ligeia

Speak XX

Fade back. Shallow breaths. Bandage choking. She looked
at him, sitting on a chair, hands and eyes clasped. Black
mahogany.

She swallowed, and she gasped for breath. he stood, taking
a bottle of the floor.

"You don't know if this will help. You don't know if it
will kill you. You don't know if it is just water to cause
a psychosomatic recovery. You would hate that, wouldn't
you?"

She narrowed her eyes. Caged panther. Fangs bared.

"It is your choice. But if you decide," he had the bottle
up between index and thumb, "then you will have to trust
me."

Line closed her eyes and shook her head.

"if you stay this way, you will miss school, and the world
will never see that goddamn brilliant piece of work."

She breathed deep, lashes down up

"You know it, don't you?"

She closed her eyes and tilted back her head.

"Let go!"

"Yes."

He tore the clothes off her body. Hands deep inside her,
chest bare on hers.

"Say it again."

"Yes." an enraged whisper to herself. He opened her lips
and pured it into her mouth. it tasted like silk.