The crawlspace under the floorboards was cold, and Sol’s elbows and knees were already almost scraped raw, and xir bare chest was just as bad, but xe had no choice but to keep moving – this was the only way out. Xe had only had a few moments to plot out the route on the last occasion xe was dragged out of the dungeon in the Witch’s basement for a new round of humiliating games on her behalf, but xe was sure this was the path. Just another few metres ahead, around a corner, and there was a small vent xe could squeeze through to get outside, and once xe was there xe would at least stand a better chance than in here. Another painful scrape across the dirty concrete, a little further–

 

Sol froze, as the click of a high-heeled boot sounded nearby, followed by the creak of the old wooden floorboards. Xe knew that sound well, and just hearing it sent shivers down xir spine, memories of days trapped in pitch-black encasement, enduring whatever tortures and torments the Witch had fashioned for xir, hearing nothing but the foul squelching of her eldritch tendrils, mixed with the noises torn from xir own body. Sol stilled xemself, letting only a faint whisper of breath pass xir lips. The heels drew closer, closer, right overhead. 

 

“Now, now, where has my little plaything run off too?” The voice of the Witch was soft, calm, and dripping with sadistic lust. “Hiding from me? Making me hunt xem down?” The wooden boards creaked again. “You’ve either finally gone completely mad, or… you’re just eager for more.” Click, click, the heels began to pace, as if circling Sol’s exact position. A vulture overhead. Or a hawk. “After all, you must *know* you can never escape, not fully – I’ll always hunt you down eventually, my little toy, and once I do…” Sol didn’t need the rest explained, xe knew exactly what would happen to xem, and the Witch knew that too. “How did you manage to escape, hm? Wiggle your way out of the grasp of my little *friends*? They were still *soaked* when I came down to check on them, you must have had fun…” Sol squeezed xir eyes shut, straining to resist the urge to clamp xir thighs together, reminded of the tendrils that had just been stirring up the insides of xir cunt, barely able to hold xemself back from orgasming as the tentacles reached the end of the cycle the Witch had commanded them to maintain. 

 

“Well, no matter, my pretty little thing. You’ll show yourself soon enough…” The Witch slowly began to move away, calling out teasing, tormenting words as she went. Sol waited for minutes that felt like hours, before letting out a shuddering, shaking breath. Xe’d made it, at least for now. Just a little further…

 

The evening sky was cold and clouded as xe squeezed xemself out through the tiny vent, but it still looked like heaven to Sol’s weary eyes – xe had no idea how long xe’d spent in that cursed basement, and could only guess that it must have been at least a week from the cycles of the Witch coming down to check on her toy and administer some new torment. That didn’t matter now, nor did the biting chill on xir naked body; all that mattered was that xe was out. Xe started walking towards the forest surrounding the Witch’s home, slowly, quietly, not looking back until xe was almost all the way across the clearing around the building. Then, xe started running. 

Twilight quickly descended on the forest, and Sol was soon forced to slow xir desperate sprint, picking xir way between looming tree trunks and twisted roots. In the shadows, they almost looked like the fingers of some horrific creature, reaching out to pull xem back into the Witch’s clutches. Xe was shivering, heat leached away by the oncoming night, but managed to keep moving. At least, until xe tripped. 

 

Sol careened to the ground, tumbling onto the mossy floor of the forest. Xe was dazed for a few moments, xir already aching body gaining another pain to complain about, but xe collected xemself quickly, trying to take stock of the situation. It felt as if one of the roots had wrapped itself around xir ankle, sealing tight around the limb, but that would be ridiculous–

 

The second root wasn’t gentle as it grabbed hold of xir other ankle, a long, thin tendril of slick, warm, bark-covered tree-flesh snaking around xir shin and grabbing hold. Panic flooded xir body, xe had felt this far too many times before, and xir heart began to race. Fighting with all xir might, xe reached down to grab at the tip of one of the roots, prying it away from xir skin. Just as xe was beginning to make progress, just barely feeling a bit of slack from the enchanted root, xe heard the creak of wood bending from just behind xir head. Too late.

