Chapter 10: In a Killer's Arms
As Charlotte stared silently into his cold blue eyes, she found her body shaking evenly from both fear and chills. Her arms came up and wrapped themselves around her petite form before she turned away.
"You can't keep me here forever…." she quietly murmured as she stared off at the other side of the dark chamber.
"And who's going to stop me if I decide to?" The Horseman returned casually. All Charlotte could do is lightly shake her head in silent protest. The heavy sound of his boots echoed off the wooden floor as the Horseman slowly approached Charlotte from behind.
Charlotte tensed up as she felt his large hands place themselves on her shoulders before he forced her to turn around and face him; refusing to meet his piercing gaze, she kept her eyes fixed on the floor as his eyes slowly and carefully size her up. "You look horrible….." his voice softly grumbled in distaste.
Charlotte frowned before she cast her eyes up softly to glare up at the towering man before her, "How kind of you to notice…" she sarcastically threw back before she shrugged herself out of his grasp and took a step back till she found the back of her knees pressing into the bed behind her.
To her surprise, the Horseman himself took a step away as well before he softly jerked his ebony black head to the side, "The bathroom's over there. Go clean yourself up." He stated in a firm voice.
Charlotte glanced over in the direction he had been referring to and saw another closed door on the left side of the chamber. Then, she silently looked back at the Horseman and disobediently raised her chin at him.
When he saw how the young woman made no movement to go, the Horseman straightened up and took a menacing step towards her once more, "That was not a friendly suggestion, Mein Liebster." He spoke in a warning tone.
A fresh icy touch of trepidation slid down her spine and Charlotte nervously swallowed in return before she took a hesitant step towards the bathroom. As if she worried at any point the Horseman would lunge at her, she cautiously kept her lavender eyes on the man's form as she moved away.
Satisfied with this, the Horseman pulled back a bit and gave a quick nod, "Good girl." He stated in a voice so low it was practically a whisper. His blue eyes followed Charlotte's every step as she watchfully approached the bathroom door. She lowered one of her crossed arms from her chest to reach out and take hold of the door's handle, but the door flung itself open, revealing a candle lit room, even as her hand was still in midair.
The sudden action caused Charlotte to jump back in surprise which earned her a low snicker from behind. She glanced back over her shoulder to glare across at the fearsome man in the room; his response to her hostile eyes was a mere shrug of his shoulders and small smirk of amusement.
"Ugh!" she groaned out loud in disgust before she spun around and stomped into the bathroom, purposely slamming the door shut with a loud 'bang'. With trembling fingers she quickly locked it too. On the other side, she could hear the Horseman's laughter before all fell silent once more. And Charlotte could do nothing but stand there by that door for a few seconds to let everything try and sink in.
Here she was, with a monster of a man-a coldblooded killer, and she was completely alone. A hand came up and covered her mouth while she remained deep thought before finally stepping further into the room. Her other hand draped itself across her waist to grip her side as if seeking support while her eyes glued themselves to the floor. After drawing in a shaky breath, Charlotte looked up and gasped.
It took her only a moment to realize that what she was looking at was her own reflection in a mirror. And she was horrified at what she saw-her long strawberry blonde hair was a wild mess as it hung freely about her shoulders in knotted waves, and though her eyes were wide from fright, they stared back at her like two dull and seemingly lifeless orbs. Her very skin appeared to have been drained of its healthy color, leaving her pale from the night's events-even her lips had lost their rosy color.
The Horseman wasn't lying, Charlotte looked terrible... and that was just her face. When the young woman took some more time to fully look herself over in the mirror, heat stared flooding back to her cheeks-the ripped bodice of her gown had gotten so badly torn, that the top part of her corset was peeking out from underneath the material, exposing way too much skin for her liking. And if that wasn't bad enough, other parts of her ruined gown were hanging off her body like she herself was a walking corpse... or at least a harlot of some sort.
"And to think," Charlotte mortifyingly thought, "A man saw me likes this…" she finished remembering all too well how the Horseman's piercing gaze had traveled over her body as he carefully looked her over. She couldn't help but shudder at the thought.
When she finally pulled herself away from the mirror, Charlotte walked over to a large porcelain tub which was already and unexplainably filled with hot water. As the young woman gazed down into the inviting bath, her two hands reached behind her back and started on the task of undoing her laces. It a bit longer than usual for her to finish since her fingers kept shaking and ended up getting tangle in the strings once or twice, but when the ruined gown was loose enough, Charlotte let it fall off her shoulders and crumple into a pile on the floor.
