A Fateful Coffee Run (Medeia)

Jane took Armina's tap to the head without any physical or verbal reaction because it was painfully obvious that the purple-haired woman was trying to start something so that she was justified in roughing up the blonde even worse than she already had. Jane also silently endured the conversation between Warlord and minion. If there was one thing she learned about both of them it was that they loved to hear themselves talk. Diana supposed that they were trying to annoy her into doing something rash, but if that really was their intent it failed because she did not respond to any of Armina's rude remarks. The blonde kept a calm face and kept walking towards wherever it was she was going.

When the trio finally reached their destination Medeia opened the door to show an austere room with some kind of alteration to the walls and a single chair sitting in the center of the room. If the Warlord was trying to scare Jane into compliance by showing the latter what was in store for her that effort was doomed to failure. Such theatrics did not phase Diana, who had suffered worse in her sister's room. Melody Winchester's room was a cheerful yellow color and had a grand piano in the top left corner... such a room did not look anything like a place where misery happened, but the older Winchester had turned a cheerful room into somewhere Diana learned to dread.

Jane followed her hostess inside and stood as a silent witness to Armina's dismissal. The purple-haired woman protested and tried to convince Medeia to let her be a spectator to what was going to happen, but when the Warlord firmly denied the request the minion quickly took the hint and left the room, but not before subjecting the blonde to one last spiteful act. Armina seized the back of Jane's shirt and pulled, stretching the garment around the collar and exposing part of her upper back and the area between her shoulder blades when the collar slid down some after being pulled. She was wearing a modest purple bra, so she was not concerned about being immodest.

Diana's real concern was the scars on her back, scars that she went to great lengths to hide from the world.

On the outside Jane appeared calm, but on the inside she was not a happy camper. If Medeia cared to look she could easily see the numerous long and thin scars between Jane's shoulder blades now that her shirt could no longer effectively cover them. Jane did not do anything obvious like reach backwards to check the condition of the garment because that would be a dead giveaway she was hiding something. Instead she would keep her hands where they were and hope that Medeia did not check her back too closely.

When the Dark mage commanded Jane to take a seat in the chair and warned her about what would happen next the blonde's calm facial expression did not change at all. There was no point in disobeying the Warlord. If she tried to get away or fight now that would be another giant clue that the blonde was desperate to keep something from being discovered.

Other than her real name or her connection to Lucia, that was.

"Very well." Jane said calmly before doing as ordered. She walked over to the chair and sat in it, remaining as calm as she could while bracing herself for what was about to happen to her. The upcoming phase of her ordeal was going to be a test of her endurance in more ways than one.

[Post Word Count: 606]
[Diana's Word Count: 11,420]
[Total Word Count: 21,691]

Compared to the gentleness with which Medeia bound the blonde earlier, the manner in which the chair would almost spring to life and tie Jane to it could not have been any different. Course rope was wrapped tightly around the mage’s body, pinning her completely to it with little in the way of give. By the time the magically created furniture was done, the blonde woman would find that she was pretty much immobile, with her limbs and body forced up against it harshly. In a way, it was a warning as to what was about to happen, for the effect that the next step would have had more than once caused a victim to break before. Her head would be left alone though, with very little in the way of restraints in that area.

Once the object was finished, Medeia would approach the chair from behind and briefly tug at the ropes, finding nothing in the way of weakness at all. The Warlord expected that the tied woman would not be happy in the slightest but it was the way it needed to be. Even the stoutest of souls could be turned into quivering messes when this method was used, something that the angel had seen before. Jane was the calmest mage that the Warlord had ever met but could she remain so when faced with the ordeal of having to see her past come to life? Only time would tell.

As the Warlord was about to walk away, she would pause, her eyes falling upon the blonde’s torn top. Medeia felt a touch of annoyance that Armina had so flippantly ignored her orders and the maid would no doubt suffer for it later but as the dark haired woman looked at the woman’s skin, her narrowed as she saw something that she did not expect. Scars. Horrible looking ones. A frown grew upon the witch’s face as she glanced upon them and while there was a temptation for her to bring the subject up verbally, she decided to wait, until the trial of sorts was over. Perhaps then, Jane would be more willing to speak of them.

That did not stop Medeia from briefly placing a finger upon the scarred skin though, a mixture of thoughts running through her head as she contemplated how they had been caused. She was not heavy handed and her touch would be gentle but the witch believed that Jane would dislike the contact regardless. Her distaste of being touched was already so clear.

Once she was finished dawdling, Medeia would step to the back of the cell, well out of Jane’s view and cast her spell in silence, resulting in the entire room turning to complete darkness and a heavy sense of misery and despair to fall upon it.

Black Coffin was its name and with its casting, Jane’s powerful mental shields would be put to the ultimate test. All the while, Medeia would be watching, her eyes fixed on the spot where the blonde’s past would soon be forced into the open, regardless of how painful they may be.

(518 Words)
(22209 TWC)

When the chair was finished securing her to it Jane knew that she was not going to go anywhere. The rope binding her was as rough as Armina's personality, but part of her was not surprised by that. At this point it seemed like Medeia was going to put her through the wringer out of spite, but that did not phase Diana at all because now the Warlord was showing her true colors. The blonde always suspected that the sympathy and kindness were fake and now the proof was right in front of her.

At first Diana thought that her scars had passed unnoticed, but the moment she felt one of Medeia's fingers touch a scar she knew that the Warlord had seen them. Medeia could feel Diana tense up for as long as the finger touched the skin and her jaw momentarily clenched, but she was not certain the Dark mage had seen the second sign of her discomfort. At this point Medeia probably did not care... she was probably all about punishing Jane for her refusal to let her "solve" a problem the latter had purposely exaggerated.

Diana saw the ambient light in the room be extinguished and felt intense misery for a few moments before something Diana did not expect to happen occurred. She saw a yellow room appear in front of her and spotted a grand piano in the top left corner. Her skin began to crawl and her stomach turned a flip as she immediately recognized where she had been taken to.

It was Melody Winchester's room!

Soon the woman herself made an appearance in front of the blonde. Melody was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and long denim skirt and had a faint smile on her face, but Diana knew from experience that was how Melody usually looked right before she terrorized one of her younger siblings. The blonde mage looked closer and saw that her older sister was holding a pair of scissors and a small plush doll with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a wide smile. The doll was also wearing a white apron over the dress.

"What are you doing with Lucy, Melody?" A young voice asked Melody. Diana instantly recognized it as her own voice from when she was a child around seven or eight years of age. The older blonde laughed.

"Lucy? Is that what you named this stupid doll?" Melody inquired with a sinister smile. She raised the scissors and held them up for Diana to see.

"She's not stupid! Jessica gave her to me for my birthday!" Younger Diana protested indignantly.

"Of course she would. I don't know why she's so kind to a waste of life like you. Mother wanted a second son but got you instead... I'd say that she got a bad deal." Melody replied in a casual tone. She opened the scissors and lifted them to the doll's neck, then held them in position with the blades ready to close.

"WAIT! DON'T HURT LUCY!" Younger Diana screamed in panic. Melody chuckled darkly.

"You idiot, Lucy's not even alive! She's a doll!" The older blonde insulted her sister. That did not matter to the child.

"DON'T HURT HER!" Came the plea. Diana could hear the sounds of struggling and instantly recalled it as her struggling against rope while tied to a wooden chair.

"I can if I want and there's nothing you can do about it." Melody calmly replied and slowly began to close the scissors.

"STOP IT!" Younger Diana pleaded. Melody ignored her and continued what she was doing. The struggling sounds grew louder and more intense.

