The Visitor - A Date With Hell

Urgh! Urrrgh!

I struggled and thrashed in my bed, as the body atop mine now crushed my hips.

"Stop resisting, and just surrender. It'll be over quickly."

I've got to get away! She's – she's really going to devour me!

The voluptuous, violet-eyed beauty who had appeared from thin air now sat atop me, fangs bared. My nightmare had really only just begun.

She chuckled at me with a wry smile as she slowly leaned her lips down to the right side of my neck.

"So… shall we?" she cooed.

***

Five minutes earlier, in the completely ordinary room of I, Souta Tsukigawa.

A woman suddenly appeared. Like she'd spontaneously come into existence.

No. She did just that. She materialised – from nothing.

Up until five minutes ago, my night was just like any other. Jolted awake. Cold sweats that drenched my body. Visions of the man who had haunted my dreams each night for the past fifteen years. The face of a man whom I felt I once knew, but no longer remembered.

I'd been reaching for the glass of water that I kept at my bedside.

…

Then, suddenly.

Whoosh!

In the pitch black of night, she appeared.

A blinding red flash of light lit up the space like the morning sun, and amongst hundreds of thousands of violet and scarlet shimmering particles, a feminine figure materialised from nothing.

On the floor, an elaborate, crimson circle of light imbued with symbols that I couldn't decipher manifested. It pulsed with energy as she came into being, and faded away the instant her feet touched the ground.

As soon as the flash came, it disappeared. The few street lights that lit the alleyway outside shone through the window, and only barely illuminated my intruder. Though faint, it was enough. I could see her, but it seemed she hadn't seen me.

Am I… dreaming still?

I stared on in awe, marvelling at the spectacle in front of me. Obviously, I thought it was a dream. I mean, no one just… comes into existence out of nothing, you know.

The woman dusted her hands off on her pleated black skirt with nonchalance. It matched the Victorian-era-looking corset that covered her bust. It was so elaborate that it had to be expensive.

Some stray particles clung to her lower body, which she swiped off effortlessly. They looked like glitter. They shimmered for a moment before simply vanishing into the air like sparks.

Once she was satisfied, she reached her arms over her shoulders and arched her back into a stretch. With a deep breath, she spoke for the first time.

"Haaah~… I finally… Maaaaade iiiiit! [hic] The human realm," she sighed in relief.

'Human Realm'?

Her dark, violet hair was a mess in front of her face, which she quickly adjusted. After finishing with her hair, she stared down at her hands, and flipped them back and forth, as if to confirm she'd made it in one piece.

Hey… Isn't this kind of weird? I know dreams can get pretty crazy, but… a woman is in my bedroom just ogling her hands. What gives?

The woman, who kept her eyes averted from me the whole time, still seemed blissfully unaware that she'd wandered into a man's room. Still, I wasn't mad that she'd crashed my nightmare. I continued watching on, my mouth agape.

She continued her monologue.

"Right. W-well, that wasn't all that scary!" she assured herself, chuckling nervously.

"I'm definitely going to do it tonight. I'll choose– [hic] my own destiny right here! To hell with them trying to orchestrate my future!"

I made myself scarce, opting to keep only my eyes peeking above the covers.

Well, I guess she isn't here to rob me, then?

"That said… where did I even end up? [hic] I'm going to be dead when I get back, but… they'll just have to deal with it," she sighed once more.

What on earth is she on about?

As if she was performing some kind of stage play, the woman continued her monologue. I lowered my covers cautiously and began to slowly sit up in my bed. Though it was just me, at least she had an audience.

She still hasn't noticed me. Hmm. Should I just go with it? If it's one of those lucid dreams, maybe I can control it? I've always wanted to try doing that!

"I just picked the last number in the tome, but how did that even work?! I've sacrificed too much to get here, so I need to make sure it's successful, but… ugh, I'm starving!" she groaned, rubbing her lower belly.

As my eyes began to adjust, I could gradually see the woman more clearly. A choker made of black lace hung low on her neck, and what looked to be ruby fixed in the centre of it glistened under the warmth of the streetlights outside. On her legs, sleek black stockings reached all the way up to the middle of her pale thighs, red lace frills adorning the top of them.

