Beyond This Illusion

It was colder when Mina woke this time. She could feel something cold, like a long cool pole, against her back. Blinking in the darkness, she shuddered. She was naked, how? Closing her eyes again, she tried to remember how she had become undressed. She went into the shower, she remember that. And after she had gotten in, everything was fuzzy. Furrowing her brow, Mina gripped the sheets. "Think!" After several minutes, it came back to her in a sudden flood. Mina gasped, recalling every second as if it were playing before her eyes. Jiresue had walked in the shower with her, and again they had...

Flushing pink, Mina quickly tried to roll off of the bed and stand. She didn't realize she had already been on the very edge of the bed. As she rolled, Mina shrieked as she fell through the air and landed hard on the floor. The cold feeling on her back was gone. Whatever was on the bed shifted quickly, and light filled the room. Mina winced, her eyes squinting until she adjusted to it. A foggy figure sat before her, perched on the bed. "Oh, Mina, you silly girl," said the figure. A voice she knew. Mina hissed, scrambling away. The cold had been Jiresue's body pressed against her back. Mina huffed, curling into the corner with her arms crossed over her chest. "What are you doing in here!?" she cried, desperately trying to cover herself. Jiresue saw this attempt, and only laughed quietly. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I brought you in here after feeding. You fell asleep. I just watched you sleep, I suppose." Jiresue shrugged, waving a delicate hand. "Nonetheless, you are awake now, and tired I would assume. I will bring you something to eat." Quickly, Mina shook her head. "No, I want a toothbrush! Lots of fluoride!" At such an odd request, Jiresue tilted her head in confusion. "Whatever do you want such things for?" Mina growled, standing, though still failing at covering herself. "Because...you...and I...in the shower..." Mina made a gagging face, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Jiresue blinked, then frowned. "Oh, but you seemed to enjoy it then. In fact, while you slept, you called for me again." Horrified, Mina stepped back in surprise. "No...no I didn't...you lie!"

With sudden movements, Jiresue's naked form was holding Mina's against the wall. Jiresue glared at her with dark eyes, pinning Mina's arms above her head. "Don't you ever accuse me of lying! I do not lie! I only give the truth! Is that so hard to handle...you...you pathetic human! Wretched child!" Jiresue shook her head angrily, auburn hair flying around her shoulders. "No! You are so very lucky, little girl, that I haven't killed you yet. You are tempting fate, and that is not very wise to do. I do not wish to kill you, so please, don't make me." Struggling, Mina growled again. "Let me go, you bitch! I did nothing to you, nothing! You have no right to hold me here!" Jiresue, tightening her grip, smirked. "Oh, yes, yes I do. You see, I own you. You didn't know that. When I bit you that first time, I claimed you. I marked you as mine. And you will be mine until I decide to free you. You could leave in a body bag if I so choose." Thrusting her body forward, Mina again growled. "You do not own me! I am not a possession! Not a toy to be played with, to be used at your will! No!" Jiresue laughed darkly, nearly crushing the girl with her own body pressed against her. "You are mine. Mina, you are. And you've had this attitude with me for far too long. It's about time to teach you some manners. You need to learn to be kind to your mistress. For she is not one to insult."

Mina's eyes went wide, but she did not cease struggling. "No! I do not belong to you! I belong to no one! I'll kill you for ever touching me, do you hear? I'll kill you!" Summoning every speck of courage Mina had ever felt, and multiplying it by ten, she spat directly into Jiresue's face. Shocked, the vampire woman stepped back, releasing Mina's arms. The girl did not move, also in shock that she had just done something so rude to the woman who could kill her at any moment. Jiresue's eyes closed, and she raised her left hand to wipe the saliva from her cheek and fling it onto the floor. When her eyes opened, they were no longer their normal green, but a piercing blood red. Mina jumped, nearly tripping back into the wall. "Now...Mina...I warned you once. Twice, even. You've pushed me too far," at the quiet gasp of fear, Jiresue shook her head, "No, Mina, I won't kill you. But I'm going to make you beg me to." Grasping Mina's arm tightly with her left hand, Jiresue tugged, no yanked, Mina forward. The girl cried out in surprise, trying but failing to pull her arm back. Jiresue hissed, fangs bared. "Do not struggle, or I will break you until you can't move. Only scream and cry in pain." Mina instantly stopped pulling her arm, though she did firmly plant her feet into the floor. That did not stop Jiresue from yanking her forward easily. Jiresue kept pulling her until they were out of the bedroom, and into the dimly lit hallway. "You'll see...you'll see! You'll see what happens to my pets when they misbehave. My pets only misbehave once." The last sentence was whispered, barely audible, but Mina heard it.

