Runnin' with the Devil

Lay With the Devil

[1258 words]

~

You are swiftly off to sleep without any confirmation as to the resting of the man beneath you. All of your wake sense fall away and you are left with only the dark behind your eyes to lull you into it's sweet embrace. The warmth of the darkness snakes around you with ease.

That is until it is interrupted by a strange shine on the other side of your eyelids. Cautiously, you open them and find yourself not in Eddie's bedroom. Instead, you are greeted by the sight of fog creeping along a damp forest floor that is overgrown with foliage. You quickly notice that your arms are pulled out in front of you and raise your head to see why.

Your hands are intertwined with a familiar pair and strangely there is a small chord coiled around each set. Confusion quickly sets in as you examine the state of your hands. You hardly notice the almost beaten look of your companion's hands as you try to figure out what is happening.

As you take in the sight before you, you begin to realize that it is far too quiet. The entire world seems to have fallen into complete silence aside from the light ringing in your ears. Though it is silent, the sight of your hands wrapped in a strange chord is enough to overwhelm you. It is the only thing you are able to focus on. Not kneeling position you're in, not the inhumane smile on Eddie's face, not the lit candles tucked into the foliage all around you, nothing else. Then again, how would you have noticed any of those things had you not looked away from your hands?

None of this makes sense to you. You could've sworn that you had been staring at the chord and your clasped hands but...maybe you weren't. A mistrust of your own senses builds quickly as you find yourself staring up into the eyes of your love and suddenly you can hear the world. The onslaught of sound causes you to jolt. You attempt to take in more of what is going on around you yet all you can focus on is those eyes. They seem to not be looking at you but through you. As if you aren't even there. Cold and unmoving irises, even the color seems to be less vibrant in them as he simply stares.

A light breeze passes that, to you, sounds like the hounds of hell screaming in an echo chamber. It makes your head pound and heart race. Before you know it, you are no longer looking up. Your gaze is firmly glued to your knees. Were you always wearing this gown?

"I see you have finally come to join me, y/n."

Finally a voice. It seems to be coming from Eddie, yet it doesn't sound like him. Join him? What does that mean? This gown is white yet stained with dirt and what looks to be—

"Darling, where are your manners? Look at me when I am speaking to you."

In a flash, your eyes are again on Eddie. Is that Eddie? It must be...right? The tone is off but it is him. It has to be.

He kneels down with you so you are eye level with each other. His expression is unwavering and unnerving. Your arms. Now in a more restful state, they feel like cinderblocks.

Where are you? You don't recognize this place. Or maybe you do. You can't quite remember.

"Much better."

The man...no...Eddie, pauses for a moment. He looks as though he is drinking in your expression. You couldn't tell what it was, all you knew is that he seemed satisfied with it.

"What's wrong, Princess? Scared?"

You swiftly shake your head. You didn't want to do that. Of course you were scared. You were not only scared but confused, overwhelmed, and Lord knows what else. Why are your cheeks wet? Are you crying?

Eddie laughs. A deep, unsettling laugh that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand to attention.

"I know sweetheart...I know. This is all so confusing. You poor thing."

He sounded like he was comforting you...or taunting you, you couldn't tell which. You felt so heavy. Like you were weighed down by a ton of bricks. What is happening?

"Try not to think so much baby doll. It only makes this more difficult for you."

Suddenly, your mind is blank. All you do is nod and meet his eyes again. Everything about him seems normal now. Nothing is off.

"See, isn't that better? Let me do the thinking for you from now on, okay?"

Mindlessly, you nod again. You no longer feel heavy. In fact, you feel like you could float away at any moment. It's almost freeing.

"I feel like I should explain myself."

He says calmly. The once smiling expression fades and is completely overtaken by something more complex. You quickly try to discern it but all of those overwhelming and confusing feelings flood back.

This isn't right. What is happening? Something is wrong with Eddie. Then again, maybe there isn't. Was that blood on the dress?

"Perhaps you aren't ready for that."

You collapse onto your side. The cold, wet ground makes acquaintance with your warm skin. It is almost a shock to your system. Your gaze meets your hands which are now folded in front of you. The chord seemed to have dissipated along with the floating feeling from before.

"Dearest, have you any idea what you have gotten yourself into? You mustn't toy with things you know nothing about."

The world is quiet again. Another ringing begins in your ears to fill the void. This quiet is somehow calming, but you simply cannot seem to get rid of the feeling of dread that looms over you.

You feel a warm kiss get pressed to your cheek as your vision goes dark. You jolt at the contact and your ears are filled with a muffled chuckle.

"In time, sweetheart...you will be at the mercy of the bringer of light."

~

Quickly, you open your eyes and take in your surroundings. You are in Eddie's room and he is fast asleep beneath you. Just another dream. Your breathing slows to a regular pace and you attempt to relax again.

You focus on Eddie's breathing and the gentle beating of his heart. This simple action brings you a wave of serenity and allows your body to calm down. However, you are unsure if you trust yourself enough to close your eyes again. So you simply stare blankly as you listen to your mind race.

Above the noise of your thoughts, you silently plead with no one that Eddie will wake up enough to comfort you. Even if he says nothing, anything would help in this moment. You just need your mind to quiet down enough to let you get back to sleep.

As if hearing your silent pleading, he stirs. You shift your head up just enough to see his face. His eyes open ever so slightly and a sleepy smile appears on his face. He places a hand on your cheek and lazily drags his thumb along your skin for a moment.

"I got you."

He mutters as his eyes close again. You give a slight nod and finally allow yourself to close your own eyes. After a few moments, you can feel his hand relax and you assume that he has fallen back asleep.

How did he know?