I ran my fingers over the edges of the letter from the preforming arts school, making the edges soft and frayed. I couldn't stop staring at the orientation date. It was tomorrow. Tomorrow, I would begin truly achieving my dreams. Tomorrow, I would also be leaving everything I knew behind.
"Jack," I said softly. He appeared at my side almost immediately. "Something's bothering me."
"I know," he said with a half-smile.
"I..." I choked. I had never imagined myself saying something like this to him. "I'm..."
"Allie," he laughed softly, draping his arm over my shoulders. "You're growing up. Becoming a woman, an independent adult. It was my job to get you there, and I've done it."
Tears were beginning to well up in my eyes. "I know," I choked. "And you kept me from being alone and scared all my life. And I won't be alone anymore, because I'll be making new friends. And I'll still be scared, but I'm excited and I feel ready to take it on all at the same time. But I don't..." I laid my head on his chest. "I don't want you to go."
"I don't want to either." He pulled me into a hug as I began sobbing. "You know, I don't remember my other friends, but I know I'll remember you. Because, somehow, I know... you've been my bestest friend yet."
I laughed at his childish grammar, causing more tears to fall. Looking into his eyes hurt more than ever, because past their brightness, they were sparkling with tears. "But you reset every time you get a new friend. And you can't remember anybody else. Will you really... remember me?"
"Allie," he spoke softly. "I promise. I will remember you."
I held up my trembling hand to show him the bracelet he had made me. The beads were all my favorite colors, in the shapes of my favorite things—butterflies, roses, the sun. He held his up to mine, a simple braided string adorned with star-shaped beads that were every color of the rainbow. Of course, being made by him, mine was much more magnificent in its design, but he always told me that his was perfect as well.
"You'll keep it, right?" I asked. "So you won't forget?"
"Of course, kiddo," he told me, a tear falling down his cheek.
I wiped my face. "Thank you, Jack. For everything. I... wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for you."
"And I'm proud of who you are."
He hugged me one last time, the tightest and bestest hug, before stepping away, taking the box off my bedside table.
"I'll come back one day. Maybe I'll see one of your plays."
I couldn't say anything back, only nod.
"See ya later, Allie."
"See ya," I whispered.
And just like that, he was gone, disappearing in smoke for the last time, taking the box with him.
At that time, there was no doubt in my mind that he would return. We would see each other again. I knew it. But now, that memory was much bitterer now that what had made it so sweet had rotted away.
He never really came back.
----
When I woke up, I was in my bed, as if it had all been a bad dream. But when I saw him standing on the opposite side of the room, I knew that it hadn't been.
My heart pounded as I wondered what I should do. I looked to my bedside, trying to find a weapon or anything to use to get out of this. There was nothing. Nothing at all. Not a nightstand. Not a window. Not anything else familiar. I wasn't even in my own bed.
"Rise and shine, sleepy-head," he chuckled.
I choked in fear at his voice, jerking the sheet off me as I jumped out of the bed and put as much distance between us as the room would allow. "Where am I!?"
"Well, that's not a very polite way to thank someone who saved your life," he said, cocking his head to the side.
"You... you killed them all..."
"And? The world will be better off without them, anyway."
"Why did you save me?" I asked sternly.
He grinned, flashing his razor-like teeth. "Oh, I didn't save you for anything except for myself."
My face paled. "What?"
He only chuckled and began walking towards me, long arms hanging limply at his sides. There was nowhere to run. The room was void of all doors and windows. Knowing this, I could do nothing but grip the wall as the towering figure approached me.
He reached for my arm. A part of me knew I had already lost, but some kind of pride told me I wouldn't go down without a fight. I smacked his hand away and stepped forward as if trying to run somewhere. Before I could go anywhere, a harsh grasp around my waist threw me onto the bed. I tried to get up, but he caught my shoulder with his claw and threw me back down. I continued trying to helplessly jerk out of his grasp while he centered his weight on me, taking all my leverage.
Winking at me, he pulled a scarf out of his sleeve, binding my hands together and fastening them to the headboard. He gazed at me with wide eyes, running his tongue across his lips, which resembled his nose with a similar pattern of black and white stripes.
"Why are you doing this to me?" I cried.
"Because, as I said," he grinned, flashing his razor-like teeth. "My last friend was a bit of a psychopath, if I do say so myself. And it's funny. When you hear the word, you usually think of killing ruthlessly, when in fact, he had plenty of exciting traits of which I've picked up on. One of those being... lust."
Before I could react, he began his insane laughter, running his hand across my face. His finger traced the curve of my eyes down my nose to my quivering lips.
"And for the first time, I think I truly understand it. The look of fear in your eyes, the sound of your scream, even the way your entire body wracks with terror in my grip are all so... exhilarating. I want to hear them for the rest of my existence."
His face began enclosing in until his black lips met mine, firmly and roughly. I whimpered, trying to turn my head away. He responded by placing a hand on my head to keep me still, pulling me closer to him. It was such a strange sensation, to have someone kiss me as myself as opposed to a character acting on stage. However, it was a horrible sensation as well—feeling his lips move against mine in a forceful passion.
