Please read with the music.
My eyelids slowly flutter open to a blurry darkness. I force myself to blink several times, rapidly, in a desperate attempt to clear up my clouded vision. As the focus returns to my vision, I am greeted by a huge, solid black wall.
Frantically peering around in the dark, my sight begins to adjust to the hallowing void as chills envelop my spine. My breaths, coming out hitched and heavy, leave behind heavy clouds of fog in the chilled air.
Trembling lips, I continue to stare around in heightened anticipation. One moment I had been in Hades' agonizing hold, and the next -pure darkness. Where am I? What is going on? My body begins to shiver uncontrollably as I feel the unmistakable drop in the air's temperature. I feel as though I were in a walk-in freezer. Entrapped and surrounded by nothing but the over-bearing presence of these 4 stone walls for company. My thoughts are quickly scattered as my attention is drawn to the shadowy figure lurking in the corner of the enclosure; Its tall, faceless frame just barely grazing the ceiling.
My breathing picks up as I try to rush as far away from the creature as possible. Fortunately for me, my body obeys, and I manage to get myself up to a crawl. I frantically sweep around for a way out- a door, a flap, anything, but I come up short with the only other thing visible to me in this entrapment being my shadowy tormentor. Now standing -no, hovering- several feet away. I am completely trapped. Completely alone, with absolutely nowhere to go.
My knees leave a trail of blood on the cold ground as I attempt to scurry away. I am swiftly ceased in my tracks by a harsh yank to the foot. It had been so cold that I had failed to notice the cool, metal cuff tightly secured around my left ankle. Turning myself onto my bum, my deft hands begin to violently scratch at the chains. Useless.
I cry out in frustration and cover my drenched face, refusing to spare another glance at the haunting creature. "JUST KILL ME ALREADY!" I yell into the frosted air, sobbing into the darkness- my hands still glued to my face. Panicked, I await doom, but it doesn't come. The numbing silence filling the chamber is my only reply, which sends my anxiety through the roof. Goosebumps litter the entirety of my skin as the temperature seemingly drops another 10 degrees.
Before I can even think or open my mouth again, a strong wind picks up from out of nowhere and pushes everything in the confinement up against the wall- including me. Loose pebbles and particles of rock float about everywhere- some pelting me in the process as a spinning vortex of furious air forms in the middle of the enclosure. Gravity goes to zero and the intensity of my bones being crushed against the rocky surface overcomes me. I howl in pain.
In this moment, all I can think about is Valentine. How I wished he would swoop in and save me, like he always had. The moments I took for granted. Where was he now? Where was he while I endured this torment? While the merciless force continued to press into my back, blood trickling down my shoulders?
In the center of the tornado, now buzzing with deathly electric bolts, stands the shadowy figure. It slowly begins approaching me step by step, as the powerful winds grind me even further into the rock.
I cry out in pain, but the only thing I can do is watch the advancing figure in horror. The last thing I see is a bright flash as the shadow dashes forward and completely envelops me.
*****
Awaking with a jolt, I quickly sit up in the huge, plush bed. I glance around at my surroundings, confused. Immense paintings, all in greyscale, adorn the vast, dark-striped walls. Delicate, glass vases carefully balance atop a multitude of tall, majestic pillars and decadent furniture litter the bedroom. A pair of hauntingly beautiful sculptures molded into the form of impossibly sharp tridents adorn each of the right two corners of the vast boudoir. Horned dragons, gargoyles, and other creatures of the night seemingly swirl about in a lustrous night-sky illustration that covers the entirety of the ceiling, high above the bed's colossal posts.
My throbbing brain buzzes incessantly as I continue to study the rest of the room. Inspecting the maroon-silk sheets surrounding my petite figure, I continue to scan the length of the soft, obsidian-colored gown that currently adorns my body. I shamelessly run my palms over the plush bedding and onto my lap, indulging in the smooth, tingly sensation left behind by the friction.
Frowning, I bring my hands up in front of me so I can study them in detail. Turning them around, I allow my fingers to trace along my walnut-brown skin, reveling in its surprisingly soft sensation. After a very long and confused moment, I refocus my attention to the enchanting room, almost immediately spotting a large, silver mirror encased by an elaborate steel frame. Its hard edges are adorned in soft sparkles of copper that shimmer under the room's dim lighting.
Entranced, I remove myself from the soft warmth of the sheets and plant my feet against the soft, burgundy carpet. Peering down at the sight of a set of tiny toes, I wiggle them in delight, further reveling in the sensation. Then slowly pushing myself up to a standing position, I take a moment to get used to standing on my legs. More confusion surfaces as I try to understand where I am, but instead come up with a debilitating fuzziness.
Once I am able to regain my full balance, I slowly trudge my way over to the mirror; taking my time so as not to fall. Finally in front of the shiny, reflective material, I peer into its surface. Staring back at me, is a tall lanky woman with golden-brown skin. Long, dark braids make their way down her slim frame as she struggles to keep balanced. A set of huge brown eyes stare back as I bring one hand up and then back down- in tune with the reflection.
My brows etch closer together as I bring my hands back up to my face and run them along my skin once more before opening my mouth to reveal a wide set of teeth. I stare at the reflection for a long while, puzzled and trying desperately to put the pieces together. "Where am I?" I ask aloud to no one in particular.
I pause and bring my face closer to the mirror. "...Who am I?" I question myself again, a muddle of blank memories leading to nowhere fueling my exasperation and confusion.
It is then, that the delicate black circlet resting atop my head comes into view. Reaching up, I allow my fingers to trace over the cool, encrusted tiara in wondrous admiration.
Where the hell am I?
"You are home." rasps a deep, bold voice from behind me, startling me out of my daze and almost throwing me off my newfound balance. Whipping around as quickly as my body allows, I come face to face with a strange, tall man standing a mere foot away from me.
His translucent, steel-grey eyes make a quick parade across the entirety of my form before coming back up and meeting my own curious gaze. I too study him- long black tresses adorn a chiseled, pale face. His plump lips embalm a set of blinding white teeth as he breaks out into a sinister smile. Whoever he is, he is devastatingly handsome. His brooding presence does, however, carry a certain mischief to it- one that I can't quite place yet. Something about this stranger also seems faintly familiar. I feel a muzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't explain as I take a few cautious steps towards the mysterious gentleman.
He too dons a huge, black crown on his head, identical to the one I currently bore. "Who are you?" I ask, taking another cautious step in his direction.
"I, am your king. And you...you are my blood queen. My...wife." grins the stranger deviously as the small black bolt under his right eye gleams under the room's soft lighting.
YOU ARE READING
Valentine.
Romance"V&L" read our initials. So delicately carved into a now surely dead Henry's plum-colored flesh. His glazed eyes continue to stare in my direction-Though no longer focused on, but behind me. At this, a familiar scent invades my nostrils. One that p...
