#horrible thinking about that sensation being forcibly spread down my throat............

[antimnemonic]

presently being tormented by an intrusive thought of being forced to eat shrimp (im allergic to shellfish) (shrimp is gross also)

[rvmmm21]

. you’re a monster .

summary : “what will you do when you’re knocked out in an alleyway and wake up tied to a bed. what next, hm?” the demon’s question rings in her head the entire time she’s being pleasured beyond comprehension. Kang Seulgi begs and pleads, and she reluctantly finds the answer.

small note : forgive the appalling pacing. sorry if i misinterpreted this and it was meant to be soft-ish, but when i saw monster i just went oh cool HARD-ish. also never thought i’d write seulrene but hey! first! i’m so sorry to all the seulgi stans out there, i know she’s soft but i... i saw ‘monster themed’ and i went :o i will softly make it up to you if i get another seulgi ask, i promise! also soft seul stans pls don’t read this if... um you’re not comfy with the concept. it’s hardcore.

[seulrene - demon!irene x human!seulgi]

tw : NONcon, overstimulation, light bondage, and the flippant overuse of the word ‘no’.

...

She tries to roll over in an attempt to relieve that dull ache in her shoulders, but to her dampened shock, finds she can do nothing more than shift about a millimetre away before being pulled back down. Numbness gives way to an accelerated heart-rate as she realises her predicament; with both wrists and ankles securely bound to a cold, metallic bed frame, she’s completely immobile. She gives an experimental tug to find that: the bedposts are dreadfully sturdy, and her binds are surprisingly soft and velvety. Like royal silk, she thinks, but in this light, or lack thereof, it’s impossible to tell.

O-Oh my god what’s happened? Where… where the heck am I?

The air is thick and heavy, but that’s not why Kang Seulgi is choking.

“How lovely. It’s been a while since I’ve had a human.”

The words smoothly puncture her focus; nonchalant and detached. It matches the smile playing on the blood-red lips she can just about see through the fog in her vision. That stare, those eyes; horribly searching, dark and sharp enough to pierce. And it pierces her to the point where it feels like she isn’t wearing any –

Wait. Where are her clothes? Any of them?

She’s stark naked. And it’s a shocking revelation, but the dipping of the mattress on either side really doesn’t grant any time to ponder. A shiver runs through her when two smooth hands start to explore her body without her permission; squeezing her, violating her. She realises just how unforgiving the restraints are when she instinctually struggles, kicks, does whatever to try to get them to stop. But the weight straddling her remains unmovable, and it just mocks her panicked writhing with a laugh like she’s never heard before. It’s undeniably a woman’s, but there’s something about it that makes Seulgi squint maladjusted eyes to sharpen the edges of the silhouette above her. Despite the intrusive groping, it’s slowly taking shape; it is a woman. And she’s drop-dead gorgeous, unfortunately. With long, pin-straight black hair, milky white skin, a deadly scarlet smirk and… when her top lip curls up just right… oh god… are those… does she see fangs?!

That not-so-subtle detail is enough to force the girl out of stunned silence.

A terrified shriek is followed by a breathless – “W-Who – what are you?!”

The hands stop. Everything does, for a while. And then there’s another laugh before her apparent captor ever so gracefully introduces herself.

“Sweetie, you don’t know me. Nor I you, for that matter…” her voice drips like molten lava, bright and scorching all the same, “… but that’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?”

Her response is overtaken by an almost dry heave when the demon woman above her sounds like she’s lecturing a rebellious 16-year-old.

“Pft, mortals,” she scoffs absentmindedly, rolling her eyes as if the human race is the most bewildering thing she’s ever come across. That’s before her tone turns into something sinister. “Living with your little blinkers on, walking home well past sundown, all alone and vulnerable. Never thinking about what happens if you catch someone’s eye… if you’re too adorable to resist? What will you do when you’re knocked out in an alleyway and wake up tied to a bed? What next, huh?”

The irony isn’t lost on Seulgi, and the gentle caress on her cheek does little to settle her terror.

“But lucky for me, humans don’t think like that, do they?”

“… y-you’re a – a m-monster…” Seulgi spits, trying to sound bigger than she currently feels. But it sounds more like a shaky whisper than an accusation, and it only succeeds in stretching that soul-eating grin wider than she’d ever thought possible.

