A Misunderstanding.

When Sebastian had said he was taking her to Castlerigg, this was not what Claire had imagined. She had had visions of a fancy bed and breakfast - a mansion full of servants and pampering. She'd expected long romantic walks during the day and hot steamy sex in a warm soft bed at night. Sebastian was tall, dark and handsome and had been witty, charming and attentive when they met; everything a girl looks for in a trysting partner.

But now here she was on a wind-swept hill-top at midnight, lying on the cold grass, bound at the wrists and ankles, pegged to the ground, naked, in the middle of a ring of stones. Not what she had had in mind at all.

'Turns out Sebastian is a complete nut-job,' Claire thought to herself for the umpteenth time as she tried desperately to loosen the rope around her wrists with her teeth.

Sebastian and his little group of followers were chanting up a storm at the entrance to the circle, between two of the largest stones. Claire's heart pounded in her throat as they started moving slowly toward her, Sebastian at their head, a wooden tea tray balanced on his outstretched palms. She gnawed desperately at the ropes as they took one slow step at a time toward her, but even at that pace she knew they would reach her long before she got the rope loose.

Slowly they formed a circle around her, chanting as they paced. She whimpered as Sebastian sank to his knees beside her; gasped as he lifted an ornate knife from the tea tray; screamed as he held it over her chest in both hands; and finally squeezed her eyes and mouth tight shut as the glistening blade came plunging down toward her heart.

(299 words)