Psychic Prison

by Veronica Agnus

  "Safe?" Ivy giggled, her eyes returning to that ash grey. "In a place where you can barely sleep without the start of a fight. Do not worry about my safety. Only a matter of time before the word spreads of our little fun in the art room and maybe the weak and cowardly will leave us alone."

  Kitty looked between us, and I noticed her sudden shyness as she tried to make herself as small as possible. I looked away, but firmly said, "Kitty."

  "Yes, Your Majesty?!"

  "The same applies to you."

  "M-Me?" Her voice stuttered in shock. "You mean...I can be Ms. Butterfly's friend?"

  "You are my servant. I do not see the problem of having friendly ties when we're not around sketchy prisoners. You've already sworn your confidentiality when amongst myself and my masters at the nail salon. Your allegiance would be much appreciated," I noted and returned to looking at her wide eyes that filled with tears.

  It was hard to keep a cool persona with how innocent she now looked, and I realized I'd yet to figure out her age because she had to be no older than eighteen for such a vulnerable look.

  "I'd love that." Her voice shook before she bowed her head. "Thank you, Ms. But-"

  "Alisha is fine," I concluded. "No need for such formalities when we're amongst friends."

  "Thank you, Alisha," she corrected with a beaming smile, her tears rolling down her cheek.

  "Goodness, I'm going to bed." Ivy yawned. "Vix drained me out. Why does she have to show off like that?"

  "Vix?" I inquired.

  "Ah." Ivy gave me a sheepish grin, her tired eyes fighting to remain open. "Vix is my wolf." She deliberately pointed to her eyes that were currently grey.

  "When my eyes are this shade, I'm in full control," she began, and there was the striking gold that folded her iris. "And then there's me in control." Her voice held a slight difference, but I could feel it from the thrumming energy that leaked from her body. "Vixen, or Vix for short. An honor to make your acquaintance, monarch."

  "The pleasure is mutual," I responded. "I share my words of gratitude for your interference. It's well appreciated."

  "It's been a while since I've enjoyed breaking a few bones. Well worth it."

  That's all she said as her eyes returned and Ivy was back. "Goodness, if Ryo makes me do shit today, I'm suing."

  The name perked my interest, but Ivy gave a slight bow of her head. "I'm heading out."

  "You don't look too good, Ivy. Would you like me to accompany you?" Kitty offered.

  "No, I'm...okay." She yawned midway through her sentence. "If I fall asleep in the hall I dare someone to jump me."

  Kitty sought a response from me, her eyes meeting mine. I crossed my arms with confidence, and ordered, "Kitty. You should go with Ivy and make sure she makes it to her cell. You're both on Level Two, correct?"

  "Yes. Our cells are really close!" Kitty emphasized.

  "Then please do that for me," I encouraged. "Make sure you rest as well. I'll ask if my masters are willing to tell the guards to bring a meal of your choosing once you've both rested."

  "Really?!" she squealed and clapped her hands. "Thank you, Alisha! Ivy, I'll escort you!"

  "A cat shifter escorting an alpha wolf? My pride is hurt." Ivy sighed but yawned again. "And steak would be a wonderful gift from the gods after a nap."

  "Then steak will be on your plate when you wake up," I assured her.

  To be honest, I had no clue if I had that much power within these walls, but I'd ask Atticus when he returned.

  If we had glamorous living conditions and food of our choice, I'm sure they would bend the rules at my humble request.

  "Thank you, Alisha." Ivy's softened expression was filled with hope. "Never thought I'd meet people I actually click with, but maybe my pitiful life is brightening up for the better."

  I slowly nodded in response, but her heavy words left me pondering what life she had possibly lived prior to her captivity. I wouldn't get the answers today, but hopefully, within time, I'd learn more about her circumstances.

  With a final word of goodbye and thankfulness, the two of them left and I stood there for a few minutes, waiting for the energies in the hall to subside.

  I'm sure the guards were done cleaning up the mess we'd created, but now that all was said and done, my own exhaustion hit me in waves.

