1
What do you see when you look into the eyes of a predator? Do you cower in fear, or do you find beauty in that nature, believing that the one staring you down as prey could end up being the one to save you?
Everything I’d ever known was within the walls of this compound that I’d been more or less trapped in since I was a young child. This was the home of the religious commune that my mother had brought us to after my father died. She had been looking for a place to belong and was immediately pulled in by the beautiful promises of salvation our leader offered.
This compound was supposed to be a place to repent and save one's soul, follow the true teachings of the Lord, and survive the coming apocalypse that was going to take all of the non-believers.
But in the end, it was nothing more than a cult run by yet another false prophet who reveled in the loyalty and abuse he could inflict on his followers.
I reflected on that as I snuck out of the dorms late that night. This had become my habit in the last few months, and though it was a massive risk, I was willing to take it just to get away from everything for a short time.
The cool, crisp October air greeted me as I slipped out of the door. Stars littered the sky, creating an endless canopy that looked like diamonds sparkling in the Heavens, and the grass was soft under my feet. I made my way to the fence, which was about ten feet away, holding onto the links and looking out into the night.
I wasn't worried about anyone finding me out there that easily. It was very dark in this area, and they rarely patrolled out there at night. I’d also ensured that it looked like my bed was occupied for the periodic checks the night lady would do in our dorms. The only real risk I had now was getting back there without being spotted.
I hate it here, I thought bitterly. I hate living with all of them, especially him.
I believe that I'd come to hate John Paul more than any other in this place. The man was always preaching about Heaven and Hell, always telling his followers that they must follow the righteous path that has been set forward for the sons and daughters of Heaven. It was a path only he could guide us to.
Do you want to get into Heaven?
You must listen to John Paul and follow everything he says.
Do you want the demons to take you straight to Hell?
Then don’t listen to John Paul and be punished.
I had come to believe that John Paul and his followers were those demons. If you strayed in any way, then you were severely punished. Sometimes they’d make you fast for a few days with no food or water at all, and other times they’d beat you with a horsewhip or lock you in what they called a "penance room", which was no bigger than a closet. You would sit in there for hours or even days at a time in the dark, praying and begging for forgiveness until they finally let you out.
I’d heard that there were even more severe punishments for those who attempted to turn against him or run away, but those were reserved for behind closed doors, and those people never came back. It wasn't hard to figure out why that was as I got older. They certainly would never be kicked out. That would expose John Paul's secrets.
That left only one another answer, which no one dared speak of lest it happen to them.
A cool breeze washed over me, blowing through my long dark hair and nipping at my skin through my white cotton nightgown. I let go of the fence, holding my arms and shivering a little as I took a few steps back. My feet were beginning to hurt from the cold too. As much as I hated admitting it, it probably would be good for me to sneak back inside.
“Good evening.”
I froze as I heard the male voice greet me, fear gripping my insides.
Oh no! Had someone found me out there?!
“Do not panic. I am not one of those on the inside. Turn and see.” the man went on.
I turned back to the fence, my green eyes widening in shock as I spied a man now standing on the other side. He was a dark silhouette in the night, but I could make out in the dim moonlight that he was a young man with what looked like wavy dark hair and broad shoulders.
“Who are you?” I asked, more curious than afraid.
“You may call me a saving grace if you wish,” he answered.
“A saving grace?” I repeated.
“Indeed. I've come to take you away from this place. All you need to do is agree to what I wish of you.”
“Are you supposed to be some kind of devil?”
That was the first thing that came to my mind. No mere man could appear so quickly and quietly out there, not to mention this compound was out in the middle of nowhere. I doubted many even knew about it, let alone would come here so late expecting someone to be outside.
“I have been called that, but not quite in the context of what you’re thinking,” the man chuckled. He held out a hand toward me, “Tell me, will you hear me out, or will you run back to your confines for the rest of your life?”
I glanced at the buildings, then at him.
“Fine. Tell me what you want.”
“That’s a good girl,” he cooed, touching the fence, “My offer is simple. I will take you away from here and give you everything your heart could ever desire, and in return, you will belong to me.”
“Belong to you?” I repeated, slowly standing up and taking a step toward him, “As in be your slave?”
“Not a slave. You will be my lover for the rest of eternity.”
I unconsciously put a hand to my chest, my face heating up.
“You’re not serious. You want me to be your lover for the rest of my life in exchange for getting me away from this place?”
The man chuckled again, sounding very amused, “You believe that is a bad thing? I promise I can give you the most intense pleasures you’ll ever know. You will never desire another as long as you live, nor will you ever want for anything again. I will be all you will ever need."
