shaking like a leaf with every God given night; bruise & jackel

[rapt]

there is a dream in the space between the hammer and the nail ------ the dream of about-to-be-hit, which is a bad dream ------------ but the nail will take the hit if it gets to sleep inside the wood forever “Follow me,” he tells the woman – Jackel – “and I will take you to him.” She follows, and he does not look back, trusts the footfall of her steps. There is a part of him that clamors as he walks, begs him to reconsider, that he is not this kind of man. Never mind what he wants (to please Bruise, please the monster, to kneel, to be ruined, taken, broken) – she is not part of this game, she knows nothing other than the weak flattery he gave her. She is not meant to be part of this. But Bruise had asked – commanded – this of him, and he is so eager to obey, so eager to please, that his virtues crumble in the wake of the monster’s touch, and she is the consequence. He is afraid, at first, that he will not find the monster, that Bruise will have tired of him. But he comes into view, majestic, terrible, beautiful, and Rapt sighs in relief.  “Here she is,” he says, “she is eager to meet you.” He touches the girl, then, her gold skin so like his. She is sun-warmed, leaning into his touch, and the urge to tell her to flee arises again. “Jackel,” he says, “this is Bruise.” And then, without being told, he kneels. Surrendering to the monster. rapt caius x else

@[Jackel] @[bruise]