Wow… She's… She's stunning. It's like I'm seeing an angel, or something.

Wait. No way!

Is it possible that I died? Did I drink too much and give myself alcohol poisoning or something?!

…

No. That can't be right. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to hear my own thoughts. Damn, lucid dreams are scary.

"No matter," she sighed, "If they had just let me decide for myself, then I wouldn't have had to deceive anyone. Father will surely be angry, but Mother, on the other hand…" she shivered in place, like a chill had shot up her spine.

"No. I won't dwell. They'll both understand in time. They'll have to." she said, brows furrowed and pinching herself between the eyes. The woman let out a final sigh.

In awe of this woman's beauty, and convinced that I'd try to make the most of my first lucid dream, before I could even think, I uttered something. My mouth couldn't help itself.

"Uh… y-you… are?" I fumbled, interrupting her speech. Even in my sleep, I wanted to get to know this woman.

"…"

"… Eh?" she froze, her gaze immediately meeting mine.

'Eh?' What, you're the one confused here?You just spontaneously combusted into existence. In the middle of my room! That's my line.

As we made eye contact, it finally hit me. The realisation that this woman who stood in the middle of my room was not of this world. A pair of majestic, violet eyes stared back at me – their gradient looked like the sunset of a completely different world was trapped within them.

My body jerked back in response, my hands clutching the edges of my bed sheets. Though majestic, they were terrifying.

She looked at me with an intensity that I had never felt before. Like she was staring into my soul, or something. I could feel her gaze bore a hole through my head, and every cell in my body screamed at me to get up and run.

This isn't a lucid dream, it's sleep paralysis! Damn it! Why did I say anything?! I should've just kept my mouth shut!

…

An icy chill made its way from the base of my spine and up to my neck. Her eyes narrowed, and she began to slowly approach me.

I shivered in place and dug my fingernails into my arms to wake myself up.

Come on… Come on… I've got to wake up. I've got to wake up!

…

My forearms throbbed hot and stung like hell as a wet texture poured out from under my skin.

It hadn't worked.

As blood began to seep from the wound that felt all too real, I turned to the only strategy that I had left: viciously rubbing my eyes. Whenever I'd wake from my nightmares, I'd sometimes see things in my room. Sometimes, it was the phantom of the man in my dreams, his voice calling my name. Other times, black forms with shapes too difficult to describe on my ceiling.

"They're likely just eye floaters, Souta," a doctor had told me, but I couldn't blame anyone for not believing me. Regardless, an aggressive eye rub would always do the trick. It would hurt like hell, but it would do the job.

I tried it without a second to spare.

Eyes closed, I pressed my balled fists to my eye sockets and dug them in, pressing as hard as I could. So hard that I could feel my knuckles bruising my eyeballs. The trick was to do it rough enough that when I opened them, my eyes stung in pain. That would usually wake me up.

Come on, come on, come on! Let's wake up!

My breathing staggered, and my heart pulsed in my ears. I drew a deep breath through my nose and held it in my lungs as long as I could.

When I open them, she won't be there. When I open them, she won't be there. When I open them, she won't be there.

At the end of my thought, I slowly exhaled, my body shivering in turn.

I removed my hands from my face, fists still balled. Slowly, but carefully, I opened my eyes.

I looked directly at the spot I'd last seen her.

My eyes darted to the left.

…

Then to the right.

…

"Phew," I sighed aloud, catching my breath rapidly. "That was… crazy,"

Just as I had hoped, in the instant that I'd closed my eyes and opened them again, the mysterious woman had finally disappeared. No magic circles, no gothic-looking corset, no succubus. Just my boring old room.

I laid back into my pillow in relief, clutching both of my stinging arms.

I really need to lay off the alcohol before bed, man. Now I'm seeing shit like this, and this vividly too? Jeez… As if the normal dreams don't bother me enough.

As I took a moment to calm my breathing, I felt like I'd begun to sober up.

But though I was relieved, I also couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. The woman was the most enchanting person I had ever seen, but that look – it felt like a predator looking at prey. Her entire being felt so dangerous, yet magnetic. Even when she spoke, I kind of just wanted to keep listening.