"Make me stop." Came the smug reply as the blades drew closer and closer to Lucy's neck. At this point crying could be heard.

"STOP IT! LEAVE HER ALONE! SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU!" Came a plea for mercy for the doll.

"Say it right and maybe I'll let Lucy keep her head." Melody insisted.

"PLEASE STOP! PLEASE DON'T HURT HER!" Younger Diana cried out in despair. Melody chuckled and lowered the scissors, then hurled the doll at Diana. It hit the younger Winchester in the face and bounced off.

"You're as stupid as this doll. It's no wonder Mother always says that you're one of her biggest mistakes." Melody commented with satisfaction at making her sister cry.

The flashback ended and Diana was left feeling more than a little sad, but it did not show on her face. However, on the inside she was not so composed. She never understood why Melody took such delight in acts of petty cruelty.

Melody Winchester:

Lucy The Doll:

[Post Word Count: 766]
[Diana's Word Count: 12,186]
[Total Word Count: 22,975]

Silently observing, Medeia would tilt her head as she watched the scene play out. For her, it would be as though she was little more than a moviegoer, unable to actually interfere with the memories being displayed. It was a rather unpleasant scenario and already the angel was beginning to get grasp on just how miserable life must have been for Jane. The emotions from the girl were all too real and it told the witch all she needed to know in regards to why the blonde was suppressing them. If this was just the first memory that came to Jane’s mind, Medeia could only imagine what else was in store.

The other blonde woman in the scene was interesting to say the least and there was a wickedness that was difficult to ignore. She was a mean and cruel little sadist for sure, one who the Warlord mused would probably make a fine dark mage if she was gifted in the magical arts. If she was still around, perhaps the witch herself would attempt to find the blonde minx and teach her a thing or two about what darkness was all about. That being said, Medeia was not overly fond of seeing young Jane suffer either, so maybe a punishment would be in order too.

It was important that she remain still for now, so Medeia made no attempt at breaking Jane’s immersion. It was far too early for that and the Warlord was rather depravedly curious about what to come. With her spell in effect, the experience would only get worse for Jane over time and the witch was uncertain as to just how long it would last. It seemed to depend on the opponent, with the more pain in their background, the longer and more agonising it would be.

As she watched the scene though, her eyes rarely drifted from the other woman in the scene and in the back of her mind, Medeia began to formulate an idea for future use. While she could not see Jane’s face from her position, the witch was intrigued by the notion of whether this woman was still affecting her, even now. This woman might just be a way in for the Warlord and as Medeia scanned her dimensions, in a way only a shapeshifter could, a small smile crossed her features.

This could all turn out rather well…for her.

(400 Words)
(23375 TWC)

After the flashback with Melody ended Jane saw another scene begin to play out. This time she was in her room, which was a small one with dingy white wallpaper and a cheap-looking wooden bedframe and worn-out mattress. There was a cheap wooden wardrobe against the right wall that looked like it was secondhand, which it was because her mother did not see any need to waste money getting good furniture for Diana. In front of her was a maid with black hair and brown eyes in her mid-twenties dressed in an outfit of simple black dress and white apron with black shoes clutching a pale blue dress and stooping to face someone shorter than her. Diana instantly knew where this was going.

This scene was set when she was ten years old and her magic revealed itself.

"I don't want to wear that dress! It's blue, not purple!" Younger Diana protested and the sound of a foot stomping on carpet could be heard.

"But the lady of the house requires that you to wear it for the family meal." The maid stood her ground and gently moved the dress towards Diana.

"I don't want to! I'm tired of wearing dresses all the time! Melody doesn't have to wear them if she doesn't want to!" Younger Diana offered another protest.

"MAID! WHAT'S TAKING YOU SO LONG?" A harsh female voice called out from the hallway. Diana recognized the voice as her mother Elizabeth, a harsh woman who never referred to the family's hired servants by name, only by their job title.

"My apologies, Lady. Your daughter is being quite difficult." The maid apologized for the delay. A loud THUMP could be heard coming from outside the room.

"I DON'T CARE, MAID! I'M TIRED OF WAITING ON THAT BRAT, SO HAND IT TO HER ALREADY!" The voice ordered. The maid's face showed a flash of sympathy for the child before pushing the dress forward. Diana raised her right hand to shove it away.

"NO! I DON'T WANT IT!" Younger Diana protested petulantly and pushed the offered garment away. The maid's facial expression became stern.

"You must take it or the lady will not be happy." The maid insisted, pushing the dress into Diana's face.

"NO!" the child refused again and shoved it back with her left hand. The woman sighed.

"HURRY UP, MAID! DINNER'S GETTING COLD AND I WANT TO EAT SOME TIME TODAY!" The voice in the hallway ordered the hired servant. The younger woman turned her head back to face the hallway for a moment, then clenched her teeth again and faced forward, making eye contact.

"You will take it or I will inform the lady of your insolence. You do not want me to do that." The maid firmly insisted.

"NO! STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO WEAR!" Younger Diana screamed in anger. She then snatched the dress down with both hands and reached out to shove the maid's face with her right hand, but for some reason it glowed a sickly pale blue. When her hand touched the surprised woman the latter screamed and dropped the dress before falling to the ground, then rolling about in visible agony as she repeatedly screamed while frantically clutching her face with both hands. She was burning with a pale blue fire that somehow did not ignite anything in the room.

Younger Diana's screams of horror mixed with those the maid was emitting until the latter gave one final roll onto her back and stopped moving, her shriveled face gazing at the ceiling with lifeless eyes. The child was too horrified to move or make any noise and was caught unprepared when footsteps thundered into the room.

"JUST WHAT IS ALL THIS COMMOTION ABOUT-" The voice angrily asked before stopping, presumably when the source spotted the dead maid on the ground. Diana turned left and looked at the the source, which was a blonde woman who was five feet and eight inches tall with icy blue eyes, blonde hair that reached to the back of her knees, and a blood red dress with black high heels. The woman looked at Diana with an expression of sheer hatred.

"YOU STUPID BRAT! YOU KILLED THE MAID! SHE COST MORE TO HIRE THAN YOUR MISERABLE LIFE IS WORTH!" Elizabeth screamed at her daughter. Rapid and shallow breathing could be heard as the younger Diana panicked.

"M-m-mother, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt her! I just didn't want to wear that dr-" Younger Diana tried to explain herself but was cut off as the older blonde strode forward and drew her right hand back, then delivered a slap to the face that was so powerful that Jane visibly recoiled in the seat even though she had not actually been hit. The child's viewpoint wobbled for a minute or two until it returned to normal.

"YOU MUST HAVE DONE THIS USING MAGIC!" Elizabeth shouted an accusation. A loud and frustrated huff could be heard.

"WHAT A FINE TIME FOR YOU TO DISCOVER YOUR MAGIC! I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO TONIGHT'S DINNER AND YOU RUINED IT! THANKS TO YOU A MAID'S DEAD AND NOW I NEED TO HIRE ANOTHER!" Elizabeth screeched at her dazed daughter. The latter was too frightened of her mother to do anything but stand still as she received a second slap so powerful that she spun 180 degrees and hit the ground.

"YOU'RE JUST A BIG MISTAKE THAT'S NOTHING BUT A CONSTANT DRAIN ON OUR FINANCES! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER GIVEN BIRTH TO YOU!" Younger Diana heard while still on the ground and looking at the left wall of her room with her perspective turned sideways. The child began to cry out of regret over what happened to the maid and the pain she was feeling from her mother's forceful slaps.

