Chapter 3
After Mercy left the fire slowly faded from Vincent's eyes and he came back to himself. Mercy wasn't Ethyl and now he felt regret for how he had treated her. The pain began to grow again in the back of his mind. If just her presence could cause him to completely loose control like that, they were all doomed. He had to turn off the emotions like he had ever since . . . He didn't want to think about Ethyl anymore, but now the memories were being dredged up and there was nothing he could do to stop them . . .
No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stay away. Time and again he'd return to her world. She said she'd come back but the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years. He just had to see her. That would be enough. Just to know she was okay. But it wasn't enough. He tried to ignore the pain in his heart. He refused to admit how much he needed her and how much her absence affected him. Sometimes when he came to her world he would stay for days in the apartment building opposite hers. He'd watch her as she passed by her window. When he'd see her leave her building and go to the bar around the block, he would go up to the roof and watch her from there. Unable to wait any longer, he had even called her once and asked her if she was ready to return with him. She told him she needed more time . . .
He recalled one of the nights he had visited, one of the darkest for him . . .
In his apartment after listening to the endless ring of the line she refused to pick up he set the phone on the coffee table and began to sing . . .
"The city streets are wet with rain tonight
The taxi drivers swerve from lane to lane
A lonely guitar man playin' down the hall
Midnight blues comin' through the walls
I tried to call you on the telephone
I left it off the hook just to hear it ring
You told me you were better off alone
I never knew that tears could sting . . ."
Vincent saw her down below on the street leaving her apartment so he immediately went to the roof. Just as he thought, she had gone around the corner to the bar. He continued to watch her, the pain growing by the minute as he saw her meet up with friends. Saw her laughing, seemingly without a care. Even though he came from a different world, it wasn't really that far if you just reached for it. But right now in her own world he might as well be on a different planet.
"I'm on the roof and I'm starin' at the stars
Lookin' down at all the cars
I can see you
In the window of your favorite corner bar
But to reach you is just too far
And I might as well be on Mars
The city seems so old and grey and beat
It closes in and makes me wanna suffocate
And you just live across the street
But that's a billion miles away
You've turned my world into a dark and lonely place
Like a planet lost in space, my light's fadin'
I'd cross the universe to be right where you are
But I'm right in your backyard
And I might as well be on Mars
I might as well be on Mars
You can't see me
I might as well be the Man on the Moon
You can't hear me
Oh, can you feel me so close and yet so far
Baby, I might as well be on Mars
Baby, I can't fly
If I could I'd come down to ya
Maybe I should try . . . ."
He stepped to the edge of the roof and looked down. His pain and desperation was so great at that moment he wanted to put and end to it. Eventually he stepped back. He was a King. He had a Kingdom to look after. He couldn't let his feelings for a woman control him like this. This would be his farewell. He wouldn't come back here again. He'd just wait and hope that she would come back to him.
"I'm on the roof and I'm starin' at the stars
Lookin' down at all the cars
I can see you
In the window of your favorite corner bar
But to reach is just too far
And I might as well be on Mars
I might as well be on Mars
You can't see me
I might as well be the Man on the Moon
You can't hear me
Oh, can you feel me so close
And yet so far
Baby, I might as well be on Mars
Yeah I might as well be on Mars
I might as well be on Mars
I might as well be on Mars . . ."
His words echoed in the air as he vanished from the building to return to his World.
Vincent snapped out of the memory. Ethyl had taken him to such a dark place then, but her return would send him somewhere much darker. When she came back she had brought with her much more than he had bargained for. Causing him to go straight into the depths of Hell to try and fix it. But the result only left him and his kingdom in a never-ending grey, a world devoid of sun.
Slowly Mercy's door handle turned and the snakes slithered into the room. The constrictor transformed into human form. He gazed upon the girl in the bed. Her beauty which gave the impression of innocence called to his human self, intensifying his need. He ripped the covers from the bed.
Mercy jolted awake to find a man standing over her. He was very naked and extremely muscled. She didn't stand a chance. She tried to scream, but he clamped a hand over her mouth before any sound could come out. Still, she kicked and tried to push him away. Her hands clawed at his face. The boa signalled to the others. The four pythons slithered up the foot of the bed then twisted around her wrists and ankles, effectively holding her limbs to each post of the bed, just like rope.
The hand lifted briefly from her mouth. She was about to scream, but his hand moved around her throat and squeezed instead. "You don't want to scream, believe me you don't." He kissed her harshly, his body weight now pressing down on her.
His concentration temporarily broken, his body flickered back to snake form. His long length slid over her thigh, across her belly, her breast, . . . Mercy screamed. Immediately the constrictor turned back into a man, hand around her throat. "I told you to be quiet!" Turning her face to the side, his still forked tongue licked her cheek, tasting her skin. His weight was crushing her and his hand kept squeezing her throat . . .
