Chapter 01: Kiss of Death
It was a freezing winter's day, and the pure whiteness of the snow on the forest floor and tree tops made it impossible for a person to find their way out of this wondrous maze. Kirstin followed the little dirt road pointlessly through the forest in an effort to escape its freezing grasp. Somehow her little stroll earlier that day led to her being lost and cold in the middle of the eerie woods.
Just as she was about to give up her fight against the icy wind, she saw a faint glimmer of light ahead. She suddenly had a burst of adrenalin shoot through her whole body that made her dash towards it. After what seemed like eternity, she finally reached a clearing amongst the trees. The sight brought warm tears to Kirstin's eyes, which burnt her soft cheeks as they rolled down her face. Before her stood a beautiful castle that looked so out of place amid its surroundings, but still looked as if it stood there for thousands of years.
Kirstin followed the footpath to the enormous oak doors that had nude women and men carved into it. Hesitantly, she knocked and each knock echoed through the castle. The castle had to be vacant, she thought, and so she decided to take shelter in the empty castle for the night before taking on the long road the following day.
She pushed through the doors and quickly closed them behind her as she did not want any wintry air to accompany her inside. As soon as she was inside the colossal castle she noticed that its outer visage did not compare to the interior at all. It was decorated with vintage furniture that oozed sophistication and wealth and the entrance hall boasted over a magnificent fire place that immediately made her feel safe and warm. The staircase on her left seemed to be so long that it led up to the gods themselves.
Kirsten snapped backed to reality and realized that her clothes where dripping wet. She removed her heavy black fur coat and threw it over the chair next to the entrance. Although her black Victorian dress was soaked, the heat of the fireplace was enough to bring color back to her pale skin.
She stood there for a few more minutes and decided to explore the castle. She headed straight for the staircase and made her way up the stone steps, which finally led her to a door that stood ajar. "Hello?" was the only word that escaped her lips as she suddenly felt scared, but still no one answered. Kirsten opened the door a few more inches to take a look inside. The room was even bigger that the entrance hall but much darker. In the middle of the room stood a gigantic four poster bed that gave her the urge to climb under the red velvet blanket and sleep for days on end. In the one corner of the room was yet another fireplace which made it feel even more inviting.
Her fear started to subside as she moved towards the bed. Kirsten slowly unraveled her dress which fell to the floor in a black mass and left her standing totally naked. Her skin was as white as the snow outside, her eyes where as blue as the ocean and her hair was as black as the night sky and hung just above her ample buttocks. She was only 5.2ft tall and her body was a piece of art at her young age of 20. Her breasts where of average size, but was so firm that made the word perfection inadequate to describe them. She climbed into bed and immediately drifted off into sleep.
Kirsten suddenly awoke and noticed that the fire in the fireplace had died and that the room was covered in darkness. "I hope you found my bed comfortable," a low voice said out of the shadows and made Kirsten sit up straight.
"H-hello?" she said to the darkness.
"Yes?" the voice whispered.
"Who are you?" Kirsten asked and started to feel scared again. She noticed a shadow in the corner of the room and realized that it was heading straight towards her!
"No... please... I was lost and tired... I knocked and no one answered, so I just came inside to..." she suddenly remembered that she was naked.
"No problem my dear, as long as you are feeling better, I'm pleased." The voice said and although she was frightened to death, the voice somehow made her feel calm. Kirsten felt someone get on the bed and it made her grab the covers tighter. The person came closer and she could feel his cool breath on her skin, but still she could not see anything.
The lights came on unexpectedly, which blinded Kirsten for a few seconds, but as soon as she could refocus, she saw a man standing over her. He was so handsome that she couldn't find words to describe him. He also had black hair which where shoulder length, but he kept it in a loose ponytail. His body was that of a god, but his eyes... his eyes where as black as the midnight sky.
Kirsten turned around to get out of the bed as quick as possible, but a strong hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer to him. He pushed her down on her back, and with only his one hand, he was able to restrain her. His face met hers, and softly he whispered, "My name is Richard and I've been waiting for a beauty such as yourself for many years."
"Please don't hurt me, I..."
"Kirsten, if you pass the test tonight, your future will consist of nothing more than pain, but I promise that pleasure will accompany it." His voice was still soft but clear.