When the flashback ended Jane's face was still calm, but her emotional state was taking a turn for the worse. She felt an intense wave of regret for accidentally killing that innocent maid with the very first use of her magic, magic she did not know she had until that fateful moment. Diana was not sure how much longer she would be experiencing flashbacks, but she suspected that the worst was yet to come.

[Post Word Count: 1,042]
[Diana's Word Count: 13,228]
[Total Word Count: 24,417]

It was not a pleasant scene to watch and a frown crossed Medeia’s features as she did so. There were certain acts that even for a Warlord could be considered out of bounds and for the witch, striking a child was one of those. It may have seemed a strange belief considering the damage she had caused in the past but when it came to physical abuse then that was out of line. Yes, Jane had killed a woman accidently but Medeia did not believe that the mother’s actions were justified either. All hitting the girl would do was allow the fear and anger that was building to grow stronger, which was only going to make things worse in the end. The angel was beginning to see why the blonde was so emotionally repressed, as every time she lowered her guard, it seemed as if would just be exploited by those around her. It was all starting to take shape.

Yet, she was not hearing anything from the woman just yet and so Medeia allowed the spell to continue. Until Jane actually broke, there was no point in stopping part of the way through and while the Warlord did feel some sympathy towards what the blonde had experienced, she knew that the visions would only get worse. That was how the spell worked and sooner or later, Medeia knew that the blonde would eventually find her guard breaking. The blonde could not remain as she was forever, as a life lived in such a way was missing out on so much.

The feelings of anger that the witch was feeling were continuing to grow and she felt nothing but contempt for the blonde haired mother. Medeia had no real tolerance for such behaviour and she could remember such moments from her own childhood. Yes, her father had never hit her but he had been abusive in his own way, treating her as just an afterthought. Her mother had been a rather empty presence for the most part, who faded into the background and seemed to just accept it all. If it was not for her budding relationship with Armina, the angel would probably not think anything good had come from her childhood, all those years ago.

(376 Words)
(24793 TWC)

After the flashback of the very first use of her lethal magic Jane had a brief moment before the next one started to play out in front of her. The perspective was of someone with their head tilted down... Diana remembered the cause as her mother pulling her into the bathroom by her hair, which was why the perspective was so uneven. When she looked up she saw that she was in her mother's bathroom, which was lavishly appointed with features such as immaculate soft white wallpaper, genuine marble countertops and a white metal bathtub that her mother was fond of bathing in. While all of this was being seen the sound of someone struggling against something could be heard... in this situation younger Diana's arms had been bound by her mother so that she could not resist what was going to be done to her.

Jane's stomach turned a flip when she saw the bathtub full of water and recognized the situation.

This was from a time when she was twelve and had accidentally messed up playing Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 for some family friends her parents had invited to the Winchester Estate.

"Mother, please stop pulling my hair!" Diana's voice pleaded for the pain to stop. Instead her hair was yanked upwards even harder, causing her to scream.

"SHUT UP! You had one simple piano piece to play for our guests and you couldn't even do that right! You embarrassed me in front of EVERYONE!" Elizabeth yelled. Jane was dreading what was going to happen to her younger self. The perspective lurched forward and was forcibly lowered towards the bathtub.

"But Melody didn't teach me how to play it right! And Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody isn't simple! It's really hard for a beginner like me!" Diana protested. The perspective continued to dip as her head was forced towards the waiting water, which was calm enough to serve as a mirror. One could see both Jane, who had blonde hair and green eyes and a facial expression of undisguised terror, and her mother, whose face was contorted in an expression of hate and her eyes fixed in a glare strong enough to burn a hole in metal.

"DON'T BLAME MELODY FOR YOUR STUPIDITY!" Elizabeth forcefully defended her favorite daughter before resuming the punishment of her least favorite daughter.

"MOTHER, PLEASE DON'T! I'M SORRY!" Diana pleaded again. Diana's head was lowered into the water and Jane held her breath as the perspective wobbled back and forth to match her younger self's struggle against her mother trying to drown her in a bathtub. Muffled sounds could be heard for at least thirty seconds before her head was lifted out of the water. Jane audibly exhaled and took a deep breath.

"You're such a worthless child! You're twelve years old and still can't play the piano!" Her mother shouted before pushing Diana's head back under the water. Jane held her breath again as the perspective shifted and the muffled sounds of Elizabeth loudly berating Diana for being a "waste of space" and a "burden" to the entire family could be faintly heard above the water... if one had a sensitive ear they might be able to pick out a few words here and there, but for the average person the rest of the tirade would be hard to hear. The younger Diana's head remained underwater for forty-five seconds before it was lifted out and she could breathe again. This time she was pulled away from the bathtub and hoisted into a standing position, causing Jane to audibly take a deep breath.

"I'll do this every time you embarrass me in front of guests, so pay attention the next time you have piano lessons!" Elizabeth warned her daughter that this form of punishment was not a one-time deal. The flashback ended and Jane's breathing pattern was erratic like she had actually been subjected to the ordeal her younger self had endured. She was not sure what flashback would come next, but she was definitely not looking forward to it.

[Post Word Count: 676]
[Diana's Word Count: 13,094]
[Total Word Count: 25,469]

Just what kind of monster did Jane have for a mother? That was the first question that went through Medeia’s mind as she continued to watch the nightmares that Jane had been forced to experience for real. There was no doubt that the woman before her had been tortured mercilessly. There was no other word to describe it and the angel felt well and truly sick about what she was watching. There was a special place in Hell for those who did such things and the Warlord knew that the foul creature who was supposed to be a mother would end up there. To be frank, if Medeia had the chance, she would send her there herself. Cruelty for no reason served no purpose and that was exactly what Medeia was witnessing. Just a spiteful woman, taking out her own misery on her daughter.

She could start to hear sounds from the bound woman now, her keen senses able to pick up the lightest intake of breath. Jane was clearly struggling and Medeia could not help but wonder just how much more it would take to for the blonde woman to reach the point where she gave in. Honestly, the witch hoped that it would be sooner rather than later but Jane was an incredibly tough nut to crack and the Warlord mused that it may just take the full duration of her spell to do what was needed. That would mean that the memories would only continue to increase in intensity, digging deeper still into the psyche of the tied woman.

Medeia could not help but ask herself just how much the young Jane could have been forced to suffer through and still manage to survive. From what she had just witnessed, her mother truly did seem to have that killer instinct and the angel could well see one of her punishments having gone wrong. Her sympathy for Jane was growing over time and it was now abundantly clear to her as to why the woman had cut herself off from her feelings. It was probably the only way she had been able to survive at the time.

The Warlord could not help but briefly question whether she was doing the right thing but deep down, she knew that facing your past was the only real way of moving forwards. Jane had claimed that she had accepted what had happened to her but Medeia just could not help but wonder…

Accept what? That it was fine for her to be beaten by a family of sadists?

(427 Words)
(25896 TWC)

Jane had finally recovered from the last flashback and was breathing normally when the next glimpse of the past started. The viewpoint was of a medium-sized basement with boxes containing various odds and ends along the edges of the wall and a pole that had been installed in the center. The view wobbled as Teenage Diana was shoved towards the pole by Melody and her hands were pulled forward by Elizabeth until they wrapped around the pole. The taller, older blonde then bound her daughter's hands in front of her

A RIP of something being torn could be heard and Jane shuddered at the memory. She recalled it as the back of her shirt being ripped to expose the skin and Melody walked around with a sinister grin on her face.

"You shouldn't have tripped in the dining room and pulled down the tablecloth, Little Sister. You really made a mess of Mother's favorite tablecloth when all that food spilled on it when you yanked it down." Melody told Diana.

