Chapter 15: Lost, Bad and Without a Collar

A fish - that was his worth in the place of lost things. Kurt did not know what to expect when the beautiful naked creature of the sea grabbed his ankles and guided him back into the oceans arms. It was later learned through the new wicked soul keeping him prisoner, that this creature is called a mermaid. Yet despite what her beauty and description may lead one to believe, she was no better than the werewolf who tried hunting him earlier.

A fish - that was the sea monster's price to entice her prey and carry him through the currents and towards a distant cave within the hillside cliff. The fish in payment was nothing grand or rare. Just that of a typical silver scaled salmon whose dying form flip-flopped in the shallow waters until the transaction was made. Similar to the way Kurt was feeling, the transaction had the makings of insignificance. He was valueless and his undesirable weight received little mercy from the raven haired temptress who was more hungry than gentle.

"Get off." The pale skin mermaid pried Kurt's scared fingers from her shoulders and pushed his back against the cold sand shield from the morning sunlight. "Wait here." Regardless of her force and aggression, the woman maintained her false impression of inner beauty through song. External beauty temporary falter as she better revealed her razor sharp teeth and snatched her next meal struggling to survive.

Kurt unknowingly dug his fingers in the sand in search for a solid rock to hold on it. Unfortunately nothing besides the tiny grains of sand slipping between his thing fingers could be found. "You said there'd be help. Where's the help?" Sad, scared and tired eyes turned away from the natural foreign light peeking through the cavern opening. The dark cave with unknown depth posed as a more manageable threat, than to the immaculate creation beaming down from the vast and questionable looking ceiling. Darkness was something the teenager knew and was familiar with, bright lights on the other hand, were still an unsettling mystery yet to be discovered.

Expected help and all its possibilities splashed Kurt with cruel mockery and residue water from the mermaid's returned to the sea. Her scaly fin was the last part of her form to disappear and remind Kurt of his loneliness. Well, solitude until the supplier of the mermaid's dinner made knowledge of his presence. A nervous knot tied inside the teenager's stomach. Surely he would not become someone else's next meal....The worried thought was given little space of imagination before the raven haired mermaid resurfaced with death stabbed between her teeth.

Torn scaly flesh hung from her mouth and dark red blood rolled over her bottom lip and down her slender neck. A life for a life, a meal for a meal, this was Kurt's value in world of bad pets - better left dead and worth nothing more than his temporary taste and texture. Alike the rabbit, the harmless fish was not stuffed with white fluffy cotton; but instead slimy makings that the teenager did not wish to see or understand.

"P-please, you said you'd help me." Gradually as if sleep was slowly resting upon him like fairy dust, the waters darkened as its depth unknowingly increased. Through the U-shaped entrance, invisible hands narrowed the cave's opening: using one misshaped stone at a time. "W-what's happening?" Typical light with golden flames magically illuminated in iron torches attached to the solid rock walls. Without any warning, the golden flames subtly transitioned to emerald glows kindled by an unseen monster.

Surrounded by black waters, the fair skinned mermaid climb on top of a moss covered rock that did not exist moments prior. Casually discarded on flat edges of the lower levels of the boulder were human skulls - maybe eight or ten total. A slow-painful smirk darkened her already sinister expression as Kurt struggled to comprehend the source of these peculiar objects. Objects whose shape was both unknown yet characteristic to something strangely familiar. Although the familiar entity that Kurt was imaging had skin, eyeballs and a body attached - surely these were not the same thing.

"I-I-I don't understand. W-where are we?" Green flames were now the sole light source within the hollow rock. Much to Kurt's uncertainty or full understanding, the opening of the cave had been sealed shut by either the effects of ghosts or magic. "W-what's happening?"

Cast in this contained world of darkness with constant evolvement, Kurt took a moment to appreciate the finer details of his new prison. The cold sand he laid against did not extend very far before tiny eroded pebbles took in his attention. Blue eyes followed the green lights further up the cavern floor. It was not long before the trail of broken pieces of rock lead to a solid slab of rough-unleveled stone. Kurt shifted his hips and repositioned his weight onto his knees. There was too much to see and take in all at once. The place was calm, however there was little doubt in the teenager's mind that something unwanted was about to happen. Suspicions turned into reality as Kurt's pupils dilated to the darkness.

The unknown gradually settled and colorful graphics filled in the hollow silhouettes looming all around. Ahead of him, metal chains hung from the ceiling with matching cages attached. Thick bars preserved the entrapment within the pens, but allowed enough visual freedom for the hostages to acknowledge the happenings below them. Underneath one of the bird-like cages was a black cauldron fuming faint red steam that appeared manageable without supervision. Through the red fog, there was a distinct outline of a round marble table hoisted up with solid stone cubes. It may have been a reflection from the steam, but visible red stains darkened the center of the furniture.

"W-where are we...?"

