Tav sat in her car, impatiently tapping her fingers against the steering wheel. The pouring rain and strong winds outside were causing heavy traffic. Tav had somewhere she needed to be, though. Someone she needed to be with. Her younger sister was in labor at the hospital on the other side of town. They only had each other in the world and Tav knew how terrified her sister would be in the hospital all alone. Her sister, April, kept sending her desperate texts asking where she was and how long she would be. There was finally some movement from the cars in front. As the car rolled forwards, Tav's phone began to ring. She took one hand off the wheel and answered her phone. It was April, of course. She was frantic and crying about complications with the baby. Tav did her best to calm her sister and told her she was on her way and wouldn't be long. The traffic was clearing and Tav was able to pick up the pace. She told her sister she needed to hang-up the phone but her sister begged her to stay on the line. She could hear the panic in April's voice, so agreed to stay on the phone while she drove. Tav was speaking softly to her sister when her phone slipped through her hands and landed in the footwell of the passenger seat. 'Shit' Tav thought as she tried to reach for her phone whilst keeping her eyes on the road.
"April, I dropped my phone. Give me a second to pick it up." Tav said with a raised voice, hoping her sister could hear her through the phone. After a minute or so Tav came to a stop at some traffic lights. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and reached in to the footwell to retrieve her phone. The traffic lights quickly turned green again and Tav was able to continue consoling her sister whilst driving to her. Tav was speeding slightly as she entered her sister's side of town. Between the storm outside and her sister panicking down the phone Tav's attention to the road dwindled just enough for her to miss the on coming car that was barreling towards her. It's bright headlights pierced through the sheets of rain and blinded Tav for a moment. It took a split second for Her to recognize what was happening and then one more second for her to realize there was nothing she could do about it. As their cars collided Tav felt the world slow down. She felt herself lift out of her seat and remembered that she had taken her seatbelt off. The force of impact sent her body through the windscreen. The glass shattered around her and lacerated her skin. As her body passed through the air, Tav's mind went blank. There was no life flashing before her eyes, no final thoughts. There was just rain and glass and wind. Tav's body hit the concrete, knocking the air right out of her lungs. She expected herself to be in pain, but she was just cold. The rain fell heavily on her broken body. It stung her eyes, but she was too afraid to close them. If she closed them, would she ever open them again? Tav could feel her strength slipping away. She knew it would be a matter of minutes before she was gone. Her mind drifted to her sister. She wished she could've made it to her. Losing Tav will break what was left of April's frail heart. Tears rolled down Tav's face, but the rain washed them away as quickly as they fell from the corners of her eyes. Tav braced herself to let go, when she suddenly felt an extreme heat wash over her body. She felt her body becoming heavier and heavier, like she was sinking in to the concrete beneath her. Then the crumpled car she had been flung from suddenly erupted in to flames. Her eyes fixated on the fire. A horned figure emerged from the blaze. Their skin was as red as the inferno they had risen from. They were adorned in lavish robes that were untouched by the flames or the rain. They slowly approached Tav as she led helpless on the ground. The horned figure could feel her fear as he approached. He breathed it in as if it sustained his very being. He ignored the carnage around him, his focus was on our defenseless, dying Tav. No-one else could see him anyway. Tav was the only one he allowed to observe him. He crouched beside her and held her cheek in his hand. She winced as his touch burnt her skin. He took another deep breath, inhaling her fear. He found it delicious. A smiled spread across his face.
"Don't be afraid, little mouse. I'm here to help." He said, his words cut straight through the chaos ensuing around them. His voice was low and velvety. Tav could feel herself suddenly hanging on his every word. The sounds around her were drifting away and all she could hear was his voice, coaxing her in. The fear she had initially felt was slowly turning to curiosity. She was too weak to respond, but her eyes locked with his. He knew he had her attention. His clawed hand left her cheek and made it's way down to her chest. His touch lit a fire on her skin as it moved across her body.
"Oh dear" he said "this heart is just about ready to give out" he said, turning his smile in to an exaggerated frown. There were flustered bystanders desperately crying down the phone to the emergency services, but they wouldn't make it in time. Even Tav knew that. This devil could be her only salvation.
