Illuminating the Dark Prince

A Perilous Proposal

-PARTICULARLY GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING-

So up until now, I haven't really seen a need for any extra warnings, but this chapter gets a bit rough. Sexual assault and a moderately brutal death occur. So if that's something that you might find triggering, skip when you see this happy butterfly -> Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Once you see a second butterfly, it's safe to continue reading again. I'll also briefly summarize what happened at the end for anyone who skipped.

~A Perilous Proposal~

My squeaky black rain boots splashed through one of the lingering puddles strewn across the cobblestone pathway which looped around the circumference of Hawthorn Lake. The bright late morning sun whimsically peeked through the remaining grey storm clouds as they calmly drifted across the pale blue sky. It beautifully poured its crepuscular rays through the melancholic grey plumes, casting glimmers of silver over the surface of the water. Each ripple danced upon one another to create an enchanting watery mosaic of blacks, blues, and silvers while the light breeze created small lapping waves which gently caressed the rocky shoreline. 

A cute little spotted pickerel frog created a small splash as it hastily hopped off one of the numerous lilypads lining the water's edge. It hid within the safety of the tall slender water iris leaves, with its beady black eyes warily peeking out to make sure that I wasn't some sort of dangerous predator. Wavering shadows of oak leaves danced across my frowning face as I realized that I'd missed the water iris's blooming season. It had always been one of my favorite things to walk along the beach and see the swaying yellow and purple blossoms sprouting from the glassy water. I then peered out over the lake at the backdrop of lofty mist-adorned mountains, seeing the first faint hints of orange kissing the treetops.

...I guess I missed the whole damn summer then.

I sighed while rubbing my upper arms, feeling the lingering chill that last night's storm had brought to the air. Although it was nothing compared to the cold anxious feeling filling my mind. This was it. I was going to officially end things with Justin. I knew it was for the best, but I still couldn't help but worry about how he would react to our sudden separation. Dread hovered heavily over my thoughts as I walked a little further down the path, wondering where the fuck he even was. There were no sounds other than the wind whispering across the water and the birds chirping within the trees. I tucked a wispy strand of hair behind my ear, contemplating giving up and leaving.

Fuck it, I should just go home and text him that it's over...

My boot squeaked while I gracefully turned around on my toe as though I were dancing, intending to head back to my car and leave. Then I froze, seeing a whole flock of formally dressed people hustling down the path like a sinister swarm of locust... What the?... It took me a second of standing there staring at them like a dumbstruck dingbat to realize that Justin was among them, dressed in a light blue dress shirt tucked into tan slacks with a dark brown belt. There was a velvety dark blue box in his hand and a charming grin on his face.

Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit!

My eyes frantically darted around in search of somewhere to hide. In a split-second moment of desperation, I dove within the waxy ovoid leaves and thin twisted branches of a mountain laurel bush like a crazed maniac on the loose. Although, there was no way they hadn't already seen me, considering that I was wearing a bright cherry-red dress and the fact that they were all pointing and heading in my direction... Dammit!

Cameras began to flash and murmurs of delight were heard all around as Justin made his way to me, egotistically grinning and soaking up all the attention as though he were some big-name hotshot. Terrence was filming not too far behind, wearing a green shirt and brown pants to blend in with the oaken background. Shiney black penny loafers crunched over the pine needles and dead leaves lying upon the damp cobblestone, as Justin approached the bush. I gulped with dread.