Dragging Mina down the hallway, her grip never loosening, she stopped at the last door to the left. Mina fell to her knees, whimpering. "Jiresue, let go!" she cried, tugging her arm lightly. In return, Jiresue yanked it forward. "This...is what happens when my pets disobey me." Jiresue's other hand reached into the shadow, fumbled for a moment, and withdrew holding a small brass key. Mina watched with wide eyes as the woman pushed the key into the lock, and twisted. Instantly the tumbler unlocked the door, and it came open freely. Jiresue smiled, throwing the key back into the shadow. She pulled Mina's arm harder than ever, and threw her into the room. The girl was completely enveloped in darkness. There was no light, not even the light from the hallway made it past the frame of the door.

The darkness was not black. No, Mina was not in blackness. She wasn't enveloped by shadows. This was complete blindness. Even if she were to wave her hand in front of her face, the only sign of it being there would be the soft puff of wind as her hand rushed through the air. Otherwise there was no sound, no light. Jiresue swept into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. They were surrounded in complete and utter silence, darkness. Mina whimpered softly. Jiresue turned toward the sound, and grinned. Two seconds past, and Jiresue's right hand was gripping Mina's throat tightly, though not cutting off all of her air supply. Mina groped blindly, choking and gasping, trying to pry the woman's hand away from her neck. Jiresue only gripped harder, fingernails pricking into the girl's skin. Mina whimpered again, but Jiresue only sneered into her face. It was the only thing the girl saw; herself reflected in Jiresue's bright red eyes. "Now...you'll see, dearest Mina...why it's not wise to disobey me," she snarled, pressing her nails into Mina's flesh before launching her backward. Mina screamed as she flew through the air, though surprisingly, landed on something soft. Wincing, she quickly tried to crawl away, but the vampire woman's movements were like lightning. She was on top of Mina, pinning her arms above her head. Straps came down, although Mina could not see, and when Jiresue sat back, straddling Mina's waist, the girl could not pull her arms down. The vampire reached back and bound Mina's ankles as well, immobilizing her. Though that did not stop Mina from thrusting her chest forward, and kicking her knees as best as she could. The blows were nothing to Jiresue, and she stood easily, gazing down at Mina with an evil smirk on her full lips.

The straps, leather Mina assumed by the feel, dug into her wrists and ankles as she thrashed and writhed on the bed. Jiresue knew the girl wouldn't escape, so she left the room, the door remaining open, to gather some things she would need. Mina screamed after her, growling and hissing in anger. "Get back here! Release me! You have no right to keep me here! No right!" The screams did nothing but echo around the room, reminding her over and over that she was wrong. Very wrong. For Jiresue had claimed the girl, and no matter how hard Mina were to struggle, the binding would keep her in the home. She couldn't leave, even if the front door was wide open.

When Jiresue returned, Mina shuddered. The room seemed colder, darker. A foreshadow to the immediate threat in Jiresue's hand. Mina had heard her enter, then silence. "J-Jiresue?" she whispered, searching for a sign, anything, that the vampire was still there with her. A low chuckle was her response, followed by the sound of something whipping through the air at a high speed. A whip, indeed. The leather weapon cracked on Mina's right thigh. She screamed, using her bound wrists to pull herself up. The girl didn't have a chance to catch her breath; the whip cracked down on her again, this time landing its painful blow on her left thigh. The girl screamed again, the chilling sound echoing louder than the leather on skin. Jiresue laughed loudly, bringing the whip up to her lips and letting her tongue drag across it's surface. "Naughty girl, will you behave?" she cooed, bringing the whip up a third time. "Fuck you!" was the answer.

