Slogged through the white powder alone. Perhaps ancient horror picked up I was in no talking mood, regardless of my deceptively beaming demeanour. Or perhaps he knew something I didn’t – which I began suspecting the moment I saw lone figure at the window. It was late, but light danced in the room and the person watched as though in waiting.


    The moment I emerged out of the dark, there was movement. Mentally prepping for trouble, I smiled even wider and strode towards the door, which swung wide open to greet me. Not alarming at all.


    “Where have you been? It’s so late! We worried.”


    Ugh, Marina. Before my fake expression could slip, girl stuffed a scorching cup into my hand, still keeping the handle to herself. Mere waft of warm air from inside enveloped my face and hands in an unpleasant stabbing sensation. This? Drove me homicidal.


    But also forced to concentrate. I set the mug aside to undress already dripping coat. Examined the lobby and utter lack of the people. The cup. The fidgeting infuriating woman. They were worried. About angering their overlords. How… glacial.


    Even Tom didn’t trust me all that much. That was nothing but wordplay to get me talking. I really didn’t want to be here anymore, but rabid dogs wouldn’t have chased me off the rug in front of that rustling fire.


    “Hey, I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted you two,” wide-shouldered girl daintily sat down next to me and laid her fingers on top of mine. The amount of disappointment was hard to conceal, but I had a lot of practise.


    But it wasn’t just them, was it? Did he encourage it? Was monster behind this?


    My smart mouth passably participated in conversation whilst my swirling mess of a mind produced more and more paranoid conclusions. Was I really being irrationally psychotic if everybody did have their own agendas to complete?


    “I made some sandwiches. Here, try them,” masculine princess offered with seductive lean towards me and I had to concentrate to hold in a snort. Began to relax into this distasteful farce. If they were willing to fuck with me like this, I’d push back. These people will regret sending amateur to tango with the master.


    “No, no – you try them. Look – oh my god, is that a blueberry jam?! I can see the actual berries. You might never again hold treasure like this in your hand,” I enticed. Basket was still mostly untouched. The group collectively decided to abstain for some reason.


    “Oh, no, I couldn’t. I’m watching my figure,” she lied lousily. None of us had the luxury to turn down a rotten bite of food.


    “Oh, but I insist,” I nabbed one of the sandwiches and hovered it in front of woman’s face and she all but screamed.


    Shortly after I began my teasing, people burst in through front door, all braced for fight. Dentist’s eyes fixed upon me and he dredged snow everywhere with angry stomps. What a timing.


    “What did you do, asshole?!” he shouted leaning down to bunch up the collar of my sweater. He’d have liked to punch instead of asking, but remembered how fruitlessly that ended before. Urge to taunt this fearless hothead was overwhelming. I could just openly antagonise the entire lot of them, none of this mattered anymore. I needed to leave anyway. Both me and the creature.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    “Wait you stupid brat, calm down! I just got startled,” former princess tried to yank him off, and his now undressed buddies indecisively lurked around.


    “Spooky spooky sandwiches,” I still held some of it in my hand and hovered the piece of dark bread in front of my assailant.


    He sneered, “I know what that does. What are you up to?!”


    Cocky prick clearly didn’t know shit and I really wanted to rub his face in it. Literally. My saintly patience was giving up and the ruinous mood wanted out.


    “You’re gonna be great replacement Ruby,” I tapped kid’s tense fist lightly with what I hoped to be assurance. His scowl thawed with confusion, then hurt and I felt just a wee bit less alone.


    His jaw clenched with wrong conclusions and even more anger. Serves me right for trying to be the adult. I didn’t even want to be smiling politely entire night.


    “Don’t say his name! Give him back, you fucking murderer!” brat screamed spitting all over my face. I did say I was ready to fight rabid dogs for this spot. I looked away to stare at the pretty embers instead, while toothless beast unloaded his frustrations vocally.


    Marina was actively clawing at Dentist’s fingers, even the cronies tried to get the screaming child to calm down. Doors and stairs creaked with cautious attention. What a spectacle. Soon the lookout on the palisade will come to watch. I couldn’t care less anymore.


    Irritating woman’s words eventually cut through the mayhem and left the one shaking me slack-jawed. Dentist let go and I bumped my head on the floor, but carpet barely saved it. Still, I saw stars for several seconds. Discussion has moved on but I didn’t seem to have missed much.


    “What, you don’t even remember that? Gosh, y’all are so stupid,” Marina brushed her non-existent locks behind the ear. For once, I had no complaints – whatever insignificant things she spouted, aggravating damsel successfully took the heat off my ass.


    Before that could truly come into effect, everybody stilled and sleepwalked out of the room in an orderly, synchronised manner. I don’t know if I felt any otherworldly presence or the sight was just that eerie, but a shiver ran down my spine regardless.


    “Thanks,” I murmured looking away. Unsettling or not, there was finally peace and quiet. And I didn’t even need to wrestle with the dogs. Not even pay attention to the undercurrents. How… refreshing.


    Turned on my side and I curled up in front of the fire. I was still half-frozen. Must have stayed outside longer than it seemed. The collar and my shackles pumped out more heat than the yawning hearth. Right. Despite the appearances, I was far from being by myself. It… wasn’t so bad.


    I didn’t know when I started, but caught myself lightly brushing foreign patch of skin on my neck. The creature was stealthily intruding, but I guess I didn’t mind sharing space with the quiet presence anymore. After all, I hated being alone. It was when everything seemed bleakest and most impossible. It was a time of endless inner lament.


    A palm gently touched my head and ran down my hair. The caress was deeply relaxing. I felt my back muscles unclench. I permitted myself to think I wasn’t entirely forsworn.


    “I want to leave this place,” my lips confided without permission.


    “We can,” monster entertained my whims in a dulcet whisper.


    We could? Yes, I suppose I wasn’t as constrained by circumstances anymore.


    “But, well, everything,” I gestured upstairs vaguely. There were a lot of things to take care of. Negotiating with the locals about new residents. Finding out if group of juveniles wanted to stay – frankly I was fine just dumping them here. Neither party wanted further involvement with one another and the band of misfits was fully capable of solving their problems themselves. It would be diligent to leave one or two of them as mouths for more serious troubleshooting… but perhaps not the hothead. Then there was appropriating provisions for myself for the trip. Also there was that pesky youth-seeking creeper somewhere out there…


    “I will sort it out. We can leave as soon as you wake.”


    “I’d rather that happened before they wake,” I pointed upwards again, but suppose it wasn’t an issue anyway. Monster could keep them under indefinitely.


    “Where do you want to go?” he redirected flow of my thoughts.


    “Somewhere warm.” Very specific, I know, but I wasn’t all that picky. Another shack in the next town over would be ideal.


    “Do you want to get there fast?”


    Surely, he didn’t mean a car. I narrowed my eyes and grinned.


    “Fishy. I’m in!” Anything to avoid slogging through the endless mounds of powdered ice. I also majorly didn’t mind monster letting his guard down at long last. It was hardly worth the effort to hide the otherworldliness he possessed.


    “It can be fishy, if you want to go to really warm places.”


    “No way! There’s fish in hell?”


    “I implied tropical islands, but we can look for that too.”


    “Islands? Buddy, I’ve only seen lakes and that was just like last week.”


    “You will see everything there is to see,” the whisper promised.


    “Ominous. I’ll make sure to not get cataract.”


    I was both terrified and a little thrilled. Never have I envisioned myself by the open waters! This… I was really starting to look forward to this.


    Perhaps being a pet wouldn’t be all that nightmarish. What does it even matter anymore? I’d have traded more for less. This master has never asked anything of me, just forced me to stay alive.