“E, come… here.”

Elicia:

Flickers of blurry images screamed across the darkness as Bain and Dani tormented me with bullshit fantasies about the brothers and their family. Seriously… traitors, heartless, power-hungry monsters. Psf! Hah. Only ones I see that fit that description, is talking right now. Feeling the cozy embrace of Christmas cottage, smiling softly as the thunderous laughter of my nightmare faded away into the gentle calm of the darkness.

Pushing up in a sleepy yawn, quickly ceasing my movements as the guys snored softly from their makeshift cots. Silently giggling, tugging gently at the heavy black and silver duvet, that somehow managed to twist around my feet, making my silent attempt to pee a bigger struggle than planned.

SHIT! Silently screaming to make sure the guys didn’t wake, because I wasn’t mentally prepared to verbally speak about this past weeks’ worth of psychological and physical torture I had to endure. Exhaling quietly as my feet drank in the refreshing coolness of the hardwood. Shakily standing as my eyes drank in the chaos scattered around the room, but the four overstuffed cots of dangling arms and tossed blankets, had me snorting back a chuckle.

Jumping slightly to the right as Chris rolled over to his stomach, plastering his face into the scrunched pillow screaming for air as he nuzzled down into the fluffy material, mumbling under his breath as his dark reddish locks flipped and poked out like he had stuck his tongue in a light socket.

TOO Fucking cute! Squealing silently.

Taking a few steps over their discarded clothes, shoes, and a few empty cartons of lo mien, sliding to a wobbly stop as Roger and Ben shifted at the same time tossing back a blanket, while the other kicked out a muscular leg, gleaming gently against the soft sun rays peeking through the heavy blackout drapes as my eyes crawled slowly along the tanned flesh rolling over smooth, bulging muscle that disappeared under the black and gray comforter.

Licking my lips like a gourmet feast had been laid out within arm’s reach.

Holy Shit! Flinching back against my voice inside my head as Roger reached out, fanning his muscular fingers in a gentle motion. “E, come… here.” He moaned softly, triggering the strange swirling heat to coil tightly, whimpering as it made the urge the pee worse.

Side shuffling quickly along the hardwood, taking a step back to give a peaceful looking Elias some distance as his muscular, tattoo draped arm highlighted his cuddled pose against the poor pillow squished between the wall and his relaxed face.

Biting my lip, clenching my thighs together to ease the ache pooling heavily in core, only making my bladder angrier.

Finally feeling the cool smoothness of the marble as my toes gripped the smooth surface, jerking softly against the squeak my bare flesh made against the marble. Quickly looking over my shoulder to make sure no one woke-up.

OMG! I GOT TO PEE.

Quickly swinging the door closed, but smoothly clicking in shut as my legs trembled with each step. Barely reaching the toilet as my poor bladder cursed and growled at me, feeling like I drank a lake filled with burning acid.

“Shit! A UTI.” Flinching back as my bladder signaled it was done with a sigh. Flushing quickly after I cleaned-up a bit, washing my hands before grabbing my medicine bag. Digging through the small pharmacy, looking for my cranberry pills to hold me over until I got in to see a doctor. Tossing out the tampons, grabbing the little brown and tan labeled bottle, shaking it to make sure I had a couple.

“Perfect.” Tossing back two with a small swing from the water-well looking faucet in matte black, giving the bathroom that cute-cottage feel with a little modern embrace from the toilet and soaker tub inside the double-walled shower, overlooking the lush green pastures.

Making sure the bolt latch was closed with a quick peek over my shoulder, switching on the lights as the startling image filled my stunned hazel blues. My face was heavily bruised with nasty blotches of purple and yellow but fairly healed, compared to last night. Wait, no, I probably slept for days, that’s why the guys looked like shit, they haven’t left.

You wish. Who could care about little orphan Elicia? Boo-hoo.

“Fuck off!” Whisper growling at Bain’s taunting ridicule, staring at the nasty bruised flesh that was hidden beneath a fresh shirt, smelling in the Christmas Cottage as the soothing scent triggered a surge of panic to rise tightly in the back of my throat. Flinching against the soft knock as the bathroom submerged heavily in Fresh Christmas Cottage, feeling the body heat through the thick oak as another soft knock sounded.

“Butterfly?” Ben’s soft tone spoke through the door, backing into the toilet stand activating my Echo pod as the opening chords of “Become the Beast” by Karliene, snapped the final thread holding my panicking heart in place as another sharp knock sounded, sharper then the muted knock before it.

Breathing slowly, failing at calming my raging thoughts as everything bounced and collided in a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds.

“Elicia, are you okay?” Roger spoke firmly but softly, doubling the heat penetrating the oak barrier as the intensifying panic, rolled and pricked at my flesh as it crept through my body.

Gripping my ears as Dani’s sadistic chuckling swirled around my panicked thoughts, crying out as the stinging pain of the whip snapped across my back, clutching for life against the marble countertop. Blinking away the tears that pooled heavily from my burning eyes, shaking them away as the panic consumed every inch of my trembling body.

“Kitten, open up.” Elias’ sharp tone sliced through the melting oak as Bain appeared in the mirror, staring back at me with those sinister ambered orbs as Ruelle “Bad Dream” added to my mental panic as the handle jiggled violently against the knocking and tapping of palms.

“Hummingbird, open up for Chris.” His softer but firm tone sent the thumping panic straight to my heart as everything crashed in on me. Gasping out as images flooded my thoughts of snarling bears, smiling faces, cold cellars, glistening muscles, claws, bon fires, Bailey, Bain, screaming out in annoyance as the door crashed in with a tidal wave of flailing limbs and legs. Slamming my fist into the mirror as Bain’s sinister smile shattered to a thousand pieces, glittering and sparkling against the warm recess lighting.

“FUCK OFF!” Screaming out in a rushing wave of rage as images of Peyton and Bain slammed into my head, jolted back by the sudden time slip to my freshman year.

Looking around at the smiling faces enjoying the cool warmth of the Texas night as they chatted and danced around the blazing bon fire that signaled a new year for the incoming freshmen, while the upper classmen just used it as an excuse to get drunk and hook-up.

Weaving through the jiving crowd as Bain and his brother, Peyton, pointed between different girls walking by dressed in what they called “shorts and flannels”.
Scoffing at the thought of a proud Hugh Hefner as Bain’s blazing orbs zeroed in on me, while his brother leaned down whispering next to his ear, matching the same intense stare down. Slipping through the crowd in a hazy blur as my feet snapped and shuffled along the wooded trail towards the orphanage.

Oh yeah! I totally forgot about it. Strange.

“Elicia.” Snapping my head over my shoulder as Peyton jogged towards me with a soft smile and gentle wave as another voice spoke over top of him. Ignoring him, seeing the cute mason jar light that I had installed last winter as a Christmas gift to LC, glowing on the back porch muted in blurry shadows and colors.

“Elicia.” Bain’s voice slithered out from the dense trees that lined the trail, snapping back as he reached for me. Backed into a solid wall of muscle as Peyton pinned my arms behind my back. Thrashing my legs out, kicking Bain in the nuts as my name roared from his lips, before a fiery surge of pain ripped through my veins.
Screaming out in agony as Peyton and Bain removed their fangs from my collarbone, tossing me to the ground as every molecule pulsated and swirled in a nauseating blur of colors.

“ELICIA.” A firm voice roared through the blurring colors, pinned up against a tree as my body erupted in a blanket of chilled flesh, while my clothes were shredded and stripped from my hazed body.

“No..NO..NOO!” Shouting out in panicky rage as blazing palms glided up my arms, cupping my thrashing face as my body erupted into a swirling storm of staticky energy.