Black Swan (special preview)

I cautiously walk around the tower, peering up at the window. I don’t see her in it, so I aim my camera again. I then realize I doomed myself. I see a bucket and she dumps it out over me. The ice cold water crashing over me and I yelp. She then dumps the bucket and I barely avoid it.

“Get the hell out of here,” the girl hisses. “You mortals don’t know when to take a hint.”

“Mortals?” I look up at the window, but she’s gone back inside.

Deciding not to toy with fate, I leave the tower, deciding to come back again tomorrow. I’m not sure what’s happening or who that girl is, but I feel like I need to find out.

I come back the next day, this time wearing a hard hat, as well as bringing a weed whacker and industrial gloves borrowed from the shed behind the colonial village. 

“You again?” The girl in the window balks. “Did you not learn your lesson before, jerk?” She still only peers over the edge of the windowsill.

“I just came to talk,” I tell her. “My name is Arlen and I-”

She hisses and stands up, glaring out the window. I’m stunned, she’s so beautiful. Her skin is extremely pale and her hair is pitch black and long. Her eyes are dark, almost completely black. She sneers at me and raises a fist, clutching what looks like a glass apple.

“Wait!” I gasp. “I don’t mean you any harm at all!”

“I don’t give a fuck!” She hisses and raises her arm to chuck the apple at me.

“Wait!” I cry out again and I hold up the candy bar I brought with me. “Do you like sweets?” It’s a last ditch effort.

The girl lowers and arm and scowls. “What?”

I aim and throw the candy bar into her window. She turns, disappearing for a moment. A second later, she’s standing in the window, munching down on the candy bar.

“You’ve got two minutes,” she growls between bites.

I swallow, staring up at this beautiful girl. “Are you trapped here?” I ask. “Do you want help getting out?”

She scowls at me.