by Raven, C L
Coconut Mushroom stools were scattered around. Candy Whistle dining chairs surrounded a Curly Wurly table. Chupa Chups standing lamps guarded the corner of each room. A table made from a Party Ring on Parma Violet legs stood to the side.
He was aware of Drake sitting close to him. His fruity aftershave was very alluring. He didn't know which was harder to resist – Drake or the edible looking furniture. He glanced at his watch.
"Gypsy! Come on!"
"She's probably exploring." Harper jumped as he turned to see Drake's face centimetres from his. "Sorry, did I scare you?"
"No, I." His head swirled. Drake's scent was dangerously intoxicating. He licked his dry lips. "Maybe I'll have a glass of water."
Drake smiled and headed for the kitchen. Harper closed his eyes. It felt like he was stuck on a children's roundabout. Cushions resembling Animal biscuits dug into his back.
"Here."
He opened his eyes, took the glass and drank, unable to keep his eyes off Drake's. His heart raced and his hands shook. Drake smiled, his eyes glinting. Harper couldn't breathe. He'd never felt an attraction so powerful.
Drake's lips collided with his. Harper moaned and kissed him back passionately. He pushed Drake backwards and kissed his neck, wanting his taste on the back on his tongue. Drake squeezed his arse, pulling him closer. He raised Drake's t-shirt and kissed his toned body. Drake pulled Harper's head up and kissed him deeply, his tongue teasing Harper's lower lip. Heat exploded through him and black spirits danced in his vision. He wanted to surrender to them.
He sat up, cradling his head. "I'm feeling sea-sick."
Drake rubbed his thigh. "Let's go to my room."
"Do you have a bed made from Chewits?"
"Black Jacks and Wham bars."
Harper struggled off the hammock and followed Drake. His head was foggy. He could barely walk. If he didn't have Drake, he'd die.
"When we were kids, there were rumours a witch lived here."
"That was my grandma. There're witch rumours in every town. Just because an old woman lives alone, doesn't mean she's a witch. Though in Grandma's case, it was true."
Harper stumbled. Drake caught him. Harper leaned on him, inhaling his enticing scent. He ran his tongue along Drake's neck then sucked it. He tasted of strawberries.
Drake opened a Wildlife Bar door, revealing a dungeon. He pushed Harper against the wall, then raised Harper's arms and eased off his top, before casting off his own. His lips caressed Harper's body then Harper felt something cold around his wrists. He tried to pull his arms down but was shackled to the wall. He kissed Drake's neck then sank his teeth in.
"Hey, whoa." Drake laughed and lifted Harper's chin.
Harper's head was spinning. He couldn't breathe. Every time he kissed Drake, the feeling worsened. But he had to kiss him. He had to devour him.
"I don't feel right. Maybe we should stop."
Drake ran his finger down Harper's body. "If you insist."
He backed out and locked the barred gate that stood in place of the Wildlife Bar.
Harper's body twinged and burned with the regret of unfulfilled passion. His head stopped spinning and he could breathe again. He rattled the handcuffs. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Your parents made a deal with my grandma to sacrifice you in return for all they desired. But sacrifices must enter willingly. Ten years my family have waited for you to find your way here from your survival exploits yet you always managed to get back home. My grandma's dead and my mother has too many deals to handle, so I've taken on this case."
"It's a sacrifice, not a social services enquiry. What have you done with Gypsy?"
"Nothing. Yet." He smiled. "I'm sorry Harper. I really like you. Maybe we can finish what we started later."
"You come near me again, I'll kill you!" Harper strained against the shackles.
"No. You won't."
Drake walked away and opened the viewing hatch to Gypsy's room.
"Let me out or I swear I'll gut you like a canoe!" She kicked the door.
"My family have been waiting ten years for this moment."
"What moment? Seeing you hollowed out and rowed down the river?"
"Your 'survival training' your parents concocted? Ever wondered why they make it so hard? They don't want you finding your way home. When the blood moon rises, you'll be sacrificed."
