━━━━━━♡♤♡━━━━━━

CHAPTER TWELVE OF TWENTY

❝ PLAGUES ❞

━━━━━━♡♤♡━━━━━━

"WAS IT WONDERFUL, DARLING?" Eros had asked, foregoing his usual sugar-sweet tone of voice. His long fingers were interlocked with (Name)'s digits. She had emerged from the theatre, Other Miss Spink and Forcible's apartment, all smiles and excitement.

"Oh, Eros!" she exclaimed, joy and exhilaration evident in her tone, just like she'd gotten off a thrilling rollercoaster, "I didn't know or expect for them to grab me out of my seat and send me flying through the air! Oh...it was magical! Thank you...so much!".

Eros swallowed his doubt. He just smiled at his darling wife. She was growing more and more fond of him each time she'd visit. Now it was time. "You do like it here...don't you, my doll?" he asked her, in a rather serious tone, which was unusual for him.

(Name) wore a frown on her face, eyebrows furrowed. "Yes...of course, I do..." she said, as they entered the pink-painted home in the parallel world, "Why wouldn't I? This place is wonderful! It's changed my life...just like you have, Eros,".

"You know...you could stay here...forever," he mentioned, oh so casually, "If you want to, my darling,".

(Name)'s eyes lit up. Forever? It seemed like a long time. The question reeled in her mind. Would you be willing to give up your life and marriage that had only started to get better to stay in a parallel world? She didn't know. "Really?" she'd questioned as Eros guided her into the dining room.

(Name) sat at the head of the table, whilst Eros stood next to her. "Of course!" he said, tone suddenly perking up with happiness, "We could go out on dates every single night, do gardening, read together, I could make your favourite meals, we could watch your favourite TV shows and films. Everything you ever wanted...and more,".

"However...there is one thing I need to do beforehand...".

He struck a good bargain. She'd admit that silently. He exited the dining room, and walked into the kitchen, coming back into the dining room with a small box in his hands. It was hexagon-shaped with a pink ribbon tied around it, clashing against green and black stripes.

"For you...my little doll~". Eros removed the lid from the box and what was inside made her want to throw up.

There was a sinister, daunting-looking pair of black buttons resting in the box, complete with a spool of black thread and a sharp-looking, silver needle. Sweat began to bead at her forehead. She could have it all...all she needed to do was let him sew buttons into her eyes...it was so fucked up. She recalled the warning given to her by Leela and the cat.

You probably think this world is a dream come true. But you're wrong.

How foolish she had been. She looked up at Eros, hoping it was just a joke. Eros just smiled at her. "Black is traditional...of course," he'd casually mentioned, "But if you'd prefer pink...or vermillion...or chartreuse. Maybe even (favourite colour). Though...you might make me jealous-".

"NO WAY!" she yelled, harshly shoving the box away from her. Eros was quick to catch it in his large hand. (Name) had her hands held protectively over her eyes as if she was protecting them, "YOU'RE NOT SEWING BUTTONS IN MY EYES!".

Eros looked disappointed. "Oh~" he sighed, "But I need a yes if you want to stay here...".

He stood up, walking over to his wife. His finger tilted her chin up. He could smell her fear. He saw the salty tears brimming in her eyes. "Don't be afraid of me, my love~" he cooed, his other hand cupping her cheek, "Just say that one, three-letter word and I'll treat you like a queen. A goddess, even better. Remember what I said? Everything you want and more. So tell me, (Name), what is it that you truly desire?".

She felt overwhelmed with a desperate urge to spill her secrets. Confess them like a sinner in confession to a priest. "I..." she began, gazing into his eyes, "I...want...a baby,". She pulled her chin away from him, reeling in shock. He smiled.

"See?" he mused, "I can give you anything your little heart desires, my love, and more. Is it so wrong to desire to have a child? I can give you the baby you so passionately and strongly desire,".

She abruptly stood up, surprising him. "I-I'm going to bed," she stated, a stammer evident in her voice. Eros was a little shocked, the others had given in so easily, "Right now,".

"Bed?" he parrotted, raising his brows, "Before dinner?".

(Name) awkwardly nodded, hands gripping the chair. "Yeah...I-I'm just really, really tired..." she said, lying through her teeth, in an attempt to get away from the button-eyed man and back to her world, she yawned, "I just want to sleep on things,".

Eros seemingly believed her little white lie. He smiled at her. "If that is what you wish, my love, I'll be happy to join you upstairs..." he began but was quickly cut off by the (hair-coloured) woman.

"NO!" she yelled, "I mean...no thank you. You've done so much for me recently...I just want some alone time...if that's alright...".

He smiled at her. She waved goodbye, kissing his cheek so things didn't seem too off. She walked upstairs. As soon as she was out of Eros' line of sight, she bolted up the stairs and down the hallway to her room. She noticed there was a door that was slightly ajar.

She pushed it open, revealing a baby nursery. Yellow-painted walls with a white crib pushed against the wall. Vintage lace curtains. A pale yellow rug on the floor. A white changing table. A dresser. Toys. Everything a baby could ever need. Had he been planning this? If she said no to the buttons...he'd make her have a baby with him to permanently tie her to the realm? She felt sick.

