Wrong Side of the Bed - Ch. 11

This is a work of FICTION, made by and for adults. The following chapter includes depictions of teasing, consensual intoxication, bondage, genital mentions (breasts), wax play, severe trauma (dissociation, flashback, age regression, shock), kidnapping, religious discrimination (Paganism), murder, death by burning, emotional abuse, and attempted physical assault (branding). Reader discretion is HIGHLY advised and a summary of traumatic events is provided.

Gently moaning as a slight tickle pulled her from her sleep, Elva shifted from her curled state and murmured, "Mh—Mistress, not...not my... ears."

An amused chuckle and a soft pat across her hair brought Elva further from her slumber as she slowly squirmed onto her back. Finally, Elva's eyes creaked open to see Mistress affectionately smiling down at her before she said, "Good evening, kitten." Still waking up, Elva watched Mistress' grin widen before trying to reply.

After grumbling and shifting, Elva began to respond, "Good—" before her eyes widened. Elva pushed herself up in a fluster and clarified, "E-evening?!" Turning to Mistress and gripping the straps of her dress, Elva demanded, "I-I slept all day?!"

Mistress began heartedly cackling before wrapping her arms around Elva and grasping her tightly. "I'm teasing, kitten!" she reassured Elva through giggles. "It's still morning. Oh, you haven't even been resting an hour," Mistress explained while she pulled away from her embrace, letting Elva see her amused smirk.

Sharply groaning as she tried to relax, Elva fell back into Mistress' lap and raised her arm to cover her closed eyes. "I don't even know what an—hour is, Mistress," Elva complained as her head leaned away.

Elva felt Mistress brush her forehead as she explained, "It's just a way of measuring the passage of time, kitten. Our days have twenty of them, a few less than you're used to, I suppose."

Grunting in frustration, Elva repeated, "A few less?" as Mistress petted her hair again. Feeling her heart lighten and her cheeks warm with each caress, Elva lowered her arm then curled away on her left side. 'Yesterday was fast, but I thought I just slept too much,' Elva observed before Mistress' aroma sweetened and slowed her thoughts.

Giggling at Elva's vexation, Mistress said, "It just means we have to make the most of each day, doesn't it?"

As she looked up and saw Mistress' smile and soft eyes, Elva nodded slightly and laid on her back again. "I suppose so," Elva commented, feeling her heart flutter as Mistress' grin warmed her further.

"Please," Mistress kindly requested as she held out her hand, "come with me, kitten."

Hardly looking at her palm, Elva took it without hesitation and let Mistress pull her upright. As she turned to stand up, Elva asked, "What are—what are we doing now? Not more," she paused to anxiously swallow as they both found their feet, "f-fermenting, right?"

Mistress chuckled at Elva's query as she pulled her along. "I had something else in mind, kitten," she reassured Elva with a smirk as she turned to walk forward. "I'm in the mood for candles."

"Uh, candles?" Elva curiously asked as she followed Mistress, already enamored by the sway of her braid. "Are we conducting a ritual?"

Holding her mouth and snickering at Elva's insinuation, Mistress replied, "I suppose that's what our play is, isn't it, kitten? A little ritual we're performing." After a few steps, Mistress approached a long, dark table with red padding covering the whole top. As Elva glanced away from Mistress' hair, she first noticed the frame she was bound to, seemingly only moments ago, and recalled Mistress resting against this table. Remembering Mistress gleefully watching as she struggled made Elva squirm as her chest grew hot. When Mistress turned around, her smile as bright as ever, Elva watched her lips as she sweetly ordered, "Lay on this for me, kitten."

Already feeling needy, Elva quickly nodded and stepped to the waist-high table. Elva pressed her hand on the padding to climb atop, but she shivered and gasped as Mistress cupped her rear to gently lift her off the ground. Still holding hands, Elva brought her knees onto the table as Mistress caressed her from her back to her shoulder. Following a gentle pull as Mistress reached her arm, Elva let herself be turned and laid on her back. Looking up, Elva saw Mistress beaming over her as she held her wrists at the end of the table.

