Laying in our bed after Asra 'cleaned me', I was waiting for him to actually clean me. He had retreated into the bathroom to retrieve a cloth for me, only to come back with a sly smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes, limbs too numb to fight him off as he crawled across the bed. If he couldn't get me in the shower, he always made sure I was sparkling clean, no matter how hard I protested. I learnt, if I just lay here, he would get it over with quicker.

He demanded it was purely instinctual, that he had to take care of me, otherwise he would dislike himself. The first few times he tried, I found it oddly more special than sex ever was. It was strange for me to allow someone to clean my intimate parts, to take care of me after the deed was done. To be fair, the whole concept of sex with Asra was bizarre.

I had been so used to being a twenty-second fuck and dump, left with the mess to clear up myself. I had been just a vessel of pleasure; a purely lustful bang. To then do a complete one eighty with a man who was determined to make me feel every single piece of pleasure possible. I only ever orgasmed with Darius once, and yet Asra was always determined to get three out of me every time.

It was enthralling.

Like a burst of colours fluttered being my eyelids every time he took me to that place of heaven.

And then, when I thought I would be abandoned, and left sore and used, he would come to my aid and clean me up. I felt like a princess; a sweaty, tired princess.

I grimaced as Asra wiped the last remnants of the past hour from my ass with a loud smack to my rear end. He then rolled me back onto my side with a low hum before throwing the cloth back into the bathroom. The bed dipped gently as he curled up behind me, his warmth surrounding me. His nose settled into my hair, left arm forcing its way beneath my head as a pillow.

I grunted. "What are you doing?"

"Getting comfortable." He hummed.

"Do you not have to work anymore?" I wondered.

His other arm curled around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "It's nine o'clock, Tulip."

My eyebrows rose. "It is?"

He chuckled at my disbelief, his chest rumbling softly against my back. "I could lay here all day."

"That wouldn't be very productive now, would it?" I mused.

"I suppose not." He nibbled my neck, and I shrieked with surprise.

"That tickles." I complained, rubbing my hair into his face.

"Are you going to sleep?" He grunted, blowing it out of his face.

"Well, it's only nine o'clock!" I huffed.

"Go to sleep, Tulip."

"What if I need to pee?"

"You already have."

"What if I have to go again?"

"Shush." He muttered, nuzzling his face into my throat. "Sleep."

I giggled softly, giving into his demands and closing my eyes. I thought I wasn't tired, but laying here in his warmth was like a sleeping aid and it didn't take long before I felt myself slipping into dreamland.

***

I think I was dreaming.

I couldn't be sure.

But then again, in what world did you wake up in a whole new town?

Unless Asra managed to teleport me back to Evermore in my sleep...

Did he drug me?

He didn't give me any pills and the only thing he stabbed me with was his cock.

Definitely not Asra.

Shrugging, I let the dream carry me where ever it desired.

Oddly, Evermore was bustling, and I could hear the loud chatter of street merchants outside. My hands ran over the familiar rough paintwork of Darius' house before it wrapped around the front door handle. With a gentle tug, the door gave way, and it pleasantly surprised me it wasn't a dream where Darius locked me in the house.

He liked to do that.

He found sick pleasure in the power he had over me.

He was well aware of my fondness for the outdoors, so being confined was absolutely torturous for me.

My footsteps were soft against the summery breeze and I inhaled sharply, taking in the fresh bread from a nearby stall. I even smiled at the fishmonger, despite how much I detested the stench of the damn stall.

I conversed lightly with people, putting on a brave face despite the nerves in my gut. Something had happened, perhaps before I came here, or the day before, and piece by piece, the day fell into place. Especially when I saw my sister darting behind some houses.

I frowned, following her. Deep down, I knew what was happening, but I followed her anyway, unable to remember why exactly. My breaths were light as I chased after her, my voice quiet as I called her name.

"Arabella, what are you doing running out here?" I scolded, catching sight of her behind a tree.

She groaned, stepping from outside of it. She wore men's trousers and a blouse, and I glanced around to make sure nobody was looking. It was odd how this dream was mixed up. Arabella barely looked ten here and yet I... wait, where had I just come from?

"I just wanted to go into the forest!" She huffed. "I don't want to go to big school! I hate it!"

She was nearly eleven years old. Now the youthful look made sense.

Shaking my head, I crossed my arms. "First, you cannot run around here so negligently! Second, if you get caught wearing Dad's trousers, not only will you have to face mum's wrath, but the entire village will laugh about it for days!"

"I like wearing trousers!"

"You can wear ladies' trousers. Just not in warm months, Arabella! Do you ever listen?" I sighed, taking her arm. "Come, let's get you dressed before someone notices."

"So, what if they do? I can wear what I want!"

Oh, she was at her defiance stage in life.

"Arabella, here in Evermore, free will is merely a dream. You must conform, you must oblige, and you must keep your damn head down!" I scolded.

She mumbled a complaint as we came to the back of the house. The grass was long and tickled my calves, and I made a mental note to ask Cole next door if he minded cutting it for a trade. Last time, he was fine with a crocheted beanie, but it was summer now, so I wasn't sure what he would want.

Peering into the back hall, the door groaned softly with a warning to anybody within hearing distance. I swallowed nervously, pulling Arabella into the small shack. I missed our old house, the one where we grew up with Dad. We each had a bedroom, and a fully stocked kitchen and comfy lounge area. This home was barely standing. It was a pity house at the bottom of the hill, one I despised entirely.

We had been a good status family until Dad died. When a family loses the man of the house, they lose it all.

I quickly grabbed Arabella a dress from the kitchen side, and turned to throw it at her, only to freeze in horror as my mother stood behind her. Weathered and pale from her days locked in the only bedroom. Her face was haunting as she glared at me.

