Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

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As I opened the door, there was this wonderful woody smell, like walking in the forest. It was peaceful and homey. I peeked out of the small crack I had made and there stood the most handsome man I had ever seen.

Simon had sandy blonde hair, with really soft waves. It swept just across his forehead and it looked super soft. His eyes were this warm milk chocolate brown, with little flecks of amber in them. He had thick eyebrows but not overwhelming or crowding his face. A perfectly straight nose, and his lips looked like he had just bitten into a strawberry and the juice was coloring his lips.

I was dumbfounded. He was GORGEOUS!!!! He did appear to be older than 16 or 17. I was in shock. This was not what I was expecting when I was going to meet Simon.

“Are you going to invite me in or am I just going to stand in the hall?” His voice was smooth and made my skin break out in Goosebumps. He wasn’t threatening me with letting him in or forcing his way in. Was he actually going to wait for me to say he could come in?

“I’m not supposed to have people in my room. Timmy would get mad at me.”

“You don’t have to worry about Timothy today. Today you are my guest and you are to accompany me wherever I want to go. You could consider this a date of sorts.” He said with a smile. It was a wickedly charming smile. I was making my knees weak.

What is going on with me? I was warned about him, I have heard what he does to people. This is the big bad Simon? This guys is supposed to be in charge?

“I don’t feel comfortable inviting you into my room.” I stepped out of my room into the hallway with him. That is when I noticed the other men standing in the hall with him. He had bodyguards. There were 4 of them. They looked like carbon copies of each other. All of them were as tall as Timmy if not taller and much more muscular.

They all wore black suits and had their hair cut short. They looked like military personnel. All rigid and mean.

Simon took my hand and just started to lead me away from my room. The moment his hand touched mine it was like an electrical current had shot up my arm. Not like static shock, but just this energy that made my arm tingle. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” He looked and me and smiled. Oh that smile! Oh god what was happening to me? Was I crushing on him, is this what a crush feels like? Was this one of his powers? Oh this was bad.

We walked down the hallway to a big open room, with windows from the floor to the ceiling. There was a fire place on one wall with a couch in front of it, with a bear rug. There was a table set up on the other side of the room along the windows. Looking out the windows was a garden leading a dark tree line.

The garden had flowers of all different colors, but I was drawn to the red ones. They were such a dark and rich red almost like they were dipped in a matte burgundy color. I run up to the windows and just stared out at the beauty that was only a piece of glass away.

“Do you want to sit in front of the fire or at the table? Do you want to go out to the garden?”

“THE GARDEN! Yes, the garden.”

Simon snapped his fingers and suddenly there was a double doorway leading outside. The doors swung open on their own. The crisp morning air, the smell of dew, and the birds singing. I ran to the doors and stopped. I looked back and there stood this creature. It didn’t look like Simon.

He was tall and had claw like hands. He had a horns growing out of his head. One horn curve around toward the back of his head, and the other horn curved up toward the ceiling. He had short black hair all over his body, and he had hooves for feet.

I turned back toward the garden and it was all dead, the smell of decay and rot filled the air. I backed away from the doorway. I backed into Simon and he wrapped his arms around me. “You smell so nice and ripe.” He stuck his nose right into the crook of my neck and took a big whiff.

I felt sick to my stomach. What was he? Was he going to eat me? He started to pull me over to the couch. The fire place looks menacing now. It looked alive and hungry. I think I can hear it breathing. He pulled me on the couch right next to him. Pulling me against his side.

“Tell me about yourself. I want to know everything there is to know about the one worth killing over. You are not above the others.” He dragged his claw along my chin pulling my face toward his.

As I looked at his face I saw it change back into the Simon who had been at my door only an hour before. I turned and looked out the windows and the garden was in full bloom again. “What happened to the garden? It was dead a minute ago. Why did your appearance change?”

“What do you mean the garden was dead?” He looked worried. “The garden didn’t change.”

“When I went to go outside the garden was dead and smelt rotten. What did you do to it?”

He looked angry. “I don’t know what you saw, but the garden is fine.” He got up and went over to the fire and started to poke around in it. “I just want to get to know you. Why is Timothy so protective of you? Why would he risk my wrath for the likes of you?”

“I don’t know. You would have to ask Timmy why that is. I wouldn’t be able to answer that. I also wouldn’t say he is protective of me and much as possessive of me.” I pulled my legs up to my chest, resting my head on my knees.