"Let me save you. Let me take you home." He said, feeding on her desperation to live. He almost wanted her to resist, just so he could have a little more fun. But he could already feel her giving herself to him. His offer was one she couldn't refuse, literally. He was scrambling her mind, she couldn't string together a single cohesive thought. All she could focus on was his words. They spun in her head, compelling her to give in to his whim.
He leaned in close and whispered his next sentence right next to her ear "all you have to do is give yourself to me and I'll take you home, where you belong." She felt his whisper slither it's way through her mind. His words soaked into her brain and consumed what was left of her will power. She felt herself slip completely under his control and without a fight, she gave herself to him.
He sat up, trying to hide his glee, and held Tav's hand as if to shake it. She was now nothing but a puppet under his control. "Close your eyes" he said "when you open them again, you will be home."
The first thing Tav noticed when her consciousness returned was the soft, silky sheets beneath her. It was a much more welcome feeling than the cold, concrete floor she had previously been led on. Without opening her eyes, she grabbed at the sheets and squeezed the delicate material in her hands. It was a comforting feeling, so was the feather pillow beneath her head. She couldn't feel any pain and her body felt almost weightless. She took a long, deep breath and enjoyed the feeling of having full lungs once again. She exhaled and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred, which she didn't find surprising considering what she had been through. There was a small part of her that thought it may have been a dream and a bigger part of her that had hoped it was. But she knew it was all too real. Her vision began to focus as she stared up at her ceiling. Only, it wasn't her ceiling. Her ceiling was white and this one was red marble. She felt a deep sinking feeling in her chest. The heat was the next thing Tav noticed. She raised a hand to her brow, it was dripping with sweat. The air around her was becoming thick and heavy. The initial deep breath she had enjoyed was now becoming labored breathing and the air she inhaled felt hot in her lungs. She sat up and grabbed at her chest, feeling like something was missing. But what was it? She pushed the feeling aside and panned her eyes across the room she was in. It was large and grand, like the kind of room you'd find in a palace. The floors and walls were a deep, shiny marble and there was a large window across from the bed with the curtains drawn. The room was being dimly lit by the many candles that were magically suspended in the air. Tav was slowly realizing she had quite literally played right in to the devil's hands. She gathered the strength to stand and approached the velvety drapes that were drawn in front of the window. She pulled at the heavy material and was stunned to see nothing but a fiery blaze on the other side of the glass. She drew a sharp breath in shock and stumbled back from the window. That's when she noticed an opulent dresser against one of the walls in the room. She approached it cautiously, afraid that the devil may have tampered with her appearance. Bracing herself, she stood before the dresser and it's mirror. She was wearing a simple white dress. It was clean and hung off her body beautifully. A tiny piece of her admired the clothing, which she hated herself for. How could she admire something of the devil's making? And why would she be dressed so pleasantly? She had expected to see herself in rags. But her attention was soon drawn from the dress to her eyes. She had piercing blue eyes before, but now they were dark, almost black even, and lifeless. Leaning in closer to get a better look, she could barely tell the difference between her iris and her pupils. It seemed her hair had gone through a similar change and was also much darker than it had been before. It fell into soft curls around her shoulders and almost shone in the candle light. A sense of relief came over Tav for a moment as she took in her new, piercing appearance. She was surprised to find herself... beautiful. She could feel herself being mesmerized by her own reflection. The mirror was absorbing any of the panic Tav had been feeling just moments before. It was calming her.
"Do you like what you see?" A familiar voice tickled her ear and Tav was immediately brought back to the terrifying reality of her situation. She pulled her eyes away from the mirror and turned to find herself suddenly in a completely different room. The transition disorientated her and she wobbled on her feet. She now found herself in a ballroom. The floors and walls were a white marble, adorned with gold accents. An extravagant chandelier floated above the center of room. There was a large organ at the very back of the hall and sat at it was the devil himself. His fingers began frantically playing at the keys and the room filled with a hypnotic melody. Tav felt her body begin to move itself to the music filling her mind. She uncontrollably twirled her way across the shiny floor, making her way towards the devilish fiend across the room. She quickly realized that she was powerless in the devils presence. A few words whispered in her ear or even a simple melody could send her into a state of hypnosis. What else could he do with her? Why allow her any free will at all? She knew he was playing a game that she was bound to lose.
