Girl Possessed (Book 1 of The Girl Trilogy)

by Reussie Miliardario

  Getting the wings to actually flap and flutter was a whole skill in itself. In a sense, I was like a newborn baby learning how to use my limbs for the first time. Let’s put it this way, I wasn’t very good at it.

  I hoped it didn’t take a whole year to learn how to fly like it takes a human baby to take its first steps. Maybe I was more like a horse who starts walking right after it is born. That was my desire at least. I knew baby birds took awhile before they learned to fly, but insects were able to fly as soon as they grew wings. For the first time in my life, I hoped I was like an insect.

  I tried to concentrate on getting the wings to flutter. They moved around kind of the way a baby wiggles its legs in an indiscriminate manner.

  Every now and then my body would start to lift off the floor and this felt pretty great. I really wanted to fly up to the ceiling and see if I could somehow escape through the skylight. But, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get myself more than about five or six feet off the ground.

  It was frustrating and exhilarating at the same time. I kept sliding back and forth between the two emotions. But, overall, I was happy to have a goal to work toward. What if I could actually escape through the skylight?!

  20

  That night while I was lying on my blanket upon the floor just staring into the black abyss, Shaul climbed through the wall. I heard a rattling sound which led me to believe that he was carrying the chain and stone block that was attached to his ankle with him. Because it was so dark when he entered my cell, I released a startled yelp.

  “Shhh…” he whispered. “It’s me.”

  My heart fluttered very fast and I was glad he couldn’t see my face because I figured I was probably blushing from excitement.

  “Can I sit here?” he murmured as he sat down next to me on the blanket.

  “Don’t tell me—you can see in the dark too?”

  He chuckled lightly. “I sensed where you were sitting.”

  I could feel the electricity between us. It was difficult being so close to him. The music in my mind became erotic.

  It was a little strange not being able to see him in the blackness of the cell, but I could hear his breathing.

  We sat in silence for some time. I felt embarrassed and didn’t know what to say. I mean, what do you say after being locked away in a dungeon for so long? It would be silly to ask, “How are you?” or “How are you liking the weather?”

  Luckily, I didn’t have to ask the first question because Shaul took the lead. “So, Cordellia…” he said almost wryly which took me by surprise, “…how do you like the food?”

  I laughed. “Mmn, mmn, sure do like those grasshoppers!”

  He chuckled too which made me feel normal again. “My favorite’s the stewed eyeballs.”

  “Oh, I know!” I sighed in humor. “Those are so gross!”

  “What kind of animal do you think they’re from?”

  “They seem sort of possessed, so I’m thinking they’re snake’s eyes or possibly bat’s eyes.”

  “They probably alternate between the two. I was thinking of scooping out the woman guard’s eyes and eating them. What do you think?”

  “I’m in on the scooping, but I’ll let you do the eating.” I smiled, but I’m sure he couldn’t see me in the dark. I kind of liked that he wasn’t able to look at me because I figured that I must have appeared so ugly and haggard. There was no way of knowing how awful I looked because I hadn’t seen a mirror for so long.

  I liked joking around with him especially after being alone for so many months. The banter gave me a little confidence and I dared to start asking questions. I had so many. “How did you get those balls of light?”

  He shifted his position and I sensed that he was uncomfortable with my question. “You’re a curious one. Aren’t you?” His silky voice sounded amused.

  “I just want to know.” I paused. “It’s not like I’m going to tell anyone.”

  “So you can keep secrets?” His voice was teasing.

  “Yeah, I can.” My expression was pouty, but it was too dark in the cell for him to know that.

  “I think it’s better the less you know about me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He sighed and I could feel his cool breath on my neck. I wondered if he had any idea how much he aroused me. “I don’t think you would like me if I told you the truth.”

  “I like honesty,” I insisted.

  “I told you before that you should stay away from me.”

  “Why?” I shook my head and laughed lightly. “If I don’t have you for a friend, I would be completely alone. Doesn’t it bother you being all alone in this dungeon?”

  “Sometimes it’s better to be by yourself than to put others in danger.”

  “Are you a danger to me?” I asked, wondering how that could be.

  “Yes, Cordellia,” his voice was tense. “I am a danger to you.”

  The way he said my name caused electricity to shoot though my body. “Should I be afraid?” I asked facetiously hoping he wasn’t serious even though I intuited he meant what he said.

  “You definitely should.” He paused. “I just can’t control myself anymore. I have to be with you.”

  My heart fluttered. “With me?” I sounded surprised.

  He didn’t say anything.

  “Could you make one of those balls of light so that I can see you?”

  “Hmmn.” He was silent for a moment. I figured he was making a decision. “I could do that.” His voice was serious.

  At once, a ball of light lit in the air between us.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whispered feeling amazed.

  “You’re beautiful,” he had a crooked grin on his gorgeous face.

  I laughed. “Me?”

  “Don’t you know?” He looked surprised.

  I shook my head smiling. “I’m anything but attractive.”

  “Before your birthday, before the changes, you were pretty—very pretty. But, now you are unbelievable.”

