diaper dimension The [[Witch]] - Chapter 25 (09/05/22)

[ImprobableLemon]

“Today we bring these vile criminals and sinners to justice. Their long reign of terror and destruction ends here."

The Executioner’s words don’t particularly cut me deep. I’ve heard this countless times before. He stands before a large and angry crowd he’s whipped into a frenzy. How painfully nostalgic.

I am but one of the several so-called "criminals and sinners" up on the menu today, and we’re a bit tied up at the moment. A long dark cloak hides my body and the hands cuffed behind my back. My noose is just a little tight, and my short stature is forcing me to the tips of my toes to keep from choking. Surely the work of amateurs, I’ve partaken in better executions.

“Here we have Arthur, a member of the insurgency working against this Kingdom. His crimes are as follows…”

...

*Thunk*

Ah, they’re finally getting started. Sadly my position seems to be towards the end, leaving me a bit more time. I’m tired. So tired. Mentally, physically, spiritually. I just wish they’d hurry.

“Cursed [[Witch]], there is no place in this world for you.”

These are the first words I remember hearing and comprehending. It was the dawn of mankind and I was an unfortunate orphan left to the whims of an uncivilized world. To avoid the abuses of my adoptive tribe I began learning from their Shaman.

I excelled; weaving and working the magic in the atmosphere was as simple as breathing. However, it brought no relief, and I was used even more as a tool by the tribe. I brought ruin to many a settlement during this time. Again, and again. The death and destruction became too much for my feeble heart to bear, thus I left.

Isolation is better than being used as a weapon capable of bringing only demise and despair.

Or so I thought.

“Next up is Justine, a murderous wench. Her crimes are as follows…”

...

*Thunk*

I spent too much time in the mountains, perfecting my magic beyond the limits of humanity. Delving into long forgotten taboos. Foolishly I began tattooing my body with spells using a magical but poisonous ink. And when I ran out of room, I took to my eyelids, the inside of my mouth, and even my eyes. The pain was insufferable, but it was nothing compared to the pain of being used as a tool of destruction.

The spell was more of a curse. A blasphemy against the concept of [[God]] itself. My life to this point had been one of loneliness and pain. In a moment of weakness, I had a thought. “If I could live forever… Maybe something good could happen to someone like me…”. And so, I gifted myself a never aging and never dying body.

It was roughly a century later, on my 125^th birthday, that I would leave the mountains. My tanned skin, brown eyes, and brown hair all dyed mostly black with my immortal curse. I had stopped growing and aging at 25 and ended at a lithe 5ft tall. Hope shined in my ruined eyes, that things could be different in this second chance at life.

I was a fool. For every happy moment gifted to me by eternity, I received a thousand agonies in return. New friends and family were found, giving me momentary peace. All gone in the blink of an eye as I buried loved one after loved one after loved one after loved one after loved one after loved one after loved one after loved one after loved one after loved one after loved one after lov------

“Next up is Alexander, a murdering and thieving bandit caught in the woods. His crimes are as follows…”

...

*Thunk*

My heart is heavy. Recalling the names and faces of those I’ve left behind is worse than a thousand executions. Tens of thousands of years have passed since my birth. Happiness still out of reach.

To save those dear to me I had to intervene with the world more than I’d have liked. Involving myself in political and military matters. I became a tool once more on many occasions.

And when it was convenient, or I was no longer useful, they sought to end me in fear. Cruel [[Witch]] how could you poison his majesty. Abhorrent [[Witch]] you’re the cause of the crop failures. Evil [[Witch]] it was you who tempted our knights to commit heinous war crimes. Forcefully shouldering the blame again and again, I was put to death. Over and over.

After my executions I would pretend it had worked. After burial I would exit my tomb and leave for the next country. Repeating this endless loop of gain and loss.

The boundless hope that once shone in my eyes was replaced with bottomless despair. This was not the happiness I had wished for… Surely this is my punishment.

“Here we have the vile [[Witch]], she is a plague on our kingdom. Her crimes are as follows…”

This may take a while. The crimes they’ve manufactured against me are innumerable. After all I’ve done to help, we’re back here again.

I see a dear friend in the crowd, Elizabeth. Don’t look at me with those teary eyes. Our time together was painfully short, but I will carry it with me to eternity. I’ve seen your pure soul with my magically infused eyes, you have a bright and pure future unsuited to this world.

I try to smile at her, but it doesn’t reach my dead eyes. How much longer must I endure this? For all my power, why can I not end this bitter cycle?

I don’t care to rule over anyone.

I don’t care to throw about my power.

I just want to love and be loved in return.

“[[Witch]], have you any last words?”

I have words. The unfairness of it all. This rotten world… if I had to say anything…

“This world, is truly meaningless…”

...

*Thunk*

The floor beneath my feet falls away. My neck snaps as I gasp for air and flail my limbs, for it is all I can do. Ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts. I t. H u r t s. I scream internally, the pain consuming all reasonable thought. After putting on a short show I cast a spell to put myself into a long sleep and spare myself more pain. The next time I wake, it will be in another tomb.

Just once.

If you’re listening.

Give me a happy ending.

~~~

Time passes as it does. I wake. My body stiff and sore from its long slumber. The sun shines brightly in my eyes. This is not a tomb, but a field.

I stand to gather my bearings and view my surroundings. Gone are the humble abodes of the peasantry. Gone are the cobble streets. Gone are everything I had known to this point.

Before me stands a grand city. A city of metal and glass.

 

Chapter 1: The End

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First time writer on the board here. I've been writing DnD campaigns and thought combining a world/character of magic with the Diaper Dimension might be interesting.

Sorry if the first chapter is a little dark/sad, but I felt it would be a good introduction to the character.

I wrote this on a whim for the most part haha. It was an idea buzzing in my head and I had to get at least this chapter out.

If people are interested in more chapters let me know! Feedback would also be appreciated!

[Moon3ye]

Interesting start I am curious how it continues.

[Guilend]

Interesting. I’d like to see where this goes. 

[Jayme]

This is really promising, I'd love to see how this plays out.

[Cya]

I'm hooked. Love the introduction!

[BabySofia]

Even though there's a small set of stories that showed that magic is a thing in the Dimension, there aren't nearly enough stories with magic in them. I'm curious to see where you take this! Very intriguing!

[ImprobableLemon]

11 hours ago, Moon3ye said:

Interesting start I am curious how it continues.

10 hours ago, Guilend said:

Interesting. I’d like to see where this goes. 

7 hours ago, Jayme said:

This is really promising, I'd love to see how this plays out.

Thank you for replying. I'm glad to see that people are interested in a continuation to this story!

5 hours ago, Cya said:

I'm hooked. Love the introduction!

4 hours ago, BabySofia said:

Even though there's a small set of stories that showed that magic is a thing in the Dimension, there aren't nearly enough stories with magic in them. I'm curious to see where you take this! Very intriguing!

Thank you, I'm a pretty big fan of both your works and it means a lot to see you enjoyed the first chapter!

_________________________________________________________________________________

If anyone notices that I've messed around too deeply with the canon of the Diaper Dimension universe please let me know and I'll tweak posted chapters to fix inconsistencies.

I'll give it my all to see the story of the [[Witch]] to its conclusion!

[kerry]

I agree with everyone that this seems a very promising start. ? And don't worry about the DD "canon"; pretty much everyone makes it up as they go along, sometimes adding to each other's versions, sometimes ignoring them. 

One question: why do you use the double brackets?

[bje]

On 5/23/2021 at 8:11 AM, ImprobableLemon said:

If people are interested in more chapters let me know! Feedback would also be appreciated!

That start can lead to anything so more chapters are needed for me to say if I will read the story. Will it continue to be dark in the diaper dimension?

What does "[[Witch]]" mean and how do you pronounce the brackets?

[ImprobableLemon]

The [[Witch]] left her mountain. Seeking a new life and experiences she went east. It was a journey full of interesting people, food, animals, and monsters. But the sadness and emptiness inside her could not be quelled.

She could go east no longer. Atop a beautiful hill, a coastal town and its ocean stretched before her. Wandering the streets, she sought something.

She found twins, Olivia and Henderson. Orphans like her. They relied only on each other for the first 20 years of their lives.

A connection was made. They bonded over their pain and the [[Witch]] was able to finally open her heart.

And for the first time in her life, new emotions bubbled forth.

Uncertainty.