A surge went through my chest as I felt his teeth sink into them, making me gasp. He took his chance to advance further, slipping his repulsive tongue into my mouth. I let out another whine, disgusted by the action. He responded with an even greater force, shoving his tongue farther into my mouth, moving it across my own and over my teeth.
When he finally pulled away, I was gasping, crying. "Please don't do this," I whimpered. He ignored me with another wicked laugh, sliding his hand up under my nightshirt. He traced circles around my stomach, teasing me, before finally jerking the shirt over my head.
"You know Allie, I thought I knew everything about you, being so close and all, but this is a side of you I've never gotten to see before," he laughed, leaning over me again. His lips landed on my neck this time, tracing my collar bone with his tongue. "You're so easily flustered..."
I clenched my teeth, trying to slow my breathing. His hand ran from my chest to the scar on my stomach.
"You know, out of all the girls I've had, you're the most... beautiful."
He undid his suspenders and belt, grabbing the hem of his shirt underneath the strange bandages and pulled his upper garments off in one smooth motion. He was sickly skinny. Pale white skin stretched across his formless abdomen. The thought of him having no muscle or bones, yet being so inhumanly strong, just made him all the more terrifying to me.
He wasted no time on undoing the hooks at the back of my bra. Instead, he ruthlessly sliced the fabric and ripped it off me like it was paper. My breasts felt cold and exposed, and it made it all the worse that his eyes were locked onto them. His grin widened as he ran his claw over the peak of one, then forcefully took them between his fingers and began twisting and pulling at them. I gasped, having never felt that sensation before. It sent chills up my back and formed a knot in my gut. I seethed a growl through my teeth, fighting every urge I had to moan or scream. It got worse when he took my entire breasts in his hands, squeezing and massaging them.
"They're so soft," he told me, his head falling onto my chest. He clasped his lips around one of the nipples, flicking his tongue over it. I began moaning uncontrollably, gasping. He chuckled before clamping down onto my breast, the fangs bringing blood. I screamed and writhed in pain as he scraped them across it. I had only a moment to breathe before he moved to the other. He sucked and gnawed on the sensitive flesh until blood began leaking from the nipple. He mercifully licked the blood away, soothing the pain with his saliva.
He smiled when he looked up to see my agony-stricken face as I was still trying to catch my breath. "Your blood is so... sweet. I suppose because you have a sweet heart." He chuckled at his own joke as he began tugging at the hem of my pants.
"N—no," I pleaded. "Don't... don't..."
He ignored my pleas and pulled them off slowly, running his fingers down my legs. He began slipping his tattered pants off, leaving nothing but a thin layer of underwear covering him. I twisted my legs together before he could come any closer. I felt his cold grip on my thighs, moving them apart without effort.
"Are you ready?" he asked, a horrid smirk on his face.
"No," I whimpered through panicked breaths. "Don't... please..."
"Come now, Sweetheart..." he sighed. "You don't really think I'm changing my mind after all this," he said in a soft voice, his face moving closer to mine so I could feel his cold breath on my lips. "In fact, it's just made me want you even more."
"Jack," I called his name through tears. "Please, help..."
He chuckled. "I suppose I can... ease you into it."
And then I felt it. His lips against my forehead. A warm feeling spread throughout my body, and I found myself taken away from the moment and wrapped inside the memory of him the way he used to be, the way he should be. His chin resting on my head, his arms wrapped around me protectively, whispering to me in a soft voice as I fell asleep: "Your nightmares won't be able to hurt you when you're with me."
I believed it again for a moment. I truly did.
Suddenly, I felt a foreign pressure between my legs as he rubbed up against me. He began moving his pelvis against mine in slow thrusts as he continued with kissing me violently. His lips trailed all around my neck as his claws ran up my back. I eventually made the mistake of gasping during one of the movements.
He pulled away slowly, meeting my eyes with a twisted grin. My face paled when I realized he had removed his last layer of clothing, exposing his fully erect member. My stomach twisted when I saw it matched his lips in color. If that hadn't made me terrified enough, it was quite possibly over eight inches in length.
"No, wait, please," I cried as I struggled in the binds.
"There's no point in fighting, Allie," he told me, forcing me to lay still by digging his claws into my shoulders. "You're already mine. And you will be forever."
"Jack..." I whispered in disbelief. How could my best friend become this monster, the very nightmare he promised to protect me from!?
I felt so vulnerable and humiliated and helpless with no one to save me. Looking into his eyes made me nauseous. The image of him smiling that way was burning into my mind.
How could I still love him?
I gasped as he moved his claws to the edges of my underwear, ripping them off like he was some kind of animal.
"No, stop!" I tried to escape his grip once again, but he held my legs in place.
He stared at my exposed flesh, insanity dancing in his eyes as he traced the entrance with a claw before slipping it in momentarily.
"It looks like you're well ready for this..."
"No, don't!"
It was too late. He gripped my shoulders, laughing madly, then forced himself into me. "Jack!" I screamed as a searing pain came from the ripping flesh. "Please!" He ignored me, his laughs turning to moans as he thrusted mercilessly. I had to brace myself against the violent rocking. Inside, it felt like someone was dragging a serrated blade through me. I instinctively began thrashing, doing anything I could to move away, but it only seemed to worsen.
