A/N: I hope you like to read, because this is a beast chapter peppered with a bit of lemon. Gotta get your daily vitamin C!
Sunlight streamed in a window, fluttering across her eyelids. Mandi yawned and stretched as she woke up from a lovely, sound sleep. She sat up and was confused for a moment until she remembered where she was and that it wasn't actual sunlight that had awakened her. She ran her fingers through her silver hair, smiling. It really was amazing what a good night of sleep would do to one's body. Swinging her legs to the side of her bed, she winced, and clutched her hand over the waistband of her flannel shorts.
"What the hell?" she said in a quiet stupor.
She felt like she was having menstrual cramps, but her period wasn't due for at least another week or so. She squeezed her legs together. Even her thighs were sore like she had been trying to do the splits or something. It was really baffling. She wondered if she might have been sleepwalking last night, but that wouldn't explain the rather intimate pain she was currently feeling.
Mandii stood up and pulled back the goose down duvet and sheets, checking for blood. She didn't see anything, thankfully. Quietly, she walked to her door, opened it, and made her way to the bathroom. She concluded that she must have gotten her period early for some reason, because there was also some blood in her panties along with the general cramp-like feeling. "It always happens when you wear white! Every. Frigging. Time!" At least the pain she was feeling was nothing more than a mild discomfort.
She grabbed some of her personals and headed into the bathroom to pee and change her underwear. She looked at the shower and tub and promised herself some pampering later on. Using the restroom, she washed her hands in the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. There were no dark circles under her eyes at least. "That's a plus!"
Back in her bedroom, she sat back on her bed and turned her laptop on. She remembered that she wanted to find out what forest Enmu's home was under, and that he wouldn't just outright tell her for whatever reason. A blush crept up along her cheeks. Mandi could have sworn that she had a dream about him last night, a rather lewd one at that. Maybe she was still disoriented by that hot kiss they had shared yesterday. She let out a soft sigh knowing that she shouldn't think that way about him, but she couldn't help herself. She wanted to feel his lips on hers repeatedly.
Shaking that thought from her mind, Mandi opened a web browser and pulled up a map of Fujikawaguchiko. Zooming out, she found what she was seeking. She was currently under the Aokigahara forest, also known as the Sea of Trees. She grimaced as she also read 'suicide forest' along the monikers. She had heard of the forest before, but it hadn't stuck in her memory. She couldn't deny the eerie feeling she had as the hairs on the back of her neck rose to attention. She forgot what else that she had wanted to research and closed the MacBook.
Putting on her pink kimono robe, she walked out into the hall and glanced towards Enmu's door. It was shut. She frowned to herself and started to make her way to the kitchen. Something to the left of her caught her eye as she walked, and she stopped in her tracks. One half of the French doors was missing.
Mandi raised an eyebrow at that. "What the hell happened here?" There didn't appear to be any broken glass anywhere, therefore she was mystified by the randomly missing door. She'd have to ask Enmu about that when she saw him next.
She strolled into the kitchen and saw Sarah making pancakes and bacon for herself. The smell of the hot food made her mouth water. Sarah looked up at her and indicated with her hands, pointing at the pancakes and bacon and then back at Mandi.
"If you are offering, I'd be more than happy to have some, but you don't have to go to the extra trouble on account of me."
Sarah held her hand up as if to say "It's not a problem."
Mandi sat at the breakfast bar and waited. She couldn't help but watch Sarah while she cooked. It appeared as if Sarah had a rough night with little to no sleep, because she had dark bags under her eyes and was jumpy. Mandi accidentally bumped her foot into the bottom of the bar stool and startled her. Did she know anything about the broken door?
"Excuse me, but is everything okay? I noticed that one of the French doors to the garden is missing."
Sarah shook her head rapidly, made an 'ok' sign with her thumb and index finger, and immediately went back to cooking. Mandi tried to hide the perplexed look on her face. Suddenly, she felt fingers tap her right shoulder. Glancing back, she was happy to see Enmu standing behind her, but noticed that he didn't quite look his usual self. "How long had he been standing behind me like that?"
"Are you alright?" she asked, looking up at him with pure concern. He almost appeared as if he had been crying which struck Mandi with even more bewilderment. "I noticed that one of the doors is missing from the garden. Did I have anything to do with that?" Enmu shook his head.
"No, it was my fault. Accidentally stumbled and broke the door. There is a replacement on the way, don't worry. Sorry for the cause of alarm." He wouldn't make eye contact with Mandi for some strange reason, and he certainly wasn't acting like himself. His gaze was unfocused and vacant.
Just then Mandi noticed Sarah eyeing them suspiciously while they spoke. She caught Enmu casting a rather nasty glance in Sarah's direction which caused her to obediently look down and kept her eyes trained on the pancakes she was making. This was starting to feel more than a little odd, and Mandi's appetite was starting to vanish from the awkwardness.
"Are you sure you are okay, Enmu? If you pardon my saying it, but you looked as if you barely slept last night. I'm just worried about you."
He did look at her, just this once, a kind of wonder and amazement that she would be concerned about him. He wanted to smile; she could see his face fighting it. The look of an internal struggle on his face currently made her want to offer him a hug. He managed a smile for her after reading her thoughts.
"Promise. I'm fine. I just need to go out for the day, so you won't see till later."
"You have to go out? But it's morning. The sun?"
"Is it?" he smiled easily at her now, a rather seductive one.
"Oh my gosh, is it really night time?"
He nodded.
"Clever, very clever. The lights in your home fooled me. I hope you don't mind if I keep a clock in my room or something. Even if I am a vampire now, I still want to keep an accurate guess on the time." He laughed at her vampire comment, but again she noticed his eyes were back to avoiding hers for the time being. Somehow, something upset the delicate balance of things here.
"Am I still free to go exploring?"
"As much as you like. Are you, uh, feeling alright?" Squeezing her legs together again, she blushed.
"Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"
They stared at each other for a minute, as neither one could really say what was on their mind. Enmu had a pretty good idea of what was on Mandi's mind, however. She wanted him right now, so much so that she probably would not complain if he flipped her on that breakfast bar and ate her out. He was still mortified over what he had learned last night, that he indeed was the reason she was an orphan. He had to get away from her for a while, feed, and clear his head. He desperately wanted to watch her, though.
"Because I'm the doctor, and I need to see if my patient is doing okay," he said in a low voice.
With that said, he turned and left the kitchen and walked down the hallway with the garden. Mandi noticed that he didn't walk through the front door, so there must be an entrance/exit in his lab. She peered off as if trying to picture where it was located. Sarah set a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her, bringing her back to reality.
"Thank you, really. I hope it wasn't too much trouble!" Sarah shook her head. While she ate a few bites, she couldn't help but wonder if Sarah was okay and what kind of relationship Enmu had with her. Their interaction this morning had been strained at best. Mandi decided to bite the bullet and see if she could glean any information.
"Do you like working for Enmu, Sarah?" Sarah looked up, a little surprised that Mandi was still trying to talk to her. She nodded a little too enthusiastically.
"Does he-does he treat you kindly?"
Sarah peered up at Mandi, the look in her eyes clearly the answer she sought. "Why though? Why is he not kind to her? What's really going on here?" Mandi looked down at her plate, and took another small bite of pancake. She wanted to press her luck one more time; she felt a dire need to press it.
"If you don't mind, may I ask you one more thing? I don't mean to make you uncomfortable at all, I just want to know because of how strange this situation is by itself, you know? Is it safe to be staying here with him? Will you tell me if it is not?"
The spark Mandi kindled ignited. Sarah looked at Mandi with a grave expression and then veered off to the side as if she were wrestling some inner demon on whether or not to speak. Hastily, she drew a notepad out of her apron and began to write. Mandi heard the paper tear off the notepad, and Sarah looked around one last time before setting it down next to her plate of pancakes.