Jiresue tsked, cracking the whip down on Mina's lower stomach. This time the scream was shuddering in tone. Tears rolled down the girl's cheeks. Jiresue walked close to the bound girl, kneeling beside the bed she lay on and licking the tears from her cheeks. "Mmm," she purred, grasping Mina's chin and forcing it to face hers, then firmly planting a kiss on her damp lips. Mina hissed, but was unable to twist her face away. Jiresue smiled against Mina's lips, standing to tower over the girl. "Don't you see now? It's not wise to tempt me. Considering I could kill you at any moment. Although I don't want to, I won't hesitate in doing so."

"No, fuck you! I don't belong to you!" To silence the girl's anger, Jiresue dug into the shadows and withdrew another weapon. This one not as painful, but for those not used to it, it would sting. A sudden flame lit the room. It was small; Mina couldn't see anything illuminated but Jiresue's face, and the candle she held. Mina fidgeted quickly, shaking her head. "No!" Jiresue licked her lips, and brought the candle close to Mina's breasts. The girl could feel the heat already, and held completely still. "No...no, don't!" Jiresue waited a few seconds, letting the wax from the burning wick gather in the small dip of the candle. "Have you ever been burned? Directly from flame? I haven't. Even as a human, I never have. I was careful, I guess. Candle wax though. I've almost bathed in it. We'll have to try that sometime, yes?" Laughing cruelly, Jiresue tipped the candle over just above Mina's right breast. Mina gasped in pain. It did not hurt as bad as the whipping, but it certainly wasn't pleasant either. The wax rolled down from the top of her breast, straight across her nipple, and gathered between them. Jiresue leaned close and blew on the wax, to make it cool faster. The breath on her nipple sent shivers down Mina's spine. Jiresue noted this, and blew on the other for good measure. Mina growled, trying to twist away. The woman frowned, and raised the candle again, this time to Mina's abdomen. She tipped the candle slowly, letting the wax drip down onto the girl's stomach. She did not stop until she had dripped a large symbol onto Mina's stomach. The girl whimpered and whined, kicking her feet.

This time Jiresue did not blow on the wax to cool it, and simply let it cool on its own. She didn't pull it off either. Mina bit her lower lip, taking a deep breath to relax herself, and block out the pain. Not done with her punishment, Jiresue lowered the candle, passed Mina's stomach, above her clitoris. "Hmm, I wonder..." she purred, tipping the candle so a single drop of wax spilled from the side, landing directly on Mina's clitoris. Mina shrieked, her body tensing. Jiresue giggled, and let another few drops fall down painfully slow. Mina shrieked and cried, kicking her feet against the bed quickly. "St-stop!" she begged, her breath shallow. Jiresue blew on the wax, leaning in close enough to flick her tongue across Mina's damp petals. Mina hissed, kicking knee up a few inches. Jiresue smirked, and leaned back. "If you behave, if you obey me, I'll give you what you want. Almost anything you could ask for. How does that sound? You could have eternal happiness, here with me. A place to live, commodities. All I ask in return is that you do what I ask."

Jiresue stepped back, allowing the girl a few minutes to think it over. Mina did think, of ways to kill Jiresue. Those thoughts only lasted for a few moments, for she realized she wouldn't be able to. The vampire was much stronger than her, with remarkable abilities. It would be like betting on a rabbit to win against a lion. A foolish decision. When her mind was made, Mina sniffled and nodded softly. "Fine, fine! Just please...no more..." Mina tugged at her bindings gently. Jiresue did not unstrap her, nor did she move forward. "Fine...what?" she purred, wanting to hear the girl say it. "Say the words. Say it." Mina cringed, closing her eyes. Her stomach knotted, and her heart seemed to stop abruptly. "I...belong to...you. I won't...I won't fight..." she whispered. Satisfied, the vampire nodded. "That's right. It's silly to think you can win. If you behave, you'll be rewarded. And if you disobey, well...I think we know already what happens then." Chuckling, Jiresue stepped toward Mina and unstrapped her. The girl did not move, and simply lay there still until she was told otherwise. "Good, you're learning already," Jiresue commended, "Get up." Reluctantly, Mina pushed herself up, wincing in pain. Jiresue only laughed at her, not bothering to help her up. Once Mina stood, Jiresue grabbed her shoulders and forced the girl onto her knees. Mina whimpered, her hands fists at her sides. "Good girl," she hissed. Jiresue had not released the whip, and to let Mina know once more who was the mistress, she cracked the whip down onto Mina's bare back. The blow was hard, and broke the girl's skin. The girl's scream echoed as thin droplets of crimson blood trickled down her back, staining her fair skin. Jiresue knelt down in front of her, and pulled something from the shadows. She fastened it around Mina's neck, and attached something to it. Mina assumed she was truly a pet now. A collar and leash, of course. How fitting.