A sinister, throaty laugh takes a rake down her ears and sends an uncomfortable chill prickling across her skin. “Oh, we haven’t even begun yet, darling… why don’t you save those lovely little nicknames for when you really need them, hm? Tell you what, you can call me Joohyun for now.”

The demon taps her on the nose in fake reward.

Seulgi isn’t even aware she’s squirming until she feels a cold hand clamp down on her left knee and shove it flat on the mattress with a dark chuckle. “Now, now, I’d conserve that energy if i were you… trust me, it’ll be gone before you know it.”

“… n-no! … get… get me out, let me go!” Seulgi screams, using all her strength to yank at the material keeping her captive.

Something in her hamster-beating heart drops with all her hopes when a pair of lips plant themselves on her cheek, ignoring the way she reels back in horror. “Run that pretty mouth all you want,” Joohyun sneers, eyes trailing downwards “... your body seems to know what it wants.”

What on earth does that mean? Seulgi is twisting around now, but Joohyun takes hold of her hips, pinning her down despite her futile attempts at freedom.

And then she finds the answer to her question.

The depravity of the situation weighs on her all at once when two fingers drag along the length of her slit, making her flinch. She sees them held up in front of her face, all slick coated. Just from that. When her mind goes blank, it shows. Enough for Joohyun’s determination to skyrocket and for long fingers to find their way back to the girl’s dripping entrance, teasing their way in slowly, curling them upwards. The look in her eyes, now the colour of glowing ember, as Seulgi’s body is forcibly provoked is almost playful.

Oh my gosh why… why does it feel like that… why does it feel… good. Of course, that’s something Seulgi is fully intent on keeping to herself, but she’s clearly not having much luck. Not while she’s rolling her eyes back, not while she’s failing to conceal those increasingly desperate sounding pants leaving lips she can’t seem to keep together… much like her legs. Joohyun just teases her some more, smiling at how painfully obvious it is that her little human is trying her hardest to convince herself she doesn’t want this.

She breaks sooner than expected.

Seulgi finds herself bucking up against it before she can stop, spreading further open so Joohyun’s warm, eager tongue has access to her sensitive clit, pressing on it, sucking it, just driving her insane. She’s grinding against the mouth as much as her binds will allow, thighs trembling violently with strain, but ugh – it’s worth every tremor.

“… wait – ah! Oh gosh! I –” The pressure on her clit increases to where it drives a keening whine from her throat, locking all her muscles in place as Joohyun draws out the first orgasm of the night.

The human barely has time to recover from the initial wave of orgasmic bliss before the demon is lazily undressing, only enough to reveal the textured length between her legs. Seulgi cranes her neck up, eyes instantly bulging at the latex. It’s somewhat hilarious that this… demon of a woman in all her hellish majesty has to brandish a fake cock. A small part of her wants to laugh at – oh god but she can’t – she can’t even think without moaning when said fake cock buries itself into her. It bottoms out with such ease it pulls out a painfully choked sob instead of any snide remark about the ability to ‘pound her into submission without the use of a strap-on’.

No. What is she doing? No, no, no... this is far too much to handle.

The darkness spins above her, as stupid as it sounds, it does. And that’s all she can stare up into. It’s dizzying, but she’s already tried looking down, and let’s just say the nauseating spin is much less… intense.

She’s so wet, Joohyun has no problem starting hard and fast, fucking her deep into the mattress, pushing past the initial squeeze of her walls and pounding into her with nothing less than pure animalistic force. And the human beneath her seems to be enjoying it too. Joohyun knows if her precious little human could see what she looks like taking her cock so well, she’ll flush a shade even pinker than the rose quartz blush trailing up her neck right now.

Poor Seulgi cries out, desperately trying to bring her knees together, but Joohyun catches them, keeping her spread with a demonic strength she can only dream of challenging. She knows she’s found her clit when she’s rewarded with a sharp hiss, and it only takes a couple of brisk taps on it before Seulgi’s walls are clenching down. She’s torn between screaming for it to stop, and ask - no, begging to let her cum again.

It’s horribly humiliating to consider, but she has to wonder whether it’s her begging or her crying that drives the demon harder.

“… J-Joohyun! I’m…” – but that’s all she gets out before she’s turning away to sink her teeth into her shoulder in the hopes of dulling the devastatingly intense sensation of multiple orgasms.