 

A third tendril snaked its way under Sol’s chin and pulled hard, yanking xir backwards by the neck and dragging xir hands away from any progress xe had manage to delude xemself into thinking xe had made. Another pair quickly found their way to xir wrists, pulling xir limbs away from xir body, impossibly strong and firm. All xe could do was writhe and squirm, breaking xir silence to let out a scream of pure frustration and hopelessness. Xe had almost made it. The tendrils began to spiral their way along xir limbs, wrapping xir forearms and shins in that faintly pulsating tree-flesh, before xe felt xemself being lifted into the air, splayed out, exposed to the cold of the night. Sol knew what was coming next. The Witch had played this out before. 

 

Knowing it was coming didn’t stop xir from flinching and letting out another screech as a tendril pushed its way up the inside of xir thigh, pressing closer and closer to xir cunt, already coated in that foul, black slime that was *oh so good* at opening xem up, laced with the Witch’s own brand of horrifically potent aphrodisiac. Sol could practically feel it sinking in through xir skin, already feeling xemself start to throb and leak. The tip of the tendril pressed against xir lips, spreading them out just barely, just that contact enough to send a pulse of awful pleasure through xir body, before it stopped. That was almost worse. 

 

Then, xe heard it. The clicking. The impossible, and all-too-close, clicking. The tendrils turned xem around in the air, making xir face back towards the Witch’s house, and let xem watch as she approached, striding calmly towards xem, boots clicking down on an invisible platform a few inches above the forest floor. Her face, perfectly shaped, like it was carved from marble, was twisted into a cruel, amused smile, black lips pulled back to reveal pristine teeth. “Not half bad, plaything, you made it further than I thought for how long I gave you…” 

 

The Witch walked around the helpless Sol, disappearing behind xir back for a moment. Xe flinched as her leather gloves pressed against xir rear, tracing out a line on xir cold flesh, before reaching down between xir legs and pressing a pair of fingers into xir cunt. Sol’s face contorted in shame, knowing how soaked xe was, a whimpering moan uttered from xir throat. The fingers pulled themselves out after a moment as the Witch draped her body over Sol’s, her head resting on xir shoulder, holding up the two gloved fingers, forcing the unfortunate toy to watch as a drip of cunt-juice traced a path down the leather, in time with the tear tracing a path down xir cheek. “Look at that, so desperate. I suppose I was right, you are just eager for more… Well, darling, I’m happy to oblige.” 

 

She pulled away, pacing back around to Sol’s front, gripping xir chin and forcing xem to look at her. “Want to know something fun, toy? You see these?” She held up the two soaked fingers, opened her mouth, teasingly sucked them clean with an exultant groan of bliss. “I know you’re justifying this to yourself right now, saying it’s all because of my little concoction to get you turned on, but you see…” The Witch reached out, leather creaking in the quiet night air, and firmly grabbed one of Sol’s nipples, twisting it in just the right way to make xem groan in a mix of pleasure and pain. “The friend you have between your legs has none of that on them at all. It’s *just* slick, without anything to affect your body. This, my dear little toy, is all you…” At that, the tendril pushed its way inside, deep into Sol’s cunt, stretching xem out around its girth. A moan of defeat broke xir silence, as xe slumped down in the tendrils. 

 

The Witch watched for a few moments, that twisted grin never leaving her black lips, before pulling a pocket watch from the depths of her dress. “Now, you managed to go 74 minutes before you got caught by my pretties, I think that’s the number of hits you’re going to receive. On each side, of course. Oh, this is such fun! Try and last longer next time I let you get out, okay, toy?”

 

Bringing xemself back for just a moment, breathing heavily, Sol looked up at the Witch, eyes wide. Xir voice was faint from lack of use as xe asked, trembling; “... Let me?”

 

“Of course, darling, you think I didn’t know about the vent?” The pocket watch went back into the shadows, while a thin, black paddle materialised in the Witch’s hand. “It’s more fun if I let you think you can get out from time to time, because now I get to beat that delusion out of you! Are you ready?” The grin on her face contorted even further into a beaming smile. “Well, I don’t care anyway, let’s start!”

 

By the time she was done, Sol was far too broken to scream anymore. That was okay – there’s always next time.