The Nightmare Daze

In a ransom deal gone terribly wrong, Florence Blackmore is swept away from her home in the Victorian countryside and made to test her darkest limits. Fighting to maintain her dignity and avoid the harsh punishment of her captors, Florence must barter for her life while her hope for freedom dwindles.

Stuck in a different sort of cage is Isabel Coleman, a new bride to an unhappy marriage who is determined to buy her own escape by disguising herself as a maid in the home of a wealthy -- and handsome -- aristocrat. As her secrets threaten to catch up with her, Isabel learns that choosing her own destiny comes with consequences.

~~~

I always thought that I would be resilient in the face of danger, that some instinct inside of me would claw its way to the surface and the fighter within me would reveal itself. But danger doesn't uncover any hidden strength or innate bravery. It strips away the rational parts of you, the things that you always associated with your core being, like courage and pride and kindness. And once all those extraneous pieces are discarded, you are left as a frightened, quivering animal and nothing more.

Maybe people who do terrible things are able to do so because they were never under the impression that they were anything more than animals. Maybe he and I aren't so different. Maybe in the moments when he slips beneath my blankets we are reduced to our most basic natures---his, a monster, and mine, a coward.

Warning: this story contains sexual and violent content that may be offensive to some readers. Read at your own risk, and check out the trigger warning page for more details. Enjoy :)