Pondering

She watched as the sky exploded in magnificent shades of pinks and purples. Her heart aching more as yet another day was meeting its end and she was still confined within the same four walls. She wasn't even sure what day of the week it was.

Kayley curled up against the big bay window, watching as the sky darkened. She wanted to be able to go outside. Being in the room was just suffocating and in a sense she was becoming stir crazy. The only thing she had to look forward to were the times when Niall would visit.

He had kept his promise and returned every couple of days. Always under Kieran's watchful eye, their talks were always short, cold and extremely formal. If it weren't for the hint of something more in his eyes, she would have truly believed she disgusted Niall. She tried to hold on to the memories she had when he let go and showed his more affectionate side, as rare as they were.

Kieran had become more and more convinced in her inability to refuse him. With each passing day, she had come to despise him more. His arrogance, his absurd ideal that she would love him, could love him and bare his children, left a sickening feeling in her stomach. He truly believed it would come to pass and she knew in her heart, that she would never willingly give into him. He hadn't been rough with her again, though his words had become crueler with each visit. His frustration with her showing through each hateful word. She feared it was only a matter of time before he would snap and in that moment, she was certain he would hurt her physically, if not kill her.

She wasn't afraid of death. In death, came the Summerlands, the chance to be reunited to her family that she had lost. The family that had been taken from her and Nia...

Nia...

The name echoed in her head. She hated the thought of leaving Nia, but was comforted by the fact that Nia wouldn't be alone if something should happen to her. Nia had Jonathan and for that, Kayley was thankful. She was happy her sister was in love and happy. She hoped Nia wasn't too worried about her. Nia was too carefree and fun loving, Kayley wanted her sister to be able to keep that innocence about her. It was part of who she was.

Sighing, her eyes watched as the last sliver of light disappeared behind the horizon. The night sky glittering with millions of twinkling stars. What was once a spectacular sight had become a painful reminder of what she missed most... Roman and Abel. She longed to see them once again and wondered how they were. Abel should be starting to roll over now. The thought pained her. She didn't want to miss out on anything with him. She wanted to hold him close, inhaling the sweet smell that only could accompany a baby and curl up onto the bed with him.

As for Roman... her face paled at the thought of him. She had been trying to avoid all thoughts of him. Kieran's use of magic to remove his blood from her, left an empty feeling inside of her. She longed to see him again, hear his voice, make love to him... anything. But every thought of him made her soul ache. Truthfully, she imagined all the different scenarios of any possible reunion between them. Everything from him welcoming her back with open arms to him slamming the door in her face, and even once, him killing her... she was worried he wouldn't understand.... wouldn't care. About why she left so willingly, why she couldn't come back... Placing her head in her hands, she began to weep at the loss of a life she loved, of the people she loved. Silently pleading for Kieran to hurry up and end it for her. All of it.

Trapped by Delusion

 

Kayley awoke to find the light streaming in through the window. She knew she had been trapped for days. She was losing track of the days. She was feeling a little bit stronger. Though confused by Niall's presence the day before, she trusted him and as long as he provided her food, she would eat. She didn't have a death wish. Her refusal to eat was from fear. Kieran liked to play games, to toy with people... and she feared he would get a twist sense of joy from slipping lemons to her and watching her die.

His face had filled with disgust every time he brought up Roman and his eyes flashed with such anger it chilled her to the core. She was wondering how she could have ever missed the signs that he wasn't completely sane. How had Kieran managed to hide his true nature from her for so long? Looking back she was still shocked the sweet, charming man she had first met was the one who had been capable of doing such atrocities.

Sitting up carefully, she places her head in her hands. It was taking everything she had not to feel completely hopeless. Niall's appearance, though confusing, had been reassuring.

What had he been doing here and why did he leave me?

