One Helluva Ride

Chapter 13: Nightmares

           Splice went home early that day. They needed a break from the high tensions of all the killing. They crawled into bed, letting out a miserable whine. They pulled a blanket up over their head. The sound of their front door unlocking and opening caught their attention. They looked up briefly, vaguely able to see Blitzø entering their living room.

          "You home?" Blitzø called, peering through the doorway. Splice poked their head out of the blanket, glaring at him. "Shit, sorry- I didn't realize you were sleeping." He said. Splice buried their face into their pillow. "I was trying to sleep." They replied, their voice muffled by the pillow fluff. Their boss chuckled softly, sitting down on the edge of Splice's bed.

          "Rough day?" Blitzø asked. Splice shrugged. "Just tiring. I wasn't expecting to do so much today." They complained. Blitzø patted Splice's shoulder. "Well, get used to it, sweet cheeks. We aren't gonna coddle you." He replied. Splice scoffed. "I don't need to be coddled." They said snarkily.

          Blitzø rolled his eyes amusedly. "Sure you don't." He joked as he stood up. "Pillow princess." Upon hearing Blitzø's insult, Splice flipped him off. They could hear Blitzø snicker as he wandered back into the living room. "Make sure you lock the front door!" Splice shouted to him. "Prick..."

          Splice sighed as they settled, nuzzling into their mattress. "I'm not a pillow princess." They muttered annoyedly. Their eyelids felt heavy as they clutched their blanket. Drowsiness ate away at their consciousness while the numbing sound of the city filled their ears. Car horns blared, people shouted, and blasting music seeped through the floor (likely from the upstairs neighbors).

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          Splice's eyes slowly fluttered open. Their head was pounding. ".. what's going on..?" They muttered, sitting up and attempting to get an idea of their surroundings. The room around them was made of concrete. It was entirely empty, save for the thin blanket they had been laying on. A large metal door sat against the far wall.

          The imp slowly stood, feeling as dread set into their stomach. They rushed toward the door, rattling the handle in vain. It was locked from the outside. "Shit!" Splice muttered, banging on the cold metal until their hands began to bleed. "Come on, open!" They begged, hitting the door with their beaten fists. As they pushed themself up against it, the door swung open.

          Splice stumbled into a familiar hallway. They blinked in disbelief, slowly rising. Surrounding them were the walls of their childhood home. "What the hell?" They whispered, taking a few gentle steps against the hardwood floors. They never thought they'd see this place again. Their hand graced the painted wall lightly.

          "Splice? You're not supposed to be out of your room." Splice felt their entire body freeze up. They knew that voice. They slowly turned. At the other end of the hallway stood a tall, imposing moth demon wearing a lab coat. Splice stumbled backward. The smile on that demon was something that would be burned in Splice's memory forever. The demon's sharp teeth twisted into an eerie, unnatural grin.

          "I-I-" Splice couldn't bring themself to speak. Their words were caught in their throat. Fear bubbled up within them. "You know what happens now, don't you? He won't be happy about this." The demon's voice distorted as the scene melted and a large shadowed figure rose behind them. Splice fell through the ground and into an endless void. They felt like they were drowning.

          Splice groaned as they landed against a lightly carpeted floor. They let out a pained breath, lifting themself up. Their stomach churned. They recognized this room. It was their old dressing room. A soft knock sounded at the door. "Splice~" A sickly familiar voice called. Their heart felt like it stopped in their chest as they pressed themself up against the wall. This was something they never wanted to relive. The door unlocked slowly. Splice watched in horror as the knob painstakingly turned and the door swung open.

          Splice's breath hitched. They couldn't bring themself to speak. "Now, now.. don't look so scared. You know I love you, don't you?" A soft whimper escaped Splice's lips. They had hoped to never hear those words again. They had hoped to never hear that voice again. "Come here, love." Those words should've sounded comforting. Instead, it was demanding. Demeaning. Splice refused to move. "I said come here, you useless sack of shit!" The voice of the towering demon boomed in Splice's ears.

          "No!" Splice finally managed to speak, skittering back and pushing themself up against the wall. They couldn't stand being treated this way. They couldn't stand existing this way. That was why they had left the industry in the first place.

          A low, offended chuckle rang through the small room. ".. no?" The demon asked. "Oh, my dear, you forget.. you lost your ability to say no to me when you signed that contract." Splice let out a yelp as their wrist was grabbed. They attempted to pull themself away, but to no avail. "You belong to me, whether you like it or not, you stupid slut."

          Splice stumbled backward as the demon's hand collided with their cheek. Their eyes welled up with tears as they cowered against the wall. "Come on, baby.. don't be that way." The demon cooed, gingerly approaching as he cupped Splice's face in his hands. "You know I don't like hurting you. I wouldn't have to if you would just behave." 

          "Shh, shh. It's okay, I understand. You're going through a little rebellious phase~ I'll just have to teach you how to be obedient." The demon's nails dug into the skin of Splice's cheeks.