"Be careful. I think you're safe, but I don't know for sure. Be careful with your thoughts around him. Please, don't speak about me to him or even think about me around him. When you are done eating, destroy this. Flush it, get rid of it to where he won't find it."
Mandi read the note twice, glancing up at Sarah with shock and concern. Their eyes met. She could see genuine fear in the maid's eyes, but she didn't understand why. No, perhaps she did. Enmu was-different, wasn't he? He'd proven to be different to Mandi several times. The way he lived spoke volumes: no sunlight, weird sexual sculptures and paintings adoring his house, the way he had healed her neck yesterday, and the day she had met him, he took away the pins and needles in her legs. She often found herself drowsy around him, too. Add to the fact that she had a sexual dream about him yesterday, and his appearance was quite different in it. Mandi nodded at the maid, crinkling the note up so she could clearly see it and stuffed it into her pocket.
"Please, tell me if you ever need help. I'll try to help you." Sarah gestured a 'thank you' in return and went back to cleaning. It seemed any more conversation here was said and done. Mandi also didn't want to scare or intimidate Sarah any further.
When she was finished with breakfast, she rinsed off her dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Her mind was a tangle of questions, and they all revolved around a pair of mysterious turquoise eyes. She headed to the bathroom, shredded the note, and then flushed it down the toilet. She also checked to see if she was still spotting. She was a little, but nothing to be concerned over. She had popped a couple Tylenol for the mild cramps she was still having. Yes, that was weird, too. Never once did she wake up sore like that even when she walked in her sleep.
Deciding to take a nice bath, Mandi turned on the water. Since there was nothing in particular for her to do, she might as well try to enjoy herself. She let the water from the faucet pour over her fingers, getting the temperature to her preference. She figured a bath might help with the cramping. Mandi stared at the black marble tub, shimmering in the light and fell into a quiet trance. Nothing happened during it, but it was one of those moments where you catch yourself just randomly staring at something for no reason. She glimpsed back at the door wondering if she should lock it, but she supposed it didn't matter. She had an ally, and that made her feel a little safer.
Undressing, she climbed into the tub and sighed out loud at how amazing the warm water soothed her nerves. The tub was almost big enough to swim in. She wiggled her toes above the water, wishing she had painted them before arriving at Enmu's house. "Maybe that's how I should test him. If Sarah is suggesting that he can somehow read minds, then perhaps I can use that thought as bait next time I see him."
She then hugged her knees to her chest, suddenly cold despite the warm water. "What if Sarah is right about everything in some crazy, possible way? I really was foolish to come here without researching this guy first. I was thinking about self preservation in my own way, and I didn't take the time to count up the debts and balances. For all I know, Enmu could be a rapist."
A cramp washed over Mandi's lower abdomen, the gentle ache between her legs a nudging reminder that something was definitely not right. "No, no I refuse to believe that. That one I absolutely will not believe!" She sank down into the tub till the water level reached her chin. Whatever she knew or didn't know about Enmu, she needed to do some research. Sarah had sounded the official alarm that things might not necessarily be what they seem, and she needed to do some serious investigation. That was her goal today.
Mandi knew that if he really was a doctor there would be papers of his degree framed on a wall somewhere, perhaps in his private study/lab. She felt a little better knowing that she now had something specific to seek out. She knew she also had to be on the lookout for stethoscopes, medical supplies, or anything that a doctor could or would have in their home especially if they had a private practice like Enmu. Mandi sighed out loud, hoping and praying to God that she hadn't gotten herself into a worse scenario than she had already been in.
"But really, what other options did I have? Where could I have gone?" she whispered into the empty bathroom.
She really hoped that Enmu was gone, but again she found it odd that he had said it was the opposite time of day. It was another instance of something peculiar to throw her off intentionally or not. She could understand no windows down here in his subterranean but no clocks? She didn't like not knowing what time of day it really was. It was remarkably deceptive to her and made her attentive.
She glanced around the bathroom, grateful that the warm water had obscured all the mirrors. She hated the damned mirrors! She didn't see the reason for needing them when they just provided an illusion to make a room appear larger, and Enmu's house was certainly not lacking in size. She yawned and rested an arm on the edge of the tub. She couldn't believe how foggy the bathroom had become and how tired she suddenly was. She coasted a wave of drowsiness, on the verge of having one of her fainting spells. Mandi clamped her teeth down on her tongue in an effort to wake herself up.
She must have bit down too hard, because she thought she could taste blood. Mandi slowly glanced around the bathroom and noticed the mirrors were now fog free and her bathwater tepid. She must have passed out at some point or another. "Or was it his doing?" No, that was just being paranoid, now. She sniffed the air and could detect a faint trace of cedar.
The temperature of the bath convinced her that it was probably time to move on as well as how wrinkled her fingertips were. "Just as well, it's time to start searching." Mandi pulled the drain on the tub and stepped out, wrapping herself in one of Enmu's fluffy white towels. Finding herself mesmerized, Mandi watched the water go down the drain. Looking down, she examined the white bathmat and noticed not only her footprints now drying upon it but another pair of footprints as well. That kind of evidence was arduous to ignore and rather damning.
夢 夢 夢
Mandi sat on the edge of her bed with her door securely locked. She wasn't 100% sure that Enmu had gone into the bathroom with her, and it could have just been her getting out of the tub while she was in a sort of trance. She's done that before, certainly. She rubbed the gooseflesh that had peppered her arms somehow knowing that that wasn't the case this time. How would she prove it, though? Even if she did, what would she do about it? She sent up a prayer of thanks and gratitude to Sarah for alerting her to the possibility that Enmu's kind nature may, in fact, be a facade.
Still, she couldn't just let herself jump at shadows. She was a logical person, and this kind of conundrum required sound logic. She'd go about her original plan all the while trying to keep her thoughts light around Enmu. Feeling her stomach growl, she stood up, unlocked the door, and headed to the kitchen for a bite to eat before going through a search of Enmu's house. "Not the Mirror Room, though. I don't give a fuck if his lab is somehow hidden in there, I refuse to walk through that room again!"
Sarah was nowhere in sight when Mandi entered the kitchen. This was okay, because talking to her might just stir up paranoia and get either her or them both in trouble. She made herself a salad and had a glass of soda. "Stomach's growling, but I don't even want to eat, really." She rubbed her face in her hands, and then pulled her long, silver hair into a ponytail. "Time to get investigating!"
She wondered for a moment about possibly asking Sarah for a tour, but decided against it. The less she involved Sarah, the better, especially since Sarah seemed to show real fear at the mention of Enmu's name. She headed back through the kitchen, through the living room, and then down the "L" shaped hallway into Enmu's labyrinth of rooms.
Each room she came to, she sniffed the air but didn't detect any hint of cedar. That set her mind at ease a bit even though she wasn't sure that scent was entirely tied to him. There was, after all, a lot of wood here in Enmu's home, even though most of it was ebony. Mandi did come across another room she hadn't seen before, a room with a small pool. "How in the hell is this possible to miss 2 entire rooms while going through his house? A pool today and a fitness room yesterday!" She shook her head and moved on. She didn't have a swimsuit, anyways.
Room after room she searched, sometimes even trailing a hand along a wall in case she came across a hidden door. She suspected Enmu's lab would be hidden. Mandi almost did feel like Bluebird's wife struggling to enter the forbidden room now, or at least continue her search for it. "If it turns out he can read minds though, will I be able to outwit him?" She shook her head wondering how she even came to accept the notion that someone might be able to read minds. It was absurd and what she was doing was even more absurd.