The mermaid lightly laughed with the dead fish in her mouth. On que with her wicked laugh, two long black and yellow critters slithered out of the still waters - sending circular ripples in all directions. In their pilgrimage towards dry land, both creatures alternated their hisses as if communicating and devising a plot. The longer the armless-legless reptiles drew from the water, the more fictional they appeared. Much to Kurt's dismay, nothing about their animistic hisses resembled that of a vampire.

"Say hello to Tangle and Strangle." The mermaid rolled onto her back and sensually caressed her nudity as if enticing a lover. "They're harmless unless they are given orders from the Witch. This is her lair after all."

"What's a witch? A-are you a witch too?" The mermaid brushed her hair off her naked chest before closing her eyes seductively - creating the impression that she was posing for an oil painting. "Is the witch going to eat me?"

The black cauldron steaming pink smoke loudly popped, and spumed forth red foam over its edges and down its sides. Somewhere in the distance there was the sound of a faint humble cry of someone other than a vampire or monster. It almost sounded like an echo of his own sorrows, but these whimpers were wetter than the cries pouring down his cheeks.

Kurt spun his knees against the cold soil and turned away from the dark waters surrounded the sea monster. The teenager kept his back hunched with his arms nestled under his chest. From the distance he looked like a positioned rabbit ready for the pounce. Unlike a rabbit, Kurt lacked strength in his legs and a decided direction.

"Bad pet," A voice from an unseen body chided as if speaking with a child. Odd familiarity resonated in the tone, however a time and place Kurt may have learned the voice before did not exist in his mind. "I told you what would happen if did not follow my instructions."

"P-please, please, Elizabeth...!" Wet loud cries from an equally invisible boy screamed. "I didn't mean to...I got hungry...!"

A sharp slap silenced the boy with painful force and left Kurt breathless from his hideaway. Although his horror laid petrified in the spoken name - Elizabeth. Elizabeth, the bad woman Blaine warned him about when he said: "She is a tall foul tempered woman with long black hair. She wears tight dresses with sapphire diamond earrings. She is a witch who practices dark magic. Did Daniel tell you what she does to the little boys she catches? When she catches boys, good little pets just like you. She casts wicked spells and..."

Kurt's distressing memory of his vampire's warning faded from his dizzied mind as the invisible became the visible. Emerging from the inner depth of the cave was a woman and a boy. The woman appeared every bit as Blaine described her to be. She had waist length raven hair and a matching strapless dress that barely covered her femininity. Royal sapphire gems hung from her ears with extraordinary esteem and ruby paint decorated her sharp fingernails. Locked within the grip of her right hand was the neck of a thin boy. From the place Kurt was hunching, the boy did not resemble a vampire or any other magical creature. The boy was every bit as ordinary at Kurt. Together they were the same species - vampire pets.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth! P-p-please don't hurt me!"

Kurt crouched lower and pressed his forehead against the soil. Maybe if he did not see them, then they would not notice him. It is difficult to say what this boy's sins were, but Kurt did not wish to share in this fate.

"I don't have time for your blathering nonsense." The witch barked and pushed the boy dressed in a thin loincloth to the rock floor. "You are a bad pet. I warned you what would happen if you broke my rules. Repeat to me my rules!"

Kurt squeezed his eyes tighter at the violence occurring in his new prison. He had nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. The opening of the cave had been sealed shut, and vile sea monsters guarded the ominous waters like a mother would her child. The cavern was dim, but only with open eyes was Kurt reminded by the fact that his shaking frame was easily detectable to any onlooker.

What kind of place is this horrible dwelling? Why would Daniel want to bring him to a place like this? "Daniel hates you." The memory of Blaine's voice soothed the teenager. "Blaine..." Kurt spoke to the recollection in his mind. "Blaine help me..." Kurt whispered against the earth he was pressed against. "Blaine, I'm sorry. They'd tricked me...."

Violent ruffles and high pitched screams vibrated the cave like thunder. "Don't move!" The woman who went by the name Elizabeth. "It appears we have a new pet to show."

"He is certainly a pretty one mistress." The mermaid sang from the comfort of her boulder. Hot tears burned Kurt's eyes at the unification of his fears in the water to his upcoming horrors on land. "Hopefully he will be easier than the others. He lacks the brains to be a challenge for you."

"Thank you Camille..." Tall high-heels clicked against the floor one step at a time. Each step grew louder and burnt Kurt's ears with renewed fire. "What a soft pet..." Cold fingers brushed over Kurt's hair with calm subtly that almost felt like wind. "What a wasted disgrace for a bad pet. Let me see your face." Other than petrified shivers and painful hiccups, the teenager did not budge or attempt to lift his forehead from the earth. "Bad. Pet." The witch snarled and gripped Kurt's hair. "Look. At. Me." Without warning, the woman pulled upwards - forcing her new pet to look at her.

"Ouch!" Kurt screamed at the unexpected pain pulling on his scalp. "You're hurting me!"