Sweet baby, Joohyun thinks as she watches her thrash and tremble and then go almost completely limp, my sweet little human, so breakable and so, so overwhelmed. She just smiles at Seulgi’s gasp when she swiftly replaces the sensation of the strap with those familiar fingers.

“… no, please… no – no more…”

It’s so much more fun having her humans ungagged, free to beg to their little hearts’ content. Because she adores hearing pitiful pleas dissolve into pained whimpering with a flick of her tongue or just a little more pressure behind her thumb. Joohyun finds it the funniest thing to watch human instincts in action; knowing it’s pointless, but still wasting their breath trying to reason with the cause of their suffering. The knowledge that her victim is too drained to fight back is an absolute blessing. The power she possesses is immeasurable and downright thrilling.

“… oh please, please Joohyun – don’t make – ah! –  not… not again, I – I can’t, please…”

But she’s helpless and she doesn’t get to decide when she stops, if she’ll ever. That’s up to Joohyun. And what Joohyun wants to do is keep fucking her well past her breaking point, she wants to keep teasing her overstimulated clit, she wants to torture her for as long as she can, either until she gets bored or the human passes out.

And she’s proud to admit, those struggles are definitely weaker than before.

Delirious Seulgi doesn’t even notice the fingers pumping in and out of her speeding up over the sound of her moans, increasing in frequency. This is about to be her… what, her fifth? Eighth? God, she doesn’t know… nor can she find the head space to care, really. Her mind is so blissed out from how rapidly she’s being fucked, to the relentless sucking on her sore, swollen clit, that she’s barely even aware she’s tipping over the edge.

Joohyun wears an evilly triumphant grin as she does. “That’s it, give it to me. My sweet little mortal.”

Still, Seulgi manages to rasp a weak – “… m-monster…” before she does, trying her best to put some bite behind the word. But it’s almost impossible to when she’s torn apart yet again, jerking and twitching as Joohyun’s mouth cruelly steals another orgasm from her. There can be no venom behind those adorable, breathless whimpers that grow quieter and quieter until there’s no more resistance. None at all.

Poor thing, she didn’t even know that would be her last one.

Soft breathing, tear-stained cheeks and eyes rolled back in her skull; Joohyun observes her wreck of a human, beautiful and unconscious because of her. She can’t even put a pretty name to an even prettier face yet, but she’s not worried in the slightest.

They have plenty of time for that.

[justapencilandsomeblood]

The First Bite

So, as promised here’s the first of probably many RPs between me and @ichaisme I’m enjoying writing with her, and it’s probably the closest I’ll get to ever actually writing out this story, so I hope you all enjoy~

It was a peculiar store, walls and shelves full of oddities and the occult.  Joey Drew felt right at home among the dusty trinkets and books claiming to be full of magic. He was thankful Henry knew of his more out there hobbies, and allowed him to indulge. Today, a particular book caught the man's attention, one about vampires. He smirked and rolled his eyes at the ridiculous notion of such things existing, but humored himself with a read anyways. Joey was so engrossed in fact, he didn't notice the man watching him until he heard him clear his throat. "O-oh! My apologies, we're you interested in the book im reading or-" His brow furrowed as he was handed a small card, the strange man whispering. "If you're truly interested in that topic, come to this address tonight, it'll be a night you'll never forget." And with that, the man walked away, leaving Joey to stare at the card in his palm. --- Joey sighed as he looked up at the large, decrepit house in front of him. Oh, Drew, what are you getting yourself into... He just had to be curious. He just had to know. You know what they say about curiosity and cats. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to grab the knocker on the door and giving a good few hits.  Guess it's time to wait, I feel so dumb... what if this is all an elaborate prank?

