Page 13 of Hell of a Thing

I couldn’t look away from him. His glowing red eyes narrowed as he pushed my leg higher, spreading my cheeks more to get a better view of his work. Tears blurred my vision, and I cursed them for obstructing my view of his face. His hand snaked around my front, the rough pad of his thumb finding my clit, mixing the searing pain with pleasure long enough to bring me near the stars. Then he stopped, withdrawing before I could fly among them. Blinking back tears, I moaned, my head rolling from side to side. This was all he would give me of himself, but in my mind, it was he who fucked me, not the severed arm of some nameless human.

I wanted to talk but could only manage small gasps of breath as he twisted the fist back and forth, heedless of the rhythm he knew I needed. Deeper, he pushed, forcing my ass to take every inch of the muscular forearm I’d admired.

The pleasure shifted to pain and frustration as he continued to work me to the edge of release before pulling the appendage out suddenly, leaving my muscles clenching painfully onto nothing. It was then I realized what the true punishment would be. He wasn’t going to fuck me himself, nor would he allow me to climax. By the end of this interaction, I’d be a weeping mess, my body screaming for a release it wouldn’t find. At least my juices were trickling down to the arm he held inside me. Soon, The Devil’s fingers would be covered in my fluids whether he touched me himself or not. That thought nearly brought me to the brink, but seeming to sense it, he paused. A whimper escaped me, and I bit down hard on my lip. Refusing to beg, although I wanted to desperately.

The Devil licked his lips and forced the arm back in. He grinned, entertained by the sight of my hips bucking helplessly against the appendage. Seeing his satisfaction only turned me on more. He worked my ass until the pain that sparked each time he drew the arm out a few inches and pushed back in was nearly unbearable in its intensity. I tried to time his rhythm, to be ready for the next shock, but he changed the speed and angle relentlessly. It was impossible to prepare. I was at his mercy as I writhed on the cursed table, the leather straps cutting into my wrists.

At some point, The Devil picked up speed, moving in and out of my ass fast enough that I was gasping for breath as the screams tore from my throat. AllI could do was scream. Words didn’t exist anymore. My muscles tightened against his hold, my toes curled, my legs tried to close, to stop the invasion. Every fiber of my being coiled tighter as he continued mercilessly, his laughter teasing my ears as my eyes closed. Only the feel of his thumb on my clit as he worked my most sensitive hole mattered. I focused on each stroke.

Pleasure and pain blurred together.

“Look at menow, Isra.” His growl startled me. I pried my eyes open to find him looking directly into them. My breath caught. My cheeks flushed. All I wanted was for him to look at me with praise, but only disgust twisted his features.

I didn’t expect the abrupt end, but it came with a soft chuckle from him. All at once, he withdrew the arm and took a step back, letting my leg fall off the table to dangle freely. Whimpering, I felt hollow and open. My muscles squeezed, protesting painfully when they found nothing but air. What had once brought pain was now sorely missed. It was all I could get from the Devil, and a good demon took what scraps her master deigned to give her.

The Devil’s red cock stood proudly erect, and I longed to catch the drip I could see forming on the tip, but I knew I hadn’t earned such a reward. One did not touch The Devil without his permission.

With a satisfied hum, he unstrapped one of my hands and then the next, but they were too heavy to move at the moment. Even if I wanted to wipe the drool from my chin, I didn’t have the strength to do so.

“Clean yourself up. I’ll meet you in the big top. I expect a better show there. If not, this desperate, unfulfilled ache in your loins will be the last thing you’ll ever feel.”

“Yes, my King,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.

Chapter 6

The Devil’s Carnival wasn’t a place that allowed the time and space needed for grief. Already, everyone had filed through the next door until only I lingered.

Until only I remembered Mallory. I understood, now, why the cheerleader had been reluctant to leave her companion.

At first, I’d waited with a stiletto in hand, sure the spider would come back, and I’d be ready for it. To do, what? I didn’t know. To avenge the girl who reminded me so much of my lost cousin? The girl I’d promised to save. The monster never returned. The sounds of Mallory being consumed ended, and the room was bathed in a terrible quiet.

Tears dripping down my face, I sat on the ground next to Mallory’s severed hand and undid the clasp on her bracelet. My vision was so blurry it was hard to work, but I needed to take something of her with me. To know that she had existed, and I, at least, would remember her.

A fresh wave of tears spilled down my cheeks, and a sob shook my middle.

I hadn’t been able to save her.

I’d failed.

There was nothing to do about it but to stand up and move on.

Hugging myself for comfort, I stood and peered into the dark. I pulled the charm bracelet out and rubbed a pink starfish charm that was quickly obscured as tears filled my vision.

“I’m sorry, Mallory. Rest now. I’ll return this to your parents for you, sweet girl.” Sobs choked my words, but if I wanted to make good on my promise, I couldn’t afford to be a blubbering mess.

My back to the darkness, I walked forward and moved through the entryway into the next space. As though waiting for me, the door slid shut the moment I entered. The long, thin hallway forced us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in groups of four. The result was a line leaving us vulnerable on both sides. Not one person stepped towards the visible door at the end of the hall.

There had to be a catch. But I could see the door in front of us. It was so close. Just a short jog down the hallway and we’d be onto the next.

Only none of these rooms had been that easy. Someone in front started to shuffle forward, and I couldn’t help but keep my head on a swivel. Trying to check in all directions at once. Waiting for whatever horror this room would spring on us.

All at once, the lights went out, and darkness took my vision. Blind within the hall, I reached out for anything, and my hands fell on the softness of someone’s sweater. I had no idea who I clung to, but they were warm and human, and that was good enough for me. We moved slowly forward as a unit, but a scream sounded behind and to my left, followed by a rush of air and the gurgling of blood filling the victim’s lungs.

Heart pounding, I moved forward on numb legs, trying to ignore the noises as more of us were taken. I’d made it to a more central spot in the group, trusting to the wall of bodies on either side to keep me safe. But a blast of air and a quick squeak told me this thing wasn’t done. Every room had demanded one death before a way out was revealed.

This room demanded more.

My heart hammered in my chest when a space opened beside me. A claw grazed along my arm when the person standing there was jerked away. The panic forced me to press harder against the mass of people in front of me, wanting to sprint, puke, anything except stand here unable to move quickly as death came for us.

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