Black eyes stared at her prisoner's pale face and blue eyes. It was not all that long ago when a similar face cried out to her for mercy. The face and body of the past was a beautiful perfection of the female anatomy. The boy before her today was an appropriate product of such flawlessness. "Then follow my instructions, Bad Pet." Kurt stretched his arms against the earth and lifted his neck higher in displayed obedience. "See, that wasn't too hard." The witch released the teenager's hair and used both hands to appreciate the delicate features on his face that could not be blamed on chance. "Why aren't you a pretty lost thing? I bet your master is worried sick about you...."

The woman's hands against his cheeks and neck did not feel like Blaine. Her hands were hateful and dirty. "C-can you take me to him...E-Elizabeth?" Daniel used to describe the woman named Elizabeth as his mother - a sweet and warm individual who would protect him. True to Blaine's words, Daniel lied. It must go to show that witches and mothers are the same - mean women who do not love lost boys. "P-please." Pain, fear and dread echoed wet tears in combination with the other imprisoned pet. "Tell him that I'm sorry. Tell him I was tricked."

"He may be worried about you, but that doesn't translate that he will want you back." The witch lightly squeezed Kurt's cheeks. "Kind masters prefer well-behaved and loyal pets. Why would he want a pet who defies his orders? Besides, without your collar it's a good chance your former master wouldn't be able to identify you. All you pets look similar, it can get confusing to tell you apart."

"That's not true." Kurt cried once the witch released her hold on his face. "Blaine knows what I look like."

The raven haired woman curved her rosy lips and glanced at her naked mermaid with lust. "Camille, go get your sister." The beautiful sea maiden jumped into the water without further order. "That, sweet one, is how a good pet behaves: they listen to their masters. Listening is almost as pleasurable as the joys of the flesh." The witch unnecessarily moaned and arched her back. "You didn't listen to your master, but did you in the very least, allow him to satisfy his itch of burning desire inside you?"

Pale cheeks turned crimson with shame. "I don't know what you mean."

"Then you should have asked him." Kurt lowered his eyes to the ground. "Here are my girls..."

The calm dark waters broke with the resurfacing of two identical mermaids. The only difference between the two rested in the stylish decorations around their necks. Kurt was able to recognize Camille by her black collar with a white pearl in the middle. Her sister had a similar black collar and an emerald heart in the center.

"Stay here." The witch barked to the scared teenager kneeling to the ground. "Girls, come here.

Kurt nervously watched the woman named Elizabeth step over the slithering snakes and towards her matching pets waiting on the shore. "Bad Pet," Kurt accepted the new name. "Vampires claim pets like you. Witches take in mermaids. Aren't they beautiful?" Unlike the sinister touches she gave him prior, the witch sensually caressed one mermaid's chest while kissing the other's on the neck. "I'd liked to introduce you to Camille's sister, Camilla."

The teenager did not introduce himself in return. As far as the witch was concerned his name was Bad Pet.

"Bad Pet," Elizabeth confirmed Kurt's suspicions. "If I took off my girls collars would you be able to tell them apart?"

"They...they look the same."

"Exactly my point. Only with their collars on can we tell the difference between Camille and Camilla." Kurt crunched his eyebrows, barely distinguish the difference between the twin names. "This is how vampires view human pets like yourself. You all look the same in their eyes. Do you know other humans?"

Jeff and Daniel, but Kurt did not want to say their horrible names aloud. "Y-yes."

"Do you think you look different than them?" The witch did not wait for a response. "That is how these mermaids are. They do not see themselves the same way you see them. To them they are their own individuals with unique features. However, only with their collars on, can you and I recognize who is who." Kurt did not like where this lesson was going. "Without your collar, your vampire won't be able to distinguish you from other pets. There is nothing extraordinary about you. You are a lost and bad pet without a collar."

Fat tears seeped from the corners of Kurt's eyes. What would become of him and who would take care of him? His stomach was already hungry and his mouth was thirsty, but Blaine was not there to give him food or drink. "P-p-please...I need Blaine. I-I'm hungry."

"There, there Bad Pet. I help lost things like you a find new home. Follow my orders and you will be fine." The witch waved her arm in the direction of one of the cages Kurt saw earlier. This particular cage was setting on the ground with a short open door. In the middle of the iron jail cell was a piece of bread and a cup of water. "Get inside." Kurt did not want to get inside. The cage was cramp and only tall enough for half of his body. "Get inside or become someone else's dinner!" The force of the witch's scream pushed the teenager forward. Just in time, Kurt turned around to see Tangle and Strangle stretching their large mouths at the implied gesture. The look in their beady eyes resembled Camille before she devoured her salmon.

Horrified by the hissing vibrations against their forked tongues, Kurt rapidly crawled away from the limbless creatures and folded his body tight enough to fit inside the specified cage. Unseen magic prevented the clumsy teenager from spilling his water. "D-don't eat me, p-please!"

