The discomfort only increased. I didn’t think I could take much more.
She had once seen me. She found me revolting.
I wasn’t prepared for her to recoil at the sight of me again.
I wasn’t ready, but she dragged my pants down.
My erection stood straight despite the cold.
Hard, heavy, wanting, revolting.
I tried to banish my thoughts.
I wanted to turn away, refusing to watch her gaze upon the hideous thing.
But I needed to watch, to be aware of her every move.
Last time, I was sliced open.
I was mocked, humiliated, tortured.
It’s ugly! It’s ugly! It’s ugly!she had screamed.
Flashbacks of the night didn’t consume me. The flashbacksrapedme.
The tree, the blood, the pain.The pain.
My body was hot, becoming the fuel, the furnace, the flames.
Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe and wanted to leave. But I was stuck here, the ugly thing between us, wishing to be hidden behind a mask.
Stop.The word was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t get it out.
I had to stop this.
Ineededto stop this.
“Circe,” I finally said.
Then she dropped to her knees.
She dropped to herknees.
And a sudden rush of emotion crashed into me.
I pinched the bridge of my nose to fight it.
“Circe, get up,” my voice cracked. “What are you doing?” She didn’t move. She was on her knees as I once was, looking up at me. I reached for her arm. “Dammit, I can’t do this.”
Her fingers caught mine, tangling and weaving them together.
With my gut in my throat, we looked at each other.
My entire existence has been turned into dust. Just dust.
Circe wrapped her fingers around the heavy, rotten thing.
I held my breath, anticipating what she would do.