  Without Saphire or even Freya to give me an internal boost, I was finally enduring the true impacts of my superior display of instinctive rebellion.

  I gripped the side of the desk, a heavy sigh leaving me while the world spun. Closing my eyes, I waited for it to subside, but felt soft hands rest upon my shoulders. My body had swayed back without me realizing it.

  The comforting warmth that wrapped around me made me melt, the bits of resistance against my thriving desire to sleep trickled away.

  "I never asked for your help," I muttered, opening my weak eyes and lifting my head to see the mismatched eyes that scanned me carefully.

  "Well aware." His response was expected and actually made me muster a tiny grin of approval.

  "Thank you."

  My appreciative words rewarded me with an arched brow.

  "I'm doing my job."

  "Last time I checked, my job description was servant and my boss was one of four masters. Funny how one of them has mismatched eyes and a kind enough heart to warn me of the events that transpired just minutes ago."

  It really was thanks to his warning that Ivy and Kitty had only gotten out the way they had and not far worse - or dead.

  "Some allies are worth recognition," he muttered. "My kindness is only for those worthy of such."

  "What do you think of me?" I inquired.

  His eyes peered into mine again, and he didn't hide the thunderous hunger that shimmered in their darkened glory.

  "You are a rare butterfly that I'd treasure if given the chance." His response was unexpected, and I craved to learn even more, but my eyes were growing heavier by the second - my body betraying me on the brink of something brewing dangerously between us.

  "Then...when will this hunter finally move to claim this rare butterfly?"

  My consciousness wavered as my eyes struggled to remain open.

  The glimmer of delight was strong enough for me to pick up, even when my vision grew hazy and my eyes finally gave up in their fierce battle. My limbs grew weak, but I wasn't worried about falling.

  I was in the arms of my master, and no way would he let another touch me in my most vulnerable state.

  "Soon, my marked queen." His low whisper was followed by the brush of something soft against my lips. "Very soon."

  My threatened captivity ended with a formidable win as I dreamed of tender kisses and sketches of cocks.

  Psychic Abilities Gone Wild

  My body plunges into the frigid body of water that thrashed mercilessly.

  I submerge faster than anyone can stop. My ears acknowledge the thrumming of my beating heart, while my lungs burn as water begins to fill their wide chambers.

  There's no way of stopping the inevitable, and fear begins to do what it does best. I want to panic and fight against fate, but my body is already running out of time. The icy depths of this massive ocean left me in a state of numbness.

  My head is pounding, blood escaping the wound at my temple while my shattered mind that fought an extravagant battle has finally met its match.

  The clock of life was beginning to tick its final countdown, and all I could do was regret what I was beginning to forget. How could life be considered fair when those that seek righteousness for the innocent suffered the heinous deaths, and those who conduct crime after crime lived formidable lives filled with respect and luxury, and enjoyed the last laugh?

  All I craved now was revenge, and I repeated this again like a positive affirmation.

  If given another breath of air, I will obtain the revenge I wholeheartedly deserve.

  "Alisha?"

  The soft whisper with a gentle pat to my shoulder pulled me out of my dream. My
heavy eyelids lifted up to locate the culprit of waking me from my apparent slumber.

  When they landed on an apprehensive Kitty, I held back on my desire to murder the person with my sheer glare.

  "I'm sorry for waking you, Alisha," Kitty immediately apologized. "I think other prisoners will be here soon and don't want you staying here unattended."

  The thought of my safety was appreciated, especially when I felt like utter shit today. As much as I'd desired to skip today's silly prisoner interaction session, I wasn't allowed to due to a mandatory "strict" day.

  In other words, the prison was getting a strict check by government officials and everything had to be on point. Laughable when this place was nothing close to a spectacular prison.

  The urge to do a little mischief was strong, but with how sick I felt, it was a dream I'd place on the backlog until another mandatory inspection.

  Two weeks had gone by just fine, and I was starting to get used to this prison lifestyle. With my glamorous circumstances, it wasn't as harsh as I'd expected it to be.