Still, she never came across a single piece of evidence to support Enmu was really a doctor. There was next to nothing on the walls except paintings of naked women which Mandi tried to avert her eyes as she passed. "No medical supplies, no first aid kit, nothing. Shouldn't that stuff be everywhere?"
She entered the Red Room again, and timidly opened the door. The Mirror Room was in front of her once again. "Well, at least the room didn't move like it did last time, or so I thought." She ran her hand along these walls, too, but found nothing. She went up to the male bust in bronze, pressing on it in different directions as if it might open up a secret door. She stood back, laughing at how foolish she felt, a hand pressed to her forehead.
"Sayd! That was it! No, not 'sayd', but pronounced more like 'sad', I think with an 'e' on the end!" she said to the quiet room. She looked over the bust, but she didn't see a name anywhere on it. She smiled. At least she had another piece of the puzzle to Dr. Tamio. "Sade, or however the heck you pronounce it. Now, I know who to look up!"
Mandi gazed through the open door to the Mirror Room and groaned. She did not want to walk through the room to get to the kitchen, but she didn't feel like retracing her steps all the way through the house back to the garden hallway. "If I smell cedar, I'm turning around. This is just simply a shortcut. I can handle this!"
She sprinted through the open doorway, her eyes focused at one point directly opposite her. It spooked her a little to see herself making a run towards dozens of her own reflection. She half expected to get hit in the head from her foolishness, but she had her hands on in front of her. Directly opposite of the door to the Red Room, she closed her eyes and felt for the latch. Almost instantly, she found it and opened the hidden door. She glanced back over her shoulder, the red paint glowing around the doorway. She didn't want to go back and close the other door, but her conscience told her otherwise. In the end, she ran back and shut the door. It helped cover her tracks, and she ultimately felt better when she was safely on the other side of the kitchen.
Mandi frowned at the dimming lights in the kitchen. She didn't trust the fact that it was nighttime or at least that the house was telling her it was. She wished she could go outside and see the sunlight for herself or the moon, either really in order to help her get her bearings straight. She walked until she was at the garden and stepped down into the genkan, slipping on the sandals by the door. The hum and babble of the stream calmed her nerves considerably. She sat down in the chair and closed her eyes as the lights continued to darken.
"It's peaceful out here, isn't it?"
Mandi almost fell from the chair, her hand clutching her chest.
"Damn, don't do that! I didn't even hear you. You about gave me a heart attack!" Enmu grinned shyly at her.
"Sorry. How was your day?"
"It was, uh, good, thanks. I took a soak in your tub," she replied, smiling up at him and concentrated hard on thinking about nail polish. "How was yours?"
"Busy, but not bad, thank you."
"Are you going to come out here and enjoy your garden?" Enmu looked at her wistfully, running a hand through his glossy, black hair.
"There's only one pair of sandals, and you're wearing them."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I can come in if you want."
"No, it's fine. I can talk to you from here."
Mandi gave Enmu a shy smile and put on her best telepathic effort. She concentrated on her toes and mentally wished she had purple nail polish to paint them with. She even wiggled her toes in the sandals and pictured just her favorite shade of purple. Satisfied with her moment of silence as a lure for Enmu to bite, she looked back up at him, and tried to keep the conversation nonchalant.
"Your bathroom-the tub, it's amazing! Though I should mention, I think I had a fainting spell while taking a bath. I know you aren't technically observing me now, but I thought it was worth mentioning." Mandi's stomach cringed after mentioning him watching her. "No, don't think about it. Toes, toes, purple nail polish."
"Yes, it's pretty relaxing, and I wouldn't worry about it. I've fallen asleep in there myself."
"Um, where is your library? I went walking today and never found it, but I found a pool and a fitness room the other day. Your house is strange; it's like some rooms appear and disappear." Enmu gave a chuckle at her comment, but the tone of it made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.
"You didn't come across it yet? It's pretty easy to find. Would you like me to show you now?" Mandi hesitated. Enmu, for some reason, was oozing off tons of sexual energy right now. Either that or she was just really horny.
"S-sure." Mandi looked up at the ceiling which started to resemble a couple twinkling stars at dusk, sighing. Standing, she walked back to the genkan and stepped up making sure the sandals pointed in the right direction for whomever came out next.
Enmu looped his arm around Mandi's, guiding her slowly through the back door of the "L" shaped hallway. Mandi swallowed, trying to keep her thoughts to herself. Heat was radiating off him almost in waves. It was as if he were trying to seduce her body with silent signals. She honestly felt tipsy like the one time she had sneaked into her grandparents' wine storage and polished off a bottle of wine by herself. Only now, she was way more buzzed than she had just by simple wine. She felt as if she was floating, and wasn't ruling out the possibility that she was about to faint. They were passing door after door, now.
Things sped up while Mandi seemed to slow down. She could smell the scent of books, old and new, but her eyes couldn't seem to focus on anything in particular. She felt herself getting propped up against a bookcase or a desk.
"How are you feeling? Enmu's voice was odd and distorted to her ears.
Mandi tried to open her mouth and say 'fine', but nothing but a giggle came out. She cupped her mouth as if trying to catch her words and stop them from escaping. She laughed again. Enmu was close to her now, far closer than he ought to be. She could feel his hands on her. Part of her secretly enjoyed the 'off-limits' thrill of a sexual relationship with him, and she wanted to know how much further things would go if kept stuck in a trance like this. "At least, I think it's a trance." That was the only rational thought she could come up with.
Mandi dreamed that his hands were running up and down the length of her body. His eyes were so vibrantly turquoise that they seemed to glow. One of his hands slid up between her legs, rubbing her groin through her jeans. She groaned, tossing her head back. His face drew closer to hers as if he desperately wanted to kiss her. She let him, although there was no way to fight him even if she didn't want it at this point. Her head was swimming in the most beautiful blue color, and Enmu's hands continued exploring all over body, groping, grasping, and squeezing. She could smell him, and the scent pouring off him was like freshly sanded cedar.
She felt him tugging at the collar of her long sleeved shirt. Another bubble of laughter erupted from her mouth. His lips were moving, and they looked like a caterpillar. She reached out trying to catch it, and felt Enmu's fingers grasp her hand. His lips were on hers, his tongue seeking and probing her mouth. Mandi was warm, much too warm. She whimpered into his mouth; she needed to do anything to be cooler.
Enmu seemed to be able to read her mind easily this time, because she felt her shirt being torn in two. Even in her delirium she thought that was outlandish, but the cool air kissing her skin quickly vanquished any negative thoughts away. It was insurmountable to focus or concentrate on anything. She tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't come.
"Enmu, what's going on? I can't talk. There's so much pressure between my legs. Where-we?"
"Shh, you're with me. And you're going to be a good girl like last time for me, aren't you?"
Mandi nodded, or more like lolled her head side to side and giggled.
"There's something you have that I want desperately right now, precious."
Mandi tried focusing on his chest and noticed a couple of the buttons on his white shirt were undone.
"What do you want from me? I want to be a good girl for you!"
"I know you do right now, you sweet thing. What I want is right-here, under your shirt. Trust me, you won't feel a thing."
Mandi cocked her head to the side lazily, feeling the torn fabric of her shirt pulled down exposing her bra. Enmu kneeled over a little and nuzzled against the top part of her cleavage. She let out a low moan, the fever pitch between her legs reaching maximum heat. His tongue trailed down over the right swell of her breast. He laid a trail of tiny kisses there and eventually, she felt him sucking as if he were giving her a hickey. She giggled madly at that thought.
Her body wanted to sway, but Enmu held her still. Mandi wanted to shift her position though, and when she found herself locked in an ironclad grip she panicked a little. The lightheaded feeling was really hitting her hard now.
"Shh, it's okay. Just stay still and imagine me giving you a massage," he replied, his mouth very wet sounding like he had taken a sip of water. To Mandi, it looked like he was suddenly wearing lipstick in a crimson hue. She chuckled out loud.
