Lecherous

Playing With Fire

( Four Days Earlier )

Zoe awoke with a wail . A thick , abrasive lump lodged in her throat,as bile rose up beneath it.
Rust - flavored blood in her mouth, a bitten inner cheek.
Naked,she was naked,and normally that was fine ,but she wasn't alone. She was unclothed in the distressing, loathsome presence of that monster.
That heartless, despicable, cruel, malignant, perverted devil.
She thought of a few not - so - PG - rated terms ,as the fresh memories triggered a humiliating lachrymal effect.
The creature's hands grabbed her . They gripped too tightly,she whimpered in discomfort.
She was cradled like a doll,and considered with some unidentifiable, neutral emotion.
Then she was carried off the bed,that beastly chimera flying all the while . Out the door,down the passage, all the way to a pinewood door hanging partially off its old hinges . A goblin squeezed its gremlin - head through the gap between door and wall,and then popped out and bounded past Bellroc's left foot.
Bellroc kicked the door down and away, sending it skidding over a floor that was like the inside of a hamster's uncleaned cage,but worse. The smell was bearable,at least.
A sizeable party of goblins looked up and gaped stupidly at it.
" Leave ," it growled , sending them scurrying out , abandoning their game of blackjack/ Lord -of- the -Flies / tag . Among other things,they left behind a dust - smeared baby-sized bathtub. She was unceremoniously lowered butt - first into it ,and little more than her rear end actually fit inside.
" Hey! I am not a baby,in case you haven't noticed. Sheesh,if this is is the extent of your modern amenities, it's no wonder you don't get guests. What, you want me to magically de - age so I can fit in this junky thing ?"
Bellroc glared at her . " Stay there, until I return. And hold your tongue, Velgur."

"Zoe,not -"
Their hand was thrust at her face,with a yellow fireball flickering upon it. She shrieked and flinched, falling on her back with limbs sprawling . Yay,MORE bruises,just what she needed.
She was practically purple already.
" I said, hold your tongue. "
With that, Bellroc disappeared.

Upon returning, they commented:"Get off the wall!!"
" Nope . I like it up here."
She definitely wasn't going to make this easy for them. No way.
However, tapping into her small reserves of average magic on a Douxie - level ,incurred drowsiness, dizziness and subsequent falling.
She was caught,and immediately drenched in a bucketful of unheated water . A cake of generic white soap was rubbed all over her body,face and head.
The pyromancer heated a second bucket of water,then proceeded to dump the whole thing on her head in one go. Two more bucketfuls,and the soap had been entirely washed off.
Bellroc called for Fragwa ,who came in dragging a soot - black sundress . This was taken and flung at her face. It seemed they were displeased.
She hurriedly put on the dress.
" Go," said Bellroc,not needing to tell her where.
****
She found the walls falling, darkness and coldness and emptiness were all that surrounded her. Pain . Pain.
In her chest,ice - claws attacking her heart,cruel laughter ,eyes on her, a dam bursting behind her own eyes ...
Her burn cried out ,it still recalled the torture of fire touching her skin. More unbearable laughter,
schadenfreude. Sobs knifed the unsettling quiet,her throat was raw,her face flooded with innumerable salty tears.
She wanted to die.
" No, little bird,I don't think you do . Why give your enemies the satisfaction,of knowing they broke you into pieces ? I can see you are not one to take the easy way,to give up when life tests you. You possess an indomitable nature,a fierce and bold spirit ,a warrior's heart. Have courage,young witch..."
At first,it seemed she'd lost it so badly she was hallucinating.
Then,she glimpsed Morgana's head and shoulders sticking out of the Shadow Realm,hidden from Ice King Jr's view.
She gave a snuffle.
Morgana withdrew . Then,she heard Skrael speaking.
" It is not your concern what I do or where I go. The opposite,in fact."
" Bellroc forbid you from coming anywhere near their new possession."
" Bah! Nothing more than leverage,is what that bawling canary- haired infant is. "
" Is that so? Ask them,if you are so certain. They will be frank with you. They are charmed by their pet already ,sooner or later they'll become very fond.  Regardless,you were specifically told to leave it alone. "
Skrael uttered a noise of vexation. A moment passed,and he'd finally left her in peace.
Left her in pain, rather,but she was fortunately only sharing the room with Morgana and the Green Knight,now.