"You were the one who tripped me and made me do it!" Diana shouted at Melody. The truth was that Melody had tripped Diana when the latter walked by the older sister's place at the table. In an effort to spare herself a fall the younger Winchester had grabbed at the tablecloth for support and ended up pulling it halfway off the table, causing a good deal of the food on it to spill.

Instead of admitting to or denying the charges the older blonde simply grinned before walking away because she knew their mother would never believe anything Diana said. Elizabeth walked behind Diana and there was an unnerving silence that made Jane shudder because she knew exactly what was going to happen. Moments later a CRACK split the air and Diana screamed as a whip made contact between her shoulder blades... the straps of her bra did nothing to protect her in the area where the whip made contact.

"You clumsy, stupid child! You ruined my favorite tablecloth! My mother gave it to me when I got married!" Elizabeth stated the latest crime Diana was guilty of before administering another lash of the whip. The perspective jolted as Diana screamed again.

"I can't believe you tried to blame Melody for your clumsiness again! First it was that time with the piano, now this! You're nothing but a liar and always will be!" Elizabeth hurled another accusation at her daughter just before a third crack of the whip. Another scream sounded.

"Mother, please stop! Melody really did trip me!" Diana pleaded her innocence and was "rewarded" with a fourth lash.

"ENOUGH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES! JUST STOP TALKING!" The older woman ordered and then made several slow, methodical swings that gave Diana just enough time for anxiety to build between each one before it actually hit. By the fourteenth one in a row the viewpoint was looking down at the floor and crying could be clearly heard.

"Stop crying, you baby! You're sixteen years old and still cry every time you're disciplined!" Elizabeth taunted her daughter over the response to being whipped. Diana was too busy crying and silently pleading with whatever divine entity was inclined to listen to stop the torment. Someone must have heard her because within moments Diana heard commotion behind her.

"...Mother, Lucia just hit me!" Melody whined, pulling her usual trick of deliberately omitting what she had done to deserve what happened to her. The favorite daughter was obviously unused to receiving any consequences for her actions and was too stunned to do anything else but speak.

"She... she hit me..." Melody said aloud. Diana then heard forceful footsteps enter the room.

"That's right, Mother. I slapped Melody across the face and I'll do it again if I have to! I heard her bragging about what was going on down here, so I showed her exactly what I thought of her behavior." Lucia candidly admitted what she had done to Mother's Favorite. The footsteps circled around Diana and the hurting blonde looked into the face of her rescuer, Lucia Winchester. Lucia untied Diana's hands and supported her with her left shoulder.

"She... she actually hit me." Melody repeated like a broken record player as Lucia turned around with Diana on her shoulder and took a few steps away from the pole.

"LUCIA WINCHESTER! YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR!" Elizabeth shouted. Diana looked up at Lucia's face and the viewpoint recoiled as the older blonde stopped in place. This was the first time she had ever seen her sister get angry about anything.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S GONE TOO FAR, MOTHER!" Lucia shot back. The viewpoint showed Elizabeth, who had a stunned look on her face like she had just been slapped. Melody's mouth was still hanging open as she slunk to her mother's side for comfort.

"Mother, you need to punish Lucia for what she did to me!" Melody whined to their mother. Lucia's left index finger shot upward and pointed at the wounded Winchester sister.

"Shut your mouth, Melody! For once in your life JUST SHUT IT!" Lucia ordered. The other blonde actually complied.

"Your mouth has hurt your sisters for way too long! You've gotten them punished for things they didn't do and I've had enough! It ends TODAY!" The oldest sister laid down the law. Melody stood in silence and nursed her face while Elizabeth gasped in shock before her face showed unbridled rage.

"LUCIA WINCHESTER, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" Elizabeth shouted. She was the next to get the raised pointer finger.

"AND I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU, ELIZABETH WINCHESTER!" Lucia retorted. The older woman was blindsided by that and her jaw dropped.

"You're nothing but a violent drunk who has no self-control whatsoever! Whenever you get upset you don't try to solve the problem because that would actually take you doing something other than sitting in your room and fuming about it while downing a bottle of wine. Instead you pout and fume and take it out on whoever's next to you! I've had to patch up my sisters way too often after one of your tantrums and I've had enough!" Lucia told her mother exactly what her problem was. Elizabeth's face hardened and she raised the whip, but Lucia was too fast for her mother. The viewpoint changed to one of someone on all fours on the ground, but the results of Lucia's speed could be seen. Now the oldest Winchester sister was holding the whip and Elizabeth was the one looking terrified while Melody was visibly trembling.

"It's not so fun when you're on the wrong end of a whip, huh?" Lucia asked before cracking the whip close to her mother's feet. The stunned older woman jumped back and Melody scurried off to the right.

"Are you having fun yet? Are you?" Lucia asked again. Elizabeth was too horrified to respond. The whip lashed out at the older woman's feet and she jumped back.

"ARE YOU HAVING FUN YET?!" Lucia screamed the question.

"NO! NO I'M NOT!" Elizabeth screamed in response. Lucia walked back over to Diana and helped the stunned blonde to her feet, then offered the shoulder for support again. The older sister kept the whip in her left hand in case she had to use it again.

"You remember this incident and you remember it with what few brain cells aren't dead from being drowned in alcohol, Mother. If this ever happens again I won't be so nice next time." Lucia firmly ordered her mother to never make the mistake again. She then helped Diana out of the basement and the pair walked past their startled mother without a single word.

When the flashback ended Jane was physically drained from the emotions she had felt. She was as slumped back in the chair as the bonds allowed. She did not know how much more she could take.

[Post Word Count: 1,324]
[Diana's Word Count: 14,418]
[Total Word Count: 27,220]

The latest scene was the most unpleasant of all so far and even for a hardened woman such as Medeia, she would have to admit that it seemed rather extreme to say the least. That said, it did unravel some of the mysteries and one of the blonde women in that scene was rather familiar. Lucia was indeed a member of Jane’s family and as she realised that she had been lied to, Medeia’s eyes would turn towards the back of the woman’s chair. Jane had turned out to be an incredibly deceptive woman and while Medeia was naturally angry that she had been deceived, she supposed that it was well deserved. A trick that the Warlord used pretty much every time she left her guild base. Yet, it also raised the question of just what else the woman before her had been lying about and it placed scrutiny on every word she had uttered.

Watching Lucia act in such a way was somewhat of a shock to the angel and the dark haired could not help but muse about whether that sweet and innocent act of hers had been genuine. Everything was now a possible deception and the Warlord made a promise to herself that if she came across the older Winchester again, then she would be a little more sceptical of the woman. Yet, in her heart of hearts, Medeia was pleased that when push came to shove, Lucia could take control of a situation when it was necessary. The angel had thought that she was almost too nice during their meeting.

Even from her position, she could tell that Jane was reaching her breaking point and Medeia believed that the spell was probably soon to be reaching a conclusion. Perhaps there would be time for another scene or two but already, the dark mage could feel its effects begin to weaken. If Jane was to break, it would need to happen soon and a part of Medeia, the more vindictive half, wanted to see her suffer for her deceit. It was tempered by the other half though, who believed that what she was doing was for the blonde’s own good.

That was when she came to a decision and as the scene started to fade, Medeia would silently start to change her form. There was one member of Jane’s family who seemed to link every one of the scenes together and the witch believed that she was the key to it all. So, the Warlord herself would add just a little more torment into what was already a massive barrage against her captive. She would wait until the end of the next scene but after that, Jane’s nightmare would take a rather more twisted turn.

