Struggle
He felt the beast within. Felt it call to him... taunt him.. tempt him.... 'She's only down the hall.' The harsh whisper rang in his ears. 'She's alone'
"No." Jekyll clenched his fists in his lap, reveling in the sharp bite of his nails in the soft flesh of his palms. The quivering of his hands drew his attention.
'Weak... you are so very weak'
"No." Fighting the lure of the beast, he felt a sheen of sweat coat his forehead. "I make the choices... I make the decisions."
'Then drink it, fool. Drink it, Henry... and take her.'
"No." It was more than unsettling, it was debilitating. This overwhelming fear.. the overwhelming urges. He needed control.
'Henry... Henry... I know you're listening, Henry...'
"Stop."
'Take her..."
"Monster."
'Of your own creation.'
The taunting tone grated on his nerves, rubbing them raw, flailing them open and bleeding within his soul.
Sweat began to pour in earnest down the side of his face, rivulets of fear and self loathing coursing along his icy skin. Truth be told, Henry found himself near tears, but he would never be able to say it aloud or look himself in a mirror, because there he was... the monster inside... barely controlled... pushing him to-
"Henry?"
He nearly jumped out of his skin. How had she come in without him knowing?
"Mis... Missus Harker, may I be of assistance to you?" The question, the essence of his voice was weak and thready. He hated the way he sounded in her presence.
"I wondered if you... needed help."
Good Lord, he thought, she thinks I'm going over the edge.
'She knows, Henry.'
"Leave me alone!" He ground out the words, biting out at the monster in his desperation.
"Good Night, Doctor Jekyll." The chill in her voice was deadly... infinitely sharp. She turned back to the door and set a hand on the frame. He couldn't tell, but it looked like she was shaking.
He felt deathly cold and infernally stupid. "Missus Harker, my apologies, that statement was not for you."
She looked back over her shoulder, the feral glow in her eyes dimming as she spoke. "Who then, Doctor Jekyll?"
"No one to concern you, Missus Harker."
She paused and Jekyll stole a glance at her elegant neck, pale like a column of the finest marble. He could smell her sweetness from across the room. Inhaling her fragrance like a man fresh from a hunger strike he could nearly taste her skin against his tongue.
It was only when he felt his mouth go dry from wanting that he realized it was only Edward, trying again to assert his control.
"Perhaps you should... leave, Missus Harker."
He winced. Even he could hear the waver in his tone, the shiver in his voice. Good Lord, what must she think of me?
The elegant curve of her fingers caressed the pristine white wall beneath her hand. "Perhaps I should stay."
There they were, the words he had hoped to hear.
'Henry...'
He felt the chill of icy sweat course down his spine. Hyde! When would the monster sleep?
"I... that is... you should... go."
The words bludgeoned him with their own cold tone and dismissive cruelty.
The lush curve of her back, free from corseted torture, straightened a fraction of an inch. Inside, he groaned.
"Very well, Doctor. I shall bother you no more this evening."
She was gone in a breath of air, the still open door yawning open before him.
Taunting him with laughter, Hyde continued his assault. There would be no end to the struggle tonight.
The End
He felt the beast within. Felt it call to him... taunt him.. tempt him.... 'She's only down the hall.' The harsh whisper rang in his ears. 'She's alone'
"No." Jekyll clenched his fists in his lap, reveling in the sharp bite of his nails in the soft flesh of his palms. The quivering of his hands drew his attention.
'Weak... you are so very weak'
"No." Fighting the lure of the beast, he felt a sheen of sweat coat his forehead. "I make the choices... I make the decisions."
'Then drink it, fool. Drink it, Henry... and take her.'
"No." It was more than unsettling, it was debilitating. This overwhelming fear.. the overwhelming urges. He needed control.
'Henry... Henry... I know you're listening, Henry...'
"Stop."
'Take her..."
"Monster."
'Of your own creation.'
The taunting tone grated on his nerves, rubbing them raw, flailing them open and bleeding within his soul.
Sweat began to pour in earnest down the side of his face, rivulets of fear and self loathing coursing along his icy skin. Truth be told, Henry found himself near tears, but he would never be able to say it aloud or look himself in a mirror, because there he was... the monster inside... barely controlled... pushing him to-
"Henry?"
He nearly jumped out of his skin. How had she come in without him knowing?
"Mis... Missus Harker, may I be of assistance to you?" The question, the essence of his voice was weak and thready. He hated the way he sounded in her presence.
"I wondered if you... needed help."
Good Lord, he thought, she thinks I'm going over the edge.
'She knows, Henry.'
"Leave me alone!" He ground out the words, biting out at the monster in his desperation.
"Good Night, Doctor Jekyll." The chill in her voice was deadly... infinitely sharp. She turned back to the door and set a hand on the frame. He couldn't tell, but it looked like she was shaking.
He felt deathly cold and infernally stupid. "Missus Harker, my apologies, that statement was not for you."
She looked back over her shoulder, the feral glow in her eyes dimming as she spoke. "Who then, Doctor Jekyll?"
"No one to concern you, Missus Harker."
She paused and Jekyll stole a glance at her elegant neck, pale like a column of the finest marble. He could smell her sweetness from across the room. Inhaling her fragrance like a man fresh from a hunger strike he could nearly taste her skin against his tongue.
It was only when he felt his mouth go dry from wanting that he realized it was only Edward, trying again to assert his control.
"Perhaps you should... leave, Missus Harker."
He winced. Even he could hear the waver in his tone, the shiver in his voice. Good Lord, what must she think of me?
The elegant curve of her fingers caressed the pristine white wall beneath her hand. "Perhaps I should stay."
There they were, the words he had hoped to hear.
'Henry...'
He felt the chill of icy sweat course down his spine. Hyde! When would the monster sleep?
"I... that is... you should... go."
The words bludgeoned him with their own cold tone and dismissive cruelty.
The lush curve of her back, free from corseted torture, straightened a fraction of an inch. Inside, he groaned.
"Very well, Doctor. I shall bother you no more this evening."
She was gone in a breath of air, the still open door yawning open before him.
Taunting him with laughter, Hyde continued his assault. There would be no end to the struggle tonight.
The End