Vincent was pacing his bed chambers when he felt a burning pain stab his heart. He staggered back then heard her scream in his head. A silent pea for help. He steadied himself. In the back of his mind the question: how could be he connected to her like this? Not stopping to think about an answer, he turned to one of his mirrors, willing it to show him the girl. The black glass changed to reveal what was happening to her. His eyes darkened with fury, sparks seeming to crackle within them.
A tear ran down Mercy's cheek. Not again, she silently pleaded. Suddenly Vincent appeared by the bed, a whip in hand. It cracked through the air and wrapped around the boa's human neck. Vincent yanked it hard. The man fell back over the edge of the bed and returned to his original form. Then before any of the other snakes could react, Vincent exchanged his whip for a rapier sword and cut through each one of the snakes holding her. They fell to the ground, but their bodies rejoined.
"Get out," Vincent said in a low menacing voice, just seething with anger. They all slithered quickly from the room. Vincent followed and closed the door behind him. Mercy could hear him calling guards to escort them to the dungeon until he had time to deal with them.
Vincent returned. Mercy was curled up on the bed, shaking. He caught up the covers from the floor and threw them over her. He removed his gloves and took her wrists. They were raw from struggling. Then he touched her neck, healing the bruises there. He sat on the edge of the bed for a while as she stared blankly ahead. He cursed himself for not foreseeing this. Even though she was causing him pain, physically and emotionally, at the very least she didn't deserve this. Even with his past experiences and all that had happened, he couldn't stop himself from feeling. He began to sing softly.
"I wish I could tell you something you didn't know
I wish I could give you something you didn't own
I wish I could tell you a joke to make you smile
And I could be with you awhile
Just wanna be that someone you weren't looking for
Some nameless fascination that showed up at your door
And when you're sad and blue my jokes still make you smile
And I could be with you awhile
I just want to take you somewhere you haven't been
Find an old time movie where we don't know the end
Lost in the radio, drive another mile
So I could be with you awhile
I just wanna be that someone you weren't looking for
Some nameless fascination that showed up at your door
And when you're sad and blue my jokes still make you smile
And I could be with you awhile
Tired of serious conversation
Tangled up in situations
I feel so free 'cause you want nothing from me
Just wanna be that someone you weren't looking for
Some hopeless vagabond asleep there on your floor
And when you're old and gray my jokes still make you smile
And I could be with you awhile
I Just wanna be that someone you weren't looking for
Some nameless fascination that showed up at your door
And when you're old and gray my jokes still make you smile
And I could be with you awhile
I just want to be with you awhile
I just want to be with you awhile
I just want to be with you.…"
His unexpectedly sweet song gave Mercy the courage to finally speak. "Why do they always attack me? I know most women can walk around freely without worrying about a man trying to attack and abuse them. For me it hasn't been just one man but several."
"Maybe the evil in the world sees you as light and goodness. It attracts them. They want to try and find the other halves of their souls, but in reality they lost them to the devil a long time ago and nothing can bring it back."
"What about you? They say you went into Hell to close the gate, but I don't believe you lost your soul."
"Maybe not, maybe I lost something else."
"If you are talking about your heart, I don't believe you lost that either. You've just buried it deep, but you've had good reasons to." He eyed her suspiciously wondering where she got the information about his past. "Alice told me, don't be too hard on him. All women are not like her, you know."
"And all men are not like the ones you've known." He stood up, replacing his gloves on his hands, about to leave.
"No, please stay with me a while. I feel safe with you."
"Even after what happened on the balcony?"
"I know you were in pain. You just surprised me." She smiled, "You may look like the devil, but appearances can be deceiving."
Vincent for once smiled too. He sat back down on the bed.
"Hold me please."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can."
"No." He stood up again and paced away. "You do things to me. You make me feel things I haven't felt in a long time. Things I should never feel again. It can only lead to disaster." He clutched his head. There was that fire again. He sank to his knees. "I don't want you to see me like this."
"But, I want to help you."
"You can't, nobody can." He spoke through clenched teeth. "I just have to find out how to save this world or die trying and if I do succeed, you can go back Aboveground. You won't ever be able to make it back here, but on the slim chance that you do, I'll have to kill you. I won't risk my kingdom again."
Mercy eyes widened, but she knew he had been hurt badly before, had been betrayed and was at his wits end trying to find a way to save the land which he'd had to watch die over the years. She had to help him. She could feel his pain now too, like they were connected.
Clutching a sheet around her she went over to him. Kneeling in front of him, she took his hands from his head. "Look at me." He did. He looked into her grey-blue eyes and was nearly lost in their endless skies. She took one of his hands and held it to her heart then placed her other hand on his chest, over his heart. She felt the connection.