With a gentle nudge of her foot, Charlotte kicked it aside before taking off her petticoats next and dropping them on top the pile as well; this pattern continued on till Charlotte was left standing completely naked- the only thing that wasn't taken off, was her special necklace. Before a chill could settle in her bones, the young woman proceeded by stepping up to the tub and climbing warily inside.
Its familiar heat and comfort instantly brought a sigh of pleasure from her lips as she sat back in the hot water till it stopped right below her neck. She lounged that way for a good ten minutes or so before locating some floral soap and body oils that had been placed in tiny bottles along the tub's edge to wash with. She gently but efficiently scrubbed every inch of her body down, including her hair before rinsing off.
Charlotte then slowly rose out of the tub and climbed out, much to her body's silent protesting. A moment later, after searching the room for a towel which she used to dry off with, the young woman quietly noticed the small visible scratches and colorful bruises that decorated parts of her body.
"So ghastly..." she noted out loud as she took the towel and secured it about her body. Then, the young woman found a seat on the rim of the tub where she could start wringing her wet hair out. As she finished with that simple task a couple minutes later, she was suddenly struck with an important revelation-clothes.
What on earth was she going wear? Her old clothes were dirty and damaged beyond repair and there was no way she would leave this bathroom wearing nothing more but a towel. Especially not with having a man like the Horseman be right outside the door waiting for her return. Just as panic began settling over Charlotte, she glanced over at the bathroom's exit and gasped softly. Hanging neatly on the back of the door, was a white silk slip, complete with a matching dressing gown, corset and lace panties. As Charlotte slowly rose from her seat by the tub, her brows furrowed with unmistakable suspicion.
"Those weren't there a few minutes ago…." She noted softly as she approached the neatly hanging clothing. With careful hands she took the things off the door and carried them over to a marble counter where she laid them out. Something was incredibly off about this but nonetheless, it looked like Charlotte would have no other choice. She dropped the towel and picked up the underwear; once the panties and corset were on her body, Charlotte reached for the slip and stepped into it before pulling it up to its proper place at her hips. The material felt wonderful against her bare skin and was just the right length as the hem stopped just past her ankles.
Finally, she grabbed the white dressing gown which was trimmed with lace along the neck and wrists and slipped that on as well before pulling it tight around her body so it hid her unmentionables from view. Then, she tied it securely in the front so that she was, so to speak, in a more presentable state of appearance.
Now that she was bathed and dressed, Charlotte spotted a hairbrush on the counter which she quickly used to brush out the tangles in her long hair; once the brush's strokes left her scalp tingling and her hair ran like damp silk down her back, she located some ribbon in a drawer and neatly weaved her hair back into a simple braid. Naturally, once that final task was complete, Charlotte thoroughly checked herself in the mirror and couldn't help the tiny satisfied smile that pulled at her lips. Not only did she look much better... she felt much better. The rosy color of her health and youth had been restored to her face by the bath and as a additional benefit, she now smelled of sweet, fresh wild flowers.
But that sudden feeling of cheerfulness was instantly crushed when she reminded herself that amidst everything, she still was at the Horseman's mercy. Unable to help it, Charlotte looked back over at the locked bathroom door and took a few small hesitant steps in its direction. When she was close enough, she leaned her ear in to see if she could detect any sign that the Horseman was still inside the room-but she was met by dead silence. Keeping as soundless as she could, Charlotte reached a hand out and unlocked the door before she firmly gripped its handle and gave it a soft turn. As she pulled the door open and peaked outside, she was met by darkness.
Cautiously, Charlotte opened the door all the way in hopes of adding a bit of light to the dark chamber before stepping out of the bathroom. Her eyes continuously searched the room for the Horseman's presence but thankfully could not find him in plain sight. Just as she was about to sigh of relief, her heart jumped inside her breast as a familiar voice spoke to her from an unseen spot in the room,
"White definitely becomes you." The Horseman's accented voice commented casually.
In a panic, the young woman spun about, trying desperately to locate the exact location from where the man's voice had come from. Within a few seconds, her lavender eyes landed on his dim silhouette which was leaning up against a blackened wall by the window. It was no wonder she couldn't see him initially. The man blended into the shadows almost perfectly. Instinctively, her hands came up to clutch the flimsy dressing gown more tightly around herself for security.
"You…..you're still here….." Charlotte pointed out, not even bothering to try and hid the disappointment in her tone. She heard the Horseman chuckle softly as he pushed himself off and slowly began to approach her newly frozen form.
"Why would I not be, little one?" he asked in sick amusement as he stopped right in front of Charlotte.