(458 Words)
(27678 TWC)

Jane was nearing the limit of what she could take, but there was one last scene to be relived and that was arguably the worst of them all. The scene shifted to a large dining room with walls with wooden paneling, a long rectangular table made out of dark wood, and wooden chairs that matched the table that had been overturned when their occupants fell backwards while still seated in them. On the table was a single dark bottle of wine that sat half full and the white tablecloth was stained with irregular splotches of spilled wine that looked somewhat like spilled blood, perhaps because it had dried that way. The hair on the back of Jane's neck stood up and her stomach turned a flip.

This was the dining room where her family had died when she was eighteen!

The viewpoint shifted to a view of ten people lying on their backs, their lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. There were eight females and three males and each one looked like they had died from asphyxiation, which was undoubtedly a miserable way to die. Diana looked her family again and as she looked the viewpoint showed their features... for example, all of the Winchesters were blonde except for Gloria and George, who both had light brown hair. Katrina was the only person in the Winchester family who wore glasses and they gleamed in the light whenever Diana moved her head. Lucius looked like a male version of Lucia with short blond hair that was the same shade as hers, blue eyes that were a match for his sister's, and an average build that boasted a few inches more height than Lucia to put him at six feet and two inches tall.

Diana did a mental roll call and found herself looking at her mother Elizabeth plus her sisters Lucia, Melody, Gloria, Katrina, Ashley, Olivia, and Jessica. On the male side of her family were her father George, her older brother Lucius and her younger brother Albert. At their feet or near their hand lay a wine glass containing a tiny amount of the wine that had taken their lives.

"Oh, no. They're all dead." Younger Diana moaned in shock. She could not spare much sympathy for her mother, Melody, or Lucius, but to see Lucia and her other sisters who had been kind to her lying dead on the floor hurt her badly.

"Lucia, Gloria, Katrina, Jessica... why? Why did this happen to you?" Diana listed all of the sisters who had actually been kind to her. Rapid breathing could be heard as the viewpoint bounced... Diana was sprinting to Lucia's side. When she reached it she quickly stopped, dropped to her knees, and cradled her sister's head in her hands, the latter's long blonde hair flowing out of her hands and into her lap.

"Lucia, it's me, Diana! Please wake up!" Diana pleaded with her older sister to get up. Deep in her heart she knew that it was too late, but a small part of her was hoping for a miracle. The view looked down into Lucia's lifeless eyes as the blonde remained motionless.

"It's me, Diana! Answer me, Lucia!" Diana repeated in vain. She cradled her sister's head a bit longer before she finally accepted that her sister had passed into the next world. At that point the last of the Winchester family gave up on more than just reviving the sister who had cared for her the most.

"So it's just me now." Diana muttered in despair. Her family would be silent listeners to what she said next as hopelessness began to creep in.

"It's just me. The dumb one. The clumsy one. The waste of space. The leech bleeding the family dry." Diana said in a louder voice as the viewpoint turned from side to side to capture the entire Winchester family lying in repose. Diana closed her eyes for a moment and gave a dark chuckle.

"Of course I'd be the one to live. All the good ones are dead, but I'm still here to take up space. I was out of the house on some dumb errand while they stayed at home. That was some luck I had." Diana remarked on having the "luck" to be out of the house while her family drank the wine that killed them. She opened her eyes again.

"Why am I even alive?" Diana muttered to herself in a voice that made it clear that she did not see much of a future for herself.

"I wish that I could have at least saved Lucia. She gave so much to me but I was never able to give her anything back. She deserved to live a lot more than I do." She lamented aloud. She looked down at her older sister's lifeless face for a moment or two before looking up again and glancing at the entire Winchester family.

"Why am I even alive?" Diana repeated the question before the scene faded.

At this point Jane was still slumped over, but her facial expression was now one of visible exhaustion. She could not stand to see any more of her past and just wanted the flashbacks to stop. If she were lucky enough to have seen the last of them she might finally get some time to pull herself together.

[Post Word Count: 894]
[Diana's Word Count: 15,312]
[Total Word Count: 28,572]

Now it all made sense and the deception that the blonde woman had been attempting fell apart completely. This bound woman was Diana Winchester, younger sister of Lucia and the only other member of her family to survive. Yet, the scene did leave one particular question and that was how Lucia had managed to return to life. That was clearly her in Diana’s arms and she certainly appeared dead. That, however, was a question for Lucia and Medeia knew that asking Diana about it would most likely be futile. Besides, Lucia was not her guest, Diana was and she was the focus of tonight’s encounter.

With her traumatic childhood now open like a book, the Warlord had more than enough information on her guest to work with but the truth was that Medeia still did not believe that Diana had cracked. She was on the ropes but there was still not the kind of reaction that the witch was expecting, That left the angel with her last resort and as she took a breath, her form completely different from her usual alluring one, Medeia would slowly approach the chair from behind, her face breaking out into a grin that was a mirror image of Diana’s most hated sister.

As far as Diana would know, the woman would be Melody, back from the dead.

Knowing that she would have to be at her most cruel to pull this off, Medeia would do her utmost to discard her sympathy for Diana for the time being. Instead, she focused on the embarrassment and anger at having been duped by the blonde for so long. That would be her fuel for the act she was about to perform and as she brought her head around the chair, her voice would have the exact same twisted tone that Melody had in the memories that Medeia had witnessed.

“Hey, Little Sister, it’s been a long time.” Melody uttered, her eyes twinkling sinisterly. “It was a lot of fun watching you suffer all over again. Did you miss me?”

The look in the blonde’s eyes could have frightened anyone and it seemed as though she was on the edge of madness.

“You haven’t changed, Little Sister, you’re still just as useless as you’ve always been. Look at you, tied to a chair just like when we were kids, quivering and trembling like always. You’re a waste of oxygen and always will be, no matter how you try to hide it. Lucia isn’t here to save you this time, it’s just you and me, I got a lot of things planned for you.”

Using her new found knowledge, ‘Melody’ would move about so that she was around the back of the chair, deliberately putting her fingers on Diana’s scars. “I’m going to make these scars seem like cute little birthmarks when I’m done.”

(475 Words)
(29047 TWC)

When another flashback did not happen Jane thought that she was in the clear. She thought that the worst of it was over and she could finally start pulling herself back together. After the emotional roller coaster ride she had been subjected to she needed time to recover, but the moment she heard a familiar voice she knew that a reprieve from her torment was the last thing she was going to get.

"Melody?" Diana asked aloud, her voice full of apprehension and the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She looked to the side where the voice had come from and the color drained from her face. A look of undisguised terror was on the green-eyed blonde's face as she visibly recoiled from her older sister's face, which was twisted in a look she had seen only a few times in the past. Diana recalled her last meeting with Melody, which had been at the All Hallow's Eve event not too long ago and recalled her sister's vow to reunite with her and have some "real fun" the next time the two Winchesters met.

Now Melody was making good on the threat she had made at the Halloween event and this time Diana could not stop her.

"MELODY!" Diana screamed her older sister's name. The adrenaline was flowing freely as she frantically tried to get away from the source of most of her childhood trauma and pulled sharply to the side that got her as far away from her sister as possible, but the bonds were holding her firmly in place. That did not stop Diana from trying to get away, though. After everything Melody had subjected her to the green-eyed blonde knew that she was going to be in for a lot of pain.

Diana continued to struggle as Melody mentioned plans for her, plans that were unspecified but did not need to be elaborated upon because the former knew that they would not be good. The blonde's panic increased as Melody walked behind her and stayed out of sight for a few moments. She had no idea what was about to happen to her and did not want to find out, so she redoubled her efforts to break free.

The green-eyed blonde's struggles were in vain, though. The ropes were not giving way no matter how hard she pulled against them and she was only wearing herself out. Diana stopped fighting and tried to figure out some other trick to free herself when fingers touched the scars on her back and Melody promised to hurt her in ways that would make the scars look tame in comparison.

