The Demon's Flower

Chapter Three

Edited 31/12/2020

I remember that I had picked myself up of the floor after I had been thrown out like a bin bag, and was strong enough to ignore the outstretched hand and walked back to my flat. Eugene followed me like a bloodhound. 

But he had grown impatient suddenly.

 And when we were separated from the world; the mock-wood fire door was a barricade between us and my flatmates. He grabbed me. His front was pressed firmly against my back, one of his arms was wrapped around my waist with his thumb teasing my hip bone, and his head was bowed into my shoulder. And his hand, his soft right hand was gripping my neck. It seemed like he was a vampire waiting to bite me. 

I got the first inkling that something had changed.

"What a slight stem you have," he said while his splayed fingers ghosted across my skin, focusing on my pulse, "it holds such a pretty head so high, it's a shame it's that you're so empty." 

I was offended, I still am to be honest as he still says things like that to me now, but I never say anything back, afraid he'd pluck my head from my neck as if I was actually a flower. 

I knew that things had dramatically changed: first, I had agreed to go to a house party; second, I had been humiliated and beaten up; and finally, I was being held captive by the man, who I now know is a demon, who had just half an hour before offered his help to get Oscar. Everything felt strange, like when a DVD is damaged and jumps from scene to scene. 

I submitted to the first inevitable cliché, "What do you want?"

"What do I want? What. Do. I. Want? Hmm judging by our rather intimate position I'd have to say something from you, but I think you may have already guessed that. I—"

I didn't let him finish, my confidence squirming back into my body, it used to do this often but no anymore, "you want to kill me."

"What reason do I have to kill you?" he asked, seeming unaffected by my interruption.

Now I know why he didn't kill me.

"You you followed me back to my room and then grabbed me" I had replied. I recalled the sudden vision I had had of my lifeless body sprawled in some cold back-alley or wild wood, my soulless eyes pointed to the night sky.

I wish that my vision would come true.

He began the next stage of his manipulation with a chuckle, "No my dearest. I want you to ask for my help. I have been very patient and given you two chances to accept my offer, and, I even gave you a chance to prove that you could lure your beloved away from his girl. And now, after brushing off both my offers and thoroughly humiliating yourself at such a fine party, I want you to ask to ask me."

"You pushed me onto his lap and let Anna drag me outside," I burst out.

He had gently swayed me as if we were slow dancing while he spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone in my ear, "I apologise, I was only trying to help. Now, do you have anything you would like to ask me?"

That night was so embarrassing for my fully human self, but, I remember having this burning desire not to give up on Oscar. All I saw was his beautiful eyes, his warm smile, and his strong body and wavy silken hair. I thought Eugene was offering me a chance, most likely my final chance, of making him mine. I didn't know how we would get around Anna, especially after tonight's party. But I thought that I had to try. I have to do this. Oscar never gave me the time of day during university, we weren't even in the same friendship group, so I felt that Eugene was my only route to making Oscar mine. 

"Fine. I accept your offer," I had stupidly said.

"Ah, Ah, Ah! No. I'm not after an answer this time remember. Get your next words right and I may not make you to beg," he had said while squeezing me tightly, so tightly that breathing became difficult. So I complied.

"...please will you help me get the guy?" I asked. Again it was such a stupid mistake.

The came his first display of power:

Suddenly his arms disappeared and he twirled through my room until he finally faced me, his back to my window. "Yes!! I will help you get your soulmate. We have a deal," he announced like a ringmaster. Behind him a fork of lightening struck the ground outside my window and sent shockwaves so strong through the ground it rattled both my room and my bones. Fire and smoke rose from the scored ground and whirled like a flaming hurricane, creating a horrific background for Eugene's agreement. It was frightening and I remember trembling at what I had done. It became clear then that he was responsible for the unnatural storm during the party, it was clear that he made the fire that seemed to burn strongly without fuel, and it was clear that he was not completely human. And I had just asked for his help.  

There was no escape. I will never escape.