~~~

Looking out over the field and the city before me, I can’t help but feel uncertain. I’ve planeswalked before. Seeking stimulation and sometimes even death among the worlds in the night sky. However, this place feels different.

I stretch my magic out, probing about the fabric of this reality. Magic is abundant here. But things are too simple. My home realm could best be described as sheets of paper layered on top of each other. Each sheet containing entire realms full of planets and life.

This place is a single, self-contained sheet of paper. Could this be a separate universe…? Another dimension?  I feel claustrophobic. I might puke, just a little.

Pulling myself together I look at the city from the field. Simply put, everything seems absurdly large. A quick glance tells me that doors are built to accommodate a being of roughly 10-15ft in height.

It’s only then that I realize my current predicament… I’ve shrunk nearly a foot. My already short 5ft has become 4ft. Perhaps my body underwent some sort of change to fit this new reality. I’m not particularly sad. I swear. I’m not…

Feeling around I verify my belongings are still strapped around my belt. That’s good at least.

…

My skin prickles, I’m being watched. Looking around my immediate area I see naught but grass and strange connected metal trees mixed with regular leafy ones. I narrow down this feeling to one of the metal trees.

A small box with glass on one end stares at me. I take a few steps. It swivels. I move back. It swivels again. A one way viewing glass? Nobility from certain places I’ve visited had these. But it isn’t giving off magic.

I exert my will on the strange box. My mind flowing through a physical connection. I see a room. Blinking lights and glass with pictures. I’m on one of the glasses. A well-dressed man sits in a chair watching the one way glass. He’s about my height, maybe a smidge taller.

Toying with the foundation of my body I try various methods to make myself disappear on the glass. Eventually I find something that works, and my form vanishes from the man’s view. The box is complicated but if it looks through me, it cannot see me. I settle back into my body, satisfied.

Doing my best to hide my skin, I wrap my cloak tightly around myself and pull the hood over my head. If anyone knows the significance of my tattoos I may be in a tough spot. If my theory about this place is right, it’s a nonsensical fear.

Mustering my strength, I force myself forward. Into the city.

~~~

⚠️WARNING⚠️ ANOMALY DETECTED⚠️

The words flashed frequently and brightly across the screen. The well-dressed man staring at these words had just started his shift. It was supposed to be simple, light duty. And a problem has now been dropped onto his lap.

As a member of the Hellcats his duty is to monitor this city, Elmsbury, and report higher up to the main base when things go south. But things had been quiet for some time. No illegal portals, no terrorist little groups, nothing.

The computer burst to life flashing errors and focusing all available cameras to an empty field. He was in the middle of picking up the phone to ask if maintenance was being performed when a small bundle appeared on the screen. A little wrapped in a cloak.

It is not unheard of for littles to find their way into this Dimension on accident. With the amount of portal activity taking place, it would be weirder if some unfortunate souls did not get sucked up on accident. But there are no portals in this city, at least there should not be. Possibilities race through his mind.

The bundle stands, hood falling back, hair cascading down. The little begins looking around obviously confused. The man chuckles having seen this kind of footage before. Suddenly the little changes direction. The little’s head locks on to a camera on a telephone pole. The man begins to sweat. He swears their eyes meet. His hair stands on end.

The little disappears. The man begins to calm down.

“Ah… Shit. Top Brass will not be happy about this.”

Cigar in one hand and phone in the other, the man prepares himself.

~~~

This city is strange and unlike any other I’ve seen. Size seems to vary a good amount from what I can tell. I’ve seen people as short as 2ft and as high as 13ft. Large machines carry people up and down the black-stone road. Much like a horse drawn carriage but without the horse. Must be some clockwork automata, much more advanced than anything I’d seen.

The giants seem confident, most seem to walk with a certain superiority about them. To contrast, the shorter people seem anxious and worried. I wonder what the deal is here.

Despite my best efforts I am very much attracting attention. My cloak is not fitting in with the aesthetic of the world. The smaller people don’t give me much of a glance, but the giants seem curious. I haven’t been approached yet.

It’s not exactly busy right now. A city this size in my world would be packed shoulder to shoulder with traders and adventurers. Perhaps the populace sticks to a somewhat tighter schedule. I’ve seen few cities such as that.

Here and there things catch my eye as I stop and wonder. Marvelous shiny contraptions. Food so luxurious it would not be out of place on a demi-god’s plate. Strange clothing both for giants and smaller people.

I stop before what I believe is a shop. There’s a large window display with numerous glass devices stacked atop each other. Each screen is the same; showing two people dressed colorfully and oddly, talking loudly to each other. They have something puffing up their pants, not unlike something I’ve seen trendsetters do with their breeches.

As I stop and look, my skin begins to crawl as my brain begins to thrum about in my skull. If I didn’t know better, I would say these devices were attempting to psychically attack me. That shouldn’t be possible, no magic is detected. I reinforce my mind, calming my pounding head, and look back at the glass. Now intent on figuring out what’s happening here.

“Hey, what are you doing? Get away from that!”

A voice breaks me from my investigation. A girl my height with anxiety painted all over her face sharply whispers at me from an alley.

Stay calm. Don’t come on too strong. I know I’m a screw-up. I know. Whatever happens, I can’t blow my first interaction.

“Uh hey f-friend, how do you do?”