***
Gypsy futilely searched her pockets. She ran her fingers along the walls and door, hoping for a secret safety catch. Nothing. There wasn't even a window. The walls trembled. She backed away. A hideous scraping noise deafened her as the walls edged in.
"Shit."
She ran to the door and banged on it. "Let me out! We can make a deal."
"You have nothing I want." Drake's voice was muffled on the other side of the steel door.
"A swap. Our parents failed their bargain with your family. Let us go and we'll bring you them instead."
"Punish them for not delivering on their promise? We could've done that years ago. We want you."
"You can't have us."
"I already have you. Every hour on the hour that room will shrink by one foot. There's no escape."
"Fine. Then take me. Let Harper go. It's my fault we're here. He shouldn't keep getting punished for my actions."
"But he's so pretty. I think I'll enjoy myself with him, pass the time."
"You touch him and I'll rip your heart out while it's still beating!" She thumped the door.
Harper tensed as the gate opened and Drake slipped inside.
"How long have we been here?"
"I'm sorry I can't make your stay more comfortable. I'm a terrible host."
"How long…" He swallowed. "Do we have left?"
"Not long." Drake stroked Harper's face. "You got the looks and the charms." He smiled. "Your sister has quite a temper."
"Take me. Let her go."
"She offered me the same deal. We were promised both of you."
"What for? Better crops? Eternal sunshine?"
"The usual. Money, nice house, eternal youth. People are so predictable. No-one's ever asked for a prison ship."
"Our parents aren't young and our house's falling apart."
"It was 'payment on delivery'. My grandma requested you be virgins but it's taken so long for you to find your way here that's invalid."
"Sorry our irresistibility ruined your plans."
Drake smiled. "You are irresistible. And a virgin."
"No I'm not."
"Lovely boy, this aftershave only works on virgins."
"You've drugged me?"
"No. Unleashed your desires."
He teased Harper's lips with his own. Harper tried pulling away but his head was pressed against the wall. "I'm pretty sure this wasn't part of the deal!" Drake's tongue slipped between his lips.
Harper kissed him, desperate to taste him again, Drake's tantalising scent making him ache. Drake's hands glided down Harper's body, his skin tingling in their wake.
Drake kissed down his chest. Harper's breathing quickened. He wasn't sure whether it was through fear or lust. He didn't want it to end. Drake flicked his tongue along his stomach and navel. Harper squirmed, longing him to edge lower, the anticipation exquisitely unbearable. Drake smiled up at him, his bewitching eyes casting a spell over Harper. He rose and kissed him.
"Let us go," Harper whispered.
"I can't."
"They don't need to know we're here. We've managed to avoid this place for ten years."
"They already know. My mother's on her way."
"Say we escaped. We'll tie you up, make it look legit."
"My mother's a witch. What d'you think she'll do to me if you escape? If I'm lucky, I'd get turned into a frog or a bear or an ugly beast." He stroked Harper's face, his eyes stricken. "This isn't a fairytale. There is no happy ever after."
He held Harper and kissed his neck. Harper craned his head back and closed his eyes as ecstasy rippled through his body.
> ***
The walls shook then slid closer. Gypsy backed into one of the walls. A spike shot though her back. She coughed, blood spilling from her mouth. Her hands feebly slipped off the bloody spike. The spike retracted and she fell to her knees, gasping as the wound healed, the blood staining her hands the only evidence of her torture.
The light flickered then died. Darkness swooped on silent wings. Fear commandeered her body, controlling her like a macabre marionette. She felt along the walls to the door.
There was no door.
She sank to the floor. She didn't need to worry about the sacrifice - she'd be crushed to death before it happened. Something moved in the shadows. Silence. She tried calming her thumping heart and twisted imagination. Something brushed her hand. She yanked it up and fled to the other side of the room. She could still feel it crawling. Something else tickled her arm. She shrieked, batting it off. They were on her other arm, her legs, her neck, her hair. She screamed, slapping at herself. Furry legs explored her body, inching higher to her face.
They poked her eyes, their fuzzy feet tickling her lips. She clamped her mouth shut, her insides contorting. She tried flinging them off but they burrowed under her clothes, her skin, crawling through her hair. She screamed.