"NO! STOP TOUCHING THEM! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!" Diana screamed in audible fear as she threw herself forward in a desperate attempt to break out of the ropes. There was no rational thought behind her actions, only the urgent need to get away. She wanted to put as much distance between her and her older sister as possible before the latter could carry out her latest threat.

[Post Word Count: 512]
[Diana's Word Count: 15,824]
[Total Word Count: 29,559]

“Tch, same old Diana, embarrassing herself non stop.” Melody replied coldly to Diana’s desperate actions. “Mother always dreaded having you perform because she knew you’d always screw up, no matter how much practice you did. It drove me nuts having to sit there for hours trying to teach you how to play the piano. There were days where I wanted to give you a whipping far worse than what she gave you. Would’ve too if Lucia hadn’t grown a backbone.”

Wrapping an arm around Diana, Melody would cruelly pull her backwards, forcing her up against the back of the chair. As soon as it did, more rope would burst from it, wrapping itself more tightly around Diana, leaving her tightly pinned with barely an inch of wriggle room. Tight and unforgiving, it would feel horrible to the bound woman, no doubt even more so due to her hatred of being tied. Melody knew that, of course and a smirk crossed her face, a sure sign that it was done deliberately to make her sister suffer.

Once Diana was locked in, Melody would run a hand through her sister’s hair, gentle for now but knowing that her little sister knew what was probably going to happen soon enough. “I always loved it when Mother pulled your hair. You’d always scream and shout, which made me smile.” With a wicked laugh, she would do just that, tugging at Diana’s locks and wrenching fairly hard, just to get a reaction from the petrified woman.

She’d then move around and look down at the bound woman, a malicious look across her face, the personification of evil, as it were. There was no mercy, no forgiveness, no sisterly love, nothing but pure madness. If looks could kill, Diana probably already would be or at least a drooling mess on the floor. The Melody before her was one who had all the confidence of a woman who was in her element, having purged herself of weakness.

Yet, that expression would change after a moment, to one of seething anger. “You didn’t shed any tears for Mother and me, did you? Not one. You cried like a baby about angelic Lucia but couldn’t have given any less about us. After all we did to make you less useless and that’s how you repaid us? Ungrateful waste of space.”

She’d approach, leaning down towards her sister. “I’ve come a long way with my magic. I think I’m going to spend a while seeing if I can do better than this lovely chair. How about I mummify you and leave you in the dark for a couple of days? Sounds like a good place to start.”

(447 Words)
(30006 TWC)

It went without saying that Melody did not leave her alone... instead she pulled Diana further back into the chair and more ropes almost instantaneously appeared to bind the latter in place. When they were securely tightened of their own accord the green-eyed blonde could not move very far from the back of the piece of furniture she was bound to. After a few seconds of fighting against the newly added ropes Diana knew that she was not going anywhere and gave up for the time being. She did her best to endure the constant unpleasant feeling of the new ropes pressing against her skin, but her discomfort increased even more as Melody's fingers made their way through her hair, an act which was a sure sign that something unpleasant was about to happen. When the sharp yank on her hair finally happened Diana could do nothing but scream in pain.

"STOP IT! STOP PULLING MY HAIR!" Diana screamed at her older sister as she could only sit and suffer while her scalp burned with intense pain for as long as the pulling lasted. When her hair was finally released she listened to Melody accuse her of caring more about the death of Lucia than her death or that of their mother, a charge that was true. To see her older sister making that accusation somehow made Diana feel guilty despite how much she had detested Melody in life.

"Lucia worked tirelessly to keep our family going! She helped us no matter how tired she was or how much she wanted a break from her responsibilities!" Diana explained why Lucia had occupied such a high place in her esteem as calmly as she could considering how furious Melody was and how panicked she was. She was telling the truth. Diana was closer to Lucia than any of her other siblings except for Jessica, the second-youngest Winchester sister.

When she heard Melody's threat to wrap her like a mummy the green-eyed blonde's panic skyrocketed because that was something she had once told Diana she wanted to do to the latter. Melody knew that that level of restrictive binding would be so uncomfortable for Diana that being in it would almost bring the younger Winchester to tears. Leaving the green-eyed blonde alone in a dark place with nothing but her misery for company would only make her predicament even worse.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T DO THAT TO ME, MELODY! PLEASE DON'T!" Diana pleaded with genuine fear on her voice as she renewed her efforts to get free despite how unlikely she would achieve that goal by repeatedly moving her torso and legs as far forward as they could go. It was plain to see that she was desperate to escape before Melody could keep her word. As Diana moved the tight ropes rubbed against her skin, a sensation which made her feel worse and caused her to struggle even harder in spite of how futile the act was.

[Post Word Count: 496]
[Diana's Word Count: 16,320]
[Total Word Count: 30,502]

A cruel laugh escaped Melody as she listened to Diana beg and cry, not caring in the least about her sister’s suffering. She was having such a great time and with so much terror rampaging about inside her, the blonde needed release. This was going to be such fun and after Diana begged not to be mummified, her smirk widened, as she took the first step in doing just that. She would place a hand on the chair, causing the ropes to suddenly disappear, giving Diana what would appear to be a few seconds to recover her senses.

That, however, was simply another cruel act on the part of Melody as she would summon another coil of rope into her hands and forcibly haul her sister up to her feet. Her strength would be surprisingly great and after pulling the blonde’s arms behind her back, Melody would bind them together again, the knots tightening with an excruciating amount of force. There was no give here and the blonde was taking every opportunity to make her sister pay. Pay for everything. For being useless, an eyesore, an insult to their mother. It was all coming out now.and there would be nothing but unrelenting torment.

When Diana was bound again, Melody would push her forward so that she was standing away from the chair. The reason? That would come soon enough as the older blonde would crouch down and slowly start to wind the rope around her sister's legs, at a pace that would make it seem as though the rope was a snake that was coiling around its victim. Melody knew what she was doing and intended to make it last as long as she could.

As she went about her work, she would chuckle again and say. “Now you’d better be a big girl and let me do this, Little Sister, or I swear that you’ll never be let out of this. I’ll take you home with me and use you as a rug to rest my feet on. Hmm. You know what? Maybe I’ll do that anyway?” Every word was filled with malice, while her hands would deliberately make contact with Diana from time to time, knowing how much she hated it. With her weaknesses laid bare, Melody would not waste a single opportunity to exploit them.

(388 Words)
(30890 TWC)

When the ropes coming from the chair were released Diana had a welcome few moments of relative freedom before Melody snatched it away from her when the latter pulled her out of the chair and made her stand up. Diana's arms were forced behind her back and bound so tightly that when the knots were tightened the green-eyed blonde loudly yelped in pain. The unpleasant sensation of rope against her skin had returned, but she did not have much time to worry about that because she soon had bigger problems. Melody moved her away from the chair with another push, then began to go about the task of binding Diana's legs... it did not seem like the older blonde was in much of a hurry because she was taking her time about it.

Diana heard the warning her older sister issued and knew that it was no idle threat. If she disobeyed it Melody would do exactly what she said she would do and possibly more. The green-eyed blonde had no choice but to obey if she wanted to have a chance of avoid being permanently bound with rope.

"I won't fight you. Just don't make me into a rug. Please. Please don't do that to me." Diana pleaded in a voice that sounded like she was physically and emotionally exhausted. She could not even scream any longer. Doing that would get her nowhere... in fact further screaming might only encourage Melody to be even more cruel to her.