"Dear, that's a lovely shade of whore red." Enmu looked up at her confused for a moment, then quickly wiped his lips. His mouth returned to the swell of her cleavage, and she cupped the sides of his face running her fingers through his silky, raven locks. This was getting to be far too much for her body to handle. She let out a desperate whimper, pleading with him. Since she was in a dream, she let her thoughts pour out like water.
"Oh, Enmu! Do you have any idea how bad I want to fuck you right now? Ever since I saw you, I wanted nothing more than to rip your clothes off and beg you to take me. I'm a virgin, too. I want you to be the one to take it. I feel so strange around you. So complete! Beloved, even!"
Mandi blacked out after trying to think that last thought.
夢 夢 夢
Enmu stopped feeding on her the moment she had thought of the word 'beloved'. It had honestly shocked him into silence, and he questioned how lucid she was at that point. "Damn it!" He hadn't wanted to stop, but it was best that she fainted on him anyways. He looked at her face and could help but admire how peaceful and serene it was especially after he toyed with her mind. He lapped up the blood on her breast, rolling his tongue over it to stop the bleeding and licked her blood off his lips. He hoped there wasn't any on her bra or shirt. He looked, saw none, and pulled her shirt back up as much as possible.
He scooped up the unconscious girl, hugging her body to his. He wondered if she would come to him tonight, and that thought excited him. The whole 'beloved' thing though was aberrant to him. If she did come to him tonight, maybe he could find out more about the whole thing by talking to her while she was in a trance. He'd have to get his act together, though. When she entered his room last night naked, he was taken aback like a shy virgin himself. That wouldn't be the case tonight. He was more than ready for her to show up in his room. He welcomed it.
"Time for bed, my tasty Sleeping Beauty."
He didn't notice the pair of brown eyes watching him silently from behind a bookcase as he left the library with an unconscious Mandi in his arms.
夢 夢 夢
Mandi was lying on her bed, her clothes still on, and a very concerned Enmu standing above her.
"Are you alright?" Mandi blinked several times and looked around her bedroom.
"Y-yeah, I'm okay. What happened? Another fainting spell?"
"It looks to be that way. You fell and ripped your shirt, unfortunately." Enmu looked away after indicating to her shirt, blushing.
Mandi held her shirt together to be decent and tried to count back what had happened. She remembered that he was taking her to the library, but after that everything became like a strange dream or like she had done drugs. She never had a fainting spell where she hallucinated except for possibly in the Mirror Room.
"I seriously have no clue what happened. I've never had an episode where I felt like I was tripping on acid before." Enmu arched one thin eyebrow at her.
"What did you see?" He held his chin in his hand.
"You, and then it was like everything changed speeds. At one point, you had a lipstick on that was a color match for blood red." Whatever color was in Enmu's face drained away. She hit something with that comment. "Uh, are you okay, Enmu? Perhaps you'd like to sit down on the nice leather sofa and tell me of your troubles." She tried to keep the banter light and her mind swept clean.
"Haha, uh, yeah. Don't know what to tell you about that one! Whore red typically isn't my usual pick of lipstick." He then realized his mistake a little too late.
"Dr. Tamio?"
"Yes?"
"I don't recall ever saying that term 'whore red' out loud. Did you just come up with that now?" Mandi locked eyes with him, mustering as much bravado as she could. He recoiled as if struck. He stared at her in silence for a moment knowing he didn't have a come back to what she just asked. The look in his eyes was rather drained. He knew she was aware of something, and she clearly remembered the blood on his lips, didn't she?
"It's, uh, late for me. I really need to sleep. We'll talk about this more in the morning if that's okay with you? I'm sure you're ready for sleep yourself, aren't you?" She felt an impact of mental telepathy as if she hit a wall, and yes, she was indeed tired now.
"Yeah, I think sleep is a good idea." "Bastard!" "Hope you have a good night, Enmu! Sweet dreams."
"Oh, I think they will be very sweet indeed," he said seductively, challenging her cockiness. "Let the games begin, precious. I look forward to it!"
He left her room without waiting to see if she would respond. Her haunches were up, and the gazelle was on rather full alert because of his follies. Too many slip ups, too many mistakes. "Damn, it's like I am losing my cautious nature and tendencies. This woman is really doing something to me, and I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing."
Once again, he hadn't meant to get carried away when he took her to the library, but the taste of her blood was fresh in his mind and he wanted another sample. It was all her fault! She made him get carried away. He wondered why she was wishing she had brought a bottle of purple nail polish. He'd have to surprise her with one. He was pretty sure Sarah had a bottle that would compliment Mandi's skin perfectly. He'd just borrow it from Sarah for a little while. He smiled when he reached his bedroom door.
"Poor little thing. She's been running a path through my house trying to find my lab, but she'll never find it. It's just so amusing to watch her try so hard!" He suppressed a giggle with his hand, and opened his door immediately stripping as soon as it was shut. He let his human glamor fall off him in a rush. Ahh! It felt good to be himself again. He looked at his nude reflection in a mirror and smiled to himself. Maybe he was too hard on himself last night. He was far too beautiful to feel any kind of remorse for killing Mandi's parents. How was he supposed to know, right? His eyes flicked back and forth over the 夢 on his left hand. Dreams truly were beautiful things.
He climbed under the covers, letting the satin kiss across his skin. He hoped he wouldn't have to wait long. He was horny and wanted to fuck. He rested his hands behind his head, staring up at the fake moonlight in his bedroom and frowned. A moment ago, he was back to his true sadistic self, but this evil Enmu with a human heart kept fighting his own spiritual core. As soon as he figured out the whole mystery behind the 'beloved' issue, he'd end Mandi White and live happily ever after with no more nightmares.
夢 夢 夢
Mandi sat on her bed staring at the open door, her heart both racing with adrenaline and courage that she just had used on that sneaky, rat bastard. She didn't need the bait about nail polish anymore after he just slipped and mentioned her thought about the coloring on his lips being a shade of whore red. She knew that she couldn't speak at that point, and it was only a partial joke on her subconscious part. She still wasn't sure what the hell was on his lips or what had happened back in the library, but that thought was very lucid. What had made Enmu suddenly so cocky when he left, anyways? It was as if he was expecting something to happen or her to do something while she was sleeping.
She squeezed her legs together again, feeling that dull ache similar to the sensation of an overworked muscle in her thighs. "Yeah, what could I possibly do in my sleep, Enmu? You tell me." She got up and locked her door. "Not like that will do any good if I decide to sleep walk or he kicks the door in, but at least it gives me peace of mind. And that damn cedar scent of his! It's fucking everywhere!"
Mandi angrily dug through her bag to find her perfume and unleashed several spritz of jasmine within her room. She inhaled slowly and sighed. She was beyond exhausted, and it was probably thanks to Enmu. She thought she might as well call it a night.
Undressing, Mandi tossed her clothes in a dirty laundry hamper (except for her ruined shirt) and looked at her figure in the mirror, pouting. She hated the way she looked. She thought she was too fat, her boobs too big, and everything else just out of proportion. Her silver hair was a love/hate relationship. People automatically thought she was middle aged from the back, but her hair had been grey since she was a child. It was one of those genetic lotteries. She looked at her breasts, sighed.
"Wait a minute, what the heck is that?" She stepped closer to the mirror, turning the lights in the room brighter.
Her left nipple looked-off. It was more red than the other one as if she had a rash on it. There was also a similar rash looking mark on the swell of her right breast, right where her shirt had been torn or ripped apart. She touched her skin. It didn't seem to hurt. She frowned at the marks wondering if they were something she had done while sleepwalking. She refused to consider sinister alternatives. No. She was going to bed with fresh clothes and a fresh mindset. She climbed in bed and turned off the lights, lying her head on her pillow.
