Tremble

*Posted by : White\_Caribou on Mar 19, 2018, 12:21am*

( OOC: I'm going to provide a disclaimer to this post as it may trigger some of you. I apologize for the content, but read at your own risk. Sorry if I upset anyone :/ )

- August 18th. Highholm, Dusk, Late Evening -

It had taken its sweet time but the party had come to a close after another hour or so, some hurried out quicker than others. Westley stayed to escort the woman out while her husband headed off, clearly drunk. Stella was making her way down the steps of the manor with ease, following Westley's hand as she enjoyed seeing the lively faces of the party-goers. Whether it was the speech or the tremor that sent those people fleeing the city would never fully know, but the duo remained as carefree as ever.

"What do you think the fate of this city is?" Westley questioned as walking her across the stone path from the stairs having linked their arms once more.

Stella looked to him with a laugh, "You worry so much about the future and forget to live in the now."

"I'm quite fun but I think we should all be concerned where this city is heading, don't you?"

"We should be more concerned where *we're* heading. Shall we split and go home, or should we adventure in that new park they installed here in our walls?" She took no time to listen and began dragging him in the direction of the destination.

Tall black fences closed off the world from the beauty that was Greenfair Park-- possibly the only lush area in Dusk that was full of silent life. It was empty at this time of night but it made everything so much more magical and bright, even in the darkness. The flowers seemed to glow, the trees seemed to whisper lullabies. Someone with enough knowledge of chemicals created a soil additive to sustain plant life. Sadly, only the folks up in Highholm could afford to see it sprout into a garden of elegance and prosperity. And they genuinely enjoyed it.

Stella let her free hand travel over the floral bushes while they had casual discussions, getting deeper and deeper into the park.

"I don't think it really matters what's up there," Stella responded, nodding up to the sky. "They supply us and that's all we need to know. You shouldn't trouble yourself with all of this."

"I know, but don't you wonder what else there is besides us? There's an entire world out there and from what we have explored, there could easily be more we've overlooked. Think of the possibilities, Stella. More societies, resources. I don't know why we're so afraid of the unknown."
An insect began chirping while they walked, a petal fell from a white rose in which Westley then picked from the bush.

"You see this? Nature is uncontrollable-- a storm." He looked to the dark, clouded sky while holding the delicate flower. "Everything is a storm. This city, that monster above, even we have our storms. Keeping a defense is our instinct, *our* nature... and nature is the storm. Why we fight. But we get to decide if it's a good or rotten fight. Guess that explains why people are so terrible. They chose the latter." He paused to look at Dusk in the distance, causing them both to stop walking. "These walls are a cage, we are the chickens, and the monster is the butcher as it chooses who lives and who dies, controls our lives."

"You're...calling a cloud a person?" She looked to him holding back a snicker, being a bit confused by his talk. He simply lifted the flower a bit higher.

"Despite what it makes us do, it can't kill who we are. Some of us," he stepped in a little closer to her tucking a strand of hair behind her ear along with the white rose, ''are still human. Still have hope. Purity. Beauty," Westley's hand stopped to graze her cheek. They flushed a bright amber as she accepted his affection.

"Westley..."

"Yes?" Their words became a soft whisper.

"We can't keep this up," her heart ached.

He smiled to assure her, "You deserve so much better than what you have. I'm not saying I'm *the choice* but David is a deadbeat and does nothing but hurt you and everyone who loves him." He paused, losing himself in her eyes. "Do you really love him?"

She was taken aback, but merely shook her head with a thoughtless hesitation she'd only found with this man.
Stella laced her fingers with his as she leaned forward, tilting her head up to kiss him which he welcomed openly. Memories of their past romantic rendezvous' flooded back to her. In the weeks that her and David's marriage were being arranged, Westley being the good soul he is reached out to Stella and befriended her. He warned her what it was like live with his brother and she was honestly terrified. But even with her terrible arranged fate, Westley had shown her compassion, leading to his romantic involvement. He made her a promise that if she was doomed to be with David, she would still have the love and comfort of her true soulmate. He hadn't given up on the secrecy either.
It was a messy ordeal that he was willing to sacrifice himself to for the sake of Stella. He just wanted to help in any way he could, taking her away for three minutes to three days. Anything helped.

