Stars and Short Stories Monthly Competition

Story Prompt by (avadel)

You flash a smile at the only other person in the room. You aren't sure you mean it.

~~~~~

Raven could feel a sharp gaze on her. A rough, calloused hand was stroking her cheek and it felt so enticing. She leaned into the touch, unknown to the identity of the hand's owner.

"So beautiful," a deep voice murmured. Her eyes snapped open and landed on a pair of pitch black irises. They were like twin pieces of coal, alight with fire, intense even in the darkness. Raven took a step back and took in the man's features. He was tall and thin but had muscles in the right places making him look appealing to the eye. His long almost - white hair, in an unkept way, reached his shoulders. He looked at her in an almost endearing manner, gazing dreamily at her. She broke her state and looked down at herself.

Bloody and bruised. Broken bones with scarred skin.

"So beautiful," he repeated. "My perfect masterpiece." Raven's fists clenched, her breath unsteady at the passionate touch. She didn't want to look at him, afraid of her hideous form being reflected in his eyes.

"You did not create me" She stated. He shook his head, smiling slightly, still holding that look in his eyes.

"Of course I did." He said, "You see these bruises-", he touched the spot on her cheek, which was blackened, "-and this scar here," he traced his finger  over a scar on her collarbone, running down to a few inches, his touch surprisingly soft and gentle, "I gave you these. What would you be without me? I've practically written myself over your skin. Everything you've suffered and endured, every obstacle you had in your path, who do you think placed them? Me."

"You're so strong and tough to have endured all that. I never thought that you'd survive."

"I did and I'm standing right in front of you." She told him. Even though it was in a bad state, she was still there on her own two feet.

"Isn't that beautiful?" He asked. Two of his fingers held my chin in their hold, and pulled my face upwards to look at him. And I was held captive there.

"I don't think there's anything beautiful about an injured, dirty and bloody girl."

"Oh but there is! Especially if the blood and the bruises are because of you. You are my canvas, Raven. My accomplishment. I've painted you in my colours, moulded you to my will."

His words felt oddly reassuring. Raven knew that it was wrong. Wrong to feel safe when someone was openly announcing that they had wounded her. Wrong that she did not feel repulsed, instead drawn towards him. Wrong, that she was happy to hear those words come from the mouth of the villain himself.

But she knew that there was nothing wrong in what he said. He was right. Because she knew the reasons for these bruises, the scars and the blood. She knew why she was looking so damaged. The reasons were of good intentions. His intentions.

She knew that he would never hurt her to cause her actual pain. She knew.

Because it was him.

He gently pried the sword from within my fingers and laid it on his desk which stood beside them.

He parted his, "You should ge-

"Raven!"

Raven was jerked out of her dream by her sister who stood beside her bead with an irritated expression.

"What is it, Viola? Why did you wake me up" She asked groggily, shaking her head to get rid of the sleep.

"There's someone at the door to meet you. Mom has just invited your visitor inside. She appeared very excited when she welcomed him in."

That piqued her curiosity. "Who was it?"

Viola shrugged, still trying to get the blanket off Raven's body, "I don't know, didn't see him properly. I was sent to wake you up and help you get dressed."

Raven got off the bed and stretched her hands high up above her, standing on her toes. She resumed her original stance after releasing a puff of air.

"Alright then, I'll freshen up." Saying this, she walked into her bathroom and shut the door behind her. Dropping her cool and sleepy facade, she rested her palms on the basin and looked into the mirror in front of her.

What the hell was that dream!

It was too confusing and weird for her mind to get a meaning out of it. She felt disgusted.

How could she have felt all those things then that man was saying such vile things to her? She must have been off her bonkers. It was crazy.

She didn't know that man, she hadn't seen him or heard of him before. Yet the man in her dreams seemed so realistic and familiar that was doubting herself.

Raven splashed cold water over her face and took a deep breath. Forget about him, she told herself. It was an important day today. She was going to be paired with her partner today.

She'd been waiting for this day for months. She'd trained hard for the past eight years to become a guardian. She was finally at the last step. One last assignment. If she succeeded in passing it then there was no one stopping her from becoming the best Guardian.

But to complete that assignment she needed a partner. The task was a whole new different level of danger. Every trainee needed a partner to look out for each other's backs. Doing an assignment in a group reduced the threat to their lives.

She suddenly felt all fluttery inside. Who would the Guild assign as a partner with her? Would it be a girl? Or a boy? Would they be friendly? Or distant and aloof? There have been some cases where the two partners refused to cooperate. Which always resulted in unwanted and scary deaths.

A sudden thought raced into her mind.

Was this visitor her partener? Was the Guild already done with the pairing?

Hold on-

What time was it?

"Viola!" She called out, in hopes that she was still in my room. "What?" She called back.

"What time is it?"

"Two in the afternoon." She replied. Raven froze.

Holy crap-

She missed the Pairing. The pairing  ceremony was supposed to be at Ten! No wonder this person- a boy- was at her doorstep.

She dashed into the shower and came out just as quickly. She picked up the fluffy white towel from its place and dried her body with it. She couldn't help but be reminded of the scars on her body; the ones she had seen on herself in the dream. Her body had been filled with them. She touched her cheek, the one that black-and-white eyed man had been caressing. His touch was so gentle and affectionate yet his words were repulsive to her. How could anyone speak that way?

"Raven, what's taking you so long?" Viola asked at that exact moment.

Raven clothed up and stepped out. Her sister agreed to her choice and they both made their way to the guest room.

Raven could feel the butterflies in her stomach, fluttering around nervously. Viola left halfway, saying that she should give her and the Visitor some time alone to get to know each other.

Raven tried to stop Viola, but being the stubborn sister, she did what she wanted anyways. Alone, Raven placed her thin hand on the handle of the door and gave a push.

The door swung open and Raven's eyes roamed and placed themselves onto the frame, or more precisely, the back of a tall boy, no- man. As if feeling Raven's gaze on him, he turned.

Raven was dumbfounded. Her heart was taken aback as it skipped a beat at the sight of the man. Raven was perplexed, scared, horrified, excited and overwhelmed. That was a confusing mix of emotions.

He was the same man she had dreamt about that very day!

Oh god! Holy hell!

What was she supposed to do? Hesitation overcame her. She kept her mouth closed waiting for the person in front of her to make the first move.

He did.

He stepped forward with a dazzling lopsided smile on his face and introduced himself.

"Hello Raven," he said, "I'm Casper, but people usually just call me Blade."

So formal, Raven thought.

She was freaking out on the inside, there was no one else in the room except them and she wasn't sure how to behave with a person, who both terrified her and intrigued her.

So she did the only thing she physically could.

She flashed a smile at him, the only other person in the room. But she wasn't sure she meant it. Albeit she did, and wished that she wouldn't regret it.

~~~~~

Word count: 1,490 words.