Laura stirred awake but when she tried to open her eyes they were stuck in place. A sticky goop coated her fingers when she touched her face. Sitting up she felt around the bed to search for the edge and swung her feet over to step on the cool smooth surface that seemed so far down. She felt like she had slept for ages. Her body was stiff and muscles shaky. Her hands moved out in front of her in hopes of finding some water, or something to wipe the stuff off of her face. Laura wiped her arms across her cheekbone but all it did was cause her pain and smear the substance. Unsure if she was in a cell of some kind she moved as carefully as she could to avoid slamming into anything even though her movements were frantic.
When her fingers met with a tall solid structure she assumed she had found a wall. Slowly shuffling her feet around the perimeter,l she felt something warm and heard the crackling of flames on wood. Her breath caught in her throat when images of her being hit when she had tried to struggle away from her townsmen. Then the moments when she had become conscious enough to see flames beneath her feet and a demon grabbing at her. Except she knew now who the demon was, and he was indeed a demon. One that murders humans for fun. One that had sat next to her and spoke to her, and found her amusing. That was nearly as scary as if he’d hated her. Her heart throbbed in her chest and she backed up away from the heat, trying to get back to the security of the soft blankets on the bed. The fear quaking in her chest made her breathing saw in and out. Get away from the flames, her mind screamed.
Shuffling backward in the room she now realized couldn’t be a cell. No cells had warm beds and a fireplace that crackled. Suddenly, the back of her foot caught something and she fell backward with a gasp, landing sharply on her butt.
"Jesus." She heard the demon’s deep voice say and every muscle in her body seize. She froze. "Laura, are you okay?"
"Ho...how do you know my name?" Whatever her legs had landed on moved. He moved. Why had he been on the floor? God, she had no idea he was even in the room. Had he been watching her? She faught to open her eyes, fear overwhelmed her senses and the inky blackness that was behind her lids only made her fear worse. A lump formed in her throat. She scurried backward until she hit something, presumably the bed.
"I heard one of the humans call you that," he said. The panic of not being able to see mixed with being in a room with someone so evil had her clawing at her face trying to get the goop off. "Woah." She felt warm callused hands grip her wrists and pull them away from her face. "I will clean off your face if you quit struggling."
She yanked her arms free and clenched her teeth. “Don’t touch me.” Every muscle in her body was as tense as a harps cord. One more firm pluck and she would snap.
"Please," he sounded exasperated as though she were some silly child. "If I wished to harm you I would have left you on that burning godforsaken pile." His hands scooped up under her unexpectedly and she was lifted before being placed back onto the bed she had been in just as quickly. The covers were still warm from her body. "Stay still. I will clean off your eyes."
"Why are you caring for me?" She asked brazenly.
"I have not been caring for you. One of our women has. You have been wronged in many ways." She heard the familiar tinkeling of water that she had heard, hours, or perhaps the night before. Calloused fingers gripped her chin softly before she yanked away.
“Damn it Laura.” He barked at her causing a ripple of fear to course down her spine. “If you don’t stop and let me do this, I will be forced to restrain you.”
She stilled. Not being able to see was one thing, but to be bound again made her seize up in panic. She remembered the harsh rope digging at her flesh as she hung from the post in the town square. The intense feeling of helplessness was too much. Her lip trembled. “Don’t. Please don’t,” it came out a ragged whisper.
