POISON

I Dream I am Running Through an Obscure Jungle, Plagued by a Thick Red Fog. In The End, I Can Only Bring Myself To Find The Infamous Man of The Hour, His Placid Regard Luminous in The Darkness.

Each Time He Seemed Only as Pleased To See Me.

. . .

Only The Piano Echoes Breached my Subconscious.

Coming From a Far Off place, Barely audible in The Beginning, as I am Sluggishly Regaining all of my Senses.

Darkness: How Long Had I Been Unconscious? And, as If On Cue, I Can Hear The Somber Music Come To a Close. Only Seconds Had Passed Before The Door Comes Open and The Chandelier is Suddenly Beaming, Fairly Dim, Forming The Lifeless Mood, and Forcing me To Turn my Head To One Side.

Dear Lord Of Mine . . . Here Comes The Sun.

The Demeanor is Seemingly Peaceful Though There is an Eerie Kind of Glimmer in his Gloriously Gray Pools of Life, Shining, Like a Pair of Crazy Diamonds in The Sky, as he Regards me.

I Labor To Prop Myself up in The Bed Before I Grasp One of my Legs is Immobile. Coming From Under Me I Can Hear a Clinking Sound. Upon Scanning For The Source I Find a Pair of Handcuffs Locked round One of my Legs, Holding me Chained To a Corner of The Dark Oak Bed Frame. "Pardon me", He Breaks The Silence. "I Feared If you Came To During my Absence You Could Begin To Panic Once More." I Force Myself To Remain Calm. Blink The Degrading Tears Nearly Building Off.

"Why are you Doing This?" I Manage To Keep my Tone Uniform, If Only For Long Enough. "If I Release You, Could You Promise To Do as I Say?" He Asked Ignoring my Senseless Inquiry. My Mind is Trying Dynamically To Remember The Many Hours, Though Each Single One Has Been Seemingly Scrubbed From my Mind. None The Less I am Trying Hopelessly To Piece Some of The Days Come and Long Since Passed. The Thing Inside me is Up again. The Raging, greedy, fiend of a Thing Kicking and Screaming, Thrashing Ferociously, all in The same Coaching me along.

"I Promise." The Solemn Pledge Escapes my Lips and Before I Can Blink He is by The End of The Bed Undoing The Cuffs Using a Small golden and gleaming Key. Soon as I am Freed I Jerk my Leg back and Finally Prop Myself Up, Pulling The Bedspread High Up around my Knees, and coiling my arms Mechanically around my Legs. Then he Rises, Squaring his Shoulders Off as he Does So. Only a Small Space Holds The Miniscule Boundary. "You Fear Me Though You Should Fear Yourself So Much More Rose", he recommences. "Tell me . . . What is Happening Here? I Sense You and I go Mad, Incapable of Reason. You Sense Me and Suddenly You are Heading For The Hills in The Dead of The Darkness."

Much Too Calm.

Much Too Cool.

"In The Beginning, When I Tracked You Down Hoping Only To Pass on To You Jason Taylor's Remains Proceeding his Inexplicable Passing, I desired Simply To Do This and Only This." Slickly he ambles closer, Only a couple of Paces, Before he Kneels alongside The Edge of The Bed, his Palms Lingering, Only Inches From Mine. "Then I See You. Headed Back From The Shops One Morning." This Rueful Smirk Cracks Through his Hard Mask. "You Had So Many Dogs – In The Beginning I Feared Those Unclean Things Did Belong To You, The Mangy Bunch. Then I Came Back. For Days all I Could Think To Do is Come Back. So I did – again and again Rose. I Looked To You and I Could Feel You . . . Could Feel You Designed To be Mine From The Beginning."

"Mind You I Tried To Keep Myself From You For So Long. So Many Days – So Many Weeks on End I Had Endured Rose. Then There You Came Trekking. Like Time Heard Us. Some Unseemly alarm gone off in The air and I could hardly Drive off and Hope for This To Pass . . . The hell if I did." In a Single Fluid Flash he is On The Bed Beside me and Cool Fingers are Tracing along one of my cheeks, his Thumb Lingering on my Lip. "I Could Hardly Take You Back To Your Drink, and The Bed of Misery You Lay in Every Day, Only Mopping The Hours Up as They Pass."

