The lurid intensity of her waxen emerald eyes glimmered in a blazing luster against the light that the flames of the fire provided.

I never referred to her by name mostly because I had very little concern for her but also partly due to the fact that I didn't much care for her name.

Her name was Mabel.

Only plain girls had names like Mabel and she was far from plain.

She had this lost look about her, she had wild wavy hair with streaks of grey and white running through it.

She had a defiant bottom lip and a obstinate little nose with a slight curve on the tip.

Her ears I noticed had a prominent point to them and her skin had a smudged quality, it was dark like the newly sprouted brownish green of an olive branch.

She was svelte and strong.

Her movements were stealthy, swift, fluid, nearly elastic in character.

Unfortunately this little fledgling was injured and I almost pitied her but then I remembered the bitter blackness of my heart.

I remembered the hatred and disappointment, the regret and the rage I had fighting inside me.

I cared for no one and no one cared for me and I liked it that way.

No pretty little bird was going to sway my already dark heart.

I don't know what possessed me to take her under my tent in the first place.

She had that horrified panic in her eyes when first she saw me.

She had that caged animal look which I would have absolutely delighted in but there was a dark energy that overshadowed her, a secret defiant rage that emanated from her.

There was this strong will living inside her and I hated that.

Yet now that I took her in she would have to submit to me and be at my mercy.

Funny thing is I had no mercy.

She fled from me but she didn't get far.

She was no doubt exhausted from journeying on foot so long and her ankle was twisted so she fell over from pure exhaustion.

I should have just left her there.

I should have let her to die but instead I showed her kindness which I wasn't even aware I had.

I bound her ankle tightly with a bandage that I made from a old waist coat I had worn a long time ago.

I was told when I bought it that it was made of the finest silk.

So here I was bandaging her foot in fine silk.

It almost made me sick to have to perform such a good deed.

What was I going to do with her after she woke up?

I felt as if I had brought home a lost little puppy dog.

I couldn't beat it and throw it out of the house.

I had no house and I had no home these days.

I lived in the woods of darkness that bordered around Toyland.

I'd been banished from Toyland many years before but I was still bitter about it.

I decided I'd keep her but only as a slave to my will.

I had a feeling that wasn't going to be an easy task.

I had the monsters to serve me but I'd raised most of them and most of them served me out of fear.

Fear was better than love.

Love was unpredictable and often weak spirited but fear was strong and constant and you could always count on it to get things done.

Once she woke up it was obvious that she was absolutely fearless.

"So what are you going to do with me?"

There was a tight and vehement edge of defiance in her tone.

"You know I don't like your tone, my dear.

It sounds like your challenging me.

Do you know what I do to those that challenge me?"

My voice was rich with a sultry sort of discontent.

I made my way around the fire and placed my hand on her twisted ankle.

"What are you going to do? Are you going twist up my ankle up even more?

If you really want to mess with me why don't mess up the other ankle while you're at it?

That way you'd have a set."

"Are you glutton for punishment or something?

Do you like to be in pain?

Because if you do I can give you pain.

Plenty of it.

In fact I can make certain that every moment you spend with me will be an utter agony.

Would you like that? You know I would.

It would be wonderful to hear the sounds of agony again.

It would do my heart good to hear you scream.

You know the greatest thing about you screaming in a place like this.

Is nobody will hear you and if nobody can hear no one will come here to rescue you.

Now I'm giving you an option.

Two options to be precise.

You either give me the respect I deserve or you can face the risk of never being able to walk again.

The choice is up to you".

"What makes you think you deserve respect?

Look at yourself in the mirror.

What do you see that's worth respecting?"

I'd always thought I was rather handsome in a rugged old wild west

sort of way.

I suppose my appearance was a bit unkempt.

I was not clean shaven, my hair was unbrushed and my teeth were somewhat yellow.

Maybe I wasn't looking my best these days but at least I wasn't ugly.

"Oh I'm worth respecting believe me.

You might not see it now but you will soon.

I warn you that if you continue to test me and to undermine my authority, you will be punished and you will be disciplined.

I'm not just talking about your precious little ankle.

Challenge me one more time and that ankle of yours will be the least of your problems.

Have I made myself clear?"

"I'm not afraid of pain.

I had my wings torn from my shoulders before I came here to your camp.

It was absolutely excruciating.

So I doubt if any pain you inflict on me now would be equal to that.

Yet you can give it your best shot.

I'm sorry to say I won't be screaming.

I don't scream for any reason if I can help it.

So if you're planning on having me give you some great reaction you'll be vastly disappointed."

"Wait...you had wings?

Were you some witless pixie?"

"Wingless yes but witless no.

I was a fairy actually.

A dark fey if you must know.

I was very proud of my wings but some idiot took them from me most likely to serve as some sick trophy.

Oh well I suppose it doesn't matter to you.

You don't care.

You're a hermit that wanders around in the dark with a bunch of tree goblins following you around.

You obviously don't care what you look like and it's not just your appearance that's worrisome, you have this scent of rotting roses that were left in a field of onions.

It's not a pleasant smell".

"You wouldn't smell very fresh yourself if you were banished to the woods for several decades.

So excuse me for existing".

I forgot that my hand was still on her ankle.

"Anyhow your ankle should heal eventually, just as long as you don't try walking any great distances.

You should probably stay here, take it easy, give your ankle a rest before you take off anywhere".

"Awfully wise advice but i don't think you have any intention of me going anywhere.

I came across your camp here, it's your territory and no doubt there's a penalty for that."

"Oh believe me there is.

I won't have you pay it just yet.

Once you've healed up you can pay for it then.

I can wait.

I just hate to beat a dog when it's down."

"I'd like to just to know what my penalty is now if you don't mind".

"Oh eager are we?

You know I might as well tell you rather than keep you in suspense.

The penalty for trespassing on my territory is joining me in my darkness.

You'll become like them, my servants of darkness, your heart will become as black as mine.

Although If I'm to be perfectly honest you'll become my slave.

I don't have very many new recruits so of course I'll love to have you join my little dark brigade here.

Once you see things my way I'm sure you'll find this place to be to your liking.

You could call it home.

You'd call me master."

I expected her to be horrified by this but she remained completely calm.

"Oh good...so I'll be here with you forever.

It should be nice to settle down for a little while.

It's a relief not to be constantly on the move.

Why I'm almost looking forward to this new kind of servitude.

It should give me something to do while I'm here.

So i think your penalty to be a fair one.

I suppose you expected me to be disgusted or horrified but I'm neither.

I have no opinion, i have no emotion, no name ,no identity, no complaints whatsoever.

It's not as if i have any place to go anyways.

I'm at your mercy.

Do what you want with me".

She had a vacant expression and you could tell by her wistful voice that she was a million miles away.

I didn't want a willing participant, i wanted someone that was going to put up a fight.

Where had that spark of confidence gone, that spark that was so eager to defy me moments before?

I didn't like this Mabelyn.

I wondered if it would be better for me to do away with her.

Her life meant very little to me after all.

Yet there was something within me that was fighting my evil intentions.

Whatever it was that was fighting me must be a powerful force indeed because it was overcoming even my most despicable thoughts and it was overriding my most evil inventions.