"What the fuck is this?" she scolded.

Neither of us answered, both of us shocked she had even left her room to investigate. Usually she would shout or peer through a gap in the wooden door. But... leave the bedroom? This was a first.

Arabella had skipped school today, and word had got to her. I saw the letter in her hand and swallowed nervously.

A sudden sharp pain burned my cheek, my head being tossed to the side and causing me to stumble backward. My hand raised with horror. The burning of my cheek was nothing compared to the burning of my eyes as tears dripped down my face. I was faintly aware of Arabella staring at us in horror as my mother sprouted words of hatred toward me. How I was a terrible sister, how I could do nothing for the family, how I couldn't even monitor her to make sure she went to school.

Always my fault.

I wasn't even her mother.

Another slap to my other cheek had me crying out in complaint.

"I am talking to you. Do you understand, Ailia?"

"Yes," I whimpered.

"Speak up, girl. Raise your head and look me in the eye." She seethed.

I swallowed the small amount of blood that pooled in my mouth. My cheek was sore from where I must've bitten it. Her brown eyes were hard and full of hatred; so raw and primal it made my spine shiver.

"I understand, Mother."

"What do you understand, girl?"

"It is my fault." Licking my lips, I held her violent gaze. "I need to tend to the house and family better. I am not good enough."

"Very well." She huffed before turning to Arabella. "Get dressed and no more skipping school."

I couldn't help but feel envious of the way her hand softly curled Arabella's hair behind her ear. My sister, wide-eyed and shocked, nodded softly to our mother, whispering a yes that had the witch croon a 'good girl' before she left us. The bedroom door slammed shut behind her and I finally relaxed my taut frame to spit the blood into the sink.

I exhaled heavily, fighting back the tears as they wanted to pour. I couldn't cry. She didn't deserve my tears, and Arabella didn't need to see them happen.

She had never hit me before now. This was the first time she had ever laid a hand on me.

She had been cooped up in that bedroom for nearly three years. I turned fifteen last month, and she didn't even leave it for that. I spent my fifteenth in solitude, wishing it would end faster so I could get out of here.

The fabric of Arabella's dress slipped through my fingers and I startled, thinking I had dropped it, only to see Arabella pulling it to her chest. Her brown doe eyes were still wide, but she cleared her throat.

"I'll wear the dress and I'll go to school tomorrow." She murmured softly.

I dropped my eyes back to the sink, letting my hair cover my reddened skin. Nodding softly, I remained silent, hearing her footsteps retreating toward the bathroom. Once she was out of earshot, a choked sob escaped that had me straightening my spine and shaking my head.

Staring through the yellowing netting across the window, the sky had turned grey. It was ironic how in tune it felt to my mood, and I glanced around the quiet house before moving toward my clothes and hidden treasures. Since it was due to rain, it gave me more than enough chance to exercise with nobody caring.

Changing quickly into some shorts and a man's t-shirt, I ran out of the house and into the trees. A year ago, I discovered a book amongst some of Dad's hidden things. The book taught you the basics of self-defence, and I took it upon myself to learn it. I wasn't the best, being only able to mimic the images, but it gave me something to concentrate on. The other books in Evermore for women were... disturbing.

I did not want to know how a child was created, nor how to act like a correct wife for my husband. I especially did not like the images that came with the birth.

No baby was coming out of my who-ha any time soon.

I eventually stumbled to a stop, damn sure nobody would find me this far away from town. Setting the book on a nearby tree trunk, I scanned through some images, raising my fists in comparison. I was out here for a while before a snapping of a twig caught my attention. How cliché.

I gasped, quickly trying to hide the book as a man stepped through the shrubbery. Exhaling at the sight of him, I relaxed my tense posture.

"Ailia? Is that you?" Jeremy wondered.

I nodded, trying to hide my nerves. "Yeah, it's me. What are you doing out here? It's going to rain."

"I could ask you the same thing." He muttered, raising his eyebrows.

Jeremy was shrouded in a hoodie, and he blended effortlessly into the darkening forest. The sun was going down, and the moon was taking its place. It wouldn't be long before I would have a hard time reading my book.

A weird nagging itched at my brain, and I scratched my scalp to ease it.

"What are you doing out here?" He mused, glancing down at my clothes. "In that? You'll get caught."

Despite my internal unease and desperation to investigate, my mouth acted without my consent.

"I was just exercising." I crossed my arms.

"I was watching." He smirked. "Interesting postures for exercise."

Grunting, my arms spread wide. "I need to know how to defend myself."

"Is that anything to do with the discolouration of your cheeks?" He cocked his head, frowning.

I cursed, dipping my head, and Jeremy stepped closer to me. His face seemed to blur, and I shook my head to clear the image. His large hand encased mine, raising it so I clenched my fist with my thumb on the outside.

"You want to hit someone, you need to learn how to do it with a body."

"What?" I spluttered.

"You heard me." He smiled, his teeth glinting against the dark. "I can teach you."

Jeremy was a few years older than me, but I still couldn't shake that strange feeling inside of me.

The dream rippled.

"You can?" I breathed.

"Sure, we can." He laughed.

"You won't rat on me?"

"Ailia, I can see you need some help for something. You lost your dad; I want to help you."

"You promise?" I whispered.

He laughed, linking his finger with mine. "I promise. We will meet here every night, and I will have you ship-shape and ready to whoop ass in no time."

I laughed softly, just as the first splatters of rain fell from the treetops. "Okay, deal."

"Come, I will walk you back."

He led me home in silence, and thankfully, we didn't come across anybody else. A warmth filled my chest, and I whispered a goodbye as the older man left without another word.

*******

New character unlocked ....