Then he Suddenly Pulled Back, Remaining Only Close Enough, So I Could Feel The Cool Clashes of air, brushing along my Pharynx, as The Lungsful Escaped Pale Plump Lips Fixed in a Hard Line. "I am Sure Here and For The Time You are Terrified of Me and You do Possess Every Possible Reason To Be. I Only ask You Oblige me To Make amends properly Rose. I Could Take Care of You. I Could Keep You Safe." I Had To Labor and Possibly Remember any Form of Speech. Remember Reason If Only The Mere Semblance.

"You Say Your Soul's Desire is To Keep me Safe?" I Finally Manage. "Then Please", I am Nearly Choking, "Take me Home . . . Take me Home Mr. Grey." This is my Final Plea. In The Same, None The Less, he is Shaking his Head. "No. Rosemary I Beg You To Find Reason!" his Speech Sounded Feverish, Though Never Lacking Urgency, and he Took my Hands Suddenly, Clasping Them in His. "You are Safe Here. The pair of us are Safe. If I simply released you from my charge – To Endure Seeing you Leave again", he Pauses and I Can See The mask harden . . . "The gods Forbid me Rose. I Could Hardly Forgive Myself."

Pale grays are Burning – Nearly Smoldering – as his regard holds Mine. "Dare I ask if You Care for a Drink", he is Offering, "Some Liquid courage perhaps?" There is No Use in arguing. No Use in Running. No Use in Ever Trying. I am Trapped in This Malicious Mansion, Dazed and Confused, Some place amid The Clouds. "Jack." I Have To Force The Single Syllable and The Hard Mask is Morphing once more Before my Eyes as his Expression Changes In To One of genuine Concern. "Very Well Then", his compliance Comes in an anxious Kind of Whisper. "Perhaps You Should Take Care To Clean Up. Brooks has assured me The apparel should Be To Your Liking."

Then he Suddenly Rises, Leaving me Feeling as Exposed as Ever, Before I Find a Hand is Being Offered To me. "I Dare Say You Sleep Sounder Than The Dead Miss Hale . . . and You Do Seem To Have So Much More To Say in Your Sleep", he adds. In The Same my Cheeks are Flushing and I Reach my Doggedness, Pushing The Bedspread aside, Before Taking his Hand, and Mr. Grey is Helping me Up So his Form is Soaring High Beyond Mine. From This angle he Resembles Some Kind of Cosmic Being: a dark angel in disguise Perhaps? The Likes of This magnificence, a graceless god so pure, and domineering, Likely Unimaginable in any comprehendible Sense.

For a Brief Spell he Seems To Be Drinking Me In, Like I am Some Personal Meal of His, an Oh So Special Order. Then he Closes his Eyes, Sighs, and Releases my Hand Before he is Backing Off For a Change. "I should Leave You To Tend Your Needs. You are To find your apparel in The Room Behind You, and a couple of accompanying pieces in This Dresser", he seems To glide aside so I am able To See The Tall Dresser in a Far Corner of The Room, alongside The Floor To Ceiling Display, and I Spy a Pair of Double Doors Leading On To a Fair Balcony Exposing The glorious Skyline. "Please Miss Hale", he Regains my Full Focus, "Take care To be good Yes?"

"Yes", I Confirm Drained and Crumbling Inside.

. . .

The Laundry Room Could as Easily be Considered a Palace or a Sensuous Spa.

Enfolded in Elegance, as is The general design of This Pleasurable Palace, I am Sure: a Clean, Modern, and Nearly Surgical Room.