"That's more like it." Elizabeth snapped her fingers and the iron door loudly closed - locking the teenager inside. "Pay attention, Bad Pet. Maybe you can learn something from your predecessor in this pound of lost pets. You!" The witch pointed at second boy who was still crying on the other side of the pink smoke. "Repeat my rules."

Kurt did not want to pay attention or look. He wanted to be home where he was safe and loved. Before he could fruitlessly call out for his former master, the cage he was trapped in suddenly jerked and lifted itself off the floor. Up and up the cage pulled itself until Kurt could better see all the happenings within the cavern. As if a magical force was controlling his body, blue eyes turned red with tears looked at the second boy in the cavern. The boy had fair skin and light brown hair - immediate similarities did not settle well within the teenager. How would Blaine recognize him if all pets looked the same?

"Y-your rules Madam," The boy kept his face to the ground. "One: To follow your instructions. Two: Become a good pet. Three: To allure a vampire and become his or hers property."

Kurt did his best to understand the rules of his new home, but the detail of alluring a new master confused him. He did not want a new master. He wanted Blaine - he needed Blaine. "I want Blaine..." Kurt pressed his chin against his knees and whined from his tiny cell. "Please get me Blaine."

"Bad Pet!" The witch screamed. Bright blue sparks broke from under her fingernails. "Be silent little kitten!"

Kurt watched the visible flashes of light fly in his direction. "Help!" Hot sparks entered his mouth and went down this throat. "Help...!" A recognizable fist formed in his throat and grabbed something Kurt did not know was possible. The witch smiled and motioned her fingers as if orchestrating a musical. "Blaine..." The teenager began to speak, then stopped when white light streamed out of his mouth - taking his voice and the sound of Blaine's name with it. "Blaine." Kurt recognized his voice floating away from him and in the direction of the witch's open palms.

"Behave, and then I will give it back to you."

Kurt wanted to talk. He tried to speak, however his mouth only opened and closed like a pouting fish. Former whimpers of discomfort remained silent behind the teenager's miserable face of confusion and panic. What happened to his voice?

"Back to you," The witch staged her attention back to the crying boy at her feet, although she kept a discrete eye in Kurt's direction. The pathetic human was grabbing his throat and trying to figure out how his voice was taken from him. "You've seen what happens to lost pets who don't follow my rules." The nameless boy flinched at the graphic memory. "Lucky for you, you have another chance to find a new master. A vampire messaged me a few hours. He is looking for a new pet to replace his old one. Unless you can convenience him to adopt you, then that will become your future."

Kurt gripped the metal bars and stared down at the boy bowing on the floor. His face was dirty with sand and ash, and his exposed back was covered with red lashes. Did the witch do that to him?

"Please Madam, anything but that. Please-please...Elizabeth..."

Daniel once told him that he and Elizabeth looked alike. It was mentioned that Kurt shared Elizabeth's eyes, nose, skin and hair. The woman standing below his cage did not look like him in the slightest. Is it possible that there is more than one Elizabeth in this world? No, this is the Elizabeth that Daniel was referring to. Between Blaine and Daniel, Daniel was the crook who wished him ill.

"I've taken care of you long enough. This pound is designed to house lost pets until new owners claim them. I cannot keep all my pets forever." The witch did not tried and lower her voice. Everything she said was a matter of importance to the pets in her possession. Judging by the scared rocking coming from Kurt's cage, the cruel message was being adequately shared among her properly. It was easy to tell that the poor teenager did not understand where he was or what a pound was. "The vampire looking for a new pet will be here shortly. Do your best interest him, otherwise you know your fate. Now, back to your cage."

The boy dressed in the cream loincloth weakly crawled towards another cage setting on the ground. Moments later and the cage lifted to a suspended height.

"Okay bad pets, I have work to do while we wait for the scheduled vampire to come shopping for a toy." The witch clapped her hands and magical drawers materialized in thin air. Stowed away within these magical compartments were different tinted bottles and wooden boxes. In the center of the top drawer was a round crystal bowl with frost glazed all around it. "It would appear that I now possess the final ingredient for my special cream. I'm sure Britany will be excited."

Kurt held onto his knees and peeked down at the witch wearing sapphire earrings. She looked far too happy for her own good.

"Three teaspoons of virility..." The witch scooped the desired amount of pink potion from the cauldron and into her crystal bowl. Upon contacting of the icy laced contained, the pink potion darkened to a beautiful fuschia. "A cat for my kitten."

It was not there before, otherwise Kurt would have make its presence loudly known with joyful screams of celebration. Any other response would be out of character for the teenager. No amount of fear would have be able to contain his excitement, and no illness would have weakened his body to the point that he would not have smile. The lack of these outbursts only meant two plausible scenarios: the cat magically appeared in the middle of the round marble table or the she was hiding. Kurt for one refused to believe the latter option. Why would a white fluffy cat be hiding from him?

Kurt felt his heart lifted - that was Kitty! That was his cat. His lost pet had been found and living in this pound of lost animals. Unable to communication and receive the level of attention that he desired, the scared teenager extended one arm out of his cage and frantically pointed at his sweet pet from his childhood.