She smiled behind the kiss. What I'd give for this to last ages, thought Stella.
Westley pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers. "You're gonna get away from him, I know it. We both will."
She looked up with eyes almost as stormy as the sky. "How can you be so sure?"
"Just trust me. If you ever file a divorce with the Council I'll be there to back you every step of the way."
"There's no point, he's one of them," she closed her eyes.
"I have something that would put him away for sure or at least get his sorry ass off the council. "
"You don't get it. I- I can't rid myself of him that easily."
"Of course you can, I know he's scary. You just have to try a little."

-- -- -- -- -- --- -- --

Stella paid the cab driver as her feet were hurting too heavily to walk. She set her clutch on the table beside the door and unpinned her hair. She could hear David's l movement upon hearing the bedroom door open.

"Where were you?" He sluggishly stood from the armchair and stomped toward her.

"Some of my ladies distracted me."

"Bullshit."
Stella looked up to her husband as he pinned her to the wall with two arms beside her shoulders. "You were with Westley. I saw him walking you out. Or maybe you were seeing that crippled geezer. Dammit, you're just gettin' in everyone's pants. Lucky bastards," His eyes trailed her and she turned her head to distance herself as much as possible.

Everything Westley said in Greenfield stuck. She did want to be free, but not alone. What were the chances she'd lose them both?

"Doesn't matter," David pulled her body into his, tucking his head into her neck to kiss it. "I'm hungry," he growled, his hand unzipping her dress.

"I'm not in the mood," she nudged him off of her and he stumbled just enough for her to move away. His hand shot out to hold her arm.

"Don't like how I feel? Huh? No, of course not..." She tried to shake him off in which he pulled her closer, leaning into her ear.
"You like how Westley feels."

Stella looked to him with hatred. This night had awakened a fire inside of her that she'd locked up along with her marriage.

"I do. In fact, the night before our wedding, I gave myself to him. Your brother."
His brow furrowed, lip twitched. She'd never stood up to him, never mind talked back.

"And you were stupid enough to forget about questioning your little virgin flower when she wasn't hurting in consummation." He dug his fingers into her skin and jerked her forward.

"You just can't keep your legs closed, can you? How many have you slept with in this fucking city? " David sent a smack across her face, grabbing the back of her hair.

"You're a pig," she let out a sharp cry as she was nearly pulled to her feet and dragged by her hair.

"Whore! You belong to me." Stella was drug onto the bed despite her efforts to get free. David began clawing at her body, tearing the beautiful dress in all sorts of places until he could get it off.
"Stop!" Stella began to scream but he clasped his left hand around her throat, the other undoing his pants. She kicked at him with her heels.

"One of these days you'll learn. If you're dead I'll find another one just like you, like I did before. You're not special, but you are mine. Be ladylike and stop fighting." Her lower undergarments were removed as he restricted Stella. He pushed her legs aside with his knees.

It was now or never. *Stand your ground or be enslaved.*

Stella let out a grunt when she slammed her head into his, immediate pain surging through her skull, he jerked a bit. Having swayed to the side, Stella used her limbs to throw David off onto the wood floor but not before he deeply scratched her cheek. After the thump she had no intention of running to get help. No intention of hiding.

No.

She stood, naked from the waist down, in front of her injured husband, breaths short and fiery. He struggle to get to his feet but Stella kicked him in the temple. He'd barely been able to roll onto his side and grabbed one of her ankles. His actions had slowed due to the head trauma.
There was one thing Stella was aching to do but it would flip her reality entirely. Even then, David wasn't going to get off that floor.

She pulled the vase from their nightstand and cracked it over his head with the roar of a lion, porcelain and dirt was flung across the floor. His head thumped against the wood one last time before Stella paused. She let a few seconds pass. No movement.

Kneeling down she checked David's pulse. Blood was trickling down the side of his gruesome face and out of his nose. Stella's heart was nearly in her throat as the realization came across, skin becoming ice. His eyes were blank and focused on nothing. A streak of blood dotted down her pale face from her forehead where she'd hit him. Before she could react, the earth shook once more with a smaller impact, but enough to send things in the room shifting. Stella fell beside a wall as she began to breath heavily observing the corpse she'd just made. In his house which was theirs, of which she could now claim. His will was stashed in the drawer of his desk. Only two people he promised anything to. All of his money could be claimed by Stella herself. Everything he had to his name, hers.
The woman laughed hysterically to herself, ignoring the scared tears.
Of all thoughts she could have at this moment, that was what she focused on?

It didn't matter. Stella had done it. She'd killed her husband, the councilman David Corbet right there in Highholm
And the aftershock was a perfect alibi. Curling up on the cold wood she closed her eyes to absorb the thoughts.