“Nobody move!” Charisma shouts, rushing to the first die. Sullen chuckles, crossing his arms as he watches them. Havoc remains unfazed, staring into an invisible abyss. They bend down, observing it closely. “It’s a one!” Charisma sighs, saddened that they’ve lost. “Whatever. I didn’t really want that doll’s hair anyway. Blue and yellow aren’t my colors.”
“Don’t be such a sore loser,” Sullen snickers. “What’s the other one?”
Charisma looks around, glancing under the doll’s bed. “I have to crawl under there to see it.” They glance up at us. “Boss?” Their lavender eyes sparkle in the moonlight, their skeleton face paint and glitter-covered cheeks glistening in the blacklight. I nod as anxiety rushes through me, wondering what fate has chosen. As Charisma carefully scurries under the bed, I look at Blue, my heart racing and my mind praying the die didn’t come up a five or six. Shit, I’m honestly scared for it to be a one, considering what I’ve chosen. “Snake eyes!”
The color drains from my face as my stomach drops. Charisma climbs from under the bed, bringing me the die as it had landed—a one.
“You cheated!” Sullen growls, infuriated with losing. “These dice are loaded!” He snatches the dice from their hand.
“Lies!” Charisma hisses as the two argue.
Havoc silently steps to my side, yanking my burlap suit as I look down at her. “What is dolly’s fate?” she asks. Sullen and Charisma stop, realizing that I won without saying my choice aloud.
“Yeah, what is the little doll’s fate?” Charisma asks with curiosity.
My hand reaches for my mask, slowly removing it as my inked skin instantly glows in the moonlight. Cold air hits my face, clashing with the burning of my cheeks as I gaze over the sleeping doll. “She’s going to take me to Dreadmoor.”
Charisma and Sullen gasp. “But how?” Charisma asks. Havoc grins, a dark shadow covering her face as she remains quiet.
I slowly walk to the side of Blue’s bed, watching her. “By making her fall in love with me.”
Sullen gags at the words as Charisma gasps again with a dramatic hand gesture. “You can’t be serious?”
“Caution,” Havoc warns. She crawls to the foot of the bed, peeking over at Blue. “Needles make things but undo them too. Bugs wander too close to the lights.”
“Havoc, can you just be normal for once?” Charisma sighs, crossing their arms. “No one understands anything you say.”
“He does,” she whispers.
I do, but no matter what, I will do whatever I need to return to Dreadmoor and win our game. If this doll is the key, then I fully intend on using it—in whatever way is needed. Besides, she’s a creation—a toy. I’d never allow myself to fall into the trap of having feelings for her. I may have a physical attraction, sure, but it’s nothing more than that. I’ll keep my distance just enough while playing my own game. Blue is going to be mine, a pawn in a bigger game. My toy.
Let the new game begin.
Chapter 5
Blue
What thing did I see in my mind?
A pleasing hue of a new kind.
“Right there.” Sweat covers me as the odd, warm glow consumes me. I whimper, my hips grinding upwards as I feel myself drawing closer to something. I feel like a coil wound too tight, and I’m about to explode. “Oh. no... Oh?—”
“That’s it,”hisvoice purrs. “Give me your release.” I roll my head back and scream as a pleasurable burn consumes me, and something foreign and bright crosses my vision like a flicker.
Bolting straight up, I gasp, looking around the greyscale room. I’m drenched in sweat and... did I wet myself? Reaching down, I whimper at how wet and sensitive I am between my thighs. Was that... Did I have an inappropriate dream about that masked man?
“Naughty dolly.” The playful voice startles me, my cheeks burning with both embarrassment and the lingering heat of my dream.
“Havoc?” I call out into the darkness, the fire crackling as I slide further into the layers of furs. “Havoc, is that you?”
Havoc steps from the shadows of the corner of the room, grinning as she holds something within her hands. “Little dolls shouldn’t play with themselves. Only bugs.” She opens her hands as a tiny little bug flies from her grasp. A Firefly. “Havoc knows something you do not.”
“I wasn’t playing with myself,” I snap while watching the bug. “Wait, what do you know?”
Havoc crawls to the foot of my bed. “You must keep your innocence, for it is not yours to take.” She points to me, her single eye bouncing around, as if watching a ghost float around the room. “Green snake eyes choose your fate. Let him teach you since you know nothing.” Havoc’s eye shoots to me as she giggles. My entire face burns as I realize what she’s saying.
“I know plenty about sex, thank you!” I pull at the furs, knocking Havoc to the floor as she cackles out loud, kicking her feet in the air.