Between the hood and the tattoos, I’m glad no one can see how red my face is right now.

~~~

The years that the [[Witch]] spent with Olivia and Henderson were the best of her life. Her bright smile never once dipped into a frown. Her initial Uncertainty gave way to pure Joy.

But life had different plans. Or more accurately, the military. Henderson was drafted into a violent conflict between local governments. Olivia and the [[Witch]] were sad and frustrated but they had each other for support.

Then.

Olivia drew ill. Medical knowledge at the time was beyond poor. The [[Witch]] did not have tens of thousands of years of healing knowledge behind her at this point.

However, she did what she could. She did what she could. She did.

Then, Henderson returned home.

In a box.

He..

I…

…

……

Olivia was heartbroken. Her only brother… She devolved into fits of crying and coughing into her handkerchief. There is only so much comfort that can be offered in this world.

But.

The [[Witch]] did what she could.

And yet.

And.

Yet.

The [[Witch]] found Olivia in bed the next day. Her pillow stained with tears and mucus and blood.

The scene was too much for one person to bear. The room seemed to swim and swirl around the poor [[Witch]]. She made up her mind.

What was one more taboo to break. She could not let this stand. This cruel. Sick. Fucking. Joke.

She had to see them again. Would do anything. To just one… One more time...

She brought them back.

Their shambling, mindless forms taunted her. It was a perversion and mockery of life. Their souls having already moved on to whatever peace they could find, together. Leaving her. Alone.

She dealt with them properly. With her own hands. And buried them. On the same hill overlooking the town she first arrived at.

And so, I she sat there. Between her first and most precious friends. Staring at the beautiful city and its coast.

 

Chapter 2: Chance encounters with the [[Witch]]

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading everyone, and keep the comments coming. I love to see what you guys have to say!

My inspiration is through the roof right now so updates will be a bit more frequent than I had originally thought.

I would consider chapter 1 an introduction to the character, so this chapter is what the setup of most future chapters will look like.

On 5/24/2021 at 1:37 AM, kerry said:

I agree with everyone that this seems a very promising start. ? And don't worry about the DD "canon"; pretty much everyone makes it up as they go along, sometimes adding to each other's versions, sometimes ignoring them. 

One question: why do you use the double brackets?

In that case I won't try to worry about it too much.

7 hours ago, bje said:

That start can lead to anything so more chapters are needed for me to say if I will read the story. Will it continue to be dark in the diaper dimension?

What does "[[Witch]]" mean and how do you pronounce the brackets?

I think dark and sad will be recurring themes. I hope that the [[Witch]] will find some happiness though.

As far as the brackets go, perhaps we shall see in a future chapter...

[Guilend]

Okay I’m definitely hooked to see what happens next 

[Moon3ye]

Interesting chapter really. Okay, she can manipulate technology with her magic and seems to be immune to hypnosis. This will definitely be an advantage in DD that should not be underestimated. Now I'm especially curious how it goes on in the story. You have taken as a tag "Dark", was that only for the beginning or will the entire story including what happens to the protagonists dark? I remain in any case to read the story that could be interesting. 

 

[ImprobableLemon]

2 hours ago, Moon3ye said:

You have taken as a tag "Dark", was that only for the beginning or will the entire story including what happens to the protagonists dark?

There will be dark themes and elements with light moments sprinkled in. I don't want to make people too sad!

This story is just as much about the immortal being as it is about the people she will meet and interact with. The DiaperDimension is a place where things can and frequently do go wrong.

[Jayme]

This is still an interesting story and I'm eagerly awaiting your next foray into the tricky diaper dimension.

[ImprobableLemon]

12 hours ago, Jayme said:

This is still an interesting story and I'm eagerly awaiting your next foray into the tricky diaper dimension.

Thank you for the continued interest! No one be scared, the next chapter is in progress.

My girlfriend's family came into town late last week so I have had to pause progress on the chapter.

You guys have a bit of a longer chapter to look forward to, it's about the same length of the others right now but it's only maybe 3/4ths of the way done.

[BobbyDrago]

Congrats you got me to create an account and officially join! Thank you, and i hope this story is as awesome as I think it will be!!!

[ImprobableLemon]

She sat with her friends on that hilltop for some time. Hours turned to days and days to weeks. Feeling sorry for herself and her friends; the [[Witch]] had no will to live.

Finally, she exploded. She grabbed a rock and began to carve away at her flesh. Surely, surely if those tattoos were gone, she could reunite with her friends.

The pain was too much. She passed out. Only to wake up shortly after, those accursed tattoos reassembling her wounded skin.

Bidding her friends farewell, the [[Witch]] travelled south along the coast. Seeking an end to her story.

After getting lost in a labyrinth-like forest for years she met someone. A young elf, barely 50 years old.

Lumina. A name befitting the kind elf whose personality shone so bright. She gave and taught the [[Witch]] many things. Among which, healing. She would never again be powerless to a simple illness.

The [[Witch]] never forgave herself for failing Olivia and Henderson… But my dear Lumina dulled the pain and was one of the few others capable of understanding the pain of being long-lived.

Death was no longer an option for the [[Witch]].

It took time but the [[Witch]] opened up to Lumina, and Lumina to her. It wasn’t marriage in the conventional sense, but they were as one for the next 800 years.

The [[Witch]] felt Love.

~~~

“Amelia would love to talk, but we have to get out of here. Follow me.”

The anxious girl turns quickly and heads back into the alley. Moving away from the colorful glass, I follow her. A few steps in and I’m grabbed by the collar of my cloak and pulled behind cover.

“What’s the deal here, you trying to get your head mushed or something?”

The anxious girl who has pulled me in the alley whispers quietly and sharply. Getting a closer look, she’s around 4 ft, short blond hair hidden beneath a puffy white hat, and green eyes. Wearing some strange, long blue trousers and simple grey shirt. This outfit is unlike anything I’ve seen.

“U-um I’m not exactly sure what’s going on here… What do you mean mushed?”

“Hm… Amelia thought you were dressed weirdly for a native, and you certainly lack the sense of one. Amelia’s place is nearby, let’s save the small talk for when we’re safe.”

With that, she lets go of my collar and begins to briskly walk deeper into the alley. I follow behind as we take alley after alley, taking turn after turn. As if the girl is trying to lose someone.

“[[Illusion]].”

It can’t hurt to help, I whisper a spell. Our tracks are erased, and new ones are placed heading in another direction.

20 minutes later we’re at a two-story building with lots of doors and a staircase leading to another level. It seems to be built for normal sized people rather than the giants I saw earlier.

She leads me up a set of steps, unlocks a door with the numbers ‘203’ on it, and waves me in. It’s decorated pretty sparingly, but everything seems very expensive. A comfortable looking couch and chairs surround a short table, across is a squat table with one of the screens I was investigating earlier atop it. There’s at least two other rooms but they’re closed off with doors.

The girl locks the door behind us and deflates on the couch. She pulls out a small rectangular device and begins to tap away at it. I decide to speak up.

“Thanks for helping me, I guess. You could say I’m pretty clueless about what’s going on.”

“Sheesh, that’s for sure. You almost got nabbed big time. Amelia’s name is Amelia. How about you?”

“You can call me [[Witch]], it’s my pleasure.”

“[-i-c-], what? How are you saying that!?”

That’s odd. And Interesting. I hadn’t realized it before but we’re speaking the same language right now and I’m not using magic to do that. [[Witch]] was not a word of the modern language of my world, it’s a dead language. Does that mean that when I transferred over to this world my common tongue became translated to this world and vice versa?

I’m confusing myself and Amelia has been staring at me expectantly for a few seconds, I should probably return to the conversation.

“Ah sorry, that’s a really outdated name from my world. The closest translation would probably be Witch.”

“Are you from Earth? Amelia’s met a few Earth littles but none of them had names that difficult to pronounce. You one of those sleight of hand magicians?”

“Hmm… I’ve never heard of ‘Earth’ before, and you could say I’m something like a magician.”

Two loud thumps on the door halt our conversation. Amelia hops off the couch and walks to the door. She looks through a small hole, unlocks, and then opens the door. A giant woman ducks in and uncomfortably shuffles over to one of the larger chairs.

Roughly 12 ft, brown hair in a ponytail, brown eyes, and athletically built. Wearing a loose grey shirt without sleeves, and baggy trousers. Once settled, she gives me a once over and begins speaking.