She reached the devils side and he took his fingers off the keys. The hall fell silent and Tav's body was her own again. She steadied herself against the large instrument and the devil chuckled to himself.
"Not so steady on our feet yet. Are we, my dear pet?" The devil asked. Pet? Tav thought to herself. The word hung in the air like a bad stench. Is that what she had become? Just a devils pet? She couldn't find the words to respond, either that or he wouldn't let her find the words to respond. "It's understandable. You've been through a lot." He stood from the organ and took a step towards Tav. He towered over her, casting a shadow across her face. He gazed down at her soft features and the scared look upon her face. He found her genuinely beautiful. The devil raised a hand to her cheek, but she instinctively slapped it away. They were both shocked by her reaction, her more so than him. She held her breath, waiting to be punished for what she had done. But he simply laughed.
"You're terrified, aren't you? I find it absolutely delicious." He said, smiling from ear to ear. "I'd think you were crazy if you weren't terrified. And you are not crazy. Not yet, anyway."
"What do you want with me?" Tav asked. The hot air had made her throat so dry that her voice was barely louder than a whisper. The devil couldn't help but find it adorable.
"I want you to be mine" he said "you see, I got so bored of my last collection of lost souls. I decided to discard them and start a fresh. So, I was sitting all alone in this great big palace just waiting for the perfect soul to come along... That's when I smelt it. Your desperation. It was potent. I just had to follow that divine scent and I was not disappointed when it led me to you." His voice echoed through the hall and bounced off every surface.
"You said you would take me home." Tav said. The devil laughed maliciously at her naivety.
"This is your home, pet. You're new home." He grinned as he spun and gestured to the space round them.
"You did something to me, I couldn't say no." Tav said, helplessly.
"You didn't want to say no. It's either this" the devil approached Tav and grabbed her shoulders tightly "or this" he said, shoving her backwards. She fell backwards and braced herself to hit the hard, marble floor. But instead she fell into nothing but darkness. In a single moment all of her senses were gone. The air was even taken from her lungs. She was left to blindly gasp for air in the darkness. A searing pain filled her chest and head as she teetered on the brink of nothingness. The devil brought her back to his ball room and watched as she collapsed at feet, desperate to catch her breath.
"Please... don't ever... do that... again" She begged between harsh breaths. He laughed at her again and then crouched at her side.
"It never has to be like that. All you have to do is obey." He said, offering her a hand. Reluctantly, she took his hand and let him help her to her feet.
"Just... kill me." Tav said, much to the devil's surprise. A rage ran through his veins. Her defiance was unexpected.
"Do you forget the power I wield over you? I do not need your consent. I do not even need you to respond. I am in control here. Do not be so quick to forget your place, pet." He hissed through his sharp teeth.
"I will never be your pet." Tav continued to angered the devil. Not a wise decision. He shook his head in disappointment.
"I was hoping you would have been more amenable. But it seems we'll have to do this the boring way. Well, it will be boring for you. I will still have my fun." With a click of his fingers the devil collapsed Tav right where she stood. She watched her surroundings melt away from a ball room to a grand boudoir. She watched the devil approach her before her consciousness slipped away and everything faded to black.
Tav woke in a panic. Her last memory was losing consciousness in the devil's own boudoir. She sat up and held her knees to her chest. She was back in the first room she had woken up in. Her legs were bruised and body was sore. She had no recollection of what had happened to her, but she knew. She felt sick knowing she had been defiled. The dresser stood across the room from her and she felt the mirror drawing her in again. It took all her strength to approach the mirror. Her legs felt like jelly and she was in pain in places she didn't even want to acknowledge. She reached mirror and looked at herself. It wasn't the pretty sight she had enjoyed before. Her hair was tangled and matted like she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards. She tried to run her fingers through the knots, but she just made them worse. Then her eyes fell to her dress. The once pristine silk was now torn and dirty and, worst of all, covered in blood stains. She didn't even know if it was her own blood. She felt completely nauseated and vomited at the thought of what may have happened to her. She had tried to be brave, but this was her breaking point. She fell to her knees and began to sob loudly and uncontrollably. She clutched at her skin and wanted to peal it from her bones. She wanted to cleanse herself of the devils touch. But all she could do was cry. His words etched themselves into her brain. 'I do not need your consent'. Though she tried to deny it, she truly was nothing but the devil's pet.