"You've never done this before, have you?" he laughed. "You're so tight, there's blood!"
"Please, it hurts!" I couldn't speak except for in screams. "Jack!" My cries just made him move even faster, pushing himself in even farther.
I tried to hold back my screams, forcing myself to calm down so I could think. But even when I gained my logic back, I knew no matter how I struggled, there was nothing I could do to stop him. All I could do was control my breathing and still myself, urging it to fade. It did subside eventually, but only to allow a different kind of torment to set in.
It was no longer pain I felt, but some other sensation. The movements began stroking something inside me, sending warm chills through my body. I tried not to gasp, but it was nearly impossible.
"I knew you'd come to like it," he chuckled.
"N-no!" I cried with all the volume I could muster, which wasn't much at all.
"You can't tell me you don't like it when your hips are moving about like that!"
I realized that I was locked into the motion as well, moving against him. I tried to still myself, but I just couldn't. My body was betraying me.
Chills began spreading around my body. I became nauseated. "Stop," I tried to breathe. "Ja—Jack—" I lost my ability to speak altogether. Something was swelling inside me, as if building up to a climax. Suddenly, as if the swelling had burst, the feeling began to spread throughout my body, paralyzing me. But being caused by him, it was torturous.
My body lay motionless as I struggling to catch my breath. I wanted it to be over, but it wasn't. He had only paused to move my legs up to rest on his shoulders before he began thrusting again. I gripped the headboard as he scraped his claws down my body, reaching around and grabbing my backside and pulling me closer to him. He began laughing madly when he met my horrified gaze, like he was proud of all the pain he was causing me.
"Please, I can't take anymore," I cried through my gasps.
"But I'm still having fun," he said almost effortlessly without slowing. "And if you remember, I never grow tired of playing."
Before I could plead anymore, it began happening again, the pressure far worse this time. He noticed this and just laughed, quickening his pace. "No," I whimpered. But it was too late to do anything to stop it. The scream I'd been holding back choked out pathetically in a moan.
I finally gained my voice back as he slowed. "Jack... I can't, please—"
"Can't what?" he mocked, laying me flat under him. "Take it?" I felt his hand trail down to my pelvis. "Believe me, it can get much worse."
He began stroking his fingers around slowly, looking for the most sensitive spot. I bit my lip, daring not to make a sound.
"Don't play games with me, Allie. You know I'll win." I said nothing, swallowing my gasp as his finger traced it. "Was that it?" he chuckled, repeating the motion. I may have been able to keep silent, but I couldn't stop myself from clenching. "I told you I'd find it."
He moved his finger around the spot, toying with me, grinning as I convulsed and whimpered. He pulled himself into me, thrusting as he continued stroking.
"Stop! I—It's too much!" Tears began streaming down my face. I felt like I was about to suffocate when the pressure had just barely started. I began moaning, screaming, but I had no strength to do anything to defy it. I clenched as a warm fluid secreted from inside me, making him pause. I was sure it was either blood or urn, but when he brought his hand up, it was clear.
"Never seen that on the first time," he chuckled, licking it off his fingers.
I looked away as his face neared mine.
"Nothing to be ashamed of," he laughed, turning my head back to face him. "It just means that it's that good for you."
"No," I whimpered. "I... I hate this."
He moved even closer, making his gaze unavoidable. "Isn't that funny? How you can love and hate something so much at the same time?"
With that, he pulled me into a forced kiss as his thrusts continued.
I wondered if he truly knew how much his words hurt, or what they actually meant to me. I wondered if he was really as good as emotional torture as he was psychical. Then again, with something like he'd become, I wouldn't doubt it.
His blade-like teeth sliced into the skin of my lips while his tongue moved around in my mouth, feeling every inch of it. He only moved away to hear my moans when it began to build again.
"Please just make it stop!" I cried, wrapping my legs around him and burying my face in shoulder. I whimpered as it began to fade away and the thrusting slowed, giving way to another unfamiliar sensation. He was moaning as if experiencing the same pleasure I had been, pulling me closer as my insides warmed.
I felt his claws run through my hair, one of his only gentle motions that night. "It's over," he assured me as he undid the binds holding my hands in place. They were utterly useless at that point, anyway.
My sigh of relief turned into sobs. He leaned over me, lifting my chin so that I would meet his disgusting milky white eyes.
"I'm glad I could be here for your first time, as always," he spoke softly before placing a soft kiss on my forehead. "And now you're mine forever."
A cold blanket was draped over my body as he laid down beside me. He draped his arm over me, pulling my head to his chest.
I curled into myself, trembling. He was right. It was over for me. I had lost myself to him, and now there was no escaping, no taking back what he had done. I wanted to run, or push him away, but I hardly had the strength to lift my body.
I just wanted someone, anyone, so save me from the nightmare I was living. And the only one who could pull me out of my worst dreams was now the cause of them. But I still wanted to feel safe again, even if it was a dream in itself. So, I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him.
----