Mistress whispered, "Good girl," then added, "Hold still a moment," as she let go of Elva's hands and walked around the table. At first, Elva tried to stay calm and stare at the dark ceiling, but as Mistress touched her hip and stroked her left thigh, she shuddered and realized her wrists were stuck. Trying not to struggle, Elva sighed and scrunched her toes as her ankles were softly grasped and pulled apart. "Almost done, kitten," Mistress said before letting Elva go. "All finished," she announced while walking to Elva's left side. Finally looking away, Elva's heart fluttered when she saw Mistress' eyes wander while she widely grinned. Her vain squirming only worsened as Mistress held her stomach and complimented, "Very good, kitten."

Breathless, Elva murmured, "Thank you, Mi—" before her hand slid up. Quivering as Mistress' fingertips smoothly passed between her breasts and traced her neck, Elva's eyes closed when Mistress held her cheek and embraced her. Gently moaning into her kiss, Elva lightly writhed against her unfelt restraints while her mind floated. Mistress gripped Elva's lips then let their tongues touch before she pulled away to let Elva gasp.

Elva's eyes crept open to see Mistress stand upright and hold her hands together. Gently blowing into her palms, an array of pink and purple lights slowly revealed a violet candle that steadily rose into the air. As the top manifested, Mistress blew on the tip before it began glowing with a pinkish light.

"That's," Elva whispered while the soft light entranced her, unable to finish her sentence as Mistress grinned and rested her arm on the table.

After tilting the candle, a drop of wax fell and landed on Mistress' skin. She hardly reacted beyond smiling wider and glancing at Elva. "Are you ready?" Mistress sensually asked.

Elva breathed deeply before nodding in approval, slowly closing her eyes in anticipation. After a moment, Elva felt a warm plop on her stomach. Yelping as the heat spread through her skin, Elva wrestled against her bonds while the air grew less sweet. "It," Elva whispered, "it-it's h-hot—" as the pain increased. Whimpering as the sting became uncomfortable, Elva's heart dropped when her eyes peeked open and saw that Mistress' smile was gone. Mistress seemed to say something, but Elva couldn't hear even as she blew on the candle and extinguished the gentle light. Mistress swung the candle away, but a drop of wax fell from the bottom as it shifted. Her eyes and mouth went wide as Mistress let go of the candle to reach for the drip, failing to catch it before it fell onto Elva's left forearm. The burn rapidly spread throughout her, and Elva's mind fell dark as the world sank away.

—Extreme content warning. Reader discretion is HIGHLY advised—

—A summary of these events will follow before the chapter continues—

As Elva opened her eyes and turned her head, she could hardly contain her excitement at her new discovery. Suddenly running through the pine forest near their home, Elva cheerfully shouted, "Móra, over here! Look at all the berries on those brambles!"

An elderly woman with gray hair called back, "Wait, sunshine," as the young girl raced away. "We have plenty of food for tonight. Let us head home before it turns dark," Móra added, observing the dim light of the late day.

Elva retorted, "But those black ones are your favorite, aren't they?" as she continued her path, nimbly ducking under the branches overhead.

Gasping sharply, Móra cried out, "Elva, wait! You know we don't forage beyond the wards!"

"It'll only take me a moment!" Elva giggled as she kept on, disregarding Móra shrieking as she passed through a translucent veil that made her skin tingle. Slowing down to chitter and squirm at the strange sensation, Elva's eyes were closed as she took the last few steps toward the bush.

When Elva looked to kneel down, a rustling in the nearby foliage and a soft, fiery glow caught her attention. "What in God's name—where did you come from??" Elva heard someone with a deep, raspy voice shout at her. Swiftly standing up, Elva saw a tall man with scruffy, brown hair on his cheeks step out of the brush and approach her.

As she nervously backed away, Elva turned and anxiously asked, "Móra, who is—" only to see an empty forest behind her.

Too afraid to turn back around, Elva didn't wait long before her grandmother emerged from thin air. "Elva, run! Get away!" Móra shouted as she hurried to her side, though not fast enough to keep her right wrist from being firmly grasped by a rough hand.

"You—!" the man exclaimed to Móra as he pulled Elva's arm, leaving her to flinch as she looked up in fear. "You're a witch!!" he shouted, sharply yanking Elva away as she winced and yelped in pain.

Looking back at her grandmother, Elva didn't have time to whisper her name before she heard an unfamiliar woman shout from very far away, "Kitten! Kitten, teardrop, Kitten! Elva!!"