Tav had no concept of time anymore. She spent whatever hours there were in the day crying in her room until the devil came to have his fun with her. She always knew when he was on his way. Her vision would start to blur, her strength would leave her and she would soon be an unconscious puppet for him to play with. He would never let her remember what he had done and it the not knowing that almost drove her to madness. He would tease her with theoretical scenarios but she never knew the truth. She just had to accept that her body wasn't actually hers anymore. The more visits he made, the more disheveled she became. She hated the sight of herself but could never resist the temptation of the mirror. It would pull her in each time and reveal more bruises on her skin and more knots in her hair. He tore more of her dress away each time until she was wearing just a scrap of material. She would sob on the floor until she collapsed from sheer exhaustion. It became her routine. Devil, mirror, cry, collapse. Over and over again. She thought she had experienced hell when the devil sent her to that black hole of nothingness. But this, this was true hell.
One night after the devil had made his visit, Tav was led on the bed. He had ripped away what little material was left of her dress, leaving her completely bare. She felt like her skin was on fire and knew he had made sure to leave his marks on her skin. Pushing herself up off the bed, she followed her usual pattern and made her way over to the mirror. She was skin and bone. A shell of the person she was the day she had arrived. No tears rolled down her cheeks this time. No sobs erupted from her lungs. She simply picked the bronze candle holder that had always sat upon the dresser and launched it at the mirror. The glass shattered in to pieces at her feet. But it wasn't enough for our dear Tav. She picked up the candle holder again and with what little strength she had left, she began hitting the dresser over and over again. Barely making a dent in the solid wood. She craved more destruction and looked around the room to see what else she could attempt to break. Her bony fingers clutched at the velvet drapes and she pulled with every bit of strength she had. The drapes ripped from their curtain pole and fell to the ground with a thud. Tav felt a little satisfaction, but she still wanted more. So, she grabbed one of the candles that floated just within her reach and turned her attention to the bed at the center of the room. Tav stood menacingly at the foot of the bed and smiled before setting the silk sheets alight. The flammable material erupted in to flames, engulfing the bed instantly. Tav stood back and calmly watched it burn.
Karlach braced herself for whatever she may find on the other side of the portal. She had been contracted to kill a particularly malicious devil name Sinibus. There had been word that he had recently discarded every last one of his lost souls that served to protect him, foolishly leaving himself vulnerable. This was the perfect opportunity for Karlach to strike. She had asked Wyll to join her and he gladly accepted. The two of them stood on at the edge of the portal and looked at each other for a moment.
"Ready?" Karlach grinned.
"Ready." Wyll gave a nod of his head and the two of them stepped through the portal.
"Well, isn't this nice." Karlach said as they found themselves in a decadent palace hallway.
"Be on your guard. We don't know if the rumors are true. This place could be full of lost souls." Wyll advised. As soon the words left his lips, the sound of shattered glass echoed through the hall.
"Sounds like we've just found one." Karlach grinned at the thought of a fight. She readied her weapon and marched towards the sounds of chaos at the end of the end of the hall. A large door stood between them and whatever lost soul was on the other side. "Wow, it really sounds like someone's going crazy in there." Karlach said, her ear pressed to the door.
"Let's approach this carefully then." Wyll said.
"Fuck that." Karlach raised her foot and sent the door flying off it's hinges. Thick smoke poured out of the room and as it cleared it revealed a startled Tav standing amongst the flames.
Thank you for reading. Really hope you enjoyed. Can't wait to keep this story going. Please review x
