Annette sent a maid to clean my wounds and wash the blood and dirt off my skin. I lost track of time as I lay in a trough of steaming water leaning back on a steel lip. I closed my eyes and let go of consciousness.
I heard a tiny squeak from the guest door opening and I was instantly awake. It was dark outside and the water had gone cold. The tips of my fingers were wrinkled with moisture and the scent of fresh lavender filled my nostrils. I spotted my revolver belt over on my bed and realized how far away I was from it. Whoever was in my room, I was at their mercy unless I could reach my gun in time.
Fortunately, the room was divided by a wall, so whoever crept into my room still hadn’t seen me. I slid out of the tepid water careful not to make excess noise as droplets fell from my arms and torso. I reached the bed and took my revolver out only to hear a click behind me.
I was toast.
I let my revolver back onto my bed and lifted my hands up.
‘You got me,’ I said gritting my teeth. I turned around to see Annette in a brown nightgown holding a small lighter in her hands. She smiled playfully and flicked the lighter off.
‘Nervous?’ she asked.
I let my hands down and realized I was naked before her. I moved my hands over in between my legs. I wiped moisture from my face and then, I tilted my head.
‘What are you doing here?’ I asked.
Annette opened her nightgown to reveal her breasts, soft and shapely. She let the gown fall to her feet and put her hands over in between her legs to mimic my current standing.
‘Do you remember your promise to me when we were children?’ she asked, her sharp black eyes dissecting into my flesh like a surgeon. She studied my face carefully.
‘I…’ I had to admit to myself. I could never have imagined finding myself in this current situation not especially with a woman of Annette’s caliber. Her light-brown colored skin absorbed the shadows around her accentuating the slender curvature of her body. She was a goddess incarnate.
My fast must have betrayed my thoughts. Annette’s face went red and in that moment, her confidence seemed to wane. ‘You do remember, don’t you?’
I had to come up with something. ‘I…I hit my head pretty hard, Annette. I find myself struggling to remember the most basic of things.’
This made Annette gasp and she leaned down and grabbed the nightgown to cover herself up hurriedly. ‘You…I…when we were children we made a promise to be our first. Your last letter said you wanted to fulfill that purpose your first night here. I have to admit, you are more handsome than I remember. You have been true to that promise, haven’t you? True to me?’
I swallowed hard, then nodded. ‘I’m sorry, Annette. I…’
‘Oh no,’ She said, then wrapping herself in her gown as fast as her hands could move. ‘This is a nightmare.’
She sprinted to the door but just before turning out of sight. ‘I’m sorry. Please forget I was here. Also, don’t tell Father.’
She disappeared leaving me soaking wet and naked.
‘What the fuck just happened?’
– Dr. Marcus Listrum (Otto)
Author J.M. Topp 