The Devil’s Plaything

Reese I feel the small branches sinking beneath the soles of my boots with every stride I take. I try to hold my breath, but it isn’t easy while I keep running. I have to be faster, smarter, quieter. I can almost hear him behind me. He’s chasing me, stalking me like a predator stalking its prey. That’s what I am, what I’ve become, just another prey. I stop abruptly and try to slow the frantic beating of my heart. I hear him getting closer. It won’t be long before he catches up with me. I look from side to side, searching for a way out, but there isn’t one. All I can see are tall, leafy trees and grass beneath my feet bathed in the faint moonlight. I’m alone in the middle of nowhere, and a f*****g psychopath is following my trail. With what little strength I have left, I try to climb one of the trees; that has been my hiding place for the past few nights. The bark digs into the palms of my hands as I continue listening to his heavy footsteps. He’s close, too close. I won’t have time to reach the upper branches before he finds me. I give up on my initial idea and, on the verge of a panic attack, start looking again for somewhere to escape. My gaze narrows on an area of bushes thick enough to hide me. It’s my only option. I run as fast as I can and throw myself into the undergrowth like dead weight. I cover my face so the branches won’t scratch my skin. Luckily, my jacket is thick enough to protect my body almost down to my thighs, although my pants aren’t nearly as thick, and I can feel several splinters digging into the skin around my knees. I manage to straighten up, holding my breath, and crouch down just as the sound of footsteps stops on the other side of the bushes. “I know you’re close.” I hear him inhale deeply, and for a moment I wish I could take off the f*****g face mask covering part of my face so I could take a breath of fresh air. My lungs are burning, and I’m not sure it’s because of the exertion. That damn British accent, his voice, the way he pronounces every syllable… “Today is the big day. I won’t let you run away from me again.” I close my eyes and clench my jaw tightly. Just a little longer. Hold on, Reese. You’re going home, I tell myself. I hear the footsteps moving away, and I almost sigh with pure relief. I’m going to make it. Dawn won’t take long to come, and then it will all be over. I remain completely still, barely breathing, until my legs turn into two useless pieces of flesh. Every muscle in my body screams at me to stand up and move, but I stay curled up, hidden, until I’m certain there’s no danger. Very slowly, I dare to raise my head, then straighten my back and peek over the branches and weeds that have become my shelter. He isn’t there. He’s gone, and I’m finally free. A half-smile forms on my lips, but it quickly disappears when I realize walking won’t be easy because I can barely move my legs. I take one small step, then another, and just as I’m about to take the next one, a hand covered in a leather glove comes out of nowhere and grabs me by the throat. A scream of pure terror gets trapped in my throat. Slowly, like some f*****g scene straight out of a horror movie, his body surrounds me and I finally see him. Those gray eyes stare at me from behind the black mask. “Please,” I manage to say despite barely being able to breathe. The masked man slowly tilts his head, and although I can’t see his face, I know he’s smiling. “I found you.” He pulls me out of my hiding place, and because I can’t coordinate the movement of my legs, I end up crashing into his body. “A beautiful flower among the weeds.” I close my eyes. This is where my escape ends. All that effort was for nothing. All I managed to do was exhaust myself, and now I won’t be able to put up a fight in the final act. His hand loosens around my throat, and I manage to take a huge breath just as he moves closer. The hardness of his mask hits my cheek, and I hear him inhale deeply again. “No,” I whisper. He pulls away and looks at me again. The motherfucker is still smiling. “No? Is that all? I thought you’d put up more of a fight.” He wraps one arm around my waist and presses me against his body. “I’ve enjoyed the hunt, but we both knew it would end like this. I’ve never lost prey before, Flower, and you weren’t going to be the first.” I try to push him away, but I barely have any strength left. I feel my knees buckle, and I’m sure that if he weren’t holding me, I would already have fallen. I glare at him and swallow hard. Fighting won’t do me any good. “Let me go,” I hiss, somewhere between a plea and a demand. “Of course. You’ll be free to leave right after I’ve f****d every single f*****g hole in that pretty body of yours.” He takes a step back without letting go of my throat, and his gray eyes travel over me from head to toe. “Now tell me… Flower.” He pulls a thin rope from the pocket of his black hoodie and shows it to