At the sound of her name, Elva turned and blinked, only to find that the sun had set while a bright light flooded her vision. Both her wrists were tightly grasped and held up now, keeping Elva from backing up or turning away from the searing heat of the blazing pyre before her. Elva barely noticed how hot her skin felt over the potent smell of burning wood and flesh with the crackling of flames underneath Móra's piercing screams. Mouth agape, lips trembling, and tears rolling down her cheeks, Elva could only watch in horror as her family was gradually consumed by the dancing flames.

A gruff voice near her left bellowed, "To Hell with you, witch!" as Móra's pale hair burned to a crisp.

"God's curse upon you!" another man shouted less clearly amongst the crowd opposite the fire.

Someone else far away yelled, "May the Devil blow you into the air!" The statement brought renewed chants from the ring encircling the fire that echoed, "Blow into the air!"

"Shame and disgrace," the raspy-voiced man gripping her right arm screamed, though seemingly far away, "for leading this child to Lucifer's temptations!"

Hardly able to comprehend their curses, Elva quietly asked, 'Who's Lucifer?' as their voices seemed to mute to her ears. 'Please...' she silently prayed as Móra's cries grew quiet and her thrashing became less severe. 'Brigit... someone...' Elva's legs trembled weakly as her grandmother's head dropped limp, only staying off her knees by the strong arms that held her up. 'Please... save Móra...'

Suddenly, there was a loud crack of sticks in the trees behind Elva, followed by the same young woman from earlier screaming out, "Kitten!" When Elva looked toward the voice, the forest vanished to reveal an unfamiliar pair of wooden doors behind her.

"Wha—where—" Elva struggled to ask through her daze. The heat of the fire was gone, but she could smell smoke on her dress, and her left hand was still firmly held. Before Elva could look away, she heard the raspy-voiced man incoherently yelling at somebody. Breathless and trembling, Elva slowly turned around and watched, wide-eyed and petrified, as she began to recall their words.

"I said this is senseless!" a taller man with blond hair and a smooth voice shouted. "I implore you, leave the girl with me! I'm sure she can still be re-educated! I can still show her the light of God!"

"You are mistaken, Sagart!" the shaggy-man angrily retorted, throwing his arm back towards Elva. "Long has she been astray in the Devil's grasp and longer still will she be if we don't cleanse her now!" Stepping forward and pushing the blond man aside, he exclaimed, "This must be done! Hold O'Farrell!" he ordered before a dark-haired man grabbed the sagart from behind.

O'Farrell exclaimed, "Cease this at once!" as he tried to struggle free. "I refuse to sanction any of this barbarism!"

Unmoved, the shaggy-man approached a burning hearth and reached for a metal rod. As he grasped the handle and pulled it out of the fire, the irregular shape drew smoking coals with it before they fell to reveal a glowing white tip. "Pull down her sleeve!" he ordered the man holding Elva as he turned to approach.

Elva began to sob again and quake as he stepped closer, silently shaking her head as she vainly tried to back away. 'No...no, please no...' she pleaded as her sleeve slid down. "Please, no!" Elva found her voice as she watched the scorching metal near her. She tried to struggle free, but her wrist was held steady while she begged for mercy. As the heat tickled her skin, Elva cried, "No!!" one more time. In time with her scream, the room froze as a loud bang and the crack of wood drew everyone's attention to the doors. Elva hardly turned as she felt the grasp on her wrist ease; with a final yank, Elva pulled herself free and swiftly turned toward the gateway.

If the hunters said anything or tried to grab her again, Elva didn't notice as she raced to the doors, barely noticing a second bang and crack even as the doors caved. With just a few hurried steps, Elva neared the doors just as they were hit a third time and burst open. Disregarding anything but the open exit, Elva continued to run but was grabbed and tightly held by soft hands as a woman knelt down in front of her.

"Elva!" the strange woman called out as she pulled Elva's face into her shoulder. "Oh, thank Brigit, I found you!" she sobbed while gripping tighter, even as Elva tried to struggle free. When Elva pulled away, she saw tears streaming down the woman's reddish cheeks as she pleaded, "Please remember, Elva, you're not here! You're safe with me!"

"Bu—," Elva protested before turning away. "But, th-the hunters—the-they're going to—I-I need to—!" Elva explained as she aggressively wriggled from the woman's hold.

Before Elva could argue further, the woman pulled her close again and begged, "Please, Elva!! I swore to protect you!! Please remember!!"