"No, Bad Pet, this kitty is no one's a pet. Her original master abandoned a long time ago. Now she will become an ingredient for my potion." The witch laughed while reaching into her magical drawers for a shape bladed knife. "If only her master's evils could save her now... I suppose some great evils can be justified though another's personal happiness..."

A knife? Kurt recognized the instrument from all the times Blaine cut his food for him. The knife Blaine used was shorter and less intimidating then the rustic bloodstained weapon the witch was holding now. Why was the witch holding a knife? It was not dinner time nor did she have a plate of food in front of her?

"What no longer hunger?" The witch asked even though she knew her prisoner would not answer.

Kurt released his hold on the cage bars and dung his face between his knees. He was no longer hungry and the thought of eating bread reminded him of the mermaid's sharp teeth.

"You don't have to watch Bad Pet, but this happens to all pets who don't get new masters within a timely manner." With these words the witch violently swung her knife into the sacrifice on her sacrificial table. A high pitch cry ripped from the cat's lungs at the same time the object stabbed into her chest. The helpless cry from the dying pet lasted longer than a brief second, nonetheless remorse and regret never phased the coldhearted witch - she got what she wanted and that was the only thing that matter for her corrupt deed. Barbaric slaughtering pursued the fallen demise. Fur ripped in different direction and tiny bones cracked under the effects of evil magic.

Kurt didn't watch. He couldn't watch. What kind of horrible world was this place? Everywhere he looked there was violence, deception and murder. Up was down and down was up. Good was evil and evil was good. Killing kittens and bunnies was acceptable and no kind masters were sewing their fabric seams back together. As if the world's state of morality was set in balance with his status of a good or bad pet, Kurt pressed his knees around his face and wished for nothing more than to be good again. Only with the returned of this title would fluffy animals be filled with soft cotton and his white pajamas would be free of mud and holes. In order to get there, he needed someone - Blaine. Where was he? Was he hurt? Did Blaine no longer want him? Kurt did his best to keep his imagination from asking the third question. He could not allow his mind to think that way without getting heavy butterflies in his stomach.

The woman named Elizabeth casually added the bleeding heart into the crystal bowl fuming red smoke. In her peripheral vision she never faltered to appreciate the quiver comprising the thin frame within her metal cage.

"Now, for the special ingredient I've been waiting for: a strand of masculinity to add to my very special cream." Kurt nervously lifted his head from his knees when he noticed the witch's voice approaching him. In synchrony with her footsteps, his cage slowly lowered to the height of the witch's face. "I would hardly call you masculine, but in part that is why you are such a great product - I cannot have too much masculinity in my female-domain. Shh...don't be scared little kitten." The intended nickname cruelly mocked the lifeless animal on the marble table stained red. "I wouldn't harm something as valuable as you. I am confident that hungry vampires would be more than happy to sink their fangs in you." Kurt flinched at the thought. "Don't be afraid. All I need is a strand of hair." The witch reached into the cage. A wicked smile brightened her expression with sinister delight and a smudge of blood on her upper right cheek almost went unnoticed. "Don't be afraid..."

Kurt squeezed his eyes tighter at the cold pressure massaging his scalp. Tender and gentle fingers comb though his dirty hair tanged with dried leaves. Before a single strand of hair was isolated from the rest, a sharp and angry voice dominated the dim cavern illuminated with emerald lights.

"Santana. Stop."

The witch's eyes darkened at the familiar and arrogant voice growling behind her. She should have known better than to trust her co-conspirator's controlling nature to stay silent as long as planned. Then, again judging by the cream settling on the counter and her hand in Kurt's hair, maybe she was not a woman merit of trust. It was one level of pride to trust another to groom your property. It was an entirely different matter to allow someone to leave a permanent mark on something precious.

"We. Had. An. Agreement. No. Hair."

"We never reached a final settlement." Santana locked her reddening eyes with Kurt's petrified expression - rendering the teenager powerless to look away from her. However, to no hindrance did the witch make it unclear who she was talking to. "Need matters be stated upright? I am doing you the favor. Just say the word and my service will be complete." Santana licked her ruby lips. The poor boy caged before her was lost in her eyes and confused with the conversation he was not a part of. "Is my role as E-l-i-z-a-b-e-t-h no longer? Shame-shame for such a pathetic end."

Kurt knew the witch was talking to someone else. Her tone and demeanor did not resemble the callous way she mocked and ridiculed her other pet. Mixed within different shades of her darkened expression were disgust, impatience and apprehension. If an invisible pull was not holding his vision hostage, then the teenager would have turned to the sweet noise tainted with an inhuman level of hatred that felt sharper than the bloody knife on the table.

"We will discuss payment later. Get back to point, Elizabeth." The same kind, gentle and familiar voice rewarded Kurt's ears with a bitter end of frost tied to it.