The Spacious Cascade is Made up of gray Marble, and as I Cleanse myself, Using a Loofa To anally Scrub Every Crevice of my Body, I am Thinking of my Teeny Tiny Room and The Humble Inn and I am Safe, and Sound, and Free. This Leads To my Remembering my Job. Oh Dear God, The Job I Once Had by This Day and Time: a simple couple of Days, No Turn Ups, and No Phone Call Usually Does Equal Unemployed. Barely a Handful of Days, and I am Kidnapped, Unemployed, and Helpless in This Trap

This is Life as of This Day. My Life Likely Hanging in The Fragile Balance. Though, Through all of This, I Find I am Much Too Numb. Hopelessly Numb as I am Hopelessly Trapped, Confined Inside This Layer.

Soon as I am Finished, I Carefully Slip on a Black Lace Bra and a Skimpy Pair of Degrading Undies, accompanied by a Single Black Tee and a Pair of Black Thermo Leggings. My Thin Dark Hair is Up, Pulled Back in The Usual Bun, and I Never Once Dare To Look in The Mirror. For I Only Rarely Desire To Face The Thing Inside: The Thing Cackling in Response. The Thing Relishing and Rolling in all of This agony. Upon Leaving The Laundry, I Cherish The Precious Final Seconds, Before Forcing Myself To Move Unceremoniously across The Room. Every Move is Mechanical and My Legs Seem To Be Trembling Under my Fragile Form By The Time I Crack The Bedroom Door Open.

"Come."

The Single Command Sounds, Like an angel's Echo in This Darkness, and my Focus is Rancorously Pulled.

Pale Pools of Burning gray are Forcing Every Single Muscle in my Body To Respond. Forcing my Legs To Drag On, and I Could Break, as I Reach The Small Island, and I am Only Capable of This Much Because of The Spellbinding Figure Rising as I Make my guarded approach.

"This Day has Been Very Trying", The address Comes in a Cool Rasp Before he Takes One of my Hands in his and Firmly Tugs, Forcing me On To a High Chair Paying Careful Homage To The Island. My Head is in a Fog as he Takes his Leave, rounding a Corner of The ample Living area before Reappearing, Only inches across From me, Edging Close To The Rich Cooking Space. Then he is Rummaging around an Enormous Fridge Before he Turns To Face me Once More Holding Numerous Pieces of glass Tupperware and he Carefully Lines up Each One along The Surface of The Cooking Space's Marble Top.

"Usually I am One To Relish in The Silence", he Begins again, "Silence is a Rare Occurrence in my Biosphere." In The Same, Laying a Pair of Dishes on The Marble Top, he is Snapping Open The Tupperware Lids One by One, and Inside I am Cringing. "Today, None The Less, and To my Surprise, I Found Myself Nearly Sinking In To Myself. Is There Some Thing Displeasing You Rose?" he is suddenly Inquiring.

His Heady Regard Holds Mine and I can Barely Think of Speech. "I Should Inform You I am a Vegan", I Manage, "Sorry", The apology comes in a croak. I am Nearly Choking and The air is Barely Coming as he Cocks his Head To One Side. "Hmm", he concedes, "So This Lamb is Probably a Bad Idea?" I Manage a Single Nod. "And The Cheese? Perhaps The Pair of Us Could Reach a Fair Compromise This Day." I could crush him.

"I did Compromise", I Begin Trying Very Hard To Remain Calm, "Mr. Grey my Being here –Me Ever Even Speaking To You – is The Only Compromise I can Bare and This Even Minimally. My veganism is as good as any dreamed up religion. So", I manage, "I Refuse To Bring Harm By any means for anyone upon any animal For Simple Selfish Needs and This much of myself I do mean To keep. Even if I am "yours" as you so fixedly proclaim. So I Suppose I Should Prepare To be Drugged?"

The Hard Mask is Back and his Expression appears as grim as Ever all The Time he is Looking Upon Me. "I Only Ever Drugged you in Order To Keep you Safe", he Finally Speaks in an Icy Clipped Tone, and, in a Single Fluid Flash, Pieces of glass Seared in blood are Crumbles on The Floor. I Can Hear Them Being Crushed like snails shells on The Marble Tiles, as he moseys off in a mood and Soon Enough Disappears.

