Page 15 of Let Me Win You

It all seemed too real, too weird, and too unsettling to be just a dream.

Jumping from the bed, I ran to the edge of the floor to look out. I was on the second level of the structure of open floors and suspended walkways that connected them. It looked like a fun, sprawling vacation house with lots of open spaces, billowing curtains, and green leaf canopies. Except that I was far from being in a fun vacation mood.

How did I get here?

The last I remembered, I was warm and comfy, snuggling into Invi’s chest under the covers in my hotel room while falling asleep.

Had I been kidnapped?

If so, who kidnapped me? Invi?

A sharp pinch of disappointment shot through my chest. Did I trust too easily? Again? Only this time, the consequences seemed to be even more dire than just a broken heart.

But why would he do this to me? And how could I have read him so wrong?

Maybe it wasn’t him who took me. Maybe he was a victim too?

There was no one else on this floor with me. No one to ask my questions.

I scanned the area around the strange house. It was surrounded by a lush, green forest that extended as far as I could see in three directions. On the fourth side, the forest gave way to fields and valleys, with a bubbly creek running nearby. And beyond the fields, I spotted a line of buildings.

It looked like a town. Which meant there’d be people, and I could get help and hopefully some answers.

Instead of stairs or a ladder, I found a spiral ramp to get down to the ground floor that opened to a grassy area by a tall willow tree with a table under it. The table was set with dishes for two, but there were no people either on the patio or anywhere else as far as I could see. Just a few wild ducks floated peacefully in the calmer part of the creek with fragrant patches of blooming calla lilies on each side of the water.

A narrow path behind the willow tree followed the creek toward the fields. I hoped it’d lead me all the way to the town.

Barefoot and wearing only the flimsy camisole, I contemplated whether I should first search the giant tree house for some shoes and clothes.

A splashing came from downstream, then a man appeared from behind the willow tree, moving smoothly through the water that reached him up to his waist.

The man looked eerily similar to Invi. Except that not only his eyes were emerald, his entire body was green. He shimmered and appeared almost transparent, including the long hair streaming behind his back and…a pair of long horns spiraling up from his head.

Horns?

Shock seized my limbs.

I staggered backwards as he slid closer through the creek as if propelled by some invisible engine under the water.

The only normal thing about this man was the wicker basket covered with a red-and-white checkered cloth that hung casually from the crook of his elbow. Real and solid, without a speck of shimmer, the basket looked largely out of place with that creature.

The bizarre green man didn’t appear to notice me, humming something under his breath. As he reached the patio with the table, I realized how large he actually was, probably at least twice my height. He moved toward the area with the table. The water dropped past his hips and lower on his way out of the creek, revealing…nothing. He had no dick, no thighs, or feet. Instead, his hips smoothly extended into a long, never-ending tail that snaked out of the water and coiled on the grass under the willow tree.

I gasped, choked by horror.

And now, the monster saw me.

“Nicole?” he exclaimed in surprise.

I screamed and ran.

I bolted in the opposite direction from him, without paying attention to where I was going. Panic spurred me out of the forest and through the fields.

“Nicole!” the monster shouted behind me in a deep rumbling voice that sounded a little like Invi’s, if Invi were to yell in a cave during an earthquake.

I ran faster, pumping my arms and gasping for air. My chest burned with effort. My right side pinched with pain. My boobs hurt, bouncing without a bra. I was not a runner, but horror gave me unexpected endurance and strength.

The grass in the field rustled behind me.

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