Seductive Nightmare

The Heart Asks Pleasure First

    

It seemed all too often Mandi awakened in a confused daze in Enmu Tamio's house of horrors. She had lost count of the times she had tried to get up or at least sit up only to slump back down into black, silky sheets. She had no clue as to why she felt incredibly weak. Once in a while, Mandi's alertness would be in a quasi state between dreams and reality, and she could hear his voice in the background speaking in that soft, sometimes annoyingly sweet tone.

"She's fine, Sarah, I promise."

"She kept trying to escape, and you can see how banged up and bruised she is. I also am not able to heal her until I recover, so the only logical option was to drink a little more of her blood than I usually do in order to subdue her. She needs to rest and recover."

"Yes, you can come and sit with her whenever you want. I vow she will be alright. I'd risk my life for her again, and I'll do whatever is in my power to protect her."

"I'll give her an IV drip of saline. We can both try to wake her up enough to eat and drink, but she can be rather stubborn and will likely fight to stay asleep. Can't have her become dehydrated while she is unconscious."

There was a tiny pinch in her left hand after hearing his words, and her lucidity faded back into the realm of dreams. They were good dreams, happy. Mandi was surrounded by her family and familiarity. Thankfully, there were no dreams of him haunting her, at least that she could remember. There were also dreams of her being on the beach, trying to get a tan on her pale skin. "Some things never change, not even in dreams," she thought.

In a brief cloudy moment of clarity, Mandi could feel a glass being raised to her lips. Given the choice, she refused to cooperate, but her subconscious fought viciously against her and won. She found herself drinking bits of water here and there. A spoonful of some bland food like unseasoned oatmeal would slip past her lips and into her mouth, and she would chew and swallow it down. Mandi screamed at herself internally to stop this foolishness and willed herself to just pass on and die already, but the voice in her head cheered "Live, live, love! There is still love!"

The worst moment of awareness came when warm water cascaded down her back and a familiar touch caressed her skin. The scent of some kind of soap tickled her nose. Hands were on her scalp, and then there was the smell of shampoo. A moan escaped her mouth, and she heard his soft chuckle.

"This just isn't as fun, precious, when you aren't awake to enjoy it. I'll continue taking care of you; there's no way I'm ever going to let you go now, not after last night. It was good to see you again. I'll dry your hair, but I don't know if I'll be able to braid it like you do, Sleeping Beauty. Maybe Sarah can braid it for you."

Lips pressed against hers gently, a chaste kiss, and then the return of hands on her scalp, washing her hair. Her body wanted to recoil in disgust knowing full well what was going on, but that would require her to be fully awake and aware. No. She would continue to sleep. She prayed that her good dreams could outweigh this nightmare.

More time must have passed. There had been someone sitting on the bed next to her and another hand holding hers. This hand felt different, however. It gave hers a gentle squeeze. Mandi's ears strained for the voice belonging to the owner of the hand holding hers but heard nothing. There was a gentle pat on her shoulder, and then the weight on the bed shifted.

Mandi groaned in her sleep. While the will of her body had been strong, the will of her mind and her other personality were far stronger. "No, please. I don't want to wake up. I want to go home." "You are home, and he loves you. Let him love you! If you would just accept his devotion, you and I can both finally have peace. There is a peace that is beautiful beyond the senses, Mandi. Open your heart and let your soulmate in."