With a gentle tug, Jiresue forced Mina forward. Mina whined, crawling on her hands and knees after Jiresue. She led the girl around the room a few times before tugging her to the door. Mina followed obediently, all the while thinking of how she was going to exact revenge. She may have said she belonged to Jiresue, but that was only to stop the pain. She didn't, she wouldn't let herself be owned by such a woman. This was a game. A big, fucking game. And Mina was the pawn. No more. She'd think of a way out. She'd pretend to behave, be a good little girl. She'd get Jiresue to trust her, and when she least expected it, she would pounce. Mina wouldn't be the rat any longer. She would strike as the snake. And her venom was trust.

Jiresue led Mina from the dark room. She quickly looked over her shoulder, but still saw nothing. Blinking, Mina looked at the collar she wore, and the leash. Both were midnight black, with light hints of deep, velvet red. The collar had a few silver buckles, and diamonds sewn in. Mina thought it would look much prettier on anyone else but her. The leash was the same colour, same jeweled design. It was wrapped around Jiresue's wrist tightly, so even if Mina were to tug back, it would not be released from her grip. Silently, Mina followed after her. Jiresue did not lead her back to the familiar bedroom. She instead turned right, and entered the door opposite the room they had just exited. The vampire stopped at the door, tugging Mina forward. The girl huffed beneath her breath, and sat on the floor in the door way. This room was similar in style to the other. A bedroom and a lamp with a bedside table, but no birdcage in the corner. Instead there was a door, open already. Mina peered over to see a bathroom. "This is your new room. You'll stay here at all times, unless I call you from it. There is a bathroom, over there. I will bring you your meals. If you deserve them."

Yanking the leash quite hard, Mina gasped and sprawled forward into the room. Quickly, Jiresue unclasped the leash from the collar. "Don't bother trying to remove the collar," she warned Mina, "only I can take it off." Jiresue stood, wrapping the leash into a ball and holding it in her palm. Mina glanced up at her, her eyes wide. "Until I can trust you, you'll be held in this room. Once you learn to behave and obey, I'll let you out of here. The whole manor will be your home. You'll be allowed to go anywhere you'd like, except for my bedroom and the dark room. Those doors will be locked at all times. Do you understand?" Mina nodded, dropping her gaze to the floor. Jiresue sighed, kneeling in front of Mina and cupping her chin in her palm. "I truly do not like to punish my pets. But I will if I must. Don't make me have to." Jiresue smiled lightly at her, kissed her softly, and stood. Mina blinked, but did not move other wise. Jiresue swept from the room, shutting and locking the door behind her.

Left in darkness, Mina struggled to stand. Once she was up, she groped the walls for a light switch. She did not find one, but she did remember the lamp beside the bed and switched that on. Squinting her eyes for a moment, Mina sighed and crawled up onto the bed. "What can I do?" she asked herself, carefully laying so her back would not bleed onto the bed. Idly picking off the wax, now cooled and easily removable, she thought of ways to get out of here. Of course she'd have to gain Jiresue's trust first. That would be hard, but after awhile, she'd get it. She'd just have to pretend to be the goody goody girl until then. Seconds passed. Minutes. Hours. Mina sat there immobile thinking. Suddenly, her face lit up, and she smiled. "I've got it! I know how to get out of here!