The light exploded on.
She was alone.
She brushed herself down, shooting away from the wall. She could still feel them. She hurriedly unzipped her PVC top and shook it. Nothing fell out. She slapped at her PVC trousers. She wrapped her arms around herself and slid to the floor. Groans of pleasure filtered through the wall. She scrambled up and put her ear against it.
"Wonderful. He gets amazing sex, I get covered in spiders."
There was a scraping noise. She glanced at the walls, but they hadn't moved. She looked up. The ceiling dropped another inch.
"Let me out! Or I'll cover you in jam and leave you for the fire ants!" She hammered on the wall, but all she heard was her pounding heart.
***
Harper's entire body ached. He felt drained of everything except ravenous hunger that rampaged through his body, making him nauseous. Cramps attacked his stomach. He tried doubling over, but the chains prevented him. It wasn't food he craved.
It was Drake.
He could feel the ghosts of his kisses. His stomach clenched. He cried out. The lights died. Something slithered over him, seeping beneath his skin. He yanked the chains, but they held firm. Another creature slid over his shoulder. More coiled around his legs. He darted away from the wall, but the shackles prevented him from escaping his torment. He could feel them beneath his skin. He screamed as his flesh tore, the snakes slipping through the fresh wounds. They twisted around his ribs and strangled his heart.
He screamed as their teeth ripped into him, drinking his blood and feasting on his flesh.
Eating him from the inside.
Gypsy's faint voice called him. The lights came on. The snakes vanished. He was breathing hard, his body weak with the pain's memory. He slowly straightened and checked his body. There were no wounds. Just the fresh scars in his mind.
"Gypsy!"
"I'm here!" She sounded like she was in the next room but further away.
"Are you ok?"
"The walls keep closing in and I was covered in spiders, but other than that, this is better than Disneyland."
"I'm shackled in a dungeon."
"Kinky. I heard you screwing him, you tart. He's our captor!"
"I can't resist him. It's like he's put a spell on me."
"That old chestnut. I'm trapped. There's no door. Convince lover boy to undo your shackles then brain him, lock him in then let me out."
"I've tried."
"Try harder."
Gypsy pressed against the wall. She thought she heard footsteps but they stopped short of her room. Voices whispered iniquitous thoughts in her ears. She tried blocking them out but they persisted, stealing her fight to survive. The light died. The whispers grew louder. They weren't inside her head, they were in the room. She flinched as their cold hands entangled in her hair. She fought them off and ran to the other end of the room. The walls scraped as they slid in closer, entombing her with her darkest nightmares.
One touched her face, kissed her lips, stroked her skin.
"Get off me!" She kicked out but they had no solid form.
They crawled over her, pinning her arms behind her back as the others groped her.
"You dare touch me inappropriately and I'll cut your balls off and make myself new earrings!"
One tried kissing her again. She clamped her lips shut and turned her head away. Its slimy tongue probed her lips. She bit it. Blood oozed down her chin. She gagged and wrestled free from their clammy clutches.
"You want me, you'll have to kill me. That'll screw up your master's plans for the blood moon sacrifice."
The hissing whispers increased. Impenetrable blackness pressed against her eyes, invaded every sense. Something touched her. She whirled around, her heart beating a rousing rock chorus. They gripped her hair and yanked her head back. She swore, trying to wrench herself free. They grabbed her arms so she kicked, struggled and tried to bite them. Her legs were seized and she was dragged to the floor. Their icy hands tore at her clothes, prickling her skin. She shrieked, trying to roll away but they had her pinned. Terror shredded her insides. The thought of these things violating her body made her want to vomit.
Hands tugged her PVC trousers.
"I'll rip your insides out and use them to decorate my bedroom!"
They yanked her trousers down. She screamed.
Light flooded the room.
Her captors vanished. She pulled her trousers up and scurried into a corner, her knees raised. Her breath escaped in rapid gasps. She shook and hugged herself, trying to banish the horror to the darkest chambers of her mind. She took deep breaths. If she was going to die, it would be by her hand.