Jane also dropped her disguise to show who she truly was, the green-eyed blonde she had been born as. She was no longer Jane Wesson... she was now Diana Winchester. Diana's real face showed obvious signs of exhaustion, but she exercised self-control despite the ropes binding her and Melody's hands touching her every now and then. Despite her using what strength she had left to keep her reactions under control so that she did not end her life as a rug Melody could still feel Diana tensing up whenever touched.

Diana silently wondered when the torment would finally be over. She had endured almost all she could handle and just wanted it to stop already. However, she had no say in the matter... she had no choice but to endure what was being done to her and hope that nothing else would be done to add to her misery.

Diana Winchester's Real Face:

[Post Word Count: 398]
[Diana's Word Count: 16,718]
[Total Word Count: 31,288]

Melody simply laughed at Diana’s rather weak reply, rubbing her sister's weakness in her face. It was oh so enjoyable and as the older blonde continued to wrap the rope around Diana’s form, the tightness would no doubt become more and more uncomfortable. Up her legs and continuing onto her torso, Melody would continue on, making every second as torturous as possible for Diana. It was almost as if the older Winchester was feeding off of Diana’s fear and her eyes became more and more sinister as the process continued on.

The facade had fallen at last and Melody now recognised her sister as she truly was. A far softer looking woman in the face, her expression far easier to read. Her mental defences had clearly been broken and now Melody was seeing her sister in the most vulnerable light. It humanised Diana but at the same time, only made the older sister wish to exploit that even more. For the woman playing Melody, it would feel as though she was experiencing the raw emotions of the original and she was well and truly into the act. Combining her annoyance with that of the woman she was playing,

Melody was not going to stop until she carried out her threat, she knew it and Diana probably did too. The rope was not going to cease until it covered the woman’s entire body, save for the spots required for her sister to breathe. As the tying continued, Melody’s breathing began to become heavier, enjoying the sensation of having her sister completely at her mercy. No doubt that would only cause her sister to worry more, which was perfect. “Don’t worry, I’ll leave your nose free so that you can breathe.” She taunted wickedly. “That’ll be all that is though.”

The torturous experience would never seem to end and Melody only paused when she reached her sister’s head, the rest of her by now completely covered. Leaning in before she carried on, she hissed. “You’d better keep your mouth shut now while I finish up or I might just forget what I just said.” It was a threat of the most serious nature and if her words were not enough, she would give a cruel tug to the rope, causing the entire coil to chafe painfully against Diana’s form.

(387 Words)
(31675 TWC)

Diana's disguised form had been dropped and so had her poker face. If Melody looked she could see the physical and mental exhaustion on Diana's face. The green-eyed blonde was not faking it... she had almost reached the point she could not keep from writhing in obvious discomfort, but she had to stay in control if she wanted to avoid being a rug... or have her nose left uncovered when the restrictive binding was finally complete.

Diana kept quiet as her sister went about her work. She could hear Melody's breathing gradually go from normal to heavy and that was a sign the older blonde was plainly getting a thrill out of what she was doing. Diana was too tired to react to that with the disgust she was feeling and even if she were not too tired she would still keep herself under control because Melody's capacity for cruelty did not seem to have any limits and she would likely come up with an additional punishment even worse than mummifying her sister and using her as a rug if she took offense to Diana's reaction to her altered breathing pattern.

When she was up to her neck in rope and the warning to keep quiet was given Diana wordlessly obeyed because if she uttered a single word Melody would not hesitate to make the threat a reality. Moments after being given the warning Diana felt a rope being tugged and when the bonds were tightened almost to the point of being unbearable she clenched her teeth to avoid crying out in pain. However, she did not need to say a word or make a noise because her face said it all.

Diana was physically and mentally exhausted and she was in genuine physical pain. She could not resist any longer and just wanted her ordeal to end. Since Melody now had total control over her that ordeal would end only when her older sister wanted it to and not a moment sooner.

[Post Word Count: 334]
[Diana's Word Count: 17,052]
[Total Word Count: 32,009]

Taking the lack of a response as confirmation, Melody would complete her work, wrapping the rope further still. Not only would it soon enough be covering Diana’s mouth, preventing any speech but her eyes as well, blinding her to everything. Even at that point, Melody would keep the pace horribly slow and every wrap around Dian’s head would feel like a lifetime. Cruelty personified. That was what the older sister was and she revelled in every moment. She had her sister just where she wanted her. Bound, gagged, blind and scared to death.

Placing her head by Diana’s ear, she’d utter. “You know. This is how Mother wanted you all along. Hidden away where no one could see or hear you. Now, I am going to make you pay for every single moment of humiliation that you made her suffer through. We’ve got all the time in the world and you’re going to spend every movement just as you are now. You’ll be lucky if you ever see the light of day again, Little Sister and you don’t have Lucia to save you now.”

With a powerful shove from behind, Melody would try and push her sister to the ground, before chuckling again. “I’m going to enjoy this but you’re not.”

Raising a hand to cast a spell against her sister, the older blonde would stop in mid cast, her gaze turning upwards as the coffin around them began to crack. The ability was done and with an unhappy squeal, Melody would sigh and say. “Aww. Looks like my time’s up for today. What a pain.”

Looking furious, she would move forwards, grabbing Diana’s bound head and lifting it up. “You’d better not forget what happened here, Little Sister, as one day soon, I’m going to finish what was started here. Until then, cry like the useless piece of filth that you are. Goodbye Sister!”

With one last evil chuckle, Melody’s laughter would vanish and the coffin would fall apart soon enough. Only Medeia and the bound blonde woman remained.

Yet, the Warlord did not approach just yet and simply left Diana for a few moments with whatever thoughts her muddled mind could come up with.

(366 Words)
(32375 TWC)

When the binding was finished Diana was unable to see, hear, or speak. At least she could still breathe through her nose, but that was about all she could do. Even the one little freedom she had could be taken away whenever Melody felt like it, so she was not counting on it to last forever. However, Melody informed Diana that her mummification was not going to end and she was going to be in this state for the rest of her life.

Before she could react in any way Diana was given a sharp push from behind and she fell to the floor, landing on her stomach with a muffled yelp of surprise and pain. The blonde then screamed as the unforgiving ropes rubbed her skin and remained pressed against her. The screaming soon stopped, but the pain did not. Diana writhed impotently from side to side in short motions as she tried to get relief from the ropes, but no relief from the pain was forthcoming. However, she caught a break of sorts when Melody announced that she could no longer remain in this world.

That break was short-lived because the older Winchester seized her sister's head and made the promise that she would one day finish the job and when it was finished leave Diana to suffer for the rest of her life. Diana gave a muffled scream of fear as Melody got one last laugh at her expense before the laugh faded. She did not know if her older sister had truly left or if she would come back soon to add to Diana's torment, but the green-eyed blonde was unable to save herself and no outside intervention was likely to occur, so she would be completely at Melody's mercy.

Diana closed her covered eyes and stopped writhing. She was not going to be free anytime soon and nothing she did could change that. All she would experience for the rest of her life was total immobility and constant gnawing discomfort produced by the ropes touching her skin. That thought was enough for Diana to start silently crying.

"I was never meant to be free." Diana thought while tears fell from her eyes. When she moved to Fiore after her family died she thought that she would finally be free of her past, but she was not free. Her older sister Melody had come back from the other side just to torment her and once her sadistic work was finished left Diana bound so tightly and so completely that she could never escape.

"Why am I even alive?" Diana thought as she continued to cry in silence. If she were lucky she might get a brief break by crying herself to sleep, but the break would be a brief one before she inevitably awakened to find herself back in the same hopeless situation. Diana had wanted her torment to end, but in fact it was only beginning.