Santana pulled her extended arm out of Kurt's cage and unnecessarily adjusted her dress to better display her figure. "Y-o-u-r pet is hopelessly s-t-u-i-p-d. Gullible to no end and in a constant state of confusion. Y-o-u did a terrible job raising him."

Kurt was not given a moment to appreciate the freedom on his vision before his back was pushed against the metal bars behind him. "Ouch!" Audible signs of distress went unheard and his pink cheeks were not given a second thought. Too distracted with the sores on his back, Kurt looked over his shoulder and rubbed his back. The touch of his hand was better than the witch's, but not as welcomed as Blaine's special pressure. Speaking of Blaine...

"Enough nonsense Elizabeth. I need a new pet. My former pet ran away from home." Kurt hugged his shoulders and nervously looked in the direction that he calls home. "I found his collar in the forest grounds. It would appear that my former pet was bad or I wasn't good enough for him."

Blaine! Blaine was here! His vampire was standing not too far off with his face leveled to Kurt's tiny jail cell. "Blaine!" The teenager outreached both of his arms towards the vampire's direction like a flower would the sun. With frantic grabby hands, Kurt wished his arms were long enough to touch and hold his almighty desire. "Blaine!" Silence consumed his pleas as if he was not there. To make matters all the more worse, the raven haired vampire was not acknowledging him at all.

"I have a pet here that will serve you well." Santana resumed her pretended role as the wicked woman who Kurt would forever loath and fear. Never again will the sweet teenager take the name 'Elizabeth' kindly. "He was found wondering not to long ago. He was stubborn in the beginning, but I fought that out of him."

It is difficult for Kurt to form expectations over what would happen next. His one-track mind was only set in one scenario - Blaine rushing towards him and kissing his forehead with sweet words mixed in between. However that was not the case. Blaine was keeping his distance and his attention elsewhere.

"Blaine!" Kurt continued to stretch his arms and snapped his fingers in efforts for rewarded attention, unfortunately his existence continued to go unnoticed. "Blaine!" The pressure of his body against the cage slightly rocked the suspended cage towards Kurt's desired direction. Any hope of nearing the vampire disappeared when the cage volleyed the swing in the opposite direction. "No! No! No!"

Rustic noises from the chain connecting Kurt's cage to the ceiling squeaked in off beat sounds of torture. Upon closer inspection the only person being tortured was the boy making the rackets.

"He is pretty." Blaine kept his back at Kurt, but the teenager could hear joy in his master's voice. It was not a difficult stretch of the imagination to envision that the hazel eyed vampire was smiling. A smile Kurt had grown to love and adore. If only Kurt could see it now, maybe then it would settle the jitters in his tummy. "How does he behave with you?"

"Blaine I'm over here!" Kurt did not care what Blaine or Santana were talking about. Everything around him had condensed into a black swarm of nothingness and a bright beacon of light shinned down on the lone man who made the world right. Everything about Blaine looked stronger and better then he remembered. "Look at me!"

Santana motioned Blaine to get closer to the object concerning their conversation. "I must admit all pets come with their faults, but there is promise to say about this one."

Then something happened that Kurt was not expecting. Blaine did not turn around and save him. The raven haired vampire who loved and raised him did not see him or hear his cries. As if Kurt was no better than an invisible ghost, Blaine reached towards the other boy in the second cage. From the place Kurt was watching, unspoken and unfamiliar emotions swallowed him whole. Why was Blaine petting another boy's hair? Blaine was only allowed to pet his hair. Why was the vampire smiling at another pet? He was the vampire's pet - not the other boy! "Blaine!" Glittering hints of emerald envy sparkled the teenager's electric blue eyes. It did not make sense! What was Blaine doing?

The second nameless boy pressed his head against Blaine's open palm and giggled for provoked attention. The sheer act alone set Kurt's body in a burning fire of rage. Who did this boy think he was? "Blaine, I'm over here!"

"Oh, aren't you a friendly one." Blaine smile before using both hands to evaluate the available pet's face. "You look similar to my former pet. If I took you home, would you run away from me? Would you break my rules?"

If Kurt was not trapped in his personal maze of jealousy, then he may have noticed the way Blaine and the others were standing. Their positioning and postures were perfectly staged to give Kurt the ultimate vantage point of their physical interactions.

"No kind master." The boy spoke. His voice was no longer wet from the witch's abuse. It was calm and oddly seductive. "I will be a better pet than your old one. I'm a fully matured and I know how to please a master. You wouldn't have to teach me anything."

"It would be nice to have a pet who was eager to please me." The vampire rolled his words over his tongue with a near purr at the end. "Elizabeth," Blaine turned towards Santana. Extreme control prevented him from directing his focus to the distracting smell of hot jealousy. "May I have a moment alone with him? I want to see how he tastes."

"No! No! No!" Kurt pulled at his hair and stomped his feet against the metal floor he was trapped in. "I'm your good pet! Me! Me! Me!"

Santana nodded her chin and the metal door to the other boy's cage opened. "He is all yours to taste."