******** The door slowly opened to reveal the presumable owner of the building. Tall and thin, one could wonder how he held together in his frailty, and yet he exuded a confidence that almost completely covered any concern. The dark red velvet suit jacket, perfectly tailored to him, lined with black and dotted in dark brass buttons, helped cut an impressive figure. Gaze going further up, the pale face practically shone in the dim light. His eyes, a rich brown so bright they almost seemed red, looked him up and down. His emotions danced across his face in a well-rehearsed dance: recognition, understanding, and finally, warm hospitality. “Ah,” he began smoothly, leaning a bit into his cane; the picture of nonchalance. “You must be the guest Alistair invited. My name is Benjamin. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He offered a black gloved hand to shake, tilting his head politely down. The position made it more obvious that his gelled hair pulled back into two distinct points. “Do come in. Dinner is about to be served~” ******** Oh. Oh dear. Joey felt his face heat up as he took in the other man's appearance. He was pretty sure he was a monogamous man, but this stranger was suddenly making him have doubts. He cleared his throat, reaching out to take the hand that was offered, "Drew, Joey Drew," he stumbled, stepping inside. He wasn't sure if he wanted this man to recognize his name or not. Sure, he was proud of his and Henry's work on the Boris cartoons, but what would such a regal gentleman think of him for making silly children's shows? Although, his thoughts were cut off at the idea of food, "Oh, dinner sounds just lovely! I'm starving." ******** “Joey Drew?” He raised a brow, closing the door behind the man after he stepped inside. “The same Joey Drew of Boris cartoon fame?” A man like that, interested in the occult? How interesting. It did… complicate things just a little. Alistair would need to be more discrete about disposal, and other logistics would need to me be hammered out, but… he wouldn’t be the highest-profile victim he’d ever had. “Incredible, being in the presence of such a talent.” The mention of food again brought his sharper smile back, bowing with a flourish and directing him towards the dining room. “Coincidentally, so am I. Shall we dine?” ******** His cheeks reddened more at the recognition, but he didn't respond, instead gladly following towards the dining room. Although, upon reaching their destination, Joey couldn't help but pause. There was a table, just as extravagant as the rest of the house, but it wasn't set in the least, in fact it had a layer of dust, cobwebs clinging to the centerpiece. No one had eaten here in a long time. "Uhhh..." he ran a finger through the dust, his back turned to the men, "I hate to come across as rude, but I am a tad confused on dinner, is it just not here yet?" Just go along with this, Drew, they're obviously pulling your leg. Perhaps two men that are a bit too into role play? ******** Benjamin had to take a moment to compose himself after that. Most who stepped into his dining room realized immediately something horrible was about to happen. They'd try to beg. They'd try to run. All met the same end. But this man... reckless in his interests and completely oblivious to danger, kept up the game. Such naiveté... it was endearing in a way, like a puppy that didn't quite understand that its tail was attached to its body. It was almost a shame to kill him. But, a meal was a meal. A red glow to his eyes signalled the shift. Like a snake advancing on an unaware prey, he slunk up behind him, one hand creeping up to grip Joey's shoulder, tight but not painful. "Perhaps you have been led astray, sir," he murmured into his ear, voice lowering in octave. Another step closer, and Joey stood trapped between the table and Ben's body, solid despite the thinness. "You are the meal~" He relished the sensation a moment, before the grip on Joey's shoulder tightened, and the vampire sank his fangs into his neck. ******** He really was oblivious, convinced he knew the situation. He was going to turn to face the two, expecting some form of 'we got you!!' Instead, Joey found that he couldn't move. Some invisible force kept his body firmly planted in front of the table, his back to the strangers. Fuck. Okay, just breathe Drew. No need to panic. Then the hand was on his shoulder- he was trapped. He couldn't move. He couldn- Oh fuck that hurt- Joey's breathing was uneven, the sounds of swallowing in his ear. He could feel the tug, his blood being forcefully taken. Fuck... this is real... ******** Ben contented himself with drinking at first, but the longer he drained, the more he wondered-- maybe he should let him live. There was some amusement to be had in that. If he intended to though, he had to decide quick. The oddly cute but naive human, or a full meal... With a barely muttered curse he pulled away. That was what he got for still mingling at all with humans. He punctured his own wrist with his fangs, holding Joey firmly upright and in place as he waited for the blood to flow. Such an odd distinction between the living and the (un)dead. He technically still had a heartbeat, slow as it may be. Blood somehow still flowed