“Hello Witch, and welcome to Elmsbury. My name is Gale. I heard from Amelia that you somehow managed to make your way to this dimension. What are some of the last things you remember before arriving here?”

That’s a tough question to answer and frankly it puts me on the spot. I want to form connections. I want to make friends. I want to stop feeling so empty. I… I really do. But how would they react if they knew what I am? And even if they accepted that… They’d just leave me behind too… I truly am hopeless.

Half-truths for now. If they find out what I am later, then so be it.

“I went to sleep, and the next time I woke up I was in a field just outside this city.”

“And what was your world like? We get all sorts of people from all sorts of dimensions here. Perhaps someone who also came from your dimension can help you adjust?”

“Well, it was certainly not as advanced as this place is. We didn’t have those moving pictures on the glass, or the giant metal carriages or the metal trees. Pretty much everything here is shocking to be honest.”

Amelia sighs loudly and takes hold of the conversation.

“Damn, sounds like a really primitive world. Those are usually off-limits because littles from those worlds don’t adjust well. Also, if this dimension were to be discovered by a primitive world, it would be catastrophic in terms of their development.”

“Amelia, I don’t think odds are good that we have someone from her world. We aren’t in contact with many free primitives and odds are pretty poor that they’d be from the same place.”

“Amelia can take care of Witch for now, show her the ropes y’know? We’re between jobs right now anyway.”

“Perhaps I’m lost here, but what do you guys exactly do?”

Amelia smiles broadly and strikes a pose.

“Amelia and Gale, we’re members of LRS - Little Rescue Squad!”

~~~

“Welcome to Elmsbury sir. I am sorry we have to meet under these circumstances.”

The well-dressed man quickly jumps up from his seat, at attention to his freshly arrived superior. The superior gives off a menacing aura despite being a little. Short black hair and grey eyes. Muscles barely contained and bulging from his Hellcats uniform.

He commands absolute attention.

“Cut it out, you know I do not appreciate that. And drop the ‘sir’ shit. You know to call me Thomas.”

“Er, right. Sorry si-Thomas.”

“Well spill it, what happened for you to call me over to this small island? Did a scary Amazon look at you funny?”

“Ha ha, maybe if your admin role in Hellcats falls through you can do stand-up. We got someone new in town… And a weird one at that. It will be easier to show you.”

Thomas sits at the monitor and begins to look over the footage. He goes through it several times, at varying angles. He begins to rub his chin in deep thought.

“Hmm… Do these cameras have any other filters?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Just a hunch, or more of a hope really.”

He begins switching the filters on the camera. Eventually he gets to thermal imaging. This time instead of disappearing the person on screen is seen walking towards the city.

“Bingo, our mysterious friend did not take thermal cameras into account. I want IT to get on fixing these cameras up to detect when thermals are triggered without normal footage being triggered.”

“I will get them right on that sir. Thomas, sir… Thomas.”

“Sigh right. You were correct to bring me in, my interest is peaked. I also want a team to investigate power usage during this time. It is not often someone just drops in without portal activity. And if there is someone running illegal portals, they are putting this whole dimension at risk.”

Thomas turns back to the footage, murmuring to himself.

“Let us all hope that this little’s odd tech does not blow this island sky high.”

~~~

I’m sitting dazed between Amelia and Gale. It’s been an hour since they started giving me a rundown on this place and what they do, and I’m doing my best to put it all together.

“So let me get this straight. This is a dimension. Where giants called ‘Amazons’ and ‘Littles’ exist. And most amazons see littles as being nothing more than babies. Littles have some rights, but it’s weighted in the amazon’s favor.”

“Right.” They confirm in unison.

“Threats exist all around to littles, including but not limited to this thing called ‘T.V.’, a ‘quick food’, getting grabbed off the streets, and abduction from other dimensions.”

“Right.” Another confirmation.

“You two alone operate a local branch of an underground agency which seeks to assist littles by freeing captive littles if possible, giving free littles assistance, and trying to improve captive little’s lives.”

“Right.” Maybe I’m understanding alright.

“Sometimes members of LRS need to go undercover so they pair up sympathetic amazons with littles to operate together. Meaning that Gale has had to… treat Amelia as one would treat a baby…”

Judging by how red Amelia’s face is, I’ve hit the mark.

“Pardon my blunt remark, I didn’t mean to poke fun at you or anything.”

“It’s okay, my widdle Amelia doesn’t hold grudges for long. I’m not little crazy but she’s the most adorable little cutie around!”

This seems to be the killing blow to Amelia. She has buried her face in her hands. Her body dyed red. Gale is trembling as she attempts to hold back a laugh behind a wide grin. These guys have quite the routine. Seeing them being such good friends sends a sharp pain to my heart.

“Alright, thanks for the explanation. I think I understand.”

“Wait really? That’s it? No big freak-out, no stages of grief, nothing?” Amelia sobers up quickly, abandoning her embarrassment in favor of shock.

“I don’t have much to go back to in my old dimension, and it… could be a really, really bad place sometimes…”

“Do you want to talk about it or….?” Gale interjects between Amelia and me.

“I… It’s alright. Maybe after I settle down. What’s in the past is in the past, I’m over it.”

I smile sincerely hoping they can see the gesture from under my hood and try my best to believe the lie. The first step to fooling someone is fooling yourself first.

“What about your cloak? Amelia hasn’t really seen you yet, mind taking it off?”

Amelia’s innocent question causes my back to stiffen in response. Gale peers over my head at Amelia and shakes her head disapprovingly.

My hands tremble slightly beneath their gloves as I grip the edge of my cloak’s hood. I reflexively pull it tighter around my head. A mixture of anxiety and grief fill my empty vessel.

“It’s okay Witch, you don’t have to take it off if you don’t want to. People have different circumstances. Amelia is sorry she asked, right Amelia?”

“Amelia is really, really sorry, Amelia didn’t mean to say anything to hurt you!”

Amelia and Gale look concerned and worried. A small part of me is happy that they would feel this way for me. But an overwhelming part of me feels unworthy of such emotion. I stop the trembling in my hands and force myself to speak.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. I’m fine. I can’t take it off right now. There’s a lot I’m ashamed about right now. A lot I can’t show. And this was made by someone dear to me. It’s really all I have…”

The silence draws for a few moments. I feel as though Amelia and Gale can see right through me now. It’s been some time since I’ve last been even slightly vulnerable. Finally, Gale slaps a smile back on her face and picks up the mood.

“Alrighty then, now that Amelia and I have told you about some of the worse things about this place, let’s move on to the good stuff! Popular culture and food!”

Hm… Not quite sure about this ‘popular culture’ but food is one of the few joys I have left. Enjoying the evolution of food is one of the few things to make living through eternity bearable.

“Since your world was on the primitive side, let’s start with something pretty popular right now that takes place in a kind of olde/fantasy setting. It’s called Lord of the Rings!”

“A portal little brought it over and it’s become a huge hit with native littles and amazons alike! Us natives here love it because it shows that littles are capable of creating and having jobs too. It’s even received a few revolutionary movie adaptations on this side. Littles were chosen to play dwarves and hobbits to make it look a little more realistic, and even allowed to wear pullups on set to further the setting’s realism. Something like that is rare and a huge step for little actors! Amelia couldn’t be more happy for the industry!”

