Unnatural Instinct: Wish

You press your hands up against the glass, certain it’s you. Everything about her looks like you. The mask is not enough to conceal the obvious.

‘What the hell?’ The hair stands up on the back of your neck.

She (you) looks at you as she tries to say something. Her lips are moving but you can’t hear her over the din.

‘What?’ you shout.

Then the Dark Prince turns to look, his eyes looking so bright behind his black mask. They both stop dancing. Everybody stops dancing. All the laughter and talking cease. Your eyes widen as you take a step back. They’re all looking at you. You turn to look over at the mirrors on the opposite side of the hall. It’s the same there too.

The music stops. It’s so quiet your ears are ringing. Suddenly, the lights go out and you can see no more of the people watching. All you can hear is the sound of your own breathing and the pounding of your heart.

You don’t like it here. You don’t like it here at all. Holding out your hands in the almost blackness, you hurry towards the exit, only to reach it impossibly quickly. Though the walk down seemed to have taken forever, it’s only moments before you unexpectedly slam into the doors. You’ve hit them hard enough that you’re knocked back to the ground.

Grimacing against the pain in your ankle, you scramble to your feet and search for the handles. You find them. You turn them and try to shove the doors open, only to discover that your suspicions were right—they’re locked.

‘Let me-let me out!’

You wince and turn your face away when the lights switch back on. Your heart is racing. What have you gotten yourself into? You try to remind yourself that it’s just a dream—it doesn’t help.

‘Let me out. Let me out. Let me out!’

‘Calm down, girl.’

You spin around. Two women are peering at you from down the hall. Two women from the party; they’re still wearing their masks. You look into the mirrors, but they’re just normal mirrors again. No people. No dancing. No Dark Prince. Your reflection is ashen.

The woman wearing a blue mask with a long crooked nose raises her hand. ‘We’re not going to hurt you.’

‘Where am I?’

‘You’re in the Dark Prince’s castle,’ speaks the second woman. She’s wearing a voluminous dress with sleeves that hang to the floor. Her mask has a pig snout. She gives a sneering chuckle. ‘Where else would you be?’

‘We’ve come at the Dark Prince’s bidding,’ speaks Crooked Nose.

‘What does he want with me?’

Pig Snout cocks her head. ‘To keep you, of course.’

You lick your lips nervously as you glance at the mirror where he once danced—with you. ‘What if I don’t want him to keep me?’

Pig Snout snorts. ‘A bit late now. You wished for it—and your wish is his command.’

‘Come,’ speaks Crooked Nose. She stands to the side, revealing a door in the wall behind her. You blink. Where did that come from? ‘We must make you respectable.’ She holds out her hand. ’Come. Do not be afraid. What else are you going to do? Go back? Go back to your shitty life?’

Pig Snout chuckles.

‘H-how do you know about that?’

‘He hears you speaking. He knows your pain. Just as he heard your wish.’

‘Come,’ Crooked Nose repeats, curling a long finger topped with a nail so long it looks like a claw. It’s coloured blue like her mask.

It’s just a dream.

Slowly, you approach them, wincing at the pain in your ankle, your reflections hobbling alongside you.

Crooked Nose is still holding out her blue-clawed hand. You take it with a shiver—it doesn’t feel smooth like it should but leathery and cold. You limp as she guides you towards the door, Pig Snout following close behind.

Through the door is a brightly lit room, so different to the black hall. The walls are white and the moonlight pours in through numerous windows, gleaming against the many chandeliers. There’s a fountain in the centre with a sculpted mermaid made of white marble. Her back is arched in ecstasy, her long hair falling behind her as the water cascades over her breasts.

Surrounding that is a range of delicate furniture. Elegant chairs. Chintzy sofas dressed with soft pillows and flowery throws. The floor is more of that white marble the same as the mermaid. Cabinets. Closets. There’s a large make-up table in the corner. A pair of open French doors lead out onto a small balcony.

The door shuts behind you. Crooked Nose turns towards you, her gleaming eyes trailing hungrily over your face. You jerk away when Pig Snout runs her fingers through your hair.

‘So pretty,’ she says.

You try to step away, only to bump into Crooked Nose.

‘What are you doing?’ you say in a high voice.

‘We must get you ready for the Dark Prince,’ says Crooked Nose. ‘You can’t look like this, can you?’

You can tell she’s smiling behind her mask as she tugs at your shirt. Then she grabs the waistband of your pants and yanks them down.

‘Hey!’

You reach down to pull them back up but Pig Snout grabs your wrists. ‘It must be done.’

‘Let go!’

You try to wrench your arms away but she’s unbelievably strong, her hands like clamps. As you wrestle, Crooked Nose pulls down your underwear.

‘Stop it!’

Pig Snout releases your wrists. You try to shove her away as she yanks up your shirt but you stumble as your feet tangle in your pants. Just as they pull off your shirt, you fall into the fountain with a splash. The water is unexpectedly warm. For a moment, you’re completely submerged, your eyes wide as you struggle to see, your lips clamped tightly shut. You can feel their hands on your back as they pull you back through the surface.

‘Relax!’ Crooked Nose commands as she grabs your arm and starts rubbing you down with a soapy sponge.

Pig Snout is laughing as she washes your hair.

‘I can wash myself, thanks!’

You make a swipe for the sponge but Crooked Nose pulls it away, cackling. ‘Only the best for the Dark Prince!’

The water is bubbling with soap. Crooked Nose lifts your arm in her vice-like grip and washes down your armpit. She moves onto your breasts.

‘Hey!’

You try to slap her hand away but Pig Snout seizes your wrist and pins it against the marble mermaid. She does the same with your other arm. You squirm against her but she’s much stronger than the average woman.

Crooked Nose moves from your breasts to down between your legs.

‘Stop!’

She takes an inordinate amount of time wiping you down. Next, Pig Snout shoves your head into the falling water so it washes out the soap in your hair.

Finally, they both pull away.