through his veins, yet... thicker. Darker. More potent. For a vampire to drink another's blood would mean to go insane. For a human... well, it would let him survive how much he'd lost so far. Once there was enough dripping down his arm for a taste, he shoved the bloodied limb into Joey's mouth. ******** Joey Drew was going to die. He'd finally done something stupid enough, and was facing the consequences. Everything was cold, the freezing chill starting in his fingertips, spreading up his arms the more was drank. He wasn't even aware anymore. Everything had gone black, Joey lost in his own mind. But then there was a spark. A small taste like electricity. He felt himself coming back as he licked at whatever was in his mouth. It was amazing. Words couldn't describe how it tasted, how it felt. He wanted more. He reached up, grabbing the limb as it tried to pull away, digging his teeth in. ******** Ben winced a bit. Apparently, the taste was very compelling. That could cause an issue. He shifted his hand up to grip Joey’s hair tightly, forcibly pulling his head away from his wrist, “If you go too far you’ll turn yourself,” he warned with a hiss. “That’s more than enough for you to survive.” ******** A small whine came from Joey's throat as he fought against Ben's hold. This wasn't how the man ever behaved, but that taste. It wouldn't get out of his head. How bad he wanted it. Needed it. He struggled again, trying to lunge for another bite. ******** "Really?" Ben raised a brow, scoffing a bit. "Fine. You can't drain me, and I warned you. Suffer the consequences." He released his grip on the man's hair. ******** As if Joey even comprehended that warning. The second he was let go, he jumped. Joey dug his teeth back into Ben's arm, opening the wound that had already begun healing. He let out a moan, getting lost in the taste as blood filled his mouth. He never wanted to stop. It was sweeter than anything he'd ever tasted, filled him with a newfound energy. But soon- Soon Joey let go, pushing the limb away with a gag. It had turned rotten, burning his throat. He doubled over, gagging and coughing, his mind suddenly clear again. "W-what...?" Joey was trying to get his bearings, remembering where he was, remembering what had happened. It was only after a few minutes did Joey really consider what was going on. He looked up at Ben, his hand going to the dark bite mark on his neck, the wound already healed over. The more time passed, the more Joey noticed was off. There was a steady heartbeat, he tracked the sound, he could hear Alistair's heart. It was loud and clear despite the man being on the other side of the room. Joey panicked, falling backwards as he began hyperventalating. Ben was a demon. A monst- Joey had to protect himself. He dug into his pocket, intent on grabbing the small silver chain he kept there. With a hiss of pain, Joey instantly removed his hand, staring at the smoking skin, and now seeing the sharp black claws on his fingers. His crucifix had burned him. Tears were running down his face, whether from pain, fear, the crushing realization of what had happened... "What did you do?" ******** "Ruined a perfectly good meal," he sighed, glancing over the wound before tugging down his sleeve. "Now the turning you into a vampire part, that was mostly you. I intended to only give you enough to not kill you, but despite my warnings you continued to drink. So here you are." ******** "T-turning me...?" Joey felt his body go cold at those words, sure, it'd been obvious. But hearing the truth out loud like that slapped him in the face. His gaze fell from the other man- the other vampire- to instead stare at the floor. He wasn't human. Joey Drew was a monster. Damned. Cursed. The tears kept flowing, dripping down onto the floor as Joey sat in silence. ******** He sighed softly at the display. "Always a rough time for the newly turned. You will adjust," he said assuredly. "Tread lightly during this time. I'm happy to answer questions.." ******** Joey let out a defeated sigh, wiping his face and standing up. He felt numb. Dead. Because you are dead... "I..." his voice cracked as he tried to speak, his throat horribly dry, "do you have any water...?" ******** He shook his head, unable to keep slight amusement from his face. "Water will not quench your thirst. Not anymore." As he spoke, he slunk over to Alistair's side, placing a leading hand on his shoulder. "May I offer you as this fledgling's first taste, my love? You know I'll watch him very closely," he murmured, audible only to him as they stepped a bit closer to where Joey stood. ******** Alistair of course gave a diligent nod, he would do anything for Benjamin. Although, he did now have a light blush thanks to how soft the other was. Joey on the other hand, he was trembling, terrified once more of what he'd become. He didn't fully hear the conversation, but he could easily figure out what had been discussed. "N-no!" He took a step back, unfortunately bumping right into the table, "I can't...!" ******** "Of course you can. You live in an either or. Either you drink, or you die. Better have your first in a controlled environment, learn humanity's limits since I doubt you're willing to kill. Your other option is to go feral with hunger