Haaah. You shouldn't have said anything and just enjoyed the dream, you idiot. Still, I wonder what it would actually be like… meeting a woman from another world or something like that.

I leaned over the foot of my bed to close the half-drawn blinds and slide the window shut. The streetlights outside turned themselves off as I did so. The clock on my desk read the time.

[4:01 am]

Ugh, damn, it's late! I have about 8 hours before Akari gets here. I have to make sure I wake up to meet her.

I took a big gulp of the water next to my bedside before slumping back down into the mattress. Readjusting the covers, my heart continued to race, but my body was exhausted. I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

Knowing that I was only mere moments from blacking out for a second time, I began to imagine the striking colours of her eyes once more in my head, as I tried to remember what she looked like. When I woke up in the morning, I likely wouldn't remember anything, but weird as it was, I wanted to see her under better circumstances.

"Come on, man, she wasn't real. But still, it would be nice to see her in a better dream, though…" I muttered as I drifted back to sleep.

The world was quiet once more, and my body was warm. The woman's face faded from my mind's eye, and I was met with nothing in its stead.

…

Bang! Ba-bang!

A gust of wind had directly hit the side of my window, causing it to rattle itself open. I hadn't shut the window properly, it seemed, but I could've sworn I heard the latch click.

I raised my head from the pillow, and slowly pried my eyes open once more.

…

!!!

Above me, I met a shocking sight. Even more shocking than the first.

As if she had appeared once again from complete nothingness, the woman's glowing violet eyes looked down at me, this time, from inside the wall behind me.

"Eugghh!" I shrieked, as I recoiled deeper into my bed.

The woman emerged through the wall as if she were swimming through water, only to somersault over my body and land directly on my stomach. On either side of my lower abdomen, I could feel the texture of her stockings rub against my bare flesh, as the woman faced me.

What the–!!!

In an effort to escape, I tried to thrash my legs, but did so to no avail. I was pinned under her and was completely unable to move. She wasn't by any means heavy, but she was deceptively strong. A 21-year-old man not being able to move under a woman with a petite frame such as hers was news to me.

The woman quickly grabbed my wrists without uttering a word, and locked them in place up above my head. As her glowing, violet eyes met mine at a close distance, she finally spoke. This time, directly to me.

"Mmm, yes. You'll do just fine," she assured herself, studying me and breaking out into a slight grin. It was like she'd spotted the perfect cut of steak in the meat aisle at the supermarket.

As she smiled, two fangs emerged where anyone else's canines would be, each just short of an inch long. They clicked out immediately, just like a push-button pen.

Without missing a beat, she continued.

"Rejoice, human! For tonight, you have been blessed with the presence of I, Luna – heiress to the house of Gremory, and goddess of the night. On this night, you have been bestowed with an opportunity that is beyond any mortal's wildest dreams. Yes, tonight, I shall… I shall…" she stuttered briefly, as her cheeks began to flush.

"Consummate an arrangement with you! Yes, that's right! I'll have you become my [hic] servant! Rejoice! How great it is to be chosen by me!" she declared.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Heiress…? …Servant?! What is she on about? How is any of this happening?! Aren't I awake? More importantly, what are these?! Fangs?! Is she some kind of vampire or something?! Am I dinner?!

The woman named Luna tightened her grip around my wrists, my bones, feeling like they were stuck in a vice. I winced in pain and let out a cry at her demonic strength.

"Oops! Sorry," she quickly apologised. "This is all pretty new to me as well, but just trust me… It will all be fine. All you need to do is stay still and cooperate,"

With tears in my eyes, I looked up at her, helpless.

"...I will take control of my own fate tonight. I have to," she trailed, muttering and staring blankly down at my chest.

As she spoke, a sweet, yet familiar scent wafted from her mouth – the smell of plums. The same kind that my mother loved to indulge in.

Well that explains all of the weird hiccuping! What is this? Umeshu? Is she drunk?!

Which brought us to now.

No matter how I looked at it, this woman was bad news. Whatever she was, it became clear to me that this was no dream. I was already awake!