All Charlotte could do was shrug, "I….I don't know….." she confessed, "…..but surely you must have something better to do then wait around for….someone like me." She stated while trying to ease the light quivering in her voice.
Even in the dark, the Horseman's pale face seemed to glow, allowing the young woman to watch him arch an eyebrow up in curiosity. "Now what's that suppose to mean?" he asked.
Charlotte lowered her gaze to the floor, "I don't think I have to explain myself…." She answered. She heard with dread as the Horseman took a step closer and quickly closed off the distance between their bodies. With one finger, he placed in underneath her chin and forced her head upwards to stare him in the eyes. The clashing of lavender met with electrifying blue and after taking a moment to note the apparent uncertainly that was radiating off her form, the Horseman proceeded by using his pointer finger to firmly cup Charlotte's soft chin in his hand while using his thumb to lightly brush over the woman's full lips,
"And what if I want you to explain yourself." He threw back in his heavily accented voice.
Charlotte jerked away from his touch and retreated back a few steps, "Get use to disappointment." She fearlessly answered as she brought a hand up to clutch the crystal cross that hung down between her breasts. The Horseman's gaze followed this action and sneered openly as his eyes lingered a few seconds more on Charlotte's chest.
"How quaint." He mockingly noted, "…but I'm afraid my dear, whatever you may think, that silly little piece of jewelry will do you no good here." He informed nonchalantly. Charlotte stiffened up but remained silent. The Horseman smirked once more before speaking again,
"You must be tired…it's been a long day after all." He said.
At that moment, it dawned on Charlotte just how exhausted she really was-and sleep did not necessarily sound like such a bad idea. With cautious strides, Charlotte made her way back over to the canopy bed and stopped when she stood on its left side. She gazed suspiciously down on it for a moment or so as if she was trying to figure out if it would be safe or not. Then with one hand, she reached down and drew back the comforter and sheets. Stopping what she was doing, the young woman turned back around to face the Horseman and found him, with immense dread, already making his way towards her.
"What…what are you doing?" she asked frantically.
He stopped just a few feet from her, "What do you think?" he returned with a small grin that flashed his sharpened teeth.
"Y..you can't possibly think that you'll be staying in the same room as me." Charlotte pointed out. This statement caused the Horseman's grin to widen as he cocked his head to the side,
"And why not, Mein Liebling?" he asked. There was a look in his eyes that Charlotte did not like at all; immediately, a knot started forming in her stomach,
"It…it's just not…" Charlotte had to pause to think of the right word, "…proper." She clarified.
The Horseman gave a quick, unfeeling laugh, "Well I'm not exactly a man of propriety, dear one."
Charlotte quickly shook her head, "I won't have it." Her resolve was firm and to emphasize it, she crossed her arms over her chest.
The Horseman shrugged, "Well then…." He began as he took another step towards Charlotte. Before she could react, the Horseman scooped her up into his arms and carefully climbed onto the bed with her in his hold.
Charlotte yelped and instantly began struggling, but within a few seconds, she dreadfully found herself underneath the bed covers with the Horseman right behind her. He held her close to his body with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her in place.
"Horseman!" she horrifyingly exclaimed. The fear that was laced into her tone was undeniable, "Let go of me at once!" she demanded.
"Sleep." He answered. Charlotte let out a soft scream of protest as she continued her wiggling and futile struggles. Pretty soon the Horseman tightened his grip which in the end restrained most of Charlotte's movement. With a soft sob, she collapsed in his arms as tears began blurring her vision.
"Why this?" she asked in a tearful voice, "Have you not done enough to me already?"
"And what exactly am I doing?" the Horseman softly threw back as he spoke close to her ear in a rich, low voice.
Charlotte sniffed quietly, "You've taken me to your bed….." she whispered in trepidation. The Horseman sighed, "So I have. But I have neither touched you nor forced myself upon you in any way, so for now you have nothing to be afraid of." He spoke. Though his message was meant to provide just a hint of comfort to soothe the woman's obvious distress from her new position, Charlotte still tensed up at his words,
"…..for now?" she repeated in a soft voice. The Horseman only pulled her closer to his body before he nuzzled his head down to her warm neck and placed a light, chilling kiss right at the base of her throat.
"Schlafen Sie ein, Mein Engel." His words came out in a somewhat gentle tone.
And though Charlotte thought that this act right here was sinful and very improper, she couldn't stop the grip of exhaustion that was quickly taking over. She slowly closed her eyes for a minute, and soon found herself falling into a dreamless sleep.
German Translations:
Mein Liebling: My Darling
Schlafen Sie ein, Mein Engel: Fall asleep, My Angel