouds, fire, and hellish imagery. The man was very attractive, bearing a tall yet somewhat slim figure and messy brown hair that partially obscured his face. The woman was equally attractive, bearing a perfect hourglass figure with dirty blond hair, light tan skin, and alluring blue eyes. These two figures had captured the hearts, minds, and wallets of millions of people. They helped make this movie the biggest cultural phenomenon of the past decade. Yet to Peter and Scarlet, these two figures symbolized a life that had overwhelmed them in ways that went beyond forbidden passion.

Was it really that long ago that we were posing for that picture and hating every minute of it? wondered Scarlet to herself.

Three-and-a-half years isn’t that long, relatively speaking. But it might as well be a lifetime, Peter replied, I don’t think either of us knew what that movie was going to do to our lives. Hell, I kept thinking you were sick of my lips at that point.

And I thought you were disgusted by my morning breath so we’re even, she quipped.

But I guess it’s not every day you’re in a movie based on a best-selling book written by Reverend Simon Grant. I knew it was going to be big when I got the part. I just had no idea it was going to be this big.

You were doing low-budget Christian theatre in Texas and I was an desperately poor actress from Mississippi. Our concept of big was pretty limited.

It used to be the stuff of dreams, landing a major role in a movie and gaining worldwide success. Every aspiring actor and actress had those dreams, but it so rarely happened. Peter and Scarlett were now living that dream. Having had such humble beginnings, it was amazing to contemplate how far they had come.

I actually remember having to read Celestial Hearts in high school, Peter continued to muse, My parents, teachers, and pastor made such a big deal of it. I know it was the book that made Reverend Grant famous, but I didn’t really care for it. I thought it was just a standard love story with overtly religious overtones.

Being a woman, I can see the appeal, said Scarlet, An angel from Heaven and a mortal woman falling in love and having to battle Satan himself to save one another...sounds pretty epic on paper.

And somehow the movie made it more epic while keeping all those religious overtones, said Peter as he remained fixated on the poster, It wasn’t that long ago that a movie like this never would have worked. It was essentially one long morality tale that played out over two sequels, a forbidden love that was not sanctioned by God.

You’re right. It probably wouldn’t have worked in certain cinematic eras, but for reasons known only to God it succeeded in this day and age.

And that’s part of what really bothers me, he went on, The whole theme revolves around temptation. Despite all the temptation and all the tricks the forces of evil tried to throw at the two characters we played, they didn’t give in. They loved each other, but didn’t disobey God.

But we have, she pointed out.

But as far as the public is concerned, we still haven’t.

Peter turned away from the movie poster. In many ways it was the biggest reminder of the conflict between their sudden rise to fame and how it had influenced them. On the surface, their lives would have been a beautiful love story. A young unknown actor meets an equally unknown actress on the set of a movie where they just happen to be lovers on screen. Yet in the process of working together, they fell in love.

But their circumstances were different. They were the stars of a movie inspired by Reverend Grant, one of the most important figures of the past several decades. Through his books and preaching, he led a religious movement that vehemently clashed with the secular liberal worldview. That meant the two unmarried youths who were the faces of an iconic movie franchise had to be held to a different standard. Them being naked in bed having sex wasn’t just taboo. It was an affront to the message their roles conveyed.

Because of that painful truth, Peter found himself pulling away from his lover’s warm embrace. He then rose up into a sitting position, now hunched over in a conflicted state. Scarlet rose up as well, but kept her distance. This was one of those moments where they needed to stay apart to make sense of what they were doing and why they were doing it.

I don’t want to think about it, Scarlett. I don’t want to scrutinize it for one second, Peter mused, But I can’t help it.

Please Peter…let’s not have this conversation again, Scarlett complained, Not after we’ve made love.

Is that what we just did? he questioned, Because according to the folks that brought me up, making love is something only a husband and wife are supposed to do.

And one day, we can still share that. Haven’t I made it abundantly clear by now that I’m willing to marry you?

And if our lives weren’t so ridiculously public and our contracts exceedingly specific about what we can and can’t do, I would have asked you by now. And even if I did, you couldn’t just say yes because for two people in our position it has to be a damn spectacle!

But I still love you, Peter, she said to him in a sincere voice.

And I love you too, Scarlet. But that doesn’t change the fact that you and I aren’t married. Because of our careers and all its convoluted circumstances of our lives, we can’t get married in the way we were taught was right. And if we can’t get married, we can’t make love.

Such cold logic left a bitter taint on what had been such a pleasurable experience. This wasn’t the first time they had scrutinized their sinful actions. It probably wouldn’t be the last either. Until they found a way to rationalize this, it was going to keep tormenting them.

I know how much it bothers you, she said to him, It bothers me too. Five years ago, the younger me would have scolded the older me just for being in birth control. Hell, if my mom knew what we just did, she would call an exorcist.

So then why the hell do we do it? Peter wondered, throwing his hands up in exasperation, Why do we allow our passions to get the better of us when we know we’re pissing God off every step of the way?

You already know at least part of the reason. It’s not like we planned to fall in love making a movie. We didn’t plan to spend three nights snowed in at a ski lodge with nothing to do except…

Scarlett’s words trailed off. She didn’t need to recount the details. She and Peter knew them both very well. The early days of their highly publicized romance had been a whirlwind of emotions. Between their sudden rise to fame and their unexpected passion for each other, it was difficult to keep up at times. And that difficulty culminated on a night in a ski lodge where they were snowed in, anxious, and alone. They ended up having sex for the first time that night. What was supposed to be saved for their honeymoon was spent in a moment of weakness that lead to a series of similar moments. Now it seemed as though they couldn’t escape these forbidden passions.

Maybe it doesn’t matter at this point, Peter sighed, We keep doing it. We keep enjoying it. We know it’s wrong, but we don’t stop.

Do you want to stop? asked Scarlett intently.

I don’t know, Scarlet. Everything I ever learned in school and church tells me we should. A bunch of other feelings that I don’t understand tells me we shouldn’t.

Maybe we’re not supposed to understand them yet. Maybe God is testing us.

If that’s the case, then I think we’re failing miserably.

That may be the case. But I have faith we’ll figure it out. It’s just like Reverend Grant told us the first day we started shooting the movie. No matter how far we think we’ve strayed from the path, God will always put us where we need to be so long as we have faith.

Peter remained unconvinced. In an effort to calm his weary nerves, Scarlett rose up from under the sheets and gently embraced him from behind. It was a gesture of comfort rather than lust. Even as her naked skin made contact with his again, the feelings conveyed were anything but forbidden.

Her warm touch helped soothe Peter’s conflicted spirit. He allowed himself to take deep, calming breaths to settle his mind. They clearly weren’t going to resolve this issue tonight. But one of the many things that helped him and Scarlett come together was their unyielding faith. Having come from religious backgrounds and having played such prominent roles in a religiously motivated movie, they both understood the power of faith. They drew strength from it when the trappings of fame and passion got the better of them. Peter had no reason to believe it that strength wouldn’t carry them through and would not allow himself to think otherwise.

Peter finally seemed to settle as Scarlett affectionately clung to his naked body. They were both exhausted, physically and emotionally. A full night of sleep was probably their best hope for comfort at this point. They were ready to slip back under the sheet together.