  I was so embarrassed. “I don’t have a mirror, but I see that my body is different.” I regretted saying that, afraid to draw attention to myself.

  “Mermaids and fairies are beautiful and you are both. What do you think that means?” He looked down and then gazed up at me through his dark eyelashes.

  “I can’t see my wings very well because they are on my back. But, you saw them.”

  He smiled wickedly. There was a mischievous look on his face.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “It’s nothing.” It looked like he was holding in laughter. “I’m just remembering seeing you with wings and a tail fluttering above the bathtub when I entered your cell.”

  Frustrated, I got the feeling he was thinking about seeing me naked, but I wasn’t going to say anything about that. “I just want to know what my wings look like exactly.” I rolled my eyes.

  His eyes smoldered at me. “They look like a sheer red flower in bloom with very long petals. There are tiny sparkling stars twinkling in the back center and partway up the petals.”

  I felt a rush of excitement within. “They sound so gorgeous.”

  “They are,” he murmured, running his hands through his shiny black hair.

  I wondered if he knew how mesmerizing his voice was. The music rattled through my being. I tried to regain focus. “I want to know why your body exuded red light that time I came into your cell.”

  “What do you mean?” He frowned slightly as he spoke.

  “You were angry at me and red light surrounded you.”

  He shook his head and then looked off toward the corner of the cell. “I could never be angry at you, Cordellia.” His expression was sincere. “Sometimes trying to control myself is overwhelming. That’s why we shouldn’t be together.”

  Neither of us said anything for a long time. The ball of light twinkled between us. It was splendorous. I had never seen anything like it.

  “Why is there a hologram of an apple
in the light?”

  “You can see that?” He seemed surprised.

  “Yes. Should I not be able to see it?”

  He was contemplative. “I guess you should.” He raised an eyebrow. “Remember how your mother and I were talking about the bible story of Adam and Eve while we were driving the speed wave to Seneca Mountains?”

  “Vaguely. I know my mother’s always talking about the bible. Sorry about that. She hates the serpent people and says they are the descendants of original serpent from the Garden of Eden. I don’t remember the bible story so well.”

  Shaul gazed into the ball of light above us. “That is true what you said.” He looked at me seriously. “Let me refresh your memory about the story.”

  “Ok, Mom.”

  He smirked, shook his head, and then continued, “Well, there was a man and a woman named Adam and Eve. They lived in the Garden of Eden.”

  “I’ve heard that. Wasn’t the garden supposed to be like paradise?”

  “Yes, it was paradise on earth. There was only good there. Evil did not exist conceptually yet.”

  “Ok, go on.”

  “The story is layered, but here is the gist of it.” He looked at me for a moment, but I couldn’t read his face. Then he continued, “After the earth was created, God tested Adam and Eve saying that they could not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If they passed the test, the world would become completely good. Evil would not exist.”

  “That sure would be nice to have a perfect world.”

  “I guess that’s a matter of opinion,” he grinned slyly.

  I laughed, but my eyes opened wide with indignation.

  “Well, anyway…” he continued. “…a cunning serpent tricked Eve into eating an apple from the tree. Then Eve fed the apple to Adam. Because they did not pass God’s test, they were all banished from the garden. Now because Eve ate from the tree, there was both good and evil in the world.”

  I nodded my head. “Ok, now I remember the story. So, why are you telling me this?”

  “I’m trying to tell you why I can produce balls of light with a hologram of an apple within.” He smiled shaking his head in amusement.

  “Oh, yeah.” I felt stupid. “Go on.”

  “There are two serpent people alive now who are the direct decedents and the reincarnation of the original serpent. They are slightly different than the other serpent people.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The soul of the original serpent split in two and entered two brothers’ bodies.” He seemed uncomfortable as he explained.

  “How are these brothers different than the other serpent people? You said they are different.”

  “Well, they’re different because they possess the soul of the devil and they are direct decedents of him.”

  “Oh. You said that.” I gulped, thinking about the horrible serpent people who have killed and enslaved so many Americans.

  “There’s something else that makes them different than the other serpent people also.” He hesitated as if he didn’t want to continue.

  “What’s that?” I asked curiously.

  He studied me for a moment and then continued, “They can produce balls of light with the DNA of the original apple from the Tree of Knowledge.”

  I think my face must have turned white because Shaul tensed up and looked worried about me. It took me a while to speak, but I finally managed to ask, “Are you telling me that you are one of the brothers?”

  His silver eyes stayed fixed on my face. “Yes.”

  21

  It felt good to be in the cool, refreshing water. Watching my flamboyant red tail flap beneath the surface was actually kind of humorous. I was getting used to my newly transformed self. Having a mermaid tail was kind of glamorous in a sense. I just wished I could try it out in the forbidden lake that beckoned me. There I could swim freely and explore the depths.

  Now that I was in the tub relaxing, I could ponder all that Shaul had told me the night before. I didn’t know what to make of Shaul being a serpent person, the devil incarnate, to be more specific.