and likely hurt someone you care about. I suppose that's your choice." He wasn't about to coddle Joey, though he did feel he should insist at least once before letting him go. No one could accuse him of not trying then. ******** Go feral... and hurt someone...? Joey frowned, hating that the other vampire was right. This was his life now. He needed- Joey didn't want to think about that. Just drink some and move on with life. Ignore that you're a bloodthirsty monster. He nodded, turning to Alistair. The man gave a small smile, tucking his long black hair behind his ear and exposing his neck. With a nervous glance at the human's face, he leaned in and bit down. ******** True to his whispered promise, he stayed close by the entire time Joey fed, half possessive, half out of concern. First time biters had a tendency to go too far. And if he dared even try to take a drop more of what he should from Alis, he was going to separate them. ******** Alistair winced, it wasn't at all gentle and warm like when Ben fed from him on occasion. Of course it wouldn't be, Ben was experienced, this was Joey's first time. He glanced over at Benjamin, his brows furrowing in concern as he started feeling weak. How much was he going to take? Joey didn't want to admit it, but it did taste good. It came natural as well. Each swallow calming the dry scratch in his throat. Filling him with a wonderful full feeling he knew he'd crave forev- He let go with a hiss when he felt a small tug, only moving about an inch away from the bite to bare his fangs at whoever was daring to take his meal. "Mine." ******** The second Alistair glanced at him, he reached to pull Joey lightly away. Oh, but that hiss. That claim. He bristled with barely contained rage, throwing him back with superhuman strength.  "NO. MINE. Control yourself, or I will do that for you," he growled, hugging Alistair possessively to him. ******** When Joey hit, something had cracked from the impact. Him or the wall, he couldn't tell let alone care at this moment. His meal was being taken. He got up, ready to fight. ******** Ben scowled and held Alis a little tighter. “Fine. I warned you.” He glared, letting his rage funnel into his order, “RELAX. Take a seat while you’re at it. Calm down.” ******** Joey felt his whole body suddenly untense. He slumped back against the wall he'd hit, sliding down to the floor to sit. He stared at the other two, confused and a bit shaken at his body moving on his own. ******** “You’re wondering what just happened,” Ben commented, watching him. “We are... bonded, in a way. My blood turned you. If I order you to do something, anything at all, your body will obey without question, even if your mind objects. I don’t intend to abuse that power, but until you can control your urges, I will use it disciplinarily. For example, when you get too consumed by the taste of blood.” He scoffed a bit, then realized he was still hugging his partner to him. A bit of composure lost, he quickly separated, but couldn’t help but linger slightly with his hand on his cheek. “How are you feeling?” ******** Alistair smiled at the hand on his cheek, Ben was always such a comfort. He glanced over at Joey, the fledgling sitting with his head hung in silence, then looked back up at Ben, "I'll be alright, Sir, just a bit dizzy." He reached up to his neck, feeling the sticky mess that remained with a grimace. ******** His gaze traveled down to the blood on his neck. “Let me take care of that. And Joey, pay attention,” he ordered carefully. “This is arguably the most important part of the process, if you don’t want to kill someone. You need to seal the puncture wounds. If you don’t, they can bleed out.” With affection and tenderness, he brought his mouth to Alistair’s neck, cleaning the mess Joey left behind with his tongue, willing assurance and warmth into every action. He put particular attention to the puncture wounds themselves, allowing enough time for it to fully close. ******** Alistair couldn't help the shiver that went down his spine, nor his cheeks heating up. He loved getting attention like this from Ben. The taller man being so gentle and caring, considering what Alistair has seen him do to men, it reminded him just how precious he was to the vampire. Joey let out a small sigh of frustration as he watched, he was still under Benjamin's control, unable to speak or move. ******** He smiled a bit as he felt him shiver, lingering a bit longer close to him before finally pulling away. "There we go. Joey, you are free now. Blood loss is serious." ******** Joey remained silent, but stood. He didn't want to acknowledge what had happened. He didn't want to accept what he was. But... after a few more stretches of silence he spoke, "I," he took a deep breath, "I don't think I can do this on my own." He wanted to just leave. Leave and be done with this night. Yet he knew he'd need to feed again. ******** Ben nodded a bit, "Come to us. We can guide you through the process, and you will not have to kill anyone," he offered. ******** "T-thank you," he mumbled in response, I won't have to kill anyone. It'll be fine. Joey moved towards the door, trying to ignore the freezing numbness in his chest at the fear of just what he'd gotten himself into.