Dwarves? I’ve known a few of those long-bearded craftsmen. Their long lifespans made them great companions… I wonder how Amelia and Gale’s story will compare to my world?

~~~

Several hours later, night fell upon what I discovered was an apartment complex. Gale had to head home to her larger house to sleep but promised to come hang out tomorrow. Amelia gave me a spare pillow and blanket to sleep on the couch while she went to her bedroom and closed the door.

I appreciate the gesture, but I can’t sleep. I could. But I can’t. My dreams are nothing but nightmares. Haunting me eternally. The voices of those long past, their faces mocking me. I haven’t slept since… Lumina. So, so long ago.

All humans sleep. Nearly all demi-humans need to sleep, at least partially. Maybe that’s partially why I feel like such a monster all the time. An immortal monster that doesn’t even need to sleep…

I shake my head to banish the thoughts from my mind. I strain my ears to listen in on Amelia’s bedroom. I hear her gentle and rhythmic breathing mingled with an infrequent crinkling sound. She’s asleep. I quietly stand and head to the door.

“[[Phase]].”

With those words I slip through the solid door and feel the fresh night air on my face.

I climb up a ladder to the roof and sit. My legs dangling over the edge. I lean my upper body back, to half lay on the roof and see the night sky. Between clouds I see the various stars that litter the sky and the single bright moon.

“Goodbye everyone. I didn’t mean to leave you all behind. I swear. I promise.”

My weak words echo quietly into the night. Silence quickly filling the void. The bad thoughts begin to creep in as they inevitably do. The previous fun with Amelia and Gale providing only a short reprieve for my battered and weary spirit.

“If somehow I died here… Would my soul even reach you all…?”

At this quiet, tucked away apartment in the city, the only sound that could be heard was that of water dripping onto the apartment’s roof.

~~~

 

Time marched on for the [[Witch]] and Lumina. They had good times. They had bad times. But they had them together. They could overcome any trial so long as they were together.

However, it became increasingly clear to the both of them… That Lumina wouldn’t be around much longer. 850 years is good for an elf. 100 years over the average. But no amount of time is long enough to be with a loved one.

Afraid of losing someone so close and dear to her heart she begged asked Lumina if she would accept immortality. Surely if they became each other’s reason for living, immortality wouldn’t be as burdensome as it had been before.

Lumina couldn’t do it. When elves die their souls return to their god in the elven pantheon. They remember their past lives, meet with the dead, and make a choice. Reincarnate into a new elven life to continue the cycle. Or retire from the cycle and remain in paradise.

She couldn’t choose to throw that away. She couldn’t choose me the [[Witch]].

The [[Witch]] was sad, incredibly so. But she understood.

And Lumina forced the [[Witch]] into a promise.

“I will choose to reincarnate… So please [[Witch]]… Find me again. I will always love you, to the next life and beyond.”

And so.

Lumina died peacefully.

No sickness.

No despair.

A smile on her face.

Surrounded by friends.

The [[Witch]] by her side.

…

The [[Witch]] felt as if her world had stopped. Their joy had come crashing down, raining shards of broken glass on her heart.

Somehow this hurt more than Olivia and Henderson. Lumina and the [[Witch]] had significantly more time together. Lumina died peacefully. She should celebrate Lumina’s life. Right?

But why?

Why won’t the longing in my her heart stop?

W h y.

W o n ‘ t.

I t.

S t o p.

The [[Witch]] loved her too much to uphold the promise. She couldn’t force herself on Lumina again and again. Reincarnation after reincarnation. Filling her lives with endless partings.

The [[Witch]] prayed that Lumina would forgive her.

 

Chapter 3: Friends and Family

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On 5/31/2021 at 6:56 PM, BobbyDrago said:

Congrats you got me to create an account and officially join! Thank you, and i hope this story is as awesome as I think it will be!!!

Thanks, I'm glad to hear you were moved to join and I hope the story meets your expectations.

This chapter was a bit of a doozy to write, but now introductions to the world are mostly done and we can get to the meat of the story. Thanks for all the comments so far, and by all means keep them coming. Seeing how everyone is enjoying the story fills me with utmost joy!

[Jayme]

The [[Witch]] seems to be in a state of turmoil, maybe she can find some friends in the new realm to help release th lifetime of pain she is trying hard to supress....

[BabySofia]

Story is staying quite interesting! I'm looking forward to future chapters here!

[ImprobableLemon]

- Introduce yourself -

“M-my name ish AmewiMMMPPpphh!”

Electricity courses through the little’s body. Her eyes twitch and roll beneath the black blindfold, her teeth chattering behind the pacifier used to keep her tongue from being bitten off during the shocks. Fingers frozen in shock and digging into the cold, metal chair’s arms.

The little’s pained screams echo off the walls of empty room. Empty of course save for the little tied to a chair rigged with menacing devices.

- Introduce yourself -

“Ha… Ha… A-Amewia’s name ish Amewia…”

The little goes rigid, fearing more torment. But nothing happens.

Why didn’t I-I- mean Amelia listen… Amelia’s parents told Amelia not to attend high school on the mainland. Amelia could be back home right now. Living a peaceful life. No Amazons. No round the clock torment.

What did Amelia do to deserve this…?

Amelia had done her best. Graduating near the top of her class among littles and Amazons alike. Always on her best behavior. Not a single accident on her record.

She should have been set.

But a mere several hours after graduation she was nabbed off the streets. A long, black car began rolling alongside her. Two Amazons jumped out and dragged the screaming girl into the dark car with ease.

Amelia had mentally prepared herself for this. She’d heard how Amazons molded littles into what they wanted. She’d seen for herself what Amazons could do to Littles. Seen the mindless, drooling littles being pushed along the sidewalk in strollers.

But nothing she had heard could prepare her for what was going to happen.

She was blindfolded, given a locking pacifier, tied up, and diapered in the car. After driving for an indeterminate amount of time, they stopped. She was carried into a building.

The girl could hear nothing but footsteps and the dull hum of machines. The people that grabbed her remained absolutely silent. Amelia was afraid. Her heart thrummed frantically in her chest. She hyperventilated.

Amelia was then tied to a chair.

And that.

And. That.

Was when the ‘fun’ began.

The few times her blindfold was removed was to expose her to a mild hypnosis. She didn’t know what it did, but she could tell it was slowly breaking her down.

Occasionally a mushy food/liquid was funneled through her pacifier. The taste and consistency made her gag, but she could only swallow it down.

While at first, she tried to hold her bladder and bowels in a feeble attempt to retain some control, she soon freely wet and messed her diapers. Changes were not frequent.

And worst of all. The shocks.

Randomly throughout the day and night, a robotic voice would ask her questions. It would ask her questions until she got them right. And when she got them wrong… She would be shocked. The shocks could last anywhere from 5 seconds to several minutes. All at varying pain thresholds.

…

The girl was unsure how long she’d been here. With her sleep cycle constantly disrupted by the robotic questioning the only thing she could keep track of was her feedings. If she was being fed twice a day, then she estimated she’d been trapped this way for over a month. Roughly 60 feedings.

Whoever had grabbed her was sick and demented. They didn’t simply want obedient and mindless littles created through hypnosis and surgery. They wanted to break littles. Slowly. Painfully. Cruelly. Sickeningly.

- What are you -

Please stop.

No more.

“Amewia… i-ish… a baby? MMMMPPPHhh”

- What are you –

Just hypnotize me already.

Kill me.

