• My eyes opened slightly as I felt myself gain consciousness again… My body was exhausted… My mind was numb… My clothes were missing… That’s when my eyes became huge with sudden shock, the realization hitting me hard enough to cause me to grunt slightly in pain. The memories of yesterday night painted live, vivid pictures all over again…


    The blade... the kiss… the gasps… the grip… the smile… the passion… the warmth… the bed… his mask… our clothes… my vase… our moans… his tongue… his breath… the pain… the pleasure… the motion… the noises… his last words…


    I didn’t, no; I refused to believe it happened! Maybe this is all a sick, twisted joke; a trick being played against me; a hallucination from too much blood loss…

    His arms pulled me closer against his body, letting out a soft sigh in my now frizzy blue hair. I sighed softly and closed my eyes.

    His last words… He said he loved me… Doesn’t mean he was being honest though, I mean, C’mon. My ex-husband said he loved me and yet he left the kingdom, leaving me to suffer in my agony and reduce to cutting at my wrist for dulling the pain in my shattered heart…

    I opened them again and wriggled lightly. He moaned softly, the sound had a slight whimper to it, and held tighter.

    “A few more minutes, Love…” He whispered in my ear.

    I sighed and nuzzled his chin. Maybe he loves me back… Maybe it’s all just my paranoia acting up on me and maybe… maybe… He might love me…

    I felt a finger travel down my spine and I shivered slightly. A soft chuckle followed by a kiss on my neck. I rolled my eyes as he sat up, pulling me on his lap. I pulled the blankets over my chest, blushing lightly. He laughed at my action, combing his long fingers through my hair.

    “Come, Love. We have to make sure our city is complete…” He gently nudged me. I crawled off of him and quickly got dress and cleaned up. When I finished and looked over at him, he had a navy blue mask tied over his eyes.

    I frowned. “I really wish you didn’t always wear a mask…” It sucked that he did, I thought dreamily. I wanted to see his perfect bronzed face again… His perfectly chiseled frame of his body as it hovered over mine… His slightly full lips as they were pressed on mine again…

    I suddenly coughed loudly, anything to get rid of those sick thoughts. He looked at me with the loveliest looking expression of puzzlement, but I ignored him and cleared my throat.

    “Need to spit…” I muttered before rushing out the bedroom, my staff tightly gripped in my right paw. I went to the balcony, staring down at the army of mindless zombies. The lifeless gaze they had as they ambled around the currently crumpled city that once carried on so much life and meaning… The dead trees murky and decayed and weak to the roots… The sky was a dreary shade of grayish-red… All the animals were nowhere to be found; some mostly secreted themselves; most were dead. The grass was black and withered with a hint of crimson from the victims who somehow were able to avoid the zombificaton and ended up food for them instead…

    I don’t know why, but it feels weird… At least when I was ruling with the fox prince; everything was lively. Like a canvas of a nature painting coming to life, it was a beautiful scene. The trees, graceful and sturdy, grew out its long hairs the beautiful petals of apple blossom. There were rare exotic plants that flourished in the forests, the animals running around carefree and living off in their peaceful lives… The two of us would sit on the roof and watch the city as the humans and non-humans would all live together in harmony… We would be cuddled to each other and let the setting sun mark off another day of happiness we had together…

    I can feel hot tears streaming down my cheek and I dried them off quickly, my heart heavy with grief once more. I wanted to forget him; however, my memories on him had imprinted into my brain.

    When my vision cleared out, I looked over the kingdom. I remember many years ago how this used to be my dream, but now that I have put my people in anguish and melancholy… it’s a nightmare came true. A nightmare I have started… and a nightmare I can wake everyone out of…

    A hand was on my shoulder and the Puppet King whispered. “We won, dear; everything here is ours.”

    I forced a smile and looked at him. “I don’t think any of it was possible without your help.”

    He smiled back and touched my cheek. “Ah, but it was all you. You were the brains of the plan and it was your hatred that kept it strong.”

    A pang of guilt punched my stomach. I was so mad at him, so filled with revenge… I made everyone suffer and all because of a shaky breakup…

    I shrugged and grinned. “It’s just my emotions taking over again.”

    He chuckled and kissed my forehead. “That reminds me… There’s something important we need to discuss. Meet me by the lake in three hours…”

    I nodded and put a hand on his cheek. “I promise.”

    He pulled me in and kissed me deeply and I moaned softly, his kiss so breath-taking. The memories of last night were flashing in my head again… I was blushing lightly when he broke the kiss, laughing softly at my expression. He kissed me again, more briefly, and let me go with a sigh of what sounded like relief, striding off with cape billowing behind him like a vibrant blue flag that coordinated well to his navy blue suit.

    I looked out again and sighed, leaning on the rail. Well one thing is for certain… I thought, numbly. The title of Puppet King is perfect for him… He has me emotionally attached to him and I can’t detach myself from the strings that he has tied to my heart…