Author's note: Traumatised by being held hostage in the cafe siege, Chloe has chosen a new direction in her life. She gives up her steady boyfriend and stable job to seek out new thrills in risky encounters. Covalent has laid out his plans to make her disappear and Chloe finds herself spiraling deeper and deeper into his fantasy of total control.
The story contains themes of female submission, edge play and autassassinophilia. Discretion is advised: please check the story tags to see whether this a series you'll enjoy.]
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VANISHED
The heat is prickly, and I'm perspiring in the sun by the time I get to the edge of the lake, my little black summer dress sticking to me. I stand on the edge of the water and look out. What am I doing? Once upon a time I had all my shit together. I had a good boyfriend, a job that paid well, friends and family to spend time with, a nice apartment. I had assets, I had plans, I had a future.
Now I'm barefoot on a little track that leads off to somewhere, maybe, followed by a man I met in a chat room, probably, to become his plaything for the weekend, definitely. I know next to nothing about him; I have no idea what he's planning or what he's capable of. All I know is that he wants to make me disappear. I believe it's just a fantasy that he has and we're acting it out, but it could equally be a statement of intent. I have come to realise that it doesn't matter to me. After the siege, after having a gun in my mouth, having to cope with all of that, being erased by a stranger could be a relief. I'm aware how messed up that makes me sound.
How the fuck did my life turn in this direction? No boyfriend anymore, no nice apartment, my job hanging by a thread, not able to talk about any of this to anyone, standing in a remote spot, barefoot in a cotton dress having just thrown my phone and any chance of reconnecting with my life away. I'm isolated and fearful and for reasons that I don't understand, so utterly turned on. I can see the roof of a structure along the edge of the lake, pressed between tall bushes. I begin to walk in that direction.
It's like I'm on remote control, my feet following Covenant's instructions. When I get to the boathouse, I see to my dismay that it's derelict, with a demolition notice nailed to the side. The door, however, is open. There are the remains of a padlock on the ground, cut off, and I know he's going to be in there, waiting to take possession of me. At this point, I'm still free, I can still get away. Or can I? How fast can I run over uneven ground, barefoot? Was that why he told me to ditch my shoes, to make it impossible for me to outpace him?
I have to accept that the point of no return isn't going through the door in front of me, it was getting off the bus in the first place. I'm already over the edge of the event horizon, already spiralling inescapably into the heart of the black hole. I'm completely screwed. If he wants to dispose of me, he can. There are no witnesses. Even if I scream, there's no-one else for miles around.
I approach the door carefully. I have a metallic taste in my mouth and my pulse is hammering in my throat. I really don't want to do this, but it's like I have no choice. I agreed to give myself to Covenant for the weekend. He decides what happens next.
I push the door open and it creaks loudly, making me jump. Inside, the dusty wooden floor is bare except for an old table and two chairs. The wooden walls are battered, loose slats letting daylight in. I look behind me quickly, gripped by a sudden fear that he's following me and I'm about to be pushed inside, but the path is empty. Aside from the gentle lapping of the water, there is no sound. My body is screaming at me to get the fuck away from here, but I step forward, crossing the threshold into the gloom.
I take two more steps, and then the door closes behind me with a thud and I jump. Covalent is standing there, a roll of duct tape in his hands. He peels a length off and bites into it to separate it from the roll, advancing on me. I hold up my hands to ward him off, stepping backwards until I feel my bottom smack into the table.
"Wait," I stammer, "Hold it."
He's quick, grasping my jaw firmly with one hand as he presses the length of tape against my lips, sealing my mouth. The he surprises me by stepping back and smiling. I touch the edges of the tape with my fingers, exploring what he's done to me. My eyes are wide in shock.
"Ah ah," he chides, "No peeling it off, or I'll have to tape your hands as well."
My hands freeze. Fuck. I need my hands.
"Your face is priceless," he laughs.
Covalent reaches out and strokes my cheek. His touch is gentle.
"If you had any doubts about this, you should have never gotten off that bus, Raven. It's too late to run now."
His thumb brushes over the tape.
"I love seeing you like this. You're just so perfect."
Perfect for what? What's he going to do with me, now he's lured me here?
"I never thought I would ever find anyone who wanted me to do this to them. I've looked, believe me. You're the first to ever come this far on the journey. I need you to know just how thankful I am to have found you."
His fingertips trace down my throat, settling on the collar of my dress.
"Have you been following my instructions, Raven? I'm very particular on this."
I nod, though I don't know which instructions he means.
"Good. Why don't you show me? Strip."
I grunt. It's all I can do, gagged by the tape. Covalent nods, as if in sympathy with my predicament.
"You won't need the dress anymore. You're done with being in public."
My body is frozen, immovable. Anymore? Like my phone and my shoes? I stare into his eyes. I need to ask him if this is still just a fantasy, or whether this is it. I'm not ready, I didn't come here to....
He begins to unbutton my dress, opening it wider and wider. The button below my waist is still undone, and he notices it with a smile. I'm trembling now, and he can feel it as his hands drift down my body, exposing myself to him. He undoes the bottom button and teases the fabric aside, revealing my nakedness to him. He pushes the dress back over my shoulders and I feel the cotton slipping down, cascading into a heap on the table that I'm backed into. I try and hold his gaze as his eyes travel over my skin.
He notices my swollen nipples first, then his eyes drift down to the space between my legs, to where my labia glisten beneath the neat triangle of my hair. Involuntarily, I look down at myself, following his gaze. My lips are puffy and reddened, gleaming with arousal. There is a trickle of dampness running from the bottom of my lips and a little way down my inner thigh. He gathers it with his finger, raising it to his mouth and tasting my juices.
"Would you like to sit? It's been quite a journey for you, hasn't it?"
The offer is unexpected, but before I can react, he turns his back to me and strides to the front of the shed, sliding back a lock and opening the large double doors. Sunlight streams in, sparkling off the water, sending cascades of rippling motes of light dancing across the roof of the boathouse. It's beautiful.