"It's always a nightmare, it's never a dream," she sang quietly in the dark.
夢 夢 夢
Enmu lay on his bed with his eyes locked on his bedroom door, his ears straining for the slightest sound. Somehow, his left hand had found its way beneath the black satin covers, and he started tracing the outline of his manhood with a finger. He groaned in anticipation. He was sure that his Sleeping Beauty wouldn't disappoint, but the patience was taking a toll. It wouldn't go like it had last night, either. He was going to be in absolute control-.
He heard the doorknob click. Though he couldn't see the time on his clock, he guessed it was about thirty minutes later. He smiled at the sight of her; she was wearing the pink robe he had given her again. Like before, her blue eyes were open but vacant. Her silver hair had a beautiful wave going through it. He motioned for her to come closer. She obeyed, and started slipping out of her robe as she neared his bed. "Gods, I feel like I'm losing control again just watching her do that!"
Mandi let the robe slip silently to the floor. He watched her take the belt from the robe and glide it slowly down her body. Enmu's mouth was wide open, spellbound. Even in the dim light, he could make out the two marks he had fed from her earlier. He smiled at her, reaching up and cupping her right breast.
"Ride me, precious."
"No." Her voice sounded much huskier when she was in a trance like this, and her scent-he would swear up and down she smelled like Victoria's Secret "Love Spell", especially the peach notes in it.
"No?" Enmu narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"
"Because I have something much better planned for tonight, beloved. It's been so long, and I want to spend every waking moment pleasuring you." Enmu shivered at her words.
"What?" he laughed as she grabbed his wrists. "What are you doing?" As if she could really restrain him! He'd let her play this game. It was his game, after all. She didn't answer him, but she had this sultry smile on her pink lips. She slowly tied his hands together with the belt from her kimono robe. He tugged against the restraints, suddenly wishing his hands were free so he could run them down the length of her naked body. The sheet shifted against his groin, and he sighed softly.
"M-Mandi, love, what are you doing?"
Again, she did not answer but looked down into his eyes and smiled. She leaned down and kissed him full on the lips. He moaned into her mouth, his tongue delving between her lips. Mandi nibbled the tip of his tongue. He thrust his hips up as high as he could into her side. "How does this woman have so much passion and control over me?!"
Mandi shifted forward, her breasts now level with Enmu's mouth. He twisted his wrists in the silk restraint, moaning. She cupped the sides of his face and gingerly lifted his head up to a breast, rubbing a nipple back and forth over his lips. "Can I? Is that what she is wanting me to do? How does she know?" He hesitated a moment and then succumbed.
Blood was trickling into his mouth, and Enmu was bucking his hips madly. He had no idea that one could be so turned out without reaching an orgasm. Once again, Mandi took him by surprise. She let him feed from her for a minute and then slowly pulled away. He made sure his teeth didn't rip her skin. What was she doing now? Mandi grabbed the blanket and the sheet on the bed and yanked them down to his feet. He whimpered, pleading with her with his eyes. Still, she didn't straddle him.
"Oh fuck me, please!" he begged. She shook her head. He was about to reach critical mass in a moment and roughly take her his own way. Then she kissed his lips, her blood still on them. Her tongue danced with his; it was by far the most erotic thing he ever experienced. He cried out when she broke the kiss, making her way down his throat. No, he wanted her lips again!
Mandi kissed her way down his neck, his chest, and to his navel. Enmu's breathing started picking up as he saw where this was going. He'd never had this done to him before, ever! She nipped his inner thigh then licked a slow trail up his throbbing shaft, darting her tongue to lap at his precum.
"I fed you, and now I desire to be fed, beloved." Mandi slipped the head of his cock in her mouth, moaning around it. Enmu nearly came unglued right then and there. Even through all this pleasure, the 'beloved' issue plagued his mind to a moment of clarity.
"Ple-please tell me, what do you mean by calling me 'beloved'? Who are you?"
"Shh," she replied in a husky whisper, "if you speak, I won't give you what you desire. Don't make a sound." She winked at him.
"Fuck it! 'Beloved' shit later!"
Her mouth was back on him in an instant, darting the tip of her tongue to taste the liquid dripping out. Enmu groaned through clenched teeth. Mandi sucked at the tip of his cock and leisurely pulled her mouth away. Enmu's hands clenched into tight fists.
"Fuck! Please! Don't stop!"
Mandi then opened her mouth, taking his whole cock all the way to the back of her throat. Enmu tasted blood in his mouth to keep from screaming and coming that time. His tongue would heal. She pulled back, bringing a hand to his shaft and started gliding her closed palm up and down his hardness. She licked his sac and made her way back up to the tip of his cock, swirling her tongue around the edge before taking him back into her mouth again.
Enmu was sweating, writhing, whimpering, and had his eyes squeezed tightly shut. His hips were bucking wildly up into Mandi's hand and mouth. He was hearing colors and seeing stars. He could hear his own heart pounding deep in his chest like a battle drum. How he had managed to hold on as long as he did, he wasn't quite sure. He opened his eyes and looked down at his wanton Mandi with his cock in her mouth, her eyes locked on his. That look in her eyes was enough to send him shooting straight over the edge.
He laughed, throwing his head back on his pillow and cried out her name as he felt his cum spurt into her mouth. She was swallowing everything he had to give. Knowing that she was drinking his semen sent an aftershock of heated pleasure cascading down his body, and he groaned loudly. Panting, he slowly came back down to earth. She blew cool air on the tip of his cock and he shivered. Mandi met his gaze, swallowing the last bit of cum in her mouth and licked her lips, standing. She turned towards the door.
"Oh no you don't!" He wiggled his wrists free in an instant, and was standing before her, blocking the door. "No, I won't let you leave." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. She moaned into his mouth. He ran his fingers through her hair, and just held her body to his, skin on skin. An emotional wave hit him so strong he felt like he could easily cry. His arms were wrapped around her, pressing her body into his. It was perfect; it was safe. He scooped her up into his arms, leaving his bedroom and headed towards the door at the end of the hallway.
"I'll tuck you back into bed later. Now, it's my turn."
夢 夢 夢
The pain eventually woke her up. Mandi opened her eyes expecting to see sunlight but was bathed in the glow of moonlight. "I hate not knowing the time or even what day it is! How long did I sleep? I feel so groggy and sore!" She sat up, wincing. She ached from head to toe, but the worst was the pain between her legs. That definitely was not monthly pain. She clutched her stomach, tears pricking at her eyes.
She desperately needed to soak in some hot water. The water would help to mollify the body aches and pain. While she still didn't have specific proof that Enmu had taken advantage of her, why else would she be in discomfort? "Unless I really was just sleepwalking, and it's getting more frenzied." She rubbed her jaw; that was tender too like she had her mouth open for an extended period of time. Grabbing some random clothes that she didn't care what was what, she put on her kimono robe and dashed to the bathroom. She let the tub fill while she used the restroom and searched the cabinets, hoping to find epsom salt. Thankfully, she found a large bag of it. She dumped a quarter of the bag into the tub and ran back to her room to grab a couple Tylenol. She couldn't believe how tender she was.
She locked the bathroom door; she wasn't taking any chances there. Mandi sat on the edge of the tub, waiting for it to fill. She tried to make sense of what she last remembered, but she was nonplussed. She remembered about the nail polish, something about Enmu taking her to his library, and then nothing. The thoughts and memories were gone as if they were erased. She put her hand to her temple and rubbed. One hell of a migraine was coming on. A pity party wanted to come out and cry after all the stress, but that would just make her head hurt worse. She took a couple deep breaths, prayed, and then refocused.
