Snippet #1746697

Upon hearing Drake speak her name, Esther froze, her muscles tense. He stood before her and held out his fist. Esther kept her hands clasped tightly against her chest, subconsciously putting a barrier between the two of them. She stared at him intensely and said nothing. It was a look of both fear and, somehow despite how vulnerable she felt, strength. She wouldn't - she couldn't cower before him. Not again. It was all the poor girl could do to keep from bursting into tears. And then Drake opened his hand...

A golden necklace. Ornately cut gemstones hung from the thin chain and it nearly glowed in the warm light of the hallway. It was beautiful. Despite her instant attraction to the piece, Esther was confused. Was this...a gift? Was Drake truly presenting this to her? She gazed at the necklace for a moment, still frozen in place as if it were going to lunge up and snap at her touch. The girl looked up at Drake again. He was...smiling? She had seen him smile many times before, but this time it was...different. It wasn't his usual sadistic, plastered-on grin. This was more...human. It made Drake appear somewhat vulnerable even. This made Esther feel even more uncomfortable. This entire time she'd been deathly afraid of the man. His voice, his presence made her insides cringe with dread. Now to think of him as more than a filthy monster only added to the horror of the entire ordeal.

Esther stared at Drake and still said nothing, though her mind was racing. She knew she certainly did not want to reach out and take the necklace. She wanted to slap his hand away and scream that he was the Devil, that he couldn't have her. She wanted to run away and never have to look at his terrifying face again. She hated him. She wanted to kill Drake. And while her soul burned brightly with adrenaline, anger, and defiance, the girl decided it would be best to accept the..."gift."

Keeping her eyes downward and on the necklace, Esther slowly reached for it. For a moment, her petite, gloved hands touched his and she was instantly repulsed. Still, she bit her tongue and forced herself to take the necklace. Without looking up at him, she spoke, her voice heavy with despair and barely audible...

"Thank you...It's lovely..."