Exquisite Poison (Original Draft)

Chapter 13 - Accursed Confinement

Falling asleep on the plane ride back had not been as much of a safe prospect as Netta had thought it would be.

That was how it seemed, at least, judging by the fact that when she opened her eyes, she found that she was sharing her seat with a tall, strong, vibrantly smelling Ash.

Was this to be the albatross across her neck for the rest of her life?

She knew that the Monster been working overtime to weave dreams, as the remnants of them weight heavy in her mind, like his limbs falling over her.

"Ash, get away from me."

Ash did as she said quickly, appearing in Its seat - the one that she bought and left empty, once more - with a clearly annoyed look in Its eyes.

"You." Ash said it in an almost accusing way. "Don't you have any softness for me at all?"

She was embarrassed by the behavior that her companion had been exhibiting while she had been asleep. It did not take long before she realized that it had had a hand up her shirt and was fondling her breasts underneath her bra. Her sole comfort came when she looked around the thankfully still empty first class compartment on the plane.

She shot the Monster an angry look. "You have no right to invade my dreams. I didn't have to allow you to follow me around, and I was partial to not allowing it to begin with exactly because of this."

Ash leaned back in Its seat, shifting around in an irritated manner.

"What do you want from me? You would want a fish not to swim. And besides," The Monster grunted, made a show of re-adjusting Itself in Its seat, legs squirming for a moment before settling, one long leg thrown over the other. "you could have asked that hag to be rid of me for you - but is it possible, just possible, that the thought of her," Ash snapped Its fingers. "taking me is too much for you to handle?"

Netta scoffed and picked up the book that she had gotten at the airport and found her place.

"I want you to repay any trust I put in you, Ash. That's what I want." She wanted, desperately, to not think of why it was that being in this situation seemed far more palatable than letting Sia take care of Ash for her.

She had to not let Ash get to her. She could not allow herself to see what he said becoming true.

There was a long period of silence, and Netta happened to glance over at Ash from her book.

The Monster was not looking at her, but was instead looking out the window to its left. She examined it quickly, and found that this form - this unfamiliar amalgamation of male beauty - was a relief from the one that It had always been with her.

It was lucky that this was not the face that she remembered admiring, once wanting so much that she almost considered throwing her life away for - along with the fates of every other Witch in her Coven.

It was a desirable face, and a body that begged to be caressed (by some gorgeous woman who is surely not me) - but it was not her Ashwood.

She closed her eyes, turning her eyes back to her book. A sadness re-opened in her heart, an unexpected emotion that she had thought had once been successfully healed.

Here was a man that never could be - like a wooden boy without a conscience, only a drive, an ego. Or, more apropos, an Id.

And here was the woman who, seemingly even after a human's lifetime, it seemed, could not turn this one away. Could not commit to killing It to make Its cruel seduction cease.