I watched the fireflies dance over my head as I lay on the grassy field of the winery. The sun had set throwing different hues of purple, blue and orange across the sky and clouds above me.
"Ready to leave?"
I shook my head, not turning to Damien as I answered him. "No, not yet. Look, the fireflies are coming out, can't we stay a bit longer?"
He shifted, getting closer to me as we lay on the field together. He gave a deep throaty laugh. "Sure, just let me know when you're ready."
I followed one as it flew around me, close to my nose. I reached out for it, but was stopped by Damien as he grabbed my fingers.
Before I knew what he was doing, he was over me pressing his lips against mine. I smiled in delight as he pressed against me, wrapping my arms around his neck as he pulled me against his body.
He pulled away and smiled. Yes, I remembered his perfect features. The midnight black hair tousled carelessly across his forehead. The alabaster color of his skin, the perfect complexion. His violet eyes looked at me with love, the same love I'd always seen.
I smiled as he leaned in again, then froze once his eyes turned blue.
I panicked, pushing him away with force.
His hand grabbed my face forcefully. His fingers dug into my cheeks mercilessly.
"Let me go!"
He did and as soon as he did, I fell through the ground.
Falling, falling without end.
I landed on cement, no, water. I fell through the crashing waves of a large body of water.
The Ylee.
Suddenly, I was being pulled. A string was pulling me by my middle. It was pulling so hard, I thought it would snap me in half.
Suddenly, it stopped.
I was no longer in water, I was strapped to a chair. My feet were in a large tub of water.
I started to panic, I knew what this was. I knew why I was here.
"Now, dear," Robyn cooed as he played with my hair. "You know the rules."
I shook my head.
"You tried to leave again."
"It wasn't me -"
He turned on the power and immediately, I wanted to die.
The electric current traveled all over me.
I was in absolute agony.
I screamed.
He stopped the current, making my body stop convulsing for a second.
But only for a second.
I was panting uncontrollably. I was going to throw up.
I watched him as he looked at my eyes.
"Did you know that faerie bodies are much more tolerant to pain? They last much longer than humans." I watched him turn a dial on the panel next to him. "That just means we have to turn up the current a bit more."
I shook my head. "No, please, don't -"
He didn't listen and turned the current on again.
There were no words to describe the pain that coursed through me as the electricity flowed freely.