Mandi untied the robe and set it on one of the black marble countertops next to her clothes and personals. She gasped out loud when she saw her wrist. While they didn't hurt yet, she could clearly see the outlines of a circle on both wrists. It would be a nasty bruise when it bloomed. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out and dread from setting in. "What are these and where did they come from?!"
Just as Mandi was about to step into the tub, she caught a glimpse of her nude body in a mirror that wasn't quite fogged up yet. She brought her hand up to her mouth and gasped.
Down to her pubic area and back up to her collarbone were bright red marks that circled around her torso. There were diamond shapes and horizontal lines crisscrossing everywhere. She touched one of the red lines that marred her skin. Like her wrists, they didn't hurt. However, she imagined her salt water bath would definitely sting. Mandi was confused as she was frightened. Surely, she couldn't have done this to herself. "Could Enmu? No, he's not that crazy. He can't be. This cannot be happening at all!"
In the tub she did cry. It hurt to sit, it hurt to stand, and it even hurt to cry. She tried a few more calming breaths to get her emotions under control. "Logical, remember you need to be logical in this situation. You NEED to find Enmu's lab today!" All that effort, however, seemed daunting and inconceivable. Even if she asked Enmu straight out if he had had anything to do with her condition this morning, he'd of course deny it. She sniffed the air, and sighed in relief. There was no cedar scent to be found.
She soaked in the bath a little longer, letting the warm water and epsom salt alleviate some of the aches in her body. Mandi stared down at the bruises and marks at her body, her hands shaking, and cleaned herself up as best as she could without going heavy on any soaps to avoid irritating her skin further.
When she was finished with her bath, she dressed quickly in a pair of black leggings and a long black t-shirt and white socks. "Appropriate, I look like I'm dressed for a funeral." She ran her hands under water from one of the sinks, wetting her hair. Quickly, she tossed it back into a long braid and went back into her bedroom. She remembered that she had needed to look up the name 'Sade' on her MacBook. Sitting down, she turned her laptop on, thrumming her fingers impatiently on the gold chassis. She looked down at the gold finish on it and around the white room again, feeling that familiar pit of anxiety return to her stomach.
"It was 'Marquis de Sade'. Funny how that just came back into my memory." Typing in his name into the search bar on her web browser, she learned he was a French philosopher. It didn't take a long search for her to see the word 'sadism' pop up, however. As she clicked on the highlighted word, she bit down on her lips to stifle any sound.
Images of bound women and men flitted across her screen as she scrolled. There were also various pictures of people being tortured and involved in blood play. Salty bile water started filling her mouth. She was going to be sick. The markings on her-it was made from rope! "Enmu did this! He's been behind this the whole fucking time!" She dashed to the bathroom just in time and was sick, dry heaving into the toilet. She couldn't stop her body from shaking in terror and sheer blind rage from the fact that he had taken advantage of her in a brutal way.
"Okay, Mandi, you need to take a deep breath and try to calm down. You need to walk into that kitchen and see if Sarah is there, alone, and try to pry more information out of her. You also need to get a grasp on your thoughts and emotions, because as perceptive as that asshole is, he will see you shaking like a leaf from a mile away. Don't let him know that you know. Take back the upper hand!"
She sat on the marble floor for a minute, hugging her knees as close to her chest as she could. Mandi didn't know how she could even face him today. She had a dark feeling he wouldn't let her just walk out of here now, either. She had effectively fallen into whatever sick, sadistic trap he had set for her. She prayed that Sarah would be able to help her escape somehow. She stood, went to the sink, and splashed her face with cold water, rinsing her mouth out. She was dreading what was going to come next.
Sarah was standing at the breakfast bar with the anxious countenance when Mandi entered the kitchen. Mandi raised one eyebrow, and Sarah put a finger to her mouth and then tapped her head as if she said, "Don't talk, don't think about anything either." Mandi nodded, her thoughts taking her to a lovely beach. She concentrated as hard as she could. She sat down on the bar stool that she had yesterday and watched Sarah make an omelette. Mandi had no appetite whatsoever and let her gaze wander lazily. Mandi felt a hand touch her shoulder and she stiffened at once.
"My goodness, why are you so jumpy?" Enmu chucked, smiling down at her.
"Oh, good morning, I think, or night, whatever the case may be. You startled me, that's all." His smile was sharp and unnerving, the scent of cedar filling her nostrils. "Focus! Beach! Sand. Ocean. You're happy, you're safe." His turquoise eyes once so magnetic and alluring to her were now nothing but menacing.
"It's dusk, I think," he replied, staring her down. For some reason, her thoughts were lost to him. "Wonder why the ocean is suddenly on her mind." He probed her thoughts harder, but he didn't see anything suspicious. Mandi sure was acting rather uncanny. She was fidgeting. He watched her bounce one of her legs up and down like a piston on the bottom rim of the bar stool.
"You going out again for the day?" He nodded, continuing to scrutinize her.
"Say, uh, Enmu, do you know what these are from?" She held up her hands, showing him the darkening bruises on her wrists, swallowing. "I woke up with these, and I don't know what the hell happened. In fact, my whole body is sore like I was doing some serious exercising that would rival an Olympic athlete." She let the genuine fear wash over her image of the beach. He was on the spot now, but his sincerity was over the top and fake.
"I really don't know. How strange!" He took one of her hands in his and touched his fingers to the bruise. He felt her recoil instantly, and he dropped her hand. "I need to actually take off right now, but I'll look at these when I get home and treat the bruises."
"Thank you," she replied, hastily looking away. "I took a bath and used some of the epsom salt you had. I hope you don't mind."
"No, not at all. That's honestly a smart thing to do, and it probably is the best way to help ease any aching muscles. Don't worry. We'll figure out what's going on with you." He took her hand again and patted it like one would do in order to comfort a child. His sickeningly sweet and false demeanor made Mandi feel like screaming.
"Beach, you're at the beach, remember?"
Sarah abruptly halted their conversation and put a plate with an omelette smothered in cheese in front of Mandi. She then added a glass of orange juice, silverware, and a napkin off to the side. Mandi looked up at her thankful for the kind gesture, but there was no way she could eat right now. She went to shake her head, but the look in Sarah's eyes was dire and forceful. Sarah actually pushed the plate closer to her. Mandi picked up on her signal and went along with it.
"Thank you for making this special for me, Sarah. An omelette sounded really good this morning, so I hope I didn't put you out at all by requesting it. I'll help you with the dishes if you like." Sarah smiled thinly at Mandi and held up her hand. Mandi took the silverware and cut a small piece of the omelette and slipped it into her mouth. Despite the current circumstances, it tasted amazing and made her mouth water.
"Oh, that reminds me. I have a surprise for you. You might think it's silly, but I just thought you could use a little pampering." He set down a bottle of purple nail polish beside her left hand. The bite of omelette Mandi had in her mouth became like glue, and she couldn't swallow. He caught her. "Ah, precious thing, you thought you could outsmart me, didn't you? You just let me in your head now, too! How do you like the markings from the Karada rope dress on your skin? Just thinking about you tied up like that again makes my body yearn for you!"
"What's wrong?" He leaned in closer to whisper in her ear, clearly breaking her comfort bubble. "Don't you like surprises?" He felt himself growing harder at the shocked look on her face. "Oh, it's truly delightful! How about those pretty bracelets around your wrists? Silver handcuffs compliment your skin so well!"
"Y-yeah. Funny, I was just thinking about that yesterday. Thank you. You're very kind." She could hear the wavering in her voice, and she knew damn well he could, too. How she managed to swallow that bite of omelette, she'll never know. She caught Sarah watching them with a look of dismay on her face, and quickly went back to work as if blocking her own thoughts from Enmu.