I sucked in a startled breath as his eyes lit up in an eerie glow. They were bright gold, piercing the darkness like lit matches. Yet I felt no fear when I saw them. Instead, a strange sense of longing came over me, and I unconsciously moved toward the fence, standing directly in front of him.
“What are you?” I unconsciously whispered.
The man leaned closer to whisper to me, “I am everything you will ever desire.”
His eyes turned back to normal, and standing so close, I could make out more of him. He looked like a young man around twenty, with a handsome face that looked sculpted by the gods and a very pale complexion. His eyes were now very dark, and he was dressed entirely in black.
A noise from behind me made me look back, and I could see a light coming on in one of the doorways.
Damn it! Someone must’ve realized that I'm not in bed!
“Oh, no!” I breathed in frustration. I knew I was about to have major trouble.
“It’s time to make your choice, my dear. Either you come with me now or face what they have in store for you,” he warned me.
I took a few seconds to consider my options. Which one would be worse? I imagined it would be staying here. Whatever this man was had to be better than what John Paul would do to me after I was caught out here instead of in bed. That consequence was probably going to be a thousand times worse if they realized that I was talking to this man too.
“Fine. Get me out of here and I'll do whatever you want.” I told him.
“Good girl. I knew you’d see it my way.”
I stepped back, shocked as I watched the man jump over the fence. He did it like there were springs on his feet, the motion swift and effortless, and landed beside me without a sound. I was scooped up like I weighed nothing, held in his strong arms as he hopped the fence again and took off running into the woods that surrounded the compound. I closed my eyes and clung to him as he sprinted at an unbelievable speed, frightened that I could be dropped if I didn't.
Finally, after what felt like forever, though I suspect it was only a few minutes, he skidded to a stop. I slowly opened my eyes, seeing that we were at the side of the road near a sleek black car.
“Are you able to stand?” the man asked me.
“I think so,” I answered. My legs were a bit shaky as he slowly let me down, but I managed to stand and look around us. I had no idea of where we were. It appeared to be far out in the country, and there wasn't a house to be seen anywhere, only trees and fields, “Where are we?”
“Only where my car is parked. I don’t care for racing back and forth to my home, and I doubt you would either,” the man answered.
“No, I'd rather not do that again if we can help it,” I watched as he unlocked and opened the passenger’s door for me, “Um, I know this is a stupid time to ask this, but who are you?”
“Hmm, I didn’t give you my name, did I? How rude of me. I am Dante.”
“I guess I should say it's nice to meet you, Dante. I’m Anastasia Kline.” I introduced myself.
"Trust me, I am well aware of your name."
"Huh? You are?"
Dante ignored my surprise, instead gesturing to the passenger’s seat, “Come and get in. I would prefer not to wait all night for you, and you appear to be getting cold.”
I looked down and quickly covered myself as I realized my nipples were sticking out.
“Yeah, sure.” I reluctantly agreed.
The car was nice and warm as I got in, and I shivered a little to help warm myself up. My feet ached, feeling like ice as I rubbed them in an effort to warm them quickly.
Dante sat in the driver’s seat, turning to me as he locked the doors.
“If you need a blanket then you can use the one on the backseat.” he offered.
“I’m fine. It’s much warmer in here.” I responded. I sat back in my seat, keeping my arms crossed. I wasn't sure of what to say now. I’d made the impulsive decision to do this out of fear, and now I had no idea of what I was about to get into or what he was.
“Um, Dante, what’s going to happen now?” I finally asked him.
“What else? I’m taking you to my home,” he answered without hesitation.
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense," I lamented. I studied him in the dim light, "So seriously, what are you?"
“You’ll know soon enough.”
“Don’t you think that’s unfair not to tell me? I'm supposed to be your lover, so shouldn't I know what you are?”
“What I am does not affect anything between us, so it's irrelevant.”
I looked at my lap, feeling defeated. He wasn’t going to budge on that yet.
“Is your home close to here then?” I continued.
“Somewhat,” Dante held my chin like he was studying me in the dim lights of the car, a pleasant smile crossing his handsome face, “Yes, very beautiful. You’re definitely going to be enough to please me.”
A pleasant shiver went through me as he looked into my eyes, my heart fluttering in my chest. For the first time in my life, I felt an unbridled desire within me. Was this a good or a bad sign? There was no way for me to know yet.
But deep within me, I think I knew that this was the start of how my destiny was going to unfold. What I never imagined was how fateful everything would turn out to be.
