It was dark; the air was thick with the smell of incenses. Candles were lit sporadically around the room, creating an eerie ambiance. The flames jumped with each movement of the robed individuals surrounding her. Her hands were chained above her head; her back pressed against a large, hard board. She felt disoriented and groggy. The last thing she remembered was sitting down for dinner with her mother and sister. She struggled against the chains around her wrists; they clattered noisily together.
"No need to struggle, dear daughter," she heard her mother say. She was standing next to her dawned in a dark blue robe that was almost black. Half of her face was hidden by the hood of the robe. Her hand rested gently on her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. She saw the flash of her mother's white teeth in the flicker of the light.
"You have no idea how lucky you are," her sister said. Her voice was dripping with bitterness and jealousy. Lucky? How was she lucky? She went to speak, but her tongue felt thick and heavy in her mouth. Her mother's hand smoothed back her hair away from her face. She leaned in a gently pressed her lips against her cheek.
"I am so proud," she whispered. Proud? When had her mother ever been proud of her? Her sister was always the protégé. She was her mother's golden child. She never gave her much thought unless she was in trouble. Why now? What were they going to do? She pulled away. All her mother did was laugh and pat her head. Her mother and sister stepped away and disappeared into the shadows. She was left there, on display.
The chanting began. Her mother and sister weren't the only ones in the room, she realized. Several voices joined into the incantation. She could make out male and female voices. Their voices were a collective croon, intermingling to create a hypnotic and ominous cadence. She felt her pulse throbbing against her skin; her hair on the nape of her neck stood on end. She struggled against her binds as fear gripped her chest. What were they doing? Why did she feel like she needed to run? She jerked and pulled and twisted against the chains, trying desperately to get away.
A large, intimidating figure stepped in front of her. They were wearing the same robe as her mother and sister. Their face was obscured, but she could make out the curve of a smile on their full lips. They held a small, ivory box in their hands. The box had strange, red designs painted along the off-white surface. Her breathing quickened at the sight of the box. It seemed unimposing but her thundering heart told her differently. She could hear the rustle of fabric as the people began to sway. The flames of the candles danced erratically, threatening to blow out because of the movement. She searched for her mother and sister within the darkness.
"Mom. Mom," she whispered, hoarsely. Something was beginning to seep out of the box. It was strangely clicking as pieces started to move and rotate. Blue-black ooze trickled from the cracks, spilling over the hands of the person who held it. They didn't seem to notice as the sludge dripped like blood onto the ground. The box clacked and twisted; the ooze poured faster. No one appeared to be affected by this display. They continued to chant and rock in an eerie unison. The muck was spreading across the floor. A foul odor masked the sweet smell of incense in a sickening scent of decay. Without warning, the slop stopped flowing from the box.
There was a small ticking sound. Slowly, the box began to blossom. That was the best way she could describe it. The top of it began to open in short, jerky movements until it fully bloomed. Nothing happened. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until she felt the burn in her chest. Suddenly, something shot out of the box like a rocket, shrieking loudly. She winced, wishing she could cover her ears from the horrible sound. The object fell into the ooze with a strange plop; it was quickly eaten up. What was going on? What was that, she wondered. She looked up, searching for an explanation. The behemoth before her stepped back with their head bowed and still holding onto the box.
Her head jerked up when she heard something hiss her name. An arm shot from the dark ooze and slammed onto the floor. What the fuck? She pushed herself further back into the board against her back. Her feet scraped desperately against the wood. Another arm erupted from the slime; something was pulling itself out of the substance; a head emerged then a torso and finally the legs and the feet. Ooze covered the entire body. It dripped from the crouching form in massive globs. She wanted to scream; she wanted to escape. She was trapped. She couldn't move. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the thing in front of her. She looked around desperately for her family.
The creature glanced; a pair of bright blue eyes stared into hers. It smiled with a flash of surprisingly white teeth. The substances dripped down the bridge of the creature's nose and its cheeks. A blanket of hair fell around its features, slick with the disgusting slop. The creature slowly rose to its feet. She could make out a curvy and petite figure underneath the ooze. There was a blue diamond on her chest, untouched by the slime. The swamp-like creatures staggered forward to her, arms outstretched. She panicked and screamed. It was a hoarse, soft cry of absolute terror.
"Don't fight it!" She heard mother scold her from somewhere deep in the room. Don't fight it? Like hell, she wouldn't. She thrashed against her restraints and kicked out her legs to assault the creature coming toward her. The creatures grabbed her leg; the ooze curled around her thigh. She tried to scream again, but the creature lurched forward quickly and placed a greasy finger against her lips. A sweet 'shh' slipped from the creature's lips. With the other hand, the creature ran the back of its fingers against her cheek.
"Dear, sweet child, "a raspy voice filled her head. "So strong, so lovely."
The creature was so close to her. The ooze was falling away from its face, revealing more of its features: tan skin, blue eyes, a straight nose, a soft jaw, a mouth with a fuller bottom lip and high cheeks. Her eyes widened as she stared at her face. The creature smiled again, stroking her cheeks and whispering something that she couldn't understand. It leaned closer to her. She felt the warm breath against her lips as the creature gazed into her eyes and used Lapis' chin to tilted her head. Warm lips touched hers, soft and tender, as wet tongue slipped between her mouth. A rough hand gripped her head, pressing her closer into the kiss. The creature pushed her body against hers. She could feel the coldness of the diamond against her skin and the curves of her body. She heard the voice in her head again.
"Dear, sweet child. You are mine."