It was a nightmare. There was no other plausible answer to justify these events. Surely Blaine was not ushering the other boy out of his cage. If the world had any rhyme or reason, then the vampire was not holding another pet in his arms or smelling the boy's neck. It was a nightmare it was only a matter of time before he woke up.

"Blaine, stop that! I'm right here! I'm sorry!" A mouthful of cries disappeared at the tip of his tongue and hot tears burnt his pink cheeks. "I was tricked! They'd tricked me, Blaine!"

Rustic rattling of the suspended chain and cage equally reflected the teenager's hot rage threatening to the point of combustion. The vampire was everything he knows and understands, and now Blaine was going to replace him? Magic or an unsaid power motivated Kurt to glance at the woman named Elizabeth - the horrible woman Daniel betrayed him to and the woman Kurt never wanted to see or hear again. On que with his efforts, the wicked woman rewarded him with her attention and a hollow expression. A silent memory gradually entered his mind. "Without your collar, your vampire won't be able to distinguish you from other pets. There is nothing extraordinary about you. You are a lost and bad pet without a collar."

Cold and fiery sweat glistened down Kurt's back and forehead. Blaine could not hear him and now he was reminded by the fact that there is nothing special about him. Why would his former and kind master want him back? He is a bad pet. "B-Blaine please." Kurt outreached his right arm and pouted his lips with surrendering defeat. It was too early to give up and allow Blaine to claim another pet, but what else could he do beside what his world crumble before him? "Blaine I'm sorry."

Blaine ran his fingers across the boy's lower waist and brushed his nose over the slender neck. Santana, with her best efforts in mind, did a convincible job transforming a forest squirrel into a human boy. However no amount of magic could replace the disgusting smell of squirrel off the thin frame he was pretending cherishing as if it was a prized gem. Beyond the forest stench, the texture of the flesh beneath his nose and chin lacked the silkiness he had grown used to with Kurt.

"You smell like a good pet." The vampire wickedly treasured the lie. Behind him a recognizable whimper drew forth from the suspended cage. Kurt must be getting close..."I'm going to make you my new pet - my better pet."

New. Better. The simple terms stabbed the teenager's heart and a resounding hiccup erupted between his slowly vocalizing sobs. Too absorbed in his own rejection and feels of inadequacy, the steady stream of white magic restoring his voice went unnoticed. Is he really that replaceable and insignificant? "B-B-Blaine..." Kurt babbled like a baby and continued to grasp thin air as if there was something to hold onto. "No...No...Sorry...So-so sorry...." Grabby hands did not relent its efforts to gain desired attention from the lone man who shined brighter than the monster in the sky. Every fiber in Kurt's body radiated desperation and uncontained fear triumphed over the outbursts of envy leaking from his panting breaths. "B-B-Blaine...don't you l-love me anymore?"

Hazel eyes dilated further with new additions of lust and want. He had been mining this entire time - chipping away at the mountain rock in search for solid chucks of gold to satisfy nothing more than his craving to be desired. In the battlement of love and hate, the line that separates those who want from those who need, is drawn by the person who cares most. Blaine, for one, refused to be the man left standing in the field of need. Judging by the defeat and utter remorse in his pet's voice, he was nearing the point he was searching for. It would not be much longer until Kurt surrendered the little freedom in his heart that had gone unchecked for too long.

"Elizabeth," Blaine casually released his hold of the human and turned back to the woman in black. It did not matter how gentle or not he was to the false pet who was driving Kurt's patience. Kurt was too blindsided to see anyone besides the generous man who raised him and fought away scary monsters of the dark. "You didn't tell me you had a second pet available to be claimed."

For the first time since he arrived, the raven haired vampire fixated his critical focus on his beloved pet enclosed in a metal prison deemed appropriate given recent events. Clear salty and sticky fluids rolling from Kurt's eyes and nose in the most ungraceful of mannerism. The white pajama's that Blaine enjoyed using has a symbolic gesture of Kurt's innocence laid ruined in filth. Mud was smeared across his chest and legs, and ripped holes revealed the teenager's knees and elbows. Physically the boy was a mess, but mud and tears can easily be cleaned with a hot bath. Emotions were that the matters the vampire was interested in.

"Yes, him." Santana lightly tossed her hair over her bare shoulders. "He was found at the beachy shore - collarless and uncooperative."

Blaine's hazel stare against Kurt's face left the younger boy's heart beating at an unhealthy rate. The outside of Kurt's shirt nearly vibrated from the frantic pulsating happening inside. Thick desperation beautifully scented the air to the point Blaine had trouble standing upright. Then again, his balance was already thrown off with Kurt's unyielding chant of his name.

"B-B-Blaine, it's me..." Kurt pushed one of his shoulder between the cage bars - granting himself an extra centimeter closer to Blaine's body. Physical contact was not met until the shorter man took a long stride forward. Upon this simple act, shaky pale hands formed solid fits with Blaine's black jacket. "I-I lost my collar...d-d-don't you recognize me? I'm K-Kurt...Kurt... it's me...."

