I took a deep breath and I reminded myself that magic isn’t real. Regardless of what he’s done or ‘thought’ he did to me, he was off his rocker and I needed to leave. I looked behind his door and grabbed my dress while never taking my eyes off him.

 

If he was going to suddenly go from calm to raving mad, I wanted as much of a head start as I could…

 

I slipped my dress over my head and down my body, weary he might make a move, but he didn’t show any signs of impatience or worry. He finished putting on his shirt before opening a drawer and grabbing some boxer.

 

I hesitated for the briefest moment as I watched him start to put them on. I caught sight of his soft cock and couldn’t help but feel a dash of warmth spread through my body as my mind immediately went to the night before.

 

Damn it… Why did he have to be such a good fuck?

 

 

I shook my head and started to walk briskly down the hallway. The sooner I got out of there the sooner I could stop thinking about his ridiculous claims and get my head on straight. I looked over my shoulder as I turned the corner and sighed with relief as I saw that the hallway was still empty. Good... He wasn’t trying to come grab me.

 

Why though…

 

Was he really that confident in his stupid story? Magic? Really? Well it was going to be his loss because I was OUT OF HERE! I grabbed my purse from the floor where it fell when we started to shed our clothes… And… Fucked…

 

I shook my head again as the spike of heat shot down my spine when I remembered what happened on that sofa.

 

 

FUCK!

 

I rushed to the door and opened it wide. YES! Freedom… I started down the path and looked again towards the house when I turned left to walk on the sidewalk. Still… I couldn’t see him at all…

He was really just going to let me go? This didn’t feel right… Something didn’t add up.

 

If he believed he had just made me his wife with a magical tattoo… Against my will… Why would he be so calm with letting me leave? His brand of crazy would surely want to lock me up! Hold me prisoner until I believed the same insane narrative that pushed him to tattoo me in the first place. Didn’t it?

 

I decided I would give this nut bar a WIDE berth and held off on calling a cab. I didn’t want to be forced to wait for it while still seeing his beautiful home. Wait… Beautiful home? Ok sure… He DID have a nice home.

 

As crazy as he was, I couldn’t say he had a hideous home… Objectively, it was quaint and very homely.

 

 

Husband… He really wanted me as a wife? God… I knew I always wanted to settle down… But not before I had satisfied my desire for a career and made a true name for myself. Architects really only got one shot to make a name for themselves and I was determined to make every effort before I settled down.

 

I was so consumed with my thoughts and brisk walk that I almost didn’t hear the young couple as they greeted me.

 

“Hello Miss! Wonderful day for a walk isn’t it?” the woman said politely. “You sure seem to be enjoying it!”

 

“Huh?” I said looking up at them. “Right… Yes! It’s a terrific day for a walk!”

 

“Bye!” she waved as she walked past me.

 

“Wow… She sure was in a good mood…” I heard the man say as they walked away.

 

Good mood? Not particularly, I was in a very BAD mood! Why would he assume I was in a good mood? Anyway… I wasn’t far enough yet and I wanted to get a few more blocks away before I called a cab.

 

I looked around and saw that the neighborhood was rather nice. Calm… Peaceful… Certainly a very good place to raise a family…

 

 

Husband… I really had to stop thinking about him like that! The sooner I got back home the better, but I had to make sure he wouldn’t find me while I waited for the cab so I walked on. The streets were wide and each yard was perfectly trimmed and maintained.

 

At least he lived in a good part of town…

 

I noticed the street names as I moved to branch off and kept track of the house numbers as I walked. I had to be able to tell the cab where to get me after all.

I walked and walked…

 

My mind kept wandering back to our night and I had to forcefully chase away the images of our shared passion with the cold shock I had felt when I realized just how nuts he was. It wasn’t easy though. Especially since everyone I met kept being polite and commented on how I seemed to be enjoying my walk.

 

And I do mean every one!

 

What was with everybody?

 

 

God damn it! Every time I think I’m free of that stupid command and managed to think about something other that the creep that tattooed me, the thought just keeps bubbling up!

Was that what he meant… That his command would be on my mind?