“Timothy did not want me to meet you. I tried to enter a red door on my 2nd or 3rd day here, and it burned my hand really badly.” I held my hand up for him to see.

Simon moved over and took my hand in his and examined my burn. “How man gifts had you been given by that point?”

“I only had three. The vision from Timmy, and speed and strength from Zaniez. Why?”

“Because you shouldn’t have been able to see my door. There is something different about you. What was your family like?”

“I was raised Catholic, and I have 6 siblings.” I started to tear up thinking about my family. “My mom and dad are very strict, church every Sunday *Sniffle*. My brothers and I would fight and rough house.”

“Were you very happy with going to church or did you feel complete?”

“No.” I finally understood, that I wasn’t lying. I didn’t feel complete or happy at church.

He was smiling and it was wicked. “That is why you are different. You had a void you were seeking to fill. You may have been drawn to me.”

Would this explain why I felt the way I did, I wanted to be close to Simon. “Why did you appearance change earlier?”

He glared at me. “What did you see?”

“You had horns and short black hair everywhere. You had Hooves. You were a creature a monster. Why did I see that?”

“I think you have the gift of sight. Which is a problem. It could make things difficult. I think it is time for breakfast. Will you sit with me?”

“Do I even have a choice?”

“No.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the table. Moving away from the fire I noticed how cold the room really was. I started to rub my arms. “Are you cold?”

“Yes. It was warm by the fire. Why are you being nice to me?”

“I always treat my guests with respect, at least until they don’t deserve it anymore. Would you like something warm to drink or a coat?”

“I would like a coat, maybe a hoodie?”

He snapped his fingers and one of the guards was standing next to me holding open a coat for me to put on. It was soft and already warm feeling. Then he pulled my chair out for me to sit down.

“How old are you?”

“13”

“You are still too young for any type of real relationship.”

I spat out the water I had been drinking. “Relationship! What are you talking about?” I go up and started to back away from the table.

His guards were standing on either side of me and grabbed my arms. “Where do you think you are going? I am growing rather fond of you. I think I will have to tell Timothy that you are going to become one of mine. We could have so much fun together.” He said this as he ran a finger down the side of my face.

“Get your claws off me, you freak. I don’t want to go anywhere with you and I will NEVER BE YOURS. I am not Timmy’s either. I don’t belong to anyone.” The guards grabbed my arms tighter, I could feel the blood trying to push passed their grasp. My hands were turning purple and going numb.

Simon slapped me across the face making sure to scratch my face with his claw. I could feel the warm drop of blood sliding down my cheek. He leaned in close and lick the blood. “You taste sweeter than I thought.” His eyes were glistening, and so intense. “I think we will have to play together again soon. Take her back to her room.”

He started to suck on his claw. I was being dragged back down the hallway to my room. What the hell was Simon? He was nothing like the other men I had met. What was I going to do now? All of a sudden he was in front of me again. “On second taught I am going to take another taste now.” He slowly cut my other cheek.

My blood was dripping down my cheek onto the jacket. He dragged his finger up my cheek and lick it clean. “I will be taking that jacket back. Now that it smells like you. Don’t forget, Rose, I think you are going to be my flower now.”

He was skipping away. I just stared after him in shock. What the hell was going on? I thought I was spending the day with him, but it couldn’t have been more than a few hours. I don’t even remember eating anything.

The guards stopped in front of my door. The one on my left opened the door and the other one pushed me into the room. They spoke in unison. “Master would be most displeased if you were to scar your face. Please use the cream he left for you on your sink to treat the cuts.” They turned and followed him down the hall.

I ran to my bathroom. There sitting on my sink was a blue glass container with a note.

~~ Hello Flower,

I would hate to have your beautiful face scarred for our next play date. Use this cream twice a day on your cuts. They will heal quicker and with no scarring. I am looking forward to see and tasting you again.

Sincerely yours,

Simon, Ruler of the Realm. ~~

My blood ran cold. He was in my room. When? Wasn’t he with me the whole time? I threw the container in the trash and turned to walk out of the bathroom. When I heard the *tink* of something glass hinting my sink. The container was back on the counter, with a second note.

~~ It is not wise to make me angry. You will use this cream.

Simon. ~~

When I looked up into the mirror the creature was standing behind me and then disappeared. Simon truly is a monster.