I am Trying Hard To appear Numb To all of This before he Reappears from Behind, as if from the air, and Casually Kicks Back on The Chair Beside Mine Before an apple Suddenly Comes Rolling across The Marble Surface. "In The Morning I Shall Send Brooks To The Local Grocer's. For The Time Being This is The Bare Minimum and Consider Yourself Lucky." Then and There I Take The apple in One Hand, Press The Thing To my Lips, and Begin To Force Feed Myself. Soon as I am Finally Finished, I Carelessly Toss The Core To The Floor. "Mrs. Jones is going To adore you", he admonishes.

I Refuse To Respond.

In The Same he Turns in Place and I Boldly Mimic Him So The Pair of Us are Face To Face. "During Your Long Slumber", his speech is Like a Solemn Echo Ringing in my Ears, "You Spoke of", and he Pauses Looking Highly Confused, "The Place . . . and No One has a Face?"

"Yes", I Confirmed Dryly.

"Is This a Place of Significance?" I Need To Smile as The Inquiry Comes If Only in Self Defense. "Once", I Managed, "Many Years Came To Pass Since Then. The Dreams are Only a Reminder By This Time." I Carefully Pull in a Lung full as The air Comes and Remains For a Time Before Dispersing From Me. "Someone Once Told Me I Should Take Care To Remember. Remembering is Crucial. For . . . If us as a People Lose all of Our Memories, Surely One Day, Each and Every Soul, Should Surely Find Only They are Damned in This Time and in This Obscure Place."

Lose Yourself.

Judice Suddenly Came To Conquer The Old Score.

Take Care To Never Lose Yourself Baby Doll.

Memories Keep Us Here, Hold The Souls Bound and, Remind Us all of The Pureness, The goodness Once Embedded in all of Us . . . The Innocence . . . These Too Remind Us The Innocence is No More.

Simply an Illusion Made up of Only Sound, and Mind, and Many Sad Sorry Hopes . . . and Fear Too. You See The Fear is a Seed Embedded in all of Us, Designed To Keep Us all grounded.

"Rose?" The Many Memories are consuming. Running in The Same Odd Kind Of Loop. "Hey!" I Force Myself To Face The delusional angel Once More, Though reason has gone from me – Judice has robbed me blind – and I find myself losing Track of Time. "Sorry", I Manage in a Feeble Echo of my Old Self, "Remembering So Much Can Be a Challenge." "Such as You", he Regards. I Brace Myself. "Or You", I Challenge in Turn. "Mr. Grey I am no good for you . . . on any occasion. I damage people badly . . . The Thing inside demands This much . . . This is all I am capable of – all I could Ever be capable of."

In The Same He beholds a Familiar Small glass Jug, nearly hidden behind a series Of Ceramic Candle Holders, Ideally grouped In a Corner of The Island's gleaming surface, Only Inches From his Reach. Inside The Miniscule Jug There is an Unclouded Fluid Shimmering Under dull beams as he unhinges The Cork and Divides a Fair Measure In To The Pair Of Paper Cups. "Take One", he Imperiously Orders and I Numbly Do as I am Told.

"Pure Moonshine", he Unnecessarily Informs, "Brooks Personally Rescued This From The Inn in doing my bidding. I Figured This Should Make Things Much Easier." In The Same I am Up and The Cup Drops From my hand To The Floor. "I should be your demise if you fail To head my guidance, and your empire – To The Ruins! You are only as mad as you Think you are . . . I am a mess of his doing", I manage, "of his design, made only for a single purpose, and I should be The End of you . . . because This is all I can do."

"So please spare me your head . . . spare yourself and Take me home . . . I am begging you", I am choking again. In response he rises and begins To amble, closer and closer, as I am backing off. "Tell me Miss Hale – do you sincerely Think I am a man made To comply To such maddened demands?" "I Think you should head my guidance if only for your sake Mr. Grey. I Think you should be rid of me once and for all – scrub all Traces of me from your mind, and by no means should you look back."