[miss-agent-e-15-jedi]

Chapter Two

I came around to an excruciating pounding in my head, accompanied by a caked, frozen, sticky feeling across my face which, along with bits of ice stuck in my lashes and brows, made my eyes feel like they’d been glued shut with cement. I forced them open with great effort, an effort that was also needed just to take a breath of freezing air. My spine ached horribly and my arms felt like they’d turned to stone in their sockets. I couldn’t feel anything from my ankles downward. I’d been cold while out on my patrol mission, but now that seemed like nothing compared to what I was experiencing in my new surroundings.

A terrifying roar sounded through the air, loud enough to send all the icy walls around me vibrating and my aching head throbbing unbearably. I glanced in the direction of the sound, and a moment later, after the echo of the first roar waned, a louder, even scarier one could be heard throughout. By this point I was certain I was in a cave of some sort; the entrance was right behind me. The only way I knew this was because of the petrifying wind that was blowing against my stiff, hurting back. The noise was accompanied by the breaking of bones, gluttonous chewing, chomping, and gnashing of teeth, and chunks of flesh being ripped apart.

Forcibly I craned my neck upward, and realized why the world was upside-down. I was upside-down, hanging like a piece of meat with my feet frozen into the ceiling. No wonder I couldn’t feel them.

Painfully, I curled myself into a C position, trying to free my feet from their petrification, but they were in pretty good, and the weight of my entire body painfully pulled me back down to my upside-down position. I heard my attacker roar again, and at that moment, I thought of my lightsaber. That would cut me free! However, when I looked down the side of my utility belt, it was gone. Panic was about to swell inside of me when suddenly I looked down and saw the hilt of my sword sticking out of a patch of snow.

Desperately I stretched my arm out towards my lightsaber. The weapon of a Jedi Knight, as Ben had told me when he’d first given it to me, and the closest kinship I had to the father that I never knew. My sword was out of my reach, and I couldn’t get it, no matter which arm I used or how hard I stretched them. The two circular screws on the bottom of the handle seemed to be staring at me like a pair of lifeless mocking eyes.

I thought again of Old Ben, and the training I’d started on the Millennium Falcon. Ben had told me that the Force could somewhat control actions; not just mine, but the actions of other things around me. If the Force could manipulate movement of small objects, then perhaps if I concentrated…

I heard the frightening crunching of snow in the distance where I’d heard the roars and eating. I shut it out of my mind, and in the darkness of my closed eyes, reached out, thinking of the lightsaber in my hand. I felt its weight, its shape, its activation switch behind my thumb, its smooth, shiny, metal body in the palm of my gloved hand…

In less than the blink of an eye, the hilt of the laser sword smacked into my palm, and I wasted not a second in freeing my icy bonds. I got up just in time to see my big, furry, vicious attacker coming at me with his angry, beastly eyes and monstrous claws. With a single swing, the creature’s right arm was severed from its body; dark, red blood stained the snow beneath its socket. If the creature’s previous roars had been loud before, they were now about twenty times as loud; loud enough to send numerous stalactites falling from their ceiling foundations.

I glimpsed the now right arm-less monster for a second, and then raced out of the cave as fast as my legs could carry me. It was extremely difficult to move post haste because of my feet sinking into the crunching snow. I was soon at the top of a minute, hilly snow drift, and as I attempted to charge down it, my legs gave way and sent me rolling several feet to the bottom. The merciless snow stung my eyes and nose like white-hot pokers. I forced myself to stand up and trek forward, to where, I had no idea. It seemed like I had come out of the cave into a snow hurricane. In addition to the torturous storm, the dark of night made it impossible to see less than a meter in front of me.

I might as well not have any fingers or toes, I thought, they were so numb. I closed my eyes, pressing my scarf against my face to shield it from the malignant wind, even though, I knew, doing so was as futile as trying to reason with a brainless lunatic. Each step I took was harder than the last, and even breathing was exhausting me. My back seemed like it would snap and paralyze me at any given moment; each vertebra weighing me down like sand bags. Gradually I began to lose feeling in my legs, to the point where I was afraid to even bend my knees for fear of collapsing. But being afraid of collapsing wasn’t enough to stop them from giving way, sending me back-first into a hard patch of snow.