He had mention her being tried. Her body went still at the thought. Being tried for anything in this realm was almost always a death sentence. Tears swelled in her eyes at the thought. As much as she hated the thought, she would rather die than remain here with Kieran. He claimed he wanted to marry her, for her to mother his children. The entire idea disturbed her and sent chills through her body. The thought of him touching her, being intimate left her feeling ill.

Slipping from the bed and moving to the window, her thoughts drifted away. Halting on the first time she met Roman. She hadn't meant to drench him and his bike. She didn't think anyone would be around that late at night. She couldn't sleep and after spending all day watching the Red River flowing by from her shop window, she couldn't resist a late night swim. She began making the water rise and fall like fountains and even manipulated a raft of water to lay on. 

Enjoying her water play, she started a whirl pool, giggling as it swept her around and around. Soon she manipulated it to rise into a water tornado. She enjoyed be sucked into the swirling mass of water, only to dive back into the river and get sucked back in again. Eventually she tired of the tornado and clapped her hands to dissipate it. As her hands clapped against one another, the Tornado collapsed into a huge wave, sending Kayley to the river bank and showering Roman with water as he rode by.

She didn't recognize him at first, but she had seen him the night before at Fangtasia. Once she realized what he was she poofed to the middle of the river. She chuckled softly at the irony... she was so afraid of him and yet she had been drawn to him from the beginning. 

Leaning her forehead against the window pane, she closed her eyes and imagined the coolness she felt was from his lips and not the glass. She enjoyed her life in the Human Realm and she could only hope that somehow... some way she would be allowed to go home...

The Return of a Nightmare

Whistling along in tune with the music over the radio, Kayley couldn't help but smile to herself. Their talk the evening before had helped. He had been hurt when she said she would understand if he wanted to leave. She didn't want him to leave. In fact, she was positive if he had it would break her heart. But she loved Roman and to her, his happiness was more important than holding on to him, if he didn't want her. She wanted him to know that... to  realize she would support him, so if there were doubts... if he was considering it, he could do so without pressure from her.

Once she had finished decorating the store, she smiled sweetly as she called goodbye to Gwen. She wanted to stop by the store before heading home. She really didn't know much about the Christmas holiday, but she knew it was supposed to be an exciting time of year for children. Looking down at Abel's smiling face as they walked through the aisles of Christmas decorations, she wanted to do whatever she could to make it a wonderful holiday for him.

She knew she was probably going overboard, but she couldn't help it, she was excited. It had been all she had heard children talk about in the shop. Santa, presents, toys, Christmas trees, lights... their little faces lighting up as they went on and on about it. She wasn't surprised as she filled up the cart with decorations. She planned on poofing in a tree, so she avoided that hassle. She drove back to the house, happily humming along to the radio. Roman had agreed to help her set up, but he wouldn't be home for a while and she wanted to surprise him by putting up some outside lights.

As she pulled into the garage, the realization of just how much physical work that would be hit her as she gazed upon the sleeping baby. She didn't want to leave him unattended for too long in the house and the night air was too chilly for him to stay outside with her. She was aware that her magic was beginning to drain.. in fact, she hated to admit it, but she couldn't poof to work anymore, not without letting done the wards. Eyes darting from the baby and to the house as she decidedly chose to refocus her magic. She poofed Abel into his nursery, covering him softly with a blanket and kissing his forehead, before poofing back into the garage.

She gazed into the packed trunk, an uneasy feeling washing over her as she closed her eyes and concentrated on removing some of the magical wards. Silently promising to convince Roman to take a late night swim so she could recharge, as a way to calm her fears. Feeling a little better, she poofed the contents of the trunk to their respectable places. The outdoor lights landing on the back porch and the inside decorations appearing in the living room. Once on the porch, she set to work poofing the lights along the edges of the house as well as decorating a few of the trees. Smiling after just a few moments, she admired the way the lights twinkled off the calm water of the pond before heading inside.

She had only been inside the spacious living room for a few moments when she felt the air around her change.

Hello Kayley.

A familiar voice filled the space behind her and she jumped at its appearance... at his appearance. Her feet staggered backwards a few steps, her breath catching in her throat and her leg bumping into the coffee table.