Diana's freedom had been taken away and she would never get it back.

[Post Word Count: 504]
[Diana's Word Count: 17,556]
[Total Word Count: 32,879]

As the Warlord watched, her disguise having well and truly disappeared, Medeia felt a mixture of emotions. She had genuinely felt what Melody had while in her form and sheer madness and wildness that inhabited her soul was eye opening. Even for a creature such as herself, it was rare to come across such a depraved young woman. The angel had to wonder just what on Earthland her mother had done to create such emotions within her. Medeia understood now that she was a mad drunk but had she truly been as cruel to her other children as she had with Diana? It would make sense if that was true but Melody had such confidence that the Warlord was uncertain.

Still, the emotions of the woman would subside and after a minute or so, Medeia would feel completely herself again. To see Diana left in such a state was not a pleasant one and while she was of course responsible for the woman’s distress, the Warlord had to admit that there was some regret. She had underestimated the pain of the blonde woman’s past and a part of her was concerned that Diana might have been emotionally damaged beyond repair. Whether that was the case or not, Medeia knew that it was her duty to finish what she had started.

Approaching Diana, Medeia would bend down beside the bound woman and gently start to undo the tight ropes. Her touch would be incredibly gentle and all effort was made to make sure that Diana would feel no further pain. The time for harshness was well and truly over. It was the time for tenderness and as she went about her task, she would speak, not truly knowing whether the blonde would hear anything that she was saying in her current state.

“Easy now, Diana, it is all over.” Her tone was soothing and the look in her eyes would be sympathetic. “She is gone and will not bother you again. You are safe.”

It would not take too long for her to undo her own work and before long, Diana would be free of the ropes although Medeia could not help but notice the rope marks. It had been a long time since she had bound someone as tightly as she had the blonde woman and even she was taken slightly by surprise by her own venomous knots.

When she was done, Medeia would slowly stand again and look down at the blonde, her expression as soft as her touch had been. “If you will let me, I will carry you back to my room. Do not worry. All we are going to do now is talk, nothing more than that.”

(451 Words)
(33330 TWC)

A minute or two after starting Diana could no longer cry, so she stopped and just lay in darkness while the ropes binding her entire body gnawed at her skin. It seemed that the green-eyed blonde would be destined to spend the rest of her life in an unknown location while completely bound and unable to do anything but breathe through her nose and lie in darkness while longing for freedom she would never get. She was all but certain that she would never leave here alive... until she got an immense surprise when she felt the ropes being untied.

"W-what's happening to. Me?" Diana asked aloud in a disjointed sentence. Hope began to swell in her heart as the bonds that had completely covered and restricted her body began to be removed. She had no idea who her rescuer was, but she was not going to worry about that right now.

The green-eyed blonde thought she heard someone familiar address her and was unable to speak right away because in her current mental state she had no idea if what was happening was real or just a hallucination. This was almost too good to be true. The green-eyed blonde was starting to become afraid that she was just imagining things and that any moment now she would snap back to the nightmare of being mummified in rope and suffering in darkness. However, when Diana was completely freed of her bonds her mental state improved just enough to let her recognize the voice that had spoke to her not too long ago.

"M-M-Medeia? Is that really you?" Diana asked once all of the ropes had been undone and her limbs were free again. She remained on her stomach and did not move at all so that the other mage did not think Diana was going to suddenly attack her. The blonde was desperate to avoid being tied up again after having recently been freed from her bonds, so she would wait for permission to move. When the other mage spoke again it was to make an offer to physically ferry the blonde out of this place and back to the comfortable and luxurious room from earlier.

"Please help me, Medeia. I'm too weak to move on my own. Please take me out of this room and I'll talk to you." Diana appealed to Medeia for assistance with total sincerity. After struggling against the ropes for so long she did not currently have the strength to even get up, let alone walk under her own power. As a result she was not too proud to ask for help. Once she had made the appeal Diana closed her eyes and waited for whatever was going to happen next.

[Post Word Count: 456]
[Diana's Word Count: 18,012]
[Total Word Count: 33,786]

Nodding her head gently, Medeia would bend down and take Diana in her arms, lifting her up without the slightest hint of trouble. She would maneuver the blonde woman slightly so that she was as comfortable as possible, before heading for the exit, placing one hand up so that the door would open on its own. The Warlord did not rush any of her movements, her intention to simply allow the young Winchester to relax as much as she could. Her hold would be as though she was holding a young child, her tenderness clear to see. She did not wish for her guest to experience any more pain and Medeia spent the time walking to briefly ponder to herself about what she had seen. The dark mage had seen many memories in her time but few matched Diana’s in terms of intensity.

If Medeia was angry with the blonde for hiding her identity then there would be no sign of it upon the Warlord’s face and frankly, there was no animosity. She understood why Diana would feel it necessary to take on the form of another and considering her own habits, Medeia did not blame her at all. In a way, the angel mused that perhaps it was another layer to the woman’s shields, another barrier that kept herself from those around her. A formidable barrier indeed, as it had taken the blonde’s darkest memories in order to finally fracture it. Diana had an immense amount of willpower, that much was clear and Medeia had been forced to use her darkest magic in order to break it. Few other people could say that.

She was unsure if it would be appreciated at this stage but as she carried Diana, Medeia would cradle the blonde against her, attempting to help soothe the pain that was flooding her guests mind and body. The witch had seen for herself that a mother’s love was something that the blonde had never experienced which did explain the Jane persona somewhat. Diana had to be tough, in order to survive her childhood, let alone the rest of her life.

Soon enough, the pair would once again be in her purple room and after closing the door with an elbow, the angel would proceed to walk to the bed, before sitting upon it. Not once during that time did she let her guest go, being the calming presence that the blonde woman needed. She simply sat there, with Diana in her arms.

She did not utter a word and simply waited, giving Diana all the time she needed.

(432 Words)
(34218 TWC)

Diana had tensed up when she was touched, but otherwise she did not resist Medeia as she was carried out of the room. As the other mage walked towards their destination Medeia was so gentle with her guest that after nearly a minute the former might feel the blonde's tension disappear and also might feel Diana actually relax for the first time since being brought to the Warlord's home. It helped that she was being held in a gentle way that actually gave her comfort she had not felt in a very long time. Diana kept her eyes closed the entire time because what was going on felt like a dream that would end at any moment.

When Medeia finally stopped Diana was apprehensive about opening her eyes, but she did anyway. Instead of waking up to find herself back in the nightmare she was actually in the Warlord's room. She was sitting on the Warlord's bed while being gently held by her hostess, an arrangement she did not mind at all because of how comfortable she felt. Diana did not feel like she was being used as a plaything or being set up for treatment that was even worse than what she had endured at Melody's hands... it felt like someone besides Lucia really cared about her.

Diana did not move around very much since she was too exhausted to do much of anything. She was also warm and comfortable and did not want that situation to change any time soon. Instead she looked straight ahead and spoke to her hostess.

"Thank you... Medeia. Thank you for giving me comfort." Diana thanked her hostess for going out of her way to be kind to her while taking into account the blonde's intense dislike for being touched. The gratitude was sincere. If she were feeling malicious Medeia could have easily taken advantage of Diana's weakened state to go back on her word and do whatever she wanted to the blonde, but the Dark mage had kept her word and the blonde really did appreciate that.

"What... what did you want to talk about?" Diana asked Medeia as her mental clarity began to slowly return. She no longer felt despair or pain. All she was feeling at the moment was warmth and comfort, two pleasant sensations she had not felt in what seemed like forever.

[Post Word Count: 394]
[Diana's Word Count: 18,406]
[Total Word Count: 34,612]