“Hk… Amewia… i-ish…”

“… Amewia… ish…. NOTHING…”

Satisfied, the machine remains silent. Amelia sobs into her blindfold, her nose runs freely and drips down the back of her throat. Her diaper warms from a fresh wave of urine spurred on by the electrical stimulation.

They’re going to brbrbreak Amelia. Sshe cannnot continue liike this. What can Ammelia do. How can Amelia essscccaaaaappppeeee….

The girl goes limp, her restraints holding her up. The reality of her situation finally catching up with her. No hope of freedom. No hope of escape. No hope of rescue. Her mind feels like it’s teetering on the edge of a deep chasm.

Amelia is alone.

Sorry Mom. Sorry Dad. Amelia gives up. Amelia… Will see you soon.

Amelia bends her upper body forward as far the restraints allow and shoots back as quickly as possible, slamming the back of her head into the chair’s metal headrest. Again. And again. And again. And again. And. Again.

The back of her head begins to feel sticky, and she starts losing strength and focus.

Almost. There. Just. Keep. GOINGGGG.

She forces herself on, doing her best to keep slamming her head against the now crimson metal.

A door opens in the room, multiple footsteps flood the room in a mad dash. Amelia’s attempt at death is stopped as she’s grabbed by multiple sets of arms.

NOOO LET AMELIA DIE!

Despite the arms holding her down she continues attempting to finish the job, snarling and bucking. She feels a prick on her arm and sleep begins to quickly overtake her.

With a last burst of energy, she howls out in agony and torment.

“DAMN IT STOOOOP…!”

~~~

“STOOOOP…!”

I jump a little in shock, looking towards Amelia’s room. It’s been several days since my arrival. Gale, Amelia, and I have been hanging around Amelia’s place. They’ve been teaching me more details about this world to be safe before we go out and do anything in public.

The scream coming from Amelia’s room is a first, however. I run to her door, worried that someone has broken in. I try the knob and it’s unlocked. I fling the door open.

“Amelia! What’s wrong, I heard-“

I stop mid-sentence. Confused by the scene before me.

Amelia is sitting up in her bed, drenched in sweat and tangled up in her sheets. Her face is warped by sheer terror. She’s breathing rapidly and her chest is heaving beneath a light pajama shirt. Wrapped around her waist is a thick and objectively cute diaper with floral patterns. Even with my lack of knowledge about such things, it’s easy to tell that it’s soaked.

I freeze. Amelia freezes. We lock eyes. Her look of terror disappears quickly and is replaced by embarrassment as her face flushes bright red. She quickly attempts to throw a blanket over herself.

“G-Get out… DON’T LOOK!”

“I’M SO SORRY!”

I swiftly turn around and escape back to the couch, closing the door to her room behind me. I’ve seriously messed up, haven’t I?

One change of clothes later, Amelia enters the living room and sits on one of the chairs. Neither of us are capable of looking at the other in the eye.

“So… Uh…”

“If it makes you feel any better you did look cute…”

“That really didn’t help y’know?”

“I’ll hold my tongue.”

We sit in silence; Amelia has a conflicted look on her face but seems like she has something on her mind. I’ll push her a bit to see if she’ll continue.

“I really am sorry, It’s just… I heard you scream and was worried that something happened. If you want to talk about it or anything I’ll listen.”

“Well, the cat’s out of the bag now so Amelia might as well come clean. It was nearly five years ago when Amelia got grabbed off the street. They… They broke Amelia. Amelia even begged for death, and tried as well. But Amelia was saved by the LRS. The organization has helped a lot, only a few mental and physical scars remain. Amelia can only talk and think in third person, and Amelia’s nighttime continence isn’t coming back anytime soon. Nightmares have been infrequent as of late, but still sometimes Amelia thinks this life is a dream. That Amelia is still back there, trapped…”

Poor Amelia. Beneath the hood, my face is trapped in grief for the poor girl. I sympathize with her situation. I know far too well how it feels to be used up and broken. But she’s a good person, and undeserving of such treatment. Unlike me.

“I understand Amelia. Not the exact situation, but your feelings. I… I’m afraid of getting close to people. But if it’s to help someone as kind and amazing as you, then I’ll listen whenever you need to talk.”

“Thank you, Witch, that makes me happy.”

“There’s something I want to show you.”

Inspired by Amelia’s courage to share, I lower my hood revealing my face and the tattoos carved on nearly every inch of available skin. Amelia winces, imagining the pain.

“What are those tattoos, if you don’t mind Amelia asking?”

“They’re an old language from my world. I did this to myself, all over my body, when I was at my lowest point. Carving my body up like this hurt, but I thought it would help me take control of my destiny, of my life. But things only got worse.”

“I guess it’s Amelia’s turn to be sorry now huh?”

I chuckle as I raise the hood back over my head, hiding my mistakes once again.

“Heh, rather than being sorry, rely on me and Gale when you need to. We’re here for you.”

“Hey, that goes for you too! Amelia and Gale haven’t known you for long, but we already consider you a friend!”

Joy and fear blossom in my heart at this revelation. The happiness and peace of forming new connections, but the crushing weight of the inevitable.

Swallowing my weak feelings, I force myself to my feet and reach a hand to Amelia to help her stand.

“Well, we should probably get a move on ‘friend’. Gale’s probably waiting at the diner for us wondering if we’ve been grabbed.”

~~~

This is the first official outing since meeting Amelia and Gale. My late-night excursions notwithstanding. What the two ladies have taught me puts my first experiences here in a bit more perspective. The streets were mostly empty since it was typical weekday work hours. Those strange glasses I viewed were storefront TV’s playing hypnosis laden programming.

Now however, I feel like I’m getting the full experience of this dimension. We’ve made our way past the labyrinth of back-alleys that hides the little’s only apartment complex and we’re on the main street. It’s a weekend so it’s very busy, much busier than even a capital city in my old world.

Amazons pack the streets but among them, I see littles in various states. Nervous littles still holding onto their freedom, trying to look unappealing. Captured littles being carried or pushed around; some blushing and embarrassed, some altered by hypnosis, and even one or two that seem to be impartial if not enjoying the treatment.

Amelia is sticking close to the walls, looking down and texting on her phone to avoid catching the gaze of anyone. Her hat is pulled down to hide her features. I’m following close behind, my outfit concealing me nicely but still kind of out of place.

Uneventfully we end our 10-minute walk as Amelia stops before a sign, ‘Solstice’. The place is sandwiched between shops but holds an interesting aesthetic. The place is built of brick over the more common metal that I’ve seen so far, with a large and heavy looking dark wooden door.

“This place is really, really good. Gale and Amelia come here all the time, and best of all littles are treated well here.”

“Interesting, is that rare?”

“Very, especially establishments run by Amazons.”

Amelia pulls a smaller door handle below the larger, Amazon made one and the door seemingly opens with ease. We step inside to a candle-lit entrance. Standing close by is an older Amazon gentleman with steely grey eyes and white hair, wearing a tailored suit that wouldn’t be uncommon of butlers in my former dimension. He wears a carefully crafted neutral smile and gives off a certain aura.

I’ve seen people like him before. He’s a dangerous man.

“Hey old man Franz, is Gale here?”

“Welcome Amelia and young miss. You have kept the fair lady waiting. Allow me to accompany you to her table.”

“Thanks Franz, it’s great to see you again. Sorry that it’s been a while, as you can see we have someone new in town.”