As Elva listened to the woman painfully bawl, she couldn't help but feel some reassurance in her words. After taking a deep breath, Elva finally noticed the sweet smell coming from her hair. "Care for and—protect," Elva whispered as her eyes closed and her breathing began to calm. Relaxing into her grasp, Elva slowly raised her hands to hug the woman back. "Mistress," she murmured as the world around her faded.

—Summary of events. Reader discretion is still advised—

When Elva opened her eyes, she found herself running in her pine forest as a child to investigate a bush full of her grandmother's favorite blackberries. Disregarding Móra's calls to return to her side, even as her pleas turned to panic, Elva left the wards and was seen by a hunter that she didn't notice. When he moved to grab her, Móra revealed herself to try and save Elva. However, Elva blacked out again before she saw him grab her grandmother after hearing a strange woman begging for someone named kitten to say teardrop.

Elva awakened in front of a blazing pyre, standing close enough to feel its searing heat and smell its kindling. Her wrists were gripped tightly by rough hands, keeping her from turning away from Móra as she screamed and burned alive. While listening to the hunters cheer on her grandmother's demise and spew curses for tainting a child, Elva could only silently weep and pray to Brigit for someone to save Móra. Suddenly, Elva heard the same woman shout to her from behind much more clearly. As she turned around to see who it was, the world changed again and Elva found herself in an unfamiliar building, looking back at a wooden set of double doors.

Listening to the hunters argue with a blond, well-kept man with a smooth voice they called Sagart O'Farrell, Elva began remembering what happened next as she turned around in terror. After the first hunter pushed O'Farrell away, he pulled out a metal rod from a burning hearth and approached Elva. Instructing someone to keep the Sagart back and the hunter holding Elva to pull down her left sleeve, she panicked and tried thrashing to get away. Before the hot tip could touch her arm, a loud bang on the doors drew everyone's attention. Not nearly as distracted, Elva pulled again and broke free from the hunters' grasp.

Before anyone could react, Elva ran to the doors as they banged again and the wooden latch holding them closed cracked. Just before Elva reached the doors, they burst open with a third strike while a woman with red skin and hair fell to her knees to hold her tightly. Keeping Elva from running away, the woman begged her in tears to remember that she's not here and she's safe. When Elva insists she has to run, the woman pleads with her to remember their vows. Hearing the woman bawl that she swore to protect her, Elva finally recognized the person before her, whispering Mistress before blacking out again.

—End of extreme content warning—

Gently whimpering and trembling, Elva sniffled, "Móra, I'm sorry," before realizing she was being tightly grasped and cradled.

Elva barely heard Mistress mutter, "Please forgive me," then recite it constantly as she was lightly rocked. Finally stirring from her daze, Elva creaked from her curled state and rubbed her eyes, finding they were sore and wetted by tears. After shifting and grunting, Mistress ceased her chant to quietly gasp. When Elva looked up, she saw that Mistress' eyes were damp and saddened as she whispered, "Elva. Oh, thank Brigit."

"Mis—" Elva quietly spoke before her eyes widened. Suddenly remembering her ordeal, Elva threw her arms around Mistress as she began weeping again. "Mistress!" Elva shouted into her chest. "I was so scared!"

Closely holding Elva back, Mistress' throat caught as she replied, "I know, Elva." As her own sobs drowned into Elva's, Mistress nuzzled her hair and apologized, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—oh, Brigit, I-I've broken so many promises!"

Feeling Mistress' tears fall on her, Elva opened her eyes and then took several choked breaths as she tried to understand the strange confession. 'Brigit, promises,' Elva wondered while her gasps started calming. Tilting her head back, Elva asked, "Mistress, what-what promises?"

When she pulled away, Elva saw pain in Mistress' expression as she explained, "I promised you wouldn't fear the hunters again." Still sniffling, Mistress wiped the tears from Elva's cheeks as she continued, "I promised to only see what you would let me see." Mistress tried to dry her own eyes next, but more tears ran down her face. "I-I promised to protect you, Elva," she finally said while gently holding Elva's left arm. "I swore to, and I—oh, Brigit, I," Mistress tried to add before she broke down again, tightly pulling Elva into her as she harshly bawled.

Elva tried to object, "Mistress, what," as her grip tightened, confused by her last admission. "But, Mistress, you—you woke me up. You did protect me," Elva tried to reassure, doing little to calm her sobs.