3. House of Mirrors

A wooden signthat read House of Mirrors crashed down before her. Tallulah hesitated, worried the entire structure might collapse. A chainsaw whirred to life in the shadows to the right of the building. A seven-foot-tall man with a hairy barrel chest and stained overalls stepped into the light. A burlap sack with a drawn scarecrow face covered his head as he wielded the loud, whining weapon.

Tallulah shrieked as he stepped closer to her. She took her chances and ran into the house of mirrors. Thankfully, the man gave up the chase the moment she crossed the threshold. It dawned on her that she was being corralled and needed to be cautious before she was blindly led into danger.

She didn"t recognize herself in the mirrors. Her long dark hair was knotted and sticking out in wild directions. Mud caked her face and fair, naked skin.

She felt her way around and realized that even the entrance had disappeared behind the wall of mirrors. Tallulah's hazel eyes went wide as a phantom formed in the cloudy glass before her. She quickly glanced behind her, but there was no one there. She trembled as she felt the inhuman breath of the ghoul on her bare skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Her eyes were trained on the mirror; she couldn't glance away if she tried. A phantom hand caressed her collar and moved lower, to her breast. She shuddered as her chest rose and fell. Tallulah bit back a moan as her nipple pebbled beneath the ghostly fingers. Another hand made its way up her inner thigh. The cold touches made her shiver while igniting a simmering fire in her belly.

This isn't right,she thought. But her body disagreed as her legs spread wider involuntarily. The phantasm wailed, and invisible hands turned rough and threw her forward against the glass. Her head bounced painfully, disorienting her. The mirrors went out of focus, and the ghostly phantom turned into a menacing shadow.

Black fumes billowed from its gaping maw. Tallulah's body was enveloped in fire as the smoke entered her mouth and nostrils. She struggled to breathe and choked as her throat and lungs burned.

The thick smoke battered her insides in what could only be described as an invasion. There was no escape. The vapor solidified into an ambiguous mass.

Pressure increased between her thighs, causing her engorged clit to throb painfully. Tallulah fell to her knees, gasping for breath. The violation continued as the black mass spread her inner walls. Her last conscious thought was wondering if she was simply hallucinating from lack of oxygen as the pain turned into prickles of dark pleasure.

Tallulah's brain remained foggy as she was carried out of the house of mirrors. She blinked up at the man carrying her, gazing into eyes that were ice cold, somewhere between blue and gray. His square jaw was tight while the dark stubble barely concealed his cleft chin. His large lips looked as though he could swallow her whole.

As they walked past a dilapidated wooden shack, the seriousness of Tallulah's situation dawned on her. She couldn't lose herself in a fantasy. However, she wanted nothing more than to snuggle further into his strong arms. Something about him radiated warmth and security.

"Are you an angel?" she asked.

He chuckled darkly and lowered his head. His whisper was barely audible, "No, my sweet."

"Who are you?"

"Lucien. Close your eyes and rest. You're going to need it."

"Lucien—" She lost consciousness again.