“It is always my pleasure. The two of you are my favorite and most valued customers. Especially since you both bring in so many new faces.”

The two chuckle, their interaction seeming commonplace. It’s quite disorienting to see the menacing looking giant acting so amiable. Perhaps this Franz is just that kind of person.

Making our way through the dark interior of the diner, Franz gets us to Gale’s table. She’s sipping a coffee with two more beverages set on the table. One next to her and one across.

Wordlessly Franz presses a button on the booth and the seats with unclaimed coffees raise to comfortable levels for a little.

“If I may, madam?”

“Of course, Franz.”

Franz carefully picks up Amelia and gently deposits her into the seat next to Gale.

“If I may, madam?”

“Um, alright. And thanks.”

Franz quickly performs the same movements with surgical precision. A gentleman to his core. If I were a few thousand years younger my heart might start to throb.

“A member of our staff will be with you shortly. If you need me just say the word, ladies.”

He turns around and heads back to the entrance. Leaving us in the candlelit corner of this fine establishment. Gale has a look on her face, I decide to speak up.

“So uh… Sorry about being late. You’re not upset, are you?”

“Whaaaat, me upset. Nooooo…” Gale is clearly pouting.

“Someone of your size shouldn’t be pouting, at least Amelia thinks so.”

“Grrr… You’re paying for lunch.”

“Fine, fine. Amelia guesses she deserves as much.”

“Sorry to break up your old married couple routine, but what would you recommend?”

“Since this place caters to Amazons and littles there’s a separate menu for each. I usually get a salad, a turkey club, the house chips, potato salad, coleslaw, and the pie of the day.”

“I-isn’t that a lot!?”

“Heh, these muscles take a lot of energy. My hunger will never be quenched!” Gale flexes her arms, annoying Amelia who ducks in fear of getting swatted.

“If only some of that energy went to your chest.” Amelia snickers.

A vein pops on Gale’s forehead.

“I see someone is eager to pay for dinner as well, and I’m not holding back.”

“N-no, Amelia’s wallet!!!”

They start to laugh, and their infectious energy gets me laughing as well. Its been quite a long time since I’ve done this. Hanging out with people and having a good time. It warms me up.

We calm back down, and they help me choose my order just in time for a young Amazon woman in a black dress to arrive with a clipboard to take our order.

“Hello, I’m Heather. It looks like we got a couple of widdle cuties here. Is your mommy taking you out for lunch today?”

“Excuse me?”

Surprise and shock are obvious on Amelia’s face. This seems to be unusual treatment for this establishment.

 “Aw is somebody a little grumpy girl in need of a change?”

The over eager waitress reaches down towards Amelia, likely to check her choice of underwear. Gale’s hand shoots past Amelia and grabs the waitresses’ arm like a vice.

“You got some real guts to talk to my friends like that and try to touch them with me here. What did you get out of Franz’s training?”

“What do you think you’re doing! I’ll have you kicked out for this kind of behavior!”

“Hey Franz, get over here before I break this chick’s fucking arm.” Gale shouts out towards the front of the diner.

In no time at all Franz is at the booth, the scene reflected in his eyes. Gale shoves the waitresses arm away.

“What seems to be the problem here?”

“One of your newbies here is getting a little handsy and overstepping her bounds with my friends.”

“S-she attacked me, get her out of here!”

Franz strokes his chin in thought, eyes narrowing in on Heather.

“I am quite aware of the situation Heather. We have had several complaints about you from other patrons despite your short tenure here.”

“I-it’s not what you think, I can explain-“

“Be silent.”

Franz cuts her off, his words sharp as knives. It’s brief, but for a moment I notice his neutral smile transform into a demented sneer. He quickly covers it up again, but it’s clear he’s enjoying himself. Like a predator that has found its choice prey.

“You work at my establishment; you follow my rules. Are we clear?”

“Yes s-sir.”

“You disregard my rules and treat my dear customers in a way unbefitting our image. It makes me, this restaurant, all of us, look like utter fools.”

“Yes…”

“You are going to be retrained. From the ground up. Go to Jess in the back, she will sort you out.”

“I… Yes sir…”

Heather escapes to the back, embarrassed and frightened over the interaction. I would be frightened too; he is certainly an imposing man.

“My utmost apologies. As thanks for not breaking another of our… less trained… staff’s arms, your meals are on the house today.”

“Hell yeah, you the man Franz. Amelia and Amelia’s wallet are ever grateful!”

“You seemed to enjoy that interaction perhaps a bit too much, Franz.” I blurt out, my inner thoughts leaking.

“Ha, you could say that newcomer. I am not like other Amazons. I was never one to enjoy bending littles to my will. I fought with and against too many during the war. I prefer to best those my own size with my own will. Challenges are oft too hard to find.”

Truly an interesting man. How did Gale and Amelia meet someone like him?

Franz writes down our orders and takes them to the back. Our conversation returns to normal.

“How did the two of you find this place?”

“To be honest, this place is one of the food joints recommended by our organization. Amelia and I have a list of the safest restaurants in town for littles to eat at. Solstice in particular was highly recommended. We hit it off with Franz and the rest is history.” Gale lowers her voice, not wanting to attract attention or let loose their secret in public.

“Since the two of us have arrived here, Amelia hasn’t been poisoned once thanks to that list!”

What a strange place, to be so worried about getting poisoned in your day-to-day life. In my old dimension you’d just have to worry about your ill prepared food not making you sick.

~~~

The little woke up. Asleep for days. A well-lit room.

A nursery room.

New sensations. New sights. New everything.

New world.

All unfamiliar. Scary. Wrong.

The little cried out.

Help.

Help me.

Someone, anyone? Please!

Help me…

[[Witch]]…

But no one could hear the little.

No one able to help could hear.

And no one came.

No one.

~~~

The food was amazing. Nothing I’ve had here so far compares and it’s obviously superior to what I ate in my world. I almost had tears streaming down my face as I ate my sandwich.

As further thanks, Franz brought us a bottle of some fancy wine I couldn’t begin to pronounce. With my constitution I’m incapable of becoming drunk without constant and heavy drinking; even then, the feeling goes away quickly. Gale had 4 Amazon glasses but with how much she ate, I doubt she’s tipsy. Amelia though… She had around 6 little-sized glasses and was not taking it well.

We spent the day eating, drinking, and enjoying our time together at Solstice. Franz even came back and had a drink with us. However, after demolishing two or three bottles we bid Franz adieu and made our way back to Amelia’s apartment. Not before seeing the now blushing waitress Heather, shuffling around with a noticeably different gait, and accompanying crinkling sounds. I think I understand what retraining means here.

Gale carried the grumbling and drunk Amelia home, thrown over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She is truly a gentleman.

“Can you be coherent for a minute and fork over your keys?”

Gale shakes Amelia, attempting in vain to bring the girl to life. In reply she mumbles and points to her pocket. Gale digs around and pulls out a set of keys that look ridiculous in her large hands. She tosses them over to me since she’d have a hard time.

I open the door and we shuffle in, Gale forced to hunch. She carries Amelia over to her room as I plop down on the couch. I hear more Amelia grumbling mixed with Gale’s voice. I also hear crinkling sounds, embarrassingly realizing that Gale must be helping Amelia with her ‘problem’.

