The Haunted Traveler May 2017 Edition

14
should move, willed it to simply pull away from the
wall, but it felt as though her mind and body were disconnected.
Nothing would simply make her move.
“You shouldn’t run away,” he said hoarsely. “Wives
don’t run away from their husbands. Those who do are
brought back to the village and stoned.”
By the time he finished the second sentence, he was
saying the words matter-of-factly, as though he’d just
read them from a textbook. It was a sharp contrast to
the desperation in his voice that was there just a few
moments prior. Even if she wanted to respond, she
physically couldn’t. Something as simple as the movement
of her jaw was impossible with whatever kind of
curse he’d placed upon her.
He traced a finger down her spine. She felt as though
she needed to shiver, but even a basic involuntary
movement couldn’t jar her from this state of paralysis.
He reached for her wrists and moved them with ease.
With the spell holding her in place, he could move her
any way pleased.
It almost felt as though he was mocking her, with
how easily he manipulated her now.
“I didn’t want to have to use enchantments on
you,” he said. “There was no reason for you to react so
strongly.”
He turned her around so that she was facing him.
She had no choice but to look at him, feeling miserable,
vulnerable, and so starkly bare in contrast to his
layers of clothing and the overcoat he wore on top of it
all. She focused on his face instead, looking at the dark
hair that looked as though he hadn’t bothered to cut
in a while and the dark eyes that were transfixed on