 

Fuck… Of course it was on my mind! I felt I was going crazy! I kept looking at my hands and half expected them to suddenly move on their own to touch my nose! But then again… He said the spell wouldn’t force me like that…

 

FUCK!

 

This is crazy! I’m just freaking out! Once I get home, I’ll take a long bath and check out his stupid tattoo which clearly couldn’t be a tattoo and once I soaked for a while, I’ll just rub it off my back and that will be that. The stupid ink will wash down the drain and hopefully so will all my memories of this insane man.

 

I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going anymore as I continued to debate with myself and greet the people I met.

 

Until I found my feet walking up a driveway…

 

 

I looked up and felt the color drain from my face. Oh god… No! This can’t be… But… IT IS! I remember his address from earlier!

 

I was back at his front door!

 

My heart started to race as I realized that my feet had brought me right back to his door while my mind was occupied with trying to make sense of my morning. I stepped back slowly and checked to see if he was watching through a window. I don’t think he was…

 

I decided to turn right this time and started down the sidewalk. I tried to ignore everything except where I was ahead. The street names… The door numbers… The cars…

The polite people greeting me…

 

I focused REALLY hard to keep my bearings for 4 blocks before I started to relax. Good…

 

It must have just been me getting disoriented. This neighborhood looked so alike! It was easy to get lost.

 

“See Stefanie…” I heard a man say from across the street. “Why can’t you be as happy as she is? HI!” he hollered when I looked at them.

 

My hand instinctively came up to wave.

 

“Hi!” I said as they walked past me.

 

 

I shook my head as I cursed myself for getting distracted. Damn them… Why did everyone in this fucking neighborhood have to be so happy and polite? Couldn’t they just ignore me like normal people?

 

I fumed as my mind got caught up in my memories of the night before, sending more heat along my skin as I tried to push them away. God… I really had to get out of here! I was probably far enough by now…

 

I mean… He hadn’t tried to find me yet… I was probably safe.

 

I looked up to see the address I needed to tell the cab service and my face drained again.

 

 

Fuck fuck fuck…

 

No! Impossible! I was back at his place! Oh god… What was happening? Why couldn’t I just walk away? No… It couldn’t be! Did… Oh god… Did the spell do this? Was it preventing me from leaving his home? WHY?

 

“Had a nice walk honey?” I turned to see who was greeting me, AGAIN.

 

A cute elderly couple was walking past me and the woman smiled brightly. I… I recognised them… I had passed them earlier… One… No… 2 streets over.

 

“Huh… Yes!” I said with a smile.

 

I couldn’t very well tell them I was trying to escape some mad man that tattooed me against my will. Especially since he visibly wasn’t trying to prevent me from leaving.

 

“You are positively glowing my dear!” the man said. “I’m so glad young people can enjoy walks like we do… See you around my dear!”

 

“Bye!” the woman added as I waved at them.

 

Sorry… As nice as you seem, I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other again. But something they said made me realize that EVERYONE I met seemed to think I was enjoying myself. Why? I clearly WASN’T enjoying the fact that I seemed to get distracted and lost only to find myself back here.

 

I WASN’T enjoying the fact that my night of wild fun had turned into a weird crazy nightmare. Even if the sex was amazing…

 

I shook my head and noticed the window next to me. I looked at myself and suddenly understood WHY everyone was commenting on my apparently happy state of mind. Of course they would think I was enjoying myself!

 

I had the most genuine smile plastered all over my face!

 

I looked at myself and tried to stop, but I couldn’t! What the fuck? Why was I smiling like a happy idiot?

 

 

Oh god… No no no… This can’t be real… Was… Was the spell doing this? Oh god… I REALLY CAN’T stop smiling!

 

My heart was racing as I looked at the house. It can’t be real… It can’t! It’s a trick! It has to be!

 

I was coming back here because I was confused and lost in this nightmare of suburbia. I was smiling to hide the fact I was concerned for my life! Right?

 

 

I… I was thinking about his damn command because… I mean… Psychologically speaking… I was focusing on it… Right?

 

Oh god… What… What if it WAS real… No… It… IT CAN’T BE!

 

What should I do?