Only Then Does he Pounce, Pulling Me In, Much Too Close To his Form, Only as Firm and Cold as he Looks, Holding Me Locked in Place. "Nobody abandons me Rose . . . No Soul has Ever Even Dared To Dream of Doing This Much . . . Your presence is irreplaceable and I Mean To Make You Mine . . . by any means Necessary . . . Call This Much Due Diligence." He Releases Me and I can Feel Some Thing Deep Inside of Myself Trembling in Response. The Thing inside is Rolling . . . "I aim To Please Miss Hale . . . and I Shall be your Source of Pleasure – of reason – I Shall be all To you. You are To Comply To my Every Need – Each and Every One of my Desires . . . and You are To Love This – Live For This."

"You are Mad", I croak. In response There is Only The Malicious glimmer in his Eyes and a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Only as Mad as You Surely Made Me Rose." Only Then Does he Lunge Crushing his Solid Form In To Mine so my Body goes Limp Trapped in The Firm Embrace. Cool Finger Tips are Tracing Small Circles along The Small of my Back. "You Smell Like The Sun", he Says This in a Pained Kind of Murmur, as his Hands Begin To Roam, Higher and Higher up my Backside.

"Sunshine all Mine", he breaks, before his regard holds mine again. Cold, icy pale grays condemning me. "Rose . . . This is The Only Way I Know How." In The Same There is The Sound of a Snarl, a Fierce Inhumane Sound, Before Cool Lips are Crushing Mine, and Our Tongues are Engaged in a Synchronized Dance. Time Seems To Cease as The Spell is Consuming, Possessing my Cursed Soul, all The Time During The Pull is Draining, Pushing Clear Through My Many Barriers, Easily Subduing My Subconscious.

Then He Finally Pulls Back and I Find Myself Feeling More So Drained Than Usual. I am Shocked Cold by The Sudden Sense of Feeling – The Inexplicable Emerging Producing Such a Euphoric Essence, Seeming To Forcibly Silence The Hounding Thing Inside. My Former Life Only a Dream: Surely I had been living half asleep, simply dragging my body along For The ride. Yes. This Much is True. The angel Come To Break me Free, and in His arms I can see again. I can feel The Magnificence – his Magnificence – The blinding Radiance – and To Think so much Time had Passed Since I could see The Sun. Then he Released Me.

"The Pair of Us Could Make This Endure Rose", he Echoes my Imaginings. "I Can Feel You . . . Like a Flash of Brilliance in This Darkness . . . and I Can See You . . . You are Danger . . . Danger Pure as Ever and Only as Undeniable." "Yes", I manage, "and Danger is of a Cingular Purpose." "Purpose is an illusion Rose . . . and Regardless of all, Could you be Capable of Denying Yourself This Much?" he Challenges, "Pure bliss in a single kiss? This bliss surrounds us – holds us – only us. So There is no More Room For Denial . . . I helped you . . . you are helping me . . . and Time Take Us To Hell and Back . . . None The Less The Pair of Us are To Remain Bound Rose."

Then and There he Leans in and Presses his Forehead To Mine before Cool Palms Hold My Face Cupped in his Hands. "There is To be Only Us Here . . . and There is no Such Thing as Chance Miss Hale."

Reason is no more: gone for good I am so sure. There is Only The Dark angel. The Dark angel Come Calling For The Thing Inside . . . Come To Lay his Holy grace Upon Me . . . Only Me . . . The Same as There is Only Us. "Say I did agree To be Yours – Surely There Should be Some Terms?"

In The Same Cool Lips are Crushing Mine So Much More Fiercely This Time. So Much More Primal, as his Hands Begin To Journey, and Soon I am being Hiked Up before My Legs are Mechanically Coiling around his Torso. "Call This a Devil's Bargain Miss Hale . . . and Simply Remember This", The Final Ruling Comes in a Broken Rasp.

Much Time Has Passed and I To aim To Please. I do beg you all Pardon my absence as I mean To Begin again and as Surely Finish This Heady Tale. As I advised Before, To any and all former Readers, please Take The Time To reread These First Two Chapters as Much has been revised and The Info should be crucial Leading To The Path Forward. Thank you To all for The Reads, Reviews, and Support. Heads Up CHAPTER 3 is in Progress and Nearly Finished!