Terminal Simpitis

Ascending the stairs, the pit in her stomach only grew larger and larger. Her anxiety rising further with each step, she wondered to herself. Had her eyes deceived her...or had there truly been an intruder at the top of the bell tower?

As Rollo emerged at the top of the tower, her eyes caught tall horns that shone with a faint silver lining from the light of the moon. The anxiety turned quickly to nausea, examining the figure up and down. A long, slithering tail with a trident tip trailing behind with every step. Scales as black as the night sky at the horizon. Devilish horns decorating the top of it's head, like the hellish individual described in her holy books.

She felt frozen in place, unable to move as this creature - this demon - lurked about the bell tower she loved so dearly. Rollo felt her head go light and her hear pound quick as the demon spoke aloud.

"A fascinating specimen, you are...though on the surface you all appear but the same...you, too, are entirely unique to the others around you."

Her blood ran cold. These words...were they meant for her? To tempt her? To convince her to come closer? She took a step back, quiet as she could possibly be.

"Your markings are different from any others I've seen before. I can tell...someone must care for you diligently. What a gorgeous figure you are..."

Markings? As far as she knew, she had no such scars or devilish marks on her skin, plain to the visible eye. The prospect of being marked from the inside, only visible to those of divine nature - no matter holy or sinful - terrified her. What did it say about her? What sins had she committed? What did she need to wash away?

"You must be lonely, situated up here...facing naught but the town below. Come, let me spend this evening with you, to ward off the air of loneliness wrapped around this tower."

Her heart pounded harder and harder, stepping back further. More careless of the noise she could be making. Her mind raced with thoughts, until suddenly, it all stopped. A single thought resonating in her mind, feeling as if it ceased all other actions in her body as it crossed her conscious.

"Please...stay."

The lightheadedness turned into dizziness, feeling as if the ground was tremoring beneath her. Her breathing grew shallow, heavy as she clutched her chest. It hurt. Why did it hurt? Rollo's eyes turned to the floor beneath her, heaving as she could barely stand the nausea in her stomach any further. What was this feeling? This overwhelming sickness? It felt utterly vile - disgusting her to her very core. Surely...it was the demon's influence. It had to be. It had to be.

Before she could think any further, a clawed hand found its way to her chin, tilting her head upwards. She hadn't even realized she'd collapsed to her knees until now. Lime green eyes with slit pupils met her own, dilating curiously as they locked gazes. Rollo quietly heaved again as the spinning returned to her vision.

This demon...demoness...she was gorgeous. No. That's wrong. It's simply a trick. A trick to lure her in. To break her down, and to make her fall to sinful temptations. But she was beautiful in the moonlight. No. She had to stop this. She came so far, she couldn't fall. Not now. And yet...the demoness moved with a grace unseen before. Offering her clawed hand to the poor girl in front of her.