Figments 6 Date Thursday, April 25, 2024 - 03:00 AM PST Topic Entertainment I sat in the balcony with Chloe beside me. After the curtain had gone down on the scenes from my life, my mind was whirling with doubt and confusion. Things aren't always what they seem to be, Chloe had said. Could it be that I had badly misjudged some of the most important things about myself? I turned away from the stage, the image of Daemon's eyes smoldering in my mind. He had seemed to be a bit more of a person to me in those last few moments. I was still sure I wanted to get out, back to my normal life, in the existence I was supposed to be in, but I couldn't help wondering... As I made my way down the stairs I came to one conclusion above all others. I would no longer be a victim. I would take charge of my own destiny. This was my own mind, my own playground after all. I knew I could cause the turn of events to go my way just by thinking about them, if I put my mind to it. When I opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, he was there waiting for me. His smile was the same mocking one I'd come to expect from him. I felt Chloe's presence behind me. "Don't let him see you're afraid of him." she whispered to me. "Lauren." His gaze on me was intense. "What did you think of the show?" I smiled at him. "I think it was yet another of your manipulative tricks, Daemon." I said. "I think you thought it would influence me in your favor somehow. You were wrong. You'll never break me. You'll never own me. I am free of you." I spoke more confidently than I felt, but it was a start. His eyes grew cold and his mouth tightened. "We'll see about that." he said, then he lunged at me, pinning me to the wall, his hands on my shoulders. He kissed me brutally, I struggled against him for a moment, then clutched at him, drawing him closer to me. I could feel his surprise as I deepened the kiss, my fire matching his own, the smoldering cinder between us bursting into a white-hot flame. I could feel the panic in him as he sharply drew away. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, shaking me. "Oooh, you don't like it when I'm not playing the helpless victim, do you?" I purred like a satisfied kitten. The bit of power in my teeth was altogether too enticing. "Too fucking bad, dearie. I told you I was free of you. I meant it." I moved closer to him. "Go ahead, try to tame me. I'm not sure you have what it takes." He backed away from me, a strange look on his face. It looked very much like doubt. I glanced around at the crowd. Most of them seemed to be holding their breath. Was he really all that intimidating to them? He reached out and took me roughly into his arms, casting a curious look to the crowd. I smiled at him with the same mocking smile he'd used on me. He couldn't afford to lose face here, he would try something wicked, I was sure. I was ready for it, whatever it would be. "We'll see Lauren." He whispered to me, "I'm interested in seeing just how you'll behave now, without an audience to give you courage." He wrapped me in his coat and we disappeared. The room we were in was dark and cold. There was a bed in one corner, but the rest of the room was decorated with numerous chains on the walls and dangling from the ceiling. Daemon dragged me over to a set of chains hanging from the ceiling, close to the bed. As he put the restraints on my wrists, I grinned at him. "So now you need chains to hold me. Your own strength is not enough. It's good that you know that. We both know I'm stronger than you." I laughed as he started removing my clothes. "You know you're only tormenting yourself. I'm not in your control and you know you can't get it back. Whatever you do now will only be to appease your wounded pride. You can't touch me on the inside if I don't allow it." I was naked, chained, but I felt more self-confident than I ever had in my life. It came as a shock when he left the room, never once speaking to me or glancing back. I hung there, my toes touching the floor just enough to give my wrists some comfort. When my feet cramped uncomfortably, I took them off the floor until my wrists grew numb. I pressed my toes against the floor again, trying to regain some sort of balance in this ridiculous situation. I was growing more angry by the second, and the seconds ticked by with a maddeningly slow pace. Damn him. Damn him to hell, I thought. I had no idea how long I hung there. When he reappeared, I was spitting mad. "You bastard!" I yelled at him. "What do you mean by leaving me like this?" He stood before me, smiling. "Did you miss me?" he asked. I looked away and didn't answer him. He took my chin in his hand and forced me to look at him. "I do have all the power here, Lauren. You're going to learn that, if nothing else." I spat in his face. "Bastard." I muttered. I hated him with every ounce of my being then. He wiped his face and turned away. "Well, if you really don't enjoy my company, I guess I can go. There are much more pleasant things I can be doing with my time right now." I saw his form start to fade away into the darkness. "Wait!" I hated the sound of desperation in my voice. "Don't go." It wasn't quite a begging tone, I told myself. He turned back toward me. "Yes, Lauren?" he asked, searching my face intently. "What would you have me do? You've openly defied me and have issued a challenge for me to tame you. That's what I'm doing. This is a way for you to see that I really am your master." "I don't call anyone master." I growled at him. "Especially not you." I turned my face away from him. "Go to hell." 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