  How could I be so utterly drawn to the most evil of beings that have existed since the dawn of man? But, Shaul didn’t seem evil at all. In fact, he seemed good and heroic. Oh, it made no sense.

  My mother would be devastated if she knew I was associating with a serpent person. She would never allow it. If I insisted on seeing Shaul, knowing what I know now, she would have no choice but to disown me. As much as she loved me, she couldn’t tolerate such a contradiction to her ideological make up.

  Serpent people were the cause of all chaos and destruction in the world. Spiritually, Satan is the enticer of each and every person’s evil inclinations. If the serpent didn’t exist, then the world would be a perfect place. Considering all that, I really couldn’t blame my mother for not tolerating a relationship between the two of us.

  The more I thought about everything, the more I realized I should stay away from Shaul. Even he said he was dangerous. He was probably full of tricks and manipulations like what one would expect of the devil himself. How could I ever trust a serpent? Everyone knows they are a brutal species.

  I slid my head down into the water. My hair fanned out above my face. I concentrated on relaxing. As I did this, my instincts took over and I began to breathe. My mind was tortured.

  I remained submersed under the water for quite a long time. When I finally lifted my head out, I saw Shaul leaning against the wall. From where he was at, I don’t think he couldn’t see my nakedness, but now that my head was out, he could see my face.

  Lightheadedness overtook me—just seeing Shaul put me in a trance. “I wasn’t expecting to see you during the day.” I could barely get the words out of my mouth. I felt so tongue tied.

  His silver eyes glistened as he chuckled wryly. “I like surprising you.” He started to walk toward me.

  “Whoa there.” I lifted my red mermaid tail out of the water and splashed him in the face.

  He laughed, surprised at my facetiousness. “Better watch out or I’ll climb in there with you.”

  I blushed as red as my tail.

  “I’ll let you take your bath. Don’t think I can handle talking with you, knowing you’re naked in there though.”

  My face must have turned redder because he looked at me sideways as that mesmerizing crooked grin surfaced on his gorgeous profile.

  I didn’t say anything. Out of nervous habit, I twisted a long strand of my black hair.

  He rolled his head against the wall in frustration. Then he turned to me and gazed into my eyes confidently. “Do you have any idea what you look like in there?”

  “Slimy?” I asked.

  He shook his head as if waking from a dream. “Hardly.”

  I looked away, trying to control my heart that was beating so fast I thought it might pop out of my chest.

  “I gotta go,” he said abruptly. “But, come to my cell tonight. I have a surprise for you.”

  My face lit up. “What?”

  “Remember I’m the devil, so I can create wonders.”

  With that, he crawled back through the wall.

  The rest of the day all I could do was think about Shaul Hainsworth. It was like I was lost in a dreamy haze and hardly anything existed in the world aside from him and my desire for him.

  As much as I shouldn’t have been, I was so excited to go to him that night. I was desperately curious about the surprise he had for me.

  I spent most of the day fiddling with my hair. I wanted to look beautiful for him. I knew I was far from pretty, but my hair was enticing so I laid my focus there. With my fingers, I divided my locks into many strands and twisted them in tight curls, setting them to dry.

  When evening came, I brushed through the curls. My hair felt silky and full to the touch. Occasionally, I used to style my hair that way before the Economy Crash and when I did, I received many compliments. So, even though I didn’t have a mirror to assess the do, I had a pretty
good idea what it looked like.

  When night came, I removed the stones and crawled through the wall. A symphony was dancing in my mind and I felt more alive than I had in a long time. My heart beat fast as I entered Shaul’s cell.

  22

  When I stepped into Shaul’s cell, I was shocked—the room was beautiful. Shaul sat upon a shaggy white fur rug that rested luxuriously upon the floor. There was a lit fire before him in a charming fireplace that lit up the room. Beside him were ornate gold trays topped with succulent delicacies and exotic drinks. The walls were lined in red velvet with gold crown moldings. The ambiance of the room was sensual and inviting.

  Euphoric thoughts fluttered in my head when I saw the artwork on the walls. Each painting was of me. I had never imagined myself portrayed in such a romantic fashion. In one painting, I sat gracefully on a boulder overlooking the ocean with my red mermaid tail glistening in the sunlight. In another, I fluttered in a sheer red faerie gown with red wings over a breathtaking flowerbed of many colors. Pixy dust trailed behind me.

  But, the last painting was something entirely different. I looked wild and hot. Never before had I imagined it possible that I could look so erotic. Though I was almost naked, I was posed in a way that my private areas were covered. I had on black thigh highs, spiked heels, and long black gloves. My long dark hair was blown straight up in the air—I looked just like how I feel inside—a lustful, desirous girl possessed. How did he know just who I am? I would never show anyone that crazy side of my essence.

  I couldn’t believe anyone could ever see me, the ugly duckling with the humpback, as he did. Shaul made me beautiful.

  The music played on and I could hardly hold my balance. Shaul stood up and helped me sit down beside him upon the soft white fur rug. My body tingled from his touch.

  “How in the world did you do this?”

  “I just unlocked the golden gate in my mind and uttered some chants and spells.” His expression was ironic and playful.