"Well, I need to take off, Mandi. I probably wont be back until evening, well, the evening we are used to. I need to go retrieve something and then I'll be gone. I have a patient that needs urgent attention." Mandi just watched Enmu, not daring to move or speak.
She heard his shoes tap against the marble floor as he left and headed back through the hallway. Mandi dropped her fork onto her plate, shrouding her face into the darkness of her hands. She sat like that for minute before looking up at Sarah, tears in her eyes. Mandi grabbed her napkin to blot the tears away and out fell a piece of paper. She looked up at Sarah as she unfolded the concealed note. It had one word written upon it in bright red marker.
"Closet!"
夢 夢 夢
Mandi slowly crept through the living room into the hallway, ears straining to determine if Enmu had really left. Sarah had given her a hug to comfort her, and then she retreated into her own quarters. The hug gave Mandi some courage, and she understood why Sarah didn't want to be around for the time being. Trying not to think of something specific when you were around a person who could read minds was taxing, and she knew that she hadn't done too well. Enmu had goaded her in the kitchen, and he succeeded in intimidating her. Since he was hopefully gone for whatever reason, she knew this may be her only chance to escape. Mandi highly impugned that he was actually going to see a patient. She did not believe anything he did was out of sheer kindness; there was always a motive.
While walking in the hallway, she caught a brief wisp of Enmu's scent and shuddered. "Oh, but that gives me an idea! If he is here or comes back while I'm looking, I'll use my own perfume as a diversion!" She was thankful in hindsight that she had avoided the heavily perfumed soaps when she had bathed, because that would just hindered her plan or outright ruined it.
She quickly went in her room and snatched her perfume off the dresser, and went through the door in the hallway leading to the rest of Enmu's house. She sprayed it here and there, making sure not to get any on herself and cautious not to spray too much. Mandi got lost once in his labyrinth of rooms but quickly found her way again. After this ordeal, if she made it out alive, she'd never want to smell jasmine perfumed anything ever again. The smell of it was making her stomach cramp in waves.
Finally, she reached the Red Room. She cracked open the door to make sure the Mirror Room was the next room beyond, and was thankful that it was. She sprayed one burst in the center of the room, and then anxiously walked into the Mirror Room, closing the door behind her.
As soon as she was in the room full of mirrors, her heart started racing. She damned herself for shutting the other door, because it made her feel all the more confused. Hundreds of her reflections pointed straight ahead at the hidden door, and she walked to it as quickly as she could muster without falling. Just a foot away from the other hidden door, her head started to spin.
"Oh, no not now, please!"
The room started to swim, and Mandi felt herself falling to the floor. She was looking down at herself or was it up? Another ripple of vertigo hit her hard, and she tried hard to remain conscious.
"Of all the times to faint, please God, no!"
Mandi's eyelashes fluttered, and she sluggishly opened her eyes. Confusion washed over her until she realized what room she was in. She was still holding her bottle of perfume, apparently. She brought her hand to her forehead as if to keep her brain from spilling out onto the floor. She could feel her pulse beating steadily above her right temple.
"How much time has passed? Have I missed my only chance? No time to wonder about that now!" She stood up, wincing at how stiff her body was after lying on a hard floor. Thankfully, she was able to get the door to the kitchen opened without any difficulty. She looked back into the Mirror Room and sniffed the air. Unlike the last time she had an episode in here, the scent of cedar was no where to be found. She prayed that it meant Enmu was still out and that he wasn't stalking her currently through the house.
In the kitchen, she stashed her perfume in one of the cabinets not wanting to waste time stopping at her room. She looked at the clock on the microwave. "Fuck! I was out for nearly 6 hours!" She had to find his laboratory stat! Vigilant and silent, she inched her way into the living room. She didn't smell Enmu in there or in the hallway. Mandi sighed in relief.
Standing before the door to Enmu's enormous closet, she swallowed, and pressed down the door handle. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins like a flash flood, and she wondered how much more anxiety her nerves could handle. Perhaps, that is why she fainted in the Mirror Room. Walking into the closet, which really nothing more than a huge room, the smell of cedar was heavy in the air. Her eyes wandered down the rows of Enmu's clothes, and she shook her head at all the identical or near identical outfits hanging fastidiously up. It was almost as if she were back in the Mirror Room and seeing dozens of Enmu's.
She stood for a moment and decided that if he had a hidden room in here it would have to be against the back wall, because on either side of the closet were their bedrooms. She started at the left hand corner and reached back through the black coats and trailed her fingers along the wall. As Mandi reached the center of the back wall, her fingers caught on a hidden door. Her heart almost burst in relief.
Pressing a hidden latch similar to in the Mirror Room, the door opened. Mandi stared into the darkness for a moment, more and more fear enveloping her. She wondered if Enmu could possibly be lying in wait as she walked into the dark. She placed a hand over her heart and mouth, because a scream was on the on the border of escaping. Her body was ridged, the hair standing up on the back of neck. The room remained dark, but she could hear an erratic 'whirring' sound. She began flailing her arms about her wildly in search of a light switch.
Suddenly, the lights in Enmu's lab flipped on; they were motion sensitive. She surmised that her careful tiptoe into the room wasn't enough to activate the lights. Motion caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. There was a massive collection of electric trains running on tracks around half of the room, encircling a bunch of slate covered tables. "Wonder why these don't keep the lights on at all times?" There were various beakers and Bunsen burners on a few of the tables. Many things caught her attention all at once, and Mandi was having a hard time concentrating. There was a door against the back wall.
She ran to it and tried opening it, yanking at the handle. It was locked. Mandi let out a cry of frustration. Looking around the lab again, she noticed a key on one of the slate countertops. Grabbing it, she tried using it on the door only to discover it didn't fit in the keyhole. She stared at the key in her hand for a moment while a suspicion hit her. Perchance this was the key to the front door?
She ran out of the lab, halting at the closet door. Enmu's scent was all around her, but she did not hear or see anything. "This entire closet is made out of cedar, so that's why he smells like it. I won't be able to tell if he is around. Damn it!" Enmu, at least, wasn't anywhere in sight.
Deftly, she walked out of the closet towards the front door. Looking around a final time in attempt to make sure she was alone, she unsteadily fit the key into the lock and turned it. It clicked. Her hands were shaking so bad she was surprised that she was even able to unlock the door. Placing a hand on the handle to open, she wavered.
"This wasn't the door he went out. He must have left through the door in the laboratory. As much as I want out of here, I feel like I need to check his lab for some kind of evidence to bring to the police. That, and I don't have anything packed. I think what I will do is leave this door unlocked and put the key back exactly where I found it. That way, I know I have an exit ready, because he won't know that I already unlocked this door. I have never seen him go out this door, anyway, so I really think this plan is as sound as it's going to get," she said quietly to herself.
She opened the door and peered beyond the other side. It was dank and dark past the door, perhaps even the inside a cave, but she could make out a stairway leading up to the surface. Feeling a little security about her secret escape route, she closed the door and left it unlocked. Mandi made her way back into Enmu's lab to do some investigating. She damned herself for not having anything prepared, but who would plan that a charming, handsome doctor would actually turn out to be a psychopath.
In the laboratory again, she placed the key exactly where it had been on the table. She went over and examined the trains running about on their tracks. One of them looked like a replica of an old steam engine one might have seen in the 1920s. It was peculiarly captivating for some reason. Shaking her head, Mandi walked towards some of the other slate covered chemistry tables.
There was a type of nightshade plant in a pot with white trumpet flowers blossoming. She sniffed one of the flowers. It had a very light but pleasant scent. "I think it's a moonflower. I remember my grandparents having a couple of these growing in their yard. They always told me not to touch them, because they are poisonous." Next to the plant were dozens of moonstones in various sizes and a few bottles of resin like the kind you'd use to make jewelry. "Very curious."
