The Sauna Effect

Also available in German
Der Saunaeffekt

Liz knows her usual routines inside out. Her morning starts with a hot shower before she dresses in her robe and strolls into the kitchen. Once there, she puts on hot water and prepares the children’s school sandwiches. She likes to finish things and then start all over again, the feeling of having everything under control. Routine procedures reassure her, even if they make many moments seem stale as if she is spinning in circles, as if her life has already been told. She walks down the street to the letterbox, as she does every morning. She picks up the newspaper, greets her neighbor, and treats herself to a sip of tea. She marks the most interesting topics with a neon-colored pen to give her husband more time. This makes it easy for him to flick through the highlights, devote himself to the children, and then say goodbye to his wife with a fleeting kiss, as he does every day.

Everyone has left the house; Liz sits at the kitchen table to take the last sip of her tea and pour the rest down the sink. Then she goes back into the bathroom and looks in the mirror. Several years have passed, and this week, just like all the others before, would follow a precise plan. There were no more surprises; they had somehow settled into their lives after marrying ten years ago. Back then, she fell for Alex from the very first second. He had this special aura, the self-confidence of a successful young man with the world at his feet. She remembers unrestrained sex scenes, flaming desire that was ahead of the future. She could never have imagined that this desire would one day be extinguished. A thought that makes her sad. When was the last time they undressed each other? When was the last time he passionately overwhelmed her, no questions asked, no consent? Liz loved his dominant attitude; she always just wanted to be a wife, fulfill a role, have children, run the household, take care of the garden, be a lover and a mother at the same time. She felt desired; Alex, in turn, loved her submissive nature. He was the perfect counterpart to their joint mise-en-scène.

In the light of a blurred reflection, she feels a certain longing in her lower abdomen, a tingling sensation that can only cope with this usual routine in discomfort. It’s this inner restlessness that constantly reminds her to give in to her desire without restraint, to relinquish control, just like at the beginning of a promising affair.

On Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. sharp, Liz allows herself a little time out, then visits the local indoor pool, just like on this cloudy Monday morning, when people, just like her, take control of their everyday lives again in order to work through their usual list. The water envelops her like a warm blanket; she feels completely free in this state. Back then, she was one of the best swimmers in the country. Alex came to every competition and cheered her on from the pool’s edge. Afterward, he would sneak to the showers in the women’s changing room. He got down on his knees in front of Liz to show his sense of honor. Carefully he pushed her swimsuit aside and slipped his fingers under her wet hem before licking her slit and plunging his tongue deep inside her. After he had brought her to climax, he gazed at her swollen labia and gently slipped the swimsuit back on. Satisfaction filled his eyes.

Liz could feel her inner restlessness growing louder and louder after all these years of unsatisfying sex scenes, the monotony, almost helplessness while clinging to each other in missionary position. After all these years, what can you expect, she thinks. As usual, Liz finishes her twelve lengths and goes to the small Finnish sauna. Beforehand, she grabs a towel and a pillow for her eyes. Today, she is all alone in the sauna, but sometimes, she hears the door open, and someone joins her. In these moments, she enjoys seeing nothing, knowing nothing, so that she can completely surrender to her fantasies. Her skin and her devotion are electrifying. She touches her sweaty thighs and caresses her lush, round breasts, on which goose bumps form. The scent of lavender and pinewood evoke wild thoughts. Liz imagines many hands exploring her body, several fingers disappearing into all her openings, how she writhes with pleasure, how she comes, squirts in the process, and how the sweat unites with her secretions. Half passed out, she hears the door click. Her ears listen to the steam on the hot stones, and she notices how the heat increasingly inflames her body. She enjoys keeping her eyes closed so she can only guess who sits below on the wooden bench and how this person examines her divine body.

For an instant, Liz’s breath pauses as a hand touches her knee and slowly moves upwards to make its way between her thighs. The fingers are soft and moist, just as moist as her sweaty body, which mixes with the sweetness of her erection. One finger slowly explores her opening while the other hand spreads her thighs apart. Liz tenses up before giving herself into to the welcome sensation, sliding out inch by inch on the wood of the Finnish sauna. She feels the finger absorbing her wetness, moving up and down her labia before penetrating her. A wistful sigh leaves her lips. She has longed for this moment for so long. The finger changes speed, circling her inner walls, thrusting its full length into her before withdrawing again, while another finger subtly touches her anus, and a thumb presses on her clit. She joyfully receives the circular movements on her clit as well as the desire to be anally satisfied while two more fingers slide into her. The finger on her bottom is very gentle, pressing slowly and carefully into her tightness. Liz is overwhelmed by this interplay of small, delicate touches and simultaneously targeted, violent thrusts around her sex so that she begins to twitch unconsciously with excitement and remains in a hollow back. Two fingers in her vagina, one finger in her ass, and one on her clit. She can no longer bear the heat and the variety of stimulation as she squirts her glowing juice onto the towel. Exhausted, Liz pulls the pillow off her eyelids and looks into satisfied eyes. She hasn’t let herself go like this for a long time and felt so wonderful.