She's a Monster

13

I couldn't find my phone anywhere.

It was the second night of my stay at Ash's lovely penthouse. I had to think of a way to avoid a third night.

Sure, Ash is great and all, but I needed a way to contact the outside world. I needed to get back to my old life. I wasn't sure if I'd brought it with me, given I'm always subconciously holding it in either my pocket or my hand, but I had to try looking for it. There was no doubt that Ash had it in her heart to hide it from me.

Sneaking around the apartment at 5am was a challenge, especially since I had to hold the bell on the collar with my thumb and index finger constantly. Otherwise, it would make that annoying twinkling sound and let Ash know that I was up to no good. I glanced back at Ash's sleeping body on the bed. She looked so peaceful and unaware. Her chest was rising and falling gently as her feather-like lilac locks fell perfectly around her porcelain face. I would've stared for longer, but I had to keep my mission in my mind.

I decided to check the closet first. In the case that I'd be caught there, I had a pretty convincing excuse. I could say that I wanted to find a change of clothing without bothering her, since I was currently stuck with her choice of lingerie. Though it was surprisingly comfortable, I definitely didn't feel comfortable in the satin undergarments. I closed the closet door behind me and flipped the light switch on as quietly as I could. I almost gasped at the sight.

The closet must've been as big as the bedroom itself. The walls were lined with an endless row of shirts, jackets, pants, sweaters, and more. Below that, there were also rows of shoes, all tucked into a winding shoe cabinet against the wall. Above the hanging clothes was a shelf with an assortment of backpacks and beanies.

However, on the far-left side, there was a modestly sized closet (a closet inside another closet... was I dreaming or something?) with an elegantly etched message at the foot.

"Alice" it read. I stood, frozen for a second before my hands moved on their own and creaked the birchwood doors open. The closet was made out of lightly colored wood, which stood as a sharp contrast to the features of the rest of the house.

Inside of the closet was a selection of much more feminine clothing in comparison to Ash's clothing. Many of the items looked expensive, featuring designer dresses, lingerie, and even some more collars. There were high heels, sneakers, and boots alongside a small cabinet with a transparent cover. Inside, I could see small pieces of shimmering jewelry, which made me gasp.

There was a ring that stood out to me, not because its beauty was so mesmerizing, but because it was kind of ugly. The metal was an exquisitely shiny quality and I could tell - right off the bat - that it pitched a hefty price on the market. But it was twisted and tangled in awkward angles. I don't think I could've put it on without losing my finger.

At that moment, after my eyes glimpsed a few stray diamonds, I realized that Ash had been making the jewelry using her powers. A wave of happiness washed over my chest. I could feel my heart thumping against my ribs. How could she be so sweet and innocent sometimes?

"What're you doing snooping around?" growled a silky voice behind me. I felt a decisive shiver run up my spine, making my entire back feel the rippling prickles. Before I could react at all, Ash's arms were securely around my waist and her face was buried in the crook of my neck.

"Come back to bed with me, baby," she whispered seductively. "The sun hasn't even risen yet." She planted a long, warm kiss on the side of my neck. It made me moan quietly in her embrace as she moved upwards and gently nipped my earlobe. Her hot breath almost made me lose it when she whispered again in my ear.

"I might just have to take you back by force, hm?" I stood contemplating my options for a few moments, which felt like an eternity in my head.

"N-No," my voice seemed to only be able to come out in a stutter, "not yet." I moved my hand towards hers and gripped her wrist tightly.

"Are you arguing with me?" she challenged. I felt her teeth graze across the soft flesh of my neck and instantly knew it was a warning.

"No! I just want to know... OW!" A sharp, stinging pain erupted from where Ash bit my neck. I was simultaneously embarassed and totally angry. I felt a tear well up in one of my eyes, but ignored it. Ash licked the spot where she bit me as a form of an apology.

"I didn't bite you too hard, and it won't even bleed," she reassured me, "but it looks like you have quite a low pain tolerance..." Her voice trailed off. I took that as an opportunity.

"Ash, where's my phone?" Silence followed my question. I felt like the air around us was getting heavier and heavier with each passing minute.

"Why do you need it?" So she did have it this whole time! I felt my anger boil up.

"It's my phone!" I whined. To my annoyance, Ash just chuckled at my display. Her arms tightened around me as her laughter died down.

"You're so cute. I can't risk that Grace whisking you away from me." My face was red-hot with embarrassment.

"Me and Grace aren't like that, I swear. We're just-"

"Just friends?" she asked with poison dripping from her words. "You seem to be the only one who thinks so." I pushed on her arms angrily, eager to detach myself from her grasp.

"I don't think you have the right to poke your nose into my personal relationships!" I huffed. Ash sighed.

"Oh Princess," she chuckled. "You're right. It seems I can be a bit too jealous sometimes." I frowned. This was odd. Ash isn't the type to just admit defeat. Her arms curled away as she drew back, turning around to reach into the top shelf. I turned to face her and watched her movements skeptically. She presented a small, white touchscreen phone with a dead-black screen to me. I grabbed it from her hands eagerly and turned it on, but didn't get any notifications, weirdly enough.

I scrolled through every inch of my phone, trying to find any data I could. The only contact I had was Ash. Everything else, except for the cute little mobile games I played, had been wiped.