  Sex every other day, reading books to heighten my knowledge and trigger the wisdom hidden within my caged mind, and now some training sessions on general defense with Lyla. I was far more confident than I had been.

  However, the one thing that had been plaguing me was the nightmares. Scenes of me being in a black body of water, so cold that my body would wake up shivering while cold sweats cloaked my feverish skin from head to toe.

  Yesterday was the first time Atticus had witnessed it, and he wasn't happy.

  * * *

  "Alisha!"

  Firm hands shook me hard enough for my eyes to snap open. I shot up from my laying position, my rapid inhales and exhales only making it harder to breathe while my eyes rapidly scanned around me.

  Atticus gave me space as I shook, waiting for me to tell him if I was okay. It took me a little more time to finally realize I'd been dreaming, the events that occurred already beginning to fade as I noticed how drenched in sweat I was.

  I let out a heavy sigh and put my head in my hands.

  "Fuck," was all I could say as my shoulders sank.

  "Alisha." Atticus's previously harsh voice was now a soft whisper. "Talk to me, my sweet butterfly."

  "It was just a bad dream," I breathed. "It's nothing."

  "That was surely more than nothing, Alisha," Atticus warned. "You were making the walls quake."

  Oops.

  "Does anyone know that it was my doing?"

  That was my primary concern. I didn’t want to be the cause of some sort of prison alarm or investigation in the middle of the night.

  "Lyla's handling it. No one will know it was you," Atticus assured me. "Seems as though the news announced a 7.4 magnitude earthquake."

  "Thank the heavens." I sighed and didn't hide my relief or drained expression. "Sorry for the trouble."

  "Alisha." Atticus reached out to me, and I let him move the strands that clung to the side of my face. Within seconds, I was in his arms, and for the first time since being here, I allowed myself to cry quietly.

  "Alisha. Talk to me," Atticus soothingly encouraged. "What's going on?"

  "I'm probably dealing with PTSD. That's what it called when you're dealing with a traumatic event like death, right?"

  "You're having nightmares of what happened the night you died?"

  "Yes." Who knew if I'd died. How would I know, seeing as I was living now? Temporary death in the lost darkness of the ocean waters. The thought only made me whimper in fear.

  "Shh, Alisha." Atticus stroked my back soothingly, doing what he could to calm me. His body was far warmer than my trembling one. I hugged him tightly, hoping his warmth could get rid of the chilled claws of uncertainty.

  It took some time for my whimpers to fade and my tears to stop running down my flushed cheeks.

  "Is that why you've been looking more exhausted?" Atticus finally asked when I'd calmed down. I didn't want to admit it, but when I took a moment to stare into his worried eyes, I caved.

  "When...you're not around. Like...when I'm sleeping alone, that's when the nightmares begin. It started a little after that incident with the prisoners in the art room. I've tried to ignore it, but no matter how many times I wake up during the night, I always return to that very scene of me crashing into ice-cold water, drifting deeper and deeper until my body is taken over by numbness and I can feel down to my very being that I'm dying. I wake up with a gasp of air, drenched in sweat, and feeling this clinging hopelessness."

  I bit my lip hard, the pain helping me fight the swirling emotions that were desperate to consume me.

  "What's left after I break down in shambles and attempt to pick up the pieces is this desire for revenge. Desire isn't the right word. It's like a newfound duty. A purpose I was granted with that second chance of life. But how can I act upon this strong sensation when I have no clue who put me in my deadly circumstances? All it does is leave me in a frustrated state of anger and when I finally calm, it's already morning."

  "Alisha. Why didn't you say this earlier?" he inquired as he let go of me to get out of bed. I worried he’d be upset. My sudden urge to chase after him like a puppy was stopped by my lingering ego. I may be frightened of suddenly losing him for letting myself be vulnerable, but I couldn't see myself chasing after him over it.

  Those sparks of worry were soon diminished as he walked into the washroom to turn on the knob of the bathtub, his desire to fill the tub a priority before he returned to my side of the bed and scooped me up.

  "Atticus?"