After a moment the pain in Vincent's head receded. He didn't know how she did it, but maybe there was hope for their world after all. His eyes travelled down to see where his hand rested on her chest. The sheet had fallen down, revealing her breasts. He closed his eyes. She was such a temptation. Her lips parted. She was breathing heavily from the effort of getting his pain under control. The way her thick, wavy, brown hair fell all around her shoulders . . .
He shouldn't even think of her. Especially after all that happened, the attack she had just endured. But she was a temptation, probably sent by the devil himself.
Mercy saw he was struggling with his inner thoughts. The pained look on his face was emotional not physical this time. She wanted to help him. She brought her hand up and touched his face. "Vincent . . ."
His eyes snapped open, dark yet charged with electricity. He grabbed her hand. She licked her lips, a nervous habit. He sang . . .
"Don't touch your lips, don't wear your hair like that
I feel your presence all around me
Don't get too close, don't move your eyes like that
Because they're deep enough to drown me
It don't get hot like this in Heaven
You fool me with your angel face
Your master knows where I'm my weakest . . .
Mercy please, I'm on my knees
You're my temptation
Measure my faith, the devil's awake
He knows you're my temptation
Don't call my name, don't brush my cheek like that
I curse the day that I found you
Don't touch my skin, don't dance around like that
I feel damnation all around you
And so I raise my voice to Heaven
Please hide me in some holy place
Protect my soul, I'm almost human . . .
Mercy please, I'm on my knees
You're my temptation
Look down and see, deliver me
From my dark sensation
Give me faith, let me wait
You're my temptation . . ."
Mercy glanced down and saw the evidence of how much he wanted her. No matter what he said, he needed her. "Come to me," she softly called him.
"You're such a liar."
She wasn't put off by his accusations. She tried again, "Won't you come to me."
Vincent started to bend. "Move closer to the fire," He dared.
"Just come to me."
"No, no, no." he put his hands over his ears to block out her soft tempting voice, but it didn't work he could hear her in his head, though he thought it was more likely an illusion the Devil had created to torment him.
"Won't you come to me and I will set you free . . ."
"No, no, no, no . . .
Mercy please, I'm on my knees
You're my temptation
Measure my faith, the devil's awake
He knows you're my temptation
Mercy please, I'm on my knees
You're my temptation
Go away in Heaven's name
You're my temptation
Oh, go away, just go away
My dark sensation . . ."
She saw the conflict in him. He believed she could only bring him ruin. Even after all she had been through, she couldn't explain it. She just heard the need in his voice, saw it in his eyes and his expression, and felt an answering need in her.
She let the sheet fall to the floor as she leaned forward and kissed him and this time he didn't feel any pain only explosive pleasure. This kiss was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was pure electricity an adrenaline rush. He kissed her back, hard. It had been so long.
Finally they broke apart, gasping for breath. He groaned, "You start this, there's no going back," Vincent warned.
"I don't care. I want someone to make love to me who I know won't hurt me at the same time."
"How do you know I won't? You could be wrong. I could be the Devil."
"No, I know because I've seen the look in your eyes when you told me what happened to your mother, the disgust towards those creatures when you saved me a while ago. Please."
His soul, if he still had one, be damned. He didn't have to love her. Just use her, let go and do what he wanted. He would worry about the consequences later. Since when did he care so much?
Vincent picked her up easily then deposited her unceremoniously on the bed. She uttered a little cry of protest, before he quickly straddled her hips and, with gloves still on, ran his hands slowly over her neck, down her chest, and over her breasts. The cold leather on her skin was so erotic. She closed her eyes, inhaled sharply and arched her back, pushing her breasts into his hands. After stroking his thumbs over her nipples until they became tight and hard, he continued down, measuring her tiny waist and wide hips. Then he bent down and kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth.
She tangled her fingers in his thick black hair. Then her hands dropped to his shoulders and pushed his jacket off, but before she could get to his sleeveless shirt, Vincent grabbed her wrists and raising her arms above her head, pinned them with one hand. His mouth came back to hers, but instead of kissing her, he turned her face to the side and trailed his tongue down her neck, between her breasts and finally down to swirl around her belly button. Next he moved to kneel between her legs. His gloved hand now massaging its way up her inner thigh until it reached her core. He slipped one gloved finger inside her. Her hips jerked. His hand left her pinned arms to pin her hips instead. He slipped another finger inside, they moved rhythmically in and out. When she thought she could stand it no longer, he added a third. She tightened around him, her mind and body about to shatter when he suddenly removed his hand. He examined his glove and to her shock, licked the wetness from it.