 After my head fell back in brief hesitation, I curled my upper body to one side and stood again, locking my knees and setting my entire weight on top of my legs. I couldn’t go on; I didn’t have the faintest idea where I was, the cold had become excruciatingly unbearable, and I barely had the energy to even suck in a breath. My face contacted the icy ground, dark grey glitches filled the space beneath my eyelids, and a strange, warm sensation spread throughout my body. I thought, I just need some sleep. I was waiting for the warm nothingness to consume me completely when…

“Luke…”

I barely recognized it as the sound of my own name. Surely my mind had to be playing tricks on me, or was that the howling wind?

“Luke!”

When the tone suddenly turned insistent, I began to deliberate whether or not what I was hearing was real. I looked up in the direction of my name, and what my eyes picked up made more warmth spread through my body; a single firework of surprise burst in my heart. About three or four meters in front of me, completely unfazed by the raging snowstorm and still dressed in the dark brown, hooded robe and shabby tunic he’d worn on his final endeavor, was my former mentor, Ben Kenobi.

Ben Kenobi was dead, I knew, so how could he possibly be standing before me? Yet he seemed so real, so alive, and his voice had rung loud and clear in my ears.

I was fairly certain I wasn’t seeing things, but I still wanted absolute confirmation, so I weakly called out, “Ben?”

I’d expected him to respond with, “Yes, Luke, it’s me,” or something like that. Instead, he refused to acknowledge my call to him and then told me, “You will go to the Dagobah system.”

“Dagobah system?” I asked, hoping I’d heard him correctly.

Again, not a yes or a no, but he didn’t object to my response, so that was enough of a yes for me.

Ben continued, “There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me.”

I knew right then and there that I wasn’t hallucinating, that the voice I’d heard in the hangar of the Death Star and during the Battle of Yavin had indeed been real. Hearing “Jedi” sent another burst of warmth through my body. It meant more to me than anything else than to become a warrior of the Force who strove for peace, justice, and freedom throughout the whole galaxy. My mind filled with a million questions at once. I looked up and realized that Ben was fading away. Why was he leaving me?!

“Ben!” I called out, reaching my hand toward him. “Ben!”

The last audible sensation I was vaguely aware of was a low moan in the distance; not the wind, but of some kind of animal. Before I could comprehend what it was exactly, I was once again swallowed by nothingness.

*  *  *

I no longer felt the snow pressing against my face, chest, and kneecaps. Now the snow was against my spine and the creases beneath my knees. With each breath that I forced in, my throat seemed to be vibrate each time I forced air out of my lungs. Suddenly, my shoulder blades were cupped and pulled very hard, and the crunching snow scraped across my back. I was soon overwhelmed by a horrible, nauseating odor that filled my nostrils, along with a wet, slimy sensation that seemed to seep through my clothes.

“…smelled bad…on the outside!” groaned a familiar voice that I couldn’t fathom.

Drowsiness overcame me a second later, a drowsiness that even the awful smell couldn’t impede, and once more I submitted to the dark with no protest.

*  *  *

A bright light blinded me when I attempted to force my eyelids open. I was sure that I’d died in the middle of the night, and this was my first glimpse of life after death, of becoming one with the Force. But, if I really was dead, why was I still hurting from head to toe and why was I still so cold? Maybe I would be healed if I went towards the light, I thought, but I couldn’t move. I tried to turn my neck, and experienced an icy, semi-solid sensation of cold beneath my cheek. I was still in the snow, I realized, still lying in the middle of nowhere, waiting for some scavengers to get their first bite of my frozen, lifeless corpse, waiting for…

I gasped in surprise as I felt myself lifted up and my back pressed into something flat and soft, something that definitely wasn’t snowy terrain. I was suddenly overtaken by warmth on all sides. Something thick and plastic encompassed my mouth and nose, and mild vibrations coursed through my body. Some mysterious g-force pressed me downward for a moment, and then released its hold on me, leaving me relaxed and with no pressure against my chest. I became drowsy again and decided that sleep was probably the best and only thing I could do at the moment. I closed my eyes, and the second I did, I heard another familiar voice—not the one I’d heard in the snow, but still familiar nonetheless—call out jovially:

“Echo Base, this is Rogue Two. We have Commander Skywalker and Captain Solo. Repeat, we have Commander Skywalker and Captain Solo!”

Stay tuned for Chapter Three!