me. “Am I going to have to tie you up, or are you going to be an obedient girl?” Fuck! I still have a small chance of escaping, but if I’m tied up… No. I need to be able to move. Maybe if I wait for the circulation to return to my legs and rest a little, I’ll be able to run some more. The leather of his glove creaks as he squeezes my throat harder. “I’ll do whatever you want,” I whisper on an exhale. His gray irises widen, and he nods. “First comes the fight, then the begging, and finally, submission.” He loosens his grip and lets the rope fall at his feet. “This is my favorite part. On your knees, Flower. I’ve been wanting to shove my c**k into that filthy mouth ever since I first heard you speak.” “Son of a b***h,” I hiss through clenched teeth. He jerks me toward him again, and the engravings on his mask dig into my cheek as he presses his face against mine. “On your knees,” he orders before pulling away again. I consider kneeing him in the balls and running, but I don’t think I can do it. My legs can barely keep me standing. Live to fight another day, Reeree. My father’s voice echoes inside my head, and with a deep exhale, I drop to my knees. Several small twigs dig into my skin, but I don’t feel any pain. Actually, I don’t feel anything. It’s as though my lower limbs have lost all sensation. “Let’s get this over with,” I mutter. I feel his gloved hand on my chin as he forces me to look at him. “If you use your teeth, I swear I’ll tie you to a tree and won’t stop f*****g you until blood is running down your thighs.” I breathe deeply through my nose and don’t answer. I simply turn my face away while trying to steady my breathing and listening to the rustle of clothing. I dare to look up. He’s unfastening his pants. I hold my breath, and seconds later his erect c**k is directly in front of my face. It’s big, too big, and pointing straight at my mouth. I’m about to insult him again, but before I can say a single word, he pulls down the edge of the face mask that reaches the upper part of my nose, just enough to uncover my mouth, grabs me by the nape of my neck, and buries himself deep in my throat. I fight back the urge to gag and remain still through his thrusts. He moves in and out of my mouth faster and faster, and the only thing I can focus on is feeling the blood slowly beginning to flow through my legs again. At first, it starts as a tingling sensation that gradually intensifies. The masked man grunts and pulls on the strands of hair escaping from my hood. I almost choke when he forces me to remain still with his c**k lodged in my throat. My muscles begin to ache. It feels like sharp needles stabbing into my skin. I feel a trail of saliva running down my jaw and clench my fists tightly just as he pulls back and thrusts his hips forward again. I try to move my toes inside my boots. It hurts, but at last I can feel them responding. The masked man grunts again and closes his eyes. His c**k swells inside my mouth, and a salty stream floods my palate. I let the semen drip from the corner of my mouth onto the ground and remain completely still. He pulls away and runs his thumb over my lower lip, collecting some of his own fluid. Then, after slipping his hand beneath the hood covering my head, he draws some kind of cross or X on my forehead. “f*****g psycho,” I mutter to myself. “Did you say something, Flower?” Still with his c**k out, he looks down at me with his arms crossed over his chest. “It’s not polite to talk while you’re eating. Does it taste good? I made it especially for you.” I study his posture. He seems relaxed, as if he’s enjoying all of this. He probably is. After all, he’s a hunter and I’m his prey. I close my eyes and wonder how the hell I ended up here. My father didn’t raise me to be some f*****g psychopath’s little w***e. Dad, if he could see me like this, he’d be turning in his grave. I’ve thrown in the towel, I’ve surrendered, and that wasn’t what he taught me. Giving up isn’t an option, Reeree. There’s always another way out. I slowly get to my feet and endure the pain in my legs. I lock my gaze with his and give him a crooked smile. He’s not going to break me. “Is that all you’ve got?” His eyes narrow on me, and his c**k hardens again within seconds. “You want to play? Fine, let’s play.” He slowly tilts his head, and I can sense his smile beneath the mask. “Where did you come from, Flower?” His rough voice, with that strong British accent, caresses my skin the way a lover would. “My best prey, the fiercest one. I like it.” I take a step toward him with my fists clenched at my sides. My legs respond. I can try again. “The fiercest and the fastest.” I smile again, and with one quick movement, I raise my knee and hit him in the groin. A strangled gasp escapes his mouth, and he doubles over. “If you want to keep playing, you’re going to have to catch me again, you son of a b***h,” I hiss before taking off as fast as I can.