  "It's not good for you to have built up anxiety," he began to explain. "It leads to you having panic attacks. Your lack of sleep is what's worrying me."

  "It's just sleeping," I noted. "I can catch up on that during the nights I'm with you."

  "Sadly, in your case, my marked butterfly, your lack of sleep leads to your psychic abilities going out of whack and triggering earthquakes," he revealed.

  "You're lying."

  "I wish I was," he replied with a sad smile, carrying my naked body over to the washroom. The tub was 2/3 full already, and he easily lowered me into the comfortable hot water.

  "Is it supposed to be therapeutic to relax in a bathtub after having a dream of your drowning death?" I inquired purely out of curiosity.

  Atticus paused midway through dumping the bubble liquid, the pink stream of bubble formula continuing its descent into the bath as my question seemed to click in Atticus's mind.

  He cursed, which led to a groan.

  "I hadn't fully- Oh fuck!" he cursed again when he poured far too much of the bubble stuff, the bath already beginning to overflow with pink bubbles. I snickered and began to laugh uncontrollably, having never seen Atticus go from cool and collected to a frantic rush.

  "Never mind, this is totally therapeutic." I giggled.

  "Ugh. Don't use this against me. You distracted me!" he accused.

  "Sure I did." I weakly smirked and sank deeper into the bubble bath. "Might as well join."

  He didn't argue with that. He entered the massive bath and immediately pulled me into his arms. We stared at the ceiling once there was enough water for the both of us, the bubbles overflowing to the floor, but neither of us minding the mess.

  "I need to get revenge, Atticus." My voice was full of seriousness. "There's so much to me that I've lost. Regardless of the possibilities of regaining my memories of us, my life, the world I used to live in, I'm not here in a standstill position that leaves me feeling utterly vulnerable."

  He quietly listened as I carried on, "I know I harness immense power, and with my experiences with Saphire and Freya, they're bits of me that can make a life-changing impact in this world. Yet, someone out there, a person or group of individuals I may not even know, decided to take it upon themselves to get rid of me. Seeing as that initial plan failed, I'm trapped in this hellhole of a prison."

  I took a deep breath and let it out.

  "We all know what I'm capable of an
d deep down, I know it, too. These walls aren't what keep me from escaping. It's my lack of confidence in who I'm supposed to be that holds me back. All the fears, worries, and bitterness that I've been shackled with from these hidden chains of my past. I now require the help of various individuals, ones that I'm grateful to have, but I wish that wasn’t the case. I've come to realize I hate to rely on others, but how can I rely on myself when I still haven't grasped those fragments of who I am?"

  I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest.

  "I know your answer will remind me to be patient and that justice will be served, but each time I deal with these stressful dreams, it leads me down the same path of questioning. All of it lands me in this state of fueling anger and then when I calm down, I'm exhausted. I don't want your sympathy, or anyone’s, for that matter. I...just want to get through this with the reassurance that it's something normal and I'm not being a weak fool."

  "There's nothing weak about what you experienced, Alisha." His firm voice was comforting as he held me tightly.

  "You're one of the strongest women I know. Believe me, I understand to some degree how you feel and there's nothing weak about it. Lingering on it won't help you overcome it. What we can do is brainstorm how we can ensure you get some more rest, and what to do when you’re feeling this way."

  "You can't sleep with me every night," I noted.

  "I could," he reasoned. "You're my wife. However, it's difficult to know where my schedule will take me."

  He took a moment to think about it.

  "Do you think sleeping with one of the others will help you out?" The thought made me cringe slightly. "Alisha. They're here to help you grow stronger."

  "Originally, no, but now that they have a genuine idea of who I am, and they're willing to help," I acknowledged.

  Blaze, Kai, and Titus weren't bad people. At least, from what I've experienced so far - minus points for Kai's petty decision to attack me.

  Their company wouldn't bother me. It was my concern of waking up in a wild mess and them seeing me in that confused state of emotions that left me hesitant. Titus had helped me when I'd lost consciousness, but would I be okay with it happening again and including Blaze and Kai?