What are you doing here?

Her voice panicked and her face fully displaying her fear. A slow, soothing smile curling his lips before his laugh rang out through the room.

I've come...to accept your apology and to rescue you from this...existence... You had your fun...you really "showed" me a thing or two...not come to your senses and come with me.

His hands grasping her tightly as the sound of Abel's cries pierce through her fear and she contemplates poofing to the child. Her mind wondering if she could grab him in time to get away.

Don't think about it my love...not worth it...is it?

He materialized a pen and paper, shoving them forcibly into her hands. His words taunting as he ordered her to write a letter to Roman. She couldn't even recall what she had written later on. The memory completely escaped her. She only could recall her thoughts, to write the meanest most outlandish things in hope Roman would realize that it didn't sound right. Her eyes gazing longingly in the direction of Abel's cries as she laid the note on the coffee table.

Forget the Human, Kayley.

His words were cold, the disgust echoing in each syllable. Tears streaming down her face, she barely realized when he poofed them out of the house. The comfortable setting of her house... her home disappearing before her very eyes as she found herself in a wooded area. Abel's cries still ringing in her head, though she could no longer hear him. Her heart was breaking as Kieran forced her through the gateway into Fairy.

The first thing that she noticed was the smell. Fairy smelled of sweetness, it's air pure and clean, unlike the polluted air of the Human Realm. A warm breeze swept through her hair, blowing several strands across her face as her eyes devoured the scene in front of her. The house loomed eerily just a few hundred yards away. Her heart began to race at the familiar sight.

Kieran's home...

The thought echoed in her head as he grabbed her arm and dragged her through the field. What she had once admired for its beauty, now looked ominous and horrifying. Her feet complied with Kieran's forceful pull, even without her realizing. Her mind and heart still absorbing the situation at hand. She was never going back... he would never let her go this time. She knew what Kieran was capable of. He was cruel and spiteful. She chided herself for thinking he would just let her go. She knew he was proud and her rejection that finally night had not gone over well.

He glared at her when she tripped on the stairs. Her knee hitting the edge of one of the steps, she whimpered as pain shot through her. His hand tightening around her arm, he forced her to her feet and led her into his bedroom. Her body went entirely still as he pulled her into the room. She had dreamed of this room over and over again. The nightmares that haunted her always were portrayed in these settings. The over-sized bed with plush pillows, the expensive dark mahogany posts matched the furniture in the space. Everything was lavish, tasteful and defined his status perfectly.

It's our room, lover. His lips falling into a frown as he gazes back at her. Or don't you remember?

The air in the room practically crackled with tension. She could hear her heart pounding faster in her chest as she realize he intended to have her, like he once had. When she stated she wouldn't be with him, he pulled her close him. His breath hot on her ear as he whispered:

Of course you are, Kayley. As soon as we get that leeches blood out of you...

She was surprisingly relieved to hear that. She knew the process could take months, but her relief was short-lived. Her face paling as he materialized a vial, blood seemingly rising from her skin and fill the small vial. Her heart broke as the last of her connection to Roman left her body. She hadn't been able to feel him once in the Fairy Realm, but to see the last part of him that she had being taken away was too much. The meaning by its removal only furthering her realization of how dire her circumstances had become.

She made a break for the door as he used magic to seal the blood in its glass container. Jumping as the door slams shut forcibly. His hand shoving her into one of the wooden pillars. Her head making a loud thunk against the sturdy wood frame and his words the last thing she is aware of as she succumbs to the darkness.

Silly girl. Did you forget who I am?

A dark smirk lingering on his curled lips as he picked her motionless body from the ground and laid her on the bed. The sight of the bruising on her forehead deterring from her beauty. Brushing her hair to cover the mark he whispered into her ear.

You will once again be mine and you will be so, willingly.

A taunting laugh filling the room as he moved to leave the room, sealing the room magically behind.