Page 8 of Gorgeous Nightmare

“Hello?” I whisper into the room.

No answer.

I step into the darkness as it drapes over me like a shadowy veil, the outside light disappearing into nothingness as if it were snuffed out completely.

The only glow in the room comes from those same candles, black and low-burning, flickering like they’re about to witness something wicked.

My eyes take a couple of seconds to adjust, and then I see it.

Look, I know curiosity killed the cat, but if you were in my shoes, you would investigatetoo.

My legs step forward, seemingly at their own volition, and a lump begins to form in my throat at the sight before me.

Tyler lies there, naked and tied up like an offering to the Gods. He’s covered in dried blood, and his body is filled with gashes so deep you can see the different layers of tissue beneath his skin. His arms are tied above his head with ropes winding so tightly around him that you can see the bruises forming on his body.

Symbols are etched into the floor around him, arranged too precisely to be accidental, glistening like fresh ink. Gods, I really hope it’s just ink.

This is a dream, this isn’t real.

I keep repeating the same mantra in my head like this isn’t some fucked up joke my mind is playing on me.

Then I feel it.

The air around me shifts.

It grows colder.

Darker.

More suffocating.

Then I hear it.

“This isn’t a dream, my child. You are here in flesh and bone. Same as thatparasite,” the last word is a hiss that lingers in the air too long, like a snake before it’s going to attack.

“I-I’m sorry, but I don’t understand,” I reply, confusion coating my tongue.

The flames glow brighter, and I notice a small obsidian bowl and a mirror set up between Tyler’s legs. I creep closer and touch the red velvet fabric under him; it feels like butter and is softer than anything I've ever felt.

Inside the bowl sits some red crystals, snake skin, a knife, and an assortment of red and black feathers.

No idea what that is about, but… sure, why not, right?

I reach out and grasp a feather between my fingers, and my body goes blank. My head flies back, forcing me to look up at the endless ceiling. My eyes roll back as my arms and legs tingle, a feral screech tearing from my throat.

I have no idea what drugs they gave Tyler, but that sound should’ve woken the dead. My hand reaches for the knife, and I try to resist, but I’m no longer in control of myself.

Before I can comprehend what’s happening, I’m on top of Tyler, straddling his leg. An unknown weight pushes me down, creating a warm friction between my legs.

“You know what you must do, my child. Seduce and destroy. It’s what you were made for.”

The voice is in my head now, a siren’s song entangling me in its trance. Tyler’s eyes begin to open, and the fear takes over almost instantly.

“You fucking bitch!” Tyler roars, trying to get his hands on me, but he can’t move.

He’s trapped.

Oh, how the table’s have turned you bastard fuck.

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