The Demon Knows My Vice

When she tried to call out, no sound emerged from her throat, as if the abyss had devoured her voice itself. She was trapped in a nightmare, an infernal playground – the cold and lifeless dominion far more intense than she could have ever imagined. Unable to see, unable to hear, unable to touch, she was consumed by terror. She was trapped in sensory deprivation, alone and helpless. It was like being blindfolded, only this was worse. It was true darkness. True nothingness. True terror. Like a cold shroud, it envelop her. And all she could do was remain still as the mephitic presence of the void itself seemed to manifest. Her heart pounded like a frenzied drum against her ribs, each beat echoing painfully in the oppressive silence of the abyss around her. The grim chuckle of the monstrous apparition sent a freezing shiver down her spine, every instinct screaming at her to run, to flee from this malevolent entity. But she couldn't. Mariah was trapped in this oppressive void, ensnared by a force she couldn’t see, and couldn’t understand.

The crimson and black fae felt a presence looming behind her, a horrifying amalgamation of shadows that offered her nothing but despair. She could almost feel the cold chill of his gaze on the nape of her neck - a spectral touch that made her skin prickle with fear. His sadistic satisfaction buzzed palpably in the empty space between them- around her, feeding her fear. She burned to turn around, to face him. To face her fear. But it was impossible for her to do so.

Mariah's eyes widened in sheer terror at his words. The very thought sent her heart thundering even harder against her chest, a deafening rhythm in the eerie stillness. Her throat was dry, her lips parched. She wished to scream, to call for aid, but the futility of it all kept her mute and paralyzed. Her chest felt as though it were collapsing under an unseen weight, an iron cage clamping around her struggling heart. Her mere existence being toyed with. The imprint of his breath tingled on the surface of her skin, causing waves of goosebumps to ripple down her spine. His every word was a ghastly whisper, lacing her thoughts with icy dread. The malicious joy in his voice was obvious as he lapped up her fear, drawing strength from it. His words echoed in her mind- not something she just heard, but resonated from within her.

He asked her name, but she couldn’t answer. Not on her own tongue. Her name, her identity, seemed to have been stripped from her in this cruel void. But she would not let him take that from her. Not everything. Forcefully swallowing the lump in her throat, she steeled herself. Mariah. Her presence of mind was the only thing she could control, so she clung to it with all her might. But of course, that wasn't even her's alone.

"Mariah Mendacium"