"You taste good. See." He brushed it against her mouth. She licked her lips, tasting herself there. He kissed her roughly. She gasped when she felt his hand brush her nipple which immediately hardened as the moisture met cool air. His mouth settled upon her breast to suck off her essence as his thumb flicked her other nipple. With Mercy's hands now free, she attempted to remove his shirt again, but at the mere thought, Vincent did it himself. In fact all his clothes had disappeared. Before she even realized what he was doing, he shifted and thrust himself inside her. She cried out in surprise before pleasure quickly took over.
Vincent wanted to drive into her hard, with no mercy. Most likely it was due to the frustration and anger he felt from all that had happened in the past and though he refused to admit it, his desperate desire for her. But because she looked so innocent there beneath him-nothing like the Devil-he was able to hold himself in check and began with slow, deep strokes.
Mercy held him tightly to her now. Never had her past experiences been as pleasurable as this. He started to increase his momentum. She tried to hang on a little longer but couldn't. She climaxed around him, letting out a cry of pleasure. He spilled into her with something more like a strangled growl coming from his throat. He slipped out of her and collapsed beside her on the bed. I tear ran from her eye.
"Did I hurt you, or did you just realize you slept with the Devil?"
"No, I just want to thank you for showing me that making love can be all pleasure."
He stared at her for a moment, a strange feeling that he couldn't identify coming over him. Finally he put one arm around her. "Go to sleep," was all he could say. And since she was so tired, she did.
Everything was black. Not a sound could be heard. The dead silence was enough to drive a person mad. Then as his eyes adjusted, in the far distance all around him he saw an orange glow. He stared and the light seemed to dance. He began to feel a heat that grew warmer and warmer, becoming unbearable. Then he heard screams and moans. They gradually got louder, increasing in volume until his head pounded and he longed for the maddening silence to return.
He was in Hell. He stumbled forward in the darkness, trying to escape the voices, when in front of him two glowing eyes appeared.
"You have come to upset the balance of the Universe?" A deep rumbling voice asked in disbelief. "No one has ever attempted such a feat before. Lucky for you I enjoy causing havoc." He considered the proposition with some amusement. "But what makes you think you are strong enough to accomplish such a thing?"
"I have no choice."
The voice's amusement turned to anger with the complete lack of fear in Vincent's tone. "Everyone has a choice and everyone who ends up here has made the wrong ones in their sorry, pathetic lives. But you think you have power? You are NOTHING! You dare come to me to make a deal with the Devil? I'm the one who makes the deals and I don't think you're worthy. But I do think you would make a nice addition to my little collection down here." He laughed and the sound was one Vincent would never forget, the sound of someone who enjoys inflicting torturous pain.
Suddenly a hand the colour of blood with long, sharp, black talons reached forward through the darkness and grabbed him by the throat. Vincent felt an icy cold darkness spread through his body. His heart felt as if it were being crushed and his soul felt as though it were being torn from his body. Blood ran from his eyes and trickled from his mouth. Then his body felt like it was decaying on the spot. His hair turned gray, his eyesight dimmed, he wasted away, his skin became thin and stretched tight over his skeleton . . . Through it all the face he saw in his mind was Ethyl's. Then he watched her turn her back on him and walk away forever . . . And the torture continued . . .
Mercy was awakened by Vincent's murmurs. He tossed and turned in the darkness, but by the candlelight she could see the expression of pain on his face. She shook him awake.
Vincent opened his eyes and looked at Mercy, yet all he could see was Ethyl. His hand went around her throat and squeezed. "You did this!" She had destroyed their world, forcing him to go into Hell, yet still it changed nothing. Their world was still dying. He had suffered agonies in many different forms all because of her . . .
"Vincent," she choked out. "I'm M-Mercy. I-I'm not her. Pl-ease . . ." Her hands were on his, trying to prevent him from strangling her, but she risked reaching one up to lovingly cup his face instead. Suddenly the white light left his eyes. He quickly pulled his hand away and turned from her.
After catching her breath Mercy asked, "Where were you?"
"I was there . . . In Hell."
Mercy gasped. She could feel his pain. It radiated through him. "It's okay. You're here with me now."
"Or maybe I never left."
Mercy bit her lip, trying to hide her hurt. His comment wasn't directed at her, she told herself. She plucked up her courage, turning his face towards hers. "Look at me. You made it out."
"Maybe I should have stayed there."
"No!" Their eyes met, hers shining with tears, his burning with heat. She kissed him.
He was hesitant at first, but soon he felt like drowning in her and he became all consuming. He rolled her beneath him and kissed her with savage hunger. Then he lifted her legs over his shoulders and buried himself deep inside her.
Mercy cried out with surprise and pleasure . . . She could save him. Suddenly all that mattered was that she try . . .