"How do you know my former pet's name?" Blaine gingerly leaned his body closer to the suspended cage. Special willpower prevented the vampire from smiling when Kurt locked their arms together. "Did you see him in the wilderness? I'm afraid some bad pets lead him astray with hatred and jealousy tainted in their hearts."

"B-Blaine I was tricked! They'd t-t-tricked me!" New tears seeped from Kurt's tired eyes. His tongue felt like sandpaper and his voice was being to show it. "Blaine...I-I...I want to be a g-good pet a-again...please..."

Kurt looked beautiful broken. "You do look like Kurt, but it is difficult to tell for certain." Blaine licked his lips and watched a ray of emotions swirl within his favorite blue irises. "Why should I pick you over him?"

Him. The memory of the other boy flaunting over Blaine's generous attention did not settle well within the teenager. Who was this new boy to please his Blaine? How could a stranger be a good pet to his kind master? "No! No! Not him, but me!" It may have been due to the surrounding lights reflecting off of Kurt's tears, but emerald sparks challenged his natural eyes color. "Blaine, I'm your pet!"

"I don't know if I want a foul tempered pet who lies to me. You can't prove to me that you are Kurt. Even if you are him, why would I want you back? My former pet ignored my instructions, he chose other pets over his rightful master and he never appreciated me to the degree I deserved." Calm serenity laced the hurtful words - a subtlety that was eerie to witness. It did not matter if Blaine was a skilled actor or if his audience was gullible, the message was sticking.

"No-no-no, Blaine..." Kurt unfolded his legs and stretched them between the bars holding him prisoner. "I'm not lying." Lean legs covered in holey and muddy pajamas wrapped around Blaine's waist for added security. "So-so sorry, B-Blaine. Please don't leave me like I left you...I'd p-promise to never do it again. I promise. I promise! Take me home and I'll be better than a good pet. I will be the best pet. I will do everything better than a good pet."

Still kneeling on the floor was the squirrel turned into a human boy. "Kind Master," The nameless stranger slowly scooted his body closer to the vampire he was enchanted to seduce. "Kind master, I will never yell at you or lose my temper with you. You will never have reason to be dissatisfy with me. I know how to please a man's appetite."

"Stay away!" Kurt pulled Blaine closer to him with his legs. Over the vampire's shoulders Kurt watched his competition near closer. "Stay away from him!"

"Shh-shh," Blaine softly wrapped his hands around Kurt's neck and used his thumbs to rub columns on the slender throat. "There is no need for that. Tell me how you will be a better pet. Will you do everything as I say? Will you allow me to drink from you anytime I want? Will you service your body to my whims?"

Kurt nodded his head in agreement instead of verbally answering. Something about Blaine's hands on his throat felt different. A slow and long caress of his up his chin and over his lips left Kurt in a dizzy state disguised as something more mature than he was used. It was an advance sensation the teenager was not expecting.

"Prove to me you're my Kurt." Blaine hotly breathed against Kurt's parted lips. The bars separating master from pet did little to deprive the scene from sensuality and lust. "Prove to me that you will love me for eternity and never leave me again." Blaine lowered one hand from Kurt's neck and lightly dipped his fingers underneath his pet's shirt. Tension bloomed under his touch and arousal formed within the teenager's abdomen. "Do you like it when I touch you like this?"

"Y-yes. I like it." Delicious lust filled Blaine's nostrils. "I-I'm Kurt...I-I'm pink doll and y-you're blue doll. Pink doll is really sorry. Green doll tricked me." Blue and green eyes slowly flashed to angry red. "Green doll is a bad guy. He is the worst pet. He lied to me. He cheated me and he took me away from you. I hate green doll." The heavy emotion unfitted for someone so innocent did not waver in its pronunciation. "Pink doll hates green doll. Pink doll loves blue poll with his whole heart - no one else. I am Kurt. Don't you remember me now? I love you."

In an effortless attempt to withhold is acting skills, Blaine allowed new emotions of relief to soften his expression. "Kurt, is that you? Oh, sweetie come here."

The cage opened with simple ease and before Blaine had a chance to reach for his pet, Kurt through his weight against his master's chest. For this moment in time nothing else matter. Blaine was here and Blaine remembered him. Monsters may come and go, but Blaine was forever. In addition to everything Kurt learned to appreciate and promised to obey, there was still one more matter that needed to be said.

"I will never let you go." Kurt whispered into his master's neck. Even if his arms grow tried and his body becomes weak, he would not break this vow. He would never leave Blaine again, nor would be fooled by a horrible person pretending to be his friend. He did not have any friends. He only had master, Blaine, and anything else was a lie. "I will never let you go."

"And I will never let you ago." Blaine kissed Kurt's forehead before the light weight in his arms feel passed out. In the distance Santana wickedly smirked and silently clapped her hands. Mission accomplished.