The Pale Lady gently took her arm, using magic to apply soothing ointment . She wiped at the layer of tears and mucus with a Kleenex too, until Zoe, embarrassed, wrested it and wiped at her own face.
The box of tissues was handed over,and she took a bunch more.
" Why'd you h - h - help me? What 's i - in it for you ?" the despondent hedge witch hiccuped.
" As majicks,we must stick together. Also, I see something of myself in you ."
" What?!"
" Let me explain. Neither one of us finds Merlin agreeable. Yet,we don't exactly hate him. Instead we hold contempt for his unfortunate personality,his opinionated , arrogant ways. We are both progressive women, albeit from unsimilar centuries. Both of us are rebels, defying those who would try to suppress or silence us, fighting back when we were denounced for our gifts. For our magic , we've both endured many troubles. Life has thrown countless specially  tough challenges at us,but we accepted them and triumphed. We were tested,we faced trials and tribulations. All these have only  hardened us,made us better than we were before. And,we both care for Hisirdoux ; we are both  formidable, tenacious, persevering,and dauntless. "
Oh. She actually couldn't think of a verbal response.
It was ...true. They had so much in common.
But she had judged Morgana,not understanding, lacking insight or compassion or empathy. She'd simply let others tell her what to think of the Arthurian sorceress.
Now,she knew better than to judge without having the full story, without having walked a mile in someone else's shoes .
... Maybe,she should try to see what was going on behind Merlin's walls of pride . There might be more to him too .
It just might be,that he had once been a more likeable person,that harsh life experiences had ruined him the way they toughened her.
Something dropped into her lap , startling her. A Nougat Nummy - not her favourite candy ,but good enough under the circumstances.
The sugary , somewhat tasteless
" chocolate" layer mushed together with the passable - quality nougat and its fruity gummy bits as she chewed.
She looked up,and Morgana was gone.
*****
She recalled her and Douxie's almost - kiss .
The hedge witch had already been living in North Brooklyn for fifteen months, working privately as a telephone switchboard operator. Douxie had just found work as a longshoreman,and moved to Red Hook in South Brooklyn.
They made plans to meet the next Sunday ,when they'd have the day off and consequently,time they could spend together.
She met with him at the start of Van Brunt Street, where he proudly showed her his surprise: a Cadillac Runabout,of the Model M - touring car variety. He'd borrowed it so he could specially give her a ride to the waterfront.
They drove down Van Brunt Street. Made their way to a nameless place,an undefined spot on the map, where the Pier 44 Waterfront Garden would be in almost a century.
It seemed a corner of Eden,green and lovely, undeveloped and unspoilt. Pure air, smogless skies.
No noise, crowds or buildings.
Nothing more ( as far as she could remember) than soft shamrock - green grass,an endless stretch of bluebell - blue water,and an ethereal dome of palest spring - blue sky, these surroundings evoking perfect serenity within herself and Douxie. They sat on the grass, drinking in the view ; feeling hushed,awed and refreshed by the simple, natural beauty of it all.
They'd filled each other in on everything they'd done apart for the past week,as well as the numerous lonely weeks preceding it.
She leaned in closer , smiling.
His eyes held a lustrous gleam,a deep affection. His smile was poetry itself.
She assumes a casual,genial air ,
gives him a playful cat's-grin.
" You gonna recite some Shakespeare for me,Romeo?"
He grins shyly,and softly recites :'...for several virtues ,Have I lik'd several women: never any With so full soul,but some defect in her Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed,And put it to the foil: but you,O you,So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best ."
An amative essence perfumes the air. Passion flushes their cheeks.
He leans still closer...
..and then,just like every century before, Douxie turns nervous . He freezes in panic,his lips still having never touched hers.
His expression is hesitant,uncertain, insecure.
For some reason,he second - guesses himself; he suddenly loses his confidence and self - worth;he misunderstands whatever look is on her face. 
Feeling ever- intimidated by her self - defense - adopted attitude, worried he's not doing it seasonably or shouldn't be jeopardizing their friendship.
She understands him by now, after all the almost - kisses and almost - love confessions.
Disappointment settles badly in her belly, like bitter coffee mixing with rich food.
Over the many many  previous years,her fervent love, discontentment, frustration and want have only grown.And from that day,they kept growing.
" Oh ,by this count I shall be much in years," the punk - goth girl sighed under her breath," Ere I again behold my Romeo ."