Page 113 of To Bleed a Crystal Bloom
Oh, precious. You don’t even know the meaning of the word.
Or perhaps he’s just sick of me creeping around his castle, rifling through his shit.
I clear my throat and waggle the jar, making the rat squeak.
Shay’s keen, predatory gaze snaps to me, and he makes that rattling sound again, leaving my bluebell corpses at the base of the tree.
He draws near, and I feel the pull of his hollow form trying to suckle air from the surrounding space. For a moment, I wonder how it would be to fall into his void ... if it would hurt or feel like drifting off to sleep in the arms of a friend.
I close my eyes and untwist the lid, keeping it atop the jar as I seek out my non-existent bravery. It takes longer than I care to admit for that tiny surge to hit, but once it does, I shove my hand out and tip.
A fleshy thump breaks the silence, and I snatch my hand back, holding it close to my galloping heart.
I open my eyes to see Shay ascend on his prey in a surge of shadow. There’s a suckling sound—a gentlewhoosh-whoosh—his body moving with the tempo as he feeds.
When he retreats, a hard lump of fur and bone and nothing much else is revealed, and he looks up as he sniffs the air, watching like he’s waiting for me to run or be afraid.
He’ll be waiting forever.
I open my mouth to speak, but the words are left unsaid as the shrill sound of a metallic blow jars me to the bone. Another swiftly follows, the sonic a tangible force hacking through the air.
Clang.
The hits aren’t aimed at me, but they strike nonetheless, assaulting like nails hammering into a soft piece of wood.
Clang.
My spine curls, hands cup my ears as the telltale ebb of brain-bulging pain begins to bloom.
It’s relentless. Excruciating.
It’s going to kill me.
Shay swarms forward, doubling in size, stopping just short of the invisible barrier that separates us. He releases a sharp hiss I try to focus on, but it does nothing to soften the blows.
Clang.
The scream threatening to push out of me finds its own tenor. It swells and swells until it’s almost louder than the sound of warring swords, ripping my throat raw and making me taste blood.
I rock and rock, holding Shay’s stare as if it could keep me from bursting into a million pieces.
Something dribbles from my nose, travels down my chin, and drips onto my bunched up limbs ...
I don’t check to see what it is. Don’t dare tear my gaze from Shay’s until his mouth falls open, spilling his own horrific screech. All those sharp teeth seem to slice the sound, fragmenting it into hundreds of piercing shrieks pushed out at once.
It’s an icy blast to my bloated brain.
The taste of blood thickens, my scream bubbling as I tip ... leaning toward Shay. Wanting nothing more than to fall headfirst into the pall of him. Perhaps he’ll take me into a painless splendor where I cease to exist? Somewhere I’m no longer at war with myself.
Shay darts away, and I squeeze my eyes shut, spilling a whimper along with more warm liquid down my chin.
I would have done it. Would have thrown myself at him just to escape the pain.
I’m trapped.
There’s no way out ...
I’m suddenly crowded—touched by unfamiliar hands, surrounded by exotic smells I don’t recognize. Fingers stroke my limbs, and I wail so loud the sound becomes me.
