Something moaned. A dull hammer crashed again and again upon an alternate reality, drawing closer and closer until the anvil filled my vision and the
bang
split my skull.
I gasped and sat up, immediately clutching my head in agony. Or so, I'd meant to. My hands never quite reached it. Confused, I glanced around and felt a wave of fresh panic. My legs. My arms.
I couldn't move them!
My throat swelled with a building scream when a shiny black finger pressed itself to my lips. I froze. Unearthly yellow eyes glowed above a set of shiny white fangs and I blanched. The dark lips curved into a smile.
"Shhhh.. That's it, Kitten. No need to fear."
Kitten. Cat Woman. The abandoned house. The graffiti. The laughter in the darkness. It all came flooding back...
"Motherf--!"
"Hssst!"
My lips clamped shut. Every nerve in my body quivered with horror. Why couldn't I move my limbs? What happened? How did I get on this blasted bench?
The bench!
"You!" I spat. "What have you done to me?! Why am I here? What the hell just happened?"
"One question at a time," his low voice overlapped mine. I snarled.
"Fuck you! Are you even a college student?"
That fanged smile again. It sent a bolt of raw terror to my core.
"No."
Shit. Shit! I was really screwed now. He probably had a stash of knives below the bench, old power tools, ready to chop me to pieces. Fuck! Screw him! Screw Halloween!
His eyes returned to their previous glittering state. Amused.
"Don't worry, Kitten. I'm not going to kill you."
"I told you not to call me that," I murmured between clenched teeth.
"But it suits you so well! I'm not here to harm. I'm here to play."
"So you've said," I grumbled, testing the bindings at my wrists. He made his way around to the end of the table. Something appeared in his hand. It gleamed wickedly. A blade.
"Fuck!" I tugged at the bindings. The rope stung my bare skin, tightening around my faux leather-clad ankles. He laughed uproariously.
"I said I wasn't here to harm you."
"Then what.. What
am
I here for, exactly?"
His smile widened. Hungry. Predatory. The blade lifted. I squeezed my eyes shut, braced for the stinging blow. It never came. Something smooth yet rough draped along the contours of my face and I winced. It fell away, then returned, continuing until curiosity got the better of me and I peered through my lashes. Several strips of leather slid over my cheeks and nose, moonlight gleaming from above. They grazed my chin, pausing at my throat.
A handheld whip.
My heart pounded. Those were only sold from those fancy erotic stores. Which meant..
"No, no. No, no no no no no no."
His eyes and fangs sparkled. Slowly leaned over until his breath caressed my cheek. The soft touch of his lips barely brushed my ear as he spoke,