“I’m on fire, baby.”
In the state she was in, there was no other possible comparison that she could imagine worthy enough of the raging inferno coursing through her veins. The tender flames swayed rhythmically, licking at her calf when she strayed too close to the fireplace; but she cared not. Her fingernails clawed desperately down his toned, muscular back, and his every touch ignited a burning, craving sensation at the pit of her stomach. He ravished her sensually with his parched lips, and she thought absentmindedly, “Maybe this will be different. Maybe this will be much more than it was to be. Maybe I’ll be the one to fulfil his otherworldly desires, and in turn, he will fuel mine.” And when his thumb brushed against her face with a rough, yet reassuring kiss, she thought, yes, it will all proceed as I willed it to be.
Except, she didn’t expect her comparison to be real.
Her eyes widened at the smoke emerging from the corners of his mouth as he devoured her lips. A moment later, she felt a sharp, stinging pain on her tongue, as the smoke filled her lungs, making her choke. She flinched and stumbled backwards, a hand enclosed over her burning throat. Perspiration blurred her vision. The previous calm of the hearth now seemed to lunge at her, the flames resembling claws of some ferocious, starving beast. Her attention turned towards the man, his amber eyes glaring down at her. He stepped closer.
Her initial lust towards him vaporised under the intense heat, replaced by fear. She cowered away, but the flames seemed to trap her, grabbing at her wrists, leaving trails of scorching marks down her arm. She opened her mouth to scream, but it only came out as a desperate gurgle. She felt herself boiling, evaporating, melting away. Her struggling lessened, her breaths were shallow. The raging conflagration consumed her slowly, and the room became her pyre.
˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚˚
The embers faded, and an enormous, clawed foot stepped through the smoke. Where a charming man once stood, there was now a colossal beast, armed with massive wings and a long, slender tail. His body was covered with fiery reptilian scales, but he was nonetheless as majestic and handsome as his human counterpart. His eyes, which adorned the same mesmerising colour of amber, swept through the room slowly. A puff of smoke escaped his nostrils in mock satisfaction. The carpet was burnt to a crisp, he would have that changed, otherwise there was no evidence left of the woman before. He sighed inwardly.
Both of his personas were well known throughout the city. Every dawn when the warmth of the sun graces the land, men would journey to his lair to kill him; every dusk when the sky reflects the city lights, women would flock to his mansion to sleep with him. He would eat them all. It was dull and uneventful, but he had learnt to cope. It was alright.
Or so he tells himself.
***
Hello, author here. Thank you so much for reading Behind the Hearth :)
This chapter is actually my submission for a creative writing competition, therefore I'm really sorry if it is too rushed and hard to understand.
If you would like me to continue this story, please say so and I will be more than happy to oblige!
(Also, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!)
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Behind the Hearth
Fantasy“Do not look upon the fire simply to seek its power, for there is more behind the hearth than fair eyes can tell.” “And what of it? It is power that I seek and that shall do me enough.” “It will never be enough, my dear. Not when the flames consume...
