7

“Ugh, I’m tired.”

“YOU’RE TIRED?! You’re the one who wanted to explore!”

“Yes, but there’s nothing here,” I whine, “let’s just go home.”

“No way, you started this, now we’re finishing it,” Nessa is dragging me by the arm as we walk because I kept getting left behind. I look back, and I can still just barely see the pot. This sucks.

“I'm allowed to be tired, you didn't have to come along,” I say, trying to act tough.

“Well, it's not my fault you wouldn’t stop begging me. You convinced me and now I’m here for your protection,” She tugged harder.

“Excuse me?” I regain a bit of my energy, just because I’m a petty bitch.

“I mean look around, this isn’t our world,” Nessa flings her arm around as if to show me her point, then she points to me, “Now look at you,” I’m sweaty as fuck and my hair has definitely seen better days, “do you think you could actually survive without me?”

“Yes,” I stand firm, proving my point, “Yes, I do.”

“Pffft-”

“What?” I tug my arm away and begin walking forward on my own. See? I’m strong enough, I don’t need you, “If you wanna go back and leave it’s fine-”

“Cute,” she mumbles.

“Huh-?” She didn’t just say that, right? “What did you say?” I stopped walking and stared at her.

“You're cute when you're angry, I can't argue with you seriously,” she begins walking alongside me.

“Why the sudden change of heart, Princess of Darkness? I thought you hated me,”

“Shut up, let’s just keep the pace.”

“Make me,” I say. She laughs and it’s beautiful. I never expected that kind of noise to ever come out of her mouth.

“Hey, wait-” she stops me, “look straight ahead, I’m not imagining that — am I?”

I look behind us, and I can’t see the pot anymore.

“Not behind — ahead, dumbass!”

Ahead of us is a hill. It’s a strange-looking hill because this hill has a door and windows and lights and a chimney.

“Oh my god, it’s like a hobbit house.”

“A what?” I stare at it confused as Nessa takes off toward it, “wait!”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Nessa knocks rhythmically on the door, looking as excited as Aunt Florence when I ask about the moon. I don’t feel like punching her face like I want to punch Aunt Florence though.

No one answers the door. She knocks again and the door swings open on its own. The pitch-black inside seems to want to lure us in, but I’m not that stupid.

“Not so excited now, are we?” I smirk and pull her away from the door. The look on her face is obviously telling me she wants to go inside, but I have too much horror-movie-watching experience.

“No, I want to go in,” she says, trying to break free of my hold.

“I know, Nessa, but your grandpa will fire me if you die — so that’s a no.”

“Where’s your need for adventure now?” Touché.

“Fine, whatever — just don’t let go of my hand,” I slip my hand down from her arm and grip her hand tightly, it’s cold. Her skin is almost freezing, that can’t be good.

She leads me into the darkness, almost like she’s in some kind of trance. It’s like she knows exactly where she’s going.

The lights flicker on, “ah, so you’ve finally arrived, oh weary travelers.”

Before us is a wooden stump surrounded by little wooden chairs. Deep vibrant curtains hang from the ceiling along with little fairy lights. The fireplace has been lit, and along the mantle are books with velvet covers stacked on top of one another, and jars full of acorns and berries and leaves of a kind I don’t know. Along the walls are beautiful paintings that I’ve never seen before, none by any artist that I know at least. On the wooden stump that I now realize is a table, there’s a black metal teapot and black teacups on black saucers. Sitting in the wooden chair is a maiden. Her lime green skin is flawless, and her bright yellow hair flows over her shoulder — long pointy ears poke through. Her pitch-black eyes seem to light up as soon as she sees Nessa — including the one on her chest. She gets up and hugs her like they’re old friends. The maiden smiles and ushers us to come further inside. I can’t take my eyes off that eye. It’s blinking — as deep and dark as a bottomless pit — right under her collarbone. It’s freaking me out.

“Oh, Nessa, you didn’t tell me you brought a friend,” the maiden stared at me.

“Hi, yes, hello,” I wave at her, “I’m Cass, who are you?” I peel her hands off Nessa’s shoulders. Nessa doesn’t do anything — wait, is she drooling?

“I’m Aisa,” she smiles at me and I get a shiver down my spine.

“Well, you have a lovely home, but I think Nessa and I should go now,” I try to move her, but she’s rooted in place. It’s like she’s been screwed into the floor.

“Nessie〜,” Aisa slips her hands around Vanessa’s waist and plays with her hair, twirling the red and the dark bits into a tiny braid, “do you have to go?”

“No,” she says robotically. Oh my god, she’s so obviously brainwashed.

“That’s a good girl,” Aisa weeds her fingers through Nessa’s and leads her to a seat. She sits and Aisa pours her tea.

I stay close behind Nessa’s seat, how the fuck can I break the brainwashing? How did she even get brainwashed in the first place?

“Tea, Cass?” the green temptress asks.

“No thanks,” I say. I poke Nessa’s back, hoping if she gets annoyed enough she can wake up and slap the shit out of me.

“Cass, why don’t you take a seat?”

“I’d rather stand than live the rest of my life in eternal damnation suffering with whatever the fuck is happening to my friend, thank you.”

Aisa’s eyes go wide. It’s funny, when a person’s eyes are completely black, even if you can’t see the whites, they’re just as expressive when showing frustration. I’m not doing what she want’s me to do. Did her brainwashing not happen yet, is she trying to get me?

Or am I just so fucking awesome that it hasn’t worked?

Aisa puts the teapot down. She walks past Nessa and makes a beeline for me. She backs me up against the wall, grabbing my face and holding me just centimeters away from her own.

She giggles, “You’re blushing〜” She looks up at me and I swear the black abyss behind her eyes twinkles. I can hear my own heart beating fast. A creepily warm feeling completely wash over me, shivers continuously going up and down my spine. It feels like I’m getting tortured, and it feels like I’m enjoying it.

Fuck.

She sneaks her hands around my waist and pulls me closer, “You’re good,” she smirked, “your mind is strong.”

I push her away, “Thanks, but I’m not interested.”

Aisa giggles as she walks back to Nessa, “You’re good,” she says to me, keeping her eyes on her, “but I’m better.”

Aisa takes the cup of tea and raises it to Nessa’s lips. She plays with her hair as she drinks, her eyes — watching me.

With a loud crash, the tea cup smashes into unsalvageable little pieces on the floor. Nessa falls along with it, gripping at her neck, begging for air.

“Nessa!” I push Aisa away from her and hold her in my lap, rocking her back and forth, “what the hell did you do to her?”

“The tea,” Aisa smiles, “you’re smart — you didn’t drink it.”

“I knew there was something fucky about you-”

“And you didn’t do anything about it,” she kneels at my side, whispering in my ear, “it would seem my magic worked after all.”

Aisa clutches her sides as she burst into manic laughter.

“Now you can’t leave!” She screams.

“Just watch me!” I hold Nessa close to my chest and make a run for it out the door. She looks like she’s in so much pain — fast wheezing, scratching at her chest.

“You won’t get far!” Aisa yells after me, “Before long, the roses in little Nessie’s lungs will be fully grown — unless you stay with me, she will die!”

I run.

I run and I run and I don’t look back.

Roses in her lungs? From the tea??

Nessa coughs uncontrollably, and something splatters on my face. It’s her blood.

Shit.