Tempting Sin

Punish

"You are a monster. It's all your fault, you. I wish you were dead....Die, Sin..Die...fucking die...make your mom happy and die..," his mother lashed out while choking him on the ground, her eyes ablaze with hatred for the young boy. The little Sin struggled under her iron hold, sobbing, but in futile. Suddenly, his mother faded away and he found himself in a dark room, trapped in an animal cage. Viviana emerged from the shadow, her eyes held profound contempt. 

"I am going to scar you for that bitch's every sin. I will hurt you so much that you will beg for death," Viviana's words echoed with venom as she pressed the seething rod against his flesh, causing the little boy to cry out in pain. The background fell away, and he soon found himself tied with chains. The whip tore mercilessly behind his back, prompting a heart-wrenching scream from the 14-year-old boy. Despite his agony, the whips lashed down on him, branding his flesh with searing lines of torment. His uncle's laughter echoed in the quiet hall.  

"Nobody cares whether you live or die. You are just an abomination who should be wiped off the earth," his uncle hissed, sending another whip down on him.

Suddenly a flush of light blinded his vision, and he found himself standing in the middle of a yellow tulip garden. A woman hugging him. 

"I like your scars. You are beautiful and nothing is your fault," she admitted, nuzzling closer against his bare chest. The sun shone down on them and he felt a foreign warmth suffusing his being. Her soft lips traced his aching scars and they started to fade into oblivion. After that she looked up, connecting her warm blue eyes with his.

"My warrior," she smiled up at him before reaching up with her hand and gently smearing a yellow color across his cheek. Sin was too entranced to respond. He lowered his face to kiss her but before his lips could meet hers, she morphed into a beautiful yellow butterfly and fluttered away.  

His eyes flung open. Sin sat upright, running a hand down his face as he breathed heavily. What sort of dream was that? It wasn't really a dream but a slew of memories patched together to haunt him for eternity. However, the last part was different. She was a dream or maybe a fantasy he harbored unknowingly. She had never touched him gently, never eyed him with tolerance let alone affection. What was she doing in the middle of his nightmare? 

Grabbing the pitcher from the nightstand, he gulp down all of its contents. Unlike the usual onslaught of emotions that followed his nightmare, he felt different. Instead of drowning in vengeance or rage, he was consumed by an overwhelming sense of longing. A longing so strong that it stirred an ache in his chest. He wondered what would have been if the last part was true too. What it would be like to feel the warmth of her embrace and the gentle touch of her hand. How would it feel to rest in her lap? The thought alone was enough to make his inside clench with yearning.

Putting on his trousers and shirt, he left his house to wander the deserted roads of LA. The fact that he liked his nightmare was unsettling in itself. Perturbed, he drove around the city aimlessly. His mind occupied with remnants of his nightmare. It was her. All her and her angelic smile. It was the same smile she had bestowed upon him right before the elevator closed. And the way she had held onto him in his nightmare was akin to their entanglement in the elevator. She clung to him as if he were her anchor, her only protector. He had never felt so compelled to ease someone's fear. Slowing his car to a halt, he glanced up at her window. It was dark inside. She was asleep like every other person in the city right now. But he was wide awake and aching, so much aching. 

..............

Nivi was assigned to the en  help complete a large order by evening. The owner was beaming with joy throughout the day as this was the first time they had received such a massive order. A gentleman had walked in early in the morning and placed the order, offering twice the original price, which had made the owner's eyes go wide in surprise. Since then, the entire kitchen staff had been focused on preparing and completing the order to perfection.