Prisoners of Sin: A Dreamer's Lie

Flowers of glass

A feeling of numbness crossed my body. My eyes were nearly closed when they landed on someone. The figure of a girl watching me. Panic hit me, but my brain decided that I should sleep.

My instincts did their best to claw through the sleepiness. But the petals the girl scattered around me caused me to fall asleep.

{*}

  "Ah, so nice of you to come. I've been so lonely." The girl smiled at me. It reminded me of a predator. "Rina. It's been so long. I've been terribly bored."

I didn't meet her gaze. Something told me to not look at her. But what I could see left me speechless. The girl was changing forms, shifting from one appearance to another. It was impossible.

Finally, she settled on a girl my age with long black hair and a black dress. White ruffles spilled down the front. Her eyes were bright teal. She looked like nobility to me. A silver tiara rested atop her head.

  Her lips pulled back into a terrifying sneer.

  "So you're the little bunny ruining my work. I suppose I should have expected it. But I'll still surprised. After all, you're practically no one." She clicked her tongue. "How rude of me. My name is Belle. You most likely haven't heard of me. This is only my second time with a host. I don't have much experience."
 
  "Host?" I heard myself say.

  She blinked at me. "You don't know? And you're demon-touched, too. So you should know. I mean, your brother saw me in that photograph. And I wasn't exactly hiding from anyone." Belle shook her head. "Not anymore."

  Right as I opened my mouth, she waved her hand. The room we were in vanished, her along with it.

  Cold breath on my neck made me flinch. I swatted at it. At her. She laughed. "How sensitive. How human." Her nails traced along my shoulder blades. I had to keep from batting at her.

  To distract myself, I focused on where we were. Annabelle's room. The girl was on her bed, currently taking in a client. Her moans and whimpers were too much for me.

  I turned to the demon. "Take me back home. I don't want to see this."

  Belle was studying her nails. Then her eyes flashed to me. "I suppose you don't want to see me kill her, then. How sad." She raised her fingers to snap, but I cut in.

  "Wait, stop! No!" I clasped her hands in mine. "Don't kill her. I need to talk to her again."

  A painful moan broke from Annabelle's mouth as her eyes rolled up into her head. The man stopped, watching her worriedly. After a few seconds, she smiled weakly.

  "You're just a bit to big for me," she admitted sheepishly. "I'm having only a little trouble fitting you inside me." She went on to reassure him, as they continued once more.

  Turning back to face the demon, I found her looking elsewhere. Her face was pure white, eyes darting around frantically. I saw her chest heaving as she looked nauseous.

  Her eyes found mine, and our location changed again. She collapsed into a chair behind her. Closing her eyes, she put one hand on her stomach.

  "Sorry," she mumbled. "I'm not quite over things like that yet. Soon." She took a deep breath.

  Despite the fact that I could feel hatred towards her, I also felt a bit worried. I wanted her to be all right. A shudder of disbelief tore through me. I would not feel sympathy for a demon tonight.

This time, when the room changes again, I know where we are immediately. We're in Kaiden's study. I remember this place because of how many times I'd been before. The most recent time was three years ago.

  Belle leaned over the man as he wrote things down. She pressed her cheek against his as she looked at his work. Then she pulled away from him.

  "Such a busy man," she complained. "He has a wife to look after." The corners of her mouth tugged up as if she knew something I didn't. Following her words, she lifted up her skirts and started to twirl around the room.

  Papers took life as she passed by them. Writing instruments clattered to the ground. A drifted from her lips as she continued her strange waltz.

  I crossed my arms. "Belle." The dancing girl ignored me. "We don't have time for this. Just show me what you need to. I'm getting tired."

  In response, her song took on lyrics.

  "Flowers of blood blossom from her back. The young lady laughs as the girl dies. Beyond the shadows....the demon sneers...." A smiled curved her lips up. "Oh, dear, don't you know that this is so wrong? Why are you crying?" She broke into a fit of laughing.

  Having enough of this, I stormed over and grabbed her arm, dragging her away. Belle was still singing. I didn't bother to pay attention to her lyrics. It was all irrelevant to me.

  Tossing her outside into the snow, I glared at her wen she squealed. "Just show me what you wanted to, and I won't be mad. Please," I added in an attempt to soften my actions.

  Belle's eyes went flat as the scene changed again. This time, someplace I didn't recognize. It was a playground. Unease dragged a claw up my spine. The demon headed to two young children playing. She turned her head to smile at me.

  She placed her hands on the young girl's shoulder. The second she did, the girl screamed. Her throat bulged as something sprouted from it. Thorns pierced flesh, and blood ran down the girl's chest. Flowers grew from her mouth.

  The girl hit the ground, flowers still growing upward.

  Belle's form flickered. For just a second, she looked familiar, but I couldn't place it.

  The boy on the swing didn't notice what happened to his friend. Belle headed to him, and she took his hand in hers. And the exact same thing happened to him.

  He fell off the swing, now dead. He hasn't even hit the ground before Belle was back at my side. I didn't miss the flowers growing up her arms. And I didn't miss the fact that her hair looked more teal in this lighting or that her eyes were brighter.

  "My host will be quite happy," she said.

  I opened my mouth to ask her what she meant, but she shoved me backwards.

{*}

  Someone was shaking me. I swatted at them and rolled over. This time, I let out a groan. In response, I got a hand over my eyes and nose. Leo.

  I decided to force my to sit up. My brother's eyes were red. He had been crying. This wouldn't be good.

  "Ria," he choked out before throwing his arms around me. I let him, finding it impossible to shake him off. "Ria...."

  "So, she knows," said someone.

  Lifting my head, I saw Mikuna in my doorway. She was holding her nightgown tightly. Her body was trembling.

  That time, I found my voice. "Two more people are dead. And they're kids."