Gale backs out of Amelia’s room, moments later. Turning off the light and giving the girl a final gentle and loving look unlike any other I’ve seen her wear this past week. I’ve worn that look myself at certain points in my life. It’s obvious to me that despite their teasing they are very close. Truthfully, it makes me feel a little lonely and envious.

She faces me again, appearing surprised to see me for a split second before realization dawns on her face.

“Ah, sorry. Perhaps I had a bit too much to drink, I forgot you were here haha.”

“Is Amelia aware of how you feel for her?”

“…”

Gale runs her hands through her hair sobering up at the question. She looks conflicted before continuing.

“I don’t really understand how I feel myself.”

“If I may, it’s my recommendation that you sort that out and tell her. Just so that… You don’t have any regrets.”

“Hm, I didn’t expect to get such advice from Witch, the emotional brick wall herself.”

“I know what I am. I do. I’m a coward who refuses to face her past.”

“I… I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s okay, I know you don’t. Amelia called me a friend today, it meant a lot. More than she knows. I’ve started to see the two of you in the same way. Despite myself. And I just can’t help but to meddle, after seeing that look on your face.”

Gale makes her way over to the couch and sits next to me, the couch made for littles screams in metallic pain as it adjusts to unfamiliar mass.

“Amelia texted me on the way over to Solstice. The reason you were late, she told you about her confinement. I was the one who saved her.”

“She didn’t tell me that...”

“She probably doesn’t know. She was out of it, half alive when I carried her out.”

“…”

“I was tasked with infiltrating and investigating a certain group. They were the ones that kidnapped her. They were suspected of excessive cruelty, and I was there to shine the light on it. My first day was the day Amelia attempted suicide. I heard her dying howls through the concrete wall. And I was one of the first to enter her room. The sounds she made still haunt me. If only I had arrived weeks or months sooner, stopped them sooner. Would Amelia have been driven to such extremes? Would Amelia suffer to this day as she does? I hate myself for not being there sooner.”

“You did a good thing, Gale. You don’t have to finish this story…”

I don’t want to hear any more. Right now, at this very moment. I see myself reflected in Gale. The tears and pain swelling in her eyes as she recalls the horror. I want to reject it. Reject myself. Throw it away. Get it out of my h e a d.

“I need to finish. You are our friend. You live in this world. You are involved now. Please.”

“I… Understand.” I don’t want to, but I do.

Gale thanks me and takes a moment to compose herself. She looks back at me with focused, unflinching eyes.

“I knew after that incident saving Amelia took priority. I’ve failed people before, and I wouldn’t let it happen again. Working under that group for another several months was hell, the things they did were sick and depraved. Finally, I had enough privileges that I could make my move. I grabbed what documents and footage I could on a drive, grabbed Amelia under the guise of moving her to a new location, and took her to an LRS affiliated hospital.”

“…”

“Amelia made a near full recovery. The one good thing about the way they tried breaking her, is that the hypnosis they used was minimal. Her speech mannerism and nighttime accidents are the only lingering remnants. She saw the work we did to help her, and wanted in. When I heard that, I requested to be partnered with her.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know myself… When I saw her for the first time, the sight was more than I could bear. I felt that I would do anything to save her. Perhaps this feeling was an attempt to atone for past mistakes. I don’t have the hormones or genetic whatever that makes Amazons go little crazy. But that feeling to protect her bound me instantly to her. We are connected, her and I.”

“You feel responsible for the life you saved.” I’ve felt this many times before.

“Yes but it’s complicated. The years we’ve spent together since has evolved our relationship. I take care of her; she takes care of me. I can’t imagine life without her now. She’s saved me just as much as I saved her. And I wouldn’t want to ruin anything by telling Amelia any of this. I see how she looks at Amazons after her traumatic experiences. I… I couldn’t stand her hating me. Anything but that.”

“I don’t think she could hate you, even if you told her how you feel.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ll think on it and try to find the right words. But you have to promise to work on your feelings too, Witch. We notice how you keep us at arm’s length. You don’t have to be alone.”

“I’ll try. I’ll try. Amelia said much of the same.”

“That’s all we can ask, I suppose. Let’s cut it with the sappy shit here. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. And if you ever need to talk, I’m here. We both are.”

“Sounds good and thank you.”

Gale leans over and quickly grabs me in a huge, crushing hug.

“Ack, t-this is n-nice but ghk I can h-hear my bones creakinggg!”

“What’s that, I can’t hear you over this odd creaking sound?”

Gale puts me back down with a laugh and exits the apartment, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

There were some tough conversations today that brought about a little grief. But they were necessary evils. I see myself in these women and their struggles. The short lives they’ve lived have been harsh, but they’ve carved lives for themselves. Perhaps I can carve a life for myself here amongst them.

I settle down on the couch and flip on the TV. Time for some more ‘research’ on yet another sleepless night.

~~~

It was a month after Amelia’s attempted suicide that she was strapped back to the chair. She was given a minimal amount of time to recover before being sent back. This time with sufficient padding on the chair to prevent another event.

After another month of torment, Amelia had largely given up. She said what the machine wanted to hear. Wet and messed herself freely. Ate the food sludge. And got shocked. Again and again.

When suddenly the door opened. Amelia suspected it was for another change, but she had been changed a short time ago and was only a little wet. She tensed up, hearing the footsteps draw closer. They stopped right before the girl. Amelia felt the restraints and her blindfold loosen, dropping to the floor. She blinked and cowered away, seeing light for the first time since her kidnapping.

Amelia felt herself being gently grabbed and propped up against the Amazon’s body. Much different than the rough treatment she’d received all this time. She felt something drip onto her face.

“I’m… I’m so, so sorry. I couldn’t save her, but you’re still here. I’m still here. I can save you…”

For the first time in a long time Amelia felt safe and warm. Consciousness failed her and she blacked out. The stimulation and shocking feelings of safety proving too much for the weakened girl.

The Amazon wiped her tears and put on a strict business face. She left the room, then the building. Arriving at her car, she deposited the battered little into a car seat.

Gale drove away.

Finalizing Amelia’s escape from her living hell.

And hurtling the two towards their new lives.

Together.

 

Chapter 4: (Un)Certain Love

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On 6/3/2021 at 12:11 AM, Jayme said:

The [[Witch]] seems to be in a state of turmoil, maybe she can find some friends in the new realm to help release th lifetime of pain she is trying hard to supress....

That would certainly be ideal! I hope [[Witch]] can make all the friends.

On 6/6/2021 at 3:24 PM, BabySofia said:

Story is staying quite interesting! I'm looking forward to future chapters here!

Thanks! I hope this one was worth the wait!

I know I said that the last chapter was a doozy to write, but this one was even longer... Perhaps I'm triggering flags by saying this...

But I didn't want to break it up. And it was fun to write character interactions. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

[Moon3ye]

I'm really excited to see where you take us with this story. Just the fact that the witch is immortal could make hundreds of possible stories possible.

I will stay with it in any case.

Oh and super funny what happened to the Amazon in that place.

[Guilend]

At least Heather got pants lol.  I’m enjoying this. 

[YourFNF]

Wow.... That was.... that was a lot.....

[Cya]

The way you wrote the past scenes of torture, intertwining it with the current narrative is very nicely done. We get to see what Amelia has endured and why she is who she is. Great job!

[Guilend]

I hope they run into heather again. Maybe she’ll be back in panties again or a full diaper ?