To say dinner was atrocious was an understatement. Ophelia had refused to touch any of it. It smelled like skin, the scent of death. Just like that deer in the forest. Just like the blood, she had thought.

“Ophelia?” And here was Elian again, calling her name for the hundredth time tonight even though he very well knew she couldn’t, and would never answer.

She wanted to trust him, truly, she did, but something was off about him; something was off about everyone here. They were murderers. They didn’t mind taking lives, and despite what Elian had claimed earlier on, she wasn’t sure she could believe a man who’d said he would not harm her, when he’d scoffed down the body of another life—and relished in the scent of burnt cadavers—with a smile on his face.

“Ah, I finally found you!” Elian huffed. He rested both his hands against his knees. “I can’t believe you actually came out here…”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Ophelia couldn’t fathom his surprise—after all, it was him who had given her this task of picking up strawberries in an empty field at midnight.

Maybe it showed on her face, for then, he said, “I know I told you this would be one of your assignments during your stay here, but I think you should take the night off. I’m sorry. I should have known you were feeling ill.” Elian pursed his lips together. He took a step forward and grasped her shoulder.

A gasp escaped from Ophelia’s lips. She shut her eyes and dropped the round, woven basket full of berries at her feet. The end of her skirt was now tinged by the colour red. She tensed, waited, for the unknown to come.

Once she realised Elian’s touch was nothing but gentle, the fear that he had taken back his promise of doing her no harm immediately dissipated in Ophelia’s mind.

“Walk with me?” he asked. “I’d like to show you something, if you don’t mind.”

Ophelia nodded.

She left the basket behind.

In the hollow night, they left the sound of footsteps behind, past the strawberry fields, towards the light of the moon which illuminated their figures and gave their shadows a faint glow, one usually only finds in his wildest dreams.