She closed the door and stumbled into her and Eros' shared bedroom. The first thing she did after shutting the door to the bedroom was drag the vanity towards the door and push against the door, preventing anyone from coming in...or out. She heavily breathed, rushing over to the bed and shoving herself under the silk covers.

She screwed her eyes shut, forcing herself asleep so she'd wake up in her bedroom. At home. With Eric. She heard all of Eros' words rushing through her mind. Replaying on a loop. Like a broken record. "Everything you want and more". "Tell me what it is you desire". "I can give you the baby you so passionately desire". "For you, my little doll". "However...there is one thing I need to do beforehand". "Black is traditional".

She eventually fell into a state of sleep. Eventually, her eyes opened. Was she home? Had she escaped? "Eric?" she called as she threw the covers over her head and body. Her heart sunk upon seeing she was still in the other world. Her stomach felt sank. How? She'd always gone back after falling asleep before.

She got out of the bed, moving the vanity back to its spot by the window. Exiting the bedroom, she noticed that the house was deathly silent. Her mind was focused on one thing. Her plan; get to the living room, get through the door, lock it and never look back. It couldn't be simpler, could it?

She tip-toed down the stairs, looking around the downstairs, checking for Eros. He wasn't around. It only creeped her out more. (Name) wandered through the downstairs, approaching the living room. The doors were shut. She jiggled the handles, discovering the doors were locked shut. The noise from below attracted the attention of a certain button-eyed man who was upstairs.

"(Name)?!" he yelled from upstairs. Her heart almost stopped. Her eyes widened. Her blood froze, "Is that you? Have you changed your mind about the buttons? ANSWER ME!".

She bolted. She ran. Out through the kitchen, through to the porch doors and she ran. Not stopping. Not looking back. She ran as far and fastly away from that demented house as she possibly could. She remembered this was his world, not her's. She had to get out. She had to survive.

On her first day at the Pink Palace, she'd taken Leela on a walk up the public walk path upon the steep hills. She'd go that way to hide from him. She ran along the path, down through the former apple orchard (which now looked so much more vivid and thriving) and in the direction of the old well.

However, the further and further she walked from the house, the less realistic things got. She hears a familiar meow and a shrill yap. By each of her sides, appeared Leela and her feline companion. "And where do you think you're going?" the cat queried.

"Leaving," (Name) answered dismissively. The further from the house she got, the more strange things became. The trees had morphed into thin, wire-like shapes and the sky brightened, "What the? Shouldn't the old well be here?".

The remnants of the trees, the sky and the ground paved the way to a white-coloured void. A pale, empty nothingness. There were no more trees or ground. Nothing. "There's nothing out here, Mum," Leela answered, the bell of her crimson collar jingling, "This is the empty part of this world; the void. He only made what he thought would impress you,".

"But why?" (Name) questioned, frustration growing in her tone, "Why does he want me? I'm just some mundane girl from England. I'm a teacher, in fact, I don't even have a job anymore! I'm nothing!".

The trio continued to walk further into the blank horizon. "He just wants something to love, I think," the cat suggested, "Something that isn't him. Or maybe, he just wants something to eat,".

(Name) wrinkled her nose and furrowed her eyebrows. "That's disgusting. And husbands don't eat wives..." she stated, "Unless you're Hannibal Lecter or something...".

"I don't know, Mum," Leela sighed, "How do you taste?".

The dog laughed, chiming in with the cat's baritone chuckle. Soonly, the Other House reappeared. A shape rose in front of them and the whiteness of the void transformed majestically into the Other House. The trio slowed in their tracks. Then materialised the front garden. The gingerly cut topiary. The night, star-painted sky. The steep, towering hills. The white gravel driveway. The poplar trees behind them all filled in with colour.

"What the hell?" (Name) breathed, "How can you walk away from something and then come back to it?".

The cat curled the tip of his tail in a question mark and then tipped his head to the side. "Walk around the world," he answered simply as Leela sat down, glaring up at the house.

"Small world, eh?" (Name) dryly joked. She shivered.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the cat had bounced towards a shrub and popped out, chasing one of the kangaroo circus mice, which was adorning a cute uniform and brandishing a little trumpet. Before (Name) could blink, the cat had the mouse pinned down against the floor.

"Stop, he's one of the circus mice!" (Name) tries.

With a swift blow of his sleek black paw, the cat knocks the mouse into the air, catching it in his mouth. He quickly bit the mouse, causing it to transform from a minuscule mouse into a lengthy, dead rat with large black buttons for eyes. Sawdust spilt out of the rat's mouth. (Name) gasped, stunned.

The cat dropped the deceased rat onto the ground, glaring at it. "I don't like rats at the best of times," the cat simply spoke, "But this one was sounding an alarm,".

The cat picked up the rat's corpse and heads off, Leela in tow. (Name) stands there, slack-jawed. "Good kitty," she spoke with admiration, "And good girl Leela. Stay safe,".

She glanced up at the house with a determined look. She walks onto the porch, approaching an umbrella stand. She whipped out a cane, softly hitting it against her palm. She was ready. Ready to enter the belly of the beast.