Her mother had taken the knife she'd hidden in her boot. She glanced down. Her boots had silver heels. She thought it had been a mistake wearing them for orienteering but they could make a weapon. She slammed her foot against the wall.
"Oh come on. Women snap their heels all the time." She kicked the wall continuously. "Listen Fate - I'm ruining my favourite pair of boots so you'd better reward me by getting us out of here."
She kicked harder, keeping an eye on the light, her nerves sparking each time it dimmed. She knew the moment it died, a new nightmare would begin.
***
Harper tugged his shackles. His muscles strained, his wrists burned. He braced a foot against the wall but only succeeded in hurting himself. The screaming stopped.
"Gypsy!"
His heart thudded. Sometimes, there were worse things than death.
Footsteps. He tensed. Drake leaned against the gate, smiling. Harper's stomach lurched pleasurably. Drake unlocked the gate and glided in. Harper's gaze roved appreciatively over Drake's topless body as he ran his fingers down Harper's chest. Harper bit his lip, squirming as his body instantly responded. He closed his eyes as Drake's lips tempted him, leaving shivery trails over his chest and stomach.
"Please, let Gypsy go." Harper gasped as Drake kissed his neck. "Sacrifice me. Not her."
"It'll be over soon." Drake stroked his hair. "The blood moon rises tonight."
"Let her go and I'll stay with you. Forever."
"I want to. But I can't." Drake pulled away.
Harper lunged forwards, but the shackles prevented him from reaching him. Hunger attacked him and he cried out, his legs buckling. The chains yanked his arms, almost wrenching them from their sockets. Drake folded his arms, his brow creased. He reached out to touch Harper then stopped.
The lights died.
Harper's arms were lifted and spread. The chains clanked as they shuffled across the walls, inching higher and further apart. Shackles snaked around his ankles as his body was stretched. His muscles strained. His skin felt like it was ripping.
He screamed as his
arms were wrenched from their sockets. Hot agony blazed through his body. His ankles dislocated, followed by his knees. All he heard were his own screams as his body was slowly pulled apart. Searing pain exploded in his chest, each rib breaking one by one as his ribcage parted to reveal his beating heart.
Light flooded the dungeon.
His body was complete.
His legs gave way. Drake caught him and kissed him deeply. Harper's pain vanished as darkness consumed him.
***
The door opened. Gypsy shot backwards into the corner as Drake stood in the doorway. He stepped in and the door vanished. He approached her, dangling chains.
"No!" She ran to the other corner.
The room shrank.
"Surrender and it'll be easier on you."
"What have you done to Harper?"
"Nothing."
She twisted out of his reach. The walls crept closer. The ceiling lowered, just touching Drake's spiky hair. The room was no bigger than a grave.
"I don't want to hurt Harper. So if you come with me willingly, I'll let him go."
"I heard you tell him you wanted virgins. Why would you let him go?"
"Because I want him. Besides, he's no longer a virgin."
"You bastard!"
"I can't resist temptation. It's my only flaw."
"If you've raped him…"
"He wanted me as badly as I wanted him. Surrender and he lives."
She sank to the floor. She could finally repay Harper for everything he'd suffered for her. Her life was worth that. Drake crouched and stroked her hair, before pulling her up to handcuff her hands behind her back. The walls and floor turned to mud, the ceiling crumbled and the ground began to rise. She fell to her knees as they travelled upwards. The ground stopped. They were in the woods.
She looked behind her. Her heart skipped a beat. A headstone marked the spot where they stood.
GYPSY
"No!"
Drake dragged her through the woods into a clearing. Two stakes were stabbed into the ground, surrounded by logs.
Harper was tied to one of them. "Gypsy! Drake, let her go!"
Gypsy threw her weight to the floor. Drake scooped her up and carried her to the stake. She brought her legs up and kicked the stake. Her heel snapped. Drake fell, taking her down with him. As she hit the ground, she saw the broken heel. She rolled over and gripped it as Drake hauled her up and tied her to the stake.