Not far from the plant and moonstones was a very expensive looking camera with various lenses around it. "That makes sense, because of all the photographs of women he has on his walls." Mandi looked towards the left hand corner of the room and saw that he had an elaborate darkroom set up. At least, that's what she guessed. Making her way to the darkroom, something shiny glinted at her from another table nearby.
Mandi walked up to the table and saw that the shiny object was the remnants of an old katana. While the hilt was intact, the rest of the sword was broken into multiple shards. The blade itself appeared to made from some type of solid black metal. There was several inches of the black metal blade still attached to the hilt. Out of curiosity, she reached out and ran a finger down the side of the sword and was shocked by it being blood warm to the touch. "Another oddity down in Enmu's lab." It wasn't overly warm in the room, and she mused how the metal could be so hot. "At least it makes a quick weapon even if it is broken."
With her interest in the broken katana satisfied, Mandi walked to the darkroom. As soon as she touched the door handle, the lights in the lab immediately shut off. She gasped out in surprised, clutching her mouth until she realized that it wasn't Enmu who had shut the lights off. She let go of the door handle, and the lights came back on. "Honestly, despite the circumstances, that is really brilliant." Despite it being 'brilliant', Mandi had a bad feeling awaiting her inside.
Touching the door handle, she waited until the lights were off and opened the door. Even though she knew the light in a darkroom was red, Mandi couldn't shake the feeling that she was being bathed in blood. She folded her arms, hugging herself and looked at some of the trays filled with solution. There were pictures developing in some of them. Mandi's stomach started doing somersaults. All of the pictures developing were mostly candid shots of her!
One of the photographs developing was a shot of her in the shower, another of her sleeping, and a another one of her unconscious in the Mirror Room she suspected the first time she passed out in there. There were more photos of her hanging up on a clothesline. She cupped her hands over her mouth, her countenance in shocked terror. She was staring at a photograph of herself tied up in a black rope matching the same marks which were now all over her body. It looked like she was in the Red Room. Her hands were sporting a pair of handcuffs. There was a similar picture of her spread eagle on the red leather chesterfield couch. The last picture, however, threatened to bring up the lonely bite of omelette: it was a photograph of them together, fucking. A big grin was plastered on his face while he had Mandi bent over the couch with his free hand caressing her ass; she was clearly unconscious and trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Next to that picture hanging by a clothespin was the pair of black panties with bunnies on them she thought she had lost the day she had met Enmu.
She was instantly on her hands and knees violently sick. Her braided hair clung to her sweaty neck, and she couldn't take a breath deep enough. She let out a choked wail, wiping the back of her mouth with her hand. Mandi never once in her entire life felt more exposed, degraded, and violated. There were more pictures hanging up or adorning the walls, but she ran out of the darkroom, sobbing. She absolutely had to escape now, packed or not. This man was clearly dangerous, and she was a bug that had been trapped in his web. She raced through the lab, stopping only to grab the broken katana as a means of defense if she needed it, and bolted back into the closet.
Mandi's lungs were burning for air as if she had just ran a mile. She took a moment to get her sobs and breathing under control, and then she darted out of the closet into the hallway towards the front door thanking God she had unlocked it. She clung to the katana so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. Her fingers inches away from the front door, she howled in fear when Enmu whispered in her ear. She spun around, managing to hide the sword behind her back in time.
"Did Bluebeard's wife find what she was looking for in the room she was strictly forbidden NOT to enter? Tsk tsk tsk, I think my heart is broken at you snooping around. And after I went to the trouble to get you that purple nail polish you so clearly used to lure me in an attempt to expose myself. Mandi, I think I'm insulted, but that's okay! I'll make your punishment less severe if you get on your knees right now and beg my forgiveness."
She never even heard him! How had he been that quiet? Enmu had her back up against the door. There was no where to run to now. If she had not have fainted in the damned Mirror Room, she'd be free by now. She gulped. There was this hungry look in his eyes that spoke volumes. Yes, she was quite sure she could imagine the things he'd do to her. She wouldn't get out of this alive. She had one last trick up her sleeve, something she had seen in a movie a long time ago.
Mandi stared in shock over Enmu's shoulder as if there was someone or something right behind him. Her gasp made it all the more authentic. Enmu furrowed his thin brows and fell for it completely, turning to look behind him. With her last chance, she whipped the katana hilt from behind her back and plunged it into his heart with all her might.
Enmu screamed, clutching at the Nichirin blade embedded in his chest.
"Oh, you bitch! You motherfucking bitch! You're going to pay for that, and you'll enjoy paying for it!"
Mandi watched in dismay as he pulled the sword out of his chest. "Why isn't he dead?! At least I'll get to be with my family soon." She was crying and leaped off to the side in a feeble attempt to run. Enmu grabbed her by the foot, and she fell hard to the cold, marble floor. The pain in her knees and elbows was white hot from the impact. He flipped her onto her back and climbed on top, straddling her. She could feel that he had a hard on as he ground his hips into her. He held her hands down onto the floor above her head with his right hand and took a fistful of her shirt and ripped it off her like it was made of paper. It hurt like hell against her marred skin. His lips were on her neck, his free hand groping her breasts. She struggled to get free, but it was useless. He was incredibly strong for a man with such a lithe body. He kissed his way up to her ear and whispered.
"Ha, you dumb bitch. You wouldn't have escaped, because that door is locked. I got to hand it to you, though. Your little trick with your perfume led me on a wild goose chase. I haven't been that surprised in a long time! Your feisty attitude is like a dream come true!"
Mandi closed her eyes, pretty sure she knew what was coming next. She whimpered, struggling to free herself from getting raped. His fingers, gentle this time, caressed the side of her cheek.
"Uh uh, precious. Look at me."
When she opened her eyes, Enmu was no longer Enmu. His hair was now multi-colored, black fading to a red or a dark pink and two longer pieces in the back tipped in teal. His eyes were a much more vibrant shade of turquoise, the right with an elliptical pupil like a goat's and his left-some sort of kanji symbol. His skin lost nearly all its pigment; he looked ghostly white. There were colored squares down both cheeks that looked like tattoos fading from an olive green to a yellow. The most horrifying change about him, however, was the smile filled with razor sharp teeth grinning down at her.
"What's the matter? You look as if you seen a ghost." He laughed down at her, grinding his hips into her again. "Did you know that Bluebeard had teeth, you precious thing?"
He leaned over and bit the swell of her left cleavage making sure that she felt every single one of his teeth. Her scream was musical to his ears. She thrashed and kicked beneath his body, but it only excited him further. He drank the blood that she had stabbed out of him and licked the wound clean to stop the bleeding when he was done. His mouth and chin were covered in her blood. He leaned over and kissed her, making sure to smear her blood on her lips. Her futile attempts were adorable to him.
He broke the kiss and sat up, holding his left hand in front of her face. She screamed again seeing a mouth on the back of his hand, fighting in vain to escape out from under him.
"Kekkijutsu," he whispered, "Kyōsei Kontō Saimin no Sasayaki."
Enmu smiled down at his sleeping Mandi as he leaned over and kissed her goodnight.
2nd A/N: If you made it this far, thank you for reading! I know this was quite a long chapter, but I didn't want to break it up anymore than I did. I really hope that it wasn't too long. My apologies if the grammar is incorrect on some of the later parts. I use gmail to double check, and it decided to just quit on me. Title is based off 'Sadeness Part 2' by Enigma. Little bonus for those of you who are Daisuke Hirakawa fans. Picture is of Laito from Diabolik Lovers, but it is still Enmu's voice actor. You have to be 18 in order to watch it, and don't forget a pair of earbuds! /watch?v=Zpv4ebNZPG8